Wesley Corpus

Sun. 4.--Was indeed a feast day. For from the time of my rising till past one in the afternoon, I was praying, reading the Scriptures, singing praise, or calling sinners to repentance. All these days I scarce remember to have opened the Testament, but upon some great and precious promise. And I saw more than ever, that the Gospel is in truth but one great promise, from the beginning of it to the end. Tues. 6.--I had still more comfort, and peace, and joy ; on which I fear I began to presume: for in the evening I received a letter from Oxford which threw me into much perplexity. It was asserted therein, “ That no doubting could consist with the least degree of true faith: that whoever at any time felt any doubt or fear, was not weak in faith, but had no faith at all: and that none hath any faith, till the law of the Spirit of life has made him wholly free from the law of sin and death.” Begging of God to direct me, I opened my Testament on: 1 Cor. iii, 1, &c, where St. Paul speaks of those whom he terms “ babes in Christ,” who were “not able to bear strong meat,” nay (in a sense) “camal ;” to whom nevertheless he says, “« Ye are God’s building, ye are the temple of God.” Surely then these men had some degree of faith ; though, it is plain, their faith was but weak. After some hours spent in the Scripture and prayer, I was much comforted. Yet I felt a kind of soreness in my heart, so that I found my wound was not fully healed. O God, save thou me, and all that are “‘ weak in the faith,” from ‘ doubtful disputations !”