Wesley Corpus

moment, norin one hour. For I could not immediately believe that I was forgiven, because of the mistake I was then in concerning forgiveness. I saw not then, that the first promise to the children of God is, ‘ Sin shall no more reign over you;’ but thought I was to feel it in me no more, from the time it was forgiven. Therefore, although I had the mastery over it, yet I often feared it was not forgiven, because it still stirred in me, and at some times thrust sore at me that I might fall: because, though it did not reign, it did remain in me; and I was continually tempted, though not overcome. This at that time threw me into many doubts; not understanding that the devil tempts, properly speaking, only those whom he perceives to be escaping from him. He need not tempt his own; for they ‘lie in the wicked one,’ (as St. John observes,) and do his will with greediness. But those whom Christ is setting free, he tempts day and night, to see if he can recover them to his kingdom. Neither saw I then, that the being justified, is widely different from the having the full assurance of faith. I remembered not, that our Lord told his Apostles before his death, ‘ Ye are clean;’ whereas it was not till many days after it, that they were fully assured, by the Holy Ghost then received, of their reconciliation to God through his blood. The difference between these fruits of the Spirit was as yet hid from me; so that I was hardly and slowly convinced I had the one, because I had not the other. “ When I was recovered from my illness, I resolved to return into Mo ravia, and preach Christ to my relations there. Thence I came back to Gorlitz, where I continued five years; and there was a great awakening both in the town and country round about. In this space I made two more journeys into Moravia, where more and more came to hear me, many of whom promised to come to me, wherever I was, when a door should be opened for them.