Wesley Corpus

“Yet in a few days I was troubled again. I believed Christ was the Saviour of the world: but I could not call him my Saviour; neither did I believe he would save me. And one day as I was walking across the Square, that text came strongly into my mind, “The unbelieving shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone.’ I returned home, terrified beyond expression ; and instantly began crying out to our Saviour, telling him I deserved no less than hell; and gave myself up, if it were his will, to suffer what I had deserved. Ina moment I found a gleam of hope, that he would have mercy even on me. ‘** But this in a short time vanished away, and my uneasiness returned again. Many endeavoured to persuade me that I had, but I knew I had not, a right faith in Christ. For I had no confidence in him; nor could I lay hold upon him as my Saviour. Indeed reading one day in Arndt’s ‘ True Christianity,’ that ‘ifall the sins of all the men upon earth were joined in one man, the blood of Christ was sufficient to cleanse ‘that man from all sin; I felt for a time comfort and peace: but it was but for a time, and then I was overwhelmed as before with sadness and unbelief. And I was oppressed almost beyond my strength, when* a year ago I went into this little wood. At first I was tempted to break out into impatience; but then J thought, our Saviour knows best; nor would he suffer this trouble to continue so long, if he did not see it was good for me. I delivered myself wholly into his hands, to dispose of me according to his good pleasure. In that hour I saw, that all who believe in him are reconciled to God through his blood; and was assured, that I was thereby reconciled, and numbered among the children of God. And from that hour, I have had no doubt or fear, but all peace and jov in believing.” Some of the circumstances of this uncommon relation were made