Wesley Corpus

Wed. July 2.--I went to the society ; but I found their hearts were quite estranged. Friday, 4.--I met a little handful of them, who still stand in the old paths; but how long they may stand God knoweth the rest being continually pressing upon them. Wednesday, 9.--I came to an explanation once more with them all together ; but with no effect at all. Tuesday, 15.--We had yet another conference at large, but in vain; for all continued in their own opinions. Wed. 16.--One desired me to look into an old book, and give her my judgment of it : particularly of what was added at the latter end. This, I found, was, “The Mystic Divinity of Dionysius ;” and several extracts nearly allied thereto, full of the same “ super-essential darkness.” I borrowed the book, and going in the evening to Fetter-lane, read one of those extracts, to this effect :-- “The Scriptures are good; prayer is good; communicating is good ; relieving our neighbour is good; but to one who is not born of God, none of these is good, but all very evil. For him to read the Scriptures, or to pray, or to communicate, or to do any outward work, is deadly poison. Journal I.--13 , 190 REV. J. WESLEY’S JOURNAL. _ (July, 1740 First, let him be born of God. Till then let him not do any of these things. For if he does he destroys himself.”