Wesley Corpus

Wed. 24.--My brother set out for London. Thursday, 25, I met with such a case, as I do not remember either to have known or heard of before. L a Sm , afler many years’ mourning, was filled with peace and joy in believing. In the midst of this, without any discernible cause, such a cloud suddenly overwhelmed her, that she could not believe her sins were ever forgiven her at all; nor that there was any such thing as forgiveness of sins. She could not believe that the Scriptures were true ; nor that there was any heaven or hell, o- angel, Jan. 1741.) ° REV. J. WESLEY S JOURNAL. 198 or spirit, or any God. One more I have since found in the same state. So sure it is, that all faith is the gift of God; which the moment he withdraws, the evil heart of unbelief will poison the whole soul. Fri. 26.--I returned early in the morning to Kingswood, in order to preach at the usual hour. But my congregation was gone to hear Mr. Cc , so that (except a few from Bristol) I had not above two or three men, and as many women, the same number I had once or twice before. In the evening I read nearly through a treatise of Dr. John Edwards, on “ The Deficiency of Human Knowledge and Learning.” Surely, never man wrote like this man! At least, none of all whom I have seen. I have not seen so haughty, overbearing, pedantic a writer. Stiff and trifling in the same breath ; positive and opiniated to the last degree, and of course treating others with no more good manners than justice. But above all, sour, ill-natured, morose without a parallel, which indeed is his distinguishing character. Be his opinion right or wrong, if Dr. Edwards’s temper were the Christian temper, I would abjure Christianity for ever.