Wesley Corpus

7. You go on: ‘The character of the enthusiast above drawn will fit, I believe, all such of the Methodists as can be thought sincere.’ (page 63.) I believe not. I have tried it on one, and it fitted him just as Saul’s armor did David. However, a few instances of enthusiasm you undertake to show in this very Journal. And first, ‘You give us one’ (these are your words) ‘of a private revelation, which you seem to pay great credit to.’ You partly relate this, and then remark, ‘What enthusiasm is here! To represent the conjectures of a woman, whose brain appears to have been too much heated, as if they had been owing to a particular and miraculous spirit of prophecy!’ Descant, Sir, as you please on this enthusiasm; on the credit I paid to this private revelation; and my representing the conjectures of this brain-sick woman as owing to the miraculous power of the Spirit of God: And when you have done, I will desire you to read that passage once more, where you will find my express words are, introducing this account: ‘Sunday, 11. I met with a surprising instance of the power of the devil.’ (Journal, ii. 415). Such was the credit I paid to this revelation! All which I ascribe to the Spirit of God is, the enabling her to strive against the power of the devil and at length restoring peace to her soul. 8. As a second instance of enthusiasm, you cite those words: ‘I expounded out of the fullness which was given me’ (ii. 412). The whole sentence is, ‘Out of the fulness that was given me, I expounded those words of St. Paul, (indeed of every true believer,) “To me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”’ I mean, I had then a fuller, deeper sense of that great truth, than I ordinarily have. And I still think it right to ascribe this, not to myself, but to the ‘Giver of every good and perfect gift.’