Wesley Corpus

3. Do not say, "But I am not contrite enough: I am not sensible enough of my sins." I know it. I would to God thou wert more sensible of them, more contrite a thousand fold than thou art. But do not stay for this. It may be, God will make thee so, not before thou believest, but by believing. It may be, thou wilt not weep much till thou lovest much because thou hast had much forgiven. In the mean time, look unto Jesus. Behold, how he loveth thee! What could he have done more for thee which he hath not done O Lamb of God, was ever pain, Was ever love like thine Look steadily upon him, till he looks on thee, and breaks thy hard heart. Then shall thy "head" be "waters," and thy "eyes fountains of tears." 4. Nor yet do thou say, "I must do something more before I come to Christ." I grant, supposing thy Lord should delay his coming, it were meet and right to wait for his appearing, in doing, so far as thou hast power, whatsoever he hath commanded thee. But there is no necessity for making such a supposition. How knowest thou that he will delay Perhaps he will appear, as the day-spring from on high, before the morning light. O do not set him a time! Expect him every hour. Now he is nigh! even at the door! 5. And to what end wouldest thou wait for more sincerity, before thy sins are blotted out to make thee more worthy of the grace of God Alas, thou art still "establishing thy own righteousness." He will have mercy, not because thou art worthy of it, but because his compassions fail not; not because thou art righteous, but because Jesus Christ hath atoned for thy sins. Again, if there be anything good in sincerity, why dost thou expect it before thou hast faith -- seeing faith itself is the only root of whatever is really good and holy.