Wesley Corpus

(3) “That no fitness is required at the time of communicating,” (I recite the whole sentence,) “but a sense of our state, of our utter sinfulness and helplessness | Every one who knows he is fit for hell, being just fit to come to Christ, in this, as well as in all other ways of his appoint ment.” But neither can this sense of our utter sinfulness and helplessness subsist, without earnest desires of universal holi mess. “There was another passage,” you say, “which you chose to omit.” (Page 118.) Which this was, I do not under stand. Nor do I perceive any one of these dreadful positions (as you style them) to be contrary to the word of God. 8. You will likewise, at all hazards, stand your ground, as to the charge of stoical insensibility. I answered before, “How do you support the charge? Why thus: ‘You say, The servants of God suffer nothing.’ And can you possibly misunderstand these words, if you read those that immediately follow 2-' His body was well-nigh torn asunder with pain. But God made all his bed in his sickness. So that he was continually giving thanks to God, and making his boast of his praise.” (Page 405.) You reply, “If you meant no more than that a man under the sharpest pains may be thankful to God, why did you call this a strange truth?” (Page 118.) Because I think it is so. I think it exceeding strange, that one in such a degree of pain should be continually giving thanks to God. Not that I sup pose him “insensible of his torments.” “His body,” I say, “was well-nigh torn asunder with pain.” But the loveof God so abundantly overbalanced all pain, that it was as nothing to him. “The next instance is as follows: One told you, ‘Sir, I thought last week there could be no such rest as you describe; none in this world wherein we should be so free as not to desire ease in pain. But God has taught me better.