Wesley Corpus

He will not suffer the righteous to be moved. Filled with joy, I fell upon my knees, to beg of God that I might always cast my burden upon him. My hope was now greatly increased; and I thought I saw myself conqueror over sin, hell, and all manner of affliction. 8. “With this comfortable promise I shut up my Bible, 286 LIFE OF MIt. FLETCHER. being now perfectly satisfied. As I shut it, I cast my cyes on that word, ‘Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, I will do it.’ So, having asked grace of God to serve him till death, I went cheerfully to bed.” 9. So far we have Mr. Fletcher's own account, under his own hand. From this time he “had the witness in himself;” he knew that he had “redemption through the blood of Christ, even the forgiveness of sins.” But he still continued pleading with the Lord, to take a fuller possession of his heart; till, one day, as he was in earnest prayer, lying pros trate on his face before God, he saw, as it were, our blessed Lord, hanging and bleeding on the cross: And, at the same time, those words were spoken with power to his heart: Seized by the rage of sinful men, I see him bound, and bruised, and slain. 'Tis done ! The Martyr dies ! IIis life to ransom ours is given; And, lo ! the fiercest fire of heaven Consumes the sacrifice : He suffers both from men and God | He bears the universal load Of guilt and misery ! He suffers to reverse our doom; And, lo ! my Lord is here become The bread of life to me ! 10. I believe this was in January, 1754, in the second year after he removed to Tern. Now all his bonds were broken; he breathed a purer air, and was able to say with confidence, “The life I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” By means of this faith, sin was under his feet. Knowing in whom he had believed, he could continually triumph in the Lord, and praise the God of his salvation. 11. From this time he walked cheerfully, as well as valiantly, in the ways of God.