Wesley Corpus

These are the general means which God hath ordained for our receiving his sanctifying grace. The particular are, -prayer, searching the Scripture, communicating, and fasting. TUESDAY, May 13th, 1746 THE following persons being met at the New-Room, in Bristol: John Wesley, Charles Wesley, John Hodges, Jona than Reeves, Thomas Maxfield, Thomas Westell, and Thomas Willis; it was inquired,-- Q. 1. Can an unbeliever (whatever he be in other respects) challenge anything of God’s justice? A. Absolutely nothing but hell. And this is a point which we cannot too much insist on. Q. 2. Do we empty men of their own righteousness, as we did at first? Do we sufficiently labour, when they begin to be convinced of sin, to take away all they lean upon? Should we 'not then endeavour with all our might to overturn their false foundations? A. This was at first one of our principal points: And it ought to be so still. For, till all other foundations are over turned, they cannot build upon Christ. Q. 3. Did we not then purposely throw them into convic tions; into strong sorrow and fear? Nay, did we not strive to make them inconsolable, refusing to be comforted? A. We did. And so we should do still. For the stronger the conviction, the speedier is the deliverance. And none so soon receive the peace of God, as those who steadily refuse all other comfort. Q. 4. Let us consider a particular case. Was you, Jonathan Reeves, before you received the peace of God, convinced that, notwithstanding all you did, or could do, you was in a state of damnation? J. R. I was convinced of it, as fully as that I am now alive. Q. 5. Are you sure that conviction was from God? J. R. I can have no doubt but it was. Q. 6. What do you mean by a state of damnation? J. R. A state wherein if a man dies, he perisheth for ever. Q. 7. How did that conviction end? J. R. I had first a strong hope that God would deliver me: And this brought a degree of peace. But I had not that solid peace of God till Christ was revealed in me. Q. 8.