The works of the Rev. John Wesley, Vol. 10 (of 32)Wesley, John
Religion
The works of the Rev. John Wesley, Vol. 10 (of 32)
Wesley, John
Methodist Church; Theology -- Early works to 1800; Theology -- History -- 18th century
One of the prisoners said, “Can you now forgive your prosecutor?”――“As
I am a dying man (said he) I love all mankind, my prosecutor and all,
as I love my own soul; I do not know any person, not even the greatest
enemy I have or ever had, but whom I as heartily love, as I do myself;
and I can pray for them as readily as I can for my greatest friends.”
The night before the dead warrant came down, he was filled with more
joy than usual, and said, “Now the Lord is smiling upon me; now he is
speaking comfort to my soul; now, now, I find nothing shall separate me
from the love of God in Christ Jesus: O how does the Father of mercies
manifest his love to me, and make me to taste of the joys of heaven
before I come there: now my heart feels what my mouth cannot utter: *he
hath made darkness light before me; my dark cell, and my dark soul, is
full of the glory of the Lord; I am as full as my poor soul can contain
of the divine presence: and if the foretastes of glory are so great,
What must heaven itself be? God hath opened my eyes to behold his glory,
and my soul is dazled with the sight of it.”
When the dead warrant came, and he was informed he was in it: “Blessed
be God, (he said) I am not daunted: I receive the account with joy:
and had it been to have died immediately, it would not have surprized
me; for I am ready for it.――Lord, thou knowest I am waiting for thy
salvation; and must I stay still _Wednesday_ before I am with thee?
Why must my longing soul be kept from thee till then?――――But it is thy
will, and I am content to wait till thou shalt take me for ever unto
thyself.――――O what a blessed day will that be to my soul, when it will
be separated from its body, to be with Christ for ever! Death, do thy
worst; thou canst not hurt me; for thy sting is taken away, and thou
canst but carry me to glory; to the glory prepared for me.――――Lord,
into thy arms I will throw myself. Lord, I come, I come; I long to come
to thee; I resign myself to thee, and I depend for salvation only on
thee, my dear Lord Jesus Christ; thou art my Saviour; thou art my God,
and thou wilt be mine for ever, and ever. Thou hast forgiven me, and
by thy grace I forgive all my enemies. O that they may all be saved,
and brought to live with thee in thy glory.――――O who could have thought
there had been so much sweetness at the bottom of this bitter cup?――――O
_Walton_, _Walton_; turn unto God, before it is too late: let my death
be the means of making thee leave thy evil ways: and may God change thy
heart, and forgive thee, as he hath forgiven me.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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