The works of the Rev. John Wesley, Vol. 12 (of 32)Wesley, John
Religion
The works of the Rev. John Wesley, Vol. 12 (of 32)
Wesley, John
Methodist Church; Theology -- Early works to 1800; Theology -- History -- 18th century
*Saturday, October 18. In my morning devotions, my soul was exceedingly
melted for, and bitterly mourned over, my exceeding _sinfulness_ and
_vileness_. I never before felt so deep a sense of the odious nature
of sin. My soul was unusually carried forth in love to God, and had a
lively sense of God’s love to me. And this love and hope, cast out fear.
*October 19. In the morning I felt my soul _hungering and thirsting
after righteousness_. In the forenoon, while I was looking on the
sacramental elements, and thinking that Jesus Christ would soon be “set
forth crucified before me,” my soul was filled with light and love, so
that I was almost in an ecstasy; my body was so weak, I could scarcely
stand. I felt at the same time an exceeding tenderness and most fervent
love towards all mankind; so that my soul and all the powers of it
seemed, as it were, to melt into softness and sweetness. This love and
joy cast out fear; and my soul longed for perfect grace and glory.
*Tuesday, October 21. I had likewise experience of the goodness of
God in “shedding abroad his love in my heart,” and all the remaining
part of the week, my soul was taken up with divine things. I now so
longed after God, and _to be freed from_ sin, that when I felt myself
recovering, and thought I must return to college again, which had
proved so hurtful to me the year past, I could not but be grieved, and
I thought I had much rather have died; but before I went, I enjoyed
several other sweet and precious seasons of communion with God.
I returned to college about November 6, and through the goodness of God,
felt the power of religion almost daily.
November 28. I enjoyed precious discoveries of God, and was unspeakably
refreshed with that passage, Hebrews xii. 22, 23, 24, so that my soul
longed to wing away for the paradise of God; I longed to be conformed
to God in all things.
Tuesday, December 9. God was pleased wonderfully to assist and
strengthen me; so that I thought nothing should ever move me from the
love of God in Christ Jesus my Lord.――O! _one hour with God_ infinitely
exceeds all the pleasures of this lower world.
Towards the latter end of January, 1740‒41, I grew more _cold_ and
_dull_ in matters of religion, by means of my old temptation, ambition
in my studies.――But through divine goodness, a great and general
_awakening_ spread itself over the college, about the latter end of
February, in which I was much quickened, and more abundantly engaged
in religion.
[This awakening was at the beginning of that extraordinary religious
commotion through the land, which is fresh in every one’s memory.
This awakening was for a time very great and general at New-Haven; and
the college had no small share in it: the students in general became
serious, many of them remarkably so, and much engaged in the concerns
of their eternal salvation.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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