The works of the Rev. John Wesley, Vol. 13 (of 32)Wesley, John
Religion
The works of the Rev. John Wesley, Vol. 13 (of 32)
Wesley, John
Methodist Church; Theology -- Early works to 1800; Theology -- History -- 18th century
Her step-mother being rendered incapable of managing the affairs of
the house, the care of a young family in a great measure devolved on
her, which, with the attendance needful for her helpless step-mother,
necessarily brought considerable exercises and trials, to one of such
tender years; yet being inwardly strengthened for the performance of
these duties, she manifested as much tenderness towards her, as if she
had been her own mother; (an example too rarely seen in such cases)
and was enabled to go through her constantly-trying circumstances
with unwearied patience. Although by these means she was deprived of
providing for herself such sort of apparel, and conveniences as those
of her age usually expect, and may innocently enjoy.
*Having been tried, and in some measure intangled in her affections,
she was sensible of a decline in her spiritual consolations, but
through the mercy of God, this lasted not long; for she rested not till
she had recovered all she had lost; so that she was enabled to testify
to a Christian friend, while she remained in health, “I find my heart
loose from every creature, and all created good, and wholly fixed on
God: this is the desire of my soul.
“O that I might walk with God,
Jesus my companion be;
Lead me to the blest abode,
Thro’ the fire, and thro’ the sea:
Then I shall no more complain,
Never at my lot repine,
Welcome toil, or grief, or pain,
All is well, if Christ is mine.”
When the grace of God thus takes place in the heart, how little does
every thing we suffer for his sake appear! How empty is _all_ the world
calls _good_ and _great_, to a soul filled with divine love!
From the following remarkable circumstances, it seems as if she had
some apprehensions of the near approach of death. She began to be more
abundantly diligent in the use of every means of grace, for some weeks
before her last sickness. It was also observed that though she had not
been accustomed to pray at the class-meeting, yet being now exceedingly
fervent in spirit, one evening at class, she broke out into earnest
prayer; she appeared to enjoy much freedom, and great nearness to God,
and was deeply affected with a sense of the _evil of sin_, and her own
_weakness_, which occasioned her crying to God in such expressions as
these, “O Lord! Rather let me die, than live to offend, or ever sin
against thee!” Indeed the vehement importunity with which she uttered
these petitions made her brethren suspect that something more than
common would happen; for the power of God was unusually present.
Soon after (on the 14th of January, 1769) she sickened for the
small-pox. One then asked her, how she felt her soul: she said, “My
evidence is clear, and life or death, the will of the Lord be done.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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