Wesley Corpus

" An hour after, I had one more grapple with the enemy, who then seemed to collect all his strength. I essayed to shake myself, and praise God as before, but I was not able; the power was departed from me. I was shorn of my strength, and became weak and like another man. Then I said, ' Yet here I hold; lo, I come to bear thy will, O God. Immediately he returned to my soul, and lifted up the light of his countenance. And I felt, 'He rideth easily enough, whom the grace of God carrieth.' I supposed the fit was now over, it being about five in the afternoon, and began to compose myself for sleep; when I felt first a chill, and then a burning all over, attended with such a universal faintness, and weariness, and utter loss of strength, as if the whole frame of nature had been dissolved. Just then my nurse, I know not why, took me out of bed, and placed me ina chair. Presently a purging began, which I believe saved _ my life. I grew easier from that hour, and had such a night's rest as I have not had before, since it pleased God to lay his hand upon me." From Saturday, '7, to Sunday, 15, I found my strength gradually increasing, and was able to read Turretin's " History of the Church," (a dry, heavy, barren treatise,) and the life of that truly good and great man, Mr. Philip Henry. On Monday and Tuesday I read over the 236) REV. J. WESLEY'S JOURNAL. ' Dec. 1741. " Life of Mr. Matthew Henry,'' a man not to be despised, either as a scholar or a Christian, though, I think, not equal to his father. On Wednesday I read over once again " Theologia Germanica." O how was it, that I could ever so admire the affected obscurity of this unscriptural writer! Glory be to God, that I now prefer the plain Apostles and Prophets, before him and all his mystic followers. - I read again, with great surprise, part of the " Ecclesias- eis tical History of Eusebius." But so weak, credulous, throughly inju-