Wesley Corpus

Dettingen. The balls came then very thick about me, and my comrades fell on every side. Yet I was preserved unhurt. A few days after this, the Lord was pleased to visit me again. ' The pains of hell gat hold upon me, the snares of death encompassed me.' I durst no longer commit any outward sin; and I prayed God to be merciful to my soul. Now I was at a loss for books: but God took care for this also. One day, as I was at work, I found an old Bible in one of the train wagons. To read this, soon forsook my old companions, all but one, who was still a thorn in my flesh: but, not long after, he sickened and died. "My Bible was now my only companion; and I believed myself a very good Christian, till we came to winter quarters, where I met with John Haime: but I was soon sick of his company; for he robbed me of my treasure ; he stole away my gods, telling me, land my works were going to hell together! This was strange doctrine to me, who, being wholly ignorant of the righteousness of Christ, sought only to establish my own righteousness: and being naturally of astubborn temper, my poor brother was so perplexed with me, that sometimes he was resolved (as he afterward told me) to forbid my coming to him any more. When the Lord had at length opened my eyes, and shown me that by grace we are saved through faith, I began immediately to declare it to others, though I had not as yet experienced it myself. But, October 23d, as William Clements was at prayer, I felt on a sudden a great alteration in my soul. My eyes overflowed with tears of love. I knew I was, through Christ, reconciled to God, which inflamed my soul with fervent love to him, whom I now saw to be my complete Redeemer. © the tender care of Almighty God in bringing up his children! How are we bound to love so indulgent a Father, and to fall down in wonder and adoration of his great and glorious name, for his tender mercies ! keeper to the least of my master's servants, Joun Evans."