John Wesley

“ True it is, that afflictions are not joyous, but grievous while they last, though afterwards they yield the peaceable fruits of righteousness. How great, O my God, are thy goodness, and tender mercies towards me! If I had a thousand tongues, I could not praise my God as he deserves. He remembers me in the time of my trouble, and leaves not my soul comfortless. Lord, there is nothing good in me, that thou shouldst regard, and so remember me. All is of thy free grace, and undeserved mercy. O the ravishing joy that seizes my heart, in meditating on the dying love of my Saviour! ”

“ I will sing of mercy and judgment.”
“This day I was sorely tempted. Lord Jesus, thou knowest what my temptations are. I would rather die than deny thee by sinning against thee. Thou seest my simple heart. O guard and cover my head. My enemies are many, subtle, and powerful, and malicious; but thou art greater than them all. O God, thou art my friend, and strong helper, I will trust, and not be afraid.”
“I sensibly felt the Lord impressing his image on my soul. O perfect love! ’Tis all in all in religion. I want it above every thing, even this fulness of God in Christ.” ”

“ God of truth, and of love, lead and establish my soul in the paths of justice, mercy, truth, and humility. Make me of a quick understanding in thy fear; nor leave me a moment to my own wisdom, or strength. My help cometh from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. Praise the Lord O my soul!”
“I adore thee, O my God, that thou hast made it lawful for me to pray to thee. Oh, how great is thy condescension to regard such a poor creature as me! I will extol thy goodness, O Lord, my king.” ”

“ But thou knowest my desire, or rather the desire of thy spirit within me. Thou knowest that there hast never been a saint upon earth whom I do not desire to resemble, in doing and suffering thy whole will. I would walk with thee, my God, as Enoch did. I would follow thee to a land unknown, as Abraham did. I would renounce all for thee, as did Moses, and Paul. I would, as did Stephen, seal thy truth with my blood!”
*“Is not this the desire of my soul, O my Saviour? O, give me power; give grace and constancy. For unless thou helpest, all my longings and praying will prove fruitless. ”

“ I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God, for he hath cloathed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ointments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. I could say, that the Lord had so done for my soul. O what enemies are the children of men to their own souls? They deprive themselves of happiness here, and of eternal glory hereafter; imagining that earthly enjoyments are above what religion can afford. ”

“ This day was as yesterday, and much more abundantly. Indeed I can declare how greatly the Lord abased my soul, and broke me as it were in pieces. I could not perceive, that any sin had place in me; but I wait for a stronger evidence that I am made pure in heart. O God, shew me what by grace I am. Shew me if there be pride, anger or unbelief in my heart. Jesus, Son of the living God, send down the Holy Ghost from the Father, to bear me witness, and to shine upon thine own work. Humble and prove, but strengthen and comfort me too. I am thine. ”

“ In the morning there was an open intercourse between God and my soul, which for some hours remained undisturbed. About noon I felt sore war between nature and grace; so that I was brought low. Nature would have me manage for myself, grace was for casting all my care upon God. O thou author of every good gift, send me help from thy holy place to subdue the old man. Take away the perverseness of my own natural will, and make me lowly and patient as thou my Lord art. Thou art the source of grace and of goodness. In thee, O Lamb of God, is all I want. ”

“ O let me die, that I may see thee! Whither is my beloved gone? Return Lord, return. I am a feeble and helpless creature. Yet rejoice not against me, O mine enemy; for though I fall into temptations, heaviness, and trials, I shall rise again. O proud Philistines, deceitful Delilahs, inbred sin, pride of heart, anger, and folly, who can remove you. Lord Jesus, thou canst, and thou alone.”
“At the sacrament, O how did my soul banquet in Jesus! What divine consolation did I feel in God my Saviour.” ”

“ Hast thou brought me thus far and shall I be cast off? O, forbid it Saviour. Forsake not the work of thine own hands. Come and destroy the work of the devil! My God, my God, do not forsake me. Thou knowest that sin is hateful to me. Have I not a love to righteousness? Do not my soul and flesh cry out for the living God? Am I not willing to go even through the fire, rather than offend Thee? Why then should the enemy prevail against me?
“Jesus hast thou not bought my soul? Am not I thine? ”

“ After several exercises of faith, love and prayer, I lay down in peace. My heart is full; and yet
‘A point my good, a drop my store,
‘Eager I ask, and pant for more.’
“O how sweet is it to retire from the world; yea, even from converse with the holiest Christians, to wait upon God alone; and to get closer acquaintance with the blessed Jesus. Happy the man that can go to God at any time, praying to him with faith and fervency. My God, all my soul cries aloud for more of thy light and love. Manifest thyself more fully within me!” ”

“ O what an aversion I had this morning to study, and following the Lamb! If it were not for promises which the gospel affords, I should be often brought into bondage: very often is my soul cast down and my spirit disquieted within me; so that I must needs utterly faint, if it was not that I firmly hope I shall yet praise God for the health of his countenance. I felt neither comfort nor power in preaching. O what a poor creature am I when left to myself! How dark of conception; how slow of heart and speech! ”

“ Still open thy kingdom more fully and powerfully within me.”
“In all things I come short; but I have the testimony of a good conscience.”
*“I stand as in the presence of God. The awe of God I feel rests upon my soul. O how dreadful, and yet how joyful is this place! Lord Jesu, thou art Immanuel, God with me!”
“I mourned for the sins of the people, and found a willingness even to lay down my life, if that would save them from hell. Many wept, and trembled. O the depths of love in God!”
“I felt this day an ardent desire to suffer for his name-sake, tho’ I am conscious of my own weakness.” ”

“ But alas! it is because they know not this religion which brings such happiness to the soul.”
*“O how sweet was Jesus to my soul. The rose for sweetness; the lilly for whiteness; the apple-tree for fruitfulness; what are they all to thee! Entering into my closet, the moment I bowed my knee, the Lord poured down a blessing into my soul. O what a heaven upon earth did I experience for some moments! Tongue cannot express the goodness of God to my soul. O where shall I find words to praise? How am I lost in the ocean, of the immensity of thy mercy! ”

“ How common is it to imagine, that the presence and power of the Spirit of God, and that influence by which souls are awakened, justified, or built up in holiness, depends upon the loudness of the preacher’s voice, or the swiftness of his expression? In other words, upon the strength of a man’s lungs, and it may be, the assurance of his gesture and utterance. A sentiment not more strange to the truly wise, than it is common with many. As though noise, and animal activity should be dignified with the names of spirit and power, and the want of them ascribed to dryness, deadness and formality! ”

“ As though the life of Christians were not a life of sacrifice, a continual imitation of a crucified Saviour.
*“God, who knows our wretchedness, takes from us for our good, the cause of our evil, a parent, a child, a husband, that he may by another evil, affliction, draw us to himself, and make us see that all these ties to whatsoever it be that separates us from him, are so many obstacles to our real happiness: and such obstacles that we shall one day own in the face of all the creation, the greatest mercy he ever did us was, to free us from them. ”

“ Praise, praise is comely for the upright. Shortly I shall have another sight of God than ever I had, and be more fit to praise him than ever. O the thoughts of an incarnate God are sweet and ravishing! And, O! how do I wonder at myself, that I do not admire him more! O that I could honour him? What a wonder I enjoy such composure under these pains, and in view of approaching death! O, what a mercy, that I have the use of my reason, till I have declared his goodness to me! ”

“ And this only abiding in my soul, all things else are defaced and blotted out. I have nothing of sensible in me, unless now and then some transitory touches: But, if any dare to say it, when I sound my will, I find it so quick and flaming, that it would devour me, if the same Lord who animates it (though unworthy) did not restrain it. I enter into a heat and into fire, and even to my fingers ends, feel that all within me speaks for its God, and stretcheth itself forth in length and breadth in his immensity, that it may there dissolve and there lose itself to glorify him. ”

“ O what a glorious view had I of the mercy of God in giving his Son, and of the unspeakable love and pity of Christ in dying for sinners. I was constrained to cry out, Lord, what manner of love is this, wherewith thou has loved us! What is man that thou shouldest be so mindful of him! But I could not yet say that I had redemption in the blood of Christ, the forgiveness of my sins. I did not experience the merit of his death applied to my soul. ”

“ I enjoyed a fulness of God in my soul; and had infinite sweetness in communion with my Saviour. Lord I am not worthy of these manifestations: But I see all is of free grace. I receive all through Christ the righteous. He drank the bitter cup, that I might drink the cup of consolation. Lord I would love thee infinitely, if I were able! My whole soul cries out for power to do thy will perfectly.”
“Monday December 2. I feel I am a mere nothing, and that if God withdraw his grace from me but for a moment, I should do nothing but sin.” ”

“ And inasmuch as the giving our whole heart to God, is that, without which, nothing in religion is available; if this be not done, is it not the same thing, whether it be through gazing at the stars, catching of butterflies, or committing adultery? The death of the body is as fully affected by the prick of a lancet, as by the stroke of a cannon-ball. And, to such alas, as procure the loss of their own soul, how little difference does it make, whether it was done by the crimes, of the grossest kind, or, by what the flattery of self-love, and a mistaken world call little things. ”

“ Whatever come of it, this is a demonstration that there is a reality in religion; and I rejoice in this, that God hath honoured a sinful worm, so as to be a demonstration of his grace. My dear friends, while I live, I must preach the gospel. He has given me awhile yet here, which ought to be reckoned precious, and so long as it lasts, my work is still to commend him. The word speaks, providence speaks in me; despise not the gospel under this new discovery. I am a sinner; shame belongs to me: worthy is the Lamb to receive glory. ”

“ Was he despised as a mere man and his godhead disowned? Lo, here he appears in divine majesty and glory! Did they say he was against the law? Lo, here Moses, by whom the law was given, adoring him. Did they say, he was not the Messiah foretold by the prophets? Lo, here Elijah the most zealous of them, owning and honouring him. Was he reproached as a deceiver of the people? Lo, the voice from heaven saith, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: hear ye him. Yet this sight was of short continuance. But in heaven we shall have an abiding sight. We shall then behold his glory ”

“ People are seldom sufficiently sensible of the odiousness of pride, anger, internal concupiscence, or an inordinate love of the creature; together with the neglect of self-denial, and bearing the daily cross. These are overlooked; yea, some even plead for, and attempt to justify them. Lord, let me never be an advocate for the devil. Give me grace heartily to love those who tell me of my faults. Search out my sin, till thou find none. My whole trust is in the blood of Jesus. I have no other plea; for this one is enough, it will, it doth prevail with God, and bring my soul to glory. ”