You give them drink from your river of delights Psalm 36:8

• DAY 7 MORNING PSALM 35-36

• DAY 7 EVENING PSALM 37

On the evening of 24th May 1738, John Wesley wrote. ‘I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation: And an assurance was given me, that he had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.’ The Reformation truth that by grace we are saved through faith had profoundly impacted John Wesley’s heart. Rupert Davies thinks it may be properly called Wesley’s evangelical conversion, and sees in it a complete turning-point in his life, experientially, psychologically and theologically. Schmidt devotes a chapter of almost one hundred pages to what he unambiguously entitles “the conversion”, in which “theory had become fact, expectation had become fulfillment, desire had become possession.” Dean Carpenter considers it “one of the three most momentous conversions in Christian history,” along with those of Paul and Augustine.”

Before Wesley could preach the Good News of the Gospel to England he needed to receive it himself, and this had now happened. He preached a gospel of grace.’Scores of entries in his journal are simply a variation on that theme.’ I offered the grace of God,' ‘I offered the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,' ‘I proclaimed the name of the Lord,' ‘I proclaimed Christ crucified.’ 'I proclaimed the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.'’ I proclaimed free salvation,' ‘I declared the free grace of God,' ‘ I exhorted the wicked to forsake his way,’ 'I began to call sinners to repentance,' 'I invited all guilty helpless sinners.’

Wesley’s preaching to the poor in England was a river of grace. Wesley had felt the grace of God himself and later it was his desire that his audience would not just hear it, but feel it too. “it was his burning preoccupation’, says Skevington –Wood, ‘I am amazed at this people,' Wesley confessed after preaching in Edinburgh, (many years later) , 'use the most cutting words, and apply them in the most pointed manner, still they hear, but feel no more than the seats they sit on.’

• ‘Come to me all who are thirsty’ says Isaiah. Lord we pray for a new spiritual thirst and a new spiritual hunger in our land. Have mercy on the lost, those who are completely unchurched. Pour out a river of grace on our land. Give them drink from your river of delights, Lord. Just as John Wesley felt the depths of YOUR love in the depths of HIS heart and went on to preach a gospel of grace to the minds and the hearts of a poor and needy nation, do it again Lord.

REFERENCES

Skevington-Wood, A. The burning heart John Wesley: Evangelist,Cliff College Publishing, 150

Davies, R . E. Methodism, 57-60

Schmidt, Vol 1, John Wesley: A theological Biography, 263

Carpenter, Eighteenth century Church and People, 197

Wesley, J. Journal 174 4th April, 1739; vol III p429, 15th September, 1749;p444, 24th October 1749; vol IV p202, 17th April 1757, vol III p281, 24th February, 1747, vol 11, p185, 29th April 1739, vol IV, p56, 28th March, 1753, vol III, p334, 21st February, 1748, p88 30th September, 1783.