“At dinner my soul was sweetly drawn out after God, I felt such an assurance of eternal salvation, as I never had before; not with such clearness of evidence.”
“I felt great love to all mankind. My soul pleaded with God in their behalf. O Jesus hasten thy kingdom. Come and put a period to sin and misery! O my God, suffer not a vain thought to live in me. I never can rest till Jesus has poured his humble, pure, and happy mind into my soul. For some moments I did taste of the felicity of heaven; but thro’ pain and unbelief it was of short continuance.”
“Friday. It being the public fast. I preached on Isaiah lviii. 3. It was a day of feasting to my soul. With great delight I rested in my God. And it seemed to me, that the people of God were not yet to suffer. Hereafter it will be; but at present, the grand controversy is with antichrist.[¹] Jesus will avenge the quarrel of his covenant.”
[¹] For some considerable time before, and during great part of his last sickness, his thoughts entered deeply, into the prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation. He calculated the times with great exactness, and spared no labour and pains, to be fully informed concerning the great things which those passages teach still await the world. In short he was rapt up in those future scenes, hastening to the coming of the Son of God, in his kingdom of grace and glory. His opinion was, that great and amazing things were at the door, and he has frequently said to a young man, “My brother if you live to the years of a man (meaning three score and ten) you shall see these things.”
“I seek perfection, and uninterrupted communion with the blessed God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. True; I am not worthy of the crumbs under thy table; yet I look thro’ thy rich grace, for all the precious and eternal blessings of the new Covenant.”
“Sunday. This was a glorious day indeed. Great and marvellous were the blessings which God bestowed upon me. He blesses me in every duty: all is useful; all works together for my good. I go on my way singing the hundred and thirty-eighth psalm, They shall sing in the ways of the Lord; for great is the glory of the Lord.”
“Jesus was with me in all I did. He gave me light, love, help, joy, peace, and strength in all. In his Spirit I went to rest.”
*“Wherever I was, and in whatsoever I did, my soul delighted in God: never had I deeper, or more sweet manifestations of his gracious presence. I could not but praise him, and thirst for more perfect union with him! Surely this is the foretaste of glory! O if Christians did but rightly understand the nature, power, and extent of the kingdom of God in the soul, I am persuaded they would not rest satisfied with bare pardon of sin, and some joy and peace, when they may have perfect and uninterrupted rest! If once sin be totally destroyed, and the Spirit filled with the light, and love of God, it is then neither hurt nor hindred, by any person or thing; but steddily goes on its heavenly journey, united to Christ, more and more daily. It does not yet appear what we shall be, even in this world.”
*“O Christ, What hast thou done for me! What shall I say of, or unto thee? This I say, that I love thee! O let it be with all my heart, and soul, and mind, and strength. At intercession, I felt such a degree of the presence of God, as utterly amazed me. O glorious Lord, how shall I bless thee!”
*“My heart continually rested in God, and drank of the living waters; yea, my very body was supported by the joy wherewith my soul was refreshed: so that after preaching three times to-day, beside visiting the sick, and well; my strength was more than when I rose in the morning.”