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gave him a blessing; which being done he expired

immediately. A royal prince who was there (Prince

“… this way of mine, I perceive, is not the right one; I must believe in Christ, and through Him come to God.”
Xavier of Saxony) could not keep himself from
weeping. The rest of the officers grieved at the loss of
their general, yet praised God for having shown such Reformed Congregational Church

C
mercy toward him.

I wrote an account of it without delay to his mother,

and had an immediate answer. She was a lady of
seventy-two, of exemplary piety. She praised God for

T
His mercy; adding, that He had now answered the here is much confusion these days concerning
prayers for which she had never ceased to offer on his how it is that a person becomes a Christian.
behalf for eleven years.” Some people talk about ‘making a
committment,’ or ‘giving your life to Christ.’ Others of
John Wesley’s Journal, April 13, 1759. ‘going forward’ at an ‘altar call’ and praying the
‘sinners prayer.’

The following is an account of how one man actually

became a Christian in 1759. It is taken from the diary
of John Wesley, in an age when God was powerfully at
work in saving sinners. Think and pray as you read
whether these things be true of you.

“Among the many wounded who were brought into

Frankfurt, there was the right honorable George
Charles Dykern, Baron, Lieutenant General of the
Saxon troops, in the service of the king of France. He
was born of an ancient and noble family in Silesia, on
April 10, 1710, so that it was just on his birthday that
he received his wound. He was of equal abilities as a
government minister as a general in the field. In his
younger years he made a study of philosophy and
Coram Deo currently meets mathematics at university, graduating with honors.
Reformed Congregational Church

at the Dana Point Youth Facility Afterward he studied theology, till he reasoned himself
Dana Point, CA 92629-4047

34451 Ensenada Place into an agnostic! During his illness he showed not the
least desire for spiritual company or serious
Dana Point Harbor, CA 92629 conversation, till the surgeon let his servant know that
Post Office Box 4047

Sundays: 11:00 am he was not going to live much longer. The servant then
asked his master whether he wouldn’t like to see a
and at 33145 Santiago Drive, clergyman. He answered somewhat sharply, ‘I shall not
trouble those gentlemen: I know very well what I
Dana Point, CA 92629 believe!’ His servant, not discouraged, continued, ‘My
Wednesdays: 7:30 pm lord, have I ever failed you in my service?’ He

Amendments and Changes © Copyright, 1995 by Anthony D. O’Sullivan

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continued from cover…
answered, ‘No.’ ‘Then,’ he replied, ‘I shall not fail you
now. The surgeons say that there is no hope for your
recovery; but every one is afraid to tell you. You stand on
the brink of death. Please, sir, send for a clergyman.’ He
paused a little, then took his
servant by the hand, thanked
him for his honesty, and
ordered him to send for me.
(Dr. Fresenius, Head of the “You stand on the
Clergy at Frankfurt.) When I
came the servant told me brink of death.
plainly that the general was a
heathen. I went in, and after a Please, sir, send for
polite introduction, said, ‘I am
told, my lord, that your life is a clergyman.”
nearly at an end; therefore I
must ask you plainly; is the
state of your soul such that
you have a solid hope of salvation?’ He answered, ‘Yes.’
‘On what do you base this hope?’ He replied, ‘I have
never committed any deliberate sin. I have been overcome
in some faults; but I trust in God’s mercy, and the merits
of his Son, that he will have mercy upon me.’ These
words he uttered very slowly, especially, ‘the merits of his
Son.’ I made the following reply. ‘I can quite believe that
you are a very moral person; but I’m afraid you are far
from being free of sin. If you would be saved, you must
acknowledge that you are utterly corrupted by sin, and
consequently, you deserve God’s curse and damnation. As
for your hoping for God’s mercy, through the merits of
his Son, I must ask, Do you believe that God has a Son;
that his Son became a man so that he could be our Savior;
that, in the execution of his office, he was humbled unto
death, even death upon a cross; and that in this he offered
full satisfaction for sin; and recovered our title to heaven?’
He answered, ‘I can not now avoid a more minute
description of the true state of my soul. Let me tell you,
Doctor, I have some knowledge of philosophy, by which I
have chosen for myself a way of salvation. I have always
endeavored to live a sober life to the uttermost of my
power, not doubting that the Being of all beings would
then graciously accept me. In this way I stood in no need
of Christ, and therefore did not believe on him. But if I
take the Scriptures to be a Divine revelation, this way of
mine, I perceive, is not the right one; I must believe in
Christ, and through Him come to God.’ I replied, ‘You say, About noon I stepped home; but he sent for me
if you take the Scriptures to be a Divine revelation!’ He directly, so that I could scarce eat my dinner. We were
fetched a deep sigh, and said, ‘O God, thou wilt make me both filled with joy, as partakers of the same grace
say, because I take the Scriptures to be thy word.’ I said, which is in Jesus Christ; and that in such a manner as if
‘There are grounds and reasons enough to demonstrate the we had been acquainted together for many years. Many
Divine origin of Christianity, as officers of the army came to see him continually, to all
I could show from its most of whom he talked freely of Jesus, of the grace of the
essential principles, were not the Father in Him, and of the power of the Holy Ghost
period of your life so short; but
we need not now use that
through Him, wondering without ceasing at his having
found Jesus and at the happy change by which all things
rambling method, faith being
the gift of God. A poor sinner
on this side eternity were become indifferent to him.
tottering on the brink of
eternity, has not time to inquire
In the afternoon he desired to partake of the Lord’s
supper, which he received with a melting, praising,
about grounds and reasons;
rather give yourself to earnest
rejoicing heart. All the rest of the day he continued in
the same state of soul. Toward evening he desired that if
prayer for faith, which, if you his end should approach, I would come to him, which I
do, I doubt not that God will promised; but he did not send for me until the next
give it to you.’ I had no sooner morning. I was told by his valet, that he slept well for
spoken these words, but pulling off his cap, and lifting up some hours, and then, awaking prayed for a
his eyes and hands, he cried out, ‘O Almighty God, I am a considerable time, continually mentioning the name of
poor cursed sinner, worthy of damnation; but Lord Jesus, our Lord, and His precious blood; and that he had
eternal Son of God, you died for desired several of the officers
my sins also. It is through you to make his conversion
alone that I can be saved. O give known to his court. (That of
me faith, and strengthen that
faith!’ Being extremely weak he … he asked, ‘Is faith the king of Poland.) After
some discourse, I asked,
was obliged to stop here. A little
after he asked, ‘Is faith enough enough for salvation?’ ‘Has your view of Christ
and His redemption been
for salvation?’ ‘Yes, sir,’ I said, ‘If
it be living faith.’ ‘I think,’ he ‘Yes, sir,’ I said, either altered or obscured
since yesterday?’ He
said, ‘it is so already; and it will
be more by and by; let us pray ‘If it be living faith.’ answered, ‘Neither altered,
nor obscured. I have no
for it.’ Perceiving he was very doubt, not even a remote
weak, to give him some rest, I one. It is just the same with
retired into the next room, but me, as if I had always believed
he soon sent to call for me. I found him praying, and Jesus and never doubted; so gracious is the Lord to me a sinner.’
was all that he prayed for. I reminded him of some
Scriptures, treating of faith in Christ, and he was much This second day he was unwearied in prayer and
delighted with them. Indeed, he was quite swallowed up by exercises of faith. Toward evening he sent for me in
the grace of Jesus, and would hear of nothing but ‘Jesus haste. When I came I found him dying, and in a kind
Christ and him crucified.’ He cried out, ‘I do not know of delirium; so I could do no more than give now and
how it is with me. I never in my life felt such a change. I then a word of comfort. I prayed afterward for him and
have power to love Jesus, and to believe in him whom I those that were present, some of whom were of high
have so long rejected. O my Jesus, how merciful you are to me!’ birth and rank. I then by imposition of hands as usual,
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