Wesley, it seems, called at the house of Mr. Weinantz, a Dutch merchant, and there found three Germans, who had just landed in England. One of them was called Peter Böhler. Finding they had no friends in London, Wesley offered to find them a lodging, and took rooms for them in a house close to where he himself was staying. From the little talk they had that day, he felt sure that from them he could learn what he now most desired to know—how a sinner can have peace with God. He wrote in his journal that Tuesday evening, “A day much to be remembered!”
From this time John Wesley took every opportunity of talking with Peter Böhler. Peter could not talk English, and John could not talk German, they therefore had all their conversations in Latin. Peter told John that what he needed was faith in Christ, and that there were two marks of having faith, namely, first the certain knowledge that our sins are forgiven, and secondly, power to overcome sin in our daily life. John says he was quite amazed at hearing this. It seemed to him a new gospel. “If it is true,” he said, “it is quite clear I have not got faith.” But he was not willing to be convinced of it, and disputed, as he says, with all his might to convince Peter that though he did not know that his sins were forgiven, still he really had faith, which would prove that Peter was wrong. You may remember that he had written in his journal that those people were “miserable comforters” who thought that he had true faith, for that though he had a sort of faith, so have the devils. But we often are displeased with others when they accuse us of the very same faults of which we have perhaps accused ourselves, and John now argued with Peter to prove that what he had was really faith, though he did not believe his sins were forgiven.
Peter, however, said that if John would only consult the Bible, and the experience of believing people, he would see that those who believe in Jesus not only have forgiveness, but know they have it. John did not give in, but he could not help talking to Peter, and when he went to Oxford, a fortnight after coming to London, he took Peter with him. He felt that there was something in Peter’s arguments which he did not understand, and he hoped that at last he should find out what it all meant.
Ten days later, John went to Salisbury to see his mother, who was living there with Patty and her husband. Whilst he was there he got a message from Oxford to tell him that his brother Charles was there, and was thought to be dying. John instantly went to Oxford, and found his brother better, and with him he found his friend Peter. The next day he and Peter had a talk, and John was at last convinced that he was indeed guilty of unbelief. He felt that he was wrong in preaching to others, whilst he was himself without true faith, and he asked Peter’s advice about leaving off preaching. Peter said, “No, preach faith till you have it, and then because you have it you will preach faith.” This was not good advice, for it is not sincere to preach to others beyond our own belief. However he was right in the main, and John began to see, after a while, that Peter spoke the truth in saying that a believer knows he is forgiven, and has power against sin. But that this great change should happen in a moment, as Peter said, he could not admit. He looked through the Bible, especially the Acts, to see if there were any cases there of people who were all at once brought from darkness to light. “To my utter astonishment,” he says, “I scarce found any instances there of other than instantaneous conversions, the least sudden being the conversion of Paul, who was three days before he knew himself to be a new creature in Christ Jesus.” John saw that the Bible was against him, but he told Peter he thought in those early days, when God worked miracles, things might be different.
It happened, however, only a few days later, that John met with several bright, happy-looking people, who assured him that just this same thing had been true in their case, and that God had shown them all at once that their sins were forgiven, and had turned them from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to Himself. John was then convinced that this was true, but when he said so, Charles was very angry, and begged him not to say anything so wrong.
Soon after, Charles’s illness returned, and this time he was laid up in London, at the house of a pious working man, called Bray. John went to see him, and found him still much displeased at what he called “those new notions.” Peter went too, and had a long talk with him, and this talk opened Charles’s eyes; he now clearly saw what faith was, and only longed to have it. The very next day Peter sailed for America. This was on May 4th, not three months from the time John first saw him. John wrote in his journal, with regard to Peter, “Oh, what a work hath God begun since his coming into England! Such an one as shall never come to an end till heaven and earth pass away.”
John felt very, very sad now that Peter was gone. It cheered him a little to get a Latin letter from him a few days after. But still he felt how terribly true it was that, as Peter had said, he had not yet believed in Jesus, and he could have no peace nor joy. Just a fortnight after Peter left, on the 9th of May, John got the news that his brother Charles was now rejoicing in the knowledge that his sins were forgiven–Charles, who had at first been so angry with him for speaking of it! You will like to know how this happened.