The Absolute Necessity of
the Holy Spirit, According to Wesley
Odilon
Massolar Chaves
Copyright © 2026, Odilon Massolar Chaves
All rights reserved to the author.
It is allowed to read, copy and share for
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Article 184 of the Penal Code and Law 96710
of February 19, 1998.
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Odilon Massolar Chaves is a retired Methodist
pastor, with a doctorate in Theology and History from the Methodist University
of São Paulo.
Son of Rev. Adherico Ribeiro Chaves and Roza
Massolar Chaves.
He is married to RoseMary.
He has two daughters: Liliana and Luciana.
His thesis dealt with the Methodist revival
in England in the eighteenth century and its contribution as a paradigm for our
days.
==============================
Table of Contents
· Introduction
·
Wesley's teachings
about the Holy Ghost
· Great manifestation of the Spirit
·
We Receive the Spirit
That Is From God
·
The Absolute
Necessity of God's Grace and Spirit
·
Sorrowed by the Holy Spirit
of God
·
May God's love be
poured into your heart by the Holy Spirit
·
'Received the Holy
Ghost' When They Were Justified
·
To be perfected in
love is to be filled with the Holy Spirit
·
Great Reasons to
Praise God for Pouring Out His Spirit
·
Great Reasons to
Praise God for Pouring Out His Spirit
·
Not having the joy of
the Spirit by having weak faith
·
If we grieve the Holy
Spirit
·
I hope that God's
love will be poured into your heart by the Holy Spirit who has been given to
you
·
Full of faith and the
Holy Spirit
· 'Received the Spirit of grace'
·
Outpouring of the
Spirit on the Society and the Congregation
· Mighty Works of the Spirit
·
Directions and
interior works of His Spirit
· God's inward kingdom
implies not only justice and peace, but joy in the Holy Spirit
·
He has wise reasons
for pouring out His Spirit at one time and not another
·
Preparation for Every
Fruit of the Holy Spirit
·
Deprived of all the
fruit of the Spirit
· If you tempt God's Spirit
·
So filled with the
Holy Spirit that he hardly knew if he was in the body or out of it
==============================
Introduction
"The Absolute Necessity of the Holy Spirit, According to
Wesley" is a 41-page book based on his letters.
"For
John Wesley, the need for the Holy Spirit is absolute because the human
being is incapable of saving or transforming himself. The Spirit is the
efficient power that applies the grace of Christ, and is indispensable to the
new birth, the assurance of salvation, and daily sanctification." [1]
The Holy Spirit is at
the basis of Christianity.
Wesley said, "No
man can be a true Christian without an inspiration of the Holy Spirit that
fills his heart with peace, joy, and love, which he who does not perceive does
not have." This is the point for which I alone defend; and this I consider
the very basis of Christianity." [2]
According
to Wesley, man is born spiritually dead. "The Holy Spirit acts by
generating faith, enlightening the mind, and working the new birth
(regeneration), which makes the Christian a new creature." [3]
For
Wesley, the Holy Spirit is the active agent in sanctification.
The Holy
Spirit gives the assurance of salvation. Quoting the apostle Paul, Wesley
taught that the Holy Ghost directly testifies to the human spirit that we are
children of God.
"Wesley
recognized the importance of Bible reading, prayer and supper, but warned that,
without the presence of the Holy Spirit, these actions are empty and devoid of
transforming power. [4]
Wesley's
guidelines that are sorely needed today, including for Church leadership.
In this
book, we will look at some letters that Wesley wrote to Methodists always
affirming the importance of the Holy Spirit.
The Author
==============================
Wesley's
teachings about the Holy Ghost
Accompanied
by the peace of God and joy in the Holy Spirit
"Religion
also does not consist of negative aspects, nor of pure harmlessness of any
kind; nor only in outward aspects, in doing good, or using the means of grace,
in works of piety (so called) or of charity: let it be nothing less than 'the
mind that was in Christ'; the image of God engraved on the heart; interior
righteousness, accompanied by the peace of God and "joy in the Holy
Spirit." [5]
Inspiration
of God's Holy Spirit
"We mean that
inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God, by which He fills us with justice, peace
and joy, with love for Him and for all humanity. And we believe that it cannot
be, in the nature of things, that a man should be filled with this peace, joy,
and love by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit without perceiving it as clearly
as he perceives the light of the sun.
This is
(as I understand it) the main doctrine of the Methodists." [6]
No man can be a true Christian without an
inspiration of the Holy Spirit
"No man can be a
true Christian without an inspiration of the Holy Spirit who fills his heart
with peace, joy, and love, which he who does not perceive does not have."
This is the point for which I alone defend; and this I consider the very basis
of Christianity." [7]
"It springs from
a conviction wrought in us by the Holy Spirit"
"For it is true
that, from May 24, 1738, 'wherever I was desired to preach, salvation by faith
was my only theme'—that is, such love of God and man as produces all inward and
outward holiness, and which springs from a conviction wrought in us by the Holy
Spirit, from the pardoning love of God; and that when they said to me, 'You
must no longer preach in this church,' it was commonly added, 'because you
preach such a doctrine!' And it is equally true that 'it was because I preached
the love of God and man that several clergymen forbade me their pulpits' before
that time, before May 24, before I preached or knew salvation by faith. [8]
Moved by
the Holy Spirit
"It
is not clear to us that elders as circumstantial as we can appoint or ordain
others, but it is that we can guide them and allow them to do what we
understand they are moved by the Holy Spirit."[9]
Great manifestation of the Spirit
Many of our brethren and sisters in London,
during that great manifestation of the Spirit, [In 1762. See Works, xi. 406.]
He spoke of several new blessings they had attained
To
Hester Ann Roe
LIVERPOOL, April 10, 1781.
MY DEAR HETTY, -- Many of
our brethren and sisters in London, during that great manifestation of the
Spirit, [In 1762. See Works, xi. 406.] He spoke of several new blessings they
had attained. But, in the end, they found nothing but pure love, upon which the
full assurance of hope is usually present. These inspired writings always
represent as the highest point; But there are countless degrees of this. The
plerophoria (or full assurance) of faith is such a clear conviction that I am
now in favor of God, for it excludes all doubt and fear in regard to it. The
full assurance of hope is such a clear confidence that I shall enjoy the glory
of God, as it excludes all doubt and fear in this regard. And this confidence
is entirely different from the opinion that 'no saint shall fall from grace.'
It has nothing to do with that. Bold and presumptuous men often replace this
base counter in the room of this precious confidence. But it is observable that
opinion remains as strong while men sin and serve the devil as while they serve
God. Holiness or non-holiness does not affect to any degree. Meanwhile,
yielding to anything unholy, whether in life or heart, clouded the full
assurance of hope; which cannot subsist longer than the heart clings firmly to
God.
I am convinced that the
storm that met us in the teeth and brought us back was not something casual,
but providential; so I leave aside the idea of seeing Ireland at the moment.
[See letters of February 20 (to Thomas Rutherford) and April 12.] -- I am, my
dear Hetty,
Always yours with tender
affection. [10]
We Receive the Spirit That
Is From God
And this you can boldly
affirm based on the assurance of that word: 'We have received the Spirit which
is of God; that we may know the things freely given us of God'
For Ms. Bennis
PEMBROKE, August 23, 1763.
MY DEAR SISTER, — You did
well to write. This is one of the means God generally uses to convey light or
comfort. Even as he writes, he will often find relief; Often, while we propose
a question, it is removed.
There is no doubt that what
you experienced initially was a true anticipation of the blessing, although you
were not properly possessed of it until the following Pentecost Sunday. But it
is very possible to discard the gift of God, or to lose it little by little;
though I trust that this is not the case with you: and yet you may often be in
weight, and may find that your love to God is not so hot at times as at others.
Many wanderings also, and many deficiencies, are consistent with pure love; but
what you mean is the permanent witness of the Spirit touching just that. And
this you can boldly affirm based on the assurance of that word: 'We have
received the Spirit which is of God; that we may know the things freely given
to us by God.' — I am, my dear sister,
Your affectionate brother. [11]
The
Absolute Necessity of God's Grace and Spirit
The absolute necessity of
God's grace and Spirit to raise even one good thought or desire in our hearts
For John Fletcher
PARKGATE, March 22, 1771.
I have always affirmed,
between these thirty and forty years, the total fall of man and his total
inability to do any good of himself; the absolute necessity of the grace and
Spirit of God to raise even one good thought or desire in our hearts; the Lord
rewards no work, and accepts none except as they advance from His grace which
hinders, convicts, and converts through the Beloved; the blood and
righteousness of Christ being the only meritorious cause of our salvation. Who
is in England who has asserted these things more strongly and steadily than I
have[12]
Sorrowed by the Holy Spirit
of God
From the moment you stopped meeting with your
class or band, you grieved by God's Holy Spirit, and He gave Satan a commission
to bombard you, and that commission will never be revoked until you begin to
meet again
To
Ann Bolton
HIGH WYCOMBE, November 4,
1790.
MY DEAR SISTER, THE MORE I
CONSIDER YOUR CASE, THE MORE CONVINCED I AM THAT YOU ARE IN THE SCHOOL OF GOD,
AND THAT THE LORD LOVES WHOM HE CHASTISES. From the moment you stopped meeting
with your class or band, you grieved by the Holy Spirit of God, and He gave a
commission to Satan to bombard you and that commission will never be revoked
until you start meeting again. Why, you were not a mother in Israel, a repairer
of the desolate places, a guide to the blind, a healer of the sick, a lifter of
the hands that hung downwards. Wherever you came, God was with you and shining
on your path. Many daughters acted virtuously; but you overcame them all.
Woman, remember faith! In the name of God, go again and do the first works! I
exhort you for my sake (who love you dearly), for God's sake, for the sake of
your own soul, to begin again without delay. The next day when you receive
this, go and meet a class or a band. Sick or well, go! If you can't say a word,
go; and God will go with you. You sink under the sin of omission! My friend, my
sister, go! It will, whether it succeeds or not. Break through the barrier!
Take up your cross. I repeat, do the first works; and God will restore your
first love! And you'll be a comfort, not a sorrow, to
With all the affection. [13]
May God's love be poured
into your heart by the Holy Spirit
Now, I hope that the love of God will be poured into your heart by the Holy Spirit who has been given to you
To Joseph Benson
BRISTOL, October 5, 1770.
DEAR JOSEPH,-- You don't
have to apologize for your writing; The more often and freely you write, the
better. I cannot doubt that your neighbor has good intentions; but he is a deep
enthusiast, and hardly has a clear conception of anything, natural or spiritual.
Mr. Keard, of Aberdeen, and Mr. Wootton (our new master writer, a man of
excellent spirit) are at Kingswood. But Mr. J-- you know the price?-- sixteen
pounds a year. Does he know the rules of the school? Again: what age are the
children? I do not accept any who are over nine years old: now especially,
because I will not allow our children to be corrupted; nine of them, along with
our three maids, have just experienced a gracious visit and are rejoicing in a
forgiving God. [Wesley says, 'Fifteen of the boys gave me their names;
determined, they said, to serve God.' see Diary, v. 388-92.]
I'm glad you had the
courage to express your opinion on such a critical occasion. At all costs, even
so, but with all the tenderness and respect possible. She is very devoted to
God and possesses a thousand valuable and lovable qualities. There is no great
fear that I will be prejudiced against someone I have known intimately for
thirty years. [The Countess of Huntingdon.] And I know what is in man;
Therefore, I give great consideration to human weaknesses. But what you say is
exactly the state of the case. They are "envious of his authority."
In fact, there is no cause: Longe mea discrepat illi et vox et ratio. [Satires
of Horace, 1. vi. 92-3: 'My language and judgment are very different from
this.'] I fear and avoid, not desire, any kind of authority. Only when God puts
that burden on me do I carry it for Him and for the people.
'Son,' my father said when
I was young, 'you think of carrying everything just for arguments. But you will
calmly realize that very little is done in the world for a clear reason.' [See
Clarke's Wesley Family, ii. 321.] Very little, in fact! This is true of almost
all men, except insofar as we are taught about God,--
Against experience, we
believe,
We argue against the
demonstration;
Satisfied while our reason
deceives,
And to define our judgment
by passion.
Passion and prejudice rule
the world, only under the name of reason. It is our role, by religion and
reason united, to counterbalance them as much as we can. It is yours, in
particular, to do all that is in you to soften the prejudices of those around
you and to calm the passions from which they arise. Blessed are the
peacemakers!
You judge rightly: perfect
love and Christian liberty are the same thing; and these two expressions are
equally correct, being equally scriptural. 'No, how can they and you mean the
same thing? They say you insist on holiness in the creature, on good cheers,
and on sin destroyed.' Absolutely. And what is Christian liberty but another
word for holiness? And where is this freedom or holiness if it is not in the
creature? Holiness is the love of God and man, or the mind that was in Christ.
Now, I hope that the love of God will be poured into your heart by the Holy
Spirit who has been given to you. And if you are holy, is there not that mind
in you which was also in Christ Jesus?
And aren't the love of God
and of our neighbor good moods? And in so far as this reigns in the soul, have
not opposing temperaments, worldly mentality, wickedness, cruelty, revenge been
destroyed? In fact, the unclean spirit, though cast out, may return and enter
again; Still, he was sent off. I use the word 'destroyed' because St. Paul uses
it; 'suspended' I can't find in my Bible. 'But they say you don't consider it
as a consequence of Christ's power dwelling in us.' So what won't they say? My
own words are, 'No one feels the need of Christ as these; none is so wholly
dependent on Him. For Christ does not give light to the soul separately from,
but within and with Himself. Therefore, His words are equally true for all
7men, in whatever state of grace they may be: "As a branch cannot bear
fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine; ye can no more, except ye abide
in Me: without" (or separated from) "In Me ye can do nothing."
For our perfection is not like that of a tree, which flourishes by the sap
derived from its own root; but like that of a branch that yields fruit joined
to the vine, but cut off from it is "withered and withered."'
Finally, veris vincor ['I
am conquered by the truth.']: I am obliged to believe (which I did not want to
for a long time) that these are not objections of judgment, but of passion;
they do not spring from the head, but from the heart. What I say, it will all
be one. They will find blame because I say so. There is an implicit envy of my
power (so called), and a jealousy that arises from it. Hence prejudice in a
thousand forms; Hence objections arising like mushrooms. And as long as these
causes remain, they will arise, whatever I can do or say. However, keep it
pure; and then there need be no strangeness between you and, dear Joseph,
Your affectionate brother. [14]
'Received the Holy Ghost'
When They Were Justified
If you like to call it
'receiving the Holy Spirit', you can call it: just the phrase in that sense is
unbiblical and not entirely adequate; for they all "received the Holy
Spirit" when they were justified. God then 'sent the Spirit of His Son
into their hearts, crying, Abba, Father.'
To Joseph Benson
LONDON, December 28, 1770.
DEAR JOSEPH,--What a
blessing it is that we can speak freely with one another, without disguise or
reservation! As long as we can do that, we can get wiser and better every day.
Now, can any be justified
but by faith? None can. Therefore, you are a believer; you have faith in
Christ; you know the Lord; you can say, 'My Lord and my God.' And whoever
denies this, it is better to deny that the sun shines at noon.
Still, there are ten
thousand wishes left,
And afflict your soul,
which is acquitted from sin;
Still rebellious nature
struggles to reign,
And you are all impure,
impure!
This is equally clear and
undeniable. And this is not only their experience, but the experience of a
thousand believers on the side, who are still sure of God's favor regarding
their own existence. To cut through all doubt about this, I ask you to do
another serious reading of these two sermons Sin in Believers and Repentance in
Believers. [Works, v. 144-70.]
'But is there no help? Is
there no deliverance, no salvation from this inbred enemy?' There certainly is;
otherwise, many great and precious promises must fall to the ground. 'I will
pour clean water upon you, and you will be clean; From all their filthiness and
from all their idols I will cleanse you.' 'I will circumcise thy heart' (of all
sin), 'that I may love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy
soul.' This I call sanctification (which is both an instantaneous and gradual
work), or perfection, the being perfected in love, full of love, which still
admits a thousand degrees. But I have no time to waste in the dispute over
words, especially where the thing is allowed. And you allow everything that I
fight for—a complete deliverance from sin, the recovery of the whole image of
God, the loving God with all our heart, soul, and strength. And you believe
that God is able to give you that—yes, to give you that in an instant. You
trust that He will trust. O hold fast this too—this blessed hope, which He has
placed in your heart! And with all zeal and diligence they confirm the
brethren, (1) by laying hold of that which they have attained—namely, the
remission of all their sins by faith in a bleeding Lord; (2) waiting for a
second change, by which they will be saved from all sin, and perfected in love.
O Joseph, keep close to the
Bible in both feeling and expression! Then there will never be a material
difference between you and... [15]
To be perfected in love is to be filled with
the Holy Spirit
I believe that he who is perfected in love,
or filled with the Holy Spirit, may properly be called a father. We must push
both babies and young people to aspire—yes, to wait. And why not now? I would
like you to give another reading to the Simple Account of Christian Perfection
CHESTER, March 16. 1771.
DEAR JOSEPH,
"No, I don't forbid
you to be connected with us. I believe that Providence calls you to this. I
only warn you about what would diminish its usefulness. On this subject, I
never allow myself to reason. I must quickly convince myself that I am a deist,
perhaps an atheist. I'm glad you don't put stress on it. We have better
subjects to put our thoughts into practice.
A babe in Christ (of whom I
know thousands) sometimes has the testimony. A young man (in the sense of St.
John) has this continually. I believe that he who is perfected in love, or
filled with the Holy Spirit, may properly be called a father. We must push both
babies and young people to aspire—yes, to wait. And why not now? I would like
you to give another reading to the Simple Account of Christian Perfection.--I
am, dear Joseph,
Your affectionate brother.
PS.--While I'm in Ireland,
you just need to go straight to Dublin. I am afraid that soft words prevailed
over Mr. Fletcher and convinced him that all the fault was his. He promised to
write to me from Wales, but I did not receive a single line.
To Mr. Benson, at Edmund
Hall, Oxon. [16]
Great Reasons to Praise God
for Pouring Out His Spirit
You have great reason to
praise God for pouring out His Spirit on poor Northampton and turning its
weight into joy
For
James Currie
LONDON, January 24, 1789.
MY DEAR BROTHER, -- You
have great reason to praise God for pouring out His Spirit upon poor
Northampton, and turning its weight into joy. You must try with all diligence
to work together with God and improve in this day of His power: first, by
holding back as many setbacks as you can, and working, if possible, to bring
them back into the group; and, secondly, earnestly exhorting the brethren to
press on to perfection. This should be done both in public and in private. -- I
am
With affection. [17]
Great Reasons to Praise God
for Pouring Out His Spirit
You have great reason to
praise God for pouring out His Spirit on poor Northampton and turning its
weight into joy
For James Currie
LONDON, January 24, 1789.
MY DEAR BROTHER, -- You
have great reason to praise God for pouring out His Spirit upon poor
Northampton, and turning its weight into joy. You must try with all diligence
to work together with God and improve in this day of His power: first, by
holding back as many setbacks as you can, and working, if possible, to bring
them back into the group; and, secondly, earnestly exhorting the brethren to
press on to perfection. This should be done both in public and in private. -- I
am
With affection.
To Mr. James Currie,
In Northampton. [18]
Not having the joy of the
Spirit by having weak faith
Though you do not have that
joy in the Holy Spirit to which you are called, because your faith is weak and
only like a mustard seed. Still, the Lord has already done great things for
you: He has preserved you even in the perilous season, even
To Ann Bolton
BRISTOL, August 12, 1770.
MY DEAR SISTER,-- 'He that feareth
God,' says the Apostle, 'and works righteousness,' though in a low degree, is
accepted by Him; especially when such trusts not in his own righteousness, but
in the atoning blood. I cannot doubt it at all, but this is your case; though
you do not have that joy in the Holy Spirit to which you are called, because
your faith is weak and only like a mustard seed. Still, the Lord has already
done great things for you: He has preserved you even in the perilous season,
even
With the latest pride of
life and the blossoming of years,
of ten thousand snares to
which a young woman of agreeable form and behaviour and not of ill-temper would
naturally be exposed, and to which her own heart would certainly have yielded
if it had not been preserved by His gracious power. He gave her resignation in
pain and sickness. He has made you more than a conqueror, even a conqueror of
it. And have you not abundant reason to praise Him, to put all your trust in
Him, and to hold fast all His great and precious promises?
The spirit of your last
letter involves me a lot. I love seriousness and sweetness mixed together. Go,
my dear Nancy, down the same path, and you will be nearer and nearer to your
affectionate brother. [19]
If we grieve the Holy
Spirit
What is certain is that, unless
we grieve the Holy Spirit, He will never take away what He has given. On the
contrary, He will add to it continually, until we come to the measure of the
full stature of Christ.
For Mrs. Marston
ST. IVES, August 26, 1770.
MY DEAR SISTER,-- Your last
one gave me special satisfaction, because I was jealous of you. I feared that
you, like some others, had received that dangerous opinion that sometimes we
must be in darkness. Wherever you are, oppose it and encourage all who now walk
in the light to expect not only continuity, but the increase of it until the
perfect day. What is certain is that, unless we grieve the Holy Spirit, He will
never take away what He has given. On the contrary, He will add to it
continually, until we come to the measure of the full stature of Christ.
I am glad that the selected
society meets constantly. Make sure you speak freely to each other. And don't
just talk about your joys and comforts; this is very pleasing to flesh and
blood: but speak also of your sorrows, weaknesses, and temptations; it pleases
God and will be a means of uniting you together by a bond that will never be
broken.
I hope you don't miss any
opportunity to speak a word for God, whether to those who know Him or to those
who don't. Why should you waste time? Time is short. Work on your work to the
end! Today receive more grace and use it! Peace be upon your spirit--I am, my
dear sister,
Your affectionate brother.[20]
I hope that God's love will
be poured into your heart by the Holy Spirit who has been given to you
Holiness is the love of God and man, or the mind that was in Christ. Now, I hope that the love of God will be poured into your heart by the Holy Spirit who has been given to you. And if you are holy, is there not that mind in you which was also in Christ Jesus?
To Joseph Benson
BRISTOL, October 5, 1770.
DEAR JOSEPH,-- You don't
have to apologize for your writing; The more often and freely you write, the
better. I cannot doubt that your neighbor has good intentions; but he is a deep
enthusiast, and hardly has a clear conception of anything, natural or spiritual.
Mr. Keard, of Aberdeen, and Mr. Wootton (our new master writer, a man of
excellent spirit) are at Kingswood. But Mr. J-- you know the price?-- sixteen
pounds a year. Does he know the rules of the school? Again: what age are the
children? I do not accept any who are over nine years old: now especially,
because I will not allow our children to be corrupted; nine of them, along with
our three maids, have just experienced a gracious visit and are rejoicing in a
forgiving God. [Wesley says, 'Fifteen of the boys gave me their names;
determined, they said, to serve God.' see Diary, v. 388-92.]
I'm glad you had the
courage to express your opinion on such a critical occasion. At all costs, even
so, but with all the tenderness and respect possible. She is very devoted to
God and possesses a thousand valuable and lovable qualities. There is no great
fear that I will be prejudiced against someone I have known intimately for
thirty years. [The Countess of Huntingdon.] And I know what is in man;
Therefore, I give great consideration to human weaknesses. But what you say is
exactly the state of the case. They are "envious of his authority."
In fact, there is no cause: Longe mea discrepat illi et vox et ratio. [Satires
of Horace, 1. vi. 92-3: 'My language and judgment are very different from
this.'] I fear and avoid, not desire, any kind of authority. Only when God puts
that burden on me do I carry it for Him and for the people.
'Son,' my father said when
I was young, 'you think of carrying everything just for arguments. But you will
calmly realize that very little is done in the world for a clear reason.' [See
Clarke's Wesley Family, ii. 321.] Very little, in fact! This is true of almost
all men, except insofar as we are taught about God,--
Against experience, we
believe,
We argue against the
demonstration;
Satisfied while our reason
deceives,
And to define our judgment
by passion.
Passion and prejudice rule
the world, only under the name of reason. It is our role, by religion and
reason united, to counterbalance them as much as we can. It is yours, in
particular, to do all that is in you to soften the prejudices of those around
you and to calm the passions from which they arise. Blessed are the
peacemakers!
You judge rightly: perfect
love and Christian liberty are the same thing; and these two expressions are
equally correct, being equally scriptural. 'No, how can they and you mean the
same thing? They say you insist on holiness in the creature, on good cheers,
and on sin destroyed.' Absolutely. And what is Christian liberty but another
word for holiness? And where is this freedom or holiness if it is not in the
creature? Holiness is the love of God and man, or the mind that was in Christ.
Now, I hope that the love of God will be poured into your heart by the Holy
Spirit who has been given to you. And if you are holy, is there not that mind
in you which was also in Christ Jesus?
And aren't the love of God
and of our neighbor good moods? And in so far as this reigns in the soul, have
not opposing temperaments, worldly mentality, wickedness, cruelty, revenge been
destroyed? In fact, the unclean spirit, though cast out, may return and enter
again; Still, he was sent off. I use the word 'destroyed' because St. Paul uses
it; 'suspended' I can't find in my Bible. 'But they say you don't consider it
as a consequence of Christ's power dwelling in us.' So what won't they say? My
own words are, 'No one feels the need of Christ as these; none is so wholly
dependent on Him. For Christ does not give light to the soul separately from,
but within and with Himself. Hence His words are equally true of all men, in
whatever state of grace they may be: "As a branch cannot bear fruit of
itself, except it abide in the vine; ye can no more, except ye abide in Me:
without" (or separated from) "In Me ye can do nothing." For our
perfection is not like that of a tree, which flourishes by the sap derived from
its own root; but like that of a branch that yields fruit joined to the vine,
but cut off from it is "withered and withered."'
Finally, veris vincor ['I
am conquered by the truth.']: I am obliged to believe (which I did not want to
for a long time) that these are not objections of judgment, but of passion;
they do not spring from the head, but from the heart. What I say, it will all
be one. They will find blame because I say so. There is an implicit envy of my
power (so called), and a jealousy that arises from it. Hence prejudice in a
thousand forms; Hence objections arising like mushrooms. And as long as these
causes remain, they will arise, whatever I can do or say. However, keep it
pure; and then there need be no strangeness between you and, dear Joseph,
Your affectionate brother. [21]
Full of faith and the
Holy Spirit
In this latter sense,
every believer can complain of unbelief unless he is filled with faith and the
Holy Spirit.
For Miss Helena. March
OTLEY, July 1, 1772.
It's time wasted to
consider whether you write well or badly; You speak from the heart, and that is
enough. Unbelief is either total the absence of faith; or partial, the lack of
more faith. In this latter sense, every believer can complain of unbelief
unless he is filled with faith and the Holy Spirit. So it's all noon. Still, we
can pray, 'Lord, increase our faith.'
We learn to think by
reading and meditating on what we read, talking to sensible people and by
everything that improves the heart. As purity of heart (as Mr. Norris observes)
both cleanses the medium by which we see and strengthens the faculty, mechanical
rules are of little use unless one has opportunity to learn the elements of
logic; But it is a miserable task to learn them without an instructor.
Total renunciation
implies total love. Give Him your will, and you give Him your heart.
You need not be
careful in this matter, whether it applies directly to one Person or the other,
since He and the Father are one. Pray exactly as you are guided, without
reasoning, in all simplicity. Be a child hanging on to the one who loves you. [22]
'Received the Spirit of
grace'
And you wait for the Spirit of adoption, who
will cry out in your heart, 'Abba, Father.' You have "received the Spirit
of grace," and to some extent you accomplish righteousness.
To Alexander Knox
PENRHYN, August 29, 1777.
MY DEAR ALLECK,-- You should read Mr. Fletcher's Essay on Truth. He has placed there, without any doubt, that there is a medium between a child of God and a child of the devil — that is, a servant of God. This is your state. You are not yet a son, but you are a servant; and you wait for the Spirit of adoption, who will cry out in your hearts, 'Abba, Father.' You have "received the Spirit of grace," and to some extent you accomplish righteousness. Without suffering for what you don't have, you have reason to bless God for what you have, and wait patiently for Him to give rest by revealing His Son in your heart.
Despite all this, I have no
doubt that I see you as a healthy and happy man. But it is true that nothing
short of almighty power can heal both your soul and your body. And isn't that
enough? Do you have no reason to rejoice because 'salvation is from the Lord'?
I pray, who can you trust best? Who loves you more than Him? Then out, in
despair! Hope until the end. To Him I commend you all; and I am, dear Alleck,
With all the affection. [23]
Outpouring of the Spirit on
the Society and the Congregation
He died suddenly while
screaming, whose awful providence was followed by an outpouring of the Spirit
upon the Society and the congregation.] it is very remarkable, and the story is
well told; and God did him much honor for the happy effects that were the consequences
of his death.
For Jasper Winscom
BRISTOL, March 13, 1790.
DEAR JASPER, The account of
Thomas Whitwood [A young man on the Isle of Wight who died suddenly while
screaming, whose terrible providence was followed by an outpouring of the Spirit
upon the Society and the congregation.] is very remarkable, and the story is
well told; and God did him much honor for the happy effects that were the
consequences of his death. [A young man on the Isle of Wight who died suddenly
while screaming, terrible providence followed by an outpouring of the Spirit
upon the Society and the congregation.]
I am in no hurry to build
without having paid some more of our debts. Nor am I in a hurry to multiply
preachers or divide circuits. Most of our circuits are too small instead of too
big. I wish we didn't have any circuit with less than three preachers on it or
less than four hundred miles riding in four weeks. Certainly no circuit will be
divided before the Conference. If we are not careful, we will all degenerate
into vaissas. Soldiers of Christ, arise!
--I am, dear Jasper,
With affection.
To Mr. J. Winscom at the Preaching House in
Sarum. [24]
Mighty Works of the Spirit
As to the mighty works of
the Spirit, I think these words of our Lord are to be understood chiefly: 'The
wind bloweth where he is; You hear the sound of it' (you're sure of it), 'but
you don't know where it comes from, or where it's going
For Thomas Taylor
LONDON, January 6, 1791.
DEAR TOMMY, -- As to the
mighty works of the Spirit, I think these words of our Lord are chiefly to be
understood: 'The wind bloweth where he is; You hear the sound of it' (you are
sure of it), 'but you do not know where it comes from, nor where it is going.'
Make your annual
subscription when you see fit, just be careful that it doesn't get in the way
of any other subscription.
Archbishop King's treatise
was particularly admired by many people of excellent sense. I don't admire them
as much as they do; But I like it a lot. Still, I corrected a much better
treatise on the subject, probably the last one I will have to publish.
In fact, I hope I don't
live to be useless. I wish you and your many happy years; and I am, dear Tommy,
Your affectionate friend
and brother. [25]
Directions and
interior works of His Spirit
It would certainly be
right to take some time to leave both the outward providences of God and the
inward guidance and works of His Spirit, as far as you can remember
To Dorothy Furly
EDINBURGH, May 28, 1764.
MY DEAREST SISTER,--
It would certainly be right to take some time to leave both the outward
providences of God and the inward guidance and works of His Spirit, as far as
you can remember. But observe, even then, that you are called to be a good
steward of the mammon of injustice. Therefore, you should think about it in
your place as well, only without anxiety. Otherwise, this neglect of your
calling will hinder the work of God in your heart. You are not serving mammon
with it, but serving Christ: it is part of the task He has assigned you. Still,
it is true that your heart should be free at all times; and see that they
remain steadfast in the freedom with which Christ has set them free.
I thought his name
had been changed before. [See letter of July 16, 1763, about her marriage to
John Downes.] In a new season, you will need a new surveillance. Still, redeem
the time, be steadfastly serious, and follow your own conscience in everything.--I
am, my dear sister, your affectionate brother. On my return from the Highlands,
I hope to spend a day in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, on the 18th or 19th of June. [26]
God's inward kingdom
implies not only justice and peace, but joy in the Holy Spirit
It is devout to wish that we may rejoice forever; and it is certain that the inward kingdom of God implies not only justice and peace, but joy in the Holy Spirit. Therefore, you have reason to ask for and expect all the blessing of the gospel
For Ms. Bennis
LONDON, December 21, 1776.
MY DEAR SISTER,-- You are
much less happy than you would be if you did not reason too much. This often
gives advantage to this subtle opponent against you. You need to always be like
a child, just looking for what you want.
It is devout to wish that
we may rejoice forever; and it is certain that the inward kingdom of God
implies not only justice and peace, but joy in the Holy Spirit. Therefore, you
have reason to ask and expect all the blessing of the gospel. However, it cannot
be denied that joy is often denied even to those who walk upright. The great
point of it all is a heart and a life wholly devoted to God. Be left with it,
and let all the rest go; Give him your heart, and that is enough. I am, my dear
sister,
His brother always
affectionate. [27]
He has wise reasons for pouring out His Spirit at one
time and not another
To Hannah Ball
[ROBERTSBRIDGE],
December 2, 1778.
MY DEAR SISTER, -
Small things contrary to our will can be great blessings. We need to apply the
general word, "Take up thy cross and follow me," to a thousand little
details: a smoky room, a cold morning, a rainy day, the monotony or wickedness
of those with whom we are—these and countless little crosses will help us to go
on to the kingdom. But the most profitable cross for his own soul may be the
infidelity or infertility of his sisters, without which one or the other they
could never have lost any blessing that God had given them. Nothing can
exercise, and therefore increase, your faith and love as seems to spend all
your strength in vain. Oh, how it increases, my dear Hannah, my love to you!
The more this increases the love for those you work with!
We do not fully
understand the meaning of this word: 'The anti-season times which God has
reserved in His own power.' No doubt He has wise reasons for pouring out His
Spirit at one time and not another; but they are too deep for human
comprehension to comprehend. To us He says: 'What I do you do not know now, but
you will know hereafter!' - I am, my dear Hannah,
Your affectionate
brother. [28]
Preparation for Every Fruit of the Holy Spirit
Nothing contributes more to seriousness than humility, for it is a preparation for every fruit of the Holy Spirit
For Miss Helena. March
DUBLIN, April 16, 1760.
Eltham is indeed
barren soil. I fear that few know anything about the power of religion, and few
who have even the form. But God is there, and He can supply every desire.
Nothing contributes more to seriousness than humility, for it is a preparation
for every fruit of the Holy Spirit; and the knowledge of our desperate state
for sin has a particular tendency to keep us faithful after deliverance; and
this sincerity can hardly consist in lightness, either of temperament or
demeanor.
Those who have tasted
the goodness of God often fail to declare it. They do not awaken the gift of
God that is in every believer, inciting one another to continual gratitude, and
provoking one another to love and good works. We must never be content to make
a battle drawn, to separate ourselves neither better nor worse than we have
found. Christian conversation is too precious a talent to be thus wasted.
It does not take a
great deal of natural wisdom to see God in all things—in all His works of
creation as well as of providence. This is, in fact, a branch of spiritual
wisdom, and is given more and more to believers as they advance in purity of
heart.
It would probably be
helpful for you to be as regular as possible: I mean, to allocate those hours
to such jobs; just so you don't bother when Providence calls you from them. For
the best rule of all is to follow the will of God. [29]
Deprived of all the
fruit of the Spirit
Meanwhile, it is
certain that many call themselves believers who do not even overcome sin, who
are strangers to the whole inner kingdom of God and devoid of all the fruit of
the Spirit.
To Joseph Benson,
Edinburgh
LONDON, January 8, 1774.
DEAR JOSEPH,-- Many people
run the risk of reading little; You run the risk of reading too much. Wherever
you are, take up your cross and visit the whole Society from house to house. Do
this according to Mr. Baxter's plan, set forth in the Minutes of the Conference
[See Minutes of 1766; works, viii. 302-3, 315]. The fruit that will secure
(perhaps in a short time) will abundantly reward your labor. Fruit we will also
have, even in those who have no external connection with us.
I am glad that you 'press
all believers' to aspire to the full freedom of God's children. They must not
give up faith to do this; Here you seemed to be in some mistake. Let them go
from faith to faith—from weak faith to that strong faith which not only overcomes,
but casts out sin. Meanwhile, it is certain that many call themselves believers
who do not even overcome sin, who are strangers to the whole inner kingdom of
God and devoid of all the fruit of the Spirit.
We should not continue in
Dunbar in this way. In fact, we should get out of here. For who will pay this debt
On Tuesday I was under the
surgeon's hands, but now (bless God) I am completely recovered [See next
letter].--I am, dear Joseph,
With affection. [30]
If
you tempt God's Spirit
If you thus tempt the
Spirit of God a little longer, who knows what the consequence may be, it would
not surprise me to learn that you have been admitted to St. Luke's Hospital
For Samuel Furly
DUBLIN, Good Friday, April
16, 1756.
How are you going to town
You're crazy, looking crazy You're going to jump into the fire with your eyes
open [See letters from March 14 and November 20.] Stay off top. What else do
you have to do? Fly for your life, for your salvation. If you thus tempt the
Spirit of God a little longer, who knows what the consequence may be, I would
not be surprised to learn that you have been admitted to St. Luke's Hospital;
And then, goodbye study! Farewell to all hope, whether of intellectual or moral
improvement; for after this poor machine has suffered a shock of this kind, it
is never so capable of thinking with intensity.
If you have enough common
sense or religion to stay close to college, that's fine. If not, I see only one
possible way to save you from temporal and eternal destruction. I left college
immediately. Don't think about it anymore and come to me. You can take a little
advice from me; From other people, none. You are on the edge of the abyss; fly
away, or you will perish.
There is no disagreement
between the Reflections and the Address to the Clergy. I have followed Mr.
Norris's counsel these thirty years, [He read Norris on Christian Prudence to
Mrs. Moore during the trip to Georgia (Diary, i. 125-6). For an Address to the
Clergy, see letter of January 7.] and so it must be with every man who is well
in his senses. But whether you study more or less does not mean a point of
reference. You're taking on all these efforts on a sinking ship. Stop the leak,
stop the leak, the first thing you do; Or what it means to adorn the ship
As to the qualifications of
a minister of the gospel—grace is necessary; Learning is fast. Grace and
supernatural gifts are ninety-nine parts out of a hundred. The learning
acquired can then have its place. -- I am, dear Sammy, [31]
So filled with the Holy Spirit that he hardly
knew if he was in the body or out of it
John Ellis was so
filled with the Holy Spirit that he hardly knew whether he was in the body or
out of it. Now he is at home to declare the wonderful works of the Lord. See
how He gives us more than we can ask or think!
For James Hutton
BRISTOL. April 26,
1739.
MY DEAR BROTHERS,--
On the evening of Sunday, the 15th, the women had their first feast of love.
On Monday, about
three thousand were at the Brickyard. In the evening, the brother of the person
who owns it told me, 'His brother didn't mind that I was there anymore, and
asked me to look elsewhere.' There was a lot of power in the Society that
night.
Tuesday, the 17th, at
three o'clock in the afternoon, eleven unmarried women assembled at the home of
Mrs. Grevil, [Sister of the Rev. George Whitefield. She lived in Wine Street,
Bristol, and John Wesley stayed there for a few weeks when he arrived in town.]
and he wished that three others should be admitted among them. They were then divided into three bands.
On the same day, we
were with the two prisoners who are under sentence of death, the younger one of
whom seemed very awake. By five o'clock, I was in a society where I had never
been before. The upper room where we were was leaning below; But the weight of
the people made the ground give way, so that, at the beginning of the
exhibition, the pole that supported it fell with a lot of noise. However, we
stayed together until seven. So I went to the Baldwin Street Society, where I
was taught much to claim the promise of the Father to some who would hear it,
if the doctrine were from God. A young woman (named Cornish) was the first to
feel that our prayer was heard, being, after a brief agony, fully delivered;
the next was another young woman (Eliz. Holder); the third was Jane Worlock;
the last (a stranger in Bristol), John Ellis, was so filled with the Holy
Spirit that he hardly knew whether he was in the body or out of it. Now he is
at home to declare the wonderful works of the Lord. See how He gives us more
than we can ask or think! When Ms. Cornish began to feel pain, we asked God to
give us a living testimony that signs and wonders were now done by the name of
His holy son Jesus. We asked for one, and He gave us four.
Wednesday, the 18th,
about two thousand five hundred were present at Baptist Mills. At the age of
six, the girl bands met and admitted Lucretia Smith (who was already a Quaker,
baptized the day before), Rebecca Morgan (deeply bereaved), Elis. Holder, Hannah
Cornish, Jane Worlock, and Mary Cutler. Lucretia Smith was chosen leader by
lottery. At the age of seven, all the girl bands meeting together, Rebecca
Morgan received the promise of the Father.
At eight o'clock the
men assembled and received into fellowship Richard Hereford (leader), William
Farnell, Jo. Goslin, Jos. Ellis, Capel Gilas, Thomas Oldfield, and John Purdy.
Similarly, William
Lewis was added by lot to the first, Kenelm Chandler to the second, and James
Robins to the third band.
Afterwards, the group
of married couples was completed as follows: John Brooks (a soldier), leader;
Jn. Williams, Thomas Arnot (a soldier), William Davis, Anthony Williams, and
Thomas Robins. But Thomas Robins has since refused to meet.
Two boys were also
admitted: Thomas Davis, fourteen, and Deschamps Panou, ten; both "found
the Saviour in their hearts."
Thursday the 19th,
Mr. Griffith Jones asked to return to Wales and went with us to the Castle
Street Society, where two were deeply convicted of sin. At seven, several on
Nicholas Street were given much comfort. On Good Friday, at five o'clock in the
afternoon, Mr. Wathen's mistress received remission of sins; as well as Samuel
Goodson and Anne Holton, at the age of seven, who had long been at heavyweight.
On Easter Eve, the rain forced me to preach in the Poor Asylum (not at the
door, as usual). While we were in prayer in the Hall of the Weavers, a young
man was seized by a violent tremor and, within minutes, sank to the ground. We
continued praying, and soon he was up again. On Easter Day it rained
heavily, so that we could not stay on the bowling ground or in the open air at
Hanham Mount. All I could do was preach in Newgate at eight in the morning and
two in the afternoon, and to as many as the house could receive in Hanham at
eleven in the morning. In the afternoon we also assembled at a house near Rose Green
as many neighbours as possible together, after which we received a large
company in Nicholas Street, where many were injured and many were comforted.
Every day this week I
was out of town, which prevented my writing before. Pray much that after
preaching to others, I myself may not be a castaway. "I am, my dear brothers, your
ever-affectionate brother. [32]
[1] Overview of Google's AI Mode
[2]https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-letters-of-john-wesley/wesleys-letters-1745/
[3] Overview of Google's AI Mode
[4] Overview of Google's AI Mode
[5]https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-letters-of-john-wesley/wesleys-letters-1748/
[6]https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-letters-of-john-wesley/wesleys-letters-1745/
[7]https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-letters-of-john-wesley/wesleys-letters-1745/
[8]https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-letters-of-john-wesley/wesleys-letters-1745/
[9]https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-letters-of-john-wesley/wesleys-letters-1755/
[10]
https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-letters-of-john-wesley/wesleys-letters-1781b/
[11]
https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-letters-of-john-wesley/wesleys-letters-1763/
[12]
https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-letters-of-john-wesley/wesleys-letters-1771/
[13]
https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-letters-of-john-wesley/wesleys-letters-1790/
[14]
https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-letters-of-john-wesley/wesleys-letters-1770/
[15]
https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-letters-of-john-wesley/wesleys-letters-1770/
[16]https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-letters-of-john-wesley/wesleys-letters-1771/
[17] [17]
https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-letters-of-john-wesley/wesleys-letters-1789a/
[18]https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-letters-of-john-wesley/wesleys-letters-1789/
[19]https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-letters-of-john-wesley/wesleys-letters-1770/
[20]https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-letters-of-john-wesley/wesleys-letters-1770/
[21]https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-letters-of-john-wesley/wesleys-letters-1770/
[22]
https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-letters-of-john-wesley/wesleys-letters-1772/
[23]
https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-letters-of-john-wesley/wesleys-letters-1778/
[24] https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-letters-of-john-wesley/wesleys-letters-1790/
[25] https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-letters-of-john-wesley/wesleys-letters-1791/
[26] https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-letters-of-john-wesley/wesleys-letters-1764/
[27]
https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-letters-of-john-wesley/wesleys-letters-1776/
[28] https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-letters-of-john-wesley/wesleys-letters-1778/
[29] https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-letters-of-john-wesley/wesleys-letters-1760/
[30] https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-letters-of-john-wesley/wesleys-letters-1774/
[31] https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-letters-of-john-wesley/wesleys-letters-1756/
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