Wesley and the Sovereignty of God
Odilon
Massolar Chaves
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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.
============================
"But God (though you cannot
see him) is above heaven, and is much brighter than the sun! It is He who makes
the green grass and the flowers grow; which makes the trees green and the
fruits that will come on them! Think about what he is capable of! He
can do whatever he wants. He can kill me or kill me in an instant. But he loves
you; He loves to do good on you. He loves to make you
happy. It shouldn't, so love it! You love me, because I love
you and I do you good. But it is God who makes me love you. Therefore, you must
love it."[1]
(John Wesley)
============================
Table
of Contents
· Introduction
·
How
Wesley Viewed Sovereignty and Grace
·
God
is Sovereign, both in sanctifying and in justifying
·
Your
Sovereign Power to Perform Miracles
·
The
final doom of every man
· Our Governor
·
You
were led to the place where God intended you to be
·
To
be all-powerful, all-wise, all-gracious
·
Under
the Shadow of the Almighty
·
A
creature that the Almighty created for Himself
·
But
that powerlessness in you can be an obstacle to God's almighty power
·
Almighty
power can heal both your soul and your body
· Almighty Savior
·
Only
He who is all-powerful is able to break the bonds
· God certainly acts as a Sovereign
·
God is
sovereign: He can make as many exceptions as He wants to His general rule
============================
Introduction
"Wesley and the Sovereignty of God"
is a 27-page book based on Wesley's letters.
For Wesley, " God's
sovereignty does not mean a mechanical control or a decree that forces
human destiny. Wesley understood divine sovereignty through the lens of a loving
Father, who chose to limit his own power to grant free will and true
moral responsibility to human beings." [2]
Wesley uses the expression
"Almighty" a lot to refer to God's sovereignty as well as
"Governor".
"When John Wesley speaks of God as the
Almighty, he is referring to God's sovereignty, but with a particular
(Arminian) theological understanding. For Wesley, the supreme power of God does
not nullify human responsibility or free will."[3]
For
Wesley, "the true predestination, or pre-appointment of God is: 1. He who
believes will be saved from the guilt and power of sin - 2. He who endures to
the end will be saved forever." [4]
Wesley emphasizes God's
constant love and care. To Dr. Conyers Middleton, on January 4, 1749, Wesley
wrote, "This all-powerful, all-wise, all-gracious Being, this Governor of
all, loves me. This Lover of my soul is always with me, never absent—no, not
for a moment."
A necessary theme in our day to know Wesley's
view of God's sovereignty.
The Author
============================
How
Wesley Viewed Sovereignty and Grace
Wesley had great
confidence in the loving Sovereignty of God. To Howell Harris, on
August 6, 1742, Wesley said, "I must write; though where my letter shall
find thee, that I know not, only that it shall be under the shadow of the
Almighty—yes, in the arms of Him that loveth thee."
"Free Will and Prevenient Grace: Wesley
believed that God empowers all people to respond to His call through prevenient
grace, a God-given grace that restores the human ability to choose between good
and evil.
To Samuel Sparrow, on
December 28, 1773, Wesley wrote, "But no one need perish; for we have an
almighty Savior, one who is able and willing to save to the utmost all who have
come to God through Him."
Rejection of Unconditional Predestination: He rejected strict Calvinism, arguing that decreeing who would be saved and who would be condemned in a fixed way made God's love and justice incompatible with biblical reality.
To John Downes, rector of St. Michael's, on November 17, 1759, Wesley rejects an accusation: "(...) A second charge you advance is that we 'suppose that the final perdition of every man depends on the sovereign will and pleasure of God' (I assume you mean His absolute and unconditional decree), that we 'regard man as a mere machine', that we suppose that believers 'cannot fall from grace' (page 31). No, I don't think any of those things."
The Father Model: While the traditional Reformed view emphasized sovereignty as an absolute monarch who decides every detail by sheer unilateral will, Wesley prioritized the relational model of a Father who desires everyone to be saved." [5]
To
Dorthy Furly, on June 14, 1757, Wesley said, "But that impotence in you
may be an obstacle to the almighty power of God. And what unworthiness can
hinder God's free love, His love in and through Christ Jesus, so that all the
promises may be righteous before you."
True
predestination: Commenting on 1 Peter 1:2: "Chosen
according to the foreknowledge of God the Father through sanctification by the
Spirit to obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ; grace and
peace be multiplied unto you," Wesley explains:
"Elect -
By the free love and omnipotent power of God taken out of the world, separated
from it. Election, in the scriptural sense, is God doing anything in which our
merit or power has no part. The true predestination, or pre-appointment of God
is: 1. He who believes will be saved from the guilt and power of sin - 2. He
who endures to the end will be saved forever." [6]
In his letters, we find several of Wesley's statements and teachings
about Almighty God and his sovereignty:
God is Sovereign,
both in sanctifying and in justifying
That is the plain
meaning of the text; and it can be performed on you before bed. God is
Sovereign, both in sanctifying and in justifying. He will act when and how he
pleases; and no one can say to him, 'What do you do?'
To Dorothy Furly
ATHLONE, June 1, 1760.
MY DEAR SISTER,-- I
am convinced that it is not a small thing that will make me mad at you. I hope
you think badly of me, no; Because you can have many reasons for this.
Try: Perhaps, with
prayer and a little resolution, you will avoid hearing these disputes about
holiness. It implies no more than this: If John Jones or anyone else begins a
discourse on the errors or sins of absent persons, tell him: 'I ask you to say
no more on this subject; I dare not, and I will not listen, unless these people
were present.' If anyone begins any such caution, stop him, just calmly and in
good humor; say: 'I believe they speak out of kindness; but I must not listen;
This both distresses and hurts my soul. Therefore, if you really want my
well-being, be silent, or we will call another cause.' Where you see well, you
may add, 'I consulted Mr. Wesley on this point, and this was the advice he gave
me.'
No one ever 'walked
in the light as God walks in the light' (I mean in the full sense of the word)
until 'the blood of Jesus Christ had cleansed him from all sin.' 'If we are
perfectly saved, it is by His blood.' This is the plain meaning of the text; and
it can be performed on you before bed. God is Sovereign, both in sanctifying
and in justifying. He will act when and how he pleases; and no one can say to
him, 'What do you do?'
When the lungs are
ulcerated, a cold shower is not only harmless, but it is the most likely cure.
Sammy is a letter indebted to me. I don't know, but he is providentially called
to this kingdom. I have now finished more than half of my progress, having passed
through two of the four provinces. Who knows if I'll live to get through the
other two. It doesn't matter how long we live, but how well. "I am, my
dear sister, your affectionate brother. [7]
Your Sovereign
Power to Perform Miracles
However, I
do not know whether God has in any way prevented Himself from thus exercising
His sovereign power, from performing miracles of any kind or degree at any time
until the end of the world. I do not recall any scripture in which we are
taught that miracles should be confined within the limits of the apostolic or
Cyprian age, or of any period of time,
To Thomas Church
June 17, 1746.
“(...) Thus, although
God wants to redo all the wonders that have ever been done on earth, still
these men, no matter how 'wise and prudent' they are in matters relating to the
present world, would fight against God and all of His messengers, and this in
spite of all these miracles. Meanwhile, God will reveal His truth to babes—to
those who are meek and humble, whose desires are in heaven, who want to
"know nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified." These do not need
an outward miracle to show His will; they have one simple rule—the written
Word. And 'the anointing which they received from him abides in them, and
teaches them all things' (1 John ii. 27). By this they are able to carry all
doctrines 'unto the law and testimony': and whatever is according to it they
receive, without expecting to see it attested by miracles; For, on the other
hand, whatever is contrary to this they reject—not even miracles can move them
to receive it.
5. However, I do not
know whether God has in any way prevented Himself from thus exercising His
sovereign power, from performing miracles of any kind or degree at any time
until the end of the world. I do not recall any scripture in which we are
taught that miracles should be confined within the limits of the apostolic or
Cyprian age, or of any period of time, longer or shorter, even until the
restitution of all things. I have not observed, either in the Old or in the
New, any such indication. St. Paul says, in fact, once, about two of the
miraculous gifts of the Spirit (so, I believe this text is generally
understood), 'If there be prophecies, they will fail; if there are tongues,
they will cease.' But he does not say, nor that these or any other miracles
will cease until faith and hope also cease, until all are swallowed up by the
sight of God, and love is all in all.[8]
The final
doom of every man
A second
charge you advance is that we 'suppose that the final perdition of every man
depends on the sovereign will and pleasure of God' (I assume you mean His
absolute and unconditional decree), that we 'regard man as a mere machine',
that we suppose that believers 'cannot fall into disgrace'
To John Downes, Dean
of St. Michael's, Wood Street
LONDON, November 17, 1759.
REVEREND
SIR,--1. In the treatise you have just published on the persons called
Methodists, you say very correctly: 'Our first care should be to examine
frankly and justly your doctrines. For just as to reproach them without
examination would be unjust, to do the same without a just and impartial
examination would be ungenerous.' And again: 'We must, in the first place,
carefully and frankly examine their doctrines.' (Page 68.) This is, without a
doubt, true. But have you ever done that? Have you examined their doctrines?
Have you examined them fairly and frankly, frankly and carefully? Have you read
at least the Sermons they published or the Appeal to Men of Reason and
Religion? I hope not; for I would like to give you some excuse for having told
so many senseless and shameless lies. I hope you know nothing about the
Methodists, any more than I know anything about the Cham of Tartary; that you
are ignorant of all history, and are so bold only because you are blind
(...)".
(...) A second charge
you advance is that we 'suppose that the final perdition of every man depends
on the sovereign will and pleasure of God' (I assume you mean His absolute and
unconditional decree), that we 'regard man as a mere machine', that we suppose
that believers 'cannot fall from grace' (page 31). No, I don't think any of
those things. Let those who care answer for themselves. I suppose just the
opposite in Predestination Calmly Considered, a treatise published ten years
ago. [See Works, x. 204-59.] (...)”.[9]
Our Governor
'O Lord our Governor, how
excellent are Thy ways in all the earth! You, who have placed Your glory above
the heavens!' While He, as it were, sees the Lord sitting on His throne, ruling
all things well; while observing the general providence of God co-extended with
all His creation
For Dr. Conyers Middleton
LONDON, January 4, 1749.
“(...)
Section I. 1. I would consider,
first, Who is really a Christian?
“(...) as he takes notice of the invisible
things of God, even His eternal power and wisdom in the things that are
seen—the heavens, the earth, the birds of the air, the lilies of the field. How
much more, while he rejoices in the constant care He still takes of the work of
His own hand, does he burst forth in a transport of love and praise: 'O Lord
our Governor, how excellent are Thy ways in all the earth! You, who have placed
Your glory above the heavens!' While He, as it were, sees the Lord sitting on
His throne, ruling all things well; while he observes the general providence of
God co-extended with all his creation, and observes all the effects of it in
heaven and earth, as a pleased spectator; while he sees the wisdom and goodness
of His general government descending to every particular, as presiding over the
whole universe as over a single person, as watching over every person as if it
were the whole universe; — how exalted he is when he reviews the various
vestiges of Almighty goodness, in what has happened to him in the various
circumstances and changes of his own life! everything he now sees has been
assigned to him and distributed in number, weight and measure. With what
triumph of the soul, in observing the general or particular providence of God,
does it observe every line that points to a beyond, every scene that opens up
to eternity!
He is peculiarly and indescribably happy in the
clearest and fullest conviction, 'This all-powerful, all-wise, all-gracious
Being, this Ruler of all, loves me. That Lover of my soul is always with me,
never absent—no, not for a moment. And I love Him: there is no one in heaven
but You, none on earth that I desire but You! And He gave me to resemble
Himself; He engraved His image on my heart. And I live for Him; I do only His
will; I glorify him with my body and my spirit. And it will not be long before I
die to Him; I will die in the arms of God. And then goodbye sin and pain; then
it only remains for me to live with Him forever (...)".[10]
You were led to the
place where God intended you to be
By a different line
of providences, you were led to the place where God intended you to be. And you
have reason to praise Him for not allowing your labor there to be in vain.
To Lawrence Coughlan
[August 27, 1768,]
DEAR LAWRENCE,-- By a
different line of providences, you were led to the place where God intended you
to be. And you have reason to praise Him for not allowing your labor there to
be in vain. Before long this will mean whether we live in the Summer Isles or
below
The fury of Arctos
and the eternal frost! [See Solomon of Prior, i. 264-5: 'If anyone suffers on
the polar coast, the fury of Arctos and the eternal frost.']
How soon this dream
of life will end! And when we are on earth in eternity, all will be one,
whether we spend our time on earth in a palace or do not know where to lay our
heads.
You never learned,
either by my conversation, nor by my preaching, nor by writings, that 'holiness
consisted in an flow of joy.' I always told you exactly the opposite: I told
you it was love; the love of God and neighbor; the image of God stamped on the
heart; the life of God in the soul of man; the mind that was in Christ,
allowing us to walk as Christ also walked. If Mr. Maxfield or you thought it
was something else, it was your fault, not mine. And whenever you woke up from
that dream, you shouldn't have blamed me. It is true that joy is a part of the
'fruit of the Spirit', of the kingdom of God within us. But this is first
'righteousness', then 'peace' and 'joy in the Holy Spirit'. It is true,
moreover, that if you love God with "all your heart," you can
"rejoice forever." No, it is even more true that many serious,
humble, sober believers, who sometimes feel God's love and then rejoice in God
their Savior, cannot be content with it, but pray continually that He will
enable them to love and "rejoice in the Lord always." And no fact
under heaven is more undeniable than that God answers that prayer; that He
does, for the sake of His Son, and by the power of His Spirit, allows one and
the other to do it. It is also a plain fact that this power frequently
overshadows them in an instant, and that from that moment they enjoy that
inward and outward holiness to which they were once complete strangers. Maybe
you're wrong about that; Perhaps you thought you had received what you did not
receive. But I ask you not to measure all men alone; Don't imagine that you are
the universal standard. If you were mistaken (which I am not yet claiming), you
should not infer that everyone else does. Many think they are justified, and
they are not; But we cannot infer that any of them are justified. Therefore not
either, if many think they are "perfected in love," and are not, it
will follow that none are so. Blessed be God, even if we leave a hundred
enthusiasts aside, we are still "enveloped by a cloud of witnesses,"
who have witnessed, and testify, in life and in death, to that perfection which
I have taught these forty years! This perfection cannot be an illusion unless
the Bible is also an illusion; I mean, 'love God with all your heart and your
neighbor as yourself.' I point out all his opponents of this definition. No
evasion! Without changing the question! Where is the illusion of this? Either
you received this love or you didn't; If you wanted to, you would dare to call
it an illusion. You won't call it that all over the world. If you have received
anything else, it does not affect the question at all. However delusional you
may wish, it is nothing to those who have received something altogether
different—namely, that deep communion with the Father and the Son, by which
they are able to give you all their heart, to love every man as his own soul,
and to walk as Christ also walked.
O Lawrence, if Sister
Coughlan and you ever liked this, humble yourselves before God for casting him
out; if you did not do it, God grant it to you (...)".[11]
To be all-powerful,
all-wise, all-gracious
'This all-powerful,
all-wise, all-gracious Being, this Ruler of all, loves me. This Lover of my
soul is always with me, never absent — no, not for a moment
For Dr. Conyers Middleton
LONDON, January 4, 1749.
He is peculiarly and
indescribably happy in the clearest and fullest conviction, 'This all-powerful,
all-wise, all-gracious Being, this Ruler of all, loves me. That Lover of my
soul is always with me, never absent—no, not for a moment. And I love Him: there
is no one in heaven but You, none on earth that I desire but You! And He gave
me to resemble Himself; He engraved His image on my heart. And I live for Him;
I do only His will; I glorify him with my body and my spirit. And it will not
be long before I die to Him; I will die in the arms of God. And then goodbye
sin and pain; then it only remains for me to live with Him forever. [12]
Under the
Shadow of the Almighty
I need to
write; though where my letter will meet you, that I know not, only that it will
be under the shadow of the Almighty—yes, in the arms of Him who loves you.
For Howell Harris
LONDON, August 6,
1742.
MY DEAR BROTHER, -- I
must write; though where my letter will meet you, that I know not, only that it
will be under the shadow of the Almighty—yes, in the arms of Him who loves you.
Now, let Him cover your head on the day of battle! May his faithfulness and
truth be your shield and your armorer! May He comfort your heart and, after a
time of suffering, make you perfect, firm, strengthen, calm down!
I have just read his
dated Trevecca, October 19, 1741. And of what we have discussed, to allow such
perfection as you have here described, and every subsequent disputation I
consider vain, and a mere disputation of words. On the other point, we agree
(1) that no man can have power except it be given to him from above; (2) that
no man can deserve anything other than hell, for all other merit is in the
blood of the Lamb. On these two fundamental points, both you and I sincerely
defend. Then, if we both renounce all power and merit in man, what need of this
great gulf be fixed between us, brother, is thy heart with mine, as my heart is
with thy heart. If so, give me your hand. I am indeed a poor, foolish, sinful
worm; and how long my Lord will use me I do not know. Sometimes I think that
the time is coming when He will leave me aside; for surely never before has He
sent such a worker to such a harvest. But as long as I continue in the work,
let us rise up together against the evildoers. We have not weakened, but (if it
be the will of our Lord) let us strengthen one another's hands in God. My
brother, my soul has gone to find you; Let's fall on each other. May the good
Lord erase all that has passed, and may there be peace between you and me from
now on! --I am, my dear brother, always yours.
PS.--Last Friday, my
mother went home with a voice of praise and thanks. [See letter of July 31.]
A creature that the
Almighty created for Himself
Allow me to speak to
Your Lady with complete freedom; not as a person of quality, but as a creature
whom the Almighty has created for Himself, and who in a few days must appear
before Him
Introductory notes
from the Lady Publishing HouseRawdon: 1760
LIVERPOOL., 18 March 1760.
MY MALADY,-- It was
impossible to see the suffering into which Your Lady was thrown by the recent
and unfortunate affair without enduring a part of it, without sympathizing with
you. But let us not see God in him, let us not hear and understand His voice.
We must admit that it is generally "small and quiet"; yet sometimes
He speaks in the whirlwind. Allow me to speak to Your Lady with complete
freedom; not as a person of quality, but as a creature whom the Almighty has
created for Himself, and who in a few days must appear before Him.
You were not only
nominal, but a true Christian. You have tasted the powers of the
world to come. You knew that God the Father had accepted you through His
eternal Son, and God the Spirit testified with His spirit that you were a child
of God.
But you fell among
thieves, and those who were particularly qualified to steal from you from your
God. Two of them, in particular, were sensible, learned, well-educated,
good-hearted, and moral men. They didn't attack you in a brusque, abrupt or
offensive way. No; You would then have armed yourself against them and repelled
all their attacks. But by soft, delicate, unnoticed touches, by pleasant
strokes of railleria, by insinuations rather than ill-tempered arguments, they
slowly undermined the basis of their faith—perhaps not only of their living
faith, their 'evidence of things unseen,' but even of their notional. It's good
if they left you at least an assent to the Bible or the belief that Christ is
God above all Me And what was the consequence of that Didn't cool your love for
God Didn't cool Didn't measure your steps back to earth Didn't revive your love
for the world even the poor, Little
things that in your childhood you deeply hated
Where are you now,
full of faith, looking at the holiest, and seeing the One who is invisible?
Does your heart now shine with love for the One who daily pours out His
benefits upon you? Do you even want that now? Now you say (as you did nearly
twenty years ago),-- Keep me dead for everyone down there, Christ alone
resolved to know; Steadfast, detached, and free, Seeking all my happiness in
Thee It is now your taste for heavenly things Are you not a lover of pleasure
any more than a lover of God And oh, what a pleasure! What is the pleasure of
visiting modern conversations? Is there more reason than religion in it? I
wonder what rational appetite does this satisfy? To leave religion altogether
out of the question, I cannot conceive how a sensible woman can—delight
herself, should say no, but suffer such insipid entertainment.
Oh, that the past
time would suffice! Isn't it time for you to wake up from sleep? Now God calls
out loud! My dear Lady, now hear the voice of the Son of God, and live! The
troubles in which your tender father is now involved may restore all that
reverence for her, which could not but be a little impaired, while you supposed
her to be 'too fair.' Oh, how admirably God secures and 'strengthens the things
that remain' in you--your gratitude, your human temper, your generosity, your
filial tenderness! And why this is to improve every right temper; to free him
from all that is irrational or profane; to make you all that you were—yes, all
that you should be; restore you to the full image of God—I am, my Lady, Yours,
etc. [13]
But that
powerlessness in you can be an obstacle to God's almighty power
For
Dorthy Furly
NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE,
14 June 1757.
You
have reason to praise God for what He has done and to expect all that He has
promised. In fact, if it were necessary for you to work this on yourself, your
impotence could be an obstacle to your expectations; and so might be your
unworthiness, if God required some merit from you in order that He would act in
you. But that powerlessness in you can be a hindrance to God's almighty power.
And what unworthiness can hinder the free love of God, His love in and through
Christ Jesus, so that all the promises may be righteous before you. The land
flowing with milk and honey, the Canaan of His perfect love, is open. Believe and enter!
It
is an observation of one of the ancients that it is much easier not to desire
praise than not to be satisfied with it. The benevolent conviction that it is,
on the whole, a deadly poison may prevent us from desiring it; But nothing
short of the humble love that fills the heart will prevent us from being
satisfied with it, for the sense of honor is as natural to man as the sense of
tasting or feeling. But when that which is spiritual is fully available, that
which is corruptly natural will be eliminated.
Whatever
enemies you have, all you need is a Friend more powerful than all of them. O
let Him reign only in your heart! Do not spare in speaking freely with, dear
Miss Helena. Furly,
His
brother and affectionate servant. [14]
Almighty power can heal
both your soul and your body
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.
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. [15]
Almighty Savior
But no one need perish; for we have an
almighty Savior, one who is able and willing to save to the utmost all who have
come to God through Him
To Samuel Sparrow
LONDON, December 28, 1773.
DEAR SIR,-- As for the head
of the Authority, we fully agree. Our guides are Scripture and reason. We also
agree that preachers who 'relax our obligation to the moral virtues, who
condemn holiness as filthy rags, who teach men that easy and palatable way to
heaven, of faith without works,' cannot easily fail to have a multitude of
hearers; and that, therefore, it is not surprising that a large number of
people throng in the church of Blackfriars and in the chapel of the Lock
[William Romaine was Dean of St. Anne's, Blackfriars, from 1766 to 1795. Martin
Madan was chaplain of Lock Hospital from 1750 to 1780; he published
Thelyphthora, in favor of polygamy, in 1780].
There is also "only
reason to accuse the preachers, both there and in the Tabernacle, of a grievous
lack of charity." For most of them categorically hold all who do not
believe as they believe are in a state of condemnation, all who do not believe
in that absolute decree of election, which necessarily implies absolute
reprobation.
But no one was induced to
listen to my brother and me or those connected with us by such means as these:
the contrary. We start from two principles: (1) No one goes to heaven without
holiness of heart and life; (2) whoever comes after this (whatever his opinions)
is my 'brother, sister, and mother.' And to this day, we have not deviated a
hair from one of these two cases.
Thus, two young men without
a name, without friends, without power or fortune, 'left the College with
principles totally different from those of the common people', to face the
whole world, learned and uneducated; to 'combat popular prejudices' of all kinds.
Our first principle directly attacked all evil, the second all prejudice in the
world. Thus they attempted a reform, not of opinions (penalties, trivialities
that are not worth a name), but of the temperaments and lives of men; of
addiction of all kinds; of everything that is contrary to justice, mercy, or
truth. And that is why they carried their lives in their hands, that both the
great vulgar and the little ones saw them as mad dogs and treated them as such;
sometimes saying in terms, 'No one's going to hit this mad dog over the head'
Let each one then speak as
to find it; As for me, I can admire neither the wisdom, nor the virtue, nor the
happiness of humanity. Wherever I have been, I have met most of humanity,
Christian and heathen, deplorably ignorant, cruel, and miserable. I'm sure it
did in London and Westminster. Sin and pain are everywhere. And who can account
for this but by the supposition that we are in a fallen state, I have amply
proved that it cannot be explained otherwise. But no one need perish; for we
have an all-powerful Saviour, one who is able and willing to save to the utmost
all who have come to God through Him. "I am, dear sir, Your affectionate
servant. [16]
Only
He who is all-powerful is able to break the bonds
I
congratulate you on your release. It's not a small one. Only He who is all-powerful
has been able to break these bonds.
For
Thomas Roberts
LONDON, February 12, 1789.
DEAR TOMMY, -- You really
send me good news. I congratulate you on your release. [See letter of January
18, 1788 to him.] It's not a small one. Only He who is all-powerful has been
able to break these bonds. Many years ago, I was in the exact same case; and at
that moment, when I came to these words in the Lesson of the day, 'Son of man,
behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with one blow,' [See
letter of February 14, 1786.] I was quite astonished and couldn't read a word
at that moment. But then I realized that God was wiser than I was.
It seems to me that you
have drawn the right conclusion from this remarkable providence. Surely God now
gives you a strong call to dedicate yourself to God in a single life. I advise
you to read the Notes on 1 Corinthians 7 with great prayer. And remember the
wise direction of Kempis, [Book I. chap. viii.] 'Avoid all good women and
entrust them to God.' --I am, dear Tommy,
Your affectionate brother. [17]
God certainly acts as a
Sovereign
And yet to the same point:
for we must not imagine that such a degree of suffering is necessary to any
degree of holiness. In this respect, God certainly acts as a Sovereign; giving
what He wants, and by what means He wants. I believe that the holiest man who
ever lived was the Apostle John; Still, it seems to have suffered very little
To
John Valton
LONDON, January 18, 1782.
MY DEAR BROTHER, -- I
received the first two leaves of your life. Don't be afraid to write too much;
I can easily leave out what can be saved. It pleased God to guide John Haime
and you a long way through the desert. Others He leads by a shorter and smoother
path; And yet to the same point: for we must not imagine that such a degree of
suffering is necessary to any degree of holiness. In this respect, God
certainly acts as a Sovereign; giving what He wants, and by what means He
wants. I believe that the holiest man who ever lived was the Apostle John;
Still, it seems to have suffered very little.
You must take care never to
write for too long, and always to write standing up; Never, in any way, support
yourself on your stomach. God gives me exactly the strength I had thirty years
ago. I cannot allow John Sellars [See letter of January 7.] to continue to be a
leader; and if he leads the class, whether I like it or not, I demand that you
expel him from our Society. If twenty of their class are also going to leave
the Society, they should leave. The first defeat is the best. Better forty
members must be lost than our lost discipline. They are not Methodists who
cannot stand restrictions. Explain this in a general way to the Society. -- I
am
Your affectionate friend
and brother. [18]
God is
sovereign: He can make as many exceptions as He wants to His general rule
And God is
sovereign: He can make whatever exceptions He wants to His general rule.
Therefore, this objection is easily dismissed; And so is his age. The Spirit of
the Lord can give understanding in both a longer time and a shorter time
To Maria Bishop
LONDON, November 22,
1769.
MY DEAR SISTER,-- It
is extremely strange. I should really ask myself (if I could ask myself about
any weakness of human nature) that a woman as good as Lady Huntingdon, and who
is especially concerned about her Catholic spirit, should be guilty of such narrow-mindedness.
Let him teach us a better lesson! [Henry Venn was then preaching to packed
audiences in the chapel of the Countess of Huntingdon in Bath. See the letter
of December 26.] Let us not deviate in thought or word from the old Methodist
principle: 'He who does the will of my Father which is in heaven is my brother,
my sister, and my mother.'
We have other cases
of people who now enjoy the peace of God and, even so, do not know the moment
when they received it. And God is sovereign: He can make whatever exceptions He
wants to His general rule. Therefore, this objection is easily dismissed; And
so is his age. The Spirit of the Lord can give understanding in both a longer
time and a shorter time. And I doubt that He will give you favor in the eyes of
your sisters. You just need to move forward, doing God's will from the heart
and trusting in the anointing of the Holy One to teach you, right away.
I'm glad you meet
Miss Helena. Owens. [Wesley says on September 16, 1772: 'I went to Publow,
which today is what Leytonstone once was. Here is a family indeed. Such lovers,
and such a company of children, as, I believe, the whole of England can have no
parallel!' See Diary v. 484; and letter of August 22, 1772.] Encourage one
another to be true Christians. Challenging fashion and customs, and only
manpower
To direct their
useful lives below
By reason and grace.
Not that the lady
entrenches herself over the Christian; but be a simple follower of the Lamb.
I hope to hear soon
what has happened since you last wrote. And I hope you will always speak
without reservation, my dear sister,
Your affectionate
brother.
For Miss Helena.
Bishop, in the vineyard, Bath. [19]
[1]
https://jamespedlar.ca/2012/02/23/john-wesley-on-the-character-of-god/
[2] Overview of Google's AI Mode
[3] Overview of Google's AI Mode
[4]https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/wen/1-peter-1.html
[5] Overview of Google's AI Mode
[6]https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/wen/1-peter-1.html
[7] https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-letters-of-john-wesley/wesleys-letters-1760/
[8] https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-letters-of-john-wesley/wesleys-letters-1746/
[9] https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-letters-of-john-wesley/wesleys-letters-1759/
[10] https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-letters-of-john-wesley/wesleys-letters-1749/
[11] https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-letters-of-john-wesley/wesleys-letters-1768/
[12] https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-letters-of-john-wesley/wesleys-letters-1749/
[13] https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-letters-of-john-wesley/wesleys-letters-1760/
[14] https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-letters-of-john-wesley/wesleys-letters-1757/
[15]
https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-letters-of-john-wesley/wesleys-letters-1777/
[16] https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-letters-of-john-wesley/wesleys-letters-1773/
[17] https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-letters-of-john-wesley/wesleys-letters-1789/
[18]
https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-letters-of-john-wesley/wesleys-letters-1782/
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