PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK

The works of the Rev. John Wesley, Vol. 06 (of 32)

Wesley, John, 1703-1791 · 86,190 words · 120 reading sections

Part 1

The Works of the Rev. John Wesley ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ │ │ Transcriber’s Notes │ │ │ │ …

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OF THE

Rev. JOHN WESLEY, M.A. Late Fellow of _Lincoln-College_, OXFORD.…

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BRISTOL:

Printed by WILLIAM PINE, in _Wine-Street_.…

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MDCCLXXII.

THE CONTENTS Of the SIXTH VOLUME. An extract from Mr. LAW’s _Serious Call_ to a _Holy Life_.…

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_Recommending devotion at three o’clock, called in scripture the |ninth hour| of the day. The subject of prayer at this hour may be |resignation| to the divine pleasure. The nature and duty of conformity to the will of God in all our actions and designs._…

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CHAPTER XIX.

_Of the excellency and greatness of a devout spirit._ An Extract from Mr. LAW’s Later Works. An extract from the case of reason, or natural religion, fairly and fully stated. In answer to a book, entitled _Christianity as Old as the Creation_. _The introduction, shewing the state of the controversy._…

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CHAPTER I.

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CHAPTER II.

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CHAPTER III.

_Shewing how far human reason is able to judge of the reasonableness, truth, and certainty of divine revelation._…

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CHAPTER IV.

_Of the state and nature of reason, as it is in man; and how its perfection in matters of religion is to be known._…

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CHAPTER V.

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CHAPTER XVIII.

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Part 13

5. This resignation to the divine will, may be considered in two respects: _first_, As it signifies a thankful approbation of God’s _general_ providence over the world: _secondly_, As it signifies a thankful acceptance of his _particular_ providence over us. * _First_, Every man is, by the first article of his creed, …

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Part 14

* Every one seems to consent to this, as an undeniable truth, _That all things must be as God pleases_. And is not this enough to make every man pleased with them himself? And how can a man be a peevish complainer of any thing that is the effect of providence, but by shewing that his own _will_ and _wisdom_ are of more…

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Part 15

11. If the man above-mentioned was born blind, that the _works of God might be manifested in him_, had he not great reason to praise God, for appointing him in such a particular manner to be the instrument of his glory? And if one person is born _here_, and another _there_; if one falls amongst _riches_, and another in…

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Part 16

The providence of God is not more concerned in the government of _night_ and _day_, and the variety of _seasons_, than in the common course of events, that seem most to depend upon the meer wills of men. So that it is as strictly right, to look upon all worldly changes, all the various turns in your own life, to be the…

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CHAPTER XIX.

_Of the excellency and greatness of a devout spirit._ 1. I HAVE now finished what I intended in this treatise. I have explained the nature of devotion, both as it signifies a life devoted to God, and as it signifies a regular method of prayer. I have now only to add a word or two in recommendation of a life governed b…

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Part 18

Devotion therefore is so far from being best suited to _little, ignorant_ minds, that a _true elevation_ of soul, a _lively sense_ of honour, and _great knowledge_ of God and ourselves, are the greatest helps that our devotion hath. 4. On the other hand, it shall be made appear, that _indevotion_ is founded in the mos…

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Part 19

8. If a human spirit should imagine some _mighty prince_ to be greater than God, we should take it for a poor ignorant creature; all people would acknowledge such an imagination to be the height of stupidity. But if this same _human spirit_ should think it better to be devoted to some mighty _prince_, than to be devot…

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Part 20

I have made this digression for the sake of those, who think great devotion to be _bigotry_ and _poorness_ of _spirit_; that by these considerations they may see, how _poor_ and _mean_ all other _tempers_ are, if compared to it: that they may see all worldly attainments, whether of greatness, wisdom, or bravery, are bu…

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CHAPTER I.

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Part 22

But if man, in a state of _innocence_, could have no pretence to set himself against divine revelation, and make his own reason the _final judge_ of what God could, or could not reveal to him; much less has he any pretence for so doing in his present state of _sin_, _ignorance_, and _misery_. His _nature_ and _conditio…

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Part 23

So that if the _fitness_ of actions is founded in the _particular nature_ of things and persons, and the fitness of God’s actions must arise from that which is _particular_ to his nature, then we have from this argument, the _utmost certainty_ that the _rule_ or _reasons_ of God’s actions must in many cases be entirely…

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Part 24

_Again_: What is the nature of a human soul, upon what _terms_, and in what manner it is _united_ to the body, how far it is _different_ from it, how far it is _subject_ to it, what powers and faculties it _derives_ from it; are things wherein the _wisdom_ and _goodness_ of God, and the _happiness_ of man are deeply co…

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Part 25

But if this relation consists in these _inconceivable_ things, in a communication of _life_, _light_ and _power_, if these are enjoyed in God, and in ourselves, in a manner not to be explained by any thing that we ever heard, or saw; then we must necessarily be poor judges of what is fit for God to require of us, becau…

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Part 26

It is because of this incomprehensible relation between God and his creatures, that we are unavoidably ignorant of what God may justly require of us either in a state of _innocence_ or _sin_. For as the fitness of actions between beings _related_, must result from their respective natures, so the incomprehensibility of…

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Part 27

And that which is _inconceivable_ in them, is a solid foundation of that _profound humility_, _awful reverence_, _internal piety_ and _tremendous sense_ of the divine Majesty, with which devout persons think of God, and assist at the _offices_ of religion. Which excites in them a higher zeal for doctrines and instituti…

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Part 28

For _reason_ can no more tell us what the _guilt_ of sin is, what _hurt_ it does us, how far it _enters_ into, and _alters_ our very nature, what _contrariety to_, and _separation_ from God, it necessarily brings upon us, or what _supernatural_ means are, or are not, necessary to abolish it; our _reason_ can no more te…

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Part 29

For, if no human sacrifice can be fit for God to receive, because human sacrifices, as parts of _Pagan_ worship, were unjust and impious; then it would follow, that the _mortality_, to which all mankind are appointed by God, must have the _same cruelty_ and _injustice_ in it. Now that _death_ is a punishment for sin, a…

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Part 30

It is just thus, when any _divine_ matter is revealed by God; it can no more possibly be revealed to us, as it is in its _own nature_, than an _angel_ can appear to us, as it is in its own nature; but such supernatural matter can only be revealed to us, by being represented to us, by its likeness to something, that we …

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Part 31

Thus, when this writer says, _If the relations between things, and the fitness resulting from thence, be not the sole rule of God’s actions, must he not be an arbitrary being?_ As he here means some _eternal, immutable relations, independent_ of God; so, to suppose, that God cannot be a _wise_ and _good_ being, unless …

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Part 32

So that the ascribing the relations of things to the will of God, brings no uncertainty to those duties of life, which flow from such relations, but leaves the state of nature with all its relations, and the duties which flow from them, in the greatest certainty, so long as nature itself is continued; and when that eit…

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Part 33

But if God’s _will_ is as _essentially_ opposite to _humour_ and _caprice_, as his _omnipotence_ is to _weakness and inability_; then it is as absurd to suppose, that God must act according to humour and caprice, because he acts according to his own will, as to suppose that he must act with inability, because he acts b…

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Part 34

Supposing therefore God to require a person to do something, which according to his present circumstances, _without_ that command, he ought not to do, God does not make that which is _absolutely_ unfit in _itself_, fit to be done: but only adds _new circumstances_ to an action, that is neither fit, nor unfit, moral, no…

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Part 35

And we have no more reason to be afraid to be left to a God without a law, or to be left to his will and pleasure, than to be left under the protection and care of a being, that is all love, and mercy, and goodness. For as the existence of God, as such, necessarily implies the existence of all perfection; so the will o…

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CHAPTER II.

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Part 37

The reasons therefore on which the fitness of this or that revelation depends, _why_ or _when_, of _what matter_, in _what manner_, and to whom it is to be made, must, from the nature and reason of things, be as unsearchable by us, as the reasons of _this_ or _that_ creation of rational beings, at such a _time_, of suc…

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Part 38

This writer asks, “How it is consistent with the notion of God’s being universally benevolent, not to have revealed it to all his children, who had equal need of it?” But if they had _equal need_ of it, yet if they were not _equally fit_ for it, but prepared only to have their _guilt_ increased by it, and so be exposed…

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Part 39

* We will not allow a providence to be _right_, unless we can comprehend the reasonableness of all its steps; and yet it could not possibly be right, unless its proceedings were as much _above_ our comprehension, as our wisdom is _below_ that which is infinite. For if the _relations_ of _things_, and _persons_, and th…

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CHAPTER III.

_Shewing how far human reason is able to judge of the reasonableness, truth, and certainty of divine revelation._ THE former chapter has plainly shewn, from the state and relation between God and man, that we must be strangers to the true reasons on which a divine revelation is founded, both as to its _time_, _matter_…

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Part 41

Hence we may see how little this _writer_ is governed by the _reason_ and _nature_ of things, who proceeds upon this as an undeniable principle, that we could not know a revelation to be divine, unless we knew, antecedently to revelation, what God could teach or require of us by it. Thus, says he, “Were we not capable …

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Part 42

And therefore if this argument is to be admitted, it leads directly to _atheism_, and brings us under a greater necessity of rejecting divine providence, on the account of its mysteries, than of rejecting a revelation that is mysterious in any of its doctrines. And if, God cannot be said to deal with us as rational age…

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Part 43

For, if the creation must be allowed to be the work of God, notwithstanding any _unknown degree_ of power in evil spirits; if we can as certainly ascribe it to God, as if there were no _such_ spirits; then miracles may be as full a proof of the interposition of God, as if there were no such spirits in being. I do not …

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Part 44

To give you one instance more of this writer’s extravagant and inconsistent notions. He makes _reason_, or _natural religion_, to be God’s _internal revelation_, differing _only_ from _external revelation in the manner of its being communicated_. He rejects _external revelation_ as unworthy of God, because it has not …

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CHAPTER IV.

_Of the state and nature of reason, as it is in man; and how its perfection in matters of religion is to be known._ THIS writer and others, who take to themselves the names of _free-thinkers_, make their court to the world, by pretending to vindicate the right that all men have, to judge and act according to their own…

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Part 46

And mankind are no more left to find out a God, or the fitness of virtue, by their own reason, than they are left by their own reason, to find out who are their parents, to find out the fitness of speaking an articulate language. Now if this is the state of reason, as it is in man; if this is all the light that we hav…

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Part 47

And our author can no more tell, what man would be without education, or what nature would do for those who had no foreign instruction, than he can tell what sort of beings dwell in the moon. And yet he that does not know this, how can he know what the light of nature is in itself? * Again to declare the light of natu…

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Part 48

* As therefore these gentlemen are, in this debate, without any proof, or even pretence of proof, from experience, so their cause ought to be looked upon to be as vain and romantic, as if they had asserted, that men have senses naturally fitted to hear sounds, and see objects at all distances, tho’ experience has, from…

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Part 49

This observation has just the same sense and acuteness in it, as if it had been said, _It is certainly no good argument against_ the sufficiency of the divine healthfulness _of human nature, that men could not be sickly, except they left it_, and _fell into various distempers: or, against the_ sufficiency of the divine…

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CHAPTER V.

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Part 51

For whether any thing be fit to be done, it is as he says, “reason alone which must judge; as the eye is the sole judge of what is visible, the ear of what is audible, so reason of what is reasonable.” Every thing therefore that is done, every thing that is chosen in human life before any thing else, is as strictly ch…

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Part 52

So that all _that_ which we call different faculties, tempers, and passions, strictly speaking, means nothing else, but the various acts of one and the same rational principle, which has different names, according to the objects that it acts upon, and the manner of its acting. In some things it is called speculative, …

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Part 53

It may happen, that a man may have as great an eagerness in solving a mathematical problem, as another hath to obtain any great good, or avoid any great evil. But may it therefore be said, that it is not reason that solves the problem, because the bodily spirits are so active in it? To draw now some plain consequence…

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Part 54

1. * MIGHT I follow the _bent_ of my own mind, I should be wholly employed in setting forth the infinite love of God to mankind in Christ Jesus, and endeavouring to draw all men to the belief and acknowledgment of it. This _one great mercy_ of God, which makes the _one_ happiness of all mankind, so justly deserves all …

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Part 55

8. But the Doctor overlooks this important matter. He neither supposes them to have this knowledge, nor endeavours to help them to it; but in a flow of zeal, reflects at large upon all attempts towards a piety, that is not _modern, common_, and according to the present fashion of religion in the world. Thus, you every …

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Part 56

11. Again, others there are, I make no doubt in all parts of the kingdom, both amongst clergy and laity, men and women, rich and poor, whose consciences are greatly awakened, who see the general apostacy from the religion of the gospel, whose souls are wanting and wishing nothing so much, as to know how all that they _…

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Part 57

* According therefore to the Doctor’s divinity both reason and scripture require, that the true Christian be _inwardly blind_, inwardly _deaf_, and void of all inward _feeling_. For if neither scripture nor reason will allow of any inward senses, then they must both of them require an _inward insensibility_. But as scr…

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Part 58

What is here said has some truth in it, and might be useful in its proper place, and under right limitations. But as it here stands, it is a grievous _snare_ and _deceit_ to the reader. For it is to signify to him, that _wholly abstaining from_ things in themselves indifferent, cannot be made a _matter_ of true religio…

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Part 59

The other instance of the apostle’s I appeal to is that, where he says, it is good neither to eat “flesh, nor drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth and is offended. And again, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, that I may not offend my brother.” Hence it a…

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Part 60

21. Yet the Doctor complains of the _Treatise upon Christian Perfection_, because Christians in _sickness, distress, and dejection_ of _spirit_, are there directed to seek for comfort and refreshment in God alone! Our blessed Lord is very short and yet very full upon this article. He only says, _Be of good comfort, I h…

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Source & rights

Public domain in the USA; original historical text digitized by Project Gutenberg.

Project Gutenberg source record →

Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.