JUNE 11
I have often thought of saying of Dr. Hayward’s when he examined me for priest’s orders: “Do you know what you are about? You are bidding defiance to all mankind. He that would live a Christian priest ought to know that, whether his hand be against every man or no, he must expect every man’s hand should be against him.” It is not strange that every man’s hand who is not a Christian should be against him that endeavours to be so. But is it not hard that even those that are with us should be against us? That a man’s enemies (in some degree) should be those of the same household of faith? Yet so it is. From a time that a man sets himself to his business, very many, even of those who travel the same road, many of those who are before as well as behind him, will lay stumbling-blocks in his way.
to Samuel Wesley, June, 1731
The way to heaven is singularity all over. If you move but one step towards God, you are not as other men are.
Sermon XXVI., §4
