JULY 25

I went to a gentleman who is much troubled with what they call lowness of spirits. Many such have I been with before; but in several of them it was no bodily distemper. They wanted something, they knew not what; and were therefore heavy, uneasy, and dissatisfied with everything. The plain truth is, they wanted God, they wanted Christ, they wanted faith; and God convinced them of their want, in a way their physicians no more understood than themselves. Accordingly nothing availed till the great Physician came. For in spite of all natural means, He who made them for Himself would not suffer them to rest till they rested in Him.
Journal, 13th July, 1739


With what is past, or what is to come, we have little to do. Now is the day of Salvation.
Letter, 21st April, 1787

Posted by The Husky Wesleyan at 3:18 PM |


JULY 24

A loving word, spoken in faith, shall not fall to the ground.
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You have this treasure in an earthen vessel; you dwell in a poor shattered house of clay, which presses down the immortal spirit.
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The knowledge of ourselves is true humility; and without this we cannot be freed from vanity.
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It is a great thing to spend all our time to the glory of God.
Letter to Miss March, 1760-77


See that you be not ashamed of a good Master, nor of the least of His servants.
Letter, 18th January, 1776

Posted by The Husky Wesleyan at 3:17 PM |


JULY 23

I am now, and have been from my youth, a member and minister of the Church of England. And I have no desire to separate from it till my soul separates from my body. Yet if I were not permitted to remain therein without omitting what God requires me to do, it would then become meet and right and my bounden duty to separate from it without delay. To be more particular, I know God has committed me a dispensation of the Gospel. Yea, and my own salvation depends upon preaching it. “Woe is me if I preach not the Gospel.” If then I could not remain in the Church without omitting this, without desisting from preaching the Gospel, I should be under the necessity of separating from it or losing my own soul.
Schism


Blessed be God, I do not slack my labour; I can preach and write still.
Journal, 1st January, 1790

Posted by The Husky Wesleyan at 3:16 PM |


JULY 22

In like manner, if I could not continue united to any smaller Society, Church or body of Christians, without committing sin, without lying and hypocrisy, without preaching to others doctrines which I did not myself believe, I should be under an absolute necessity of separating from that Society. And in all these cases the sin of separation, with all the evils consequent upon it, would not lie upon me, but upon those who constrained me to make that separation, by requiring of me such terms of communion as I could not in conscience comply with. But setting aside this case, suppose the Church or Society to which I am now united, does not require me to do anything which the Scripture forbids, or to omit anything which the Scripture enjoins, it is then my indispensable duty to continue therein.
Schism


Envy will invent a thousand things, and with the most plausible circumstances.
Letter, 9th November, 1787

Posted by The Husky Wesleyan at 3:14 PM |


JULY 21

I have spoken the more explicitly upon this head because it is so little understood; because so many of those who profess much religion, nay, and really enjoy a measure of it, have not the least conception of this matter, neither imagine such a separation to be any sin at all. They leave a Christian Society with as much unconcern as they would go out of one room into another. They give occasion to all this complicated mischief; and wipe their mouth, and say they have done no evil! Whereas they are justly chargeable before God and man, both with an action that is evil in itself, and with all the evil consequences which may be expected to follow, to themselves, to their brethren and to the world.
Schism


Leave that with Him. The success is His. The work only is yours. Your point is this – work your work betimes; and in His time He will give you a full reward.
Letter, 4th November, 1774

Posted by The Husky Wesleyan at 6:22 PM |


JULY 20

Keep to the whole Methodist discipline whoever is pleased or displeased.
Letter, 29th April, 1776


The whole body of Roman Catholics define schism, a separation from the Church of Rome; and almost all our own writers define it, a separation from the Church of England. Thus both the one and the other set out wrong and stumble at the very threshold. …

The immense pains which have been taken both by Papists and Protestants in writing whole volumes against schisms as a separation whether from the Church of Rome or from the Church of England, have been employed to mighty little purpose. They have been fighting with shadows of their own raising.
Schism

Posted by The Husky Wesleyan at 6:21 PM |


JULY 19

Do not rashly tear asunder the sacred ties which unite you to any Christian Society. … Take care how you rend the Body of Christ, by separating from your brethren. It is a thing evil in itself. It is a sore evil in its consequences.

Beware of countenancing or abetting and Parties in a Christian Society. Never encourage, much less cause, either by word or action, any division therein. … Leave off contention before it is meddled with; shun the very beginning of strife.

Happy is he that attains the character of a peacemaker in the Church of God.
Schism


Never deny, never conceal, never speak doubtfully of what God hath wrought.
Letter, 12th November, 1776

Posted by The Husky Wesleyan at 6:20 PM |


JULY 18

10. Be punctual. Do everything exactly at the time. And, in general, do not mend our rules, but keep them: not for wrath but for conscience’ sake.

11. You have nothing to do but to save souls; therefore spend and be spent in this work. And go always, not to those that want you, but to those that want you most.

12. Act in all things, not according to your own will, but as a son in the Gospel; as such, it is your part to employ your time in the manner which we direct; partly in preaching and visiting from house to house; partly in reading, meditation and prayer. Above all, if you labour with us in our Lord’s vineyard, it is needful that you should do that part of the work which we advise, at those times and places which we judge most for His glory.
Rules of a Helper

Posted by The Husky Wesleyan at 5:25 PM |


JULY 17

6. Speak evil of no one; else your word especially would eat as doth a canker. Keep your thoughts within your own breast till you come to the person concerned.

7. Tell everyone what you think wrong in him, and that plainly, and as soon as may be, else it will fester in your heart. Make all haste to cast the fire out of your bosom.

8. Do not affect the gentleman. You have no more to do with his character than with that of a dancing-master. A preacher of the Gospel is a servant of all.

9. Be ashamed of nothing but sin; not of fetching wood (if time permit), or of drawing water; not of cleaning your own shoes or your neighbor’s.
Rules of a Helper

Posted by The Husky Wesleyan at 5:25 PM |


JULY 16

Keep your rules, and they will keep you.
Letter, 9th November, 1787


1. Be diligent. Never be unemployed a moment. Never be trifilingly [sic] employed. Never while away time; neither spend any more at any place than is strictly necessary.

2. Be serious. Let your motto be: Holiness to the Lord. Avoid all lightness, jesting and foolish talking.

3. Converse sparingly and cautiously with women; particularly with young women in private.

4. Take no step toward marriage without first acquainting us with your design.

5. Believe evil of no one, unless you see it done, take heed how you credit it. Put the best construction on everything. You know the judge is always supposed to be on the prisoner’s side.
Rule of a Helper

Posted by The Husky Wesleyan at 5:24 PM |


JULY 15

It is true, this cannot be done on a sudden; but it may between this and the next Conference. And even as to the drops that many have sold, if their wives sell them at home, well; but it is not proper for any preacher to hawk them about; it has a bad appearance; it does not suit well the dignity of his calling.

Two years after, it was agreed by all our brethren, that no preacher who will not relinquish his trade of buying and selling or of making and vending pills, drops, balsams or medicines of any kind, shall (not) be considered as a travelling [sic] preacher any longer; and that it shall be demanded of all those preachers who have traded in cloth, hardware, pills, drops, balsams or medicines of any kind, at the next Conference whether they have entirely left it off or not.
Minutes of Conversations, 1744


We cannot impute too much to divine Providence, unless we make it interfere with our free agency.
Letter, 26th April, 1777

Posted by The Husky Wesleyan at 5:23 PM |


JULY 14

Should our helpers follow trades?

This is an important question; therefore it will be proper to consider it thoroughly. The question is not whether they may occasionally work with their hands, as St. Paul did; but whether it be proper for them to keep shop and follow merchandise. Of those who do so at present, it may be observed, they are unquestionably upright men; they are men of considerable gifts. We see the fruit of their labour, and they have a large share in the esteem and love of the people. All this pleads on their side, and cannot but give us a prejudice in their favor. … But where will it stop? If one preacher follow trade, so may twenty; so may every one. And if any of them trade a little, why not ever so much? Who can fix how far he should go? Therefore, we advise our brethren who have been concerned herein, to give up all, and attend to the one business.
Minutes of Conversations, 1744


Every believer ought to enjoy life.
Letter, 27th July, 1787

Posted by The Husky Wesleyan at 5:23 PM |


JULY 13

The sum is: Go into every house, in course, and teach every one therein, young and old, if they belong to us, to be Christians inwardly and outwardly.

Make every particular plain to their understanding. Fix it in their memory. Write it on their heart. In order to (do) this, there must be “line upon line, precept upon precept.” I remember to have heard my father ask my mother: “How could you have the patience to tell that blockhead the same thing twenty times over?” She answered: “Why, if I had told him but nineteen times, I should have lost all my labour.” What patience indeed, what love, what knowledge is requisite for this!
Minutes of Conversations, 1744


Oh let no man think his labor of love is lost because the fruit does not immediately appear.
Journal, 13th June, 1742

Posted by The Husky Wesleyan at 3:21 PM |


JULY 12

Which is the best method of preaching?
i. to invite. ii. to convince. iii. to offer Christ. iv. to build up; and to do this, in some measure, in every sermon.
1. Be sure to begin and end, precisely at the time appointed.
2. Endeavour to be serious, weighty and solemn in your whole deportment before the congregation.
3. Always suit your subject to the audience.
4. Choose the plainest texts you can.
5. Take care not to ramble from your text, but keep close to it, and make out from it what you take in hand.
6. Beware of allegorizing or spiritualizing too much.
7. Take care of anything awkward or affected, either in your phrase, gesture or pronunciation.
Minutes of Conversations, 1744


However tempted thereto by profit or pleasure, contract no intimacy with worldy-minded men.
Letter, 1st August, 1786

Posted by The Husky Wesleyan at 3:20 PM |


JULY 11

Build all the preaching-houses, if the ground will permit, in the octagon form. It is best for the voice, and, on many accounts more commodious than any other. Let the roof arise one-third of the breadth; this is the true proportion. Have windows and doors enough; and let all the windows be sashed, opening downward. Let there be no tub-pulpit, but a square projection, with a long seat behind. Let there be no backs to the seats, which should have aisles on each side, and be parted in the middle by a rail running along, to divide the men from the women.
Minutes of Conversations, 1744


If we could bring all our preachers, itinerant and local, uniformly and steadily to insist on those two points, Christ dying for us, and Christ reigning in us, we should shake the trembling gates of hell.
Letter, 28th December, 1774

Posted by The Husky Wesleyan at 9:30 AM |


JULY 10

Believing is the act of man, but it is the gift of God.
to T. Lessey, 7th January, 1787


Gaining knowledge is a good thing; but saving souls is better. … You will have abundant time for gaining other knowledge if you spend all your mornings therein. Only sleep not more than you need; talk not more than you need; and never be idle, nor triflingly [sic] employed. But if you can do but one, either following your studies or by instructing the ignorant, let your studies alone. I would throw all the libraries in the world rather than be guilty of the perdition of one soul.
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True, it is far easier to preach a good sermon than to instruct the ignorant in the principles of religion.
Minutes of Conversations, 1744

Posted by The Husky Wesleyan at 9:29 AM |


JULY 9

In the meantime it is your wisdom to make the full use of those which you have.
Letter, 1st August, 1786


Question: Do you not entail a schism on the Church? i.e. is it not probable that your hearers, after your death, will be scattered into all sects and parties, or that they will form themselves into a distinct sect?

Answer: 1. We are persuaded the body of our hearers will, even after our death, remain in the Church, unless they be thrust out.
2. We believe, notwithstanding, either that they will be thrust out, or that they will leaven the whole Church.
3. We do, and will do, all we can to prevent those consequences which are supposed likely to happen after our death.
4. but we cannot, with a good conscience, neglect the present opportunity of saving souls while we live, for fear of consequences which may possibly or probably happen after we are dead.
Minutes of Conversations, 1744

Posted by The Husky Wesleyan at 9:27 AM |



JULY 8

It is desired that all things be considered as in the immediate presence of God. That we may meet with a single eye, and as little children, who have everything to learn; that every point which is proposed may be examined to the foundation: that every person may speak freely whatever is in his heart; and that every question that arises may be thoroughly debated and settled …

While we are conversing let us have an especial care to set God always before us. In the intermediate hours, let us redeem all the time we can for private exercises. Therein let us give ourselves to prayer for one another and for a blessing on this our labour.
Minutes of Conversations, 1744


If He sees, and when He sees best, He will put more talents into your hands.
Letter, 1st August, 1786

Posted by The Husky Wesleyan at 8:08 AM |