Wesley Corpus

God, having graciously laid his hand upon my body and disabled me for the principal work of ministry, has thereby given me an unexpected occasion of writing the following hymns. Many of the thoughts are borrowed from Mr. Henry's commentary,2 Dr. Gell on the Pentateuch,3 and Begelius on the New Testament.4 Several of the hymns are intended to prove, and several to guard, the doctrine of Christian perfection. I durst not publish one without the other. In the latter sort I use some severity; not against particular persons, but against enthusiasts and antinomians, who by not living up to their profession, "give" abundant "occasion to them that seek it,"5 and "cause the truth to be evil spoken of."6 Such there have been, in every age, in every revival of religion. But this does in no wise justify the men who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who call the wisdom of God foolishness, and all real religion enthusiasm. "When the wheat springs up, the tares also appear, and both grow together until the harvest."7 Yet is there an essential difference between them. This occasions a difference in my expressions, and as great a seeming contradiction as when I declare with St. Paul, "A man is justified by faith, and not by works";8 and with St. James, "A man is justified by works, and not by faith alone."9 My desire is "rightly to divide the word of truth,"10 but "who is sufficient for these things?"11 Who can check the self-confident without discouraging the self-diffident? I trust in God that none of the latter will take to themselves what belongs to the former only. Reader, if God ministers grace to thy soul through any of these hymns, give him the glory and offer up a prayer for the weak instrument, that whenever I finish my course I may depart in peace, having seen in Jesus Christ his great salvation. 1This preface appears on the first three (unnumbered) pages of volume 1. 2Matthew Henry (1662-1714), An Exposition of the Old and New Testament, 3 vols. (London: Stratford, 1706-10). 3Robert Gell (1595-1665), An Essay towards the Amendment of the English Translation of the Bible; or, A proof, by many instances, that the last translation of the Bible into English may be improved. The first part on the Pentateuch, or five books of Moses (London: R. Norton, 1659).