Wesley Corpus

By this means do not you encourage his people, and strengthen the hands of his messengers? And is not this the way to enter into the spirit, and share the blessing, of a Christian community? Hereby, likewise, you may have the benefit of the advices and exhortations at the meeting of the society; and also of provoking one another, at the private meetings, to love and to good works. “The ordinary objections to such an union are of little weight with you. You are not afraid of the expense. You already give unto the Lord as much as you need do then : And you are not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, even in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. Perhaps you will say, ‘I am joined in affection.’ True; but not to so good effect. This joining half-way, this being a friend to, but not a member of, the society, is by no means so open a confession of the work and servants of God. Many go thus far who dare not go farther, who are ashamed to bear the reproach of an entire union. Either you are ashamed, or you are not. If you are, break through at once; if you are not, come into the light, and do what those well-meaning cowards dare not do. This imperfect union is not so encouraging to the people, not so strengthening to the Preachers. Rather it is weakening their hands, hindering their work, and laying a stumbling block in the way of others; for what can any man think, who knows you are so well acquainted with them, and yet do not join in their society? What can he think, but that you know them too well to come any nearer to them; that you know that kind of union to be useless, if not hurtful? And yet by this very union is the whole (external) work of God upheld throughout the nation; besides all the spiritual good which accrues to each member. O delay no longer, for the July, 1764.] JOURNAL. 189 sake of the work, for the sake of the world, for the sake of your brethren Join them inwardly and outwardly, heart and hand, for the sake of your own soul. There is something not easily explained in the fellowship of the Spirit, which we enjoy with a society of living Christians.