Wesley Corpus

“But if you purge out all who scorn such practices, or at least are not found in them, how many will remain in your society? I fear scarce enough to carry your body to the gravel Alas, how many, even among those who are called believers, have plenty of all the necessaries of life, and yet complain of poverty How many have houses and lands, or bags of money, and yet cannot find in their hearts to spare now and then to God’s poor a little piece of gold ! How many have linen in plenty, with three or four suits of clothes, and can see the poor go naked ! They will change them away for painted clay, or let the moths devour them, before they will give them to cover the nakedness of their poor brethren, many of whose souls are clothed with glorious robes, though their bodies are covered with rags. Pray, Sir, tell these, you cannot believe they are Christians, unless they imitate Christ in doing good to all men, and hate covetousness, which is idolatry.” I do tell them so : And I tell them it will be more tolerable in the day of judgment for Sodom and Gomorrah than for them. I tell them, the Methodists that do not fulfil all righteousness will have the hottest place in the lake of fire! To awaken, if possible, these sleepers, I add one extract ImOre : 306 REV. J. WESLEY*S [Nov. 1767. “SoME time ago I acquainted you how graciously the Lord had dealt with me, in delivering me out of all my troubles. For some time past I have been amazed at my speech, memory, and understanding, in all which I was remarkably defective. I have had power to explain the Scriptures to my friends that meet here, in a manner that astonished me. But I immediately saw from whence these blessings came, and with an overflow of love and joy, wor shipped the great Fountain of all goodness. I never was so sensible of my unprofitableness, never so abhorred myself as I do now. And yet I feel no condemnation, nor any withdraw ing of my Redeemer’s love. He is my shield and buckler, my God and my all. Glory be to God and the Lamb for ever ! Praise him for me, and praise him for ever !