Wesley Corpus

“12. Thus much as to myself. But I cannot deny that ‘we are not to consider ourselves alone; seeing God made us all for a social life, to which academical studies are only preparatory.’ I allow too, that ‘He will take an exact account of every talent which he has lent us, not to bury them, but to employ every mite we have received according to his will, whose stewards we are.’ I own also, that ‘ every follower of Christ 1s, in his proportion, the light of the world; that whosoever is such, can no more be concealed than the sun in the midst of heaven; that if he is 124 REV. J. WESLEY’S JOURNAL. | March, 1739 i 9 "set as a light in a dark place, his shining must be the more conspicuous; ‘that to this very end was his light given, even to shine on all around him ;’ and, indeed, that ‘ there is only one way to hide it, which is, to put it out.’ Iam obliged likewise, unless I will lie against the truth, to grant, that ‘there is not a more contemptible animal upon earth, than one that drones away life, without ever labouring to promote either the glory of God or the good of man; and that, whether he be young ar old, learned or unlearned, in a college, or out of it;? yet granting ‘ the superlative degree of contempt to be on all accounts due to a college drone;’ a wretch who has received ten talents and employs none; that is not only promised a reward hereafter, but is also paid before hand for his work, and yet works not at all. But allowing all this, and whatever else you can say (for I own you can never say enough) against the drowsy ingratitude, the lazy perjury of those who are commonly called harmless men, a fair proportion of whom I must, to our shame, confess are to be found in colleges: allowing this, I say, I do not apprehend it concludes against a college life in general. For the abuse of it does not destroy the use. Though there are some here who are the mere lumber of the creation, it does not follow that others may not be of more service to the world in this station, than they could be in any other.