Wesley Corpus

I have often thought of a saying of Dr. Hayward's when he examined me for priest's orders [He was ordained priest at Christ Church by Dr. Potter on Sept. 22, 1728.]: 'Do you know what you are about You are bidding defiance to all mankind. He that would live a Christian priest ought to know that, whether his hand be against every man or no, he must expect every man's hand should be against him.' It is not strange that every man's hand who is not a Christian should be against him that endeavors to be so. But is it not hard that even those that are with us should be against us that a man's enemies (in some degree) should be those of the same household of faith Yet so it is. From the time that a man sets himself to his business, very many, even of those who travel the same road, many of those who are before as well as behind him, will lay stumbling-blocks in his way. One blames him for not going fast enough; another, for having made no greater progress; another, for going too far, which, perhaps, strange as it is, is the more common charge of the two: for this comes from people of all sorts; not only infidels, not only half Christians, but some of the best of men are very apt to make this reflection: ' He lays unnecessary burdens upon himself; he is too precise; he does what God has nowhere required to be done.' True, He has not required it of those that are perfect; and even as to those who are not, all men are not required to use all means, but every man is required to use those which he finds most useful to himself. And who can tell better than himself whether he finds them so or no ' Who knoweth the things of a man better than the spirit of a man that is in him '