Wesley Corpus

‘Sat. 28. -- I showed at large, (1.) That the Lord's supper was ordained by God to be a means of conveying to men either preventing, or justifying, or sanctifying grace, according to their several necessities. (2.) That the persons for whom it was ordained, are all those who know and feel that they want the grace of God, either to restrain them from sin, or to show their sins forgiven, or to renew their souls in the image of God. (3.) That, inasmuch as we come to his table, not to give him anything, but to receive whatsoever he sees best for us, there is no previous preparation indispensably necessary, but a desire to receive whatsoever he pleases to give. And, (4.) That no fitness is required at the time of communicating, but a sense of our state, of our utter sinfulness and helplessness; every one who knows he is fit for hell, being just fit to come to Christ, in this as well as all other ways of his appointment’ (Journal, ii. 360-2.) 4. ‘A stoical insensibility,’ you add, ‘is the next error I have to charge you with. You say, “The servants of God suffer nothing;” and suppose that we ought to be here so free as, in the strongest pain, not once to desire to have a moment's ease. ‘At the end of one of your hymns, you seem to carry this notion to the very height of extravagancy and presumption. You say, -- “Doom, if thou canst, to endless pains, And drive me from thy face.”’ [Poetical Works of J. and C. Wesley, i. 236.] (Remarks, p. 59.) ‘A stoical insensibility is the next error I have to charge you with.’ And how do you support the charge Why thus: ‘You say, “The servants of God suffer nothing”’ (Journal, ii. 393). And can you possibly misunderstand these words, if you read those that immediately follow -- ‘His body was well-nigh torn asunder with pain: But God made all his bed in his sickness; so that he was continually giving thanks to God, and making his boast of his praise.’ ‘You suppose we ought to be so free, as in the strongest pain not once to desire to have a moment’s ease.’ O Sir, with what eyes did you read those words --