Wesley Corpus

To Sir James Lowther, afterwards Earl of Lonsdale Editor's Introductory Notes: 1759 Date: LONDON, May 16, 1759. Source: The Letters of John Wesley (1759) Author: John Wesley --- DEAR SIR,--Since I received your favour I have had many thoughts on worldly and Christian prudence. What is the nature of each! How do they differ! How may we distinguish one from the other! It seems worldly prudence either pursues worldly ends-- riches, honour, ease, or pleasure; or pursues Christian ends on worldly maxims or by worldly means. The grand maxims which obtain in the world are, The more power, the more money, the more learning, and the more reputation a man has, the more good he will do. And whenever a Christian, pursuing the noblest ends, forms his behaviour by these maxims, he will infallibly (though perhaps by insensible degrees) decline into worldly prudence. He will use more or less of conformity to the world, if not in sin, yet in doing some things that are good in themselves, yet (all things considered) are not good to him; and perhaps at length using guile or disguise, simulation or dissimulation; either seeming to be what he is not, or not seeming to be what he is. By any of these marks may worldly prudence be discerned from the wisdom which is from above. This Christian prudence pursues Christian maxims, and by Christian means. The ends it pursues are holiness in every kind and in the highest degree, and usefulness in every kind and degree. And herein it proceeds on the following maxims: --The help that is done upon earth, God doeth it Himself. It is He that worketh all in all; and that, not by human power; generally He uses weak things to confound the strong;--not by men of wealth; most of His choicest instruments may say, 'Silver and gold have I none';--not by learned or wise men after the flesh; no, the foolish things hath God chosen;--not by men of reputation, but by the men that were as the filth and offscouring of the world: all which is for this plain reason--'that no flesh may glory in His sight.'