20 To Margaret Lewen
| Author | John Wesley |
|---|---|
| Type | letter |
| Year | None |
| Passage ID | jw-letter-1764-20-to-margaret-lewen-000 |
| Words | 383 |
To Margaret Lewen
Source: The Letters of John Wesley (1764)
Author: John Wesley
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[13] [June 1764.]
1. You Want to know God, in order to enjoy Him in time and in eternity.
2. All that you Want to know of Him is contained in one book, the Bible. Therefore your one point is to understand this. And all you learn is to be referred to this, as either directly or remotely conducive to it.
3. Might it not be well, then, to spend at least two hours every day in reading and meditating upon the Bible reading every morning (if not every evening too) a portion of the Old and then of the New Testament If you would save yourself the trouble of thinking, add Mr. Henry's Comment: if you would only be assisted in thinking, add the Explanatory Notes.
4. But I find a difficulty already. Can you help me over it Have you more candour than almost any one in the world Will you not blame me for recommending, as they come in the way, tracts published by myself I think you will not. So I will set down these (in their place) as freely as other books.
5. Your studying hours (if your constitution will bear it) might be five or six hours a day; perhaps from nine to twelve in the morning, and from two to four or five in the afternoon. And whenever you begin to be tired with books that require a strong and deep attention, relax your mind by interposing history or poetry or something of a lighter nature.
6. The first thing you should understand a little of is Grammar; in order to which it will suffice to read first the Kingswood English Grammar (which is exceeding short), and then Bishop Lowth's Introduction.
7. Next it would be worth your while to acquire a little knowledge in Arithmetic; and Dilworth's Arithmetic would give you full as much as you want.
8. You might proceed to Geography. But in this I would not advise you to encumber yourself with many books. You need only master one, Randal's Geographical Grammar; and then betake yourself to the Globes. I believe those of Mr. Adams are the best; to which you may add his little book of Instructions.