Wesley Corpus

But, were these or those of ever so excellent a spirit, you converse with them too long. 'Three or four hours'! One had need to be an angel, not a man, to converse four hours at once to any purpose. In the latter part of such a conversation we shall doubtless lose all the profit we had gained before. But have you not a remedy for all this in your hands In order to truly profitable conversation, may not you select persons clear both of Calvinism and Antinomianism, not fond of that luscious way of talking, but standing in awe of Him they love--persons who are vigorously working out their salvation, persons athirst for full redemption, and every moment expecting if not already enjoying it Though, it is true, these will commonly be poor and mean; seldom possessed of either riches or learning, unless there be now and then a rara avis in terris, [Juvenal's Satires, vi. 165: 'A bird rarely seen on earth.'] a Miss March or Betty Johnson. [See headings to letters of March 4, 1760, and Dec. 15, 1763.] If you converse with these humbly and simply an hour at a time, with prayer before and prayer after, you will not complain of the unprofitableness of conversation or find any need of turning hermit.