Wesley Corpus

By these labors of love might any that desired it be trained up for the harder task of preaching the gospel to the heathen. The difficulties he must then encounter, God only knows; probably martyrdom would conclude them: but those we have hitherto met with have been small, and only terrible at a distance. Persecution, you know, is the portion of every follower of Christ, wherever his lot is cast; but it has hitherto extended no farther than words with regard to us (unless in one or two inconsiderable instances); yet it is sure every man ought, if he would come hither, to be willing and ready to embrace (if God should see good) the severer kinds of it. He ought to be determined not only to leave parents, sisters, friends, houses, and land for his Master's sake, but to take up his cross too, and cheerfully submit to the fatigue and danger of (it may be) a long voyage, and patiently to endure the continual contradiction of sinners and all the inconveniences which it often occasions. Would any one have a trial of himself how he can bear this If he has felt what reproach is, and can bear that for but a few weeks as he ought, I shall believe he need fear nothing. Other trials will afterwards be no heavier than that little one was at first; so that he may then have a well-grounded hope that he will be enabled to do all things through Christ strengthening him. May the God of peace Himself direct you to all things conducive to His glory, whether it be by fitter instruments, or even by Your friend and servant in Christ. To General Oglethorpe SAVANNAH, February 24, 1737.