Wesley Corpus

DEAR BROTHER, -- God has given me at length the desire of my heart. I am with a Church whose conversation is in heaven, in whom is the mind that was in Christ, and who so walk as He walked. As they have all one Lord and one faith, so they are all partakers of one Spirit, the spirit of meekness and love, which uniformly and continually animates all their conversation. Oh how high and holy a thing Christianity is! and how widely distant from that (I know not what) which is so called, though it neither purifies the heart nor renews the life after the image of our blessed Redeemer! I grieve to think how that holy name by which we are called must be blasphemed among the heathen while they see discontented Christians, passionate Christians, resentful Christians, earthly-minded Christians--yea (to come to what we are apt to count small things), while they see Christians judging one another, ridiculing one another, speaking evil of one another, increasing instead of bearing one another's burdens. How bitterly would Julian have applied to these, ‘See how these Christians love one another’! I know I myself, I doubt you sometimes, and my sister often, have been under this condemnation. Oh may God grant we may never more think to do Him service by breaking those commands which are the very life of His religion! But may we utterly put away all anger, and wrath, and malice, and bitterness, and evil-speaking.