Wesley Corpus

Salute our brethren in London and Oxford by name, and exhort them all, in the name of the Lord Jesus, that they love and study the oracles of God more and more, that they work out their salvation with fear and trembling, never imagining they have already attained or are already perfect; never deceiving themselves, as if they had now less need than before to be serious, watchful, lowly-minded; and that, above all things, they use great plainness of speech both with each other and towards all men: d paa, t t e, faese t ea p pta p. [See 2 Cor. iv. 2.] My dearest brother and friend, I commend you to the grace of God, to be more and more renewed in the image of His Son! Pray ye all for me continually! Adieu. To the Rev. Mr. Charles Wesley, At Mr. Hutton's, Bookseller, Near Temple Bar, London, England. To James Hutton HERRNHUT. August 4, 1738. MY DEAR BROTHER, -- I hope you and those with you stand fast in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and are in no wise shaken from your purpose of declaring His goodness to the children of men. Ye are a few of those whom He hath chosen to be witnesses of the merits of His death and the power of His resurrection; and ye cannot too largely or too boldly declare the things He hath done for your own souls. If ye have, indeed, found mercy through His blood, you must 'use great plainness of speech'; not as Moses, and the judaizing Christians still among us, who put a veil over their face, to the intent that the glory of the Lord should not shine, which ought to shine in the eyes of all men. Many, indeed, will blaspheme, even though Paul speak, and speak only the words of truth and soberness. But ought Paul, therefore, to forbear speaking ' We have not so learned Christ.' Many also will persecute and revile you and say all manner of evil of you, for His name's sake. Why, then ye are heirs of the blessing; then the Spirit of God, the Spirit of glory, shall rest upon you. Then rejoice and be exceeding glad, that ye are partakers of the reproach of Christ; and when Christ, which is your life, shall appear, ye shall also appear with Him in glory.