Wesley Corpus

My wife, I find, is on the high ropes still. I am full of business, as you may suppose. So adieu! To Miss March KINGSWOOD, August 3, 1771. How wise are all the ways of God! And although in many instances they are past finding out, yet we may even now discern the designs of His providence. The Appendix to the Philosophy [The third volume of A Compendium of Natural Philosophy forms an Appendix to the several sections of the previous volumes. See Green's Bibliography, No. 265; and for Hymns on the Trinity (1767), No. 246.] and the Trinity Hymns, I hope, will settle you on that important point. It is a striking remark of Bishop Browne's that we are not required to 'believe any mystery' in the matter. The mystery does not lie in the fact 'These Three are One,' but in the manner the accounting how they are one. But with this I have nothing to do. I believe the fact. As to the manner (wherein the whole mystery lies) I believe nothing about it. The quaint device of styling them three offices rather than persons gives up the whole doctrine. There is scarcely any word of coextensive a sense as 'wisdom.' It frequently means the whole of religion. And, indeed, no one can be termed throughly wise until he is altogether a Christian. To devote all our thoughts and actions to God, this is our highest wisdom; and so far as we inwardly or outwardly swerve from this, we walk as fools, not as wise. In order to be all devoted to the Lord, even those who are renewed in love still need the unction of the Holy One, to teach them in all circumstances the most excellent way, and to enable them so to watch and pray that they may continually walk therein. It seems my time for writing either on this or other subjects is pretty well over; only I am ready to add a word now and then if Providence so require.