Wesley Corpus

MY DEAR BROTHER, -- I have received the first two sheets of your Life. Be not afraid of writing too much; I can easily leave out what can be spared. It pleased God to lead John Haime and you a long way through the wilderness. Others He leads through a shorter and smoother way; and yet to the same point: for we must not imagine that such a degree of suffering is necessary to any degree of holiness. In this God does certainly act as a Sovereign; giving what He pleases, and by what means He pleases. I believe the holiest man that ever lived was the Apostle John; yet he seems to have suffered very little. You should take care never to write long at a time, and always to write standing; never on any account leaning on your stomach. God gives me just the strength I had thirty years ago. I cannot allow John Sellars [See letter of Jan. 7.] to be any longer a leader; and if he will lead the class, whether I will or no, I require you to put him out of our Society. If twenty of his class will leave the Society too, they must. The first loss is the best. Better forty members should be lost than our discipline lost. They are no Methodists that will bear no restraints. Explain this at large to the Society. -- I am Your affectionate friend and brother. To Thomas Davenport LONDON, January 19, 1782. DEAR SIR, -- Many years ago I saw a condemned person in the Castle at Oxford two or three hours before his execution. When I asked him, ‘Whither are you going’ he said, ‘To hell, to be sure.’ And on my remarking, ‘But you seem to have no fear, no sorrow, no concern,’ he coolly replied, ‘I have none at all. And why should I tell a lie’ I said, ‘I cannot understand this.’ He said, ‘I will tell you how to understand it. Some told me five months ago, “Mr. Pope, make the best of your time; for the day of grace may end, before the day of life ends.” And so it is with me.’ But it is not so with you. If it was, you would have no fear, no trouble, no uneasiness, but would be just as easy and careless and unconcerned as that poor creature was.