Wesley Corpus

But of all this, our Lord hath told us before: “Think not that I am come to send peace upon earth; ” that this will be the immediate effect, wherever my gospel is preached with power. “I am not come to send peace, but a sword; ” this (so far as the wisdom of God permits, by whom “the hairs of your head are all numbered”) will be the first consequence of my coming, whenever my word turns sinners “from dark ness to light, from the power of Satan unto God.” I would wish all you who see this scripture fulfilled, by dis turbance following the preaching the gospel, to remember the behaviour of that wise magistrate at Ephesus on the like occasion. He did not lay the disturbance to the Preacher's charge, but “beckoned to the multitude, and said, Ye men of Ephesus, ye ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rashly. For ye have brought these men, who are neither robbers of temples, nor yet blasphemers of your goddess; ” not con victed of any such notorious crime, as can at all excuse this lawless violence. “But if Demetrius hath a matter against any, the law is open, and there are deputies,” (or proconsuls, capable of hearing and deciding the cause,) “let them im plead one another. But if ye inquire anything concerning other things, it shall be determined in a lawful assembly.” 3. “But you create divisions in private families.” Acciden tally, we do. For instance: Suppose an entire family to have the form but not the power of godliness; or to have neither the form nor the power; in either case, they may in some sort agree together. But suppose, when these hear the plain word of God, one or two of them are convinced, “This is the truth; and I have been all this time in the broad way that leadeth to destruction: ” These then will begin to mourn after God, while the rest remain as they were. Will they not there fore of consequence divide, and form themselves into separate parties? Must it not be so, in the very nature of things? And how exactly does this agree with the words of our Lord? “Suppose ye that I am come to send peace upon earth?