Wesley Corpus

Know the tree by its fruit. Bow, and own the finger of God. 5. But many who own these doctrines to be of God, yet cannot be reconciled to the instruments he hath made use of. A very common exception taken against these is, and was from the beginning, that “they are so young: ” Therefore, (abundance of men have readily inferred,) this work cannot be of God. Perhaps they are not so young as you conceive. Mr. Whitefield is now upwards of thirty; my brother is thirty seven years of age; I have lived above forty-two years; and a gentleman in Cornwall, for whom I often preach, has the merit of having lived threescore and seventeen years. But, supposing the antecedent true, what a consequence is this! What shadow of Scripture have you to support it? Doth not God “send by whom he will send?” And who shall say to him, “What doest thou?” “These are too young; send elder men.” What shadow of reason? Is it not possible that a person of thirty or forty may have as true a judgment in the things of God, and as great a blessing attending his preaching, as one of fifty or fourscore? I wish you would explain yourself a little on this head:-- Scire velin, verbo, pretium quotus arroget annus * * How old do you require a man to be, before God should have leave to speak by his mouth ? O my brethren, who could have believed any serious man would once have named such an argument as this; seeing both Scripture and reason teach, that God herein “giveth account to none of his ways l” But he worketh by whomsoever he will work; he showeth mercy by whom he will show mercy. 6. “But there are only a few young heads.” I cannot but observe here what great pains have been taken, what diligence shown, to make and to keep them few. What arts have not been used to keep back those, of the Clergy in particular, who have been clearly convinced, from time to time, that they ought to join hearts and hands in the work?