Treatise Letter To Bishop Of Gloucester
| Author | John Wesley |
|---|---|
| Type | treatise |
| Year | None |
| Passage ID | jw-treatise-letter-to-bishop-of-gloucester-002 |
| Words | 378 |
xii. 8-10:
“To one is given the word of wisdom; to another the word
of knowledge; to another faith; to another the gifts of heal
ing; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy;
to another the discernment of spirits; to another tongues; to
another the interpretation of tongues.”
Do I lay claim to almost every one of these “in as full and
ample a manner as they were possessed of old?”
Five of them are enumerated in the former catalogue; to
three of which--speaking with new tongues, taking up ser
pents, drinking deadly things--it is not even pretended I lay
any claim at all. In the latter, nine are enumerated. And
as to seven of these, none has yet seen good to call me in
question;-miraculous wisdom, or knowledge, or faith, pro
phecy, discernment of spirits, strange tongues, and the inter
pretation of tongues. What becomes then of the assertion,
that I lay “claim to almost every one of them in the most
full and ample manner?”
Do I lay claim to any one of them? To prove that I do,
my own words are produced, extracted from an account of the
occurrences of about sixteen years. I shall set them down naked and unadorned: 1. “May 13,
1740. The devil stirred up his servants to make all the noise
they could.” 2. “May 3, 1741. I explained, to a vast mul
titude of people, ‘What doth the Lord require of thee, but to
do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”
The devil’s children fought valiantly for their master, that his
kingdom should not be destroyed. And many stones fell on my
right hand and my left.” 3. “April 1, 1740. Some or other
of the children of Belial had laboured to disturb us several
nights before. Now all the street was filled with people, shout
ing, cursing, swearing, and ready to swallow the ground with
rage.” (Page 120.)4. “June 27, 1747. I found only one person
among them who knew the love of God, before my brother
came. No wonder the devil was so still; ‘for his goods were in
peace.’” 5. “April 29, 1752. I preached at Durham to a quiet,
stupid congregation.” (Page 121.) 6. “May 9, 1740.