Wesley Corpus

when I have expressed some apprehension of an approaching trial, he would answer, ‘I do not doubt but the Lord orders. all; therefore I leave everything to him.’ In outward dangers, if they were ever so great, he seemed to know no shadow of fear. When I was speaking once, concerning a danger to which we were then particularly exposed, he answered, ‘I know God always gives his angels charge concerning us: Therefore we are equally safe everywhere.” “Not less eminent than his faith was his humility. Amidst all his laying himself out for God, and for the good of souls, he ever preserved that special grace, the making no account of his own labours. He held himself and his own abilities in very low esteem; and seemed to have that word continually before his eyes, ‘I am an unprofitable servant.” And this humility was so rooted in him, as to be moved by no affront. I have seen many, even of the most provoking kind, offered him; but he received them as his proper portion; being so far from desiring the honour which cometh of men, that he took pleasure in being little and unknown. Perhaps it might appear from some passages of his life, that in this he even leaned to an extreme; for genuine humility does not require, that any man should desire to be despised. Nay, we are to avoid it, so far as we possibly can, consistently with a good conscience; for that direction, ‘Let no man despise thee,’ concerns every man as well as Timothy. “It is rare to meet with an eminent person that can bear an equal. But it was his choice and his delight to prefer every one to himself. And this he did in so free and easy a manner, that in him it appeared perfectly natural. He never willingly suffered any unkindness shown to him to be mentioned again; and if it was, he generally answered, “O let it drop; we will offer it in silence to the Lord.’ And indeed the best way of bearing crosses is, to consecrate all in silence to God. “From this root of humility sprung such a patience as I wish I could either describe or imitate. It produced in him a most ready mind, which embraced every cross with alacrity and pleasure.