Wesley Corpus

He made you for this very end,--to damn you; to cast you headlong into a lake of fire burning with brimstone ! This was prepared for you, or ever the world began | And for this you are now reserved in chains of darkness, till the decree brings forth; till, according to his eternal, unchange able, irresistible will, You groan, you howl, you writhe in waves of fire, And pour forth blasphemies at his desire! O God, how long shall this doctrine stand I BRETHREN AND FATHERs, LET it not be imputed to forwardness, vanity, or pre sumption, that one who is of little esteem in the Church takes upon him thus to address a body of people, to many of whom he owes the highest reverence. I owe a still higher regard to Him who I believe requires this at my hands; to the great Bishop of our souls; before whom both you and I must shortly give an account of our stewardship. It is a debt I owe to love, to real, disinterested affection, to declare what has long been the burden of my soul. And may the God of love enable you to read these lines in the same spirit wherewith they were wrote It will easily appear to an unprejudiced reader, that I do not speak from a spirit of anger or resentment. I know well, “the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” Much less would I utter one word out of contempt; a spirit justly abhor red by God and man. Neither of these can consist with that earnest, tender love, which is the motive of my present undertaking. In this spirit I desire to cast my bread upon the waters; it is enough if I find it again after many days. Meantime, you are sensible, love does not forbid, but rather require, plainness of speech.