Wesley Corpus

Wesley Collected Works Vol 11

AuthorJohn Wesley
Typetreatise
YearNone
Passage IDjw-wesley-collected-works-vol-11-228
Words396
Reign of God Social Holiness Trinity
What! will you sell your soul to the devil for a draught of drink, or for a morsel of bread? O consider what you do | Act as if the whole election depended on your single vote, and as if the whole Parliament depended (and therein the whole nation) on that single person whom. you now choose to be a member of it. But if you take nothing of any, for whom shall you vote? For the man that loves God. He must love his country, and that from a steady, invariable principle. And by his fruits you shall know him. He is careful to abstain from all appearance of evil. He is zealous of good works, as he has opportunity, doing good to all men. He uses all the ordinances of God, and that both constantly and carefully. And he does this, not barely as something he must do, or what he would willingly be excused from ; no, he rejoices in this his reason able service, as a blessed privilege of the children of God. But what, if none of the candidates have these fruits? Then vote for him that loves the King, King George, whom. the wise providence of God has appointed to reign over us. He ought to be highly esteemed in love, even for his office’ sake. A King is a lovely, sacred name. He is a Minister of God unto thee for good. How much more such a King, as has been, in many respects, a blessing to his subjects | You may easily know those who love him not; for they generally glory in their shame. They “are not afraid to speak evil of dignities;” no, not even of the “ruler of their people.” Perhaps you will say, “But I love my country; therefore I am for the country interest.” I fear you know not what you say. Are you against your King because you love your country? Who taught you to separate your King from your country? to set one against the other? Be assured, none that loves either. True lovers of their country do not talk in this senseless manner. Is not the interest of the King of England, and of the country of England, one and the same? If the King is destroyed, doth it profit the country? if the country, does it profit the King?