Wesley Corpus

Have you now fellowship with the Father and the Son? At what hour do you rise? Do you punctually observe the morning and evening hour of retirement? Do you spend the day in the manner which we advise? Do you converse seriously, usefully, and closely? To be more par ticular: Do you use all the means of grace yourself, and enforce the use of them on all other persons? They are either Instituted or Prudential:-- I. The INSTITUTED are, (1.) Prayer; private, family, public; consisting of depreca tion, petition, intercession, and thanksgiving. Do you use each of these? Do you use private prayer every morning and even ing? if you can, at five in the evening; and the hour before or after morning preaching? Do you forecast daily, wherever you are, how to secure these hours? Do you avow it every where? Do you ask everywhere, “Have you family prayer?” Do you retire at five o’clock? (2.) Searching the Scriptures by, (i.) Reading: Constantly, some part of every day; regu larly, all the Bible in order; carefully, with the Notes; seriously, with prayer before and after; fruitfully, imme diately practising what you learn there? (ii) Meditating: At set times? by any rule? (iii.) Hearing: Every morning? carefully; with prayer before, at, after; immediately putting in practice? Have you a New Testament always about you? (3.) The Lord’s supper: Do you use this at every oppor tunity? with solemn prayer before; with earnest and delibe rate self-devotion ? (4.) Fasting: How do you fast every Friday? (5.) Christian conference: Are you convinced how import ant and how difficult it is to “order your conversation right?” Is it “always in grace?seasoned with salt 7 meet to minister grace to the hearers?” Do not you converse too long at a time? Is not an hour commonly enough? Would it not be well always to have a determinate end in view; and to pray before and after it? II. PRUDENTIAL MEANs we may use either as common Christians, as Methodists, as Preachers, or as Assistants. (1.) As common Christians. What particular rules have you in order to grow in grace? What arts of holy living? (2.) As Methodists. Do you never miss your class, or Band P (3.) As Preachers. Do you meet every society; also the Leaders and Bands, if any? (4.) As Assistants.