Part 21

With regard to the former, we may observe, there is a kind of order, wherein God himself is generally pleased, to use these means, in bringing a sinner to salvation. A stupid, senseless wretch is going on in his own way, not having God in all his thoughts, when God comes upon him unawares, perhaps by an awakening sermon or conversation, perhaps by some awful providence; or it may be by an immediate stroke of his convincing Spirit, without any outward means at all. Having now a desire to flee from the wrath to come, he purposely goes to _hear_, how it may be done. If he finds a preacher who speaks to the heart, he is amazed, and begins _searching the scriptures_, whether these things are so? The more he _hears_ and _reads_, the more convinced he is; and the more he _meditates_ thereon, day and night. Perhaps he finds some other book, which explains and inforces what he has heard and read in scripture. And by all these means, the arrows of conviction sink deeper into his soul. He begins also to _talk_ of the things of God, which are ever uppermost in his thoughts: yea, and to talk with God, to _pray_ to him, although through fear and shame, he scarce knows what to say. But whether he can speak or no, he cannot but pray, were it only in _groans which cannot be uttered_. Yet being in doubt, whether _the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity_ will regard such a sinner as him, he wants to pray with those who know God, with the faithful, in the _great congregation_. But here he observes others go up to the _table of the Lord_. He considers, Christ has said, “Do this!” How is it, that I do not? I am too great a sinner. I am not fit. I am not worthy. After struggling with these scruples awhile, he breaks through. And thus he continues in God’s way, in hearing, reading, meditating, praying, and partaking of the Lord’s supper, till God, in the manner that pleases him, speaks to his heart, _Thy faith hath saved thee! Go in peace!_

2. By observing this order of God, we may learn what means to recommend to any particular soul. If any of these will reach a stupid, careless sinner, it is probably _hearing_ or _conversation_. To such therefore we might recommend these, if he has ever any thought about salvation. To one who begins to feel the weight of his sins, not only hearing the word of God, but _reading_ it too, and perhaps other _serious books_, may be a means of deeper conviction. May you not advise him also, to _meditate_ on what he reads, that it may have its full force upon his heart? Yea, and to _speak_ thereof and not be ashamed, particularly among those who walk in the same path. When trouble and heaviness take hold upon him, should you not then earnestly exhort him, to pour out his soul before God? Always to _pray and not to faint_? And when he feels the worthlessness of his own prayers, are you not to work together with God, and remind him of going up into _the house of the Lord_, and praying with all them that fear him? But if he does this, the _dying word_ of his Lord, will soon be brought to his remembrance: a plain intimation, that this is the time, when we should second the motions of the blessed Spirit. And thus may we lead him step by step, through all the means which God has ordained; not according to our own will, but just as the providence and the Spirit of God go before and open the way.

3. * Yet as we find no command in holy writ, for any particular order to be observed herein, so neither do the providence and the Spirit of God, adhere to any without variation: but the means into which different men are led, and in which they find the blessing of God, are varied, transposed and combined together, a thousand different ways. Yet still our wisdom is, to follow the leadings of his providence and his Spirit: to be guided herein (more especially as to the means wherein we ourselves seek the grace of God) partly by his outward providence, giving us the opportunity of using sometimes one means, sometimes another: partly by our experience, which it is whereby his free Spirit is pleased most to work in our heart. And in the mean time, the sure and general rule for all who groan for the salvation of God, is this, whenever opportunity serves, use all the means which God has ordained. For who knows, in which God will meet thee, with the grace that bringeth salvation?

4. As to the _manner_ of using them, whereon indeed it wholly depends, whether they should convey any grace at all to the user, it behoves us, first, always to retain a lively sense, that God is above all means. Have a care therefore of limiting the Almighty. He doth whatsoever and whensoever it pleaseth him. He can convey his grace, either in or out of any of the means which he hath appointed. Perhaps he will. _Who hath known the mind of the Lord? Or who hath been his counsellor?_ Look then every moment for his appearing! Be it at the hour you are employed in his ordinances; or before, or after that hour. Or when you are hindered therefrom. He is not hindered. He is always ready: always able, always willing to save. _It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good!_

Secondly, _Before_ you use any means, let it be deeply imprest on your soul, ♦“There is no _power_ in this. It is in itself a poor, dead, empty thing: separate from God; it is a dry leaf, a shadow. Neither is there any _merit_ in my using this; nothing intrinsically pleasing to God, nothing whereby I deserve any favour at his hands, no, not a drop of water to cool my tongue. But because God bids, therefore I do; because he directs me to wait in this way, therefore here I wait for his free mercy, whereof cometh my salvation.

Settle this in your heart, that the _opus operatum_, the mere work done profiteth nothing: that there is no _power_ to save, but in the Spirit of God; no _merit_, but in the blood of Christ: that consequently, even what God ordains, conveys no grace to the soul, if you trust not in him alone. On the other hand, he that does truly trust in him, cannot fall short of the grace of God, even tho’ he were cut off from every outward ordinance, tho’ he were shut up in the center of the earth.

* Thirdly, _In_ using all means, seek God alone. In and thro’ every outward thing, look singly to the _power_ of his Spirit, and the _merits_ of his Son. Beware you do not stick in the _work_ itself; if you do, it is all lost labour. Nothing short of God can satisfy your soul. Therefore eye him, in all, thro’ all, and above all.

Remember also, to use all means, _as means_: as ordained, not for their own sake, but in order to the renewal of your soul in righteousness and true holiness. If therefore they actually tend to this, well. But if not, they are dung and dross.

Lastly, _After_ you have used any of these, take care, how you value yourself thereon: how you congratulate yourself, as having done some great thing. This is turning all into poison. Think, “If God was not there, what does this avail? Have I not been adding sin to sin? How long! O Lord! Save or I perish! O lay not this sin to my charge!” If God was there, if his love flowed into your heart, you have forgot, as it were, the outward work. You see, you know, you feel, God is all in all. Be abased. Sink down before him. Give him all the praise. Let God _in all things be glorified through Christ Jesus_. Let _all_ your _bones cry out, My song shall be always of the loving-kindness of the Lord: with my mouth will I ever be telling of thy truth, from one generation to another_!

The End of the FIRST VOLUME.

Footnotes.

1 – Preached at St. Mary’s, Oxford, before the University, June 18, 1738.

2 – Preached at St. Mary’s, Oxford, before the University, July 25, 1741.

3 – Good men avoid sin from the love of virtue; Wicked men avoid sin from a fear of punishment.

4 – Thou shalt not be hang’d.

5 – Homily on the salvation of man.

6 – Preached on Sunday, April 4, 1742, before the University of Oxford, by the Rev. Mr. Charles Wesley.

7 – Ezek. xxxvi. 27.

8 – Isaiah xliv. 3.

9 – John xiv. 20.

10 – Art. 17.

11 – Office of consecrating Priests.

12 – Visitation of the sick.

13 – Collect before the holy communion.

14 – Order of confirmation.

15 – Preached at St. Mary’s, Oxford, before the University, August 24, 1744.

16 – Evidence or conviction.

17 – Gen. iii. 15.

18 – Gen. xxii. 15, 18.

19 – Gen. xv. 6.

20 – Rom. iv. 11.

21 – Ver. 23, 24, 25.

22 – Mark xii. 30.

23 – 1 Cor. ii. 12.

24 – 2 Cor. i. 12.

25 – 1 Cor. i. 2.

26 – Ver. 9.

27 – What follows for some pages is an answer to a paper published in the _Christian’s Magazine_, p. 577–582. I am surprized Mr. _Dodd_ should give such a paper a place in his Magazine, which is directly contrary to our ninth article.

28 – Preached at the Assizes held before the Honourable Sir Edward Clive, Knight, one of the Judges of his Majesty’s Court of Common-Pleas; in St. Paul’s Church, Bedford: on Friday, March 10, 1758.

29 – Acts ii. 19.

30 – Luke xxi. 11.

31 – Rev. xvi. 20.

32 – Luke xxi. 25.

33 – Joel ii. 30.

34 – Luke xxi. 25, 26.

35 – Joel ii. 3.

36 – Joel iii. 15.

37 – 1 Thess. iv. 16.

38 – Rev. xx. 13.

39 – 1 Cor. xv. 53.

40 – Matt. xxiv. 31.

41 – Matt. xxv. 31, &c.

42 – Rev. xx. 12.

43 – Heb. i. 2.

44 – John v. 22, 27.

45 – Phil. ii. 6, 7.

46 – 2 Pet. iii. 8.

47 – 1 Thess. iv. 16, 17.

48 – Matt. xii. 36, 37.

49 – Ezek. xviii. 21, 22.

50 – Jer. xxxi. 34.

51 – Heb. viii. 12.

52 – Matt. x. 26.

53 – Rev. xx. 11.

54 – 2 Pet. iii. 12.

55 – Ibid. v. 10.

56 – Chap. iv. 6.

57 – v. 13.

58 – c. lxv. 17.

59 – Rev. ♦xxi. 1.

60 – v. 3.

61 – v. 4.

62 – c. xxii. 3, 4.

Transcriber’s Notes.

The following corrections have been made in the text:

Page 11: Sentence starting: I have thought,... – Ending quote not shown in text. (“I am a creature)

Page 23: Sentence starting: 1. That “to preach salvation.... – ‘2.’ replaced with ‘1.’ (1. That “to preach salvation)

Page 44: Sentence starting: Hast _thou_ indeed .... – ‘redemptition’ replaced with ‘redemption’ (indeed redemption through his blood)

Page 52: Sentence starting: Awake and cry out.... – ‘goaler’ replaced with ‘gaoler’ (with the trembling gaoler,)

Page 119: Sentence starting: No abatement, no allowance.... – ‘title’ replaced with ‘tittle’ (as to any jot or tittle,)

Page 133: Sentence starting: Then shall thy _head_.... – ‘he’ replaced with ‘be’ (thy _head_ be _waters_,)

Page 159: Sentence starting: 5. They are not condemned.... – Paragragh numeral ‘4’ skipped.

Page 179: Sentence starting: 3. The inward, spiritual meaning.... – Paragragh numeral ‘2’ skipped. (3. The inward, spiritual meaning)

Page 190: Sentence starting: To conclude; the natural man.... – ‘conquerer’ replaced with ‘conqueror’ (than conqueror, through him)

Page 238: Sentence starting: To remember, to bear witness.... – duplicated word removed ‘or’ (to approve or disapprove)

Page 254: Sentence starting: .... – ‘σαρηὸς’ replaced with ‘σαρκὸς’ (φρόνημα σαρκὸς)

Page 254: Sentence starting: 5. To avoid this extreme,... – Ending quote not shown in text. (“All true believers,)

Page 262: Sentence starting: Yea, if he fall from one wickedness.... – missing ‘is’ inserted in text (because it is contrary)

Page 268: Sentence starting: “But can anger and pride.... – ‘were’ replaced with ‘where’ (where _only_ meekness and humility are felt!)

Page 302: Quote starting: _in the form of God,... – ‘likness’ replaced with ‘likeness’ (made in the likeness of men)

Page 320: Sentence starting: How widely different from.... – ‘ecchoes’ replaced with ‘echoes’ (which echoes through the expanse)

Page 338: Sentence starting: Let him eat; let him.... – ‘ἐθιέτω’ replaced with ‘ἐσθιέτω’ (ἐσθιέτω· πινέτω· both in the imperative mood.)

Page 341: Sentence starting: I do expect, that.... – ‘be’ replaced with ‘he’ (that he will meet and bless)

Page 348: Sentence starting: Secondly, _Before_ you use.... – Ending quote not shown in text. (“There is no _power_)

Footnote 59: – ‘xx’ replaced with ‘xxi’ (Rev. xxi. 1.)