The works of the Rev. John Wesley, Vol. 04 (of 32)

by John Wesley

[¹] Ephes. iv. 29.

XVII. A man may be said to have some regard for religion, who is regular at places of divine worship; but he cannot be reckoned of a religious spirit, till it is his Spirit in every place and on every occasion, till he lives and breathes by it, and thinks, and speaks, and acts according to its motions.

A man may frequent meetings for mirth; but yet, if when he is out of them, he gives himself to peevishness, chagrin and dulness, no one will say such a man is of a chearful spirit. It is easy to make the application: if we are only attendants at places of religion; if when we are out of those places, we are of another spirit, I don’t say proud or covetous, but vain and foolish: if our actions are silly, and our conversation trifling and impertinent, our tempers vain and worldly, we are no more of a religious spirit, than a dull peevish man is of a chearful spirit, because he is regular at some set meetings for mirth.

XVIII. *Religion is not ours till we live by it; till it is the religion of our thoughts, words and actions; till it goes with us into every place; sits uppermost on every occasion; and forms and governs our hopes and fears, our cares and pleasures. He is the religious man who watches and guards his Spirit, and endeavours to be always in the temper of religion; who worships God in every place: who is as fearful of foolish thoughts, irregular tempers, and vain imaginations at one time as at another; who is as wise and heavenly at home, or in the field, as in the house of God. For when once religion has got possession of a man’s heart, and is become as it ought to be, his ruling temper; it is as agreeable to such a one in all places, and at all times, to speak and act according to its directions, as ’tis agreeable to the ambitious man, to act according to the motions of ambition. We must therefore take it for granted, that if we are not religious in our conversation, or common temper, we are not religious in our hearts; we may have a formality of religion at certain times and places, but we are not of a religious spirit.

XIX. We see every body speaking and conversing according to their spirit and temper: the covetous, the ambitious, the vain and self-conceited, have each of them their proper language suitable to their spirit and temper; they are the same persons in all places, and always talk like themselves. If therefore we could meet with persons of a truly religious spirit, we should find them like men of other tempers, the same persons in all places, and always talking and acting like themselves. We should find them living by one temper, and conversing with men with the same spirit that they converse with God; not one thing in one place, and another in another; not formal and grave at a funeral, and mad and frantic at a feast; not listening to wisdom at church, and delighting in folly at home; not angry with one foolish thing, and as much pleased at another; but steady and uniform in the same wise and religious temper.

XX. Farther, as we are not of a religious spirit, till it orders all our conversation; so it is to be observed, that if our conversation is vain and foolish, it keeps us in a state incapable of religion, by grieving the Holy Spirit. And as we can do nothing without the Spirit of God, as he is our breath, our life, our light, and our strength; so, if we live in such a way as grieves and removes this Holy Spirit from us, we are as branches that are broke off from the tree, and must perish in the deadness and corruption of our nature. Let this therefore teach us to judge rightly of the sin and danger of vain, unedifying and corrupt communication; it is not the sin of idleness or negligence only; it is not a pardonable infirmity; it is not a little mistake in spiritual wisdom; but it is a sin that stands between us and the tree of life; that opposes our whole happiness, as it grieves and separates the Holy Spirit from us. Let this also teach some people the reason why they are so dead and senseless of religion: they are not guilty of gross sins; they have an aversion to cheating and falseness; but at the same time have no more feeling or sense of religion than mere reprobates. Now the reason of it is this; they live in such an impertinence of conversation; their communication is so constantly upon silly and vain subjects; and they are so fond of those who have the talent of conversing in the same manner, that they render themselves unfit for the residence of the Holy Spirit. We don’t seem to apprehend, either how much good or how much evil there is in conversation; I believe it may be affirmed that the greatest instructions, and the greatest corruptions proceed from it. For mens common conversation and ordinary life teach much more effectually than any thing they say or do at set times or occasions.

When a clergyman preaches, he is for the most part considered as doing that which all clergymen do, whether good or bad. But if he is the same wise and virtuous man in his communication, that he is in the pulpit; if his speech be always seasoned with salt, that it may minister grace unto the hearers; if the common actions of his life be visibly governed by a spirit of piety: such a one will be heard with reverence on the Sunday for what he says and does all the week. And on the contrary, if a clergyman, when he comes out of the pulpit, is but like other men; as irregular in his tempers; as trifling in his conversation; as eager in his diversions; and as vain in his designs; he will mightily lessen his power over the hearts of his hearers.

A father now and then gives his son virtuous advice, and the son perhaps would be much the better for it; but that he never hears him talk virtuously, but when he is giving him advice; this makes him think, that he is then only acting the part of a father; as when he is buying him cloaths, or putting him out to an employment. Whereas if he saw his father’s ordinary life and conversation to be under the rules of religion; and his every day temper, a temper of piety; ’tis very likely that he would be won into an imitation of it.

XXI. It is our communication, our ordinary temper and common life, that affects other people, that either hardens them in sin, or awakens them to a sense of piety. Let therefore all clergymen, and masters and mistresses of families look carefully to themselves; let them consider, that if their ordinary life, their communication be vain, impertinent, and unedifying, they are not only in a corrupt state of heart, but are guilty of corrupting and perverting the hearts of those that belong to them. Let them not think that they have sufficiently discharged their duty, by seeing that those who relate to them, have their proper instructions; for it is next to impossible for such instructions to have their proper effect against the example of those we converse with. If a clergyman plays, and drinks, and sports with his flock in the week days: let him not wonder if he preaches them asleep on Sundays. If a father is intemperate; if he swears, and converses foolishly with his friends; let him not wonder that his children cannot be made virtuous. It is therefore the necessary duty of all Christians, in all states of life, to look carefully to their ordinary behaviour, that it be not the means of poisoning and corrupting the hearts of those they converse with. They must consider, that all the follies and impertinences of their ordinary life and conversation have the guilt of destroying souls; and that the blood of those whom their follies have destroyed, will be required at their hands.

XXII. A mistress whose conversation is a daily proof to her maids, that she is governed by a spirit of piety in all she says and does: whose life is a continual visible labour to work out her salvation with fear and trembling, is a blessing to all that stand about her. She communicates happiness even to those who are born of her servants; they will be educated in piety, because their parents learnt what piety was in waiting on such a mistress.