The works of the Rev. John Wesley, Vol. 06 (of 32)

by John Wesley

44. * Is it not now a flat denial of all this to say, as do some, that the establishment of the gospel in the world, together with the assistances of human learning, and languages, has been the occasion why the assistance of the Holy Ghost is abated? For if we consult either scripture or experience, must it not be said, that worldly peace and prosperity want as much to be sanctified by the Holy Spirit, as persecution and distress? That human learning and knowledge need as high degrees of divine grace, as human ignorance? Is not the blindness and corruption of men of letters, as notorious as that of unlearned men? Does an editor of Terence, Horace or Virgil, receive such illumination from plays and poetry? Do cardinals and pluralists receive so much unction from human establishments, as to need less to be governed by the Holy Spirit of God? Or will we say, that a critical study of divided languages, and a religion established in worldly ease and peace, are not only in themselves free from danger and corruption, but have so much of the nature of the Holy Spirit in them, that they can be to us in his stead, and make his sanctifying operations upon us needed in a less degree?

45. On the part of God, our redemption in Jesus Christ, and our sanctification by the Holy Ghost, stand always in the same degree of nearness and fulness to all of us. There is hardly a chapter in the New Testament that can be understood, but upon the supposition of this great truth. If Christ is less formed in us than he was in the first saints of the church, if we come not to the perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ, it is not because Christ is now become only our Redeemer in an ordinary way; but it is because we have not so counted all things but dung, that we might win Christ, as the first saints did. If the Holy Spirit does not now in such a degree renew, quicken, move, and sanctify our hearts, and fill us with such degrees of divine light and love, as was done in the first age of the church, it is not because this sanctifying spirit has committed some part of his work to human learning, and so is become only our sanctifier in a lesser and ordinary degree, but it is because we ourselves have forsaken this fountain of living waters, and hewed out broken cisterns for ourselves; it is because we have grieved this Holy Spirit, resisted his motions, and under an outward profession of Christ have kept up that old man, with his deeds, which cannot be the habitation of the Holy Spirit.

* If therefore we have any true sense of the nature and weight of our ecclesiastical calling, any desire to do the full work of the ministry, to satisfy the necessities of our flocks; if we have any fear of being condemned as useless labourers in Christ’s vineyard, it is high time to awake from this dream of an ordinary and extraordinary sanctification of the Holy Spirit. It serves only to keep us unsanctified, shut up in death, in our own corrupted nature, to keep us learnedly content with our state, as if we were rich and increased in goods, and had need of nothing: and hinders us from knowing that we are wretched and miserable, and poor, and blind and naked.

46. * Several of the clergy, whose lot is fallen in this corrupt age, may be supposed to have taken upon them the sacred office, and to have lived in it, not enough according to the nature and spirit of it, merely through the degeneracy of the times, and from a consideration that they are well enough, according to the religion that now passes in the world. And perhaps there are few, if any of the order, however eminent for good works, whose virtues have not receiv’d some abatement from the same cause—This therefore may be added as another reason why all the clergy of this land must in the spirit of martyrdom awaken the world into a faith and love of the gospel. Now is the time that we must give up all our worldly regards, forsake all that we have, that we must hate father and mother, wife and children, and brothers and sisters, yea and our own lives also, or we cannot be faithful ministers of Jesus Christ. The same spirit which first planted the gospel, is now required to recover and restore it amongst us. We must break off our chains of worldly prudence, and come forth in the spirit and power of the gospel: so live, and speak, and act, whether in the pulpit or out of it, that all who see and hear us may be forced to confess that God is in us of a truth. A ministry that have not this power, that have not full proof, both to themselves and others, that the Holy Spirit is thus with them, opening the kingdom of God in their own souls, and enabling them to preach it to others with spirit and power, are to answer to God for their want of it.

47. To ask whether the assistance of the holy Spirit is to be ordinary or extraordinary, is as needless a distinction, as to ask whether a minister of the gospel ought to be an ordinary or extraordinary man. The operation of the holy Spirit in us since the fall, is a supernatural power, and therefore in a just sense always extraordinary; because enabling us to be and do that, which the ordinary power of fallen nature is insufficient for. But it is more or less restored to us, as we are more or less fitted to receive it.

* The Christian religion has not had its proper effect, till it has so set up the kingdom of God among us, that his will is done on earth, as it is done in heaven.

* This is the perfection that every Christian is to aspire after. And if they who are to be taught, are to be thus emptied of all worldly passions, thus dead to the workings of self-will, that the Spirit of God may be all in all in them, what manner of men ought they to be, who are to teach, promote, advance, and lead the way to this purity and perfection? At what a distance ought he to be from every appearance of pride, that is to draw others to live and practise the profound humility of the blessed Jesus? How ought he to humble his body, and be steady in all kinds of self-denial, who would convince his flock, that they who sow to the flesh reap destruction? How heavenly minded, how devoted to God, how attentive to the one thing needful, how unspotted from the world ought he to be, who is to persuade others that they cannot possibly serve God and mammon? How empty ought he to be of all worldly policy, all arts and methods of ambition, who is to fix it deep in the hearts of his hearers that unless they become as little children, they cannot enter into the kingdom of God? What open hands, and open heart ought he to have, what an extent of charity ought to be visible in him, who is to bring his flock to this faith, that it is more blessed to give than to receive? How remarkably, undeniably plain, open, sincere, undesigning, and faithful should he be, who is to plant, and establish sincerity, plainness, simplicity, truth and innocence amongst his flock? There is such a necessary fitness in these things, that the power of religion, must be much prevented, when its precepts are recommended by such as excuse themselves from the plain and open practice of them.

48. * The office of the ministry is of the highest nature; it is a trust which no language can sufficiently express: and the unfaithful discharge of it is of all conditions in life the most dreadful. To be charged with the death and blood of souls, by that God who laid down his life to redeem them, is a condemnation that will carry more of guilt and punishment in it than any other. Would you know the office of a Christian pastor, you must look at the office of Christ. Would you know what manner of spirit he ought to be of, you must look at the Spirit of Christ. For the work of the ministry is only the work of Christ committed to other hands, who are to supply his absence, to be here in his stead, to be doing the same things, and with the same spirit that he did, till the end of the world.

* Nothing is so highly honourable as to bear a part in the priesthood of Christ, and be employed in the work of the ministry. But then it should be well considered, that it is only honourable in the same sense, as it is honourable to suffer as a martyr. It is an honour that is as different from all worldly figure and distinction, as the glory of Christ upon the cross is different from the triumph of an earthly prince. When therefore we think of the honour and dignity of the pastoral function, we should be careful to remember, that it is only the honour of dying a martyr, an honour of humbling, abasing, and sacrificing ourselves with Christ, and continuing the exercise of his suffering-priesthood for the salvation of the world. The holy function is often considered only as an authoritative commission to minister in holy things. But it is much more than this. It is a call and command to act with the Spirit of Christ, to represent his purity, to continue his holiness, to bear a part of his sacrifice, and devote themselves for the good of others, as he did. A priest that has only his ordination to distinguish him, wants as much to make him a true priest, as Judas wanted to make him a true apostle. For tho’ holiness alone gives no man a commission to exercise the pastoral office, yet all who are called to it, are as much ordained to a peculiar holiness, as to the administration of the sacraments.

49. For the sacred office is God’s appointment, to continue through all ages, the spirit and power of Christ for reconciling men to God in the same manner and by the same means of holiness, sacrifice and devotion, which Christ exercised when he was upon earth. We need no other proofs of this, than this one saying of our Lord: As my Father hath sent me, so send I you. That is, for all the ends for which I am come into the world, for all the same ends I send you into it; to be there in my stead, to supply my absence, to carry on the work that I have begun, to act with my spirit, to continue the exercise of my love, and labour, and suffering for the salvation of mankind. Now to be sent by our Lord for the same ends as he was sent into the world, is such an appointment of us to all kinds of holiness, as can never be rightly discharged, but by our devoting ourselves wholly and absolutely unto God.