The works of the Rev. John Wesley, Vol. 08 (of 32)

by John Wesley

CHAPTER IV.

Of the excuses that are usually made for the fear of man.

AS soon as we begin with true humility to acknowledge the fear of man as a great and most heinous evil, and accordingly to watch and pray, and strive against it, there is hope we may overcome: but there are very few who will acknowledge it; the very most, when charged therewith, labour to hide it with various excuses; some of which are so specious, that they blind the eyes of many, so that they approve their conduct, and praise their saying.

1. “Should I act thus, I should soon be called to an account for it?” Well, but should this hinder a faithful servant from executing his master’s orders with all sincerity? “But I shall be put to charges and trouble, nay perhaps be turned out of my livelihood?” Perhaps not; God is well able to protect thee. But if trouble do overtake thee, still have faith in God, and thou shalt be no loser for his sake. God is a faithful Lord and Master. Be it only thy care to be a faithful servant. Whatever thou losest in his cause, he will restore it to thee an hundred fold. Happy art thou when thou sufferest for conscience sake. Though man cast thee off, God will take thee up. But if thou art unwilling to lose thy place for the sake of a good conscience, it is plain thou servest thy belly, and not God.

2. “But I have a wife and children to take care of.” Hear then what thy Lord saith unto thee, “He that loveth father or mother, son or daughter, more than me, is not worthy of me.” True it is, that he who provideth not for his own house, hath denied the faith, and is worse than an Infidel. But God’s honour must not suffer one jot under pretence of providing for thy family. Thou mayest not, on that pretence, go out of the way of the commandment, to the right hand or to the left. Thou must neither do less or more, than if thou hadst none, only learn what that meaneth, Seek ye the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

*3. “But we must not pull down sufferings upon our own heads, or wilfully run into them:” Neither must thou be afraid of suffering: as long as this flinching from the cross is in thee, thy faith is not right. When a good thing cannot be done without suffering, thou art absolutely bound to take it up. ’Tis better to suffer all things, than to have an evil conscience. Trouble not thyself, but do thou heartily the will of God. He will not lay upon thee more than thou art able to bear. Thou representest things to thyself worse than indeed they are. Thou art afraid of men: but glorify the Lord God in thy heart, and they will be afraid of thee.

4. “Why, we do what we can.” Thou canst not do any thing of thyself; Christ alone doth all that is good in and by thee. But who can boast that he does as much as the Spirit of Christ enables him to do? He that weighs all things well, must needs acknowledge, he cannot answer to God for the many things he hath omitted, which he might have overcome by the power of faith, and which will appear in judgment against him. At the beginning very little appears possible; but if we go on boldly relying upon God, we shall find ourselves supported in doing greater things, yea, able to do all things through Christ who strengtheneth us.

5. “If such as are leading men, who ought to be foremost in all good undertakings, would but break the ice, we would readily follow them; but we don’t care to be the first beginners, as if we were better than them.” Do as a servant that carries the torch before his master, and yet does not think himself better than his master. The kingdom of God did not come first to the men of the first rank, or to them who made the greatest figure in the world. When thou art to receive thy reward, wilt thou refuse to receive it, till thy superior be paid first? In the kingdom of God there must be no dispute about precedency. Let not therefore the unbelief of others keep thee back in thy race; knowing this, that if thou art convinced of the truth, and yet actest not according to thy conviction, God will certainly punish thy disobedience, though thou shouldst appeal to the pope or emperor.

*6. “But I am no minister, I have no business to take care of men’s souls.” No! Art thou not a Christian (though not a minister) and is it not the business, the bounden duty of every Christian, to endeavour to bring his neighbour back into the right way, whenever he sees him wandering in vice and delusion? Is not every Christian one anointed with the Spirit of Christ; who, consequently, is bound to tread in his steps, by making his whole life one continued endeavour to save all men from the wrath to come? Thou mayest not, indeed, take upon thee to administer the sacraments, to cast out of the church, or receive the penitent into it again; these are the peculiar offices of those who are so called of God as was Aaron: but thou must, at the peril of thy salvation, follow the example of Christ as well as they. Thou, as well as they, must observe the laws of God; especially that of doing good unto all men. Spiritual good above all; since it is not to ministers alone, but to all men that he hath said, Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.

*7. “However we must use prudence.” True; but there are two sorts of it: one, that is from above, the other from beneath. The former of these is unreproveable, and a most precious gift of the Most High. But that which is from beneath hath the appearance indeed of wisdom, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. Where the fear of the Lord is not continually before the eyes, there the foundation of it is already laid. Where faith is weak, there she raises herself; when love grows cold, then she is strong. She informs us how to please God, without displeasing the world; to follow Christ, and yet avoid the cross. As long as the kingdom of God consists in words only she cannot utter all that she has to say. But when it is to be demonstrated in power, then she has recourse to many evasions, and cautions others (out of hearty goodwill) not to venture too far. Then she jumbles light and darkness together; she shifts and turns every way to keep the cross from her shoulders. She swims with the stream, and cares not to converse with those who suffer reproach for Christ’s sake. She keeps on indeed the appearance of godliness as long as possible, and yet holdeth her tongue where the children of God are condemned; nay, sometimes joins in pronouncing their sentence. She does much evil that good may come of it. But who is able to describe all the face of this horrible monster, which is come up out of the bottomless pit? ’Tis true, we must use prudence; but consider well which sort of prudence thou wilt use. Yea, set thyself before this glass, [♦]that thou mayest know by which of these thou hast squared thy life and actions hitherto.