John and Charles Wesley: Selected Prayers, Hymns, and Sermons

by John Wesley, Charles Wesley, Peter J. Gomes (Foreword by), Emilie Griffin (Editor), Frank Whaling (Introduction)

Overview

John and Charles Wesley led the Methodist revival that swept eighteenth–century England and America and changed the face of Christianity forever. Their spirituality synthesized a unique blend of elements from the church fathers, Catholic mystics, and Protestant Reformers. This selection includes John's incisive writings on the spiritual life as well as the famous hymns of Charles, giving vibrant expression to the faith of the Wesleys.

"About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation; and an assurance was given me that he had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death." –– John Wesley

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780060576516
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	08/31/2004
Series:	HarperCollins Spiritual Classics
Pages:	144
Product dimensions:	5.31(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.32(d)

About the Author

The HarperCollins Spiritual Classics series presents short, accessible introductions to the foundational works that shaped Western religious thought and culture. This series seeks to find new readers for these dynamic spiritual voices — voices that have changed lives throughout the centuries and still can today.

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John and Charles Wesley
Selected Prayers, Hymns, and Sermons

A Scheme of Self-Examination

Used by the First Methodists in Oxford

Sunday

Love of God and Simplicity: Means of Which Are Prayer and Meditation

1. 1. Have I been simple and recollected in everything I said or did? Have I been (a) simple in everything, that is, looked upon God, my Good, my Pattern, my one Desire, my Disposer, Parent of Good; acted wholly for him; bounded my views with the present action or hour? (b) Recollected, that is, has this simple view been distinct and uninterrupted? Have I, in order to keep it so, used the signs agreed upon with my friends, wherever I was? Have I done anything without a previous perception of its being the will of God? Or without a perception of its being an exercise or a means of the virtue of the day? Have I said anything without it?


2. Have I prayed with fervor? At going in and out of church? In the church? Morning and evening in private? Monday,Wednesday, and Friday, with my friends, at rising? Before lying down? On Saturday noon? All the time I am engaged in exterior work in private? Before I go into the place of public or private prayer for help therein? Have I, wherever I was, gone to church morning and evening, unless for necessary mercy, and spent from one hour to three in private? Have I, in private prayer, frequently stopped short and observed what fervor? Have I repeated it over and over, till I adverted to every word? Have I at the beginning of every prayer or paragraph owned I cannot pray? Have I paused before I concluded in his name, and adverted to my Savior now interceding for me at the right hand of God and offering up these prayers?


3. Have I duly used ejaculations? That is, have I every hour prayed for humility, faith, hope, love, and the particular virtue of the day? Considered with whom I was the last hour, what I did, and how? With regard to recollection, love of man, humility, self-denial, resignation, and thankfulness? Considered the next hour in the same respects, offered up all I do to my Redeemer, begged his assistance in every particular, and commended my soul to his keeping? Have I done this deliberately, not in haste, seriously, not doing anything else the while, and as fervently as I could?


4. Have I duly prayed for the virtue of the day? That is, have I prayed for it at going out and coming in? Deliberately, seriously, fervently?


5. Have I used a collect at nine, twelve, and three? And grace before and after eating? Aloud at my own room? Deliberately, seriously, fervently?


6. Have I duly meditated? Every day, unless for necessary mercy, (a) from six, etc., to prayers? (b) From four to five? What was particular in the providence of this day? How ought the virtue of the day to have been exerted upon it? How did it fall short? (Here faults.) (c) On Sunday, from six to seven, with Kempis? From three to four on redemption or God's attributes? Wednesday and Friday, from twelve to one, on the Passion? After ending a book, on what I had marked in it?

Monday

Love of Man

1. Have I been zealous to do, and active in doing, good? That is, have I embraced every probable opportunity of doing good, and preventing, removing, or lessening evil? Have I pursued it with my might? Have I thought anything too dear to part with to serve my neighbor? Have I spent an hour at least every day in speaking to someone or other? Have I given anyone up till he expressly renounced me? Have I, before I spoke to any, learned, as far as I could, his temper, way of thinking, past life, and peculiar hindrances, internal and external? Fixed the point to be aimed at? Then the means to it? Have I in speaking proposed the motives, then the difficulties, then balanced them, then exhorted him to consider both calmly and deeply, and to pray earnestly for help? Have I in speaking to a stranger explained what religion is not (not negative, not external) and what it is (a recovery of the image of God)? Searched at what step in it he stops, and what makes him stop there? Exhorted and directed him? Have I persuaded all I could to attend public prayers, sermons, and sacraments, and in general to obey the laws of the church Catholic, the Church of England, the state, the university, and their respective colleges? Have I, when taxed with any act of obedience, avowed it and turned the attack with sweetness and firmness? Have I disputed upon any practical point, unless it was to be practiced just then? Have I in disputing (a) desired him to define the terms of the question; to limit it; what he grants, what denies? (b) Delayed speaking my opinion; let him explain and prove his; then insinuated and pressed objections? Have I after every visit asked him who went with me, "Did I say anything wrong?" Have I, when anyone asked advice, directed and exhorted him with all my power?


2. Have I rejoiced with and for my neighbor in virtue or pleasure? Grieved with him in pain, for him in sin?


3. Have I received his infirmities with pity, not anger?


4. Have I thought or spoke unkindly of or to him? Have I revealed any evil of anyone, unless it was necessary to some particular good I had in view? Have I then done it with all the tenderness of phrase and manner consistent with that end? Have I anyway appeared to approve them that did otherwise?

John and Charles Wesley
Selected Prayers, Hymns, and Sermons. Copyright © by Mercer HarperCollins Spiritual Classics. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Available now wherever books are sold.