cannot help her. She allows premises, but holds fast her own conclusion. O! who can bear riches! Who can gain money, without, in some measure, losing grace! I verily believe, if she were as poor as you she would be as advisable. Our Church Catechism is utterly improper for children of six or seven years old. Certainly you ought not to teach it them against your own judgment. I should imagine it would be far better to teach them the short Catechism, prefixed to the instructions for Children. I am, your affectionate Friend, J. WESLEY, TO MISS LOXDALE. MY DEAR MISS LOXDALE, Douglas, Isle of Man, June 10, 1781. I HAD much hope that at my last return to Shrewsbury I should have seen you; but we are in the hands of him who knows what is best for every one that trusts in him; and if our meeting be hindered for a season, when those hinderances are removed it will be the more blest to us. That man of God, Gregory Lopez, observes of himself, that the large manifestations of God, with which he was favoured, at first overpowered his body, and nearly suspended his understanding, nay, took away the use of his senses; but that after a time they neither interrupted the one nor the other, nor disturbed the operation of any of his faculties. I think if those manifestations which you had, had been continued, the case would have been the same with you: they would no longer have overwhelmed you as they did at first, but have flowed with a calm, even stream. Many years since, Madam Bourignon's works were put into my hands, particularly the treatises you mention, and her exterior and interior life, written by herself. It was easy to see that she was a person dead to the world, and much devoted to God; yet I take her to have been very many degrees beneath both Mr. De Renty, and Gregory Lopez. Nay, I do not believe she had so much Christian experience as either David Brainerd, or Thomas Walsh. What makes many passages, both in her life and writings, so striking, is, that they are so peculiar; they are so entirely her own, so different from every thing which we have seen or read elsewhere. But this is in reality not an excellence, but a capital defect. I avoid, I am afraid of whatever is peculiar, either in the experience or the language of any one. I desire nothing, I will accept of nothing but the common faith, and common salvation: and I want you, my dear sister, to be only just such a common Christian as Jenny Cooper was. The new expressions of Madam Bourignon naturally tended to give you a new set of ideas. They would surely set your imagination at work, and make you fancy wonderful things; but they were only shadows. I cannot doubt, in the least, but either Mr. or you, or your 2 325 sister, has experienced more of the life of faith, and deeper communion with the Father and the Son, than ever she did in her life. As I apprehend your mind must be a little confused by reading those uncommon treatises, I wish you would give another deliberate reading to the "Plain Account of Christian Perfection ;" and you may be assured, there is no religion under heaven, higher or deeper than that which is there described. But it is certainly possible to have your mind, as well as your heart, continually stayed upon God. This you did experience for some time, and you should be continually expecting to receive it again : Ask, and it shall be given. "For all the promises are sure To persevering prayer." I wrote to Mr. Fletcher some time since, and wonder I have had no answer. I hope you will always write, without reserve, my dear Miss Loxdale, to Your truly affectionate J. WESLEY. LETTER II. Nottingham, July 14, 1781. MY DEAR MISS LOXDALE, AS it has pleased God to restore you in a measure to what you you then enjoyed once, I make no doubt but he will restore all which had and will add to it what you never had yet. There is no end of his mercies. He will give "exceedingly abundantly beyond all that you are able to ask or think." If that sickness you mention, came (as is the case with some) only at the time of private prayer, I should incline to think it was preternatural, a messenger of Satan permitted to buffet you. But as you find it likewise at other times, when you feel any vehement emotion of mind, it seems to be (partly, at least,) a natural effect of what is called weakness of nerves. But even in this case, the prayer of faith will not fall to the ground. You may ask with resignation, and if it be best, this cup will be removed from you. You have, indeed, reason to rejoice over your sister. Is she not given you in answer to prayer? and have you not encouragement, even from this very thing, to expect, that more of your family will be given you? Those are true words, when in his own strength you wrestle with God, "My powerful groans thou canst not bear, Nor stand the violence of my prayer, You remind me of what occurred when my dear H. R. first mentioned you to me. I almost wondered I should feel so much regard for one I had never seen! But I can taste your spirit, and rejoice to find that you are so near, my dear Miss Loxdale, to Your's, in tender affection, JoHN WESLEY. MY DEAR MISS LOXDALE, LETTER III. Sheffield, August 15, 1781. YOUR letter gave much satisfaction. Whereunto you have attained, hold fast: and "press on toward the mark, the prize of your high calling of God in Christ Jesus." I do not see any reason to doubt, but that you have tasted of the pure love of God. But you seem to be only a babe in that state, and have, therefore, need to go forward continually. It is by doing and suffering the whole will of our Lord, that we grow up in Him that is our Head; and if you diligently hearken to his voice, he will show you the way wherein you should go. But you have need to be exceeding faithful to the light he gives you. "While you have the light, walk in the light," and it will continually increase. Do not regard the judgment of the world, even of those called, "the religious world." You are not to conform to the judgment of others, but to follow your own light: that which the blessed Spirit gives you from time to time, which is truth, und is no lie. That he may guide you and your sister into all truth and all holiness, is the prayer of, my dear Miss Loxdale, Your's most affectionately, LETTER IV. JOHN WESLEY. Chester, Dec. 15, 1781. I SNATCH a few moments to write to my dear Miss Loxdale, although I have not time to write as I would. The trials you have lately undergone, were all instances of the goodness of God, who permitted them merely for your profit, that you might be the more largely partaker of his holiness. You know our blessed Lord himself, as man, learned obedience by the things that he suffered. And the last lesson which he learned upon earth, was that "Father, not as I will but as thou wilt." Never imagine, my dear friend, that your letters to me, can be too frequent or too long; I may add, or too free. Nothing endears you to me so much as your artless simplicity. I beg you would always write, just what you feel, without disguise, without reserve, to your's affectionately, JOHN WESLEY. LETTER V. Bristol, March 9, 1782. MY DEAR MISS LOXDALE, GOLD is tried in the fire, and acceptable men in the furnace of adversity. You say, "I know not whither I am going." I will tell you whither. You are going the straight way to be swallowed up in God: "I know not what I am doing." You are suffering the will of God, and glorifying him in the fire. "But I am not increasing in the divine life." That is your mistake. Perhaps you are now in creasing therein faster than ever you did since you were justified. It is true, that the usual method of our Lord, is to purify us by joy in the Holy Ghost, and a full consciousness of his love. But I have known several exempt cases, and I am clearly satisfied yours is one, and "Far, far beyond thy thought, His counsel shall appear; When fully he the work hath wrought If it be possible, meet me at Madeley on Saturday, then you may talk more largely with, my dear Miss Loxdale, Your's most affectionately, J. WESLEY. LETTER VI. MY DEAR MISS LOXDALE, Liverpool, April 12, 1782. I ADVISED formerly my dear Jenny Cooper, and so I advise you, frequently to read and meditate upon the thirteenth chapter of the first epistle to the Corinthians. There is the true picture of Christian perfection! Let us copy after it with all our might. I believe it might likewise be of use to you to read more than once the "Plain Account of Christian Perfection." Indeed, what is it more or less than humble, gentle, patient love! It is undoubtedly our privilege to rejoice evermore, with a calm, still, heartfelt joy. Nevertheless, this is seldom long at one stay. Many circumstances may cause it to ebb and flow. This, therefore, is not the essence of religion; which is no other than humble, gentle, patient love. I do not know whether all these are not included in that one word, resignation. For the highest lesson our Lord (as man) learned on earth was to say, "Not as I will but as thou wilt."-May he confirm you more and more. Your's most affectionately, JOHN WESLEY. LETTER VII. MY DEAR MISS LOXDALE, Birmingham, July 12, 1782. IT raised some wonder in me that I had not a line from you in so long a time. I began to be almost afraid that your love was growing cold. And it would not be at all strange if it did: it is more strange if it does not: especially while you have an affair in hand that naturally tends to engross the whole thought. Whoever follows the few plain directions which are given in the Sermon on Enthusiasm, will easily and distinctly see what is the will of God concerning any point in question; that is, provided his eye be single, provided he has one design and one desire. But it is a just observation, "As a very little dust will disorder the motion of a clock; and as a very little sand will hinder the sight of the eye, so a very little desire, o selfish design, will greatly obstruct the eye of the soul. By experience, the strongest of all arguments, you have been once and again convinced, that salvation from inbred sin is received by simple faith, although it is certain there is a gradual work both preceding and following. Is it not then your wisdom not willingly to converse with any that oppose this great and important truth? If you play with fire, will you not be burnt sooner or later? Nay, have you not been burnt already? I remain, my dear Nancy, your's, most affectionately, JOHN WESLEY. LETTER VIII. MY DEAR MISS LOXDALE, London, Oct. 8, 1785. NOT once, but many times I have been making all the inquiries I could concerning you. The rather, as I was afraid you might suffer loss by the severe trials you had met with. I should not have wondered if you had; I rather wonder how you have escaped. But indeed, as long as you can say from your heart, "Lord, not as I will, but as thou wilt," no weapon formed against you shall prosper. You unquestionably did enjoy a measure of his pure and perfect love. And as you received it at first by naked faith, just so you may receive it again, and who knows how soon? May you not say, "If thou canst so greatly bow, Friend of sinners, why not now ?" I believe Mr. W's nervous disorder gave rise to many, if not most of those temptations, to which many persons of equal grace, but firmer nerves are utter strangers. As you never yet experienced any thing of the kind, so I am persuaded you never will. Yet I do not wonder at the horrid temptations of Gregory Lopez, because he was in a desert, that is so far out of God's way. I thank you for writing freely to me. If I had you now by the hand, I would tell you, you can never write or speak too freely to, My dear Miss Loxdale, your's, most affectionately, LETTERS from the Rev. JOHN WESLEY to Mrs. ELIZ. BENNIS, of Limerick; taken from a small volume of Letters, published by her Son from the original manuscripts, in the year 1809. MY DEAR SISTER, LETTER 1. Pembroke, August 23, 1763. YOU did well to write; this is one of the means which God generally uses to convey either light or comfort; even while you are writing you will often find relief: frequently while we propose a doubt, it is removed. |