THE SEVEN FORMER VERSES OF THE FORTY-SIXTH PSALM.* ON God supreme our hope depends, Whose omnipresent sight Even to the pathless realms extends Plunged in the' abyss of deep distress, His mercy bids our sorrows cease, Though earth her ancient seat forsake, Though hills be in the ocean lost, What though the' ungovern'd, wild abyss What though the watery legions rise, What though the trembling mountains nod, Sion, secure, enjoys the flood, The God most high on Sion's hill Nor dare the' impetuous waves assail The city of our God. Nations remote, and realms unknown, In vain reject his sway; For, lo! Jehovah's voice is shown, Let war's devouring surges rise, And rage on every side; The Lord of Hosts our refuge is, And Jacob's God our guide. Mr. Le Hunte and Mr. Sherman send their service. I am Your loving brother. I believe I could put off two or three more receipts if I had them. Pray, my love to my brother and sister. The other verses mentioned at the beginning of this letter are omitted, for the reason assigned by Mr. Wesley: They are on a wrong subject."-EDIT. On Friday, St. Peter's church in the Baily was beaten down, by the fall of the steeple. Saturday morning, a chandler here murdered two men and wounded a third; in the evening, a fire broke out at the Mitre, but was stopped in a few hours. DEAR BROTHER, XIII. To the Same. [Without date.] I RETURN you thanks for your favourable judgment on my sermon, and for the alterations you direct me to make in it; yet, in order to be still better informed, I take the liberty to make some objections to some of them, in one or two of which I believe you misunderstood me. I. The reasons why I conceive the Samaritans to have been idolaters, are, First, because our Saviour says of them, "Ye worship ye know not what ;" which seems to refer plainly to the object of their worship: And, Secondly, because the old inhabitants of Samaria, who succeeded the Israelites, were undoubtedly so; and I never heard that they were much amended in after times: "These nations feared the Lord, and served their graven images, both their children and their children's children." (2 Kings xvii. 41.) II. Were the Jews obliged to love wicked men? And is not our commandment extended to some cases to which theirs did not reach? to the excluding some instances of revenge, which were indulged to them? We are doubtless to love good men more than others; but to have inserted it, where I was only to prove that we were to love them, and not how much, would not, I think, have been to my purpose. Where our Saviour exerts his authority against his opposers, I cannot think it safe for me to follow him. I would much sooner, in those cases, act by his precepts than example; the one was certainly designed for me, the other possibly was not. The Author had power to dispense with his own laws, and wisdom to know when it was necessary; I have neither. No one would blame a man for using such sharpness of speech as St. Stephen does; especially in a prayer made in the article of death, with the same intention as his. III. What you understand as spoken of rulers, I expressly say of private men : As well every ruler as every private man must act in a legal way; and the latter might, with equal reason, apply the civil sword himself, as use violent means" (by which I here mean reviling, studiously and unnecessarily defaming, or handing about ill stories of wicked men) "to preserve the Church." I believe it to be more especially the duty of Governors, to try to amend scandalous offenders. 2. That flagrant immorality is a sufficient reason to shun any one. 3. That to the weak and private Christian, it is an unanswerable reason for so doing. 4. That in many cases a private Christian, in some, a Clergyman, is not obliged to admonish more than once. But this being allowed, still the main argument stands, that the Scripture nowhere authorizes a private person to do more than to shun an heretic, or (which I expressly mention) an obstinate offender. I had not the least thought of any retrospect in them, neither when I wrote or spoke those words: "If Providence has pointed you out," &c. My mother's reason for my cutting off my hair, is, because she fancies it prejudices my health. As to my looks, it would doubtless mend my complexion to have it off, by letting me get a little more colour, and perhaps it might contribute to my making a more genteel appearance. But these, till ill health is added to them, I cannot persuade myself to be sufficient grounds for losing two or three pounds a year: I am ill enough able to spare them. Mr. Sherman says, there are garrets somewhere in Peckwater to be let for fifty shillings a year; that there are, too, some honest fellows in College, who would be willing to chum in one of them; and that, could my brother but find one of these garrets, and get acquainted with one of these honest fellows, he might very possibly prevail upon him to join in taking it; and then, if he could but prevail upon some one else to give him. seven pounds a year for his own room, he would gain almost six pounds a year clear, if his rent were well paid. He appealed to me, whether the proposal was not exceeding reasonable; but as I could not give him such an answer as he desired, I did not choose to give him any at all. Leisure and I have taken leave of one another; I propose to be busy as long as I live, if my health is so long indulged to me. In health and sickness I hope I shall ever continue, with the same sincerity, My love and service to my sister. Your loving brother. DEAR BROTHER, XIV. To the Same Lincoln College, November 17, 1731. CONSIDERING the other changes that I remember in myself, I shall not at all wonder if the time comes when we differ as little in our conclusions as we do now in our premises. In most we seem to agree already; especially as to rising, not keeping much company, and sitting by a fire, which I always do, if any one in the room does, whether at home or abroad. But these are the very things about which others will never agree with me. Had I given up these, or but one of them,―rising early, which implies going to bed early, (though I never am sleepy now,) and keeping so little company, not one man in ten of those that are offended at me, as it is, would ever open their mouth against any of the other particulars. For the sake of these, those are mentioned; the root of the matter lies here. Would I but employ a third of my money, and about half my time, as other folks do, smaller matters would be easily overlooked. But I think nil tanti est.* As to my hair, I am much more sure that what this enables me to do is according to the Scripture, than I am that the length of it is contrary to it. I have often thought of a saying of Dr. Hayward's, when he examined me for Priest's orders: "Do you know what you are about? You are bidding defiance to all mankind. He that would live a Christian Priest ought to know that, whether his hand be against every man or no, he must expect every man's hand should be against him." It is not strange that every man's hand who is not a Christian should be against him that endeavours to be so. But is it not hard, that even those that are with us should be against us? that a man's enemies (in some degree) should be those of the same household of faith? Yet so it is. From the time that a man sets himself to his business, very many, even of those who travel the same road, many of those who are before, as well as behind, him, will lay stumbling-blocks in his way. One blames him for not going fast enough; another, for having made no greater progress; another, for going too far, which, perhaps, strange as it is, is the more common charge of Nothing is worth such a sacrifice as this.-EDIT. the two For this comes from people of all sorts; not only Infidels, not only half Christians, but some of the best of men are very apt to make this reflection: "He lays unnecessary burdens upon himself; he is too precise; he does what God has nowhere required to be done." True, he has not required it of those that are perfect; and even as to those who are not, all men are not required to use all means; but every man is required to use those which he finds most useful to himself. And who can tell better than himself, whether he finds them so or no?" Who knoweth the things of a man better than the spirit of a man that is in him ?" This being a point of no common concern, I desire to explain myself upon it once for all, and to tell you, freely and clearly, those general positions on which I ground (I think) all those practices, for which (as you would have seen, had you read that paper through) I am generally accused of singularity. First. As to the end of my being, I lay it down for a rule, that I cannot be too happy, or, therefore, too holy; and thence infer, that the more steadily I keep my eye upon the prize of our high calling, the better, and the more of my thoughts, and words, and actions are directly pointed at the attainment of it. Secondly. As to the instituted means of attaining it, I likewise lay it down for a rule, that I am to use them every time I may. Thirdly. As to prudential means, I believe this rule holds of things indifferent in themselves: Whatever I know to do me hurt, that to me is not indifferent, but resolutely to be abstained from; whatever I know to do me good, that to me is not indifferent, but resolutely to be embraced. True; and what then? But it will be said, I am whimsical. If by whimsical be meant simply singular, I own it; if singular without any reason, I deny it with both my hands, and am ready to give a reason to any that asks me, of every custom wherein I wilfully differ from the world. I grant, in many single actions, I differ unreasonably from others; but not wilfully; no, I shall extremely thank any one who will teach me to help it. But can I totally help it, till I have more breeding, or more prudence? to neither of which I am much disposed naturally; and I greatly fear my acquired stock of either will give me small assistance. I have but one thing to add, and that is, as to my being formal. If by that be meant, that I am not easy and unaffected enough in my carriage, it is very true; but how shall I help it? |