The works of the Rev. John Wesley, Vol. 02 (of 32)Wesley, John
Religion
The works of the Rev. John Wesley, Vol. 02 (of 32)
Wesley, John
Methodist Church; Theology -- Early works to 1800; Theology -- History -- 18th century
7. It follows, love _is not puffed_ up. It does not incline or suffer
any man _to think more highly of himself than he ought to think_: but
rather _to think soberly_. Yea, it humbles the soul unto the dust. It
destroys all high conceits engendering pride, and makes us rejoice to
be as nothing, to be little and vile, the lowest of all, the servant
of all. They who are _kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly
love_, cannot but _in honour prefer one another_. Those who _having the
same love_ are _of one accord_, do _in lowliness of mind each esteem
other better than themselves_.
8. _It doth not behave itself unseemly._ It is not rude, or willingly
offensive to any. It _renders to all their due; fear to whom fear,
honour to whom honour_: courtesy, civility, humanity to all the world;
in their several degrees _honouring all men_. A late writer defines
good-breeding, nay, the highest degree of it, politeness, “a continual
desire to please, appearing in all the behaviour.” But if so, there
is none so well-bred as a Christian, a lover of all mankind. For he
cannot but desire to _please all men, for their good, to edification_.
And this desire cannot be hid: it will necessarily appear in all
his intercourse with men. For his _love_ is _without dissimulation_;
it will appear in all his actions and conversation: yea, and will
constrain him, tho’ without guile, to _become all things to all men,
if by any means_ he _may save some_.
9. And in becoming all things to all men, _love seeketh not her own_.
In striving to please all men, the lover of mankind has no eye at all
to his own temporal advantage. He covets no man’s silver, or gold, or
apparel: he desires nothing, but the salvation of their souls. Yea, in
some sense he maybe be said, _not to seek his own_ spiritual, any more
than temporal advantage. For while he is on the full stretch to save
their souls from death, he, as it were forgets himself. He does not
think of himself, so long as that zeal for the glory of God swallows
him up. Nay, at some times, he may almost seem, through an excess of
love, to give up himself, both his soul and his body: while he cries
out with _Moses, [56]Oh! this people have sinned a great sin. Yet
now, if thou wilt, forgive their sin. And if not, blot me out of the
book which thou hast written_! Or with St. _Paul, [57]I could wish
that myself were accursed from_ Christ, _for my brethren, my kinsmen
according to the flesh_!
10. No marvel that such _love is not provoked_: οὐ παροξύνεται· Let it
be observed, the word _easily_, strangely inserted in the translation,
is not in the original. St. _Paul_’s words are absolute. _Love is not
provoked_: it is not provoked to unkindness, toward any one. Occasions
indeed will frequently occur; outward provocations of various kinds:
but love does not yield to provocation. It triumphs over all. In all
trials it looketh unto _Jesus_, and is more than conqueror in his love.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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