The works of the Rev. John Wesley, Vol. 15 (of 32)Wesley, John
History
The works of the Rev. John Wesley, Vol. 15 (of 32)
Wesley, John
Methodist Church; Theology -- Early works to 1800; Theology -- History -- 18th century
3. Wherever we have a large preaching-house at one end of a great town,
let us preach abroad at the other end of it, every _Sunday_ morning at
least.
4. Be more diligent in morning-preaching, wherever you can have twenty
hearers.
5. Be more active in dispersing the books: particularly the sermon on
the _Good Steward_, on _In-being Sin_, the _Repentance of Believers_,
and the _Scripture Way of Salvation_. Every assistant may give away
small tracts. And he may beg money of the rich to buy books for the
poor.
6. Let every preacher strongly insist upon practical religion and
relative duties: but in such a manner as to keep Christ continually
in view.
7. Exhort the leaders of bands to speak to those with them in the
closest manner possible.
8. Encourage all at the public meeting of the bands to speak with all
openness and simplicity.
9. Let a fast be observed in all our societies on the last _Friday_
in _September_, and on the _Friday_ after _New Year’s Day_, after
_Lady-day_, and after _Midsummer-day_.
10. Wherever you can, use intercession on _Friday_, and recommend
_fasting_ both by precept and example.
11. Be conscientiously exact in the whole Methodist discipline. And
that you may understand it, read over carefully _The plain account
of the people called Methodists_, and the several _Minutes of the
CONFERENCES_.
12. Beware of _formality_ in singing, or it will creep in upon us
unawares. Is it not creeping in already, by those complex tunes, which
it is scarce possible to sing with devotion? Such is “Praise ye the
Lord ye blessed ones:” such the long quavering _hallelujah_ annexed to
the morning song-tune, which I defy any man living to sing devoutly.
The repeating the same word so often, (but especially while another
repeats different words, the horrid abuse which runs through the
modern church music) as it shocks all common sense, so it necessarily
brings in dead formality, and has no more of religion in it than a
_Lancashire_ hornpipe. Beside that, it is a flat contradiction to our
Lord’s command, “Use not vain repetitions.” For what is vain repetition,
if this is not? What end of devotion does it serve? Again, Do not
suffer the people to sing too slow. This naturally tends to formality,
and is brought in by those who have very strong, or very weak voices.
Is it not possible, that all the _Methodists_ in the nation should sing
equally quick? Why should not the assistant see that they be taught
to sing in every large society? And do this in such a manner, as to
obviate the ill effects which might otherwise spring therefrom?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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