Concerning the Spirit in Which You Should Do Your Work
1. In what are called the Larger Minutes, which contain the doctrine and discipline of the Methodist Societies, and in which the wisdom and experience of your predecessors in the ministry ar condensed; you will find many excellent rules and directions, not only relative to the spirit, but also to the manner, in which you should perform the work to which you are called. I shall make but a few extracts from this pamphlet, because I wish you to read it all carefully over; and to become master of every part of the subject. The twelve rules of a helper, i.e., a Preacher just taken upon trial, have so much good sense, as well as piety, to recommend them, that I shall beg, in this place, to press them on your attention. They are the following:
1.” Be diligent: — never be unemployed a moment: — Never be triflingly employed: — never while away time: neither spend any more time at any place than is strictly necessary.
2.” Be serious. Let your motto be Holiness to the Lord. Avoid all lightness, jesting, and foolish talking.
3. ^’Converse sparingly and cautiously with women, particularly young women.
4. “Take no step towards marriage, without consulting with your brethren.
6. “Believe evil of no one; unless you see it done, take heed how you credit it. Put the best construction on everything. You know, the judge is always supposed to be on the prisoner’s side.
6.” Speak evil of no one: else your words especially would eat as doth a canker: keep your thoughts within your breast, till you come to the person concerned.
7. “Tell eveiy one what you think wrong in him, and that plainly, as soon as may be, else it will fester in your heart.
8.” Do not affect the gentleman. You have*no more to do with this character, than with that of a dancing-master. A Preacher of the gospel should be the servant of all.
9.” Be ashamed of nothing but sin: not of fetching wood or drawing water, if time permit: nor of cleaning your own shoes, or those of your neighbour.
10. Be punctual: do eveiythmg exactly at the time: and keep our rules, not for wrath, but for conscience’ sake.
11. ‘’ You have nothing to do but to save souls: therefore spend and be spent in this work: and go always, not only to those who want you, but to those who want you most.
12. ‘’It is not your business to preach so many times merely, or to take care of this or that society; but to save as many souls as you can; to bring as many sinners as you possibly can to repentance, and with all your power to build them up in that holiness, without which they cannot see the Lord.”
I have only one remark to make on these rules; and it shall be on the word gentleman, in the 8th article, which I am afraid may be misunderstood. Whether we have borrowed the term from the French gentUhomme, or the Latin hmu) genlilis, or compounded it &om the Latin gentUis, and the Saxon maUy is a matter of little consequence. The French define it, celui qui est noble de race: he who comes from a noble stock or lineage. The Romans define gentlemen thus: qui inter se eodem sunt nomine ab ingenuis oriundi, quorum majorum nemo servitutem servivit; et qui capite diminuti non sunt: Those who have a certain family name;
2 — 2 are born of freemen, whose ancestors were never in servitude; and who have never been degraded from their kindred or ancient stock.
The common acceptation of the term is, ‘^ a man of large fortune, who lives independent of all others; and who not only serves no man, but is above serving himself.’* Properly, it signifies “a man of an ancient respectable family, in possession of an entailed descending landed property; who is affable and obliging in his manners, and benevolent in his conduct:” and by courtesy it is given to every ‘’well-bred, genteel,and well-behaved man,” whether he be sprung from an ancient respectable £Etmily, and have landed property, or not.
Now, Mr. Wesley does not say. Do not act like a gentleman; this he did himself; and this he re« commended, as well by precept as example: but he says, Do not affect the gentleman; do not pretend to be what you are not — to be nobly descended when you are not: nor be above serving yourself or others, even in the meanest offices of life. He who is well-bred, decent, gentle, and obliging in all his conduct, is a gentleman: he who affects this character is none, no more than a monkey is a man.
He who boasts of his ancestry, talks of his mighty sacrifices, and insmoates that he has descended from much dignity, respectability, ease, and affluence, in order to become a Methodist preacher, is the character of which Mr. W. speaks. Such a one affects the gentleman, wishes to be thought so by others, may be thought so by persons as empty as himself; but, in the sight of every man of good common sense, is a rain, conceited, empty ass; is unworthy of the ministry, should be cast out of the vineyard, and hooted from society. You will not copy such a character as this.
These rules, next to the IScriptures, will prove a lamp to your feet, and a light to your path: and will at once recommend themselves to your judgement, your conscience, and your heart.
From what are termed the “smaller advices, relative to preaching,” I shall make a short extract, though* several of the subjects here shall be treated more at large, in the course of this letter.
1.” Be sure never to disappoint a oongregation, unless in case of life or death.
2. <’ Begin and end precisely at the time appointed.
3. ‘’Let your deportment before the congregation be serious, weighty, and solemn.
4. “Always suit your subject to your audience.
2 — 3
5. Choose the plainest texts you can.
6. Take care not to ramble, but keep to your text, and make out what you take in hand.
7. *’ Be sparing in allegorizing, or spiritualizing.
8. ‘’ Take care of any thing awkward or affected either in your gesture, phrase, or pronunciation.
9. ^’ Sing no hymns of your own composing.’* On this advice I beg leave to make one remark.
Very few persons, however accredited they may be as authors, are allowed to quote themselves in the pulpit: and for a man who is not a first rate poet to give out a hjrmn of his own composing, in such a place, must, to every intelligent person, savour of deep ignorance, and almost incurable vanity; I say, imless he be a first rate poet, such as Dr. Watts or Mr. Wesliey, which may be the case in one in every ten or twelve millions of men. The odds, there* fore, are so much against you and me, and perhaps most of our brethren, that the attempt to stand candidate for so large a portion of fame would be absurd. I might add to this. Sing no music of your own composing; it may be as exceptionable as your poetry: and from the peculiar difficulty of musical composition, it is a thousand to one it may be worse. Every man should be cautious how he exposes himself in public. ‘But to return to the smaller advices.
10 Beware of clownislmess. Be conrteous to alL
11. ‘’Be merdful to your beaet; not only ride moderately, bat see that your hmrse be rubbed, fedy and bedded.
12. ‘’ Every where recommend deanliness. Cleanliness is next to godliness.”
From these excellent documents I forebear to make any farther quotations, and come immediately to the general object which I had in view; and to which, I trust, you will, in the fear of Grod, seriously attend.
Remember, God is the Fountain of all good: whatever comes from him will lead to him. His blessing is on his own productions, and his curse on every thing besides. “Son of man,” saith the Lord, “receive the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.” Deeply consider that, to be successful in bringing souls to Qod, you must bring the spirit of the gospel into the work of the ministiy. In order to this, see that you retain a clear sense of God’s mercy to your own soul, and of your call to the work; and while.you feel his love-in your heart, it will not only support you in all trials and difficulties, but will induce you cheerfully to spend and be spent for the salvation of those for whom Christ has died.
2. You preach, not merely to explain God’s word, but to save souls: whenever you forget this, you go astray. Now, as no man can see the worth of the salvation which God has provided for him,. till he be convinced of his want of it; therefore, preach the Law and its terrors to make way for the Gospel of Christ crucified. But take heed, lest while you announce the terrors of the Lord, in order to awaken sinners and prepare them for Christ, you do not give way to your own spirit, especially if you meet with opposition. JBemember that admirable advice, given by the greatest preacher God ever made, to a young man just setting out in the work: “The servant of God must not strive, but be gentle towards all; apt to teach; patient: in meekness instructing those who oppose themselves.” 2 Tiin. ii. 24, 25. From an indescribable law in the economy of the intellectual world, the spirit that acts upon another begets in it its own likeness. You will get a profusion of light on this subject, if you take care to carry the Spirit and unction of Christ with you into all your public ministrations; and preserve them in all your private communications with the people. I have known ministers, and of no mean note either, who seldom have a soul comforted under their ministry.
LETTER TO A PREilCHSR. 21
merely because of their harsh, austere manner of preaching the gospel. Others, far their inferiors, in point of ministerial qualifications, get souls for their hire wherever they come, principally (under Grod) through their affectionate manner of recommending the gospel of the grace of Christ. Of the former it has been justly said, “They make even the promises of God too hot to be held.”
3. Beware of discouraging the people; therefore, avoid continually finding fault with them. This does very great hurt. There are some whose sermons impress nothing but terror: and though they point out the heights and depths of holiness, yet they leave the hearers no courage to follow on to know the Lord. There are others who become Censors general of the different societies to whom they preach. This (inq)erceptibly to themselves) spoils their own tempers, begets a spirit of uncharitableness, and greatly injures their usefulness. K you find a society fallen or falling, examine as closely as you can to find out all the good that is among them: and, copying Christ’s conduct towards the seven Asiatic churches, preface all that yon have to say on the head of their backsliding with the good that remains in them; and make that good which they still possess, the reason why they cdbould shake themselves dx)i the dust, take conragei and earnestly strivQ for more. If you groimd your exhortations to increasing diligence and zeal on what they have lost, instead of on what they yet possess, and may speedily gain, you iniss your “wuy, and lose your labour. I tried the former way, and did no good: I abandoned it, and adopted the latter, and God blessed it. Mr. Wesley used to give the significant appellatipn oi Croakers to those who were always telling the people, “Ye are fallen! ye are fallen!” and he observed that such injured the work of God wherev thycame* I have in general found that those who are most frequent in the above cry, are such as have suffered loss in their own souls *, and taking a prospect of what is without, from a retrospect of what is within, they imagine that all they see are in the same apostate condition with themselves.
4. Man is naturally prone to act in extremes: therefore, take good heed that while you avoid the at)ove evil, you fall not into that other of slightly passing by the transgressions of the wicked, or the backslidings of the people of God. Cases may occur, that will require public and cutting reproof: but, as I hinted before, in all such cases copy the example of our blessed Lord to the iyen. Asiatic churches. There you have an infallible directory. May God help you to follow it!
5. On this head I will venture to you another piece of advice, to which you will seriously attend, if you regard your own peace, and the good of the people.
Avoid the error of those who are continually finding fault with their congregations because more do not attend. This is both imprudent and unjust. Imprudent, for as people do not like to bo forced in what should be a free-will offering, so they are infallibly disgusted with those who attempt it: unjust, it being contrary both to reason and equity, to scold those who come, because others do not attend. I have known this conduct scatter a congregation, but I never knew it gather one. Indeed, it savours too much of pride and self-love. It seems to say, “Why do you not come to hear ME? Am I not a most excellent Preacher? What a reproach is it to your understanding that you keep away when I am here!” Bring Christ with you, and preach his truth in the love thereof, and you will never be without a congregation, if God have any work for you to do in that place.