Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Alcenir Oliveira
for
ICAM 848 - THE HISTORY OF PREACHING
Interdenominational Theological Center
Atlanta, Georgia
April 6, 2004
As the fifteenth of nineteen children, John Wesley was born on the seventeenth of
June, 1703, in Epworth rectory, England, son of Samuel and Suzanna Wesley. His father
was a teacher and his mother was a Bible Study teacher that remarkably gathered more
than two hundred people in her meetings.
John Wesley was fond of games and particularly of dancing. As a very religious
man at his university time, Wesley was a leader at Oxford and one of the founders of the
"Holy Club," an organization of serious-minded students. After leaving the university, he
had contact with Luther’s writings and could feel the treasure of the Gospel of Jesus
Christ.
John Wesley developed his gift as a preacher during the time he spent in Georgia
with his brother, where they were sent to preach the Gospel. In his daily notes he
mentions that he was very much impressed by the Moravian for their composure and
entire resignation to God. After his return, with this experience of preaching, he became a
powerful popular preacher and a national leader. At this time he walked with George
Whitefield, who influenced his work with his eloquence.
Yet in his eighty-fith years old he was much vigorous and attributed this to his
good sleeping habit, waking up at four o’clock in the morning to preach at five, doing this
for sixty years. He said that in his life never felt any pain or anxiety, preaching at least
twice a day, sometimes three or four. It is said that he used to travel about forty-five
hundred Englis miles per year, most of the time by horse.
John Wesley preaching mission was not an easy task. He used to be threatened in
many ways, even by stoning, most of the time without the protection of order
enforcement.
Since youth Wesley was a Communion devoted churchman. The name Methodist
came from his particular way of dealing with ordaining preachers, as he used to separate
and develop a distinguished organizing power in their leaders based on strict methods.
The history describes the Wesley fellowship that developed into the Methodist Church as
“an organization of almost military perfection”. Aside from managing his growing
denomination, he established in 1744 an annual conference that acquired governing
power after his death, and dedicated time to reading, traveling and preaching. He left a
legacy on Christian Education for “his effort to disseminate useful knowledge throughout
his denominationon”. He developed plan to apply instruction for the traveling and local
preachers as though as for future teachers.
Because of this consciousness of the need to create a learning environment,
Wesley dedicated part of his time in preparing “books for popular use upon universal
history, church history, and natural history”, and published the best of his sermons and
many theological works.
The following quotes show a picture of what physically and in terms of mood and
of the product of his work:
“John Wesley was of but ordinary stature, and yet of noble presence. His features
were very handsome even in old age. He had an open brow, an eagle nose, a clear eye,
and a fresh complexion. His manners were fine, and in choice company with Christian
people he enjoyed relaxation. Persistent, laborious love for men's souls, steadfastness,
and tranquillity of spirit were his most prominent traits of character. Even in doctrinal
controversies he exhibited the greatest calmness. He was kind and very liberal. His
industry has been named already. In the last fifty-two years of his life, it is estimated
that he preached more than forty thousand sermons”1.
He preached the Kingdom of God throughout three kingdoms and two
hemispheres. He dealt with fields of the Christian efforts that included foreign missions,
home mission, Christian tracts and literature, field preaching, circuit preaching, Bible
readings. He revolutionized the English society by preaching the justification and renewal
of the soul by believing in Jesus Christ, the Redeemer, converting from exceeding
ignorance and evil habits. After this enculturation on half of the world of his time, he died
in 1791, closing a career of service leaving his fingerprints and footprints in such a way
that nothing even the time can not erase, because it was made with the ink of a fervent
spirit and hearty brotherhood that will survive in the body that cherishes his name – the
Methodist Church.
He lived from 1703 to 1791 as a man much ahead of his time in intelect and
thinking, highly convinced that the Gospel is for everyone, for the whole humanity. He
was one of the first with a holistic view of the Gospel, founding dispensaries for sick
people, orphanates, school for poor, with a great concern about prisoners, opposition to
slavery and much more. He traveled over 250,000 miles in his lifetime, as he spread the
Gospel. The influence of his persuasive preaching and organizational abilities led to the
creation of Methodist bands, classes, and societies in England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland,
and the American colonies. The United Methodist Church is one of the denominations
which is part of the legacy of John Wesley.
1
An Account of the Life of John Wesley. Fox's Book of Martyrs, Chapter 20.
the new birth? How must we be born again? What is the nature of the new birth?
and Wherefore must we be born again?; “On Justification By Faith” showing the
the general ground of this doctrine of justification, what justification is, who are
justified and on what terms they are justified; and “On Repentence of Believers”,
where he explores in what sense are we to repent, supposing we do repent, then
are we called to "believe in the gospel?" and are we wholly sanctified when we are
justified, our hearts cleansed from all sin?
Hereunder, a short approach of the Grace of God, Repentence and New
Birth is developped to show some answers he wonderfully draws.
3
God's Preparing, Accepting, and Sustaining Grace - ttp://gbgm-
umc.org/umw/wesley/justifying#justifying
4
God's Preparing, Accepting, and Sustaining Grace- ttp://gbgm-
umc.org/umw/wesley/justifying#justifying
grace, as the former faith and repentance were, in order to our entering into the
kingdom of God”. 5
The main questions of repentece answered in his sermon are:
1. In what sense are we to repent?
The basic answer he bings about is that “Repentance frequently means an inward
change, a change of mind from sin to holiness. But we now speak of it in a quite
different sense, as it is one kind of self-knowledge, the knowing ourselves sinners, yea,
guilty, helpless sinners, even though we know we are children of God”6.
2. Supposing we do repent, then are we called to "believe in the gospel?"
The most fittable answer he presents in the third point of part II of this sermon: “You
have therefore good reason to believe, he is not only able, but willing to do this; to
cleanse you from all your filthiness of flesh and spirit; to "save you from all your
uncleannesses." This is the thing which you now long for; this is the faith which you
now particularly need, namely, that the Great Physician, the Lover of my soul, is
willing to make me clean. But is he willing to do this to-morrow, or to-day? Let him
answer for himself: "To-day, if ye will hear" My "voice, harden not your hearts." If
you put it off till to-morrow, you harden your hearts; you refuse to hear his voice.
Believe, therefore, that he is willing to save you to-day. He is willing to save you now.
"Behold, now is the accepted time." He now saith, "Be thou clean!" Only believe, and
you also will immediately find, "all things are possible to him that believeth”7.
3. Are we wholly sanctified when we are justified, our hearts cleansed
from all sin?
Wesley breaks the person and expose the interior to clarify how cleasing happens, in the
first point of the third part of his sermon:
“…we are wholly sanctified when we are justified; that our hearts are then cleansed
from all sin. It is true, we are then delivered, as was observed before, from the
dominion of outward sin; and, at the same time, the power of inward sin is so broken,
that we need no longer follow, or be led by it: but it is by no means true, that inward
5
WESLEY, John. Sermon number 14 “On Repentence of Believers”.
6
Ib. Id.
7
Ib. Id.
sin is then totally destroyed; that the root of pride, self-will, anger, love of the world, is
then taken out of the heart; or that the carnal mind, and the heart bent to backsliding,
are entirely extirpated. And to suppose the contrary is not, as some may think, an
innocent harmless mistake. No: it does immense harm: it entirely blocks up the way to
any farther change; for it is manifest, "they that are whole not need a physician, but
they that are sick." If, therefore, we think we are quite made whole already, there is no
room to seek any further healing. On this supposition it is absurd to expect a farther
deliverance from sin, whether gradual or instantaneous”.
8
Sermon 45 (text from the 1872 edition) The New Birth by John Wesley, Part I, Item 1.
9
Sermon 45 (text from the 1872 edition) The New Birth by John Wesley, Part II, Item 3.
To this third questioning he answers giving this very foundation as to what end it
is necessary to be born again: “it is very easily discerned, that this is
necessary, First, in order to holiness. For what is holiness according
to the oracles of God? Not a bare external religion, a round of
outward duties, how many soever they be, and how exactly soever
performed. No: Gospel holiness is no less than the image of God
stamped upon the heart; it is no other than the whole mind which
was in Christ Jesus; it consists of all heavenly affections and
tempers mingled together in one. It implies such a continual,
thankful love to Him who hath not withheld from us his Son, his only
son, as makes it natural, and in a manner necessary to us, to love
every child of man; as fills us "with bowels of mercies, kindness,
gentleness, long-suffering:" It is such a love of God as teaches us to
be blameless in all manner of conversation; as enables us to present
our souls and bodies, all we are and all we have, all our thoughts,
words, and actions, a continual sacrifice to God, acceptable through
Christ Jesus. Now, this holiness can have no existence till we are
renewed in the image of our mind. It cannot commence in the soul
till that change be wrought; till, by the power of the Highest
overshadowing us, we are "brought from darkness to light, from the
power of Satan unto God;" that is, till we are born again; which,
therefore, is absolutely necessary in order to holiness”10.
10
Ib. Id. Part III, Item 1.
Bibliography
John Wesley: Holiness of Heart and Life copyright © 1996 Charles Yrigoyen, Jr., p. 33.
Sermon 14 (text from the 1872 edition) The Repentance of Believers
Sermon 5 (text from the 1872 edition) Justification by Faith by John Wesley
Sermon 45 (text from the 1872 edition) The New Birth by John Wesley
Sermon 128 (text from the 1872 edition), Free Grace, by John Wesley, Preached at
Bristol, in the year 1740