Geoff's Miscellany

In his “Earnest Appeal to Men of Reason and Religion” Wesley recounts this exchange:

But I hear,” added he, “you preach to a great number of people every night and morning. Pray, what would you do with them? Whither would you lead them? What religion do you preach? What is it good for?” I replied, “I do preach to as many as desire to hear, every night and morning. You ask, what I would do with them: I would make them virtuous and happy, easy in themselves, and useful to others. Whither would I lead them? To heaven; to God the Judge, the lover of all, and to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant. What religion do I preach? The religion of love; the law of kindness brought to light by the gospel. What is this good for? To make all who receive it enjoy God and themselves: To make them like God; lovers of all; contented in their lives; and crying out at their death, in calm assurance, ‘O grave, where is thy victory! Thanks be unto God, who giveth me the victory, through my Lord Jesus Christ.’ ”

John Wesley, The Works of John Wesley, Third Edition., vol. 8 (London: Wesleyan Methodist Book Room, 1872), 8.

Wesley seems to have a solid grasp of what the New Testament authors saw as the good life and be appears to have seen it to be his job as a pastor/preacher to help others to attain to such a life. Would that pastors with similar aspirations increase.

Note: One might object, “But Paul preached Christ crucified,” shouldn’t a pastor focus only on that and justification by faith? My response would be to note that Paul also describes his mission and that of all of the apostles in Romans 1:5 as “bring[ing] about the obedience of faith among the nations.” I suspect that “Christ and him crucified” is a summary of the whole gospel focusing upon the cross to remind the Corinthian church of the importance of humility.