DAY 21

MORNING

PSALM 105

Psalm 105:1 “Make known among the nations what he has done.”

“I Look Upon All the Whole World as My Parish”

John Wesley described early in the Methodist revival the reason why he preached the Gospel and the nature of his commission:144

11 June 1739

I do not think it hard to justify whatever I do. God in Scripture commands me, according to my power, to instruct the ignorant, reform the wicked, confirm the virtuous. Man forbids me to do this in another’s parish; that is, in effect, to do it at all, seeing I have now no parish of my own, nor probably ever shall. Whom then shall I hear, God or man? ... I look upon all the world as my parish; thus far I mean, that, in whatever part of it I am, I judge it meet, right, and my bounden duty to declare unto all that are willing to hear, the glad tidings of salvation. This is the work which I know God has called me to; and sure I am that His blessing attends it. Great encouragement have I, therefore, to be faithful in fulfilling the work He hath given me to do. His servant I am, and, as such, am employed according to the plain direction of His Word, “As I have opportunity, doing good unto all men”; and His providence clearly concurs with his Word; which has disengaged me from all things else, that I might singly attend on this very thing, “and go about doing good”.

When he was nearly 70 Wesley wrote to John Fletcher. Wesley had expected that Fletcher might be his successor. He wrote, “what an amazing work has God wrought in these kingdoms in less than forty years. And it not only continues but increases throughout England, Scotland and ireland; nay it has lately spread into New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland and Carolina.”145 However Fletcher’s health worsened and he died before John Wesley. The Lord would raise up others to further the work.146

Prayer

Thank you for calling us to this task of going into ALL THE WORLD to make disciples. We ask you for the NATIONS. They are your inheritance. Help us according to your power to instruct the ignorant, reform the wicked, confirm the virtuous, to make the glad tidings of salvation known among the NATIONS, to make known what you have done, Lord, IN ALL THE WORLD.

144 Wesley, J. Journal, June 11th 1739, Vol 1, 189, 190.


145 Wesley, J. Letter to John Fletcher January 1773 , Vol 12, 163.

146 Pollock, J. Wesley, 247. DAY 21

EVENING

PSALM 106

Psalm 106:6 “We have sinned, even as our fathers did ... yet he saved them for his name’s sake.”

Classes and Bands

At The Holy Club in Oxford and at the Fetter Lane society in London, practical holiness and openly confessing sin was a strong value for John Wesley. He saw that this practical holiness was the experience 
of the primitive Church. From the very beginnings of Methodism Wesley developed a system of classes and bands, where confession of sin in small groups became a lifestyle.

The classes consisted of a meeting once 
a week in the evening for about an hour. At these meetings the group members would report back to the other group members how they were doing spiritually, tell each other any needs or spiritual problems that they were facing and receive prayer.147 “Advice or reproof was given as need required, quarrels were made up, misunderstandings were removed. And after an hour or two spent in this labour of love they concluded with prayer and thanksgiving.”148

The bands were groups organised according to age, sex and marital status and they were usually smaller than class meetings.149 Wesley described them as follows:

The design of the band meeting is to obey that command of God, “Confess your thoughts one to another, and pray for one another that you may be healed.” To this end, we intend —

1 To meet once a week at least.

2 To come punctually at the hour appointed, without some extraordinary reason.


3 To begin (those of us who are present) exactly at the hour, with singing or prayer.


4 To speak each of us in order, freely and plainly the true state of our souls, with the faults we have committed in thought, word or deed, and the temptations we have felt, since our last meeting.

5 To end every meeting with prayer suited to the state of each person present.

6 To desire some person among us to speak his own state first, and then to ask the rest in order as many and as searching questions as may be, concerning their state, sins and temptations.150

Prayer

I John 1:9 says “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us
 our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Lord, I forsake all known sin: IN THOUGHT — convict me of any past sin; IN WORD — I choose to confess this past sin; IN DEED — show me, where appropriate, how I should correct this past sin. Thank you for your forgiveness and your cleansing. I follow you on your highway of holiness.

147 Snyder, H. The Radical Wesley, 55,


148 Wesley, J. Letter to Mr Perronet 1748 , Vol VIII, 253, 254.

149 Snyder, H. The Radical Wesley, 59,