"One of the greatest evidences of God's love to those that love him is, to send them afflictions, with grace to bear them.”

-John Wesley

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Giancarlo

"If we suffer persecution and affliction in a right manner, we attain a larger measure of conformity to Christ, by a due improvement of one of these occasions, than we could have done merely by imitating his mercy, in abundance of good works.”

-John Wesley

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Giancarlo

"The readiest way to escape from our sufferings is, to be willing they should endure as long as God pleases.”

-John Wesley

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Giancarlo

"A man that is not a thorough friend to Christian perfection will easily puzzle others, and thereby weaken, if not destroy, any select society."
--John Wesley's last recorded utterance on Christian perfection, made in the year of his death, 1791.

"The best helps to growth in grace are the ill usage, the affronts, and the losses which befal us. We should receive them with all thankfulness, as preferable to all others, were it only on this account, -- that our will has no part therein.”

-John Wesley

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Giancarlo

"The bottom of the soul may be in repose, even while we are in many outward troubles; just as the bottom of the sea is calm, while the surface is strongly agitated.”

-John Wesley

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Giancarlo

"The truly devout show that passions as naturally flow from true as from false love; so deeply sensible are they of the goods and evils of those whom they love for God's sake. But this can only be comprehended by those who understand the language of love.”

-John Wesley

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Giancarlo

"The sympathies formed by grace far surpass those formed by nature.”

-John Wesley

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Giancarlo

"A Second fruit then of the love of God (so far as it can be distinguished from it) is universal obedience to him we love, and conformity to his will; obedience to all the commands of God, internal and external; obedience of the heart and of the life; in every temper, and in all manner of conversation. And one of the tempers most obviously implied herein, is, the being "zealous of good works;" the hungering and thirsting to do good, in every possible kind, unto all men; the rejoicing to "spend and be spent for them," for every child of man; not looking for any recompence in this world, but only in the resurrection of the just."
-John Wesley
THE MARKS OF THE NEW BIRTH: SERMON 18

this is a gem of a thread!

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CHRISTIAN