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John Wesley
John Wesley (1703 - 1791). English Anglican clergyman, evangelist, and co-founder of Methodism, born in Epworth, Lincolnshire, to a rector’s family. Educated at Oxford, where he earned an M.A. in 1727, he was ordained in 1728 and led the Holy Club with brother Charles, emphasizing disciplined faith. After a failed mission to Georgia (1735-1737), he experienced a transformative conversion in 1738 at Aldersgate, London, feeling his “heart strangely warmed.” Wesley preached over 40,000 sermons, often outdoors, sparking the 18th-century Evangelical Revival, and traveled 250,000 miles on horseback across Britain and Ireland. He authored 400 works, including A Plain Account of Christian Perfection (1777), and edited The Christian’s Pattern. Founding Methodist societies, he trained 650 preachers and ordained ministers for America, influencing millions. Married to Mary Vazeille in 1751, their childless union strained, but his brother’s hymns enriched worship. A tireless advocate for the poor, he opened dispensaries and schools, and his 1787 sermon against slavery stirred abolitionism. Despite tensions with the Church of England, he never left it, shaping global Protestantism. His maxim, “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can,” inspired generations to active faith. Wesley’s journals and letters, still widely read, reveal a legacy of practical holiness and social reform
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John Wesley emphasizes the importance of recognizing our need for help in every aspect of life, particularly in our spiritual journey. He reflects on Psalm 121:1, where the pilgrim looks to the hills for assistance, reminding us that true strength and wisdom come from God alone. Wesley encourages believers to acknowledge their weaknesses and to rely on the Lord as their ultimate source of support, which is a sign of strength rather than weakness. He challenges us to seek help not only from God but also from others in our community, fostering accountability in our spiritual lives. Ultimately, looking to God for help prepares us for both the small and significant challenges we face.
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You Have a Helper
I lift up my eyes to the hills— where does my help come from? Psalm 121:1 This is one of the Psalms that was used by pilgrims as they travelled to Jerusalem for the religious festivals. The journey was long and dangerous with thieves and hijackers a constant danger, especially at night. Sentries were placed on surrounding hills at night and the picture we have here is of a pilgrim looking up to the hills before going to bed and meditating on the thought : “Where does my help really come from?” In a reference to this verse in his sermon The Reformation of Manners, John Wesley suggests the following : “Deeply conscious therefore should every member of this society be of his own foolishness, weakness, helplessness; continually hanging with his whole soul upon Him who alone has wisdom and strength, with an unspeakable conviction that ‘the help which is done upon the earth, God doth it Himself.’ ” We need help with everything, from keeping our cars going to filling in our income tax returns, from doing our job properly to conducting our personal relationships. We need help in our spiritual life, which can not only be difficult but dangerous! We need help, and in every area sentries (i.e. others) are useful but like the Psalmist we must look beyond them to the real source of strength: the loving, protecting, always awake Lord who made the hills. We all need help and acknowledging this is not weakness, but strength, and looking to God for that strength is the beginning (and the continuance) of faith. Looking to God for strength in small things stands us in good stead for when the big things come. How good are you at asking for help, particularly in your spiritual pilgrimage? While looking to the Lord for help, how do you feel about asking someone to watch over you and hold you accountable to a ‘Sermon on the Mount lifestyle’? As you look to the Lord for help ask Him who He wants you to help today. Lo! To the hills I lift mine eye, Thy promised aid I claim; Father of mercies, glorify Thy favourite Jesu’s name! (134)
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John Wesley (1703 - 1791). English Anglican clergyman, evangelist, and co-founder of Methodism, born in Epworth, Lincolnshire, to a rector’s family. Educated at Oxford, where he earned an M.A. in 1727, he was ordained in 1728 and led the Holy Club with brother Charles, emphasizing disciplined faith. After a failed mission to Georgia (1735-1737), he experienced a transformative conversion in 1738 at Aldersgate, London, feeling his “heart strangely warmed.” Wesley preached over 40,000 sermons, often outdoors, sparking the 18th-century Evangelical Revival, and traveled 250,000 miles on horseback across Britain and Ireland. He authored 400 works, including A Plain Account of Christian Perfection (1777), and edited The Christian’s Pattern. Founding Methodist societies, he trained 650 preachers and ordained ministers for America, influencing millions. Married to Mary Vazeille in 1751, their childless union strained, but his brother’s hymns enriched worship. A tireless advocate for the poor, he opened dispensaries and schools, and his 1787 sermon against slavery stirred abolitionism. Despite tensions with the Church of England, he never left it, shaping global Protestantism. His maxim, “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can,” inspired generations to active faith. Wesley’s journals and letters, still widely read, reveal a legacy of practical holiness and social reform