Sermon

# found: 0

Toggle:

Show Page #s Notes (4)

Notes:

Sermon 130: On Living without God

https://wesleyworks.ecdsdev.org/sermons/Sermon130

04:168 An Introductory Comment

1This sermon is dated as from ‘Rotherham [Yorkshire], July 6, 1790’, which is to say, three weeks after the previous one. The interval had included his eighty-seventh birthday and another calm reflection upon his increasing feebleness.

JWJ, June 28, 1790.

After a last visit to Epworth, he had also written an indignant letter to the Bishop of Lincoln (George Pretyman, afterwards Tomline, June 26, 1790), complaining of the latter’s unchristian persecution of the Methodists. There is, however, no mention in the Journal or the letters of the particular issues dealt with by this sermon. Thus, we may conclude that it was still another item on Wesley’s inventory of ‘unfinished business’. His obvious concern is the rising influence of Enlightenment ideas about human autonomy, which he has come to regard as a mortal danger to evangelical Christianity.

2The sermon itself amounts to a ‘final’ reiteration of an old conviction: that the conventional disjunctions in religious epistemology, between empiricism and intuitionism, are superficial and misleading. What is distinctive here is the heightened emphasis upon intuition as a radical shift from spiritual darkness to spiritual ‘sight’ and, consequently, upon the importance of ‘conversion’ as a prerequisite to an authentic visio Dei. The anecdote with which he begins his argument (§2) sets the tone for what comes after. And his concluding assertion (§15) about the primacy of holy living above orthodox opinions is more boldly stated than in any of his previous versions of this by now familiar view.

3No title was given this sermon when it appeared in the Arminian Magazine

XV.229-33, 285-88

in the May and June issues of 1792, except for the standard heading, ‘Sermon LXVII. (By the late Rev. J. Wesley)’. It was Joseph Benson who gave it its present title in 1812 and, again as usual, he was followed in this by Thomas Jackson in 1825 and 1829.

04:169 On Living without God

Ephesians 2:12

Without God in the world.

11. Perhaps these words might be more properly translated ‘atheists in the world’.

Ἄθεοι ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ; cf. Notes (‘wholly ignorant of the true God and so in effect atheists’); see also Nos. 44, Original Sin, II.3 and n.; and 23, ‘Sermon on the Mount, III’, I.11 and n.

This seems to be a little stronger expression than ‘without God in the world’, which sounds nearly

I.e., ‘only in a slight degree’, a sense dated in OED as from 1683.

negative, and does not necessarily imply any more than the having no fellowship or intercourse with God. On the contrary, the word ‘atheist’ is commonly understood to mean something positive, and not only disclaiming any intercourse with him, but denying his very being.

22. The case of these unhappy men may be much illustrated by a late incident, the truth of which cannot reasonably be doubted, there having been so large a number of eye-witnesses. An ancient oak being cut down, and split through the midst, out of the very heart of the tree crept a large toad, and walked away with all the speed he could.

An archetypal story with many versions, as in John Ray, The Wisdom of God Manifested in the Works of Creation (1709), Pt. II, pp. 372-73 (pp. 322-23, 1735 edn.). Wesley’s direct source is Oliver Goldsmith, An History of the Earth and Animated Nature (1774), VII.100-102, a detailed account of one toad found (in Hampshire) ‘cased within the body of an oak tree’, and another ‘found alive and healthy in the heart of a very thick elm’. Goldsmith cites Francis Bacon, ‘Doctor Plot’, and the Memoirs of the Academy of Sciences as credible witnesses, and adds a third accredited instance (‘near Nantes’, 1731) of a toad that had survived ‘in the heart of an old oak’, ‘not less than eighty or a hundred years without sustenance and without air’. Three interesting accounts to the same effect had appeared in Gent’s Mag. (1756), pp. 74-75 and 240-41 (cf. pp. 279-81). See also No. 19, ‘The Great Privilege of those that are Born of God’, I.4.

Now how long, may we probably imagine, had this creature continued there? It is not unlikely it might have remained in its nest above a hundred years. It is not improbable it was nearly, if not altogether, coeval with the oak; having been some way or other enclosed therein at the time that it was planted. It is not therefore unreasonable to suppose that it had lived that strange kind of life at least a century. We say, ‘it had lived’! But what manner of life! How desirable! How enviable!

04:170As Cowley says:

O life, most precious and most dear!

O life, that epicures would long to share!

Cf. Cowley, Pindarique Odes, ‘Life and Fame’, st. 2, ll. 14-15 (the setting is Pompey’s mausoleum in his amphitheatre in Rome).

Let us spend a few thoughts upon so uncommon a case, and make some improvement of it.

33. This poor animal had organs of sense; yet it had not any sensation.

For Wesley’s distinctions between empirical and intuitive knowledge, see No. 117, ‘On the Discoveries of Faith’, §1 and n.

It had eyes, yet no ray of light ever entered its black abode. From the very first instant of its existence there, it was shut up in impenetrable darkness. It was shut up from the sun, moon, and stars, and from the beautiful face of nature; indeed from the whole visible world, as much as if it had no being.

44. As no air could penetrate its sable recess,

A favourite metaphor among the poets (instances in Spenser, Milton, Waller, Dryden, and Thomas Crane [‘the sable walk of Providence through Golgotha’]).

it consequently could have no hearing. Whatever organs it was provided with, they could be of no use; seeing no undulating air could find a way through the walls that surrounded it. And there is no reason to believe that it had any sense analogous to those either of smelling or tasting. In a creature which did not need any food these could have been of no possible use. Neither was there any way whereby the objects of smell or taste could make their approach to it. It must be very little, if at all, that it could be acquainted even with the general sense, that of feeling. As it always continued in one unvaried posture amidst the parts that surrounded it, all of these being immovably fixed could make no new impression upon it. So that it had only one feeling from hour to hour, and from day to day, during its whole duration.

55. And as this poor animal was destitute of sensation, it must have equally been destitute of reflection. Its head (of whatever sort it was), having no materials to work upon, no ideas of sensation of any kind, could not produce any degree of reflection. It scarce therefore could have any memory, or any imagination. Nor could it have any locative power, while it was so closely bound in on every side. If it had in itself some springs of motion, yet it was impossible that power should be exerted, because the narrowness of its cavern could not allow of any change of place.

604:1716. How exact a parallel may be drawn between this creature (hardly to be called an animal) and a man that is ‘without God in the world’—such as are a vast majority of even those that are called Christians! I do not mean that they are ‘atheists’

Cf. §1 and n., above.

in the common sense of the word. I do not believe that these are so numerous as many have imagined. Making all the inquiry and observation I could for upwards of fifty years, I could not find twenty who seriously disbelieved the being of a God; nay, I have found only two of these (to the best of my judgment) in the British Islands: both of these then lived in London, and had been of this persuasion many years. But several years before they were called to appear before God, both John S— and John B—

An anecdote from experience? No identifiable cross-reference to these men has been located in Wesley’s writings or elsewhere.

were fully convinced that there is a God, and what is more remarkable, they were first convinced that he is a terrible, and then that he is a merciful God. I mention these two accounts to show not only that there are real literal atheists in the world, but also that even then, if they will condescend to ask it, they may find ‘grace to help in time of need’.

Heb. 4:16.

77. But I do not mean such as these when I speak of those who are ‘atheists’ or ‘without God in the world’, but of such as are only practical atheists, as have not God in all their thoughts; such as have not acquainted themselves with him, neither have any fellowship with him; such as have no more intercourse with God or the invisible world than this animal had with the visible. I will endeavour to draw the parallel between these. And may God apply it to their hearts!

88. Every one of these is in exactly such a situation with regard to the invisible as the toad was in respect to the visible world. That creature had undoubtedly a sort of life, such as it was. It certainly had all the internal and external parts that are essential to animal life. And without question it had suitable juices, which kept up a kind of circulation. This was a life indeed! And exactly such a life is that of the atheist, the man without God in the world. What a thick veil is between him and the invisible world! Which with regard to him is as though it had no being. He has not the least perception of it; not the most distant idea. He has not the least sight of God, the intellectual Sun; nor any the least attraction 04:172toward him, or desire to have any knowledge of his ways. Although his light be gone forth into all lands, and his sound unto the end of the world,

See Rom. 10:18 and Ps. 19:4.

yet he heareth no more thereof than of the fabled music of the spheres.

An ancient notion generally attributed to Pythagoras; cf. Louis Omens, Inquiry into the Origin of the Discoveries Attributed to the Moderns (1769), p. 32. One of Milton’s Prolusions (‘to be read in the schools’) was entitled, ‘On the Music of the Spheres’; see Complete Prose Works of John Milton, Don M. Wolfe, ed. (New Haven, Yale Univ. Press, 1933), pp. 234-39. The phrase also occurs in the poems of Dryden, Buckingham, and others.

He tastes nothing of the goodness of God or the powers of the world to come.

See Heb. 6:5.

He does not feel (as our Church speaks) the working of the Holy Spirit in his heart.

Cf. the Elizabethan Homily VII for ‘Rogation Week’, III; and Homily XVI, for ‘Whitsunday’, I; see No. 45, ‘The New Birth’, II.4 and n.

In a word, he has no more intercourse with a knowledge of the spiritual world than this poor creature had of the natural while shut up in its dark enclosure.

99. But the moment the Spirit of the Almighty strikes the heart of him that was till then without God in the world, it breaks the hardness of his heart, and creates all things new. The Sun of righteousness appears, and shines upon his soul, showing him the light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

See 2 Cor. 4:6; for Wesley’s theories of illumination (intuition), see No. 10, ‘The Witness of the Spirit, I’, I.12 and n. This is another way of speaking of the Holy Spirit’s prevenient action.

He is in a new world. All things round him are become new. Such as it never before entered into his heart to conceive.

See 1 Cor. 2:9.

He sees, so far as his newly opened eyes can bear the sight,

The opening heavens around him shine,

With beams of sacred bliss.

Cf. Watts, Hymns and Spiritual Songs, II.54, st. 3, in Works, IV.217. This hymn was included in the 1738 edn. of A Collection of Psalms and Hymns, but dropped from the Collection of 1780.

He sees that he has ‘an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous’,

1 John 2:1.

and that he has ‘redemption in his blood, the remission of his sins’.

Cf. Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14.

He sees a ‘new way’ that is ‘opened into the holiest by the blood of Jesus’;

Cf. Heb. 10:19-20.

and his ‘light shineth more and more unto the perfect day’.

Prov. 4:18.

1004:17310. By the same gracious stroke, he that before had ears but heard not is now made capable of hearing. He hears the voice that raiseth the dead, the voice of him that is the resurrection and the life.

John 11:25.

He is no longer deaf to his invitations or commands, to his promises or threatenings, but gladly hears every word that proceeds out of his mouth;

See Matt. 4:4.

and governs thereby all his thoughts, words, and actions.

1111. At the same time he receives other spiritual senses, capable of discerning spiritual good and evil.

See Heb. 5:14.

He is enabled to taste, as well as to see, how gracious the Lord is.

See Ps. 34:8 (BCP).

He enters into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,

See Heb. 10:19.

and tastes of the powers of the world to come.

See Heb. 6:5.

He finds Jesus’ love is far better than wine,

See S. of S. 4:10.

yea sweeter than honey or the honeycomb.

Ps. 19:10.

He knows what that meaneth, ‘All thy garments smell of myrrh, aloes, and cassia.’

Ps. 45:8.

He feels the love of God shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost which is given unto him;

See Rom. 5:5.

or, as our Church expresses it, ‘feels the workings of the Spirit of God in his heart’.

Cf. §8 above, and n. 13.

Meantime it may easily be observed that the substance of all these figurative expressions is comprised in that one word ‘faith’, taken in its widest sense; being enjoyed, more or less, by everyone that believes in the name of the Son of God. This change from spiritual death to spiritual life is properly the new birth; all the particulars whereof are admirably well expressed by Dr. Watts in one verse:

Renew my eyes, open my ears,

And form my soul afresh;

Give me new passions, joys and fears,

And turn the stone to flesh.

Cf. Watts, Hymns and Spiritual Songs, II.130, st. 5, in Works, IV.244.

1212. But before this universal change there may be many partial changes in a natural man, which are frequently mistaken for it, whereby many say, ‘Peace, peace’, to their soul, when there is no peace.

Jer. 6:14; 8:11.

There may be not only a considerable change in the life, 04:174so as to refrain from open sin, yea, the easily besetting sin;

See Heb. 12:1.

but also a considerable change of tempers, conviction of sin, strong desires, and good resolutions. And here we have need to take great care, not, on the one hand, to despise the day of small things,

See Zech. 4:10.

nor, on the other, to mistake any of these partial changes for that entire, general change, the new birth; that total change from the image of the earthly Adam into the image of the heavenly,

See 1 Cor. 15:49.

from an earthly, sensual, devilish mind

See Jas. 3:15.

into the mind that was in Christ.

See Phil. 2:5.

1313. Settle it therefore in your hearts that however you may be changed in many other respects, yet in Christ Jesus, that is, according to the Christian institution, nothing will avail without the whole mind that was in Christ, enabling you to walk as Christ walked.

See 1 John 2:6.

Nothing is more sure than this: ‘If any man be in Christ’, a true believer in him, ‘he is a new creature: old things’ in him ‘are passed away; all things are become new.’

2 Cor. 5:17; but cf. Wesley’s translation of καινὴ κτίσις ‘new creation’ in No. 127, ‘On the Wedding Garment’, §17 and n.

1414. From hence we may clearly perceive the wide difference there is between Christianity and morality. Indeed nothing can be more sure than that true Christianity cannot exist without both the inward experience and outward practice of justice, mercy, and truth; and this alone is given in morality. But it is equally certain that all morality, all the justice, mercy, and truth which can possibly exist without Christianity, profiteth nothing at all, is of no value in the sight of God, to those that are under the Christian dispensation.

Wesley makes consistent allowance for those outside such a dispensation; cf. his rejection of the notion of ‘splendid sins’ in No. 99, The Reward of Righteousness, I.4 and n.

Let it be observed, I purposely add, ‘to those that are under the Christian dispensation’, because I have no authority from the Word of God ‘to judge those that are without’.

Cf. 1 Cor. 5:12; for the problem of the salvability of the heathens, see No. 91, ‘On Charity’, I.3 and n.

Nor do I conceive that any man living has a right to sentence all the heathen and Mahometan world to damnation. It is far better to leave them to him that made them, and who is ‘the Father of the spirits of all flesh’;

Cf. Num. 16:22.

who is the God of the heathens as well as the Christians, and who hateth nothing that he hath made. But meantime this is nothing to those that name the name 04:175of Christ: all those being ‘under the law’,

Rom. 3:19.

the Christian law, shall undoubtedly be judged thereby. And of consequence, unless those be so changed as was the animal above mentioned, unless they have new senses, ideas, passions, tempers, they are no Christians! However just, true, or merciful they may be, they are but atheists still.

1515. Perhaps there may be some well-meaning persons who carry this farther still; who aver that whatever change is wrought in men, whether in their hearts or lives, yet if they have not clear views of those capital doctrines, the fall of man, justification by faith, and of the atonement made by the death of Christ, and of his righteousness transferred to them, they can have no benefit from his death. I dare in no wise affirm this. Indeed I do not believe it. I believe the merciful God regards the lives and tempers of men more than their ideas. I believe he respects the goodness of the heart rather than the clearness of the head; and that if the heart of a man be filled (by the grace of God, and the power of his Spirit) with the humble, gentle, patient love of God and man, God will not cast him into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels

Matt. 25:41. For a variation of this in se est theme, see Introduction (1:72, and n. 19, in this edn.).

because his ideas are not clear, or because his conceptions are confused. Without holiness, I own, no man shall see the Lord;

See Heb. 12:14.

but I dare not add, or clear ideas.

An echo of Descartes’s clara et distincta? See No. 7, ‘The Way to the Kingdom’, I.6 and n.

1616. But to return to the text. Let me entreat all of you who are still ‘without God in the world’ to consider with all your humanity, benevolence, virtue, you are still

Inclusi tenebris, et carcere caeco—

Cf. Virgil, Aeneid, vi.733-34: Dispiciunt clausae tenebris (‘nor do they discern the light, pent up as they are in the gloom of their dark dungeon’).

Enclosed in darkness and infernal shade.

My dear friends, you do not see God. You do not see the Sun of righteousness. You have no fellowship with the Father, or with his Son, Jesus Christ.

See 1 John 1:3.

You never heard the voice that raiseth the dead. Ye know not the voice of your Shepherd.

See John 10:2-3.

Ye have not 04:176received the Holy Ghost.

See Acts 19:2.

Ye have no spiritual senses. You have your old, natural ideas, passions, joys, and fears: you are not new creatures. O cry to God that he may rend the veil which is still upon your hearts! And which gives you occasion to complain:

O dark, dark, dark! I still must say,

Amidst the blaze of gospel day!

John and Charles Wesley, Hymns and Sacred Poems (1742), p. 204 (Poet. Wks., II.258); the hymn, ‘Come, Lord Jesus’, was later included in the Collection of 1780. A probable source for the hymn is Milton, Samson Agonistes, 80 (‘O dark, dark, dark, amid the blaze of noon’).

O that you may this day hear his voice,

See Heb. 3:7.

who speaketh as never man spake, saying, ‘Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee!’

Isa. 60:1.

Is it not his voice that crieth aloud, ‘Look unto me, and be thou saved!’

Cf. Isa. 45:22.

He saith, Lo! I come! Even so, Lord Jesus! Come quickly!

See Rev. 22:20.

Rotherham, July 6, 1790

How to Cite This Entry

, “” in , last modified February 25, 2024, https://wesleyworks.ecdsdev.org/sermons/Sermon130.

Bibliography:

, “.” In , edited by . , 2024. Entry published February 25, 2024. https://wesleyworks.ecdsdev.org/sermons/Sermon130.

About this Entry

Entry Title: Sermon 130: On Living without God

Copyright and License for Reuse

Show full citation information...