The works of the Rev. John Wesley, Vol. 04 (of 32)

In Short

This collection of eighteenth-century pastoral sermons and moral treatises lays out a rigorous blueprint for living a devout Christian life amid mundane societal pressures. Compiled by John Wesley, the volume moves from practical pulpit guides on everyday morality—tackling issues like gossiping, financial management, civic duty, and marital obligations—to an edited treatise on Christian perfection written by William Law. It has endured as an influential text because it relentlessly bridges high theological ideals with practical, daily human conduct, rejecting cheap outward piety in favor of total internal and external transformation.

The Story

The arc of this volume develops from localized, practical pastoral advice into a sweeping philosophical argument for absolute spiritual devotion. It opens by addressing the immediate personal sins that fray communal and individual spiritual health. The narrative progression begins with a sharp condemnation of backbiting, defining evil-speaking as any narrative told of an absent person that harms their reputation, regardless of whether the statement is factually true. From interpersonal speech, the text transitions to material stewardship, systematically outlining how believers must navigate the secular economy. It instructs readers to gain all the wealth they can through honest, non-injurious labor, but strictly forbids earning money at the expense of one's physical health, mental sanity, or moral integrity. Money, in this scheme, is merely a temporary trust granted by God, destined to return to dust along with the physical body upon death.

Moving outward from the individual to public life, the work documents organized civic efforts to reform societal vices. It describes the harrowing, real-world opposition faced by reformers who attempted to enforce Sunday rest laws and curb public drunkenness in eighteenth-century London and Westminster. These reformers encountered brutal violence, verbal slander, and legal resistance from powerful landlords and magistrates who profited from Sabbath-breaking and ale-houses. The text frames these activists not as vindictive enforcers, but as compassionate surgeons who must act with gentleness, restraint, and unwavering courage.

The scope then narrows back to the domestic sphere, offering a manual for relational duties. It outlines the reciprocal obligations of husbands and wives, insisting that marriage exists to further mutual holiness and soul-care. Husbands are instructed to exercise their authority with nuanced wisdom, carefully tailoring their temperaments to their wives' emotional needs rather than ruling through brute impulse. Children are commanded to honor and love their parents by actively concealing their parents' flaws, while servants are encouraged to endure grueling earthly labor with patience, eyeing an eternal heavenly inheritance rather than worldly approval.

In its final phase, the book shifts into William Law's treatise on Christian perfection, elevating the argument from specific duties to a comprehensive worldview. The text argues that human nature is naturally disordered, easily captivated by childish sensory trifles like fine clothing, luxury, and social status. Worldly business and wealth, if allowed to dominate the heart, are exposed as dangerous distractions that sever a person from the Holy Spirit. The arc concludes with an urgent call to total self-denial and mortification. True religion, the text contends, is not a matter of outward church attendance or mechanical performance, but an all-encompassing inner renewal that governs every private thought, public conversation, and practical resource until death.

How It Unfolds

The anatomy of backbiting The work opens by diagnosing evil-speaking as a pervasive social disease that destroys Christian charity. It defines the practice not merely as lying, but as sharing any true fault of an absent person without their presence to defend themselves.

The principles of honest gain The focus shifts to economic life, establishing strict boundaries for earning a living. Readers are urged to acquire wealth only through trades that preserve physical health, allow sufficient time for rest, and avoid harming others.

The reality of finite stewardship The text reminds readers that worldly goods, bodily strength, and time are fleeting talents granted temporarily by God. At death, earthly possessions pass to others, leaving the soul to render a final account of its stewardship.

Reforming public vices A dramatic historical account illustrates the dangers of active moral reform in London. Activists distributing instructional tracts and reporting Sabbath violations face severe beatings, mob violence, and pushback from corrupt officials.

Refining domestic harmony The guidance turns to family structures, detailing how spouses must patiently bear each other's weaknesses and nurture mutual spirituality. Husbands are urged to manage their authority with gentle, individualized discretion, while children must cover their parents' faults.

Confronting worldly vanity Drawing from William Law's treatise, the text compares adult desires for wealth and status to children playing with toys. It exposes how social ambition and luxurious living keep the soul captive to sensory delusions.

The imperative of total devotion The volume concludes by demanding a complete transformation of heart and speech. It warns that unedifying, trivial conversation grieves the Holy Spirit, urging believers to embrace daily self-denial and live entirely for God.

The People

• The Christian Steward: The central ideal figure throughout the sermons. This individual views life, health, talent, and money not as personal property, but as temporary loans from God that must be used solely to alleviate human suffering and advance righteousness.
• The Evil-Speaker: The ubiquitous antagonist in social life who subtly destroys community trust. Whether speaking in hushed, sympathetic whispers or open gossip, this person continuously tramples basic charity by broadcasting the real or perceived faults of absent acquaintances.
• The Civic Reformer: Courageous individuals operating in urban London who attempt to curb public drunkenness and Sabbath profanation. They face fierce persecution, physical violence, and societal hatred from corrupt magistrates, tavern owners, and unruly mobs.
• The Husband and Wife: A partnership formed for spiritual preservation and mutual holiness. The husband must exercise governance tailored precisely to his wife's specific disposition, while both must actively provoke one another toward good works and extend gentle compassion toward personal flaws.
• The Worldly Parent: A figure critiqued in Law's treatise who spends a lifetime accumulating riches to leave to their children. On their deathbed, this parent realizes too late that endowing children with luxury merely feeds their spiritual ruin and vanity.

In Its Own Voice

"For evil speaking is neither more nor less, than speaking evil of an absent person: relating something evil which was really done or said, by one that is not present when it is related."

Defining the exact boundaries of harmful gossip in daily conversation.

"Therefore no gain whatsoever should induce us to enter into, or to continue in any employ, which is of such a kind, or is attended with so hard or so long labour, as to impair our constitution."

Establishing health and physical well-being as absolute boundaries over economic profit.

"A coach and six and an embroidered suit, shall make a great statesman as happy, as ever a go-cart and feather made a child."

Critiquing adult ambition and material luxury as childish sensory indulgence.

What It's Really About

At its core, the volume is an unyielding critique of superficial, nominal religion. It argues that genuine faith cannot coexist with a life designed around personal comfort, economic greed, or casual social conformity. Wesley and Law repeatedly insist that the human spirit is deeply impaired by sensory distractions, viewing earthly wealth and social accolades as hollow illusions that blind individuals to their spiritual poverty. The book grapples with the tension between living in a commercial, highly socialized world and maintaining absolute allegiance to God. Its primary argument is that true Christianity requires an all-encompassing reorientation of the mind, where every coin spent, every word uttered in private, and every domestic interaction serves as a direct act of worship and self-mortification.

Why Read It Today

Modern readers interested in religious history, practical ethics, or eighteenth-century social movements will find this volume surprisingly sharp and uncompromising. It offers a fascinating, unvarnished window into the daily social struggles of the era, from urban public drunkenness to the ethical dilemmas of early industrial employment. The prose is clean, direct, and unsparingly logical, stripping away comfortable excuses for personal hypocrisy.

However, contemporary readers must navigate significant stylistic and cultural hurdles. The text features archaic spellings, eighteenth-century theological vocabulary, and rigid period views on gender roles, domestic hierarchy, and filial obedience. Its uncompromising tone leaves little room for casual leisure, declaring even idle, lighthearted conversation to be spiritually dangerous. Yet, despite these stern demands, the book remains a compelling masterclass in ethical consistency. Its intense focus on practical integrity, mindful speech, and the responsible use of wealth offers a provocative, challenging contrast to modern consumer culture.