The Nature of Enthusiasm · §35 · John Wesley

Left to his own heart

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Being thus fortified both against the grace of God and against all advice and help from man, he is wholly left to the guidance of his own heart and of the king of the children of pride (Job 41:34). No marvel then that he is daily more rooted and grounded (Ephesians 3:17) in contempt of all mankind, in furious anger, in every unkind disposition, in every earthly and devilish temper. Nor can we wonder at the terrible outward effects which have flowed from such dispositions in all ages: even all manner of wickedness, all the works of darkness (Ephesians 5:11), committed by those who called themselves Christians, while they worked with greediness (Ephesians 4:19) such things as were hardly named even among the heathens (1 Corinthians 5:1).

1771 text

32. Being thus fortified both against the grace of God, and against all advice and help from man, he is wholly left to the guidance of his own heart, and of the king of the children of pride. No marvel then that he is daily more rooted and grounded in contempt of all mankind, in furious anger, in every unkind disposition, in every earthly and devilish temper. Neither can we wonder at the terrible outward effects, which have flowed from such dispositions in all ages: even all manner of wickedness, all the works of darkness, committed by those who called themselves Christians, while they wrought with greediness such things, as were hardly named even among the Heathens.

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About this text

On Acts 26:24: what enthusiasm, or religious madness, is, the forms it takes, and how to avoid it without losing true religion.

EditionPrinted in Wesley's 1771 Works, which do not say when he preached it

Wesley's own sermon in updated English wording. The 1771 panel is the text of the Works Wesley himself had printed in 1771. It is public domain.

Reference

Sermon 37 in the 1771 Works. Acts 26:24.

We have not yet re-checked this work against its source. We put this English text into updated wording with AI help. No scholar has yet certified it as faithful and complete. Open the 1771 text under any part to compare.

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