Upon Our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount Discourse V · §47 · John Wesley

Do we dare to be singular

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First, a Pharisee was not as other men are. In outward things he was singularly good. Are we so? Do we dare to be singular at all? Do we not rather swim with the stream? Do we not many times set religion and reason aside together because we would not look particular? Are we not often more afraid of being out of the fashion than of being out of the way of salvation? Have we courage to stem the tide, to run counter to the world, to obey God rather than man? Otherwise the Pharisee leaves us behind at the very first step. It is well if we overtake him any more.

1771 text

First, a Pharisee was not as other men are. In externals he was singularly good. Are we so? Do we dare to be singular at all? Do we not rather swim with the stream? Do we not many times dispense with religion and reason together, because we would not look particular? Are we not often more afraid of being out of the fashion, than being out of the way of salvation? Have we courage to stem the tide? To run counter to the world? To obey God rather than man? Otherwise the Pharisee leaves us behind at the very first step. ’Tis well if we overtake him any more.

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About this text

The fifth sermon on the Sermon on the Mount, on Matthew 5:17-20: Christ came to fulfill the law, not to destroy it, and the righteousness that exceeds the Pharisees'.

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 25 in the 1771 Works. Matthew 5:17-20.

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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