Upon Our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount Discourse XIII · §31 · John Wesley

Be merciful

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Now, seeing you can do all things through Christ strengthening you, be merciful as your Father in heaven is merciful (Luke 6:36). Love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:39). Love friends and enemies as your own soul. And let your love be long-suffering, and patient towards all men. Let it be kind, soft, benign: inspiring you with the most amiable sweetness, and the most fervent and tender affection. Let it rejoice in the truth, wherever it is found, the truth that is after godliness. Enjoy whatever brings glory to God, and promotes peace and good-will among men. In love cover all things; of the dead and the absent speaking nothing but good: believe all things, which may any way tend to clear your neighbor’s character: hope all things, in his favor, and endure all things, triumphing over all opposition. For true love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8), in time or in eternity.

1771 text

10. Now, seeing thou canst do all things thro’ Christ strengthening thee, be merciful as thy Father in heaven is merciful. Love thy neighbour as thyself. Love friends and enemies as thy own soul. And let thy love be long-suffering, and patient towards all men. Let it be kind, soft, benign: inspiring thee with the most amiable sweetness, and the most fervent and tender affection. Let it rejoice in the truth, wheresoever it is found, the truth that is after godliness. Enjoy whatsoever brings glory to God, and promotes peace and good-will among men. In love cover all things; of the dead and the absent speaking nothing but good: believe all things, which may any way tend to clear your neighbour’s character: hope all things, in his favour, and endure all things, triumphing over all opposition. For true love never faileth, in time or in eternity.

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About this text

The last of the thirteen sermons on the Sermon on the Mount, on Matthew 7:21-27: not everyone who says Lord, Lord, and the wise man who builds on the rock.

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 33 in the 1771 Works. Matthew 7:21-27.

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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