God in London. Many who previously had no interest in any of these
20. In the year 1762, there was a great increase of the work of God in London. Many who previously had no interest in any of these things were deeply convinced of their lost condition. Many found redemption in the blood of Christ. Not a few backsliders were healed.
And a considerable number of people believed that God had saved them from all sin. Easily anticipating that Satan would be striving to sow weeds among the wheat,' I took great pains to warn them of the danger, particularly with regard to pride and enthusiasm. pride: having too high an opinion of the self and its powers. Pride is a danger to the soul because it causes one to believe that he or she is selfWhile I stayed in town, I had reason to hope they remained both humble and sensible. But almost as soon as I was gone, enthusiasm broke in. Two or three began to take their own imaginations for impressions from God, and from there they began to believe that they will never die. They caused much noise and confusion while working sufficient and does not need God.
Pride leads to self-centeredness, which leads ultimately to rebellion against God and rejection of grace. to bring others into the same belief. Soon after, the same people along with a few more developed other excesses: thinking that they could not be tempted, that they would feel no more pain, and that they had the gift of prophecy and of discerning of spirits. enthusiasm: a religious fervor that is often coupled with powerful emotional experience. This experience often leads to ardent religious devotion that tends toward arrogance, self-righteousness, and fanatacism. For this reason, Wesley When I returned to London in autumn, some of them stood corrected while others were beyond instruction. In the meantime I was flooded with criticism from almost every quarter. The Londoners were unhappy because I was restraining them on all occasions. Others, outside of London, were angry because I did not check them. However, the hand of the Lord was not hindered. More and more sinners were convicted, some were converted to God almost daily, and others were enabled to love him with all their heart. later warns that pride often leads to enthusiasm.
The early Methodists were often accused of being enthusiasts because of the emotional response that accompanied society and class meetings and because of the disciplined lives supported by the class meeting and bands.
21. About this time, a friend at some distance from London wrote to me as follows:
Do not be unduly alarmed that Satan sows weeds among the wheat of Christ. It has always been so, especially on any extraordinary outpouring of his Spirit. And it will always be so, until Satan is chained up for a thousand years.' Until then, he will always imitate and work to counteract the work of the Spirit of Christ.
One lamentable effect of this has been that a world, which is always asleep in the arms of the evil one, has ridiculed every work of the Holy Spirit.