The Burning Charity
7. THE BURNING CHARITY
O, grant that nothing in my soul May dwell but thy pure love alone:
O, may thy love possess me whole, My joy, my treasure, and my crown.
Strange flames far from my heart remove, My every act, word, thought, be love.
From the German of Paulus Gerhardt (1606-76) Poetical Works, Vol. I, p. 138
Fire is the symbol of love; and the love of God is the principle and end of all our good works. But truth surpasses figure; and the fire of divine love has this advantage over material fire that it can re-ascend to its source, and raise thither with it all the good works which it produces. And by this means it prevents their being corrupted by pride, vanity, or any evil mixture. But this cannot be done otherwise than by making these good works in a spiritual manner die in God by a deep gratitude, which plunges the soul in him as in an abyss, with all that it is, and all the grace and works for which it is indebted to him; a gratitude whereby the soul seems to empty itself of them, that they may return to their source, as rivers seem willing to empty themselves, when they pour themselves with all their waters into the sea.
Works, Vol. XI, p. 441
Charity cannot be practised right, unless, First, we exercise it the moment God gives the occasion; and, Secondly, retire the instant after to offer it to God by humble thanksgiving. And this for three reasons: First, to render
Him what we have received from Him. The Second, to avoid the dangerous temptation which springs from the very goodness of these works. And the Third, to unite ourselves to God, in whom the soul expands itself in prayer, with all the graces we have received, and the good works we have done, to draw from Him new strength against the bad effects which these very works may produce in us, if we do not make use of the antidotes which God has ordained against these poisons. The true means to be filled anew with the riches of grace is thus to strip ourselves of it; and without this it is extremely difficult not to grow faint in the practice of good works.
Works, Vol. XI, p. 436
A Prayer for the Love of God I know, O Lord, that thou has commanded me, and therefore it is my duty, to love Thee with all my heart, and with all my strength. I know Thou art infinitely holy and overflowing in all perfection; and therefore it is my duty so to love Thee.
I know Thou hast created me, and that I have neither being nor blessing but what is the effect of Thy power and goodness.
I know Thou art the end for which I was created, and that I can expect no happiness but in Thee.
I know that in love to me, being lost in sin, thou didst
send Thy only Son, and that He, being the Lord of glory, did humble Himself to the death upon the cross, that I might be raised to glory.
I know Thou hast provided me with all necessary helps for carrying me through this life to that eternal glory, and this out of the excess of Thy pure mercy to me, unworthy of all mercies.
I know Thou hast promised to be Thyself my 'exceeding great reward;'though it is Thou alone who Thyself'workest in me, both to will and to do of Thy good pleasure.'
Upon these, and many other titles, I confess it is my duty to love Thee, my God, with all my heart. Give Thy strength unto Thy servant, that Thy love may fill my heart, and be the motive of all the use I make of my understanding, my affections, my senses, my health, my time, and whatever other talents I have received from Thee. Let this, O God, rule my heart without a rival; let it dispose all my thoughts, words, and works; and thus only can I fulfil my duty and Thy command, of loving Thee 'with all my heart, and mind, and soul, and strength.'
A Collection of Forms of Prayer for every day in the week (first printed 1733), Works, Vol. XI, pp. 204-5
Letter to William Wilberforce My dear Sir - Unless the Divine power has raised you up to be as Athanasius contra mundum, I see not how you can go through your glorious enterprise, in opposing that villainy which is the scandal of religion, of England and of human nature. Unless God has raised you up for this very thing, you will be worn out by the opposition of men and devils.
But if God be for you who can be against you? Are all of them together stronger than God? O, be not weary of well
doing! Go on, in the name of God, and in the power of his might, till even American slavery (the vilest that ever saw the sun) shall vanish before it.
Reading this morning a tract wrote by a poor African, I was particularly struck by that circumstance, that a man who has a black skin, being wronged or outraged by a white man, can have no redress; it being a law in our colonies that the oath of a black against a white goes for nothing. What villainy is this! That he who has guided you from youth up may continue to strengthen you in this and all things is the prayer of, dear Sir, Your affectionate servant Letters Vo\. VIII, 265, February 24th, 1791
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Albert C. Outler (ed.) John Wesley (Library of Protestant Thought, Oxford 1964) V. H. H. Green, The Young Mr Wesley (London 1961)
Martin Schmidt, John Wesley, A Theological Biography translated by Norman P. Goldhawk Vols. I and II (London 1962 and 1971) R. E. Davies and E. G. Rupp (ed.) A History of the Methodist Church in Great Britain (Vol. I, 1966) G. Elsie Harrison, Son to Susanna (London 1937)
R. Newton Flew, The Idea of Perfection in Christian Theology (Oxford 1934)
John Wesley is an obvious choice for any series of books on masters of the spiritual life.
His brand of commonsense holiness, his unsentimental understanding of Christian love and the sheer energy and enthusiasm with which he lived the gospel are all qualities to appeal to Christians today.
But we cannot understand the spirituality without understanding the man. In his introduction, Gordon Wakefield paints a portrait of Wesley as a man "indefatigable in his journeyings, intrepid in his preaching, a shrewd observer of life and tireless to the last in the service of God and of mankind".
The main part of this book presents the reader with extracts from Wesley's voluminous writings, collected under various themes - rule of life, sacrament and prayer, the catholic spirit and burning charity among them.
This is the fifth book in the series, of which the other} titles are:
SILENT PILGRIMAGE TO GOD, The Spirituality of Charles de\ Foucauld by A Little Brother.
aPOOR IN SPIRIT, The Spirituality of Jeanne Jugan, Foundressj of the Little Sisters of the Poor, by Cardinal Garrone. servants OF LOVE, The Spirituality of Teresa of Avila byj
Elizabeth Hamilton.
THE VOICE OF THE SPIRIT, The Spirituality of John of thej Cross, also by Elizabeth Hamilton.
Gordon Wakefield is Chairman of the Manchester and Stockport District of the Methodist Church. He is the author of numerous books, including METHODIST devotion,
ON THE EDGE OF MYSTERY, and THE LIFE OF THE SPIRIT IN THE
WORLD TODAY-
ISBN 0 232 51357 0
95p netf Darton, Longman & Todd
Wesley, John Fire of love.
DATE issued to Q