brethren.
3. Converse sparingly with women, particularly young women.
4. Take no step toward marriage without first consulting with the brethren.
5. Believe evil of no one.
6. Speak evil of no one.
7. Tell everyone what you think wrong in him, "and that plainly, as soon as may be; else it will fester in your heart. Make all haste to cast the fire out of your bosom."80
8. Do not [act]…the gentleman. (Do not put on airs.)
9. Be ashamed of nothing but sin: not fetching wood…nor drawing water.
10. Be punctual. Do everything exactly on time.
11. It is not your business to preach so many times, and to take care of this or that society, but to save as many souls as you can.
12. Act in all things, not according to your own will, but as a son in the Gospel.81
Most importantly, John emphasized that love must be the motive of all instruction, reproof, and discipline. Quoting his brother's hymn, he wrote,
Love can bow down the stubborn neck, The stone to flesh convert; Soften, and melt, and pierce, And break an adamantine heart.82
Wesley's lay preachers became known for their propriety, integrity, and diligence. They formed a formidable army of servant-leaders set on overcoming society's evils with the goodness of God. During Wesley's first five years of itinerancy, from 1739 to 1744, forty-five preachers, including several clergymen, had joined the Wesleys in their Methodist campaign. By 1745, in London alone, there were two thousand members regularly meeting in Methodist societies. "The class meeting was fully developed, the Rules of the