Introduction
A few days before he died on on March 2nd, 1791, at the age of 87, John Wesley wrote to a young MP, fellow ‘methodist’ William Wilberforce. While these were not Wesley’s last recorded words (which were ‘The best of all is, God is with us’) his letter has the air of a departing Elijah wishing upon Elisha a double share of his spirit.
MY dear Sir, Unless the Divine Power has raised you up to be an Athanasius against the world,* I see not how you can go through your glorious enterprise in opposing that execrable 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?*
Oh, 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 away before it. That He Who has guided you from your youth up may continue to strengthen you in this and in all good things is the prayer of, dear Sir, your affectionate servant, John Wesley.
St Athanasius (?296-373), Patriarch of Alexandria, was nicknamed Athanasius contra mundum, Athanasius ‘against the world’, for his resistance to the Arian heresy, a resistance which saw the Bishop exiled five times. Arianism held that the Son of God was neither God nor an eternal being, but the first of God’s creations. John Wesley clearly felt an affinity both with Athanasius and with Wilberforce, having spent his life contending with error, secularism and indifference in the Church of England, much of which he traced to Calvinism.
See Romans 8:31.
See Galatians 6:9 and 2 Thessalonians 3:13.
See Ephesians 6:10.
Précis
Just before his death in 1791, John Wesley wrote a letter to William Wilberforce, then a young MP, to encourage him in his campaign against slavery. Wesley said that if Wilberforce had not been chosen for the task by God then all purely human efforts would fail, but if he had been chosen, with perseverance he would conquer all opposition. (60 / 60 words)
Just before his death in 1791, John Wesley wrote a letter to William Wilberforce, then a young MP, to encourage him in his campaign against slavery. Wesley said that if Wilberforce had not been chosen for the task by God then all purely human efforts would fail, but if he had been chosen, with perseverance he would conquer all opposition.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: about, although, because, besides, despite, just, or, since.
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Word Games
Sevens Based on this passage
Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.
Variations: 1.expand your answer to exactly fourteen words. 2.expand your answer further, to exactly twenty-one words. 3.include one of the following words in your answer: if, but, despite, because, (al)though, unless.
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Doing. Guide. Sun.
2 Raise. Up. You.
3 Go. He. Vile.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Confusables Find in Think and Speak
In each group below, you will find words that are similar to one another, but not exactly the same. Compose your own sentences to bring out the similarities and differences between them, whether in meaning, grammar or use.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
Add Vowels Find in Think and Speak
Make words by adding vowels to each group of consonants below. You may add as many vowels as you like before, between or after the consonants, but you may not add any consonants or change the order of those you have been given. See if you can beat our target of common words.
mrns (5+3)
marinas. marines. maroons. morons. mourns.
merinos. moraines. morns.
