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147

Sermons by Wesley

John Wesley

John Wesley (1703-1791), along with his brother Charles, was an active participant and leader of the 18th century Revivals, a prominent missionary, and founder of the Methodist movement. Born in England and educated in the Anglican Church, he received degrees from Oxford, was ordained as a deacon and served as a minister for three years before his critical period at Oxford (1729-35). The Christian Bible-study group (the "Holy Club", later called "Methodist"), led by he and his brother, and including George Whitefield, was influential in shaping Wesley's development, as was the teaching of William Law. Gradually the doctrine of salvation by faith alone, by grace, leading to entire sanctification and Christian perfection, became the center of his belief and preaching, and coincided with his involvement in a wave of missionary activity. These years (1735 to the end of his life) are described in Wesley's own Journal, an invaluable source of information.

141 of Wesley’s sermons, representing the essence and range of his thought and belief.

This is a collection of 141 sermons preached by John Wesley (including several by his brother Charles), compiled and divided into five separate series. The First series, published in 1771, contain 53 sermons given by Wesley during his initial years of preaching and evangelism (with the Moravian Brethren, and from 1739 on revival tours throughout Britain and Ireland with George Whitefield); these date from 1738 to 1747. The Second series, published in 1788, consists of 55 sermons which first appeared in the Arminian Magazine. The remaining three series contain 33 additional sermons or discourses, some of which where published by Wesley in other forms, others of which were never intended for publication. These sermons reflect the full range of Wesley’s mature thought. According to the title of the first series, these sermons are defined “as constituting, with Mr. Wesley's Notes on the New Testament, the Standard Doctrines of the Methodist Connexion”.

Sermons

Wesley, John and Charles