Page:The works of the Rev. John Wesley, M.A., late fellow of Lincoln-College, Oxford (IA worksofrevjohnwe3wesl).pdf/224

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murmuring or repining thoughts. Nearly related to these and frequently connected with them, are proud and vain imaginations. Again: sometimes they are taken up with angry, malicious or revengeful thoughts: at other times, with airy scenes of pleasure, whether of sense or imagination: whereby the earthy sensual mind, becomes more earthy and sensual still. Now by all these, they make flat war with God; these are wandering thoughts of the highest kind.

4. Widely different from these are the other sort of wandering thoughts: in which the heart does not wander from God, but the understanding wanders from the particular point it had then in view. For instance: I sit down to consider those words in the verse preceeding the text, The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty thro God. I think, "This ought to be the case with all that are called Christians. But how far is it otherwise? Look round into almost every part of what is termed the Christian world! What manner of weapons are these using? In what kind of warfare are they engaged,

"While men, like fiends, each other tear
In all the hellish rage of war?

See how these Christians love one another! Wherein are they preferable to Turks and Pagans? What abomination can be found among Mahometans or Heathens, which is not found among