Quotes from John Wesley

The first priority of my life is to be holy, and the second goal of my life is to be a scholar.

My one aim in life is to secure personal holiness, for without being holy myself I cannot promote real holiness in others.

Any 'Christians' who take for themselves any more than the plain necessaries of life, live in an open habitual denial of the Lord. They have gained riches and hell-fire.

I look upon the whole world as my parish.

My mother was the source from which I derived the guiding principles of my life.

Catch on fire and people will come for miles to see you burn.

Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not whether they be clergymen or laymen, they alone will shake the gates of Hell and set up the kingdom of Heaven upon Earth.

Is it not hard that even those who are with us should be against us - that a man's enemies, in some degree, should be those of the same household of faith? Yet so it is.

As for reputation, though it be a glorious instrument of advancing our Master's service, yet there is a better than that: a clean heart, a single eye, and a soul full of God. A fair exchange if, by the loss of reputation, we can purchase the lowest degree of purity of heart.

I build on Christ, the rock of ages; on his sure mercies described in his word, and on his promises, all which I know are yea and amen.

In a storm, I think, 'What if the gospel be not true? Then thou art, of all men, most foolish. For what has thou given up thy goods, thy ease, thy friends, thy reputation, thy country, thy life?'

That execrable sum of all villainies, commonly called the Slave Trade.

Passion and prejudice govern the world, only under the name of reason.

I went to America to convert the Indians; but oh! who shall convert me?

I look upon the world as my parish.

Let it be observed, that slovenliness is no part of religion; that neither this nor any text of Scripture, condemns neatness of apparel. Certainly this is a duty, not a sin. "Cleanliness is, indeed, next to godliness."

When I have money, I get rid of it quickly, lest it find a way into my heart.

A feast of dedication; yet he calls it a feast to Jehovah; for as brutish as they were, they did not design to terminate their adoration in the image; but they made it for a representation of the true God...yet this did not excuse them from gross idolatry."

Catch on fire with enthusiasm and people will come for miles to watch you burn.

Cleanliness is indeed next to godliness.

Make all you can, save all you can, give all you can.

My cool judgement is, that if all the other doctrines of devils which have been committed to writing since letters were in the world were collected together in one volume, it would fall short of this; and that, should a Prince form himself by this book, so calmly recommending hypocrisy, treachery, lying, robbery, oppression, adultery, whoredom, and murder of all kinds, Domitian or Nero would be an angel of light compared to that man.

Once in seven years I burn all my sermons; for it is a shame if I cannot write better sermons now than I did seven years ago.

The best of it is, God is with us.