I just finished the audio version (unedited). And for the first time, I found I would have rather had the print version of a book. Why? Because this unedited version contains so much extraneous and tedious data, that in print at least – I could have skipped over mountains of unimportant stuff.

That all said, there is much profit to be had in reading the account of this most remarkable man of God, and how God used him in the most extraordinary of ways. Wesley stood at the very center of God’s miraculous outpouring in the 1700’s in the British Isles as no one else. And that is saying something given the other luminaries and extraordinary men like his own brother Charles, George Whitefield and others. He was a man wholly given up to God (as best he could be it seems) and was uniquely suited to spearhead the Methodist movement within the Anglican communion. For make no mistake, he considered himself a life-long Anglican and in league with the Church of England.

Because of the nature of a personal journal, I cannot review this book in terms of logic, flow of arguments, etc. But what I can do is list out a number of features which stood out. Some curious, some inspiring, some challenging and some – I’m not sure what to call them.

1 – JW’s own account of his conversion is useful. Seeing how God worked in him after his miserable experience as a missionary to America while as yet unconverted, is painful to say the least. He is such an earnest man and so wanting to serve God. As Prov. 19:2a reads: “Even zeal is no good without knowledge.” A theme Paul reiterates in Rom. 10:2 regarding the Pharisees of his day. JW was a Protestant Pharisee. Not in terms of pride or arrogance, but in terms of an assiduous pursuit of Protestant Biblicalism, but as yet unregenerate. Until God opened his eyes. A Protestant religionist of the highest order – with a discipline of life that would put most “born again” Christians to shame. Unregenerate Christianity is one of the severest forms of soul slavery.

2 – JW’s Mother is often held up as the model of a godly woman. But as we find out, all of her years of raising her children, (19 in all though only 6 made it to adulthood) were done while still unconverted. She too was this type of Pharisee until much later. Christianized to the highest degree – but without saving grace having changed her soul.

3 – Excepting for several serious bouts of illness in his younger years, JW was almost completely free of physical maladies of any kind. His physical constitution was more than mere iron. It almost seems superhuman. Perhaps he was supernaturally sustained for the work he was to do. It wasn’t until he was in his 80’s that he began to notice some decline. But even then – always felt strong after preaching.

It is interesting to note he refers to his strength and stamina quite often, and usually chalks it up to (after acknowledging God’s goodness) these key things:

a. He rose at 4 every morning. This he said was most profitable.

b. That he typically preached almost every day at 5 am. This too was key he thought. And yes, there were crowds all the time.

c. That he rode on horseback seldom less than 4000 miles per year. Sometimes much more. This he said kept him hale and hearty due to being outdoors in all kinds of weather.

d. He ate quite sparingly. Never starving himself but never over-indulging either. He mentions at one point that when younger he subsisted almost entirely on bread and water for quite a period – and not all that much bread. He said this made for a heartier constitution later.

He also mentioned a curious trait that he appreciated – that he could fall immediately to sleep whenever he wished, and never had any trouble sleeping no matter where or under what circumstances.

Additionally, he records that he could not remember ever being in angst about anything above one time, just once, for about 15 minutes. That he simply did not fret or worry – ever. Period. God bless him!

4 – He read very broadly – and constantly. While he did most of his reading while on horseback (he notes how leaving the reins slack allowed him to pay attention to his book – for the horse knew what to do) – he read books on geology, astronomy, government, philosophy, history and biography and many other subjects. He read the classics, poetry, and plays and fiction.

On the last, he attended plays as well. And remarked how those authored by “Christian” writers tended to be of less quality than those of unbelievers – and that the unbelievers often made moral points in a better fashion.

He notes two occasions, one with horses and another with lions in a sort of zoo – where he observed the animals responding to music in a curious way. He mused, but drew no conclusions.

5 – As he traveled, preaching sometimes 3 times a day, he also took time to go sight-seeing when in places with notable things to visit.

6 – He is not given nearly enough credit as a scholar. Writing a both Greek and Hebrew grammars and lessons of all sorts for people of all stripes. He wanted his people to be as well educated as he could contribute to.

7 – In setting up his Methodist “societies” he showed himself to be an organizational genius. The sheer number of the various “houses” (he didn’t like the term meeting places) he either built, instigated, oversaw and regulated is mind boggling. He knew how to choose good people to administrate them and kept abreast of what was going on in virtually all of them.

8 – He loved scientific advancement, and especially where it had medical applications. An up-and-coming trend in his day was what was called “electrifying.” People would be connected to generators producing a small current which was supposed to help restore the body’s own healing properties and relieve almost any ailment. Having used it frequently himself (for minor complaints) he saw to it at least four of these generators were procured and placed around England where some of his people could operate them. He felt strongly the Church should make such curatives available to the public and encouraged the leaders of the Methodist houses to talk up the treatment, and make it available to as many as wanted to avail themselves of it. Likewise, he investigated and employed other homeopathic remedies.

9 – He seemed to hold no grudges of any kind against any individual, no matter how they had treated him. If it may be put this way – he loved forgiving.

10 – When told that another well know preacher remarked how every minister ought to burn his old sermons every 7 years so as to write better ones now that they were older, more learned and more experienced – he balked. He said (this was when he was well into his 70’s) that he would never go back for all of his sermons were just fine, and that he had never changed his mind on a single doctrine or point since he was a young man, and could see no sense in the other preacher’s recommendation.

On that note, as he often mentions which text he preached from on a particular day – you find that he must have preached the same sermons not just dozens, but perhaps hundreds of times over the years. This can work when you are itinerate, but as we all know – would not work if you were preaching to the same congregation week in and week out.

11 – He always saw Methodism as an in-house movement of the Anglican Church. At the annual meetings or conferences, whenever the issue of separation from the Church of England came up – he vigorously opposed it. He died an Anglican and said that he fully held and was committed to its doctrines from the beginning. Except when the Church censured him for preaching out of doors or praying extemporaneously, he believed he kept to the governance of the Church in all respects.

12 – He quite adamantly opposed America’s Revolutionary War as rebellion that ought not to be sanctioned.

13 – Happy-hyperbole. Over and over and over, if something was beautiful or striking, it was the “most glorious I ever saw”, or, “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful in all of my travels.” etc., etc., ad infinitum. If it was pleasant, it was the MOST pleasant. And if it bad – it was “the worst I ever saw.” But far and away, this hyperbole was used to express his being impressed by beauty, symmetry, architectural design, and orderliness.

14 – Lastly, and perhaps most markedly and wonderful, was his thankfulness to God. And this, in an interesting juxtaposition. For example, (both of these examples are factual in the book and occur more than once) say his horse stumbled and then recovered. He would immediately praise and thank God for his good fortune and being able to continue on his way to minister. But say the horse stumbled and died unexpectedly – interrupting his plans. He would simply accept this as the providence of God with no negative connotations whatever. Constant thankfulness, and calm, even joyful acceptance of darker (in our opinion) providences.

I can only guess that this is why he was so bereft of worry, anxiety and stress. He saw God’s loving hand everywhere – and deliberately and consistently thanks God accordingly. And, he so trusted his loving Savior, that those things which could be perceived as negatives, he still believed were in his Master’s hand and were to be received in faith.

One stunning example of that latter, is the very brief note he pens when his wife abandons him. He simply says, it happened, he will not act in any way upon it. He will not chase her. I’m not sure in that instance if his norm was the best – but he was consistent in it in any case. And I wish to be more like him in the every day realities of my own life.

Thank God constantly. Set an eye to appreciate every good thing his hand has proffered. And if the providence is a hard one – know that same, constantly and unerringly loving and wise God, is superintending that as well.

No, I cannot recommend you read the nearly 500 pages of this book. But, there are giant gems in this mine. And I am sure someone else somewhere has already done that digging for you.