STEVEN HARPER

Dr. William Vermillion has presented a stimulating, helpful, and challonging paper.1 His historical overview has reminded us of our devotional roots. His analysis of our present situation has challenged us to integrate devotionalism with the totality of theological disciplines, and to make such wholistic devotion visible in our educational institutions. Dr. Vermillion has made it clear that Wesleyans have a distinctive contribution to make in this important area. And his remarks are particularly appropriate in light of the Association of Theological Schools’ emphasis on spiritual formation in theological education.2 Thus it is that in the span of a relatively few pages Dr. Vermillion has focused our attention on a number of things we need to hear, and I thank him for that.

The purpose of my response is not to critique, but rather to expand the paper in the particular area of Wesley’s devotional use of the Bible. So I would like to direct our thoughts to two areas: the roots of Wesley’s devotionalism, and some of the general principles related to his use of Scripture.

With respect to roots, Dr. Vermillion has shown Wesley’s indebtedness to Pietism. But the debt does not stop there. His devotional use of Scripture is also rooted in the classical Protestant tradition with its emphasis on Scripture as the ultimate authority in matters of faith and practice. He commented that he followed the Bible "in all things, both great and small."3 This fact largely accounts for why Wesley could read widely in a variety of traditions without losing the focus of his own theology. He also stood with Luther and Calvin in relating the authority of Scripture with the living witness of the Holy Spirit who applies the truth of the Bible to the believer.4 In addition Wesley was nurtured from childhood by the Puritan tradition which wedded divine sovereignty and ethical responsibility under the umbrella of scriptural authority.5 Finally, he was rooted in the Anglican tradition, particularly as it was expressed in the Articles of Religion, the Homilies, and the Book of Common Prayer. When we consider Wesley’s devotional life in general, and his use of the Bible in devotion in particular it is essential for us to see the broad base of tradition which informed his devotionalism. This fact should remind us that our devotionalism must never become equated with the latest expressions of "pop spirituality." It must be enriched by the range of experience which tradition supplies.

With respect to the principles of Wesley’s devotional use of the Bible, I must point out that Dr. Vermillion’s paper includes a number of them. What I want to do is to more directly lift some of them out and make additional comments upon them.

The first principle is Wesley’s systematic use of the Bible in devotion. Dr. Vermillion has pointed out Wesley’s general rule of reading from both the Old and New Testaments each day. But what did he read, and how? The answer comes from Wesley’s unpublished diaries.6 There we see him following the pattern set forth in the Table of Lessons of the Book of Common Prayer. This contained readings from the Old Testament (including the Apocrypha), the Epistles, and the Gospels. Interestingly, Revelation was completely omitted. By using this lectionary Wesley was able to read through most of the Old Testament in a year, and to read through the New Testament several times.

In 1732 Wesley felt the need to read through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Accordingly, he altered his devotional schedule to include almost eight months’ worth of such reading. He does not appear to have abandoned the use of the lectionary, but rather read consecutively as one of his first devotional acts after rising.7 But whether Wesley was using the lectionary or reading consecutively, the underlying principle was the systematic study of Scripture. Only by doing this could one know "the whole counsel of God."

The second principle is application. This is clearly seen in Wesley’s recommendations in the preface to the Explanatory Notes Upon the Old Testament.8 But it was also expressed in at least three other ways. First Wesley examined himself by what he read in the Bible.9 At one point in his life this examination was expressed in an elaborate system at the back of his diaries. Second, on the basis of self-examination, he made appropriate resolutions. These were often recorded in the opening pages of his diaries, but they also appear throughout the diaries, especially at his monthly review pages.10 This phase of Wesley’s devotionalism was particularly rooted in the Anglican and Puritan traditions. Thirdly, he applied what he learned by sharing it with others, either informally or through preaching.11 His diaries are salted with occasions when he read devotional works to others for their edification, and he often expounded upon the lectionary text for the day.12 For Wesley, the Bible had not been fully encountered until it had been conscientiously applied.

If time permitted, it would be enlightening to expound upon Wesley’s principle of wholistic devotion. He never isolated his use of Scripture from his life of prayer, his reading of other devotional material, or his use of the other means of grace. This principle provided a richness in Wesley’s devotional life which he could not have had if he had limited himself to one source of inspiration.

Wesley was not without some espressions which seem quaint in comparison with the above principles. For example, he practiced bibliomancy throughout his lifetime.13 And he used Scripture cards which contained a text on one side and a verse from a hymn on the other.14 These random encounters with the Bible were always peripheral in comparison with the principles previously mentioned. But they must be included in a full examination of Wesley’s devotional use of Scripture.

Perhaps the best words for summarizing Wesley on this theme are those from the Book of Common Prayer. These words were often on his lips and constantly on his heart: Blessed Lord, who hast caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning, grant that we may in such wise hear them read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of thy Holy Word we may embrace, and ever hold fast, the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ.15 AMEN

1William Vermillion, "The Devotional Use of Scripture in the Wesleyan Movement, Wesleyan Theological Journal, 16:1 (Spring 1981), pp.51-67.

2David E. Babin, et al., Voyage, Vision, Venture: A Report on Spiritual Development (Dayton, OH: American Association of Theological Schools, 1972).

3Nehemiah Curnock, The Journal of the Reverend John Wesley, M.A.,8 vols. (London: Epworth Press, 1939), 5:169 (June 5, 1766). Hereafter referred to as JWJ.

4Colin W. Williams, John Wesley 's Theology Today (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1960), p.37.

5Robert Monk, John Wesley: His Puritan Heritage (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1966), p.26.

6The unpublished diaries of John Wesley are now located in the Methodist Archives at the John Rylands Library in

Manchester, England. At the time of this writing they are in the hands of Dr. Richard Heitzenrater at Perkins School of Theology in Dallas, Texas. Dr. Heitzenrater is in the process of transcribing the diaries so that they can be published in the definitive edition of Wesley's Works currently going forward under the editorship of Dr. Frank Baker at Duke University. The series is being published by Oxford University Press.

7John Wesley, Oxford Diary, 2:115-39; and Oxford Diary, 3:1-16 (January-August, 1732)

8John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Old Testament, 3 vols. (Bristol: William Pine, 1765),1:ix.

9The practice of self-examination was begun as a result of Wesley's reading Jeremy Taylor's Rules and Exercises of Holy Living. Accordingly, Wesley prepared various sets of questions for self-examination. He modified these throughout his lifetime, but stayed with the basic practice. An example of these questions can be found in the Jackson edition of Wesley's Works, 11:203-37.

10Wesley's use of resolutions also goes back to his reading of Taylor. The resolutions span the total range of human

experience, for Wesley's conception of holiness was life-embracing: personal and social holiness. His resolutions

reflect this same totality of concern.

11Frank Baker, "John Wesley and the Bible" in Historical Highlights, June 1976 (Brunswick, GA: Commission on Archives and History of the South Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church), pp. 6-7.

12Examples of this practice may be found in the Jackson edition of the Works, 6:107,118,125; 7:384,397,410. In addition to these references in the sermons which are related to the Table of Lessons, one should also note the numerous references in the Journal to his practice of expounding on the lesson for the day.

13JWJ, 1:161, 192, 472; 2:89, 97, 103, 106, 157-68, 175, 201, 290-91, 300, 324, 328, 336, 447. These are only some of the references in the Journal to this practice.

14Proceedings of the Wesley Historical Society, 1:15-25; 4:6-8, 40-43; and 29:136-38.

15The Book of Common Prayer, Collect for the Second Sunday in Advent