Wesley’s Christian Library Vol 14

Vol 14 Contents

• Extracts from the Works of Mr. Joseph Allein
  • An Alarm to Unconverted Sinners
  • A Counsel for Personal and Family Godliness
  • Two Practical Cases of Conscience Resolved
• Extracts from the Works of Mr. Samuel Shaw: immanuel, Communion w/God
• Seth Ward: sermon on final judgement
• [Nicholas Horsman] Spiritual Bee: A Miscellany of Divine Meditations
• An Extract from the Assembly’s Shorter Catechism

Description & Discussion

Samuel Shaw (1635-1696) PRDL. The argument of his Immanuel is strikingly similar to Henry Scougal’s (1650–1678) Life of God in the Soul of Man, which Wesley republished on its own but not as part of ACL. In its praise of the greatness of the human soul, Shaw’s Immanuel also sounds like Thomas Traherne (a close contemporary, 1636-1674, but mostly unpublished during his lifetime). Wesley selected two of Shaw’s works that have an extremely high tone of piety and a sharp focus on participation in God. This is an excellent example of what Wesley means by “practical divinity.” There is an editorial intrusion on 14:236 which I think is Wesley’s own (have not confirmed), warning that some of Shaw’s statements need to be interpreted carefully.

Nicholas Horsman (d. 1683), says monk

There are several good printings of Wesley’s version of the Westminster Shorter Catechism that show line by line what Wesley omitted. It’s an instructive study! Here is one. Wesley does not show his own work in the ACL printing.