Be More Vile

As some of you may know, I've been reading a book about the history of Christianity and it's really quite interesting. One thing that amazes me is how God can (and does) use the imperfect, but that could easily be the subject of another post. What I want to address is to submit to be more vile.

"At four in the afternoon I submitted to be more vile, and proclaimed in the highways the glad tidings of salvation, speaking from a little eminence in a ground adjoining to the city, to about three thousand people. The scriptures on which I spoke was this (is it possible any one should be ignorant that it is fulfilled in every true minister of Christ?), "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He hath sent Me to heal the broken-hearted; to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind; to set at liberty them that are bruised, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."
John Wesley

I just find that it's interesting all the books that are written about doing things and reaching people outside of the church building. I agree that premise but I find it interesting in reading history how it's not a new idea and that many great men of God fully believed that the gospel is for the poor, enslaved, captive, bruised, and broken-hearted among us. In England at the time preaching was only done in a church on Sundays; not out in a field in the open air. By preaching outdoors John Wesley and George Whitefield could reach people that might not enter through the church's doors. Add to that George Whitefield's influence on the Great Awakening and all the tent revivals and outdoor preaching done at that time by him and others and one can say that God does great things when we, His people, are obedient. Inside and outside the institutions of the church.

I forgot to mention: Charles Wesley is John Wesley's brother. Does the name Charles Wesley sound familiar?