Robert H. Morris wrote, "Why a new work on Wesley after so many books have been written? For two main reasons: First, there have been other condensations of his
Journal
, but none, I believe, like this one. I have attempted to condense without cutting out aspects some may feel uncomfortable with-that is, without trying to remake him in our twenty-first-century image: his totally biblical theology, including belief in the devil and demons, and a real hell; his strong adherence to the Church of England, of which he was an ordained priest; his belief in miracles, of which he gives many instances; his belief in levels of Christian growth, even to perfection, which he considered the peculiar treasure of Methodists; his strong moral stand against abortion, infanticide, and sodomy. Second, my gentle paraphrasing of his language, which is 250 years old, and which I believe will be helpful to modern readers. I've spent many hours, using the
Oxford English Dictionary
(16,000 pages), and the online
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
, finding current words equivalent in meaning to his language, so I believe my renderings are rather precise."