Works of Grace and Providence: The Structure of John Wesley's Theology

John Wesley often referred to God's providence in his Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Concise History of England. Examining these two sources primarily, this article shows the importance of providence in Wesley's theology. It concludes that Wesley closely interrelated providence and grace, that he recognized the complexity of causes in events, and that he sought to balance divine sovereignty and human freedom. Wesley grounded providence primarily in God's wisdom rather than in divine ‘decrees’. Thus providence occupied the place in Wesley's theology that predestination did in Calvinism. Providence laced with grace is the larger structure of Wesley's theology.