If I can find the light switch, I may be able to turn on the lights. If the bulb is burned out, I can probably replace it with a new one. If you go much beyond that point, you have left me behind. Electricity … I sure use a lot of it, but I understand very little about it. I would not dare attempt to replace or repair any sort of wiring in my house. Though we may have limited skills, we certainly appreciate the benefits of electricity and admire and depend upon those who can bring electrical power into our lives for both practical and aesthetic purposes.

In reading John Wesley's Journal we see he had a very acute interest in the study of electricity. He obviously had no experience with electricity, but he read what he could of Benjamin Franklin's experiments. He clearly respected what he read and became an early proponent of Franklin's. Some of Franklin's writings appeared in a magazine, and Wesley summarized the findings in his Journal. Through Wesley's eyes we can see a new scientific understanding of electricity evolving.

Following are excerpts from his Journal that describe the benefits of electricity: (1) Electrical fire is an infinitely finer species of fire than any other known before. (2) It is diffused and proportionately spread through most substances. (3) As long as it is diffused it has no noticeable effect. (4) But when it is collected together it appears as a fire and is inexpressibly powerful. (5) It is different from sunlight in that it can penetrate a solid body, yet it cannot penetrate through glass. (6) Lightning is just electrical fire collected by the clouds. (7) Artificial electric fire has the same effect as lightning. (8) Pointed objects, such as trees and spires, attract the lightning. (9) Electrical fire discharged on a rat or bird will kill it instantly; but if they were dipped in water, it will slide off and do no harm.

John Wesley quickly recognized the power and potential of electricity. He was confident that electricity would yield many improvements in the years to come. From the vantage point of the 21st century we see once again how insightful and visionary our John Wesley was.