The works of the Rev. John Wesley, Vol. 01 (of 32)Wesley, John
Religion
The works of the Rev. John Wesley, Vol. 01 (of 32)
Wesley, John
Methodist Church; Theology -- Early works to 1800; Theology -- History -- 18th century
3. You have therefore good reason to believe, he is not only able,
but _willing_ to do this, to _cleanse you from all your filthiness
of flesh and spirit_, to _save you from all your uncleannesses_.
This is the thing which you now long for: this is the faith which you
now particularly need, namely, that the great Physician, the lover
of my soul, is willing to _make me clean_. But is he willing to do
this to-morrow or to-day? Let him answer for himself. _To day, if ye
will hear my voice, harden not your hearts._ If you put it off till
to-morrow, you _harden your hearts_: you refuse to _hear his voice_.
Believe therefore that he is willing to save you _to-day_. He is
willing to save you _now_. _Behold, now is the accepted time._ He now
saith, _Be thou clean_! Only believe; and you also will immediately
find, _all things are possible to him that believeth_.
4. Continue to believe in him _that loved_ thee, _and gave himself
for_ thee, that _bore all_ thy _sins in his own body on the tree_,
and he saveth thee from all condemnation, by his blood continually
applied. Thus it is that we continue in a justified state. And when
we go on _from faith to faith_, when we have faith to be cleansed from
indwelling sin, to be saved from all our uncleannesses, we are likewise
saved from all that _guilt_, that _desert_ of punishment, which we felt
before. So that then we may say not only
Every moment, Lord, I _want_
The merit of thy death:
But likewise, in the full assurance of faith,
Every moment, Lord, I _have_
The merit of thy death!
For by that faith in his life, death and intercession for us, renewed
from moment to moment, we are every whit clean, and there is not only
now no condemnation for us, but no such desert of punishment as was
before, the Lord cleansing both our hearts and lives.
5. By the same faith, we feel the power of Christ every moment resting
upon us, whereby alone we are what we are, whereby we are enabled to
continue in spiritual life, and without which, notwithstanding all
our present holiness, we should be devils the next moment. But as
long as we retain our faith in him, we _draw water out of the wells of
salvation_. Leaning on our Beloved, even Christ in us the hope of glory,
who dwelleth in our hearts by faith, who likewise is ever interceding
for us at the right hand of God, we receive help from him to think, and
speak, and act what is acceptable in his sight. Thus does he prevent
them that believe in all their doings, and further them with his
continual help, so that all their designs, conversations and actions,
are “begun, continued and ended in him.” Thus doth he “cleanse the
thoughts of their hearts, by the inspiration of his holy Spirit, that
they may perfectly love him, and worthily magnify his holy name.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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