CHRISTIAN PERFECTION, 
 
 AS TAOGHT BY 
 
 REV. JOHN WESLEY. 
 
 CINCINNATI : JENNINGS & PYEJ 
 NEW YORK : EATON & MAINS 
 
A PLAIN ACCOUNT 
 
 or 
 
 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION, 
 
 AS BELIEVED AND TAUGHT 
 
 BV REV. MR. JOHN WESLEY, 
 
 From the year 1725, to the year 1777.* 
 
 1. What I purpose in the following 
 papers is, to give a plain and distinct ac- 
 count of the steps by which I was led, 
 during a course of many years, to embrace 
 the doctrine of Christian perfection. This 
 I owe to the serious part of mankind, 
 those who desire to know all "the truth 
 
 * It is not to be understood that Mr. Wesley's 
 sentiments concerning- Christian perfection were 
 in any measure clianged after the year 1777. This 
 tract underwent several revisions and enlarge- 
 ments during his lifetime, and in every successive 
 edition the date of the most recent revision was 
 specified. The last revision appears tc have 
 been made in the year 1777 ; aiicl siice that pe- 
 riod, this date has been generally continued on 
 the title-page of the several editions of the 
 pamphlet.— -Edit. 
 
 8 
 
4 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 as it is in Jesus." And these only are 
 concerned in questions of tiiis kind. To 
 these I would nakedly declare the thing 
 as it is, endeavoring all along to show, 
 from one period to another, both what I 
 thought, and why I thought so. 
 
 2. In the year 1725, being in the twenty- 
 third year of my age, I met with Bishop 
 Taylor's "Rule and Exercises of Holy 
 Living and Dying." In reading several 
 parts of this book, I was exceedingly af- 
 fected; that part in particular which re- 
 lates to purity of intention. Instantly 1 
 resolved to dedicate all my Ufe to God, all 
 my thoughts, and words, and actions; being 
 thoroughly convinced there was no me- 
 dium; but that every part of my life — not 
 some only — must either be a sacrifice to 
 God, or myself, that is, in effect, to the 
 devil. 
 
 Can any serious person doubt of this, 
 or find a medium between serving Gocf 
 and serving the devil? 
 , 3. In the year 1726 I met with Kempis 
 " (Christian Pattern." The nature and 
 extent of inward religion, the religion of 
 the heart, now appeared to me in a 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTIOM. 
 
 sironger light than ever it had done be- 
 fore. I saw that giving even all my hfe 
 .0 God — supposing it possible tc do this, 
 and go no farther — would profit me noth- 
 ing, unless I gave my heart, yea, all my 
 Heart to him. 
 
 I saw that " simplicity of intention, and 
 purity of affection," one design in all we 
 speak or do, and one desire ruling all oui 
 tempers, are indeed "the wings of the 
 soul," without which she can never ascend 
 to the mount of God. 
 
 4. A year or two after, Mr. Law'a 
 '* Christian Perfection" and " Serious Call'' 
 were put into my hands. These convinced 
 me, more than ever, of the absolute impos- 
 sibility of being half a Christian; and I 
 determined, through his grace — the abso- 
 lute necessity of which I was deeply sen- 
 sible of — to be all devoted to God, to give 
 him all my soul, my body, and my sub- 
 stance. 
 
 Will any considerate man say that this 
 is carrying matters too farl or that any 
 thing less is due to Him who has given 
 nimself for us, than to give him ourselves, 
 ai! we have, and all we are] 
 
6 CHRisiiAR rEBnsonoH. 
 
 5. Ill the year 1729 I began not only 
 to read, but to study, the Bible, as the one. 
 the only standard of truth, and the only 
 model of pure religion. Hence I saw, in 
 a clearer and clearer light, the 'iidispensa- 
 ble necessity of having " the mind which 
 was in Christ," and of "walking as Christ 
 also u-alked;" even of having, not some 
 part only, but all the mind which was in 
 him; and of walking as he walked, not 
 only in many or in most respects, but in 
 all things. And this was the hght. 
 wherein at this time I generally con- 
 sidered religion as a uniform following of 
 Christ, an entire inward and outward con- 
 formity to our Master. Nor was I afraid 
 of any thing more than of bending this 
 rule to the experience of myself, or of 
 other men; of allowing myself in any the 
 least disconformity to our gTand Exemplar. 
 
 6. On January 1, 1733, I preached be- 
 fore the university, in St. Mary's Church, 
 on " the circumcision of the heart;" an 
 account of which I gave in these words: 
 "It is that habitual disposition of soui 
 which, in the sacred wTitings, is termed 
 holiness; and which directly implies the 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 7 
 
 being cleansed from sin, 'from all filthi- 
 nesa both of flesh and spirit;' and, by con- 
 sequence, the being endued with those vir- 
 tues which were in Christ Jesus: the be- 
 ing so * renewed inthe image of our mind* 
 as to be * perfect as our Father in heaven 
 IS perfect.' " (Works, vol. i, p. 148, Am. 
 edit.) 
 
 In the same sermon I observed, " * Love 
 is the fulfilling of the law, the end of the 
 commandment.' It is not only *the first 
 and great' command, but all the command- 
 ments in one. 'Whatsoever things are 
 just, whatsoever things are pure, if there 
 be any virtue, if there be any praise,' they 
 are all comprised in this one word, love. 
 In this is perfection, and glory, and happi- 
 ness: the royal law of heaven and earth 
 is this, ' Thou shalt love the Lord thy Goa 
 with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, 
 and with all thy mind, and with all thy 
 strength.' The one perfect good shall be 
 your one ultimate end. One thing shall 
 ye desire for its own sake — the fruition of 
 Him who is all in all. One happiness 
 shall ye propose to yoiur souls, even a 
 union with Him that made them, the hav- 
 
8 CHEISTIAN PERFECTIOM. 
 
 ing * fellowship with the Father and the 
 Son,* the being 'joined to the Lord in one 
 spirit.' One design ye are to pursue to 
 the end of time — the enjoyment of God in 
 time and in eternity. Desire other things, 
 so far as they tend to this; love the crea- 
 ture, as it leads to the Creator. But in 
 every step you take, be this the glorious 
 point that terminates your view. Let 
 every affection, and thought, and word, and 
 action, be subordinate to this. Whatever 
 ye desire or fear, whatever ye seek or 
 shun, whatever ye think, speak, or do, be 
 it in order to your happiness in God, the 
 sole end, as well as source, of your be- 
 ing." (lb., pp. 150, 151.) 
 
 I concluded in these words: "Here is 
 the sum of the perfect law, the circumcis- 
 ion of the heart. Let the spirit return to 
 God that gave it, with the whole train of 
 its affections. Other sacrifices from us he 
 would not, but the living sacrifice of the 
 neart hath he chosen. Let it be contin- 
 ually offered up to God through Christ, in 
 flames of holy love. And let no creature 
 be suffered to share with him; for he is a 
 jealous God. His throne will he not di- 
 
CHEISTIAN PERFECTION. 9 
 
 vide with another; he will reign without a 
 rival. Be no design, no desire admittec 
 there, but what has him for its ultimate 
 object. This is the way wherein those 
 children of God once walked who, being 
 dead, still speak to us: 'Desire not to live 
 but to praise his name; let all your 
 thoughts, words, and works tend to his 
 glory.' 'Let your soul be filled with so 
 entire a love to him, that you may love 
 nothing but for his sake.' 'Have a pure 
 intention of heart, a steadfast regard to 
 his glory in all your actions.' ' For then, 
 and not till then, is that mind in us, which 
 was also in Christ Jesus, when in every 
 motion of our heart, in every word of oui 
 tongue, in every work of our hands, we 
 pursue nothing but in relation to him, and 
 in subordination to his pleasure;' when we 
 too neither think, nor speak, nor act, to 
 fulfill ' our own will, but the will of Him 
 that sent us;' when, 'whether we eat or 
 drink, or whatever we do,' we do it all 'to 
 the glory of God.' " (lb., p. 153.) 
 
 It may be observed, this sermon was 
 composed the first of all my writings 
 •vhich have been published. This was tho 
 
10 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 new of religion I then had, which even 
 then I scrupled not to term perfection. 
 This is the view I have of it now. without 
 any material addition or diminution. And 
 what is there here which any man of un- 
 derstanding, who believes the Bible, can 
 object to] What can he deny, without 
 flatly contradicting the Scripture] what 
 retrench, without taking from the word of 
 God] 
 
 7. In the same sentiment did my brother 
 and I remain — with all those young gen- 
 tlemen in derision termed Methodists — till 
 we embarked for America, in the latter 
 end of 1735. It was the next year, while 
 [ was at Savannah, that I wrote the fol- 
 lowing' lines: 
 
 Is there a thing beneath the sun, 
 
 That strives with thee my heart to share' 
 
 Ah, tear it thence, and reign alone, 
 The Lord of every motion there! 
 
 In the beginning of the year 1738, as I 
 was returning from thence, the ^ry of my 
 heart was, 
 
 O, grant that nothing in my soul 
 May dwell, but thy pare love alone: 
 
CHKISTIAN PERFECTION. 11 
 
 O, may thy love possess me whole, 
 
 My joy, my treasure, and my crown! 
 Strange fires far from my heart remove: 
 My every act, word, thought, be love! 
 
 I never heard that any one objected to 
 this. And, indeed, who can objecti la 
 not this the language, not only of every 
 believer, but of every one that is truly 
 awakened? But what have I wrote, to 
 this day, which is either stronger or 
 plainer] 
 
 8. In August following, I had a long 
 conversation with Arvid Gradin, in Ger- 
 many. After he had given me an account 
 of his experience, I desired him to give 
 me, in writing, a definition of "the full 
 assurance of faith," which he did in the 
 following words: 
 
 Requies in sanguine Cnristi; firmajidu 
 cia in Deum, et persuasio de gratia divina, 
 travxpiillitas mentis summa, atque serenitas 
 et pax; cvm absentia omnis desiderii car- 
 •^alisy et cessations peccatorum etiam inter- 
 norwm. 
 
 "Repose in the blood of Christ; a firm 
 confidence in God, and persuasion of his fa- 
 
12 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 ror; the highest tranquillity, serenity, and 
 peace of mind, with a deliverance from 
 every fleshly desire, and a cessation of 
 all, even inward sins." 
 
 This was the first account I ever heard 
 from any living man, of what I had before 
 learned myself from the oracles of God, 
 and had been praying for — with the little 
 company of my friends — and expecting 
 for several years. 
 
 9. In 1739 my brother and I published 
 a volume of "Hymns and Sacred Poems." 
 In many of these we declared our senti- 
 ments strongly and explicitly. So, page 
 24: 
 
 Turn the full stream of nature's tide; 
 
 Let all our actions tend 
 To thee, their source; thy love the guidt 
 
 Thy glory be the end. 
 
 Earth then a scale to heaven shall be; 
 
 Sense shall point out the road; 
 The creature all shall lead to thee, 
 
 And all wc taste be God. 
 
 Again: 
 
 Lord, arm me with thy Spirit's mij,-ht 
 Since I am call'd by thy great nam* 
 
 In thee my waud'ring thoughts unite. 
 Of all my works be thou the aim: 
 
c-HRISTIAN PERFECTION. 13 
 
 Thy love attend me all my days, 
 
 And my sole business be thy praise, (p. 422.") 
 
 A-gain: 
 
 Eager for thee I ask and pant, 
 
 So strong the principle divine, 
 Carries me out with sweet constraint, 
 
 Till all my hallow'd soul be thine; 
 Plunged in Godhead's deepest sea, 
 
 And lost in thine immensity! (p. 125.^ 
 
 Once more: 
 
 Heavenly Adam, life divine, 
 
 Change my nature into thine; 
 
 Move and spread throughout my soul. 
 
 Actuate and fill the whole. (p. 153.) 
 
 It would be easy to cite many more 
 oassages to the same effect. But these 
 are sufficient to show, beyond contradic- 
 tion, what our sentiments then were. 
 
 10. The first tract I ever wrote ex 
 pressly on this subject was published in 
 the latter end of this year. That none 
 might be prejudiced before they read it, I 
 gave it the indifferent title of " The Char- 
 acter of a Methodist." In this I described 
 a perfect Christian, placing in the front 
 "Not as though I had already attained" 
 Part ot it I subjoin without any alteration: 
 
 " A Methodist is one who loves the Lord 
 
14 CHRISTIAN PERFECTIOm. 
 
 his God with all his heart, with all his 
 soii!, with all his mind, and with all his 
 strength. God is the joy of his heart, and 
 the desire of his soul, which is continually 
 crying, * Whom have I in heaven but theel 
 and there is none upon earth whom I de- 
 sire beside thee.' My God and my all! 
 Thou art the strength of my heart, and 
 my portion forever.' He is, therefore, 
 nappy in God; yea, always happy, as hav- 
 ing in him a well of water springing up 
 jnto everlasting life, and overflowing his 
 soul with peace and joy. Perfect love 
 having now cast out fear, he rejoices ever- 
 more. Yea, his joy is full, and all his 
 bones cry out, 'Blessed be the God and 
 Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, ac- 
 cording to his abundant mercy, hath be- 
 gotten me again unto a living hope of an 
 inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, 
 reserved in heaven for mc.' 
 
 " And he who hath this hope, thus full 
 of immortality, in every thing giveth 
 thanks, as knowing this — whatsoever it 
 is — is the will of God in Christ Jesus con- 
 cerning him. From him, therefore, ne 
 cheerfully receives all, saying, 'Good in 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTIOlf. 15 
 
 the will of the Lord;' and whether he giv 
 eth or taketh away, equally blessing the 
 name of the Lord. Whether in ease oi 
 pain, whether in sickness or health, 
 whether in life or death, he giveth thanks 
 from the ground of the lieart to Him who 
 orders it for good; into whose hands he 
 hath wholly committed his body and soul, 
 as into the hands of a faithful Creator.' 
 He is, therefore, anxiously ' careful for 
 nothing,' as having cast all his care on 
 Him that careth for him;' and 'in al? 
 things' resting on him, after 'making' his 
 'request known to him with thanksgiving.' 
 " For, indeed, he ' prays without ceas- 
 ing;' at all times the language of his 
 heart is this: 'Unto thee is my mouth, 
 though without a voice; and my silence 
 speaketh unto thee.' His heart is lifted 
 up to God at all times, and in all places 
 In this he is never hindered, much less n 
 terrupted, by any person or thing. In re- 
 tirement or company, in leisure, business. 
 or conversation, his heart is ever with the 
 Lord. Whether he lie down, or rise up, 
 ' God is in all his thoughts:' he walks with 
 God continually; having the loving eye of 
 
l6 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 his soul fixed on him, and every-where 
 seeing Him that is invisible.' 
 
 " And loving God, he * loves his neigh- 
 bor as himself;' he loves every man as his 
 own soul. He loves his enemies, yea, and 
 the enemies of God. And if it be not in 
 his power to ' do good to them that hate ' 
 him, yet he ceases not to * pray for them,' 
 though they spurn his love, and still *de- 
 spitefully use him, and persecute him.' 
 
 " For he is ' pure in heart.' Love has 
 purified his heart from envy, malice, wrath, 
 and every unkind temper. It has cleansed 
 him from pride, whereof ' only cometh con- 
 tention;' and he hath now 'put on bowels 
 of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, 
 meekness, long-suffering.' And, indeed, 
 all possible ground for contention, on his 
 part, is cut off. For none can take from 
 him what he desires, seeing he ' loves not 
 the world, nor any of the things of the 
 world;' but ' all his desire is unto God, and 
 to the remembrance of his name.' 
 
 "Agreeable to this his one desire, is the 
 one design of his fife; namely, (* to do not 
 his own will, but the will of Him that sent 
 him.' i His one intention at all times and 
 
CHRISTIAN I'ERFECTION. H 
 
 in all places is, not to please himself, but 
 Him whom nis soul loveth. He hath a 
 single eye; and because his 'eye is single, 
 his whole body is full of light. The whole 
 IS light, as when the bright shining of a 
 candle doth enhghten the house.' God 
 reigns alone; all that is in the soul ia 
 'hohness to the Lord.' There is not a 
 motion in his heart but is according to his \ 
 will. Every thought that arises points to \ 
 him, and is in 'obedience to the law of 
 Christ.' 
 
 "And the tree is known by its fruits 
 For, as he loves God, so he 'keeps his 
 commandments;' not only some, or most of 
 them, but all, from the least to the gTeat- 
 est. He is not content to ' keep the whole 
 law and offend in one point,' but has in 
 all points ' a conscience void of offense 
 toward God and toward man.' Whatever 
 God has forbidden, he avoids; whatever 
 God has enjoined, he does. ' He runs th 
 way of God's commandments,' now he 
 hath set his heart at liberty. It is his 
 glory and joy so to do; it is his daily 
 crown of rejoicing, to ' do the will of God 
 on earth, as it is done in heaven.' 
 2 
 
18 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 "AIJ the commandments of God he ac- 
 cordingly keeps, and that with all his 
 might, for his obedience is in proportion 
 to his love, the source from whence it 
 flows, f And, therefore, loving God with 
 all his , heart, he serves him with all nis 
 strengtli; he continually presents his soul 
 and ' body a living sacrifice, holy, accept- 
 able to God;' entirely and without reserve 
 devoting himself, all he has, all he is, to 
 his glory. All the talents he has, he con- 
 stantly employs according to his Mas- 
 ter's will; every power and faculty of his 
 soul, every member of his body. 
 
 " By consequence, ' whatsoever he doeth 
 it is all to the glory of God.' In all his 
 employments, of every kind, he not only 
 aims at this, which is implied in having a 
 single eye, but actually attains it; his 
 business and his refreshments, as well as 
 ais prayers, all serve to this great end 
 Whether he * sit in the house, or walk by 
 -he way,' whether he lie down, or rise up, 
 ie is promoting, in all he speaks or does, 
 the one business of his hfe. Whether he 
 put on his apparel, or labor, or eat and 
 drink, or divert himself from too wasting 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 19 
 
 •abor it all tends to advance the glory of 
 God, by peace and good-will among men 
 His one invariable rule is this: 'Whatso- 
 ever ye do, in word or deed, do it all in the 
 name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to 
 God, even the Father, through him.' 
 
 " Nor do the customs of the world at 
 all hinder his 'running the race which is 
 set before him.' -^ He can not, therefore, 
 
 lay up treasures upon earth,' no more 
 man he can take fire into his bosom. He 
 can not speak evil of his neighbor, any 
 more than he can lie either for God or 
 man. He can not utter an unkind word 
 of any one; for love keeps the door of his 
 Hps. He can not 'speak idle words; no 
 corrupt conversation ' ever ' comes out of 
 his mouth;' as is all that is not 'good to 
 the use of edifying,' not fit to ' minister 
 grace to the hearers.' But 'whatsoever 
 things are pure, whatsoever things are 
 lovely, whatsoever things are' justly 'of 
 good report,' he thinks, speaks, and acts, 
 ' adorning the doctrine of God our Savior 
 in all things.' " 
 
 These are the very words wherein I 
 
 argely declared, for the first time, my sen- 
 
20 CHRISTIAN lERFECTlON. 
 
 timeiits of Christian perfection. A.nd i» 
 It not easy to see, (1.) That this is the 
 very point at which I aimed all along from 
 the year 1725, and more determinately 
 from the year 1730, when I began to be 
 homo unius libri, " a man of one book,'' 
 regarding none, comparatively, but the Bi- 
 ble J Is it not easy to see, (2.) That thi? 
 is the very same doctrine which I behevf 
 and teach at this day; not adding one 
 point, either to that inward or outward ho- 
 hness which I maintained eight-and-thirtv 
 years ago! And it is the same which, by 
 the grace of God,' I have continued to 
 teach from that time till now; as will ap- 
 pear to every impartial person from the 
 extracts subjoined below. 
 
 11. I do not know that any writer has 
 made any objection against that tract to 
 tills day; and for some time I did not find 
 much opposition upon the head, at least, 
 not from serious persons. But, after a 
 time, a cry arose, and, what a little siu*- 
 prised me, among religious men, who af- 
 fi'-med, not that I stated perfection wrong, 
 out that " there is no perfection on earth;'' 
 nay, and fell vehemently on my brothei 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTIOH. 21 
 
 and me for affirming to the contrary. We 
 scarce expected so rough an attack from 
 these; especially as we were clear on jus- 
 tification by faith, and careful to ascribe 
 the whole of salvation to the mere gi-ace 
 of God, But what most surprised us was, 
 that we were said to "dishonor Christ," 
 by asserting that he " saveth to the utter- 
 most;" by maintaining that he will reign 
 in our hearts alone, and subdue all things 
 to himself. 
 
 12. I think it was in the latter end of 
 the year 1740, that I had a conversatior 
 with Dr. Gibson, then bishop of London, 
 at Whitehall. He asked me what I meant 
 by perfection. I told him without any dis- 
 guise or reserve. When I ceased speak- 
 ing, he said, " Mr. Wesley, if this be all 
 you mean, publish it to all the world. If 
 any one then can confute what you say, 
 he may have free leave." I answered, 
 "My lord, I will;" and accordingly wrote 
 and pubhshed the sermon on Christian 
 perfection. 
 
 In this I endeavored to show, (1.) In 
 what sense Christians are not, (2.) Id 
 what sense they are, perfect. 
 
22 CHRISTIAN TERFECTION. 
 
 " ( 1 .) In what sense they are not. ITiey 
 are not perfect in knoM^ledge. They are 
 not free from ignorance, no, nor from mis- 
 take. We are no more to expect any liv- 
 ing man to be infallible than to be omnis- 
 sien.. They are not free from infirmities, 
 such as weakness or slowness of under- 
 standing, irregular quickness or heaviness 
 of imagination. Such in another kind 
 are impropriety of language, ungi*aceful- 
 ness of pronunciation; to which one might 
 add a thousand nameless defects, either in 
 conversation or behavior. From such in- 
 firmities as these none are perfectly freed 
 till their spirits return to God; neither 
 can we expect till then to be wholly freed 
 from temptation; for 'the servant is not 
 above his master.' But neither in this 
 sense is there any absolute perfection on 
 earth. There is no perfection of degrees, 
 none which does not admit of a continual 
 increase. 
 
 " (2.) In what sense, then, are thev per- 
 fect^ Observe, we are not now speaking 
 of babes in Christ, but adult Christians 
 But even babes in Christ are so far perfect 
 IS not to commit sin. This St. Johr 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 2S 
 
 affirms expressly; and it can not be dis- 
 proved by the examples of the Old Testa- 
 ment. For what, if the holiest of the 
 ancient Jews did sometimes commit sin'' 
 We can not infer from hence that ' all 
 Christians do and must commit sin as long 
 as they hve.' 
 
 'But does not the Scripture say, *A 
 just man sinneth seven times a day?' It 
 does not. Indeed, it says, 'A just man 
 falleth seven times.' But this is quite 
 another thing; for, first, the words, a day, 
 are not in the text. Secondly. Here is no 
 mention o^ falling into sin at all. What 
 is here mentioned is, falling into temporal 
 affliction. 
 
 "But elsewhere Solomon says, 'There 
 is no man that sinneth not.' Doubtless 
 thus it was in the days of Solomon; yea, 
 and from Solomon to Christ there was 
 then no man that sinned not. But what- 
 ever was the case of those under the law 
 we may safely affirm, with St. John, that 
 since the Gospel was given, 'he that i& 
 born of God sinneth not.' 
 
 '* The privileges of Christians are in no 
 wise to be measured by what the Old Tes- 
 
24 CHRISTIAN TERFECTION. 
 
 lament records concerning those who were 
 under the Jewish dispensation; seeing the 
 fullness of time is now come, the Holy 
 Ghost is now given, the great salvation of 
 God is now brought to men by the revela- 
 tion of Jesus Christ. The kingdom of 
 heaven is now set up on earth, concerning 
 which the Spirit of God declared of old 
 time — so far is David from being the pat- 
 tern or standard of Christian perfection — 
 'He that is feeble among them, at that 
 day, shall be as David, and the house of 
 David shall be as the angel of the Lord 
 before them,' Zech. xii, 8. 
 
 "But the apostles themselves committed 
 ?in; Peter by dissembling, Paul by his 
 sharp contention with Barnabas. Sup- 
 pose they did, will you argue thus: ' If two 
 of the apostles once committed sin, then 
 all other Christians, in all ages, do and 
 must commit sin as long as they live?' 
 Nay, God forbid we should thus speak. 
 No necessity of sin was laid upon them; 
 the grace of God was surely sutRcient for 
 them. And it is sufficient for us at this 
 dav. 
 
CHEI9T1AN PERFECTION. 2> 
 
 "But St. James says, 'In many things 
 we offend all.' True; but who are the 
 ^ersons here spoken of] Why, those 
 •nany masters or teachers whom God had 
 lot sent; not the apostle himself, nor any 
 -eal Christian. That in the word wp. used 
 by a figure of speech, common in all 
 other as well as the inspired writings, the 
 apostle could not possibly include himself, 
 or any other true beUever, appears, first, 
 from the ninth verse, * Therewith blesa 
 we God, and therewith curse we men.' 
 Surely, not we apostles! not we beUevers! 
 Secondly. From the words preceding the 
 text: 'My brethren, be not many masters,' 
 or teachers, ' knowing that we shall receive 
 the greater condemnation. For in many 
 things we offend all.' We! Whol Not 
 the apostles, nor true beHevers, but they 
 who were to ' receive the greater condem- 
 nation,' because of those many offenses. 
 Nay, thirdly, the verse itself proves that 
 'we offend all,' can not be spoken either 
 nf all men or all Christians, For in it 
 immediately follows the mention of a man 
 who ' offends not,' as the ice first ment'oned 
 
26 CHRISTIAN PEBFECTIOn. 
 
 did; from whom, therefore, he is profess- 
 edly contradistinguished, and pronounced 
 a 'perfect man.' 
 
 "But St. John himself says, *If we say 
 that we have no sin, we deceive our* 
 selves;' and, 'If we say we have not 
 sinned, we make him a har, and his word 
 is not in us.' 
 
 "I answer, (1.) The tenth verse fixes 
 the sense of the eighth: 'It ^vp «=ay we 
 have no sin,' in the former being explained 
 by, 'If we say we have not sinned,' in the 
 latter verse. (2.) The point under con- 
 sideration is not, whether we have or 
 have not sinned heretofore; and neither 
 of these verses asserts that we do sin, or 
 commit sin now. (3.) The ninth verse 
 explains both the eighth and tenth: 'If we 
 confess our sins, he is faithful and just to 
 forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from 
 all unrighteousness.' As if he had said, 
 ' I have before affirmed the blood of Cnrist 
 cleanseth from all sin.' And no man can 
 say, 'I need it not; I have no sin to be 
 cleansed from.' 'If we say we have no 
 sin,' that 'we have not sinned, we deceive 
 ourselves,' and make God a liar; but 'if 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 21 
 
 we confess our sins, he is faithful and just,' 
 not only *to forgive us our sins,' but also 
 'to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,' 
 that we may 'go and sin no more.' In 
 conformity, therefore, both to the doctrine 
 of St. John, and the whole tenor of the 
 New Testament, we fix this conclusion: a 
 Christian is so far perfect as not to com- 
 mit sin. 
 
 "This is the glorious privilege of every 
 Christian, yea, though he be but a babe in 
 Christ. But it is only of grown Christians 
 "t can be affirmed they are in such a sense 
 perfect as, secondly, to be freed from evil 
 thoughts and evil tempers. First, from 
 evil or sinful thoughts. Indeed, whence 
 should they spring? ' Out of the heart of 
 man,' if at all, 'proceed evil thoughts.' 
 If, therefore, the heart be no longer evil, 
 then evil thoughts no longer proceed out 
 of it; for ' a good tree can not bring forth 
 evil fruit.' 
 
 "And as they are freed from evil 
 thoughts, so likewise from evil tempers. 
 Every one of these can say, with St. Paul, 
 'T am crucified with Christ; nevertheless 
 
 live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me;* 
 
28 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 words that manifestly describe a deliver- 
 ance from inward as well as from outward 
 Bin. This is expressed both negatively, ' I 
 live not,' my evil nature, the body of sin, 
 is destroyed, and positively, ' Christ liveth 
 in ne,' and therefore all that is holy, 
 and just, and good. Indeed, both these, 
 Christ Fiveth in me,' and, ' I live not,' are 
 inseparably connected. For what com- 
 munion hath light with darkness, or Cnrist 
 with Beliall 
 
 "He, therefore, who hveth in these 
 Christians hath 'purified their hearts by 
 faith;' insomuch that every one that has 
 Christ in him, * the hope of glory, purifieth 
 himself even as he is pure.' He is puri- 
 fied from pride; for Christ was lowly in 
 heart: he is pure from desire and self-will; 
 for Christ desired only to do the will ol 
 his Father: and he is pure from anger, in 
 the common sense of the word; for Christ 
 was meek and gentle. I say, in the com- 
 mon sense of the word; for he is angry at 
 sin, while he is grieved for the sinner. 
 He feels a displacency at every ofiense 
 against God, but only tender compassior 
 t^ the offender. 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTKN. ^9 
 
 " Thus doth Jesus save his people from 
 their sins; not only from outward sins, but 
 from the sins of their hearts. ' True,' say 
 pome, ' but not till death, not in this world.' 
 Nay, St. John says, 'Herein is our love 
 made perfect, that we may have boldnesa 
 in the day of judgment; because, as he is 
 so are we in this world.' The apostle 
 here, beyond all contradiction, speaks of 
 himself and other living Christians, of 
 whom he flatly affirms that, not only at oi 
 after death, but 'in this world,' they are 
 as their Master.' 
 
 " Exactly agreeable to this are his words 
 in the first chapter: ' God is light, and in 
 him is no darkness at all. If we walk in 
 the light, as he is in the light, we have 
 fellowship one with another, and the blood 
 of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from 
 all sin.' And again: 'If we confess our 
 eins, he is faithful and just to forgive us 
 our sins, and to cleanse us from all un- 
 righteousness.' Now, it is evident the 
 apostle here speaks of a deliverance 
 wrought in this world; for he saith not. 
 The bbod of Christ will cleanse — at the 
 nour of death, or in the day of judgment — 
 
30 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 Dut it 'cleanseth,' at the time present, 
 as living Christians ' from all sin.' And 
 it is equally evident that, if any sin re- 
 main, we are not cleansed from all sin. 
 If any unrighteousness remain in the soul, 
 it is not cleansed from any unrighteous- 
 ness. Neither let any say that this re- 
 lates to justification only, or the cleans- 
 ing us from the guilt of sin: first, be- 
 cause this is confounding together what 
 the apostle clearly distinguishes, who men- 
 tions, first, 'to forgive us our sins,' and 
 then 'to cleanse us from all unrighteous- 
 ness;' secondly, because this is asserting 
 justification by works, in the strongest 
 sense possible; it is making all inward, as 
 well as all outward holiness, necessary 
 previous to justification. For if the cleans- 
 ing here spoken of is no other than the 
 cleansing us from the guilt of sin, then we 
 are not cleansed from guilt, that is, not 
 Justified, unless on condition of walking 
 'in the light, as he is in the fight.' It re- 
 mains, then, that Christians are saved in 
 this world from all sin, from all unright- 
 eousness; that they are now in such a 
 sense perfect as not to commit sin, and U» 
 
CHKISTIAN PERFECTION. 3 1 
 
 be freed from evil thoujjhts and evil tem- 
 pers." 
 
 It could not be but that a discourse of 
 tliis kind, which directly contradicted the 
 favorite opinion of many, who were es- 
 teemed by others, and possibly esteemed 
 themselves, some of the best of Chris- 
 tians — whereas, if these things were so, 
 they were not Christians at all — ^should 
 give no small offense. Many answers or 
 animadversions, therefore, were expected; 
 but I was agreeably disappointed. I do 
 not know that any appeared; so 'I went 
 quietly on my way. 
 
 13. Not long after, I think in the spring, 
 1741, we published a second volume ot 
 hymns. As the doctrine was still much 
 misunderstood, and consequently misrep- 
 resented, I judged it needful to explain 
 yet farther upon the head; which was done 
 ■n the preface to it as follows: 
 
 "This great gift of God, the salvation 
 •jf our souls, is no other than the image 
 God fresh stamped on our hearts. It is a 
 ' renewal of believers in the spirit of their 
 minds after the likeness of Him that cre- 
 ated them.' God hath now laid ' the ax 
 
52 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 finto the root of the tree, purifying thei* 
 hearts by faith,' and * cleansing all the 
 thoughts of their hearts by the inspiration 
 of his Holy Spirit.' Having this hope, 
 that they shall see God as he is, they 
 ' purify themselves even as he is pure,* and 
 aie 'holy, as he that hath called them id 
 holy, in all manner of conversation.' Not 
 that they have already attained all that 
 they shall attain, either are already in this 
 sense perfect. But they daily 'go on from 
 strength to strength, beholding ' now, ' as 
 in a gla*ss, the glory of the Lord, they are 
 changed into the same image, from glory 
 to glory, by the Spirit of the Lord.' 
 
 " And ' where the Spirit of the Lord is, 
 mere is liberty;' such liberty 'from the 
 law of sin and death,' as the children of 
 this world will not believe, though a man 
 declare it unto them. 'The Son hath 
 made them free ' who are thus ' born of 
 God,' from that great root of sin and bit- 
 terness, pride. They feel that all their 
 'sufficiency is of God,' that it is he alone 
 who 'is m all their thoughts,' and 'work- 
 eth in them both to will and to do of hia 
 good pleasure.' They feel that 'it is not 
 
CHRISTIAB rKRFECTION 33 
 
 they ' that 'speak, but the ypiril of theii 
 Father who speaketh' in iheiii, and that 
 fv'hatsoever is done by their hands, *the 
 Father who is in them, he doclh the works.' 
 So that God is to thi;m all in all, and the? 
 are notliing in his sight. They are freed 
 from self-will as desiring nothing but the 
 holy and perfect will of God; not supplies 
 in want, not ease in pain,* nor life, or 
 death, or any creature; but continually 
 crying in their inmost soul, ' Father, thy 
 will be done.' They are freed from evi 
 thoughts, 6o tAat they can not enter int'j 
 them, no, not lor a moment. Aforetime, 
 when an evil thought came in, they looked 
 up, and it vanished away. But now it 
 does not come in, there being no room 
 for this, in a soul which is full of God, 
 They are free from wanderings in prayer. 
 Whensoever they pour out their hearts in 
 a more immediate manner before God, they 
 have no thought of any thing passed, f or 
 
 *This is too strong. Our Lord himself desireCi 
 ease in pain. He asked for it, only with resij^na 
 lion: "Not as I will," I desire, "but as thou 
 wilt." 
 
 t This is far too strong. See the sermon " 0» 
 Wandering Thoughts." 
 3 
 
S4 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 absent, or to come, but of God alone, li 
 times past, they had wandering thoughu* 
 darted in, which yet fled away Hke smoke; 
 'but now that smoke does not rise at ail. 
 They have no fear or doubt, either as to 
 their state in genera], or as to any partic- 
 ular action.* The * unction from the Holy 
 One ' teacheth them every hour what they 
 sliall do, and what they shall speakjf nor 
 therefore have they any need to reason 
 concerning it.J They are in one sense 
 freed from temptations; for though num- 
 berless temptations fly about them, yei 
 they trouble them not.$ At all times their 
 souls are even and calm, their hearts are 
 steadfast and immovable. Their peace, 
 flowing as a river, ' passeth all understand- 
 ing,' and they 'rejoice with joy unspeak- 
 able and full of glory.' For they 'are 
 scaled by the Spirit unto the day of re- 
 demption,' having the witness in them- 
 
 * frequently this is the casej but only sr » 
 time. 
 
 f For a time it may be so, but not always. 
 
 j Sometimes they have mo need ; at otiier tiiiifr? 
 ihey have. 
 
 {Sometimes they do not; at other times ttie» 
 do, aud that grievously 
 
CHRISTIAN I'ERFECTION 35 
 
 selves' that 'there is laid up for' them a 
 ' crown of righteousness, which tiiC Lord 
 will give' them 'in that day.'* 
 
 "Not that every one is a child of the 
 devil till he is thus renewed in love: gd 
 the contrary, whoever has ' a sure confi- 
 dence in God, that, through the merits of 
 Christ, his sins are forgiven,' he is a child 
 of God, and, if he abide in him, an hei» ol 
 all the promises. Neither ought he in any 
 wise to cast away his confidence, or t'j 
 deny the faith he has received, because i- 
 is weak, or because it is 'tried with fire, 
 80 that his soul is 'in heaviness through 
 manifold temptations.' 
 
 "Neither dare we affirm, as sf.me have 
 done, tiiat all this salvation is given ai 
 once. There is indeed an instantaneous, 
 as well as a gradual, work of God in hiss 
 children; and there wants not, we know, 
 a cloud of witnesses, \\ ho have received, 
 in one moment, either a clear sense ot 
 the forgiveness of their sins, or the abiding 
 witness of the Holy Spirit. But we do 
 rot know a single instance, in any place 
 
 * Not all who are saved from sin; many 
 theiu liavti not attained it vet. 
 
S6 CHEISTIAN PERFECTiON. 
 
 of a person's receiving, in one ind th# 
 same moment, remission of sins, the abid- 
 ing witness of the Spirit, and a new, a 
 clean heart. 
 
 "Indeed, how Got' niay work, we can 
 not tell; but the general manner wherein 
 he does work, is this: those who once 
 trusted in themselves that they were right- 
 eous, that they were rich, and increased in 
 goods, and had need of nothing, are, b) 
 the Spirit of God applying his word, con- 
 vinced that they are poor and naked. All 
 the things that they have done are brought 
 to their remembrance and set in array be- 
 fore them, so that they see the wrath of 
 God hanging over their heads, and feel 
 that they deserve the damnation of hell. 
 In their trouble they cry to the Lord, 
 and he shows them that he hath taken 
 away their sins, and opens the kingdom of 
 heaven in their hearts, ' righteousness, and 
 peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.' Sor- 
 row and pain are fled away, and 'sin haa 
 no more dominion over' them. Knowing 
 they are justified freely through faith in 
 his blood, they ' have peace with God 
 itircuglt Jesus Christ:' they 'rejoice in 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 37 
 
 hope of the glory of God,' and 'the '.ove 
 of God is shed abroad in their hearts.* 
 
 "In this peace they remain for days, or 
 weeks, or months, and commonly suppose 
 they shall not know war any more; till 
 some of their old enemies, their bosom 
 sins, or the sins which did most easily be- 
 set them — perhaps anger or desire — assault 
 them again, and thrust sore at them, thai 
 they may fall. Then arises fear that they 
 shall not endure to the end; and often 
 doubt whether God has not forgotten them 
 or whether they did not deceive themselves 
 in thinking their sins were forgiven. Un- 
 der these clouds, especially if they reason 
 with the devil, they go mourning all the 
 day long. But it is seldom long before 
 their Lord answers for himself, sending 
 them the Holy Ghost to comfort them, to 
 bear witness continually with their spirits 
 that they are the children of God. Then 
 they are indeed meek, and gentle, and 
 teachable, even as a little child. And 
 now first do they see the ground of their 
 heart;* which God before would not dis- 
 
 * Is it not astonishing: that while this book is 
 extant, whirh was puhlished four and twfntv 
 
38 CHRISTIAN FERFECTIOW. 
 
 close to them, lest the soul should fail be- 
 fore hiin, and the spirit which he had 
 made. Now they see all the hidden abom- 
 inations there, the depths of pride, self- 
 will, and hell; yet having the witness in 
 themselves, ' Thou art an heir of God, a 
 joint-heir with Christ, even in the midst 
 of this fiery trial;' which continually 
 hightens both the strong sense they then 
 have of their inability to help themselves, 
 and the inexpressible hunger they feel 
 after a full renewal in his image, in ' right- 
 eousness and true holiness,' Then God is 
 mindful of the desire of them that fear 
 him, and gives them a single eye and a 
 pure heart; he stamps upon them his own 
 image and superscription; he createth 
 them anew in Christ Jesus; he cometh 
 to them with his Son and blessed Spirit, 
 and fixing his abode in their souls, bring- 
 eth them into the 'rest which remainclh 
 for the people of God.' " 
 
 Here I can not but remark, (1.) That 
 
 years ago, any one should face me down, that this 
 is a new doctrine, and what I never taught be 
 fore? [This note was first published in the year 
 -765.— Edit.] 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTIOM. 39 
 
 this is the strongest account we ever ^ave 
 of Christian perfection; indeed, too strong 
 in more than one particular, as is observed 
 in the notes annexed. (2.) That there is 
 nothing which we have since advanced 
 upon the subject, either in verse or prose 
 which is not either directly or indirectly 
 contained in this preface. So that, whether 
 our present doctrine be right or wrong, it 
 is, however, the same which we taught 
 from the beginning. 
 
 14. I need not give additional proofs of 
 tl)is, by multiplying quotations from the 
 volume itself. It may suffice, to cite part 
 of one hymn only, the last in that volume: 
 
 Lord, I believe a rest remains, 
 
 To all thy people known; 
 A rest where pure enjoyment rejw'ns, 
 
 And thou art loved alone; 
 
 A rest where all our soul's desire 
 
 Is fixed on things above; 
 Where doubt and pain and fear expire, 
 
 ('ast out by perfect love. 
 
 Front every evil motion freed- • 
 
 The Son hath made us free — 
 On all the powers of hell we tread, 
 
 In glorious lil^erty. 
 
•0 »/flRISTlAN "ER/ECTlo'i- 
 
 Safe in the way of life, abovp 
 Death, earth, and hell, we rise; 
 
 We find, when perfected in love, 
 Our long-sought paradise. 
 
 O, that I now the rest might know, 
 
 Believe and enter in! 
 Now, Savior, now the power bestow 
 
 And let me cease from sin ! 
 
 Remove this hardness from my heart. 
 
 This unbelief remove: 
 To me the rest of faith impart, 
 
 The sabbath of thy love. 
 
 Come, O, my Savior, come away I 
 
 Into my soul descend! 
 No longer from thy creature stay, 
 
 My author and my end. 
 
 The bliss thou hast for me prepared. 
 
 No longer be delay'd; 
 Come, my exceeding great reward. 
 
 For whom I first was mad a. 
 
 Come, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, 
 
 And seal me thine abode! 
 Let all I am in thee be lost: 
 
 Let all be lost in God! 
 
 Can any thing be more clear than, (i.j 
 
 That here, also, is as full and high a salva- 
 tion as we have ever spoken of? (2.) That 
 this is spoken of as receivable by mere 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 41 
 
 faith, and as hindered only by unbelief? 
 (3.) That this faith, and consequently the 
 salvation which it brings, is spoken of as 
 given in an instant? (4.) That it is sup- 
 posed that instant may be now] that we 
 need not stay another moment] that 
 "now," the very "now is the accepted 
 time] now is the day of this full ' salva- 
 tion]' And, lastly, that if any speak 
 otherwise, he is the person that brings 
 new doctrine among usi 
 
 15. About a year after, namely, in the 
 year 1742, we published another volume of 
 hymns. The dispute being now at the 
 bight, we spoke upon the head more 
 largely than ever before. Accordingly, 
 abundance of the hymns in this volume 
 treat expressly on this subject. And so 
 does the preface, which, as it is short, it 
 may not be amiss to insert entire: 
 
 • (1.) Perhaps the general prejudice 
 against Christian perfection may chiefly 
 arise from a misapprehension of the nature 
 of it. We willingly allow, and continually 
 declare, there is no such perfection in this 
 life as impHes either a dispensation from 
 doing good, and attending all the ordi- 
 
42 CHRISTIAN PERFECTlOlf 
 
 nances of God, or a freedom from igno- 
 rance, mistake, temptation, and a thousand 
 infirmities necessarily connected with tlesh 
 and blood. 
 
 "(2.) First. We not only allow, but 
 earnestly contend, that there is no perfec- 
 tion in this Hfe, which implies any dispen- 
 sation from attending all the ordinances 
 of God, or from doing good to all men 
 while we have time, though ' especially 
 unto the household of faith.' We believe 
 that not only the babes in Christ, who 
 have newly found redemption in his blood, 
 but those also who are 'grown up into 
 perfect men,' are indispensably obliged, as 
 often as they have opportunity, 'to eat 
 bread and drink wine in remembrance of 
 him,' and to 'search the Scriptures;' by 
 fasting, as well as temperance, to 'keep 
 iheir bodies under, and bring them into 
 subjection;' and above alj, to pour out their 
 souls in prayer, both secretly and in the 
 great congregation. 
 
 "(3.) We secondly believe that there is 
 no such perfection in this life as implies 
 an entire deliverance, either from igno- 
 rance or mistake, in things not essentia.* 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 43 
 
 to salvation, or from manifold temptations, 
 or from numberless infirmities, wherewith 
 the corruptible body more or less presses 
 down the soul. We can not find any 
 ground in Scripture to suppose that any 
 inhabitant of a house of clay is wholly 
 exempt either from bodily infirmities, or 
 from ignorance of many things; jr to 
 imagine any is incapable of mistake, or 
 faUing into divers temptations. 
 
 "(4.) But whom then do you mean by 
 'one that is perfect!' We mean one in 
 whom is ' the mind which was in Christ,' 
 and who so ' w^alketh as Christ also 
 walked;' a man *that hath clean hnn Is 
 and a pure heart,' or that is ' cleansea ironi 
 all filthiness of flesh and spirit;' one in 
 whom is ' no occasion of stumbUng,' and 
 who, accordingly, 'does not commit sin.' 
 To declare this a little more particularly, 
 we understand by that Scriptural expres- 
 sion, *a perfect man,' one in whom Got! 
 iiath fulfilled his faithful word, 'From all 
 your filthiness and from all your idols 1 
 will cleanse you: I will also save you from 
 ill yoiir uncleannesses.' We understand 
 liereby one whom God ha tlf ' sanctified 
 
44 CHRISTIAN PERFECTIOR. 
 
 tliroughout in body, soul, and spirit;' one 
 who *vvalketh in the light as He is in the 
 light; in whom is no darkness at all, the 
 blood of Jesus Christ his Son having 
 cleansed him from all sin.' 
 
 "(5.) This man can now testify to all 
 mankind, ' I am crucified with Christ: 
 nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ 
 liveth in me.' He is 'holy as God who 
 called' him Ms holy,' both in heart and* in 
 all manner of conversation.' He ' loveth 
 the Lord his God with all his heart,' and 
 serveth him 'with all his strength.' He 
 'loveth his neighbor,' every man 'as him- 
 self;' yea, *as Christ loveth us;' them, in 
 particular, that ' despitefully use him and 
 persecute him, because they know not the 
 Son, neither the Father.' Indeed his sou. 
 is all love, filled with ' bowels of mercies, 
 kindness, meekness, gentleness, long-suf- 
 fering.' And his life agreeth thereto, full 
 of 'the work o^ faith, the patience of hope, 
 the labor of love.' 'And whatsoever' he 
 doeth either in word or deed,' he 'doeth 
 it all in the name,' in the love and power, 
 •of the Lord Jesus.' In a word, ho doeth 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTIOM. 45 
 
 'the will of God on earth, as it is done in 
 heaven.' 
 
 "(6.) This it is to be a perfect man, to 
 be * sanctified throughout;' even *to have a 
 heart so all-flaming with the love of 
 God '—to use Archbishop Usher's words — 
 ' as continually to offer up every thought 
 word, and work, as a spiritual sacrifice, 
 acceptable to God through Christ;' in 
 every thought of our hearts, in every word 
 of our tongues, in every work of our 
 hands, to 'show forth His praise who hath 
 called us out of darkness into his marvel- 
 ous light.' O, that both we, and all who 
 seek the Lord Jesus in sincerity, may thus 
 be made perfect in one!' " 
 
 This is the doctrine which we preached 
 from the beginning, and which we preach 
 at this day. Indeed by viewing it in every 
 point of light, and comparing it again and 
 again with the word of God on the one 
 hand, and the experience of the children 
 of God on the other, we saw farther into 
 the nature and properties of Christian per- 
 fection. But still there is no contrariety 
 at all between our first and our last scnti- 
 
46 CHRISTIAN PERFfcCTIOM. 
 
 menls. Our first conception of it was, ll 
 is to liave " the mind which was in Christ," 
 and to "walk as he walked;" to have all 
 the mind that was in him, and always to 
 walk as he walked: in other words, to be 
 inwardly and outwardly devoted to God; 
 all devoted in heart and life. And we 
 have the same conception of it now, with- 
 out either addition or diminution. 
 
 16. The hymns concerning it in this 
 volume are too numerous to transcribe. 1 
 shall only cite a part of three: 
 
 Savior from sin, 1 wait to prove 
 That Jesus is thy healing name; 
 
 To lose, when perfected in love, 
 Whate'er I have, or can, or am; 
 
 1 stay me on thy faithful word, 
 
 ''The servant shall be as his Lord.' 
 
 Answer that gracious end in me 
 
 For which thy precious life was given, 
 
 Redeem from all iniquity, 
 
 Restore, and make me meet for heaver. 
 
 Unless thou purge my every stain, 
 
 Thy sufl'ering and ni}' faith is vain. 
 
 Di'lst thou not die that I might live 
 No longer to myself but thee? 
 
 Might body, soul, and spirit give 
 To Him who gave himself for nie1 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION -57 
 
 Come, then, my Master and my God, 
 Take the dear purchase of thy blood. 
 
 Thy own peculiar servant claim. 
 
 For thy own truth and mercy'? sake; 
 
 Hallow in me thy glorious name; 
 Me for thine own this moment take, 
 
 And change and thoroughly purify; 
 
 Thine only may I live and die. (p. 80. 
 
 Chose from the world, if now I stand, 
 Adorn'd with righteousness divine; 
 
 If brought into the promised land 
 I justly call the Savior mine; 
 
 The sanctifying Spirit pour, 
 
 To quench my thirst and wash me clei • 
 Now, Savior, let the gracious shower 
 
 Descend, and make me pure from tii 
 
 Purge me from every sinful blot: 
 
 My idols all be cast aside: 
 Cleanse me from every evil thought. 
 
 From all the filth of self and pride. 
 
 The hatred of the carnal mind 
 Out of my flesh at once remove; 
 
 Give me a tender heart, resign'd, 
 And pure, and full of faith and love. 
 
 O, that I now, from sin released. 
 
 Thy word might to the utmost prove 
 
 '-'.nter into thy promised rest; 
 The Canaan of thy perfect love! 
 
48 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 Now let me gain perfection's bight! 
 
 Now let me into nothing fall; 
 Be less than nothing in my sight, 
 
 And feel that Christ is all in ail. (o. 258 
 
 Lord, i believe, thy work of grace 
 
 Is perfect in the soul; 
 His heart is pure who sees thy face, 
 
 His spirit is made whole. 
 
 From every sickness, by thy word, 
 
 From every foul disease, 
 Saved, and to perfect health restored, 
 
 To perfect holiness: 
 
 He walks in glorious liberty, 
 
 To sin entirely dead: 
 The Truth, the Son halh made hhn free 
 
 And he is free inaeed. 
 
 Throughout his soul thy glories shine, 
 
 His soul is all renew'd, 
 And deck'd in righteousness div~ne, 
 
 And cloth'd and dli'd with God. 
 
 Tiiis is the rest, the life, the peace. 
 
 Which all thy people prove; 
 Love is the bond of perfectness 
 
 And all their soul is love. 
 
 0, joyful sound of Gospel grace! 
 Christ shall in me appear; 
 
 1, even I, shall see his face, 
 I shall be holy here! 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 4^« 
 
 He visits now the house of clay. 
 
 He shakes his future home; 
 O, wouldst thou, Lord, on this glad day, 
 
 Into thy temple corue! 
 
 Conie.O, my God, thyself reveal, 
 
 fill all this mighty void; 
 Thou only canst my spirit fill: 
 
 Come, O, my God, my God! 
 Fulfill, fulfill my large desires, 
 
 Large as infinity ! 
 Give, give nie all my soul requires 
 
 All, all that is in thee! (p. 29.) 
 
 17. On Monday, June 25, 1744, our first 
 conference began; six clergymen and all 
 our preachers being present. The next 
 morning we seriously considered the doc- 
 trine of sanctification, or perfection. The 
 questions asked concerning it, and the 
 substance of the answers given, were as 
 follows: 
 
 " Question. What is it to be sanctified! 
 
 *' Answer. To be renewed in the image 
 of God, * in righteousness and true holi- 
 oess.' 
 
 •'* Q. What is implied in being a perfect 
 Christian? 
 
 " A. The loving God with all our heart, 
 und mind, and soul, (Deut. vi, 6.^ 
 4 
 
60 CFIRISTFAN PERFECTION. 
 
 " Q. Duos this imply, thai all inward 
 sin is taken away] 
 
 "A. Undoubtedly; or how can we be 
 said to be ' saved from all our unclean- 
 nesses?' Ezek. xxxvi, 29." 
 
 Our second conference began August 1. 
 1745. The next morning we spoke ;f 
 sanctification as follows: 
 
 "Q,. When does inward sanctificatioD 
 becrin] 
 
 "A. In the moment a man is justified 
 [Yet sin remains in him, yea, the seed of 
 all sin, till he is sanctified throughout.] 
 From that time a believer gradually dies 
 to sin, and grows in grace. 
 
 "Q. Is this ordinarily given till a little 
 before deathi 
 
 "A. It is not, to those who expect it no 
 sooner. 
 
 "Q,. But may w^e expect it sooner] 
 
 "A. Why not? For, although we grant, 
 (1.) That the generahty of believers, 
 whom we have hitherto known, were not 
 po sanctified till near death; (2.) That few 
 of those to whom St. Paul wrote his 
 epistles were so at thai time; nor, (3.) He 
 himself at the Lim^ of writing his former 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 5 J 
 
 epistlep: yet all this does not prove that 
 we may not be so to-day. 
 
 "Q. In what manner should we preach 
 ianctification ! 
 
 "A. Scarce at all to those who are not 
 pressing forward; to those who are, al- 
 ways by way of promise; always drawing, 
 rather than driving." 
 
 Our third conference began Tuesday, 
 May 26, 1746. 
 
 In this we carefully read over the min- 
 utes of the two preceding conferences, to 
 observe whether any thing contained 
 therein might be retrenched or altered on 
 more mature consideration. But we did 
 not see cause to alter in any respect what 
 we had agreed upon before. 
 
 Our fourth conference began on Tues- 
 day, June 16, 1747. As several persons 
 were present who did not beheve the doc- 
 trine of perfection, we agreed to examine 
 It from the foundation. 
 
 In order to this it was asked, 
 
 " How much is allowed by our brethren 
 who differ from us with regard to entir*^ 
 banctification? 
 
 "A. They grant, (1.) Thai every one 
 
52 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 must be entirely sanctified in the articJa 
 of death. (2.) That till then a believei 
 daily ^ows in grace, comes nearer and 
 nearer to perfection. (3.) That we ought 
 10 be continually pressing after it, and tc 
 exhort all others so to do. 
 
 " Q. What do we allow themi 
 "A. We grant, (i.) That many of those 
 who have died in the faith, yea, the greater 
 part of those we have known, were not 
 perfected in love, till a little before their 
 death. (2.) That the term sanctified is 
 continually applied by St. Paul to all that 
 were justified. (3.) That by this term 
 alone he rarely, if ever, means, 'saved 
 from all sin.' (4.) That, consequently, it 
 is not proper to use it in that sense, with- 
 out adding the word wholly, entirely, or the 
 like. (5.) That the inspired writers al- 
 most continually speak of or to those who 
 were justified, but very rarely of or to 
 those who were wholly sanctified.* (6.) 
 That, consequently, it behooves us to 
 speak almost continually of the state of 
 
 * That is, to those alone, exclusive of others, 
 but the}- speak to them, jointly with others alinos' 
 continually. 
 
CHRISTIAN TERFECTION. 63 
 
 justification; but more rarely,* ' at leaot in 
 full and explicit terms, concerning entire 
 sanctification,' 
 
 " Q. What, then, is the point where we 
 flivide] 
 
 "A. It is this: should we expect to be 
 saved from all sin before the article of 
 deathi 
 
 "Q. Is there any clear Scripture prom- 
 ise of this — that God will save us from 
 ail sin] 
 
 "A. There is: 'He shall redeem Israel 
 from all his sins,' Psalm cxxx, 8. 
 
 " This is more largely expressed in the 
 prophecy of Ezekiel: ' Then will I sprinkle 
 clean water upon you. and ye shall be 
 clean; from all your filthiness and from 
 all your idols will I cleanse you: I will 
 also save you from all your uncleannesses,' 
 xxxvi, 25, 29. No promise can be more 
 clear. And to this the apostle plainly re- 
 fers in that exhortation: 'Having these 
 promises, let us cleanse ourselves from all 
 filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfecting 
 holiness in the fear of God,' 2 Cor. vii, 1. 
 
 * More rarely, I allow; but yet in some piaces 
 very frequeni'v. strong^ly, and explicitly 
 
64 CHRISTIAN TERFECTlOxN. 
 
 Equally clear and express is that ancien\ 
 promise: 'The Lord thy God will circum- 
 cise thy heart, and the heart of thy seed, to 
 love the Lord thy God with all thy heart 
 and with all thy soul,' Deut. xxx, 6. 
 
 *' Q,. But does any assertion answerable 
 to this occur in the New Testament? 
 
 "A. There does, and that laid down in 
 the plainest terms. So 1 John iii, 8: 'For 
 this purpose the Son of God was mani- 
 fested, that he might destroy the works of 
 the devil;' the works of the devil, without 
 any limitation or restriction; but all sin is 
 the work of the devil. Parallel to which 
 is the assertion of St. Paul: 'Christ loved 
 the Church, and gave himself for it, that 
 he might present it to himself a glorious 
 Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or 
 any such thing, but that it might be holy 
 and without blemish,' Eph. v, 25-27. 
 
 " And to the same effect is his assertion 
 'n the eighth of the Romans, verses 3, 4: 
 •God sent his Son, that the righteousness 
 of the law might be fulfilled in Uo, who 
 walk not after the flesh, but after the 
 Spirit.' 
 
 "Q. Does the New Testament aflJbro 
 
CHRISTIAN PEEFECTIOIf. 66 
 
 any fariher ground for expecting to be 
 saved from all sini 
 
 "A. Undoubtedly it does; both in those 
 prayers and commands, which are equiva- 
 lent to the strongest assertions. 
 "Q. What prayers do you mean] 
 "A. Prayers for entire sanctification; 
 V Jch, were there no such thing, would be 
 mere mockery of God. Such in particular 
 are, (1.) 'Deliver us from evil.' Now, 
 when this is done, when we are delivered 
 from all evil, there can be no sin remain- 
 ing. (2.) 'Neither pray I for these alone, 
 but for them also who shall beheve on me 
 through their word; that they all may be 
 one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in 
 thee, that they also may be one in us; I in 
 them, and thou in me, that they may be 
 made perfect in one,' John xvii, 20-23. 
 (3.) 'I bow my knees unto the God ana 
 Father of our Lord Jesus Clirist, that he 
 would grant you that ye, being rooted a.nd 
 grounded in love, may be able to compre- 
 hend, with all saints, what is the breadth. 
 and length, and depth, and hight, and to 
 know the love of Christ, which passeth 
 knowledge, tiiat ye may be tilled with ah 
 
66 CHRISTIAN PERFECTitN. 
 
 the fullness of God,' Eph. iii, 14, etc 
 (4.) 'The very God of peace sanctify yoL 
 wholly. And I pray God, your whole 
 spirit, soul, and body, may be preserved 
 blameless unto the coming of our Lord 
 Jesus Christ,' 1 Thess. v, 23. 
 
 " Q,. What command is tiiere to the 
 same effect} 
 
 "A. (1.) ' Be ye perfect, as your Father 
 who is in heaven is perfect,' Matt, v, 48. 
 (2.) 'Thou shalt love the Lord tliy God 
 with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, 
 and with all thy mind,' Matt, xxii, 37. 
 But if the love of God fill all the heart, 
 there can be no sin therein. 
 
 " Q,. But how does it appear that this is 
 to be done before the article of death? 
 
 "A. (1.) From the very nature of a 
 command, which is not given to the dead, 
 but to the living. Therefore, ' Thou shalt 
 love God with all thy heart,' can not mean. 
 Thou shalt do this when thou diest, but 
 while thou livest. 
 
 "(2.) From express texts of Scriptme: 
 (i.) The grace of God that bringeth sal- 
 ration hath appeared to all men; teaching 
 us inal, havins: renounced unorodhness and 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 67 
 
 Worldly lusts, we should live soberly, right- 
 eously, and godly in this present world; 
 looking for the glorious appearing of our 
 Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for 
 us, that he might redeem us from all in- 
 iquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar 
 people, zealous of good works,* Titus .ii, 
 11-14. (ii.) 'He hath raised up a horn 
 of salvation for us, to perform the mercy 
 promised to our fathers; the oath which he 
 Bware to our father Abraham, that he 
 would grant unto us that we, being de- 
 livered out of the hands of our enemies, 
 should serve him without fear, in holiness 
 and righteousness before him, all the days 
 of our life,' Luke i, 69, etc. 
 
 " Q. Is there any example in Scripture 
 of persons who had attained to this] 
 
 "A. Yes; St. John, and all those of 
 whom he says, 'Herein is our love made 
 perfect, that we may have boldness in the 
 day of judgment; because, as he is, so are 
 we in this world,' 1 John iv, 17. 
 
 "Q. Can you show one such example 
 now? Where is he that is thus perfect! 
 
 "A. To some that make this inquiry, 
 one might make answer, If I knew one 
 
68 CHEISTIAN PEKFECTION. 
 
 here, I would not tell you; for you do noi 
 inquire out of love. You are like Herod, 
 you only seek the young child to slay it. 
 
 "But more directly we answer: There 
 axe many reasons why there should be 
 few, if any, indisputable examples. What 
 inconveniences would this bring on thp 
 person himself, set as a mark for all to 
 shoot atl And how unprofitable would it 
 be to gainsay ers! *For if they hear not 
 Moses and the prophets,' Christ and his 
 apostles, ' neither would they be persuaded 
 though one rose from the dead.' 
 
 " Q,. Are we not apt to have a secret dis- 
 taste to any who" say they are saved from 
 all sin] 
 
 " A. It is very possible we may, and tJiat 
 upon several grounds; partly from a con- 
 cern for the good of souls, who may be 
 hurt if these are not what they profess; 
 partly from a kind of implicit en\T at those 
 who speak of higher attainments than our 
 own; and partly from our natural slowness 
 and unreadiness of heart to believe the 
 works of God. 
 
 " Q. Why may we not continue in the 
 joy of faith till wo are perfected in love'- 
 
CHBISTIAN PERFECTION. 59 
 
 " Why, intleedl since holy ^ief does 
 not quench this joy; since even while \> e 
 are under the cross, while we deeply par- 
 take of the sufferings of Christ, we may 
 rejoice with joy unspeakable." 
 
 From these extracts it undeniably ap- 
 pears, no, only what was mine and my 
 brother's judgment, but what was the 
 judgment of all the preachers in connec- 
 tion with us, in the years 1744, '45, '46, and 
 '47. Nor do I remember that, in any one 
 of these conferences, we had one dissent- 
 ing voice; but whatever doubts any one 
 had when we met, they were all removed 
 before we parted. 
 
 18. In the year 1749 my brother print- 
 ed two volumes of "Hymns and Sacred 
 Poems." As I did not see these before 
 they were published, there were some 
 things in them which I did not approve 
 of. But I quite approved of the main of 
 the hymns on this head; a few verses of 
 vvhich are subjoined: 
 
 Come, Lord, be manifested bere, 
 And all the devil's works destroy: 
 
 Now, without sin, in me appear. 
 And fill with everlasting joy; 
 
60 CHRISTIAN PERFECnoIf. 
 
 Thy beatific face display; 
 
 Thy presence is the perfect day. 
 
 (Vol. i, p. 203. 
 
 Swirt to my rescue come, 
 Thy own this moment seize; 
 Gather my wand'ring spirit home, 
 And keep in perfect peace. 
 
 Suffer'd no more to rove 
 
 O'er all the earth abroad, 
 
 Arrest the pris'ner of thy love, 
 
 And shut me up in God! (p, 247. 
 
 Thy pris'ners release, Vouchsafe us thy peace; 
 And our sorrows and sins in a moment shall cease 
 That moment be now! Our petition allow. 
 Our present Redeemer and Comforter thou ! 
 
 (Vol. ii, p. 124.) 
 
 From this inbred sin deliver; 
 Let the yoke now be broke; 
 
 Make me thine forever. 
 
 Partner of thy perfect nature, 
 Let me be now in thee 
 
 A new, sinless creature. (p. 156.} 
 
 Turn me. Lord, and turn me now, 
 To thy yoke my spirit bow ; 
 Grant me now the pearl to find 
 Of a meek and quiet mind. 
 
 Calm, O, calm my troubled breast; 
 
 Let me gain that second rest: 
 
 From my works forever cease, 
 
 Perfected in holiness. (p. 162.) 
 
CHRISTIAN TERFECTION. 61 
 
 Come ill this accepted hour, 
 
 Briiij^ thy heavenly kingdom in! 
 Fill us with tile glorious power, 
 
 Rooting out the seeds of sin. (p. 168. 
 
 Come, thou dear Lamb, for sinners slain, 
 
 Bring in the cleansing flood: 
 Apply, to wash out every stain. 
 
 Thine fefticacious blood. 
 
 O, let it sink into our soul 
 
 Deep as the inbred sin; 
 Make every wounded spirit whole. 
 
 And every leper clean! (p- 171. 
 
 Pris'ners of hope, arise, 
 And see your Lord appear! 
 Lo! on the wings of love he flies. 
 And brings redemption near. 
 
 Redemption in his blood 
 He calls you to receive: 
 'Come unto me, the pard'ning God. 
 Believe," he cries, "believe!" 
 
 Jesus, to thee we look, 
 Till saved from sin's remains. 
 Reject the inbred tyrant's yoke, 
 And cast away his chains. 
 
 Our nature shall no more 
 O'er us dominion have; 
 By faith we apprehend the power 
 
 Which shall forever save. i^o 188 
 
 Jesus, our life, in us appear, 
 Who daiW die thy death 
 
63 CHRISTIAH FERFECTIOR. 
 
 RcTeal thyself the finisher; 
 
 Thv quick'ning; Spirit breMhe! 
 Unfold the hidden mystery, 
 
 The second gift impart; 
 Keveal thy g-lorious self in ni'^ 
 
 In every waiting heart. (p 19S.j 
 
 In Him we have peace, In Him we have powers. 
 Preserved by his grace throughout the dark hour. 
 In all our temptations He keeps us, to prove 
 His utmost salvation, His fullness of love. 
 
 fronounce the glad word, And bid us be free 
 Ah, hast thou not. Lord, a blessing foi me? 
 The peace thou hast given, This moment impa-t 
 And open thy heaven, O, Love, in my heart! 
 
 (p. 324. ^ 
 
 A second edition of these hymns was 
 published in the year 1752; and that with- 
 out any other alteration than that of a few 
 literal mistakes. 
 
 I have been the more large in these ex- 
 tracts, because hence it appears, beyond 
 all possibility of exception, that to this 
 day both my brother and I maintaineo, (1.) 
 That Christian perfection is that lov.=i of 
 God and our neighbor which implies de- 
 uverance from all sin. (2.) That this is 
 received merely by faith. (3.) That it is 
 given instantaneously, m one mom'^ni. 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTIOH. tf3 
 
 (4.) That we are to expect i*, not at death, 
 but every moment; that now is the ac- 
 cepted time, now is the day of this salva- 
 tion. 
 
 19. At the conference in the year 1759, 
 perceiving some danger tliat a diversity 
 of sentiments should insensibly steal in 
 among us, we again largely considered 
 this doctrine; and soon after I pubUshed 
 ■' Thoughts on Christian Perfection," pref- 
 aced with the following advertisement: 
 
 " The following tract is by no means 
 designed to gratify the curiosity of anj 
 man. It is not intended to prove the doc- 
 trine at large, in opposition to those who 
 explode and ridicule it; no, nor to answer 
 the numerous objections against it which 
 may be raised even by serious men. All 
 I intend here is, simply to declare what 
 are my sentiments on this head; what 
 Christian perfection does, according to my 
 apprehension, include, and what it does 
 not; and to add a few practical observa- 
 tions and directions relative to the subject. 
 
 " As these thoughts were at first thrown 
 together by way of question and answer, 
 " let them continue in the same form 
 
rt4 CHRISTIAN FERFECTIOH. 
 
 They are just the same that I have enter 
 Gained fo- above twenty years. 
 
 Question. What is Christian perfec- 
 
 tion 
 
 "Answer. The loving God with all our 
 heart, mind, soul, and strength. This im- 
 plies that no wrong temper, none contrary 
 to love, remains in the soul; and that all 
 the thoughts, words, and actions, are gov- 
 erned by pure love. 
 
 " Q. Do you affirm that this perfection 
 excludes all infirmities, ignorance, and 
 mistake! 
 
 "A. I continually affirm quite the con 
 trary, and always have done so. 
 
 " Q,. But how can every thought, word, 
 and work, be governed by pure love, and 
 the man be subject at the same time tc 
 ignorance and mistake] 
 
 "A. I see no contrad.ction here: 'A 
 man may be filled with pure love, and still 
 be liable to mistake.' Indeed, I do not 
 expect to be freed from actual mistakes till 
 this mortal puts on immortality. I believe 
 .his to be a natural consequence of the 
 soul's dwelling in flesh and blood. For 
 we can not now think at all, but by the 
 
CHaiaTIAN PERFECTIOH. 6ft 
 
 mediation of those bodily organs which 
 hare suffered equally with the rest of oui 
 frame. And hence we can not avoid some- 
 times thinking wrong, till this corruptible 
 shall have put on in<^orruption. 
 
 " But we may carry this thought farther 
 yet. A mistake in judgment may possibly 
 occasion a mistake in practice. For in 
 stance: Mr. De Renty's mistake touching 
 the nature of mortification, arising from 
 prejudice of education, occasioned that 
 practical mistake, his w^earing an iron 
 girdle. And a thousand such instances 
 there may be. even in those who are in the 
 highest state of grace. Yet, where every 
 word and iction springs from love, such a 
 mistake is not properly a sin. However, 
 it can not bear the rigor of God's justice, 
 but needs the atoning blood. 
 
 " Q,. What was the judgment of all our 
 brethren, who met at Bristol in August, 
 1758, on this head! 
 
 "A. It was expressed in these words: 
 fl.) Every one may mistake as long as he 
 li«es. (2.) A mistake in opinion may oc- 
 casion a mistpke in practice. (Z.^ Every 
 •ucb mistak" 's a transgression of the 
 6 
 
66 CHRISTIAN PERFECTIon. 
 
 perfect law. Therefore, (4.) Everv sum 
 mistake, were it not for the blood of atone- 
 oient, would expose to eternal damnation. 
 (6.) It follows that the most perfect have 
 continual need of the merits of Christ, 
 even for their actual transgressions, and 
 may say for themselves, as well as for 
 their brethren, ' Forgive us our trespasses.' 
 
 "This easily accounts for what migh* 
 otherwise seem to be utterly unaccounta- 
 ble; namely, that those who are not offend- 
 ed when we speak of the highest degree 
 of love, yet will not hear of living without 
 sin. The reason is, they know all men 
 are liable to mistake, and that in practice 
 as well as in judgment. Bui they do not 
 know, or do not observe, that this is not 
 sin, if love is the sole principle of action. 
 
 "But still, if they live without sin, does 
 not this exclude the necessity of a Medi- 
 ator? At least, is it not plain that they 
 stand no longer in need of Christ in h\» 
 priestly office! 
 
 "A. Fai from it. None feel their need 
 of Chiist like these; none so entirely de- 
 pend upon him. For Christ does not give 
 Kfe to the soul separate ^rom, but in ano 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTIOn. OT 
 
 jvith Uimseif. Hence his words are equally 
 true of all men, in whatsoever state of 
 grace they are: *As the branch can not 
 bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the 
 vine; no more can ye except ye abide in 
 me. Without [or separate from] me ye 
 can do nothing.' 
 
 " In every state we need Christ in the 
 following respects, (1.) Whatever grace 
 we receive, it is a free gift from him. (2.) 
 We receive it as his purchase, merely in 
 consideration of the price he paid. (3.) 
 We have this grace, not only from Christ, 
 but in him. For our perfection is not like 
 that of a tree, which flourishes by the sap 
 derived from its own root, but, as was said 
 before, like that of a branch which, united 
 to the vine, bears fruit; but, severed from 
 it, is dried up and withered. (4.) All our 
 blessings, temporal, spiritual, and eternai, 
 depend on his intercession for us, which is 
 one branch of his priestly office, whereof 
 therefore we have always equal need. (5.) 
 The best of men still need Christ in his 
 priestly office to atone for their omissions, 
 their shortcomings — as some not im- 
 oroperly speak — their mistak«^s in judg- 
 
68 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 merit and practice, and their dtfects ol 
 various kinds. For these are all deriva- 
 tions from the perfect law, and conse- 
 quently need an atonement. Yet that 
 they are not properly sins, we apprehend 
 may appear from the words of St. Paul: 
 •He that loveth, hath fulfilled the law; for 
 love is the fulfilling of the law,' Rom. 
 xiii, 10. Now, mistakes, and whatever 
 infirmities necessarily fiow from the cor- 
 ruptible state of the body, are no way 
 contrary to love; nor, therefore, in the 
 Scripture sense, sin. 
 
 " To explain myself a little farther on 
 this head: (1.) Not only sin, properly so 
 called — that is, a voluntary transgression 
 of a known law — but sin, improperly so 
 called — that is, an involuntary transgres- 
 sion of a divine law, known or unknown — 
 needs the atoning blood. (2.) I believe 
 there is no such perfection in this life as 
 excludes these involuntary transgressions, 
 which I apprehend to be naturally conse- 
 quent on the ignorance and mistakes in- 
 separable from mortality. (3.) Therefore 
 sinless perfection is a phrase I never use, 
 lest I should seem to contradict myself 
 
CHKISTIAH riiKFECTION. 69 
 
 (4.) 1 believe a person filled with the love 
 of God is still liable to these involuntary 
 transgressions. (6.) Such transgressions 
 you may call sins, if you please: I do not, 
 for the reasons above mentioned. 
 
 " Q,. What advice would you give to 
 those that do, and those that do not, cal 
 them sol 
 
 "A. Let those that do not call them 
 sins, never think that themselves or any 
 other person are in such a state as that 
 they can stand before Infinite Justice with- 
 out a Mediator. This must argue either 
 the deepest ignorance, or the highest arro- 
 gance and presumption. 
 
 "Let those who call them so, beware 
 how they confound these defects with sins, 
 properly so called. 
 
 "But how will they avoid it] How 
 will these be distinguished from those, if 
 they are all promiscuously called sins] 1 
 am much afraid, if we should allow any 
 sins to be consistent with perfection, few 
 would confine the idea to those defects 
 concerning which only the assertion could 
 be true. 
 
 '^Q,. But how can a liableness to mis- 
 
70 CHKISTIAN PERrECTlOS. 
 
 take consist with perfect love] Is not a 
 oerson who is perfected in love every mo- 
 ment under its influence] And can any 
 mistake flow from pure love] 
 
 "A. I answer, (1.) Many mistakes may 
 consist with pure love; (2.) Some may 
 accidentally flow from it: I mean, love 
 itself may incline us to mistake. The 
 pure love of our neighbor, springing from 
 the love of God, thinketh no evil, believ- 
 eth and hopeth all things. Now, this very 
 temper, unsuspicious, ready to believe and 
 hope the best of all men, may occasion 
 our thinking some men better than they 
 really are. Here, then, is a manifest mis- 
 take, accidentally flowing from pure love. 
 
 "Q,. How shall we avoid setting perfec- 
 tion too high or too low] 
 
 "A. By keeping to the Bible, and set- 
 ting it just as high as the Scripture does. 
 It is nothing higher and nothing lower 
 than this — the pure love of God and man; 
 the lovmg God with all our heart and soul, 
 and our neighbor as ourselves. It is love 
 governing the heart and life, running 
 through all our tempers, words and ac- 
 tions. 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTTOJ1. 
 
 Q^ Suppose one had attained to iDia, 
 would you advise him to speak of it] 
 
 "A. At first, perhaps, he would scarce 
 be able to refrain, the fire would be so hot 
 within him; his desire to declare the lov- \ 
 ing-kindness of the Lord carrying him \ 
 away like a torrent. But afterward he 
 might; and then it would be advisable not 
 to speak of it to them that know not 
 God — it is most likely it would only pro- 
 voke them 10 contradict and blaspheme — 
 nor to others, without some particular rea 
 son, without some good in view. And 
 then he should have especial care to avoid 
 all appearance of boasting; to speak with 
 the deepest humility and reverence, giving 
 all the glory to God. 
 
 " Q. But would it not be better to be 
 entirely silent — not to speak of it alii 
 
 "A. By silence he might avoid many 
 crosses, which will naturally and neces- 
 sarily ensue, if he simply declare, even 
 amoLg believers, what God has wrought 
 In his soul. If, therefore, such a one were 
 to confer with flesh and blood, he woulu 
 be entirely silent. But this could not be 
 done with a clear conscience: for im- 
 
72 CHRISTIAN PERFECT lOR. 
 
 doubtedly he ought to speak. Men do noi 
 light a candle to put it under a bushel; 
 nuch less does the all-wise God. He does 
 not raise such a monument of his powei 
 and love, to hide it from all mankind 
 Rather, he intends it as a general blessing 
 to those who are simple of heart. He 
 designs thereby, not barely the happiness 
 of that individual person, but the ani- 
 mating and encouraging others to foDo\/ 
 after the same blessing. His will is, '■ that 
 many shall see it' and rejoice, 'and put 
 their trust in the Lord.' Nor does any 
 thin^ under heaven -nore quicken the de- 
 sires of those wno are justified, than to 
 converse with those whom they beheve to 
 have experienced a still higher salvation. 
 This places that salvation full in their view, 
 and increases their hunger and thirst after 
 't; an advantage which must have been 
 entirely lost, had the person so saved 
 buried himself in silence. 
 
 "Q. But is there no way to prevent 
 hese crosses which usually fall on those 
 vlio speak of being thus savedl 
 
 " A. It seems they can not be preventeo 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 7^ 
 
 altogether while so much of nature re- 
 mains even in believers. But something 
 might be done, if the preacher in every 
 place would, (1.) Talk freely with all who 
 speak thus; and, (2.) Labor to prevent the 
 unjust or unkind treatment of those in 
 favor of whom there is reasonable proof. 
 
 "Q,. What is reasonable proof? How 
 may we certainly know one that is 3aved 
 from all sin] 
 
 "A. We can not infallibly know one 
 that is thus saved — no, nor even one thai 
 is justified — unless it should please God to 
 endow us with the miraculous discernment 
 of spirits. But we apprehend those would 
 be sufficient proofs to any reasonable man, 
 and such as would leave little room to 
 doubt either the truth or depth of the 
 work: (1.) If we had clear evidence of his 
 exemplary behavior for some time before 
 this supposed change. This would give 
 us reason to believe he would not * lie for 
 God,' but speak neither more nor less than 
 he felt; (2.) If he gave a distinct account 
 of the time and manner wherein the 
 change was wrought, with sound speech 
 
74 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 which could not be reproved; and, (3.) It 
 •t appeared that ail his subsequent words 
 and actions were holy and unblamable. 
 
 "The short of the matter is this: (1.) I 
 have abundant reason to believe this per- 
 son will not lie; (2.) He testities before 
 God, •! feel no sin, but all love; I pray, 
 rejoice, and give thanks without ceasing; 
 and I have as clear an inward witness that 
 I am fully renewed, as that I am justified.' 
 Now, if I have nothing to oppose to this 
 plain testimony, I ought in reason to be- 
 lieve it. 
 
 " It avails nothing to object, * But I 
 know several things wherein he is quite 
 mistaken.' For it has been allowed that 
 all who are in the body are liable to mis- 
 take; and that a mistake in judgment may 
 sometimes occasion a mistake in practice; 
 though great care is to be laken that no 
 ill use be made of this concession. For 
 instance: Even one that is perfected in 
 love may mistake with regard to another 
 person, and may think him, in a particular 
 caae, to be more or less faulty than ne 
 really is. And hence he may speak to 
 him with more or less severity than tho 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. "76 
 
 truth requires. And in this sense — 1\ ough 
 that be not the primary meaning of St. 
 James — * in many things we offend all.* 
 This, therefore, is no proof at all, that the 
 person so speaking is not perfect. 
 
 " Q,. But is it not a proof, if he is sur- 
 prised or fluttered by a noise, a fall, or 
 some sudden danger] 
 
 "A. It is not; for one may start, trem- 
 ble, change color, or be otherwise disor- 
 dered in body, while the soul is calmly 
 staid on God, and remains in perfect 
 peace. Nay, the mind itself may be 
 deeply distressed, may be exceeding sor- 
 rowful, may be perplexed and pressed down 
 by heaviness and anguish, even to agony, 
 while the heart cleaves to God by perfect 
 love, and the will is wholly resigned to him. 
 Was it not so with the Son of God him- 
 self! Does any child of man endure the 
 distress, the anguish, the agony, which he 
 sustained] And yet he knew no sin. 
 
 "Q,. But can any one who has a pjre 
 heart prefer pleasing to unpleasing food; 
 or use any pleasure of sense which is not 
 strictly necessary] If so, ho>v do they 
 differ trom others? 
 
76 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 "A. The difference between these and 
 others in taking pleasant food is, (1.) They 
 need none of these things to make them 
 happy; for they have a spring of happiness 
 within. They see and love God. Hence 
 they rejoice evermore, and in ever}' thing 
 give thanks. (2.) They may use them, but 
 they do not seek them. (3.) They use 
 them sparingly, and not for the sake of the 
 thing itself. This being premised, we 
 answer directly, Such a one may use 
 pleasing food, without the danger which 
 attends those who are not saved from sin. 
 He may prefer it to unpleasing, though 
 equally wholesome food, as a means of in- 
 creasing thankfulness, with a single eye 
 to God, who giveth us all things richly to 
 enjoy; on the same principle, he may 
 smell to a flower, or eat a bunch of grapes, 
 or take any other pleasure which does not 
 lessen, but increase his delight in God. 
 Therefore, neither can we say that one 
 perfected in love would be incapable of 
 marriage, and of worldly business: if he 
 were called thereto, he would be more ca- 
 pable than ever; as being able to do alJ 
 
CHRISTIAN FERFECliOM. 77 
 
 hings without hurry or carefuhiess, with- 
 out any distraction of spirit. V,-__-/' 
 
 "Q. But if two perfect Christians had / 
 children, how could they be born in sin, j 
 since there was none in the parents? 1 
 
 "A. It is a possible, but not a probable \ 
 case; I doubt whether it ever was or eve \ 
 will be. But waiving this, I answer. Sin \ 
 is entailed upon me, not by immediate 
 <^eneration, but by my first parent. 'In 
 Adam all died; by the disobedience of one, 
 all men were made sinners;' all men, 
 jvithout exception, who were in his loins 
 when he ate the forbidden fruit. 
 
 " We have a remarkable illustration of 
 this in gardening; grafts on a crab stock 
 bear excellent fruit; but sow the kernels 
 of this fruit, and what will be the eventl 
 They produce as mere crabs as ever were 
 eaten. 
 
 " Q,. But what does the perfect one do 
 more than others] more than the common 
 oelievers] 
 
 "A. Perhaps nothing; so may the provi- 
 dence of God have hedgea him in by 
 outward circumstances. Perhaps net so 
 
78 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 much; though he desires and longs to 
 spend and be sent for God; at least not 
 externally: he neither speaks so many 
 words, nor does so many works. As 
 neither did our Lord himself speak so 
 many words, or do so many, no, nor so great 
 works, as some of his apostles, (John xiv, 
 12.) But what then! This is no proof 
 that he has not more grace; and by this 
 God measures the outward work. Hear 
 ye him: 'Verily, I say unto you, this poor 
 widow has cast in more than them all.' 
 Verily, this poor man, with his few broken 
 words, hath spoken more than them all. 
 Verily, this poor woman, that hath given 
 a cup of cold water, hath done more than 
 them all. O, cease to 'judge according 
 to appearance,' and learn to 'judge right- 
 eous judgment!' 
 
 " Q,. But is not this a proof against him: 
 1 feel no power either in his words or 
 prayer] 
 
 " A. It is not; for perhaps that is your 
 own fault. You are not likely to feel any 
 power therein, if any of these hinderances 
 lie in tlie way: (1.) Your own deadness of 
 •oul. The dead Pharisees felt no power 
 
CHKISTIAN PERFECTION. 79 
 
 even in His words who 'spake as never 
 man spake.' (2.) The guilt of some ui:- 
 repented sin lying upon the conscience. 
 (3.) Prejudice toward him of any kind. 
 (4.) Your not believing that state to be 
 attainable wherein he professes to be. 
 (5.) Unreadiness to think or own he has 
 attained it. (6.) Overvaluing or idolizing 
 him. (7.) Overvaluing yourself and your 
 own judgment. If any of these is the case, 
 what wonder is it that you feel no power 
 in any thing he says] But do not others 
 feel it J If they do, your argument falls to 
 the gTound. And if they do not, do none 
 of these hinderances lie in their way too] 
 You must be certain of this before you 
 buUd any argument thereon; and even then 
 your argument will prove no more than 
 that grace and gifts do not always go to- 
 gether. 
 
 " 'But he does not come up to my idea 
 of a perfect Christian.' And perhaps no 
 one ever did, or ever will. For your idea 
 may go beyond, or at least beside the 
 Scriptural account. It may incmde more 
 tnan the Bible includes therein, or, how- 
 ever, something which that does not in- 
 
OO CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 elude. Scripture perfection is, pure love 
 filling the heart, and governing all the 
 words and actions. If your idea includes 
 any thing more or any thing else, it is not 
 Scriptural; and then no wonder that a 
 Scripturally- perfect Christian does not 
 come up to it. 
 
 " I fear many stumble on this stumbling- 
 block. They include as many ingredients 
 as they please, not according to Scripture, 
 but their own imagination, in their idea of 
 one that is perfect; and then readily deny 
 any one to be such who does not answer 
 that imaginary idea. 
 
 " The more care should we take to keep 
 the simple, Scriptural account continually 
 in our eye. Pure love reigning alone in 
 the heart and life — this is the whole of 
 Scriptural perfection. 
 
 "Q,. When may a person judge himself 
 to have attained this] 
 
 " A. When, after having been fully con- 
 vinced of inbred sin, by a far deeper and 
 clearer conviction than that he experienced 
 before justification, and after having expe- 
 rienced a gTadual mortification of it, he 
 experiences a total death to sin, and an 
 
CHRISTIAN FERFECTIOH. 81 
 
 entire renewal in the love and image ol 
 God, so as to rejoice evermore, to pray . 
 without ceasing, and in every thing to 
 give thanks. Not that ' to feel all love 
 and no sin' is a sutficient proof. Several 
 have experienced this for a time, before 
 their souis were fully renewed. None, 
 therefore, ought to believe that the work 
 is done, till there is added the testimony 
 of the Spirit, witnessing his entire sancti- 
 fication as clearly as his justification. 
 
 "Q. But whence is it that some imagine 
 they are thus sanctified, when in reality 
 they are not] 
 
 "A. It is hence; they do not judge by 
 all the preceding marks, but either by part 
 of them, or by others that are ambiguous. 
 But I know no instance of a person at- 
 tending to them all, and yet deceived in 
 this matter. I believe there can be none 
 in the world. If a man be deeply and 
 fully convinced, after justification, of in- 
 bred sin; if he then experience a gradua 
 mortification of sin, and afterward an en- 
 tire renewal in the image of God; if to 
 this change, immensely greater than that 
 wrought when he was justified be added a 
 
t$2 CHRIST IAN PERFECTIOK. 
 
 clear, direct witness of the renewal; I 
 ^udge it as impossible this man shoul 
 be deceived herein as that God should lie. 
 And if one whom I know to be a man o. 
 veracity testify these things to me, I ought 
 not, without some sufficient reason, to re- 
 ject his testimony. 
 
 " Q,. Is this death to sin, and renewal 
 m love, gradual or instantaneous] 
 
 "A. A man may be dying for some 
 time, yet he does not, properly speaking, 
 die, till the instant the soul is separated 
 from the body; and in that instant he lives 
 the life of eternity. In like manner he 
 may be dying to sin for some time; yet he 
 js not dead to sin, till sin is separated from 
 nis soul; and in that instant he lives the 
 full Ufe of love. And as the change un- 
 dergone when the body dies is of a differ- 
 ent kind, and infinitely greater than any we 
 had known before, yea, such as till then it 
 is impossible to conceive; so the change 
 wrought when the soul dies to sin i? of a 
 different kind, and infinitely greater than 
 any before, and than any can conceive till 
 lie experiences it. Yet he still grows in 
 grace, in the knowledge of Christ, in the 
 
CHRISTIAN PEBrSCTION. 83 
 
 love and image of God; and will do so, 
 not only till death, but to all eternity. 
 
 "Q,. How are we to wait for this 
 change ! 
 
 "A. Not in careless indifference, or in- 
 dolent inactivity; but in vigorous, universa. 
 obedience, in a zealous keeping of all the 
 commandments, in watchfulness and pain- 
 fulness, in denying ourselves and taking 
 up our cross daily; as well as in earnest 
 prayer and fasting, and a close attendance 
 on all the ordinances of God. And if any 
 man dream of attaining it any other way — 
 yea, or of keeping it when it is attained, 
 when he has received it even in the largest 
 measure — he deceiveth his own soul. It 
 is true, we receive it by simple faith: but 
 God does not, will not, give that faith, un- 
 less we seek it with all diligence, in the 
 way which he hath ordained. 
 
 "This consideration may satisfy those 
 who inquire why so few have received the 
 blessing. Inquire how many are seeking 
 It in this way; and you have a sufficient 
 answer. 
 
 "Prayer especially is wanting. Who 
 continues instant therein? Who wrestlei 
 
84 CHRISTIAN PERFECTIOR. 
 
 With God for this very thing} So, 'ye 
 have not, because ye ask not; or because 
 ye ask amiss,' namely, that you may be 
 renewed before you die. Before you diet 
 Will that content youl Nay, but ask that 
 it may be done now; to-day, while it ia 
 called to-day. Do not call this 'setting 
 God a time.' Certainly to-day is his time 
 as well as to-morrow. Make haste, man 
 make haste! Let 
 
 1 hy soul break out in strong desire 
 
 Thy perfect bliss to prove; 
 Thy longing heart be all on tire 
 To be dissolved in love! 
 
 "Q. But may we not continue in peace 
 and joy till we are perfected in love? 
 
 "A. Certainly we may; for the kingdom 
 of God is not di\'ided against itself; there- 
 fore, let not believers be discouraged from 
 ' rejoicing in the Lord always.* And yet 
 we may be sensibly pained at the sinful 
 nature that still remains in us. It is good 
 for us to have a piercing sense of this, and 
 a vehement desire to be delivered from it- 
 But this should only incite us the more 
 zealously to fly every moment to our strong 
 Helper, Uie more earnestly to ' press for- 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 8ft 
 
 ward to the mark, the prize of our hi^h 
 railing .n Christ Jesus.' And when the 
 sense of our sin most abounds, the sense 
 of his love should much more abound. 
 
 "Q. How should we treat those who 
 think they have attained] 
 
 "A. Examine them candidly, and exhor 
 them to pray fervently, that God woulc 
 show them all that is in their hearts. Th( 
 most earnest exhortations to abound in 
 every grace, and the strongest cautions t«. 
 avoid all evil, are given throughout th» 
 New Testament to those who are in the 
 highest state of grace. But this should 
 be done with the utmost tenderness; and 
 without any harshness, sternness, or sour- 
 ness. We should carefully avoid the very 
 appearance of anger, unkindness, or con- 
 tempt. Leave it to Satan thus to tempt, 
 and to his children to cry out, * Let us ex- 
 amine him with despitefulness and torture, 
 that we may know his meekness and prove 
 his patience.' If they are faithful to the 
 grace given, they are in no danger of per- 
 ishing thereby; no, not if they remain in 
 that mistake till their spirit is returning^ *^ 
 God. 
 
56 CHKISTIAN PERFECTIOR. 
 
 "Q. But what hurt can it do to dea 
 narshly with them] 
 
 "A. Either they are mistaken, or they 
 are not. If they are, it may destroy their 
 souls. This is nothing impossible, no, nor 
 improbable. It may so enrage or so dis- 
 courage them that they will sink and rise 
 no more. If they are not mistaken, it may 
 jjrieve those whom God has not grieved, 
 and do much hurt to our own souls. For 
 undoubtedly he that toucheth them touch- 
 eth, as it were, the apple of God's eye. 
 If they are indeed full of his Spirit, to 
 behave unkindly or contemptuously to 
 them is doing no little despite to the Spirit 
 of grace. Hereby, likewise, we feed and 
 increase in ourselves evil surmising and 
 many wrong tempers. To instance only 
 in one: What self-sufficiency is this, to set 
 ourselves up for inquisitors-general, for 
 peremptory judges in these deep things of 
 God! Are we qualified for the office] 
 Can we pronounce, in all cases, how far 
 .nfirmity reaches] what may, and what 
 Tiay not, be resolved into it] what may, in 
 all circumstances, and what may not, con- 
 •isl with perfect love] Can we precisely 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. S') 
 
 determine how it will influence the iook, 
 the gesture, the tone of voice] If we 
 can, doubtless we are 'the men, and wis- 
 dom shall die with us.' 
 
 "Q. But if they are displeased at our 
 not believing them, is not this a full proof 
 affainst themi 
 
 'A. According as that displeasure is. 
 if they are angry, it is a proof against 
 them; if they are grieved, it is not. They 
 ought to be grieved, if we disbelieve a real 
 work of God, and thereby deprive our- 
 selves of the advantage we might have 
 received from it. And we may easily mis- 
 take this grief for anger, as the outward 
 expressions of both are much alike. 
 
 " Q. But is it not well to find out those 
 who fancy they have attained when the) 
 have not] 
 
 "A. It is well to do it by mild, loving 
 examination. But it is not well to triumph 
 even over these. It is extremely wrong, 
 if we find such an instance, to rejoice as 
 if we had found great spoils. Ought we 
 not rather to grieve, to be deeply con- 
 cerned, to let our eyes run down with 
 ■ ears' Here is one who seemed to be a 
 
9S CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 living proof of God's power to save to the 
 uttermost; but, alas! it is not as we hoped. 
 He is weighed in the balance, and found 
 wanting! And is this matter of joyi 
 Ought we not to rejoice a thousand times 
 more, if we can find nothing but pure 
 love] 
 
 "'But he is deceived.' What theni 
 It is a harmless mistake while he feels 
 nothing but love in his heart. It is a mis- 
 take which generally argues great grace, 
 a high degree both of holiness and happi- 
 ness. This should be a matter of real 
 joy to all that are simple of heart; not 
 the mistake itself, but the hight of grace 
 which for a time occasions it. I rejoice 
 that this soul is always happy in Christ, 
 always full of prayers and thanksgiving. 
 I rejoice that he feels no unholy temper, 
 but the piu-e love of God continually. 
 And I will rejoice, if sin is suspended till 
 it is totally destroyed. 
 
 " Q,. Is there no danger then in a man's 
 being thus deceived? 
 
 "A. Not at the time he feels no sin. 
 There was danger before, and there will 
 o€ again when he comerf into fresh trials. 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 89 
 
 But so long as he feels nothing but love 
 animating all his thoughts, and words, and 
 actions, he is in no danger; he is not only 
 happy, but safe, * under the shadow of the 
 Almighty;' and, for God's sake, let him 
 continue in that love as long as he can. 
 Meantime, you may do well to warn him 
 of the dangei that will be, if his love grow 
 cold and sin revive; even the danger of 
 casting away hope, and supposing that, 
 because he hath not attained yet, there- 
 fore he never shall 
 
 "Q,. But what, if none have attained it 
 yet! What, if all who think so are de- 
 ceived? 
 
 "A. Convince me of this, and I will 
 preach it no more. But understand me 
 right; I do not build any doctrine on this 
 or thai person. This or any other man 
 may be deceived, and T am not moved. 
 But, if there are none made perfect yet, 
 God has not sent me to preach perfection. 
 
 "Put a parallel case: For many years J 
 have oreached, 'There is a peace of God 
 which passeth all understanding.' Con- 
 vince me that this word has fallen to the 
 ground; that in all these years none have 
 
90 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION 
 
 attained this peace; that there is no living 
 witness of it at this day; and I will preach 
 it no more. 
 
 "'O, but several persons have d ed in 
 that peace.' Perhaps so; but I want liv- 
 ing witnesses. I can not indeed be infal- 
 libly certain that this or that person is a 
 witness; but if I were certain there are 
 none such, I must have done with this 
 doctrine. 
 
 " * You misunderstand me. I believe 
 some who died in this love enjoyed it long 
 before their death. But I was not certain 
 that their former testimony was true till 
 some hours before they died.' 
 
 "You had not an infallible certainty 
 then: and a reasonable" certainty you 
 might have had before; such a certainty 
 as might have quickened and comforted 
 your own soul, and answered all other 
 Christian purposes. Such a certainty a^ 
 this any candid person may have, suppose 
 there be any living witness, by talking one 
 hour with that person in the love and fear 
 of God. 
 
 " Q,. But what does it signify, whether 
 
JHBI8T1AN PERFECTION. 91 
 
 Any have attained it or no, seeing so man\ 
 Scriptures witness for it] 
 
 "A. If T were convinced that none in 
 England had attained what has been so 
 clearly and strongly preached by such a 
 number of preachers, in so many places, 
 and for so long a time, I should be clearly 
 convinced that we had all mistaken the 
 meaning of those Scriptures; and, there- 
 fore, for the time to come, I too must teach 
 that 'sin will remain till death.'" 
 
 20. In the year 1762 there was a great 
 increase of the work of God in London. 
 Many, who had hitherto cared for none of 
 these things, were deeply convinced of 
 their lost estate; many found redemption 
 in the blood of Christ; not a few back- 
 sliders were healed; and a considerable 
 number of persons believed that God had 
 saved them from all sin. Easily foreseeing 
 that Satan would be endeavoring to sow 
 tares among the wheat, I took much pains 
 to apprise them of the danger, particularly 
 with regard to pride and enthusiasm. And 
 wnile I staid in town, I had '•eason to 
 oope they continued both humble and 
 
93 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 sober-minded. But almost as soon as 1 
 was gone, enthusiasm broke in. Two or 
 three began to take their own imaginations 
 for impressions from God, and thence to 
 suppose that they should never die; and 
 these, laboring to bring others into the 
 same opinion, occasioned much noise and 
 confusion. Soon aft^, the same persons, 
 with a few more, ran into other extrava- 
 gances; fancying they could not be tempt- 
 ed; that they should feel no more pain; 
 and thai they had the gift of prophecy, 
 and of discerning of spirits. At my re- 
 turn to London, in autumn, some of them 
 stood reproved; but others were got above 
 instruction. Meantime, a flood of reproach 
 came upon me almost from every quarter; 
 from themselves, because I was checking 
 them on all occasions; and from others, 
 because, they said, I did not check them. 
 However, the hand of the Lord was not 
 staid, but more and more sinners were 
 convinced; while some were almost daily 
 converted to God, and others enabled to 
 love him with all their heart. 
 2L About this time, a friend at some 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 9S 
 
 distance from London wrote to me as fol- 
 lows: 
 
 "Be not over alarmed that Satan sow* 
 ♦^ares among the wheat of Christ. It ever 
 has been so, especially on any remarkable 
 outpouring of his Spirit; and ever will W. 
 so till he is chained up for a thousand 
 years. Till then he will always ape, and 
 endeavor to counteract, the work of the 
 Spirit of Christ. 
 
 "One melancholy effect of this has 
 been, that a world, who is always asleep 
 ;n the arms of the evil one, has ridiculed 
 every work of the Holy Spirit. 
 
 "But what can real Christians dol 
 VVhy, if they would act worthy of them- 
 selves, they should, (1.) Pray that every 
 deluded soul may be dehvered; (2.) En- 
 deavor to reclaim them in the spirit of 
 meekness; and, lastly, take the utmost 
 care, both by prayer and watchfulness, 
 that the delusion of others may not lessen 
 their zeal in seeking after that universa. 
 holiness of soul, body, and spirit, * without 
 which ro man shall see the Lord.' 
 
 "' Indeed, this complete new creature Ui 
 
94 CHBI8TIAH PERFECTIOR. 
 
 mere madness to a mad world. But it is 
 notwithstanding, the will and wisdom of 
 God. May we all seek after it! 
 
 " But some who maintain this doctrine 
 in its full extent are too often guilty of 
 limiting the Almighty. He dispenses his 
 gifts just as he pleases; therefore, it ie 
 neither wise nor modest to affirm that a 
 person must be a beuever for any length 
 of time before he is capable of receiving 
 a high degree of the Spirit of holiness. 
 
 " God's usual method is one thing, but 
 his sovereign pleasure is another. He has 
 wise reasons both for hastening and re- 
 tarding his work. Sometimes he comes 
 suddenly and unexpectedly; sometimes not 
 till we have long looked for him. 
 
 " Indeed, it has been my opinion for 
 many years, that one great cause why men 
 make so little improvement in the divine 
 life is their own coldness, negligence, 
 and unbelief. And yet I here speak of 
 believers. 
 
 " May the Spirit of Christ give us a right 
 judgment in all things, and ' fill us with all 
 the fullness of God;' that so we may be 
 • perfect and entire, wanting nothing!' " 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 95 
 
 22. About the same time, five or six 
 honest enthusiasts foretold the world was 
 to end on the 28th of February. I unme- 
 diately withstood them, by every possible 
 means, both in public and private. I 
 preached expressly upon the subject, both 
 at West-street and Spitaltields. I warned 
 the society, again and again, and spoke 
 severally to as many as I could; and I saw 
 the fruit of my labor. They made ex- 
 ceeding few converts: T believe scarce 
 thirty in our whole society. Nevertheless, 
 they made abundance of noise, gave huge 
 occasions of offense to those who took 
 care to improve to the uttermost every 
 occasion against me, and greatly increased 
 both the number and courage of those 
 who opposed Christian perfection. 
 
 23. Some questions now published by 
 one of these, induced a plain man to write 
 the following 
 
 "Queries, humbly proposed to those 
 who deny perfection to be attainable in 
 this life. 
 
 < (1.) Has there not been a larger meas- 
 ure of the Holy Spirit given under the 
 Gospel than under the Jewish dispensa- 
 
96 CHRISTIAN rERFECTlOK. 
 
 don] If not, in what sense was the Spirli 
 not given before Christ was glorifiedl 
 (John vii, 39.) 
 
 "(2.) Was that 'glory which followea 
 .he sufferings of Christ,' 1 Peter i, 11, an 
 3xternal glory, or an internal, namely, the 
 Tiory of hohnessj 
 
 "(3.) Has God any where in Scripture 
 :ommanded us more than he has promised 
 to us] 
 
 "(4.) Are the promises of God respect- 
 ing holiness to be fulfilled in this life, or 
 only in the next] 
 
 " (5.) Is a Christian under any other 
 laws than those which God promises to 
 write in our hearts]' Jer. xxxi, 31, etc.; 
 Heb. viii, 10. 
 
 " (6.) In what sense is ' the righteous- 
 ness of the law fulfilled in those who walk 
 not after the flesh, but after the Spirit!' 
 Rom. viii, 4. 
 
 "(7.) Is it impossible for any one in 
 
 his life to ' love God with all his heart, 
 
 nd mind, and soul, and strength]' And 
 
 is the Christian under any law which is 
 
 not fulfilled in this love] 
 
 *' (8.) Does the soul's going out of tiie 
 
CHRISTIAN PEEFECTION. 97 
 
 oHy effect its purification from indwelling 
 8in? 
 
 " (9.) If 80, is it not something else, not 
 'the blood of Chi-ist, which cleanseth' it 
 'from ail sin!' 
 
 " (10.) If his blood cleanseth us from all 
 sin, while the soul and body are united, is 
 it not in this Ufe? 
 
 "(11.) If when that union ceases, is it 
 not in the next] And is not this too late] 
 
 " (12.) If in the article of death, what 
 situation is the soul in when it is neither 
 in the body nor out of it] 
 
 "(13.) Has Christ any where taught 
 us to pray for what he never designs to 
 give] 
 
 "(14.) Has he not taught us to pray, 
 Thy will be done on earth as it is done in 
 heaven]' And is it not done perfectly in 
 heaven] 
 
 "(15.) If so, has he not taught, us to 
 pray for perfection on earthl D^es he 
 not then design to give it] 
 
 "ri6.) Did not St. Paul pray according 
 
 to the will of God when he prayed that 
 
 the Thessalonians might be 'sanctified 
 
 'vholly, and preserved [^ this world, not 
 
 7 
 
98 CHEISTJAN PERFECTION. 
 
 the next, unless he was praying for the 
 dead,] blameless in body, soul, and spirit, 
 unto the coming of Jesus Christ?' 
 
 "(17.) Do you sincerely desire to be 
 freed from indwelling sin in this Ufa? 
 
 "(IS.) If you do, did not God give you 
 that desire? 
 
 "(19.) If so, did he not give it you to 
 mock you, since it is impossible it should 
 ever be fulfilled? 
 
 " (20.) If you have not sincerity enough 
 even to desire it, are you not disputing 
 about matters too high for you? 
 
 " (21.) Do you ever pray God to ' cleanse 
 the thoughts of your heart, that ' you ' may 
 perfectly love him?' 
 
 "(22.) If you neither desire what you 
 ask, nor believe it attainable, pray you not 
 as a fool prayeth ? 
 
 " God help thee to consider these ques- 
 tions calmly and impartially!" 
 
 24. In the latter end of this year, God 
 called to himself that burning and shining 
 light, Jane Cooper. As she was both a 
 living and a dying witness of Christian 
 perfection, it will not be at all foreign to 
 the subject to add a sho»-t account of he 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTrON. 99 
 
 ioath; with one of her own letters, c.n- 
 ^-aining a plain and artless relation of the 
 manner wherein it pleased God to work 
 ^hat great change in her soul: 
 
 " May 2, 1761. 
 " I believe while memory remains in me 
 gratitude will continue. From the timo 
 you preached on Gal. v, 6, 1 saw clearly the 
 true state of my soul. That sermoL 
 described my heart, and what it wanted 
 to be; namely, truly happy. You read 
 Mr. M.'s letter, and it described the relig- 
 ion which I desired. From that time the 
 prize appeared in view, and I was enabled 
 to follow hard after it. I was kept watch- 
 ing unto prayer, sometimes in much dis- 
 tress, at other times in patient expectation 
 of the blessing. For some days before 
 you left London, my soul was staid on a 
 promise I had applied to me in prayer: 
 'The Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly 
 come to his temple.' I believe he would, 
 and that he would sit there as a retiner'a 
 tire. The Tuesday after you went, I 
 thought I could not sleep unless he ful- 
 filled his word that night. I never knew 
 as I did then the force of these words- 
 
100 CHRISTIAN PERFECTKiN. 
 
 *Be still, and know that I am God.* 1 
 became nothing before him, and enjoyed 
 perfect calmness in my soul. I knew not 
 whether he had destroyed my sin; but I 
 desired to know, that I might praise him 
 Yet I soon found the return of unbehef 
 and groaned, being burdened. On Wed- 
 nesday I went to London, and sought the 
 Lord without ceasing. I promised, if he 
 would save me from sin, I would praise 
 him. I could part with all things, so I 
 might win Christ. But I found all these 
 pleas to be nothing worth; and that if he 
 saved me, it must be freely, for his own 
 name's sake. On Thursday I was so 
 much tempted that I thought of destroying 
 myself, or never conversing more with the 
 people of God: and yet I had no doubt of. 
 his pardoning love; but, 
 
 'Twas worse than death ruy God to love, 
 
 And not ni} God alone. 
 
 On Friday my distress was deepened. I 
 endeavored to pray, and could not. I went 
 to Mrs. D., who prayed for me, and told 
 me it was the death of nature. 1 opened 
 the Bible on, ' The fearful and unbelieving 
 shall have then- part in the lake which 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 101 
 
 burneth with fire and brimstone.' 1 could 
 not bear it. I opened again, on Mark xvi, 
 6, 7: 'Be not affrighted; ye seek Jesus of 
 Nazareth. Go your way; tell his disciples 
 he goeth before you into Galilee; there ye 
 shall see him.' I was encouraged, and 
 enabled to pray, believing I should see 
 Jesus at home. I returned that night, and 
 found Mrs. G. She prayed for me; and 
 the predestinarian had no plea but, 'Lord, 
 thou art no respecter of persons.' He 
 proved he was not, by blessing me. I was 
 in a moment enabled to lay hold on Jesus 
 Christ, and found salvation by simple faith. 
 He assured me, the Lord, the King, was 
 in the midst of me, and that 1 should see 
 evil no more. I now^ blessed Him who had 
 visited and redeemed me, and was become 
 my 'wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, 
 and redemption.' I saw Jesus altogether 
 lovely; and knew he was mine in all his 
 offices. And, glory be to him! he now 
 reigns in my heart without a rival. I find 
 no will but his. I feel no pride; nor any 
 affection but what is placed on him. J 
 know it is by faith I stand; and that watch- 
 ing unto prayer must be the guard oT faith. 
 
102 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 ( am happy in God tliis moment, and 1 
 believe for the next. I have often read 
 the chapter you mention, (1 Cor. xiii,) and 
 compared my heart and life with it. In 
 so doing-, I feel my shortcomings, and the 
 need I have of the atoning blood. Yet I 
 dare not say I do not feel a measure of 
 the love there described, though I am not 
 all I shall be. I desire to be lost in that 
 'love which passeth knowledge.' I see 
 'the just shall live by faith;' and unto me, 
 who am less than the least of all saints, is 
 this grace given. If I were an archangel, 
 I should vail my face before him, and let 
 silence speak his praise I" 
 
 The following account was given by 
 one who was an eye and ear witness of 
 what she relates: 
 
 "(1.) In the beginning of November, 
 she seemed to have a foresight of what 
 was coming upon her, and used frequently 
 to sing these words: 
 
 'When pain o'er this weak flesh prevails, 
 With lanibhke patience arm my breast.' 
 
 And when she sent to me, to let me know 
 she was ill, she wrote in her note, 'I suffet 
 the will of Jesus. All he sends is sweet 
 
ChAIsriAN PERFECTION. 103 
 
 ened by his love. I am as happy as if I 
 heard a voice say, 
 
 '' For me my elder brethren stay, 
 And anj^els beckon me away, 
 And Jesus bids me come!" ' 
 
 "(2.) Upon my telling her, 'I can not 
 choose life or death for you,' she said, 'I 
 asked the Lord that, if it was his will, I 
 might die first. And he told me you should 
 survive me, and that you should close my 
 eyes.' When we perceived it was the 
 small-pox, I said to her, 'My dear, you will 
 not be frighted if we tell you what is your 
 distemper.' She said, 'I can not be 
 frighted at His will.' 
 
 " (3.) The distemper was soon very 
 heavy upon her; but so much the more 
 was her faith strengthened. Tuesday, 
 November 16, she said to me, 'I have been 
 worshiping before the throne in a glori- 
 ous manner; my soul was so let into God!' 
 I said, ' Did the Lord give you any particu- 
 lar promise]' ' No,' replied she; ' it was aU 
 
 " That sacred awe that dares not move, 
 And all the silent heaven of love " 
 "(4.) On Thursday, upon my asking, 
 ' What have you to say to me]' she said, 
 
104 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 'Nay, nothing but what you know al- 
 ready: God is love.' I asked, 'Have you 
 any particular promise?' She replied, '1 
 do not seem to want any; I can live with- 
 out. I shall die a lump of deformity, but 
 shall meet you all glorious: and, mean- 
 time, I shall still have fellowship with 
 your spirit.' 
 
 "(5.) Mr. M. asked what she thought 
 the most excellent way to walk in, and 
 what were its chief hinderances. She an- 
 swered: 'The greatest hinderance is gen- 
 erally from the natural constitution. It 
 was mine to be reserved, to be very quiet, 
 to suffer much, and to say little. Some 
 may think one way more excellent, and 
 some another; but the thing is to live in 
 the will of God. For some months past, 
 when I have been particularly devoted to 
 this, I have felt such a guidance of his 
 Spirit, and the unction which I have re- 
 ceived from the Holy One has so taught 
 me of all things, that I needed not any 
 man should teach me, save as this anoint- 
 ing teacheth.' 
 
 "(6.) On Friday morning she said, *! 
 believe T shall die.' She then sat up in 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. lOA 
 
 fier bed and said, * Lord, I bless thee that 
 thou art ever with me, and all thou hast is 
 mine. Thy love is greater than my weak- 
 ness, ^eater than my helplessness, ^eater 
 than my unworthiness. Lord, thou sayest 
 to corruption, Thou art my sister! And 
 glory be to thee, O, Jesus, thou art my 
 brother. Let me comprehend, with all 
 saints, the length, and breadth, and depth, 
 and hight of thy love! Bless these, [some 
 that were present,] let them be every mo- 
 ment exercised in all things as thou 
 wouldst have them to be.' 
 
 " (7.) Some hours after, it seemed as if 
 the agonies of death were just coming 
 upon her; but her face was full of smiles 
 of triumph, and she clapped her hands for 
 joy. Mrs. C. said, * My dear, you are more 
 than conqueror through the blood of the 
 Lamb.' She answered, 'Yes, O, yes, 
 sweet Jesus! O, death, where is thy 
 sting]' She then lay as in a doze for some 
 time. Afterward, she strove to speak, but 
 could not: however, she testified her love 
 by shaking hands with all in the room. 
 
 "(8.) Mr. W. then came She said, 
 Sir, I did not know that I should live to 
 
106 CHEISTIAN PERFECTIOM. 
 
 see you. But I am glad the Lord has 
 given me this opportunity, and likewise 
 power to speak to you. I love you. You 
 nave always preached the strictest doc- 
 trine; and I loved to follow it. Do so still, 
 whoever is pleased or displeased.' He 
 asked, ' Do you now believe you are saved 
 from sin?' She said, 'Yes; I have had no 
 doubt of it for many months. That I ever 
 had, was, because I did not abide in the 
 faith. I now feel I have kept the faith; 
 and perfect love casteth out all fear. As 
 to you, the Lord promised me, your latter 
 works should exceed your former, though 
 f do not hve to see it. I have been a 
 great enthusiast, as they term it, these six 
 months; but never lived so near the heart 
 of Christ in my hfe. You, sir, desire to 
 comfort the hearts of hundreds by follow- 
 ing that simphcity your soul loves.' 
 
 "(9.) To one who had received the love 
 of God under her prayer, she said, * I feel 
 I have not followed a cunningly-devised 
 fable: for I am as happy as I can hve. 
 Do you press on, and stop not short of the 
 mark.' To Miss M. she said, ' Love Christ; 
 he loves you. 1 believe 1 shall see you at 
 
CHRISTIAM PERFECTION. 10" 
 
 the right hand of God: but as one star 
 differs from another star in glory, so shall ii 
 be in the resurrection. I charge you, in the 
 presence of God, meet me in that day all 
 glorious within. Avoid all conformity to 
 the world. You are robbed of many of 
 your pri\ileges. I know I shall be found 
 blameless. Do you labor to be found of 
 him in peace without spot.* 
 
 " (10.) Saturday morning she prayed 
 nearly as follows: ' I know, my Lord, my 
 life is prolonged only to do thy will. And 
 though I should never eat or drink more, 
 [she had not swallowed any thing for near 
 eight and twenty hours.] thy will be done. 
 I am willing to be kept so a twelvemonth: 
 Man liveth not by bread alone. I praise 
 thee that there is not a shadow of com- 
 plaining in our streets. In that sense we 
 know not what sickness means. Indeed, 
 Lord, neither life, nor death, nor things 
 present, nor things to coine, no, nor any crea- 
 ture, shall separate us from thy love one mo- 
 ment. Bless these, that there may Ve no 
 lack in their souls. I believe there shall 
 not I pray in faith.' 
 
 " On Sunday and Monday she was ight 
 
108 CHRISTIAN PEKFECTION. 
 
 headed, but sensible at times. It ther 
 plainly appeared her heart was still in 
 heaven. One said to her, 'Jesus is our 
 mark.' She replied: ' I have but one mark; 
 I am all spiritual,' ]\Iiss M. said to her 
 'You dwell in God.' She answered: 
 Altogether.' A person asked her, ' Do 
 ou love me]' She said, * O, I love Christ; 
 I love my Christ.' To another she said, 
 I shall not long be here; Jesus is precious, 
 very precious indeed.' She said to Miss 
 M., 'The Lord is very good; he, keeps my 
 soul above all.' For fifteen hours before 
 she died, she was in strong convulsions: 
 her sufferings were extreme. One said, 
 'You are made perfect through suiferings.' 
 She said, ' More and more so.' After lying 
 quiet some tim.e, she said, ' Lord, thou art 
 strong!' Then, pausing a considerable 
 space, she uttered her last words, 'My 
 Jesus is all in all to me: glory be to him 
 through time and eternity.' After this, 
 she lay still for about haK an hour, and 
 then expired without a sigh or groan." 
 
 25. The next yea-, the nnwiber of those 
 who believed they A'ere s»"ved from sin 
 «tiU increasing, J |udge<^ \t needful tf 
 
CHRISTIAN PEEFECTION. 10b 
 
 publibh, chiefly for their use, "Fartkei 
 Thoughts on Christian Perfection:" 
 
 "Question 1. How is * Christ the end 
 of the law for righteousness to every one 
 that behevethJ' Rom. x, 4. 
 
 "Answer. In order to understand this 
 you must understand what law is her 
 spoken of; and this, I apprehend, is, (1.) 
 The Mosaic law, the whole Mosaic dispen- 
 sation; which St. Paul continually speaks 
 of as one, though containing three parts, 
 the political, moral, and ceremonial. (2.) 
 The Adamic law, that given to Adam in 
 innocence, properly called ' the law of 
 works.' This is in substance the same 
 with the angelic law, being common to 
 angels and men. It required that man 
 should use, to the glory of God, all the 
 powers with which he was created. Now, 
 he was created free from any defect, either 
 in his understanding or his affections. His 
 body was then no clog to the mind; it did 
 not hinder his apprehending all things 
 clearly, judging truly concerning them, 
 and reasoning justly, if he reasoned at all. 
 [ say, if ne reasoned; for possibly he did 
 not. Per aps he had no need of reasoning. 
 
110 CHRISTIAN PEKFECTION. 
 
 tin his corruptible body pressed down the 
 mind, ai.-i impaired its native faculties. 
 Perhaps, till then, the mind saw every 
 truth that offered as directly as the eye 
 now sees the light. 
 
 " Consequently, this law, proportioned 
 to his original powers, required that he 
 should always think, always speak, and 
 always act precisely right, in every point 
 whatever. He was well able so to do: and 
 God could not but require the service he 
 was able to pay. 
 
 "But Adam fell; and his incorruptible 
 body became corruptible; and ever since. 
 it is a clog to the soul, and hinders its 
 operations. Hence, at present, no child 
 of man can at all times apprehend clearly, 
 or judge truly. And where either the 
 judgment or apprehension is wrong, it is 
 impossible to reason justly. Therefore, it 
 is as natural for a man to mistake as to 
 breathe; and he can no more live without 
 the one than without the other: conse- 
 quently, no man is able to perform the 
 •service which the Adamic law requires. 
 
 " And no man is obliged to perform it: 
 God does not require it of any man: for 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. Ill 
 
 Christ is the end of tlie Adamic, as w ell 
 as the Mosaic, law. By his death he hath 
 put an end to both; he hath abolished both 
 the one and the other, with regard to maii, 
 and the obligation to observe either the 
 one or the other is vanished away. Nor 
 is any man living bound to observe the 
 Adamic more than the Mosaic law. (J 
 mean it is not the condition either of 
 present or future salvation.) 
 
 " In the room of this, Christ hath estab- 
 Hshed another; namely, the law of faith. 
 Not every one that doeth, but every one 
 tliat believeth, now receiveth righteous- 
 ness, in the full sense of the word; that 
 is, he is justified, sanctitied, and glorified. 
 
 "Q,. 2. Are we then dead to the law? 
 
 "A. We are 'dead to the law, by the 
 body of Christ' given for us, (Rom. vii, 4:) 
 to the Adamic as well as the Mosaic law. 
 We are wholly freed therefrom by hia 
 death; that law expiring with him. 
 
 "Q. 3. How, then, are we 'not without 
 iaw to God, but under the law to Christ"? 
 1 Cor. ix, 21. 
 
 "A. We are without that law; but v\ 
 does not follow that we are without an^ 
 
112 OHKISTIAS PEEFECTIUH. 
 
 law: for God has established another law 
 in its place, even the law of faith; and 
 we are all under tliis law to God ana to 
 Christ: both our Creator and our Redeemer 
 require us to observe it. 
 
 "Q,. 4. Is love the fulfilUng of this 
 law? 
 
 "A. Unquestionably it is. The whole 
 law under which we now are, is fulfilled 
 by love, (Rom. xiii, 9, 10.) Faith working 
 or animated by love is all that God now 
 requires of man. He has substituted — not 
 sincerity, but — love, in the room of angehc 
 perfection. 
 
 "Q,. 5. How is 'love the end of the 
 commandment]' 1 Tim. i, 5. 
 
 "A. It is the end of every command- 
 ment of God. It is the point aimed at by 
 the whole and every part of the Christian 
 institution. The foundation is faith, puri- 
 fying the heart; the end love, preserving 
 a good conscience. 
 
 "Q. 6. What love is this? 
 
 " A. The loving the Lord our God with 
 all our heart, mind, soul, and strength; 
 and the loving our neighbor, every man, 
 as ourselves, as our own souls. 
 
CHRISTIAN PEEFECTION. 113 
 
 "Q,. 7. What are the fruits or proper- 
 ties of this love? 
 
 "A. St. Paul informs us at large, love 
 is long-suffering. It suffers all the weak- 
 nesses of the children of God, all the 
 wickedness of the children of the world; 
 and that not for a little time only, but as 
 long as God pleases. In all, it sees the 
 hand of God, and willingly submits there- 
 to. Meantime, it is kind. In all, and 
 after all, it suffers, it is soft, mild, tender^ 
 benign. 'Love envieth not;' it excludes 
 every kind and degree of envy out of the 
 heart; *love acteth not rashly,' in a violent 
 headstrong manner, nor passes any rash 
 or severe judgment; it *doth not behave 
 itself indecently;' is not rude, does not 
 act out of character: 'seeketh not her 
 own' ease, pleasure, honor, or profit: *is 
 not provoked;' expels all anger from the 
 heart: 'thinketh no evil;' casteth out all 
 jealousy, suspiciousness, and readiness to 
 believe evil: 'rejoiceth not in iniquity;' 
 yea, weeps at the sin or folly of \ts bitter- 
 est enemies: 'but rejoiceth in tne truth;* 
 in the holiness and happiness of every 
 •,hild cf man. 'Love covereth all things,' 
 8 
 
114 CHRISTIAN FEEFECTIOS. 
 
 speaks evil of no man; 'believeth al. 
 ihings' that tend to the advantage of 
 another's character. It ' hopeth all things, 
 whatever may extenuate the faults which 
 can not be denied; and it 'endureth all 
 things' which God can permit, or men 
 and devils inflict. This is the Maw of 
 Christ, the perfect law, the law of liberty.' 
 
 "And this distinction between the 'law 
 of faith' — or love — and ' the law of works,' 
 is neither a subtile nor an unnecessary dis- 
 tinction. It is plain, easy, and intelligible 
 to any common understanding. And it is 
 absolutely necessary, to prevent a thousand 
 doubts and fears, even in those who do 
 *walk in love.' 
 
 "Q. 8. But do we not *in many things 
 offend all,' yea, the best of us, even against 
 this law^ 
 
 "A. In one sense we do not, while al! 
 our tempers, and thoughts, and words, and 
 works, spring from love. But in another 
 we do, and shall do, more or less, as long 
 as we remain in the body. For neithei 
 love nor the "unction of the Holy One 
 makes us infallible: therefore, through un- 
 avoidable defect of understanding, we can 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTICM. ll* 
 
 not but mistake in many things. And 
 ihese mistakes will frequently occasion 
 something wrong, both in our temper, and 
 words, and actions. From mistaking his 
 character, we may love a person less than 
 he really deserves. And by the same mis- 
 take we are unavoidably led to speak or 
 act, with regard to that person, in such a 
 manner as is contrary to this law, in some 
 or other of the preceding instances. 
 
 "Q. 9. Do we not, then, need Christ, 
 even on this account] 
 
 "A. The holiest of men still need Christ, 
 as their prophet, as 'the hght of the 
 world.' For he does not give them hght, 
 but from moment to moment: the instant 
 he withdraws, all is darkness. They still 
 need Christ as their king; for God does not 
 give them a stock of holiness. But un- 
 less they recer\^e a supply every moment, 
 nothing but unholiness would remain. 
 They still need Christ as their priest, to 
 make atonement for their holy things. 
 Even perfect holiness is acceptable to God 
 jnl}- through Jesus Christ. 
 
 " Q. 10. May not, then, the very best of 
 men adopt the dying martyr'b confesaioD 
 
116 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 * I am in myself nothing but sin, darkness 
 hell; but thou art my light, my holiness 
 my heaven!' 
 
 "A. Not exactly. But the best of men 
 may say, 'Thou art my light, my holiness, 
 my heaven. Through my union with thee 
 I am full of light, of holiness, and happi- 
 ness. But if I were left to myself, I 
 should be nothing but sin, darkness, hell.' 
 
 "But to proceed: The best of men need 
 Christ as their priest, their atonement, 
 their advocate with the Father; not only 
 as the continuance of their every blessing 
 depends on his death and intercession, but 
 on account of their coming short of the 
 law of love. For every man living does 
 so. You who feel all love, compare .your- 
 selves with the preceding description 
 Weigh yourselves in this balance, and see 
 if you are not wanting in many particulars. 
 
 "Q. 11. But if all this be consistent 
 with Christian perfection, that perfection 
 is not freedom from all sin; seeing 'sin is 
 the transgression of the law;' and the per- 
 fect transgress the very law they are under. 
 Besides, they need the atonement of 
 Christ; and he is the atonement of noth- 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 11^ 
 
 !ng^ but sin. Is, then, the term sinless per- 
 fection proper] 
 
 "A. It is not worth disputing about. 
 Bat observe in what sense the persons \h 
 (question need the atonement of Christ. 
 They do not need him to reconcile them 
 to God afresh; for they are reconciled. 
 They do not need him to restore the favor 
 of God, but to continue it. He does not 
 procure pardon for them anew, but 'ever 
 liveth to make intercession for them;' and 
 by one offering he hath perfected forever 
 them that are sanctified,' Heb. x, 14. 
 
 "For want of duly considering this, 
 some deny that they need the atonement 
 of Christ. Indeed, exceeding few; I do 
 not remember to have found five of thein 
 in England. Of the two, I would sooner 
 give up perfection; but we need not give 
 up either one or the other. The perfection 
 I hold, ' Love rejoicing evermore, praying 
 without ceasing, and in every thing giving 
 thanks,' is well consistent with it; if any 
 hold a perfection which is not, they must 
 look to it. 
 
 '*Q,. 12. Does, then, Christian perfectioD 
 imply any more than sincerity^ 
 
118 CHRISTIAN PERFECT] 01». 
 
 "A. Not if you mean by that word 
 love filling the heart, expelling pride 
 anger, desire, self-will; rejoicing evermore, 
 praying without ceasing, and in ever\ 
 thing giving thanks. But I doubt, few 
 use sincerity in this sense. Therefo)e, 1 
 think the old word is best. 
 
 "A person may be sincere who has all 
 his natural tempers, pride, anger, lust, self- 
 will. But he is not perfect till his heart 
 is cleansed from these and all its other 
 corruptions. 
 
 "To clear this point a little farther: I 
 know that many love God with all their 
 heart. He is their one desire, their one 
 delight, and they are continually happy in 
 him. They love their neighbor as them- 
 selves. They feel as sincere, fen^ent, con- 
 stant a desire for the happiness of ever}' 
 man, good or bad, friend or enemy, as for 
 their own. They rejoice evermore, pray 
 without ceasing, and in every thing give 
 thanks. Their souls are continually stream- 
 ing up to God, in holy joy, prayer, and 
 piaise. This is a point of fact; and thi*' 
 is plain, sound, Scriptural experience. 
 
 " But even these souls dwell in a shat 
 
CHEISTIAN PERFECT105. 1 18 
 
 tered body, and are so pressed down tnere- 
 by that they can not always exert them- 
 selves as they would by thinking, speaking-, 
 and acting precisely right. For want of 
 better bodily organs, they must at times 
 think, speak, or act wrong; not, indeed, 
 tJirough a defect of love, but through a 
 d 'tect of knowledge. And while this is 
 the case, notwithstanding that defect and 
 Its consequences, they fulfill the law of 
 love. 
 
 " Yet as, even in this case, there is not 
 a full conformity to the perfect law, so the 
 most perfect do, on this very account, need 
 the blood of atonement, and may properly 
 for themselves, as well as for their breth- 
 ren, say, ' Forgive us our trespasses.' 
 
 "Q. 13. But if Christ has put an end 
 to that law, what need of any atonement 
 for their transgressing it? 
 
 " A. Observe in what sense he has put 
 an end to it, and the difficulty vanishes. 
 Were it not for the abiding merit of his 
 death, and his continual intercession for us, 
 that law would condemn us still. These, 
 therefore, we still need for every trana- 
 gression of it. 
 
120 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 "Q 14. But can one that is saved from 
 sin be tempted! 
 
 "A. Yes; for Christ was tempted. 
 
 " Q,. 15. However, what you call tempt 
 ation, I call the corruption of my heart. 
 And how will you distinguish one frc«i 
 the other] 
 
 "A. In some cases it is impossible to 
 distinguish, without the direct witness of 
 the Spirit. But in general one may dis- 
 tinguish thus: 
 
 " One commends me. Here is a tempt- 
 ation to pride. But instantly my soul is 
 humbled before God. And I feel no pride; 
 of which I am as sure as that pride is not 
 humihty. 
 
 " A man strikes me. Here is a tempta- 
 tion to anger. But my heart overflows 
 with love. And I feel no anger at all- of 
 which I can be as sure as that love and 
 anger are not the same. 
 
 "A woman solicits me. Here is a 
 temptation to lust. But in the instant I 
 shrink back. And I feel no desire or lust 
 at all; of which I can be as sure as that 
 my hand is cold or hot. 
 
 " Thus it is, if I am tempted by a present 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTIOH. 121 
 
 Dbjec*' and it is just the same, if, when it 
 IS absent, the devil recalls a commendation 
 an injury, or a woman, to my mind. In 
 the instant the soul repels the tem.ptation, 
 and remains filled with pure love. 
 
 " And the difference is still plainer when 
 I compare my present state with my past, 
 wherein I felt temptation and corruption 
 too. 
 
 " Q. 16. But how do you know that you 
 are sanctified, saved from your inbred cor- 
 ruption] 
 
 "A. I can know it no otherwise than I 
 know that I am justified, ' Hereby know 
 we that we are of God,' in either sense, 
 ' by the Spirit he hath given us.' 
 
 " We know it by the witness and by the 
 fruit of the Spirit. And, first, by the wit- 
 ness. As, when we were justified, the 
 Spirit bore witness with our spirit, that 
 our sins were forgiven; so, when we were 
 sanctified, he bore witness that they were 
 taken away. Indeed, the witness of sanc- 
 tification is not always clear at first — as 
 neither is that of justification — neither is 
 it afterward always the same, but, like that 
 Oi justification, sometimes stronger and 
 
122 CHRISTIAN PEBFECTIOW. 
 
 sometimes fainter. Yea, and sometimes 
 .t is withdrawn. Yet, in /roneral, the lat- 
 ter testimony of the Spirit is both as clear 
 and as steady as the former. 
 
 "Q,. 17. But what need is there of it, 
 seeing sanctiiication is a real change, not 
 a relative only, Uke justification! 
 
 "A. But is the new birth a relative 
 change only? Is not this a real change] 
 Therefore, if we need no witness of our 
 sanctification, because it is a real change, 
 for the same reason we should need none 
 that we are born of or are the children of 
 God. 
 
 "Q. 18. But does not sanctification 
 shine by its own light? 
 
 "A. And does not the new birth too? 
 Sometimes it does; and so does sanctifica- 
 tion; at others it does not. In the hour 
 of temptation Satan clouds the work of 
 God, and injects various doubts and reason- 
 ings, especially in those who have either 
 very weak or very strong understandings. 
 At such times there is absolute need of 
 that witness, without which the work of 
 sanctification not only could not be dis- 
 cerned, but could no longer subsist. Were 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 123 
 
 It not for this, the soul could not *Jieii 
 abide in the love of God; much less could 
 it rejoice evermore, and in every thing give 
 thanks. In these circumstances, there- 
 fore, a direct testimony that we are sanc- 
 tified is necessary in the highest degree. 
 
 " ' But I have no witness that I am saved 
 from sin. And yet I have no doubt of it.' 
 Very well: as long as you have no doubt, 
 it is enough; when you have, you will 
 need that witness. 
 
 "Q,. 19. But what Scripture makes men- 
 tion of any such thing, or gives any reason 
 to expect it] 
 
 " A. That Scripture, ' We have received, 
 not the spirit that is of the world, but the 
 Spirit which is of God; that we may know 
 the things which are freely given us of 
 God,' 1 Cor. ii, 12. 
 
 " Now, surely sanctification is one of 
 ' the things which are freely given us of 
 God.' And no possible reason can be as- 
 signed why this should be expected, when 
 the j.postle says, 'We receive the Spirit 
 for this very end,' ' that we may know the 
 things which are ' thus ' freely given us.' 
 
 " Is not the same thing implied in thai 
 
124 CHEISTIAN rERFECTION. 
 
 well-known Scripture, *The Spirit itself 
 witnesseth with our spirit, that we are the 
 children of God]' Rom. viii, 16. Does he 
 witness this only to those who are the 
 children of God in the lowest sense] Nay, 
 but to those also who are such in the high- 
 est sense] And does he not witness that 
 they are such in the highest sense] What 
 reason have we to doubt it] 
 
 "What, if a man were to affirm — as in- 
 deed many do — that this witness belongs 
 only to the highest class of Christians^ 
 Would not you answer, ' The apostle 
 makes no restriction; therefore, doubtless 
 it belongs to all the children of God]' 
 And will not the same answer hold, if any 
 affirm that it belongs only to the lowest 
 class] 
 
 "Consider likewise 1 John v, 19: 'We 
 know that we are of God.' How] *By 
 the Spirit that he hath given us.' Nay, 
 ' hereby we know that he abideth in us.' 
 And what ground have we, either froir 
 Scripture or reason, to exclude the witnesi 
 any more than the fruit, of the Spirii. 
 from being here intended] By this, then, 
 also, ' we know that we *re of God.' and in 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 125 
 
 what sense we are so; whether we are 
 babes, young men, or fathers, we know in 
 tlie same manner. 
 
 " Not that I affirm that all young men, 
 or even lathers, have this testimony every 
 moment. There may be intermissions of 
 the direct testimony that they are thu 
 born of God; but those intermissions are 
 fewer and shorter as they grow up in 
 Christ; and some have the testimony both 
 of their justification and sanctification, 
 without any intermission at all; which I 
 presume more might have, did they walk 
 humbly and closely with God. 
 
 " Q. 20. May not some of them have a 
 testimony from the Spirit, that they shall 
 not finally fall from God J 
 
 "A. They may. And this persuasion, 
 that neither fife nor death shall separate 
 them from him, far from being hurtful, 
 may in some circumstances be extremely 
 useful. These, therefore, we should in 
 no wise grieve, but earnestly encourage 
 them to ' hold the beginning of their con- 
 fiaence steadfast to the end.' 
 
 " Q,. 21. But have any a testimony froni 
 the Spirit that they shall never sin^ 
 
126 CHRISTIAN PERFECTIOR. 
 
 "A. We know not what God may 
 fouchsafe to some particular persons; but 
 we do not find any general state described 
 in Scripture from which a man can not 
 draw back to sin. If there were any state 
 wherein this was impossible, it would be 
 that of these who are sanctified, who are 
 fathers in Christ, who rejoice evermore, 
 pray without ceasing, and in every thing 
 give thanks;' but it is not impossible for 
 these to draw back. They who are sanc- 
 tified yet may fall and perish, (Heb. x, 29. ) 
 Even fathers in Christ need that warning: 
 'Love not the world,' 1 John ii, 15. They 
 who 'rejoice, pray,' and 'give thanks with- 
 out ceasing,' may. nevertheless, 'quench 
 the Spirit,' 1 Thess. v, 16, etc. Nay, even 
 they who are ' sealed unto the day of re- 
 demption,' may yet ' grieve the Holy Spirit 
 of God,' Eph. IV. 30. 
 
 "Although, therefore, God may give 
 such a witness to some particular persons, 
 yet it is not to be expected by Christiana 
 m general; there being no Scripture 
 whereon to ground such an expectation. 
 
 «Q. 2U. By what 'fruit of the SDiru 
 
CHfiISTIA.N PERFECTION. 12" 
 
 Dit-y we ' know that we are of God,' even 
 in the highest sense] 
 
 "A. By love, joy, peace, always abiding, 
 by invariable long-suffering, patience, res- 
 ignation; by gentleness, triumphing over 
 all provocation; by goodness, mildness, 
 sweetness, tenderness of spirit; by fidelity, 
 simplicity, godly sincerity; by meekness, 
 calmness, evenness of spirit; by temper- 
 ance, not only in food and sleep, but in 
 P:l things natural and spiritual. 
 
 " Q. 23. But what great matter is there 
 in this] Have we not all this when we 
 are justified] 
 
 "A. What, total resignation to the will 
 of God, without any mixture of self-will ! 
 gentleness, without any touch of anger 
 even the moment we are provoked] love to 
 God, without the least love to the creature, 
 but in and for God, excluding all pride' 
 love to man, excluding all envy, all jeal- 
 ousy, and rash judging] meekness, keeping 
 the whole soul inviolably calm] and tem- 
 perance in all things] Deny that any ever 
 came up to this, if you please; but do no* 
 iay all who are justified do. 
 
128 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 " Q,. 24. But some who are newly justi 
 fied do. What, then, will you say U 
 these] 
 
 "A. If they really do. I will say they 
 are sanctified; saved from sin in that mo- 
 ment; and that they never need lose whai 
 God has given, or feel sin any more. 
 
 "But certainly this is an exempt case. 
 It is otherwise with the generality of those 
 that are justified: they feel in themselves 
 more or less pride, anger, self-will, a heari 
 bent to backsliding And, till they have 
 gi-adually mortified these, they are nx)l 
 fully renewed in love. 
 
 " Q,. 25. But is not this the case of all 
 that are justified] Do they not gi-adually 
 die to sin and grow in grace, till at, or 
 perhaps a little before, death God perfects 
 them in love^ 
 
 "A. I beHeve this is the case of most, 
 but not all. God usually gives a consid- 
 erable time for men to receive light, to 
 grow in gTace, to do and sufier his will, 
 before they are either justified or sancti- 
 fied; but he does not invariably adhere to 
 this; sometimes he ' cuts short his work;' 
 oe does the work of many years in a few 
 
CHSISTIAN PiiBFECTIOM. 129 
 
 weeks; perhaps in a week, a day, an hour. 
 He justilies or sanctities both those who 
 have done or suifered nothing, and who 
 havf not had time for a gradual growih 
 either in light or grace. And 'may he 
 not do what he will with his own] la 
 thine eye evil, because he is goodJ' 
 
 " It need not, therefore, be affirmed over 
 and over, and proved by forty texts of 
 Scripture, either that most men are per- 
 fected in love at last, that there is a grad- 
 ual work of God in the soul, or that, 
 generally speaking, it is a long time, even 
 many years, before sin is destroyed. All 
 this we know: but we know, hkewise, that 
 God may, with man's good leave,' cut short 
 his work,' in whatever degree he pleases, 
 and do the usual work of many years in 
 a moment. He does so in many instances; 
 and yet there is a gradual work, both be- 
 fore and after that moment: so that one 
 may affirm the work is gradual; another, 
 it is instantaneous, without any manner 
 of concradiction. 
 
 " Q. 26. Does St. Paul mean any more 
 by being 'sealed witTi the Spirit,' tnac 
 oeing ' renewed in love!' 
 
ISO CHRISTIAN PEKFECTION. 
 
 " A. Perhaps in one place, (2 Cor. i, 22,) 
 he does not mean so much; but in another, 
 (Eph. i, 13,; he seems to include both the 
 fruit and the witness; and that in a higher 
 degree than we experience even when we 
 are first 'renewed in love:' God 'sealeth 
 us with the Spirit of promise,' by giving 
 us *the full assurance of hope;' such a 
 confidence of receiving all the promise.^ 
 of God as excludes the possibility of doubt- 
 ing; with that Holy Spirit, by universal 
 holiness, stamping the whole image of 
 God on our hearts. 
 
 " Q. 27. But how can those who are 
 thus sealed, 'grieve the Holy Spirit of 
 God?' 
 
 " A. St. Paul tells you very particularly, 
 (1.) By such conversation as is not profita- 
 ble, not to the use of edifying, not apt to 
 minister grace to the hearers. (2.) By re- 
 lapsing into bitterness or want of kind- 
 ness. (3.) By wrath, lasting displeasure, 
 or want of tender-heartedness. (4.) By 
 anger, however soon it is over: want ot 
 instantly forgiving one another. (5.) By 
 clamor or brawling, loud, harsh, rough 
 sneaking. (6.) By evil-speaking, whisper- 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 131 
 
 ing, talebearing; needlessly mentioninfr 
 the fault of an absent person, though hi 
 ever so soft a manner. 
 
 «Q. 28. What do you think of thost 
 in London, who seem to have been lately 
 'renewed in love?' 
 
 "A. There is something very peculiar 
 in the experience of the greater part of 
 them. One would expect that a believer 
 should first be filled with love, and thereby 
 emptied of sin; whereas these were emp- 
 tied of sin first, and then filled with love. 
 Perhaps it pleased God to work in this 
 manner, to make his work more plain and 
 undeniable; and to distinguish it more 
 clearly from that overflowing love which 
 is often felt even in a justified state. 
 
 " It seems, likewise, most agreeable to 
 the great promise: 'From all your filthi- 
 ness I will cleanse you; a new heart will 
 I give you, and a new spirit will I put 
 within you,' Ezek. xxx\i, 25, 26. 
 
 "But I do not think of them all alike: 
 there is a wide difference between some of 
 them and others. I think most of them 
 with whom I have spoken, have much 
 faith, love, joy, and peace. Some of these 
 
132 CHRISTIAN r£BFECTION. 
 
 I believe are renewed in love, aLd have 
 the direct witness of it; and they manifest 
 the fruit above described, in all their words 
 and actions. Now, let any man call this 
 what he will; it is what I call perfection. 
 
 " But some who have much love, peace, 
 and joy, yet have not the direct witness; 
 and others who think they have, are, never- 
 theless, manifestly wanting in the fruit. 
 How many I will not say; perhaps one in 
 ten; perhaps more or fewer. But some 
 are undeniably wanting in long-suffering, 
 Christian resignation. They do not see 
 the hand of God in whatever occurs, ana 
 cheerfully embrace it. They do not in 
 every thing give thanks, and rejoice ever- 
 more. They are not happy; at least, not 
 always happy; for sometimes they com- 
 plain. They say, this or that is hard! 
 
 " Some are wanting in gentleness. They 
 resist evil, instead of turning the other 
 cheek. They do not receive reproach with 
 gentleness; no, nor even reproof. Nay, 
 they are not able to bear contradiction; 
 without the appearance, at least, of resent- 
 ment. If they are reproved or contra- 
 dicted, though mildly, they do not take it 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 133 
 
 well; they behave with more distance and 
 reserve than they did before. If they are 
 reproved or contradicted harshly, they 
 answer it with harshness; with a loud 
 voice, or with an angry tone, or in a sharp 
 and surly manner. They speak sharply 
 or roughly when they reprove others; and 
 behave roughly to their inferiors. 
 
 " Some are wanting in goodness. The • 
 are not kind, mild, sweet, amiable, sof , 
 and loving at all times, in their spirit, v\ 
 their words, in their look and air, in th'5 
 whole tenor of their behavior; and that to 
 all, high and low, rich and poor, without 
 respect of persons; particularly to them 
 that are out of the way, to opposers, and 
 to those of their own household. They 
 do not long, study, endeavor, by every 
 means, to make all about them happy. 
 They can see them uneasy, and not be 
 concerned; perhaps they make them so; 
 and then wipe their mouths and say, ' Why-, 
 they deserve it; it is their own fault.* 
 
 *' Some are wanting in fidelity, a nice 
 regard to truth, simplicity, and godly sin- 
 cerity. Their love is hardly without dis- 
 simulation: somethingr like guile is found 
 
134 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 in their mouth. To avoid roughness, they 
 lean to tRe other extreme. They are 
 smooth to an excess, so as scarce to avoid 
 a degree of fawning, or of seeming to 
 mean what they do not. 
 
 " Some are wanting in meekness, quiet- 
 ness of spirit, composure, evenness of tem- 
 per. They are up and down, sometimes 
 high, sometimes low; their mind is not 
 well balanced. Their affections are either 
 not in due proportion — they have too much 
 of one, too little of another — or they are 
 not duly mixed and tempered together, so 
 as to counterpoise each other. Hence 
 there is often a jar. Their soul is out of 
 tune, and can not make the true harmony. 
 
 " Some are wanting in temperance. 
 They do not steadily use that kind and 
 degree of food which they know, or miglil 
 know, would most conduce to their health, 
 strength, and vigor of the body: or they 
 are not temperate in sleep; they do not 
 rigorously adhere to what is best for body 
 and mind; otherwise they would constantly 
 go to bed and rise early, and at a fixed 
 hour: or they sup late, which is neither 
 -rood for body nor soul: or they use neither 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 136 
 
 fasting nor abstinence: or they prefer — 
 which are so many sorts of intemper- 
 ance — that preaching, reading, or conver- 
 sation, which gives them transient joy and 
 comfort, before that which brings godly 
 sorrow, or instruction in righteousness. 
 Such joy is not sanctified; it doth not tend 
 to, and terminate in, the crucifixion of the 
 heart. Such faith doth not center in God, 
 but rather in itself. 
 
 " So far all is plain. I believe you have 
 faith, and love, and joy, and peace. Yei 
 you who are particularly concerned know 
 each for yourself, that you are wanting in 
 the respects above mentioned. You are 
 wanting either in long-suffering, gentle 
 ness, or goodness; either in fidelity, meek 
 ness, or temperance. Let us not, then, on 
 either hand, fight about words. In the 
 thing we clearly agree. 
 
 " You have not what I call perfection ; 
 if others will call it so, they may. How- 
 ever, hold fast what you have, and earn- 
 estly pray for what you have not. 
 
 "Q,. 29. Can those who are perfect 
 grow in grace] 
 
 "A Undoubtedly they can; and that 
 
J 36 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 not only while they are in the body, but tc 
 all eternity. 
 
 "Q. 30. Can they fall from it? 
 
 "A. I am well assured they can; matter 
 of fact puts this beyond dispute. Formerly 
 we thought, one saved from sin could not 
 fall; now we know the contrary. We are 
 surrounded with instances of those who 
 lately experienced all that I mean by per- 
 fection. They had both the fruit of the 
 Spirit, and the witness; but they have 
 now lost both. Neither does any one 
 stand by virtue of any thing that is im- 
 plied in the nature of the state. There is 
 no such hight or strength of holiness as it 
 is impossible to fall from. Tf there be 
 anv that can not fall, this wholly depends 
 on the promise of God. 
 
 "Q,. 31. Can those who fall from this 
 state recover it? 
 
 "A. Why not] We have many in- 
 stances of this also. Nay, it is an exceed- 
 ing common thing for persons to lose it 
 more than once, before they are estab- 
 lished therein. 
 
 " It is, therefore, to guard them who are 
 saved from sin, from every occasion of 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 137 
 
 /Stumbling, that I give the following ad- 
 vices. But first I shall speak plainly con- 
 cerning the work itself. 
 
 "I esteem this late work to be of God; 
 probably the greatest now upon earth. 
 Yet, like all others, this also is mixed with 
 much human frailty. But these weak- 
 nesses are far less than might have been 
 expected; and ought to have been joyfully 
 borne by all that loved and followed after 
 righteousness. That there have been a 
 few weak, warm-headed men, is no re- 
 proach to the work itself, no just ground 
 for accusing a multitude of sober-minded 
 men, who are patterns of strict holiness. 
 Yet — just the contrary to what ought to 
 have been — the opposition is great; the 
 helps few,. Hereby many are hindered 
 from seeking faith and holiness by the 
 false zeal of others; and some who at first 
 began to run well are turned out of the 
 way. 
 
 "Q. 32. What is the first advice* that 
 fou would give them] 
 
 * The aflvires which follow were published in 
 a sepa-ate trart in the year 1762, under the titl^ 
 of ''' Ca'jtions and Directions ofiven to the Greatest 
 
138 CHRISTIAN FERFF<3TI0«. 
 
 "Watch and pray continually against 
 pride. If God has cast it out, see that 
 it enter no more: it is full as dangerous as 
 desire. And you may sHde back into it 
 unawares, especially if you think there :s 
 no danger of it. ' Nay, but I ascribe all I 
 have to God.' So you may, and be proud 
 nevertheless. For it is pride, not only to 
 ascribe any thing we have to ourselves. 
 but to think we have what we really have 
 not. Mr. L., for instance, ascribed all the 
 light he had to God, and so far he was 
 humble; but then he thought he had more 
 hght than any man living; and this was 
 palpable pride. So you ascribe all the 
 knowledge you have to God; and in this 
 respect you are humble. But if you think 
 you have more than you really have, or if 
 you think you are so taught of God, as no 
 longer to need man's teaching, pride heth 
 
 Professors in the Methodist Societies," with the 
 following motto: 
 
 *' Set the false witnesses aside, 
 Yet hold the truth forever fast." 
 £t was evidently intended to guara the people 
 against the mischievous extravagances of George 
 Bell and his fiiends, a particular account of whona 
 is given in Mr. Wesley's journal about that pe- 
 riod. — Edit. 
 
CHRISTIAM PEAFECTION. 139 
 
 at the door. Yes, you have need to be 
 taught, not only by Mr. Morgan, oy one 
 another, by Mr. Maxfield, or me, but by 
 the weakest preacher in London; yea, by 
 all men. For God sendeth by whom he 
 will send. 
 
 "Do not, therefore, say to any who 
 would advise or reprove you, *You are 
 bhnd; you can not teach me.' Do not 
 say, 'This is your wisdom, your carnai 
 reason;' but calmly weigh the thing before 
 God. 
 
 " Always remember, much grace does 
 not imply much light. These do not al- 
 ways go together. As there may be much 
 hght where there is but little love, so there 
 may be much love where there is little 
 light. The heart has more heat than the 
 eye; yet it can not see. And God has 
 wisely tempered the members of the body 
 together, that none may say to another, 
 * I have no need of thee.' 
 
 "To imagine none can teach you, but 
 those who are themselves saved from sin, 
 is a very great and dangerous mistake. 
 Give not place to it for a moment; it would 
 lead you into a thousand other mistakes, 
 
140 CHRISTIAN PERFECTICtW. 
 
 and that irrecoverably. No; dominion la 
 not founded in ^ace, as the madmen of 
 the last age talked. Obey and regard 
 ' them that are over you in the Lord,' and 
 do not think you know better than they. 
 Know their place and your own; always 
 remembering much love does not imply 
 much light. 
 
 "The not observing this has led some 
 into many mistakes, and into the appear- 
 ance, at least, of pride. O, bev/are of the 
 appearance and the thing! Let there 'be 
 in you that lowly mind which was in Chrisl 
 Jesus.' And 'be ye likewise clothed with 
 humility.' Let it not only fill, but covei 
 you all over. Let modesty and self-diffi- 
 dence appear in all your words and actions. 
 Let all you speak and do show that you 
 are little, and base, and mean, and vile in 
 your own eyes. 
 
 " As one instance of this, be always 
 ready to own any fault you have been in. 
 If you have at any time thought, spoken 
 or acted wrong, be not backward to ac- 
 knowledge it. Never dream that this will 
 hurt the cause of God; no, it will farther 
 it. Be therefore open and frank when you 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 141 
 
 are tiixed with any thing; do not seek 
 either to evade or disguise it; but let it 
 appear just as it is, and you will thereby 
 not hinder, but adorn the Gospel. 
 
 "Q. 33. What is the second advice 
 which you would give them] 
 
 "A. Beware of that daughter of pride 
 enthusiasm. O, keep at the utmost dis 
 tance from it! Give no place to a heated 
 imagination. Do not hastily ascribe things 
 to God. Do not easily suppose dreams, 
 voices, impressions, visions, or revelations, 
 to be from God. They may be from him. 
 They may be from nature. They may be 
 from the devil. Therefore, ' believe not 
 every spirit, but try the spirits whether 
 they be of God.' Try all things by the 
 written word, and let all bow down before 
 it. You are in danger of enthusiasm every 
 hour, if you depart ever so little from 
 Scripture; yea, or from the plain, literal 
 meaning of any text, taken in connection 
 with the context. And so you are, if you 
 despise or lightly esteem reason, knowl- 
 edge, or human learning; every one of 
 which is an excellent gift of God, and 
 may serve the noblest purposes. 
 
142 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 "I advise you never to use the words 
 wisdom, reason, or knowledge, by way of 
 reproach. On the contrary, pray that you 
 yourself may abound in them more and 
 more. If you mean worldly wisdom, use- 
 less knowledge, false reasoning, say so; 
 and throw away the chaff, but -ot the 
 wheat. 
 
 " One general inlet to enthusiasm is, 
 expecting the end without the means; the 
 expecting knowledge, for instance, without 
 searching the Scriptures and consulting 
 the children of God; the expecting spirit- 
 aal strength without constant prayer and 
 steady watchfulness; the expecting any 
 blessing without hearing the word of God 
 at every opportunity. 
 
 " Some have been ignorant of this de- 
 vice of Satan. They have left off search- 
 ing the Scriptures. They said, ' God writes 
 all the Scriptures on my heart. There- 
 fore I have no need to read it.' Others 
 thought they had not so much need of 
 hearing, and so grew slack in attending 
 the morning preaching. O, take warning, 
 you who are concerned herein! You have 
 listened to the voice of a stranger. Flv 
 
CHRIST. AN PERFECTION. 143 
 
 back to Christ, and keep in the good old 
 way, which was 'once dehvered to the 
 saints;' the way that even a heathen bore 
 te'^timony of: 'That the Christians rose 
 early every day to sing hymns to Christ as 
 God.' 
 
 "The very desire of 'growing in grace' 
 may sometimes be an inlet of enthusiasm. 
 As it continually leads us to seek new 
 grace, it may lead us unawares to seei 
 something else new, beside new degreer 
 of love to God and man. So it has led 
 some to seek and fancy they had received 
 gifts of a new kind, after a new heart, as, 
 (1.) The loving God with all our mind 
 C2.) With all our soul: (3.) With all our 
 strength: (4.) Oneness with God: (5.) 
 Oneness with Christ: (6.) Having our Ufe 
 hid with Christ in God: (7.) Being dead 
 with Christ: (8.) Rising with him: (9.) 
 The sitting with him in heavenly places; 
 (10.) The being taken up into his throne: 
 (11.) The being in the New Jerusalem: 
 (12.) The seeing the tabernacle of God 
 come down among men: (13.) The being 
 dead to all works: (14.) The not being 
 liaDle to death, pain, or grief, or temptation. 
 
144 CHRISTIAN PERFECTIOa. 
 
 " One ground of many of these mistakes 
 is the taking every fresh, strong appUca- 
 tion of any of these Scriptures to the heart, 
 to be a gift of a new kind; not knowing 
 that several of these Scriptures are not 
 fulfilled yet; that most of the others are 
 fulfilled when we are justified; the rest 
 the moment we are sanctified. It remains 
 only to experience them in higher degxees. 
 This is all we have to expect. 
 
 " Another ground of these and a thou 
 sand mistakes, is, the not considering 
 deeply that love is the highest gift of 
 God; humble, gentle, patient love; that all 
 visions, revelations, manifestations what- 
 ever, are little things compared to love; 
 and that all the gifts above mentioned are 
 either the same with, or infinitely inferior 
 to it. 
 
 " It were well you should be thoroughly 
 sensible of this — the heaven of heavens i? 
 love. There is nothing higher in religion ; 
 there is, in effect, nothing else; if you 
 look for any thing but more love, you are 
 looking wide of the mark, you are getting 
 out of the royal way. And when you are 
 asking others, *Have you received this o» 
 
CHKISTIAN PERFECTION. 146 
 
 that blessing]' if you mean any thing but 
 more love, you mean wrong; you are lead- 
 ing them out of the way, and putting them 
 upon a false scent. Settle it then in your 
 heart, that from the moment God has saved 
 you from all sin, you are to aim at nothing 
 more, but more of that love described in 
 the thirteenth of the Corinthians. You 
 can go no higher than this, till you are 
 carried into Abraham's bosom. 
 
 "I say yet again, beware of enthusiasm. 
 Such is, the imagining you have the gift 
 of prophesying, or of discerning of spirits, 
 which I do not believe one of you has; 
 no, nor ever had yet. Beware of judging 
 people to be either right or wrong by your 
 own feelings. This is no Scriptural way 
 of judging. 0,keep close to ' the law and 
 to the testimony!' 
 
 "Q. 34. What is the third? 
 
 "A. Beware of Antinomianism; 'mak- 
 ing void the law,' or any part of it 
 'through faith.' Enthusiasm naturally 
 leads to this; indeed, they can scarce be 
 separated. This may steal upon you in a 
 thousand forms, so that you can not be too 
 watchfiil against it. Take heed of every 
 10 
 
146 CHBISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 Lliiiig, whether in principle or practice^ 
 wiiich has any tendency thereto. Even 
 that great truth, that ' Christ is the end of 
 the law,' may betray us into it, if we do 
 not consider that he has adopted every 
 point of the moral law, and grafted it into 
 the law of love. Beware of thinking, 
 Because I am filled with love, I need not 
 liave so much holiness. Because I pray 
 always, therefore I need no set time for 
 private prayer. Because I watch always, 
 therefore I need no particular self-exaiuin- 
 ation.' Let us 'magnify the law,' the 
 whole written word, ' and make it honora- 
 ble.' Let this be our voice: 'I prize thy 
 commandments above gold or precious 
 stones. O, what love have I unto thy law! 
 all the day long is my study in it.' Be- 
 ware of Antinomian books; particularly 
 the works of Dr. Crisp and Mr. Saltmarsh. 
 They contain many excellent tilings; and 
 this makes them the more dangerous. O, 
 be warned in time! Do not play with fire. 
 Do not put your hand on the hole of a 
 cockatrice' den. I entreat you, beware of 
 bigotry. Let not your love or beneficence 
 be confined to Methodists, so called, only, 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 147 
 
 much less to that very small part of them 
 who seem To be renewed in love; or to 
 those who believe yours and their report. 
 O, make not this your Shibboleth! Be- 
 ware of stillness; ceasing in a wrong 
 ense from your own works. To mention 
 jne instance out of many: 'You have re- 
 ceived,' says one, ' a great blessing. Bui 
 you began to talk of it, and to do this and 
 that; so you lost it. You should have 
 been still.' 
 
 "Beware of self-indulgence; yea, and 
 making a virtue of it, laughing at self- 
 denial, and talring up the cross daily, at 
 fasting or abstinence. Beware of censo- 
 riousness; thinking or calling them that 
 any ways oppose you, whether in judgment 
 or practice, blind, dead, fallen, or ' enemies 
 to the work.' Once more, bewaa-e of 
 Solifidianism; crying nothing but 'Believe, 
 believe!' and condemning those as igno- 
 rant or legal who speak in a more Scrip- 
 tural way. At certain seasons, indeed, it 
 may be right to treat of nothing but re- 
 pentance, or merely of faith, or altogether 
 of holiness; but, in general, our call is to 
 declare the whole counsel o!^ God, and tc 
 
148 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 prophesy according to the analogy of faittt 
 The written word treats of the whole and 
 every particular branch of righteousness, 
 descending to its minutest branches; as to 
 be sober, courteous, diligent, patient, to 
 honor all men. So, likewise, the Holy 
 Spirit works the same in our hearts, not 
 merely creating desires after holiness in 
 general; but strongly inclining us to every 
 particular grace, leading us to every indi- 
 vidual part of ' whatsoever is lovely.' And 
 this with the greatest propriety: for as 'by 
 works faith is made perfect,' so the com- 
 pleting or destroying the work of faith, 
 and enjoying the favor, or suffering the 
 displeasure of God, greatly depends on 
 every single act of obedience or disobe- 
 dience. 
 
 "Q. 35. What is the fourth? 
 
 "A. Beware of sins of omission; lose 
 no opportunity of doing good in any kind. 
 Be zealous of good works; willingly omit 
 no work, either of piety or mercy. Do all 
 the good you possibly can to the bodies 
 and souls of men. Particularly, 'thou 
 shalt in any wise reprove thy neighbor 
 and not suffer sin upon him.' Be active 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 149 
 
 Give no place to indolence or sloth; g-ivc 
 no occasion to say, 'Ye are idle, ye are 
 idle.' Many will say so still; but let your 
 whole spirit and behavior refute the slan- 
 der. Be always employed; lose no shred 
 of time; gather up the fragments, that 
 nothing be lost. And whatsoever thy 
 hand findeth to do, do it with thy might 
 Be 'slow to speak,' and wary in speaking. 
 'In a multitude of words there wanteth 
 not sin.' Do not talk much; neither long 
 at a time. Few can converse profitably 
 above an hour. Keep at the utmost dis- 
 tance from pious chitchat, from religious 
 gossiping. 
 
 « Q. 36. What is the fifth] 
 
 "A. Beware of desiring any thing but 
 God. Now you desire nothing else; every 
 other desire is driven out; see that none 
 enter again. 'Keep thyself pure;' let 
 your ' eye ' remain ' single, and yo' j- whole 
 body shall be full of light.' Admit no 
 desire of pleasing food, or any other pleas- 
 ure of sense; no desire of pleasing the 
 eye or the imagination, by any thing grand, 
 or new, or beautiful; no desire of money 
 of praise, or esteem; of h ippiness in any 
 
160 CHRISTIAN rERFECTIOn. 
 
 creaiure. You may bring these desires 
 hack; but you need not; you need feel 
 them no more. O, stand fast in the lib- 
 erty wherewith Christ has made you free! 
 "Be patterns to all of denying your- 
 selves, and taking up your cross daily. 
 Let them see that you make no account 
 of any pleasure which does not bring you 
 nearer to God, nor regard any pain which 
 does; that you simply aim at pleasing him, 
 whether by doing or suffering; that the 
 constant language of your heart, with re- 
 gard to pleasure or pain, honor or dishonor, 
 riches or poverty, is, 
 
 'All's alike to me, so I 
 In my Lord may live and die!' 
 
 « Q. 37. What is the sixth] 
 
 " A. Beware of schism, of making a 
 rent in the Church of Christ. That in- 
 ward disunior, the me~ibers ceas'"ng *^ 
 nave a reciprocal love *one for another,' 
 (1 Cor. xii, 25,) is the very root of all con- 
 tention, and every outward separation. 
 Beware of every thing tending thereto. 
 Beware of a dividing spirit; shun whatevei 
 has the least aspect that way. Therefore, 
 say not, * I am of Paul or cf Apollos;' the 
 
CHRISTIAN PERPECTION. l6l 
 
 very thing which occasioned the schism 
 at Corinth. Say not, ' This is my preacher; 
 the best preacher in England. Give me 
 him, and take all the rest.' All this tends 
 to breed or foment division, to disunite 
 those whom God hath joined. Do not 
 despise or run down any preacher; do not 
 eTalt any one above the rest, lest you hurt 
 both him and the cause of God. On the 
 other hand, do not bear hard upon any by 
 reason of some incoherency or inaccuracy 
 of expression; no, nor for some mistakes, 
 were they reaUy such. 
 
 "Likewise, if you would avoid schism, 
 observe every rule of the society, and of 
 the bands, for conscience' sake. Never 
 om't meeting your class or band; never 
 absent yourself from any public meeting. 
 These are the very sinews of our society, 
 and whatever weakens, or tends to weaken, 
 our regard for these, or our exactness in 
 attending them, strikes at the very root of 
 our community. As one saith, 'That part 
 of our economy, the private weekly raeet- 
 •ngs for prayer, examination, and particular 
 exhortation, has been the greatest means 
 of deepening and confirming every blessing 
 
162 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 thai was received by the word preached 
 and of diffusing it to others, who could not 
 attend the public ministry; whereas, with- 
 out this religious connection and inter- 
 course, the most ardent attempts, by 
 mere preaching, have proved of no lasting 
 use.' 
 
 " Suffer not one thought of separating 
 from your brethren, whether their opinions 
 agree with yours or not. Do not dream 
 that any man sins in not believing you, in 
 not taking your word; or that this or that 
 opinion is essential to the work, and both 
 must stand or fall together. Beware of 
 impatience of contradiction. Do not con- 
 demn or think hardly of those who can not 
 see just as you see, or who judge it their 
 duty to contradict you, whether in a great 
 thing or a small. I fear some of us have 
 thought hardly of others merely because 
 they contradicted what we affirmed. All 
 this tends to division; and, by every thing 
 of this kind, we are teaching them an evil 
 lesson against ourselves. 
 
 " O. beware of touchiness, of testiness, 
 not bearing to be spoken to; starting at 
 the Ipast word; and flying from those who 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 153 
 
 do not implicitly receive mine or another's 
 sayings! 
 
 "Expect contradiction and opposition 
 together with crosses of various kinds 
 Consider the words of St. Paul: ' To you 
 It is given, in the behalf of Christ, [for 
 his sake, as a fruit of his death and inter- 
 cession for you,] not only to believe, but 
 also to suffer for his sake,' Phil, i, 29. It 
 is given! God gives you this opposition or 
 reproach; it is a fresh token of his love. 
 And will you disown the Giver; or spurn 
 his gift, and count it a misfortune] Will 
 you not rather say, 'Father, the hour is 
 come that thou shouldst be glorified: now 
 thou givest thy child to suffer something 
 for thee: do with me according to thy wilU' 
 Know that these things, far from being 
 hinderances to the work of God, or to your 
 soul, unless by your own fault, are not 
 only unavoidable in the course of provi- 
 dence, but profitable, yea, necessary for 
 you. Therefore receive them from God — 
 not from chance — with willingness, with 
 thankfulness. Receive them from men 
 with humility, meekness, yieldingness, 
 gentleness, sweetness. Whv should not 
 
154 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION 
 
 even your outward appearance and manner 
 be soft] Remember the character of Lady 
 Cutts: 'It was said of the Roman Empe- 
 ror, Titus, never any one came displeased 
 from him. But it might be said of her, 
 never any one went displeased to her: so 
 secure were all of the kind and favorable 
 reception which they would meet with 
 from her.' 
 
 " Beware of tempting others to separate 
 from you. Give no offense which can 
 possibly be avoided; see that your practice 
 be in all things suitable to your profession, 
 adorning the doctrine of God our Savior. 
 Be particularly careful in speaking of your- 
 self: you may not, indeed, deny the work 
 of God; but speak of it, when you are 
 called thereto, in the most inoffensive 
 manner possible. Avoid all magnificent, 
 pompous words; indeed, you need give it 
 no general name; neither perfection, sanc- 
 tification, the second blessing, nor the 
 having attained. Rather speak of tne 
 particulars which God has wrought for 
 you. You may say, 'At such a time I fell 
 a change which I am not able to express; 
 and since that time I have not felt pride, 
 
CHEISTIAN PERFECTION. 155 
 
 or self-will, or anger, or unbelief; nor any 
 thing but a fullness of love to God and to 
 all mankind.' And answer any other plain 
 question that is asked, with modesty and 
 simplicity. 
 
 " And if any of you should at any time 
 fall from what you now are, if you should 
 again feel pride or unbelief, or any tempe*- 
 from which you are now delivered, do noi 
 deny, do not hide, do not disguise it at all, 
 at the peril of your soul. At all events 
 go to one in whom you can confide, and 
 speak just what you feel. God will ena- 
 ble him to speak a word in season, which 
 shall be health to your soul. And surely 
 he v/ill again lift up your head, and cause 
 the bones that have been broken to rejoice. 
 
 "Q. 38. What is the last advice that 
 you would give them] 
 
 "A. Be exemplarv in all things; Dfuf- 
 ticularly in outward things — as m dress — 
 in Httle things, in the laying out of yotu" 
 money — avoiding every needless expense — 
 in deep, steady seriousness, and in the so- 
 li ditv and usefulness of all your conversa- 
 tion. So you shall be ' a light shining ip 8 
 dark place.' So shall you daily ' grow in 
 
166 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 grace,' till ' an entrance be ministered unto 
 vou abundantly into the everlasting king- 
 dom of our Lord Jesus Christ.' 
 
 "Most of the preceding advices are 
 strongly enforced in the following reflec- 
 tions; which I recommend to your deep 
 and frequent consideration, next to the 
 holy Scriptures: 
 
 •*(1.) The sea is an excellent figure of 
 the fullness of God, and that of the blessed 
 Spirit. For as the rivers all return into 
 the sea, so the bodies, the souls, and the 
 good works of the righteous, return into 
 God, to live there in his eternal repose. 
 
 "Although all the graces of God depend 
 on his mere bounty, yet is he pleased gen- 
 erally to attach, them to the prayers, the 
 instructions, and the holiness of those with 
 whom we are. By strong though invisible 
 attractions he draws some souls through 
 their intercourse with others. 
 
 "The sympathies formed by grace far 
 Gurpass those formed by nature. 
 
 " The truly devout show that passions as 
 naturally flow from true as from false love; 
 60 deeply sensible are they of the goods 
 Jind evils of those whom thev love for 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 167 
 
 God's sake. But this can only be com- 
 prehended by those who understand the 
 language of love. 
 
 " The bottom of the soul may be in re- 
 pose, even while we are in many outwaro 
 troubles; just as the bottom of the sea is 
 calm while the surface is strongly agitated 
 
 " The best helps to growth in grace are 
 the ill-usage, the affronts, and the losses 
 ivhich befall us. We should receive them 
 with all thankfulness, as preferable to all 
 others, were it only on this account — that 
 i)ur will has no part therein. 
 
 " The readiest way to escape from our 
 jufferings is to be willing they should en- 
 dure as long as God pleases. 
 
 " If we suffer persecution and affliction 
 In a right manner, we attain a higher 
 measure of conformity to Christ, by a due 
 improvement of one of these occasions, 
 than we could have done merely by imita- 
 ting his mercy, in abundance of good 
 works. 
 
 " One of the greatest evidences of God's 
 love to those that love him is, to send them 
 afflictions, with grace to bear them. 
 
 "Even in the greatest afflict 'ions, we 
 
168 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 ought to testify to God that, in receiving 
 them from his hand, we feel pleasure in 
 the midst of the pain, from being afflicted 
 by Him who loves us, and whom we 
 love. 
 
 "The readiest way which God takes to 
 draw a man to himself is, to afflict him in 
 that he loves most, and with good reason; 
 and to cause this affliction to arise from 
 some good action done with a single eye; 
 because nothing can more clearly show 
 him the emptiness of what is most lovely 
 and desirable in the world. 
 
 "(2.) True resignation consists in a 
 thorough conformity to the whole will of 
 God; who wills and does all — excepting 
 sin — which comes to pass in the world. 
 In order to this we have only to embrace 
 all events, good and bad, as his will. 
 
 "In the greatest afflictions which can 
 befall the just, either from heaven or earth, 
 they remain immovable in peace, and per- 
 fectly submissive to God, by an inward, 
 loving regard to him, uniting in one all the 
 powers of their souls. 
 
 "We ought quietly to suffer whatever 
 befalls us, to bear the defects of others 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 169 
 
 and our own, to confess them to God in 
 secret prayer, or with gi-oans which can 
 not be uttered; but never to speak a sharp 
 or peevish word, nor to murmur or repine; 
 but thoroughly willing that God should 
 treat you in the manner that pleases him. 
 We are his lambs, and therefore ought to 
 be ready to suffer, even to the death, with- 
 out complaining. 
 
 " We are to bear with those we can not 
 amend, and to be content with offering 
 them to God. This is true resignation. 
 And since he has borne our infirmities, we 
 may well bear those of each other for his 
 sake. 
 
 " To abandon all, to strip one's self of 
 all, in order to seek and to follow Jesus 
 Christ naked to Bethlehem, where he was 
 born, naked to the hall where he was 
 scourged, and naked to Calvary, where he 
 died on the cross, is so great a mercy, that 
 neither the thing, nor the knowledge of it, 
 is given to any, but through faith in *he 
 Son of God. 
 
 " (3.) There is no love of God withou-, 
 patience, and no patience without lowli 
 tess and sweetness of spirit. 
 
160 CHRISTIAN FERFECTIOIf. 
 
 "Humility and patience are the surest 
 proofs of the increase of love. 
 
 "Humihty alone unites patience with 
 love; without which it is impossible to 
 draw profit from suffering; or, indeed, to 
 avoid complaint, especially when we think 
 we have given no occasion for what men 
 make us suffer. 
 
 " True humility is i kind of self-annihi- 
 lation; and this is the center of all virtues. 
 
 "A soul returned to God ought to be 
 attentive to every thing which is said to 
 him, on the head of salvation, with a de- 
 tsire to profit thereby. 
 
 "Of the sins which God has pardoned, 
 let nothing remain but a deeper humihty 
 in the heart, and a stricter regulation in 
 our words, in our actions, and in our suf- 
 ferings. 
 
 "(4.) The bearing men, and suffering 
 evils in meekness and silence, is the suit. 
 of a Christian life. 
 
 "God is the first object of our love: it« 
 next office is to bear the defects of others. 
 And we should begin the practice of this 
 amid our own household. 
 
 "We should chiefly ex(rcise our love 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 161 
 
 (oward them who most shock either our 
 way of thinking, or our temper, or our 
 knowledge, or the desire we have thai 
 others should be as virtuous as we wish to 
 be ourselves. 
 
 " (5.) God hardly gives his Spirit even to 
 those whom he has established in gi-ace, 
 if they do not pray for it on all occasions, 
 not only once, but many times. 
 
 "God docs nothing but in answer to 
 prayer: and even they who have been con- 
 verted to God without praying for it them- 
 selves — which is exceeding rare — were not 
 without the prayers of others, ^very new 
 victory which a soul gains is the effect of 
 a new prayer. 
 
 " On every occasion of uneasiness we 
 should retire to prayer, that we may give 
 place to the grace and light of God, and 
 then form our resolutions, without being 
 m any pain about what success they may 
 nave. 
 
 "In the greatest temptations, a single 
 look to Christ, and the barely pronouncing 
 his name, suffices to overcome the wicked 
 one, so it be done with confidence and 
 calmness of spirit. 
 
 U 
 
IS2 CHRISTIAN PEKFECTIOM. 
 
 " God's command to ' pray without ceas. 
 .ng,' is founded on the necessity we have 
 of his grace to preserve the life of God in 
 the soul, which can no more subsist one 
 moment without it, than the body can 
 without air- 
 
 ♦'Whether we think of, or speak to, 
 God, whether we act or suffer for him, all 
 is prayer, when we have no other object 
 than his love and the desire of pleasing 
 him. 
 
 "All that a Christian does, even in eat- 
 ing and sleeping, is prayer, when it is done 
 in simplicity, according to the order of 
 God, without either adding to or diminish- 
 ing from it by his own choice. 
 
 " Prayer continues in the desire of the 
 heart, though the understanding be em- 
 ployed on outward things. 
 
 "In souls tilled with love, the desire tc 
 please God is a continual prayer. 
 
 "As the furious hate which the devil 
 bears us is termed the roaring of a lion, so 
 our vehement love may be termed cry:'ng 
 after God. 
 
 '•'God only requires of his adult children 
 that their hearts be truly purified, and thai 
 
CHRISTIAN FEEFEOTIOU. 163 
 
 they offer him continually the wishes and 
 vows that naturally spring from perfect 
 love. For these desires, being the genuine 
 fruits of love, are the most perfect prayers 
 that can spring from it. 
 
 •" (6.) It is scaree conceivable how strait 
 the way is wherein God leads them that 
 foi'.ow him: and how dependent on him 
 we must be, unless we are wanting in our 
 faithfulness to him. 
 
 " It is hardly credible of how great con- 
 sequence before God the smallest things 
 are; and what great inconveniences some- 
 times follow those which appear to be 
 light faults. 
 
 "As a very little dust will disorder a 
 clock, and the least sand will obscure our 
 i^ight, so the least grain of sin which is 
 upon the heart will hinder its right motion 
 toward God. 
 
 '' We ought to be in the Chiu-ch as the 
 saints are in heaven, and in the house as 
 the hohest men are in the church; doing 
 our work in the house as we pray in the 
 church; worshiping God from the ground 
 c f the heart. 
 
 " We should be continually laboring tc 
 
164 CHRISTIAN FERIECTIOK 
 
 cut off all the useless things that surround 
 us; and God usually retrenches the super- 
 fluities of our souls in the same proportioa 
 as we do those of our bodies. 
 
 " The best means of resisting the de\ii 
 is to destroy whatever of the world re- 
 mains in us, in order to raise for God, upon 
 its ruins, a building all of love. Then 
 shall we begin, in this fleeting life, to lovo 
 God as we shall love him in eternity. 
 
 " We scarce conceive how easy it is to 
 rob God of his due, in our friendship with 
 the most virtuous persons, till they are torn 
 from us by death. But if this loss pro- 
 duce lasting sorrow, that is a clear proof 
 that we had before two treasures, between 
 which we divided our heart. 
 
 " (7.) If, after having renounced all, we 
 do not watch incessantly, and beseech 
 God to accompany our vigilance with his. 
 we shall be again entangled and overcome. 
 
 "As the most dangerous winds may 
 enter Uttle openings, so the devil never 
 enters more dangerously than by httle, 
 unobserved incidents, which seem to be 
 nothing, yet insensibly open the heart to 
 great temptations. 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 165 
 
 " It is good to renew ourselves from 
 lime to time, by closely examining the 
 state of our souls, as if we had never done 
 \t before: for nothing tends more to the 
 full assurance of faith, than to keep our- 
 selves by this means in humility, and the 
 exercise of all good works. 
 
 " To continual watchfulness and prayer 
 ought to be added continual employment. 
 For grace flies a vacuum as well as nature; 
 and the devil fills whatever God does not 
 fill. 
 
 " There is no faithfulness Hke that which 
 ought to be between a guide of souls and 
 the person directed by him. They ought 
 continually to regard each other in God, 
 and closely to examine themselves, whether 
 all their thoughts are pure, and all their 
 words directed with Christian discretion. 
 Other aflfairs are only the things of men; 
 but these are pecuUarly the things of God. 
 
 " (8.) The words of St. Paul, • No man 
 can call Jssus Lord, but by the Holy 
 Ghost,' show us the necessity of eyeing 
 Goc. in our good works, and even in our 
 minutest thoughts; knowing that none ai-e 
 plea.sing to him but those which de foru*^ 
 
i66 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 In US and with us. From hence we learr. 
 that we can not serve him, unless he use 
 our tongue, hands, and heart, to do by 
 himself and his Spirit whatever he would 
 have us to do. 
 
 "If we were not utterly impotent, our 
 good works would be our own property; 
 whereas now they belong wholly to God, 
 because they proceed from him and his 
 grace: while raising our works, and making 
 them all divine, he honors himself in us 
 through them. 
 
 " One of the principal rules of rehgion 
 is, to lose no occasion of serving God. 
 And since he is invisible to our eyes, we 
 are to serve him in our neighbor; which he 
 receives as if done to himself in person, 
 standing visibly before us. 
 
 "God does not love men that are incon- 
 stant, nor good works that are intermitted. 
 Nothing is pleasing to him, but wliat has 
 a resemblance of his own immutability. 
 
 "A constant attention to the work which 
 God intrusts us with is a mark of soUd 
 piety. 
 
 **Love fasts when it can, and as much 
 as it can. It leads to all the or-iinance." 
 
CHRISTIAN PEEFECTIOK. Iff* 
 
 of God, and employs itself in all the out- 
 (vard works whereof it .8 capable. Ii 
 flies, as it were, like Elijah over the plain, 
 Lo find God upon his holy mountain. 
 
 "God is so great, that he communicates 
 greatness to the least thing that is done 
 for his service. 
 
 " Happy are they who are sick, yea, or lose 
 their life, for having done a good work. 
 
 " God frequently conceals the part which 
 his children have in the conversion of 
 other souls. Yet one may boldly say, 
 that person who long ^oans before him 
 for the conversion of another, whenever 
 that soul is converted to God, is one of the 
 chief causes of it. 
 
 " Charity can not be practiced right, un- 
 less, first, we exercise it the moment God 
 gives the occasion; and, secondly, retire 
 the instant after to offer it to God by hum- 
 ble thanksg-iving. And this for three rea- 
 sons: first, to render him what we hav<> 
 received from him. The second, to avoid 
 the dangerous temptation which springs 
 from the very goodness of these works. 
 And the third, to unite ourselves to God, 
 in whom the soul expands itself in prayer, 
 
168 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 with all the graces we have received; anfl 
 the g-ood works we have done, to draw from 
 him new strength against the bad effects 
 whicn these very works may produce in us, 
 if we do not make use of the antidotes 
 which God has ordained against these 
 poisons. The true means to be filled 
 anew with the riches of grace is thus to 
 strip ourselves of it* and without this it is 
 extremely difficult not to ^ow faint in the 
 practice of good works. 
 
 " Good works do not receive their last 
 perfection, till they, as 't were, lose them- 
 selves in God. This is a kind of death 
 to them, resembling that of our bodies, 
 which will not attain their highest life, 
 their immortality, till they lose themselves 
 in the glory of our souls, or rather of 
 God, wherewith they shall be filled. And 
 it is only what they had of earthly and 
 mortal, which good works lose by this 
 spiritual death. 
 
 "Fire is the symbol of love; and the 
 love of God is the principle and the end 
 of all our good works. But truth sur- 
 passes figure; and the fire of divine love 
 naa this advantage over material fire, thai 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTI05. 169 
 
 ii can reascend to its source, and raise 
 thither with it all the good works which it 
 produces. And by this means it prevents 
 their being corrupted by pride, vanity, or 
 any evil mixture. But this can not be 
 done otherwise than by making these good 
 works, in a spiritual manner, die in God, 
 by a deep gratitude, which plunges the 
 soul in him as in an abyss, with all that it 
 is, and all the gTace and works for which 
 it is indebted to him; a gratitude whereby 
 the soul seems to empty itself of them, 
 that they may return to their source, as 
 rivers seem willing to empty themselves, 
 when they pour themselves, with all their 
 waters, into the sea. 
 
 " When we have received any favor from 
 God, we ought to retire, if not into our 
 closets, into our hearts, and say, ' I come. 
 Lord, to restore to thee what thou hast 
 given; and I freely relinquish it, to enter 
 again into my own nothingness. For 
 wnat is the most perfect creature in heaven 
 or earth in thy presence, but a void capa- 
 ble of being filled with thee and by thee; 
 as the air, which is void and dark, is capa- 
 ble of being filled with the light of the 
 
170 CHBISTIAM PERFECTION. 
 
 sun, who withdraws it every day to restore 
 it the next, there being nothing in the air 
 that either appropriates this light or resists 
 iti O, give me the same facility of re- 
 ceiving and restoring thy grace and gooo 
 works! I say, thiTie; for I acknowledge 
 the root from which tliey spring is in thee, 
 and not in me.' " 
 
 26. In the year 1764, upon a review of 
 the whole subject, I wrote down the sum 
 of what I had observed in the following 
 short propositions: 
 
 '*(1.) There is such a thing as perfec- 
 tion; for it is again and again mentioned 
 in Scripture. 
 
 "(2.) It is not so early as justification; 
 for justified persons are to *go on unto 
 perfection,' Heb. vi, 1. 
 
 "(3.) It is not so late as death; for St. 
 Paul speaks of living men that were per 
 feet, (Phil, iii, 15.) 
 
 "(4.) It is not absolute. Absolute per- 
 fection belongs not to man, nor to angels, 
 but to God alone 
 
 "(5.) It does not make a man infallible; 
 none is tnfalhble while he remains in the 
 body. 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. i7l 
 
 •(6.) Is it sinless? It is not fvorth 
 while to contend for a term. It is 'salva- 
 tion from sin.' 
 
 "C^O It is 'perfect love,' 1 John iv, 18. 
 This is the essence of it; its properties or 
 inseparable fruits, are, rejoicing evermore, 
 praying without ceasing, and in every 
 thing giving thanks, (1 Thess. v, 16,) etc. 
 
 "(8.) It is improvable. It is sc far 
 from lying in an indivisible point, from 
 being incapable of increase, that one per- 
 fected in love may grow in grace far 
 swifter than he did before. 
 
 "(9.) It is amissible, capable of being 
 lost; of which we have numerous in- 
 stances. But we were not thoroughly 
 convinced of this till five or six years ago. 
 
 "(10.) It is constantly both preceded 
 and followed by a gradual work. 
 
 "(11.) But is it in itself instantaneous 
 or not] In examining this, let us go on 
 step by step. 
 
 " A.n instantaneous change has been 
 wrought in some believers: none can deny 
 this. 
 
 *' Since that change, they enjoy perfect 
 !ove; they feel this, and this alone; they 
 
172 CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 
 
 'rejoice evermore, pray without ceasing, 
 and in every thing give thanks.' Now, 
 this is all I mean by perfection; therefore, 
 these are witnesses of the perfection which 
 [ preach. 
 
 " * But in some this change was not in- 
 stantaneous.' They did not perceive the 
 instant when it was" wrought. It is often 
 difficult to perceive the instant when a 
 man dies; yet there is an instant in which 
 life ceases. And if even sin ceases, there 
 must be a last moment of its existence, 
 and a first moment of our deliverance 
 from it. 
 
 " *But if they have this love now, they 
 will lose it.' They may; but they need 
 not. And whether they do or no, they 
 have it now; they now experience what 
 we teach. They now are all love; they 
 now rejoice, pray, and praise without 
 ceasing. 
 
 *' ^ However, sin is only suspended in 
 t.hem; it is not destroyed.' Call it which 
 you please. They are all love to-day; 
 and they take no thought for the morrow. 
 
 "'But this doctrine has been much 
 abused.' So has that of justification by 
 
CHRi»riAN PERFECTION. 173 
 
 faith. But that is no reason for giving up 
 either this or any other Scriptural doc- 
 trine. 'When you wash your cliild,' as? 
 one speaks, ' throw away the water; but do 
 not thrown away the child.' 
 
 "'But those who think they are saved 
 from sin say they have no need of the 
 merits of Christ.' They say just the con- 
 trary. Their language is, 
 
 ' Every moment, Lord, I want the merit of tliy death. 
 
 " They never before had so deep, so un- 
 speakable conviction of a need of Christ 
 in all his offices as they have now. 
 
 " Therefore, all our preachers should 
 make a point of preaching perfection to 
 believers constantly, strongly, and expUc- 
 itly; and all believers should mind this 
 one thing, and continually agonize for it." 
 
 27. I have now done what I proposed. 
 I have given a plain and simple account of 
 the manner wherein I first received the 
 doctrine of perfection, and the sense 
 wherein I received, and wherein I do re- 
 ceive, and teach it to this day. I have de- 
 clared the whole and every part of what 1 
 mean by that Scriptural expression. ] 
 have drawn the picture of it at full length, 
 
174 CHRISTIAN PERFECTIOH. 
 
 without either disguise or covering. And 
 I would now ask any impartial person, 
 what is there so frightful therein I Whence 
 is all this outcry, which, for these twenty 
 years and upward, has been made through- 
 out the kingdom; as if all Christianity 
 were destroyed, and all religion torn up by 
 the roots? Why is it, that the very name 
 of perfection has been cast out of the 
 mouths of Christians; yea, exploded and 
 abhorred, as if it contained the most per- 
 nicious heresy! Why liave the preachers 
 of it been hooted at, like mad dogs, even 
 by men that fear God; nay, and by some 
 of their own children, some whom they, 
 under God, had begotten through the Gos- 
 pel] What reason is there for this, of 
 what pretense! Reason, sound reason, 
 there is none. It is impossible there 
 should. But pretenses there are, and 
 those in great abundance. Indeed, there 
 is ground to fear that, with some who treat 
 us tnus, it is mere pretense; that it is no 
 more than a copy of their countenance, 
 from the beginning to the end. Thev 
 wanted, tliey sought, occasion against me; 
 and here they found what they sought. 
 
CHRISTIAN PERFECTIOR. 175 
 
 "This is Mr. Wesley's doctrine! He 
 preaches perfection!" He does; yet thia 
 is not his doctrine any more than it is 
 yours, or any one's else, that is a minister 
 of Christ. For it is his doctrine, pecu- 
 liarly, emphatically his; it is the doctrine 
 of Jesus Christ. Those are his words, not 
 
 mine: Ea-io-^i av v/mu; TiKU'.i utrTTif) o llctr.f 
 v/naiv i\ Tcic' apctvci; TtWoc ift — " Ye shall, 
 
 therefore, be perfect, as your Father who 
 is in heaven is perfect." And who says, 
 Ye shall not: or, at least, not till your 
 soul is separated from the body] It is the 
 doctrine of St. Paul, the doctrine of St. 
 James, of St. Peter, and St. John; and no 
 otherwise Mr. Wesley's, than as it is the 
 doctrine of every one who preaches the 
 pure and the whole Gospel. I tell you, as 
 plain as I can speak, where and when 1 
 found this. I found it in the oracles of 
 God, in the Old and New Testaments; 
 when I read them with no other view or 
 desire but to save my own soul. But 
 whosesoever this doctrine is, I pray you, 
 what harm is there in it] Look at it 
 again; survey it on every side, and ibdl 
 wiih the closest attention. Jn jiic «aew, 
 
176 CHKISTIAN PEEfECTlON. 
 
 it is purity of intention, dedicating all the 
 life to God. It is the giving God all our 
 heart; it is one desire and design ruiing all 
 our tempers. It is the devoting, not a 
 part, but all our soul, body, and substance, 
 to God. In another view, it is all the 
 mind which was in Christ, enabling us to 
 walk as Christ walked. It is the circum- 
 cision of the heart from all tilthiness, all 
 inward as well as outward pollution. It ia 
 a renewal of the heart in the whole image 
 of God, the full Ukeness ©f him tha^ 
 created it. In yet another, it is the loving 
 God with all our heart, and our neighbor 
 as ourselves. Now, take it in which of 
 these views you please — for there is no 
 material difference — and this is the whole 
 and sole perfection, as a train of writings 
 prove to a demonstration, which I have 
 beheved and taught for these forty years, 
 from the year 1725 to the year 1765. 
 
 28. Now let this perfection appeal in 
 'ts native form, and who can speak one 
 word against it? Will any dare to speak 
 against loving the Lord our God with all 
 our heart, and our neighbor as ourselves^ 
 against a renewal of heart, not only iu 
 
CHRISTIAN PEKFEOTIOB 177 
 
 part, but in the whole image of God! 
 Who is he that will open his mouth 
 against being cleansed from all pollution 
 both of flesh and spirit; or against having 
 all the mind that was in Christ, and walk- 
 ing in all things &s Christ walked] What 
 man, who calls himself a Christian, has 
 the hardiness to object to the devoting, not 
 a part, but all our soul, body, and sub- 
 stance, to God] What serious man would 
 oppose the giving God all our heart, and 
 the having one design ruUng all our tem- 
 pers] I say, again, let this perfection ap- 
 pear in its own shape, and who will fight 
 against it] It must be disguised before it 
 can be opposed. It must be covered with 
 a bear-skin first, or even the wild beasts 
 of the people will scarce be induced to 
 worry it. But whatever these do, let not 
 the children of God any longer fighl 
 against the image of God. Let not the 
 members of Christ say any thing against 
 having the whole mind that was in Christ. 
 Let not those who are alive to (rod oppose 
 the dedicating all our Ufe to him. Whv 
 should you who have his love shed abroad 
 in your heart withstand the giving him all 
 12 
 
178 CHRISTIAN PERFECTIOH. 
 
 POUT hearth Does not all that is within 
 rou cry out, " O, who that loves can love 
 enough]" What pity that those who de- 
 sire and design to please him should have 
 any other design or desire! much mon», 
 that they should dread, as a fatal delusion, 
 yea, abhor, as an abomination to God, the 
 having this one desire and design ruling 
 every temper? Why should devout men 
 be afraid of devoting all their soul, body, 
 and substance to God] Why should those 
 who love Christ count it a damnable error, 
 to think we may have all the mind that 
 was in him] We allow, we contend, that 
 we are justified freely through the right- 
 eousness and the blood of Christ. And 
 why are you so hot against us, because wo 
 expect likewise to be sanctified wholly 
 through his Spirit] We look for no favor 
 either from the open servants of sin, or 
 from those who have only the form of re- 
 ligion. But how long will you worship 
 God in spirit, who are "circumcised wilh 
 the circumcision not made with hands,' 
 tset your battle in array against those whd 
 seek an entire circumcision of heart, who 
 ihirst to be cleansed "from all filthi- 
 
CHRISTIAN PEEFECTION. I7f^ 
 
 ness of flesh and spirit," and to " perfect 
 holiness in the fear of Godi" Are we 
 your enemies, because we look for a full 
 deliverance from that " carnal mind which 
 is enmity against Godl" Nay, we are 
 your biethren, your fellow- laborers in the 
 vineyard of our Lord, your companions in 
 the kingdom and patience of Jesus. Al- 
 though this we confess, if we are — fools 
 therein, yet as fools bear with us — we do 
 expect to love God with all our heart, and 
 our neighbor as ourselves. Yea, we do 
 believe that he will in this world so 
 "cleanse the thoughts of our hearts, by 
 the inspiration of his Holy Spirit, that we 
 shall perfectly love him, and worthily 
 magnify his holy name." 
 
 THE KID. 
 
M V V «Nr •• .. ^ . ' 
 
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