diversity of opinions could cause confusion and damage within our
19. At the Conference of 1759, perceiving some danger that a diversity of opinions could cause confusion and damage within our ministry, we again devoted considerable time to serious reflection upon What! never speak one evil word! this doctrine. Not long after the conference I published Thoughts on Or rash, or idle, or unkind?
O how shall I, most gracious Lord, Christian Perfection. It was prefaced with the following declaration:
This mark of true perfection find?
The following tract is by no means designed to gratify the curiosity of anyone. It is not intended to prove the doctrine
Thy sinless mind in me reveal, Thy Spirit's plenitude impart, And all my spotless life shall tell in question. It is not directed against those who refute and ridicule it. It does not answer the numerous objections against it, which may be raised even by serious seekers. All I intend here is simply to declare what my beliefs are on this point. I will explain what Christian perfection is and is not, according to my understanding. I will also add a few practiTh'abundance of a loving heart.
Saviour, I long to testify oe The fullness of thy gracious power; _ O might thy Spirit the blood apply cal observations and directions pertaining to the subject.
Which bought for me the peace— _ and more!
Because these thoughts were initially thrown together by way of question and answer, I let them continue in the same form. They are the same that I have maintained for more than twenty years.
Forgive, and make my nature whole, My inbred malady remove; = To perfect health restore my soul, To perfect holiness and love. — QUESTION. What is Christian perfection?
ANSWER. Christian perfection is loving God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. This implies that no passions contrary to love remain in the soul. It means that all thoughts, words, and actions are governed by pure love.
Q. Do you affirm that this perfection excludes all infirmities, ignorance, and mistake?
A. I continually affirm quite the contrary, and have always done so.
Q. But how can every thought, word, and work be governed by pure love while, at the same time, the person is subject to ignorance and mistake?
A. I see no contradiction here. A person may be filled with pure love and still be prone to mistake. Indeed I do not expect to be freed from actual mistakes until this mortal puts on immortality. I believe this to be a natural consequence of the soul's dwelling in bodies of flesh and blood.
After all, our thinking is dependent upon bodies and organs that are subject to injury and disease. They are
fragile and unreliable. Therefore, until this perishable body shall have put on imperishability, we cannot avoid sometimes thinking wrong.'
Gaston Jean Baptiste de Renty:
(1611-1649) a highborn Frenchman turned ascetic (see definition below) whose writings and life influenced Wesley. Like Wesley, de Renty was very much influenced by 4 Kempis's The Imitation of Christ.
But we may carry this thought further yet. A mistake in judgment may possibly cause a mistake in practice. For _ instance: Mr. de Renty's mistake regarding the nature of asceticism, arising from misapplication of education, resulted in the practical mistake of his wearing an iron girdle. There may be a thousand more such instances, even in those who are in the highest state of grace. Yet, in those for whom every word and action springs from love, such a mistake is not properly a sin. However, it cannot bear the rigor of God's justice but needs the atoning blood of Christ. asceticism: a lifestyle in which followers renounce material comforts and lead lives of austere self-discipline, especially as an act of religious devotion . What was the judgment of all our brethren who met at Bristol in August of 1758? iron girdle: a device worn around . It was expressed in these words: the waist by ascetic monks as a means of self-discipline for prayer and attention to the Word of God.
De Renty's desire to discipline his body and mind to the will of Christ (1) Every person is subject to mistake as long as he or she lives.
(2) A mistake in opinion may result in a mistake in practice.
(3) Every such mistake is a transgression of the perfect law. Therefore, lead him to the ascetic practice of wearing an iron girdle. Wesley believed that such extreme measures (4) Every such mistake, were it not for the blood of atonement, would expose one to eternal damnation.
(5) It follows that those who are most perfect have conare mistaken because they lead to self-loathing. This, in his mind, would be counter to the will of Christ because we are to love not only as Christ loves but also whom stant need of the merits of Christ, especially for their actual transgressions. They may say for themselves, as well as for their brethren, "Forgive us our trespasses."?
This easily accounts for what might otherwise seem to be utterly mysterious: the fact that those who are not offended when we speak of the highest degree of love he loves, their bodies and their souls. To loathe the self is to loathe will not grant the possibility of living without sin. The reason is that they know all human beings are subject to mistake in practice and in judgment. But they do not understand, or do not see, that this is not sin if love is that which Christ loves. merits of Christ: the redeeming work of Christ on the cross through which all the world receives the gift of salvation by grace through faith the source of action.
. Does a person living without sin continue to need a Mediator? Does he or she cease to need Christ in his
Christ in his priestly office: one of the three offices Christ fulfills:
Prophet, Priest, and King. The priestly office?
. Far from it. None feel their need of Christ like these.
None so entirely depend upon him. For Christ does not give life to the soul apart from, but in and with, himself.
Consequently, his words are equally true for all people in whatever state of grace they are: "As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. ... Apart from me you can do nothing."* priestly office is that of mediator with the Father through which we receive assurance that our sins are forgiven. In his priestly office Christ draws us to a new relationship with God and keeps us with God.
We need Christ at all times because See the sidebar on page 87 (1) All the grace we receive is a free gift from him. for more information about (2) We receive it as his work, acknowledging the price the offices of Christ. he paid.
(3) We have this grace not only from Christ but in Christ.
For our perfection is not like that of a tree, which flourishes by the sap derived from its own root.
Rather, it is like that of a branch that bears fruit when united to the vine. But when severed from the vine it dries up and withers.
(4) All our blessings—material, spiritual, and eternal— depend on his intercession for us. This is one branch of his priestly office upon which we always depend.
(5) The best of people continue to need Christ in his priestly office. They need him to atone for their omissions, their shortcomings, their mistakes in judgment and practice, and their various defects. For these are all deviations from the perfect law and, consequently, need an atonement. However, according to the words of Saint Paul, we understand that these are not properly sins. For he says in Romans 13:10 (NRSV), "Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law." With this in mind, mistakes and any failings that necessarily flow from the corruptible state of the human body are not contrary to love. Therefore, according to Scriptural definition, they are not sin.
Show me, as my soul can bear, The depth of inbred sin, All the unbelief declare, The pride that lurks within; Take me, whom thyself hast bought, To explain myself a little further on this point:
(1) All transgressions need the atoning blood of Christ.
Bring into captivity Every high aspiring thought This includes sins as they are properly understood
(voluntary transgressions of a known law) and so-called sins (those involuntary transgressions of That would not stoop to thee. a divine law, known and unknown).
Collection, #348, stanza 4 (2) I believe there is no perfection in this life exempt from these involuntary transgressions. This is so because they are a natural consequence of the ignorance and mistakes that characterize human mortality.
(3) Therefore, sinless perfection is a phrase I never use, in order to avoid the appearance of contradicting myself. actual sins vs. faults/mistakes:
Wesley makes a crucial distinction between actual sins and human faults (4) I believe that a person filled with the love of God is still subject to these involuntary transgressions.
(5) You may call such transgressions sins, if you please. I or mistakes. Sins are voluntary transgressions of God's commandments do not, for the reasons mentioned above.
(see Exodus 20:1-17, Matthew 22:34-40, Mark 12:28-34, Luke . What advice would you give to those who do, and those who do not, call them sins?
10:25-37, and John 13:34). In other words, a person sins when he or she . Let those who do not call them sins never think that they or any others are able to stand before God's infinite willfully disobeys a known law. justice without the mediating work of Christ. Such belief
Faults or mistakes, on the other hand, are unknowing violations of God's commands and are not propis either the deepest ignorance or the highest arrogance and presumption.
Let those who do call them sins beware how they conerly regarded to be sins. Wesley is arguing that people who are perfuse these faults with actual sins.
But how will they avoid it? How will faults be distinguished from actual sins if they are all indiscriminately fected in love do not commit sins but, by virtue of their humanity, called sins? I fear that if people begin to call faults and mistakes sins, then sins would be considered consistent with perfection. This cannot be. are subject to faults and mistakes.
But how can a predisposition to mistake be consistent with perfect love? Is not a person who is perfected in love under its influence every moment? Can any mistake flow from pure love?
. | answer, (1) Many mistakes may exist together with pure love; (2) Some may accidentally flow from it. I mean, love itself
Jesus, the gift divine I know, may incline us to mistake. The pure love of our neighbor, springing from the love of God, thinks no evil,
The gift divine I ask of thee; That living water now bestow, believes and hopes all things.* Now, this very temperament, unsuspicious, ready to believe and hope the best of all people, may cause us to think some people to be
Thy Spirit and thyself on me.
Thou, Lord, of life the fountain art:
Now let me find thee in my heart! better than they really are. Here then is a clear mistake accidentally flowing from pure love.
Thee let me drink, and thirst no more For drops of finite happiness; Spring up, O well, in heavenly power, . How shall we avoid setting perfection too high or too low?
In streams of pure, perennial peace, > © . By keeping to the Bible, and setting it just as high as the In peace, that none can take away, Bible does. Perfection is nothing higher and nothing lower than this: the pure love of God and human beings. In other words, loving God with all our heart and soul, and our neighbor as ourselves. It is love governing the heart and In joy, which shall forever stay.
Father, on me the grace bestow, Unblameable before thy sight, Whence all the streams of mercy flow; life, running through all our tempers, words, and actions.
Mercy, thy own supreme delight, To me, for Jesu's sake impart, And plant thy nature in my heart.
. Suppose one had attained perfection in love, would you advise him or her to speak of it?
. At first, perhaps, one would hardly be able to refrain Thy mind throughout my life be shown, because the fire would be so hot within. The desire to declare the loving kindness of the Lord would carry one away like a torrent. But later one might refrain, and then
While listening to the wretch's cry, The widow's and the orphan's groan, On mercy's wings I swiftly fly The poor and helpless to relieve, My life, my all for them to give. it would be advisable to refrain from speaking of it to those who do not know God. It would most likely only provoke them to contradict and blaspheme you. It would also be advisable to refrain from speaking of it to others without having some particular reason or some good in Thus may I show thy Spirit within, Which purges me from every stain; Unspotted from the world and sin view. Even then one should take particular care to avoid all appearance of boasting and to speak with the deepest humility and reverence, giving all the glory to God.
My faith's integrity maintain, The truth of my religion prove By perfect purity and love.
. But wouldn't it be better to be entirely silent, to not speak Collection, #354 of it at all?
. By silence one might avoid many crosses that will naturally and necessarily follow if one simply declares, even among believers, what God has worked in one's soul.
But one could not be silent with a clear conscience, for undoubtedly he ought to speak. People do not light a candle to put it under a bushel; neither does the all-wise God. God does not raise such a monument of power and love to hide it from all humankind. Rather, God intends it as a general blessing to those who are simple of heart. God's aim thereby, is not only the happiness of that individual person but the stirring and encouraging of others to follow after the same blessing. God's will is "that many shall see it" and rejoice "and put their trust in the Lord."* Nor does anything under heaven more arouse the desires of those who
are justified than to converse with those whom they believe to have experienced a still higher salvation. This places that salvation in full view and increases their hunger and thirst for it. This is an advantage that would be entirely lost had the person so saved buried himself in silence.
The boundless love that found out me For every soul of man is free; Q. But is there no way to prevent these crosses that usually
None of thy mercy need despair; fall on those who speak of being perfected in love?
A. It seems they cannot be entirely prevented, as long as so Patient, and pitiful, and kind, Thee every soul of man may find, much of human nature remains, even in believers. But something could be done if the preacher in every place would
And, freely saved, thy grace declare.
(1) talk freely with all those who speak thus; and, A vile backsliding sinner, I Ten thousand deaths deserved to die, (2) work to prevent the unjust or unkind treatment of those in whom there is positive and reasonable proof.
Yet still by sovereign grace I live!
Saviour, to thee I still look up, I see an open door of hope, Q. What is reasonable proof? How may we be certain that one is saved from all sin?
A. Unless it should please God to endow us with the miracuAnd wait thy fullness to receive.
How shall I thank thee for the grace, The trust I have to see thy face lous discernment of spirits, we cannot infallibly know who is thus saved (or even who is justified). But we understand the following to be sufficient proof to any reasonable person. Such proof would leave little room to doubt either the truth or depth of the work:
When sin shall all be purged away!
The night of doubts and fears is past, The Morning Star appears at last, And I shall see the perfect day.
(1) if we had clear evidence of exemplary behavior for some time before this supposed change. This would give
I soon shall hear thy quick'ning voice, us reason to believe that he would not "lie for God" but would speak neither more nor less than he felt.
Shall always pray, give thanks, rejoice (This is thy will, and faithful word); My spirit meek, my will resigned, Lowly as thine shall be my mind— (2) if he gave a clear account of the time and manner in which the change took shape, with sound speech that could not be reproved; and, The servant shall be as his Lord.
(3) if it appeared that all his subsequent words and actions Collection, #355, stanzas 4-5 were holy and irreproachable.
The short of the matter is this:
(1) I have abundant reason to believe that this person will not lie.
(2) This person testifies before God, "I 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 cannot contradict this clear testimony, I should reasonably believe it. It serves nothing to object by saying something like, "But I know he is quite mistaken in several things." For it has been allowed that all who are human are subject to mistake, and that a mistake in judgment may sometimes cause a mistake in practice.
However, great care must be taken so that this concession may not be misused. For instance: Even one who is perfected in love may be mistaken with regard to another person, and may, for example, believe someone to be more or less blameworthy than he or she really is. For that reason, one may speak with more or less severity than the truth requires. In this sense (though it is not the primary meaning of Saint James), "in many things we
offend all."° This therefore is not proof at all that the person speaking in this way is not perfect.
. But is it not a proof, if he is surprised or fluttered by a noise, a fall, or some sudden danger?
A. It is not. For one may be frightened, tremble, change color, or be otherwise disordered in body while the soul is calmly fixed on God and remains in perfect peace. No, the mind itself may be deeply distressed, exceeding sorrowful, 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 himself? Does any human being endure the distress, anguish, or agony that he sustained?
And yet he knew no sin.
. But can anyone who has a pure heart prefer pleasing to unpleasing food, or use any pleasure of sense that is not strictly necessary? If so, how do they differ from others?
. The difference between these and others in taking pleasant food is that (1) they need none of these things to make them happy.
O come, and dwell in me, They have a spring of happiness within. They see and Spirit of power within, And bring the glorious liberty love God. For that reason they "rejoice always, and in everything give thanks."'
From sorrow, fear, and sin.
(2) they may use them, but they do not seek them.
The seed of sin's disease, (3) they use them sparingly and not for the sake of the Spirit of health, remove, thing itself.
Spirit of finished holiness, This being assumed, we answer directly: Such a one may use pleasing food without the danger that accompaSpirit of perfect love.
Hasten the joyful day Which shall my sins consume, When old things shall be passed away, nies those who are not saved from sin. He may prefer it to unpleasing, though equally wholesome, food as a means of increasing thankfulness, looking always to God who gives us all things to enjoy in abundance. On the same principle, he may smell a flower, or eat a bunch of grapes, or take any other pleasure that does not lessen but increases his delight in God. Therefore, neither can we say that one perfected in love would be incapable of marriage and of worldly business. If one were called to either, or both, he or she would be more capable than ever. One would be able to do all things without hurry or concern, without any distraction of spirit.
And all things new become.
Th'original offence Out of my soul erase; Enter thyself, and drive it hence, And take up all the place.
I want the witness, Lord, That all I do is right, According to thy will and word, Well-pleasing in thy sight.
I ask no higher state; Indulge me but in this, And soon or later then translate . But if two perfect Christians had children, how could the children be born in sin, since there was none in the parents?
. It is a possible, but not a probable, case. I doubt whether To my eternal bliss. it ever was or ever will be. But ignoring this, I answer: Sin is imposed upon me, not by my mother and father, but by my first parent. "In Adam all died; by the disobedience of Collection, #356 one, all were made sinners"*—all human beings, without exception, who were in his loins when he ate the forbidden fruit.
We have a remarkable illustration of this in gardening:
Grafts on a crabapple-stock bear excellent fruit. But sow the seeds of this fruit, and what will be the event? They produce as undiluted, sour crabapples as ever were eaten.
. But what does the perfect one do more than others? What does one who is perfected in love do more than the common believers?
. Perhaps nothing, because the providence of God may have hedged him in by outward circumstances. Perhaps very little, even though he desires and longs to spend and be spent for God; at the least not visibly. He neither speaks many more words nor does many more works. In much the same way, our Lord himself neither spoke many more words nor did so many more, nor so great, works as some of his apostles (see John 14:12).
Father, see this living clod, This spark of heavenly fire!
But what then does this mean? This is no proof that one who is perfect has no more grace than others, and by this
God measures the outward work. Hear these words of See my soul, the breath of God, Doth after God aspire.
Let it still to heaven ascend Jesus: "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more
Till I my Principle rejoin, than all of them."° Indeed, this poor man, with his few broken words, has spoken more than them all. Indeed, this poor woman, who has given a cup of cold water, has done more than them all. O cease to "judge according to appearance,""' and learn to "judge with right judgment!""
Blended with my glorious End, And lost in Love Divine!
Lord, if thou from me hast broke The power of outward sin, Burst this Babylonish yoke And make me free within; . But if I feel no power in either his words or prayer, is this
Bid my inbred sin depart, And I thy utmost word shall prove, not a proof against him?
A. It is not. For that is perhaps your own fault. You are not Upright both in life and heart, likely to feel any power in one who is perfect if any of these obstacles lies in the way:
And perfected in love.
(1) your own deadness of soul. The Pharisees felt no God of all-sufficient grace, power even in Jesus, about whom it was said, "Never has anyone spoken like this!""
My God in Christ thou art; Bid me walk before thy face (2) the guilt of some unrepented sin lying upon the Till I am pure in heart; conscience; Till, transformed by faith divine, I gain that perfect love unknown, (3) any kind of prejudice toward him; (4) your believing that Christian perfection is not attainBright in all thy image shine, able in this life; By putting on thy Son.
(5) unwillingness to think or admit that he has attained it; Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, (6) overvaluing or idolizing him; In council join again, To restore thine image, lost (7) overvaluing yourself and your own judgment.
If any of these is the case, what wonder is it that you By frail, apostate man; O might I thy form express, Through faith begotten from above, feel no power in anything he says? But do not others feel it? If they do, your argument falls to the ground. And if they do not, do any of these obstacles lie in their way too? You must be certain of this before you can build any argument upon your belief. Even then your argument will prove nothing more than that grace and gifts do not always go together.
Stamped with real holiness, And filled with perfect love!
Collection, #357 "But he does not live up to my idea of a perfect Christian." Perhaps no one ever did, or ever will. For your idea may go beyond, or at least beside, the Scriptural account.
It may include more than the Bible includes, or something
not found in the Bible. Scriptural perfection is pure love filling the heart and governing all the words and actions. If your idea includes anything more or anything else, it is not Scriptural. It is no wonder, therefore, that a Scripturally perfect Christian does not come up to your standard.
I fear many stumble on this stumbling block. They include as many ingredients as they please in their idea of one that is perfect. But these are products of their own imagination and not according to Scripture. Then they readily deny anyone to be such when their standard is not met. This is why we should take more care to keep the simple, Scriptural account always before us. This is the whole of Scriptural perfection: pure love reigning alone in the heart and life. inbred sin: the consequence of original sin. Because of the Fall in Genesis 3, human beings are separated from relationship with God.
This separation results in a corruption of all human ability and power.
Because of this inbred sin, human beings are incapable of restoring relationship with God. In relation to Christian perfection, inbred sin is . When may a person judge himself to have attained this?
. A person may judge himself or herself to have attained > O perfection when: the residue of the old nature that Christ reveals to us as we grow in grace and that catches us unawares (1) he or she has been fully convicted of inbred sin by a far deeper and clearer conviction than he or she experienced before justification; in times of spiritual vulnerability or weakness. Charles Wesley describes (2) he or she experiences a total death to sin after having experienced a gradual process of outward and inward change; this beautifully in the following hymn stanza:
(3) there is a complete renewal in the love and image of God so as to "rejoice evermore, to pray without ceasShow me, as my soul can bear, ing, and to give thanks in everything."
The depth of inbred sin, All the unbelief declare, This is not to say that "to feel all love and no sin" is
The pride that lurks within; Take me, whom thyself hast bought, a sufficient proof. Several have experienced this for a time before their souls were fully renewed. None, thereBring into captivity fore, ought to believe that the work is complete until the testimony of the Spirit is added. It is through the Spirit
Every high aspiring thought That would not stoop to thee. that their entire sanctification is witnessed as clearly as their justification.
Collection, #348, stanza 4 . But why is it that some imagine that they are entirely sanctified when in reality they are not?
. It is for this reason: They do not take into account all the preceding marks. Rather, they consider either only part of them, or others that are ambiguous. But I know no instance of a person who is attentive to them all and is yet deceived in this matter. I believe that there can be none in O God most merciful and true, Thy nature to my soul impart; the world.
Stablish with me the covenant new If, after justification, a person is deeply and fully convinced of inbred sin, then experiences a gradual death of And write perfection on my heart. sin, and then experiences an entire renewal in the image of God, a clear and direct witness of the renewal immensely greater than that forged when he or she was justified, I judge that it is as impossible for this person to be deceived
To real holiness restored, O let me gain my Saviour's mind, And in the knowledge of my Lord Fullness of life eternal find. in this as it is for God to lie. If one whom I know to be truthful testifies these things to me, I ought not, without some sufficient reason, reject that testimony.
Collection, #358, stanzas 1-2
Is this death to sin and renewal in love gradual or instantaneous?
A person may be dying for some time. However, one does A. not, properly speaking, die until the instant the soul is separated from the body. In that instant one lives the life of eternity. In like manner, one may be dying to sin for some time but is not dead to sin until sin is separated from his soul. In that instant one lives the full life of love.
The change undergone when the body dies is of a different kind, and infinitely greater than any we had known
Deepen the wound thy hands have made In this weak, helpless soul, Till mercy, with its balmy aid, Descends to make me whole.
The sharpness of thy two-edged sword Enable me t'endure, before. Indeed, it is impossible to conceive until then.
Similarly, the change brought about when the soul dies to Till bold to say, My hallowing Lord sin is of a different kind, and infinitely greater than any before, and more than one can conceive until experiencing
Hath wrought a perfect cure. it. Yet one still grows in grace, in the knowledge of Christ,
I see th'exceeding broad command, © Which all contains in one; Enlarge my heart to understand in the love and image of God, and will do so not only until death but also to all eternity.
The mystery unknown.
. How are we to wait for this change?
O that with all thy saints I might > © . Do not wait in careless indifference nor in indolent inacBy sweet experience prove
What is the length, and breadth, and — tivity. We are to wait in vigorous, universal obedience, in a zealous keeping of all the commandments, in watchfulheight, eee And depth of perfect love! ness and painfulness, in denying ourselves and taking up our cross daily. Add to this earnest prayer and fasting, and a close attendance on all the ordinances of God. If anyone dream of attaining it any other way (or of keeping
Collection, #359 it when it is attained, even when it is received in the largest measure), one deceives his or her own soul. It is true that we receive it by simple faith. But God does not, will not, give that faith unless we seek it with all diligence, in the way that God has ordained.
This consideration may satisfy those who ask why so few have received the blessing. Inquire how many are seeking it in this way, and you have a sufficient answer.
Prayer is especially lacking. Who continues in prayer at the present moment? Who wrestles with God for this very thing? So, "You do not have, because you do not ask.
You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, namely, that you may be renewed before you die. Before you die! Will that content you? No, but ask that it may be done now, today, while it is called today. Do not call this
"setting God a time." Certainly, today is God's time as well as tomorrow. Make haste, people, make haste! Let
Give me the enlarged desire, And open, Lord, my soul, Thy own fullness to require, Thy soul break out in strong desire And comprehend the whole; The perfect bliss to prove; Thy longing heart be all on fire Stretch my faith's capacity Wider and yet wider still; Then, with all that is in thee, To be dissolved in love!
My soul forever fill!
. But may we not continue in peace and joy until we are Collection, #361 perfected in love?
A. Certainly we may, for the kingdom of God is not divided against itself. Therefore, let believers not be discouraged from "rejoicing in the Lord always."'' And yet we may be
sensibly distressed at the sinful nature that still remains in us. It is good for us to have an acute sense of this, and a fervent desire to be delivered from it. But this should only incite us to. run every moment more zealously to our strong Helper; the more earnestly to "press forward to the mark, the prize of our high calling in Christ Jesus."'* And when the sense of our sin abounds most, the sense of his love should abound much more.
. How should we treat those who think they have attained perfection?
. Examine them honestly and exhort them to pray fervently that God would show them all that is in their hearts. The most fervent encouragement to abound in every grace, and the strongest cautions to avoid all evil, are given throughout the New Testament to those who are in the highest state of grace. This should be done with the utmost tenderness, and without any harshness, sternness, or sourness. We should carefully avoid the appearance of anger, unkindness, or contempt. Leave it to Satan to tempt in such a way and to his children to cry out, "Let us examine him with malice and torture, that we may know his meekness and prove his patience." If those who think they have attained perfection are faithful to the grace given, they are in no danger of perishing by this; no, not if they continue to think that they have reached perfection until they are dying.
Jesu, thy boundless love to me No thought can reach, no tongue . But what harm is done if they are dealt with harshly?
0 declare; O knit my thankful heart to thee, . Either they are mistaken, or they are not. If they are, such harsh treatment may destroy their souls. This is neither impossible nor improbable. It may so enrage or so discourage them that they will sink and rise no more.
And reign without a rival there!
Thine wholly, thine alone I am; Be thou alone my constant flame!
On the other hand, if they are not mistaken, it may grieve those whom God has not grieved and do much harm to our own souls. For undoubtedly the one that touches them, touches, as it were, the apple of God's eye.
O grant that nothing in my soul May dwell, but thy pure love alone!
O may thy love possess me whole, If they are indeed full of his Spirit, to behave unkindly or contemptuously to them is doing no little malice to the My joy, my treasure, and my crown; Strange flames far from my heart Spirit of grace. As a result, likewise, we feed and increase remove— My every act, word, thought, be love. in ourselves evil suspicions and many wrong tempers.
For example, what arrogance is this to set ourselves up as inquisitors-general or absolute judges in these deep things of God! Are we qualified for the office? Can we
O Love, how cheering is thy ray!
All pain before thy presence flies! declare, in all cases, how far disorder reaches? What may, and what may not, be its essential ingredients? What may
Care, anguish, sorrow, melt away, Where'er thy healing beams arise; O Jesu, nothing may I see, Nothing desire or seek but thee! in all circumstances, and what may not, correspond with perfect love? Can we determine precisely how it will influence the appearance, the gesture, the tone of voice? If we
Collection, #362, stanzas 1-3 can, certainly we are "the people, and wisdom shall die with us."!"
Q. But if they are displeased at our not believing them, is not this a full proof against them?
A. It depends upon the nature of the displeasure. 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 genuine work of God and accordingly deprive ourselves of the advantage we might have received from it. Also, we may
Unwearied may I this pursue, Dauntless to the high prize aspire; Hourly within my soul renew easily mistake this grief for anger. After all, the outward expressions of both are similar.
This holy flame, this heavenly fire; And day and night be all my care To guard this sacred treasure there.
Q. But is it not good to discover those who mistakenly believe they have attained perfection?
A. It is best to do it by mild, loving examination. But it is not My Saviour, thou thy love to me In shame, in want, in pain hast good to triumph even over such findings. If we find such showed; For me on the accursed tree an instance, it is extremely wrong to rejoice as if we had found a great prize. Should we not rather grieve, to be deeply concerned, to let our eyes be filled with tears? Here
Thou pouredst forth thy guiltless blood.
Thy wounds upon my heart impress, Nor aught shall the loved stamp is one who seemed to be a living proof of God's power to save to the extreme. But, alas, it is not as we hoped. This one is weighed in the balance and found wanting! How can this be a matter of joy? Should we not rejoice a thousand times more if we can find nothing but pure love? efface.
More hard than marble is my heart, And foul with sins of deepest stain; But thou the mighty Saviour art, But if one is deceived, what then? It is a harmless mistake while one feels nothing but love in his or her heart. It
Nor flowed thy cleansing blood in is a mistake that generally demonstrates great grace and a high degree of both holiness and happiness. This should be a matter of true joy to all that are sincere of heart—not vain.
Ah, soften, melt this rock, and may Thy blood wash all these stains away! the mistake itself but the height of grace that for a time arises from it. I rejoice that this soul is always happy in Christ, always full of prayer and thanksgiving. I rejoice that this soul feels no unholy temper, but feels the pure love of God continually. And I will rejoice if sin is suspended until it is totally destroyed.
Collection, #362, stanzas 4-6 . Is there no danger then in being thus deceived?
. Not at the time that one feels no sin. There was danger > © before, and there will be again when one comes into fresh trials. But as long as one feels nothing but love guiding all thoughts, words, and actions, that one is in no danger. Such a one is not only happy but is safe "under the shadow of the Almighty."'* For God's sake, let one such as this continue in that love as long as he or she can. In the meantime, you may do well to warn of the danger that will be if the love grows cold and sin revives. Warn also about the danger of casting away hope and supposing that because one has not attained perfection yet, he or she never will.
Q. But what if none have attained perfection yet? What if all who think they have are deceived?
A. Convince me of this and I will preach it no more. But understand me correctly: I do not build any doctrine on any particular person. Any one may be deceived, and I am not moved. But if there are none made perfect yet, God has not sent me to preach perfection. eT