published near the end of this year. So that no one may be biased So freely spilt for me!
Once more— Heavenly Adam, life divine, Change my nature into thine; Move and spread throughout my soul, Actuate and fill the whole.
It would be easy to cite many more passages to the same effect.
These are enough to show, beyond contradiction, what our beliefs were at that time.
O for a heart to praise my God, A heart from sin set free!
A heart that always feels thy blood, 10. The first tract I ever wrote specifically on this subject was published near the end of this year. So that no one may be biased before they read it, I gave it the ordinary title The Character of a Methodist. In it I described a perfect Christian, placing at the beginning, "Not as though I had already attained." Part of it I offer here without any change:
So freely spilt for me!
A heart resigned, submissive, meek, My great Redeemer's throne, Where only Christ is heard to speak, Where Jesus reigns alone.
O for a lowly, contrite heart, A Methodist is one who loves the Lord God with all the Believing, true, and clean, Which neither life nor death can part heart, with all the soul, with all the mind, and with all the strength. God is the joy of a Methodist's heart, and the desire of his or her soul, which is continually crying, "Whom have
I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I From him that dwells within!
A heart in every thought renewed, desire other than you.""" My God and my all! You are "the strength of my heart and my portion forever."*! A Methodist
And full of love divine, Perfect, and right, and pure, and good— is, therefore, happy in God—indeed always happy, as if there were a well of water springing up to everlasting life filling the soul to overflowing with peace and joy.
A copy, Lord, of thine!
Thy tender heart is still the same, And melts at human woe; Perfect love having now cast out fear," a Methodist is always rejoicing. In fact, the joy is so full that all a MethodJesus, for thee distressed I am—
I want thy love to know. ist's bones cry out, "Blessed be the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new My heart, thou know'st, can never rest birth . . . from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperTill thou create my peace, ishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven" for me."
Till, of my Eden repossessed, A Methodist who has this hope is so full of eternal life that he or she gives thanks in everything, knowing that this
From every sin I cease.
Fruit of thy gracious lips, on me (whatever it is) is the will of God in Christ Jesus. Methodists cheerfully receive everything from Christ, saying, "The Lord's
Bestow that peace unknown, The hidden manna, and the tree will is good"; and whether God gives or takes away, a Methodist equally blesses the Lord's name. In ease or pain, in Of life, and the white stone. sickness or health, in life or death, Methodists give thanks from the bottom of their hearts to God, who orders everything for good. They have wholly committed body and soul
Thy nature, gracious Lord, impart; Come quickly from above; Write thy new name upon my heart, "into the hands of a faithful Creator." They have "cast all
Thy new, best name of love! care on God who cares for them." Because of this they fear nothing and "in all things" rest on Christ, having made their
Collection, #334 "request known to God with thanksgiving.""° For indeed Methodists "pray without ceasing.""' The constant prayer of the heart is this: "To you, O God, is my mouth, though without a voice. My silence speaks to you, my God." At all times and in all places a Methodist's heart is lifted up to God, never hindered, much less interrupted, by any person or thing. In seclusion or with others, in leisure,
business, or conversation, a Methodist's heart is always with the Lord. When going to bed at night and when rising in the. morning, "God is in all thoughts." Methodists walk with God continually. The loving eye of the soul is set on Christ and "seeing God who is invisible"** everywhere.
Methodists love God and love others as self."" They love every person as their own soul. They love enemies, even the enemies of God. If it is not in a Methodist's power to "do good to those who hate," he or she does not stop praying for those who hate, even though they reject love and continue to abuse and persecute."
For a Methodist is "pure in heart."*' Love has purified the heart from envy, bitterness, resentment, and every unkind temper. Love has cleansed the Methodist from pride, from which comes only strife. Methodists have put on "compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience." Indeed, the Methodist has removed all possible ground for strife on his or her part. Because a Methodist does not love the world, nor any of the things of the world, no one can take what he
The word of God is sure, or she desires. All desire is for God and for living as one who bears God's name.
And never can remove; We shall in heart be pure, Accordingly, this one desire is the one purpose of a MethAnd perfected in love;
Rejoice in hope, rejoice with me, We shall from all our sins be free. odist's life: "To do, not his or her own will, but the will of God."* A Methodist's one ambition, at all times and in all places, is not to please self but to please the One whom his or her soul loves.
A Methodist has a healthy eye. Because the "eye is healthy, the whole body is full of light. The whole is
Then let us gladly bring Our sacrifice of praise; light, as when the bright shining of a candle enlightens the house."** God reigns alone. All that is in the soul is "holiness
Let us give thanks, and sing, _ And glory in his grace; Rejoice in hope, rejoice with me, We shall from all our sins be free. to the Lord." There is not a motion in a Methodist's heart that is not in accordance with God's will. Every thought that arises points to God and is in obedience to the law of Christ.
S Collection, #336, stanzas 7-8 "The tree is known by its fruits."*" Because Methodists love God, they keep God's commandments—not just some of them or most of them, but all of them, from the least to the greatest. They are not satisfied to "keep the whole law and fail in one point,"* but have in all points "a clear conscience toward God and all people."*" Methodists avoid whatever
God has forbidden and do whatever God has commanded. A Methodist lives by God's commandments;*" now God has set the heart free. It is God's glory and joy to do this. It is the Methodist's joy every day to "do the will of God on earth, as it is done in heaven."*'
Because of love for God with the whole heart, Methodists strive to keep all of God's commandments with all their might. Love is the source of this obedience. Therefore, loving
God with the whole heart, Methodists serve God with all their strength. A Methodist constantly presents his or her soul and "body as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God."*" Without reserve Methodists completely devote themselves, all they have and are, to the glory of God. Every power and strength of the Methodist's soul, every part of his or her body, and all of his or her talents are constantly employed according to the Master's will.