tion with Arvid Gradin, in Germany. After he had
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Strange fires far from my heart remove; My every act, word, thought, be love!
I never heard that anyone objected to this. And indeed who can object? Is not this the language not only of every believer but of everyone 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 Germany. 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 Christi; firma fiducia in Deum, et persuasio de gratia divina; tranquillitas mentis summa, atque serenitas et pax; cum absentia omnis desiderii carnalis, et cessatione peccatorum etiam internorum.
"Repose in the blood of Christ; a firm confidence in God, and persuasion of his favor; the highest tranquility, serenity, and peace of mind, with a deliverance from every fleshly desire and a cessation of all, even inward, sins."
Vv 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.
Christian Perfection g. In 1739 my brother and I published a volume of Hymns and Sacred Poems. In many of these we declared our sentiments strongly and explicitly.
Turn the full stream of nature's tide; . Let all our actions tend To Thee, their source; Thy love the guide,
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 we taste be God.
Again:
Lord, arm me with Thy Spirit's might, Since I am call'd by Thy great name:
In Thee my wand ring thoughts unite, Of all my works be Thou the aim:
Thy love attend me all my days, And my sole business be Thy praise.
Again:
Eager for Thee I ask and pant, So strong the principle divine.
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Carries me out with sweet constraint, Till all my hallow'd soul be Thine; Plunged in the Godhead's deepest sea, And lost in Thine immensity!
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. But these are sufficient to show, beyond contradiction, what our sentiments then were.
1o. The first tract I ever wrote expressly 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 Character of a Methodist." In this I described a perfect
Christian, placing in the front: "Not as though I had already attained." Part of it I subjoin without any alteration.
"A Methodist is one who loves the Lord his God with all his heart, with all his soul, with all his mind, and with all his strength. God is the joy of his heart and the desire of his soul, which is contin-
Christian Perfection ually crying: "Whom have I in heaven but Thee and there is none upon earth whom I desire beside
Thee.' My God and my all! "Thou art the strength of my heart, and my portion forever.' He is therefore happy in God; yea, always happy, as having in Him a well of water springing up unto everlasting life and overflowing his soul with peace and joy. Perfect love having now cast out fear, he rejoices evermore. Yea, his joy is full, and all his bones cry out: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to His abundant mercy, hath begotten me again unto a living hope of an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, reserved in heaven for me.'
"And he who hath this hope, thus full of immortality, in everything giveth thanks, as knowing this (whatsoever it is) is the will of God in Christ
Jesus concerning him. From Him, therefore, he cheerfully receives all, saying, 'Good is the will of the Lord, and whether He giveth or taketh away, equally blessing the name of the Lord. Whether in ease or pain, whether in sickness or health, whether in life or death, he giveth thanks from the ground of the heart 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 all things resting on Him,
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after making his 'request known to Him with thanksgiving.'
"For, indeed, he 'prays without ceasing'; 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 interrupted, by any person or thing. In retirement 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 his soul fixed on Him, and everywhere 'seeing Him that is invisible.'
"And loving God, he 'loves his neighbor 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 'despitefully 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 contention,' 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
Christian Perfection 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 life, namely, 'to do not his own will, but the will of Him that sent him.' His one intention at all times and in all places is not to please himself but Him whom his 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 enlighten the house.' God reigns alone; all that is in the soul is
'holiness 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 greatest. 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 the 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
John Wesley
of rejoicing to 'do the will of God on earth, as it is done in heaven.'
"All the commandments of God he accordingly keeps, and that with all his might, for his obedience is in proportion to his love, the source from whence it flows. And, therefore, loving God with all his heart, he serves Him with all his strength; he continually presents his soul and 'body a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, entirely and without reserve devoting himself, all he has, all he is, to His glory. All the talents he has he constantly employs according to his Master'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 his prayers, all serve to this great end. Whether he 'sit in the house, or walk by the way, whether he lie down or rise up, he is promoting, in all he speaks or does, the one business of his life.
Whether he put on his apparel, or labor, or eat and drink, or divert himself from too wasting labor, it all tends to advance the glory of God, by peace and good will among men. His one invariable rule is this: "Whatsoever ye do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
Christian Perfection 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 cannot therefore 'lay up treasures upon earth,' no more than he can take fire into his bosom. He cannot speak evil of his neighbor, any more than he can lie either for God or man. He cannot utter an unkind word of anyone, for love keeps the door of his lips. He cannot "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 Saviour in all things.'"
These are the very words wherein I largely declared, for the first time, my sentiments of Christian perfection. And is 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 Bible? Is it not easy to see (2) that this is the very same doctrine which I believe and teach at this day, not adding one point either to that inward or outward holiness which