A Plain Account
of
Christian Perfection
By John Wesley
Chapter 3
Further Explanations
13. Not long after, I think in the spring, 1741, We published a second volume of hymns. As the doctrine was still much misunderstood, and consequently misrepresented, I judged it needful to explain yet farther upon the head; which was done in the preface to it as follows :
'This great gift of God, the salvation of our souls, is no other than the image of God fresh stamped on our hearts. It is a "renewal of believers in the spirit of their minds, after the likeness of Him that created them." God hath now laid "the axe unto the root of the tree," "purifying their 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 are "holy, as He that hath called them is 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 glass, 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, there is liberty",; such liberty "from the law of sin and death" as the children of this world will not believe, though man declare it unto them. "The Son hath made them free," who are thus "born of God," from that great root of sin and bitterness, pride. They feel that all their "sufficiency is of God"; that it is He alone who "is in all their thoughts," and "worketh in them both to will and to do of His good pleasure." They feel that "it is not they" that "speak, but the Spirit of" their "Father who speaketh in them"; and that whatsoever is done by their hands, "the Father, who is in them, He doeth the works." So that God is to them all in all, and they are nothing in His sight. They are freed from 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 evil thoughts so that they cannot enter into them; not for a moment. Aforetime, when an evil thought me 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 anything past, or absent, or to come, but of God alone. In times past they had wandering thoughts darted in, which yet fled away like smoke; but now that smoke does not rise at all. They have no fear or doubt, either as to their state in general, or as to any particular action. The "unction from the Holy One" teacheth them every hour what they shall do, and what they shall speak. Nor, therefore, have they any need to reason concerning it. They are, in one sense, freed from temptation: for though number- less temptations fly about them, yet they trouble them not . At all times their souls are even and calm, their hearts are steadfast and unmovable. Their peace, flowing as a river "passeth all understanding , and they "rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory." For "they are sealed by the Spirit unto the day of redemption"; having the witness in themselves, that "there is laid up for them a crown of righteousness, which the Lord will give" them "in that day."
'Not that every one is a child of the devil till he is thus renewed in love. On the contrary, whoever has a sure "confidence 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 heir of all the promises. Neither ought he in any wise to cast away his confidence, or to deny the faith he has received, because it is weak, or because it is "tried with fire," so that his soul is "in heaviness through manifold temptations."
'Neither dare we affirm, as some have done, that all this salvation is given at once. There is indeed an instantaneous, as well as a gradual, work of God in His children; and there wants not, we know, a cloud of witnesses who have received, in one moment, either a clear sense of the forgiveness of their sins, or the abiding witness of the Holy Spirit. But we do not know a single instance, in any place, of a person's receiving, in one remission of sins, the abiding witness of the Spirit, and a new, a clean heart.
'Indeed, how God may work, we cannot tell; but the general manner wherein He does work is this: Those who once trusted in themselves that they were righteous, that they were rich, and increased in goods, and had need of nothing, are, by the Spirit of God applying His word, convinced that they are poor and naked. All the things that they have done are brought to their remembrance, and set in array before 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 unto 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." Sorrow and pain are fled away, and sin has no more dominion over them. Knowing they are justified freely, through faith in His blood, they "have peace with God through Jesus Christ"; they "rejoice in hope of the glory of God," and "the love of God is shed abroad in their hearts."
'In this peace they remain for days, or weeks, or months, and commonly suppose that they shall not know war any more; till some of their old enemies, their bosom sins, or the sin which did most easily beset them (perhaps anger or desire), assault them again, and thrust sore at them that they may fall. Then arises fear that they should 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. Under 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 disclose unto them, lest the soul should fail before Him, and the spirit which He had made. Now they see all the hidden abominations 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 heightens 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 "righteousness 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 unto them with His Son and blessed Spirit; and, fixing His abode in their souls, bringeth them into the "rest which remaineth for the people of God." '
Here I cannot but remark - (i) That this is the strongest account we ever gave 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. 1 need not give additional proofs of this, 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 They people known;
A rest where pure enjoyment reigns,
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,
Cast out by perfect love.
From every evil motion freed
(The Son hath made us free),
On all the powers of hell we tread,
In glorious liberty.
Safe in the way of life, above
Death, earth, and hell we rise;
We find, when perfected in love,
Our long-sought paradise.
0 that I now the rest might know,
Believe, and enter in!
Now, Saviour, 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, 0 my Saviour, come away!
Into my soul descend;
No longer from thy creature stay,
My Author and my End.
The bliss Thou bast for me prepared
No longer be delayed;
Come, my exceeding great reward,
For whom I first was made.
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 anything be more clear than - (1) That here also is as full and high a salvation as we have ever spoken of? (2) That this is spoken of as receivable by mere 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 supposed 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 'salvation'? And, lastly, that if any speak otherwise, he is the person that brings new doctrine among us?
Chapter 1 The Doctrine of Christian Perfection
Chapter 2 In What Sense Are Christians Perfect?
Chapter 3 Further Explanations
Chapter 4 Perfection In This Life
Chapter 5 The Doctrine of Sanctification
Chapter 6 Thoughts on Christian Perfection
Chapter 8 The Great Challenge of the Soul
Chapter 9 Further Thoughts on Christian Perfection
Chapter 10 Further Thoughts on Christian Perfection (Continued)
Chapter 12 The Sum of What I Have Observed
Chapter 13 Brief Thoughts on Christian Perfection
God Calling Home Page Classic Christian Books Table of Contents - Christian Perfection
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Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. Jude 24:25
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