Wesley Corpus

penitent, that . God would keep him steadfast and immoveable in the way ofrighteousness, and grant he might never fall or be shaken more. Now their prayers would be, superfluous were it not admitted that the most perfect estate in this world is but a state of trial and probation, and the highest attainments not sufr ficient to exempt us from the danger of falling away. The Son of God himself was tempted; and he alone was tempted without sin : therefore his disciples cannot expect to escape the temptations of their great adversary, who knows full well that the crown of glory is not in this life given, and he is never without hope of preventing us from gaining the prize; and if his assaults be aided by any fancied, se curity of our own, and come upon us un awares, great is the danger of their success, to our eternal loss. u . aw.b Having at large insisted on my first doc trinal point, that no Christian is in this life absolutely secured of his reward, or can pre sume to be advanced so high as to be beyond the , reach of danger, I proceed to a practical