Wesley Corpus

which opportunity affords, we must sedulously seek out more ; and however charitable we may have been to our brethren, yet if charity irtcreaseth not, it faileth, and is not the genuine grace recommended in Scripture ; it is but a heathen, not a Christian virtue ; and what is spoken of this may be said of all other virtues in the Gospel their improvement (which is part of their essence) proves their authenticity. Farther, it is a maxim universally true and established by the general consent of mankind, that he that maketh no progress is certain of going backward. Now this maxim is as true when applied to religion as to any other thing: he, therefore, that stands still in the paths of piety recedes, not only loses his time but his ground. He that doth not constantly and daily strive against the storm of vice and tor rent of iniquity wherewith the world is now overflowed will infallibly be carried down by it : there is no resting in the mid way between right and wrong, between heaven and hell; we must pursue our course towards the one, or make speedy advances to the other. Habits we know are only to be acquired by