Wesley Corpus

“Examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith.’ Now the surest test whereby we can examine ourselves, whether we be indeed in the faith, is that given by St. Paul: “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away ; behold, all things are become new.” First: His Judgments are new: His judgment of himself, of happiness, of holiness. He judges himself to be altogether fallen short of the glorious ‘ image of God. To have no good thing abiding in him; but all that is corrupt and abominable: in a word; to be wholly earthly, sensual, and devilish ;--a motley mixture of beast and devil. Thus, by the grace of God in Christ, I judge of myself. Therefore Iam, in this respect, a new creature. Again: His judgment concerning happiness is new. He would as soon expect to dig it out of the earth, as to find it in riches, honour, pleasure, (so -alled,) or indeed in the enjoyment of any creature: he knows there can be no happiness on earth, but in the enjoyment of God, and in the foretaste of those “rivers of pleasure which flow at his right hand for evermore.” Thus, by the grace of God in Christ, I judge of happiness. Therefore I am, in this respect, a new creature. Yet again: His judgment concerning holiness is new. He no longer judges it to be an outward thing: to consist either in doing no harm, in doing good, or in using the ordinances of God. He sees it is the life of God in the soul; the image of God fresh stamped on the heart; an entire renewal of the mind in every temper and thought, after the likeness of him that created it. Thus, by the grace of God in Christ, I judge of holiness. Therefore Iam, in this respect, a new creature.