Wesley Corpus

'What, then, is religion' It is happiness in God, or in the knowledge and love of God. It is 'faith working by love, producing' righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.' In other words, it is an heart and life devoted to God; or communion with God the Father and the Son; or the mind which was in Christ Jesus, enabling us to walk as He walked. Now, either he has this religion or he has not.' If he has, he will not finally perish, notwithstanding the absurd, unscriptural opinions he has embraced and the superstitious and idolatrous modes of worship. But these are so many shackles which will greatly retard him in running the race that is set before him. If he has not this religion, if he has not given God his heart, the case is unspeakably worse: I doubt if he ever will; for his new friends will continually endeavor to hinder him by putting something else in its place, by encouraging him to rest in the form, notions, or externals, without being born again, without having Christ in him, the hope of glory, without being renewed in the image of Him that created him. This is the deadly evil. I have often lamented that he had not this holiness, without which no man can see the Lord. But though he had it not, yet in his hours of cool reflection he did not hope to go to heaven without it. But now he is or will be taught that, let him only have a right faith (that is, such and such notions), and add thereunto such and such externals, and he is quite safe. He may, indeed, roll a few years in purging fire; but he will surely go to heaven at last!