Wesley Corpus

8. And do we not feel other tempers, which are as contrary to the love of our neighbour as these are to the love of God The love of our neighbour "thinketh no evil." Do not we find anything of the kind Do we never find any jealousies, any evil surmisings, any groundless or unreasonable suspicions He that is clear in these respects, let him cast the first stone at his neighbour. Who does not sometimes feel other tempers or inward motions, which he knows are contrary to brotherly love If nothing of malice, hatred, or bitterness, is there no touch of envy; particularly toward those who enjoy some real or supposed good, which we desire, but cannot attain Do we never find any degree of resentment, when we are injured or affronted; especially by those whom we peculiarly loved, and whom we had most laboured to help or oblige Does injustice or ingratitude never excite in us any desire of revenge any desire of returning evil for evil, instead of "overcoming evil with good" This also shows, how much is still in our heart, which is contrary to the love of our neighbour. 9. Covetousness, in every kind and degree, is certainly as contrary to this as to the love of God; whether, _philargyri_, the love of money, which is too frequently "the root of all evil;" or _pleonexia_, literally, a desire of having more, or increasing in substance. And how few, even of the real children of God, are entirely free from both! Indeed one great man, Martin Luther, used to say, he "never had any covetousness in him" (not only in his converted state, but) "ever since he was born." But, if so, I would not scruple to say, he was the only man born of a woman (except him that was God as well as man,) who had not, who was born without it. Nay, I believe, never was any one born of God, that lived any considerable time after, who did not feel more or less of it many times, especially in the latter sense. We may therefore set it down as an undoubted truth, that covetousness, together with pride, and self-will, and anger, remain in the hearts even of them that are justified.