Wesley Corpus

12. But let it be supposed, that they continually "watch and pray," and so do "not enter into" this "temptation;" that they constantly set a watch before their mouth, and keep the door of their lips; suppose they exercise themselves herein, that all their "conversation may be in grace, seasoned with salt, and meet to minister grace to the hearers:" yet do they not daily slide into useless discourse, notwithstanding all their caution And even when they endeavour to speak for God, are their words pure, free from unholy mixtures Do they find nothing wrong in their very intention Do they speak merely to please God, and not partly to please themselves Is it wholly to do the will of God, and not their own will also Or, if they begin with a single eye, do they go on "looking unto Jesus," and talking with him all the time they are talking with their neighbour When they are reproving sin, do they feel no anger or unkind temper to the sinner When they are instructing the ignorant, do they not find any pride, any self-preference When they are comforting the afflicted, or provoking one another to love and to good works, do they never perceive any inward self-commendation: "Now you have spoken well" Or any vanity -- a desire that others should think so, and esteem them on the account In some or all of these respects, how much sin cleaves to the best conversation even of believers! The conviction of which is another branch of the repentance which belongs to them that are justified.