Wesley Corpus

2. But if we observe these words attentively, will there not appear a considerable difficulty in them "Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." If a man only thinks he stands, he is in no danger of falling. It is not possible that any one should fall, if he only thinks he stands. The same difficulty occurs, according to our translation, in those well-known words of our Lord, (the importance of which we may easily learn from their being repeated in the Gospel no less than eight times,) "To him that hath shall be given; but from that hath not, shall be taken away even what he seemeth to have." "That which he seemeth to have!" Nay, if he only seems to have it, it is impossible it should taken away. None can take away from another what he only seems to have. What a man only seems to have, he cannot possibly lose. This difficulty may, at first, appear impossible to be surmounted. It is really so: It cannot be surmounted, if the common translation be allowed. But if we observe the proper meaning of the original word, the difficulty vanishes away. It may be allowed that the word dokei does (sometimes at least, in some authors) mean no more than to seem. But I much doubt whether it ever bears that meaning in any part of the inspired writings. By a careful consideration of every text in the New Testament wherein this word occurs, I am fully convinced, that it nowhere lessens, but every where strengthens, the sense of the word to which it is annexed. Accordingly o dokei ecein, does not mean, what he seems to have, but, on the contrary, what he assuredly hath. And so o dokvn estanai, not he that seemeth to stand, or he that thinketh he standeth, but he that assuredly standeth; he who standeth so fast, that he does not appear to be in any danger of falling; he that saith, like David, "I shall never be moved: Thou, Lord, hast made my hill so strong." [Ps. 30:6, 7] Yet at that very time, thus saith the Lord, "Be not high-minded, but fear. Else shalt thou be cut off:" [Rom. 11:20, 21] Else shalt thou also be moved from thy steadfastness. The strength which thou assuredly hast, shall be taken away.