Wesley Corpus

Butter and honey did you eat; And, lifted up on high, You saw the clouds beneath your feet, And rode upon the sky. Far, far above all earthly things Triumphantly you rode; You soar'd to heaven on eagles' wings, And found, and talk'd with God. You then had power not to commit sin. You found the Apostle's words strictly true, “He that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.” But those whom you took to be experienced Christians telling you, this was only the time of your espousals, this could not last always, you must come down from the mount, and the like, shook your faith. You looked at men more than God, and so be came weak, and like another man. Whereas, had you then had any to guide you according to the truth of God, had you then heard the doctrine which now you blame, you had never fallen from your steadfastness; but had found, that, in this sense also, “the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” 55. Have you not another objection nearly allied to this, namely, that we preach perfection? True; but what perfec tion? The term you cannot object to; because it is scriptural, All the difficulty is, to fix the meaning of it according to the word of God. And this we have done again and again, de claring to all the world, that Christian perfection does not imply an exemption from ignorance, or mistake, or infirmities, or temptations; but that it does imply the being so crucified with Christ, as to be able to testify, “I live not, but Christ liveth in me,” (Gal. ii. 20,) and hath “purified my heart by faith.” (Acts xv. 9.) It does imply “the casting down every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” It does imply “the being holy, as he that hath called us is holy, in all manner of conversation; ” (2 Cor. x. 5; 1 Peter i. 15;) and, in a word, “the loving the Lord our God with all our heart, and serving him with all our strength.” 56. Now, is it possible for any who believe the Scripture to deny one tittle of this? You cannot. You dare not. You would not for the world.