Wesley Corpus

“Q. How should we treat those who think they have attained? “A. Examine them candidly, and exhort them to pray fervently, that God would show them all that is in their Thearts. The most earnest exhortations to abound in cvery grace, and the strongest cautions to avoid all evil, are given throughout the New Testament, to those who are in the highest state of grace. But this should be done with the utmost tenderness; and without any harshness, sternness, or sourness. We should carefully avoid the very appearance of anger, unkindness, or contempt. Leave it to Satan thus to. tempt, and to his children to cry out, ‘Let us examine him with despitefulness and torture, that we may know his meek ness and prove his patience.” If they are faithful to the grace. given, they are in no danger of perishing thereby; no, not if they remain in that mistake till their spirit is returning to God. “Q. But what hurt can it do to deal harshly with them? “A. Either they are mistaken, or they are not. If they are, it may destroy their souls. This is nothing impossible, no, nor improbable. It may so enrage or so discourage them, that they will sink and rise no more. If they are not mistaken, it may grieve those whom God has not grieved, and do much hurt unto our own souls. For undoubtedly he that toucheth them, toucheth, as it were, the apple of God's eye. If they are indeed full of his Spirit, to behave unkindly or contemptuously to them is doing no little despite to the Spirit of grace. Hereby, likewise, we feed and increase in ourselves evil surmising, and many wrong tempers. To instance only in one: What self-sufficiency is this, to set ourselves up for inquisitors-general, for peremptory judges in these deep things of God! Are we qualified for the office? Can we pronounce, in all cases, how far infirmity reaches? what may, and what may not, be resolved into it? what may in all circumstances, and what may not, consist with perfect love? Can we precisely determine, how it will influence the look, the gesture, the tone of voice? If we can, doubtless we are ‘the men, and wisdom shall die with us.” “Q. But if they are displeased at our not believing them, is not this a full proof against them? . “A.