Wesley Corpus

I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; but he that is married careth for the things of the world, how he may please his wife. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband. And this I speak for your own profit, that you may attend upon the Lord without distraction.” (Verses 8, 27, 28, 32--35.) 4. But though “it is good for a man not to touch a woman,” (verse 1) yet this is not an universal rule. “I would,” indeed, says the Apostle, “that all men were as myself.” (Verse 7.) But that cannot be; for “every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, another after that.” “If,” then, “they cannot contain, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn.” (Verse 9.) “To avoid ("rnication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.” Exactly agreeable to this are the words of our Lord. When the Apostles said, “If the case be so, it is good not to marry; he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, but they to whom it is given. For there are some eunuchs, who were so born from their mother’s womb; there are some, who were made eunuchs by men; and there are eunuchs, who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.” (Matt. xix. 10-12.) 5. But who is able to “receive this saying,”--to abstain from marriage, and yet not burn? It behoves every one here to judge for himself; none is called to judge for another. In general, I believe every man is able to receive it when he is first justified. I believe every one then receives this gift; but with most it does not continue long. Thus much is clear; it is a plain matter of fact, which no man can deny. It is not so clear, whether God withdraws it of his own good pleasure, or for any fault of ours.