Wesley Corpus

“A. (1.) ‘Be ye perfect, as your Father who is in heaven is perfect.’ (Matt. v. 48.) (2.) ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. (Matt. xxii. 37.) But if the love of God fill all the heart, there can be no sin therein. “Q. But how does it appear that this is to be done before the article of death? “A. (1.) From the very nature of a command, which is not given to the dead, but to the living. Therefore, ‘Thou shalt love God with all thy heart, cannot mean, Thou shalt do this when thou diest; but, while thou livest. “(2.) From express texts of Scripture: (i) “The grace of God, that bringeth salvation, hath appeared to all men; teaching us that, having renounced ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world; looking for the glorious appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.’ (Titus ii. 11-14.). (ii) “He hath raised up an horn of salvation for us, to perform the mercy promised to our fathers; the oath which he sware to our father Abraham, that he would grant unto us, that we, being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, should serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. (Luke i. 69, &c.) “Q. Is there any example in Scripture of persons who had attained to this? “A. Yes; St. John, and all those of whom he says, ‘Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because, as he is, so are we in this world.” (1 John iv. 17.) “Q. Can you show one such example now? Where is he that is thus perfect? “A. To some that make this inquiry one might answer, If I knew one here, I would not tell you; for you do not inquire out of love. You are like Herod; you only seek the young child to slay it. “But more directly we answer: There are many reasons why there should be few, if any, indisputable examples.