Wesley Corpus

In all, and after all, it suffers, it is soft, mild, tender, benign. ‘Love envieth not; it excludes every kind and degree of envy out of the heart: ‘love acteth not rashly, in a violent, headstrong manner, nor passes any rash or severe judgment: It ‘doth not behave itself indecently; is not rude, does not act out of character: “Seeketh not her own’ ease, pleasure, honour, or profit: ‘Is not provoked; expels all anger from the heart: ‘Thinketh no evil; casteth out all jealousy, sus piciousness, and readiness to believe evil: “Rejoiceth not in iniquity; yea, weeps at the sin or folly of its bitterest enemies: “But rejoicethin the truth; in the holiness and happiness of every child of man. ‘Love covereth all things, speaks evil of no man; ‘believeth all things’ that tend to the advantage of another's character. It ‘hopeth all things,’ whatever may extenuate the faults which cannot be denied; and it ‘endureth all things’ which God can permit, or men and devils inflict. This is ‘the law of Christ, the perfect law, the law of liberty.” “And this distinction between the ‘law of faith’ (or love) and ‘the law of works, is neither a subtle nor an unnecessary distinction. It is plain, easy, and intelligible to any common understanding. And it is absolutely necessary, to prevent a ChRISTIAN PERFECTION. 4.17 thousand doubts and fears, even in those who do “walk in love.” “Q. 8. But do we not “in many things offend all, yea, the best of us, even against this law? “A. In one sense we do not, while all our tempers, and thoughts, and words, and works, spring from love. But in another we do, and shall do, more or less, as long as we remain in the body. For neither love nor the ‘unction of the Holy One makes us infallible: Therefore, through unavoidable defect of understanding, we cannot but mistake in many things. And these mistakes will frequently occasion something wrong, both in our temper, and words, and actions. From mistaking his character, we may love a person less than he really deserves. And by the same mistake we are unavoidably led to speak or act, with regard to that person, in such a manner as is contrary to this law, in some or other of the preceding instances. “Q. 9. Do we not then need Christ, even on this account? “A.