Wesley Corpus

13. But if Christ has put an end to that law, what need of any atonement for their transgressing it? “A. Observe in what sense he has put an end to it, and the difficulty vanishes. Were it not for the abiding merit of his death, and his continual intercession for us, that law would condemn us still. These, therefore, we still need for every transgression of it. “Q. 14. But can one that is saved from sin be tempted? “A. Yes; for Christ was tempted. “Q. 15. However, what you call temptation, I call the corruption of my heart. And how will you distinguish one from the other? “A. In some cases it is impossible to distinguish, without the direct witness of the Spirit. But in general one may distinguish thus: “One commends me. Here is a temptation to pride. But instantly my soul is humbled before God. And I feel no pride; of which I am as sure, as that pride is not humility. “A man strikes me. Here is a temptation to anger. But my heart overflows with love. And I feel no anger at all; of which I can be as sure, as that love and anger are not the same. “A woman solicits me. Here is a temptation to lust. But in the instant I shrink back. And I feel no desire or lust at all; of which I can be as sure, as that my hand is cold or hot. “Thus it is, if I am tempted by a present object; and it is just the same, if, when it is absent, the devil recals a commenda tion, an injury, or a woman, to my mind. In the instant the soul repels the temptation, and remains filled with pure love. * “And the difference is still plainer, when I compare my present state with my past, wherein I felt temptation and corruption too. “Q. 16. But how do you know, that you are sanctified, saved from your inbred corruption? “A. I can know it no otherwise than I know that I am justified. ‘Hereby know we that we are of God,” in either sense, ‘by the Spirit that he hath given us.” “We know it by the witness and by the fruit of the Spirit. And, First, by the witness.