Wesley Corpus

Just as easily as light from darkness; seeing it brings with it a peace that passeth all understanding, a joy unspeak able, full of glory, the love of God and all mankind filling the heart, and power over all sin. Q. 5. May we not well suppose the workings of imagination to be more strong and powerful in one who is taught to expect such a change? A. Perhaps we may; but still the tree is known by its fruits. And such fruits as those above-mentioned imagination was never yet strong enough to produce, nor any power, save that of the Almighty. 7. There is only one clause in the Eighth Query which falls under our present inquiry. “They make it their principal employ, wherever they go, to instil into people a few favourite tenets of their own; and this with such diligence and zeal as if the whole of Christianity depended upon them, and all efforts toward the true Christian life, without a belief of those tenets, were vain and ineffectual.” I plead guilty to this charge. I do make it my principal, may, my whole employ, and that wherever I go, to instil into the people a few favourite tenets;--only, be it observed, they are not my own, but His that sent me. And it is undoubtedly true that this I do, (though deeply conscious of my want both of zeal and diligence,) as if the whole of Christianity depended upon them, and all efforts without them were void and vain. I frequently sum them all up in one: “In Christ Jesus.” (that is, according to his gospel) “neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith which worketh by love.” But many times I instil them one by one, under these or the like expressions: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy mind, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself;” as thy own soul; as Christ loved us. “God is love; and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him. Love work eth no ill to his neighbour; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. While we have time, let us do good unto all men; espe cially unto them that are of the household of faith.