Wesley Corpus

But, now by the coming of our Saviour Christ, we have received more abundantly the Spirit of God in our hearts.” (Homily on Faith. Part II.) “He died to destroy the rule of the devil in us, and he rose again to send down his Holy Spirit to rule in our hearts.” (Homil on the Resurrection.) “We have the Holy Spirit in our hearts, as a seal and pledge of our everlasting inheritance.” (Ibid.) “The Holy Ghost sat upon each of them, like as it had been cloven tongues of fire, to teach that it is he that giveth elo quence and utterance in preaching the gospel, which engen dereth a burning zeal towards God’s word, and giveth all men a tongue, yea, a fiery tongue.” (N. B.--Whatever occurs, in any of the Journals, of God’s “giving me utterance,” or “ena bling me to speak with power,” cannot therefore be quoted as enthusiasm, without wounding the Church through my side.) “So that if any man be a dumb Christian, not professing his faith openly, he giveth men occasion to doubtlest he have not the grace of the Holy Ghost within him.” (Homily on Whit. sunday. Part I.) “It is the office of the Holy Ghost to sanctify; which the more it is hid from our understanding,” (that is, the particular manner of his working,) “the more it ought to move all men to wonder at the secret and mighty workings of God’s Holy Spirit, which is within us. For it is the Holy Ghost that doth quicken the minds of men, stirring up godly motions in their Thearts. Neither does he think it sufficient inwardly to work the new birth of men, unless he does also dwell and abide in them. ‘Know ye not,” saith St. Paul, “that ye are the tem ples of God, and that his Spirit dwelleth in you? Know ye not that your bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost, which is within you?” Again he saith, ‘Ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit. For why? ‘The Spirit of God dwelleth in you. To this agreeth St. John: ‘The anointing which ye have received’ (he meaneth the Holy Ghost) ‘abideth in you. (1 John ii. 27.) And St. Peter saith the same: ‘The Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you.