Wesley Corpus

And was this tune, or another, or all that ever were and will be played on it, the inward state of the trumpet? “No more can the mind have any grief or joy but that which is from itself.” (Page 43.) An unhappy comparison | For the instrument can have no melody or sound at all from itself; and most unhappily applied to the operations of God upon the souls of men. For has God no more power over my soul, than I have over a musical instrument? These are your arguments to prove that Christ is in every man: A blessing which St. Paul thought was peculiar to believers. He said, “Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates,” unbelievers. You say, Christ is in you, whether ye be reprobates or no. “If any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his,” saith the Apostle. Yea, but “every man,” saith Mr. Law, “hath the Spirit of God. The Spirit of Christ is in every soul.” (Spirit of Prayer, Part I., p. 63.) “He that hath not the Son of God hath not life,” saith St. John. But Mr. Law saith, “Every man hath the Son of God.” Sleep on, then, ye sons of Belial, and take your rest; ye are all safe; for “he that hath the Son hath life.” There can hardly be any doctrine under heaven more agreeable to flesh and blood; nor any which more directly tends to prevent the very dawn of conviction, or, at least, to hinder its deepening in the soul, and coming to a sound issue. None more naturally tends to keep men asleep in sin, and to lull asleep those who begin to be awakened. Only persuade one of this, “Christ is already in thy heart; thou hast now the inspiration of his Spirit; all the peace and joy of God are within thee, yea, all the holy nature, tempers, and Spirit of Christ;” and you need do no more; the siren song quiets all his sorrow and fear. As soon as you have sewed this pillow to his soul, he sinks back into the sleep of death. 6.