1.A 01. LETTER I

LETTER I. LETTERS ON SANCTIFICATION. The object proposed in quoting from Wesley Time too precious to dispute about words What Mr. Wesley proposes Historical account of his experience Reads Bishop Taylor Kempis Law Studies the Bible His first sermon Quotations from his poetry" From a German divine Further quotations from his Hymns. MY DEAR M : That you may be more thoroughly established in the doctrine of sanctification, I will furnish you, in the first place, with Mr. Wesley’s views upon the subject, and likewise the means he used to promote holiness of heart and life. I do this the rather, because he is the best interpreter of his own doctrine, and, more especially, because there never was an uninspired writer who touched this subject with such clearness, explained it so perspicuously, scripturally, experimentally, and practically, and defended it more masterly, than did John Wesley. I quote from his works, Vol. VI, page 483, because this contains his last revision of his " Plain Account of Christian Perfection," and gives an historical sketch of the several steps by which he was led on in the pursuit of holiness. By thus giving the extracts which I shall make, thousands may read them who cannot, or will not, have access to his views as contained in his works, and will thereby be enabled to see, and duly to weigh, what that great man of God has said upon this all-important subject; and above all, I hope they will be induced to seek after it to seek after it in such a manner as to be able to test its truth and sweetness by their own heartfelt experience.

Let us not dispute about words. Time is too precious, the work itself is too important, too nearly related to our present and eternal interests, to waste our moments in idle disputes about mere speculative points of doctrine, only so far as they may have an experimental and practical bearing upon our hearts and lives. I think I never felt the vast importance of this view of the subject more, if, indeed, as much as I do at present, and I feel such an eagerness to press it, both upon myself and all my readers, that I can hardly refrain from crying aloud to all within the hearing of my voice, or rather to all who shall read what I may write, instantly to come to the living fountain, and drink of the flowing waters of life, wash them in the ocean of Divine love, praying, in the language of our own inimitable poet, "Wash me, but not my feet alone,
My hands, my head, my heart." So deeply does this subject press itself upon my heart, that I feel almost resolved to say that it shall be my only and I will venture to say, my jyrincijtal theme the remainder of my short but unprofitable life. But to Mr. Wesley’s views, from which I have kept you too long. In Vol. VI, p. 483, he gives a consecutive account of the manner in which he was led into this subject, as well as the times and way in which he treated it, in the following words :

1 . What I purpose in the following papers is, to give a plain and distinct account of the steps by which I was led, during a course of many years, to embrace the doctrine of Christian perfection. This I owe to the serious part of mankind, those who desire to know all " the truth as it is in Jesus." And these only are concerned in questions of this kind. To these I would nakedly declare the thing as it is, endeavouring all along to show, from one period to another, both what I thought, and why I thought so.

2. In the year 1725, being in the twenty-third year of my age, I met with Bishop Taylor’s " Rule and Exercises of Holy Living and Dying." In reading several parts of this book, I was exceedingly affected; that part in particular which relates to purity of intention. Instantly I resolved to dedicate all my life to God, all my thoughts, and words, and actions; being thoroughly convinced there was no medium; but that every part of my life (not some only) must either be a sacrifice to God or myself, that is, in effect, to the devil. Can any serious person doubt of this, or find a medium between serving God and serving the devil?

3. In the year 1726, I met with Kempis’s "Christian’s Pattern." The nature and extent of inward religion, the religion of the heart, now appeared to me in a stronger light than ever it had done before. I saw, that giving even all my life to God (supposing it possible to do this, and go no farther) would profit me nothing, unless I gave my heart, yea, all my heart to him.

I saw, that "simplicity of intention, and purity of affection," one design in all we speak or do, and one desire ruling all our tempers, are indeed "the wings of the soul," without which she can never ascend to the mount of God.

4. A year or two after. Mr. Law’s "Christian Perfection" and "Serious Call" were put into my hands. These convinced me, more than ever, of the absolute impossibility of being half a Christian; and I deter mined, through his grace, (the absolute necessity of which I was deeply sensible of,) to be all devoted to God, to give him all my soul, my body, and my substance. Will any considerate man say, that this is carrying matters too far? or that anything less is due to Him who has given himself for us, than to give him our selves, all we have, and all we are?

5. In the year 1729, 1 began not only to read, but to study, the Bible, as the one, the only standard of truth, and the only model of pure religion. Hence I saw, in a clearer and clearer light, the indispensable necessity of having "the mind which was in Christ," and of walking as Christ also walked;" even of having, not some part only, but all the mind which was in him; and of walking as he walked, not only in many or in most respects, but in all things. And this was the light, wherein at this time I generally considered religion, as a uniform following of Christ, an entire inward and outward conformity to our Master. Nor was I afraid of anything more, than of bending this rule to the experience of myself, or of other men; of allowing myself in any the least disconformity to our grand Exemplar.

6. On January 1, 1733, I preached before the university, in St. Mary’s Church, on " the Circumcision of the Heart; an account of which 1 gave in these words : " It is that habitual disposition of soul which, in the sacred writings, is termed holiness; and which directly implies, the being cleansed from sin, from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit; and, by consequence, the being endued with those virtues which were in Christ Jesus; the being so renewed in the image of our mind, as to be "perfect, as our Father in heaven is perfect. " (Vol. 1, p. 148.) In the same sermon I observed, " Love is the fulfilling of the law, the end of the commandment. It is not only the first and great command, but all the commandments in one. Whatsoever things are just, what soever tilings are pure, if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, they are all comprised in this one word, love. In this is perfection, and glory, and happiness : the royal law of heaven and earth is this, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. The one perfect good shall be your one ultimate end. One thing shall ye desire for its own sake, the fruition of Him who is all in all. One happiness shall ye propose to your souls, even a union with him that made them, the having fellowship with the Father and the Son/ the being joined to the Lord in one spirit. One design ye are to pursue to the end of time, the enjoyment of God in time and in eternity. De sire other things, so far as they tend to this; love the creature, as it leads to the Creator. But in every step you take, be this the glorious point that terminates your view. Let every affection, and thought, and word, and action, be subordinate to this. Whatever ye desire or fear, whatever ye seek or shun, whatever ye think, speak, or do, be it in order to your happiness in God, the sole end, as well as source, of your being." (76. pp. 150, 151.) I concluded in these words : " Here is the sum of the perfect law, the circumcision of the heart. Let the spirit return to God that gave it, with the whole train of its affections. Other sacrifices from us he would not, but the living sacrifice of the heart hath he chosen. Let it be continually offered up to God through Christ, in flames of holy love. And let no creature be suffered to share with him : for he is a jealous God. His throne will he not divide with another; he will reign without a rival. Be no design, no desire admitted there, but what has him for its ultimate object. This is the way wherein those children of God once walked, who being dead still speak to us : Desire not to live but to praise his name; let all your thought^ words, and works, tend to his glory. Let your soul be filled with so entire a love to him, that you may love nothing but for his sake. Have a pure intention of heart, a steadfast regard to his glory in all your actions. For then, and not till then, is that mind in us, which was also in Christ Jesus, when in every motion of our heart, in every word of our tongue, in every work of our hands, we pursue nothing but in relation to him, and in subordination to his plea sure; when we too neither think, nor speak, nor act, to fulfil our own will, but the will of Him that sent us; when, whether we eat or drink, or whatever we do, we do it all : to the glory of God. " (fb,, p. 153.)

It may be observed, this sermon was composed the first of all my writings which have been published. This was the view of religion I then had, which even then 1 :>cruplcd not to term perfection. This is the view I have of it now, without any material addition or diminution. And what is there here, which any man of understanding, who believes the Bible, can object to? What can he deny, without flatly contradicting the Scriptures? what retrench, without taking from the word of God?

7. In the same sentiment did mv brother and I re main (with all those young gentlemen in derision termed Methodists) till we embarked for America, in the latter end of 1735. It was the next year, while I was at Sa- vMnimh. that I wrote the following lines : Is there a thing beneath the sun,
That strives with thee my heart to share?
Ah! tear it thence, and reign alone,
The Lord of every motion there! In the beginning of the year 1738, as I was returning from thence, the cry of my heart was,

O grant that nothing in my soul
May well, but thy pure love alone!
O may thy love possess me whole,
My joy, my treasure, and my crown!
Strange fires far from my heart remove;
My every act, word, thought, be love

I never heard that any one objected to this. And indeed who can object? Is not this the language, not only of every believer, but of every one that is truly awakened? But what have I wrote, to this day, which is either stronger or plainer?

8. In August following, I had a long conversation with Arvid Gradin, in Germany. After he had given me an account of his experience, I desired him to give me, in writing, a definition of " the full assurance of faith," which he did in the following words :

Requies in sanguine Christi; firma fiduria in Deum, et persuasio de gratia divind; tranquillitas mentis summa, atque screnitas et pax; cum absentia omnis desiderii carnal is t et cessatione peccatorum ctiam internorum.

"Repose in the blood of Christ; a firm confidence in God, and persuasion of his favour; the highest tranquillity, serenity, and peace of mind, with a deliverance from every fleshly desire, and a cessation of all, even inward sins." This was the first account I ever heard from any living man, of what I had before learned myself from the oracles of God, and had been praying for. (with the little company of my friends,) and expecting, for several years.

9. In 1739, my brother and I published a volume of " Hymns and Sacred Poems." In many of these we declared our sentiments strongly and explicitly. So page 24,

Turn the full stream of nature’s tide;
Let all our actions tend
To thee, their source; thy love the guide,
Thy glory be the end.
Earth then a scale to heaven shall be;
Sense shall point out the road;
The creatures all shall lead to thee,
And all we taste be God.

Again,

Lord, arm me with thy Spirit’s might,
Since I am call’d by thy great name;
In thee my wand’ring thoughts unite,
Of all my works be thou the aim :
Thy love attend me all my days,
And my sole business be thy praise, (p. 129.)

Again,

Eager for thee I ask and pant,
So strong the principle divine
Carries me out with sweet constraint,
Till all my hallow’d soul be thine;
Plunged in the Godhead’s deepest sea,
And lost in thine immensity! (p. 125.)

Once more,

Heavenly Adam, life divine,
Change my nature into thine;
Move and spread throughout my soul,
Actuate and fill the whole, (p. 153.)

It would be easy to cite many more passages to the same effect. But these are sufficient to show, beyond contradiction, what our sentiments then were.

You may expect, my dear M., some further extracts from Mr. Wesley, interspersed with such remarks as may be considered expedient to give a clear view of the subject, and to urge it home upon the conscience, so as, if any way practi cable, to make you feel and duly appreciate itb vast importance.