The immediate fruits of justifying faith are stated in these minutes to be "6 peace, joy, love; power over all

me, and gave himself for me. For 'he that believeth,' with the true living faith, 'hath the witness in himself:' 'The Spirit witnesseth with his spirit, that he is a child of God.' 'Because he is a son, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into his heart, crying, Abba, Father;' giving him an assurance that he is so, and a child-like confidence in him. But let it be observed that, in the very nature of the thing, the assurance goes before the confidence. For a man cannot have a child-like confidence in God till he know he is a child of God. Therefore confidence, trust, reliance, adherence, or whatever else it be called, is not the first, as some have supposed, but the second branch or act of faith."

Yet in fact the only difficulty arises from not attending to his mode of stating the case, and his use of the term assurance. When he says that faith includes both adherence and assurance, it is obvious that he does not mean by assurance, the assurance of personal acceptance, which he distinctly, in the same passage, ascribes to the direct testimony of the Spirit of God; but the assurance that Christ "died for me," ," "for my sins," which special manifestation of God's love in Christ to me as an individual, producing an entire trust in the divine sacrifice for sin, he attributes to a supernatural elenchos or conviction.. This, however, he considers as a "conviction" in order to faith or trust; and then the act of personal and entire trust in this manifested love and goodness is succeeded by the direct testimony of the Spirit of adoption, which he tells us gives a man "the assurance that he is a child of God, and a child-like confidence in him." And when he goes on so truly to state, that, "in the very nature of the thing, the assurance goes before the confidence," and that "confidence, trnst, or reliance," is not the first but the second branch of faith, he evidently does not here mean that confidence and trust in the merit of Christ by which we are justified, but filial trust and confidence in God as our reconciled Father, which must necessarily be subsequent to the other. According to Mr. Wesley's views, the order of our passing into a state of justification, and conscious reconcilement to God, is, I. True repentance, which, however, gives us no worthiness, and establishes no claim upon pardon, although it so necessarily precedes justifying faith, that all trust even in the merits of Christ for salvation would be presumptuous and unauthorized without repentance; since, as he says, "Christ is not even to be offered to the careless sinner."* 2. A supernatural elenchos, or assured conviction, that "Christ loved me, and gave himself for me," in the intention of his death; inciting to and producing full acquiescence with God's method of saving the guilty, and an entire personal trust in Christ's atonement for sin. Of this trust, actual justification is the result; but then follows, 3. The

* Sermon on "the law established through faith."

outward sin, and power to keep down inward sin." Justifying faith, when lost, is not again attainable, except by repentance and prayer; but " no believer need come again into a state of doubt, or fear, or darkness; and that (ordinarily at least) he will not, unless by ignorance or unfaithfulness." Assaults of doubt and fear are however admitted, even after great confidence and joy; and “occasional heaviness of spirit before large manifestations of the presence and favour of God." To these views of doctrine may be added, that regeneration or the new birth is held to be concomitant with justification. "Good works cannot go before this faith; much less can sanctification, which implies a continued course of good works, springing from holiness of heart; but they follow after:" and the reason given for this is, that as salvation, which includes a present deliverance from sin, a restoration of the soul to its primitive health, the renewing of the soul after the image of God, all holy and heavenly tempers and conversation, it is by faith, it cannot precede faith, which is the appointed instrument of attaining it. To increase in all these branches of holiness, the exercise of faith in prayer, and the use of all the means appointed by God, are also necessary; a living faith being that which unites the soul to Christ, and secures the constant indwelling and influence of the Holy Spirit in the heart. Such a faith must therefore necessarily lead to universal holiness of heart and life, and stands as an impregnable barrier against Pharisaism on the one hand, and the pollutions of Antinomianism on the other.

On another doctrine, in defence of which Mr. Wesley afterwards wrote much, these early minutes of conference contain perhaps the best epitome of his views, and may be somewhat at length quoted.

"Q. 1. What is it to be sanctified?

direct testimony of the Holy Spirit, giving assurance in different degrees, in different persons, and often in the same person, that I am a child of God; and, 4. Filial confidence in God. The elenchos, the trust, the Spirit's witness, and the filial confidence he held, were frequently, but not always, so closely united as not to be distinguished as to time, though each is, from its nature, successive and distinct.

"A. To be renewed in the image of God, in righteousness and true holiness.

"Q. 2. Is faith the condition, or the instrument, of sanctification?

"A. It is both the condition and instrument of it. When we begin to believe, then sanctification begins. And as faith increases, holiness increases, till we are created anew.

“Q. 3. What is implied in being a perfect Christian? "A. The loving the Lord our God with all our heart, and with all our mind, and soul, and strength, Deut. vi. 5; xxx. 6; Ezek. xxxvi. 25-29.

"Q. 4. Does this imply that all inward sin is taken away?

"A. Without doubt: or how could he be said to be saved from all his uncleannesses?' Ezek. xxxvi. 29."

66 Q. 1. How much is allowed by our brethren who differ from us, with regard to entire sanctification?

"A. They grant, 1. That every one must be entirely sanctified in the article of death.

"2. That, till then, a believer daily grows in grace, comes nearer and nearer to perfection.

"3. That we ought to be continually pressing after this, and to exhort all others so to do.

CC Q. 2. What do we allow to them?

"A. We grant, 1. That many of those who have died in the faith, yea, the greater part of those we have known, were not sanctified throughout, not made perfect in love, till a little before death.

"2. That the term 'sanctified,' is continually applied by Saint Paul to all that were justified, were true believers. "3. That by this term alone, he rarely (if ever) means, saved from all sin.

"4. That, consequently, it is not proper to use it in this sense, without adding the word 'wholly, entirely,' or the like.

"5. That the inspired writers almost continually speak of or to those who were justified; but very rarely, either of or to those who were wholly sanctified.

"6. That, consequently, it behoves us to speak in public almost continually of the state of justification; but more rarely, at least in full and explicit terms, concerning entire sanctification.

"Q. 3. What then is the point wherein we divide ? "A. It is this: whether we should expect to be saved from all sin, before the article of death.

J

"Q. 4. Is there any clear Scripture promise of this? that God will save us from all sin?

"A. There is: Psalm cxxx. 8, 'He shall redeem Israel from all his sins.'

"This is more largely expressed in the prophecy of Ezekiel Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean; from all your filthiness and from all your idols will I cleanse you. I will also save you from all your uncleannesses:' chap. xxxvi. 25, 29. No promise can be more clear. And to this the apostle plainly refers in that exhortation, 'Having these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.' 2 Cor. vii. 1.-Equally clear and express is that ancient promise, 'The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul.' Deut. xxx. 6.

"Q. 5. But does any assertion answerable to this, occur in the New Testament ?

"A. There does, and that laid down in the plainest terms. So St. John iii. 8, 'For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil;' the works of the devil, without any limitation or restriction; but all sin is the work of the devil. · Parallel to which is that assertion of St. Paul, Eph. v. 25, 27, 'Christ loved the church, and gave himself for it-that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.'

"And to the same effect is his assertion in the eighth of Romans, (verses 3, 4,) 'God sent his Son-that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, walking not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

"Q. 6. Does the New Testament afford any farther ground for expecting to be saved from all sin?

"A. Undoubtedly it does, both in those prayers and commands which are equivalent to the strongest assertions.

"Q. 7. What prayers do you mean?

"A. Prayers for entire sanctification; which, were there no such thing, would be mere mockery of God. Such in particular are, 1. 'Deliver us from evil;' or rather, ‘from the evil one.' Now when this is done, when we are delivered from all evil, there can be no sin remaining.—2. 'Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one, as thou Father art in me, and I in thee; that they also may be one in us: I in them and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one.' John xvii. 20, 21, 23.-3. 'I bow my knees unto the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ-that he would grant you that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth, and length, and height, and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God,' Eph. iii. 14, 16-19.-4. 'The very God of peace sanctify you wholly. And I pray God, your whole spirit, soul, and body, be preserved blameless, unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,' 1 Thess. v. 23.

"Q. 8. What command is there to the same effect? "A. 1. 'Be ye perfect, as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.' Matt. vi. ult.

“2. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind,' Matt. xxii. 37. But if the love of God fill all the heart, there can be no sin there.

"Q. 9. But how does it appear, that this is to be done before the article of death?

"A. First, from the very nature of a command, which is not given to the dead, but to the living.

66 Therefore, 'Thou shalt love God with all thy heart,' cannot mean, Thou shalt do this when thou diest, but while thou livest.

"Secondly, from express texts of Scripture :—