27. Thus doth Jesus _save his people from their sins_: and not only from outward sins, but also from the sins of their hearts; from evil thoughts and from evil tempers. “True, say some; we shall thus be saved from our sins: but not till death, not in this world.” But how are we to reconcile this with the express words of St. _John_? _Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we_ in this world. The apostle here beyond all contradiction speaks of himself and other living Christians, of whom (as tho’ he had foreseen this very evasion, and set himself to overturn it from the foundation) he flatly affirms, that not only at, or after death, but _in this world_, they are as their Master, _1 John_ iv. 17.
28. Exactly agreeable to this are his words in the first chapter of this epistle, (verse 6, &c.) _God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we walk in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin._ And again, _If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness_. Now it is evident, the apostle here also speaks of a deliverance wrought _in this world_. For he saith not, _the blood of Christ will cleanse_ (at the hour of death, or in the day of judgment) but it _cleanseth_ (at the time present) _us_ (living Christians) _from all sin_. And it is equally evident, that if _any sin_ remain, we are not cleansed from _all sin_: if _any_ unrighteousness remain in the soul, it is not cleansed from all unrighteousness. Neither let any sinner against his own soul say, that this relates to justification only, or the cleaning us from the guilt of sin; _first_, Because this is confounding together what the apostle clearly distinguishes; who mentions first, _to forgive us our sins_, and then _to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Secondly_, Because this is asserting justification by works in the strongest sense possible: it is making all inward, as well as outward holiness, necessarily previous to justification. For if the cleansing here spoken of is no other than the cleansing us from the guilt of sin, then we are not cleaned from guilt; _i. e._ are not justified, unless on condition of _walking in the light, as he is in the light_. It remains then, that Christians are saved in this world from all sin, from all unrighteousness: that they are now in such a sense perfect, as not to commit sin, and to be freed from evil thoughts and evil tempers.
29. Thus hath the Lord fulfilled the things he spake by his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: by _Moses_ in particular, saying (_Deut._ xxx. 6.) _I 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; by_ David crying out, _Create in me a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within me_: and most remarkably by _Ezekiel_, in those words, _Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean; from all_ your _filthiness, and from_ all _your idols will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments and do them.――Ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. I will also save you from all your uncleannesses.――Thus saith the Lord your God, in the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities――the Heathen shall know that I the Lord build the ruined places,――I the Lord have spoken it,――and I will do it_, Ezek. xxxvi. 25, &c.
30. _Having therefore these promises dearly beloved_, both in the law and in the prophets, and having the prophetic word confirmed unto us in the gospel, by our blessed Lord and his apostles: _Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Let us fear lest_ so many promises _being made us of entering into his rest_ (which he that hath entered into, _is ceased from his own works_) _any of us should come short of it. This one thing let us do; forgeting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, Let us press toward the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus_: crying unto him day and night, till we also are _delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the sons of God_.
THE PROMISE of SANCTIFICATION.
EZEK. xxxvi. 25, &c.
By the Rev. Mr. CHARLES WESLEY.
GOD of all power, and truth, and grace, Which shall from age to age endure; Whose word, when heaven and earth shall pass, Remains, and stands for ever sure:
Calmly to thee my soul looks up, And waits thy promises to prove; The object of my stedfast hope, The seal of thine eternal love.
That I thy mercy may proclaim, That all mankind thy truth may see, Hallow thy great and glorious name, And perfect holiness in me.