The Progress of Mr. Wesley's View

"From the Scriptures he early formed an exalted standard of the Christian character. His sermon on "Circumcision of the Heart," in 1733, expressed all that he afterward taught under the name of Christian perfection, although he would have then "started at the word." But he knew not the way to attain it. He says: "I was utterly ignorant of the nature and condition of justification. Sometimes I confounded it with sanctification; at other times I had some confused notion about the forgiveness of sins; but then I took it for granted the time of this must be either the hour of death or the day of judgment. I was equally ignorant of the nature of saving faith; apprehending it to mean no more than 'a firm assent to all the propositions contained in the Old and New Testaments.' "-Vol. 5, p. 80.

In April, 1738, he saw from Scripture, and living witnesses, that conversion is an instantaneous work obtained by simple faith; and May 24, he proved it in his own experience. "Till then," he says, "sin had dominion over me."

His opinion as to what constitutes Christian perfection underwent no change, although he had occasion to modify a few expressions in which he stated the doctrine. He saw clearly from this time that all grace, even in its highest degrees, is received by faith; and in this he never wavered. But he was "weak in the faith" and a "babe in Christ," as all young converts are. Doubts and fears crowded upon him. He found it necessary to sit at the feet of those who had more perfect knowledge of the way of faith. ( Complete in 11 pages)
 

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