ITS CONNECTION WITH THE WORK OF GOD

After 1760, Mr. Wesley saw more clearly than before the connection of entire holiness with the whole work of God, and its necessity as a preparation for increased usefulness. He makes this general statement: "We did hear of persons sanctified in London, and most other parts of England, and in Dublin and many other parts of Ireland, as frequently as of persons justified; although instances of the latter were far more frequent than they had been for twenty years before." -- Vol. iv, p. 139. And then more particular accounts: "I examined (in 1765) the society at Bristol, and was surprised to find fifty members fewer than I left last October. One reason is, Christian perfection has been little insisted on; and wherever this is not done, be the preachers ever so eloquent, there is little increase, either in the number or the grace of the hearers." -- Vol. iv, p.

220. In 1775: "I preached at Bradford, where the people are all alive. Many here have lately experienced the great salvation, and their zeal has been a general blessing. Indeed this I always observe, wherever a work of sanctification breaks out, the whole work of God prospers. Some are convinced of sin; others justified, and all stirred up to greater earnestness for salvation." -- Vol. iv,

p. 437. "The word of God has free course, (at Otley, in 1776, and brings forth much fruit. This is chiefly owing to the spirit and behavior of those whom God has perfected in love. Their zeal stirs up many; and their steady and uniform conversation, has a language almost irresistible." -- Vol. iv,

p.451. " I found the plain reason why the work of God had gained no ground in this (Launceston) circuit all the year. The preachers had given up the Methodist testimony. Either they did not speak of perfection at all (the peculiar doctrine committed to our trust), or they spoke of it only in general terms, without urging the believers to go on unto perfection, and to expect it every moment. And wherever this is not earnestly done the work of God does not prosper." -- Vol. iv, p. 459. "Here (at Yorkshire, in 1760) began that glorious work of sanctification which had been nearly at a stand for twenty years. But from time to time it spread: and wherever the work of sanctification increased, the whole work of God increased in all its branches. Many were convinced of sin, many justified, many backsliders healed." -- Vol. vii, p.376. "Of what use to a whole community may one person be, even a woman, that is full of faith and love." -- Vol. iv, p. 732. He writes to Miss Pywell, in 1773: "One part of your work is to stir up all who have believed to go on unto perfection, and every moment to expect the full salvation which is received by simple faith. I am persuaded your being where you are will be for good. Speak to all about you, and spare not." --Vol. vii, p.36.

We shall find that his views respecting preaching sanctification are in strict agreement with all these earnest sentiments. In 1745 he said it should be preached "scarce at all to those who are not pressing forward; to those who are, always by way of promise; always drawing rather than driving." -- Vol vi, p.496. In 1746 he said: "It behooves us to speak almost continually of the state of justification but more rarely, at least in full and explicit terms, concerning entire sanctification." -- Vol. vi, p. 437. At a later day he qualifies this by saying: "More rarely, I allow; but yet in some places very frequently, strongly and explicitly." -- Ib. Henry Moore, his friend and biographer, remarks respecting this passage: "At that time our congregations in general needed to be taught the first principles of the oracles of God. They need now to be urged to leave these principles of the doctrines of Christ, and to go on to perfection and not a few have lost their first love, and turned back to the world for want of being so urged." Mr. Wesley so clearly saw the same necessity, that in 1764 he said: "All our preachers should make a point of preaching perfection to believers constantly, strongly and explicitly; and all believers should mind this one thing, and continually agonize for it." -- Vol. vi, p.529. In 1762 he says: "The more I converse with the believers in Cornwall, the more I am convinced that they have sustained great loss for want of hearing the doctrine of Christian perfection clearly and strongly enforced. I see wherever this is not done, the believers grow dead and cold. Nor can this be prevented but by keeping up in them an hourly expectation of being perfected in love." -- Vol. iv, p. 137. In 1776 he writes to a friend: "Where Christian perfection is not strongly and explicitly preached, there is seldom any remarkable blessing from God; and consequently little addition to the society, and little life in the members of it. Speak and spare not. Let not regard for any man induce you to betray the truth of God. Till you press the believers to expect full salvation now, you must not look for any revival." -- Vol. vi,

p.761. In 1771 he writes: "I hope Brother C. is not ashamed to preach full salvation, receivable now by faith. This is the word which God will always bless and which the devil peculiarly hates, therefore he is constantly stirring up both his own children and the weak children of God against it." -- Vol. vii, p.55. And his letters to his preachers during the last thirty years of his life abound in exhortations to "urge all the believers strongly and explicitly, to go on to perfection," and to "expect it now by simple faith." -- Vol. vii, p. 206.