Page:The works of the Rev. John Wesley, M.A., late fellow of Lincoln-College, Oxford (IA worksofrevjohnwe3wesl).pdf/147

 he grows in grace till he is not only holy in heart, but in all manner of conversation.

14. All this is indeed the work of God. It is God alone who can cast out Satan. But he is generally pleased to do this by man, as an instrument in his hand: who is then said, ''to cast out devils in his name'', by his power and authority. And he sends whom he will send upon this great work: but usually such as man would never have thought of. For his ways are not as our ways, neither his thoughts as our thoughts. Accordingly he chuses the weak to confound the mighty, the foolish, to confound the wise: for this plain reason, that he may secure the glory to himself; that no flesh may glory in his sight.

II. 1. But shall we not forbid one who thus casteth out devils, if he followeth not us? This it seems was both the judgment and practice of the apostle, till he referred the case to his Master. We forbad him, saith he, ''because he followeth not us'', which he supposed to be a very sufficient reason. What we may understand by this expression, He followeth not us, is the next point to be considered.

The lowest circumstance we can understand thereby, is, he has no outward connexion with us. We do not labour in conjunction with each other. He is not our fellow-helper in the gospel. And indeed whensoever our Lord is pleased, to send many labourers into his harvest, they can