Page:The works of the Rev. John Wesley, M.A., late fellow of Lincoln-College, Oxford (IA worksofrevjohnwe3wesl).pdf/212

 26. He therefore who liveth in true believers, hath purified their hearts by faith: insomuch that ''every one that hath Christ in him, the hope of glory, purifieth himself even as he is pure''. (1 John iii. 3.) He is purified from pride; for Christ was lowly of heart. He is pure from self-will, or desire; for Christ desired only to do the will of his Father, and to finish his work. And he is pure from anger, in the common sense of the word; for Christ was meek and gentle, patient and long-suffering. I say, in the common sense of the word: for all anger is not evil. We read of our Lord himself (Mark iii. 5.) that he once looked round with anger. But with what kind of anger? The next word shews; [Greek: sullupoumenos], being ''at the same time grieved for the hardness of their hearts''. So then he was angry at the sin, and in the same moment grieved for the sinners. Angry or displeased at the offence; but sorry, for the offenders. With anger, yea, hatred, he looked upon the thing; with grief and love upon the persons. Go thou that art perfect, and do likewise. Be thus angry, and thou sinnest not: feeling a displacency at every offence against God; but only love and tender compassion to the offender.

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