Page:The works of the Rev. John Wesley, M.A., late fellow of Lincoln-College, Oxford (IA worksofrevjohnwe3wesl).pdf/213

 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 dis