Page:The works of the Rev. John Wesley, M.A., late fellow of Lincoln-College, Oxford (IA worksofrevjohnwe3wesl).pdf/214

 tinguishes; who mentions first, ''to forgive us our sins, and then to cleanse us from all unrighteousness''. Secondly, Because this is asserting justification by works in the strongest sense possible: it is making all inward, as well as outward holiness, necessarily previous to justification. For if the cleansing here spoken of is no other than the cleansing us from the guilt of sin, then we are not cleaned from guilt; i. e. are not justified, unless on condition of walking in the light, as he is in the light. It remains then, that Christians are saved in this world from all sin, from all unrighteousness: that they are now in such a sense perfect, as not to commit sin, and to be freed from evil thoughts and evil tempers.

29. Thus hath the Lord fulfilled the things he spake by his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: by Moses in particular, saying (Deut. xxx. 6.) ''I will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul; by'' David crying out, ''Create in me a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within me: and most remarkably by Ezekiel, in those words, Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean; from all'' your filthiness, and from all ''your idols will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments and do them.—Ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. I will also save you from all your unclean-*''