Wesley Corpus

is an invulnerable shield against the force of temptation. Hazael, king of Syria, was offended highly at the prophet,- for predicting the evils which he should bring upon the Israelites. " Is thy servant a dog that he should do this great thing ? " was the rebuke he gave the man of God ; but when he had contemplated the splen dour of a crown, and permitted his thoughts to dwell on the pleasures of high station, his heart swelled with pride and ambition, and he soon fulfilled the awful prognostication, slew his master, ascended his throne, and exercised his ill-gotten power with so much tyrannic cruelty, as served to accomplish the designs of Providence, who appointed him a scourge to the rebellious nation, which had become traitors to their God ; and has given in this narration, to all ages, a striking instance of the deceitfulness of the human heart, and the danger of not checking evil thoughts before they proceed to actions. The case is plain ; if we would be holy, we must use the means. The lesson of Christian perfection is not to be learned at once ; we must be well exercised in rudiments and first principles, if we ever hope to make a progress in the school of Christ. By habituating our selves to little restraints in the first instance, by voluntarily imposing on ourselves small crosses, we shall in time become conformed to His death, who deemed no sacrifice too great to purchase our salvation. By abstaining from taking the utmost liberty we lawfully may, we shall be effectually secured from even the desire of criminal gratifications, and escape the dreadful guilt of heinous and presumptuous tins. The children of this world (who in their ge neration are wiser than the children of light) will eminently prove the advantages resulting from strict exactness, and punctual regularity, in the most trifling things; they will tell'us of the benefits resulting from doing every thing by rule and order, neglecting no means of gain, and ever adding to their accumulations ; and why the same attention is not required in a Christian, which experience teaches us is so useful in a tradesman's concerns, it will be difficult to show. Christianity is an employ