Wesley Corpus

more happiness he enjoys : for as all the poor in spirit, all that believe in God, all that trust in him, and love him, are blessed ; so the greater their humility, faith, hope, and love the greater is their blessedness : and thus they go on from strength to strength, they go on from one measure of joy to another, till what was sown on earth be removed into a better soil, and grown up to perfection in heaven. But before this is explained further it may be proper to examine an objection which almost every one is ready to make, and this is, that by this doctrine every Christian is happy j which is contrary to experience, there being many good Christians who scarcely know what joy means. I answer, Is that mind truly in them which, was in Christ Jesus ? Have they those tempers which he requires ? Are they renewed in hu mility, faith, hope, and love ? Otherwise they are only nominal Christians, and however un happy they are it is nothing to the present question. Supposing they have some degree of these tempers, have they such a degree as they might have ? have they as much as the first Christ