Mather on Perfection

When Brother Wesley had read Alexander Mather's account of his life and ministry, he wrote back to Mather that he had "wholly omitted one considerable branch of his experience, touching what is properly termed 'the great salvation.'" So Mather added a bit more to his testimony concerning what Methodists call "entire sanctification," "the second blessing," or "Christian perfection."

Mather says:

"What I had experienced in my own soul was an instantaneous deliverance from all those wrong tempers and affections which I had long endured under, an entire disengagement from every creature with an entire devotedness to God: and from that moment I found an unspeakable pleasure in doing the will of God in all things. I had also a power to do it, and the constant approbation both of my own conscience and of God. I had simplicity of heart and a single eye to God at all times and in all places, with a such a fervent zeal for the glory of God and the good of souls as swallowed up every other care and consideration."

"as to the manner wherein this work was wrought: 1. After I was clearly justified, I was soon made sensible of my want of it [perfection] 2 My conviction of the need of a farther change was abundantly increased by the searching preaching of Mr Walsh, of blessed memory. This kept my conscience very tender, even to the degree of scrupulosity, and helped me to be much in private prayer [old Methodists would call this "praying through;' that is, praying through and past temptations. It works even for heroin addiction.]

After reading Mather's experience, Wesley added this note:

"I earnestly desire that all our preachers would seriously consider the preceding account. And let them not be content never to speak against the great salvation, either in public or private, and never to discourage any that think they have attained it--no, prudently encourage them to 'hold fast whereunto they have attained,' and strongly exhort all believers to go on to perfection; yea to expect full salvation from sin every moment, by mere grace, through simple faith."

Mather also related something that seems a small thing, but shows the invasive practicality of entire sanctification:

"while I was following hard after God, I had frequent temptations to resume my Latin, and learn the other languages, especially when I observed some of my brethren who had made some progress therein, though they had not the same advantages as me. but the comfort I found in spending all my time [in prayer and evangelism], and the thought that however this might recommend them to some hearers, yet they were not thereby more instrumental than before, either in awakening or converting or building up souls. This I have considered as the only business and particular glory of a Methodist preacher."

source: Wesley's Veterans, vol. 2