Wesley Corpus

How exactly agreeing with the words of the Apostle: (Personating a man convinced of sin, but not yet conquering it:) "The good that I would, I do not; but the evil I would not, that I do!" The impotence of the human mind, even the Roman philosopher could discover: "There is in every man," says he, "this weakness;" (he might have said, this sore disease;) "gloriae sitis, -- thirst for glory. Nature points out the disease; but nature shows us no remedy." 3. Nor is it strange, that though they sought for a remedy, yet they found none. For they sought it where it never was and never will be found, namely, in themselves; in reason, in philosophy: Broken reeds, bubbles, smoke! They did not seek it in God, in whom alone it is possible to find it. In God! No; they totally disclaim this; and that in the strongest terms. For although Cicero, one of their oracles, once stumbled upon that strange truth, Nemo unquam vir magnus sine afflatu divino fuit, -- "There never was any great man who was not divinely inspired;" yet in the very same tract he contradicts himself, and totally overthrows his own assertion, by asking, Quis pro virtute aut sapientia gratias dedit Deis unquam -- "Who ever returned thanks to God for his virtue or wisdom" The Roman poet is, if possible, more express still; who, after mentioning several outward blessings, honestly adds, -- Haec satis est orare Jovem, qui donat et aufert; Det vitam, det opes: aequum mi animum ipse parabo. We ask of God, what we can give or take, -- Life, wealth; but virtuous I myself will make. 4. The best of them either sought virtue partly from God and partly from themselves, or sought it from those gods who were indeed but devils, and so not likely to make their votaries better than themselves. So dim was the light of the wisest of men, till "life and immortality were brought to light by the gospel;" till "the Son of God was manifested to destroy the works of the devil!" But what are "the works of the devil," here mentioned How was "the Son of God manifested" to destroy them And how, in what manner, and by what steps, does he actually "destroy" them These three very important points we may consider in their order.