Wesley Corpus

Nay, but he means as he speaks. They “are alienated from the life of God,” from the time of their coming into the world. From the time of their birth, they “knew not the way of truth; ” neither can, unless they are “born of God.” You cite as a parallel text, “‘Thou wast called a transgressor from the womb; that is, set to iniquity by prevailing habits and customs.” Nay, the plain meaning is, The Israelites in general had never kept God’s law since they came into the world. Perhaps the phrase, “from the womb,” is once used figura tively, namely, Job xxxi. 18. But it is manifest, that it is to be literally taken, Isaiah xlix. 1 : “The Lord hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.” For, (1.) This whole passage relates to Christ; these expressions in particular. (2.) This was lite rally fulfilled, when the angel was sent while he was yet in the womb, to order that his “name * should be “called Jesus.” This is not therefore barely “an hyperbolical form of aggravating sin; ” but a humble confession of a deep and weighty truth, whereof we cannot be too sensible. “But you have no manner of ground to conclude, that it relates to Adam’s sin.” (Page 136.) Whether it relates to Adam’s personal sin or no, it relates to a corrupt nature. This is the present question; and your pulling in Adam’s sin only tends to puzzle the reader. But how do you prove (since you will drag this in) that it does not relate to Adam’s sin? Thus: “(1.) In the whole Psalm there is not one word about Adam, or the effects of his sin upon us.” Here, as usual, you blend the two questions together; the ready way to confound an unwary reader. But first, to the first: “In the whole Psalm there is not one word about Adam; therefore it relateth not to him.” Just as well you may argue, “In the whole Psalm there is not oneword about Uriah; there fore it relatethnot to him.” The second assertion, “There is not one word of the effects of his sin,” is a fair begging the question. “(2.) The Psalmist is here charging himself with his own sin.” He is; and tracing it up to the fountain.