Wesley Corpus

It was wrought into his nature, and concreated with his rational powers. A rational creature, as such, is capable of knowing, loving, serving, living in communion with, the Most Holy One. Adam at first either did or did not use this capacity; either he knew and loved God, or he did not. If he did not, he was not ‘very good, no, nor good at all: If he did, he was upright, righteous, holy.” (Page 12.) “3. When God vested man with dominion over the other creatures, how was he qualified for exercising that dominion,' unless he had in himself a principle of love and obedience to the Supreme Governor? Did not God form the creatures obedient to man, to confirm man in his loving obedience to God; Or did he create them with a disposition to depend on and obey man as their lord, and not create man with a disposition to obey and live dependent on the Lord of all? But this disposition is uprightness. Therefore God “made man upright.’” (Page 13.) “4. Either man was created with principles of love and obe dience, or he was created an enemy to God. One of these must be: For as all the duty required of man, as a rational being, is summarily comprised in love, a supreme love to God, and a sub ordinate love to others, for his sake; so there can be no me dium between a rational creature's loving God, and not loving, which is a degree of ‘enmity’ to him. Either, O man, thou lovest God, or thou dost not: If thou dost, thou art holy or righteous; if thou dost not, thou art indisposed to serve him in such a manner, and with such a frame of spirit, as he re quires. Then thou art an enemy to God, a rebel against his authority. But God could not create man in such a state, in a state of enmity against himself. It follows, that man was created a lover of God, that is, righteous and holy.” (Page 14.) “In a word: Can you prove, either that man was not ‘created after God,” or that this does not mean, being ‘created in righteousness and true holiness?’ Was not man, as all crea tures, good in his kind? And is a rational creature good, unless all its powers are devoted to God?