Wesley Corpus

And the chase has been continued, ever since Nimrod began his hunting; as on the earth, so in the seas, the greater still devouring the lesser. Now, when we see the world in such a ferment, every one stabbing another with words or swords, these violent heats among the sons of Adam speak the whole body to be distempered; ‘the whole head to be sick, and the whole heart faint.” “(5.) Consider the necessity of human laws, fenced with terrors and severities. Man was made for society; and God himself said, when he created him, it was not good for him to be alone. Yet the case is such now, that, in society, he must be hedged in with thorns. And from hence we may the better discern the corruption of man’s nature, consider, (i.) Every man naturally kves to be at full liberty himself; and, were he to follow his inclination, would vote himself out of the reach of all laws, divine and human: Yet, (ii) No man would willingly adventure to live in a lawless society; and, therefore, even pirates and robbers have laws among themselves. Thus men show they are conscious of the corruption of nature, not daring to trust one another but upon security. (iii.) How dangerous soever it is to break through the hedge, yet many will do it daily. They will not only sacrifice their conscience and credit, but, for the pleasure of a few moments, lay them selves open to a violent death, by the laws of the land wherein they live. (iv.) Laws are often made to yield to man’s lusts. Sometimes whole societies break off the fetters, and the voice of laws cannot be heard for the noise of arms: And seldom there is a time, wherein there are not some persons so great and daring, that the laws dare not look them in the face. (v.) Observe even the Israelites, separated to God from all the nations of the earth; yet what horrible confusions were among them, when ‘there was no King in Israel!” How hard was it to reform them, when they had the best of magistrates ! And how quickly did they turn aside again, when they had wicked rulers! It seems, one grand design of that sacred history was, to discover the corruption of man’s nature.