Wesley Corpus

Ye are ‘enemies to God in your mind.’ Ye are not as yet reconciled to him. The natural enmity is not slain, though perhaps it lies hid, and ye do not perceive it. Every natural man is an enemy to God, as he is revealed in his word, --to an infinitely holy, just, powerful, and true Being. In effect, men are naturally “haters of God;’ and if they could, they would certainly make him another than what he is. “To convince you of this, let me propose a few queries: (1.) How are your hearts affected to the infinite holiness of God? If ye are not “partakers of his holiness, ye cannot be reconciled to it. The Heathens, finding they were not like God in holiness, made their gods like themselves in filthiness; and thereby discovered what sort of a god the natural man would have. God is holy. Can an unholy creature love his unspotted holiness? Nay, it is ‘the righteous” only that can “give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.” God is light: Can creatures of darkness, and that walk in darkness, rejoice therein? Nay, “every one that doeth evil hateth the light.” For what communion hath light with darkness? (2.) How are your hearts affected to the justice of God? There is not a man who is wedded to his sins, but would be content with the blood of his body to blot that letter out of the name of God. Can the malefactor love his condemning judge; or an unjustified sinner a just God? No, he cannot. And hence, since men cannot get the doctrine of his justice blotted out of the Bible, yet it is such an eye-sore to them, that they strive to blot it out of their minds; they ruin themselves by presuming on his mercy, “ saying in their heart, The Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil.” (3.) How are ye affected to the omniscience and omnipresence of God? Men naturally would ratherhave a blind idol, than an all-seeing God; and therefore do what they can, as Adam did, to ‘hide themselves from the presence of the Lord.’ They no more love an omni present God, than the thief loves to have the judge witness to his evil deeds. (4.) How are ye affected to the truth of God?