Wesley Corpus

Therefore, bre thren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: But if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” (Verses 9-14.) Is there one word here, is there any the least intimation, of miraculous gifts, or of the Jewish law? It follows, “For ye have not received the Spirit of bondage again to fear; ” such as all sinners have, when they are at first stirred up to seek God, and begin to serve him from a slavish fear of punishment; “but ye have received the Spirit. of adoption,” of free love, “whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself,” which God “hath sent forth into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father, beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.” (Verses 15, 16.) I am now willing to leave it, without farther comment, to the judgment of every impartial reader, whether it does not. appear from the whole scope and tenor of the text and con text taken together, that this passage does not refer to the Jewish law, nor to the public testimony of miracles; neither of which can be dragged in without putting the utmost force on the natural meaning of the words. And if so, it will fol low, that this “witness of the Spirit” is the private testimony given to our own consciences; which, consequently, all sober Christians may claim, without any danger of enthusiasm. 11. “But I go on,” says your Lordship, “to the considera tion of the other passages in the same chapter, relating to our praying by the Spirit, namely, at verses 26 and 27, which run thus: “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: For we know not what we should pray for as we ought : But the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh interces sion for the saints according to the will of God.’” (P. 21.) Here is a circumstance highly needful to be observed, be fore we enter upon this question. Your Lordship undertakes to fix the meaning of an expression used by St.