Wesley Corpus

But in the same old book there is another word: “I can do all things through Christ strengthening me.” Here the charm is dissolved ! The light breaks in, and the shadows flee away. One of these sentences should never be viewed apart from the other: Each receives light from the other. God hath joined them together, and let no man put them asunder. Now, taking this into the account, I care not one pin for all Dr. Hartley can say of his vibrations. Allowing the whole which he contends for, allowing all the links of his mathematical chain to be as indissolubly joined together as are the propositions in Euclid; suppose vibrations, per ceptions, judgments, passions, tempers, actions, ever so naturally to follow each other: What is all this to the God of nature? Cannot he stop, alter, annihilate any or all of these, in whatever manner, and in whatever moment he pleases? Away then with all these fine-wrought speculations ! Sweep them off as a spider's web | Scatter them in the wind How helpless soever they may be “who are without God in the world;” however they may groan under the iron hand of dire necessity; necessity has no power over those “who have the Lord for their God.” Each of these can say, through happy experience, “I can do all things through Christ strengthening me.” 2. Again: Allowing all the minute philosophers can say, of the traces formed in the brain, and of perceptions, judgments, passions, tempers, words, and actions naturally flowing there from: Whatever dreadful consequences may follow from hence, with regard to those who know not God, who have only natural reason and free-will to oppose the power of nature; (which we know to have no more force than a thread of tow that has touched the fire;) under the influence of the God of nature, we laugh all our enemies to scorn. He can alter or efface all these traces in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. Still, although “without Him I can do nothing,” “I can do all things through Christ strengthening me.” 3. Yet again: Let Mr. Edwards say all he will or can, concerning the outward appearances of things, as giving rise to sensations, association of ideas, passions, dispositions, and actions; allowing this to be the course of nature: What then? See One superior to nature !