Wesley Corpus

(3.) If it was the state of all heathen nations, how came it to be so? How was it, that there was not one uncorrupted nation on earth? (4.) How could any heathen nation be in this state; “without strength; unable to recover themselves” from sin, without the extraordinary interposal of the divine grace? since you are clear in this, “that all the Gentiles are endowed with light and power sufficient to know God, and perform obedience to his will, by their natural powers of reason and understanding.” (Page 111.) If you say, “They were once endowed with these powers, but now they had cast them away;” I am not satisfied still. What, did all nations cast away their natural powers of reason and understanding? Surely not. But if not, how came they all to plunge themselves into this dreadful corruption? 8. Another proof is, “The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Rom viii. 7, 8.) On this you observe, (1.) “Here is not one word of Adam, or any consequence of his sin upon us.” The whole passage speaks of that corruption of our nature which is the consequence of Adam’s sin. The plain and obvious sense of it is this: “What the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh,” (too weak to contend with our corrupt nature,) God hath done: “Sending his own Son,” he hath “condemned” that “sin” which was “in our flesh;” (verse 3;) hath given sentence that it should be destroyed: “That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit;” (verse 4;) who are guided in all our thoughts, words, and actions, not by corrupt nature, but by the Spirit of God. “They that are after the flesh”--who are still guided by corrupt nature--“mind the things of the flesh;” have their thoughts and affections fixed on such things as gratify cor rupt nature; “but they that are after the Spirit”--who are under his guidance--“mind the things of the Spirit;” (verse 5;) think of, relish, love the things which the Spirit hath re vealed; which he moves us to, and promises to give us.