Wesley Corpus

The best of men cannot be made unhappy by any calamities or oppressions whatsoever; for they “have learned in every” possible “state, therewith to be content.” In spite of all calamities, they “rejoice evermore, and in everything give thanks.” “From punishments inflicted on particular persons, he infers that all men are under the wrath of God. But to infer the state of the whole from the case of some is not a fair way of arguing.” (Page 40.) No. The punishments inflicted on particular per sons prove nothing, but with regard to those on whom they are inflicted. If, therefore, some men only suffer and die, this proves nothing with regard to the rest. But if the whole of mankind suffer and die, then the conclusion reaches all men. “He is not quite just, in pronouncing the present form of the earth “irregular, abrupt, and horrid;’ and asking, “Doth it not bear strongly on our sight, the ideas of ruin and con fusion, in vast broken mountains, dreadful cliffs and precipices, immense extents of waste and barren ground?” If this be the case, how can ‘the invisible things of God’ be “clearly seen from such a ruined ‘creation?’” (Page 41.) Perfectly well. “His eternal power and Godhead,” the existence of a power ful and eternal Being, may still be inferred from these his works, grand and magnificent, though in ruin. Consequently, these leave the Atheist without excuse. And whatever objec tions he might form (as Lucretius actually does) from these palpable blemishes and irregularities of the terraqueous globe, the scriptural account of natural, flowing from moral, evil, will easily and perfectly solve them; all which is well con sistent with the words of the Psalmist: “O Lord, how mani fold are thy works ! In wisdom hast thou made them all ; the earth is full of thy riches!” (Page 42.) So undoubtedly it is, though it bears so visible signs of ruin and devastation.