Wesley Corpus

ii. 15: “Christ abolished the enmity, to make” (or create) “in himself of twain one new man.” Does this only mean one new profession? It evidently means one Church, both of Jews and Gentiles. You prove it, 2. From Col. iii. 8-12; where “the Apostle tells the Colossian Christians, that ‘now’ they were obliged to “put off anger, and “to put on bowels of mercies;’ to admit the Christian spirit into their hearts, and to practise Christian duties; for this reason, because they “had put off the old man, and ‘had put on the new. This shows ‘the new man’ was something they might have “put on, and yet be defective in personal, internal holiness.” True; defective so far, as still to want more; more “bowels of mercies, meekness, long-suf fering.” But this does not show, that the “new man” does not mean the principle both of internal and external holiness. The consciousness of having received this is a strong motive both to depart from evil, and to labour after a continual increase of every holy and heavenly temper; therefore, here likewise, “the putting off the old and the putting on the new man” does not mean an outward profession, but a real, inward change; a renewal of soul “in righteousness and true holiness.” You prove it, 3. From Eph. iv. 22, 24: “Here,” you say, “he considers ‘the putting off the old and ‘putting on the new man’ as a duty. They had done it by profession, and therefore were obliged to do it effectually.” They had done it effectually. So the whole tenor of the Apostle's words implies: “Ye have not so learned Christ; if so be,” rather, seeing that, “ye have been taught by him;--that ye put off the old man; --and be renewed in the spirit of your mind;--and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” (Eph. iv. 20-24.) The Apostle here manifestly speaks, not of a lesson they had not learned, but of one which God had taught them already; and thence exhorts them to walk worthy of the blessing they had received, to be “holy in all manner of conversation.” But, 4. “‘The putting on the new man’ is one thing, and the creating him is another.