Wesley Corpus

“‘The putting on the new man’ is one thing, and the creating him is another. He must first be created, and then put on.” (Page 152.) No.; he is created and put on at the same time; the former word more directly referring to God, who creates, the latter to man, who is created. “But God,” you say, “‘created the new man, when he erected the gospel dispensation, as appears from Eph. ii. 15, 19-22.” I answer: (1.) If those latter verses are explanatory of that expression, “one new man,” in the 15th, then it does not mean one out ward profession, but the one Church of living believers in Christ. (2.) The expression in the 15th verse is not the same with what we are now considering. Neither is the meaning of that and this expression the same: “One new man means one Church, and nothing else;” “the new man” means quite another thing,-the work of God in every individual believer. You say, 5. “‘The old man and the new, and ‘the new 'man's being renewed and created, and the ‘renewing of the Ephesians, all refer, not to any corruption of nature, but to their late wicked life.” (Page 153.) What? Does their being “renewed in the spirit of their mind” refer only to their wicked life? If you had not affirmed this, I should really wonder at your affirming quickly after, “In all other places of Scripture, except 2 Cor. iv. 16, ‘renewing’ relates only to a vicious course of life;” (Page 154;) seeing you immediately confute yourself by both the following citations:--“Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewal of your mind:” (Rom.xii. 2:) Unless the mind be only another expression for “a vicious course of life.” “We ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures; living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.” (Titus iii. 3-5.) Do these words imply nothing but “a vicious course of life?” no inward corruption at all? “‘But after that the lovingkindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,--He saved us by the renewing of the Holy Ghost.’” From what? from a vicious course of life only? Nay, but from “foolishness” of heart also; from error, from malice, hatred, envy, evil desire; all which are inward corruptions.