Wesley Corpus

But if so, and if wherever ‘flesh” is opposed to ‘the Spirit, it implies sinful corruption, then it is evident, to be ‘born of the flesh, is to be the sinful offspring of sinful parents, so as to have need of the renewing influ ences of the Holy Spirit, on that account, even from our birth. “If to ‘walk after the flesh, as opposed to “walking after the Spirit,” is to follow our sinful inclinations; if to ‘be in the flesh, opposed to “being in the Spirit, is to be in a state of sin; if ‘the flesh” and ‘the Spirit” are two contrary prin ciples, which counteract each other; (Gal. v. 16, 17;) if ‘the works of the flesh, and the lusts of the flesh, are opposed to ‘the Spirit” and ‘the fruit of the Spirit;’ then, “to be born of the flesh” must signify more than barely to be born of a woman. Had Adam transmitted a pure nature to his de scendants, still each of them would have been born of a woman; but they would have had no necessity of being ‘born of the Spirit, or renewed by the Holy Ghost. “But what is that corruption of nature which the Scrip ture terms flesh 2 There are two branches of it: 1. A want of original righteousness: 2. A natural propensity to sin. “1. A want of original righteousness. God created man righteous; holiness was connatural to his soul; a principle of love and obedience to God. But when he sinned he lost this principle. And every man is now born totally void both of the knowledge and love of God. “2. A natural propensity to sin is in every man. And this is inseparable from the other. If man is born and grows up without the knowledge or love of God, he is born and grows up propense to sin; which includes two things,'--an aversion to what is good, and an inclination to what is evil. “We are naturally averse to what is good. ‘The carnal mind is enmity against God. Nature does not, will not, cannot, submit to his holy, just, and good law. Therefore, ‘they that are in the flesh cannot please God. Being averse to the will, law, and ways of God, they are utterly indisposed for such an obedience as the relation between God and man indispensably requires.