Wesley Corpus

These are still ‘children of wrath: ’ But whatever difference there is between us and them, we were once what they are now. “(6.) He expressly says, “We were children of wrath even as others, by nature,” or, from our birth. He does not say, We became so by education, or by imitation, or by cus tom in sinning; but, to show us when it is that we commence sinners, by what means we become ‘children of wrath, whence it is that we are so prone to evil from our infancy and to imitate bad rather than good examples, he says, “We were children of wrath by nature; we were born fallen crea tures; we came into the world sinners, and, as such, liable to wrath, in consequence of the fall of our first father. “But, it is affirmed, (i.) That “by nature means, by habit or custom.’ I answer, Though the term, nature, with some qualifying expression annexed, is sometimes taken for in veterate custom, yet it is never so taken when put singly, without any such qualifying expression. When, therefore, the Apostle says absolutely, ‘We are children of wrath by nature, this, according to the constant sense of the words, must mean, We were so from our birth.” (Page 31.) “It is affirmed, (ii.) That “because the original words stand 420 ThE DOCTRINE OF thus, tekwa buoet opyms, children by nature of wrath; there fore, children by nature means only truly and really children of wrath. I answer, The consequence is good for nothing: For let the words stand as they will, it is evident that recwa. $vae are, children by birth ; or, such as are born so, in dis tinction from those who became such afterward. “It is affirmed, (iii.) ‘That buoet, by nature, signifies no more than truly or really.” I answer, First, It is not allowed, that any good Greek writers ever use the word in this sense. Secondly, Whatever others do, the writers of the New Testa ment always use it in another sense. So Galatians ii. 15: “We who are Jews by nature,’ buoet Iovôatou that is, We who are born Jews, in contradistinction to proselytes. ‘Ye did service to them which by nature are no gods; ” (Gal. iv.8;) um bvaret ovat Seous, persons or things which are partakers of no divine nature.