The works of the Rev. John Wesley, Vol. 06 (of 32)Wesley, John
Religion
The works of the Rev. John Wesley, Vol. 06 (of 32)
Wesley, John
Methodist Church; Theology -- Early works to 1800; Theology -- History -- 18th century
“7. Into this world thus created out of the _ruins_ of the kingdom of
the fallen angels, was man introduced on the sixth day of the creation,
to take his place as lord and prince of it; to have power over all
outward things, to discover and manifest the wonders of this new
created world, and to bring forth such an _holy offspring_, as might
fill up the place of the fallen angels. And when certain periods of
time had produced these great effects, then this _whole frame_ was by
the last _purifying fire_, to have been raised from its paradisaical
state, into that _first heavenly_ brightness and glory, in which it
stood before the fall of _Lucifer_.
“8. But the first man, thus created to be a prince of a new, angelical
kingdom, stood not out his trial.
“9. He came into this world in that _same glorious_ body in which after
the resurrection, he shall _be like the angels in heaven_. For no other
body, but that which was at _first_ created shall rise in Jesus Christ.
He only restores that which was lost. The resurrection will only take
away what _sin_ and _death_, and _earth_, had added to the _first
created_ body.
“10. In this glorious body, did the first man stand in this world,
incapable of receiving any hurt, or _knowing_ evil from outward nature.
The _Holy Ghost_ was the _light_ that illuminated all both within and
without him.
“11. Had he fixed his will to be _eternally_ what he was, had he
desired only to eat of the tree of life, to live by the word of God, he
had been established and confirmed an eternal angel, or divine man.
“12. But his imagination wandered after the secrets of this outward
world, after the knowledge of such good and evil, as wrought an entire
change in his nature.
“He turned from the tree of life to the forbidden fruit. And so he fell
as deep into an _earthly life_, and the miseries of the earth, as the
devil fell into a _hellish life_, and the miseries of hell.
“13. And here we may see as in a glass, what it is that earthly desires
_now do_ to every son of _Adam_. They do all that which they did to the
first man. They carry on, keep up, and continue that _same_ death in us
which he died in paradise.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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