proves how low he has fallen from his uprightness -how degraded is his nature, and how corrupt the source of all his actions-the very root decayed. And if the root be so corrupt, what must be the branches? If the fountain be impure, who can cleanse the streams? Accordingly David, "me. 998 speaking of himself, and consequently including every one "that is born of a woman, "6 exclaims "who can understand his errors? Cleanse thou "me from secret faults." Behold I was shapen "in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive But he is still more explicit respecting the universality of this natural corruption. "They "are corrupt, they have done abominable works, "there is none that doeth good. The Lord looked "down from heaven upon the children of men, to "see if there were any that did understand, and "seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth 66 66 good, no, not one." The prophets with one mouth declare the prevalence of the same hereditary disease. "Woe is me (says Isaiah) for I am un"done; because I am a man of unclean lips, and "I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips.' "We are as an unclean thing, and all our righteous"nesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a "leaf; and our iniquities like the wind, have taken The whole head is sick, and the "us away. 6 Job xxv. 4. 7 Psl. xix. 12. 1 Isa. vi. 5. 8 Psl. li. 5. 9 Psl. xiv. 1-3, 2 Isa. Ixiv. 6. f whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even "unto the head there is no soundness in it; but "wounds and bruises, and putrefying sores.' The heart" (says Jeremiah) i. e. the natural unrenewed heart" is deceitful above all things and "desperately wicked." To these may be added the testimony of Christ himself, who "knew what "was in man""out of the heart proceed evil "thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, "false witness, blasphemies; these are the things "which defile a man." But the statements of the Apostles are, if possible, still more demonstrative. "What then" (says the Apostle Paul, alluding to the heathen, and contrasting their state of ignorance and gross idolatry with the revelations vouchsafed to the people of God-their covenanted rights and spiritual worship)" what then? are we better than they? No, in no wise; for we have before "proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all "under sin; as it is written, There is none ❝righteous, no, not one. Now we know, that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them "under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, "and all the world may become guilty before "God;-for there is no difference: for all have "sinned, and come short of the glory of God."? He likewise probes this universal depravity to its fountain-head. By one man sin entered into the 66 "world, and death by sin. "death reigned by one. 66 By one man's offence By the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation. "By one man's disobedience many were made "sinners." He bewails also the sad effects, in his own heart, of this transgression of Adam the covenant-head of the human race:-" I am carnal "sold under sin. For I know that in me, that is "in my flesh, (as it is by nature) dwelleth no good "thing. For the good that I would do I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I do. O "wretched man that I am who shall deliver me "from the body of this death?" To the Galatians he writes" the Scripture hath concluded "all under sin." "For the flesh lusteth against "the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and "these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would." also reminds the Ephesians of their former unconverted and awful state of darkness, representing the natural condition of all men: 66 you hath he quick❝ened, who were dead in trespasses and sins? "wherein in time past ye walked according to the He prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now "worketh in the children of disobedience: among "whom also we all had our conversation in times "past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires "of the flesh and of the mind: and were by nature 8 Rom. v. 12, 17, 18, 19. 9 Rom. vii. 14, 18, 19, 24. 2 Gal. v. 17. "the children of wrath, even as others." Again -he speaks of the Gentiles and all natural men as having the understanding darkened, being "alienated from the life of God through the igno"rance that is in them, because of the blindness "of their hearts."4 St. Peter too-addresses his converts as" called out of darkness into God's "marvellous light: which in time past were not a "people, but are now the people of God: which “had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy." Hear also the testimony of the beloved Disciple, which should make us pause before we attempt to invalidate this accumulated evidence of man's natural depravity," if we say that we "have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth " is not in us. If we say that we have not sinned, "we make (God) a liar, and his word is not in If then, as has been clearly established, such be the natural condition of man, we need not wonder at the equally decisive statements of his inability to cleanse himself from his pollution, and to serve the Lord in that unreserved and perpetual obedience which his spiritual law demands. "Without me (said Christ) ye can do nothing." "The na"tural man (says St. Paul) receiveth not the things "of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness "unto him: neither can he know them, because 5 1 Pet. ii. 9, 10, John xv. 5. 3 Eph. ii. 1-3. 4 Eph. iv. 18. 6 1 John i, 8, 10. 7 they are spiritually discerned." "The world by wisdom knew not (nor can know) God." For all wisdom that "descendeth not from above, "is earthly, sensual, devilish" it issues from a carnal mind, and "the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of "God, neither indeed can be."2 66 Thus the farther we advance in our researches, the more imperative does the necessity of Redemption appear, If "the carnal mind (the fleshly, natural "heart of man) is enmity against God," as Scripture and experience fully demonstrate then, as the Apostle says, "it cannot be subject to the law "of God." And if it is not subject to the law of God, then it must be at once admitted that, however questionable the imputation of Adam's sin and the doctrine of original corruption may appear in the eyes of natural men-(no matter whether this insubordination to the sovereignty of God proceed from inherent guilt and moral incapacity, or be the offspring of subsequent self-will and apostacy,)—it must, I say, be unhesitatingly admitted, that Redemption from the certain penalty of such disobedience is absolutely necessary for our present peace and everlasting welfare.-On this ground alone the objection is annihilated.* "Cursed 8 1 Cor. ii. 14. 9 1 Cor. i. 21. 1 Jam. iii. 15. 2 Rom. viii. 7,8. * The passages of Scripture that have already been adduced in confirmation of the doctrine of original sin are so clear and convincing, that every attempt to explain them away is foolish and unavailable. See again |