The Evidence of Original Sin from What Appears in Fact of the Sinfulness of Mankind

Section IjiU Mankind do constantly in oil without Fail in any out Instance run into that moral Evil, which is, in Effect, their oitm utter and eternal Perdition, in a total Privation of God’s Favor, and Suffering of his Vengeance and Wrath,

x3y Original Sin, as the phrase has been most commonly used by divines, is meant the innate, sinful dejiravity the heart. But yet, when the doctrine of Original Sin is spoken of, it is vulgarly understood in that latitude, as to includt B not only the defiravity of nature but the imfiutation of AdanCs first Sin; or in other words, the liableness or exposedness of jidam*8 posterity, in the divine judgment, to partake of the punishment of that Sin. So far as 1 know, most of those who have held one of these, have maintained the other; and ipost of those who have opposed one have opposed the other; bo h are opposed by the author chiefly attended to in the following discourse, in his book against Original Sin: And it may perhaps appear in our future consideration of the subjecti that they are closely connected, and that the arguments which prove the one, establish the other, and that there are no more difficulties attending the allowing of one than the other.

I shall, in the first place, consider this doctrine more especially with regard to the corruption of nature; and as we treat of this, the other will naturally come into consideration, in the prosecution of the discourse, as connected with it.

As all moral qualities, all principles either of virtue or vice, lie in the disposition of the heart, I shall consider whether we have any evidence, that the heart of man is naturally of a corrupt and evil disposition. This is strenuously denied by many late writers, who are enemies to the doctrine of Original Sin; and particularly by Dr. Taylor.

The way we come by the idea of any such thing as disposition or tendency, is by observing what is constant or general in event; especially under a great variety of circumstances; and above all, when the effect or event continues the same through great and various opposition, much arid manifold force and means used to the contrary not prevailing to hinder the effect. I do not know, that such a prevalence of effects is denied to be an evidence of prevaiUng tendency in causes and agents; or that it is expressly denied by the opposers of the doctrine of Original Sin, that if, in the course of events, it universally or generally proves that mankind are actually corrupt, this would be an evidence of a prior, corrupt propensity in the woi id of mankind; whatever may be said by some, which, if taken with its plain consequences, may seem toimjily a dei/ial of this; which may be considered afierwards....But by many the fact is denied; that is, it is denied, that corruption and moral evil arc commonly prevalent in the world: On the contrary, it is insisted on, that good preponderates, and that virtue has the ascendant.

To this purpose Dr. TurnbuU says,t “Wi’.h regard to the prevalence of vice in the world, men are apt to let their imagination run out upon all the robheries, pyracies, murders, perjuries, frauds, massacres, assassinations they have either heard of, or read in history; thence concluding all mankind to be very wicked. As if a court of justice was a prop<ir place to make an estimate of the morals of mankind, or an hospital of the healthfulness of a climate. But ought they not to consider, that the number of honest citizens and farmers far surpasses that of all sorts of criminals in any state, and that the innocent and kind actions of even criminals themselves surpass their crimes in numbers; that it is the rarity of crimes, in comparison of innocent or good actions, which engages our attention to them, and makes them to be recorded in history; while honest, generous, domestic actions are overlooked, only because they are so common? As one great danger, or one month’s sickness shall become a frequently repeated story during a long life of health and safety.. ..Let not the vices of mankind be multiplied or magnified. Let us make a fair estimate of human life, and set over against the shocking, the astonishing instances of barbarity and wickedness that have been perpetrated in any age, not only the exceeding generous and brave actions with which history shines, but the prevailing innocency, good nature, industry, felicity, and cheerfulness of the greater part of mankind at all times; and we shall not find reason to cry out, as objectors against providence do on this occasion, that all men are vastly corrupt, and that there is hardly any such thing as virtue in the world. Upon a fair computation, the fact does indeed me out, that very great villanies have been very uncommon m v.W ages, and looked upon as monstrous; so general is ijie sense and esteem of virtue.” It seems to be with a like view that Dr. Taylor says, We must not take the measure of our ^lefllth

t Moral Philosophy, p, 289, 290.

nnd enjoym«nts from a lazar house, nor ol” our understanding I’rom bedlam, nor of our morals from a gaol.”

With respecl to the propriety and pertinence of such a representation of Ihinpfs, and its force as to the consequence desitned, I hope we shall he better able to judi;e, and in some measure to determine, whether the natural disposition of the hearts of mankind be corrupt or not, when the things which follow have been considered.

But for the greater clearness, it may be proper here to premise one consideration, that is of great importance in this controversy? and is very much overlooked by the opposers of the doctrine of Original Sin in their disputing against it; which is this......

That is to be looked upon as the true tendency of the natural or innate disposition of man’s heart, which appears to be its tendency, when we consider things as they are in themselves, or in their own nature, without the inter fiosition of di- -:<me grace. Thus, that slate of man’s nature, that disposition of the mind, is to be looked upon as evil and pernicious, which, as it is in itst-lf, tends to extremely penicious consequences, and would certainly end therein, were it not that the free mercy and kindness of God interposes to prevent that issue. It would be very strange if any should argue that there is no evil tendency in the case, because the mere favor and compassion of the Most High may step in and oppose the tendency, and prevent the sad effect tended to. Particularly, if there be any thing in the nature of man, whereby he has an universal, unfailing tendency to that moral evil, which, according to the real nature and true demerit of tilings, as they arc in themselves, implies his utter ruin, that must be looked upon as an evil tendency or propensity; hov,cver divine grace Tnay interpose, to save him from deserved ruin, and to overrule things to an issue contrary to that which they tend to of themselves. Grace is a sovereign thing, exercised according to the good plcaslirc of Cod- bringing good out of evil. The effect of it belongs not to the nature of things themselves, that otherwise have an ill tendency, any more than the remrdv belongs to the di’-v3?e; btit i« sfi.’ViCthinr: aitoo-rthcr inde-.

pendent on it, inlroduced to oppose the natural tendency, and reverse the course of things. But the event that things tend to, according to their own demerit, and according to divine justice, that is the event which they tend to in their own nature, as Dr. Taylor’s own words fully imply. “God alone,(says he) can declare whether he will pardon or punish the ungodliness and unrighteousness of mankind, which is in its own nature punishable.” Notlung is more precisely according to the truth of things, than divine justice: It weighs things in an even balance: It views and estimates things no otherwise than they are truly in their own nature. Therefore undoubtedly that which implies a tendency to ruin, according to the estimate oi dw’mt justice does indeed imply such a tendency in its or on nature.

And then it must be remembered that it is a v.ioral defiravity we are speaking of; and therefore when we arc considering whether such depravity do not appear by a tendency to a bad effect or issue, it is a moral tendency to such an issue, that is the thing to be taken into the account. A moral tendency or influence is by dencrt. Then may it be said, man’* nature or state is attended with a pernicious or destructive tendency, in a moral sense, when it tends to that which dc’ serves misery and destruction. And therefore it equally shews the moral depravity of the nature of mankind in their present state, whether that nature be universally attended with an effectual tendency to destructive vengeance actually executed or to their deserving misery and ruin, or their ju&t exposedness to destruction, however that fatal consequence may be prevented by grace, or w.hatever the actual event be. One thing more is to be observed here, viz. that the topic mainly insisted on by the opposers of the doctrine of Original Sin, is the justice of God; both in their objections against the imputation of Adam’s sin, and also against its being so ordered, that men should come into the world with a corrupt and ruined nature, without having merited the displeasure of their Creator by any personal fault. But the latter is not repugnant to God’s justice, if men can be, and actually are, born into the world with a tcn(lenv’:y to sin, and to misery and ruin for their sin, which actually will be the consequence, unless mere grace steps in and prevents it. If this be allowed, the argument from justice is given up; for it is to suppose that their liableness to misery and ruin comes in a way of justice; otherwise there would be no need of the interposition of divine grace to save them. Justice alone would be sufficient security, if exercised, without grace. It is all one in this dispute about what is just and rig*hteous, whether men are born in a miserable state, by a tendency to rijin, which actually follonvsy and 2X justly; or whether they are born in such a state as tends to a desert of ruin, which might justly follow, and would actually folloivy did not grace prevent. For the controversy is not, what grace will do, but what justice might do.

I have been the more particular on this head, because it enervates many of the reasonings and conclusions by which Dr. Taylor makes out his scheme; in which he argues from that state which mankind are in by divine grace yea, which he himself supposes to be by divine grace, and yet not making any allowance for this, he from hence draws conclusions against what others suppose of the deplorable and ruined state mankind are in by the fall. He often speaks of death and affliction as coming on Adam’s posterity in consequence of his sin; and in pages 20, 21, and many olher places, he supposes that these things come in consequence of his sin, not as a punishment or a calamity, but as a benefit. But in page 23, he supposes these things would be a great calamity and misery, if it were not for the resurrection; which resurrection he there, and in the following pages, and in many other places, speaks of as being by Christ; and often speaks of it as being Inj the grace of God in Christ.

In pages 63, 64, speaking of our being subjected to sorrow, labor and death, in consequence of Adam’s sin, he represents these as evils that arc reversed and turned into advantages, and that we are delivered from through graxein Cnrist. And in pages 65.. ..67, he speaks of God’s thus himing death into an advantage through grace in Christ, as what vindicates the justice of God in bringing death by Adam.

In pages 152, 156, it is one thing which he alleges against this propobiiion of the assembly of divines, that we are by nature bondslaves to Satan; That God hath been firovidingfrom. the beginning of the world to this day, variouft means and diafiensations, to jiresvrxc and rescue mankiiidfrom the devil.

In pages 168.... 170, one thing alleged in answer to that objection against his doctrine, that we are in worse cu’cumstances than Adam, is, the happy circumstances we arc under by the provision and means furnished through free grace in Christ.

In page 228, among other things which he says, in answering that argument against his doctrine, and brought to shew men have corruption by nature, viz. that there is a law in our members. ...bringing us into captivity to the law of sin and death, spoken of in Rom. vii. he allows that the case of those who are under a law threatening death for every sin (which law he elsewhere says, ^Aews us the natural and firofier demerit of sin, and is p.erfectly consonant to everlasting truth and righteousness) must be quite defilorable, if they have no re-’ hef from the mercy of the lawgiver.

In pages 90. ...9 3, S. in opposition to what is supposed of the miserable state mankind are brought into by Adam*s sin, one thing he alleges, is. The noble designs of love, manifested by advancing a new and hafifiy disfiensation, founded on the obedience and Hghteousness of the Son of God; and that although by ‘Adam we are subjected to death, yet in this dispensation a resurrection is provided; and that Adam’s posterity are under a mild dispensation of ^rac, kc.

In page 112, S. he vindicates God’s dealings with Adam, in placing him at first under the rigor of law, transgress and die, (which, as he expresses it, was putting his ha/i/iiness on afoot extremely dangerous) by saying, that as God had before determined in his own breast, so he immediately established his cov enant ujion a guite dierent bottom, namely, ufion grace.

In pages 122, 123, 5. against what R. R. says, that God forsook man when he fell, and that mankind after Adam’s sin were born without the divine favor. Sec. he alleges among other things, Christ coming to be the firofiitiation for the aina of the ivhok world. .,ind the riches of God’s mercy 17i giving the Jiromise ay a Redeemer to destroy the work’s of the devil. TJmt he caught his sinvdng f<illing creature in the arms of his grace. In his note on Rom. v. 20, p. 297, 298, he says as follows: ‘» The law, I conceive, is not a dispensation suitable to the infirmiiy of the human nature in our present state; or it doth not seem congruous lo the goodness of God, to afford us no other way of salvation but by law, which, if we once transgress, we arc ruined forever. For who then from the beginning of the world could be saved? And therefore it seems to me that the law was not absolutely intended to be a rule for obtaining life, even to Adam in Paradise. Grace was the dispensation God intended mankind should be under; and therefore Christ was foreordained before the foundation of the world.”

There are various other passages in this author*s writings of the like kind. Some of his arguments and conclusions to this eiTect, in order to be made good, must depend on such a supposition as this: That God’s dispensations of grace are rectifications or amendments of his foregoing constitutions and proceedings, which were merely legal; as though the dispensations of grace, which succeed those of mere law, implied an acknowledgment, that the preceding, legal constitution would be unjust, if left as it was, or at least, very hard dealing with mankind; and that the other were of the nature of a satisfaction to his creatures, for former injuries or hard treatment; so that put together, the injury with the satisfaction, the leial and injurious dispensation, taken with the following good dispensation, which our author calls grace, and the unfairness or improper Sfiverity of the former, amended by the goodness of the latter, both together made up one righteous dispensation.

The reader is desired to bear in mind that which I have said concerning the interposition of divine grace, its not altering the nature of things, as they are in themselves; and accordingly, when I speak of such and such an evil tendency of things, belonging to the present nature and state of mankind, understand me to mean their tendency as they are in them-

^dves abstracted from any consideration of that remedy the sovereign and infinite grace of God has provided.

Having premised these things, I now proceed to say*

That mankind are all naturally in such a state, as is attended, without fail, with this consequence or issue; that they universally run themselves into that which is, in effect, their own utter, eternal perdition, as being finally accursed of God, and the subjects of his remediless wrath through sin.

From which I infer that the natural state of the mind of man, is attended with a propensity of nature, which is prevalent and effectual, to such an issue; and that therefore their nature is corrupt and depraved with a moral depravity, that amounts to and implies their utter undoing.

Here I would first consider le truth of the proposition; and then would shew the certain’y of the consequences which I infer from it. If both can be clearly and certair.ly proved, then, I trust, none will deny but that the doctrine of original depravity is evident, and so the falseness of Dr. Taylor’s scheme demonstrated; the greatest part of whose book, called The Scripture Doctrine of Original 5m, &c. is against the doctrine of 17inate depravity. In page 107, 5, he speaks of the conveyance of a corrupt and sinful nature to Adam’s posterity as ^/;e ^rawc;?/20zW to be proved by the maintainors of the doctrine of (Original Sin.

In order to demonstrate what is asserted in the proposition laid down, there is need only that these two things should be made manifest: Ojie is this fact, that all mankind come into the world in such a stale, as without fail comes to this issue, namely, the universal commission of sin; or that every one who comes to act in the world as a moral agent, is, in a greater or less degree, guilty of sin. The other is, that all sin deserves ar.d exposes to utter and eternal destruction, under God’s -wrath and curse; and would end in it, were it not for the interposition of divine grace to prevent the effect. Both which can be abundantly demonstrated to be agreeable to the word of God, and to Dr. Taylor’s own doctrine.

That every one of mankind, at least of them that are capable of acting as moral agents, are guihy of sin (not now

e taking it for granted that they come guilty into the worW) m a thing most clearly and abundantly evident from the holy scriptures. 1 Kings viii. 46. “If any man sin against thee; for there is no man that sinneth not.” Eccl. vii. 20. ‘’ There is noi a just man upon earth that doeth good, and sinneth not.” Job ‘X. 2, 3. “I know it is so of a truth, (i. e. as Bildad had just before said, tlia’t God would not cast away a fierfect wariy life.) but how should man be just with God? If he will contend with Mm, he cannot answer him one of a thousand.” To the like purpose, Psalm cxliii. 2. “Enter v-it into judgment with thy servan*; for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.*’ So the words of the apostle (in which he has apparent reference to those of the Psalmist) Rom. iii. 19, 20. “That every mouth may be stopped, and all the world become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of lh6 law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight; for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” So Gal. ii. 16, and 1 John i. 7.... 10. “If we walk in the light, the blood of Christ cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faiihful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from ail unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” As in this place, so in innumerable other places, confession and. repentance of sin are spoken of, as duties proper for all; as also prayer to God for pardon of sin; and forgiveness of those that injure us, from that motive, that we hope to be forgiven of God. Universal guilt of sin might also be demonstrated from the appointment, and the declared use and end of the ancient sacrifices; and also from the ransom, which every one that was numbered in Israel, was directed to pay, to make atonement for his soul; Exod. xxx. 11. ...16. All are represented, not ony as being sinful, but as having great and manifold iniquity, Job ix. 2, fi, James iii. 1, 2.

There are many scriptures which both declare the universal sinfulness of mankind, and also that all sin deserves and justly exj-io es to everlasting destruction, under the wrath. and curse of God; and so demonstrate both parts of the

|)roposition I have laid down. To which purpose that in Gill. iii. 10, is exceeding full. “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all ihini!:s which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” How manifestly is it implied in the apostle’s meaning here, tb.at there is r.o man but what fails in some instances of doing all things that are written in the book of the law, and therefore as many as have their dependence on their fulfilling the law, are under that curse which is pronounced on them that do fail of it? And hence the apostle infers in the next verse, that no man is justijied by the law in the sight of God; as he had said before in the preceding chapter, verse 16, ‘^ -By the works of the law shall no Jiesh be justiHedP The apostle shews us that he understands, that by this place which he cites from Beulcronomy, the scripture hath concluded, or shut up, all under sin, as in chap. iii. 22. So that here we are plainly taught, both that every one of mankind is a sinner, and that every sinner is under the curse of God.

To the like purpose is that, Rom. iv. 14, and also 2 Cor. iii. 6, 7, 9, where the law is called the letter that kills-, the min’ istratio7i of deaths and the ministration of condemnation. The wrath, condemnation and death, which is threatened in the law to all its transgressors, is final perdition, the second death, eternal ruin, as is very plain, and is confessed. And this punishment which the law threatens for every sin, is a just punishment, being what every sin truly deserves; God’s law being a righteous law, and the sentence of it a righteous sentence.

All these things are what Dr. Taylor himself confesses and asserts. He says that the law of God requires perfect obedience. (Note on Rom. vii. 6, p. 308 j “God can never require imperfect obedience, or by his hoy law allow us to be guilty of any one sin, how small soever. And if the law, as a rule of duty, were in any respect abolished, then we might in some respects transgress the law, and yet not be guilty of sin. The moral law, or law of nature, is the truth, everlasting, unchangeable, and therefore, as such, can never be abrogated. On the contrary, our Lord Jesus Christ has promulgated it anew under the gospel, fuller and clearer than it was in the Mosaical constitution, or any where else; having added to its precepts the sanction of his own divine authority.” And many things which he says, imply that all mankind do in some degree transgress the laWo In page 228, speaking of what may be gathered from Rom. vii. and viii, he says,” We are very apt, in a world full of temptation, to be deceived, and drawn into sin by bodily appetites, Sec. And the case of those who are under a law threatening death to every sin, must be quite deplorable, if they have no relief from the mercy of the lawgiver.*’

But this is very fully declared in what he says in his note on Rom. v. 20, page 297. His words are as follows: “Indeed, as a rule of action prescribing our duty, it (the law) alv.’ays was, and always must be a rule ordained for obtaining life; but not as a rule of justification, not as it subjects to death for every transgression. For if it could in its utmost rigor have given us life, then, as the apostle argues, it would have been against the promises of God. For if there had been a law, in the strict and rigorous sense of law, which could have viadc us live, verily justification should have been by the law. But he supposes, no such law was ever given; and therefore there is need and room enough for the promises of grace; or as he argues. Gal, ii. 21, it would have frustrated, or rendered useless the grace of God. For if justification canle by the law, then truly Christ is dead in vain, then he died to accomplish what was, or might have been effected by law itself without his death. Certainly the law was not brouirht in among the Jews to be a rule of justification, or t6 recover them out of a state of death, and to procure life by their sinless obedience to it; for in this, as well as in another respect, it was weak not in itself, but through the weakness of our flesh, Rom. viii. 3, The law, I conceive, is not a dis* pensation .sz«Va/Vr lo the injlnmty of the human nature in our present state; or it doth not seem congruous to the goodness of God to alTord us no other way of salvation, but h law, which, if we once transgress, we are ruined forever. For who then, from the beginning of the nvorld, could be saved .?”.... How clear and express are these things, that no one of mankind, from the beiijinning of the world, can ever be justified by law, because every one transgresses it ?*

And here also we see. Dr. Taylor declare:i, that by the law, nen are sentenced to everlasting ruin for one transgression. To the like purpose he often expresses himself. So p. 207. “The law’ requireth the most extensive obedience, discovering sin in all its branches. It gives sin a deadly force, subjecting every transgression to the penalty of death; and yet supplieth neither help nor hope to the sinner, but leaveth him under the power of sin and sentence of death.” In p. 213, he speaks of the law as “extending to lust and irregular desires, and lo every branch and principle of sin; and even to its latent principles, and minutest branches.” Again (Note on Rom. vii. 6. p. 308) “to every sin, hov, small soever.” And when he speaks of the law subjecting every transgression to the penalty of death, he means eternal death, as he from time to time explains the matter. In p. 212, he speaks of the law “in the condemning power of it, as binding us in everlasting chains.** In p. 120. S. he says, that death which is the wages of sin, is the second death;’* and this p. 78, he explains of final perdition.’* In his Key, p. 107, § 296, he says,” The curse of the law subjected men for every transgression to eternal death.^* So in A’^ote on Rom. r. 20, p. 291. “The law of Moses subjected those who were under it to death, meaning by death eternal death.” These are his words.

He also supposes, that this sentence of the law, thus subjecting men for every, even the least sin, and every minutest branch and latent firincifile of sin, to so dreadful a punishment, is just and righteous, agreeable to truth and the nature of things, or to the natural 3jld firo/ier demerits of sin. This he is very

* I am sensible, these things are quite inconsistent with what he says else- where, of ♦’ sufficient power in all mankind constantly to do the whole duty which God requires of them,” without a necessity of breaking God’s law in any degree, (p. 63, ...68. S.) But, I hope, the reader will not think me accountable for his inconsistences fifi QRIGINAL SIN.

full in. Thus in p. 186. P. “It was sin (says he) whicfe subjected us to death by thp. law, justly threatening sin with death. Which law was given us, that shi miti;ht appear; might be set forth in its proper colors; when we saw it subjected us to death by a law fierfcctly holy just and good; that sin by the commandment, by the law, might be represented ‘what ic really is an exceedinf ereat and deadly evil.” So in note on Rom. v. 20, p. 299. “The law or rpinistration of death, as it subjects to death for every transgression, is still of use to shew the natural and firoper demerit of in” Ibid. ^. 202. “The language pf the law, dying thou shalt die, is to be understood of the demerit of the transgression, that which it deserves** Ibid. p. 298. “The law wa? added, saith Mr. Locke, on the place, because the Israelite, the posterity of Abraham, were transgressors as well as other men, to shew them their sips, and the punishmpnt nd death, which in strict justice they incurred by them. And this appears to be a true comment on Rom. vii. 13. ...Sin, by virtue of the law, subjected you to death for this end, that sin, working death in us, by that which is holy., just., and good, perfectly consonant to everlasting truth and righteousness. ...Con’ sequently every sin is in strict justice deserving of wrath apd punishment; and the law in its rigor was given to the Jelys, to set home this awful truth upon their consciences, to she>^ them the evil and pernicious nature of sin; and that, being conscious they had broke the law of God, this might convince them of the great need they had of the favor of th? lawgiv* er, and oblige them, by faith in his goodness to fly to his mer ry, for pardon and salvation.”

If the law be holy, just, and good, a constitution perfectly agreeable to God’s holiness, justice, and goodness; then he might have put it exactly in execution, agreeably to all these his perfections. Our author himself says, p. 133. S. “How that constitution, which establishes a law, the making of which is inconsistent with the justice and goodness of God, and the executing of it inconsistent with his holiness, can be a righteous constitution, I confess, is quite beyond my coqiprehcnsion.”

Now the reader is left to judG:c, whether it be not most plainly and fully agreeable to Dr. Taylor’s own doctrine, that there never was any one person from the beginning of the world, who came to act in the world as a moral agent, and that it is not to be hoped there ever will be any, but what is a sinner or transgressor of the law of God; and that therefore this proves to be the issue and event of things, with respect to all mankind in all a yes, that, by the natural ancK prop’er demerit of their own sinfulness, and in the judgment of the law of God, which is perfectly consonant to truth, and exhibits things in their true colors, they are the proper subjects of the Curse of God, eternal death, and everlasting ruin; which must be the actual consequence, unless the grace or favor of the lawgiver interpose, and mercy prevail for their pardon and salvation. The reader has seen also how agreeable this is to the doctrine of the holy scripture.

And if so, and what has been observed concerning Ihfe iriterposiiion of divine grace be remembered, namely, that this alters not the nature of things as they are in themselves, and that it does not in the least affect the state of the controversy we are upon, concerning the true nature and tendency of the state that mankind come into the world in, whether grace prevents the fatal effect or no; I say, if these things are considered, I trust, none will deny, that the proposition that was laid down, is fully proved, as agreeable to the word of God, and Dr. Taylor’s own words; viz. that mankind are all naturally in such a state, as is attended, without fail, with this consequence or issue, that they universally are the subjects of that guilt and sinfulness, which is, in effect, their utter and eternal ruin, being cast wholly out of the favor of God, and subjecte’^ !• his everlasting wrath and curs*-

SECTION II-It foUoivs from the Profiosition proved in the foregoing Section, that all Mankind are under the influence of a prevailing effectual Tendecy in their Nature, to that Sin and Wickedness, nvhich implies their utter and eternal ruin.

THE proposition laid clown beinp: proved, the consequence of it remains to be made out, viz. that the mind of man has a natural tendency or propensity to that event, which has been shewn universally and infallibly to take place (if this be not sufficiently evident of itself, without proof) and that this is a corrupt or depraved propensity.

I shall here consider the former part of this consequence, namely, whether such an universal, constant, infallible event is truly a proof of the being of any tendency or propensity to that event; leaving the evil and corrupt nature of such a propensity to be considered afterwards.

If any should say, they do not think that its being a thing universal and infallible in event, that mankind commit some sin, is a proof of a prevailing tendency to sin; because they do not only sin, but also do good, and perhaps more good than evil; let them remember, that the question at present is not, how much sin there is a tendency to; but, whether there be a prevailing propensity to that issue, which it is allowed all men do actually come to, that all fail of keeping the law perfectly; whether there be not a tendency to such imperfection of obedience, as ahvays without fail comes to pass; to ihat degree of sinfulness, at least, which all fall into; and so to that utter ruin, which that sinfulness implies and infers. Whether an effectual propensity to this be worth the name of depravity, because of the good that may be supposed to balance it, shall be considered by and by. If it were so, that all mankind, in all nations and ages, were at least one day in their lives deprived of the use of their reason, and run ravin.; mad j or that all, even every individual person, once cut their own throats, or put out their own eyes; it might be an evidence of some tendency in the nature or natural state of mankind to such an event; though they misht exercise reason many more days than they were distracted, and were kind to, and tender of themselves oficner than they mortally and cruelly wounded themselves.

To determine whether the unfailing’ constancy of the: above named event be an evidence of tendency, let it be considered, what can be meant by tendency but a prevailing liableness or exposedness to such or such an event. Wherein consists the notion of any such thing, but some stated prevalence or preponderation in the nature or state of causes or occasions, that is followed y, and so proves to be effectual lo, a stated prevalence or commonness of any particular kind of effect? Or, something in the permanent state of things, concerned in bringing a certain sort of event to pass, which is a foundation for the constancy, or strongly prevailing probability of such an event? If we mean this by tendency (as I know not what else can be meant by it, but this, or something like this) then it is manifest, that where we see a stated prevalence of anykind of effect or event, there is a tendency to that effect in the nature and state of its causes. A common and steady effect shews, that there is somewhere a preponderation, a prevailing exposedness or liableness in the state of things, to what ^omes so steadily to pass. The natural dictate of reason shews, that where there is an effect, there is a cause, and a ‘cause sufficient for the effect; because, if it were not sufficient, it would not be effectual; and that therefore, where there is a stated prevalence of the effect, there is a stated prevalence in the cause: A steady effect argues a steady cause. We obtain a notion of such a thing as tendency, no other way than by observation; and we can observe nothing but events; and it is the commonness or constancy of events that gives us a notion of tendency in all cases. Thus we judge of tendencies in the natural world. Thus we judge of the tendencies or -propensities of nature in minerals, vegetables, animals, rational and irrational creatures. A notion of a stated tendency, or fixed propensity, is not obtained by observ* D ing only a single event. A stated preponderation in the cause or occasion, is argned only by a staled prevalence of the cffeot. If a die be once thrown, and it falls on a particular side, we do not argue from hence, that that side is the heaviest; but if it be thrown without skill or care, many thousands or millions of times goine:, and constantly falls on the same side, we have not the least doubt in our minds, but that there is something of propensity in the case, by superior weight of that side, or in some other respect. How ridiculous would he make himself, who should earnestly dispute against any tendency in the state of things to cold in the winter, or heat in the summer; or should stand to it, that although it often happened that water quenched fire, yet there was no tendency in it to such ari effect.

In the case we are upon, the human nature, as existing in such an immense diversity of persons and circumstances, and never failing in any one instance, of coming to that issue, viz« that sinfulness, which implies extreme misery and eternal ruin, is as the die often cast. For it altets not the case in the least, as to the evidence of tendency, whether the subject of the constant event be an individual, or a nature and kind. Thus, if there be a succession of trees of the same sort, proceeding one from another, from the beginning of the world, growing in all countries, soils, and climates, and otherwise ii% (as it were) an infinite variety of circumstances, all bearing ill fruit; it as much proves the nature and tendency of the kind as if it were only one individuul tree, that had remained from the beginning of the world, had often been transplanted ln9 different soils, &;c. and had continued to bear only bad fruit. So, if there were a particular family, which, from generation to generation, and through every remove to innumerable different countries, and places of abode, all died of a consumption, or all run distracted, or all murdered themselves, it would be as much an evidence of the tendency of something in the nature or constitution of that race, as it would be of the tendency of something in the nature or state of an individual, if some one person had lived all that time, and some remarkable event had often appcilred in hina, which he had been the agent or subject of from year to year, and fr om ogeto age, •ontinually and without fail.

Here may be observed the weakness of that objeclion, made aiainst the validity of the argument for a fixed propensity to sin» from the constancy and universality of the event, that Adam sinned in one instance, without a fixed piijpensity. without doubt a single event is an evidence, Ihat there was some cause or occasion of that event; but the thing we are speaking of, is 2^ fixed cause. Propensity is a stated continued thing. We justly argne, that a stated effect must have a ttated cause; and truly observe, that we obtain the notion of tendency, or stated fire/ionderation in causes, no other way than by observing a stated prevalence of a particular kind of effect. But who ever argues a fixed propensity from a single event? And is i. not strange arguing, that because an event which once comes TO pass, does not prove any stated tendency, therefore the iinfuiiing constancy of an event is an evidence of no such thinf>;? But because Dr. Taylor makes so much of this objection, from Adam’s sinning without a propensity, I shall hereafter mnsider it more particularly, in the beginning of the 9th Sec:io7i of this Chapter; where will also be considered what is objected from the fall of the angels.

Thus a propensity, attending the present nature or natural state of mankind, eternally to ruin themselves by sin, may certainly be inferred from apparent and acknoAvIedged fact. And I would now observe further, that not only does this follow from facts that are acknowledged by Dr. Taylor but the things he asserts, the expressions and words which he uses, do plainly imply that all mankind have such a propensity; yea, one of the highest kind, a propensity that is invincible or a tendency which really amounts to a fixed, constant, unfailing necessity. There is a plain confession of a propensity or proneness to sin, p. 143. “Man, who drinkelh in iniquity like water, who is attended with so many sensuid appetites, and so a fit to indulge them.” And again, p. 228, “we arc -very a fit in a world full of temptation, to be deceived, and drawn into sin by bodily appetites.” If we are very a fit or prone to be drawn into sin by bodily appetites, and sinfully to indulge thetn and very apt or pror.c to yield to ttmjitaticyn to &in, then we arc firone to ih:; for to yield to tcinpialion lo sin i& sinful. In the same page he represents, that on this account, and on account of the consequences of this, the case of those ‘:vho are under a laiu threatening death for every sin, must be quite deplorable, if they have no relief from the mercxf of the lavj’giver. Which implies, that their case is hopeless, as to an escape from death, the punishment of sin, by any other means than God*s mercy. And that implies, that there is such an aptness to yield to temptation to sin, that il is hopeless that any of mankind should wholly avoid it. But he speaks of it elsewhere, over and over, as truly imfiosfiible, or xvhat cannot be; as in the words which were cited in the last Section, from his note on Rom. v. CO, where he repeatedly speaks of the law, which subjects us to death for every trans- ^^ression, as what cannot give life; and represents that if God offered us no other way of salvation, no man from the beginaing of the world could be saved.** In the same place he, with approbation, cites Mr. Locke’s words, in which, speaking of the Israelites, he says, “All endeavors after righteousness were lost lalior, since any one slip forfeited life, and It was impossible for them to expect ought but death.’* Our nuthor speaks of it as impossible for the law requiring sinless obedience, to cive life, not that the law was weak in itself but through the weakness of our fiesh. Therefore he says, he conc-eives the J.aw not to be a disfiensation statable to the infirmity nfthc human nature in its present state. These things amount fo a full confession, that the proneness in men to sin, and to a demerit of, and just exposedness to eternal ruin by sin, is universally invincible, or, which is the same thing, amounts to ribsolute, invinci’.-Ie necessity; which surely is the highest kind of tendency nr propensity; and that not the less for his laying this propensity to our infirmity or weakness, which may seem to intimate some defect, rather than any thing positive: And it is agreeable to the sentiments of the best divines, thut all sin criginally comes from a defective or privative cause. But sin docs not cease to be sin, or a thing not justly expowng to eternal ruin (as inipl’.eid in Dr. Taylor’s owf)

words) for arising from infirmity or defect; Kor does any invincible propensity to sin, cease to be a propensity to such demerit of eternal ruin, because the proneness arises from such a cause.

It is manifest, that this tendency which has been proved, does not consist in any particular external circumstances, that some or many are in, peculiarly tempting or influencing their minds; but is inherent and is seated in that nature which is common to all mankind, which they carry with them wherever they go, and still remains the same, however circumstances may differ. For it is implied in what has been proved, and shewn to be confessed, that the same event comes to pass in all circumstances, that any of mankind ever are, or can be under in the world. In God’s sight no man living can be justi-Jied; but all are sinners, and exposed to condemnation. This is true of persons of all constitutions, capacities, conditions manners, opinions and educations; in all countries, climates nations and ages; and through all the mighty changes an<i revolutions, which have come to pass in the habitable world. We have the same evidence, that the propensity in this case lies in the nature of the subject, and does not arise from any particular circumstances, as we have in any case whatsoever; which is only by the effects appearing to be the same in all changes of time and place, and under all varieties of circumstances. It is in this way only we judge, that any pro* pensities, which we observe in mankind, are such as are seated in their nature, in all other cases. It is thus we judge of the mutual propensity betwixt the sexes, or of the dispositions which are exercised in any of the natural passions or appetites, that they truly belong to the nature of man; because they are observed in mankind in general, through all countries, nations, and ages, and in all conditions.

If any should say, though it be evident that there is a tendency in the state of things to this general event, that all mankind should fail of perfect obedience, and should sin, and incur a demerit of eternal ruin; and also that this tendency does not lie in any distinguishing circumstances of any particular people, person, or age; yet it may not lie in man’s

nature, but in the general constitution and frame of this world, into -which men are born; thouyh the nature of man may be good, without any evil propensity inherent in it; yet the nature and universal stale of this earthly world may be such as to be full of so many and strong temptations every where, and of such a powerful influence on such a creature as man, dwelling in so infirm a body? &c. that the result of the whole may be a strong and infallible tendency in such a state of things, to the sin and eternal ruin of every one of mankind.

To this I would reply, that such an evasion will not at all avail to the purpose of those whom I oppose in this controversy. It alters not the case as to thi» question, whether man is not a creature that in his present state is depraved and ruined by propensities to sin. If any creature be of such a nature that it proves evil in its proper place, or in the situation which God has assigned it in the universe, it is of an evil nature. That part of the system is not good, which is not good in its place in the system; and those inherent qualities of that part of the system, which are not good, but corrupt, in that place, are justly looked upon as evil inherent qualities. That propensity is truly esteemed to belong to the nature of any being, or to be inherent in it, that is the necessary consequence of its nature, considered together with its proper situation in the universal system of existence, whether that propensity be good or bad. It is the nature of a stone to be heavy; but yet, if ic were placed, as it might be, at a distance from this world, it would have no such quality. But seeing a stone is of such a nature, that it will have this quality or tendency, in its proper place, here in this world, where God has made it, it is properly looked upon as a propensity belonging to its nature: And if it be a good propensity here in its proper place, then it is a good quality of its nature; but if it be contrariv. isc, it is an evil natural quality. So, if mankind are of such a nature, that they have an universal, effectual tendency to fain and ruin m this world, wher« God has made and placed them, this is to be looked upon as a pernicious tendency belonging to their nature. There is, perhaps, scarce any such thing in beings not independent and selfcxistent, as any power or tendency, but what has some dependence on other beings, which they stand in some connexion with, in the iiniver» sal. system of existence: Propensities are no propensities, any otherwise, than as taken with their objects. Thus it is with the tendencies oi)served in natural bodies, such us yravity. majnetism, electricity, he. And thus it is with the propen* sities observed in the various kinds of animals; and thus it is with most of the propensities in created spirits.

It may further be observed, that it is exactly the same thing, as to the controversy concerning an arrecableness with God’s moral perfections of such a disposal of things, that man should come into the world in a depraved, ruined state, by a propensity to sin and ruin; whether God has so ordered it, that this propensiy should lie in his nature considered alone, or with relation to its situation in the universe, and its connexion with other parts of the system to which the Creator has united it; which is as much of God’s ordeiing, as man’s nature itself, most simply considered.

Dr. Taylor, (p. 188, 189) speaking of the attempt of some to solve the difficulty of God’s being the author of our nature,- and yet that our nature is polluted, by supposing that Godmakes the soul pure, but unites it to a polluted body, (or a body so made, as tends to pollute the soul) he cries out of it as weak and insufficient, and too gross Co be admitted. For, (says he) who infused the soul into the body? And if it is polluted by being infused into the body, who is the author and cause of its pollution? And who created the bodv,” Sec. But is not the case jast the same, as to those who suppose that God made the soul pure, and places it in a polluted world, or a world tending by its natural state in which it is made, to pollute the soul, or to have such an influence upon it, that it shall without fail be polluted with sin, and eternally ruined? Here, may not I also ci y out, on as good grounds as Dr. Taylor, who placed the soul here in this world? And if the world be polluted, or so constituted as niturallv and infallibly to pollute the soul with sin, who is the cause of his pollution? And who created the world?

Though in the place now cited, Dr. Taylor so insists up-* on it, that God must be answerable for the pollution of the soul, if he has infused or put the soul into a body that tends %o pollute it; yet this is the very thintj which he himself supposes lo be fact, with respect to the sours being created by God, in such a body as it is, and in such a world as it is; in a place which I have already had occasion to observe, where he says, “Wc are a/il, in a world full of temptation, to be drawn into sin by bodily appetites.” And if so, according to his way ot* reason, God must be the author and cause of this aptness to be drawn into sin. Again, page 143, we have these words,” Who drinUeth in inquity like water? Who is attended with so many sensual appetites, and so apt to indulge them ?** In these words our author in effect says the individual thing that he cries out of as so ifross viz. the tendency of the body, as God has made it, to pollute the soul which he has infused into it. These sensual appetites, which incline the soul, or make it a/it to a sinful indulgence are either from the body which God hath made, or otherwise a proneness to sinful indulgence is immediately and originally seated in the soul itself, which will not mend the matter for Dr. Taylor.

I would here lastly observe, that our author insists upon it, page 42, S. that this lower world where we dwell, in its present state, “is as it was, when, upon a review, God pronounced it, and all its furniture, very good. And that the present form and furniture of the earth is full of God*s riches, mercy, and goodness, and of the most evident tokens of his love and bounty to the inhabitants.” If so, there can be no room for such an evasion of the evidences from fact, of the universal, infallible tendency of man’s nature to sin and eternal perdition, as that the tendency there is to this issue, does not lie in man’s nature, but in the general constitution and frame of this earthly world, which God hath made to be the habitation of mankind.

SECTION III.

Fhat Profiensityy nvhich has been proved to be in the nature of all mankind must be a very evil, depraved and pernicious Propensity; iiiaklng it manifest, that the soul of man as it is by nature, is in a corrupt, fallen, and ruined stite; which is the other part of the consequence, drawn from the proposition laid clown in the first Section.

THE question to be considered, in order to determine whether man*s nature is not depraved and ruined, is not, whether he is not inclined to perform as many good deeds as bad ones; but Thich of these two he preponderates lo, in the frame of his heart, and state of his nature, a state of innocence ‘ind righteous7iess, and favor with God; or a state of fin, gidlt” iness, and abhorrence in the sight- of God. Persevering sinless righteousness, or else the guilt of sin, is the alternative, on the decision of which depends, (as is confessed) according to the nature and truth of things, as they(are in themselves, and according to the rule of right, and of. perfect justice, man’s being approved and accepted of his Maker, and eternally blessejd as good; or his being rejected, thrown away, and cursed as bad- And therefore the determination of the tendency of man’s heart and nature, with respect to these terms, is that which is to’ be looked at, in order to determine whether his nature is good or evil, pure or corrupt, sound or ruined. If such be man’s natOre, and state of his heart, that he has an infallibly eift ctual propensity to the latter of those terms; then it is wholly impertinent to talk of the innocent and kind actions, even of criminals themselves, surpassing their crimes in numbers, and of the prevailing innocence, good nature industry, felicity y and cheerfulness of the greater part of mankind. Let never so many thousands or millions of acts of honesty, good nature, &(;, be supposed; yet, by the supposition, there is an unfailing propensity to such moral evil, as in its dreadful K

consequences infinitely outweighs all effects or consequencJes of any supposed good. Surely that tendency, which, in effect, is an infallible tendency to elernal destruction, is an infinitely dreadful and pernicious tendency; and that nature and frame of mind, which implies such a tendency, must be an infinitely dreadful and pernicious frame of mind. It would be much more absurd to suppose that such a state of nature is good, or not bad, under a notion of men’s doing more honest and kind things than evil ones; than to say, the state of that ship i& good to cross the Atlantic Ocean in, that is such as cannot hold togelher through the voyage, but will infallibly founder and sink by the way; under a notion that it may probably go great part of the way before it sinks, or that it will proceed and sail above water more hours than it will be in sinking: Or to pronounce that road a good road to go to such a place, the greater part of which is plain and safe, though some parts of it are dangerous, and certainly fatal to them that travel in it; or to call that a good propensity, which is an inflexible inclination to travel in such a way.

A propensity to that sin which brings God’s eternal wrath and curse (which has been proved to belong to the nature of man) is evil, not only as it is calamitous and sorroiuful ending in great natural evil, but as it is odious and detestable: For by the supposition, it tends to that moral evil, by which the subject becomes odious in the sight of God, and liable, as such, to be condemned, and utterly rejected, and cursed by him. This also makes it evident, that the state wjiich it has been proved mankind are in, is a corrupt state in a moral sense that it is inconsistent with the fulfilment of the law of God, which is the rule of moral rectitude and goodness. That tendency which is opposite to that which the moral law re« quires and insists upon, and prone to that which the moral law utterly forbids, and eternally condemns the subject for, is doubtless a corrupt tendency, in a moral sense.

So that this depravity is both odious, and also fiernicioua. fatal and destructive, in the highest sense, as inevitably tending to that which ijnpiies man’s eternal ruin; it shews that man, as he is by nature, is in a deplorable and undone state?

lu the highest sense. And this proves that men do not come into the world perfectly innocent in the sight of God, and without any just exposedness to his displeasure. For the be» inf by nature in a lost and ruined state, in the highest sense, is not consistent with being by nature in a state of favor with God.

But if any should still insist on a notion of men’s good deeds exceeding their bad ones, and that, seeing the good that is in men is more than countervails the evil, they cannot be properly denominated evil; ail persons and things being most properly denominated from that which prevails, and has the ascendant in them, I would say further, that,

I presume it will be allowed, that if there is in man’s nature a tendency to guilt and ill desert, in a vast overbalance to virtue and merit; or a propensity to that sin, the evil and demerit of which is so great, that the value and merit that is in him, or in all the virtuous acts that ever he performs, are as nothing to it; then truly the nature of mgn may be said tg be corrupt and evil.

That this is the true case, may be demonstrated by what is evident of the infinite heinousness of sin against God, from the nature of things. The heinousness of this must rise in some proportion to the obligation we are under to regard the Divine Being; and that must be in some proportion to his worthiness of regard; which doubtless is infinitely beyond the worthiness of any of our fellow creatures. But the merit of our respect or obedience to God is not infinite. The merit of respect to any being does not increase, but is rather diminished, in proportion to the obligations we are under in strict justice to pay him that respect. There is no great merit in paying a debt we owe, and by the highest possible obligations in strict justice are obliged to pay, but there is great demerit in refusing to pay it. Thai on such accounts as these there is an infinite demerit in all sin against God, which must therefore immensely outweigh all the merit which can be supposed to be in our virtue, 1 think, is capable of full demonstration; and that the futility of the objections which some have made against the argument, might most plainly be demonstrated. But I shall omit a particular consideration of the evidence of this matter from the nature of tliinys, as I study brevity, and lest any should cry oirt, Metafihudcs! as the manner of some is, when any argument is hanciied against any tenet they are fond of, ^yith a close and exact consideration of the nature of things. And this is not so necessary in the present case, inasmuch as the point asserted, namely, that he who commits any one sin, has guilt and ill desert, which is so great, that the value and merit of all the good which it is possible he should do in his whole life, is as nothing to it; I say this point is not only evident by meta/ihysics,h[i. is plainly demonstrated by what has been shewn to he facty with respect to God’s own constitutions and dispensations towards mankind; as particularly by this, that whatever acts of virtue and obedience a man performs, yet if he trespasses in one point, is guilty of any the least sin, he, according to the law of God, and so according to the exact truth of things, and the proper demerit of sin, is exposed to be wholly cast out of favor with God, and subjected to his curse, to be utterly and eternally destroyed. This has been proved, and shewn to be the doctrine which Dr. Taylor abundantly teaches. But how can it be ap:reeable to the nature of things, and exactly consonant to everlastinp: truth and righteousness, thus to deal with a creature for the least sinful act, though he should performi ever so many thousands of honest and virtuous acts, to countervail the rjvil of that sin? Or how can it be agreeable to the exact truth and real demerit of things, thus- wholly to cast off the deficient creature, without any regard to the merit of all his good deeds, unless that be in truth the case, that the value and merit of all those good actions, bear no proportion to the heinousness of the least sin? If it were not so, one would think, that however the oftending person mi2;ht have some proper punishment, yet, seeing there is so much virtue to lay in the balance against the guilt, it would be agreeable to the nature of things, that he should find some favor, and not be altogether rejected, and made the subject of perfect and eternal destruction; and thus no account at all )je made of all his virtue, so much as to procure him the least relief or hope. How can such a consiiiuiion 7-c/irc sent zin in its profier colors and according to its true nature mid dc’ sert, (as Dr. Taylor says it does) unless this be its true nature, that it is so bad, that even in the least instance it perfectly swallows up all the value of the sinner’s supposed good

deeds, let them be ever so many. So that this matter is not left to our metaphysics or philosophy; the sreat Lawgiver, and infallible Judge of the universe, has clearly decided it, in the revelation he has made of what is agreeable to exact truth, justice, and the nature of things, in his revealed law, or rule of righteousness.

He that in any respect or degree is a transgressor of God’s law, is a wicked man, yea, wholly wicked in the eye of the law; all his goodness being esteemed nothing, having no account made of it, when taken together with his wickedness. And therefore, without any regard to his righteousness, he is, by the sentence of the law, and so by the voice of truth and justice, to be treated as worthy to be rejected, abhorred, and cursed for ever; and must be so, unless grace interposes, to cover his transgression. But men are really, in themselves,. what they are in the eye of the law, and by the voice of strict equity and justice; however they may be looked upon, and treated by infinite and unmerited mercy.

So that, on the whole, it appears, all mankind have an infallibly effectual propensity to that moral evil, which infinitely outweighs the value of all the good that can be in them; and have such a disposition of heart, thit the certain consequence of it is, their being, in the eye of perfect truth and righteousness, wicked men. And 1 leave all to judge, whether such a disposition be not in the eye of truth a depraved disposition?

Agreeably to these things, the scripture represents all mankind, not only as having guilt, but immense guilt, which they can have no merit or worthiness to countervail. Such is the representation we have in Matth. xviii. 21, to the end. There, on Peter’s inquiring, How often his brotfier should tres’ fiass against him and he forgive him ivhethcr until seven times; Christ replies, /^ffv not unto thee until seven timcsy but until seventy timefy arven; apparently meaning, that he should es*- teem no number of offences too m.any, and no degree of inju ry it is possible our neighbor should be guilty of towards us, too great to be forgiven. For which this reason is given in the parable there foIIov»ing, tlial if ever we obtain forgiveness and favor with God, he must pardon that guilt and injury towards his majesty, which is immenstly greater than the greatest injuries that ever men are guilty of one towards another, yea, than the sum of all their injuries put together, let them be ever so many, and ever so great; so that the latter would be but as an hundred pence to ten thousand talents, which immense debt we owe to God, and have nothing to pay; which implii’s, that we have no merit to countervail any part of our guilt. And this must be, because if all that may be called virtue in us, be compared with our ill desert, it is in the sight of God as nothing to it. The parable is not to represent Peter’s case in particular, but that of all who then were, or ever should be, Christ*s disciples. It appears by the conclusion oi the discourse, So likcivise shall my heavenly ‘leather do if ye, from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their tres» passes.

Therefovj hov; absurd must it be for Christians to object against the depravity of man’s nature, a greater number of innocent and kind actions, than of crimes; and to talk of a prevailing innocency, good nature, industry and cheerfulness of the greater part of mankind? Infinitely more absurd, than it would be to insist, that the domestic of a princewas not a bad servant, because though sometimes he contemned and affronted his master to a great degree, yet he did not spit in ylis master*s face so often as he performed acts of service; or, than it would he to affirm, that his spouse was a good wife to Kim, because, although she committed adultery, and that with the davt’s and scoundrels sometimes, yet she did not do this so often as she did the duties of a wife. These notions would be absurd, because the crimes are too heinous to be atoned for, by mny honest actions of the servant or spouse of the prince; there being a vast disproportion between the merit of the one, and the ill desert of the other; but in no measure so great, nay infinitely less, than that between the demerit of our offences against God, and the value of our acts of obedience.

Thus I have gone through with my first argument; having shewn the evidence of the truth of the proposition I laid down at first, and proved its consequence. But there are many other thing!-, that manifest a very corrupt tendency or disposition in man’s nature, in his present state, which I shall t:«ke notice of in the following Sections.

SECTION IV.

The de/iravity of A^ature apfiears by a firojienaity in all to Sin immediately, as soon as they are capable of ity and to Sin continually and progressively; and also by the remains of iSm /;2 //le best of Men.

THE great depravity of man’s nature appears, not only in that they univetlfelly commit sin, who spend any long time in the world, but in that men are naturally so prone to sin, that none ever fail o immediately transgressing God*s law, and so of bringing infinite guilt on themselves, and exposing themselves to eternal perdition, as soon as they are capable of it.

The scriptures are so very express in it, that all mankind, all feshy all the world every man livings are guilty of sin; that it must at least be understood, every one that is come to be capable of being active in duty to God, or sin against him, is guilty of sin. There are multitudes in the world who have but very lately begun to exert their faculties, as moral agents; and so are but just entered on their state of trial, as acting for themselves. There are many thousands constantly in the world, who have not lived one month, or week, or day since they have arrived to any period that can be assigned from their birth to twenty years of age. And if there be not a

ORlClNAL SIN.

strong propensity in man’s nature to sin, that should, as i! were, hnrry them on to speedy transpression, and they hav6 no fuilt previous to their personal sinning, what should hinder’ but that there might always be a great number of such as act for themselves on the stage of the world, and are answerable for themselves to GoJ, who have hitherto kept themselves free from sin, and have perfectly obeyed God*s law, and so are righteous in God’s sight, with the righteousness of the law; and if they should be called out of the world without any longer trial (as great numbers die at all periods of life) would be justified by the deeds of the law? And how then can it be true, thai in God’s sight no man living can be justijied -that no man can be just with God and that by the deeds of the law no Jlesh can be jiistijied because by the law. is the knowledge of Sin? And what should hinder but that there may always be many in the world, who are capLible subjects of instruction and counsel, and of prayer to God, for whom th6 calls of God*s word to repentance, and to seek pardon through the blood of Christ, and to forgive others their injuries, because they need that God should forgive them, would not be proper; and for whom the Lord’s prayer is not suitable, whe||fein ChristMirects all his followers to pray, that God wouloorgive their sins, as ‘they forgive those that trespass against them?

If there are any in the world, though but lately become capable of acting for themselves, as subjects of the law of God, who are perfectly free from sin, such are most likely to be found among the children of Christian parents, whtf give them the most pious education, and set them the best examples; and therefore such would never be so likely to be found in any part or age of the world, as in the primitive Christian church, in the first age of Christianity, (the age of the churches greatest purity) so long after Christianity had been established, that there, had been time for great numbers of children to be born, and educated by those primitive Christians. It was in that age, and in such a part of that age, that the Apostle John wrote his first epistle to the Christians that then were. But if there was then a number of them come to understanding, who were perfectly free from sin, why does he vote as he does? 1 John i. 8 10. “If we say that we

have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unritvhteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and the truth is not in us.”

If any should object, that this is an overstraining of things; and that it supposes a greater niceness and exactness than is observed in scripture representations and expressions, to mfer from these expressions, that all men sin immediately as soon as ever they are capable of it. To this 1 would say, that I think the arguments used are truly solid, and do really and justly conclude, either that men are born guilty, and so are chargeable with sin before they come to act for themselves, or else commit sin immediately, without the least time intervening, after they are capable of undersiandmg their obligation to God, and reflecting on themselves; and that the scripture clearly determines, there is not one such person in the world, free from sin. But whether this be a straining things up to too great an exactness, or not; yet I suppose, none that do not entirely set aside the sense of such scriptures as have been men;ioned, and deny those propositions which Dr. Tay* lor himself allows to be contained in some of them, will deny they prove, that no conmderahle time passes after men are capable of acting for themselves, as the subjects of God’s law, before they are guilty of sin; because if the time were eonsldcrable, it would be great enough to deserve to be taken liotire of, as an exception to uch universal propositions, as, In thy sight shall no man living dejustijied &c. And if this be allowed, that men are so prone to sin, that in fact all mankind do sin, as it werpy immefliately, after they come to be CL^pable ef it, or fail not to sin so soon, that no considerable time passes before they run into transgression against God; it does not much alter the case, as to the present argument. If the time of freedom from sin be so small, as not lo be worthy of notice in the forementioned universal piopositions of scripture, it Is alHo so small, as not to be worthy of notice in the prtseoJ Argument.

Ayain, the reality and greatness of the depravity of man*s nature appears in this, that he has a prevailing propensity to be continually sinnins against God. What has been observed above, will clearly prove this. That same disposition of nature, which is an effectual propensity to immediate sin, amounts to a propensity to continual sin. For a being prone to continual sinning, is nothing but a proneness to immediate sin continued. Such appears to be the tendency of nature to sin, that as soon as ever man is capable, it causes him immediately to sin, williout suffering any considerable time to pass without sin. And therefore, if the same propensity be contin lied ndimnished, there will be an equal tendency to imniediate sinning again, without any considerable time passing. And so the same will always be a disposition still immediately to sin, with as little time passing without sin afterwards, as at first. The only reason that can be given why sinning must be immediate at first, is that the disposition is so great, that it will not suffer any considerable time to pass without sin; and therefore, the same disposition being continued in equal degree, without some new restraint, or contrary tendency, it will still equally tend to the same effect. And though it is true, the propensity may be diminished, or have restraints laid upon it, by gracious disposals of providence, or merciful influences of God’s spirit; yet this is not owing to nature. That strong propensity of nature, by which men are so prone to immediate sinning at first, has no tendency in itself to a diminution; but rather to an increase; as the continued exercise of an evil disposition, in repeated actual sins, tends to strengthen it more and more; agreeable to that observation of Dr. Taylor’s, p. 228. “We are apt to be drawn into sia by bodily appetites, and when once we are under the government of these appetites, it is at least exceeding difficult, if not impracticable, to recover ourselves, by the mere force of reason.” The increase of strength of disposition in such a case, is as in a falling body, the f:trength of its tendency to descend is continually increased, so long as its motion is continued. Not only a constant commission of sin, but a constant increase in the habits and practice of wickedness, is the true tendency of man’s depraved nature, if unrestrained by divine grace; as the true tendency of the nature of an heavy body, if obstacles arc removed, is not only to fall with a continued motion, but with a constantly increaslng- motion. And we see, that increasing iniquity is actually the consequence of natural depravity, in most men, nolwithstandinj; all the restraints they have. Dispositions to evil arc commonly much stronger in adult persons, than in children, when they first begin to act in the world as rational creatures.

If sin be such a thing as Dr. Taylor lumself represents it, p. 69.” A thing of an odious and destructive nature, the corruption and ruin of our nature, and infinitely hateful to God;’* then such a propensity to continual and increasing sin, must be a very evil disposition. And if we may judge of the perniciousness of an inclination of nature, by the evil of the effect it naturally tends to, the propensity pf man’s nature must be evil indeed; for the soul being immortal, Dr. Taylor acknowledges, p. 94. S. it will follow from what has been observed above, that man has a natural disposition to one of these two things; either to an increase of wickedness without end, or till wickedness comes to be so great, that the capacity of his nature will not allow it to be greater. This being what his wickedness will come to by its natural tendency, if divine grace does not prevent, it may as truly be said to be the effect which man’s natural corruption tends to, as that an acorn in a proper soil, truly tends by its nature to become a great tree.

Again, that sin which is remaining in the hearts of the best men on earth, makes it evident, that man’s nature is corrupt, as he comes into the world. A remaining depravity of heart in the greatest saints, may be argued from the sins of most of those who are set forth in scripture as the most eminent instances and examples of virtue and piety; and is also manifest from this. That the scripture represents all God’s children as standing in need of chastisement. Heb. xii. 6.. ..8. “For whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth; and scourgeth every Son whom he receiveth. What Son is he, whom the Father chasteneth net? If ye re without chastisement, then are ye bastards, and not sons.” But this is directly and fully asserted in some places; as in that forementioned, Eccles viio 20. «’ There is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.” Which is as much as to say, there is no man on earth, that is so just, as to have attained to such a deyree of righteousness, as not to commit any sin. Yea, the Apostle James speaks of all Christians as often sinning, or committing many sins; even in that primitive age of the Christ* ian church, an age distinguished from all others by eminent attainments in holiness; James iii. 2. “In many things we all offend.” And that there is pollution in the hearts of allp as the remainder of moral filth that was there antecedent to all attempts or means for purification, is very plainly declared, in Prov. xx. 9. Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin ?**

According to Dr. Taylor men come into the world wholly free from sinful propensities. And if so, it appears from what has been already said, there would be nothing to hinderj but that many, without being better than they arc by nature, might perfectly avoid the commission of sin. But much more might this be the case with men after they had, by care, diligence, and good practicep attained those positive habits of virtue, whereby they are at a much greater distance from sin, than they were naturally; which this writer supposes to be the case with many good men. But since the scripture teaches us, that the best men in the world do often commit sin, and have remaining pollution of heart, this makes it abundantly evident, that men, when they are no otherwise than they were by nature, without any of those virtuous attainments, have a sinful depravity; yea, must have great corruption of nature.

SECTION V.

Je dcfiravity of J*dture afifiearsy in that the general Conae-, gucnce of the State mid Tejidency of Man’s JVature is a muck greater Degree of Sin, than Righteousness; not only nuithfeafiect to Value and Demerit, but Matter and Quantity.

I HAVE before shewn, that there is a propensity in man’s nature to that sin, which in heinousness and ill desert imjnensely outweighs all the value and merit of any supposed good, that may be in him, or that he can do. I now proceed to say further, that such is man’s nature, in his present state, that it tends to this lamentable effect; that there should at all times, through the course of his life, be at least much more sin than righteousness, not only as to weight and value but as to matter and measure; more disagreement of heart and practice from the law of God, and from the law of nature l&nd reason, than agreement and conformity.

The law of God is the rule of right, as Dr. Taylor often calls it: It is the measure of virtue and sin: So much agreement as there is with this rulep so much is there of rectitude, righteousness, or true virtue, and no more; and so jnuch disagreement as there is with this rule, so much sin is there.

Having premised this, the follov/ir.g things may be here observed.

I. The degree of disagreement from this rule of right is to be determined, not only by the degree of distance from it in excess, but also in defect; or in other words, not only in positive transgression, or doing what i?, forbidden, but also in pvithholding what is required. The Divine Lawgiver does as much prohibit the one as the other, and does as much charge the latter as a sinful breach of his law, exposing to his eternal wrath and curse, as the former. Thus at the day of judgment, as described Mallh. xxv. The wicked are condemned as cursed to everlasting Jire for their sin in defect and omission: I iipas an himgrcd and yc gave ?nc no meaty he. And the case is thus, not only when the defect is in word or behavior, but in the inward temper and exercise of the mind. 1 Cor. xvi. 22, “If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.** Dr. Taylor, speaking of the sentence and punishment of the wicked, (Matth. xxv. 4!, 46) says, p. 159, “It was manifestly for nant of benevolence, love, and compassion to their fellow creatures, that they were condemned.” And elsewhere, as was cbseived before, he says, that the law of God extends to the latent firinci/Ues of sin lo forbid them, and to condenm to eternal destruction for them. And if so, it doubtless also extends to the inward principles of holiness; to require them, and in like manner to condemn for the want of them.

II. The sum of our duty to God, required in his law, is love to God; taking love in a large sense, for the true regard of our hearts to God, implying esteem, honor, benevolence, gratitude, complacence, Sec. This is not only very plain by the scripture, but it is evident in itself. The sum of what the law of God requires, is doubtless obedience to that law: No law can require more than that it be obeyed. But it is manifest, that obedience to God is nothing, any otherwise than as a testimony of the respect of our hearts to God: Without the heart, man*s external acts are no more than the motions of the limbs of a wooden image, have no more of the nature of either sin or righteousness. It must therefore needs be so, that love to God, or the respect of the heart, must be the sum of the duly required towards God in his law.

III. It therefore appears from the premises, that whosoever withholds more of thai love or respect of heart from God, which his law requires, than he affords, has more sin than righteousness. psot only he that has less divine love, than passions and affcclions which are opposite; l)ut also ho that d’jes not love God half so much as he ought, or has reason to do, has justly more wrong than right imputed to him, according to the law of God, and the law of reason, he ha§

ore irreG^ulnrity th?.n rectitude, with re^ard to the law of love. The sinful disrespect or unrespectfulness of his heart to God, is greater than his respect to him.

But what considerate person is there, even among the more virtuous part of mankind, but what would be ashamed to say» and profess before God or men, that he loves God half so much as he ought to do; or that he exercises one half of that esteem, honor and gratitude towards God, which would be altogether becoming him; considering what God is, and what great m nifestations he lias made of his transcendent excellency and goodness, and what benefits he receives from him? And if few or none of the best of men can with reason and truth make even such a profession, how far from it must the generality of mankind be?

The chief and most fundamental of all the commands of the moral law, requires us “io love the Lord our God ‘toith all our hearts’, and tuith all our sozcls, rdth all our strength and all our mind;”* that is plainly, with all that is within us, or to the utmost capacity of our nature; all that belongs to or is comprehended within the utmost extent or capacity of our heart and soul, and mind and strength, is required. God is in himself worthy of infinitely greater love, than any creature can exercise towards him: He is worthy of love equal to his perfections, which are infinite: God loves himself with no greater love than he is worthy of, when he loves himself infinitely; but we can give God no more than we have. Therefore, if we give him so much, if we love him to the utmost extent of the faculties of our nature we are excused; but when what is proposed, is only that we should love him as much as our capacity will allow, this excuse of want of capacity ceases, and obligation takes hold of us; and we arc doubtless obliged to love God to the utmost of what is possible for us, with such faculties, and such opportunities and adv[lntages to know God, as we have. And it is evidently implied in this great commandment of the law, that our love to God should be so great, as to have the most absolute possesrAon of all the soul, and the perfect government of all the principles and springs of action that are in our rpatnrc.

Thoiiyh it is not easy, precisely to fix the limits of man’s capacity, as to love to God; yet in general we raay determine, that his capacity of love is coextended with his capacity of knowledge; the exercise of the understanding opens the way for the exercise of the other faculty. Now, though we cannot have any proper positive understanding of God*s infinite excellency; yet the capacity of the human understanding is very great, and may be extended far. It is needless to dispute, how far man’s knowledge may be said to be strictly comprehensive of things that are very great, as of the extent of the expanse of the heavens, or of the dimensions of thp globe of the earth, and of such a great number, as of the Ujany millions of its inhabitants. The word comfirehen&ive seems to be ambiguous. But doubtless we are capable of some proper positive understanding of the greatness of these things, in comparison of other things that we know, as unspeakably exceeding them. We are capable of some clear understanding of the greatness or considerableness of a whole nation; or of the whole world of mankind, as vastly exceeding that of a particular person or family. We can positively underfjtand that the whole cjobe of the earth is vastly greater than a particular hill or mountain. And can have some good positive apprehension of the starry heavens, as so greatly exceeding the globe of the earth, than the latter is as it were nothing to it. So the human faculties are capable of a real and clear understanding of the greatness, glory and goodness of God, and of our dependence upon him, from the manifestations which God has made of himself to mankind, as being beyond all expression above that of the most excellent human friend, or earthly object. And so we are capable of an esteem and love to God, which shall be proportionable, and as much exceeding that which we have to any creature.

Thtse things may help us to form some judgment, how vastly the generality of mankind foil below their duty, with respect to love to God; yea, how far they a-e from coming halfway to that hei.urht of love, ^r’-ich is agree j’)lc lo the rule of right. Suitly if our oem of Ciorl, desires alter him, and delight in him, were such us become us, consiUering the things forementioned, they would exceed our regard to other things as the heavens arc high above the earth, and would swallow up all other affections like a dclutc. But how far, how exceeding; far, are the generality of ilic world from any appearance of being inllucnced and governed by such a degree of divine love as this!

If we consider the love of God, with respect to that one kind of exercise of it, namely, gratitude how far indeed do the generality of mankind come short of the rule of right and reason in this! If we consider how various, innumerable, and vast the benefits are we receive from God, and how infinitely great and wonderful that grace of his is, which is revealed and offered to them that live under the gospel, in that eternal salvation which is procured by God*s giving his only begotten Son to die for sinners; and also- how unworthy we arc all, deserving (as Dr. Taylor confesses) eternal perdition under God’s wrath and curse; how great is the gratitude that would become us, who are the subjects of so many and great benefits, and have such grace towards poor, sinful, lost mankind set before us in so affecting a manner, as in the extreme sufferings of the Son of God, being carried through those pains by a love stronger than death, a love that conquered those mighty agonies, a love whose length, and breadth, and depth, and height, passes knowledge? But oh I What poor returns! How little the gratitude! How low, how «old and inconstant the affection in the best, compared with the obligation! And what then shall be said of the gratitude of the generality? Or rather, who can express the ingratitude?

If it were so, that the greater part of them that are called Christians, were no enemies to Christ in heart and practice, were not governed by principles opposite to him and his gospel, but had some real love and gratitude; yet if their love falls vastly short of the obligation or occasion given, they are guilty of shameful and odious ingratitude. As when a man has been the subject of some instance of transcendent generosity, whereby he has been relieved from the most extreme calamity, and brought into very opulent, honorable, and hap-G py circumstances, by a benefactor of excellent character j and yet expresses no more gratitude on such an occasion than would be requisite for some kindness comparatively infinitely small, he may justly fall under the imputation of vile unthank fulness, and of much more ingratitude than gratitude; though he may have no ill will to his benefactor, or no positive affection of mind contrary to thankfulness and benevolence. What is odious in him is his defect, whereby he falls so vastly below his duty.

Dr. Turnbnll abundantly insists, that the forces of the affections naturally in man are well proportioned; and often puts a question to this purpose :....Row man*snaturc could have been better constituted in this respect? How the affections of his heart could have been better proportioned? I v,’ill no-Nv mention one instance, out of many that might be mentioned:

Man, if his heart were not depraved, might have had a disposition to gratitude to God for Ills good7iess in proportion to his disposition to cuiger towards men for their injuries. When I say in proportion, I mean considering the greatness and number of favors and injuries, and the degree in which the one and the other are unmerited, and the benefit received by the former, and the damage sustained by the latter. Is there not an apparent and vast difference and inequality in the dispositions to these two kinds of affection, in the generality of both old snd young, adult persons and little children? How ready is resentment for injuries received from men? And how easily is it raised in most, at least to an equality with the desert? And is it so with respect to gratitude for benefits received from God, in any degree of comparison? Dr. Turnbull pleads for the natural disposition to anger for injuries, as being good and useful; but surely gratitude to God, if we were incliiu d to it, would be at least as good and useful as the other.

How far the generality of mankind are from their duty with respect to love to God, will further appear, if we consider that we are obliged not only to love him with a love of gratitude for benefits received; but true love to God primarl’ oniGINAL SIN. 51.

ly consists in a supreme regard to him for what he is in himself. The tendency of true virtue is to treat every thing as it is, and according to iis nature. And if we regard the Most High according to the infinite dignity and glory of his nature, we shall esteem and love him w’nh all our heart and soul, and to the utmost.of the capacity of our nature, en this account; and not primarily because he has promoied our interest. If God be infinitely excellent in himself, thcr. He is infinitely lovely on that account, or in other words, infinitely worthy to be loved. And doubtless, if he be worthy to be loved for this, then he ought to be loved for this. And it is manifest there can be no true love to him, if he be not loved for what he is in himself. For if we love him not for his own sake, but for something else, then our love is not terminated on him, but on something else, as its ultimate object. That is no true value for infinite worth, which implies no value for that worthiness in itself considered, but only on the account of something foreign. Our esteem of God is funelamentally defective, if it be not primarily for the excellency of his nature, which is the foundation of all that ls valuable ip him in any respect. If we love not God because he is what he is, but only because he is profitable to us, in truth we loyje him not at all; if we seem to love him, our love is not to him, but to something else.

And now I must leave it to every one to judge for him* self, from his own opportunities of observation and information concerning mankind, how little there is of this disinterested love to God, this pure divine affectior., in the world. How very little indeed in comparison of other affections altogether diverse, which perpetually urge, actuate and govern mankind, and keep the world, through all nations and ages, in a continual agitation and commotion! This is an evidence of an horrid contempt of God, reigning in the world of mankind. It would justly be esteemed a great instance of disrespect and contempt of a prince, if one of his subjects, when he came into his house, should set him below his meanest slave. But in setting the Infinite Jehovah below earthly objects and enjoyments, men degrade him below, those things, between which and him there ia an infinitely greater distance, than between the highest earthly potentate, and the most abject of mortals. Such a conduct as the generality of men arc guilty of towards God, continually and through all ages? in innumerable respects, would be accounted the most vile, contemptuous treatment of a fellow creature of distinguished dignity. Particularly men’s treatment of the offers God makes of himself to them as their Friend, their Father, their God, and everlasting portion; their treatment of the exhibitions he has made of his unmeasurabie love, and the boundless riches of his grace in Christ, attended with earnest repealed calls, counsels, expostulations and intreaties, as also of the most dreadful threatenings of his eternal displeasure and vengeance.

Before I finish this Section, it may be proper to say something in reply to an objection, some may be ready to make against the force of that argument, which has been used to prove that men in general have more sin than righteousness, namely, that they do not come half way to that degree of love to God, which becomes them, and is their duty.

The objection is this: That the argument seems to prove too much, in that it will prove, that even good men themselves have more sin than holiness, which also has been supposed. But if this were true, it would follow that sin is the prevalent principle even in good men, and that it is the principle which has the predominancy in the heart and practice of the truly pious, which is plainly contrary to the word of God.

I answer, if it be indeed so, that there is more sin, consisting in defect of required holiness, than there is of holiness in good men in this world; yet it will ndt follow that sin has the chief government of their heart and practice, for two reasons.

1. They may love God more than other things, and yet there may not be so much love, as there is want of due love; or in other words, they may love God more than the world, and therefore the love of God may be predominant, and yet may not love God near half so much as they ought to do. This need not be esteemed a paradox: A person may love a

father, or some great friend and benefactor, of a very excellent character, more than some other object, a thousand times less worthy of his esteem and affection, and yet love him ten times less than he ought; and so be chargeable, all things considered, with a deficiency in respect and fralilude, that is very unbecoming and hateful. If love to God prevails above the love of other things, then virtue will prevail above evil affections, or positive principles of sin; by which principles it is, that sin has a positive power and influence. For evil affections radically consist in inordinate love to other tilings besides God; and therefore, virtue prevailing beyond these, will have the governing influence. The predominance of the love of God in the hearts of good men, is more from the nature of the object loved, and the nature of the principle of true love, than the degree of the principle. The object is one of supreme loveliness; immensely above all other objects in worthiness of regard; and it is by such a transcendent excellency, that he is God, and worthy to be regarded and adored as God; and he that truly loves God, loves him as God: True love acknowledges him to be God, or to be divinely and, supremely excellent; and must arise from some knowledge, sense, and conviction of his worthiness of supreme respect; and though the sense and view of it may be very imperfect, and the love that arises from it in like manner imperfect; yet if there be any realising view of such divine excellency, it must cause the heart to respect God above all.

2. Another reason, why a principle of holiness maintains the dominion in the hearts of good men, is the nature of the covenant of grace, and the promises of that covenant, on which true Christian virtue relies, and which engage God’s strength and assistance to be on its side, and to help it against enemy, that it may not be overcome. The just live by faith. Holiness in the Christian, or his spiritual life, is maintained, as it has respect by faith to its author and finisher; and derives strength and efficacy from the divine fountain, and by this means overcomes. For, as the apostle says. This is the victory that overcomes the worlds even our faith. It is our faith in him who has promised, never to leave nor forsake his people, and not to forsake the work of his own bands, nor sulfer iils people to be tempted above their ability, and that his grace s’lall be sufficient for them, and that his strength shall be mad*^ perfect in weakness, and that where he ha3 begun .71 good work lie will carry it on to the day of Christ.

SECTION VI.

The CorrufiHon of Man’s J^ature afijiectrs by its Tendency z”?? its firesent State, try an extreme degree of Folly aw, Stupidity in Matters of Religion.

IT appears, that man’s nature is greatly depraved, by an apparent proneness to an exceeding stupidity and sottish-Tjess in those things wherein his duty and main interest are chiefly concerned.

I shall instance in two things, viz. men’s proneness to idolatry; and so general and great a disregard of eternal things, as appears in them that live under the light of the gospel.

It is manifest, that man’s nature in its present state is attended with a great propensity to forsake the acknowledgment and worship of the true Cod, and to fall into the most stupid idolatry. This has been sufficiently proved by known fact, on abundant trial: Inasmuch as the world of mankind in general (excepting one small peoplep miraculously delivered and persevered) through all nations, in all pans of the world, ages after ages, continued without the knowledge and worship of the true God, and overwhelmed in gross idolatry, without the least appearance or prospect of its recovering itself from so great blindness, or returning from its brutish principles and customs, till delivered by divine grace.

In order to the most just arguing from fact, concerning the tendency of man’s nature, as that is in itself, it should be inquired what the event has been, where nature has been left to itself, to operate according to its own tendency, with least opposition made to it by any thing supernatural; rather than in exempt places, where the infinite power and grace of God have interposed, and extraordinary means have been used to stem the current, and bring men to true religion and virtue. As to the means by which God’s people of old, in the line of Abraham, were delivered and preserved from idolatry, they were miraculous, and of mere grace: Notwilhslanding which, they were often. relapsing into the notions and ways of the heathen; and when they had backslidden, never were recovered, but by divine gracious interposition. And as to the means by vrhich many Gentile nations have been delivefed since the days of the gospel, they are such as have been wholy owing to most wonderful, miraculous, and infinite grace. God was under no obligation to bestow on the heathen world greater advantages than thy h?.d in the ages of their gross darkness; as appears by the fact, that God actually did not, for so long a time, bestow greater advantages.

Dr. Taylor himself observes, (Key p. I.) “That in about four hundred years after the flood, the generality of mankind were fiillen into idolatry.” And thus it was every where through the world, excepting among that people that was saved and preserved by a constant series of miracles, through a variety of countries, nations, and climates, great enough; and through successive changes, revolutions, and ages, numerous enough to be a sufficient trial of what mankind are prone to, if there be any such thing as a sufficient trial.

That men should forsake the true God for idols, is an evidence of the most astonishing folly and stupidity, by God’s own testimony, Jer. ii. 12, 13. “Be astonished, O yc heavens, at this, and be ye horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the Lord: For my people have committed tv.o evils; they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and have hewed out to themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that c<ln hold no water.” And th.at m?.nkind in general did thus.

so soon after the flood, was from the evil propensity of their hearts, and because they did not like to retain God in their knonvledge; as is evident by Rom. i. 28. And the universality of the effect shews that the cause was universal, and not any thing bclonsinej to ‘he paiticiilar circumstances of one, or only some nations or ages, but something belonging to that nature that is common to all nations, and that remains the same throuc:h all ages. And what other cause could this great effect possibly arise from, but a depraved disposition, natural to all mankind? It could not arise from want of a sufficient capacity or means of knowlcdfe. This is in effect confessed on all lands. Dr. Turnbull (Christian Philosophy p. 21.) says as follows: “The existence of one infinitely powerful, wise, and good mind, the author, creator, upholder, and governor of all things, is a truth that lies plain and obvious to all that will but think.” And (ibid, p. 245.) Moral knowledge, which is the most important of all knowledge, may easily be acquired by all men.” And again, (ibid, p. 292.) “Every man by himself, if he would duly employ his mind in the contemplation of the works of God about him, or in the examination of his own frame migh make very great progress ia the knowledge of the wisdom and goodness of God. This all men, generally speaking, might do, with very little assistance; for they have all sufficient abilities for thus employing their minds, and have all sufficient time for it.** Mr. Locke says f Hitman Understanding, p. iv. Chap. iv. p. 242, Edit. 11.)” Our own existence, and the sensible parts of the universe, offer the proofs of a deity so clearly and cogently to our thoughts, that I deem it impossible for a considerate man to withstand them. For I judge it as certain and clear a truth, as can any where be delivered, that the invisible things of God are clearly seen from the creation of the world, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and godhead.” And Dr. Taylor him-eli, (in p. 78) says, “The light given to all ages and nations of the world, is sufficient for the knowledge and practice of their duty.” And in p. Ill, 112, citing those words of the apostle, Rom. ii. 14, 15, saySj This clearly supposes that the Gentiles, who were then in the world, might have done the things contained in the law by nature, or their natural power.” And in one of the

next sentences, he says,” The apostle, in Rom. i. 19 21,

affirms that the Gentiles had lipht sufficient to have seen God*s eternal power and godhead, in the works of creation; and that the reason why they did not yIorify him as God, wis because they became vain in their imaojinations, and hud darkened their foolish heart; so that they were without excuse.” And in his paraphrase on those verses in the 1st of Romans he speaks of the “very heathens, that were wiihout a written revelation, as having that clear and evident discovery of God’s being and perfections, that they are inexcusable in not glorifyin.o: him suitably to his excellent nature, and as the author of their being and enjoyments.” And in p. 146, 5’. he says, ‘< God affords every man sufficient light to know his duty.” If all ages and nations of the world have sufficient light for the knowledge of God, and their duty to him, then even such nations and ages, in which the most brutish ignorance and barbarity prevailed, had sufficient light, if they had had but a disposition to improve it; and then much more those of the heathen, which were more knowing and polished, and in ages wherein arts and learning had made greatest advances. But even in such nations and ages, there was no advance made towards true religion; as Dr. Winder observes (History of Knonvledge Vol. ii. p. 336) in the following words: “The Pagan religion degenerated into greater absurdity, the further it proceeded; and it prevailed in all its height of absurdity, when the Pagan nations were polished to the height. Though they set out with the talents of reason, and had solid foundations of information to build upon, it in fact proved, that with all their strengthened faculties, and growing powers of reason, the edifice of religion rose in the most absurd deformities and dispositions, and gradually <vent on in the most irrational, disproportioned, incongruous systems, of which the most easy dictates of reason would have demonstrated the absurdity. They were contrary to all just calculations in moral mathematics.” He observes, ‘’ That their grossest abominations first began in Egypt, where was an ostentation of the greatest H progress in learning and science; and they never renounced clearly any of their abominations, or openly returned to the worship of the one true God, the Creator of all things, and to the original, genuine sentiments of the highest and most venerable andquity. The Pagan religion continued in this deep state of corruption to the last. The Pagan Philosophers, and inquisitive men, made great improvements in many sciences, and even in morality itself; yet the inveterate absurdities of Pagan idolatry remained without remedy. Every temple smoked with increase to the sun and moon, and other inanijnate material luminaries, and earthly elements, to Jupiter, Juno, Mars and Venus, Sec. the patrons and examples of almost every vice. Hecatombs bled on the altars of a thousand gods; as mad superstitions inspired. And this was not the disgrace of our ignorant, untaught northern countries only; but even at Athens itself, the infamy reigned, and circulated through all Greece; and finally prevailed, amidst all their learning and politeness, under the Ptolemijs in Egyfit and the Cesars at Rome, Now if the knowledge of the Pagan world, in reliu;ion, proceeded no further than this; if they retained all their deities, even the most absurd of them their de* ified beasts, and deified men, even to the last breath of Pagan power; we may justly ascribe the great improvements in the world, on the subject of religion, to divine revelation, either vouchsafed in the beginning when this knowledge was competently clear and copious; or at the death of Paganism, when this light shone forth in its consummate lustre at the coming of Christ.”

Dr. Taylor often speaks of the idolatry of the heathen world, as great ivickeclness in which they were wholly inexcusable; and yet often speaks of their case as remediless, and of them as being dead in sin, and unable to recover themselves. And if so, and yet, according to his own doctrine, every age, and every nation, and every man, had sufficient light afforded) to know God, and to know and do their whole duty to him; then their inability to deliver themselves must be a moral inability, consisting in a desperate depravityi and most evil disposition of heart.

And if there had not betn sufficient trial of the propensity of the hearts of mankind, through all those ages that passed from Abraham to Christ, the trial has been continued down to this day, in all those vast regions of the face of the earth, that have remained without any effects of the light of the gospel; and the disinal effect continues every where unvaried. How was it with that multitude of nations inhabiting ^outh and north America? What appearance was there, when the F.uropeans first came hithtr, of their being recovered, or recoveringr in any degree, from the grossest ignorance, dehu 3ions, and most stupid Paganism? And how is it at this day, in those parts of Africa and Asia, into which the light of the gospel has not penetrated?

This strong and universally prevalent disposition of mankind to idolalry, of which there has been such great trial, and so notorious a»>d vast proof, in fact, is a most glaring evidence of the exceeding depravity of the human nature; as it is a propensity, in the utmost degree, contrary to the highest end, the main business, and chief happiness of mankind, consisting in the knowledge, service, and enjoyment of ilic living God, the Creator and Governor of the world; in the highest degree contrary to that for which mainly God gave mankind more understanding than the beasts of the earth, and made ihem wiser than the fowls of heaven; wl.ich was, that lliey might be capable of the knowledge of God; and in the highest degree contrary to the first and greatest commandment of the moral law, that “jjc should have ni otl;er gods before Jehovah and that we should love and adore him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. The scriptures are abundant in representing the idolatry of the heathen world, as their exceeding wickedness, and their most brutish stupidity. They worship and trust in idols, are said to be like the lifeless statues they worship, like mere senseless stocks and stones, Psalm cxv. 4 8, and cxxxv. 15. .....18.

A second instance of the natural stufiidity of the minds of mankind, that I shall observe, is, that great disregard of their nivn eternal interest which appears so remarkably, so generajly among them that live under the gosne.

As Mr. Locke observes (Human Understandings Vol. I. ji. 207.) “Were the will rletcrmined by the views of good, as it appears in contemplation, greater or less to the understanding, it could never get loose from the infinite, eternal joys of heaven, once proposed, and considered as possible; the eternal condition of a future state infinitely outweighing the expectation of riches or honor, or any other worldly pleasure; which we can propose to ourselves; though we should grant these the more probable to be obtained.” Again (p. 228, 229.) ^’ He that will not be so far a rational creature, as to reflect seriously upon infinite happiness and mise’-y, must needs condemn himself, as not tnaking that use of his understanding he should. The rewards and punishments of another life, which the almighty has established, as the enforcements of his laws, are of weiecht enough to determine the choice, against whatsoever pleasure or pain this life can shew. When the eternal state is considered but in its bare possibility, which nobody can make any doubt of, he that will allow exquisite and endless happiness to be but the possible consequence of a good life here, and the contrary state the possible reward of a bad one, must own himself to judge very much amiss, if he does not Conclude that a virtuous life, with the certain expectation of everlasting bliss, which may come, is to be preferred to a vicious one, with the fear of that dreadful state of misery, which it is very possible may overtake the guilty, or at least the terrible, uncertain hope of annihilation. This is evidently so; though the virtuous life here had nothing but pain, ‘and the vicious continual pleasure; which yet is for the most part quite otherwise, and wicked men have not much the odds to brag of, even in their present possession: Nay, al! things rightly considered, have I think even the worst part here. But when infinite happiness is put in one scale, against infinite misery in the other; if the worst that comes to the pious man, if he mistakes, be the best that the wicked man can attain to, if he be in the right; who can, without madness, run the venture? Who in his wits would choose to come with” in a possibility of infi life misery? Which if he miss, there is yet nothing to be got by that haz.u’d: Whereas, on the other side, the sober man ventures nothing, against infinite happiness to be got, if his expectation comes to pass.

That disposition of mind which is a propensity to act contrary to reason, is a depraved disposition. It is not because the faculty of reason, which God has given to mankind, is not sufficient fully to discover to them, thai forty, sixty, or an hundred years, is as nothing in comparison of eternity, infinitely less than a second of time to an hundred years, that the greatest worldly prosperity and pleasure is not treated with most perfect disregard, in all cases where there is any degree of competition of earthly things, with salvation from exquisite, eternal misery, and the enjoyment of everlasung glory and felicity; as certainly it would be, if men acted according to reason. But is it a matter of doubt or controversy, whether men in general do not shew a strong disposition to act far otherwise, from their infancy, till death is in a sensible approach? In things that concern men’s temporal interest, they easily discern the difference between things of a long and short continuance. It is no hard matter to convince men of the difference between a being admitted to the accommodations and entertainments of a convenient, beautiful, well furnished habitation, and to partake of the provisions and produce of a plentiful estate for a day or a night, and having all given to them, and settled upon them as their own, to possess as long as they live, and to be their’s, and their heirs forever. There would be no need of men’s preaching sermons, and spending their strength and life, to convince men of the difference. Men know how to adjust things in their dealings and contracts one with another, according to the length of time in which any thing agreed for is to be used or enjoyed. In temporal affairs, men arc sensible that it concerns them to provide for future time, as well as for the present. Thus common prudence teaches them to take care in summer to lay up for winter; yea, to provide a fund, and get a solid estate, whence they may be supplied for a long time to come. And not only so, but they are willing and forward to spend and be spent, to provide that which will stand iheir children in stead, after they are dead; l!)ough it be

^uite lin certain, whD shall use and enjoy what they lay w after they have left the world; and if their children should have the comfort of it, as they desire, they will not partake with them in that comfort, or have any more a portion in any thing under the sun. In things which relate to men’s tcniporal interest, they seem very sensible of the uncertainty of life, especially of the lives of others; and to make answerable provision for the security of their worldly interest, that no considerable part of it may rest only on so uncertain a foundation, as the life of a neighbor or friend. Common discretion leads men to take good care that their outward possessions be well secured by a good and firm title. In worldly concerns men are discerning of their opportunities, and careful to improve them before they are past. The husbandman is careful to plow his ground and sow his seed in the proper season, otherwise he knows he cannot expect a crop; and when the harvest is come, he will not sleep away the time; for he knows, if he does so, the crop will soon be lost. How careful and eagle eyed is the merchant to observe and improve his opportunities and advantages to enrich himself? How apt are men to be al rmed at the appearance of danger to their worldly estate, or any thing that remarkably threatens great loss or damage to their outward interest? And how will they bestir themselves in such a case, if possible to avoid the threatened calamity? In things purely secular, and not of a moral or spiritual nature, naen easily receive conviction by past experience, when any thing, on repeated trial, proves unprofitable or prejudicial, and are ready to take warning by what they have found themselves, and also by the experience «f their neighbors and forefathers.

But if we consider how men generally conduct themselves in things on which their well being does infinitely more depend, how vast is the diversity? In these things how cold, lifeless and dilatory? With what difficulty are a few of multitudes excited to any tolerable degree of care and diligence by the innumerable means used with men to make them wise for themselves? And when some vigilance and activity is excited, how apt is it to die away, like a mere force against

a natural tendency? What need of a constant repetition of admonitions and counsels, to keep the heart from fulling asleep? How many objections are made? And how are difficulties maynified? And how soon is the mind discouraged? How many arguments, and often renewed, and variously and elaborately enforced, do men stand in need of, tO’ convince them of things that are selfevident? As that things which are eternal, are infinitely more important than things temporal, and the like. And after all, how very few are convinced effectually, or in such a manner as to induce to a practical preference of eternal things? How senseless are men of the necessity of improving their time to provide for futurity, as to their ^iritual interest, and their welfare in another world 1 Thouu,h it be an endless futurity, and though it be their own personal, infinitely important good, after they are dead, that is to be cared for, and not the good of their children) which they sliali have no share in. Though men are so sensible of the uncertain-.y of their neighbors’ lives, when any considerable part of their estates depends on the continuance of them; how stupidly senseless da they seem to be of the uncertainty of their own lives, when their preservation from immensely great, remediless, and endless misery, is risqued by a present delay, through a dependence on future opportunity? What a dreadful venture will men carelessly and boldly run, and repeat and multiply, with regard to their eternal salvation, who are very careful to have every thing in a deed ‘*^ or bond firm, and without a flaw? How negligent are they of their special advantages and opportunities for their souFs good? How hardly awakened by the most evident and imminent dangers, threatening eternal destruction, yea, though put in mind of them, and much pains taken to point them forth, shew, them plainly, and fully to represent them, if possible to engage their attention to them? How are they like the horse, that boldly rushes into the battle? How hard 1 7 are men convinced by their own frequent and abundant expe* rience, of the unsatisfactory nature of earthly things, and the instability of their own hearts in their good frames and intcU’ tions? And how hardly convinced by their ov-n observation, and the experience of all past generations, of the uncertainty of life, and its enjoyments? Psalm xlix. 11, Sec. “Their inward thon.u;ht is, that their houses shall continue forever. ....Nevertheless, man being in honor, abideth not: He is like the beasts that perish. This their way is their foilv, yet their posterity approve their sayings. Like sheep are they laid in the srave.”

In these things, men that are prudent fcr their temporal interest, act as if they were bereft of reason: “They have eyes, and see not; ears, and hear not; neither do they understand: They are like the horse and mule, that have no understanding.” Jer. viii. 7. “The stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle, and the crane, and the swallow, observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the Lord.”

These things are often mentioned in scripture, as evidences of extreme folly and stupidity, wherein men act the part of enemies to themselves, as though they loved their own ruin; Prov. viii. 36. “Laying wait for their own blood.” Prov, i. 18. And how can these things he accounted for, but by supposing a most wretched depravity of nature? Why otherwise should not men be as wise for themselves in spiritual and eternal things, as in temporal? All Christians will con* fess that man*s faculty of reason was given him chiefly to enable him to undei stand the former, wherein his main interest, and true happiness consists-. This faculty would therefore undoubtedly be every way as fit for the understanding of them, as the latter, if not depraved. The reason why these are understood, and not the other, is not that such things as have been mentioned, belonging to men’s spiritual eternal interest, are more obscure and abstruse in their Own nature. For instance, the difference between long and short, the need of providing for fuiurity, the importance of improving proper opportunities, and of having good security, and a sure foundation, in aifairs wherein our inteiest is greatly concerned, &c. these things are as plain in themselves in religious matters, as in other matters. And we have far greater means to assist us to be wise for ourselves in eiernal, than in temporal things. We have the abundant instruction of perfect and infinite wisdom itself, to lead nd conduct us in the paths of righteousness, so that we may not err. And the reasons of things are most clearly, variously, and abundantly set before lis in the word of God; which is adapted to the faculties of mankind, tendin(^ greatly to enliyhien and convince the iTiind: Whereas we have no such excellent and perfect rules to instruct and direct us in things pertainiii.£^ to our temporal interest, nor any thing to be compared to it.

If any should say, it is true, if men gave full credit to what they are told concerning eternal things, and these appeared to them as real and certain things, it ‘would be an evidence of a sort of maciness in them, that they shew no greater regard to them in practice; but there is reason to think, this is not the case, the things of another world being unseen things, appear to men as things of a very doubtful nature, and attended with great uncertainty. In answer, I would observe, agreeably to what has been cited from Mr. Locke, though eternal things were considered in their bare possibility, if inen acted rationally, they would infinitely outweigh all temporal things in their influence on their hearts. And I would also observe, that the supposing eternal things not to be fully Relieved, at least by them who enjoy the light of the gospel, does not weaken, but rather strengthen the argument for the depravity of nature. For the eternal world being what God had chiefly in view in the creation of men, and the things of this world being made to be wholly subordinate to the other, man’s state here being only a state of probation, preparation, and progression, with respect to the fuiure state, and so eternal things being in effect men’s all, their whole concern; to understand and know which, it chiefly was, that they had understanding given them; and it concerning them infinitely more to know the truth of eternal things than anyother, as ail that are not infidels will own; therefore we may undoubtedly conclude, that if men have not respect to thcra as real and certain things, it cannot be for want of sufficient evidence of their truth, to induce them so to regard them; especially as to them that live under that light, which God

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has appointed as the most proper exhibition of the nature and evidence of these things; but it must be from a dreadful stupidity of mind, occasioning a sottish insensibility of their truth* and importance, when manifested by the clearest evidence.

SECTION VIL

TTiat Man*8 nature is corrupt afifiears in that vastly the greater part ofmajikindj in all ages have been wicked Men.

THE depravity of man’s nature appears, not only in it» propensity to sin in some degree which renders a man an evil or wicked man in the eye of the ktw and strict justice, as was before shewn; but it is so corrupt, that its depravity either shews that men are or tends to make them to be of such an evil character, as shall denominate them wicked men, according to the tenor of the covenant of grace.

This may be argued from several things which have beett already observed; as from a tendency to continual sin, a tendency to much greater degrees of sin than righteousness, and from the general extreme stupidity of mankind. But yet the present state of man’s nature, as implying or tending to a wicked character, may be worthy to be more psu’ticularly considered, and directly proved. And in general, this appears in that there have been so very few in the world, from age to age, ever since the world has stood, that have been of any other character.

It is abundantly evident in scripture, and is what I suppose none that call themselves Christians will deny, that the whole world is divided into good and bad, and that all mankind at the day of judgment will either be approved as righteous, or condemned as wicked; either glorified as children of the kingdom, or cast into a furnace of fire, as children of the wicked one.

I need not stand to shew what things belong to the character of such as shall hereafter be accepted as righteous, according to the word of God. It npay be sufficient for my present purpose, to observe what Dr. Taylor himself speaks of as belonging essentially to the character of such. In p. 2’);>, he says, “This is inialUbly the character of true Christians, and what is essential to such, that they have really mortified the flesh with its lusis; they are dead to sin, and live no looger therein; the old man is crucified, and the body of sin destroyed; they yield themselves to God, as those that are alive from the dead, and their members as instruments of riypjhleousness to God, and as servants of righteousness to holiness.” There is more to the like purpose in the two next pages. In p. 228, he says, “Whatsoever is evil and corrupt in us, we ought to condemn; not so, as it shall still remain in us, ihat we may always be condemning it, but that we may speedily reform, and he effectually delivered from it; otherwise certainly we do not come up to the character of the true disciples of Christ.”

In page 248, he says, “Unless God*s favor be preferred b&fore all other enjoyments whatsoever, unless there be a delight in the worship of God, and in converse v/uh him, unless every appetite be brought into subjection to reason and truth, and unless there be a kind and benevolent disposition towards our fellow creatures, how can the mind be fit to dwell with God, in his house and family, to do him service in his kingdom, and to promote the happiness of any part of his creation.” And in his Key, § 286, page 101, 102, £cc. shewing there, Kvhat it is to be a true Christian he says among other things, “That he is one who has such a sense and persuasion of the love of God in Christ, that he devotes his life to the vhonor and service of God, in hope of eternal glory. iVnd that to the character of a true Christian, it is absolutely necessary that he diligently study the things that are fretly given him of God, viz. his election, regeneration, Sec. that he may gain a just knowledge of those inestimable privileges, may taste that the Lord is gracious, and rejoice in the gospel salvation, as his greatest happiness and glory. It is necessary that he work these blessinss on his heart, till they become a vital principle, producing in him the love of God, enj/aging him to all cheerful obedience to his will, giving him a proper dignity and elevation of soul, raising him above the best and worst of this world, carrying his heart into heaven, and fixing his affections and regards upon his everlasting inheritance, and the crown of glory laid up for him there. Thus he is armed against all the templaiions and trials resulting from any pleasure or pain, hopes or fears, gain or loss, in the present world. None of these things move him from a faithful discharge of any part of his duty, or from a firm attachment to truth and righteousness; neither counts he his very life dear to him, that he may do the will of God, and finish bis course with joy. In a sense of the love of God in Christ, he maintains daily communion with God, by reading and meditating on his word. In a sense of his own infirmity, and the readiness of the divine favor to succor him, he daily addresses the throne of grace, for the renewal of spiritual strength, in assurance of obtaining it, through the one Mediator Christ Jesus. Enlightened and directed by the heavenly doc’-rine of the gospel,” &c.*

Now I leave it to be judged by every one that has any degree of impartiality, whether there be not sufficient grounds to think, from what appears every where, that it is but a very small part indeed, of the many myriads and millions which overspread this globe, who are of a character that in any wise answers these descriptions. However, Dr. TayJor insists ihat all nations, and every man on the face of the earth, have light and means sufficient to do the whole will of God, even they that live in the grossest darkness of paganism.

Dr. Taylor in answer to arguments of this kind, very impertmenily from time to time objects, that we are no judges of the viciousness of men’s characters, nor are able to decide in what degree they are virtuous or vicious. As though we

* What Dr. Tiirnbull says of the character of a good man, is also worthy to be observed, i/iriitian Philosophy, p. SG, 258, 2^,9, 288, 37»i, 376, 409, 4 10.

could have no gooJ grounds to judge, that any thinp; appertaining to the qualities or properties of the mind, which is invisible, is ieneral or prevailing among i niullitude or collective body, unless we can determine how it is with each individual. I think I have sufficient reason, from what I know and have heard of the American Indians to judge, that there are not many good philosophers among them; though the thoughts of their hearts, and the ideas and knowledge they have in their minds, are things invisible; and though I have never seen so much as a thousandth part of the Indians; and with respect to most of them, should not be able to pronounce peremptorily concerning any one, that he was not very knowing in the nature of things, if all should singly pass before me. And Dr. Taylor himself seems to be sensible of the falseness of his own conclusions, that he so. often urges against others; if we may judge by his practice, and the liberties he takes, in judging of a multitude himself. He, it seems, is sensible that a man may have good grounds to judge, that wickedness of character is general in a collective body; because he openly does it himself. (Icy, p. 102.) After declaring the things which belong to the character of a true Christian, he judges of the generality of Christians, that they have cast off these things, that they are a fieople that do err in their heartSf and have not knoiun God*s -ways. P. 259, he judges that the generality of Christians are the most wicked of all mankind; when he thinks it will throw some disgrace on the opinion of such as he opposes. The like we have from time to time in other places, as p. 168, p. 258. AW, p. 127, 128.

But if men are not sufficient judges, whether there are few of the world of mankind but what are wicked, yet doubtless God is sufficient, and his judgment, often declared in his •vvord, determines the matter. Matth. vii. 13, 14, “Enter ye in at the strait gate j for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be that go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow, is the way that leadeth to life, and few there be that find it.” It is manifest, that here Christ is not only describing the state of things, as it was at that day, and doe?: not mention t’le comparative smallness of the number of them that are saved, as a couse’ quence of the peculiar perverseness of that people, and of that generation; but as a consequence of the general circumstances of the way to life, and the way to destruction, the broadness of the one, and the narrowness of t!ic other. In the straitness of the gate, Sec. I suppose none will deny, that Christ has respect to the strictness of those rules, which he had insisted on in the preceding sermon, and which render the Vv’ay to life very difficult to mankind. But cerlainly these amiable rules would not be difficuii, were they not contrary to the natural inclinations of men’s hearts; and they would not be contrary to those inclinations, were these not depraved. Consequently the wideness of the gate, and broadness of the way, that leads to destruction, lu consequence of which many go in thereat, must imply the agreeableness of this way to Dien’s natural inclinations. The like reason is given by-Christ, why few are saved. Luke xiii. 23, 24. “Then said cne unto him, Lord, are there few saved? And he said unto them, strive to enter in at the strait gate: For many i say imto you, shall seek to enter in, and shall not be able.’* That there are generally but fev, good men in the world, even among them that have those most distinguishing and glorious advantages for it, which they are favored with, that live under the gospel, is evident by that saying of our Lord, from time to time in his mouth, many are called but few arc chosen. Anil if there are but few among these, how few, how very few indeed, must persons of this character be, compared with the whole world of mankind? The exceeding smallness of the number of true saints, compared with the whole world, appears by the representations often made of them as distinguished from the world; in which they arc spoken of as called and chosen out of the world, redeemed from the earth, yedecmed from aiDong men; as being those that are of God, while ;l.c whole world lieth in wickedness, and the like. And if we look into the Old Testament, we shall find the same testimony given. Prov. xx. 6. “Most men will proclaim every man his own goodness: But a faithful man who can tu’.d?” By a faithful man, as the phrase is used in scripture,

.-. ‘^ -

i» intended much the same as a sincere, iipricht, or truly

jjjood man; as in Psal. xii. I, and xxni. 23, and ci. 6, and other places. Again, Eccl. vii. 25. ...29. ‘* I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to- find out wisdom, and the rea* son of thinps, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness: And I find more biiter than death, the woman whose heart is snares, kc... Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account, which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not; Ono B>an among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all these have I not found. Lo, this only have I found, that God made man uprijjht; but they have sought out many in-* ventions.” Solomon here signifies, that when be set himself diligently to find out the account or proportio-n of true wisdom, or thorough uprightness among men, the result was, that he found it to be but as one to a thousand, &c. Dr. Taylor on this place, p. 184, says, *’ The wise man in the context, 19 inquiring into the corruption and depravity of mankind, of the men and women, that lived in his timt.’* As though what be said represen-ted nothing of the state of things in the world in general, but only in his time. But does Dr. Taylor or any body else, suppose this only to be the design of that book, to represent the vanity and evil of the world in that time, and to shew that all was vanity and vexation of spirit in Solomon’s day? (Which day truly we have reason to think, was a day of the greaiest smiles of heaven on that nation, that ever had lpeen on any nation from the foundation of the world.) Not only does the subject and argument of the whole book shew it to be otherwise; but also the declared design of the book in the first chapter; where the world is rep’esented as very much the same, as to the vanity and eNil it is full of, from age to age, making litile or no progress, after all its revokuions and restless motions, labors and pursuits, like the sea, that has all the m’ers constantly emptying themselves into it, from age to age, and yet is never the fuller. As to that place, Prov, XX. 6. “A faithful man, who can find r” There is no more reason to suppose that the wise man has respect only to his lime, in thesewords, than in those immediately preceding, counsel in the heart of a man is like deefi waters; but a man of understanding will drazv it out. Or in the words next following, The jufit man lualketh in his iritegrity: His children arc blessed after him, 0»” in any other Proverb in the whole book. And if it were so, that Solomon in these thinp:s meant only to describe is own times, it would not at all weaken the argument. For, if we observe the history of the Old Testament, there is reason to think there never was any lime from Joshua to the captivity, wherein wickedness was more restrained, and virtue and religion more encouraged and promoted, than in David’s and Solomon’s times. And if there was so little true piety in that nation that was the only people of God under heaven, even in their very best times, what may we suppose concerning the world in general, take one time with another?

Notwithstanding what some authors advance concerning the prevalence of virtue, honesty, good neighborhood, cheerfulness, Sec. in the world; Solomon, whom we may justly esteem as wise and just an observer of human nature, and the state of the world of mankind, as most in these days (besides. Christians ought to remember, that he wrote by divine inspiratior) judged the world to be so full of wickedness, that it was better never to be born, than to be born to live only in such a world. Fxcles. iv. at the beginning. “So I returned and considered all the oppressions that are done under the “sun; and behold, the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter: And on the side of their, oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter. Wherefore, I praised the dead, which were already dead, more than the living, which are yet alive. Yea, better is he than both they, which hath not yet been; who hath not seen the evil work thai is done under the sun.” Surely it will not be said that Solomon has only respect to his times here too, when he speaks of the oppressions of them that were in power; since he himself, and others appointed by him, and wholly under his control, were the men that were in power in that land, and in almost all the neighboring countries.

The same inspired writer says, Eccles. ix. 3.” The heart of the sons of men is full of evil; and madness is in their heart while they live; and after that they go to the dead.*’ If these general expressions are lobe understood only of some, and those the less part, when in general, truths honesty good no:turcy &c. govern the woild, why are such general expressions from time to time used? Why does not this wise and noble, and great soul’d Prince express himself in a more generous and benevolent strain, as well as more agreeable to truth, and say, IVisdoiyi is in the hearts of the sons of ?Ken while they live Sec.. ..instead of leaving in his writings so many sly, illnatured suggestions, which pour such contempt on the human nature, and tend so much to excite mutual jealousy and malevolence, to taint the minds of mankind through all generations after him?

If we consider the various successive parts and periods of the duration of the world, it will, if possible, be yet more evident, that vastly the greater part of mankind have, in all ages, been of a wicked character. The short accounts we have of Adam and his family are such as lead us to suppose, that far the greatest part of his posterity in his life time, yea, in the former part of his life were wicked. It appears, that his eldest son, Cain, was a very wicked man, who slew his righteous brother Abel. And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years before Seth was born; and by that time, we may suppose, his posterity began to be considerably numerous: iVhen he was born, his mother called his name Seth; for God, aid she, hath a/ifiointed me another seed instead of KhtX. Which naturally suggests this to our thoughts; that of all her seed then existing, none were of any such note for religion and virtue, as that their parents could have any great comfort in them, or expectation from them on that account. And by the brief history we have, it looks as if (however there might be some intervals of a revival of religion, yet) in the general, mankind grew more and more corrupt till the flood. It is signified, that when men began to multifily on the face of the earthy wickedness prevailed exceedingly, Gen. vi. at the beginning. And that before God appeared to Noah to coni-K n ORIGINAL Sm.

mand him to build the Ark, one hundred and twenty years be* ibre the flood, the world had long continued obstinate in p;reat and general wickedness, and the disease was become inveterate. The expressions we have in the 3, 5, and 6 verses of that chapter sugpest as much: “And the Lord said, my Spirit shall not always strive with man; and God saw, that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every iningination of the thought of his heart was evil, only evil continually; and it repented the Lord, that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.” And by that iAmtt all flesh had corrupted his way ufion the earthy v. 12. And as Dr. Taylor himself observes, p. 122. “Mankind were universally debauched into lust, sensuality, rapine, and injustice.”

And with respect to the period after the flood, to the calling of Abraham; Dr. Taylor says, as has been already observed, that in about four hundred years after the flood, the generality of mankind were fallen into idolatry; which was before the passing away of one generation; or before all they were dead, that came out of the Ark. And it cannot be thought, the world sunk into that so general and extreme degree of corruption, all at once; but that they had been gradually growin!’; more and more corrupt; though it is true, it must be by very swift degrees, (however soon we may suppose they began) to get to that pass in one age.

And as to the period from the calling of Abraham to the coming of Christ, Dr. Taylor justly observes as follows: (Kty p. 13.’>.) “If we reckon from the call of Abraham t« the coming of Christ, the Jewish dispensation continued one. thousand nine hundred and twentyone years; during which period, the other families and nations of the earth, not only lay out of God’s peculiar kingdom, but also lived in idolatry, great ignorance, and wickedness.” And with regard to that one only exempt family or nation of the Israelites, it is evident that wickedness was the generally prevailing character among them, from age to age. If we consider how it was with Jacob*6 family, the behavior of Reuben with his father’s concubine, the behavior of Judah with Tamar, the conduct of

Jocob*s sons in general (though simeon and Levi were leading) towards the Shechemites, the behavior of Joseph’s icn brethren in their cruel treatment of him; we cannot think, that the character of true piety belonged to many of them, ac- ^ccording to Dr. Taylor’s own notion of such a character; though it be true, they might afterwards repent. And with respect to the time the children of Israel were in Egypt; the scripture, speaking of them in general, or as a collective body, often represents them as complying with the abominable idolatries of the country.* And as to that generation which went out of Egypt, and wandered in the wilderness, they are abundantly represented as extremely and almost universally wicked, perverse, and children of divine wrath. And after Joshua’s death, the scripture is very express, that wickedness was the prevailing character in the nation, from age to age. So it was till Samuel’s time. 1 Sam. viii. 7, 8. “They have rejected me, that I should not reign over them; according to all their works which they have done, since the day that I brought them out of Egypt, unto this day.” Yea, so if was till Jeremiah and Ezekiel’s time. Jer. xxxii. 30, ol. “For the children of Israel, and the children of Judah, have only done evil before me from their youth; for the children of Israel have only provoked me to anger, with the work of their hands, saith the Lord: For this city hath been to me a provocation of mine anger, and of my fury, from the day they built it, even unto this day.” (Compare chap. v. 21, 23, and chap. vii. 25....27.) So Ezek. ii. 3, 4. I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation, that haLli rebelled against me, they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day: For they are impudent children, and stifFhearted.’* And it appears by the discourse of Stephen (Acts vii.) that this was generally the case with that nation, from their first rise, even to the days of the apostles. After his summary rehearsal of the instances of their perverseness from the very time of their selling Joseph into Egypt, he concludes (Verse 51. ...53.)” Ye stiffnecked, and uncir-

Levit. xvil, 7. Josh. v. 9, and xxiv. 14. Ezek. xx. 7, 8, and xxiii. 3.

cumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Hol^ Ghost. As your Fathers did, so do ye. Which of the Prophets have not your Fathers persecuted? And they have slaia them which shewed before of the coming of that just one, of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.**

Thus it appears, that wickedness was the generally prevailing character in all the nations of mankind, till Christ came. And so also it appears to have been since his coming to this day. So in the age of the apostles; though thenp among those that were converted to Christianity, were great numbers of persons eminent for piety; yet this was not the case with the greater part of the world, or the greater part of any one nation io it. There was a great number of persons of a truly pious character in the latter part of the apostolic age, when multitudes of converts had been made, and Christianity was as yet in its primitive purity. But what says the Apobtle John of the church of God at that time, as compared with the rest of the world? 1 John v. 19. We know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.” And after Christianity came to prevail, to that degree, that Christians had the upper hand in nations and civil communities, still the greater part of mankind remained in their old heathen state; which Dr. Taylor speaks of as a state of great ignorance and wickedness. And besides, this is noted in all ecclesiastical history, that as the Christians gaisied in power and secular advantages, true piety declined, and corruption and wickedness prevailed among them. And as to the state of the Christian world, since Christianity began to be established by human laws, wickedness for the most part has j;reatly prevailed; ap is very notorious, and is implied in what Dr. Taylor himself says: He, in giving an account how the doctrine of Original Sin came to prevail among Christians, says, p. 167. ‘V. <’ That th.c Christian religion was very early and grievously corrupted, by dreaming, ignorant, superstitious monks.” In p. 259, he s-lys,” The generality of Christ-Jnns have embraced this persiiation concerning Original Sin; and the consequence has been, that the genei’ality of Christians have been the most wicked, lewd, bloody, and treacherous of all mankind.**

Thus, a view of the several successive periods of the past duration of the world, from the beyinnint to this day, shews, ((hat wickedness has ever been exceedins prevalent, and has had vastly the superiority in the world. And Dr.Taylor himself in effect owns That it has been so ever since Adam fiisi turned into the way of transgression, p. 168. “It is certain (says he) the moral circumstances of mankind, since the time Adam first turned into the way of transgression, have been very different from a state of innocence. So far as we can judge from history, or what we know at presentithe greatest part of mankind have been, and still are very corrupt, though not equally so in every age and place.” And lower in the same page, he speaks of Adam’s posterity as having simk themselves into the most lamentable decrees of ignorance superstition’^ idolatry in’ jits f ice debauchery &c.

These things clearly determine the point, concerning the tendency of man’s nature to wickedness, if we may be allowed to proceed according to such rules and methods of reasoning, as are pniversally made use of, and never denied, or doubted to be good and sure, in experimental philosophy ;* or may reason from experience and facts, in that manner which common sense leads all mankind to in other cases. If experience and trial will evince any thing at all concerning the natural disposition of the hearts of mankind, one would think the experience of so many ages, as have elapsed since the beginning of the world, and the trial as it were made by hundreds of different nations together, for so long a time, should be sufficient to convince all, that wickedness is agreeable to the nature of mankind in its present state.

Dr. Turnbul!, though so great an enemy to the doctrine of the Depraviity ot Nature, yet greatly insists upon it, that the experimental method of rcaso-^iing ought to be gone into in moral matters, and things pcitaining to the human nature, and should chiefly be relied upon, in moral, as well 3”^ natural philosophy. See Introd, to AUr. PhiL rb ORIGINAL SIN.

Here, to strengthen the argument, if there were any need of it, I might observe some furthei’ evidences than those which have been already mentioned, not only of the extent and generality of the prevalence of wickedness in the world, but of the height to which it has risen, and the de’rce in which it has reigned. Among innumerable things which shew this, I shall now only observe this, viz. the degree in which mankind have from age to age been hurtful one to another. Many kinds of brute animals are esteemed verynoxious and destructive, many of them very fierce, voracious, and many very poisonous, and the destroying of them has always been looked upon as a public benefit; but have not mankind been a thousand times as hurtful and destructive as any one of them? yea, as all the noxious beasts, birds, fishes, and reptiles in the earth, air, and water, put together, at least of all kinds of animals that are visible.? And no creature can be found any where so destructive of its own kind as mankind are. AH others for the most part are harmless and peaceable, .with regard to their own species. Where one wolf is destroyed by another wolf, one viper by another, probably a thousand of mankind are destroyed by those of their own species. Well, therefore, might o:jr blessed Lord say, when sending forth his disciples into the world, Maith. x. 16, 17, Behold I send you forth as sheep, in the widst oj” wolves ;....hl!T BEWARE OF MEN. As much as to say, 1 send you forth as shep among wolves. But why do I say, wolves? I send you forth into the wide world of incnxhsi are far more, hurtful and pernicious, and that you had much more need to beware of, than wolves.

It would be strange indeed, that this should be the state of the woild of mankind, the chief of the lower creation, distinguished above all by reason, to that end that they might be capable of religion, which summarily consists in love, if men, as they come into the world, are in their nature innocent and harmlebSj undepravcd, and perfectly free from all evil propensities.

SECTION viir.

The nntive Dcfiravity of Mankind afifieam in that there ha» been so little ^qood effect of so manifold and great means used to /ir<,mote Virtue in the World.

THE evidence of the native corruption of mankind, ap-^ pears much more glaring, vi’hen it is considered that the world has been so generally, so constantly, and so exceedingly corrupt, notwithstanding the various, g-reat and co?itinu’ al meansy that have been used to restrain men from sin, and promote virtue and true religion among them.

Dr. Taylor supposes ail that sorrow and death, which came on mankind, in consequence of Adam’s sin, was brought on them by God, in great favor to them; as a benevolent Father exercising an wholesome discipline towards his children, to restrain them from sin, by increasing the vanity of all earthly things, to abate their force to tempt and delude; ’ to induce them to be moderate in gratifying the afifietites of the body; to mortify pride and ambition; and that men might always have before their eyes a striking demonstration, that sin is infnitely hateful to God, by a siht of that, than which nothing is more proper to give them the utmost abhorrence of inicjuity, and to fix in their minds a sense of the dreadful consequences of sin, S:c. Sec. And in general, that they do not come as punishments, but purely as means to keep men from vice, and to make them better. If it be so, surely they are great means indeed. Here is a mighty alteration: Mankind, once so easy and happy, healthful, vigorous and beautiful, rich in all the pleasant and abundant blessings of Paraclise, now turned out, destitute, weak, and decaying, into a wide, barren world, yielding briars and thorns, instead of the delightful growth and sweet fruit of the garden of Eden, to wear out life in sorrow and toil, on the ground cursed for his sake; and at last, either through long lanfuishtnent and linp;ering decay, or severe pain and acute disease, to expire and turn to putrefaction and dust. If these are only used as medicines, to prevent and to cure the diseases of the mind, they are sharp medicines indeed, especially death; which, to use Hezekiah’s representation, is, as it were, breaking all his bones: And one would think, should be very effectual, if the subject had no depravity, no evil and contrary hias, to resist and hinder a proper effect; especially in the old world, when the thing which was the first occasion of this terrible alteration, this severity of means, was fresh in memory, Adam continuing alive near two thirds of the time that passed before the flood; so that a very great part of those that were alive till the flood, might have opportunity of seeing and conversing with him, and hearing from his mouth, not only an account of his fall, and the introduction of the awful consequences of it, but also of his first finding himself in existence in the nev, created world, and of the creation of Eve, and the things wiich passed between him and his Creator in Paradise.

But what was the success of these great means, to restrain men from sin, and to induce them to virtue? Did they prove sufficient? Instead of this, the world soon grew exceeding corrupt, till it came to that, to use our author’s own words, that mankind were universally debauched into lust sensuality,, ‘rapine and injustice

Then God used further means: He sent Moah, a preacher of righteousness, to warn the world of the universal destruction which would come upon them by a flood of waters, if they went on in sin. Which warning he delivered with these circumstances, tending to strike their minds, and command their attention; that he immediately went about building that vast structure of the ark, in which he must employ a great number of hands, and probably spent all he had in the world, to save himself and his family. And under these uncommon means God waited upon them one hundred and twenty years; but all to no effect. The whole world, for ought appears, continued obstinate, and absolutely incorrigi* tile; so that nothing remained to be done with them, but utterly to destroy the inhabitants of the earth, and to bein a new world from that single family who had distinguished themselves by their virtue, that from them might be propagated a new and purer race. Accordinp:ly this was done; and the inhabitants of this new world, of Noah’s posteriiy, had these new and extraordinary means to restrain sin, and excite to virtue, in addition to the toil, sorrow, and common moriylity, which the world had been subjected to before, in consequence of Adam’s sin, viz. that God had newly testified his dreadful displeasure for sin, in destroying the many millions of mankind, all at one blow, old and young, men, women and children, without pity on any for all the dismal shrieks and cries which the world was filled with; when they themselves, the remaining family, were so wonderfully distinguished by God*s preserving goodness, that they might be a holy seed, being delivered from the corrupting examples of the old world, and being ail the offspring of a living parent, whose pious instructions and counsels they had, to enforce these things upon them, to prevent sin, and engage them to their duty. And these inhabitants of the new earih, must for a long time, have before their eyes many evident, and as it were, fresh and striking effects and signs of that universal destruction, to be a continual, affecting admonition to them. And besides all this, God now shortened the life of man, to about one half of what it used to bCw The shortening man*s life. Dr. Taylor says, page 68, “was, that the wild range of ambition and lust might be brought into narrower bounds, and have less opportunity of doing mischief; and that death, being still nearer to our view, might be a more powerful motive to regard less the things of a transitory world, and to attend more to the rules of truth and wisdom.”

And now let us observe the consequence. These new and extraordinary means, in adduion to the former, were so far from provmg sufficient, that the new world degenerated, and became corrupt by such swift degrees, that, as Dr. Taylor observes, mankind in genertil were sunk into idolatry in about four hundred years after the flood, and so in about fifty yeaitf after Noah’s death. They became so wicked and brutish, as to forsake the true God, and turn to the worship of inanimate Ci’eatures.

When things were come to this dreadful pass, God was pleased, for a remedy, to introduce a new and wonderful dispensation; separating a particular family and people from all the rest of the world, by a series of most astonishing miracles, done in the open view of the world, and fixing their dwelling, as it were in the midst of the earth, between Asia, Europe and Africa, and in the midst of those nations which were most considerable and famous for power, knowledge, and arts, that God might, in an extraordinary manner, dwell among that people, in visible tokens of his presence, manifesting himself there, and from thence to the world, by a course of great and miraculous operations and effects for many ages; that that people might be holy to God, and as a kingdom of priests, and might stand as a city on an hill, to be a light to the world; withal, gradually shortening man*s life, till it was brought to be but about one twelfth part of what it used to be before the flood; and so, according to Dr. Taylor, vastly cutting off and diminishing his temptations to sin, and increasing his excitements to holiness. And now let us consider what the success of these means was, both as to the Gentile world, and the nation of Israel.

Dr. Taylor justly observes, (Keyy p. 24, § 75) The Jewish dispensation had respect to the nations of the world, to spread the knowledge and obedience of Go4 in the earth; and was established for the benefit of aH mankind.” But how unsuccessful were these means, and all other means used with the heathen nations, so long as this dispensation lasted? Abraham was a person noted in all the principal nations that were then in the world; as in Egypt, and the eastern monarchies: God made his name famous, by his wonderful, distinguishing dispensations towards him, particularly by so miraculously subduing before him and hisr trained servants, those armies of the four eastern kings. I’his great work of the most high God, Possesser of heaven and earth, was jijreatly taken .notice of by Melchizedeck, and one would think, should have been sufficient to have awakentd the attention and consideration of all the nations in that part of the world, and to have led them to the knowledge and worship of the only true God; especially if considered in conjunction with that miraculous and most terrible destruction of Sodom, and all the cities of the plain, for their wickedness, with Lot’s miraculous deliverance, which doubtless were facts, that in their day were much famed abroad in the world. But there is not the least appearance, in any accounts we have, of any considerable good effect. On the contrary, those nations which were most in the way of observing and being affected with these things, even the nations of Canaan, grew worse and worse, till their iniquity came to the full, in Joshua’s time. And the posterity oi Lot, that saint so wonderfully distinguished, soon became some of the most gross idolaters; as they appear to have been in Moses’ time. See Numb. xxv. Yea, and the far greater part even of Abraham’s posterity, the children of Ishmael, Ziman, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah, and Esau, soon forgot the true God, and fell off to Heathenism,

Great things were done in the sight of the nations of the world, tending to awaken them, and lead them to the knowledge and obedience of the true God, in Jacob’s and Joseph’s time; in that God did miraculously, by the hand of Joseph, preserve from perishing by famine, as it were the whole world, as appears by Gen. xji. 56, 57. Agreeably to which, the name that Pharaoh gave to Joseph, Zafmath Paaneah as is said, in the Egyptian language, signifies Saviour of the World, But there does not appear to have been any good abiding effect of this; po, not so much as in the nation of the Egyptians, (which seems to have been the chief of all the heathen nations at that day) who had these great works of Jehovah in their most immediate view; on the contrary, they grew worse and worse, and seem to be far more gross in their idolatries and ignorance of the true God, and every way more wicked, and ripe for rw/n, when Moae was sent to J’haraoh, tlmn they were in Josejih lime.

After this, in Moses’ and Joshua’s time, the great God was pleased to manifest himself in a series of the most astonishing miracles, for about fifty years together, wrought in the most public manner, in Egypt, in the wilderness, and in Caraan, in the view, as it were, of the whole -world; miracles by which the world was shaken, the whole frame of the visible creation, earth, seas and rivers, the atmosphere, the clouds, sun, moon and §tars were affected; miracles, greatly tending to convince the nations of the world, of the vanity of their false gods, shewing Jehovah to be infinitely above them, in the thing wherein they dealt most proudly, and exhibiting God’s awful displeasure at the wickedness of the Heathen world. And these things are expressly spoken of as one end of these great miracles, in Exod. ix. 14) Numb. xiv. 21, Josh. iv. 23, 24, and other places. However, no reformation followed these things; but, by the scripture account, the nations which had them most in view, were dreadfully hardened, stupidly refusing all conviction and reformation, and obstinately went on in an opposition to the living God, to their own destruction.

After this, God did from time to time very publicly mam« fest himself to the nations of the world, by wonderful works, wrought in the time of the Judges, of a like tendency with those already mentioned. Particularly in so miraculously destroying, by the hand of Gideon, almost the whole of that vast army of the Midianites, Amalekites, and all the Children oftheEasty consisting of about 135,000 men, Ju<lges vii. 12, and vili. 10. But no reformation followed this, or the other great works of God, wrought in the times of Deborah and Barak, Jephtha and Sampson.

After these things, God used new, and in some respects much greater means with the heathen world, to bring them to the knowledge and service of the true God, in the days of David and Solomon. He raised up David, a man after his own heart, a most fervent worshipper of the true God, and zealous hater of idols, and subdued before him almost all the nations between Egypt and Euphrates; often miraculously assisting him in his battles with his enemies j and he con«

firmed Solomon, his son, in the full and quiet possession of that great empire, for about forty years; and made him the wisest, richest, most magnificent, and every way the greatest monarch that ever had been in the world; and by far the most famous, and of greatest name among the nations; especially for his wisdom? and things concerning the name of hit .God; particularly the temple he built, which was excerf/;?^ Tnagnificent, that it might be of fame and glory throughout all ‘lands; 1 Chron. xxii. 5. And we are told, that there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth; 1 Kings iv. 34, and x. 24. And the scripture informs us, that these great things were done, that the” Nations in far countries might hear of God*s great name, and of his outstretched arm; that all the people of the earth might fear him, as well as his people Israel: And that all the people of the earth might know, that the Lord was God, and that there was none else.’* 1 Kings viii. 41. ...43, 60. But still there is no appearance of any considerable abiding effect, with regard to any one heathen nation.

After this, before the captivity in Babylon, many great things were done in the sight of the Gentile nations, very much tending to enlighten, affect, and persuade them: As, God’s destroying the army of the Ethiofiians of a thousand thousand, before Asa; Elijah’s and Elisha’a miracles; especially Elijah’s miraculously confounding Baal’s prophets and worshippers; Elisha’s healing Naaman, the king of Syria’s prime minister, and the miraculous victories obtained through Elisha’s prayers, over the Syrians, Moabites and Edomites; the miraculous destruction of the vast united army of the children of Moab, Amon and Edom, at Jehoshaphat’s prayer. (2 Chron. xx.) Jonah’s preaching at Nineveh, together with the miracle of his deliverance from the whale’s belly; which was published and well attested, as a sign to confirm his preaching; but more especially that great work of God, in destroying Sennacherib’s army by an angel, for his contempt of the God of Israel, as if he had been no more than the gods of the heathen.

When all these things proved ineffectual, God took a new method with the heathen world, and used, in some respects, much greater means to convince and reclaim them, than ever before. In the first place, his people the Jews were removed to Babylon, the head and heart of the heathen world (Chaldea having been very much the fountain of idolatry) to carry thither the revelations which God had made of himself, contained in the sacred writings; and there to bear their testimony against idolatry; as some of them, particularly Dan iel, Shadrach, Mcshack and Abednego, did, in a very open manner before the king and the greatest men of the empire, with such circumstances as made their testimony very famous in the world; God confirming it with great miracles, whieii were published through the empire, by order of its monarch? as the mighty works of the God of Israel, shewing him to be above all gods: Daniel, that great prophet, at the same time being exalted to be governor of all the wise men of Babylon, and one of the chief officers of Nebuchadnezzar’s court.

After this, God raised up Cyrus to destroy Babylon, for its obstinate contempt of t])e true God, and injuriousness towards his people; according to the prophecies of Isaiah, speaking of him by name, instructing him concerning the nature and dominion of the true God. (Isa. xlv.) which prophecies were probably shewn to him, whereby he was induced to publish his testimony concerning the God of Israel, as the God. (Ezra i. 2, S.) Daniel, about the same time, being advanced to be prime minister of state in the new empire, erected under Darius, did in that place appear openly as a worshipper of the God of Israel, and him alone; God confirming his testimony for him, before the king and all the grandees of his kingdom, by preserving him in the den of lions; whereby Darius was induced to publish to all people, nations and languages, that dwelt in all the earth, his testimony, that the God of hrael luas the living God, and steadfast for ever, &c.

When, after the destruction of Babylon, some of the Jews returned to their Own land, multitudes never returned, but were dispersed abroad through many parts of the vast Persian empire; as appears by the book of Esther. And many of ihem afterwards, as good histories inform, were removed into the more western parts of the world; and so were dispersed as it were all over the heathen world, having the Holy Scriptures with them, and Synagogues every where, for the worship of the true God. And so it continued to be, to the days of Christ and his apostles; as appears by the acts of the afiost’ ks. Thus that light, which God had given them, was in the providence of God carried abroad into all parts of the world: So that now they had far greater advantages, to come to the knowledge of the truth, in matters of religion, if they had been disposed to improve their advantages.

And besides all these things, from about Cyrus’s time, learning and philosophy increased, and was carried to a great height. God raised up a number of men of prodigious genius, to instruct others, and improve their reason and understanding in the nature of things; and philosophic knowledge, having gone on to increase for several ages, seemed to be got to its height before Christ came, or about that time.

And now let it be considered what was the effect of all these things; instead of a reformation, or any appearance or prospect of it, the heathen world in general rather grew worse. As Dr. Winder observes, “The inveterate absurdities of Pagan idolatry continued without remedy, and increased, as arts and learning increased; aod paganism prevailed in all its height of absurdity, when Pagan nations were polished to the height, and in the most polite cities and countries; and thus continued to the last breath of Pagan power.’* And solt was with respect to wickedness in general, as well as idolatry; as appears by what the Apostle Paul observes in Rom. i. Dr. Taylor, speaking of the time when the gospel scheme was introduced, (K(^y-, § 289.) says, “The moral and religious state of the heathen was very deplorable, being generally sunk into great ignorance, gross idolatry, and abominable vice.” Abominable vices prevailed, not only among the common people, but even among their philosophers themselves, yea, some of the chief of them, and of greatest genius; so Dr. Taylor himself observes, as to that detestable vice of

Sodomy, which they commonly and openly allowed and prac* tased without shame. See Dr. Taylor’s note on Rom. i. 27.

Having thus considered the state of the heathen world, with reyard to the effect of means used for its reforma* lion, during the Jewish dispensation, from the first foundation of it in Abraham’s time; let us now consider how it was with that peoj)le themselves, that were distinguished with the peculiar privileges of that dispensation. The means used with the heathen nations were great; but they were small, if compared with those used with the Israelites. The advantages by which that people were distinguished, are represented in scripture as vastly above all parallel, in passages which Dr. Taylor takes notice of. (Key § 54.) And he reckons these privileges among those which he calls antecedent blessings consisting in motives to virtue and obedience; and says, (Key § 66.J “That this was the very end and design of the dispensation of God’s extraordinary favors to the Jews, viz. to engage them to duty and obedience, or that it was a scheme for promonng virtue, is clear beyond dispute, from every part of the Old Testament.” Nevertheless, as has been already shewn, the generality of that people, through all the successive periods of that dispensation, were men of a wicked character. But it will be more abundantly manifest, how strong the natural bias to iniquity appeared to be among that people, by considering more particularly how things were with them from time to time.

Notwithstanding the great things God had done in the times of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to separate them and their posterity from the idolatrous world, that they might be a holy people to himself; yei in about two hundred years after Jacob’s death, and in less than one hundred and fifty years after the death of Joseph, and while some were alive that had seen Joseph, the people had in a great measure lost the true religion, and were apace conforming to the heathen world: When, for a remedy, and the more effectually to alienate them from idols, and engage them to the God of their fathers, God appeared to bring them out from among the Egyptians, and separate them from the heathen world, and to reveal him* self in his glory and majesty, in so affectinf and astonishing a manner, as tended most deeply and durably to impress their minds; that they might never forsake him more. But so perverse were they, that they murmured even in the midst of the miracles that Ciod wrought for them in Egypt, and murmured at the red sea, in a few days after God had brouq;httheni out with such a mighty hand. When he had led them throupjh the sea, thexj mng his praise-^ but soon forgat his works. Before they got to mount Sinai, they openly manifested their perverseness from time to lime; so that God says of them, Exod. xvi. 28. ‘• How long refuse ye to keep my commandments, and my laws?” Afterwards they mur~ mured again at Rephidini.

In about two months after they came out of Egypt, they came to Mount Sinai, where God entered into a most solemn covenant with the people, that they should be an holy people unto him, with such astonishing manife-stations of his power, majesty and holiness, as were altogether unparalleled; as God puts the people in mind, Deut. iv- 32. ...34. “For ask noAV of the days that are pat, which were before thee, since. the day that God created man upon the earth; and ask from one side of heaven unto the other, whether there has been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it. Did ever people hear the voice of God, speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live? Or hath God assayed to take him a nation from the midst of another nation,” Sec. And these great things were to that end, to impress their minds with such a conviction and sense of divine truth, and their obligations to their duty, that they might never forget them; As God says, Exod. xix. 9. “Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the ipeople may hear when i speak with thee, and believe thee for ever.” But what waf, the effect of all? Why, it was not more th two or three months, before that people, there, under ihEnBtry mountain, returned to their old Egyptian idolatry, and were singing and dancing bet’ore a golden calf, which they had set up to worship. And after such awful manifestations as there were of God’s displeasure for that sin, and so much donr to bring M thetn to repentance, and confirm them in obedience, it wa8 but a few months before they came to that violence of spirit, in open rebellion ayainst God, that with the utmost vehemence they declared their resolution to follow God no longer, but to make them a captain to return into Egypt. And thus they went on in ways of perverse opposition to the most high, from time to time, rrpeatinp; their open acts of rebellion, in the midst of continued, astonishing miracles till that generation was destroyed. And though the followinc; generation seems to have been the best that ever was in Israeljyetj notwithstanding their good example, and notwithstanding all the wonders of God’s power and love to that people in Joshur.’s time, how soor, did that people degenerate, and be* gin to forsake God, anl join with the heathen in their idolatries, till God, by severe means, and by sending prophets and judges, extraordinarily influenced from above, reclaimed them? But when they were brought to some reformation by such means, they soon fell away again into the practice of idolatrv; and so from time to time, from one age to another; and nothing proved effectual for any abiding reformation. After thin«:s had gone on thus for several hundred yearsj God used new methods with his people, in two respects; Firsts He raised up a great prophet, under whom a number of young men were trained up in schools, that from among, them there might hn a constant succession of great prophets in Israel, of such as God should choose; which seems to have been continued for more than five hundred years., Secondly God raised up a great king, David, one eminent for wisdom, piety, and fortitude, to subdue all their heathen neighbors, ‘vho used to be such a snare to them; and to confirm, adorn and perfect the institutions of his public worship; and by him to make a more full revelation of the great salvation, and future glorious kingdom of the Messiah. And after him, raised up his s Solomon, the wisest and greatest prince that ever was on earth, more fully to settle and establish those things which his father David had begun, concerning the public worship of (iod in Israel, and to build a glorious temple for the honor of Jehovah, and the institutions of his worihip) and to instruct the neighbor nations

in true “wisdom and jreligion. But as to the success of these new and exlraordi-Hary means; if le take Dr. Taylor for our expositor of sciJpture, the nation must be extremely corrupt in David’s time; for he supposes, he has respect to his own times, in those words, Psal. xiv. 2, 3. “The Lord looked down from heaven, to see if there were any that did undcrs’and, and seek God; they are all gone aside; thoy are toiether become filthy; there is none that doeth f’:o(jd; no, not one.” Uut whether Dr. Taylor be in the right in this, or not, yet if we consider what appeared in Israel, in Absalom’s and Shcba’s rebellion, we shall not see cause to think, that the greater part of the nation at that day were men of true wisdom and piety. As to Solomon’s time, Dr. T.iylor supposes, as has been already observed, thai Solomon speaks of his own times, when he says, he had found but one in a thousand that was a thoroughly upright man. However, it appears, that all those great means used to promote and eslLiblish virtue and true religion, in Samuel’s, David’s and Solomon’s times, were so far from having any general, abidmg good effect in Israel,. that Solomon himself, with all his wisdom, and notwithstanding the unparalleled favors of God to him, had his mind corrupted, so as openly to tolerate idolatry in the land, ar;d greatly to provoke God against him. And as soon as he was dead, ten tribes of the twelve forsook the true woibhip of God, and instead of it, openly established the like idolatry, that the people fell into at mount Sinai, when they Uiude the golden calf; and continued finally obstinate in this apostasy, notwithstanding all means that could be used with ihcm by the prophets, whom God sent, one after another, to reprove, counsel and warn them, for about two hundred and fifty years; especially those two great prophets, Elijah uid Elisha. Of all the kings that reigned over them, there .s not so much as one but what was of a wicked character. And at last it came to that, that their case seemed utterly despciite; so that nothing remained to be done with them, but to remove them out of God’s bight. Thus the scripture represents the matter; 3 Kings xvii.

And as to the other two tribes; though theif kings were always of the family of David, and they were favored in many respects far beyond their brethren, yet they were generally very corrupt; their kings were most of them wicked men, and their other magistrates, and priests and people, were generally agreed in the corniptioTi. Thus the matter is represented in the scripture history, and the books of the prophets. And when they had seen how God had cast off the ten tribes, instead of taking warning, they made themselves vastly more vile than ever the others had done; as appears by 2 Kings xvii. 18, 19. Ezek. Xvi. 46, 47, 51. God indeed waited longer upon them, for his servant David’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake, that he had chosen; and used more extraordinary means with them; especially by those great prophets, Isaiah and Jeremiah, but to no effect: So that at last it came io this, as the prophets represent the matter, that they were like a body universally and desperately diseased and corrupted, that would admit of no cure, the whole head sick, and the whole heart faint, 8cc.

Things being come to that pass, God took this method uith them: He utterly destroyed their city and land, and the temple which he had among them, made thorough work in purging the land of them; as when a man empties a dish, Kvi/ies zV, and turns it ufisidc down; or when a vessel is cast into a Jiercejire, till its Jilthiness is thoroughly burnt oiU. 2 Kings xxi. 13. Ezek. Chap. xxiv. They were carried into captiv-Uy, and there left till that wicked generation wa« dead, and those old rebels were purged out; that afterwards the land might be resettled with a more pure generation.

After the return from the captivity, and God had built the Jewish church again in their own land, by a series of wonderful providences; yet they corrupted themselves again, to so great a degree, that the transgressors were come to the full again in the days of Antiochus Epiphanes; as the matter is represented in the prophecy of Daniel, Dan. viii. 23. And then God made them the the subjects of a dispensation, little, if any thinp:, le’S terrible than liiat which had been in Nebuchadnezzar’s days. And after God had again delivered them, and restored the slate of religion among them* by the instrumentality of the Maccabees, they degenerated again; so that when Christ came, they were arrived to that extreme degree of corruption, which is represented in the accounts given by the evangelists.

It may be observed here in general, that the Jews, though so vastly distinguished with advantages, means and motives to holiness, yet are represented as coming, from time to time, to that degree of corruption and guilt, that they were more wicked in the sight of God, than the very worst of the Heathen. As, of old, God sware by his life, that the wickedness of Sodom was small, compared with that of the Jews. Ezek. xvi. 47, 48, he. also chap. v. 5..., 10. So Christ, speaking of the Jews in his time, represents them as having much greats er guilt than the inhabiiants of Tyre and Sidon, or even Sodom and Gomorrah.

But we are now come to the time when the grandest scene was displayed, that ever was opened on earth. After all other schemes had been so long and so thoroughly tried, and had so greatly failed of success, both among Jews and Gentiles; that wonderful dispensation was at length introduced, which was the greatest scheme tor the suppressing and restraining iniquity among mankind, that ever infinite wisdom and mercy contrived, even the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. “A new dispensation of grace was erected (to use Dr. Taylor’s own words, p. 239, 240) for the more certain and effectual sanctification of mankind, into the image of God; the delivering them from the sin anxl wickedness, into which they might fall, or were already fallen; to redeem them from all iniquity, and bring them to the knowledge and obedience of God.” In -whatever high and exalted terms the scripture speaks of the means and motives which the Jews enjoyed of old; yet their pri^ileges ara represented as having no glory, in comparison of the advantages of the gospel. Dr. Taylor’s words in p. 233, are worthy to be here repealed. ‘’ Even the Heathen (says he) knew God, and might have glorified him as God; but under the glorious light of the gospel, “we have “very clear ideas of th.’“^ divine perfections, and particularly of the love of God as our Father, and as the God and Father of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. We see our duty in the utnaost txtenr, and the most cogent rea sons to perform it: We have eternity opened to us, even an endless state of honor and felicity, the reward of virtuoui actions, and the Spirit of God promised for our direction and assistance. And all this may and ought to be applied to the purifyinc: our minds, and the perfecting of holiness. And to those happy advantages we are born, for whjch we are bound for ever to praise and magnify the rich grace of God in the Redeemer.” And he elsewhere says,* “The gospel constitution is a scheme the most perfect and effectual for restoring true religion, and promoting virtue and happiness, that ever the world has yet seen.” Andf admirably adajited to enlighten our mindSi and sanctify our hearts; And never were mo* lives so divine and poiveyful prcjiosed, to induce us to the firaC’ tice of all virtue a7id goodness.

And yet even these means have been ineffectual upon the far greater part of ihem with whom they have been used; of the many that have been calledyfeiv have been chosen.

As to the Jews, God*s ancient people, with whom they were used in the first place, and used long by Christ and his apostles, the generality of them rejected Christ and his gospel, with extreme pcrtinaciousness of spirit. They not only went on still in that career of corruption which had been increasing from the time of the Maccabees; but Christ’s coming, and his doctrine and miracles, and the preaching of his followers, and the glorious things that attended the same, were the occasion, through their pervei-se misimprovement, of an infinite increase of their wickedness. They crucified the Lord of (ilory with the utmost malice and cruelty, and persecuted his followers; they pleased not God, and were contraty to all men i and went on to t;row worse and worse, till tl ey fii’cd up the measure of their sin, and wrath came upon liicin to the utleronust; and tlicy “pierc desiroyedp and

* A’a. ^167. + N(.’U von Rom. i. 16. % ^^’^if- ^” ^<”’’ on Rom. page* H5. 47.

fiast out of God*s sight, with unspeakably {^reater tokens of the divine abhorrence and indignation, than in the days of Nebuchadnezzar. The bigger part of tb.e whole nutio’i were slain, and the rest were scattered abroad throupjh the earth, in the most abject and forlorn circumstances. And in the same spirit of unbelief and malice aeainst Chi-ist and the gospel, and in their miserable, dispersed circumstances, do they remain to this day.

And as to the Gentile nations, though there was a ilorious success of the gospel amongst them in the apostles* days, yet probably not one in ten of those that had the erospel preached to them, embraced it. The powers of the world were set against it, and persecuted it with insatiable malignity. And among the professors of Christianity, there presently appeared in many a disposition to corruption, and to abuse the gospel unto the service of pride and licentiousness. And the apostles, in their days, foretold a grand apostasy of the Christian world, which should continue many ages, and observed that there appeared a disposition to such an apostasy, among professing Christians, even in that day, 2 Thess. ii. 7. And the greater part of the ages which have now elapsed, have been spent in the duration of that grand and general apostasy, under which the Christian world, as it is called, has been transformed into that which has been vastly more deformed, more dishonorable and hateful to God, and repugnant to true virtue, than the state of the Heathen world before; which is agreeable to the prophetical descriptions given of it by the Holy Spirit.

In these latter ages of the Christian church, God has raised up a great number of great and good men, to bear testimony against the corruptions of the church of Konpe, and by their means introduced that light into the world, by which, in a short time, at least one third part of Europe was delivered from the more gross enormities of Antichrist; which was attended ai first with a great reformation as to vital and practical religion. But how is the gold soon become dim! To what a pass are things come in Prottstant countries at this day. and in oMr nation in particular! To

what a prodigious height has a dekige of infidelity, profandness, luxury, debauchery and wickedness of every kind, arisen 1 The poor savage Americans are mere babes and fools, (if I may so speak) as to proficiency in wickedness, in comparison of multitudes that the Christian world throngs with. Dr. Taylor himself, as was before observed, represents that the generality of Christians hwuc been the most nvicked, leivdy bloodily and treacherous of all mankind; and says, f Key, S88) “The wickedness of the Christian world renders it so much like the Heathen, that the good effects of our change to Christianity are but little seen.”

And with respect to the dreadful corruption of the present day, it is to be considered, besides the advantages already mentioned, that great advances in learning and philosophic knowledge have been made in the present and past century, giving great advantage for a proper and enlarged exercise of our rational powers, and for our seeing the bright manifestation of God*s perfections in his works. And it is to be observed, that the means and inducements to virtue, which this age enjoys, are in addition to most of those which were mentioned before as given of old, and among other thingSjin addition to the shortening of man’s life to seventy or eighty years, from near a thousand. And with reg. rd to this, I would observe, that as the case now is in Christendom, take one with another of them that ever come to years of discretion, their life is not more than forty or fortyfive years; which is but about the twentieth part of what it once was; and not so much in great cities, places where profaneness, sensuality and debauchery commonly prevail to the greatest degree.

Dr. Taylor, (Key § 1) truly observes, that God has, from the beginning, exercised wonderful and infinite wisdom, in the methods he has, from age to age, made use of to oppose vice, cure corruption, and promote virtue in the world, and introduced several schemes to that end. It is indeed remarkable, how many schemes and methods were tried of old, both before and after the flood; how many were used in the times of the Old Testament, both with Jews and Heathens, and how ineflfcctual all these ancient methods proved for four hundred years together, till God introduced that grand dispensation for the redeeming men from all iniquity, and purifying them to himself, a people zealous of good works, which the scripture represents as the subject of the admiration of angels. But even this has now so long proved ineffectual with respect to the generality, that Dr. Taylor thinks there is need of a nciv dis-pensation; the present light of the gosfiel being insufficient for the full reformation of the Christian worlds by reason of its corruptions; (Note on Rom. i. 27j and yet all these things, according lo him, without any natural bias to the contrary; 110 stream of natural inclmation or propensity at all, to oppose inducements to goodness; no native opposition of heart, to “withstand those gracious means, which God has ever used with mankind, from the beginning of the world to this day, any more than there was in the heart of Adam, the moment God created him in perfect innocence.

Surely Dr. Taylor’s scheme is attended with strange paradoxes! And that his mysterious tenets may appear in a true light, it must be observed, at the same time while he supposes these means, even the very greatest and best of them, to have proved so ineffectual, that help from them, as to any general reformation, is to be despaired of; yet he Tnaintains that all mankind, even the Heathen in all parts of the world, yea, every single person in it, (which must include every Indian in America, before the Europeans came hit’aer; and every inhabitant of the unknown parts of Africa and Terra Australis) has ability, light and mean-s sufficient to do their “whole duty; yea, (as many passages in his writings plainly suppose) to perform perfect obedience to God’s law, without, the least degree of vice or iniquity.*

But I must not omit to observe... .Dr. Taylor supposes that the reason why the gospel dispensation has been so ineffectual, is, that it has been greatly misunderstood and perverted. In A>y, § 389, he says, “Wrong representations of the scheme of the gospel have greatly obscured the glory of divine grace, and contributed much to the corruption of its pro-

*Scep. 259, 63, 64, 72,5.

N fessors. Such doctrines have been almost universally taught and receiveci, as quite subvert it. Mistaken notions about nature, grace, election and reprobation, justification,* reyjenefation, redemption, calling, adoption, &c. have quite taken away the very ground of the Christian life”

But bow came the gospel to be so universally and exceedingly misunderstood? Is it because it is in itself so very dark and unintelligible, and not adapted to the apprehension of the human faculties? If so, how is the possession of such an obscure and unintelligible thing, so unspeakable and glorious an advantage? Or is it because of the native blindness, corruption and superstition of mankind? But this is giving. up the thing in question, and allowing a great depravity of nature. And Dr. Taylor speaks of the gospel as far otherwise than dark and unintelligible; he represents it as exhibiting the clearest and most glorious light, to deliver the world from darkness, and bring them into marvellous light. He speaks of the light which the Jews had, under the Mosaic dispensation, as vastly exceeding the light of nature, which the Heathen enjoyed: And yet he supposes that even the latter was so clear as to be sufficient to lead men to the knowledge of God, and their whole duty to him. And he speaks of the light of the gospel as vastly exceeding the light of the Old Testan;ent. He says of the ApestlePaul in particular, ^»That he wrote with gveat perspicuity; that he takes great care to explain every part of his subject; that he has left no part of it unexplained and unguarded, and that never was an auihoT more exact and cautious in this.”* Is it not strange, therefore, thut the Christian world, without any native depravity to prejudice and darken their minds, should be so blind in the midst of such glaring light, as to be all, or the generality, agree<^ from age to age, so essentially to misunderstand lidil which is made so very plain?

Dr. Taylor says, p. 167, S. It is my persuasion that the Christian religion was very early and grievously corrupted

*^rtj. U Par, oa Rom, p. 146, 48.

by (^reaminj3f, ignorant, superstitious monks too conceited to be satisfied with plain fjospel, and has long remained in that deplorable state.” But how came the whole Christian world, without any blinding depravity, to hearken to these ignorant, foolish men, rather than unto wiser and better teachers? Especially, when the latter had filam gosful on their «ide, and the doctrines of the other were (as our author supposes) so very contrary, not only to the plain gospel, but to inen*3 reason and common sense 1 Or were all tle teachers of thje Christian church nothing but a parcel of ignorant dream’ ef9? K so, this is very strange indeed, unless manHind naturally love darknessy rather than light, seeing in all parts of the Christian world there was so great a multit,ude of those in the work of the ministry, who had the gospel in their hands, and whose whole businesj» it was to study and teach it, and therefore had infinitely greater advantages to become truly wise, than the Heathen philosophers, 13ut if it did happen so, by some strange and inconceivable means, that notwithstanding all these glorious advantages, all the teachers of the Christian church through the world, without any native evil propensity, very early became silly dreamers and aho in their dfeaming, generally stumbled on the mme .individual, monstrous opinions, and so the world w»ight, be bljnded for a while; yet why did they not hearken to that wise and great man, Pelagius, and others like him, when he plainly held forth the truth to the Christian world Especially seeing his instructions were so agreeable to the plain doctrines, and the bright and ^^llf iJgit of the gospel of Christ, and also so agreeable to the plainest dictates of the common sense and Tunderstanding of all mankind; but the other so repugnant to it, that (according to our author) if they were true, it would prove understanding to be no -understanding and the IVord of God to be no ride of truth’, nor at all to be relied nfihu and Cod to be a Being worthy of no regard I

And besides, if the iniefrectualnessof the gospel to restrain sin and promote virtue, be owing to the general prevalence of these doctrines, which are supposed to be so absurd and contrary to the gospel, here is this further to be accounted for, namely, why, since there has been so great an increase of litht in religious matters (as must be supposed on Dr. Tay* lor’s scheme) in this and the hist ate, and these monstrous doctrines of Original Sin, Election, Reprobation, Justification, Regeneration, &c. have been so much exploded, especially in our nation, there has been no reformation attending this great advancement of light and truth; but on the contrary, vice, and every thing that is opposite to practical Christianity, has gone on to increase, with such a prodigious celerity, as to become like an overflowing deluge, threatening, vmless God mercifully interpose, speedily to swallow up all that is left of what is virtuous and praiseworthy.

Many other things might have been mentioned under this head, of the means which mankind have had to restrain viccj and promote virtue; such as wickedness being many ways contrary to men’s temporal interest and comfort in this world, and their having continually before their eyes so many instances of persons made miserable by their vices; the restraints of human laws, without which men cannot live in society; the judgments of God brought on men for their wickedness, with which history abounds, and the providential rewards of virtue, and innumerable particular means that God has used from age to age to curb the wickedness of mankind, which I have omitted. But there would be no end of a particular enumeration of such things. Enou?;h ha been said. They that’ will not be convinced by the instances which have been mentioned, probably would not convincedy the world had stood a thousand times so long, and we hs^HI most authentic and certain accounts of means having OT^ used from the beginning, in a thousand times greater variety, and new dispensations had been introduced, after others had been tr?ed in vain, ever so often, and still to little effect. He that will not be convinced by a thousand good witnesses, it is not likely that he would be convinced by a thousand thousand. The proofs that have been extant in the world, from trial and fact, of the depravity of man*s nature, are inexpressible, and as it were infinite, beyond the representation of all comparison ind similitude. 11’ there were a piece of ground? wlich abounded with briars and thorns, or some poisonous plant, and all mankind had used their endeavors, for a thousand years together, to suppress that evil yjrowth, and lo bring that ground by manure and cultivation, planting and sowing, to produce better fruit, but all in vain, it would still be overrun with the same noxious growth; it would not be a proof, that such a produce was agreeable to the nature of that soil, ir. any wise to be compared to that which is given in divine providence, that wickedness is a produce agreeable to the nature of the field of the world of mankind; which has had means used “with it, that have been so various, great and vv’onderful, contrived by the unsearchable and boundless wisdom of God; medicines procured with infinite ex pence, exhibited with so vast an apparatus; so marvellous a succession of dispensations, introduced one after another, displaying an incomprehensible length and breadth, depth and height, of divine wisdom, love, and power, and every perfection of the godhead, to the eternal admiration of the principiilities and powers in heavenly places.

SECTION IX,

Seiyeral Evasions of the Arguments for the Defiraxdty of Xa ture, from trial and events, considered.

Evasion 1. DR. TAYLOR says, p. 231, 232. Adam’s nature, it is allowed, was very far from being sinful; yet he sinned. And therefore, the common doctrine of Original Sin, is no moipe necessary to account for the sin that has beenp or is in the world, than it is to account for Adam’s sin.” Again, p. 52.. ..54. S, &c.” If we allow mankind to be as wicked as R. R. has represented them to be; and suppose that there is not one upon earth that is truly righteous, and without sin, and that some are very enorraous sinners, yet k

will not tlicnce follow, that they are naturally corrupt. For, if sinful action infers a natrire oripjinally corrupt, then, ^vhere• as Adam (according to them that hold the doctrine of Origin* al Sin) committed the most heinous and ayejravated sin, that ever was committed in the world; for, accordinijj to them, he had greater light than any other nan in the world, to know his duty, and greater power than any other man to fulfil it, and was under greater obligations than any other man to obedience; he sinned, when he knew he was the representative of millions, and that the happy or miserable state of all mankind, depended on his conduct; which never was. nor can be, the case of any other man in the world: Then, I. say, it will follow, that his nature was originally corrupt. Sec. Thus their argument from the wickedness of mankind, to prove a sinful and corrupt nature, must inevitably and irrecoverably fall to the ground; which wiil appear more abundantly, if we take in the case of the angels, vv’ho in nr.mbers sinned, and kept not their first estate, though created with a nature superior to Adam’s.** Again, p. 145. S.” When it is inquired, how it comes to pass that our appetites and pas/ions are now so irregular and strong, as that not one person has resisted them, so as to keep himself pure and innocent? If this be the case, if such as make the inquiry will tell the world, how it came to pass that Adam*s appetites and passions were so irregular and strong, that he did not resist them, so as to keep himself pure and innocent, when, upon their principles, he was far more able to have resisted them; I also will tell them how it comes to pass, that his posterity docs not resist them. Sin doth not alter its nature, by its being general; and therefore how far soever it spreads, it must come upon all just as it came upon Adam.’*

These things are delivered with much assurance. But is there any reason in such a way of talking? One thing implied in it, and the main thing, if any thing at all to the purpose, is, that because an effect’s being general, does not alter the nature of the effect, therefore nothing more can be argued concerning the cause, from its happening constantly, and in the most steady manner, than from its happening but once.

But how contrary is this to reason? If such a case should happen, that a person, throu^h the dcccilful persuasions of a pretended friend, once takes an unwholesome and poisonous draught, of a liquor he had no inclination to before; but after he has once taken of it, he be observed to act as one that has an insatiable, incurable thirst after more of the same, in hi“s conslunt practice, and acts often repeated, and obstinately continued, in as long as he lives, against all possible arguments and endeavors used to dissuade him from it; and we should from hence argue a fixed inclination, and begin to suspect that this is the nature and operation of the poison, to produce such an inclination, or that this strong propensity is some way the consequence of the first draught in such a case, could it be said with good reason, thai a fixed propensity can no more be argued from his consequent constant practice, than from his firs-t draught? Or, if we suppose a young man, no otherwise than soberly inclined, and enticed,by wicked companions, should drink to excess, until he had got a habit of excessive drinking, and should come under the power of a greedy appetite after strong drink, so that drunkenness should become a common and constant practice wiih him; and some observer, arguing from this his general practice, should say, “It must needs be that this young man has a fixed inclination to that sin; otherwise, how should it come to pass that he should make such a trade of it?’* And another, ridiculing the weakness of his arguing, should reply,” Do you tell me how it came to pass, that he was guilty of that sin the first time, without a fixed inclination, and I will tell you how he is guilty of it so generally without a fixed inclination. Sin does not alter its nature by being general; and therefore, how common soever it becomes, it must come at all times by the same means that it came at first.” I leave it to every one to judge, who would be chargeable with weak arguing in such a case. It is true, as was observed before, there is no effect without some cause, occasion, ground or reason of that effect, and some cause answerable to the effect. But ceriairdy it will not follow from thence, that a transient effect requires a permanent cause, or a fixed influence or propensity. An effeet’s happening once, though the effect may be great, yea, thoujph it may come to pass on the same occasion in many subjects at the same lime, will not prove any fixed propensity, or permanent influence. It is true, it proves an influence great and extensive, answerable to the effect, once exerted, or once effectual; but it proves nothing in the cause fixed or constant. If a particular tree, or a great number of trees standing together, have blasted fruit on their branches at a particular season, yea, if the fruit be very much blasted, apd entirely spoiled, it is evident that something was the occasion of such an effect at that time; but this aione docs not prove the nature of the tree to be bad. But if it be observed, that those trees* and all other trees of the kind, wherever planted, and in all soils, countries, climates and seasons, and however cultivated and managed, still bear ill fruii, from year to year, and in all ages, it is a good evidence of the evil nature of the tree; and if the fruit, at all these times, and in all these cases, be very bad, it proves the nature of the tree to be very bad; and if we argue in like manner from what appears among men, it is easy to determine, whether the universal sinfulness of mankind, and their all sinning immediately, as soon as capable of it, and all sinning continually, and generally being of a wicked character, at all times, in all ages, and all places, and under all possible circumstances, against means and motives Inexpressibly manifold and great, and in the utmost conceiva- “ble variety, be from a permaiie nt, internal, great cause.

If the voice of common sense w’ere attended to, and heard, there would be no occasion for labor in multiplying arguments and instances to shew, that one act does not prove a fixed inclination; but that constant practice and pursuit do. “VVe see that it is in fact agreeable to the reason of all mankmd, to argue fixed principles, tempers, and prevailing inclinations, from repeated ar.d continued actions, though the actions are voluntary, and performed of choice; and thus to judge of the tempers and inclinations of persons, ages, sexes, tribes and nations. But is it the manner of men to conclude, that whatever they see others once do, they have a fixed, abiding inclination to do? Yea, iliere may be several acts seenj and yet they not taken as food evidence of an established propensity; nay, though attended wi»h that circumstance, that one act, or those several acts, are followed with such constant practice, as afterwards evidences fixed disposition. As for example, there may be several instances of a man’s drinking; some spirituous liquor, and they be no sipn of a fixed incliaation to that liquor; hut these acts may be introductory to a settled habit or propensity, which may be made very manifest afterwards by constant practice.

From these lhinp;s it is plain, that what is alleged concernmg the first sin of Adam, and of the angels, without a previous, fixed disposition to sin, cannot in the least injure or weaken the arguments, which have been brought to prove a fixed propensity to sin in mankind in their present state. The thing which the permanence of the cause has been argued from, is the permanence of the effect. And that the permanent cause consists in an internal, fixed propensity, and not any particular, external circumstances, has been argued from the effects being the same, through a vast variety and change of circumstances. Which things do not take place with respect to the first act of sin that Adam or the angels were guilty of; which first acts, considered in themselves, were no perluanent, continued effects. And though a great number of the angels sipncd, and the effect on that account was the greater, and more extensive; yet this extent of the effect is a very dificvent thing from Xhzx permanence or settled continuance of the effect, which is supposed to shew a permanent cause, or fixed influence or propensity. Neither was there any trial of a vast variety of circumstances attending a permanent effect, to shew the fixed cause to be internal, consisting in a settled disposition of nature, in the instances objected. And however great the sin of Adam, or of the angels was, and however great means, motives, and obligations they sinned against; whatever may be thence argued concerning the transient cause, occasion, or temptation, as being very subtle, remarkably tending to deceive and seduce, or otherwi::e great y yet it argues nothing of any settled disposition, ovjlxed cause at all; either great or small; the effect both in the angels and O loe ORIGINAL SIN.

our first parents, bein in itself transiency and for ouht ap» pears, h;lppenin?2; in each of (hem under one system or coincidence of influenlial circumstances.

The general, continued wickedness of mankind, against such means and motives, proves each of these things, viz. that the cause is fixed and that the fixed cause is internal in nian’s nature, and also that if is very fiotverfuL It proves the ./??’sf, namely, that the cause is fixed, because the effect is so abiding:!:, through so many changes. It proves the second tha?. is, that the fixed cause is internal, because the circumstances are so various: The variety of means and motives is one thing that is to be referred to the head of variety of circumstances; and tiicy are that kind of circumstances, which above all others proves this; for they are such circumstances as cannot possibly cause the effect, being most opposite to the effect in their tendency. And it proves the thirds, viz. the greatness of the internal cause, or the powcrfulness of the propensity; because the, means which have opposed its influence, have been so great, and yet have been statedly overcome.

But here I may observe by the way, that with regard to the motives and obligations which our first father sinned against, it is not reasonably alleged, that he sinned when he knew his sin would have destructive consequences to all his posterity, and inight.^ in Jirocess of time pave the whole globe luith skulls &c. Seeint it is so evident, by the plain account the scripture c;ives us of the temptation which prevailed with our first parents to commit, that sin, that it was so contrived by the sublilty of the tempter, as first to blind and deceive them as to that matter, and to make them believe that their disobedience should be followed with no destruction or calamity at all to themselves (and therefore not to their posterity) but on the contrary, with a great increase and advancement oi dignity and happiness.

Evasion 2. Let t’le wickedness of the world be ever so general and great, there is no necessity of supposing any depravity of nature to be the cause: Man’s own free will is cause sufficient. Let mankind be more or less corrupt, they makf-ORIGINAL SIN. lOV

v’hcmselvcs corrtrpt by their own free choice. This, Dr. Taylor abundantly insists upon, in many parts of his book.»

But I would ask, how it comes to pass that mankind so universally agree in this evil exercise of iheir free will? If their wills are in the first place as free to i’ood as evil, whaL is it to be ascri!>ed to, that the world of mankiiul, consisting of so many millions, in so many successive yenerutions, without* cousultalion, all avtc to exercise their freedom in favor of evil? If there be no natural tendency or preponderation in the case, then there is as good a chance for the will’s beinydetermined to p;ood as evil. If the cause is indiRerent, why is no! the effect in some measure indifferent? If the balance be no heavier at one end than the other, why does it perpetually, and, as it were, infinitely, preponderate one way r How comes U to pass, that the free will of mankind has been determined to evil, in like manner before the flood, and after the flood; under the law, and under the gospel; among- both Jews and Gentiles, under the Old Testament; and since that,^ anionic Christians Jewsy Mahoinetans; among Papists and Protestants; in those nations where civility, politeness, arts, and learning most prevail, and ar>-iong the Negroes and Hottentots in xlfiica, the Tartars in Asia, and Indians in America, towards both the poles, and on every side of the globe; in greatest cities and obscurest villages; in palaces and in liiits, wigwams and cells under ground? Is it enough to reply, it happens so, that men every where, and at all times, choose thus to determine their own wills, and so to make themselves sinful, as soon as ever they are capable of it, and to sin constantly as long as they live, and universally to choose never to come up half way to their duty?

As has been often observed, a steady effect requires a steady cause; but free will, without a.iy previous propensity to influence its determina’ions, is no permanent cause; nothing can be conceived of, further from it: For the verv notion of freedom of will, consisting in selfdetermining power, i-TipUes contingence: And if the will is free in that sense.

Page 257, 258, 52, 53, 5, and many other places.

that it is perfectly free from any government of previous inclination, its freedom must imply the mos. absolute tlr( perfect contingence; and surely nothing can be conceived of, more unfixed than that. The notion of liberty of will, in this sense-, implies perfect freedom from every thing that should previously fix, bind or determine it; that it may be left to be fixed and determined wholly by itself: Therefore its deterroinations must be previously altogether imfixed. And can that which is so unfixed, so contingent, be a cause sufficient to account for an effect, in such a manner, and to such a degree, permanent, fixed and constant?

When men see only one particular person, going on in a certain course with great constancy, against all manner of means to dissuade him, do they judge this to be no argument of any fixed disposition of mind, because he, being free, may determine to do so, if he will, without any such disposition? Or if they see a nation or people that differ greatly from other nations, in such and such instances of their constant conduct, as though their tempers and inclinations were very diverse, and any should deny it to be from any such cause, and should say, we cannot judge at all of the temper cr disposition of any nation or people, by any thing observable in their constant practice or behavior, because they have all free will, and therefore may all choose to act so, if they please, without any thing in their temper or inclination to bias them; would such an account of such effects be satisfying to the reason of mankind? But infinitely further would it be from satisfying a considerate mind, to account for the constant and universal sinfulness of mankind, by saying, that the will of all mankind is free, and therefore all mankind may, if they please, make themselves wicked: They are free when they first begin to act as moral agents, and therefore all may, if they please, begin to sin as soon as they begin to act: They are free as long as they con’inue to act in the world, and therefore they may nli commit sin continually, if they will .♦ yicn of all nations are free, and therefore all nations may act alike in these respects, if they please (though some do not kn(5w how other nations do act.) Men of high and low condi’ tion, learned and ignorant, are free, and therefore they may agree in acting wickedly, if they please (thoujph lliey do not consult together.) Men in all ages are free, and therefore men in one age may all agree with men in every other age in wickedness, if they please, (though they do not know how men in other ages have acted) Sec. &c. Let every one judge whether such an account of things can satisfy reason.

Evasion 3. It is said by many of the opposcrs of the doc trine of Original Sin, that the corruption of the world of mankind may be owing, not to a depraved nature, but to bad example. And I think we must understand Dr. Taylor as having respect to the powerful influence of bad instruction and example, when he says, p. 118. <’ The Gentiles, in their heathen state, when incorporated into the body of the Gentile world, were without strength, unable to help or recover themselves.’* And in several other places to the like purpose. If there was no depravity of nature, what else could there be but bad instruction and example to hinder the heathen world, as a collective body, (for as such Dr. Taylor speaks of them, as may be seen p. i 17, 118) from emerging out of their corruption, on the rise of each new creneration? As to their bad instruction, our author insists upon it, that the heathen, notwithstanding all their disadvantages, had sufficient light to know God, and do their whole duty to him, as we have observed from time to time. Therefore it mwjt be chiefly bad example, that we must suppose, according to him, rendered their case helpless.

Now concerning this way of accouniinv:; for the corruption of the world, by the influence of bad example, I would observe the following things:

1. It is accounting for the thing by the thing itself. It is accounting for the corruption of the world by the corruption of the world. For, that bad examples arc general all over the world to be followed by others, and have been so from the beginning, is only an instance, or ratljcr a description of that corruption of the world which is to be accounted for. If mankind are naturally no rioi inclined to evil than good, then how comes there to be so many niore bad exam iio ORIGINAL SIN

pies than ^ood ones, in all a yes? And if there are not, how come the bad exaniples that are set, to be so much more followed than the good? If the propensity of man’s nature be not to evil, hov, comes the current of tcneral example, every where, and at all limes, to be so much lo evil? And when opposition has been made by j;ood examples, how comes it to pass that it has had so little effect to stem the stream of general, wicked practice?

I think from the brief account the scripture gives us of the behavior of the first parents of mankind, the expressions of their faith and hope in God’s mercy revealed to them, we have reason to suppose, that before ever they had any childrenj they repented, and were pardoned, and became truly pious. So that God phnted the world at first with a noble vine; and at the beginning of the g-enerations of mankind, he set the stream of example the right way. And we see, that children are more apt to fol’ov, the example of their parents, than of any others; especially in early youth, their forming time, when those habits are generally coritracted, which abide by them all their days. And besides, Adam’s children Iiad no other examples to follow, birt those of their parents. How therefore came the stream so soon to turn, ami to proceed the contrary way, with so violent a current? Then, when mankind became so universally and desperately corrupt, as not to be fit lo live on earth any longer, and the world was everywhere full of bad examples, God destroyed them all at once, but only righteous Noah, and his family, to remove those bad examples, and that the world of mankind might be planted again with gotid example, and the stream again turned the right way: Kow therefore came it to pass, that Noah’s posterity did not follow his good example, especially’ when they had such extraordinary things to enforce his example, but so generally, even in his life time, became so exceeding corrupt? One would think, the first generations at least, while all lived together as one family, under Noah, their venerable Father, might have followed his good example; and if they had done so, then, wh.cn the earth came lo be divided in Peleg’s time, the heads of tJie several families would have set out their par-ORIGINAL SIN. Hi

ticular colonies “wiih oood examples, and the stream would have been turned the liiht way in all the various divisions, colonies, and nations of the woi Id. hut we see verily the fact was, that in about fifty years afier Noah’s death, the world in general was overrun with dreadful corsuption; so that all virtue and j;^oodncss were like soon to perish from among mankind, unless something extraordinary should be done to prevent it.

Then, for a remedy, God separated Abraham and his family from all the rest of the world, thut they might be delivered from the influence of bad example, that, in his posterity, he might have an holy seed. Thus God again planted a noble vine; Abraham, Isaac and Jacob being eminently pious. But how soon did their posterity de;^enerate, till true religion was like to be swallowed up? VVe see how desperately, and almost universally corrupt they were, when God brought them out of Egypt, and led them in the wilderness.

71ien God was pleased, before he planted his people in Canaan, to destroy that perverse generation in the wilderness, that he might plant them there a noble vine, wholly a right. seed-, and set them out with good example, in the land where they were to have their settled abode. Jer. ii. 21, It is evident, that the generation which came with Joshua into Canaan, was an excellent generation, by innumerable things said of them.* But how soon did that people, nevertheless, become the degenerate filant of a strange vine?

And when the nation had a long lime proved themseh’cs desperately and incurably corrupt, God destroyed them, and sent them into captivity, till the old rebels were dead and purged out, to deliver their children from their evil example; and when the following generation were purified as in a furnace, God planted them again, in the land of Israel, a nobh vin<’, and set them oU with good example; which yet was not followed by their posterity.

* See Jer. ii. 2, 3. Psal. lxviii. 14. Josh, xxii 2, and xxili. 8. Deui. iy. 3, 4, Hos. xi. s, and ix. 10. Judges ii, 7, 17^ 22, and irany otht” places.

When again the corruption was become inveterate and desperate, the Christian church was planted by a glorious outpouring of the Spirit of God, causing true virtue and piety to be exemplified in the first age of the church of Christ, far beyond whatever had been on earth before; and the Christian church was planted a noble vine. But that primitive good example has not prevailed, to cause virtue to be generally and steadfastly maintained in the Christian world; To how great a degree it has been otherwise, has already been observed.

After many ages of general and dreadful apostasy, God was pleased to erect tlve Protestant church, as separated from the more corrupt part of Christendom; and true piety flourished very much in it at first; God planted it a noble vine: But, notwithstanding the good examples of the first reformers, what a melancholy pass is the Protestant world come to at this day?

When England grew very corrupt, God brought over a number of pious persons, and planted them in Newenglanel, and this land was planted with noble vine. But how is the gold become dim! How greatly have we forsaken the pious examples of our fathers!

So prone have mankind always proved themselves to degeneracy, and bent to backsliding. Which shews plainly their natural propensity; and that when good has revived, and been promoted among men, it has been by some divine interposition, to oppose the natural current; the fruit of some extraordinary means, the efficacy of which has soon been overcome by constant, natural bias, and the effect of good example presently lost, and evil has regained and maintained the dominion: Like an heavy body, which may by some great power be caused to ascend, cgainst its nature, a little while, but soon goes back again towards the centre, to which it naturally and constantly tends.

So thi.t evil exan’ple will in no wise account for the corruption of mankind, v/ilhout supposing a natural proneness to sin. The tendency of example alone will not account for general wicked practice, as consequent on good example And if the influence of bad example is a reason of some ol

the wickedness that is in the world, that alone will not account for mer/s becoming wors.e than the example set, and degenerating more and more, and growing worse and worse, which has been the manner of mankind.

2. There has been given lo the world an example of virtue, which, were ii not for a dreadful depravity of nature, would have influence on them that live under the gospel, far beyond all other examples; and that is, the example of Jesus Christ.

God, who knew the hliman nature, and how apt men are to be influenced by example, has made answerable provision. His infinite wisdom has contrived that we should have set before us the most amiaMe and perfect example, in such circumstances, as should have the greatest tendency to influence all the principles of man’s nature, but his corruption. Men are apt to be moved by the example of others like thetnsel-jes or in their own nature; therefore this example Was given in our nature. Men are ready to follow the example of the great and honorable; and this example, though it was of one in our nature, yet it was of one inlinitely higher and more honorable than kings or angels. A people are apt to follow the example of their prince: This is the example of that glorious person, who stands in a peculiar relation to Chrie;lians, as their Lord and King, the Supreme Head of the church; and not only so, but the King of kings, Supreme Head of the Uni- ‘V’erse, and head over all things to the church. Children arc apt to follow the example of their parents: This is the example of the iluthor of our Being, and one who is in a peculiar and extraordinary manner our Faiho*-, as he is the Auihor of our Holy and happy Being; besides his being the Creator of the world, and everlasting Father of the Universe. Men are very apt to follow the example of their friends: The example of Christ is of one that is infinitely our greatest friend, standing, in the most endearing relations of our Brolhei-, Redeemer, Spiritual Head and Husband; whose grace and love expressed to us, transcends all nther love and Iriendship, as much as heaven is higher than the earth. And then the virtues and acts of his example were exhibited to us in the mast P endearing and engaging circumstances that can possibly b’f conceived of: His obedience and submission to God, his hu* mility, meekness, patience, charity, selfdcnial, Sec. being ex* ercised and expressed in a work of infinite grace, love, condescension, and beneficence to us; and had all their highest expressions in his laying down his life for us, and meeklyp patiently, and’ cheerfully undergoing such extreme and unutterable suffering, for our eternal salvation. Men are peculiarly apt lo follow the example of such as they have great benefits from: But it is utterly impossible to conceive of greater benefits, that we could have by the virtues of any person, than we have by the virtuous acts of Christ; who depend upon being thereby saved from eternal destruction, and brought to inconceivable, immortal glory at God’s right hand. Surely if it were not for an extreme corruption of the heart of men, such an example would have that strong influence on the heart, that would as it were swaliov, up the power of all the evil and hateful examples of a generation of vipers.

S. The influence of bad example, without corruption of nature, will not account for children’s universally committing r/m as soon as capable of it; which, I think, is a fact that has been made evident by the scripture. It will not account for this, in the children of eminently piou-s parents; the first examples that are set in their view, being very good; which, as has been observed, was especially the case of many children in Christian families in the apostles’ days, when the Apostle John supposes that every individual person had sin to repent of, and confess to God.

4. Wlvat Dr. Taylor supposes to have been fact, with respect to a great part of mankind, cannot consistently be accounted for from the influence of bad example, viz. the stale of the heathen world, which he supposes, considered as a collective body, was helpless, dead in sin, and unable to recover itself. Not evil example alone, no, nor as united with evil instruction, can be supposed a sufficient reason why every new generation ihat arose among them, should ‘Ot be able t* emerge from the idolatry and wickedness of li.. ancestors, in any consistence with his scheme. The ill example of an-

■«;estors could hnve no power to oblige ihcm to sin, any oihcr rWay than as a strone; temptation. But Dr. Taylor himseli” .says, p. 72. 5.” To suppose men’s temptations to be su-perior to their powers, will impeach the goodness ilnd justice of God, who appoints every man’s trial.’* And as to bad in- •struclions, as was observed. before, he supposes that they all, .yea every individual person, had Uglit suITiciciit ip know God. and do their whole duty. And if each one could do this tor .himself, then surely they might all be agreed in it through the power of free will, as well as the whole world be agreed in corruption by the same power.

Evasion 4. Some modern opposers of the doctrine o*’ Original Sin, do thus account for the general prevahnce oi wickedness, viz. that in a course of nature our senses grow Up first, and the animal passions get the start of reason. So pr. Turnbull says,* “Sensitive objects first aftcct us, and inasmuch as reason is a principle, which, in the nature of things, must be advanced to strength and vigor, by gradual cultivation, and these pbjects are continually assailing and soliciting us; SOy unless a very happy education prevents, our sensitive appetites must have become very strong, before reason can have force enough to call them to an account, and assume authority over them.” From hence Dr. Turnbull supposes it comes to pass,!” Tht though some few may, through the influence of virtuous example, be said to be sanctified from the womb, so liberal, so generous, so virtuous, so truly r.oble is their cast of mind; yet, generally speaking, the whole world lieth in such wickedness, that, vrith respect to the far greater part of mankind, the study of virtue is beginning to reform, and is a severe struggle against bad habits, early contracted, and deeply rooted; it is therefore putting off aii old, inveterate, corrupt nature, and putting on a new form and temper; it is moulding ourselves anev,-; it is a being born again, and becoming as children. And how few are there in the world who escape its pollutions, so as not to he early in that class, or to be among the righteous that need no repentince:

?»»

See Moral ThiL>sophj, p. 279, and Christian Philosophy, p. ?74.. + Christian Philcjophy, p, «8a, 2B3.

Dr. Taylor, thov.ih he is not so explicit, seems to hint at the same thing, p. 1 92. ‘’ It is by slow degrees (says he) that children come to the use of unclerstandintj; the animal passions being for some years the governing part of their constitution. And therefore, thougl) they may be froward and apt to displease us, yet how far this is sin in them, we are not capal/le of judging. But it may suffice to say, that it is the will of God that children should hr,ve appetites and passions to regulate and restrain, that he hath given parents instructions and commands to discipline and inform their minds, that if parents first learned true wisdom for themselves, and then endeavored to bring up their children in the way of virtue, there would be less wickedness. in the world.”

Concerning these things I would observe, that such a scheme is attended wiih the very same difficulties, which they that advance it would avoid; liable to the same objections, which they make against God’s ordering it so that men should be brought into being with a prevailing propensity to sin. For this scheme supposes, the author of nature has so ordered things, that men should come into being as moral agents, that is, should first have existence in a state and capacity of moral agency, under a prevailing propensity to sin. For that strength, which ‘sensitive appetites and animal passions come to by their habitual exercise, before persons come to the exercise of their rational powers, amounts to a strong propensity to sin, when they first come to the exercise of those rational powers, by the supposition; because this is given as a reason why liie scale is turned for sin among mankind, and why, gcnerclhj f.fieakingy the nuhole world lies in wick’ edness-i and the study of virtue is a severe struggle against had habits, early contracted, and deejily rooted. These deeply rooted habits must imply a tendency to sin; otherwise they could not account for that which they are brought to account for, namely, prevailing wickedness in the world; for that ca!se cannot account for an elTcct, whicw is supposed to have no tendency to that effect. And this tendency which is supposed, is altogether tciuivalent to a natural tendency: It is as necessary to the subject. For it is supposed to be brought on the person who is the subject of it

when he has no power to withstand or oppose it: The habit, as Dr. Turnbull says, becomincj very strong, Ijefore reason can have force enough to call the passions to account, or assume authority over thein. And it is supposed, ttiat thib necessity, by which men become subject to this propensity to sin, is from the orderine and disposal of the author of nature; and therefore must be as much from his hand, and as much without ilie hand of the person himself, as if he were first brought into being with such a propensity. Moreover, it is supposed that the effvjct, which the tendency is to is trulv wickedness. For it is alleged as a cause or reason why the whole world lies in wickedness, and why all but a very few are first in the class of the wicked, and not among the righteous, that need no repentance. If they need repentance, what they are guilty of is truly and properly wickedness, or moral evil; for certainly men need no repentance for that which is no sin, or blamable evil. If it be so, that, as a consequence of this propensity, the world lies in wickedness, and t’^.e far greater part are of a wicked character, without doubt, the far greater part go to eternal perdition; for death docs not pick and choose for men of a righteous character only. And certainly that is an evil, corrupt state of things, which Tnjturally tends to, and issues in that consequence, that as it were the whole world lies and lives in wickedness, and dies in wickedness, and perishes eternally. And this, by the supposition, is a state of things, wholly of the ordering of the author of nature, before mankind are capable of having any hand in the affair. And is this any relief to the difficulties, which these writers object against the doctrine of nalut al depravity?

And 1 might here also observe, that this way of accounting for the wickedness of the world, amounts to jast the same thing with that solutioa of man’s depravity, which was mentioned before, that Ur. Taylor cries out of as too gross to be admitted (p. 188, 189.) viz. God’s creating the soul pure, and putting it into such a body, as naturally tends lo pollute it For this scheme supposes, that God creates the soul pure, and puts it into a body, and into such a state in that body, that the natural consequence is a strong propensity to sin, as soon as ♦he soul is capable of sinning.

Dr. Turnbull seems to suppose, that the matter could not have been ordered otherwise, consistent with the nature 04 things, than that animal passions shauld be so atbrehand with reason, as that the consequence should be that which has been mentioned; because reason is a faculty of such a nature, that it can have strencth and vigor no otherwise than by exercise and culture.* But can there be any force in this? Is there any thin in nature, to make it impossll:le, but that the superior principles of man’s nature should be so proportioned to the inferior, as to prevent such a dreadful consequence, as the moral and natural ruin, and eternal perdition of the far greater part of mankind? Could not those superior principles Ue in vastly greater strength at first, and yet be capable of endless improvement? And what should hinder its being so ordered by the Creator, that they should improve by vastly swifter decrees than they do? If we are Christians we must be forced to allow it to be possible in the nature of things, that the piinciples of hurpan nature should be so balanqed, that the consequence should be no propensity to sin, in the first beginning of a capacity of moral agency; because vfc must own, that it was so in fact in Adam, when first created, and also in the man Christ Jesus; though the faculties of the latter were such as grew by culture and improvement, so thaj he increased in wisdom as he grew in stature.

Evasion’ 5. Seeing men in this world are in a state of trial, it is fit that their virtue should meet with trials, and consequently that it should have opposition and temptation to overcome; not only from without, but from within, in the animal passions and appetites we have to struggle with; that by the conflict and victory our virtue may be refined and established. Agreeably to this, Dr. Taylor (p. 253.) says, “Without aright use and application of our powers, were they naturally ever so perfect, we could not be judged fit to enter into the kingdom of God. This gies a good reason why we are now in a state of trial and temptation, viz. to prove and discipline our minds, to season our virtue, and to fit us

Mor. Phil, p. 3;i.

for the kingdom of God; foivhich, in the judgment of iniinite wisdom, we cannot be qualified, but by overcoming our present temptarlons.’* And in p. 78. .V. he says, “We are upon trial, and it is the will of our Father that our constitution should be attended with various passions and appetites, as well as our outward condition with various temptations.” He s?.y3 the like in several other places. To the same purpose very often Dr. Turnbull, particularly Christian Philosophy, p. 310.” What merit (says he) except from combat? W^iat virtue without the encounter of such enemies, such temptations as arise both from within and from abroad? To be virtuous, is to prefer the pleasures of virtue, to those which come into competition with it, and vice holds forth to tempt us; and to dare to adhere to truth and goodness, whatever pains and hardships it may cost. There must therefore, in order to the formation and trial, in order to the very being of virtue, be pleasures of a certain kind to make temptations to vice.**

In reply to these things I would say, either the state of temptation, which is supposed to be ordered for men’s trial, amounts on the whole to a prevailing tendency to that state of general wickedness and ruin, which has been proved to take place, or it does not. If it does not amount to a tendency to such an effect, then how does it account for it? When it is inquired, by what cause such an effect should come to pass, is it not absurd to allege a cause, which is owned at the same, time to have no tendency to such an effect? Which is as much as to confess, that it will not account for it. I think it has been demonstrated, that this effect must be owing to some prevailing tendency. If the other part of the dilemma be taken, and it be said, that this state of things does imply a prevailing tendency to that effect, which has been proved, viz. that all mankind, without the exception of so much as one, sin against God, to their own deserved and just, eternal ruin; and not only so, but sin thus immediately, as soon as capable of it, and sin continually, and have more sin than lirtuc, and Lave guilt that infinitely outweighs the value of all the goodness any ever have, and that the p-encralitv of the world in t20 ORIGINAL SIN.

all ates are extremely stupid and foolish, and of a wicked character, and actually perish for ever; I say, if the state of temptation implies a natural tendency to such an effect as this, it is a very evil, corrupt, and dreadful state of things, as has been already lar^ely shewn.

Besides, such a state. has a tendency to defeat its own supposed end, which is to refine, ripen, and perfect virtue in mankind, and so to fit men for the greater eternal happiness and glory: Whereas, the effect it tends to, is the reverse of this, viz. general, eternal infamy and ruin, in all generations. It is supposed, that men’s virtue must have passions and appep tites to strugile with, in order to have the glory and reward of victory; but the consequence is, a prevailing, continual and generally efiectuar tendency, not to men’s victory over evil appetites and passions, and the glorious reward of that victory, but to the victory of evil appetites and lusts over men, and utterly and eternally destroying them. If a trial of virtue be requisite, yet the question is, whence comes so general a failing in the trial, if there be no depraviiy of nature? If conflict and war be necessary, yet surely there is no necessity that there should be more cowards than good soldiers; unless it be necessary that men should be overcome and destroyed: Especially it is not necessary that the whole world as it were should lie in wickedness, and so lie and die in cowardice.

I might also here observe, that Dr. TurnbuU is hot very consistent-, in supposing, that combat with temptation is requisite to the very bei7ig of virtue. For I think it clearly follows from his own notion of virtue, that virtue must have a. being prior to any virtuous or praiseworthy combat with temptation. For, by his prmciples, all virtue lies in good affection, and no actions can be virtuous, but what proceed from good affection.* Therefore, surely the combat itself can have no virtue in it, unless it proceeds from virtuous affec-. tion; and therefore virtue must have an existence before tb? combat, and be the cause of it.

* Lhristian Fhilosophyy. 113 115.

ORIGINAL $m. 131