unusually plain and unequivocal. That every imagination of the thoughts of the heart were evil. They were not partly, but only evil. They were not only evil for a time, but continually. "The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside,they are all together become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no not one." a

3. There is a course of reasoning adopted by the Apostle Paul, from which, we may derive, in favour of this doctrine, the most unanswerable evidence. After having given, in the two first chapters of his epistle to the Romans, the character of the Gentiles, knowing the pride of his own nation, when he came to the ninth verse of the third chapter, he introduces this question: "What then, are we better than they?" To this question, he gives the following answer: "No, in no wise; for we have before proved, both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin: As it is written, there is none righteous, no not one. There is none that understandeth,there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable: There is none that doeth good, no not one Their throat is an open sepulshre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips; Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes." Now that the Apostle designed this to be a description of the character of the whole human race, must be granted from these two facts: First, the two classes, that he mentions, Jews and Gentiles, evidently include the whole.-Secondly, when he comes, in the 19th verse, to compare the character, which he had described, with the law of God, he ee Ps. lifi, 23.

a Ps, xiv. 2, 3,

draws a conclusion concerning all the world. "Now we know, that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world become guilty before God.”

4. The confession of the best of men, and especially of inspired men, must be viewed as evidence in this case, of no ordinary weight. The Apostle Paul, addressing himself to the Ephesian Church, observes, "And you, hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins, wherein, in time past, ye walked according to the course of this world." a What can be more decisive and unequivocal than these declarations? It is according to the course of this world, to be dead in trespasses and sins. But in the next verse, he includes himself in the same charge. "Among whom also, we all had our conversation in times past—and were by natùre, the children of wrath, even as others." "But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together."

5. This is the only reason that is offered throughout the Bible, to account for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ into the world. What can be plainer and more to the point in question, than such declarations as the following? "Because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead." c How can he be said to be the "Propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world," unless the whole world were dead in sin? d Indeed, is not the whole economy of redemption bottomed on this fact, that men are depraved? How could it be proper to represent the gospel as the ministry of reconciliation, if men were not his

enemies?

6. We may derive the most convincing proof of this point a Eph. ii. 1, 2 b ver. 3 and 4. c 2 Cor. v 11.

d 1 John i

from the conduct of men. On this subject, the history of the world is precisely the counterpart of the representations contained in the Bible. It shows the character of man to be exactly what we should expect to find it, from what is said in the Scriptures. What is the history of the world but one continued and gloomy recital of guilt? Perhaps it may be thought that this, though it be true, does not amount to any evidence that every man by nature, is totally depraved. In answer to this, I would remark that there are circumstances in which the real characters of men are exhibited, without the least disguise or restraint. These circumstances are such as attend almost every man in some period or other of his life. I refer to the hour of relaxation, when the mind turns to the object that is most dear to the heart, as naturally as a stone inelines to the earth. Men may be induced by motives of honour, profit, or fear, to perform an external service, which, in its nature, is unpleasant to the heart; but when they turn to their pleasures without the least hindrance or control, they . let out the character of their hearts without reserve. Look, then, at the various objects, to which men in every age, and in every part of the world, in the pursuit of pleasure, have uniformly turned. Are they not such as afford undoubted evidence, that they "Delight not in the knowledge of his ways?" Is it not true, that the character of God, his omnipotence, his perfect holiness, &c. are of all other subjects, the most unwelcome to natural men, while in the pursuit of pleasure? And would it be possible to account for this fact, only upon this principle, that men by nature are in a moral sense, totally depraved? Thus, as painful and humiliating as this doctrine may be to our pride, there is no doctrine which is supported by more convincing and unequivocal evidence. Q. In what sense did the whole human race fall with Adam?

A.

We have already observed that the apostacy of his

This is

posterity, was in consequence of his disobedience. according to a law, which, as far as we are able to trace it, appears to be universal through the creation of God. Thro' all the various species of men and beasts, and through the whole field of vegetative nature, it is so constituted, that every thing shall produce its like. When Adam became a sinner, upon the same principle that the offspring in other species, must be like its progenitor, his offspring were sinners. "And Adam begat a son in his own likeness and after his image." a

every

Q. Is the sin of Adam in any sense ours, or are we blameable for his sin?

A. It is difficult to form any conception, how one being can violate a law for another, especially a law that will accept of no service but that of the heart. Is it not a point in which all are agreed, that in order that we might be the subjects of praise or blame, we must possess the faculties of moral agents? But how could we possess these faculties in any other being before we had existence? We might as easily believe, that we might be punished or rewarded in some other being, thousands of years before we had an existence, as that we might sin, and be condemned, in Adam. We can no more be subjects of blame without existence, than of punishment. Those passages of Scripture which have usually been thought to imply, that the sin of Adam was ours, on a careful examination appear to have no such meaning. "By one man, sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all, for that all have sinned." Here the reason which is given why all men die, is, that all have sinned. "By one man's disobedience many were made sinners." b proves nothing more than what we have already stated, that it was in consequence of, or by reason of Adam's sin, that all

a Gen. viii. b Rom. v. 15, 17, 19.

This

other men became sinners. In no other sense, do we conceive that Adam acted for his posterity. If he sinned, his posterity like the offspring in every other case, were to be like him. This interpretation is easy and natural, while every other will render it impossible to reconcile these passages with other parts of the Bible. "The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him." a

Q. Is not the doctrine of total moral depravity inconsistent with the perfections of God?

A. We are aware that it is thought by many, to be a base reflection upon the character of God, to suppose that he did not prevent, when it was perfectly within his power, the apostacy of our race. They receive it as conclusive evidence, that he did not in any sense, wish to prevent it, and of course, that he is not opposed to sin. It is true that God had power to prevent the apostacy of Adam, and the entrance of sin into our world. He might have established our race in a state as perfect as that of angels: But how, in that case, would it have been possible for him to have exhibited many of his perfections, which will now be seen with endless and increasing lustre? Take the story of Joseph and his brethren, and suppose that his brethren were as free as it is possible for dependent beings to be, was it inconsistent with the character of God, so to overrule their conduct as to make it the occasion of great blessings to them and their posterity? And if the depravity of our whole race can be so overruled as to lay a foundation for a display of pardon, mercy, tenderness, compassion, justice, holiness, &c. which never would have been

Ezek. xxi. 20.