ble itself. It is, therefore, as hopeless a labour to extract from them a regular system either of Arminianism or Calvinism, as from scripture. Let us cease, then, to perplex and harass ourselves with a question which only tends to draw the attention from those considerations that are absolutely essential to the rise and progress of religion in the soul. The doctrines of grace, the doctrines of salvation by Jesus Christ our Lord, do not depend on nice theoretical speculations. But they do depend, they essentially depend, on an humbled, docile, penitent and believing heart. There must be a sense of our depravity; there must be faith; there must be penitence; there must be a restoration of the lost image of God; and lastly, the sanctified effect of a righteous, godly, sober life, must follow this restoration.* These truths our church faithfully inculcates, and unceasingly enforces. Let us listen to her voice, and we shall be made wise unto salvation. *See Dean Milner's Sermons, vol. 1, p. p. 142-149, for some valuable reflections on this subject. CHAPTER V. On Original Sin. "ORIGINAL sin," says the ninth article of the church, "is the fault and corruption of the nature of every man, that naturally is engendered of the offspring of Adam, whereby man is very far gone from original righteousness, and of is his own nature inclined to evil, so that the flesh lusteth always contrary to the Spirit; and therefore in every person born into this world, it deserveth God's wrath and damnation. And this infection of nature doth remain, yea, in them that are regenerated; whereby the lust of the flesh, called in Greek, górnμa σagnòs, which some do expound the wisdom, some Sensuality, some the Affection, some the Desire of the Flesh, is not subject to the Law of God. And although there is no condemnation for them that believe and are baptized; yet the Apostle doth confess, that concupiscence and lust hath of itself the nature of sin." The Catechism of king Edward, which was one of the works of the Reformers, gives the following statement of this doctrine: "And forthwith the image of God was defaced in them, and the most beautiful proportion of righteousness, holiness, truth and knowledge of God was in a manner confounded and entirely blotted out. There remained the earthly image joined with unrighteousness, guile, fleshly mind, and deep ignorance of godly, and heavenly things Hereof grew the weakness of the flesh, hereof came this corruption and disorder of lusts and affections, hereof came that pestilence, and hereof came that seed and nourishment of sins whereby man is infected, and it is called sin original. Moreover, thereby nature was so corrupted and overthrown, that unless the goodness and mercy of God had helped us by the mediation of grace, even as in body we were thrust down into all wretchedness of death; so must it needs have been that all men of all sorts, should be thrown into everlasting punishment and fire unquenchable." And thus also the Homilies. Treating on the misery of man, they say, "Scripture shutteth up all under sin, that the promise by the faith of Jesus Christ should be given to them that believe." St. Paul in many places painteth us out in our colours, calling us "the children, of the wrath of God, when we be born;" saying also that we cannot think a good thought of ourselves, much less can we say well, or do well of ourselves. "For of ourselves we be crab trees, that can bring forth no apples. We be of ourselves of such earth, as can bring forth weeds, nettles, brambles, briars, darnel and cockel. Our fruits be declared in the 5th chapter of Galatians. We have neither faith, charity, hope, patience, chastity, nor any thing else that good is, but of God; and therefore these virtues be called there the fruits of the Holy Ghost, and not the fruits of man. Let us therefore acknowledge ourselves before God (as we be indeed) miserable and wretched sinners. And let us earnestly repent and humble ourselves and cry heartily to God for mercy. Let us all confess with mouth and heart that we be full of imperfections: let us know our own works of what imperfections they be, and then we shail not stand foolishly and arrogantly in our own conceits, nor challenge any part of justification by our merits or works." To these quotations it will be necessary to add only the sentiments of the learned Dr. Isaac Barrow, who is universally reckoned one of the brightest ornaments of the Church of England. In his sermon on the Holy Ghost, his words are "we naturally are void of those good dispositions in understanding, will and affection, which are needful to render us acceptable to God, fit to serve and please him, capable of any favour from him, of any true happiness in ourselves; our minds naturally are blind,fignorant, stupid, giddy, and prone to error, especially in things supernatural, spiritual and abstracted from ordinary sense. Our wills are froward and stubborn, light and unstable, inclining to evil, and adverse from what is truly good; our affections are very irregular, disorderly and unsettled. To remove which bad disposition (inconsistent with God's friendship and favour) driving us into sin and misery, and to beget those contrary to them, the knowledge and belief of divine truth, a love of goodness, and delight therein, a well composed, orderly, and steady frame of spirits, God in mercy doth grant to us the virtue of his Holy Spirit; who first opening our heart, so as to let in and apprehend the light of divine truth, then by representation of proper arguments persuading our reason to embrace it, begetteth divine knowledge, wisdom and faith in our minds, which is the work of illumination and instruction, the first part of his office respecting our salvation.* To this view of the corruption of human nature some objections have been made. 1. It is said that many amiable, virtuous, and noble qualities are found to exist in man, and that therefore, he cannot be so depraved as is here represented. It is not denied that the human character, even with out the aid, or the knowledge of christianity, has exhibited some sublime traits of virtue and excellence. Man does it is true, exhibit some vestiges of that original grandeur in which he was at first created. On contemplating his condition, we are like the traveller who lights upon the ruins of a city once renowned for its splendor and power. He may discover in it some traces of its former magnificence, the sculptured marble, the stately arch, the lofty column-yet it is a receptacle for the serpent, the habitation of beasts of prey. It is magnificence; but it is magnificence in ruins. And truly we may say the same of human nature. * Genesis vi. 5. Eccles. ix. 3. xi. 32. li. Psalm. Fccles. vii. 10. Job xiv. 1. 4. Romans iii. 10. "How poor, how rich, how abject, how august, Generosity, gratitude, fidelity, and the exercise of many high and heroic virtues between man and man; the spontaneous applause of virtue and morality; the decided condemnation of immorality and vice, may be mingled with other principles of action in themselves sinful and depraved, and inay dwell in a heart that is enmity against God. The depravity of man may be traced in the universal reluctance and opposition which are found in his heart against God and holiness. If the heart were not thus depraved, communion with God would be the natural and chief delight of our souls, and prayer and praise our constant language. But does this appear to be the case? Does it not, on the contrary, require force and violence to enable us to set our affections on God, and to delight in communion with him and in heeping his commandments? Does not this show which is the inherent tendency of our minds, and in what direction the current would naturally flow, if it were not opposed? This love of God, this holiness which delights in him, far from maintaining a preponderating influence, is never found to exist at all in a heart that is unrenewed by grace. On the contrary, in every man in his natural state, there is a root of bitterness, the radical element of depravity-from which every species of iniquity may spring, to the extinction of every innocent and virtuous propensity, if such have existed. The exhibitions of virtue that are to be found in the unrenewed man, are either the result of a peculiar organization of his frame, and in that case, no more deserve the name of virtue, than the possession of a handsome limb or feature; or else they may be accounted for on some of the principles and motives of policy or interest or self-gratification, which are the ordinary springs of human conduct, and in that case, no more deserve the reward of Heaven or the meed of praise, than the conduct of a courtier, who is noble and gener |