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gone out of the way, they are togeth*er become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.-The carnal mind is enmity against God. And concerning Jefus Chrift as our Saviour, it is faid, We hid as it were, our faces from him; he was defpifed, and we efteemed him not. -We will not have this man to reign over us.-0 Jerufalem, Jerufalem, how often would I have gathered thy children together and ye would not.-re will not come to me, that ye might have life.

Such are the plain declarations of the oracles of God; he that runneth may read and understand. The obvious fenfe of thefe texts is, that man by nature, has no moral goodness-his heart is corrupt, and wholly eftranged from God and duty. He has an enmity of heart against God's character: he is not merely unfriendly, but harbors hatred-there is a pofitive force of the heart againft Him. Men, when divine reftraints are taken off, are out hearted: they make their brow as brafs, and their neck as an iron finew. Nor are they better pleafed with God's way of falvation, than with his character. They defpife, reject, and hate a holy Saviour; and, to fuch a degree, that they will never come to him, except the Father draw them with the cords of divine love and irrefiftible grace.

and direct oppofition of heart and life to every thing good, fo far as restraints are taken of. Thus, we find our thoughts vain, idle, impure and wicked; not at all con. formed to the holy law of God. Our words and actions are equally perverfe, and fhow that the love of God is not in our hearts. How prone are we to words and acts of anger, wrath, hatred, envy, variance, ftrife and deceit? How are our hearts and lives devoted to the honors, pleasures, and riches of this world, to the neglec of God and religion; and indeed, to all righteous laws, human and divine? This is not the cafe of a few only, who are fupereminent in wickedness, but is the natural ftate of every fon and daughter of Adam. The first actings of infancy fhow this bitter root; and as we grow into a capacity of acting, we invariably, without one exception, produce the poisonous fruits of difobediente. The whole tafte and relish of the natural man, are opposed to the ways of holi nefs: He fees no beauty in, and feels no love to the divine charac ter. Hence, men who can find no time to read their bibles, to pray in their families, or attend on public worship, can find time enough to go into profane company, to bargain, fpeculate and intrigue for riches and honors. Tho'p praying, preaching, and godly converfation lull them to fleep; they can spend days and nights in vain

This character, which the bible gives of the natural man, or carnal mind, is perfectly confift-conversation, trifling amusements, ent with what we know, of the rioting and drunkenness. Thus, heart and practice of mankind. the fruit fhows the nature of the Let us come to experience, and tree a man's life is a true index plain matter of fact; for I mean of his heart, whether under renot to enter into a critical and ftraints, or not. In the one cafe, metaphysical difquifition of this he plays the hypocrite, in the fubject. If we confult the natur- other, he boldly acts out the al tempers and difpofitions of men, heart. heart. The natural man, at all we fhall find the want of holiness; times, and in every fhape, is op

pofed to God's character, and to any way of falvation confiftent with that character.

than their writings. A deed of fale, a marriage fettlement, or a bill and anfwer, expofe the difhonefty of the world with fuch truth and seriousness, as infinitely exceed the moft pointed wit. The vaft length of fuch writings, the precifenefs of every claufe, the long ftrings of fynonymous words, &c. are, it feems, all little enough to defend justice against the many and artful attacks to be expected. There is in fhort, an univerfal corruption and depravity among mankind, arife it from whence it will." Such is the concurrent opinion and practice of mankind. plainly fays, Every imagination of the thoughts of our hearts are only evil continually none are righteous, none doth good, no, not one.

It

This is an experimental truth. Thofe who are transformed in the renewing of their minds, well know it was not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And, would unregenerate man let confcience fpeak out, they would confefs they felt no love to God, or his ways. By ftupifying confcience and ftifling conviction, they may imagine they yield obedience in a mere moral walk; or, under the terrors of an awakened confcience, they may think they feel the true fear of God; but it is a deception. The fear and obedience are wholly a forced work, without any love to God, to his law, to his Son, or the method of falvation. Unregenerated men, whether awakened or unawakened, have no holy affection, no internal religion; and would have none externally, not even common-honefty, were it not for imperious circumstances, such as honor, reputation, gain, fear of man and an alarmed confcience. Notwithstanding the great boaftly bread, without asking a bleffing

of the goodness of human nature, none will truft it-All are ready to arm against it. Every bolt, lock and key is in point. "The exceffive care taken in all writings and proceedings at law, to tie up the hands of parties, and prevent unfair advantages from being taken, fhow how fufpicious men are of one another; and nobody but a fool will fay their fufpicions are ill grounded, or their caution needlefs. Horace, Juvenal, Perfius, Pope, Young, &c. were keen and fevere fatirifts; but, in my opinion, moft legal writings teftify the vices and villainy of the world with a much sharper lash VOL. IV. No. 3.

It is alfo, from this fource of depravity in the heart, that we find fo many neglect public wor fhip, fo many are unacquainted with their Bibles, and altogether inexperienced in prayer, either in private or the family. Experience teaches that prayer is greatly neglected, that many families omit the evening and the morning facrifice, that they receive their dai

upon it, or returning thanks to the giver of their mercies! Under the light of the glorious gofpel, no reafon can be given for fuch things, but that the love of God is not in them, they will not come to Christ, that they may have life. What more could have been done, faid God, to my vineyard, that I have not done to it? Every thing, fit and neceffary for the falvation of mankind has been done; yet fuch is the depravity of our nature, we will act unreafonably towards God, we will not have him to reign, we will bear him wild grapes and nothing elfe.

This total depravity of affection

will

frowns, the carnal mind is ftill
the fame: he follows his own
way, and rejects the way of peace.

"The Leprofy lies deep within.
No bleeding bird, nor bleeding beaft,
Nor hyfop branch, nor fprinkling priest,
Nor running brook, nor flood, nor fea,
Can wash the dismal ftain away."

Enough, I prefume, has been faid to fhow, that, by nature, mankind are wholly finful, and ftrongly opposed to the true character of God, and his way of falvation by Jefus Chrift. I will now conclude with one or two Reflections. And,

appear further evident, from the inefficacy of all moral fuafion. God, in his infinite wisdom and mercy, hath given us a fure word of prophecy, to lead us to a right knowledge of himself, of our ownfelves, and of the path of duty. In the Gospel, he is using a great variety of means to convince us of fin, of righteoufnefs, and judg. ment, to discover to us the plague of our hearts, to teach us the need of a divine Saviour, and to excite us to fly from the wrath to come, unto the ftrong hold in Zion. But, alas! all the light in the world cannot affect the heart : men, under the gofpel, are not loft for want of knowledge. Notwithstanding all the means of moral fuafion, men will perish, unless Divine, Almighty Power change the temper, taste and rel-rejecting his way of falvation, we ifh of the heart. They may hear, read and pray, all their days; and yet, the unholy will be unholy ftill, and the filthy will be filthy ftill.

In perfect agreement with this fentiment, we daily obferve mankind of all ages, ftations and relations in life, living in the formal ufe of the means of falvation, without any internal religion, without any conformity to God; and evidently going down the broad road to deftruction. They draw nigh unto God with their mouths, and honor him with their lips, while their hearts are far from him; and fome in works deny him, being abominable and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate. In profperity, they forget God; and in adverfity, they murmur against him, and revolt more and more.

Thus the inefficacy of all the means of moral fuafion, fhows the total corruption of the natural heart. Whether God fmiles or

1. In our natural ftate we are great enemies to ourselves. There is none good but God; and no way of falvation but his way; therefore, in our enmity to him we are wedded to evil; and, by

court our own deftruction, and foreclofe our own happiness. God is neceffarily opposed to us, while we are at enmity with him, and unless we return unto him in love and obedience, he muft and will punish us. The blame and the fhame will be wholly ours. Our continuance in a state of alienation from God, is the free and voluntary act of our hearts; there is no compulfion. Are we willing to be delivered from our fins, through the fanctification of our nature? God and Christ are willing. For this purpose the Father fent Chrift into the world to redeem it for this purpose, he offers eternal life unto all that will come unto Chrift. Through him he is reconciling the world unto himfelf; and affures us, that he is able to fave to the uttermoft, all that come unto God by him. There is now, nothing, to hinder our coming unto God and eternal happiness, but the oppofition of our carnal hearts. Yet, fuch

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is this oppofition, that unless God grants reftraining grace, we rush upon the thick boffes of his buckler, and court deftruction without a covering.

2. Is the natural heart wholly corrupt, as shown above, then nothing fhort of Almighty Power can change it from fin to holiness. Unholy affections, can give no rife to any holy refolutions; nor influence us to the right ufe of the appointed means, of meeting God. There is no power in the foul difpofed towards a holy change; but, fuch is the enmity of the carnal mind against God, that, he must work in us, both to will and to do, or we fhall never move towards him. Though we dread the punishment of fin, we love the practice; and fo ftrong is our attachment to it, that no moral fuafion can break us off: Hence, our Saviour faid, "Ye cannot come unto me, except the Father draw you." We cannot come to Chrift, because we will not. We hate his character and laws, and cannot embrace him and his falvation againft the affection of our hearts. This enmity is all the impoffibility, which lies in the way of those who live under the Gofpel.

Thus a child, not difpofed to obey his parents, fays he cannot. Our offended neighbor, fays he cannot be reconciled. No one will fuppofe there is any impediment in thefe cafes, but the want of a good difpofition. Juft fuch is our inability in the cafe before us. We cannot feek after God, against the taste and inclination of our hearts. We have offended God; yet, he has provided a way for our reconciliation, and invites all to come and be reconciled, we anfwer with a cold, cannot. But why? Because we do not love

God, nor his Chrift, nor his holy way of falvation; we have no other excufe, no inability but our want of affection. And this difaffection, is fo deep rooted in our hearts, that no moral fuafion can eradicate it. God, by his Almighty Power, muft transform us in the renewing of our minds, or we fhall die in our fins.

3. Finally, impenitent finners under the gofpel, will be the most inexcufeable of all men. God has made ample provision for the recovery of loft men, and revealed it in the holy fcriptures. We know his will, and his method of falvation by Jefus Chrift; and have no plea against it, but the difaffection of our hearts. This plea will never pass in the court of heaven. Not one will arife before the throne, of the righteous Judge of all the earth, and plead that he did not love God, nor Chrift, nor his way of falvation. In that folemn day, every mouth will be stopped; and impenitent finners will know, that fufficient had been done for them, if they had been difpofed to accept of offered mercy. blame will fall on the head of the finner.

as you

Al

Let impenitent finners, therefore, take warning in time, drop their weapons of rebellion, accept of an offered Saviour, and fubmit to his government. Your all for eternity is now on trial; live then wifh to account. Be careful to meet God, in his appointed means of falvation; he may, perhaps, leave a bleffing behind him; for he has never faid, feek ye me in vain. Though moral fuafion will not change the heart, God may. His word and daily experience teach, that he ordinarily faves finners in the use of means. By thefe, he awakens and convinces

finners, and excites them to look
out of themselves, unto Jefus
Chrift for help. The work is
his own, and he will
carry it on
in his own way
and time, and not
in ours.

Let thefe confiderations encour age every finner diligently to ufe the appointed means of falvation. But if any are determined, at all events to pursue the pleafures of fin, to caft off fear, and reftrain prayer before God, let them go on. But let them alfo know, that for all these things God will bring them into judgment.

ISRAEL.

Serious thoughts for the unconverted.

ant as the foul is more valuable than the body, and eternity more to be regarded than time?

Let the following obfervations on the alarming state of the im penitent be received as an effort of benevolence. And it is the humble and fervent prayer of the writer that every finner into whose hands they may fall, may not only read of, but feel his danger, and give himself no reft until, by the power and grace of God, he has a faving intereft in the bleffings of the new covenant.

While thefe remarks are de. figned, particularly, for the unconverted, let those who hope in Jefus, fear left their hopes are without good foundation, and they are at reft in a deceived HE fituation of impenitent ftate; or, if they have a good finners is truly alarming, foundation for hope, let these exand calculated to call forth the cite them to rejoice, more exceed. exertions and prayers of the pi-ingly, in the grace of God. ous. Every one who exercifes a fpirit of benevolence, and duly appreciates the worth of the foul, will, fo far as circumftances and opportunity admit, attempt to lead them to a fenfe of their ftate, and to the truth as it is in Jefus. When our friends in their tempo, ral matters conduct to difadvantage, when the merchant makes wrong calculations, the farmer lets his fences lie down and his farm go to waste, and the mechanic through inattention to bufiness is bringing himfelf and family to poverty and diftrefs, we in the exercife of friendship, endeavor to fhow them wherein they fail, and apprize them of their ftate and danger. And can we maintain a confiftence of character if we take no care of the fouls of our friends and fellow-men? Shall we watch over their temporal and elect their fpiritual interefts, which are as much more import

One ground of alarm to the unconverted, is the nature and tendency of the difpofition which is within them. It is oppofed to God and to all good in the univerfe, contrary, in its nature, to the holiness which makes God an object of love, and to all the good which he will bring to his holy kingdom. It is not an intentional oppofition to their own private happinefs. The defire of the unconverted is to be happy in the ways of fin. But they do not defire that holy happiness arifing from conformity to God, which conftitutes heaven, and is the only happiness which God offers, and will beftow on his people. Opposition to this conftitutes an effential difference between the finful and holy dif pofitions. Sin, being a selfish exercife, is wholly opposed to the benevolence of God, which leads him to act, not for private benefit,

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