First, Allow me to lay before you fome of the fcripture-declarations on this fubject. And that I may avoid handling the fubject systematically, and tediously, I join together original and actual fin. Every one who is able to understand what I fay, is concerned in both; and indeed they are infeparable the one from the other. The deplorable wickedness in which the world in general is overwhelmed, hath flowed in a continued ftream from the first fin of Adam; and the finfulness of every perfon's practice has the corruption of his nature as its fruitful fource. See the account given of the old world, Gen. vi. 5. "And God faw that the wickednefs of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." This you may compare with Gen. viii. 21. "And the Lord faid, "I will not again curfe the ground any "more for man's fake; for the imagination

of man's heart is evil from his youth."

See alfo the confeffion of David, Pfal. li. 5. "Behold, I was fhapen in iniquity; and in fin "did my mother conceive me." In this the Pfalmift plainly and clearly teaches the original and univerfal corruption of our nature. What he afferts concerning himfelf, must be equally true of all the human race; otherwife,/ inftead of making a proper part of his confeflion, it would be an excuft or extenuation

of

of his fin. Nothing can more plainly show the force of this text, than the aukward endeavours used by some to evade or misinterpret it. For example, how mean a fubterfuge is it, to pretend, that David declared, he was shapen in iniquity, and conceived by his mother in fin; becaufe he was the iffue of fome criminal commerce between his father and a maid-fervant, or between the wife of Jeffe and another man? This is plainly a profane invention, offered without any manner of proof, or the least infinuation in the histo

ry of that great prince. Besides, it is evidently befide his purpose in the pfalm referred to, where he is confeffing his own finful nature, and not the finful deeds of his parents. If there be meaning in words, his intention is, to humble himself before God, not only for his adultery and murder in the matter of Uriah, but as a tranfgreffor from the womb.

To this you may add the teftimony of a greater than David, viz. our bleffed Lord and Saviour himfelf, John iii. 6. “That "which is born of the flesh, is flesh; " and that which is born of the Spirit, is fpi"rit." For understanding the proof drawn from this text, you may obferve, that though the word fleb has various fignifications in fcripture; fometimes, for example, fignifying the weakness of our mortal nature, unable to fupport itself, and liable to a variety of chan

ges,

ges, which must at laft end in diffolution; yet here it evidently fignifies our nature as corrupted by fin. This appears from the oppofition of the two claufes: for it is certain, that thofe who are regenerated, are ftill liable to all the weakness of mortality. It must therefore bear the fame meaning in this place as in Rom. viii. 8. So then they that are in the flesh, cannot please God." It is with a view to this great truth that Job, who pleads with fo much warmth his general integrity, yet fays, Job “And doft thou open thine eyes

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xiv. 3. 4.

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upon fuch an one, and bringest me into "judgement with thee? Who can bring a "clean thing out of an unclean? Not one.

With this agree many other fcripture-declarations, fome of which I fhall mention. Pfal. xiv. 2. 3. "The Lord looked down from "heaven upon the children of men; to fee "if there were any that did understand, and "feek God. They are all gone afide, they are "all together become filthy: there is none "that doth good, no not one." Pfal. lviii. 3. "The wicked are eftranged from the womb,

they go aftray affoon as they be born, speak❝ing lies." Ifa. xlviii. 8. "Yea, thou heardst

not, yea, thou kneweft not, yea, from "that time that thine ear was not opened: for "I knew that thou wouldst deal very trea"cherously, and waft called a tranfgreffor "from the womb." Rom. iii. 9. 10. 11. 12.

"What

"What then? are we better than they? No, " in no wife for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under "fin; as it is written, There is none righ66 teous, no not one: There is none that underftandeth, there is none that feeketh af❝ter God. They are all gone out of the "way, they are together become unpro

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fitable, there is none that doth good, no "not one." To thefe, I only add that clear and ftrong paffage, Eph. ii. 1. 2. 3. "And "you hath he quickened who were dead in "trefpaffes and fins, wherein in time past ye "walked according to the course of this world, "according to the prince of the power of the "air, the spirit that now worketh in the chil"dren of difobedience. Among whom alfo

we all had our conversation in times paft, "in the lufts of our flesh, fulfilling the de"fires of the flesh, and of the mind; and

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were by nature the children of wrath, even as others."

In this fummary view of the declarations of fcripture upon this fubject, I have confined myself to fuch paffages as have an aspect upon the state of our nature in general. And indeed, as conclusive a proof of its being the doctrine of fcripture, may be drawn confe-quentially as directly. With this view, not to mention many other arguments, I beg your attention to the two following: 1. The

tenar

tenor of the gospel-meffage, particularly the extent of the commiffion, and the language ufed through the whole: Mark xvi. 15." Go, "6 ye into all the world, and preach the go"spel to every creature." John iii. 16. “For "God fo loved the world, that he gave his "only begotten Son, that. whosoever be"lieveth in him, fhould not perish, but "have everlasting life." Examine the import of this truth. Whom did the Father love? or to whom did he fend the Saviour? To the world, and to every creature. For what end did he love them, and for what purpose did the Redeemer come? To fave them from perishing. But why were they in danger of perifhing? Doubtlefs, because they were in fin. In vain, then, do men exercise their ingenuity in explaining away particular paffages. This truth does not reft upon an expreffion or two, the meaning of which must be afcertained by critical skill, but upon the whole of the gofpel. If we do not throw afide the Bible altogether, Chrift Jefus came into the world. to obtain forgiveness for the guilty, to fave the miferable, and to redeem the flave.

The other argument is drawn from the seals of the covenant of peace; and particularly the initiating feal, both under the Old Testament and the New, of which infants were admitted to be partakers. If they received these feals before the commiffion of actual guilt, it

cannot