CHAP. of what

II.

Chriftianity breaks in.

of what is commonly termed inconfideratenefs and imprudence.

IF fuch then be indeed our fad condition, what is to be done? Is there no hope? Nothing left for us, "but a fearful looking for "of judgement, and fiery indignation, which "fhall devour the adverfaries *?" Bleffed be God! we are not fhut up irrecoverably in this fad condition: "Turn you to the strong

hold, ye prifoners of hope;" hear one who proclaims his defignation, "to heal the "broken-hearted, to preach liberty to the "captives, and recovering of fight to the "blind." They who have formed a true notion of their loft and helpless state, will moft gladly liften to the found, and most justly estimate the value of fuch a deliverance. And hence appears the importance of not paffing over in a cursory manner those important topics of the original and fuperinduced corruption, and weakness of man; a difcuffion painful and humiliating to the pride of human nature, to which the mind liftens with difficulty, nay with a mixture of anger and difguft; but well fuited to our cafe, and like the diftafteful leffons of adverfity,

*Heb. x. 27.

permanently

II.

Practical

importance thedoctrine Corrup

and uses of

of Human

tion.

permanently useful in its confequences. It SECT. is here, never let it be forgotten, that our foundation must be laid; otherwife our fuperftructure, whatever we may think of it, will one day prove tottering and infecure. This therefore is not a metaphyfical fpeculation, but a practical matter. Slight and fuperficial conceptions of our ftate of natural degradation, and of our infufficiency to recover from it of ourselves, fall in too well with our natural inconfiderateness, and produce that fatal infenfibility to the divine warning to "flee from the wrath to come," which we cannot but obferve to prevail fo generally. Having no due fenfe of the malignity of our disease, and of its dreadful issue, we do not fet ourselves to work in earnest to obtain the remedy, for let it be remembered, that this deliverance is not forced on us, but offered to us; we are furnished indeed with every help, and are always to bear in mind, that we are unable of ourselves to will or to do rightly; but we are plainly admonished to "work out our own falvation with fear and trembling *;"-to be watchful," because "we are encompaffed with dangers ;"-to

CHAP.

II.

Practical advice reSpecting it,

and its practical ules.

1. S.

put on the whole armour of God," because 66 we are befet with enemies."

MAY we be enabled to shake off that lethargy which is fo apt to creep upon us! For this end, a deep practical conviction of our natural depravity and weakness will be found of eminent advantage. As it is by this we must at first be rouzed from our fallacious fecurity, fo by this we must be kept wakeful and active unto the end. Let us therefore make it our business to have this doctrine firmly feated in our understandings, and radically worked into our hearts. With a view to the former of these objects, we fhould feriously and attentively confider the firm grounds on which it refts. It is plainly made known to us by the light of nature, and irrefiftibly enforced on us by the dictates of our unaffifted understandings. But left there fhould be any fo obftinately dull, as not to difcern the force of the evidence fuggefted to our reafon, and confirmed by all experience, or rather fo heedlefs as not to notice it, the authoritative ftamp of Revelation is fuperadded, as we have feen, to complete the proof; and we must therefore be altogether inexcufable, if we ftill remain uncon

vinced by such an accumulated mass of argu- SECT.

ment.

But it is not fufficient to affent to the doctrine, we must alfo feel it. To this end, let the power of habit-be called in to our aid. Let us accuftom ourselves to refer to our natural depravity, as to their primary cause, the fad inftances of vice and folly of which we read, or which we fee around us, or to which we feel the propensities in our own bosoms; ever vigilant and diftruftful of ourselves, and looking with an eye of kindness and pity on the faults and infirmities of others, whom we should learn to regard with the fame tender concern as that with which the fick are used to fympathize with those who are fuffering under the fame diftemper. This leffon once well acquired, we shall feel the benefit of it in all our future progrefs; and though it be a leffon which we are flow to learn, it is one in which study and experience, the incidents of every day, and every fresh obfervation of the workings of our own hearts, will gradually concur to perfect us. Let it not, after all then, be our reproach, and at length our ruin, that these abundant means of inftruction are poffeffed in vain.

II.

CHAP.

II.

Objection:
-That

our cor

ruption

SECTION III.

Corruption of Human Nature.-Objection.

BUT there is one difficulty ftill behind, more formidable than all the reft. The and weak- pride of man is loth to be humbled. Forced nefs being to abandon the plea of innocence, and preffed us, will be fo clofely that he can no longer efcape

natural to

excused

and allow from the conclufion to which we would drive ed forstated, and him, fome more bold objector faces about confidered. and ftands at bay, endeavouring to justify

what he cannot deny, "Whatever I am," he contends, "I am what my Creator made me. "I inherit a nature, you yourfelf confefs, de

66

praved, and prone to evil: how then can "I withstand the temptations to fin by which "I am environed? If this plea cannot efta"blifh my innocence, it must excuse or at "leaft extenuate my guilt. Frail and weak as I am, a Being of infinite juftice and goodness will never try me by a rule, "which however equitable in the case of "creatures of a higher nature, is altogether difproportionate to mine."

66

66

66

LET not my readers be alarmed! The writer is not going to enter into the difcuf