as our body is an assemblage of all the members which constitute the human frame :- "the law of sin," and "the law in our members;" because it hath a constraining force, and rules in our mortal bodies, as a mighty tyrant in the kingdom which he hath usurped :-" the old man ;" because we have it from the first man, Adam; and because it is as old as the first stamina of our frame, with which it is most closely interwoven :-" the flesh;' as being propagated by carnal generation, and always opposing the Spirit, the gracious principle which we have from Adam the second:-and "concupiscence;" that mystic Jezebel, who brings forth the infinite variety of fleshly, worldly, and mental lusts, which war against the soul.

Nor are St. James and St. John less severe than St. Paul, upon the unconverted man. The one observes, that his "wisdom," the best property naturally belonging to him, "descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, and devilish." And the other positively other positively declares, that "the whole world lieth in wickedness." James iii. 15; 1 John v. 19.

Our Lord, whose Spirit inspired the prophets and apostles, confirms their lamentable testimony. To make us seriously consider sin, our mortal disease, he reminds us, that "the whole have no need of a physician, but they that are sick." Luke v. 31. He declares that men love darkness rather than light; that the world hates him; and that its works are evil. John iii. 19; xv. 18; vii. 7. He directs all to pray for the pardon of sin, as being evil, and owing ten thousand talents to their heavenly creditor. Matt. vi. 12; vii. 11; xviii. 24. And he assures us, that the things which defile the man come from within; and that "out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness," and, in a word, all moral evil. Mark vii. 21; Matt. xv. 19.

Some, indeed, confine what the scriptures say of the depravity of the human heart, to the abandoned heathens and persecuting Jews; as if the professors of morality and Christianity were not concerned in the dreadful charge.

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But if the apostolic writings affirm, that Christ “ came not to call the righteous, but sinners;" that he "died for the ungodly;' and that he suffered, "the just for the unjust;" it is plain, that unless he did not suffer and die for moral men and Christians, they are by nature sinners, ungodly, and unjust, as the rest of mankind. Rom. v. 6; 1 Peter iii. 18. If this assertion seems severe, let some of the best men that ever lived decide the point, not by the experience of immoral persons, but by their own. "I abhor myself." says Job, “and repent in dust and ashes." Job xlii. 6. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity," says David, "and in sin did my mother conceive me." Psalm li. 5. "Woe is me! for I am undone,” says Isaiah; "because I am a man of unclean lips." Isaiah vi. 5. "I know," says St. Paul, "that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing." Rom. vii. 18. "We ourselves," says he to Titus, were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another." Titus iii. 3. And, speaking of himself, and the Christians at Ephesus, he leaves upon record this memorable sentence: "We were by nature the children of wrath, even as others." Eph. ii. 3. Such humbling thoughts have the best men entertained both of their natural estate and themselves.

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But as no one is a more proper person to appeal to, in this matter, than this learned apostle, who, by continually conversing with Jews, heathens, and Christians, in his travels, had such an opportunity of knowing mankind ; let us hear him sum up the suffrages of his inspired brethren. "What then," says he, 66 are we better than they?" better than the immoral pagans, and hypocritical Jews, described in the two preceding chapters? "No, in no wise." And he proves it by observing, 1. The universality of human corruption: "all are under sin, as it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one." 2. The extent of it in individuals, as it affects the whole man, especially his mind: "there is none that understandeth" the things of God. His affections: "there is none that seeketh after God." And his actions: "they are all gone out of the way" of duty: "there is none that doeth

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good, no, not one;" for "all have their conversation in the lusts of the flesh, and of the mind." 3. The outbreakings of this corruption through all the parts of the body their throat, their lips, their mouth, their feet, their eyes, and all their members are together become unprofitable, and instruments of unrighteousness. As for their tongue, says St. James, it "is a world of iniquity, it defileth the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and is set on fire of hell." And, lastly, its malignity and virulence: it is loathsome as an open sepulchre terrible as one who runs to shed blood, and mortal as the poison of asps.

From the whole, speaking of all mankind in their unregenerate state, he justly infers, that "destruction and misery are in their ways." And, lest the self-righteous should flatter themselves, that this alarming declaration doth not regard them, he adds, that the scriptures conclude all under sin; that "there is no difference, for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" and that the moral law denounces a general curse against its violators, "that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God." Rom. iii. 9—23; vi. 19; Eph. ii. 2.

If man is thus corrupt and guilty, he must be liable to condign punishment. Therefore, as the prophets and apostles agree with our Lord, in their dismal descriptions of this depravity, so they harmonize with him in their alarming accounts of his danger. Till he flies to the Redeemer as a condemned malefactor, and secures an interest in the salvation provided for the lost, they represent him as on the brink of ruin.

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They inform us, that "the wrath of God is revealed from heaven," not only against some atrocious crimes, but against all unrighteousness of men," Rom. i. 18; that every transgression and disobedience shall receive a just recompence of reward," Heb. ii. 2; that "the soul that sinneth shall die," because "the wages of sin is death." Ezek. xviii. 4; Rom. vi. 23. They declare, that "they are cursed, who do err from God's commandments;" that cursed is the man whose heart departeth from the

Lord;" that "cursed is every one who continues not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them;” that “whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, is guilty of all;" and that, “as many as have sinned without law, shall also perish without law." Psalm cxix. 21; Jer. xvii. 5; Gal. iii. 10; James ii. 10; Rom. ii. 12.

They entreat us to turn, lest we should be found with the many, in the "broad way to destruction." Ezek. xviii. 23; Matt. vii. 13. They affectionately inform us, that “it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God;" that "our God is a consuming fire" to the unregenerate; that "indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, hang over every soul of man who doeth evil;" that "the Lord shall be revealed from heaven in flaming fire, to take vengeance on them who know him not, and obey not the gospel;" that "the wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the people that forget God;" that "they shall be punished with eternal destruction, from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;" and that "they all shall be damned, who believe not the truth, but have pleasure in unrighteousness." Hebrews x. 31; xii. 29; Rom. ii. 8, 9; 2 Thess. i. 7, 8: ii. 12; Psalm ix. 17.

Nor does our Lord, who is both the fountain and pattern of true charity, speak a different language. He bids us "fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." Luke xii. 5. He solemnly charges us to oppose corrupt nature with the utmost resolution, lest we be cast into hell, where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." Mark ix. 43. With tenderness he informs us, that "whosoever shall say to his brother, Thou fool! shall be in danger of hell fire;" that not only the wicked, but the "unprofitable servant, shall be cast into outer darkness, where will be weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth;" and that he himself, far from conniving at sin, will fix the doom of all impenitent sinners, by this dreadful sentence: "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” Matt. v. 22; xxv. 30, 41.

II. I flatter myself that the doctrine, which we are to try by the touchstone of reason, has been already sufficiently established from scripture. Nevertheless, that the reader may have the fullest view of so momentous a subject, I shall yet present him with a recapitulation of the whole, in the words of our pious Reformers, taken out of the articles, homilies, and liturgy of the church of England.

The ninth article thus describes our depravity and danger: "Original or birth-sin 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 is of 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."

The thirty-fifth article gives sanction to the homilies in the following words: "The book of homilies contains a good and wholesome doctrine, and therefore we judge them to be read in churches, by ministers, diligently, and distinctly, that they may be understood by the people." Let us then see, how they set forth the good and wholesome, though lamentable and humbling, doctrine of our lost estate.

The title of the second is, "A sermon of the misery of mankind, and of his condemnation to death everlasting by his sin." In the close of it, the contents are summed up in these words: "We have heard how evil we are of ourselves; how of ourselves, and by ourselves, we have no goodness, help, or salvation; but, on the contrary, sin, damnation, and death everlasting."

Our church is uniform in her woful accounts of man's misery. Hear her in the first homily for Whitsunday : "Man of his own nature, since the fall, is fleshly and carnal, corrupt and naught, sinful and disobedient to God, without any spark of goodness in him, without any virtuous or godly motion, only given to evil thoughts and wicked deeds."

In the homily on the nativity she speaks thus: "He [disobedient man] was now cursed and abhorred instead

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