To the former we are united by nature; to the latter by grace While we adhere to our natural stock, we are full of selfrighteousness and self-sufficiency But these must be renounced before we can be truly engrafted into Christ We cannot confide in ourselves without renouncing Christ; nor in Christ, without renouncing self An union of both confidences is as impossible, as for a branch to be growing on two different stocks at the same time We must therefore have been cut off from the stock of Adam, or we must at this moment be in a state of separation from Christ-] 2. If we have never given up ourselves wholly to Christ [A Cion is passive when it is engrafted into another stemBut we must be active in forming an union between Christ and our souls God moves us, not as mere machines, but as rational creaturesd We cannot therefore be in Christ unless we have deliberately given ourselves to him-] 3. If we be not daily living upon his fulness A branch is continually receiving nourishment from the ers "abide in Christ," and are constantly living But true repentance flows only from Christi Hence the church of old confessed their inability to produce it in themselvesk-] We cannot believe [St. Paul compares the production of faith in the heart to the raising of Jesus Christ from the dead We can no more create it in ourselves than a withered branch can give itself the powers of vegetation" Christ is the only true source of it”— It is so his gift, as not to be in any measure of ourselves—] We cannot obey In act [This is positively affirmed in the scriptures Hence the pious acts of the godly are ascribed to God as their author] In word [A word cannot be called obedient, unless it be uttered out of respect to God's command, and agreeably to his willBut no natural man can utter a word in this manner"—] In thought [God asserts that we do not think a good thought———— It is certain also that of ourselves we cannot-] We are not all at a loss to account for this III. The reasons of this impotency The reason of the barrenness of a branch that is severed from the stem, is obvious [It has no fructifying virtue in itself, nor any means of deriving it from the root-] The reasons of our impotency without Christ are exactly similar We have no life in ourselves [Christ is to the soul what the soul is to the body" The body has members, but exercises none without the soul partial reform of Herod; but no natural man ever experiences real contrition and self-abhorrence. q 2 Cor. viii. 16. $ Gen. vi. 5. t2 Cor. iii. 5. This is confirmed by our liturgy: "O God, from whom all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do proceed." Second collect for evening service. u Col. iii. 4. So the soul has faculties, but exercises none spiritually without Christ-] We have no means of deriving virtue from any other [A soul not united to Christ resembles a branch cut off from its stem; it has no means of fructification Christ is the only fountain of all goods None but He can help' How then is it possible for us to do any thing without him?-] ADDRESS 1. Those who are without Christ [Seek an union with Christ, but not in a way of hasty resolutions or self-righteous endeavours Be sensible of your weakness, and pray for faith-] 2. Those who are united to Christ [Unbelievers have an universal impotence in respect of what is good; but you can do all things through Christ Be thankful and study to live more simply on Christ, as the branch on the vine-] * Col. i. 19. y Ps. lxii. 9, 11. z Phil. iv. 13. XVIII. THE EXTENT OF MAN'S DEPRAVITY. Gen. vi. 5. God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. NOTHING is more destructive to vital godliness than needless intimacy with the wicked— An Heathen confessed the truth of this" Hence it is strongly discouraged and forbidden in the scriptures Solomon was a lamentable instance of the evils attending it By means of it, God was almost forgotten in the world We shall shew ⚫ 1 Cor. xv. 33. is an Iambic verse quoted from Menander. ▷ Prov. xxii. 24, 25. c Neh. xiii. 26. Comp. Gen. vi. 2, 3, 4, 6. I. To whom the words are applicable Though primarily applicable to the Antediluvians, they must not be confined to them Similar passages are applicable to us— [Ps. xiv. 2-4. appears from the context to relate only to the wicked Jews of that age But St. Paul applies it to the whole human race-] [Civilization may alter the outward deportment But men are born with the same inherent corruption3—— The piety of parents does not flow in the blood, ex. gr. Cain, Ham, Esau-] God expressly repeats them in reference to men after the floods [Here, as in the text, "man" comprehends the whole human race It is further declared, that the corruption is not the effect of habit merely, but connatural with us from the earliest period of our existence-] These proofs confirm the declaration itself as well as the application of the words II. The declaration contained in them In general terms, "the wickedness of man is great”. But more particularly "his heart, the thoughts of his heart, the imaginations of the thoughts of his heart, are evil" [Thoughts are evil when not conformed to the law of God The law of God is the only standard of good and evilEvery thought therefore, which through defect deviates from what the law requires, is evil-] The disposition of "his heart" is evil; - 1. Without exception; "every imagination" is evil [There is not one thought, even of the most eminent saints, that will stand the test of God's law But the natural man has not one thought that is not altogether contrary to God's law-] 2. Without mixture; "only evil" [There is some good where the grace of God operates e Ps. li. 5. Jer. xvii. 9. John iii. 6. Rom. viii. 7, 8. ↑ Rom. iii. 9—12, 19. Gen. viii. 21. Job xiv. 4. Prov. xx. 9. But there is no mixture of good in the heart of a natural mani Whenever he does any thing, which appears good, self will be found both the principle and end of this action-] 3. Without intermission "continually" [There is no interval when good finds ad nittance-] This is an hard saying, but true— III. The ground upon which the declaration rests If it stood on man's testimony, it might be rejected[Man is incompetent to determine such things] But it stands on the testimony of God, "God saw," &c. [He knows the heart and every thought of itHe can determine the qualities of our thoughts He will make them manifest at the last day"] His judgment is always according to truth°— INFERENCES 1. What reason have we all for the deepest humiliation! [Our words and actions have involved us in much guiltBut how innumerable have been the imaginations of our thoughts! Yet all these have been only evil continually Shall such persons boast of their good hearts? Let us all say with the prophet, "Woe is me," &c. Let us loathe ourselves as Job Let us pray that the thoughts of our hearts may be forgiven us'-] 2. What reason have we to love and value the Lord Jesus Christ! [He knew what an aggregate of evil there would be in the world Yet he came to bear it all He is willing, too, to give us new hearts How then should we all love and value him! Let us henceforth have our conversation in Heaven, and pray with David] ¡ Rom. vii. 18. k1 Cor. ii. 11. n 1 Cor. iv. 5. I Ezek. xi. 5. |