(3.) A number of the most simple and essential properties of a holy nature are particularly specified, and declared not to belong to the class denominated wicked. This class possess no love to God or Christ. The proof of this I shall reserve for the next Lecture. This class have no desire after God: "The wicked-say unto God, Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways." They have no desire after Christ: He is to them as a root out of a dry ground; He hath no form nor comeliness, and when [they]-see Him there is no beauty that [they] should desire Him." They do not seek God: "The wicked through the pride of his countenance will not seek after God." If there is any doubt who are meant by the wicked that do not seek God, the Psalmist will resolve it at once: "The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see. if there were any that did-seek God. They are all gone aside," "there is none that seeketh after God." This class do not fear God, though "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" "The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before their eyes.' And to show infallibly that by the wicked, in this and other similar passages, are meant the whole race of natural men, the apostle, in the 3d chapter of Romans, quotes these very words, and other things alleged against the wicked in the Old Testament, as asserted of all natural men, and intended to prove that "both Jews and Gentiles-are all under sin,"

(that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God,") and that "by the deeds of the law-no flesh [can] be justified." This class do not know God: "O righteous Father, the world. hath not known thee." "These things will they [the world] do unto you for my name's sake because they know not Him that sent me." This class are wholly unacquainted with the way of life: "The way of peace have they not known." Hence in allusion to the conversion of sinners it is said, "I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known." This class have no spiritual discernment, or understanding, or right knowledge of divine things: “Wè speak,-not the wisdom of this world,-but-the wisdom of God in a mystery,-which none of the princes of this world knew ;—as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him; but God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit. For what man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God.-But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." "My people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, they have none understanding." "The Lord looked down

from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand.-They are all gone aside," "There is none that understandeth." Hence all spiritual understanding is represented as coming from God: "The Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is true." "We do not cease to pray for you, that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding." This class have none of that love to their neighbour which is required in the divine law: "Beloved, let us love another, for love is of God, and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God." This class have no true hatred of sin: "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil ;” but they have "no fear of God before their eyes." However the body of sin may change its form, and some of its members be retrenched, this class are in no degree delivered from its dominion: "To depart from evil is understanding; but "thou hast hid their heart from understanding."*

(4.) All natural men are the enemies of God and His Son. This decisive proof of Total Depravity will be reserved for the following Lecture.

(5.) That natural men possess no holy principle is evident from this, that all their actions, so far as they partake of a moral nature, are wicked.

* Job xvii. 4. and xxi. 7, 14. and xxviii. 28. Ps. x. 4. and xiv. 2, 3. and xxxvi. 1. and cxi. 10. Prov. i. 7. and viii. 13. and ix. 10. Isai. xlii. 16. and liii. 2. Jer. iv. 22. John xv. 21. and xvii. 25. Rom. iii. 920. 1 Cor. ii. 6-14. Col. i. 9. 1 John iv. 7. and v. 20

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They "have They "have

Their "ways are always grievous." only done evil-from their youth." only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands." The very "plowing of the wicked is sin.” Even their "sacrifice-is an abomination to the Lord." "So then they that are in the flesh, [in their natural state,] cannot please God;" (or what amounts to the same thing,) "without faith it is impossible to please Him."*

(6.) The doctrine is supported by direct and positive declarations. "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." "The heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead." "Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil." "The heart is deceitful above all things, and DESPERATELY wicked; who can know it?" Whose heart? The heart,-in the most universal form. "The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint: from the sole of the foot even unto the crown of the head, there is no soundness in it, but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores." "Unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure, but even their mind and conscience is defiled;-being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate."

* Ps. x. 4. Prov. xv. 8. and xxi. 4. Jer. xxxii. 30. Rom. viii. 8. Heb. xi. 6.

"That which is born of the flesh, [by natural generation,] is flesh,"-is nothing but flesh, because all that is spirit, or that stands in opposition to flesh, is produced by a second birth: "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." By flesh is unquestionably meant the old nature. What then is the character of the flesh? Let an apostle answer: "I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth NO GOOD THING." Will you hear him further? "The flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary the one to the other.-Now the works of the flesh are these:

adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like.-But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, &c.And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts." Hear him yet further: "They that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh, but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit: for to be carnally [fleshly] minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace: because the carnal [fleshly] mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh, [in their natural state,] cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.”