is by no means an evidence of real Christianity it is far from improbable, that his plain-dealing will be very ill received. So long as he prophesies smooth things, and accommodates himself to the humour of his congregation, whatever that humour may be ; just so long they will speak well of him: but let him put forth his hand, and touch their bone and their flesh; and they will curse him to his face*. (4.) What has been said is amply sufficient to prove, that the carnal mind is enmity with God. If any person still doubt it, let him but vigorously apply himself to those allowed duties which are most irksome to him; and he will quickly find an argument in his own breast, infinitely stronger than any that have been here adduced +. * Job ii. 5. † Quid aliud in mundo quam pugna adversus diabolum quotidie geritur; quam adversus jacula ejus et tela conflictationibus assiduis dimicatur? Cum avaritia nobis, cum impudicitia, cum ira, cum ambitione, congressio est: cum carnalibus vitiis, cum illecebris secularibus, assidua et molesta luc 2. Closely connected with the bitter animosity which the heart entertains against God (connected, indeed, with it, in the way of cause and effect), is its extreme depravity. Theological writers have not unfrequently been accused of exaggeration in treating of the depravity in question: but the conscience of every one, whose understanding has been enlightened with self-knowledge, will readily acquit them of the charge. Since the fall, the nature of man has been blind and corrupt; his understanding darkened, and his affections polluted. Upon the face of the whole earth, there is no man, Jew or Gentile, that understandeth and seeketh after God. The natural man, or man remaining in that state wherein the fall left him, is so far from tatio est. Obsessa mens hominis, et undique diaboli infestatione vallata, vix occurrit singulis, vix resistit. Si avaritia prostrata est, exsurgit libido: si libido compressa est, succedit ambitio si ambitio contemta est, ira exasperat, inflat superbia, vinolentia invitat, invidia concordiam rumpit, amicitiam zelus abscindit. Cyprian. de Mortal. Oper. vol. i. p. 157. Oxon. being able to discover or know any religious truth, that he hates and flies from it when it is proposed to him: he receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God. Man is natural and earthly ; the things of God are spiritual and heavenly; and these are contrary one to the other: therefore, as the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God, so the wisdom of God is foolishness with the world. In a word, the sense man is now possessed of, where God does not restrain it, is used for evil and not for good: his wisdom is earthly, sensual, devilish: it is the sagacity of a brute, animated by the malignity of an evil spirit*. 3. In addition to its enmity against God and its utter depravity, the human heart ist likewise in a state of insensibility and stupidity. The conscience, as the Apostle expresses it, is past feeling, seared as with a hot iron†. Hence reproofs and judgments may irritate; * Jones's Cathol. Doctrine of the Trinity, p. 14. but can never, merely by their own influence, convert. This insensibility, though it may be increased by a habit of sinning, is yet itself originally inherent in the conscience: at the first, it is not so much superinduced upon it, as it springs out of it. IV. Man being thus depraved in the understanding, the will, and the affections, it is almost superfluous to observe, that he must in consequence have lost all power of serving God. Unable to discover his will, hating it when it is discovered to him, and so polluted by sin that he is utterly unable to cleanse himself; how can he perform in his own strength any acceptable service? He may indeed, in the pride of his high speculations, imagine himself to be rich and to have need of nothing: but the word of God will inform him, that he is wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked *. Even those actions of the na Revel. iii. 17. tural man, which bear the semblance of good; the patriotism of a Regulus, and the morality of a Socrates; even they are but splendid sins *: for, as we are rightly taught by the Church, Works, done before the grace of Christ and the inspiration of his Spirit, are not pleasant to God, forasmuch as they spring not of faith in Jesus Christ:-yea rather, for that they are not done as God hath willed and commanded them to be done, we doubt not but they have the nature of sint. The reason of this is obvious. A polluted heart can no more bring forth a good action, than a polluted fountain can emit pure water; but all our hearts are by nature impure: consequently, all our actions, before the reception of divine grace, must be impure also; and, as such, they cannot be pleasing unto God. In this miserable condition is every man born. Fallen from his high estate, and sunk in the deep sleep of presumptuous wicked * See Bp. Beveridge's Exposition of the Articles. Art. xiii. Art. xiii. See also Bp. Hopkins's Works, p. 525. and Bp. Beveridge's Private Thoughts, Art. viii. |