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Thy fevereft adverfities "work together for "good." The ways of thy God may now feem covered with darknefs. But in a little thou fhalt fee, that they have been all "prepared as the "morning." Wait, therefore, on the Lord thy God. Commit thy way to him, and he will bring it to pafs. Many forrows fhall be to the wick"ed: but he that trufteth in the LORD, mercy "fhall compafs him about."

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SECTION X.

The Natural Depravity of Man.-Example infufficient to account for the Symptoms or Univerfality of Human Corruption.-This proved to be Natural, from its Early Appearance ;-from the Hiftory of Seth;-from the Names given to the Antediluvian Patriarchs ;-from the Death of Children ;-from the Circumftances which allude to the Manner in which Sin is tranfmitted.

WE have already taken a curfory view of human depravity; of its rapid progrefs and almoft univerfal dominion, of its influence on the heart, and of its fatal effects. Let us now trace this to its origin; and it will appear that man is indeed "a tranfgreffor from the womb." From the nature of this work, it would be improper to intro

duce

duce thofe proofs that are merely of a doctrinal kind and I fhall not even call the attention of the reader to all the hiftorical evidence which the Scripture affords. The doctrine of our original corruption might be proved, from the nature of that federal tranfaction into which God entered with man in a state of innocence; from the covenant being made with Adam before the formation of Eve, although it included her as well as her husband, and on the fame principle, the pofterity of both; from the curfe pronounced on the ground, for the fake of man, which undoubtedly affects the defcendants of Adam, no less than it did himself; from the circumftance of his calling his wife Eve, that is, "the mother of all living," not immediately after God had bleffed them, saying," Be fruitful and multiply," nor while they continued in a state of integrity, but after the fall. This, as it clearly fhews his perfuafion that all those of her pofterity who should in a spiritual fense deserve the name of living, fhould be made alive by virtue of that Seed, who, according to the promife, was to fpring from her; at the fame time teftifies his conviction that they fhould all by nature be under the fentence of fpiritual and eternal death. Without entering into a particular confideration of these, and of feveral other proofs of the fame kind, I fhall confine myfelf to a few of a different defcription.

1. It is plain from Scripture-history, that the corruption of man proceeds not merely, or chiefly, from example. Imitation is indeed a power

ful

ful principle in our nature; but it cannot produce all the effects which have been afcribed to it. If there be no corrupt bias in the heart of man, the principle of imitation muft, where circumstances are equal, have equal effects, although of an oppofite kind. It muft operate as powerfully in following a good, as an evil, example. But how far this is from being the cafe, let the experience of mankind declare.

The crime of Cain was not only heinous in itself, but highly aggravated. It was not merely murder, one of the most horrid crimes that can be perpetrated by man, but fratricide; and fratricide committed under the form of persecution for righteousness' fake. Abel had given no provocation to his brother. He had trampled on no law human or divine. He had not directed a single word of reproach against Cain. But he flew

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him, because his own works were evil, and his "brother's righteous "." He committed this crime in the very face of God, after being favoured with an immediate revelation, warning him of his duty, and encouraging him by a promife of acceptance, as well as of dominion over his brother w.

The wickednefs of Cain could not proceed from imitation: for he was the firft murderer. It could not be the effect of a gradual progress in guilt, in confequence of a long course of perfonal iniquity, or the influence of example in a long fucceffion of ages. Although the first man born

of

1 John iii. 13.

w Gen. iv. 7.

of woman, he was as wicked as any who have fince exifted. He went as far as he poffibly could, according to the nature of his fin; and we can fcarcely form the idea of one more horrid. His guilt was further aggravated by fubfequent arrogance, obduracy, and impiety.

New modes of finning may be devised, in confequence of the exercife of man's fertile invention in the fervice of Satan. But thefe are only varied operations of the fame corrupt principle. Or fin may become more general, from the influence of example and perfuafion. The ways of man may become more flagitious; but the principle in the heart is continually evil *.

It may be faid perhaps, that the example of Abel, although in the fame family, affords a proof that the corruption of Cain was not hereditary. But let it be obferved, that we find nothing in the history of Cain, which diftinguishes him as naturally a worfe man than his brother. It was only "in procefs of time," when he prefented an offering to the LORD, that the wickednefs of his heart appeared. We are informed indeed that Abel was righteous, while the character of Cain was quite the reverfe. But did the righteousness of Abel originate from a better nature, or from the exercife of his own powers? No; "by faith he "offered unto God a more excellent facrifice than "Cain, by which he obtained witness that he "was righteous y." Now, as "faith is not of "ourselves, but is the gift of God;" this clearly fhews

x Gen. vi. 5. 12. comp.

y Heb. xi. 4.

fhews that righteoufnefs was not more natural to Abel than to his brother, but given him from

above.

Such is the univerfality of this corruption, that we must neceffarily conclude that it is born with us. Were not man naturally corrupt, it is inconceivable that in the courfe of only nine generations from Adam, corruption fhould be fo univerfal, that only one man fhould be found righteous in the whole world; and fo great, as to exhauft the long-fuffering of the God of mercy; efpecially when we confider the longevity of the patriarchs; the confequent opportunity afforded to their pofterity of being inftructed with refpect to the creation, the fall, and the revelation of grace; and the appearance of at least one illuftrious prophet during this period. There might be fome ground to plead the influence of example, did only the children of the wicked follow their ways. But we learn from Scripture, what is confirmed by obfervation in every age, that even the children of the moft pious parents, who have been ftrictly educated in the ways of God, and as far as poffible preferved from the company of the wicked, difcover the fame corrupt inclinations with others. I fhall not mention the ungodly and undutiful Ham, left it fhould be faid that he was tainted by the wickednefs of the antediluvian world. Did not Abraham receive this fignal teftimony from God himself? "I know him, that "he will command his children and his houfe"hold after him; and they fhall keep," or " that

"they

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