from a desire of the praise of men, or from selfinterest, without the least reference to the glory of God. A wealthy man of fair outward character, a punctual attendant on religious worship, and who had contributed liberally to the promotion of religious objects, said when enlightened by the Holy Spirit, “ I am ashamed of myself, my whole life has been nothing but selfishness.” That the form of our actions may be right while the heart is destitute of holy love, Christ has shown in his condemnation of the Pharisees. Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ! for ye pay tithe of mint, and anise, and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith : these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. (Mat. 23. 23.) Ye are right in obeying the letter of the law: this ought ye to do, (Lev. 27. 30.) but ye are condemned for neglecting the weightier matters required by the spirit of the law. Ye make clean the outside of the cup and the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. (ver. 25.)

It is not meant by total depravity that sinners are irresistibly inclined to evil. True it is, that “the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” But this does not prove that the carnal man has no power to make him a new heart and a right spirit, otherwise it could not be required of him.

(Ezek. 18. 31.) Our own consciousness is the highest proof that we are voluntary in sin, and therefore, it is not of necessity that we transgress the law, and reject the gospel. God listens to no apology from this source: Behold ye trust in lying words that cannot profit. Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; and come and stand before me in this house which is called by my name, and say we are delivered to do all these abominations? (Jer. 7. 8-10.)

It is evident, then, that we mean by total depravity simply that unregenerate men are destitute of holiness—that all their affections and actions, so far as they are moral, are entirely sinful. This is proved from the constitution inherited by descent from depraved parents-by facts in the history of the world, and the positive declarations of the Bible.

1. It is proved from the constitution inherited by descent from depraved parents. The nature of man is such that it tends only to evil. “That which is born of the flesh, is flesh. I know that in me, (that is my flesh) dwelleth no good thing." The fact that all beome sinners without a solitary exception, is conclusive that the nature of man is predisposed to sin, and that his first moral actions will be unholy. There is no other way of accounting satisfactorily for the truth, that "the whole world lieth in wickedness."* (1 John

5. 19.)

2. Total depravity is proved from the history of the world. It is a history of selfishness, oppression, cruelty, bloodshed, and every species of crime. The exhibition of the natural affections has given a few bright shades to the picture, but there is no tint of moral loveliness. Consider the representations which the Old Testament and the New give of human character. In the book of Job, in the Psalms, in Jeremiah, and in Ezekiel, there are descriptions of wickedness terrible enough to make the ears of him that heareth tingle. But these descriptions, incredible as they may seem, are verified by facts in the ancient history of the world. A few generations after the fall, “ the earth was corrupt before God; and the earth was filled with violence.” (Gen. 6. 11.) The flood sweeping away the whole race, excepting a solitary family miraculously preserved, could not restrain the new world from the same degeneracy. Noah became drunken from the wine of his vineyard, and cursed Canaan his

* I intend in these statements nothing inconsistent with the truth, that sin is voluntary. Neither would I intimate that we are less punishable on account of any constitutional properties derived from depraved parents. We never excuse an injury from our fellow men, on the ground of any thing inherited by birthnor are we reconciled to the depredations of a ferocious animal, because its nature was derived from a noxious source.

† 21st Job: 10th, 50th, 73d Psa. : 6th and 7th Jer. : 17th Ezek.

a

(Ezek. 18. 31.) Our own consciousness is the highest proof that we are voluntary in sin, and therefore, it is not of necessity that we transgress the law, and reject the gospel. God listens to no apology from this source: Behold ye trust in lying words that cannot profit. Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; and come and stand before me in this house which is called by my name, and say we are delivered to do all these abominations? (Jer. 7. 8-10.)

It is evident, then, that we mean by total depravity simply that unregenerate men are destitute of holiness—that all their affections and actions, so far as they are moral, are entirely sinful. This is proved from the constitution inherited by descent from depraved parents—by facts in the history of the world, and the positive declarations of the Bible.

1. It is proved from the constitution inherited by descent from depraved parents. The nature of man is such that it tends only to evil. That which is born of the flesh, is flesh. I know that in me, (that is my flesh) dwelleth no good thing." The fact that all beome sinners without a solitary exception, is conclusive that the nature of man is predisposed to sin, and that his first moral actions will be unholy. There is no other way of accounting satisfactorily for the truth, that

* the whole world lieth in wickedness."* (1 John 5. 19.)

2. Total depravity is proved from the history of the world. It is a history of selfishness, oppression, cruelty, bloodshed, and every species of crime. The exhibition of the natural affections has given a few bright shades to the picture, but there is no tint of moral loveliness. Consider the representations which the Old Testament and the New give of human character. In the book of Job, in the Psalms, in Jeremiah, and in Ezekiel, there are descriptions of wickedness terrible enough to make the ears of him that heareth tingle.f But these descriptions, incredible as they may seem, are verified by facts in the ancient history of the world. A few generations after the fall, “the earth was corrupt before God; and the earth was filled with violence.” (Gen. 6. 11.) The flood sweeping away the whole race, excepting a solitary family miraculously preserved, could not restrain the new world from the same degeneracy. Noah became drunken from the wine of his vineyard, and cursed Canaan his