him to be any other than a guilty creature, and - obnoxious to that wrath witch is declared front beaven, against all ungodliness and unrighteouinefs of men. If we deny ourselves to be guilty creatures through the imputation of Adam's tranfgreffion, or the guilt thereof; and a corrupt and ñînful nature derived from him; we fhall find no little dif ficulty in clearing bleffed Paul, of what few would care to charge infpiration with, viz. unintelligiblenefs and inconfiitency. Eph. ii. 3. He here includes himfeif, with all his brethren the Jews, and much more the Gentiles, who had lived atheists in the world, and fays, among whom, even the children of difobedience, fpoken of in the preceding verfe, we all bad cur converfation in times paft, in the lufts of our flefo, fulfilling the defires of the flesh, and of the mind; and were by nature, [phufai] by generation, or birth, children of wrath, even as others. But what can Paul mean by children of wrath, otherwife than creatures obnoxious to the divine indignation, and deferving of everlafting mifery? And from whence could this defert come, if we were innocent? Where punishment is confidered, as the demerit of guilt; a creature liable to the former, is fuppofed chargeable with the latter.

It has been already proved in our foregoing dif course, that death, &c. is the effect of fin; and if we would allow the fcriptures to fpeak confiftently, or the writers thereof intelligibly, we muft acknowledge this truth, to be established, by the concurrent teftimony, of the different parts of thefe writings. One might venture to reft the whole weight of the argument on this fingle pofition; there is no fuffering but in confequence of fin

and

and as none of the human race is exempt from fuffering, deduce the undeniable confequence, that none is exempt from fin. Nor is this alien, either to the language, or fentiment of fcripture, as appears from the apoftle Paul; by one man, fin entered into the world, and death by fin, and fo death paffed upon all men (pantas anthropous,) all, of either fex, and every age, therefore littlechildren, infants; and why? What have these done? Thefe finned in the loins of Adam, as much as Levi payed tithes in the loins of Abraham, therefore death paffed upon them, for that they have finned. Rom. v. 12. For untill the law, untill i the law of God was published in Mount Sinai, by Moses the man of God, in the audience of all the tribes of Ifrael, fin was in the world, made it's entrance by one man, the offence of Adam, and extended its conqueft to all his pofterity. And death erecting it's throne and empire, on the conqueft of it's parent fin, reigned from Adam to Mofes, by virtue of the covenant made in the garden of Eden, and as the penalty with which the violation of it had been threatened, even over them that had not finned after the fimilitude of Adam's transgreffion, all children that had died in their infancy, for more than two thousand years. Nor is

there the least appearance of any other caufe or reafon fuggefted by this writer in this whole paffage, why thefe infant-fufferers were punished with death, but that of fin; for by one man's dip obedience, they were made, (kateftathefan,) conftituted, finners, and therefore they fuffered. I fhali clofe this head with the following obfervations, ift, If we have loft nothing by the fall of Adam, as fay the Socinians; then it is not to be expected

we

we should gain any thing by Chrift; between whom and Adam there is a clear and beautiful contraft in many parts of the new teftament. If our bleffed Saviour came into the world for no other end, and with no other defign, but to leave us an example; then, as an example of any kind, fet before our eyes, is more forcible, and influential, than a bare narration of what has been tranfacted for this purpose: they who were eye-witnessess of the holy life, and pious death of Jefus Chrift, had an advantage far fuperior to us, who have only heard of fuch a perfon after many ages; and we, to those who lived before the coming of Christ, and had no example at all. No fooner had Adam finned, than his foul was eftranged from God, and he became fubject to all the evil effects of fin; and as children were born to him in this depraved condition, all will allow they would be apt to imitate him; therefore it might feem that an example was neceffary from that early age, feeing Adam himself had erred in the way to glory, there was little reason to expect he would direct his fons aright. The neceflity of regeneration, is urged by our Saviour in those ftrong and forcible words, except a man be born again, be cannot fee the kingdom of God, and the fpiritual nature of it is touched upon by his apoftle Paul in that exhortation, be renewed in the fpirit of your mind; but if we are not fallen creatures, whofe nature is impure and defiled, and whofe fouls are incapable of an union with God, the fountain of our happiness; regeneration muft either be an unmeaning phrafe, or it's meaning must be fought for elfewhere than in the words of Chrift and his apoflles concerning it.

Pre

Prefuming this propofition is fufficiently clear, to all who have their minds open to conviction, I proceed to the last thing propofed, which was to prove, that there is no falvation or deliverance from death, but by Christ. This is a truth, I fuppofe, will scarce be doubted, if the preceding particular be admitted; for this lays and leaves the whole world under condemnation, this brings in the whole world guilty before God; and if all had been left to fink into the nethermoft hell, beneath the indignant frown of offended majefty, it had been an act of unquestionable, and inviolable justice; while on the contrary, if any are preferved from going down into the pit; if any are faved from eternal ruin, it is an act of free, fovereign and boundless grace and mercy. We fhall the more readily and joyfully admit this precious. truth, falvation by Christ, when we are made truly fenfible that it is not in our own power. who shall perfuade us of this? Who will difcover to us this dangerous difeafe? Who will believe this report? Surely none but they to whom the arm of the Lord is revealed; none but fuch as are convinced of fin, by the fpirit of God.

But

I am about, therefore, to explain and lay open this important truth before you, but it is in purfuance to thofe words, preach the gospel to every creature, and by the divine bleffing upon my lame and feeble arguments, that I hope to fucceed.

Are we then guilty and obnoxious creatures? Do we ftand chargeable with fin original and actual? What can we do to merit favour? Suppose we were willing to be reconciled to God, which none ever will 'till made fo in the day of God's power; for, the carnal mind is enmity against God; which

D

which way fhall we fet about it? How shall wes come before the Lord, and bow ourselves before the moft bigb God? There is no law given which can , give life, but adminifters condemnation to every offender, and thunders out the most dreadful anathemas against every finner. If a man is convicted of murder, or any other capital crime, he knows the law can yield him no relief, to justify or acquit him, for it is the law that condemns him. Our bleffed Saviour faid to the Jews, I condemn ye not, there is one that condemneth you, even Mofes in whom ye trust, that is, the law given by Mofes ; and this people faith Paul attained not unto righteoufnefs, that righteousness which would recommend them to God, because they fought it by the works of the law.

If it was faid of the law of the Medes and Perfians, that they were unalterable, how much more muft we not conceive this of the law of God, which is founded on his unchangeable nature; and if Daniel when having violated the royal decree was doomed to fuffer according to this law, notwithftanding, the king fet his heart to deliver him; how much more when finful creatures have rebelled against the king of heaven, and violated his most holy law, fhall they not fall under the feverity of it's fentence to their eternal condemnation.

It would be abfurd to fuppofe, that a person as abovementioned, convicted of murder, &c. under a law that fentenced every fuch offender to death, without any mitigation of the penalty; fhould be able to fatisfy that law, by any other means; fo we as capital offenders against God, are fentenced to death by a law that can make no pof