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inscription, and John the Latin translated into Greek, all their different statements are accounted for. But Mr. G., to serve his purpose, takes it into his head, first, that the three inscriptions agreed verbally with each other; and secondly, that each evangelist "professes to give the actual inscription;" and, having proved a variation from each other, he shrewdly denominates it inconsistency and contradiction.

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In concluding this subject one thing must again be repeated. Mr. G. takes for granted that there is no inspiration but that of immediate suggestion and against this he points all his artillery. But in facts, of which the sacred writers were witnesses, immediate suggestion was not necessary, even to the exactness of the history. The evangelists related what they saw and heard: and it was enough that the Spirit of truth should bring things to their remembrance and give them to understand them, that, the promise of Jesus being fulfilled in them, they, according to his design, might bear witness concerning him.

CHAPTER XIII.

Of the Fallen State of Mankind.

THE present inquiry relates to the condition of human nature, independent of Jesus Christ, and of the blessings of that gracious covenant of which he is the Mediator. According to the doctrine of Scripture, many blessings are bestowed on mankind, which are not hereditary, but which are the gift of redeeming grace and many good effects are thereby produced, which are not natural, but supernatural, and which are to be attributed to him by whom we are created anew in Christ Jesus unto good works. As the present design is to delineate the true state of mankind, in order to ascertain their want of a Saviour, and of every branch of the Christian salvation, "the gift of God by Jesus Christ" must be either left entirely out of the question, or introduced as collateral evidence, on the principle on which we prove the sickness of a patient from the character of his physician.

The subject divides itself into two parts, of which the first relates to that moral depravity which is transmitted to us from our first parents; the second relates to our being legally involved in the consequences of their sin.

First. Of that moral depravity which is transmitted to us from our first parents.

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It is generally granted by those who are not determined to controvert the most obvious facts that, with the exception of those who are renewed in the spirit of their mind, mankind have been, and still are, desperately wicked.This melancholy fact even the heathens have seen, acknowledged, and lamented. Their iron age is a striking picture of the consummate wickedness of mankind. So. crates confessed that he was prone to the grossest vices. Seneca laments that "all vices are in all men." Propertius, that "every body has a vice to which he is inclined by nature." And Horace, that "mankind rush into wickedness, and always desire what is forbidden;" that we are foolish enough to attack heaven itself;" and that " our repeated crimes do not suffer the God of hea. ven to lay by his wrathful thunderbolts."

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The universal wickedness of mankind is, however, a truth, for the confirmation of which we cannot entirely depend on their own opinion or testimony. Their confessions may easily be attributed to a voluntary or mistaken humility: and their evidence against each other to malice and envy. Even the knowledge of ourselves may possibly be an improper standard of the human cha. racter and our experience may be too limited to become the foundation of a sentence on a whole species. But we can place unlimited confidence in the testimony of the Most High: to whose decision we the rather appeal, because that which is highly esteemed among men is, (often,) in his sight, an abomination." Men are apt to "judge according to outward appearances;" whereas God "trieth the hearts," and "judgeth righteous judgment." Mankind are frequently tempted by self-love to flatter each other, and to extenuate each other's crimes; but "the judgments of God are true, and righteous altogether." There is no counsel against the Lord, nor any appeal from his decision. "Let God be true, and every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest

be justified in thy sayings, and overcome when thou art judged."

There

According to the unerring testimony of divine truth, the first man born of woman was "of the wicked one, and slew his brother, because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous," 1 John iii, 12. Religion was set up in the family of Seth, who " began to call upon the name of the Lord," Gen. iv, 26. But "when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. And the Lord said, My Spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be a hundred and twenty years. were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children unto them, the same became mighty men, which (rather than good men) were of old, men of renown. And 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. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created-for it repenteth me that I have made them." "The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and behold it was corrupt: for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me for the earth is filled with violence through them : and behold, I will destroy them with the earth," Gen. vi, 1-13.

After God had purged the earth by a flood, and had entered anew into covenant with Noah and his family, the truths of religion were soon erased from the minds of mankind, and its institutions were soon neglected. To renew its obliterated traces, and to prepare the world for the coming of the seed of the woman, Abram, a Syrian, ready to perish," was called from the house of idolatry to become a witness of Jehovah. And what was the character of his progeny! Alas! their unbelief, obduracy, disobedience, murmurings, rebellions, and idolatries are

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known from their whole history. It was not without rea. son that God bore witness against them by his prophet: "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the Lord hath spoken: I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider. Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil doers, children that are corrupters! they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward. Why should ye be stricken any more? Ye will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrefying sores." It is true they were very religious; but their religion was only the garb of hypocrisy, and the cloak of wickedness. "To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt-offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he-goats. When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hands to tread my courts? Your hands are full of blood," Isa. i, 2-15.

Nor did the calamities of a long captivity produce among them any lasting reformation. They were still "a disobedient and gainsaying people." Purged from gross idolatries, their religion was still formal, and their heart worldly. When the harbinger of the Messiah announced the coming of their Deliverer, so long as they were left satisfied with themselves, and were permitted to indulge in their worldly expectations, they rejoiced in his testimony. But, when the doctrine of the Son of God unmasked their hypocrisy, and the humility of his appearance cut off their secular prospects, they soon neglected him, forsook him, derided him, contradicted him, blasphemed him, laid snares for him, meditated his destruction, conspired against him, seized him, arraigned him, accused him, condemned him, and procured his crucifixion; and still proceeded to "fill up the measure of their iniquity, till wrath came upon them to the uttermost."

In the meantime, what was the moral state of the rest

of mankind? The "Gentiles were walking in the vanity of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, through the ignorance that was in them, because of the blindness of their hearts, who, being past feeling, had given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness," Eph. iv, 17-19. "When they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves : who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections; for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: (Pasiphaen nivei solatur amore juvenci :) and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman; men with men working that which is unseemly, (Formosum pastor Corydon ardebat Alexin,) and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet. Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents: without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: who, knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them," Rom. i, 21-32.

"What then?

Such was the state of the Gentiles. Are we better than they? No, in no wise, says St. Paul, for we have before proved, both Jew and Gentiles, that they are all under sin." This the apostle proves by summing up the suffrages of his inspired brethren, in which are asserted, 1. The universality of human wickedness:-"There is none righteous, no, not one: there is

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