dominion in the hearts of good men, is the nature of the Covenant of

dominion in the hearts of good men, is the nature of the Covenant of

all other objects in worthiness of regard; and 'tis by such a transcendent excellency, that he is God, and worthy to be regarded and adored as God, and he that truly loves God, loves him as God. True love acknowledges him to be God, or to be divinely and supremely excellent, and must arise from some knowledge, sense and conviction of his worthiness of supreme respect. And though the sense and view of it may be very imperfect, and the love that arises from it in like manner imperfect; yet if there be any realizing view of such divine excellency, it must cause the heart to respect God above all.

2. Another reason, why a principle of holiness maintains the dominion in the hearts of good men, is the nature of the Covenant of Grace, and the promises of that covenant, on which true Christian virtue relies, and which engage God's strength and assistance to be on its side, and to help it against its enemy, that it may not be overcome. The just live by faith. Holiness in the Christian, or his spiritual life, is maintained, as it has respect by faith to its Author and Finisher, and derives strength and efficacy from the divine Fountain, and by this means overcomes. For, as the Apostle says, "This is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith" (1 John 5:4). 'Tis our faith in him who has promised, never to leave nor forsake his people, and not to forsake the work of his own hands, nor suffer his people to be tempted above their ability, and that his grace shall be sufficient for them, and that his strength shall be made perfect in weakness, and that where he has begun a good work he will carry it on to the day of Christ.

SECTION 6. THE CORRUPTION OF MAN'S NATURE APPEARS BY ITS TENDENCY, IN ITS PRESENT STATE, TO AN EXTREME DEGREE OF FOLLY AND STUPIDITY IN MATTERS OF RELIGION

IT APPEARS, that man's nature is greatly depraved, by an apparent proneness to an exceeding stupidity and sottishness in those things wherein his duty and main interest are chiefly concerned.

I shall instance in two things; viz. men's proneness to idolatry and so general and great a disregard of eternal things, as appears in them that live under the light of the gospel.

'Tis manifest, that man's nature in its present state is attended with a great propensity to forsake the acknowledgment and worship of the true God, and to fall into the most stupid idolatry. This has been sufficiently proved by known fact, on abundant trial: inasmuch as the world of mankind in general (excepting one small people, miraculously delivered and preserved) through all nations, in all parts of the world, ages after ages, continued without the knowledge and worship of the true God, and overwhelmed in gross idolatry, without the least appearance or prospect of its recovering itself from so great blindness, or returning from its brutish principles and customs, till delivered by divine grace.

In order to the most just arguing from fact, concerning the tendency of man's nature, as that is in itself, it should be inquired what the event has been, where nature has been left to itself, to operate according to its own tendency, with least opposition made to it by anything supernatural; rather than in exempt places, where the infinite power and grace of God have interposed, and extraordinary means have been used to stem the current, and bring men to true religion and virtue. As to the means by which God's people of old, in the line of Abraham, were delivered and preserved from idolatry, they were miraculous, and of mere grace: notwithstanding which, they were often relapsing into the notions and ways of the heathen: and when they had backslidden, never were recovered, but by divine

gracious interposition. And as to the means by which many Gentile nations have been delivered, since the days of the gospel, they are such as have been wholly owing to most wonderful, miraculous and infinite grace. God was under no obligation to bestow on the heathen world greater advantages than they had in the ages of their gross darkness; as appears by the fact, that God actually did not, for so long a time, bestow greater advantages.

Dr. Taylor himself observes (Key, p. 1), "That in about 400 years after the flood, the generality of mankind were fallen into idolatry." And thus it was everywhere through the world, excepting among that people that was saved, and preserved by a constant series of miracles, through a variety of countries, nations and climates, great enough, and through successive changes, revolutions and ages, numerous enough, to be a sufficient trial of what mankind are prone to; if there be any such thing as a sufficient trial.

That men should forsake the true God for idols, is an evidence of the most astonishing folly and stupidity, by God's own testimony. (Jer. 2:12–13), "Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be ye horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the Lord: for my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and have hewed out to themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water." And that mankind in general did thus, so soon after the flood, was from the evil propensity of their hearts, and because they did not like to retain God in their knowledge; as is evident by Rom. 1:28. And the universality of the effect shews that the cause was universal, and not anything belonging to the particular circumstances of one, or only some nations or ages, but something belonging to that nature that is common to all nations, and that remains the same through all ages. And what other cause could this great effect possibly arise from, but a depraved disposition, natural

to all mankind? It could not arise from want of a sufficient capacity or means of knowledge. This is in effect confessed on all hands. Dr. Turnbull (Christian Philosophy, p. 21) says as follows: "The existence of one infinitely powerful, wise and good mind, the author, creator, upholder and governour of all things, is a truth that lies plain and obvious to all that will but think." And (Ibid., p. 245), "Moral knowledge, which is the most important of all knowledge, may easily be acquired by all men." And again (Ibid., p. 292), "Every man by himself, if he would duly employ his mind, in the contemplation of the works of God about him, or in the examination of his own frame, … might make very great progress in the knowledge of the wisdom and goodness of God. This all men, generally speaking, might do, with very little assistance; for they have all sufficient abilities for thus employing their minds, and have all sufficient time for it." Mr. Locke says (Hum. Und. Bk. IV, ch. 4, p. 242, ed. 11), "Our own existence, and the sensible parts of the universe, offer the proofs of a deity so clearly and cogently to our thoughts, that I deem it impossible for a considerate man to withstand them. For I judge it as certain and clear a truth, as can anywhere be delivered, that the invisible things of God are clearly seen from the creation of the world, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and godhead." And Dr. Taylor himself (in p. 78) says, "The light given to all ages and nations of the world, is sufficient for the knowledge and practice of their duty." And in pp. 111, 112, [after] citing those words of the Apostle (Rom. 2:14, 15), says, "This clearly supposes that the Gentiles, who were then in the world, might have done the things contained in the law by nature, or their natural power." And in one of the next sentences, he says, "The Apostle in Rom. 1:19, 20, 21, affirms that the Gentiles had light sufficient to have seen God's eternal power and godhead, in the works of creation; and that the reason why they did not glorify him as God, was because they became vain in their imaginations, and had darkened their foolish

heart; so that they were without excuse." And in his paraphrase on those verses in the first of Romans he speaks of the "very heathens, that were without a written revelation, as having that clear and evident discovery of God's being and perfections, that they are inexcusable in not glorifying him, suitably to his excellent nature, and as the author of their being and enjoyments." And in p. 422, he says, "God affords every man sufficient light to know his duty." If all ages and nations of the world have sufficient light for the knowledge of God, and their duty to him, then even such nations and ages, in which the most brutish ignorance and barbarity prevailed, had sufficient light, if they had had but a disposition to improve it; and then much more those of the heathen, which were more knowing and polished, and in ages wherein arts and learning had made greatest advances. But even in such nations and ages, there was no advance made towards true religion; as Dr. Winder observes (His. of Knowl. vol. 2, p. 336) in the following words:

"The pagan religion degenerated into greater absurdity, the further it proceeded, and it prevailed in all its height of absurdity when the pagan nations were polished to the height. Though they set out with the talents of reason, and had solid foundations of information to build upon, it in fact proved, that with all their strengthened faculties, and growing powers of reason, the edifice of religion rose in the most absurd deformities and disproportions, and gradually went on in the most irrational disproportioned, incongruous systems, of which the most easy dictates of reason would have demonstrated the absurdity. They were contrary to all just calculations in moral mathematics." He observes, "That their grossest abominations first began in Egypt, where was an ostentation of the greatest progress in learning and science: and they never renounced clearly any of their abominations, or openly returned to the worship of the one true God, the Creator of all things, and to the original, genuine sentiments of

the highest, and most venerable antiquity. The pagan religion continued in this deep state of corruption to the last. The pagan philosophers, and inquisitive men, made great improvements in many sciences, and even in morality itself; yet the inveterate absurdities of pagan idolatry remained without remedy. Every temple smoked with incense to the sun and moon, & other inanimate, material luminaries, and earthly elements, to Jupiter, Juno, Mars and Venus, &c., the patrons and examples of almost every vice. Hecatombs bled on the altars of a thousand gods, as mad superstition inspired. And this was not the disgrace of our ignorant, untaught northern countries only; but even at Athens itself, the infamy reigned, and circulated through all Greece: and finally prevailed, amidst all their learning and politeness, under the Ptolemys in Egypt, and the Caesars in Rome. Now if the knowledge of the pagan world, in religion, proceeded no further than this; if they retained all their deities, even the most absurd of them all, their deified beasts, and deified men, even to the last breath of pagan power; we may justly ascribe the great improvements in the world on the subject of religion, to divine revelation; either vouchsafed in the beginning, when this knowledge was competently clear and copious; or at the death of paganism, when this light shone forth in its consummate lustre, at the coming of Christ."

Dr. Taylor often speaks of the idolatry of the heathen world, as great wickedness, in which they were wholly inexcusable: and yet often speaks of their case as remedy-less, as being dead in sin, and unable to recover themselves. And if so, and yet, according to his own doctrine, every age, and every nation, and every man, had sufficient light afforded, to know God, and to know and do their whole duty to him; then their inability to deliver themselves must be a moral inability, consisting in a desperate depravity, and most evil disposition of heart.

And if there had not been sufficient trial of the propensity of the hearts of mankind, through all those ages that passed from Abraham to Christ, the trial has been continued down to this day, in all those vast regions of the face of the earth, that have remained without any effects of the light of the gospel; and the dismal effect continues everywhere unvaried. How was it with that multitude of nations inhabiting South and North America? What appearance was there, when the Europeans first came hither, of their being recovered, or recovering, in any degree from the grossest ignorance, delusions, and most stupid paganism? And how is it at this day, in those parts of Africa and Asia, into which the light of the gospel has not penetrated?

This strong and universally prevalent disposition of mankind to idolatry, of which there has been such great trial, and so notorious and vast proof, in fact, is a most glaring evidence of the exceeding depravity of the human nature; as 'tis a propensity, in the utmost degree, contrary to the highest end, the main business and chief happiness of mankind, consisting in the knowledge, service and enjoyment of the living God, the Creator and Governor of the world; in the highest degree contrary to that for which mainly God gave mankind more understanding than the beasts of the earth, and made them wiser than the fowls of heaven: which was, that they might be capable of the knowledge of God; and in the highest degree contrary to the first and greatest commandment of the moral law, that we should have no other gods before Jehovah, and that we should love and adore him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. The Scriptures are abundant in representing the idolatry of the heathen world as their exceeding wickedness, and their most brutish stupidity. They that worship and trust in idols, are said themselves to be like the lifeless statues they worship, like mere senseless stocks and stones (Ps. 115:4–8, and 135:15–18).

A second instance of the natural stupidity of the minds of mankind, that I shall observe, is that great disregard of their own eternal interest; which appears so remarkably, so generally, among them that live under the gospel.

As Mr. Locke observes (Hum. Und. vol. 1 [Bk. 2], p. 207), "Were the will determined by the views of good, as it appears in contemplation, greater or less to the understanding, it could never get loose from the infinite eternal joys of heaven, once proposed, and considered as possible: the eternal condition of a future state infinitely outweighing the expectation of riches or honor, or any other worldly pleasure, which we can propose to ourselves; though we should grant these the more probable to be obtained." Again (pp. 228, 229), "He that will not be so far a rational creature, as to reflect seriously upon infinite happiness and misery, must needs condemn himself, as not making that use of his understanding he should. The rewards and punishments of another life, which the Almighty has established, as the enforcements of his laws, are of weight enough to determine the choice, against whatsoever pleasure or pain this life can show. When the eternal state is considered but in its bare possibility, which nobody can make any doubt of, he that will allow exquisite and endless happiness to be but the possible consequences of a good life here, and the contrary state the possible reward of a bad one, must own himself to judge very much amiss, if he does not conclude that a virtuous life, with the certain expectation of everlasting bliss, which may come, is to be preferred to a vicious one, with the fear of that dreadful state of misery, which 'tis very possible may overtake the guilty, or at least the terrible uncertain hope of annihilation. This is so evidently so; though the virtuous life here had nothing but pain, and the vicious continual pleasure; which yet is for the most part quite otherwise, and wicked men have not much the odds to brag of, even in their present possession; nay, all things rightly considered,

have I think even the worst part here. But when infinite happiness is put in one scale, against infinite misery in the other; if the worst that comes to the pious man, if he mistakes, be the best that the wicked man can attain to, if he be in the right; who can, without madness, run the venture: Who in his wits would choose to come within a possibility of infinite misery? Which if he miss, there is yet nothing to be got by that hazard: whereas, on the other side, the sober man ventures nothing, against infinite happiness to be got, if his expectations come to pass."

That disposition of mind which is a propensity to act contrary to reason, is a depraved disposition. 'Tis not because the faculty of reason, which God has given to mankind, is not sufficient fully to discover to 'em that forty, sixty, or an hundred years, is as nothing in comparison of eternity, infinitely less than a second of time to an hundred years, that the greatest wordly prosperity and pleasure is not treated with most perfect disregard, in all cases where there is any degree of competition of earthly things, with salvation from exquisite eternal misery, and the enjoyment of everlasting glory and felicity; as certainly it would be, if men acted according to reason. But is it a matter of doubt or controversy, whether men in general don't shew a strong disposition to act far otherwise, from their infancy, till death is in a sensible approach? In things that concern men's temporal interest, they easily discern the difference between things of a long and short continuance. 'Tis no hard matter to convince men of the difference between a being admitted to the accommodations, and entertainments of a convenient, beautiful, well-furnished habitation, and to partake of the provisions and produce of a plentiful estate, for a day or a night; and having all given to them and settled upon them as their own, to possess as long as they live, and to be theirs, and their heirs' forever: there would be no need of men's preaching sermons, and spending their strength and

life to convince men of the difference. Men know how to adjust things in their dealings and contracts one with another, according to the length of time in which anything agreed for is to be used or enjoyed. In temporal affairs, men are sensible that it concerns 'em to provide for future time, as well as for the present. Thus common prudence teaches 'em to take care in summer to lay up for winter; yea, to provide a fund, and get a solid estate, whence they may be supplied for a long time to come. And not only so, but they are willing and forward to spend and be spent, to provide that which will stand their children in stead, after they are dead; though it be quite uncertain, who shall use and enjoy what they lay up, after they have left the world; and if their children should have the comfort of it, as they desire, they will not partake with them in that comfort, or have any more a portion in anything under the sun. In things which relate to men's temporal interest, they seem very sensible of the uncertainty of life, especially of the lives of others; and to make answerable provision for the security of their worldly interest, that no considerable part of it may rest only on so uncertain a foundation, as the life of a neighbor or friend. Common discretion leads men to take good care, that their outward possessions be well secured, by a good and firm title. In worldly concerns, men are discerning of their opportunities, and careful to improve 'em before they are passed. The husbandman is careful to plow his ground, and sow his seed, in the proper season; otherwise he knows he can't expect a crop: and when the harvest is come, he will not sleep away the time; for he knows, if he does so, the crop will soon be lost. How careful and eagle-eyed is the merchant to observe and improve his opportunities and advantages, to enrich himself? How apt are men to be alarmed at the appearance of danger to their worldly estate, or anything that remarkably threatens great loss or damage to their outward interest? And how will they bestir themselves in such a case, if possible to avoid the threatened calamity? In things purely secular, and not of a

moral or spiritual nature, men easily receive conviction by past experience, when anything, on repeated trial, proves unprofitable or prejudicial; and are ready to take warning by what they have found themselves, and also by the experience of their neighbors and forefathers.

But if we consider how men generally conduct themselves in things on which their well-being does infinitely more depend, how vast is the diversity? In these things, how cold, lifeless and dilatory? With what difficulty are a few of multitudes excited to any tolerable degree of care and diligence, by the innumerable means used with men to make 'em wise for themselves? And when some vigilance and activity is excited, how apt is it to die away, like a mere force against a natural tendency? What need of a constant repetition of admonitions and counsels, to keep the heart from falling asleep? How many objections are made? And how are difficulties magnified? And how soon is the mind discouraged? How many arguments, and often renewed, and variously and elaborately enforced, do men stand in need of, to convince 'em of things that are self-evident? As that things which are eternal, are infinitely more important than things temporal, and the like. And after all, how very few convinced effectually, or in such a manner as to induce to a practical preference of eternal things? How senseless are men of the necessity of improving their time to provide for futurity, as to their spiritual interest, and their welfare in another world? Though it be an endless futurity, and though it be their own personal, infinitely important good, after they are dead, that is to be cared for, and not the good of their children, which they shall have no share in. Though men are so sensible of the uncertainty of their neighbors' lives, when any considerable part of their estates depends on the continuance of them; how stupidly senseless do they seem to be of the uncertainty of their own lives, when their preservation from immensely great,

remedy-less and endless misery, is risked by a present delay, through a dependence on future opportunity? What a dreadful venture will men carelessly and boldly run, and repeat and multiply, with regard to their eternal salvation, who are very careful to have everything in a deed or bond firm, and without a flaw? How negligent are they of their special advantages and opportunities for their soul's good? How hardly awakened by the most evident and imminent dangers, threatening eternal destruction, yea, though put in mind of 'em, and much pains taken to point them forth, shew them plainly, and fully to represent them, if possible to engage their attention to 'em? How are they like the horse, that boldly rushes into the battle? How hardly are men convinced by their own frequent and abundant experience, of the unsatisfactory nature of earthly things, and the instability of their own hearts in their good frames and intentions? And how hardly convinced by their own observation, and the experience of all past generations, of the uncertainty of life and its enjoyments? (Ps. 49:11, etc.), "Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue forever.… Nevertheless, man being in honor, abideth not; he is like the beasts that perish. This their way is their folly: yet their posterity approve their sayings. Like sheep are they laid in the grave."

In these things, men that are prudent for their temporal interest, act as if they were bereft of reason: "They have eyes, and see not; ears, and hear not; neither do they understand: They are like the horse and mule, that have no understanding" (Mark 8:18, Ps. 32:9). (Jer. 8:7), "The stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle, and the crane, and the swallow, observe the time of their coming: but my people know not the judgment of the Lord."

These things are often mentioned in Scripture, as evidences of extreme folly and stupidity, wherein men act as great enemies to themselves, as though they loved their own ruin (Prov. 8:36), laying

wait for their own blood (Prov. 1:18). And how can these things be accounted for, but by supposing a most wretched depravity of nature? Why otherwise should not men be as wise for themselves in spiritual and eternal things, as in temporal? All Christians will confess, that man's faculty of reason was given him chiefly to enable him to understand the former, wherein his main interest, and true happiness consists. This faculty would therefore undoubtedly be every way as fit for the understanding of them, as the latter, if not depraved. The reason why these are understood and not the other, is not that such things as have been mentioned, belonging to men's spiritual and eternal interest, are more obscure and abstruse in their own nature. For instance, the difference between long and short, the need of providing for futurity, the importance of improving proper opportunities, and of having good security, and a sure foundation, in affairs wherein our interest is greatly concerned, etc., these things are as plain in themselves in religious matters, as in other matters. And we have far greater means to assist us to be wise for ourselves in eternal, than in temporal things. We have the abundant instruction of perfect and infinite wisdom itself, to lead and conduct us in the paths of righteousness, so that we may not err. And the reasons of things are most clearly, variously and abundantly set before us in the word of God; which is adapted to the faculties of mankind, tending greatly to enlighten and convince the mind: whereas, we have no such excellent and perfect rules to instruct and direct us in things pertaining to our temporal interest, nor anything to be compared to it.

If any should say, 'tis true, if men gave full credit to what they are told concerning eternal things, and these appeared to 'em as real and certain things, it would be an evidence of a sort of madness in them, that they shew no greater regard to 'em in practice: but there is reason to think, this is not the case; the things of another world,

being unseen things, appear to men as things of a very doubtful nature, and attended with great uncertainty. In answer, I would observe, agreeable to what has been cited from Mr. Locke, though eternal things were considered in their bare possibility, if men acted rationally, they would infinitely outweigh all temporal things in their influence on their hearts. And I would also observe, that the supposing eternal things not to be fully believed, at least by them who enjoy the light of the gospel, does not weaken, but rather strengthen the argument for the depravity of nature. For the eternal world being what God had chiefly in view in the creation of men, and the things of this world being made to be wholly subordinate to other, man's state here being only a state of probation, preparation and progression, with respect to the future state, and so eternal things being in effect men's all, their whole concern: to understand and know which it chiefly was, that they had understanding given 'em; and it concerning them infinitely more to know the truth of eternal things than any other, as all that are not infidels will own; therefore, we may undoubtedly conclude, that if men have not respect to 'em as real and certain things, it cannot be for want of sufficient evidence of their truth, to induce 'em so to regard them; especially as to them that live under that light, which God has appointed as the most proper exhibition of the nature and evidence of these things: but it must be from a dreadful stupidity of mind, occasioning a sottish insensibility of their truth and importance, when manifested by the clearest evidence.

SECTION 7. THAT MAN'S NATURE IS CORRUPT, APPEARS, IN THAT VASTLY THE GREATER PART OF MANKIND, IN ALL AGES, HAVE BEEN WICKED MEN

THE depravity of man's nature appears, not only in its propensity to sin in some degree, which renders a man an evil or wicked man in

the eye of the law, and strict justice, as was before shewn; but it is so corrupt, that its depravity, either shews that men are, or tends to make them to be, of such an evil character, as shall denominate them wicked men, according to the tenor of the Covenant of Grace.

This may be argued from several things which have been already observed: as from a tendency to continual sin; a tendency to much greater degree of sin than righteousness, and from the general extreme stupidity of mankind. But yet the present state of man's nature, as implying, or tending to a wicked character, may be worthy to be more particularly considered, and directly proved. And in general, this appears, in that there have been so very few in the world, from age to age, ever since the world has stood, that have been of any other character.

'Tis abundantly evident in Scripture, and is what I suppose none that call themselves Christians will deny, that the whole world is divided into good and bad, and that all mankind at the day of judgment will either be approved as righteous, or condemned as wicked; either glorified, as children of the kingdom, or cast into a furnace of fire, as children of the wicked one.

I need not stand to shew what things belong to the character of such as shall hereafter be accepted as righteous, according to the word of God. It may be sufficient for my present purpose, to observe what Dr. Taylor himself speaks of as belonging essentially to the character of such. In p. 203 he says, "This is infallibly the character of true Christians, and what is essential to such, that they have really mortified the flesh, with its lusts; They are dead to sin, and live no longer therein; the old man is crucified, and the body of sin destroyed: they yield themselves to God, as those that are alive from the dead, and their members as instruments of righteousness to God,

and as servants of righteousness to holiness." There is more to the like purpose in the two next pages. In p. 228 he says, "Whatsoever is evil and corrupt in us, we ought to condemn; not so, as it shall still remain in us, that we may always be condemning it, but that we may speedily reform, and be effectually delivered from it; otherwise certainly we do not come up to the character of the true disciples of Christ."

In p. 248 he says, "Unless God's favor be preferred before all other enjoyments whatsoever, unless there be a delight in the worship of God, and in converse with him, unless every appetite be brought into subjection to reason and truth, and unless there be a kind and benevolent disposition towards our fellow-creatures, how can the mind be fit to dwell with God, in his house and family, to do him service in his kingdom, and to promote the happiness of any part of his creation?" And in his Key, no. 255, p. 145, etc. shewing there, what it is to be a true Christian, he says, among other things, "That he is one who has such a sense and persuasion of the love of God in Christ, that he devotes his life to the honor and service of God, in hope of eternal glory. And that to the character of a true Christian, it is absolutely necessary, that he diligently study the things that are freely given him of God, viz. his election, regeneration, &c. that he may gain a just knowledge of those inestimable privileges, may taste that the Lord is gracious, and rejoice in the gospel-salvation, as his greatest happiness and glory.… 'Tis necessary, that he work these blessings on his heart, till they become a vital principle, producing in him the love of God, engaging him to all cheerful obedience to his will, giving him a proper dignity and elevation of soul, raising him above the best and worst of this world, carrying his heart into heaven, and fixing his affections and regards upon his everlasting inheritance, and the crown of glory laid up for him there.… Thus he is armed against all the temptations and trials, resulting from any

pleasure or pain, hopes or fears, gain or loss, in the present world. None of these things move him, from a faithful discharge of any part of his duty, or from a firm attachment to truth and righteousness: neither counts he his very life dear to him, that he may do the will of God, and finish his course with joy, in a sense of the love of God and Christ. He maintains daily communion with God, by reading and meditating on his Word. In a sense of his own infirmity, and the readiness of the divine favor to succour him, he daily addresses the throne of grace, for the renewal of spiritual strength; and in assurance of obtaining it, through one mediator Christ Jesus, enlightened and directed by the heavenly doctrine of the gospel, &c."

Now I leave it to be judged by everyone that has any degree of impartiality, whether there be not sufficient grounds to think, from what appears everywhere, that it is but a very small part indeed, of the many myriads and millions which overspread this globe, who are of a character that in any wise answers these descriptions. However, Dr. Taylor insists, that all nations, and every man on the face of the earth, have light and means sufficient to do the whole will of God, even they that live in the grossest darkness of paganism.

Dr. Taylor in answer to arguments of this kind, very impertinently from time to time objects that we are no judges of the viciousness of men's character, nor are able to decide in what degree they are virtuous or vicious. As though we could have no good grounds to judge, that anything, appertaining to the qualities or properties of the mind, which is invisible, is general or prevailing among a multitude or collective body, unless we can determine how it is with each individual. I think, I have sufficient reason, from what I know and have heard of the American Indians, to judge, that there are not many good philosophers among them; though the thoughts of their hearts, and the ideas and knowledge they have in their minds, are

things invisible; and though I have never seen so much as the thousandth part of the Indians; and with respect to most of them, should not be able to pronounce peremptorily, concerning any one, that he was not very knowing in the nature of things, if all should singly pass before me. And Dr. Taylor himself seems to be sensible of the falseness of his own conclusions, that he so often urges against others; if we may judge by his practice, and the liberties he takes, in judging of a multitude himself. He, it seems, is sensible that a man may have good grounds to judge, that wickedness of character is general in a collective body; because he openly does it himself (Key, p. 147). After declaring the things which belong to the character of a true Christian, he judges of the generality of Christians, that they have cast off these things, that they are a people that do err in their hearts, and have not known God's ways. [On] p. 259, he judges, that the generality of Christians are the most wicked of all mankind— when he thinks it will throw some disgrace on the opinion of such as he opposes. The like we have from time to time in other places, as p. 168, p. 258, Key p. 182.

But if men are not sufficient judges, whether there are few of the world of mankind but what are wicked, yet doubtless God is sufficient, and his judgment, often declared in his Word, determines the matter. (Matt. 7:13, 14), "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be that go in thereat; because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way that leadeth to life, and few there be that find it." 'Tis manifest, that here Christ is not only describing the state of things, as it was at that day, and don't mention the comparative smallness of the number of them that are saved, as a consequence of the peculiar perverseness of that people, and of that generation; but as a consequence of the general circumstances of the way to life, and the way to destruction, the broadness of the one, and narrowness of the

other. In the straitness of the gate, etc. I suppose none will deny, that Christ has respect to the strictness of those rules, which he had insisted on in the preceding sermon, and which render the way to life very difficult to mankind. But certainly these amiable rules would not be difficult, were they not contrary to the natural inclinations of men's hearts; and they would not be contrary to those inclinations, were these not depraved. Consequently the wideness of the gate, and broadness of the way that leads to destruction, in consequence of which many go in thereat, must imply the agreeableness of this way to men's natural inclinations. The like reason is given by Christ, why few are saved. (Luke 13:23, 24), "Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few [that be] saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able." That there are generally but few good men in the world, even among them that have those most distinguishing and glorious advantages for it, which they are favored with that live under the gospel, is evident by that saying of our Lord, from time to time in his mouth, "Many are called, but few are chosen" (Matt. 22:14). And if there are but few among these, how few, how very few indeed, must persons of this character be, compared with the whole world of mankind? The exceeding smallness of the number of true saints, compared with the whole world, appears by the representations often made of them as distinguished from the world; in which they are spoken of as called and chosen out of the world; redeemed from the earth, redeemed from among men; as being those that are of God, while the whole world lieth in wickedness, and the like. And if we look into the Old Testament, we shall find the same testimony given. (Prov. 20:6), "Most men will proclaim every man his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?" By a faithful man, as the phrase is used in Scripture, is intended much the same as a sincere, upright or truly good man; as in Ps. 12:1 and 31:23 and 101:6 and other places. Again (Eccles. 7:25–29), "I applied mine

heart to know and to search, and to find out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness: and I find more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares, etc.… Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account, which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all these have I not found. Lo, this only have I found, that God [hath] made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions." Solomon here signifies, that when he set himself diligently to find out the account or proportion of true wisdom or thorough uprightness among men, the result was, that he found it to be but as one to a thousand, etc. Dr. Taylor on this place (p. 184), says, "The wise man in the context is inquiring into the corruption and depravity of mankind, of the men and women that lived in his time." As though what he said represented nothing of the state of things in the world in general, but only in his time. But does Dr. Taylor or anybody else suppose this only to be the design of that book, to represent the vanity and evil of the world in that time, and to shew that all was vanity and vexation of spirit in Solomon's day? (Which day truly we have reason to think, was a day of the greatest smiles of heaven on that nation, that ever had been on any nation from the foundation of the world.) Not only does the subject and argument of the whole book shew it to be otherwise; but also the declared design of the book in the first chapter; where the world is represented as very much the same, as to the vanity and evil it is full of, from age to age, making little or no progress, after all its revolutions and restless motions, labors and pursuits, like the sea, that has all the rivers constantly emptying themselves into it, from age to age, and yet is never the fuller. As to that place (Prov. 20:6), "A faithful man who can find?" there is no more reason to suppose, that the wise man has respect only to his time, in these words, than in those immediately preceding, "Counsel in the heart of a man is like

deep waters; but a man of understanding will draw it out." Or in the words next following, "The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him." Or in any other proverb in the whole book. And if it were so, that Solomon in these things meant only to describe his own times, it would not at all weaken the argument. For if we observe the history of the Old Testament, there is reason to think there never was any time from Joshua to the captivity, wherein wickedness was more restrained, and virtue and religion more encouraged and promoted, than in David's and Solomon's times. And if there was so little true piety in that nation that was the only people of God under heaven, even in their very best times, what may we suppose concerning the world in general, take one time with another?

Notwithstanding what some authors advance concerning the prevalence of virtue, honesty, good neighborhood, cheerfulness, etc. in the world, Solomon, whom we may justly esteem as wise and just an observer of human nature, and the state of the world of mankind, as most in these days (besides, Christians ought to remember that he wrote by divine inspiration) judged the world to be so full of wickedness, that it was better never to be born, than to be born to live only in such a world. (Eccles. 4 at the beginning), "So I returned and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun; and behold, the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter: and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter. Wherefore, I praised the dead, which were already dead more than the living which are yet alive. Yea, better is he than both they, which hath not yet been; who hath not seen the evil work that is done under the sun." Surely it will not be said, that Solomon has only respect to his times here too, when he speaks of the oppressions of them that were in power; since he himself, and others appointed by him, and wholly under his control, were the men

that were in power, in that land, and in almost all neighboring countries.

The same inspired writer says (Eccles. 9:3), "The heart of the sons of men is full of evil; and madness is in their heart while they live; and after that they go to the dead." If these general expressions are to be understood only of some, and those the lesser part, when in general, truth, honesty, good-nature, etc. govern the world, why are such general expressions from time to time used? Why don't this wise and noble, and great-souled prince express himself in a more generous and benevolent strain as well as more agreeable to truth, and say, "Wisdom is in the hearts of the sons of men while they live, etc."— instead of leaving in his writings so many sly, ill-natured suggestions, which pour such contempt on the human nature, and tend so much to excite mutual jealousy and malevolence, to taint the minds of mankind through all generations after him?

If we consider the various successive parts and periods of the duration of the world, it will, if possible, be yet more evident, that vastly the greater part of mankind have in all ages been of a wicked character. The short accounts we have of Adam and his family are such as lead us to suppose, that far the greater part of his posterity, in his lifetime, yea, in the former part of his life, were wicked. It appears, that his eldest son, Cain, was a very wicked man, who slew his righteous brother Abel. And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years before Seth was born: and by that time, we may suppose, his posterity began to be considerably numerous: when he was born his mother "called his name Seth: for God, said she, hath appointed me another seed, instead of Abel." Which naturally suggests this to our thoughts; that of all her seed now existing, none were of any such note for religion and virtue, as that their parents could have any great comfort in them, or expectation from 'em on that account. And

by the brief history we have, it looks as if (however there might be some intervals of a revival of religion, yet) in the general, mankind grew more and more corrupt till the flood. 'Tis signified, that when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, wickedness prevailed exceedingly (Gen. 6, at the beginning). And that before God appeared to Noah, to command him to build the ark, 120 years before the flood, the world had long continued obstinate in great and general wickedness, and the disease was become inveterate. The expression we have in the 3[d], 5[th], and 6[th] verses of that chapter suggest as much: "And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man.… And God saw, that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was evil, only evil continually; and it repented the Lord, that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart." And by that time "all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth" (v. 12). And as Dr. Taylor himself observes (p. 122), "Mankind were universally debauched into lust, sensuality, rapine and injustice."

And with respect to the period after the flood, to the calling of Abraham; Dr. Taylor says, as has been already observed, that in about 400 years after the flood, the generality of mankind were fallen into idolatry. Which was before the passing away of one generation; or before all they were dead, that came out of the ark. And it can't be thought, the world jumped into that so general and extreme degree of corruption, all at once; but that they had been gradually growing more and more corrupt; though it is true, it must be by very swift degrees (however soon we may suppose they began)—to get to that pass in one age.

And as to the period from the calling of Abraham to the coming of Christ, Dr. Taylor justly observes as follows (Key p. 190), "If we reckon from the call of Abraham to the coming of Christ, the Jewish

dispensation continued one thousand nine hundred and twenty-one years: during which period, the other families and nations of the earth, not only lay out of God's peculiar kingdom, but also lived in idolatry, great ignorance, and wickedness." And with regard to that one only exempt family or nation of the Israelites, 'tis evident that wickedness was the generally prevailing character among them, from age to age. If we consider how it was with Jacob's family, the behavior of Reuben with his father's concubine, the behavior of Judah with Tamar, the conduct of Jacob's sons in general (though Simeon and Levi were leading) towards the Shechemites, the behavior of Joseph's ten brethren in their cruel treatment of him; we can't think, that the character of true piety belonged to many of them, according to Dr. Taylor's own notion of such a character; though it be true, they might afterwards repent. And with respect to the time the children of Israel were in Egypt; the Scripture, speaking of them in general, or as a collective body, often represents them as complying with the abominable idolatries of the country. And as to that generation which went out of Egypt, and wandered in the wilderness; they are abundantly represented as extremely and almost universally wicked, perverse, and children of divine wrath. And after Joshua's death, the Scripture is very express, that wickedness was the prevailing character in the nation, from age to age. So it was till Samuel's time. (1 Sam. 8:7, 8), "They have rejected me, that I should not reign over them; according to all their works which they have done, since the day that I brought them out of Egypt, unto this day." Yea, so it was till Jeremiah's and Ezekiel's time. (Jer. 32:30, 31), "For the children of Israel, and the children of Judah, have only done evil before me from their youth: for the children of Israel have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands, saith the Lord: for this city hath been to me [as] a provocation of mine anger, and of my fury, from the day they built it, even unto this day" (cf. ch. 5:21 and 23, and ch. 7:25, 26, 27). So Ezek. 2:3, 4. "I sent thee to the

children of Israel, to a rebellious nation, that hath rebelled against me, they and their fathers have transgressed against me even unto this very day: for they are impudent children, and stiff-hearted." And it appears by the discourse of Stephen (Acts 7) that this was generally the case with that nation, from their first rise, even to the days of the apostles. After his summary rehearsal of the instances of their perverseness from the very time of their selling Joseph into Egypt, he concludes (vv. 51, 52, 53), "Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost. As your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? And they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of that just one; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it."

Thus it appears, that wickedness was the generally prevailing character in all the nations of mankind, till Christ came. And so also it appears to have been since his coming, to this day. So in the age of the apostles: though then, among those that were converted to Christianity, were great numbers of persons eminent for piety; yet this was not the case with the greater part of the world, or the greater part of any one nation in it. There was a great number of persons of a truly pious character in the latter part of the apostolic age, when multitudes of converts had been made, and Christianity was as yet in its primitive purity. But what says the apostle John of the church of God at that time, as compared with the rest of the world? (1 John 5:19), "We know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness." And after Christianity came to prevail, to that degree that Christians had the upper hand in nations and civil communities, still the greater part of mankind remained in their old heathen state; which Dr. Taylor speaks of as a state of great ignorance and wickedness. And besides, this is noted in all ecclesiastical history,

that as the Christians gained in power and secular advantages, true piety declined, and corruption and wickedness prevailed among them. And as to the state of the Christian world, since Christianity began to be established by human laws, wickedness for the most part has greatly prevailed; as is very notorious, and is implied in what Dr. Taylor himself says: he, in giving an account how the doctrine of original sin came to prevail among Christians, says (p. 443) "That the Christian religion was very early and grievously corrupted, by dreaming, ignorant, superstitious monks." In p. 259 he says, "The generality of Christians have embraced this persuasion concerning original sin; and the consequence has been, that the generality of Christians have been the most wicked, lewd, bloody and treacherous of all mankind."

Thus, a view of the several successive periods of the past duration of the world, from the beginning to this day, shews, that wickedness has ever been exceeding prevalent, and has had vastly the superiority in the world. And Dr. Taylor himself in effect owns, that it has been so ever since Adam first turned into the way of transgression. (p. 168), "It is certain," says he, "the moral circumstances of mankind, since the time Adam first turned into the way of transgression, have been very different from a state of innocence. So far as we can judge from history, or what we know at present, the greatest part of mankind, have been, and still are very corrupt; though not equally so in every age and place." And lower in the same page, he speaks of "Adam's posterity, as having sunk themselves into the most lamentable degrees of ignorance, superstition, idolatry, injustice, debauchery, etc."

These things clearly determine the point, concerning the tendency of man's nature to wickedness; if we may be allowed to proceed according to such rules and methods of reasoning, as are universally

made use of, and never denied, or doubted to be good and sure, in experimental philosophy; or may reason from experience and facts, in that manner which common sense leads all mankind to in other cases. If experience and trial will evince anything at all concerning the natural disposition of the hearts of mankind, one would think the experience of so many ages as have elapsed since the beginning of the world, and the trial as it were made by hundreds of different nations together, for so long a time, should be sufficient to convince all, that wickedness is agreeable to the nature of mankind in its present state.

Here, to strengthen the argument, if there were any need of it, I might observe some further evidences than those which have been already mentioned, not only of the extent and generality of the prevalence of wickedness in the world, but of the height to which it has risen, and the degree in which it has reigned. Among innumerable things which shew this, I shall now only observe this, viz. the degree in which mankind have from age to age been hurtful one to another. Many kinds of brute animals are esteemed very noxious and destructive, many of 'em very fierce, voracious, and many very poisonous, and the destroying of 'em has always been looked upon as a public benefit: but have not mankind been a thousand times as hurtful and destructive as any one of them, yea, as all the noyous beasts, birds, fishes and reptiles in the earth, air and water, put together, at least, of all kinds of animals that are visible? And no creature can be found anywhere so destructive of its own kind, as mankind are. All others for the most part are harmless and peaceable, with regard to their own species. Where one wolf is destroyed by another wolf, one viper by another, probably a thousand of mankind are destroyed by those of their own species. Well therefore might our blessed Lord say, when sending forth his disciples into the world (Matt. 10:16, 17), "Behold, I send you forth as

sheep in the midst of wolves … but beware of men." As much to say, I send you forth as sheep among wolves, but why do I say, wolves? I send you forth into the wide world of men, that are far more hurtful and pernicious, and that you had much more need to beware of than wolves.

It would be strange indeed, that this should be the state of the world of mankind, the chief of the lower creation, distinguished above all by reason, to that end that they might be capable of religion, which summarily consists in love, if men, as they come into the world, are in their nature innocent and harmless, undepraved and perfectly free from all evil propensities.

SECTION 8. THE NATIVE DEPRAVITY OF MANKIND APPEARS, IN THAT THERE HAS BEEN SO LITTLE GOOD EFFECT OF SO MANIFOLD AND GREAT MEANS, USED TO PROMOTE VIRTUE IN THE WORLD

THE evidence of the native corruption of mankind appears much more glaring, when it is considered that the world has been so generally, so constantly, and so exceedingly corrupt, notwithstanding the various, great and continual means, that have been used to restrain men from sin, and promote virtue and true religion among them.

Dr. Taylor supposes, all that sorrow and death, which came on mankind, in consequence of Adam's sin, was brought on them by God, in great favor to them; as a benevolent father exercising an wholesome discipline towards his children; to restrain 'em from sin, by increasing the vanity of all earthly things, to abate their force to tempt and delude; to induce 'em to be moderate in gratifying the appetites of the body; to mortify pride and ambition; and that men might always have before their eyes a striking demonstration, that

sin is infinitely hateful to God, by a sight of that, than which nothing is more proper to give them the utmost abhorrence of iniquity, and to fix in their minds a sense of the dreadful consequences of sin, etc. etc. And in general, that they don't come as punishments, but purely as means to keep men from vice, and to make them better. If it be so, surely they are great means indeed. Here is a mighty alteration: mankind, once so easy and happy, healthful, vigorous and beautiful, rich in all the pleasant and abundant blessings of paradise, now turned out destitute, weak and decaying, into a wide barren world, yielding briars and thorns, instead of the delightful growth and sweet fruit in the garden of Eden, to wear out life in sorrow and toil, on the ground cursed for his sake; and at last, either through long languishing and lingering decay, or severe pain and acute disease, to expire and turn to putrefaction and dust. If these are only used as medicines, to prevent and to cure the diseases of the mind, they are sharp medicines indeed; especially death; which, to use Hezekiah's representation, is as it were breaking all his bones: and one would think, should be very effectual, if the subject had no depravity, no evil and contrary bias, to resist and hinder a proper effect; especially in the old world, when the thing which was the first occasion of this terrible alteration, this severity of means, was fresh in memory; Adam continuing alive near two thirds of the time that passed before the flood; so that a very great part of those that were alive till the flood, might have opportunity of seeing and conversing with him, and hearing from his mouth, not only an account of his fall, and the introduction of the awful consequences of it, but also of his first finding himself in existence in the new-created world, and of the creation of Eve, and the things which passed between him and his Creator in paradise.2

But what was the success of these great means, to restrain men from sin, and to induce them to virtue? Did they prove sufficient? Instead

of this, the world soon grew exceeding corrupt; till it came to that, to use our author's own words, "That mankind were universally debauched into lust, sensuality, rapine and injustice" (p. 122).

Then God used further means: he sent Noah, a preacher of righteousness, to warn the world of the universal destruction which would come upon them by a flood of waters, if they went on in sin. Which warning he delivered with these circumstances, tending to strike their minds, and command their attention; that he immediately went about building that vast structure of the ark; in which he must employ a great number of hands, and probably spent all he had in the world to save himself and his family. And under these uncommon means, God waited upon them 120 years. But all to no effect. The whole world, for aught appears, continued obstinate, and absolutely incorrigible: so that nothing remained to be done with them, but utterly to destroy the inhabitants of the earth; and to begin a new world, from that single family who had distinguished themselves by their virtue; that from them might be propagated a new and purer race. Accordingly this was done: and the inhabitants of the new world, of Noah's posterity, had these new and extraordinary means to restrain sin and excite to virtue, in addition to the toil, sorrow, and common mortality, which the world had been subjected to before in consequence of Adam's sin; viz. that God had newly testified his dreadful displeasure for sin, in destroying the many millions of mankind, all at one blow, old and young, men, women and children, without pity on any for all the dismal shrieks and cries which the world was filled with; when they themselves, the remaining family, were so wonderfully distinguished by God's preserving goodness, that they might be a holy seed, being delivered from the corrupting examples of the old world; and being all the offspring of a living parent, whose pious instructions and counsels they had, to enforce these things upon them, to prevent sin, and

engage them to their duty. And these inhabitants of the new earth must, for a long time, have before their eyes many evident, and as it were fresh and striking effects and signs of that universal destruction, to be a continual affecting admonition to 'em. And besides all this, God now shortened the life of man, to about one half of what it used to be. The shortening of man's life, Dr. Taylor says (p. 68), "was, that the wild range of ambition and lust might be brought into narrower bounds, and have less opportunity of doing mischief; and that death, being still nearer to our view, might be a more powerful motive to regard less the things of a transitory world, and to attend to the rules of truth and wisdom."

And now let us observe the consequence. These new and extraordinary means, in addition to the former, were so far from proving sufficient, that the new world degenerated, and became corrupt, by such swift degrees, that, as Dr. Taylor observes, mankind in general were sunk into idolatry, in about 400 years after the flood, and so in about 50 years after Noah's death: they became so wicked and brutish, as to forsake the true God, and turn to the worship of inanimate creatures.

When things were come to this dreadful pass, God was pleased, for a remedy, to introduce a new and wonderful dispensation; separating a particular family and people, from all the rest of the world, by a series of most astonishing miracles, done in the open view of the world; and fixing their dwelling, as it were in the midst of the earth, between Asia, Europe and Africa, and in the midst of those nations which were most considerable and famous for power, knowledge and arts; that God might, in an extraordinary manner, dwell amongst that people, in visible tokens of his presence, manifesting himself there, and from thence to the world, by a course of great and miraculous operations and effects, for many ages: that that people

might be holy to God, and as a kingdom of priests, and might stand as a city on an hill, to be a light to the world: withal gradually shortening man's life, till it was brought to be but about one twelfth part of what it used to be before the flood; and so, according to Dr. Taylor, vastly cutting off and diminishing his temptations to sin, and increasing his excitements to holiness. And now let us consider what the success of these means was, both as to the Gentile world, and the nation of Israel.

Dr. Taylor justly observes (Key, no. 50), "The Jewish dispensation had respect to the nations of the world, to spread the knowledge and obedience of God in the earth; and was established for the benefit of all mankind." But how unsuccessful were these means, and all other means used with the heathen nations, so long as this dispensation lasted? Abraham was a person noted in all the principal nations that were then in the world; as in Egypt, and the eastern monarchies: God made his name famous by his wonderful distinguishing dispensations towards him, particularly by so miraculously subduing before him, and his trained servants, those armies of the four eastern kings. This great work of the most high God, Possessor of Heaven and Earth, was greatly taken notice of by Melchizedek; and one would think, should have been sufficient to have awakened the attention and consideration of all the nations in that part of the world, and to have led them to the knowledge and worship of the only true God; especially if considered in conjunction with that miraculous and most terrible destruction of Sodom, and all the cities of the plain, for their wickedness, with Lot's miraculous deliverance; which doubtless were facts, that in their day were much famed abroad in the world. But there is not the least appearance, in any accounts we have, of any considerable good effect. On the contrary, those nations which were most in the way of observing and being affected with these things, even the nations of Canaan, grew worse

and worse, till their iniquity came to the full, in Joshua's time. And the posterity of Lot, the saint so wonderfully distinguished, soon became some of the most gross idolaters; as they appear to have been in Moses' time. (See Num. 25.) Yea, and the far greater part even of Abraham's posterity, the children of Ishmael, Zimran, Johshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah, and Esau, soon forgot the true God, and fell off to heathenism.

Great things were done in the sight of the nations of the world, tending to awaken them, and lead them to the knowledge and obedience of the true God, in Jacob's and Joseph's time; in that God did miraculously, by the hand of Joseph, preserve from perishing by famine, as it were the whole world; as appears by Gen. 41:56, 57. Agreeably to which, the name that Pharaoh gave to Joseph, Zaphnath-Paaneah, as is said, in the Egyptian language, signifies "savior of the world." But there does not appear to have been any good abiding effect of this; no, not so much as in the nation of the Egyptians (which seems to have been the chief of all the heathen nations at that day) who had these great works of Jehovah in their most immediate view: on the contrary, they grew worse and worse, and seem to be far more gross in their idolatries, and ignorance of the true God, and every way more wicked, and ripe for ruin, when Moses was sent to Pharaoh, than they were in Joseph's time.

After this, in Moses and Joshua's time, the great God was pleased to manifest himself in a series of the most astonishing miracles, for about fifty years together, wrought in the most public manner, in Egypt, in the wilderness, and in Canaan, in the view as it were of the whole world; miracles by which the world was shaken, the whole frame of the visible creation, earth, seas and rivers, the atmosphere, the clouds, sun, moon and stars, were affected; miracles greatly tending to convince the nations of the world of the vanity of their

false gods, shewing Jehovah to be infinitely above them, in the thing wherein they dealt most proudly, and exhibiting God's awful displeasure at the wickedness of the heathen world. And these things are expressly spoken of as one end of these great miracles, in Ex. 9:15, Num. 14:21, Josh. 14:13, 14, and other places. However, no reformation followed these things; but by the Scripture account, the nations which had them most in view, were dreadfully hardened, stupidly refusing all conviction and reformation, and obstinately went on in an opposition to the living God, to their own destruction.

After this, God did from time to time, very publicly manifest himself to the nations of the world, by wonderful works wrought in the time of the Judges, of a like tendency with those already mentioned. Particularly in so miraculously destroying by the hand of Gideon, almost the whole of that vast army of the Midianites, Amalekites, and all the children of the East, consisting of about 135,000 men (Judg. 7:12, and 8:12). But no reformation followed this or the other great works of God, wrought in the times of Deborah and Barak, Jephthah and Samson.

After these things, God used new, and in some respects much greater means with the heathen world, to bring them to the knowledge and service of the true God, in the days of David and Solomon. He raised up David, a man after his own heart, a most fervent worshipper of the true God, and zealous hater of idols, and subdued before him almost all the nations between Egypt and Euphrates; often miraculously assisting him in his battles with his enemies: and he confirmed Solomon his son in the full and quiet possession of that great empire, for about forty years; and made him the wisest, richest, most magnificent, and every way the greatest monarch that ever had been in the world; and by far the most famous, and of greatest name among the nations; especially for his wisdom, and things concerning

the name of his God; particularly the temple he built, which was "exceeding mangificent, that it might be of fame and glory throughout all lands" (1 Chron. 22:5). And we are told, that there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth (1 Kgs. 4:34 and 10:24). And the Scripture informs us, that these great things were done, that the nations in far countries might hear of God's great name, and of his outstretched arm; that all the people of the earth might fear him, as well as his people Israel, and that all the people of the earth might know, that the Lord was God, and that there was none else (1 Kgs. 8:41, 42, 43, 60). But still there is no appearance of any considerable abiding effect, with regard to any one heathen nation.

After this, before the captivity into Babylon, many great things were done in the sight of the Gentile nations, very much tending to enlighten, affect and persuade them. As God's destroying the army of the Ethiopians, of a thousand thousand, before Asa; Elijah's and Elisha's miracles; especially Elijah's miraculously confounding Baal's prophets and worshippers; Elisha's healing Naaman, the King of Syria's prime minister, and the miraculous victories obtained through Elisha's prayers, over the Syrians, Moabites and Edomites; the miraculous destruction of the vast united army of the children of Moab, Ammon, and Edom, at Jehoshaphat's prayer (2 Chron. 20), Jonah's preaching at Nineveh, together with the miracle of his deliverance from the whale's belly; which was published, and well attested, as a sign to confirm his preaching: but more especially that great work of God, in destroying Sennacherib's army by an angel, for his contempt of the God of Israel, as if he had been no more than the gods of the heathen.

When all these things proved ineffectual, God took a new method with the heathen world, and used, in some respects, much greater

means to convince and reclaim them, than ever before. In the first place, his people, the Jews, were removed to Babylon, the head and heart of the heathen world (Chaldea having been very much the fountain of idolatry) to carry thither the revelations which God had made of himself, contained in the sacred writings; and there to bear their testimony against idolatry; as some of them, particularly Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, did, in a very open manner, before the king, and the greatest men of the empire, with such circumstances as made their testimony very famous in the world; God confirming it with great miracles; which were published through the empire, by order of its monarch, as the mighty works of the God of Israel, shewing him to be above all gods: Daniel, that great prophet, at the same time being exalted to be governor of all the wise men of Babylon, and one of the chief officers of Nebuchadnezzar's court.

After this, God raised up Cyrus, to destroy Babylon, for its obstinate contempt of the true God, and injuriousness towards his people; according to the prophecies of Isaiah, speaking of him by name, instructing him concerning the nature and dominion of the true God (Is. 45). Which prophecies were probably shewn to him, whereby he was induced to publish his testimony concerning the god of Israel, as the God (Ezra 1:2, 3). Daniel, about the same time, being advanced to be prime minister of state in the new empire, erected under Darius, and in that place appeared openly as a worshipper of the God of Israel, and him alone; God confirming his testimony for him, before the king, and all the grandees of his kingdom, by preserving him in the den of lions; whereby Darius was induced to publish to all people, nations and languages, that dwelt in all the earth, his testimony, that the God of Israel was the living God and steadfast forever, etc.

When after the destruction of Babylon, some of the Jews returned to their own land, multitudes never returned, but were dispersed abroad, through many parts of the vast Persian empire; as appears by the book of Esther. And many of 'em afterwards, as good histories inform, were removed into the more western parts of the world; and so were dispersed as it were all over the heathen world, having the holy Scriptures with them, and synagogues everywhere, for the worship of the true God. And so it continued to be, to the days of Christ and his apostles; as appears by the Acts of the Apostles. Thus that light, which God had given them, was in the providence of God, carried abroad into all parts of the world; so that now they had far greater advantages, to come to the knowledge of the truth, in matters of religion, if they had been disposed to improve their advantages.

And besides all these things, from about Cyrus' time, learning and philosophy increased, and was carried to a great height. God raised up a number of men of prodigious genius, to instruct others, and improve their reason and understanding, in the nature of things: and philosophic knowledge having gone on to increase for several ages, seemed to be got to its height before Christ came, or about that time.

And now let it be considered what was the effect of all these things. Instead of a reformation, or any appearance or prospect of it, the heathen world in general rather grew worse. As Dr. Winder observes, "The inveterate absurdities of pagan idolatry continued without remedy, and increased as arts and learning increased; and paganism prevailed in all its height of absurdity, when pagan nations were polished to the height, and in the most polite cities and countries; and thus continued to the last breath of pagan power." And so it was with respect to wickedness in general, as well as idolatry; as appear by what the apostle Paul observes in Rom. 1—Dr. Taylor, speaking of the time when the gospel-scheme was introduced (Key, no. 257) says,

"The moral and religious state of the heathen was very deplorable, being generally sunk into great ignorance, gross idolatry, & abominable vice." Abominable vices prevailed, not only among the common people, but even among their philosophers themselves, yea, some of the chief of them, and of greatest genius; so Dr. Taylor himself observes, as to that detestable vice of sodomy, which they commonly and openly allowed and practised without shame. (See Dr. Taylor's Note on Rom. 1:27.)

Having thus considered the state of the heathen world, with regard to the effect of means used for its reformation, during the Jewish dispensation, from the first foundation of it in Abraham's time; let us now consider how it was with that people themselves, that were distinguished with the peculiar privileges of that dispensation. The means used with the heathen nations, were great; but they were small, if compared with those used with the Israelites. The advantages by which that people were distinguished, are represented in Scripture as vastly above all parallel, in passages which Dr. Taylor takes notice of (Key no. 39). And he reckons these privileges among those which he calls antecedent blessings, consisting in motives to virtue and obedience; and says (Key no. 51), "That this was the very end and design of the dispensation of God's extraordinary favors to the Jews, viz. to engage them to duty and obedience, or that it was a scheme for promoting virtue, is clear beyond dispute, from every part of the Old Testament." Nevertheless, as has been already shewn, the generality of that people, through all the successive periods of that dispensation, were men of a wicked character. But it will be more abundantly manifest, how strong the natural bias to iniquity appeared to be among that people, by considering more particularly how things were with them from time to time.

Notwithstanding the great things God had done in the times of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to separate them and their posterity from the idolatrous world, that they might be a holy people to himself; yet in about 200 years after Jacob's death, and in less than 150 years after the death of Joseph, and while some were alive that had seen Joseph, the people had in a great measure lost the true religion, and were apace conforming to the heathen world: when, for a remedy, and the more effectually to alienate them from idols, and engage them to the God of their fathers, God appeared to bring 'em out from among the Egyptians, and separate them from the heathen world, and to reveal himself in his glory and majesty, in so affecting and astonishing a manner, as tended most deeply and durably to impress their minds; that they might never forsake him more. But so perverse were they, that they murmured even in the midst of the miracles that God wrought for 'em in Egypt, and murmured at the Red Sea, in a few days after God had brought them out with such a mighty hand. When he had led them through the sea, they sang his praise, but soon forgat his works. Before they got to Mount Sinai, they openly manifested their perverseness from time to time; so that God says of 'em (Ex. 16:28), "How long refuse ye to keep my commandments, and my laws?" Afterwards they murmured again at Rephedim.

In about two months after they came out of Egypt, they came to Mount Sinai; where God entered into a most solemn covenant with the people, that they should be an holy people unto him, with such astonishing manifestations of his power, majesty and holiness, as were altogether unparalleled: as God puts the people in mind (Deut. 4:32–34), "For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth; and ask from one side of heaven unto the other; whether there has been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it. Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as

thou hast heard, and live? Or hath God assayed to go and take him a nation from the midst of another nation" etc. And these great things were to that end, to impress their minds with such a conviction and sense of divine truth, and their obligations to their duty, that they might never forget them: as God says (Ex. 19:9), "Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee forever." But what was the effect of all? Why, it was not more than two or three months, before that people, there, under that very mountain, returned to their old Egyptian idolatry, and were singing and dancing before a golden calf, which they had set up to worship. And after such awful manifestations as there were of God's displeasure for that sin, and so much done to bring 'em to repentance, and confirm 'em in obedience, it was but a few months before they came to that violence of spirit, in open rebellion against God, that with the utmost vehemence they declared their resolution to follow God no longer, but to make them a captain to return into Egypt. And thus they went on in ways of perverse opposition to the Most High, from time to time, repeating their open acts of rebellion, in the midst of continued astonishing miracles, till that generation was destroyed. And though the following generation seems to have been the best that ever was in Israel; yet notwithstanding their good example, and notwithstanding all the wonders of God's power and love to that people, in Joshua's time, how soon did that people degenerate, and begin to forsake God, and join with the heathen in their idolatries, till God by severe means, and by sending prophets and judges, extraordinarily influenced from above, reclaimed them? But when they were brought to some reformation by such means, they soon fell away again into the practice of idolatry; and so from time to time, from one age to another; and nothing proved effectual for any abiding reformation.

After things had gone on thus for several hundred years, God used new methods with his people, in two respects; first, he raised up a great prophet, under whom a number of young men were trained up in schools, that from among them there might be a constant succession of great prophets in Israel, of such as God should choose; which seems to have been continued for more than 500 years. Secondly, God raised up a great king, David, one eminent for wisdom, piety and fortitude, to subdue all their heathen neighbors, who used to be such a snare to 'em; and to confirm, adorn and perfect the institutions of his public worship; and by him to make a more full revelation of the great salvation, and future glorious kingdom of the Messiah. And after him, raised up his son Solomon, the wisest and greatest prince that ever was on earth, more fully to settle and establish those things which his father David had begun, concerning the public worship of God in Israel, and to build a glorious temple for the honor of Jehovah, and the institutions of his worship, and to instruct the neighbor nations in true wisdom and religion. But as to the success of these new and extraordinary means, if we take Dr. Taylor for our expositor of Scripture, the nation must be extremely corrupt in David's time: for he supposes, he has respect to his own times, in those words (Ps. 14:2, 3), "The Lord looked down from heaven […] to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God: they are all gone aside; they are together become filthy; there is none that doth good; no, not one." But whether Dr. Taylor be in the right in this, or not, yet if we consider what appeared in Israel, in Absalom's and Sheba's rebellion, we shall not see cause to think that the greater part of the nation at that day were men of true wisdom and piety. As to Solomon's time, Dr. Taylor supposes, as has been already observed, that Solomon speaks of his own times, when he says he had found but one in a thousand that was a thoroughly upright man. However, it appears that all those great means used to promote and establish virtue and true religion, in Samuel's, David's

and Solomon's times, were so far from having any general abiding good effect in Israel, that Solomon himself, with all his wisdom, and notwithstanding the unparalleled favors of God to him, had his mind corrupted, so as openly to tolerate idolatry in the land, and greatly to provoke God against him. And as soon as he was dead, ten tribes of the twelve forsook the true worship of God, and instead of it, openly established the like idolatry, that the people fell into at Mount Sinai, when they made the golden calf; and continued finally obstinate in this apostacy, notwithstanding all means that could be used with them by the prophets, which God sent, one after another, to reprove, counsel and warn them, for about 250 years; especially those two great prophets, Elijah and Elisha. Of all the kings that reigned over them there was not so much as one but what was of a wicked character. And at last it came to that, that their case seemed utterly desperate; so that nothing remained to be done with them, but to remove 'em out of God's sight. Thus the Scripture represents the matter (2 Kgs. 17).

And as to the other two tribes; though their kings were always of the family of David, and they were favored in many respects, far beyond their brethren, yet they were generally exceeding corrupt: their kings were most of 'em wicked men, and their other magistrates, and priests and people, were generally agreed in the corruption. Thus the matter is represented in the Scripture-history, and the books of the prophets. And when they had seen how God had cast off the ten tribes, instead of taking warning, they made themselves vastly more vile than ever the other had done; as appears by 2 Kgs. 17:18, 19; Ezek. 16:46, 47, 51. God indeed waited longer upon them, for his servant David's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake, that he had chosen; and used more extraordinary means with them; especially by those great prophets, Isaiah and Jeremiah; but to no effect. So that at last it came to this, as the prophets represent the matter, that they were

like a body universally and desperately diseased and corrupted, that would admit of no cure, the whole head sick, and the whole heart faint, etc. Things being come to that pass, God took this method with them: he utterly destroyed their city and land, and the temple which he had among them, made thorough work in purging the land of 'em; as when a man empties a dish, wipes it, and turns it upside down; or when a vessel is cast into a fierce fire, till its filthiness is thoroughly burnt out (2 Kgs. 21:13. Ezek. 24). They were carried into captivity, and there left till that wicked generation was dead, and those old rebels were purged out; that afterwards the land might be resettled with a more pure generation.

After the return from the captivity, and God had built the Jewish church again in their own land, by a series of wonderful providences; yet they corrupted themselves again, to so great a degree, that the transgressors were come to the full again in the days of Antiochus Epiphanes; as the matter is represented in the prophecy of Daniel (Dan. 8:27). And then God made them the subjects of a dispensation, little, if anything, less terrible than that which had been in Nebuchadnezzar's days. And after God had again delivered 'em, and restored the state of religion among them, by the instrumentality of the Maccabees, they degenerated again: so that when Christ came, they were arrived to that extreme degree of corruption, which is represented in the accounts given by the evangelists.

It may be observed here in general, that the Jews, though so vastly distinguished with advantages, means and motives to holiness, yet are represented as coming, from time to time, to that degree of corruption and guilt, that they were more wicked, in the sight of God, than the very worst of the heathen. As of old, God sware by his life, that the wickedness of Sodom was small, compared with that of the Jews (Ezek. 16:47, 48 etc., also ch. 5:5–10). So, Christ speaking of the

Jews, in his time, represents 'em as having much greater guilt than the inhabitants of Tyre and Sidon, or even Sodom and Gomorrah.

But we are now come to the time when the grandest scene was displayed, that ever was opened on earth. After all other schemes had been so long and so thoroughly tried, and had so greatly failed of success, both among Jews and Gentiles; that wonderful dispensation was at length introduced, which was the greatest scheme for the suppressing and restraining iniquity among mankind, that ever infinite wisdom and mercy contrived; even the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ. "A new dispensation of grace was erected," to use Dr. Taylor's own words (pp. 239, 240), "for the more certain, and effectual sanctification of mankind, into the image of God; the delivering them from sin and wickedness, into which they might fall, or were already fallen; to redeem 'em from all iniquity, and bring 'em to the knowledge and obedience of God." In whatever high and exalted terms the Scripture speaks of the means and motives which the Jews enjoyed of old; yet their privileges are represented as having no glory, in comparison of the advantages of the gospel. Dr. Taylor's words in p. 233 are worthy to be here repeated.

"Even the heathen," says he, "knew God, and might have glorified him as God, but under the glorious light of the gospel, we have very clear ideas of the divine perfections, and particularly of the love of God as our father, and as the God and father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We see our duty in the utmost extent, and the most cogent reasons to perform it: we have eternity opened to us, even an endless state of honor and felicity, the reward of virtuous actions; and the spirit of God promised for our direction and assistance. And all this may and ought to be applied to the purifying our minds, and the perfecting of holiness. And to these happy advantages, we are born: for which we are bound for ever to praise and magnify the rich

grace of God in the Redeemer." And he elsewhere says, "The gospelconstitution is a scheme the most perfect and effectual for restoring true religion, and promoting virtue and happiness, that ever the world has yet seen." And "admirably adapted to enlighten our minds and sanctify our hearts";7 and "never were motives so divine and powerful proposed, to induce us to the practice of all virtue and goodness."

And yet even these means have been ineffectual upon the far greater part of them with whom they have been used; of the many that have been called, few have been chosen.

As to the Jews, God's ancient people, with whom they were used in the first place, and used long by Christ and his apostles, the generality of them rejected Christ and his gospel, with extreme pertinaciousness of spirit. They not only went on still in that career of corruption, which had been increasing from the time of the Maccabees; but Christ's coming, and his doctrine and miracles, and the preaching of his followers, and the glorious things that attended the same, were the occasion, through their perverse improvement, of an infinite increase of their wickedness. They crucified the Lord of Glory, with the utmost malice and cruelty, and persecuted his followers; they pleased not God, and were contrary to all men; and went on to grow worse and worse, till they filled up the measure of their sin, and wrath came upon them to the uttermost; and they were destroyed, and cast out of God's sight, with unspeakably greater tokens of the divine abhorrence and indignation, than in the days of Nebuchadnezzar. The bigger part of the whole nation were slain, and the rest were scattered abroad through the earth, in the most abject and forlorn circumstances. And in the same spirit of unbelief and malice against Christ and the gospel, and in their miserable dispersed circumstances, do they remain to this day.

And as to the Gentile nations, though there was a glorious success of the gospel amongst them, in the apostles' days; yet probably not one in ten of those that had the gospel preached to 'em, embraced it. The powers of the world were set against it, and persecuted it with insatiable malignity. And among the professors of Christianity, there presently appeared in many a disposition to corruption, and to abuse the gospel unto the service of pride and licentiousness. And the apostles in their days foretold a grand apostacy of the Christian world, which should continue many ages; and observed, that there appeared a disposition to such an apostacy, among the professing Christians, even in that day (2 Thess. 2:7). And the greater part of the ages which have now elapsed, have been spent in the duration of that grand and general apostacy, under which the Christian world, as it is called, has been transformed into that which has been vastly more deformed, more dishonorable and hateful to God, and repugnant to true virtue, than the state of the heathen world before: which is agreeable to the prophetical descriptions given of it by the Holy Spirit.

In these latter ages of the Christian church, God has raised up a number of great and good men, to bear testimony against the corruptions of the Church of Rome, and by their means introduced that light into the world, by which, in a short time, at least one third part of Europe were delivered from the more gross enormities of Antichrist: which was attended at first with a great reformation, as to vital and practical religion. But how is the gold soon become dim! To what a pass are things come in Protestant countries at this day, and in our nation in particular! To what a prodigious height has a deluge of infidelity, profaneness, luxury, debauchery and wickedness of every kind, arisen! The poor savage Americans are mere babes and fools (if I may so speak) as to proficiency in wickedness, in comparison of multitudes that the Christian world throngs with. Dr.

Taylor himself, as was before observed, represents, that the "generality of Christians have been the most wicked, lewd, bloody and treacherous, of all mankind"; and says (Key no. 356), "The wickedness of the Christian world renders it so much like the heathen, that the good effects of our change to Christianity are but little seen."

And with respect to the dreadful corruption of the present day, it is to be considered, besides the advantages already mentioned, that great advances in learning and philosophic knowledge have been made in the present and past century, giving great advantage for a proper and enlarged exercise of our rational powers, and for our seeing the bright manifestation of God's perfections in his works. And it is to be observed, that the means and inducements to virtue, which this age enjoys, are in addition to most of those which were mentioned before, as given of old; and among other things, in addition to the shortening of man's life, to 70 or 80 years, from near a thousand. And with regard to this, I would observe that as the case now is in Christendom, take one with another of them that ever come to years [of] discretion, their life is not more than forty or forty-five years; which is but about the twentieth part of what it once was: and not so much in great cities, places where profaneness, sensuality and debauchery, commonly prevail to the greatest degree.

Dr. Taylor (Key, no. 1) truly observes, that God has from the beginning exercised wonderful and infinite wisdom, in the methods he has, from age to age, made use of to oppose vice, cure corruption, and promote virtue in the world; and introduced several schemes to that end. 'Tis indeed remarkable, how many schemes and methods were tried of old, both before and after the flood; how many were used in the times of the Old Testament, both with Jews and heathens; and ineffectual all these ancient methods proved, for 4000

years together, till God introduced that grand dispensation, for the redeeming [of] men from all iniquity, and purifying them to himself, a people zealous of good works; which the Scripture represents as the subject of the admiration of angels. But even this has, now so long, proved so ineffectual, with respect to the generality, that Dr. Taylor thinks "there is need of a new dispensation, Christians being now," as he says, "in a manner reduced to a state of religion, as low as that of heathenism, & may be ranked among the dead; the present light of the gospel proving insufficient for the full reformation of the Christian world" (Note on Rom. 1:27). And yet all these things, according to him, without any natural bias to the contrary; no stream of natural inclination or propensity at all, to oppose inducements to goodness; no native opposition of heart, to withstand those gracious means, which God has ever used with mankind, from the beginning of the world to this day; any more than there was in the heart of Adam, the moment God created him in perfect innocence.

Surely Dr. Taylor's scheme is attended with strange paradoxes. And that his mysterious tenets may appear in a true light, it must be observed, at the same time while he supposes these means, even the very greatest and best of 'em, to have proved so ineffectual, that help from them, as to any general reformation, is to be despaired of; yet he maintains, that all mankind, even the heathen in all parts of the world, yea, every single person in it (which must include every Indian in America, before the Europeans came hither; and every inhabitant of the unknown parts of Africa, and Terra Australis) has ability, light, and means sufficient, to do their whole duty; yea (as many passages in his writings plainly suppose) to perform perfect obedience to God's law, without the least degree of vice or iniquity.

But I must not omit to observe, Dr. Taylor supposes that the reason why the gospel-dispensation has been so ineffectual, is that it has

been greatly misunderstood and perverted. In [Key] p. 183 he says, "Wrong representations of the scheme of the gospel have greatly obscured the glory of divine grace, and contributed much to the corruption of its professors. Such doctrines have been almost universally taught and received, as quite subvert it. Mistaken notions about nature, grace, election and reprobation, justification, regeneration, redemption, calling, adoption, etc. have quite taken away the very ground of the Christian life."

But how came the gospel to be so universally and exceedingly misunderstood? Is it because it is in itself so very dark and unintelligible, and not adapted to the apprehension of the human faculties? If so, how is the possession of such an obscure and unintelligible thing, so unspeakable and glorious an advantage? Or is it because of the native blindness, corruption and superstition of mankind? But this is giving up the thing in question, and allowing a great depravity of nature. And Dr. Taylor speaks of the gospel as far otherwise than dark and unintelligible; he represents it as exhibiting the clearest and most glorious light, to deliver the world from darkness, and bring 'em into marvellous light. He speaks of the light which the Jews had, under the Mosaic dispensation, as vastly exceeding the light of nature, which the heathen enjoyed: and yet he supposes, that even the latter was so clear, as to be sufficient to lead men to the knowledge of God, and their whole duty to him. And he speaks of the light of the gospel as vastly exceeding the light of the Old Testament. He says of the apostle Paul in particular, "That he wrote with great perspicuity; that he takes great care to explain every part of his subject; that he has left no part of it unexplained and unguarded; and that never was an author more exact and cautious in this." Is it not strange therefore, that the Christian world, without any native depravity to prejudice and darken their minds, should be so blind in the midst of such glaring light, as to be all, or the

generality, agreed, from age to age, so essentially to misunderstand that which is made so very plain?

Dr. Taylor says (p. 443), " 'Tis my opinion, that the Christian religion was very early and grievously corrupted, by dreaming, ignorant, superstitious monks, too conceited to be satisfied with plain gospel; and has long remained in that deplorable state." But how came the whole Christian world, without any blinding depravity, to hearken to these ignorant foolish men, rather than unto wiser and better teachers? Especially, when the latter had plain gospel on their side, and the doctrines of the other were (as our author supposes) so very contrary not only to the plain gospel, but to men's reason and common sense! Or were all the teachers of the Christian church nothing but a parcel of ignorant dreamers? If so, this is very strange indeed, unless mankind naturally love darkness, rather than light; seeing in all parts of the Christian world, there was so great a multitude of those in the work of the ministry, who had the gospel in their hands, and whose whole business it was to study and teach it; and therefore had infinitely greater advantages to become truly wise, than the heathen philosophers. But if it did happen so, by some strange and inconceivable means, that notwithstanding all these glorious advantages, all the teachers of the Christian church through the world, without any native evil propensity, very early became silly dreamers, and also in their dreaming, generally stumbled on the same individual monstrous opinions, and so the world might be blinded for a while; yet why did not they hearken to that wise and great man, Pelagius, and others like him, when he plainly held forth the truth to the Christian world? Especially seeing his instructions were so agreeable to the plain doctrines, and the bright and clear light of the gospel of Christ, and also so agreeable to the plainest dictates of the common sense and understanding of all mankind; but the other so repugnant to it, that (according to our author) if they

were true, it would prove understanding to be no understanding, and the word of God to be no rule of truth, nor at all to be relied upon, and God to be a being worthy of no regard!

And besides, if the ineffectualness of the gospel to restrain sin and promote virtue, be owing to the general prevalence of these doctrines, which are supposed to be so absurd and contrary to the gospel, here is this further to be accounted for; namely, why, since there has been so great an increase of light in religious matters (as must be supposed on Dr. Taylor's scheme) in this and the last age, and these monstrous doctrines of original sin, election, reprobation, justification, regeneration, etc. have been so much exploded, especially in our nation, there has been no reformation attending this great advancement of light and truth: but on the contrary, vice and everything that is opposite to practical Christianity, has gone on to increase, with such a prodigious celerity, as to become like an overflowing deluge, threatening, unless God mercifully interposes, speedily to swallow up all that is left of what is virtuous and praiseworthy.

Many other things might have been mentioned under this head, of the means which mankind have had to restrain vice, and promote virtue; such as—wickedness being many ways contrary to men's temporal interest and comfort in this world, and their having continually before their eyes so many instances of persons made miserable by their vices; the restraints of human laws, without which men cannot live in society; the judgments of God brought on men for their wickedness, with which history abounds, and the providential rewards of virtue; and innumerable particular means, that God has used from age to age, to curb the wickedness of mankind, which I have omitted. But there would be no end of a particular enumeration of such things. Enough has been said. They that will not be convinced

by the instances which have been mentioned, probably would not be convinced, if the world had stood a thousand times so long, and we had the most authentic and certain accounts of means having been used from the beginning, in a thousand times greater variety; and new dispensations had been introduced, after others had been tried in vain, ever so often, and still to little effect. He that won't be convinced by a thousand good witnesses, 'tis not likely that he would be convinced by a thousand thousand. The proofs that have been extant in the world, from trial and fact, of the depravity of men's nature, are inexpressible, and as it were infinite, beyond the representation of all comparison and similitude. If there were a piece of ground, which abounded with briars and thorns, or some poisonous plant, and all mankind had used their endeavors, for a thousand years together, to suppress that evil growth, and to bring that ground by manure and cultivation, planting and sowing, to produce better fruit, but all in vain, it would still be overrun with the same noxious growth; it would not be a proof, that such a produce was agreeable to the nature of that soil, in any wise to be compared to that which is given in divine providence, that wickedness is a produce agreeable to the nature of the field of the world of mankind; which has had means used with it, that have been so various, great and wonderful, contrived by the unsearchable and boundless wisdom of God; medicines procured with infinite expense, exhibited with so vast an apparatus; so marvelous a succession of dispensations, introduced one after another, displaying an incomprehensible length and breadth, depth and height, of divine wisdom, love and power, and every perfection of the Godhead, to the eternal admiration of the principalities and powers in heavenly places.

SECTION 9. SEVERAL EVASIONS OF THE ARGUMENTS FOR THE DEPRAVITY OF NATURE, FROM TRIAL AND EVENTS, CONSIDERED

EVASION I. Dr. Taylor says (pp. 231, 232),

"Adam's nature, it is allowed, was very far from being sinful; yet he sinned. And therefore, the common doctrine of original sin, is no more necessary to account for the sin that hath been in the world, than it is to account for Adam's sin."

Again (p. 328, etc.), "If we allow mankind to be as wicked as R.R. represented them to be; and suppose that there is not one upon earth that is truly righteous, and without sin, and that some are very enormous sinners, yet it will not thence follow, that they are naturally corrupt.… For, if sinful action infers [implies] a nature originally corrupt, then, whereas Adam (according to them that hold the doctrine of original sin) committed the most heinous and aggravated sin, that ever was committed in the world; for, according to them, he had greater light than any other man in the world, to know his duty, and greater power than any other man to fulfill it, and was under greater obligations than any other men to obedience; he sinned when he knew he was the representative of millions, and that the happy or miserable state of all mankind depended on his conduct; which never was, nor can be, the case of any other man in the world:—then, I say, it will follow, that his nature was originally corrupt, etc.… Thus, their argument from the wickedness of mankind, to prove a sinful and corrupt nature, must inevitably and irrecoverably fall to the ground—which will appear more abundantly, if we take in the case of the angels; who in numbers sinned and kept not their first estate, though created with a nature superior to Adam's." Again (p. 421) "When it is enquired, how it comes to pass that our appetites and passions are not so irregular and strong, as that not one person has resisted them, so as to keep himself pure and innocent? If this be the case, if such as make the enquiry will tell the world, how it came to pass that Adam's appetites and passions were

so irregular and strong, that he did not resist them, so as to keep himself pure and innocent, when upon their principles he was far more able to have resisted them; I also will tell them how it comes to pass, that his posterity don't resist them. Sin doth not alter its nature, by its being general; and therefore, how far soever it spreads, it must come upon all just as it came upon Adam."

These things are delivered with much assurance. But is there any reason in such a way of talking? One thing implied in it, and the main thing, if anything at all to the purpose, is, that because an effect's being general don't alter the nature of the effect, therefore nothing more can be argued concerning the cause, from its happening constantly, and in the most steady manner, than from its happening but once. But how contrary is this to reason? If such a case should happen, that a person, through the deceitful persuasions of a pretended friend, once takes an unwholesome and poisonous draught, of a liquor which he had no inclination to before; but after he has once taken of it, he be observed to act as one that has an insatiable, incurable thirst after more of the same in his constant practice, and acts often repeated, and obstinately continued in as long as he lives, against all possible arguments and endeavors used to dissuade him from it; and we should from hence argue a fixed inclination, and begin to suspect that this is the nature and operation of the poison, to produce such an inclination, or that this strong propensity is some way the consequence of the first draught; in such a case, could it be said with good reason, that a fixed propensity can no more be argued from his consequent constant practice, than from his first draught? Or, if we suppose a young man, no otherwise than soberly inclined, and enticed by wicked companions, should drink to excess, until he had got a habit of excessive drinking and should come under the power of a greedy appetite after strong drink, so that drunkenness should become a common and constant practice with

him; and some observer, arguing from this his general practice, should say, "It must needs be, that this young man has a fixed inclination to that sin; otherwise, how should it come to pass that he should make such a trade of it?" And another, ridiculing the weakness of his arguing, should reply, "Do you tell me how it came to pass, that he was guilty of that sin the first time without a fixed inclination, and I'll tell you how he is guilty of it so generally without a fixed inclination. Sin don't alter its nature by being general: and therefore, how common soever it becomes, it must come at all times by the same means that it came at first." I leave it to everyone to judge, who would be chargeable with weak arguing in such a case.

'Tis true, as was observed before, there is no effect without some cause, occasion, ground or reason of that effect, and some cause answerable to the effect. But certainly it will not follow from thence, that a transient effect requires a permanent cause, or a fixed influence and propensity. An effect's happening once, though the effect may be great, yea, though it may come to pass on the same occasion in many subjects at the same time, will not prove any fixed propensity, or permanent influence. 'Tis true, it proves an influence great and extensive, answerable to the effect, once exerted, or once effectual; but it proves nothing in the cause fixed or constant. If a particular tree, or a great number of trees standing together, have blasted fruit on their branches at a particular season, yea, if the fruit be very much blasted, and entirely spoiled, it is evident that something was the occasion of such an effect at that time; but this alone don't prove the nature of the tree to be bad. But if it be observed, that those trees, and all other trees of the kind, wherever planted, and in all soils, countries, climates and seasons, and however cultivated and managed, still bear ill fruit, from year to year, and in all ages, it is a good evidence of the evil nature of the tree: and if the fruit, at all these times, and in all these cases, be very bad, it

proves the nature of the tree to be very bad. And if we argue in like manner from what appears among men, 'tis easy to determine, whether the universal sinfulness of mankind, and their all sinning immediately, as soon as capable of it, and all sinning continually, and generally being of a wicked character, at all times, in all ages, and all places, and under all possible circumstances, against means and motives inexpressibly manifold and great, and in the utmost conceivable variety, be from a permanent internal great cause.

If the voice of common sense were attended to, and heard, there would be no occasion for labor in multiplying arguments, and instances, to shew, that one act don't prove a fixed inclination; but that constant practice and pursuit does. We see that it is in fact agreeable to the reason of all mankind, to argue fixed principles, tempers and prevailing inclinations, from repeated and continued actions, though the actions are voluntary, and performed of choice; and thus to judge of the tempers and inclinations of persons, ages, sexes, tribes and nations. But is it the manner of men to conclude, that whatever they see others once do, they have a fixed abiding inclination to do? Yea, there may be several acts seen, and yet they not be taken as good evidence of an established propensity; nay, though attended with that circumstance, that one act, or those several acts are followed with such constant practice, as afterwards evidences fixed disposition. As for example; there may be several instances of a man's drinking some spiritous liquor, and they be no sign of a fixed inclination to that liquor: but these acts may be introductory to a settled habit or propensity, which may be made very manifest afterwards by constant practice.

From these things it is plain, that what is alleged concerning the first sin of Adam, and of the angels, without a previous fixed disposition to sin, can't in the least injure or weaken the arguments which have

been brought to prove a fixed propensity to sin in mankind in their present state. The thing which the permanence of the cause has been argued from, is the permanence of the effect. And that the permanent cause consists in an internal fixed propensity, and not any particular external circumstances, has been argued from the effect's being the same, through a vast variety and change of circumstances. Which things don't take place with respect to the first act of sin that Adam or the angels were guilty of; which first acts, considered in themselves, were no permanent continued effects. And though a great number of the angels sinned, and the effect on that account was the greater, and more extensive; yet this extent of the effect is a very different thing from that permanence, or settled continuance of the effect, which is supposed to shew a permanent cause, or fixed influence or propensity. Neither was there any trial of a vast variety of circumstances attending a permanent effect, to shew the fixed cause to be internal, consisting in a settled disposition of nature, in the instances objected. And however great the sin of Adam, or of the angels, was, and however great means, motives and obligations they sinned against; whatever may be thence argued concerning the transient cause, occasion or temptation, as being very subtile, remarkably tending to deceive and seduce, or otherwise great; yet it argues nothing of any settled disposition, or fixed cause at all, either great or small; the effect both in the angels and our first parents, being in itself transient, and for aught appears, happening in each of them, under one system or coincidence of influential circumstances.

The general continued wickedness of mankind, against such means and motives, proves each of these things, viz. that the cause is fixed, and that the fixed cause is internal, in man's nature, and also that it is very powerful. It proves the first, namely, that the cause is fixed, because the effect is so abiding, through so many changes. It proves

the second, that is, that the fixed cause is internal, because the circumstances are so various: the variety of means and motives is one thing that is to be referred to the head of variety of circumstances: and they are that kind of circumstances, which above all others proves this; for they are such circumstances as can't possibly cause the effect, being most opposite to the effect in their tendency. And it proves the third, viz. the greatness of the internal cause, or the powerfulness of the propensity; because the means which have opposed its influence, have been so great, and yet have been statedly overcome.

But here I may observe by the way, that with regard to the motives and obligations which our first father sinned against, it is not reasonably alleged, that he sinned when he knew his sin would have destructive consequences to all his posterity, and might, in process of time, pave the whole globe with skulls, etc. Seeing 'tis so evident, by the plain account the Scripture gives us of the temptation which prevailed with our first parents to commit that sin, that it was so contrived by the subtlety of the tempter, as first to blind and deceive 'em as to that matter, and to make them believe that their disobedience should be followed with no destruction or calamity at all to themselves (and therefore not to their posterity) but on the contrary, with a great increase and advancement of dignity and happiness.

Evasion II. Let the wickedness of the world be ever so general and great, there is no necessity of supposing any depravity of nature to be the cause: man's own free will is cause sufficient. Let mankind be more or less corrupt, they make themselves corrupt, by their own free choice. This Dr. Taylor abundantly insists upon, in many parts of his book.

But I would ask, how it comes to pass that mankind so universally agree in this evil exercise of their free will? If their wills are in the first place as free to good as evil, what is it to be ascribed to, that the world of mankind consisting of so many millions in so many successive generations, without consultation, all agree to exercise their freedom in favor of evil? If there be no natural tendency of preponderation in the case, then there is as good a chance for the will's being determined to good as evil. If the cause is indifferent, why is not the effect in some measure indifferent? If the balance be no heavier at one end than the other, why does it perpetually and as it were infinitely preponderate one way? How comes it to pass, that the free will of mankind has been determined to evil, in like manner before the flood, and after the flood; under the law, and under the gospel; among both Jews and Gentiles, under the Old Testament; and since that, among Christians, Jews, Mohametans; among Papists and Protestants; in those nations where civility, politeness, arts and learning most prevail, and among the Negroes and Hottentots in Africa, the Tartars in Asia, and Indians in America, towards both the poles, and on every side of the globe; in greatest cities, and obscurest villages; in palaces, and in huts, wigwams and cells under ground? Is it enough, to reply, it happens so, that men everywhere, and at all times choose thus to determine their own wills, and so to make themselves sinful, as soon as ever they are capable of it, and to sin constantly as long as they live, and universally to choose never to come up half way to their duty?

As has been often observed, a steady effect requires a steady cause; but free will, without any previous propensity, to influence its determinations, is no permanent cause; nothing can be conceived of, further from it: for the very notion of freedom of will consisting in self-determining power, implies contingence: and if the will is free in that sense, that it is perfectly free from any government of previous

inclination, its freedom must imply the most absolute and perfect contingence: and surely nothing can be conceived of, more unfixed than that. The notion of liberty of will, in this sense, implies perfect freedom from everything that should previously fix, bind or determine it; that it may be left to be fixed and determined wholly by itself: therefore, its determinations must be previously altogether unfixed. And can that which is so unfixed, so contingent, be a cause sufficient to account for an effect, in such a manner and to such a degree, permanent, fixed and constant?

When men see only one particular person going on in a certain course with great constancy, against all manner of means to dissuade him, do they judge this to be no argument of any fixed disposition of mind, because he being free may determine to do so, if he will, without any such disposition? Or if they see a nation or people that differ greatly from other nations, in such and such instances of their constant conduct, as though their tempers and inclinations were very diverse, and any should deny it to be from any such cause, and should say, we can't judge at all of the temper or disposition of any nation or people by anything observable in their constant practice or behavior, because they have all free will, and therefore may all choose to act so, if they please, without anything in their temper or inclination to bias 'em; would such an account of such effects be satisfying to the reason of mankind? But infinitely further would it be from satisfying a considerate mind, to account for the constant and universal sinfulness of mankind, by saying, that the will of all mankind is free, and therefore all mankind may, if they please, make themselves wicked: they are free when they first begin to act as moral agents, and therefore all may, if they please, begin to sin as soon as they begin to act: they are free as long as they continue to act in the world; and therefore they may all commit sin continually, if they will: men of all nations are free, and therefore all nations may act alike in

these respects, if they please (though some don't know how other nations do act)—men of high and low condition, learned and ignorant, are free; and therefore they may agree in acting wickedly, if they please (though they don't consult together)—men in all ages are free, and therefore men in one age may all agree with men in every other age in wickedness, if they please (though they don't know how men in other ages have acted) etc. etc. Let everyone judge whether such an account of things can satisfy reason.

Evasion III. 'Tis said by many of the opposers of the doctrine of original sin, that the corruption of the world of mankind may be owing, not to a depraved nature, but to bad example. And I think we must understand Dr. Taylor as having respect to the powerful influence of bad instruction and example, when he says (p. 118), "The Gentiles in their heathen state, when incorporated into the body of the Gentile world, were without strength, unable to help or recover themselves." And in several other places to the like purpose. If there was no depravity of nature, what else could there be but bad instruction and example, to hinder the heathen world, as a collective body (for as such Dr. Taylor speaks of 'em, as may be seen pp. 117, 118), from emerging out of their corruption, on the rise of each new generation? As to their bad instruction, our author insists upon it, that the heathen, notwithstanding all their disadvantages, had sufficient light to know God, and do their whole duty to him, as we have observed from time to time. Therefore it must be chiefly bad example, that we must suppose, according to him, rendered their case helpless.

Now concerning this way of accounting for the corruption of the world, by the influence of bad example, I would observe the following things:

1. 'Tis accounting for the thing by the thing itself. It is accounting for the corruption of the world by the corruption of the world. For, that bad examples are general all over the world to be followed by others, and have been so from the beginning, is only an instance, or rather a description of that corruption of the world which is to be accounted for. If mankind are naturally no more inclined to evil than good, then how comes there to be so many more bad examples, than good ones, in all ages? And if there are not, how come the bad examples that are set, to be so much more followed, than the good? If the propensity of man's nature be not to evil, how comes the current of general example, everywhere, and at all times, to be so much to evil? And when opposition has been made by good examples, how comes it to pass that it has had so little effect to stem the stream of general wicked practice?

I think, from the brief account the Scripture gives us of the behavior of the first parents of mankind, the expressions of their faith and hope in God's mercy revealed to them, we have reason to suppose, that before ever they had any children, they repented, and were pardoned, and became truly pious. So that God planted the world at first with a noble vine; and at the beginning of the generations of mankind, he set the stream of example the right way. And we see, that children are more apt to follow the example of their parents, than of any others; especially in early youth, their forming time, when those habits are generally contracted, which abide by them all their days. And besides, Adam's children had no other examples to follow, but those of their parents. How therefore came the stream so soon to turn, and to proceed the contrary way, with so violent a current? Then, when mankind became so universally and desperately corrupt, as not to be fit to live on earth any longer, and the world was everywhere full of bad examples, God destroyed 'em all at once, but only righteous Noah, and his family, to remove those bad examples,

and that the world of mankind might be planted again with good example, and the stream again turned the right way: how therefore came it to pass, that Noah's posterity did not follow his good example, especially when they had such extraordinary things to enforce his example, but so generally, even in his lifetime, became so exceeding corrupt? One would think, the first generations at least, while all lived together as one family, under Noah, their venerable father, might have followed his good example: and if they had done so, then, when the earth came to be divided in Peleg's time, the heads of the several families would have set out their particular colonies with good examples, and the stream would have been turned the right way in all the various divisions, colonies and nations of the world. But we see verily the fact was, that in about fifty years after Noah's death the world in general was overrun with dreadful corruption; so that all virtue and goodness was like soon to perish from among mankind, unless something extraordinary should be done to prevent it.

Then, for a remedy, God separated Abraham and his family from all the rest of the world, that they might be delivered from the influence of bad example, that in his posterity he might have a holy seed. Thus God again planted a noble vine; Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob being eminently pious. But how soon did their posterity degenerate, till true religion was like to be swallowed up? We see how desperately, and almost universally corrupt they were, when God brought 'em out of Egypt, and led them in the wilderness.

Then God was pleased, before he planted his people [in] Canaan, to destroy that perverse generation in the wilderness, that he might plant 'em there a noble vine, wholly a right seed, and set 'em out with good example, in the land where they were to have their settled abode (Jer. 2:21). It is evident, that the generation which came with

Joshua into Canaan, was an excellent generation, by innumerable things said of 'em. But how soon did that people, nevertheless, become the degenerate plant of a strange vine?

And when the nation had a long time proved themselves desperately and incurably corrupt, God destroyed them, and sent 'em into captivity, till the old rebels were dead and purged out, to deliver their children from their evil example: and when the following generation were purified as in a furnace, God planted 'em again, in the land of Israel, a noble vine, and set 'em out with good example; which yet was not followed by their posterity.

When again the corruption was become inveterate and desperate, the Christian church was planted by a glorious outpouring of the spirit of God, causing true virtue and piety to be exemplified in the first age of the church of Christ, far beyond whatever had been on earth before; and the Christian church was planted a noble vine. But that primitive good example has not prevailed, to cause virtue to be generally and steadfastly maintained in the Christian world: to how great a degree it has been otherwise, has already been observed.

After many ages of general and dreadful apostacy, God was pleased to erect the Protestant church, as separated from the more corrupt part of Christendom; and true piety flourished very much in it at first; God planted it a noble vine. But notwithstanding the good examples of the first reformers, what a melancholy pass is the Protestant world come to at this day?

When England grew very corrupt, God brought over a number of pious persons, and planted 'em in New England, and this land was planted with a noble vine. But how is the gold become dim! How greatly have we forsaken the pious examples of our fathers!

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