port; and, in the continual exercise of faith, derive from him all needed supplies of grace.

If we profess to be members of his body, let us move under his influence and in compliance with his directions. Let us honor and reverence our head, and never presumptuously lift up ourselves against it. And God grant, that, speaking the truth in love, we may grow up in all things into Christ our head, and may make increase, as his body, to the edifying of our selves in love.

VOL. III.

SERMON X.

The Depravity of Human Nature.

EPHESIANS ii. 1, 2, 3.

And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; wherein in time past, ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience; among whom also we all had our conversation in times past, in the lusts of the flesh, fulfilling the desires of the lesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath even as others.

IF you will carefully attend to this epistle, you will find that the thoughts expressed in it are closely connected, and one thought leads to another through the whole. Paul, both in his preaching and writing, was an accurate reasoner, not an incoherent declaimer. The thoughts in the text and the words following, arise out of those which immediately precede. He had just described the glorious resurrection, exaltation and dominion of Jesus Christ, which, he tells the Ephesian believers, were pledges and earnests of their final glorification in heaven. "Now," says he, "as God has raised up Christ your head, and set him at his own right hand; so he has quickened you, who once were dead in your sins, and raised you up with Christ, and made you sit together in heavenly places in him. That the glorious hope, the blessed inheritance, and

the happy resurrection, of which I have spoken, will be your portion, you may learn from that, which God has already done for you. He has quickened you who were dead in your sins; he has made you meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints; he has raised up your head, Christ Jesus, and has placed him, and in him has placed your nature, already in heaven. And if the head is raised, the members will follow. If you believe that Jesus is risen, you must believe, that them who sleep in Jesus, God will bring with him; for he is the first fruits of them who sleep, and because he lives, they will live also."

That the Ephesians might have the more admiring sentiments of the power and grace of God in quickening them to a spiritual life, and raising them to a hope of the heavenly inheritance, he leads them to the contemplation of that dismal state of corruption and guilt, in which the gospel found them. A description of that state is contained in the words which I have read. The several expressions, by which he describes their past condition, I shall now explain and illustrate. And let us remember that the description is applicable to other sinners, as well as to those ancient Gentiles. This general application the Apostle teaches us to make.

I. He expresses their state in more general terms. "They were dead in trespasses and sins." What is here said of them, is elsewhere said of all under the power of sin: "They are dead, while they live." Hence conversion is called "a rising from the dead ;” and "a passing from death to life." These expressions, however, being figurative, must be understood with proper qualifications.

Sinners possess the natural faculties of men; and in their worldly affairs they often exercise such prudence and activity, that our Saviour once observed, "the children of this world are, in their generation, wiser than the children of light." Their deadness consists,

not in the want, but in the perversion of the intellectual powers: And their recovery consists, not in the creation of new faculties, but in the holy direction of the faculties which they have. They are, then, to be addressed as rational beings; truth is to be placed before them; arguments are to be proposed to them; the terrors of the law are to be applied for their awakening; and the invitations of the gospel are to be urged for their encouragement. "Come, and let us reason together," says the Almighty to a wicked and de. generate people. "Paul," in the presence of Felix, "reasoned of righteousness, temperance and a future judgment." His design in his preaching was, "to open men's eyes, and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God."

We are not from this description to infer that sinners, in a state of unregeneracy, are on account of their deadness excusable for continuing in that state; for as the state itself is criminal, continuance in it is continued and increasing criminality.

Nor are we from the use of such metaphors to conclude, that sinners under the gospel can do nothing to their conversion, more than the dead to their resurrection; and that therefore it is improper and absurd to exhort them to repentance; for with such exhortations the scripture every where abounds.

It is often asked, whether the unregenerate can do any thing of themselves, which has a tendency to their conversion? But the answer is, They who enjoy the gospel are not left to themselves. If you suppose a man under the power of vicious inclinations, and at the same time destitute of all means of religious knowledge, and without any influence from the spirit of God, you then have the idea of a sinner properly left to himself. But this is not your case. You have the gospel in your hands; and it is daily proclaimed in your hearing There is an agency of the divine Spirit at tending it; and you have been, and, we hope, still are

in some degree the subjects of this agency. With these advantages, there is something which you may do. Confound not your case with that of uninstructed Heathens; for God has made your case different from theirs. in respect of the awakening and convincing motions of the Spirit, as well as in regard of external means, God has been beforehand with you. He fe granted them before you sought them. He has knocked at your door, before you invited him to come in. He still stretches out his hand to the disobedient and gainsaying. When the gospel is called a ministration of the Spirit, and the Spirit is said to be ministered to men in the hearing of faith-when Christ is said to stand at their door and knock, that they may hear and open to him-when the Spirit is said to strive with the wicked-when God promises that he will pour out his spirit on the offspring of his people-when sinners are reproved for having always resisted the Holy Ghost; and when they who oppose the gospel, are said to do despite to the spirit of grace; it is plainly supposed and implied that there is an operation of the Spirit, which attends the publication of the gospel, and which is commonly afforded to them who hear the word of salvation; and that, in consequence of this, they are capable of such an attendance on the instituted means of religion, as may hopefully issue in their real Conversion.

It is sometimes asked, whether any thing done by an unregenerate person can be acceptable to God? The answer depends on the meaning of the word acceptable. If hereby is intended that which intitles to a future reward, the answer must certainly be in the negative. But if by this is meant that which, by the gracious appointment of God, may be useful in order to obtain the renewing influences of the divine Spirit; doubtless, in this sense, something may be done which is acceptable.