not live without thinking; but he does not love to think of God; God is not in all his thoughts. Man delights in activity, is perpetually in motion; but has no heart to act for God. Men take pleasure in conversation, and are never more cheerful than when engaged in it; but if God and religion be introduced, they are usually struck dumb, and discover an inclination to drop the subject. Men greatly delight in hearing and telling news; but if the glorious news of the gospel be sounded in their ears, it frequently proves as unwelcome as Paul's preaching at Athens. In fine, man feels the necessity of a God: but has no relish for the true God. There is a remarkable in-. stance of this in the conduct of those nations planted by the king of Assyria in the cities of Samaria. They were consumed by wild beasts, and considered it as an expression of displeasure from the god of the land. They wished to become acquainted with him, that they might please him. An Israelitish priest is sent to teach them the manner of the god of the land. But when he taught them the fear of Jehovah, his character and worship do not seem to have suited their taste; for each nation preferred the worship of its own gods. 2 Kings xvii.

Crisp. What evidence do you draw. in favour of this doctrine from experience?

Gai. The best of men, whose lives are recorded in holy scripture, have always confessed, and lamented, the depravity of their nature; and I never knew a character truly penitent, but he was convinced of it. It is a strong presumption against the contrary doctrine, that the light-minded and dissipated part of mankind are generally its advocates; while the humBle, the serious, and the godly, as generally acknowledge, with the apostle, that fulfilling the desires of the E

flesh and of the mind, they were by nature children of wrath, even as others.

Crisp. I have several more inquiries to make on this interesting subject, which I must defer till another opportunity.

GAIUS.

AIUS. I think you said, Crispus, at the close of our last conversation, on the depravity of human nature, that you had several questions to ask upon the subject.

Crisp. I did so. No subject has appeared to me more interesting, or more pregnant with important consequences. The doctrine of total depravity, according to your own explication of it, seems to ima ply that all that which is called virtue in unregenerate men is not virtue in reality, and contains nothing in it pleasing to God; is no part of their duty towards him; but, on the contrary, is of the very nature of sin.

Gai. And what if these consequences were admitted?

Crish. I have not been used to consider things in so strong a light. I have generally thought that men are universally depraved; that is, that all their powers, thoughts, volitions, and actions, are tainted with sin; but it never struck me before, that this depravity was total, so total as that all their actions are of the very nature of sin.

Gai. You must admit that this was the doctrine embraced by the English Reformers. They tell us, that "Works done before the grace of Christ, and

the inspiration of his Spirit, are not pleasing to God, forasmuch as they spring not of faith in Jesus Christ; neither do they make men meet to receive grace, or (as the school authors say,) deserve grace of congruity: Yea, rather, for that they are not done as God hath willed and commanded them to be done, we doubt not but they have the nature of sin *."

Crisp. True; but I should have suspected that they had carried things rather to an extreme. There is something so awful in the thought of a human life being one unmixed course of evil; so contrary to what appears in numberless characters, whom we cannot but respect for many amiable qualities, though they do not appear to be the subjects of true religion; in a word, so discouraging to every effort for the attainment of any virtue short of real godliness, that my heart revolts at the idea.

Gai. I am willing to examine every difficulty you can advance. Before you raise your objections, however, your first inquiry, methinks, ought to be, Is it true ?

Crisp. Very well; proceed then to state your evidences.

Gai. The following are the principal evidences which occur to me at present: (1.) All those passages of scripture, cited in the last Dialogue, which expressly teach it; declaring that every imagination, purpose, or desire, of man's heart, is ONLY évi CONTINUALLY— that there is none that seeketh after God-every one of them is gone back-they are altogether become filthythere is none that doeth good, no not one.— -(2.) Those scriptures which declare the utter impossibility of carnal men doing any thing to please God; such as Without faith it is impossible to please God-To be care Art. xiii. of the Church of England.

nally minded is death-because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then, they that are in the flesh cannot please God *. If they that are in the flesh did any part of their duty towards God; or if what they did were good and virtuous in his sight, so far as it goes; their minds would so far be subject to the law of God: and being such, they might and would please him; for God is not a capricious or hard master, but is pleased with righteousness wherever he sees it. (3.) Those scriptures which speak of the whole of goodness or virtue as comprehended in love; namely, the love of God and our neighbour-Love is the fulfilling of the law-Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength, and thy neighbour as thyself.—If the love of God supremely, and the love of creatures subordinately, comprise the whole of virtue, where these are wanting, virtue can have no existence. And that these are wanting in all ungodly men is evident, for they have not the love of God in them; and where God is not loved supremely, creatures cannot be loved in subordination to him; but are either disregarded, or regarded on some other account: such love, therefore, has no virtue in it, but is of the nature of sin.-(4.) Those scriptures which teach the necessity of regeneration to eternal lifeYe must be born again—Except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God—If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature ; old things are passed away, and all things are become new. If there were any degree of virtue in the carnal heart, or any thing that was pleasing to God, it might

* See this passage clearly illustrated, and the truth contained in it fully enforced, in two pieces in the Evangelical Magazine, for August and December, 1793, pp. 72. 239.

be cultivated and increased; and in this case, old things need not pass away, and all things become new. Rege neration would be unnecessary; a mere reformation, or an improvement of principles already inherent in man, would suffice.-(5.) Those scriptures which promise the blessings of salvation and eternal life to every degree of righteousness or true virtue :-All things work together for good to them that LOVE GOD-Christ is the author of eternal salvation to all them that OBEY HIM -He that DOTH RIGHTEOUSNESS, is righteous-They that have DONE GOOD shall rise to the resurrection of life-He that giveth a cup of cold water to a disciple, IN THE NAME OF A DISCIPLE, or because he belongs to Christ, shall have a disciple's reward. In these passages we must observe that God's gracious declarations and promises are not made to this or that degree of goodness, but to every or any degree of it : or rather, it is not the degree, but the nature of it, that is considered in the divine promise. From hence we may certainly conclude, That unregenerate men have not the least degree of real goodness in them, or of any thing that is pleasing to God.

Crisp. I must acknowledge there is much apparent force in these arguments, and I am not at present sufficiently prepared to encounter them; but I have some strong objections in my mind, which I wish to have thoroughly discussed.

Gai. With all my heart. Consider, Crispus, the force of what has been already alleged, and let me . have your objections in the strongest light in which you are capable of arranging them.

Crisp. I will endeavour to comply with your advice, and the result of it shall be the subject of a future discussion.