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Thus I have gone through with my first Argument; having fhewn the Evidence of the Truth of the Propofition I laid down at firft, and proved its Confequence. But there are many other Things, that manifeft a very corrupt Tendency or Difpofition in Man's Nature, in his prefent State, which I fhall take Notice of in the following Sections.

SECT. IV.

The Depravity of Nature appears by a Propensity in all to fin immediately, as foon as they are capable of it, and to fin continually and progreffively; and also by the Remains of Sin in the beft of Men.

THERE

HE great Depravity of Man's Nature appears, not only in that they univerfally commit Sin, who fpend any long Time in the World, but in that Men are naturally fo prone to Sin, that none ever fail of immediately tranfgreffing God's Law, and fo of bringing infinite Guilt on themfelves, and expofing themselves to eternal Perdition, as foon as they are capable of it.

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The Scriptures are fo very express in it, that all Mankind, all Flefb, all the World, every Man living, are guilty of Sin; that it must at least be understood, every one that is come to be capable of being active in Duty to God, or Sin against him, is guilty of Sin. There are Multitudes in the World, who have but very lately begun to exert their Faculties, as moral Agents; and fo are but juft entered on their State of Trial, as acting for themselves. There are many Thousands conftantly

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Chap. I. 1
Sect. IV.

conftantly in the World, who have not lived one Month, or Week, or Day, fince they have arrived to any Period that can be affigned from their Birth to twenty Years of Age. And if there be not a ftrong Propenfity in Man's Nature to Sin, that fhould, as it were, hurry them on to speedy Tranfgreffion, and they have no Guilt previous to their perfonal Sinning, what should hinder but that there might always be a great Number of such as act for themselves on the Stage of the World, and are answerable for themfelves to God, who have hitherto kept themselves free from Sin, and have perfectly obeyed God's Law, and fo are righteous in God's Sight, with the Righteousness of the Law; and if they fhould be called out of the World without any longer Trial (as great Numbers die at all Periods of Life) would be justified by the Deeds of the Law? And how then can it be true, that in God's Sight no Man living can be justified, that no Man can be just with God, and that by the Deeds of the Law no Flesh can be justified, because by the Law is the Knowledge of Sin? And what fhould hinder but that there may always be many in the World, who are capable Subjects of Inftruction and Counfel, and of Prayer to God, for whom the Calls of God's Word to Repentance, and to feek Pardon through the Blood of Chrift, and to forgive others their Injuries, because they need that God fhould forgive them, would not be proper; and for whom the Lord's Prayer is not fuitable, wherein Chrift directs all his Followers to pray, that God would forgive their Sins, as they forgive thofe that trefpafs against them?

If there are any in the World, though but lately. become capable of acting for themselves, as Subjects of the Law of God, who are perfectly free

from

from Sin, fuch are most likely to be found among the Children of Chriftian Parents, who give them the most pious Education, and fet them the best Examples: And therefore fuch would never be fo likely to be found in any Part or Age of the World, as in the primitive Christian Church, in the firft Age of Chriftianity, (the Age of the Church's greatest Purity) fo long after Chriftianity had been eftablished, that there had been Time for great Numbers of Children to be born, and educated by those primitive Chriftians. It was in that Age, and in fuch a Part of that Age, that the Apoítle John wrote his firft Epiftle to the Chriftians that then were. But if there was then a Number of them come to Understanding, who were perfectly free from Sin, why does he write as he does? John i. 8, 9, 10. If we say that we have no Sin, we deceive ourselves, and the Truth is not in us. If we confess our Sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our Sins, and to cleanfe us from all Unrighteousness. If we say that we have not finned, we make him a Liar, and the Truth is not in us*.

Again,

*If any fhould object, that this is an overtraining of Things; and that it fuppofes a greater Nicenefs and Exactnefs than is obferved in Scripture Reprefentations and Expreffions, to infer from thefe Expreffions, that all Men fin imme diately as foon as ever they are capable of it. To this I would fay, that I think the Arguments ufed are truly folid, and do really and juftly conclude, either that Men are born guilty, and fo are chargeable with Sin before they come to act for themfelves, or elfe commit Sin immediately, without the leaft Time intervening, after they are capable of understanding their Obligations to God, and reflecting on themfelves; and that the Scripture clearly determines, there is not one fuch Perfon in the World, free from Sin. But whether this be a ftraining Things up to too great an Exactnefs, or not; yet fuppofe, None that do not entirely let afide the Senfe of fuch Scriptures as have been mentioned, and deny thofe Propofitions which Dr. T. himfelf allows to be contained in fome of them,

Se&t. IV.

Again, the Reality and Greatness of the Depravity of Man's Nature appears in this, That he has a prevailing Propenfity to be continually finning against God. What has been obferved above, will clearly prove this. That fame Difpofition of Nature, which is an effectual Propensity to immediate Sin, amounts to a Propenfity to continual Sin. For a being prone to continual finning, is nothing but a Proneness to immediate Sin continued. Such appears to be the Tendency of Nature to Sin, that as foon as ever Man is capable, it caufes him immediately to fin, without fullering any confiderable Time to pafs without Sin. And therefore, if the fame Propenfity be continued undiminished, there will be an equal Tendency to immediate finning again, without any confiderable Time paffing. And fo the fame will always be a Difpofition ftill immediately to fin, with as little Time paffing without Sin afterwards, as at firft. The only Reason that can be given why Sinning must be immediate at firft, is that the Difpofition is fo great, that it will not fuffer any confiderable Time to pass without Sin: and therefore, the fame Difpofition being continued in equal Degree, with

out

them, will deny they prove, that no confiderable Time paffes after Men are capable of acting for themfelves, as the Subjects of God's Law, before they are guilty of Sin; becaufe if the Time were confiderable, it would be great enough to deferve to be taken Notice of, as an Exception to fuch univerfal Propofitions, as, In thy Sight fall no Man living be juflified, &c And if this be allowed, that Men are fo prone to fin, that in Fact all Mankind do fin, as it were, immediately, after they come to be capable of it, or fail not to fin fo foon, that no confiderable Time pafies before they run into Tranfgreffion against God; it does not much alter the Cafe, as to the prefent Argument. If the Time of Freedom from Sin be fo fmall, as not to be worthy of Notice in the forementioned univerfal Propofitions of Scripture, it is alfo fo fmall, as not to be worthy of Notice in the prefent Argument.

out fome new Restraint, or contrary Tendency, it will fill equally tend to the fame Effect. And though it is true, the Propenfity may be diminished, or have Reftraints laid upon it, by gracious Difpofals of Providence, or merciful Influences of God's Spirit; yet this is not owing to Nature. That strong Propenfity of Nature, by which Men are fo prone to immediate Sinning at first, has no Tendency in itself to a Diminution; but rather to an Increase; as the continued Exercife of an evil Difpofition, in repeated actual Sins, tends to ftrengthen it more and more: agreeable to that Obfervation of Dr. T-r's, p. 228. "We are apt "to be drawn into Sin by bodily Appetites, and "when once we are under the Government of "these Appetites, it is at least exceeding difficult, "if not impracticable, to recover ourselves, by "the mere Force of Reafon." The Increase of Strength of Difpofition in fuch a Cafe, is as in a falling Body, the Strength of its Tendency to defcend is continually increased, fo long as its Motion is continued. Not only a conftant Commiffion of Sin, but a conftant Increafe in the Habits and Practice of Wickednefs, is the true Tendency of Man's depraved Nature, if unrestrained by divine Grace; as the true Tendency of the Nature of an heavy Body, if Obstacles are removed, is not only to fall with a continual Motion, but with a conftandy increasing Motion. And we fee, that increafing Iniquity is actually the Confequence of natural Depravity, in moft Men, notwithstanding all the Reftraints they have. Difpofitions to Evil are commonly much ftronger in adult Perfons, than in Children, when they firft begin to act in the World as rational Creatures.

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