SECT. VII. ·

That Man's Nature is corrupt, appears, in that vaftly the greater Part of Mankind, in all Ages, have been wicked Men.

HE Depravity of Man's Nature appears,

THE not only in its Propenfity to Sin in fome

Degree, which renders a Man an evil or wicked Man in the Eye of the Law, and ftrict Justice, as was before fhewn; but it is fo corrupt, that its Depravity either fhews that Men are, or tends to make them to be, of fuch an evil Character, as fhall denominate them wicked Men, according to the Tenor of the Covenant of Grace.

This may be argued from several Things which have been already obferved: As from a Tendency to continual Sin; a Tendency to much greater Degrees of Sin than Righteouinefs, and from the general extreme Stupidity of Mankind. But yet the prefent State of Man's Nature, as implying, or tending to a wicked Character, may be worthy to be more particularly confidered, and directly proved. And in general, this appears, in that there have been so very Few in the World, from Age to Age, ever fince the World has ftood, that have been of any other Character.

It is abundantly evident in Scripture, and is what I fuppofe none that call themfelves Chriftians 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 caft into a Furnace of Fire, as Children of the wicked One.

I need

I need not stand to fhew what Things belong to the Character of fuch as fhall hereafter be accepted as righteous, according to the Word of God. It may be fufficient for my present Purpose, to obferve what Dr. T. himself fpeaks of, as belonging effentially to the Character of fuch. In P. 203. he fays, "This is infallibly the Character "of true Chriftians, and what is effential to fuch, "that they have really mortified the Flesh with "its Lufts;-They are dead to Sin, and live no longer therein; the old Man is crucified, and "the Body of Sin deftroyed: They yield them"felves to God, as thofe that are alive from the "Dead, and their Members as Inftruments of

Righteousness to God, and as Servants of Righ"teousness to Holinefs."-There is more to the like Purpose in the two next Pages. In p. 228. he fays, "Whatsoever is evil and corrupt in us, "we ought to condemn; not fo, as it fhall ftill "remain in us, that we may always be con"demning it, but that we may fpeedily reform, "and be effectually delivered from it; otherwise "certainly we do not come up to the Character of "the true Difciples of Chrift."

In p. 248. he fays, "Unless God's Favour be "preferred before all other Enjoyments what"foever, 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 Difpofition 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, $286. p. 101, 102, &c. fhewing there,

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there, what it is to be a true Chriftian, he fays, among other Things," That he is one who has "fuch a Sense and Perfuafion of the Love of God "in Christ, that he devotes his Life to the Honour "and Service of God, in Hope of eternal Glory. "And that to the Character of a true Chriftian, "it is abfolutely neceffary, that he diligently study "the Things that are freely given him of God, "viz. his Election, Regeneration, &c. that he may gain a juft Knowledge of those inestimable Privileges, may tafte that the Lord is gracious, "and rejoice in the Gofpel-Salvation, as his greatest Happiness and Glory.-It is neceffary, that he "work these Bleffings on his Heart, till they be "come a vital Principle, producing in him the “Love of God, engaging him to all chearful "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 refulting from any Pleasure or Pain, "Hopes or Fears, Gain or Lofs, in the prefent "World. None of thefe Things move him from "a faithful Difcharge of any Part of his Duty, or "from a firm Attachment to Truth and Righ"teousness, 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 Senfe of the "Love of God in Chrift, he maintains daily "Communion with God, by reading and medi

tating on his Word. In a Sense of his own Infirmity, and the Readiness of the divine Fa"vour to fuccour him, he daily addreffes the "Throne of Grace, for the Renewal of fpiritual Strength,

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"Strength, in Affurance of obtaining it, through the one Mediator Chrift Jefus. Inlightened "and directed by the heavenly Doctrine of the Gospel, &c. *

Now I leave it to be judged by every One that has any Degree of Impartiality, whether there be not fufficient Grounds to think, from what appears every where, that it is but a very fmall Part indeed, of the many Myriads and Millions which overspread this Globe, who are of a Character that in any wife anfwers these Descriptions. However Dr. T. infifts, that all Nations, and every Man on the Face of the Earth, have Light and Means fufficient to do the whole Will of God, even they that live in the groffeft Darkness of Paganism.

Dr. T. in Answer to Arguments of this Kind, very impertinently from Time to Time objects, That we are no Judges of the Vicioufnefs of Men's Characters, nor are able to decide in what Degree they are virtuous or vicious. As though we could have no good Grounds to judge, that any Thing appertaining to the Qualities or Properties of the Mind, which is invilible, is general or prevailing among a Multitude or collective Body, unless we can determine how it is with each Individual. I think I have fufficient Reason, from what I know and have heard of the American Indians, to judge, that there are not many good Philofophers among them; though the Thoughts of their Hearts, and the Ideas and Knowledge they have in their Minds, are Things invisible; and tho' I have never seen so much as a thousandth Part

* What Dr. Turnbull fays of the Character of a good Man, is also worthy to be obferved, Chrif. Phil. p. 86, 258, 259, 288, 375, 376, 409, 410.

Part of the Indians; and with Respect to most of them, fhould not be able to pronounce peremptorily concerning any one, that he was not very knowing in the Nature of Things, if all fhould fingly pass before me. And Dr. T. himself feems to be fenfible of the Falfeness of his own Conclufions, 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 fenfible 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. 102.) After declaring the Things which belong to the Character of a true Chriftian, he judges of the Generality of Christians, that they have caft off thefe Things, that they are a People that do err in their Hearts, and have not known God's Ways. P. 259. he judges, that the Generality of Chriftians are the most wicked of all Mankind, when he thinks it will throw fome Difgrace on the Opinion of fuch as he oppofes. The like we have from Time to Time in other Places, as p. 168, p. 258. Key, p. 127, 128.

But if Men are not fufficient Judges, whether there are Few of the World of Mankind but what are wicked, yet doubtless God is fufficient, and his Judgment, often declared in his Word, determines the Matter. Matth vii. 13, 14. Enter ye in at the ftrait Gate: For wide is the Gate, and broad is the Way that leadeth to Deftruction, and many there be that go in thereat: Becaufe ftrait is the Gate, and narrow is the Way that leadeth to Life, and few there be that find it. It is manifeft, that here Chrift is not only defcribing the State of Things, as it was at that Day, and does not

mention