The Old Teftament afferts the univerfal Depravity of the Jews.

Wife: For we have before proved both Jews and Gen

tiles, that they are all under

Sin;

10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no

not one :

II There is none that understandeth, there is none that feeketh after GOD.

66

There II

41

our Obedience to his Law?" Not at all; for Sect. 6. we have before proved that Jews and Gentiles are Rom. III. 9. all under Sin, and have placed them as convicted Criminals at the Divine Bar; As it is writ- 10 ten, (Pfal. xiv. 1.) (g) in a Variety of Paffages, which may be applied to the prefent Occafion, "There is none righteous, no not one; "is none that underftandeth his Duty and his "true Intereft; there is none that feeketh after "GOD (b), and conftantly endeavoureth to " fecure his Favour. out They are all declined 12 "from that moral Rectitude, which is the Glory of the rational Nature; they are altogether "become ufeless as to the great End for which they were made, fo that there is none that practifeth Good, there is not fo much as one. (Pfal. "xiv. 1-3. liii. 1-3.) Their Throat [is] 13 "noifome and dangerous as an open Sepulchre,

12 They are all gone of the Way, they are together become unprofitable, there is none that doth good,

no not one.

Their Throat is an 13 open Sepulchre; with their Tongues they have used Deceit; the Poifon of Afps is under their Lips:

14 Whofe Mouth is full of Curfing and Bitterness.

gaping to fwallow them up, or poifon them "with its infected Air; with their Tongues they "have used the moft mifchievous Deceit; and "while they make the fairest Profeffion of

Friendship, the mortal Venom of Afps [is] hid "under their Lips, which utter the most infec"tious and fatal Slanders. (Pfal. cxl. 3.)

They are Men whofe Mouth is full of Curfing 14
"and Bitterness; (Pfal. x. 7.) fo that the most
"fhocking

(g) As it is written.] Thefe Scriptures are collected from different Parts of the Old Teftament; but there are many Editions of the lxx. in which they all ftand together, in the xivth, or according to their Order, xiiith Pfalm; which has given fome Occafion to think, that other Alterations may have been made in that Greek Verfion, to render it more agreeable to the New Teftament; though many Paffages might efcape the Notice of fuch as made this Attempt, if it were really made. But it must have been, as we fee in this Inftance it was, a fruitlefs one; confidering how wide fuch Copies were difperfed, and how different the religious Sentiments of the Perfons with whom they were lodged. It seems much more reasonable, to account for the Diverfity we find between the Original, and Quotations, by fuppofing the Senfe, rather than Words, intentionally regarded; and fome accidental Alterations have happened fince in the Hebrew Copies, which in feveral Places may make the Differences greater than it originally was.

(b) There is none that feeketh after GOD, &c.] It is allowed, that this Paffage only proves directly, what was the Character of the Jews in David's Time; but it plainly fhews that the Wrath of GOD was awakened againft them, as well as others, for their Sins: It proves alfo, that a general Degeneracy might prevail among them, though by Profeffion GOD's People; and it fuggefts a strong Prefumption, that if Ifrael in David's Time, which was one of its beft Ages, was fo bad, Gentile Nations were still worfe; and in all thefe Views, it was much to the Apoftle's Purpose to produce the Paffage. The like Obfervation is in a great Measure applicable to all the following Quotations; as the Paraphrafe on Ver. 19. fuggefts, or rather, as the Apoftle himself there evidently infinuates.

VOL. IV.

42

What the Scripture faith is to convict the whole World.

Sect. 6. "fhocking Prophaneness mingles itself with "that Malignity of Heart towards their FelRom. III. 15. low-men, which breathes in every Word. « Their Feet [are] Swift to run towards the "Places, where they have appointed to hed "the Blood of the Innocent. (Prov. i. 16, 18.). 16" Ruin and Mifery [are] on the Whole in all

17

66.

15 Their Feet are swift to fhed Blood.

16 Destruction and Mi

17 And the Way of Peace have they not known..

18 There is no Fear of

GOD before their Eyes.

"their Ways; they bring it upon others, and fo, fery are in their Ways:
by an inevitable Confequence, upon them-
"felves at last. And as for the Way of Peace
"and Happiness, they have not known or regard-
18" ed it. (Ifai. lix. 7, 8.) And, to fum up all
"in one Word, the great Cause of all this De-
generacy is, that the Fear of GOD is not be-
fore their Eyes, but they are utterly destitute
"of any true Principle of Religion, of any
"Reverence and Love to the great and adorable
Object of it." (Pfal. xxxvi. 1.).

19

19 Now we know that what Things foever the Law faith, it faith to them who

are under the Law: That every Mouth may be ftopped, and all the World may become guilty before GOD.

This, my Brethren, is in general the fad Cha-
racter of Mankind in their fallen State; and the
Representation is the more ftriking, as it is bor-
rowed from the Sacred Writings. Now we every
know, that what the Law faith in fuch Paffages
as thefe, it faith to thofe, that were under the
Law (i); They do not immediately relate to the
Heathen, but contain the Character of those
that were at that Time the profeffing People of
GOD. And as most of these Paffages are bor-
rowed from the Writings of David, Solomon,
or Ifaiah, it appears, that even in the beft Days
of their State, they had a great Deal of enor-
mous Wickedness among them.
them. And if Ifrael,
even at fuch a Time, could not justify itself,
much less can it be imagined, that the Idolatrous
Nations of the Gentiles, fhould be able to do it:
So that every Mouth must be stopped, and the whole
World ftand convicted before GOD (k) as guilty, and
acknowledge itself obnoxious to a dreadful Sen-

tence

(i) What the Law faith.] It appears here, that this Word Law doth fometimes fignifythe Old Teflament in general; for not one of the Quotations above is taken from the Pentateuch.

(k) Stand convicted before GOD.] So vπodinos TWO feems exactly to fignify. Archbishop Tillotson would render it, liable to Divine Justice; which is the fame in Sense. See bis Works, Vol. i. pag. 126.

Reflections on the Scripture Account of Mens Degeneracy.

tence from his Tribunal. Now I earnestly defire
to bring every Reader under a Senfe of this, as
what is of the higheft Importance, in Order to
receiving the Gofpel with becoming Gratitude
and Joy.

IMPROVEMENT.

HO can read this melancholy Picture of human Nature, copied

WHO

by the Hand of an Apoftle from the Lines firft drawn by in

fpired Prophets, without deep Humility, and Lamentation? To this

43 Sect. 6.

Rom. III. 19.

was it funk, that there was none righteous, no not one; none difpofed to Ver. 10, 11. feek after GOD, or to cultivate his Fear. And from this bitter Root, Ver. 18. the Apoftacy of our Nature from GOD, what deteftable Fruit proceeds!

The Throat which is like an open Sepulchre, the deceitful Tongue, the in- Ver. 13, 14. venomed Lips, the malicious Heart, the murtherous Hand! And who can wonder, that fuch Rebels to their Heavenly Father fhould fometimes prove Ruffians to their Brethren!

Let us bless GOD that we have been preferved from falling into fuch Enormities, and from falling by them. His Grace has reftrained us from finning against him in fuch an aggravated Manner; his Providence has guarded us from thofe, whofe Feet are fwift to fhed Blood, and in whofe Ver. 15, 16. Paths there is Destruction and Misery.

Let us remember the View, in which these Inftances were brought; even to evince this deplorable, but undeniable Truth, that Jews and Ver. 19. Gentiles are all under Sin. The Purpose of Conviction therefore being anfwered on our Hearts, let us humble ourselves before GOD, as thofe that ftand guilty in his Prefence, and obnoxious to his Judgment.

Thankfully let us own the ineftimable Goodness of GOD in having favoured us with his Sacred Oracles, and endeavour to improve in the Ver. 2. Knowledge of them. Thus inftructed, let us be careful to form the moft honourable Notion of GOD, as the worthy and univerfal Judge, Ver. 6. who will never fail to do right; and may thefe Views of him produce an Abhorrence of every Thing evil, which muft neceffarily be difpleafing to him. Nor let us ever allow ourselves to be brought under the Influence of thofe fallacious and pernicious Maxims, which would perfuade us, that the Goodness of the Intention fanctifies the Badness of the Action; or that the pretended Benevolence of the End will justify Irregularities in the Means. GOD's Judgment and Decifion is final; and an infpired Apostle's Authority is an Anfwer to a Thousand Subtleties, which might attempt to turn us from the strictest Rules of that immutable Rectitude, on which it always proceeds,

F 2

SECT.

Ver. 8.

44

No Flesh to be justified by the Law.

SECT. VII.

From the Reprefentation made above, of the Guilt and Mifery of Mankind, the Apostle deduces the Neceffity of Jeeking Juftification by the Gofpel; and confequently the Excellency of that Difpenfation, as exhibiting the Method of it. Rom. III. 20, to the End.

ROMANS III. 20.

ROMANS III. 20.

HAVE just been propofing to you convincing Therefore by the Deeds

Law there

Sect. 7.
Rom. III. 20. Corruption of Mankind, and fhewing you, that

Evidences of the univerfal Degeneracy and fhall no Flesh be justified in

the whole World muft ftand convicted before
GOD: Therefore let all my Readers be perfuaded
to admit it, as a moft certain Principle, and at
all Times to act upon it, that according to the
juft and humble Acknowledgment of the Pfal-
mift, (Pfal. cxliii. 2.) no Flefh fhall be justified,
or pronounced righteous, before him (a), by
Works of compleat Obedience to the Law of
GOD (b), whether natural or revealed. For, in-

ftead

his

(a) Be justified, &c.] The learned Vitringa hath with with great Propriety observed, that this Word is borrowed from Pfal. cxliii. 2. and must therefore fignify to receive the Teftimony of being righteous from a Judge, and cannot merely fignify to obtain Mercy. To be juftified alfo fometimes fignifies to overcome in Judgment, Pfal. 4. li. And the Expreffion of being just before GOD implies the fame. And that this is the Senfe of the Word in this Epifle, appears from feveral Paffages; particularly, Rom. ii. 3. So that on the whole, as he argues, Juftification is not a Phrafe parallel to Forgiveness, but refers to a judicial Procefs, and carries in it the Idea of Acquittal, Praife, and Reward. And indeed it feems to me always ultimately to refer to the being pronounced, and treated as Righteous in the great Day of GOD's univerfal Judgment. See Rom. ii. 13, 16.

(b) By Works of the Law.] I think with Mr. Locke, that the Word Law muft here be taken in this Extent, comprehending ceremonial, and moral, revealed, and natural. And this I conclude, not fo much from the Omiffion of the Article (Compare Rom. ii. 12, 14, 25, 27. Chap. iii. 31. Chap. v. 13, 20. in all which Places and many more, vous without the Article fignifies the Mofaick Law, as the Senfe evidently proves,) but from the Conclufion which the Apostle draws, and the whole Tenor of his fubfequent Argument; which would have very little Weight, if there were Room to object, tho' we cannot be juftified by our Obedience to the Law of Mofes, we may be juftified by our Obedience to GOD's natural Law. And nothing can be more evident, than that the Promifes, from which this Conclufion is drawn, refer to the Gentiles as well as the Jews; and confequently, that Law has here, and in many fubfequent Paffages, that general Senfe.-A very learned Perfon has lately proposed

to

his Sight: For by the Law is the Knowledge of Sin.

But the Righteoufnefs of GOD is on all who believe.
ftead of juftifying any Man, it only anticipates,
in a more obvious and affecting Manner, the
Senfe of his Condemnation; as by the Law is
the Knowledge of Sin (c,) it difcovers to us how
grievous a Thing it is, and exhibits the righ-
teous Displeasure of GOD against it.

21 But now the Righteoufnefs of GOD without the Law is manifefted, being witnefled by the Law and the Prophets;

πίσεως ;

and

45 Sect. 7.

Rom. III. 20.

But yet, bleffed be GOD, every Door of Hope 21
is not hut against the Sinner, convicted by the
Law: For the Righteousness of GOD, that is,
the Manner of becoming righteous, which
GOD hath ordained and appointed in his Gof-
pel, without that perfect Obedience which the
Law requires, is now made manifeft; being
indeed attefted by the whole Tenor of the Law
and the Prophets (d), which join in leading our
Eyes to the great Meffiah : Even the Righ- 22
teousness of GOD, which he hath appointed us
to feek, by the Exercife of a living Faith on the
Power and Grace of his Son Jefus Chrift; to
whom he commands us to commit our Souls, with
all humble and obedient Regard. This Way of
obtaining Righteoufnefs and Life is now, I fay,
made manifeft to all, and, like a pure, compleat
and glorious Robe, is put upon all them that be-
lieve; whether they were, or were not, acquain-
ted with, or fubject to, the Mofaick Law before
their Converfion to Chriftianity: For there is in
this Refpect no Difference at all between one Be-
liever and another. For all have finned, as we
demonstrated

to render spywr vous by the Law of Works; pleading Banhouwr ddayns (Heb. vi. 2.) as a parallel Inftance: But I have declined this Rendering, as (Ver. 27.) the Apoftle expreffes the Law of Works, by Words placed in a different Order, vous Twv spywv, oppofed to vo and (Ver. 28.) xps spy vous is plainly, as we render it, without the Works of the Law; as the Continuation of the Apoftle's Argument, in Reference to Abraham fhews. Nor can I fee, what great End could be ferved by allowing this Criticifmi; fince the Apoftle elsewhere afferts Juftification xwpis spywr without Works, (Chap. iv. 6.) And to fay that ey is put elliptically for us yw (that is Works for the Law of Works) is very arbitrary. Nor can I conceive, that any one can be juftified by the Law of Works, without being juftified by the Works, or vice verfa; and this is exprefly Paul's Aftertion, Chap. iv. 4, 5.

(c) By the Law is the Knowledge of Sin.] This ftrongly implies the broken and disjointed State of human Nature, in Confequence of which the Precepts, which GOD gave us, will on the whole only ferve to convict us of Guilt, but not to produce an Obedience by which we can finally be acquitted and accepted. Some render it, the Law takes Cognizance of Sin..

(d) Attefted by the Law and the Prophets.] See in this View, Gen. xv. 6. Ifai. liii. ult. Dan. ix. 24.

(e) Come

23