IT is, no doubt, of the last importance, that people should be convinced, and made thoroughly sensible of their impotence and helplesness in themselves, and their entire dependence on divine grace, for salvation. So long as sinners think they can recom­mend themselves to the favour of God, by their own righteousness, they will never ‘come unto Christ, that they might have life.’ For ‘the whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick.’ And so long as persons imagine they labour under no insuperable ina­bility, as to complying with the gospel, they will never feel their dependence on him, who alone is able to work in them, ‘the whole good pleasure of his goodness, and [Page 4] the work of faith with power.’ Nor will they feel disposed, or see the occasion they have, to ‘give unto God the glory, which is indeed due unto his name,’ In their salvation. Accordingly, the depravity, blindness and deadness of mankind, in things of a spiritual nature, and their utter inability to comply with the gospel, as well as to obtain salvation by the deeds of the law, are much inculcated and insisted on, in the sacred scriptures.

BUT then, there is a difficulty, in the minds of many, how to reconcile this total helplesness of sinners, with the sincerity of the gospel offers, or with the justice of men's being condemned and punished, for their impenitence and unbelief. And indeed, it does seem as if men could not be to blame, for not doing impossibilities: Nor should we in other cases, think there was much kindness or sincerity, in offering a favour on conditions that were known to be impracticable.

THERE is scarce any one, I believe, that has ever tho't much about religion, but what has, at one time or o­ther, felt himself pinched with this difficulty. And it is won't to have a most pernicious influence upon the minds of sinners in general; but more especially, when they come to be under awakenings, and begin to enquire, "what they shall do to be saved." According to what they hear in sermons, yea, and according to what they read in their bibles, they are greatly at a loss to see, how the ways of the Lord can be equal. "The carnal mind," they are told, ‘is — not subject to the law of God, nei­ther indeed can be.’ And that, ‘they that are in the flesh cannot please God.’ They are therefore under a necessity of sinning, yea, of doing nothing else but sin. And yet, "every transgression and disobedience," is to receive a most dreadful "recompence of reward," the wrath of God being ‘revealed from heaven, against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.’ And no relief, no deliverence from wrath, is to be hoped for through the gospel, but upon impossible conditions: Such [Page 5] conditions as no natural man, no one who is dead in trespasses and sins, ever did, ever will, or can comply with. And yet a non-compliance with these conditions, exposes to an amazingly aggravated, additional condem­nation; insomuch that it will be more tolerable for So­dom and Gomorrah, in the day of judgment, than for those who enjoy the light of the gospel, and do not em­brace the salvation it offers.

But how these things are consistent with reason; how they can ever be reconciled with the goodness, or the jus­tice of God, they are greatly at a loss. Such a view of the matter, seems to them to make the Most High indeed, what the slothful servant said, a hard master, ‘reaping where he has not sown, and gathering where he has not strewed.’ Or, like the cruel Egyptian task­masters, requiring the full tale of brick, without allowing the necessary straw; requiring that of his creatures which he knows exceeds their utmost strength, and then they are beaten; yea, must be punished with everlasting de­struction, for not doing, what they would do with all their hearts, but it is no more in their power, than it is to make a world.

Now, until this difficulty can be fairly got over in peo­ple's minds, it seems impossible they should, in their con­sciences, justify God, or condemn themselves as he con­demns them. Or that they should understand, either the justice of the divine law, or the grace of the gospel. It is therefore certainly highly necessary, that what the scrip­ture says upon this subject, should be set in a consistent light, so as to commend itself to every man's conscience, in the sight of God.

THERE are several ways, in which this has been at­tempted. Some account for God's suspending our salva­tion upon impossible conditions, and condemning men for not doing what it is not in their power to do, by ob­serving, that we lost our power by the fall. Our present weakness and blindness, was brought upon us as a righ­teous [Page 6] punishment, for the disobedience of Adam; and God, they say, has not lost his right to command, because man, by his own folly and sin, has lost his ability to o­bey. That is, we ought, it is our present real duty to exert, not only all the strength we actually have, but all we should have had, had it not been for the original a­postacy.

BUT to this it will be objected, that we never reason and judge in such a manner, in any other case. We do not think those who have lost their eyes, are still to blame for not seeing; or those who have lost their reason, for not understanding; or that it is the duty of those to la­bour with their hands, who have no hands to labour with. Not, though we suppose they were deprived of those fa­culties, in a righteous manner, for their sins. Or, suppose a servant, by his own folly and bad conduct, has brought a fit of sickness upon himself; do we think it reasonable for his master, still to require him to go out into the field every day, and do as much work as if he was well? And is the servant to blame, in not obeying such commands? Does he daily commit new sin, in not working, when perhaps he now wishes with all his heart he was able to do it; but has not strength enough to go a step, or bear his weight?

IT must, I think, be granted, we do generally suppose, a man's present duty cannot exceed his present strength, even let his strength have been impared by what means it will. We never hear even a good man, pretend to re­pent or blame himself, that he has not seen the light of the sun all day, and resolve not to be guilty of the same sin to-morrow, when he has been stone blind for twenty years. I shall not therefore, undertake the defence of this, as any solution of the difficulty, to the apprehension of reason and common sense. Nor can I think that any one was ever inwardly convinced of the sin of unbelief in this way. However well meant it might probably be, by the first inventers of it, it seems rather calculated to [Page 7] ease the consciencies of men, by casting all real blame, back upon the first sin only.

OTHERS, (and those who would not be thought, and are not suspected, to leanin any measure towards arminianism) have supposed it necessary to soften matters a little, as to the sovereignty of grace, and the helplesness of sinners, if we would avoid the above inconsistency, or reflection up­on the divine justice. They would have it maintained, indeed, that sinners are unable to do much, if any thing towards their selvation, merely of themselves. Nor do they suppose that any one is ever brought to true repen­tance and faith in Christ, without the special grace of God. But then they apprehend, it may, and must be ad­mitted, that sinners are able, by the help of common grace, to do those things which are connected with, and may be considered as a sort of preliminary conditions of salvation: conditions upon which regeneration, & an ability to come up to the actual terms of the gospel, is promised, or howe­ver, will undoubtedly be bestowed. That is, they suppose, if sinners will seek and pray, use the means of grace, and do the best that persons under their circumstances, and having such hearts as they have, may do; God will not be wanting on his part, or leave them to perish. That if they exert all the strength, and make a good improvement of all the assistance they have, they shall have more, and more given them; till in the end they are enabled to obtain mercy, and to lay hold on eternal life. That if there are no absolute promises, to such earnest and sincere, though feeble, efforts of the unregenerate, yet certainly there are many very precious encouragements; which may indeed, securely enough be relied on. So that, on the whloe, no sinner is under any real impossibility of obtaining salvati­on. For every one, let his impotence be as great as it will, can certainly do what he can. And if upon his do­ing this, God will not fail to help him, as to what he can­not do; then every one may be saved, any weakness or depravity he labours under, notwithstansting. Nor do [Page 8] they see how we can vindicate the divine justice, or fairly cast the blame of the sinners perdition on himself, without supposing such a universal sufficiency of grace, as this.

Now if this can be made out to be really the case, that all are actually and in every view, enabled to do those things which are connected with eternal life; there will be no difficulty, I apprehend, with any one, to see that the ways of the Lord are equal. For according to this, there seems to be no respect of persons with God, even in the distribution of his freest favours, any more than in his judicial proceedings. The difference between him that is saved, and him that perisheth, not originating from any in equality in the bestowment of divine grace; but solely from the better improvement one sinner makes of the same grace, than another does. Here then the way is clear on the side of natural notions, reason, and common sense.

BUT, I am afraid, it will be as hard to reconcile this way of solving matters, with the scriptures, and with the truth of fact, as it is, the former one, with reason. Cer­tainly, the scriptures seems to speak a language quite dif­ferent from this. In them we are taught, ‘That it is God that maketh one man to differ from an other, for the better, and not he himself. That it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that shewith mercy.’ and "that he hath mercy, on whom he will bave mercy; and whom he will he harden­eth." And in our text, our Saviour accounts for the mur­muring and opposition, of the unbeleiving jews, by mak­ing this observation to his disciples upon it; "no man can come to me, except the father which hath sent me draw him." By which he evidently ment to intimate, that the conduct of his opposers, considering what human nature was, was not to be wondered at. That they acted no otherways than all other men would, if left to them­selves as they were. That those who now followed and obeyed him, would never have come to him or become [Page 9] his disciples, had it not been for a gracious divine influ­ence upon their minds, which was not granted to those murmurers and opposers; had they not been effectually drawn, by him in whose hand are the hearts of men, and who turneth them as the rivers of water are turned. We are plainly taught in this text, taken in the connection in which it stands, as we are also in a multitude of other places, that men do not first distinguish themselves, by hearkening to the calls of the gospel; but that it is God that makes one to differ from another, in this respect, by his sovereign and distinguishing grace. The point of doctrine, there­fore, that I shall insist upon from the words is this,

That none are able to comply with the gospel, but those who are the subjects of the special and effectual grace of God; or those who are made willing, and actually do comply with it.

WHAT I have in view, in the following discourse, is not only to confirm this doctrine; but to endeavour to set it in such a light, as to obviate the formentioned difficulty, of salvation's being offered on impossible conditions, and men's being condemned for not doing, that which they are incapable of. And after what has been said, I think there is no way of attempting to clear up this mystery, left, but by shewing that there are two essentially differ­ent senses, in which men are said to be incapable of doing things: or, by having recourse to the distinction of natu­ral and moral inability. Accordingly, the method I pro­pose, is,

• I. AS clearly as I can, to state and illustrate this dis­tinction.
• II. TO show, that men certainly labour under one, or the other, of these kinds of inability to comply with the gospel, until they are made the subjects of effec­tual divine grace.
• III. MORE particularly to consider and evince, the mo­ral impotence of sinners, And
• IV. ENDEAVOUR to make it appear, that there is, ordi­narily, [Page 10] no other incapacity in sinners, in this matter, but only of the moral kind.

I. THEN, it is to be observed, for the clearing up of this subject, that there are two very different kinds of in­ability: so different, that the one however great does not lessen moral obligation in the least; whereas the other, as far as it goes, takes away obligation, and all desert of blame and punishment intirely.

THESE two kinds of inability, as I hinted, have com­monly been distinguished, by calling one a natural, the other a moral inability. Which distinction may be brief­ly stated thus. Moral inability consists only in the want of a heart, or disposition, or will, to do a thing. Natu­ral inability on the other hand, consists in, or arises from, want of understanding, bodily strength, opportunity; or, whatever may prevent, our doing a thing, when we are willing, and strongly enough disposed and inclin'd to do it. Or, in fewer words, thus: whatever a man could not do, if he would, he is under a natural inability of doing; but when all the reason one can't do a thing, is because he has not a mind to, the inability is only of a moral nature.

THIS distinction takes place, equally with regard to evil actions, and good ones. Thus, for instance, the divine being cannot do evil; not because he wants opportunity, or understanding, or strength, to do, with infinite ease, whatever he pleases; but only because he is not, and it's impossible he should be, inclined to do iniquity. He is so infinitely & immutably holy, wise, just, and good; that it is not possible he should ever please to act otherways, than in the most holy, righteous, and best manner. Hence, though we read that, "with God all things are possible," and that he can do every thing; yet alsewhere we are told, ‘he cannot deny himself; and that it is impossible, for God to lie.’

ON the other hand, satan is incapable of doing right, or of behaving virtuously, in the least instance or degree. But not because he wants natural abilities; for undoubt­edly [Page 11] in that respect, he is far superior to many that are truly virtuous. His being incapable of any thing but infernal wickedness, is altogether owing to his being of such an infernal disposition.

AND it is not uncommon, to speak of incapacity in man­kind, both as to doing good and doing evil, in this two­fold signification. Some persons we say are incapable of doing a mean thing. Not that we think it is above their natural capacity; but it is beneath them; they abhor, or they would scorn to do it. Others are incapable of se­veral sorts of villany, not through any want of good will enough that way. They only want a convenient oppor­tunity, or sufficient ingenuity.—And just so it is in regard to doing good. Some have it not in the power of their hands; others have no heart to it. One is of a truly gene­rous spirit, and nothing but his own poverty, keeps him from being what Job was, a father to the poor, the father­less and him that has none to help him. Another is rich, and might be a great benefactor and blessing to all a­round him; but he has no heart to devise liberal things. He can't be free and open handed; it isn't in him to be so. He is deaf to the cries of the poor, blind to their wants, & dead to all the generous feelings of humanity and com­passion.

SOME are so feeble and infirm, that they can do scarce any bodily labour; though they are extremely free and willing to lay themselves out to the utmost that their strength will bear, and often go beyond it. Others are strong and healthy enough, and might get a good living, and be useful members of society; but such is their in­vincible laziness, that their hands refuse to labour, and they can hardly get them out of their bosoms. Some are effectually kept from shining, or being very useful, in a­ny public sphere in church or state, through the weakness of their heads: others, as effectually, by the badness of their hearts. Some are incapable of being taught by rea­son of mere natural dulness: others only because they are [Page 12] of an unreachable spirit, and full of self-conceit. Some are blind for want of eyes; but it is an old proverb, that none are more blind, than those who won't see.

THESE examples, are sufficient to illustrate the distinc­tion I am insisting on, and to make it evident, that by incapable, we often mean something very different from want of natural capacity. We may also perceive from these instances, that there is a real necessity for using such words as, unable, incapable can't, &c. in this diversity of signification, in which we see they are used, in common speech, as well as in the scriptures. For whenever any thing, whether in ourselves or without us, is really ab­solutely inconsistent with our doing a thing, we have no way fully and strongly enough to express that inconsis­tence, but by saying we are unable, we cannot, it is im­possible; or using some word of like import. And now it is certain that want of a heart, or inclination to do a thing, may be, and is, as inconsistent with our doing it, as any thing else could be. Covetuousness is as inconsistent with liberality as poverty is, and may as effectually hin­der a man from doing deeds of charity. Indolence is as inconsistent with industry, as bodily weakness and infir­mity is. The want of an upright heart and a public spi­rit, is as inconsistent with the character of a good ruler, as the want of wisdom and understanding. And the want of all principles of virtue, must be as inconsistent with acting virtuously, as even the want of those intellectual fa­culties, which are necessary to moral agency. And so on the other hand, as to doing evil things. There is no pos­sibility of doing them, that is, knowingly, designedly, and as moral agents, without an evil disposition. Our free and moral actions, are, and must be, as invariably guided and dictated by our own minds, as they are limited and bounded, by our natural power. That is, every one must act his own nature, and choice; otherways he don't act himself; he is not the agent. And if, when we would [Page] express this sort of necessity, we should not use the same phrases as are made use of in cases of natural necessity-but for fear of a misunderstanding, should carefully avoid saying a man cannot, when ever we mean only that he had not such a heart as is necessary, and only say that he will not, in all such cases; our language would often sound odd, being out of common custom, which governs the propriety of words; and not only so, but it would not be sufficiently expressive. Should we be afraid to say, it is impossible for a man to love God, or come to Christ, while his heart is altogether, wicked, and full of enmity against God and Christ; people would be ready to think we im­magined this might sometimes happen, and that there was no real impossibility in it of any kind. Whereas there is as real, and as absolute an impossibility in this case as in any supposable one whatever. To be more guarded therefore, than the scripture is, in this matter, would be to be unguarded. The apostle demands, ‘ can the fig-tree, my brethren, bear olive-berries? either a vine figs?’ and the prophet, ‘ can the Ethiopian change his skin? or the Leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, who are accustomed to do evil.’ And our Sa­viour says, ‘a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart, bring­eth forth good things. And an evil man out of the e­vil treasure, bringeth forth evil things.’ There is as cer­tain and never failing a connection in this case, as any na­tural connection whatever. Which ought by no means to be dissembled, but openly maintained. But then it is certainly of a quite different, and even a directly opposite nature, to all intents and purposes of moral agency. And it is of the last importance, in my apprehension, that this also should be maintained, and manifested to every man's conscience.

BECAUSE a man must act according to his own heart or as he pleases; does this destroy his freedom! it is the very [Page 14] thing in which all free agency consists.—The pulse can beat; and the limbs can move, in some bodily disorders, or when one that is stronger than we takes hold of them; whether we will or no. But God does not consider us as accountable, for such actions as these. And we should, not without reason, think it very hard, should he blame or punish us for them. For an honest and good man's pulse may beat, as irregularly as the worst villain's in the world. Or his hands, in a convulsion, may strike those around him, in spite of all he can do to hold them still. Or one may be carried by force, along with a gang of thieves, and be taken for one of them, though no man hates such compa­ny and actions as theirs, more heartily than he does. Such involuntary actions, every one sees a man is not, & ought not to be, accountable for. And the reason is, no bad inclination of ours, or want of a good one, is necessary in order to them. They are so free, as to be independant of us, and out of our power. If all our actions were like these; noways necessarily connected with our disposition, and choice, and temper of mind; we could not be ac­countable creatures, or the subjects of moral government. If a good tree, could bring forth evil fruit, and a corrupt tree good fruit: if a good man, out of the good treasure of his heart, could bring forth evil things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure, good things; the tree could never be known-by its fruit. It could never be known by a man's actions, any thing what his heart was. So that, if they were dealt with according to their works, the most upright and well disposed, would be as liable to be punished; and the most ill-natured and ill-disposed, as likely to be rewarded, as the contrary. Whence all moral government must be at an end.

CERTAINLY, if we are justly accountable, rewardable or punishable, for any actions; if any actions are, or can be, properly our own, it must be such as are dictated by ourselves, and which can't take place without our own consent. An inability, therefore, to act otherways than [Page 15] agreeably to our minds, is only an inability to act other­ways than as free agents. And that necessity which a­rises from the temper and choice af the agent himself, and that which is against his choice and his very nature, are so far from coming to the same thing at last, that they are directly contrary one to the other, as to all the purposes of morality: freedom, accountableness, and desert of praise, or blame, reward or punishment.

AND this is agreable to the sense of all mankind, in all common cases. A man's heart being fully set in him to do evil, does not render his evil actions the less cri­minal, in the judgment of common sense, but the more so: Nor does the strength of a virtuous disposition, ren­der a good action the less, but the more amiable, and worthy of praise. Does any one look upon the Divine Being, as less excellent and glorious, for being so infinite­ly and unchangeably holy in his nature, that he ‘cannot be tempted with evil,’ or act otherwise, than in the most holy and perfect manner? Does any one look upon the devil, as less sinful and to blame, because he is of such a devilish disposition, so full of causeless spite and malice, against God and man, as to be incapable of any thing, but the most horrid wickedness?—And as to man­kind: Who is there that does not make a difference, be­tween him that is incapable of a base action, only by rea­son of the virtuousness of his temper, having all the na­tural talents, requisite for the most consummate villany; and him that is incapable of being the worst of villains, for no other reason, than only because he don't know how? Does any one think, that only the want of a will to work, excuses a man from it just as much as bodily infirmity does? Or, do we any of us, ever imagine, that the cove­tous miser, who with all his useless hoards, has no heart to give a penny to the poor, is for that reason, equally excusable from deeds of charity, as he who has nothing to give?

WE certainly, always make a distinction, betwixt want [Page] of natural abilities to do good, and the want of a heart; looking upon the one as a good excuse, the other as no ex­cuse at all, but rather as that in which all wickedness radi­cally consists. A natural fool, no one blames, for acting like a fool: But ‘to him that knoweth to do good, and doth it not; to him it is sin,’ in the sense of all mankind, as well as in God's account. ‘If there be first a willing mind,’ we always suppose it ought to be ‘accepted, according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.’ But the want of a willing mind, or not being a mind to do well, is universally considered as a crime, and not as an excuse. Nothing is more fa­miliar to us, than to distinguish in this manner. Nor can any man of common sense, help judging thus.

NOW, this distinction is as applicable to the case before us, as it is to any other case. Some may be unable to comply with the gospel, through the want of those powers of mind, or those bodily organs, or those means of grace, without which it is impossible to understand the character of Christ, or the way of salvation, let their hearts be ever so good. In either of which cases, the inability is of the natural kind. Others, may have all the outward means, and all the natural facul­ties, which are necessary in order to a right understanding of the gospel; and yet, through the evil temper of their minds, they may be wholly averse to it, and wholly blind to the glory of it. They may be disposed, to make light of all its proposals and invitations, and to treat every thing relating to religion and another world, with the utmost neglect and indifference. Or if their fears of "the wrath to come," are by any means awakened, and they are made with much solicitude, to enquire ‘what they shall do to be saved;’ still, they may be utterly dis­inclined to submit to the righteousness, or the grace of God, as revealed in the Gospel. They may be still, such ‘children of the devil, and enemies of all righteousness, as to be irreconcilably averse to all the right ways of the Lord.’ They may have ‘such an evil heart of un­belief [Page 17] to depart from the living God,’ as is absolute­ly inconsistent with consenting to the covenant of grace, or "believing to the saving of the soul." Now, when this is the case, the inability the sinner is under, is only of a moral nature. We may pass on now to the

II. HEAD, viz. To show that all who are not the sub­jects of this special and effectual grace of God, must certainly be unable, in one or the other of these senses, to come to Christ, or comply with the gospel.

THOSE, many of them at least, who dislike the distinc­tion now explained, and some who seem in a sort to admit it, suppose all men have, and must have, every kind of ability to do their duty, and to obtain salvati­on. But, I apprehend, it will be very easy to make appear, that this certainly is not the case. A variety of scripture arguments, and a multitude of texts, might be adduced here, were they needed. But that all have not, both the forementioned kinds of ability to comply with the gospel, either of themselves, or by the help of com­mon grace, is as evident as any thing needs to be, meerly from the fact, that many do not do it, but actually live and die in impenitence and unbelief. By common grace is meant, that grace which is given to sinners in general, those that are not saved, as well as those that are. They who believe all, are in every sense, able to work out their own salvation, through the gospel, would not be thought to frustrate the grace of God. They do not suppose sinners are able to do this of themselves, but that some divine assistance, some working of God in them, both to will and to do, is really necessary in the case. But then they suppose, all this needed grace, whatever it be, is given to sinners without exception; and hereby they account for God's commanding all men every where, to repent and believe the gospel. "I grant, indeed," says an ingenious arminian writer, ^* ‘that by reason of original sin, we are utterly disabled for the perform­ance [Page 18] of the condition, without new grace from God. But I say then, that he gives such grace to all of us, by which the performance of the condition is truly possible, and upon this ground he doth and may most righteously require it.’ Here by the way, it is wor­thy of particular remark, what notions many are obliged to entertain of divine grace, in order not to reflect upon the divine justice. To require perfect holiness of creatures so enfeebled and depraved as we are, they suppose would be evidently one of the most unreasonable things in the world. Therefore God has been graciously pleased to send his Son to obey and die in our room, that we might not be "under the law but under grace." But then the covenant of grace, is not mild and gracious enough to be quite strictly just; because by reason of original sin, we are utterly disabled for the performance of the condition upon which salvation is suspended still. To remedy the unreasonableness of this, new grace from God is required. Accordingly "he giveth more grace." ‘He gives such grace to all of us, whereby the performance of the condition, is truly possible; and upon this ground he doth and may most righteously require it!’ Thus, not only the obedience and death of Christ, but likewise all the grace of the Holy Ghost which is necessary to salva­tion, is found no more than barely sufficient to screen the ways of God to men, from the just imputation of unrea­sonableness, and unrighteousness. It is certainly difficult to conceive, how any man who really views things in this light, however much he may talk of free grace, can ever feel himself any more obliged and indebted to God, than if he had only dealt with us in a righteous manner from first to last, never requiring more of us than we were able to do, and so no occassion or room had been gi­ven for any grace in the affair. And yet this view of the matter, is really as friendly to the grace of God, as any conceivable one which proceeds upon the principle, that [Page 19] nothing more can be justly required of us, than we have a moral as well as natural power to do.

BUT what I had more especially in view here, was to enquire how it comes to pass that any in fact do not em­brace the gospel, if that grace is given to every one which is sufficient, in all respects, to enable him to do it. If we want the faculties of body or mind, or the oppor­tunity and means, which are necessary in order to obtain the knowledge of the truth, those difficulties must be removed: And if we want a heart to take pains to know the truth, or to love and embrace it when discovered, that difficulty also must be removed, or else we are not, in every sense, enabled. It is not, in all respects, truly possible that a sinner should come to Christ, till every thing that is inconsistent with his coming is removed out of the way. It is truly impossible that any one should cordially embrace the gospel, so long as he has not such an heart in him; though it would be impossible in a ve­ry different respect, if he had not external light, or natu­ral powers sufficient. And now, if God gave that grace to all of us, whereby we were enabled in both these senses, to comply with the gospel, the infallible consequence must be, that we should all of us actually do it. To say that a man has both natural and moral ability to do a thing, is the same as to say that nothing in nature is want­ing in order to his doing of it but only his own good will, nor that neither. Or, that he both could do it if he would, and is sufficiently willing to. And whenever this hap­pens to be the case, I believe it is not very likely, the thing will, after all, not be done. If in the instance be­fore us, it is really thus; if sinners not only could come to Christ if they would, but they have likewise all that willingness of mind, which is necessary in order to their actually coming, what in the universe can ever be assign­ed, as the reason why in fact they do not? This must certainly be an event, absolutely without any cause.

THE truth is, when people puzzle themselves upon [Page 20] this subject, and insist we are not accountable, and can't be blamed, any further than we have a moral as well as natural power to do otherways than we do, what their minds run upon, is only natural power after all. They may say they know what we mean by moral power, viz. that disposition to do a thing which is necessary in order to our doing it; and they mean the same. But however, when they get into the dispute, they get bewildered, and lose sight of the distinction. They don't suppose an im­penitent sinner, going on still in his trespasses, has a pre­sent, actual disposition, and a sufficiently strong one, to hearken to, and obey the gospel. But something like this seems to be in the bottom of their minds, viz. that he must be able to be disposed; or he must have such a dispositon as would be sufficient, if he was disposed to make a good use of it. Now this is only to use the word disposition improperly, & to conceive of it as a mere natu­ral power; a price in our hands, which may be used well or ill, and which will turn to our benefit or condemnati­on, accordingly as we are disposed to improve it. The disposition they think of, is not in the least degree vir­tuous, nor any ways necessarily connected with virtuous conduct. But it may lie still, or go wrong, and will do so, unless a man is dispos'd and exerts himself, to make it act and keep it right. The sinner is not helped out of his difficulties in the least, by having such a disposition as this. Yea, should we go further, and say, the impe­nitent sinner might have a heart to embrace the gospel, if he would take proper pains in order to it; and he might do this, if he was so disposed; and he might be so dis­posed if he would try; and he could try if he had a mind to. Yet, IF after all, he has not amind to try, to be dis­pos'd, to take any proper pains, to get a heart, to em­brace the gospel, or to do any thing that is good; he is still in as bad a situation as any body supposes him to be in. There is no more hope of his coming to good, so long as this is the case with him, no more possibility of [Page 21] it; nor do we say any thing more in his favour, than if we had only said as the scripture does of the fool, ‘that there is a price in his hand to get wisdom, but he has no heart to it.’ Pushing the sinner's moral depravity and impotence back in this manner, may get it out of the sight of those who can't see above two or three steps: But this is all the good it can do. There is still a defect in him some where; and such a one as will prove his ever­lasting ruin, unless removed by such grace as he has ne­ver yet experienced.

IT must forever hold true and certain, that if sinners do not come to Christ, it is either because they could not if they would; or else because, on the whole, they are not willing to. And if, in the room of coming to Christ, we should substitute some lower and preliminary conditi­on of grace and salvation, it would be just the same case. Suppose it were using means, praying and seeking in the most engaged manner the unregenerate sometimes do; all do not come up to this; and the reason certainly is, they are under a natural, or else a moral inability of do­ing it. Either they could not seek in this manner, if they would, or else they are not inclined to, but their disposition is to employ their time and thoughts about other things. So that bringing down the conditions of the gospel lower, in consideration of the depravity of men; or supposing common grace, whereby all are ena­bled to come up higher than they could of themselves, removes no difficulties, at least not those design'd to be removed, unless the way of life is supposed to be level to the inclinations of all men; or that all are in fact made willing, and actually are saved.

ON the whole, I think the principle, that God can in justice require of his creatures, only what he gives them a moral as well as natural power to do, must be given up. Otherways we are reduced to a necessity of supposing, all the blame, if any are lost, must lie entirely on God, and not on them. And as to those who are saved, they can [Page 22] have nothing to say in his praise, but only that he has been barely just to them. That having given his Son to obey and die, to deliver them from his law, which was an infinitely unreasonable one, for fallen creatures to be under; and having given his spirit to enable them to come up to the otherways impossible terms of the gospel, he has on the whole, dealt not unrighteously by them. If therefore we think, there is any way to vindicate the righteousness of God in the damnation of any; or that any thing can fairly be said to the praise of the glory of his grace, in the salvation of them that are saved, we must suppose he is not obliged in justice to give all of us both the kinds of ability that have been spoken of. And if we believe that any in fact do not obtain salvation, we must conclude they are not in both these senses, enabled to ob­tain it. Which was all I undertook to prove under this second head. The

III. THING proposed was, to consider the moral ina­ability of sinners in this matter.

THERE is not so much need of labouring to confirm this, that unregenerate sinners have not such an heart in them, as is necessary in order to a compliance with the gospel; because proving the preceeding and subsequent proposi­tions, will infer the truth of this. If there is certainly an incapacity of the natural or moral kind, as has now been shewn; and if there is certainly no natural incapacity, as I am to make appear under the next head; then certainly there must be a moral one. Besides, I have time to treat this head but very concisely, considering the im­portance of it.

IT may be proper to be observed here, that the disincli­nation of sinners, as to some things which are pre-requisite to a compliance with the gospel, is different in different persons. Though even this difference, I suppose, is ow­ing to divine grace, or to more's being done for one than for another.

IN the openly vicious and immoral sinner, there is a pre­vailing [Page 23] inclination to persist in his dissolute and immo­ral practices. And there is reason to conclude, that none of this character would ever reform, and that all would be of this character, if left to their own heart's lusts, with­out any divine restraints.

IN secure and unawakened sinners, there is no disposition to attend to the concerns of their souls, and seriously con­sider the state they are in, or to make any sollicitous en­quiry about the way of salvation. They ‘make light of these things, and go their way, one to his farm, and another to his marchandise.’ And such is their attachment to the vanities of time, and their aversion to attend to things of another world, that there is no rea­son to think, any one of this character, would ever be­come serious, thoughtful, and engaged about his eternal well-being, if left intirely to himself.

IN the awakened sinner, though earnest in his enquiries, there is still an utter want of an honest openess of mind, to admit a conviction of the truth. ‘He that doth evil hateth the light, neither cometh he to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.’ He whose ‘inward parts are very wickedness,’ will always hate to see, and, if he can possibly help it, never will believe what he really is. Hence awakened sinners very often, never do, and if left to themselves none of them ever would, "know the plague of their own hearts." While they think they are doing all in their power to increase their convictions, they are all the while inwardly striving with all their might, against conviction, and trying to find some plausible ground to think well of themselves, and to establish a righteousness of their own. Nor will they ever be sensi­ble how "deceitful and desperately wicked" their hearts are, and how hopeless their case is, in themselves, till a conviction of it is forced upon them by the most over­bearing and irresistable evidence.

AND even in the convinced sinner, whose mouth is most effectually stopped, who is forced to see that sin is alive [Page 24] and has full dominion over him, and that he is indeed dead; in him who has the fullest conviction of every ne­cessary truth, that any unrenew'd sinner ever had; there is still, if nothing further is done for him, no disposition heartily to approve of the law, or comply with the gospel; no disposition to repent truly of any of his transgressions, or receive and be dependent on Christ alone for pardon and salvation; no genuine desire to be saved from sin, or to be saved from wrath in that way, in which God's justice can be vindicated, or his grace exalted. But after all his con­victions, there remains still in his heart, a most fix'd, inve­terate, and unconquerable opposition to all these things. Nor will he ever be cordially reconciled to God, by the mere force of truth in his conscience, any more than the wicked will be at the day of judgment, or the damned in hell.

THAT no light, or conviction of the understanding, which the natural man is capable of receiving, can be sufficient to draw, or drive, him into a true compliance with the gospel, is very evident from what is said concern­ing the necessity of regeneration. When Nicodemus came to Christ, wanting information about the way of life, our Saviour soon let him know that mere instruction, even by a teacher come from God, was not all that was want­ed. Yea, that a man could receive no instruction, about the kingdom of heaven, to any saving purpose, unless something else was done for him first. See John iii. 3. ‘Jesus answered and said unto him, verily, verily I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ And again, to explain the matter further, ver 5. ‘Except a man be born of — the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.’ The necessity of such a change as is meant by being born again, or born of the spirit, turns upon the truth of man's being by nature, under a total moral depravity. Accordingly, our Saviour immediately adds, ‘That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is [Page 25] born of the spirit, is spirit.’ That is, a man has no­thing truly spiritual or, holy, in him by the first birth; but every thing of this kind, comes by the renewing of the Holy Ghost. Agreably to this, the apostle Paul says, Rom. vii. 18. "I know that in me, (that is in my flesh; in my nature as far as it is unrenewed, unsancti­fied, and as it was by the first birth) there dwelleth no good thing." And in Rom. viii. 7. he says, ‘The carnal mind,’ the mind we have as born of the flesh, ‘is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.’ He adds, ‘So then, they that are in the flesh; cannot please God.’

THIS is the reason we must be born again. If there was any thing spiritual in us, as born of the flesh, there would be no necessity of this second birth. If we were not by nature dead in trespasses and sins, there would be no oc­casion for our being quickened, by divine power and grace. If sinners were inclined at all to that which is good, they would not need to be created unto good works. If man had not wholly lost the divine likeness, there would be no need of being created again ‘after God, in righte­ousness and true holiness.’ If the ‘heart of the sons of men’ was not altogether depraved, to the very bottom of it, there would be no necessity of the old "heart's being taken away, and a new one given." If men's alienation of affection from God, did not arise from unlikeness to him, but only from ignorance and misappre­hension about him, no change of nature would be at all necessary. Mere light in the head, mere conviction of the understanding, would then produce a cordial reconci­liation. Yea, if a man has any degree of righteousness and true holiness, nothing but convictions can be want­ing, in order to his complying with the covenant of grace, and entering into the kingdom of God. He would no sooner be convinced of the holiness and righteousness of God, but he would feel his heart drawn forth in love to him. He would no sooner be convinced that the law [Page 26] was holy, just and good, but he would be pleased with it, and loathe himself for all his transgressions of it. He would no sooner be convinced of the unparrallel'd zeal which Christ hath shewn in the cause of righteousness, and how he has magnified the law and made it honora­ble, but he would be charmed with him, and see him to be ‘the chiefest among ten thousand, and altogether lovely.’ He would no sooner be convinced, of the holy tendency of all his doctrines and all his laws, but he would cordially embrace, and chearfully obey them. He would no sooner understand, that his design was to save his people from their sins, but he would receive him, with all joy and thankfulness, as his Saviour and Lord.

BUT, if the hearts of men are totally depraved, desti­tute of righteousness and true holiness entirely, the case will be quite otherways. A holy God, a holy law, a ho­ly Saviour, a holy gospel, will not surely, then appear love­ly in their eyes, but the contrary. Nor will a clearer un­derstanding and conviction of what they really are, excite complacence and satisfaction in them, but the greater a­version and dread. They cannot, in that case, be cor­dially united to Christ, until his character or their's, is essentially changed. They can not be drawn to him, unless by force, and against their wills, till either he ceases to be what he is, or they are made new creatures. For ‘an unjust man is an abomination to the just; and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked.’ And, ‘what fellowship hath righteousness with unrigh­teousness? And what communion hath light with dark­ness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial?’

CAN a man whose heart is wholly corrupt, and unho­ly, chuse the holy Jesus for his Lord and Saviour, and cordially embrace the pure and holy doctrines and pre­cepts of his gospel? Can one who is really and at heart, wholly in love with the service of Satan, inlist, with any sincerity, into the service of Christ, all whose work and business is, ‘to destroy the works of the de­vil?’ [Page 27] Can one who is all the while ‘an enemy in his mind to God,’ yea, whose ‘mind is enmity itself against God,’ be delighted with the character and ways of his well-beloved Son, who is ‘the brightness of the Father's glory, and the very image of his person?’ Can one who ‘is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be,’ be subject to the Mediator, or suited with his conduct in being obedient even unto death, to condemn sin and do honor to the divine law? Can one who is an enemy to all righteousness, be pleased with Christ in this view of his character, pleased with him, "for his righteousness sake," and for the zeal he has shewn to "magnify the law and make it honorable?"

THIS is the reason the Father is well pleased in him as Mediator. And "all that come unto God by him," must be pleased with him in this view also. There can be no true reconciliation between God and man, unless both parties acquiesce, and are suited with what the Me­diator has done; and that considered in the same point of light. God is well pleased, indeed, with the love Christ has shown for lost men. For the Father was always as benevolently dispos'd towards this fallen world, as the Son was. But yet had he not as Mediator, shown a proper regard to truth and righteousness; had he not "condemned the sin of men," and ‘given to God the glory that was due unto his name,’ the holy Gover­nor of the world could not have acquisced in his media­tion. ‘The Lord was well pleased for his righteousness sake.’ And if we are not pleased with him in this view, but merely for the sake of his kindness and good­will to men, we do not come into his plan of reconcili­ation and of peace. ^*

[Page 28]To conclude this head, and the present discourse. If the moral depravity of unregenerate sinners, was fully under­derstood, it must undoubtedly appear that this alone is [Page 29] sufficient to account for all that is said in the scripture con­cerning their inability, and to make the grace of the Holy Ghost as necessary, as that makes it. If they have ‘an evil [Page 30] heart of unbelief,’ wholly inclined ‘to depart from the living God,’ such a heart will effectually and for­ever ‘turn them aside, so that they cannot deliver their [Page 31] soul.’ Nor would better natural abilities than they have, be of the least service to them. If ever they come to good, it must be by strength that is under a better direction than their's is. Greatness of capacity has not the least tendency to produce goodness, in one who is altoge­ther destitute of it. Sinners of the most exalted genius and strength of mind, are certainly no more able to make themselves new creatures than the very weakest are. And the reason of this is as obvious, as the fact is certain; viz. because whatever strength any one has, he always lays it out according to his own heart, and not contrary to it. Consequently all the strength of men and angels, yea even Omnipotence itself, if the sinner had the direc­tion of it, would never make him good. Could he have divine power at his service, according to his utmost wish, it would not be to change his heart, but to enable him to act it out without controul. If therefore, sinners on­ly knew what hearts they have, this alone would bring them to dispair of help from themselves, let their natu­ral [Page 32] powers be never so good, and make them see that if ever they are saved it will be no thanks to them. ^¶

SINNERS inwardly imagine, if they were only dealt fairly with they should do well enough. If they perish, they think it will be owing to the fatal influence of some dark decree, or to God's requiring more of them than they can possibly do, let them exert themselves never so faithfully. But he that imagines thus, knows not ‘the plague of his own heart.’ "He that trusteth in his own heart, is a fool."

THE general observation raised from these words, was to this effect,

THAT no man is able to comply with the gospel of Christ, without the effectual grace of God.

A principal thing I had in view, was to clear this doc­trine of the common objection in men's minds against it, as if it represented the Most High, as being insincere and unrighteous in his dealings with sinners. Offering them salvation on terms he knows they cannot come up to; and then condemning and punishing them, for their non-com­pliance with such impossible conditions. Accordingly, I undertook, in the first place, to explain and illustrate a distinction of two kinds of inability; and to shew that men are, not unfrequently, in common speech, and scripture, [Page 34] said to be incapable of actions which are their aversion, or which they have not an inclination to, as well as of things which they could not do if they were so disposed. As likewise, that there is a real occasion for using this and the like expressions, in such a manner. There being, in­deed, an absolute impossibility of a man's acting other­ways than agreeably to his own heart, as well as there is of his doing things which exceed his natural strength.

Secondly; I endeavoured to shew, that sinners while they actually neglect the great salvation, are certainly un­able, in one or the other of these senses, not to neglect it. That so long as they do not come to Christ, it must be true that they want, either such natural ability, or else such a heart, as is necessary in order to their coming to him.

Thirdly; I considered the moral depravity of sinners, shewing that they have such an evil heart to depart from the living God, that until their natures are changed, it is impossible they should come to Christ, or chuse him & his salvation. We are come now, to the

IV. AND last head proposed; viz. To prove that sin­ners labour under no other impossibility of complying with the gospel, but only what arises from their disincli­nation to it; or from the badness of their hearts.

I DO not mean, however, nor will any understand me, to assert this, with respect to every individual of the human race. For as the apostle observes, "how shall men be­lieve in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?"

THERE are, undoubtedly, a great many in the world, who, in their present circumstances, could not get the knowledge of the gospel way of life, if their hearts were good. There are some that have not the means of grace; there are others that have not the use of reason; and there are others who have not, and never had, the sense of hear­ing. It is not asserted concerning any of these, that they are not under a natural incapacity to come to Christ. [Page 35] But what I undertake to evince, is only, that persons who have ordinary intellectual powers, and bodily senses, and are arrived to years of discretion, and live under the light of the gospel, labour under no natural inability to obtain salvation: But that if they cannot comply with the re­vealed way of life, it must be owing intirely to their dis­inclination to it, or to the badness of their hearts.

THERE are multitudes that evidently do not view the matter in this light. It is needful therefore, that this point should be laboured a little particularly. The

1. ARG. I shall make use of for the confirmation of it is, that it is not God's usual way, to require natural im­possibilities of any of his creatures; and to condemn them for not doing, what they could not, if they would.

GOD commands none of us to fly above the clouds, or to overturn the mountains by the roots; or to do any such kind of impossibilities. Yea, we are particularly told in his word, that ‘if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.’ If a man has but little estate, it is not expected or required that he should give away a great deal to pious or charitable uses. If a poor widow casts in two mites, when it is all she has, it is as well accepted as if it were two millions. If a man has never so little strength, of body or of mind, a willing exertion and good improve­ment of that little, is all that is required of him. This is exceeding evident from those summaries of the whole law, which we have both in the old testament, and in the new. Moses says, Dieut. 10.12. ‘And now Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul?’ And our Saviour, in answer to the question of the scribe, which is the great commandment in the law?" says, Mat. 22 37—40, and Mark 12, 30. ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all [Page 36] Thy mind, and with all thy strength. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like un­to it, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’

IT is evident from these passages, that the whole law, in the highest perfection of it, is level to some kind of capacity which men still have, in the present fallen state. We are not to suppose, indeed, it is their moral capacity; or that all the Lord our God requires of us, is only to love and fear and serve him, as much as we are disposed to. This would be no law at all. It would be a dispen­sation from all law; a liberty for every one to walk in the way of his own heart, and treat the Deity just as his incli­nation leads him. We are not to suppose a perfect law, can come down any lower, than to require a perfect heart, and a perfectly good improvement of all the talents and strength we have. And it is evident, neither Moses, nor our Saviour, understood the divine law as requiring more than this. To love and serve God, with all the heart, soul, mind and strength, cannot mean more than to the utmost extent of our natural abilities, be they greater or less. Some men are not capable of so high a degree of love to God as others, though they are equally upright and well-disposed; because their mental powers are not so great; or their advantages to get the knowledge of God have not been so good. In like manner some cannot do so much for God, for want of opportunity, &c. Now all proper allowences are made in the divine law, for things of this nature. The more any one has of intellectual or bodily strength, or outward advantages; the more is re­quired of him; and the less any one has of these, the less is required. As to loving our neighbour as ourselves; this is undoubtedly equally in the power of the weak and of the strong, of him that is capable of higher and lower degrees of affection, provided he is equally upright disin­terested and impartial.

[Page 37]ON the whole, I think it is exceeding plain and evident, that God in his holy and righteous law, requires no im­possibilities of any of us, but what become so by reason of our present evil temper of mind, and unwillingness to ex­ert the natural strength we have in the manner we ought. And now, if we have natural powers sufficient for under­standing and doing our whole duty; and nothing hinders any of us from coming up to all that sinless perfection, which is required in God's perfect law, but only our own wicked hearts; I conclude few will think any thing else hinders sinners of ordinary capacity, who enjoy the out­ward means of grace, from repenting and complying with the gospel. A

II. ARG. that sinners who enjoy the external light of the gospel, are not under a natural impossibility of com­plying with and obeying it, may be drawn from what the scriptures plainly teach, and what is generally believed, concerning the great difference that will be made betwixt such sinners, and those who never heard of a Saviour, as to their final condemnation and punishment.

OUR Saviour let those cities where he had chiefly preached and wrought his miracles, know, that their fi­nal doom would be much the heavier for it; and that it would be more tolerable for even Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgement, than for them. But this, and what is commonly said, about the great guilt of gospel sinners above others, surely supposes that there is some difference between them and the heathen, as to a possibi­lity of their understanding the way of life, and attaining salvation. It supposes the former have a real price in their hands, which the latter have not. But if the gospel sin­ner is under a natural inability to repent and believe in Christ, an inability arising from any thing else besides his own heart, this could not surely be the case. Why should one who is, & always has been, so weak or disordered in his intellect, as to be incapable of understanding the gospel, be thought a greater sinner for living in a christian land? [Page 38] We do not think this is the case as to idiots, or quite deli­rious persons. We do not think they will have more to an­swer for than the heathen will. But if we believe a natural impossibility is required of men in this case, because their natural capacity was impaired or lost by the fall: then for the same reason we might expect, that the heathen who never heard of the gospel, and natural fools who can understand nothing about it, would be punished for not embracing it, as much as any. For they would not have been under those disadvantages had it not been for the a­postacy.

ARG. III. IT is expresly attributed in scripture, to the evil hearts of men, as the sole cause of impenitence and unbelief under the gospel.

AND it ought to be particularly observed, that this is done with profess'd design to set aside the plea of ignorance, which sinners are so exceeding apt to harp upon; and to let them see that they are without excuse. ‘This is the condemnation,’ our Saviour says, ‘that light is come into the world; and men have loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil.’ In another place he says, ‘if ye were blind, ye had not had sin; but now ye say we see, therefore your sin remaineth.’ And again; ‘if I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen, and hated both me and my father. Now they have no cloke for their sin.’ That is, if they had not had those powers of mind, or those means of conviction that were necessary, it is true, they would not have been to blame, it would have been no sin in them, not to have believed in and received me as their Messiah. But now when their understandings are good enough; and when means, powerful and sufficient external means have been used with them; their unbelief and rejec­tion of me, can be owing to nothing but the despe­rate wickedness of their hearts. It is knowledge and not ignorance of my character, that is the spring of their hatred. Or if any of them are ignorant, it is their own fault. [Page 39] There is light enough, only they hate it, and will not come to it.

ARG. IV. That it is not owing to weakness of the un­derstanding, or any natural defect, that sinners in ge­neral under the gospel are not saved, is evident from the inferior abilities of many of those who actually ob­tain salvation,

IT is not men of the strongest and brightest genius, and they only, that understand and embrace the gospel; but they are persons of very ordinary powers of mind, as of­ten if not oftener than any. ‘Ye see your calling bre­thren,’ says the Apostle to the Corinthians, ‘how that not many wise men after the flesh,—are called. But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world, and the weak things to confound the mighty,’ &c. And our Saviour says, ‘I thank thee, O father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them un­to babes. Even so, father, for so it seemed good in thy sight.’ Though God bestows the special influen­ces of his grace, just where and when he pleases, or as seemeth good in his sight, yet he has doubtless always a sufficient reason for fixing upon the particular objects of his sovereign mercy, exactly as he does. We are not to conceive of it, as a blind partiality, but a wise sovereignty, that is exercised in this matter. The reason why not many of the noble and honorable are called, but rather the base and such as are dispised, is, we are told, that no flesh should glory in his presence. And the reason why it seemeth good in the sight of God, to hide these things from the wise and prudent, and to reveal them unto babes, may be, and undoubtedly one reason of it is, that hereby it may be made evident, it is not owing to the superior strength of men's natural powers that they discover the strait and narrow way which leadeth unto life; nor to their weakness, in respect of natural abilities, that they do not. If babes are able to see the suitableness and [Page 40] glory of the gospel way of salvation, unquestionably, wise men might, were it not for something besides weakness of understanding, or any deficiency in the intellect merely. It is evident from hence, that natural weakness can be no insuperable bar in the way of man's obtaining salvation, unless they are weaker than babes.

ARG. V. AT least this will be undeniably evident, if we consider what is done for a person when these things are revealed unto him; or when he is made to see ‘the things of the spirit of God, as they are spiritually discerned.’

GOD does not reveal any new truths, not contained in his written word; nor does he give any new faculties to persons, or enlarge their natural powers of body or of mind, when he enables them to believe and obey the gos­pel. But what he does for them, is to alter the temper and disposition of their hearts. If we found all that became real christians, however weak before, were immediately afterwards, persons of genius and abilities superior to all other men, we should, indeed, have reason to suspect that the unregenerate wanted better understandings, rather than better hearts, in order to their being able truly to know Jesus Christ, and the way of life. But this is not the case. It is the heart that is created a-new, when one becomes a good man, and not the head. We find the natural powers of men are the same after regeneration as before; and often far inferior to many of their neighbours, who have experienced no such change. It is true, the wisdom of good men runs in another channel; they are wise to do good, and apt to get divine knowledge; but that is only because they have a taste for these things, and are disposed to take pains about them. ‘The children of this world are, in their generation, wiser than the chil­dren of light.’ They prosecute their own schemes, & make proficiency in what they turn their hands to, and set their hearts upon, beyond what good men do in the things of virtue and religion. What makes good men see the [Page 41] glory of God, which others can perceive nothing of, is not their having more speculative knowledge about the divine character, than others have, or are capable of; but their being conformed to God in temper & in heart; con­formed to him "in righteousness and true holiness." This, indeed, makes divine things, and all things of a mo­ral nature, appear in quite a new light; & hence they are said to be renewed in knowledge. He that is altogether unholy, let his head be never so clear, and his specula­tive knowledge never so great, cannot have all that per­ception of holiness, which the weakest saint has, who feels the opperation and power of it in his own heart. There is no knowledge like that we get by experience. A man that has never felt a particular kind of pain, we say, can have no idea of it; so of parental affection, one who has never experienced it, knows not what it is. The same may be said of all kinds of sensations and affections; the experiencing them, gives a knowledge of them that can no otherways be obtained. And this holds true with respect to holy exercises and affections as much as any other. Hence, those who are made ‘partakers of a di­vine nature,’ or who have ‘put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness,’ are capable of a kind of knowledge of God, which is peculiar to themselves. Accordingly the apos­tle John says, ‘Every one that loveth, is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not, knoweth not God; for God is love.’ 1 John iv. 7, 8. He who is acquainted with the feelings of universal benevolence, in his own breast, has a different idea of him who ‘is good unto all, and whose tender mercies are over all his works,’ than he whose heart is contracted, and who is truly good to none, has, or is capable of. Particular­ly; he who is conformed in heart to God, sees a beauty in his character and government, which no one of an intirely opposite temper can possibly do. The reason is, whatever any one regards, and is zealous about, he is [Page 42] necessarily pleased to see others regard, and be engaged in promoting. Thus if a man values his own particular interest or reputation, as every one does, he is thence un­avoidably pleased to see others tender of it, and dispo­sed to promote it. And if a man is benevolently con­cerned for the public interest, he will in like manner be peculiarly delighted to see others public spirited and zea­lously aiming to secure and advance the general good. The intirely selfish soul, feels as if his own private hap­piness was the most valuable, yea the only valuable thing in all the universe. Hence if he can only believe, God has set his kindest love on him, from eternity; and sent his only Son from his bosom to die for his sake, (whe­ther necessary or unnecessary, wise or unwife, right or wrong, it matters not;) this gives him the most exalted, the most glorious conception, of the parent and lord of all worlds, that his narrow soul can possibly contain.—But, to him that is born of God, and assimulated in temper, to his father which is in heaven, things will appear in a quite different light. To him who is made to be in any measure of a true, a God-like public spirit, an impartial, infinite disposition to maintain universal order, to pro­mote universal good, is the grand, the infinite beauty.

To have the spirit of Christ, or the same mind that was in him, is, in like manner, the only thing that can ena­ble a person to have that sense which all saints have, of the greatness and glory of his redeeming love. Hence it was the apostle Paul's prayer for the Ephesians, ‘that they being rooted and grounded in love, might be able to comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge.’ Eph. iii, 17, 18, 19.

AND to have a heavenly, that is, a holy temper and spi­rit, is necessary in order to have a true understanding of any thing heavenly; any thing of ‘the inheritance of the saints in light,’ or of what ‘God hath prepared [Page 43] for them that love him.’ This the Apostle very par­ticularly and largely takes notice of, in 1 Cor. ii, 11—15. "For what man," says he, ‘knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him?’ The spirit of man; the narrowness, pride, and various corrupt affections by which mankind are actuated, would be very incomprehensible to us, did we not feel, and had we never felt, any thing of the same in our own breasts. We should be perfectly amazed to see how men act, not being able to conceive what inward feelings or principles should ex­cite them to behave in such a manner.—The things of a man; the enjoyments which fallen creatures so fondly dote on, and so eagerly pursue after, to one who never had a­ny thing of their spirit, it would be inconceivable how there could be any thing gratifying, or agreeable in them, to any mortal.— ‘So the things of God knoweth no man, but the spirit of God.’ The enjoyments of reli­gion and of heaven, can no more be perceived to have a­ny thing in them, by one who is intirely destitute of a di­vine and heavenly temper.— ‘Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.’ That is, the holy delights & enter­tainments provided for saints in a future world. ‘Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.’ —In describ­ing these future glories and felicities, we do not make use of such language as a carnal taste would suggest, or as would be thought the true sublime, by the wise of this world: but we speak of them in a manner to which we are led by the spirit of holiness. To give us the most ele­vated ideas of the joys to be expected in heaven, we com­pare them, not with the idolized possessions and delights of time and sense, but with those spiritual enjoyments, those holy exercises and gratifications, which true saints experience, in some low degree, in this lower world.— ‘ [Page 44]But the natural man receiveth not the things of the spi­rit of God: for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discern­ed.’ —The unrenewed sinner, having nothing spiritu­al in him, to compare spiritual things with, being a strang­er to spiritual joys, or the feelings and pleasures of a truly virtuous mind, they will necessarily seem empty, out of the way things to him; nor can he perceive their true excel­lence and worth, because their being perceived thus, de­pends intirely upon the spirit and temper a man is of.

IT appears from these passages, that it is neither the hav­ing new truths suggested, that are not contained in the scriptures; nor the having the understanding convinced of the truths contained in them; nor the having new fa­culties of mind given, or the old ones enlarged, or mend­ed, or any how made better, that enables a man to see God, or Christ, or heavenly things, as saints see them. But that a foundation is, and can be laid for this, only by a man's becoming a saint, or having a new spirit given him; the spirit which is of God.

IN a word; whatever is said by some about rectifying the natural faculties, it is very generally agreed, that re­generation is not a physical change, but a moral one. That it consists, not in making men great, but in making them good. That the new creation, is nothing else but the mo­ral image of God, consisting in righteousness and true holiness. But if these things are so, then certainly all the inability that is removed, and consequently all that wants to be removed, by the renewing of the Holy Ghost, is intirely of a moral nature. An inability which altogether consists, in the want of an honest and good heart.

ARG. VI. This way of conceiving of the impotence of fallen men, does not frustrate, but tends most of all to advance and magnify, the grace of God.

UNDOUBTEDLY that view of the inability of man, which is most easily and fairly reconcilable with the justice of God, ought to be embraced, provided it does not de­rogate [Page 45] from the freeness and riches of divine grace, in the sinners salvation. Now I presume there are few, but what are sensible of some difficulty, in reconciling God's requir­ing natural impossibilities of us, with any notions we have of justice. As if he should require a man to fly, or lift a million weight, or make a world. And should suspend his salvation on the condition of his doing such things as these, which are evidently beyond the capacity of any man, let his disposition be as it will. And should say he had no cloak for his sin, in not doing things of this nature. And that for his not complying with such a merciful pro­posal of salvation, it should be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for him. I say, I believe there are few, but must be sensible of some difficulty in seeing into the reasonableness, and justice of this. But then, perhaps they may think, there is no way to leave room for such a display of divine grace, as we are taught there is, in the salvation of men, without sup­posing something like this to be in fact the case. They may think there can be no necessity of the grace of the Holy Ghost, on supposition sinners can comply with the Gospel, whenever they are disposed to. But any appre­hensions of this kind, must arise from a very favourable opinion of the goodness of the sinners disposition. As if he was so willing to use his talents, and improve the price put into his hands aright, that God has no way sufficiently to display his grace towards him, but by requiring things of him, which the holiest creature in the universe, under his circumstances, could not perform. If men are ill-disposed, they so far stand in need of grace to enable them to do, that which without any such divine help they would find no difficulty in, if they were well disposed. And is it not easy to see, that it will require as much power, and more grace, to change a sinners heart, than to alter a man's head, or enlarge any of his natural faculties?

THE sot, who has lived in a course of intemperance from twenty to three score, is still under no inability to reform, [Page 46] but only what arises from his own appetite and inclinati­on. He might still refuse the glass, and become a sober man, without any body's advice or help, if his own will was not wanting. But yet no one would think it a less unpromising undertaking, to go about to reclaim such a person, than to cure one of a bodily infirmity in which the patient's will had no hand, and which he could not get rid of himself, let him be never so heartily, and stea­dily, and strongly desirous of it. Suppose such a one, that had had all motives, fetched from this world and the world to come, repeatedly urged upon him, in the ten­derest and most forcible manner by all his friends; but without the least effect. Should one at last, find means to persuade him into a thorough and lasting reformation; would he not be thought to do as great a thing, as he that should cure one of a natural infirmity that had long baffled the skill of all the physicians?

MORAL sickness may be as hard to cure, and require as powerful means, and as able a physician, as natural sickness. And if a man is dead in the moral sense; that is, has lost all principles of true virtue intirely, he is as absolutely beyond the reach of all means, as to their bringing of him to life again, as one that is dead in the na­tural sense. Moral means, can only work upon such moral principles, as they find to work upon. They cannot produce a new nature, new principles of action, any more than natural means can make new life for themselves to work upon, in a dead carcase. Cultivation and manur­ing may make a bad tree grow, and bear fruit, after it's kind. But can never make a thorn bear figs, or a bram­ble-bush, grapes. Let what means will be used, so long as the tree is evil, the fruit will be so likewise. If man­kind have lost the moral image of God intirely, it is easy to see, that nothing short of a new creation, can restore it to them. If they are dead in trespasses and sins, the quickening them, must be an instance of the working of God's mighty power, in a supernatural manner, like [Page 37] that of raising Christ from the dead. And without a work of this kind, whatever means are used with them, they will never have the least spiritual life, or real holi­ness. ^*

AND now, does not the admiting such a total moral depravity, suppose room and necessity enough, for the grace of the Holy Ghost in the salvation of men, without supposing any deficiency in their natural faculties?

[Page 48]BUT let us compare the two hypotheses, that of a na­tural inability, and the contrary one which I have now been endeavouring to prove, and we may easily see which gives the highest conception of the grace of God. Those who conceive sinners labour under a natural incapacity to come to Christ, place the defect in the understanding. They suppose that ignorance and mis-apprehension, is the primary cause of all our enmity and opposition to God. And consequently, that as soon as the understand­ing comes to be rectified and rightly informed, we of course become reconciled in heart to the ways of God; and pleased with the character and mediation of Christ. This seems to suppose we always had been conformed to God's real character, in the temper of our minds; and that all we had been quarrelling with, and enemies to, was only a false idea of God; or such a character as no one ought to love. As if a very righteous man, should be prejudiced against & greatly engaged in opposing another, that was really as righteous and good a man as himself. But he had been mis-informed about him, and conceiv'd him to be quite a different man, from what he really was. Now as soon as his understanding comes to be tru­ly enlightened, or his mistakes are removed, and he gets a thorough acquaintance, the good man loves the good man, of course, without any change of character in ei­ther. But, shall we view the enmity of the carnal mind against God in this light, in order to have the most ex­alted idea of the divine grace, in the salvation of such a carnal person? Shall we suppose that the reason, and the only reason, why he is not, neither indeed can be, subject to the law of God, is because he does not, neither indeed can understand it? Or because, through the weakness of his natural powers, he understands it so, as it would be wicked to obey it, and no truly virtuous and upright mind, could be subject to it, or suited with it, in his sense of it?—In that case, all that is necessary to be done by the divine spirit, is, to inform us rightly concerning the [Page 49] holy nature and ways of God; and let us know that all our hatred of him, is owing to a mere misunderstanding; and that he is really just such a being, as we all natural­ly love; even altogether such an one as ourselves. Can there be a necessity of any thing supernatural, in bringing a sinner "out of darkness into God's marve­lous light," if this is all that is implied in it?—Yes, it will be said, a supernatural work upon the understanding, is still necessary. Though light alone, will produce all the change of heart that is wanted; yet not objective light merely, but what may perhaps be called subjective light. That is, the understanding itself, must be strength­ened, or enlarged, or brightened, or some how made better; otherways the external light, however clear, will shine in darkness, and cannot be comprehended.

Now if this is the supernatural work of the spirit, which persons are the subjects of when they are born a­gain, it is of the same nature, as if a natural fool, should, by a miracle, have reason given him. ^* But is this the way to advance the grace of God most, in our salvation? Is it the most wonderful instance of rich grace, to give an intelligent mind, to one whose heart was so good, that he only wanted to have reason enough to be able to understand the gospel, and he would em­brace it most cordially as soon as ever it was proposed to him? does the grace appear so great in this, as in chang­ing [Page 50] the heart of one who was an enemy to the true God? One that might have had light enough, only he hated the light and would not come to it? Or one that had had the light of conviction forced upon him, and had both seen and hated, both the Father and the Son, both the law and the gospel?

LET any one only think how he would address him­self to God, with a view to magnify the riches of his grace in saving him. Would he think that lessening his former natural abilities as much as possible, was the way to do this most effectually? Would he acknowledge that man by the fall had lost his rational powers, and was become no wiser than the beasts of the field, and of no more understanding than the fouls of heaven; and therefore, that he had been utterly incapable of know­ing what a kind of being God was, or what his law re­quired, or getting any just notions concerning Christ and the way of salvation? That no one whose mental powers were so weak, or so much disordered, as his had always been, could ever possibly get a true understand­ing of any of those things? And if God had not been graciously pleased to give him a better head, he must in­evitably have been lost forever? Is this, I say, the ac­knowledgment one would make, with a view to glorify sovereign grace, in bringing him out of darkness into marvelous light?—Or would he not rather acknowledge the goodness of God, in giving him rational powers in his first formation, and so rendering him capable of act­ing a higher and happier part than the mere sensitive creation; capable of serving and enjoying God as a ra­tional creature? Would he not acknowledge that, tho' God might most justly have deprived him of all the pe­culiar dignities and advantages of the rational nature, for his own and not merely for Adam's abuse of them, yet he had not done it? That he had not been denied the use of reason, or the opportunity and means of know­ing God as many had been? But that under all these [Page 51] advantages to know God, he had not glorified him as God, nor been thankful. That he had shut his eyes against the clearest light, turned a deaf ear to the most gracious calls, and hated the best of Beings; hated him, not for what he is not, but for what he is; for his righteousness, for his holiness; for those very things for which angels and saints, so much admire and love him. And that the more he knew of God and Christ, the more he hated them; and should forever have done so, had not divine grace most astonishingly interposed in favour of so vile a wretch, and changed his nature, given him quite another spirit.

IT is strange if any should seriously think, that display­ing abroad their natural weaknesses and infirmities, and alledging these as the only causes why they have not known or done, better than they have, is the way to humble themselves most before God, and to do the most honor to his grace in their salvation.

THOSE who hold to natural inability, and suppose all that sinners want, is to have their understandings rectifi­ed, thereby virtually and really, tho' I suppose not de­signedly, deny moral depravity altogether. But should we suppose sinners are depraved, and even totally depra­ved, in the temper of their minds; but that they are so impaired in their natural powers too, as to be incapable of understanding and complying with the gospel, if their hearts were good: This natural inability in addition to the moral, would not lay a foundation for a larger and fuller display of divine grace in their salvation, but the contrary. Suppose mankind, when they lost the moral image of God, had lost their reason too, and become fools in the natural sense; and that when their under­standings were restored, they were renewed in the tem­per of their minds also; then, you see, they would never have had opportunity to discover their moral de­pravity, as when they have had understandings good enough, and have known God, but in works have de­nied [Page 52] him, being abominable, and disobedient, and to every good work reprobate. It would not appear to themselves, or to any but the Searcher of Hearts, what an evil disposition they had been of, and what a moral change had been wrought in them. And consequently, the divine grace towards them, if it was in reality as great, would not be manifested so much. But, indeed, the grace of God in the salvation of men, on that sup­position, would not in reality be so great. The better understandings any have, and abuse, the greater is their guilt; and consequently the greater the grace that saves them.

ALL that now remains is the Improvement. And,

1. FROM what has been said I think it follows, that there is no foundation for conceiving of sinners as be­ing to blame and inexcusable, in part of their neglect of the great salvation, and not in the whole of it; or that they may reasonably be exhorted, to do part of what is implied in coming to Christ, but not the whole. Some seem to suppose that unregenerate sinners are not to blame for not doing things which imply real holiness, and can't be done without, as repenting truly of their sins, believing in Christ, loving God, &c. But that for not doing other things, which may be done with­out any holiness at heart, as reforming externally, pray­ing, &c. they are altogether inexcusable. But is not this evidently a distinction without any just foundation? Either the natural abilities of men must be the mea­sure of their duty, and all they come short of this is sin; or else their duty is to be measured by their moral ability, and they are to blame only so far as they fall short of doing, what they have a heart to do. Now if we are under obligation to do well, to the utmost of our natural power, and no abatement of duty ought to be made, on account of an evil heart, or the want of a good one; then sinners are to blame and altogether in­excusable, in not forsaking sin heartily, as well as ex­ternally; [Page 53] in not believing in Christ, loving God and be­ing cordially obedient to his will. For none of these things are impossible to such as are well disposed. But if moral power is the measure of duty, if want of a disposition to do otherways than a man does, renders him excusable and not to blame; then all are excusable, none are to blame. The thoughtless and secure, the prayerless and profane, the most profligate and aban­doned, are as excusable, as little to blame as any others. For the inclinations of the worst of men, it may, with­out any great stretch of charity, be supposed, are as bad as their actions are. They are none of them any more wicked than they are disposed to be. Nor have any of them a moral power to be any better. The dissolute and immoral might reform, it is true, if they were in­clined to. The careless sinner might become serious and thoughtful about his salvation, might read and hear, meditate and pray, if he was so disposed. But it is as true, that sinners might come to the saving know­ledge of the way of life, might repent and believe the gospel, were they so disposed. Nothing but a heart is wanting in one ease any more than in the other: And that is wanting in both cases. ‘The vile person will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity, to practice hypocrisy, to utter error, &c.’ We are told that "the heart of the sons of men is full of evil." And what they will do, if left to themselves, we are also told. See Rom. i. 27—31. ‘God gave them over to a reprobate mind;’ that is, left them to act their own minds without restraint. And what was the conse­quence? ‘They were filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, &c.’ The scandalous sinner will not become externally reformed, without restraining grace; nor will the secure sinner seek and pray, and use the means of grace, unless he is awakened; any more than a man will come to Christ, without the [Page 54] drawing of the father. The drunkard has not a moral power, that is, a sufficient inclination, to forsake his cups, while he does not forsake them; nor the lewd person to forsake his lewd practices; nor the murder­er to hold back his hand from shedding of blood, any more than the natural man has to embrace the gospel.

THERE is therefore no propriety in exhorting the un­regenerate, to do only such things as are consistent with an intirely depraved and wicked heart, as if nothing further could be expected of them at present, any more than there would be in exhorting the most abandon'd of mankind, to do only what is consistent with their dis­position and course of life, because nothing better can be expected of them, till they are better disposed, or are under greater restraints.

ACCORDINGLY, there is no such compounding with the natural man, for what he can do, without a heart to do any thing that is good, to be met with any where in the sacred scriptures. God's present demand upon every one of us is, "give me thy heart." He does not say, give me thy external obedience only, make a decent shew of seeking and serving me, and it shall suffice for the pre­sent; for as for thy heart, I know, ‘there is no hope, it hath loved strangers, and after them it will go.’ The law requires truth in the inward parts; yea it de­mands a perfect heart. ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength; and thy neighbor as thy self.’ Not, thou shalt seek and pray for this temper, towards God and man, but thou shalt have it.—The New-Testament preachers of salvation through Christ, say, ‘repent and believe the gospel. Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out.’ The sum of their preaching, "both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks," was, ‘repentance toward God, and [Page 55] faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.’ Not testi­fying, "as the manner of some is," that if sinners will do what they can, (meaning what their wicked hearts will let them do, what the carnal mind which is enmity a­gainst God, may consent to,) they will not be left to pe­rish; but God will undoubtedly have pity on them, and afford them further help.

CERTAINLY, if the divine law is just, no man can justly excuse himself, or be excused, short of a perfect heart, and a perfect life. And if the gospel is true, there is no safety for any sinner, no ground of dependence that God will have mercy on him, or ever shew him any fa­vour, short of Christ, & an actual interest in him by faith. ‘He that believeth not, is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begot­ten Son of God. He that believeth not the Son, shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. He that believeth not shall be damned.’

'Tis extremely obvious, that the scriptures every where treat the impenitent and the unbeliever, with as little ceremony as any sinners whatsoever. And it is exceeding evident, I think, from what has now been said, that reason affords no plea in their favour, but what will equally excuse any sinner in the world, in being as he is, & in doing as he does. If the want of a good heart, is a good plea, every sinner, and every imperfect saint, may avail himself of it to his compleat justification. Those who are sanctified but in part, cannot be blamed for being but imperfectly holy. Those who have no true holiness at all, cannot be required to have any, or be blam'd if they act as well as they can without it. And, by the same rule, not so much as an external re­formation, can be required of those who have no mind to reform. Nothing can be said to the purpose of excus­ing sinners on account of the badness of their hearts, unless we would undertake to maintain this general principle, that the duty of every one, must be only just [Page 56] according to every one's disposition. But if this prin­ciple is true, every one must easily see, there can never be any such thing as neglect of duty, or desert of pu­nishment, or need of grace, in the universe.

2. FROM what has been said it may appear, that there is no force in that common plea in the mouths of sin­ners, namely, That they did not bring their depravity upon themselves, but were born with it. If their hearts are altogether sinful, they did'nt 'make them so, nor is it any of their fault; they have only such hearts as were given them, without their choice or consent.—Now in arguing thus, they evidently view a wicked heart, in no other light than as a mere weakness, which a man would not choose, but it is what he cannot help. They consider it as a thing not at all faulty in its own nature; so that if they are to blame about it, it must be for something previous to it, and quite of another nature. Concerning innocent natural infirmities, we justly judge in the above manner. Thus if a man is sick, we don't blame him for it; we know bodily sickness is no moral evil. But if we are told the man brought his sickness upon himself, by intemperance, or some bad conduct, then we fault and condemn him; that was a moral evil, though this is not·—Now those who make the a­bove plea, reason just in this manner about sin itself. As if it was not sin, merely to be a sinner; or to commit sin when one has an inclination to. But that the bringing a sinful disposition upon ourselves, had we done this, would indeed have been a very wicked thing.

HENCE it seems to many, as if the poor sinful chil­dren of men, were only as it were under a fit of sick­ness, which Adam brought on himself and them, by do­ing an evil deed which he might easily enough have a­voided, in as much as he was perfectly holy; but that we his miserable offspring, being by nature sinners, are under a necessity of sinning, and therefore cannot be to blame for it. It seems as if Adam was in reality the [Page 57] only sinner, and his first sin, the only sin of the human kind; because that sin was committed while man had, not an imaginary, but a real, a moral as well as natural power, to abstain from all sin. That is; the first sin did not arise from, or consist in, any defect in the will; and herein consists the sinfulness of it. If Adam did'nt sin before he had any inclination to, and while he was strong­ly enough inclin'd to the contrary, it is easy to see, he had just the same excuse for his first sin, as we have for any of ours. Let his first sin be placed where it will, whether in actually eating the forbidden fruit; or in hear­kening to any temptations to do it; or in being off his watch; or in whatever any one pleases, still we must sup­pose it committed while his heart was perfectly good, else he did'nt sin without this boasted excuse of other sinners, want of a moral power to do otherways. Thus by forgetting that sin is in itself sinful, we are led to look for some­thing else that is so, not in sinners, but in perfectly in­nocent beings! We are led to suppose, creatures are capable of being to blame, no longer, or further, than they are holy! We conceive Adam to blame, because of the uprightness of his heart; and ourselves blameless, because our hearts are so wicked! For in this way, we certainly bring nothing but perfect holiness into the ac­count, as an aggravation of Adam's sin, beyond those of his posterity.

THE very first idea we can have of sin, is a depraved and wicked heart. And if this is not a blameable thing in itself, there is no danger of finding any thing that is. Could we clearly confound all distinction betwixt natu­ral and moral evil, and so betwixt natural and moral in­ability, as things essentially different, from our own con­sciences, we should be secure enough. And in matters of religion, men generally do confound these things so far as to feel very easy, and very much as if there was no sin. But let a neighbour be very unkind and injurious to [Page 58] them, and they begin to see a difference. This does not look to them, just as if he was only lame, and unable to go out of their way. Nor do they lay the blame upon Adam, but upon the malicious and unrighteous wretch himself. Nor does their being told, it is his very nature to be so, make them think much the better of him.

3. IF the distinction now insisted on was well under­stood, and clearly kept in view, it would appear, in like manner, that a sinner's not being able to change his own heart, is really nothing in his favour. Here, some may be ready to think, is the grand difficulty after all. What they wanted to know, was, not whether sinners would be able to comply with the gospel, or to obey the law, if their hearts were good; but whether it is in their power to have such an heart in them. For what does it signify what a man could do, if he had that which he has not, and can by no means obtain?—Sin­ners don't see how it is their own fault, that they have such bad hearts, and do nothing from gracious princi­ples, provided it is not in their own power to alter them­selves in this respect.

NOW if a wicked heart was not a moral evil, but a thing of the same nature as a weak head, a bad memo­ry, or an infirm constitution, this would be the case. A man is not to blame for having these, provided he can­not help it. But if a wicked heart is a thing of a crimi­nal nature, a thing quite different from any such natural weaknesses, then there is no force in the above reasoning. If to have a heart to hate and oppose, God and our neighbour, instead of loving them as we are required, is a moral evil; as certainly it is, and the sum of all mo­ral evil; then to say a man can't alter in this respect, is only to say he can't help being a most vile and inexcu­sable wretch. To be unalterably in love with sin, does not surely render one the less sinful, but the more so. Surely the wickeder a man's heart is, the more faulty and to blame he is.

[Page 59]BUT the fallacy, whereby sinners elude their consci­ences in this matter, lies in a secret supposition that they could not change their hearts, nor would they be chan­ged, though they should never so sincerely, and heartily, and uprightly try to do it; which would indeed be a very hard case. If a sinner honestly, and from a truly virtuous disposition, tried, to the utmost of his natural power, to alter his entirely wicked disposition, but it would'nt alter; he was as bad as ever after all; it would seem indeed, that he was in a very pitiable situation, but not very faulty. Yea, it would be difficult to see wherein he was at all to blame. And that something like this, is the real view which multitudes have of the matter, is very evident.

LET us put the case (as people would have it) that sinners were, in all respects, able to change their own hearts. Only it must take some time, a month suppose; and they must apply themselves very diligently, very faithfully to the work, all that while, in order to ac­complish it. There is a sinner, however, that neglects his opportunity, and spends the whole month in sin, without ever using any means, or making the least at­tempt to get a good heart. Is he not to blame now for this? Most certainly he is. But why so? Why so!— Does not every one see that such carelesness in a case like this, such indifference about becoming good, when it was entirely in one's power, must be inexcusable to the last degree? To continue thus in sin, when there was no manner of necessity of it; surely this can never be justified.—But another sinner was much better dis­pos'd. He seiz'd the favourable opportunity, and ap­plied himself with the greatest imaginable diligence; and at the month's end, actually became a good man. Now was he to blame, during this time that he was thus faithfully labouring, and doing all in his power to be­come good? By no means. But why not? He had a bad heart. Yes, but he did as well as ever he could, not­withstanding [Page 60] that. No man could have done better, under his circumstances. And he was actually of a wicked disposition, no longer, than till he could possibly be otherways.

THUS people would be apt to judge in such cases. And this shews what notions men have of inability with reference to the sinner's changing his heart; and what the reason is they say the distinction of natural and mo­ral inability signifies nothing. For by whatever name it is called, they will conceive of it as being of the same nature. If they own it lies in the wicked disposition of the sinner altogether, yet they don't conceive it lies in the disposition he acts from, but in a great, ugly disposi­tion he is acting against, but is unable to overcome. They suppose the inability he labours under is such, that he may be well dispos'd, and do well; yea, that he may be dispos'd to do the whole duty of one under his circumstances, and actually do it, and yet not be able to help being of an entirely depraved and wicked disposition. Nor could they find the least shadow of an excuse for him, did they not view his case in this absurd light;—did they not consider him as faithfully exerting himself, with an honest and good intention, endeavour­ing to become good, but all in vain. Or at least, did they not suppose him willing enough to exert himself in this manner, only he knows it will signify nothing. In this way it is that a perverse and stubborn will, a wicked and unwilling mind, comes to be thought as innocent a thing, and as good an excuse, as any in the world. It is view'd as a mere weakness; a thing not inconsistent with trying to be holy, but inconsistent with being so, let one try never so heartily. Which is the proper noti­on of natural inability. And to maintain this notion, they have a double meaning to every word, by which "the abominable thing" which men are to blame for, can possibly be expressed. Sins they distinguish into vo­luntary, and involuntary, necessary and unnecessary, [Page 61] faulty and faultless ones. They also make two sorts of wicked hearts. One that is really wicked, and for which men are to blame; another that is totally wicked, but not really so at all, and which is no man's own fault. Could they only be made sensible that their sins, and their wicked hearts, were of the bad kind, their mouths would be stopped. But to fasten a conviction of this upon them, is one of the most difficult things in the world. They will affix such ideas to every word that can be made use of to express an evil disposition of mind, as to make an innocent thing of it;—a kind of dead weight, which, either they make themselves as easy as they can under, knowing they must bear it; or else are striving with all their might to shake off, but can't. The seeking sinner, at least, is supposed to have as sincere an inclination to become truly good, and to have a heart to do his duty, as a sick man has to be well. His wish­es, his desires, and endeavours are all very good. All he wants is to be directed how, or to have strength enough to be able, to get a good heart. Thus ‘deceitful a­bove all things,’ is the heart of a sinner! Thus art­ful in hiding itself, and keeping out of sight, and laying all blame somewhere else! The heart, the disposition, the inclination, the will, are readily allow'd to be altoge­ther wrong and sinful, while yet what is properly meant by all those words, is still supposed to be good enough; and hence the sinner can't see how he is to blame. Yea the very thing for which alone any one can be to blame, is look'd upon as his sufficient excuse and justification. Thus "a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?"

4. WE may hence learn, what alone is sufficient to convince a man that his utter impotence does not lessen his obligation in any measure, or afford him the least cloak for his sins. It is only his being made sensible what his impotence really is, and wherein it consists. [Page 62] The apostle Paul says, Rom. vii. 8, 9. ‘Without the law sin was dead. For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin reviv­ed and I died.’ The former of these situations of the apostle, is that of every sinner who can't see how it is possible he should be wholly helpless, and yet altogether inexcusable, at the same time, and in the same respect. He has no just conviction of ‘the plague of his own heart,’ He is alive, and sin is dead. He sees neither his impotence, nor his sin, in a true light. If he saw one, he would necessarily see both. Let an un­regenerate sinner only see his real heart, and he will see that he is helpless enough. And let him only see this sort of helplessness, and he will never have a thought of it's being of the nature of an excuse. A man never finds himself utterly helpless in this view, utterly unable to become good, by reason of his actual badness, until he finds all the bottom springs and principles of action within him, are intirely wrong. That he does not so much as intend to do his duty, as duty, and never did. That he does not mean well, in any thing he does. This makes him see that his plowing is sin, and that all his most painful religious duties, must be an abomination to him who looketh on the heart, and knows what they all spring from. He sees he has no regard for God's glory, cares nothing what becomes of it, if he could but be safe and happy himself. He sees he is dead, and all his works are dead works; and that he must be cre­ated a-new, or he shall never do any thing as he ought. But does this view of his deadness, make him loose sight of his sinfulness and guilt? does he now feel himself excused and free from blame, because his heart is so totally depraved, so opposite to God and all that is good? No. Sin revives, just as fast as he dies. His deadness is seen to be nothing but the very life and soul of sin. His having such a heart, his being of such a temper, that he can do nothing, can delight in nothing [Page 63] but sin, he sees is the very thing that God's law con­demns him to everlasting burnings for, and that most justly. If such a disposition as he finds himself now to be of, would extenuate a creatures guilt, there is not a devil in hell that could ever be damn'd.—When a sinner once sees what he really is, his helplesness and his sin, are seen quite consistent; and one just as great as the other. For indeed, they are one and the same thing.

5. FROM what has been said it may easily be seen, that there is no want of directions proper to be given to sin­ners, but that all the difficulty is, they are not in a dis­position to regard and follow them. People are always ready to ask, but after all, what shall sinners do? can you give them any directions how to get out of this helpless condition? is there any thing for them do, or is there not?—Now this; however common it is, is cer­tainly very impertinent. If it is a settled point, that the case with sinners is, they have no heart to do any thing that is good, people must strongly forget them­selves to ask, is there any thing for them do? as if all the difficulty lay in answering this question, or in point­ing out duty to them! surely there is enough to be done, if they would but do it. It is easy to direct them to the course they ought to take; and it would be easy to put them in a way in which they might have great rea­son to hope for salvation, if they thought it a matter worth taking pains about, and were of a teachable spi­rit, and willing to follow good advice. It is much easi­er to say what they should do, than it is to make them willing to do it. They should become serious, & thought­ful about eternal things. They should ‘amend their ways and their doings,’ which are not good. They should "search the scriptures," and take every method, improve every opportunity in their power, to acquaint themselves with God—and Jesus Christ—the law—the gospel—and with their own character and state. They should ‘cry after knowledge, and lift up their voice for understandidg:’ They should ‘seek it as silver, and [Page 64] search for it as for hid treasure.’ They should lie o­pen to conviction, and be willing to know the truth, and to embrace it when discover'd. They should not cover their sins, but be sensible of, humbly confess, and heartily forsake them. They should, "return unto the Lord" their Maker and rightful Sovereign, submiting to his authority, owning his justice, and accepting his grace through the Mediator. Or, in other words, they SHOULD repent, and believe the gospel.

BUT if they will not follow these, nor any good di­rections that can be given them, who can help it? If they will set at nought all the counsel of wisdom, what good can the best counsel do them? If they will not hearken to the calls of the gospel, will not come unto Christ that they might have life; will do nothing pro­per to be done by persons in their circumstances, there is, absolutely no help for them: unless God himself inter­poses, and ‘worketh in them, to will and to do [...] his good pleasure.’

6. According to what has been said, there can be no reasonable objection against God's giving no encourage­ments of salvation, on lower terms than an actual com­pliance with the gospel. Many are ready to say, if there are no promises (or encouragements amounting to the same thing) on any terms short of saving faith, God is not in earnest in his proposals to sinners, and does not treat them well, but rather trifles with and mocks them in their misery; for he knows that no unregenerate sin­ner can come up to such terms, any more than he can make a world. But according to what has been said, if sinners were but in earnest themselves about their salvati­on; if they were dispot'd to treat God well, and not to mock and trifle with him, there would be no difficulty in the case. There were natural impossibilities in the way of our obtaining salvation. But Christ has removed every thing of this kind out of the way. He has paid the dreadful debt of suffering which we could never pay; [Page 65] and has wrought out an all-perfect righteousness for out justification, which mere creatures, having once trans­gress'd, could never do. And now he says, ‘Ask, and it shall be given you: Seek, and ye shall find: Knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be open­ed.’ Past sins are no bar in the way; for there is "a fountain set open," not only ‘for Judah and Je­rusalem,’ but for all the world ‘to wash in, from sin and from uncleanness.’ The greatest unworthi­ness is no objection; for the invitation is, ‘Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come buy and eat, yea, come, buy wine and milk, without money, and without price. Whosoever will, let him come, and take the water of life freely.’ Sinners, you have really as fair an opportunity for life, according to the gospel, as probationers can possibly have; as full a price in your hands, as your hearts can possibly desire. There is nothing on earth; there is nothing in all the de­crees of heaven; there is nothing in all the malice and power of hell, that can hinder your salvation, if you don't hinder it yourselves. Nor need you be discouraged by reason of any bad disposition brought upon you by Adam, which you are heartily sorry for, and would be glad to git rid of, but can't. For the Second Adam is able to help you in this, as well as other respects; and will do it in a moment, if you in the least degree really desire it. The very thing he came for was to save from sin, the power, as well as the guilt of it; and to save whoever wants to be thus saved. This was the very reason his name was called Jesus. Nor need you imagine, that you must lay out all your own strength first, and do all that can reasonably be required of one under your circumstances; and then may have just an encouragement of being saved of grace [Page 66] after a life of such perfection. This is the most re­proachful idea of the God of all grace, that you can possibly entertain. No. If you do so well that it would be hard for God to refuse you salvation, he will save you most righteously, and never desire you should pretend to think there is any grace in it. But he will receive you graciously, and love you freely, if you desire it, though you have not done so very well. He means to exercise as much grace, as he would have the honor of, and not to be eternally praised for what is not his real due. He is willing to save you in as gracious a manner as ever you thought of, or can wish for. Only weigh the matter, and say whether you choose to be saved. En­ter into the nature of gospel-salvation; attend to the character and laws of Christ. And then say, whether you will have him and be his; whether you are willing, and would really chuse to exchange the servitude of satan, for that liberty wherewith Christ makes his fol­lowers free; or whether you must plainly say, you love your old master and your lusts, and chuse rather, to have your ear bored, and be a servant forever. But, however, ‘be sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come high unto you;’ and if you freely refuse to have any part or lot in it, be assured, that when the wicked are turned into hell, with all the nations that forget God, it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for you. But I must not enlarge further, by way of particular inference.

ON the whole; I am not able to conceive how any one who enters into the matter, can question the propri­ety of making the distinction insisted on in these dis­courses; or with what appearance of reason, any can pretend it is a useless distinction. As to the importance of it; it may easily be observed, in how many instan­ces, upon the most leading points, and in the most ma­terial respects, by the help of this distinction, common sense will cross the common notions of sinners, exactly [Page 67] where the bible crosses them.—It sets reason, and scrip­ture, divine justice, and divine grace, in a quite con­sistent view; whereas without it, I apprehend they must forever appear irreconcilable.—It leads good men to see that human infirmities and imperfections, are not such comfortable extenuations of guilt, as they are sometimes ready to make of them. That all their moral infirmity, all their want of perfect holiness, is intirely their own fault; and what they ought to be deeply humbled for, and go mourning under all their days —It shows sinners, that their perdition is really al­together of themselves: That all ground of discour­agement in their case, is their own badness. And not their unworthiness, neither, but merely their unwilling­ness to be made clean. That this indeed makes their case desperate, from every other quarter but the unco­venanted grace of God. In themselves, or from any [...] that man can say or do, ‘there is no hope. No, [...] have loved strangers, and after them they [...] go.’ And as to changing the hearts of such, God has reserved it as the sovereign prerogative of the throne of his grace, to ‘have mercy on whom he will have mercy, and compassion on whom he will have compassion.’ —It administers not so much com­fort, indeed, to sinners in their impenitence and unbe­lief, as they would be glad to have. But in this awful condition, they have generally comfort enough, and too much in all reason. To kill their self-righteous hopes, and let them see their guilt and danger, their utter helplesness, and yet entire inexcusableness, is the kind­est thing that can be done for them. ^*

AS to the foundation there is for the distinction;

[Page 68]1. WE have seen the bible is as express and full in ma­king the difference supposed, as it is in any thing. We have seen that all the heart, soul, mind and strength; that is, a perfectly willing and faithful exertion of all our faculties, however enfeebled they are, is all that God requires of us in his perfect law. Nor is there a single instance of a natural impossibility's being re­quired of any man, in all the sacred records. Nor is it once intimated, that natural impossibilities might justly be required of us, because our natural powers were im­paired by the fall. But, on the other hand, we have seen that the most absolute moral impossibilities are re­quired of all men, without the least scruple, as if there was no kind of difficulty in them. That a perfect heart and a perfect life, are as much required of men now, as if they were not fallen creatures; and required of the greatest sinner, as much as of the best saint. No pecu­liar provise's are made, in favour of even the most a­bandon'd.' Nor is it once intimated, any where in scrip­ture, that the reason why men may be required to do that which is lawful and right, tho' it is contrary to their [Page 69] inclination, is because Adam did that which was unlaw­ful and wrong, contrary to his inclination. Or that all the reason why a wicked heart, is not intirely innocent, and a good excuse, is because man brought it upon him­self, by his own folly and wickedness, before he had any thing of it.—We have seen, that the way our Saviour took to convince men, their rejection of him and his gos­pel was their sin, was by shewing them, it could proceed from nothing but the badness of their hearts; and not by leading them to believe it was primarily owing to a mere weakness or disorder in their understandings, occasi­oned by the original fall. He readily admitted that if men were blind, or if they had not sufficient means of information and conviction, their unbelief would be no sin. But when he could prove to them that it could be owing to nothing but their hating the light, because their deeds were evil, this he suppos'd fairly implied their condemnation, and left them no cloak for their sin. Nor does it appear that any unbelievers in those times, had refin'd so far as to reply in their own vindi­cation, that they could not help hating the light, because their hearts were evil. This seems to be a cloak for un­belief, of a more modern invention.

2. WE have seen that common sense, most readily and fully giv [...] into such a difference as this, in all common cases; in every supposable case in which the vindication of our own character is not concerned. Yea in cases where men are most interested, and most straitned for a plea in their own justification, they rarely think of plead­ing a bad intention, and a very wicked heart. If a man, when question'd for a supposed faulty action, can shew that it was an oversight, and not owing to any ill design; or if he can make appear, that he had not opportunity or capacity, to do better than he did; these, are always allow'd to be things to his purpose. But it is rare that any one undertakes to excuse himself, as to any injuri­ous conduct, or omission of duty, with respect to his fel­low men, by shewing that he is, and always was, of an [Page 70] exceeding wicked and unrighteous disposition, and that has [...] was quite as bad as his conduct. No one, un­less he was out of his wits, would ever think of making such a plea as this before a human court. It is only in matters of religion, and before the divine tribunal, on their last, decisive trial, that criminals themselves think of making this plea, or that it would avail any thing, unless to their greater condemnation.

AND we have seen, that the reason why sinners are ready to look upon a wicked heart as a good excuse in matters of religion, is because they mean no such thing by it, nor do they think they have any such thing as, a heart at all wicked. When they talk of moral depravi­ty, deadness in sin, want of a disposition to that which is good, &c. They really mean by such expressions—they know not what. Something that is consistent with their sincerely wishing, desiring, and endeavouring to the utmost of their natural power, to do their whole duty. And this is all the reason they think a bad heart is an excuse with respect to these things, any more than in other cases. This is the reason why, in their view, "sin is dead," and looks like such a kind of thing as must necessarily be al­ways dead; it not being possible in the nature of things that it should be alive, longer than only just to bring itself into existence!

IT may therefore, notwithstanding this seeming ex­ception, well be considered as a quite universal dictate of common sense; that the want of a heart, and the want of natural capacity, in regard to excusing men, are intirely different things.

3. WE have seen, that reason discovers a just founda­tion for this decision of the moral sense, and of the scrip­tures, as clearly as it discovers any thing of a moral na­ture. We have seen that an ability to act otherways than agreeably to our own hearts, would only be an a­bility to act unfreely and of constraint. That actions which may be done contrary to, or without our wills, are actions for which we cannot in reason be accountable. [Page 71] That only taking away moral necessity, the necessity of men's acting or not acting, according to their own dis­position and choice, unavoidably subjects then to a fatal necessity, a necessity of acting otherways than they would chuse, or whether they will or no. Reason plainly teach­es, that things done under that necessity which arises from our own hearts, and that which is against them, are just as different, as things in which we are the a­gents, and things in which we are not:—Just as differ­ent as Peter's girding himself when he was young, and going whither he would, and his being girded after­wards, and carried whether he would not:—Just as dif­ferent as a man's wilfully murdering himself, and his be­ing murdered by another, in spite of all he could do in his own defence.—We have seen, that if want of holi­ness excuses a person in being unholy, and if a dispositi­on to sin excuses a person in sinning, then every unholy creature, every sinner in the universe, is perfectly excus­able.

THUS if scripture, reason, and common-sense, all concur­ring in the fullest manner, can confirm any thing, an es­sential difference betwixt natural and moral inability, the inability which arises from our own hearts, and that arising from any other quarter, is most fully confirmed. Nor can any one say that these two kinds of can't, come to the same thing, as to excusing men, without contra­dicting the highest degree, of every kind of evidence we can have, of any moral truth.—"He that hath an ear, let him hear."