that the world is wicked, that our Lord considered "the world" as opposed to him and to his disciples. "If ye were of the world, the world would love its own; but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." St. John, writing to his Christian church, states the same truth: "We know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness."

Man in his natural and unbelieving state is likewise represented as in a state of guilt, and under the displeasure of Almighty God. "He that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”

Here, however, if it be objected, that the heathen who never heard of the Gospel will not assuredly be judged by it, the Saviour's answer to such curious enquirers concerning the state of others is," Strive to enter in at the strait gate." It is enough for us to believe that God, who will "judge the world in righteousness," will judge all men according to their opportunities. The heathen, to whom he has not sent the light of the Gospel, will probably not be judged by the Gospel. But with whatever mercy he may judge those who, living in a land of darkness, are without knowledge of his revealed law, our business is not with them, but with ourselves. It is our business to consider what mercy he will extend to those who, living in a Christian country, abounding with means and ordinances, where the Gospel is preached in its purity; it is our business to enquire how he

* John, xv. 19.

will deal with those who shut their eyes to its beams, who close their ears to its truths. For an unbeliever who has passed his life in the meridian of Scripture light, or for an outward but unfruitful professor of Christianity, I know not what hope the Gospel holds out.

The natural state of man is again thus described : "The carnal mind is enmity against God; (awful thought!) for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So, then, they that are in the flesh cannot please God." What the apostle means by being in the flesh is evident by what follows; for speaking of those whose hearts were changed by Divine grace, he says, "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you:" that is, you are not now in your natural state: the change that has passed on your minds by the influence of the Spirit of God is so great that your state may properly be called "being in the Spirit." It may be further observed that the same apostle, writing to the churches of Galatia, tells them, that the natural corruption of the human heart is continually opposing the spirit of holiness which influences the regenerate. "The flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary the one to the other: " which passage, by the way, at the same time that it proves the corruption of the heart, proves the necessity of Divine influences. And the apostle, with respect to himself, freely confesses and deeply laments the workings of this corrupt principle: "O wretched man

that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?"

It has been objected by some who have opposed this doctrine, that the same Scriptures which speak of mankind as being sinners, speak of some as being righteous; and hence they would argue, that though this depravity of human nature may be general, yet it cannot be universal. This objection, when examined, serves only, like all other objections against the truth, to establish that which it was intended to destroy. For what do the Scriptures assert respecting the righteous? That there are some whose principles, views, and conduct, are so different from the rest of the world, and from what theirs themselves once were, that these persons are honoured with the peculiar title of the " sons of God." But no where do the Scriptures assert that even these are sinless; on the contrary, their faults are frequently mentioned; and persons of this class are, moreover, represented as those on whom a great change has passed; as having been formerly "dead in trespasses and sins;" but as 66 being now called out of darkness into light;" as translated into the kingdom of God's dear Son;" as "having passed from death to life." And St. Paul put this matter past all doubt by expressly asserting, that "they were all by nature the children of wrath even as others."

It might be well to ask certain persons, who oppose the doctrine in question, and who also seem to talk as if they thought there were many sinless people in the world, how they expect that

such sinless people will be saved? Though, indeed, to talk of an innocent person being saved involves a palpable contradiction in terms, of which those who use the expression do not seem to be aware, it is talking of curing a man already in health. "Undoubtedly," such will say, "they will be received into those abodes of bliss prepared for the righteous." But be it remembered, there is but one way to these blissful abodes, and that is through Jesus Christ: "For there is none other name given among men whereby we must be saved." If we ask whom did Christ come to save? the Scripture directly answers, "He came into the world to save sinners:"-" His name was called Jesus, because he came to save his people from their sins." When St. John was favoured with a heavenly vision, he tells us, that he beheld "a great multitude which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, standing before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes: " that one of the heavenly inhabitants informed him who they were: "These are they who came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb; therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in his Temple; and He that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them: they shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more, neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat; for the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them to living

fountains of waters, and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes."

We may gather from this description what these glorious and happy beings once were: they were sinful creatures: their robes were not spotless: "They had washed them, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." They are likewise generally represented as having been once a suffering people: they came out of great tribulation. They are described as having overcome the great tempter of mankind, "by the blood of the Lamb" as they who "follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth:" as "redeemed from among men."+ And their employment in the regions of bliss is a farther confirmation of the doctrine of which we are treating. "The great multitude," &c. we are told, "stood and cried with a loud voice, Salvation to our God, who sitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb!" Here we see they ascribe their salvation to Christ, and, consequently, their present happiness to his atoning blood. And in another of their celestial anthems, they say, in like manner, "Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation." +

By all this it is evident that men of any other description than redeemed sinners must gain admittance to heaven some other way than that which the Scriptures point out; and also that + Rev. xiv. 4.

*Rev. xii. 14.

Rev. v. 9.