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St. Paul's meaning, than to suppose that Adam's transgression had entailed this spiritual death, and exposure to future divine wrath, upon any of his descendants; for all such ideas are wholly subverted by this apostles own words in Romans v; "Nevertheless, "death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them "that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's "transgression, who is the figure of him that was to ઃઃ come. But not as the offence, so also is the free 'gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by

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grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath " abounded unto many. And not as it was by one "that sinned, so is the gift. For the judgment was "by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many "offences unto justification. For if by one man's "offence death reigned by one; much more they "which receive abundance of grace, and of the gift of "righteousness, shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. "Therefore, as by the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation, even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men un"to justification of life. For as by one man's disobe26 dience, many were made sinners, so by the obedi"ence of one, shall many be made righteous. More"over, the law entered, that the offence might abound. "But where sin abounded, grace did much more a"bound." (Verse 14 to 20 inclusive.)

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In this contrast of the effect of Adam's transgression on his posterity, with the effect of Christ's interposition in behalf of the same posterity, St. Paul mast

explicitly and unequivocally declares the latter greatly to transcend the former; so that in whatever sense death or wrath may be supposed to affect Adam's posterity for his offence, death and wrath in the same sense are more than removed and counteracted by the obedience and mediation of Christ.

Mankind remaining subjected to the sentence which God pronounced on our first parents, in Genesis 111, 15-19, renders them, agreeably to St. Paul's views, children of wrath by nature, but justification to life through the free gift, having come upon all men, mankind consequently are through the free gift, objects of mercy, and become subjects of Christ's quickening energy, for in Christ "was life; and the life was the light of men." "That was the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." John 1, 4, 9. As the sun's rays not only create our day, but also diffuse heat, and shed vegetative life around; so Christ, the Sun of Righteousness, not only illuminates every man by internal operation; but also imparts to each, moral energy.

And consequently, I have secondly, to remark, that the death in tresspasses and sins, mentioned by St. Paul, as having been the condition of the Ephesians, was produced in them, not by Adam, but by themselves; and the manner and nature of it are most clearly described by the same apostle, in Romans 1, 18-32. "For the wrath of God is revealed from "heaven, against all ungodliness and unrighteousness "of men, who detain the truth in unrighteousness. "For what is to be known of God is manifest in

"them; for God hath shewed it to them. For those

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things of him which are invisible, both his eternal

power and Godhead, are clearly seen from the crea"tion of the world, being understood by the things "which are made, so that they are without excuse: "Because knowing God, they did not glorify him as "a God, neither were thankful, but became vain in "their reasonings, and their foolish heart was darken"ed. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and 'changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image in the likeness of corruptible man, and of

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birds, and of four-footed creatures and reptiles. "Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness "through the desires of their hearts, to dishonour "their bodies among themselves; Who changed the "truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served "the creature above the creator, who is blessed forev"er! Amen. Therefore God gave them up to vile "affections; for even their women changed the natur"al use to that which is against nature: And likewise, also men, leaving the natural use of the wo66 man, burned in their lust toward each other, men "with men working filthiness, and receiving in them"selves the just recompence of their errour. And as "they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, "God gave them up to an undiscerning mind, to do "the things which were not expedient. Filled with "all injustice, fornication, maliciousness, covetousness, "wickedness; full of envy, murder, contention, de"ceit, malignity: Whisperers, backbiters; haters "of God, violent, proud: boasters, inventers of evil

"things: disobedient to parents, without understand"ing, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful. Who knowing the right

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eous judgment of God, that they who practise such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, "but have pleasure in those that practise them."

The subject of depravity shall be concluded in my

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THAT notion of a depravity which renders it the "crime of mankind, as well as their misery, that they are ruined in body, soul, and spirit," you consider as further taught in Job XIV, 4.

"Who can

And also as "What is man

bring a clean thing out of an unclean ?" taught in (chapter xv, verse 14.) that he should be clean, and he which is born of woman, that he should be righteous?" But as these have been anticipated in the exposition of the text last preceding, I shall now proceed to the sixth, viz. "The natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, for they are spiritually discerned.” All important questions here are, who is this natural man? Is he a little child? Or, is he a self-perverted, self-vitiated adult person? If of the latter description, his blindness affords neither evidence, nor exam

ple of the real "effects of Adam's fall." But if of the former description, that is, if he is a little child, his ignorance and incapacity of knowledge, are things perfectly innocent and excusable. Macknight, renders "natural man," "animal man ;" and defines him to be "One who makes the faculties of his ani"mal nature, that is, his senses, his passions, and his "natural reason darkened by prejudices, the measure "of truth, and the rule of his conduct, without paying any regard to the discoveries of revelation. Of this "character were the (self-sufficient) heathen philosophers, to whom the doctrines of the gospel were 'foolishness. Also the Jewish scribes, and those false "teachers, whom Jude, verse 19, calls animal men, "not having the spirit. These all rejected the gos

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'pel, because they could not explain its doctrines by "their own principles or preconceived notions."

And with this accords Christ's own account of the eharacter, condition, opportunities, and wilful, (not hereditary) blindness and aggravated guilt of the animal and diabolical men of his day. "He that believ"eth not, is condemned already, because he hath not "believed in the name of the only begotten Son of "God. And this is the condemnation, that light is "come into the world, and men loved darkness rather "than light, because their deeds were evil. For eve"ry one that doeth evil, hateth the light; neither com. "eth to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved." (John 111, 18, 19, 20.) The inability to perceive spiritual things, of these unregenerate men, of whom Christ thus complained, arose plainly, not from

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