Prophet's doctrine, namely, the exceeding great wickedness of the human heart. This will give a true, although a very melancholy picture of human nature. We shall herein see what man is in himself since the fall, and what is necessary for his recovery.This will tend to show us the wisdom, beauty, and propriety of the system of divine grace in the gospel. It is ignorance of the deep depravity of the human heart, which causes many of the peculiar doctrines of grace to be treated with contempt. If we remain ignorant of our hearts, my brethren, we shall surely stumble upon the dark mountains of everlasting ruin. Wherefore, let us lift our hearts to God, while we consider this subject, that he would lead us into the knowledge of this deep and dark place, and make us truly acquainted with the plague thereof.

First, The unregenerate heart is totally and compleatly wicked. There is not the least tincture of spiritual and holy goodness in it. If there were any principle of moral goodness in the heart, or any disposition to, or exercise of holiness, how could it be said, to be deceitful above all things and desperately wicked? Can there be any goodness in abstract wickedness, or any tendency thereto ? The apostle Paul assures us, "The carnal mind is enmity against "God." There is no love in it to his being or perfections. It is against his whole character, against his mercy and grace, as well as against his justice, righteousness, and holiness. Carnal men imagine that they love God's mercy and goodness, but this is only one of the deceivings of their own heart. For he who truly loves any one perfection, loves God. They imagine in their cormercy and goodness, these

rupted minds, something they stile they attribute to God, and suppose they love him; but this is only affection to an object of their own imagination. The divine mercy is holy mercy, and is really as much an object of their aversion, as holy justice or holy sovereignty. They love the mercy and goodness of their own fancies, as the heathen love their idols, or the idolatrous Jews their groves and high places. But all the

Faptures of affection to these vanities, cannot prove the least re gard to any of Jehovah's attributes, but perfectly the reverse.

Holding this doctrine advanced, it is entirely consistent with the admission of a great deal of difference among natural men in many respects. Some of them have much more softness, humanity and gentleness than others. They have more natural affection, tractableness and tenderness; a better education, and superior means to sweeten and polish their manners; greater restraints of divine Providence, deeper impressions of the evil of sinful courses; or a greater share of what is called common and restraining grace. Yet, notwithstanding all these things, there is not in reality the least difference in their hearts, they are all equally destitute of an holy temper. This was the doctrine of Christ, preached and applied to the Jews, "I know you that have "not the love of God in you." Where there is the absence of the love of God, can there be present any holy goodness; or any thing but absolute and perfect wickedness? Do not these observations shew the heart of man to be desperately wicked.?

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A Second proof of the wickedness of man's heart is, that he does not wish or choose to be reconciled to God. A plan of reconcili ation is proposed in the gospel to a guilty world, but the feelings of the heart of man, arise in aversion from this way of reconciliation. To be filled with enmity and malice against any person, so as not to be willing to be reconciled upon equitable and reasonable terms, all the world, depraved as it is, will say, this argues great wickedness. God has revealed an easy and most rational plan of reconciliation through the blood of his only begotten Son; soliciting, and in all the most tender language of persuasion, beseeching them to be reconciled. He sent forth his Prophets of old, crying, "Turn ye, turn ye, why will you die?" He sent forth his Apostles," to pray them to be reconciled;" and even to this day, he is sending forth his ministers to perform the same errand. He is calling aloud upon them, by his providences of adversity and

prosperity, by the preaching of his gospel, and by the awakenings of his spirit; he is striving with them in an inward and external manner; "Unto yon, O men, I call, and my voice is to the sons "of men ;" and the whole prayer is, of angels, and of saints, "Be ye reconciled to God." Yet unhappy man chooses wickedness, hugs his lusts, and rolls sin "as a sweet morsel under "his tongue." Yet, notwithstanding all these endearing argu ments of divine persuasion, man turns his back upon, and spurns at reconciliation. Every impediment is removed, and obstructive causes no longer exist; and the proclamation of the compas sionate Saviour is, "O sinners, sinners, how often would I have "gathered you, and brooded you under the wings of unbounded.

mercy, and under the umbrage of all protecting beneficence." There is nothing now in the way of man's salvation, but his own obstinate unwillingness. They wish not to be reconciled to God, but to abide in their wickedness. Do not all these things show, that the heart is desperately, or exceedingly wicked?

Thirdly, There is such an extremity or extraordinary wickedness in the human heart, that it is not to be overcome by common power, or healed by usual means. The original words here are rendered by some "incurably wicked." It is a disease which baffles the power of medicine, and mocks the skill of the physician. God alone can heal it.

No length of time will cure this disorder. Time will wear off some bodily diseases; but not so with spiritual. The longer the latter continues, it becomes the more inveterate. "Can the "Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots, then may "they who are accustomed to do evil, learn to do well." So rooted is the wickedness of the human heart, that it will resist and defeat the most rationally adapted means, however skilfully applied. The strongest arguments and motives, the considera, tion of interest, honor and pleasure, which prevail with men in every other case, are utterly without effect in this. The promises

and assurances of a seat among the blessed, and an inheritance in heaven, are of no avail to overcome their unhappy disposition. Their exposedness to hell, and the greatest possible misery, will not move them to relinquish their iniquities, and become reconciled to God.

Let all the loveliness of the divine perfections be exhibited to their view in the most perfect light, and in the brightest colours,. it cannot charm their hearts. Let their baseness and ingratitude be set before them in the strongest force of deformity, it will not prevail with them to cease to do evil. Let God threaten or promise, let pious parents entreat, godly friends persuade, ministers pray and preach, all will not succeed..

Mercies and favors will not vanquish their hearts; judgments. and afflictions will not subdue them. Let the favors be ever so great, or the furnace of affliction ever so tormenting, they are not to be altered. Bray them in mortars, they will not depart from iniquity.

All signs, wonders, and miracles have proved ineffectual. The providence of God to Israel, was a series of miracles for a multitude of years. What wonders did God perform to bring them out of Egypt, conduct them through the red sea, feed them in a drea ry wilderness from heaven, give them drink from the flinty rock, was a pillar of light in their camp by night, and a cooling umbrage over them by day, did all these miracles excite them to love God, or induce them to depart from wickedness? Yea, these daily and continued wonders could not keep their wickedness suppressed, or prevent its outbreaking into the grossest acts of rebellion.

How many miracles and good works of grace and mercy did Jesus perform, in the days he sojourned on earth, but did those for whom he wrought them, turn from their wickedness? Did not the people of all denominations and ranks rise against hin

and treat him for his goodness with the most implacable outrage, till they imbrued their hands in his innocent blood?

Let men perform ever so many duties, and attend ever so constantly upon ordinances, all will not remove their wickedness. Witness the Scribes and Pharisees, and the whole body of the Jewish nation in our Saviour's days, whose prayers were long and many, and their sacrifices without number, and yet iniquity was never at an higher pitch.

Farther, no common operations of the spirit of God on the minds of men will conquer this wickedness, or bring them to a right temper. If men have ever so much light with respect to their duty let into their minds, have ever such great terrors; deep humiliations, and legal convictions; let their hope and encouragement be wrought ever so high, that God will shew them mercy, all this will not overcome or eradicate their wickedness; it will not produce any holy goodness in their hearts. Thus we see the heart is so deceitful and desperately wicked, it is not to be subdued, or healed by any common or usual means.

Fourthly, This wickedness is of a deadly nature. Thus Junius and Tremellius translate the words, "Fraudulentum coripsum t supra omnia, et mortiferum est." This translation, though feeble in comparison of the Hebrew, manifests the heart to be full of fraud, and a deadly wicked thing. It implicates not only death and destruction, but total ruin to universal existence; the extinction of itself, of men, angels, and God. An ancient saying was, "Home homini demon ;" man is a devil to man; to which might be added, he is destruction to himself. This corresponds with the apostolic description of men, "They are hateful and "hating one another." That men do not immediately rend one another to pieces, is not owing to any goodness in them, but to the wonderful, influential, and restraining providence which God has fixed in this world, for the promotion of the kingdom of his grace. Wicked men are here, as though in chains, their hearts