It must be acknowledged, we do in-in the very universal estimation of deed suppose, that a good heart con-mankind, any further than they are sists in, or implies, a good taste, relish, supposed to proceed from a principle principle or disposition; which is so of disinterested goodness. entirely independent of the will, as to But our author asserts, and labors be prerequisite to any good volition, to prove, that there is no such princi affection, action or exercise. But, in ple: or at least that we have no evian idea as erroneous as this, it appears | dence, and can form no conception of to us we are countenanced by express any such thing in nature, as holiness: I scripture, by evident reason, and the mean in the nature of a moral agent. full suffrage of common sense. He says, "It is the dictate of common We appeal, in the first place, to sense, that a good heart consists in scripture, particularly to the testimony love. For only separate love from a of Jesus," the Author and finisher of good heart, and there will be no good our faith; the faithful and true wit-heart left. If a good heart were dis⚫ness." See his words, Matt. vii. 18.tinct from love, then we could form a "A good tree cannot bring forth evil clear idea of it distinct from love. But fruit; neither can a corrupt tree bring whenever we think of a good heart, forth good fruit." And in Luke vi. either in ourselves or in others, we 44, 45. "For of thorns men do not think of kind, tender, benevolent feel gather figs, nor of a bramble bush ga-ings; or of the exercises of pure dither they grapes. A good man, out vine love. And it is out of our power of the good treasure of his heart, to conceive of a good heart, which is bringeth forth that which is good, and not wholly composed of good affec an evil man, out of the evil treasure tions, or the genuine feelings of true of his heart, bringeth forth that which benevolence." is evil." See likewise the words of Paul 1 Tim. i. 5. "Now the end of the commandment is charity, out of a pure heart.

We appeal to reason. Is it rational to think those exercises can be good, which proceed from bad principles, or from no principle at all, any more than the favorable blowing of the wind, or fruitful showers of rain?

To this we answer, just as well might it be thus concluded, that all invisible beings and things are unrealities; or that there is no evidence of their having any existence. It is no more out of our power to conceive of the heart of man distinct from its exercises, than to conceive of any of our natural powers and capacities, distinct from their exertion: And no more We appeal lastly, to the decision of than it is out of our power to conceive common sense. Are unprincipled men of the perfections or the being of God, or actions, known to be such, ever distinct from his works. Just as well highly esteemed? Is a man ever ad- might it be said, when we think of a mired by his impartial neighbors, or rational man, or a man of sound judgthought to have any sincere piety or ment, or of one who has a strong me virtue, let him speak ever so many mory; that we think of nothing but good words, or do ever so many ex-of one's reasoning well; or judging ternal good deeds, or be ever so zea-rightly in some case, or clearly relously affected in good things, when it membering something; as that when is thought that all his fair speeches, and we think of a man's having a good specious actions, and warmth of affec-heart, we think only of his benevolent tion, are merely from selfish motives, affections. Or that, when we think of or from no disposition to seek, or de- the Creator and preserver of all things, sire, ultimately, any thing but his own we have no idea of his nature or peremolument, wealth or fame? Internal||fections, but merely of his works. exercises, as well as external actions, 1 The way in which we get ideas and am persuaded, are of no moral value, evidences of such invisible causes, is

from their visible or perceivable ope- that a bad heart consists in a bad prinrations and effects. Such was the rea-ciple, disposition or inclination, which soning of holy men of old, who spake is entirely distinct from sinful volunas they were moved by the Holy tary exercises. They represent a corGhost. The psalmist David, adoring rupt nature, or depraved heart, as the the Holy One of Israel, said to him, source of all sinful affections and pas "Thou art good, and doest good." sions. And they maintain, that this He concluded the former, from the corrupt nature is conveyed fromAdam latter; from what he had read, and to all his posterity, who, they suppose heard, and experienced, of the benefi- are morally depraved, before they cent works and ways of the Supreme have one sinful exercise, volition or Being, he inferred the benevolence of affection. But it appears from what his nature. And the apostle Paul, has been said in this discourse, that all writing to his new Roman converts sinfulness consists in the various exerfrom Polytheism, to a belief of one cises and modifications of self-love. only living and true God, tells them, The divine law condemns these exer"The invisible things of Him, from cises, and nothing else. And our conthe creation of the world, are clearly sciences concur with the sentence of seen, being understood by the things the law, and condemn us for sinful that are made, even his eternal power exercises only. Hence we intuitively and Godhead." If we give up this know, that we never did derive a moway of arguing, and conclude that rally corrupt nature, or a morally corseeing and hearing are no evidence of rupt principle, or a morally corrupt any thing seen or heard, or of any heart from Adam." thing which sees and hears, into what universal scepticism shall we inevitably be led? If the argument, from our ignorance, or want of a direct perception of things unseen, were conclusive in proof of there being no other heart in man than exercises, I think it would equally prove that man has no soul, and that there is no God, Or if it be rational to suspect, that the heart of" Who can bring a clean thing out of man, which loves and hates, hopes and fears, is nothing but loving and hating, hoping and fearing, because we perceive nothing else; for the same reason, might we not as well disbe-declarations of our Saviour; "Except lieve that a man has any soul, which thinks and understands, recollects the past, and plans for the future; or that there is any God, who made, preserves and governs the world; or that there are any intelligent beings in the universe, or any thing in existence be-nal mind is enmity against God; for it sides the perceptions of no percipients, and the actions of no agents?

Article II. Concerning the reverse of a good heart, or the essence and sum total of all sin.

In another inference from the same sermon, it is said, "Some suppose

REMARKS.

That all the posterity of Adam have derived, and do derive, a sinfully depraved nature, by ordinary generation, from their immediate progenitors, and originally from our first parents, I apprehend we have sufficient scripture proof. This seems plainly implied in the question and answer of pious Job;

an unclean? Not one." In the humble confession of holy David; "I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me." In the solemn

a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh." And in the warning words of the apostle to the Romans, against the vain hopes of the unregenerate self-righteous; "The car

is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then, they that are in the flesh cannot please God." See also the same doctrine asserted in his epistle to the Ephesians; "You hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins: wherein in time past yo walked, according to

the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature children of wrath, even as others."

for these sins. See John v. 42. “1 know you that ye have not the love of God in you." And Luke vi. 46. "Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" See also the words of the apostle Paul, quoted from the Old Testament: Gal. iii. 19. "For it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them."

All the various exercises of self

Moreover, that all sinfulness does not consist in the exercises of selflove, nor in any other exercises, how-love are not forbidden ;' as we may ever sinful, we have seen, is abun- learn from Christ's exposition of the dantly evident, both from scripture whole second table of the moral law: and reason. That mere want of con- "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy formity of heart to the holy law of self." Nor does any man's conscience God, in a rational creature, which condemn him, for seeking his own must be prior to all evil exercises, is good. But where do we find the law sinful, I think has been fully shown. which condemns these exercises, and And besides the texts to this purpose nothing else? Or whose consciences already produced, see the words of condemn them for the exercises of our Saviour in Mark vii. 21. "For self love only? Not the consciences from within, out of the heart, proceed of sinners under genuine convictions; evil thoughts," &c. Are not thoughts our author himself being judge. For exercises?...some of the first exercises having quoted the words of Paul, “I of the mind? We may likewise ob- was alive without the law once, but serve that what we read of sinful hard-when the commandment came, sin re ness of heart, both in the Old and vived, and I died;" he says, "Alla New Testament, is a further proof,||wakened and convinced sinners have that all sinfulness does not consist in the same view of themselves. Their exercises of any kind. By the stony || consciences compel them, in spite of heart spoken of in Ezekiel, as what their hearts, to acknowledge that the must be taken out of God's apostate law which requires them immediately people, before they could exercise godly sorrow, or be brought to true repentance, are we to understand only their hard exercises? Or was the hardness of heart in the hearers of our Saviour, which occasioned his looking round about upon them with anger, no other than hard feelings? Was it not rather, a heart unapt to feel? And is not an unbenevolent, unmerciful dis-every freshman is firmly established, position, evidently odious, in the opinion of all mankind? Nor can it surely be denied with any appearance of truth, that men are condemned of God, and by their neighbors, and sometimes by themselves, for the want of virtuous or religious affections, and merely for sins of omission. Our Saviour condemned the self-righteous Pharisees, and implicitly threatened the condemnation of his professed followers,

to love God supremely, upon pain of eternal destruction, is perfectly holy, and just, and good." But if so, must not their consciences condemn them for never having loved God at all, as being somewhat sinful?

But since the discovery, that all sin consists in exercises, is one of the first lessons in our new school, in which

we will attend more particularly to the arguments advanced in support of this strange sentiment, by one of its ablest advocates. He tells us, "If all obedience to the divine law consists in the positive exercise of true love, then all disobedience to the divine law must consist in the positive exercise of false love, or of real selfishness. The mere want of love cannot be a transgression of the law of love. Tho'

But a man's doing mere nothing, This argumentation is short, and has sometimes the quality of laziness; plain, which are two uncommon ex-and the cousequence is, his having cellencies; and I perceive in it only mere nothing to eat, if not something one fault; a very common one, and much worse, that a mere negative, which is nothing, namely, its not being conclusive. But thus in the lump, perhaps it may be too heavy for our scales. Let us divide it then, and see what part of it will weigh, separately taken.

It would equally exculpate sins of commission; for many of the animal tribes kill men, and one another; yet they do not transgress the sixth commandment. 5. Does the attribute of divine jus"A mere want is a mere nothing."|tice appear to you as amiable as the But it was once written, by the fin- attribute of divine mercy? ger of one invisible, on the plastered 6. When God visits you with afficwall of a certain great man," Thou tions, are you patient and submissive

25. What is the subject upon which your mind naturally leads you to contemplate, first, in the morning, when you awake from your slumbers, and last, in the evening, when you retire to rest? Is it God and duty, or is it 16. Do you love Christ as much for the making of provision for the flesh, saving others, as for saving yourself? "to fulfil the lusts thereof Th. Mag.