3. FROM the approved authority of antient proteftants.

As Adam was a covenant head, representing all his feed (which hath been already fhewn) his fault muft needs be of univerfal extent, affecting all mankind : he also being their common root and parent, none of the human race which are naturally defcended from him, can be free from the finful depravity of his corrupted nature.---Both Jews, and Gentiles; rich, and poor; male, and female; bond, and free; equally derive their being and nature from him; therefore, his original offence is upon them all, and his depravity of nature is in them all: none is exempt from the fault or corruption of fallen Adam; for we are all his offspring ---herein, the prince and the beggar; the philofopher and the fool, are upon a level: and he that is leaft fenfible of it, in him it is moft manifeft.Thus the whole world is become guilty before GOD: they who are faved were by nature children of wrath, even as others,---what is man (saith the scripture) that he should be clean, and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?

THIS original guilt, and corruption, is not only univerfal on all men; but in the whole of every man: every part, power, temper, faculty, &c. is defiled.

SIN

SIN hath defiled and corrupted the whole body, foul, and fpirit: hence the apoftle prays, that believ ers may be fanctified throughout the whole man*; and whereas, the body after fpiritual regeneration is not renewed, or changed in its carnal propenfities; therefore he faith, the body is dead because of fint; hence alfo, it is called, the body of death; for by nature the lufts, or defires of the flesh, and of the mind §; are earthly, fensual, devilish \\. The understanding, and the mind are darkened; the heart and the affections are alienated and eftranged from GOD; every one therefore that is faved, muft needs have an enlightened underftanding, a new heart, and purified affections renewed in him; if any man be in CHRIST he is a new creature. Thus judgment and death came upon all men, by the firft man's offence.-Death fpiritual, temporal, and eternal, are the wages, and due defert of fin.-In this death, are contained three things.

1. THE abfence, and lofs of man's original righteoufnefs, wherein he was created, and flood upright before GOD. By actual tranfgreffion, the lamp of fpiritual life was put out, and utterly loft; when the foul loofes its righteoufnefs, it loofes its life and dies: the life of the foul is upheld by righteoufnefs; for righteousness delivereth from death.

2. ToI Theff. v. 23. † Rom. viii. 10. ↑ Rom. vii. 24. § Eph. ii. 3. Jam. iii. 15.

2. TOGETHER with original righteoufnefs, man's created purity and holiness, which was his glory and beauty, departed from him; and inftead of holy and heavenly difpofitions, a pofitive evil quality, and propenfity to fin invaded both his foul and body; and ftill keeps poffeffion of every man, until CHRIST be formed in him.

3. WITH righteousness, and true holiness, he loft all his joy, peace, and felicity: when the rectitude and glory of his nature were gone, his confidence towards GOD, delight in him, and communion with him immediately vanifhed, There is no peace, faith my GoD, to the wicked. By whatever pleasures and employments men feek to divert their minds, intoxicate their spirits, and suppress their mental disquietudes; yet the moment they return to their right fenfes, the scripture is fulfilled in them; for they are like the troubled fea, when it cannot reft, whose waters caft up mire and dirt t.

THUS when by a variety of diseases and infirmities, men are rendered incapable of diverting their minds, and ftupifying their confciences, by carnal and worldly purfuits; when certain death approaches, and they are constrained to give up the ghoft,

• Gal. iv. 19.

+ Ifai lvii. 20.

ghoft, their guilt and dread is made manifeft; nothing then remains, but a fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adverfaries of righteoufnefs, and true holiness: of GOD and his CHRIST.

THE fcripture further teftifies, that in every man this corruption of nature is entire, and univerfal.-It afferts, that every imagination of the thoughts of man's heart, is only evil continually. How full, and univerfal, is this depravity of man's nature!

His beart is evil; yea, the thoughts, the meditations, and exercises of his heart are evil; the imagimation allo; that is, the figuring, or framing of his thoughts are evil, nor is there any exception; every imagination of the thoughts of man's heart is evil. What! no holy defires, not one good thought, with all the evil ones? No, not one; they are only evil: and are they always fo, is there no intermiffion, no interval when the foul is otherwife minded, and the thoughts otherwife employed? No, in no wife, for they are only evil continually.

"How abominable then and filthy is man? Nor is he thus, only when grown up to manhood, but even from his youth f. Moreover, this corruption of man's nature, was not washed away by the univerfal;

* Gen. vi. 5.

† Gen. viii. 21.,

verfal deluge; even Noah himself, a preacher of righteoufnefs, whom God had accepted, and miraculoufly. preferved from perifhing by the flood, was afterwards overtaken with a fault, and tranfgreffed by wine; thereby plainly difcovering, that corruption of nature which is common to man, and from which the faithful are not wholly freed, until death; and it it appears in them, how much more is it in thofe that are unregenerate ? This is alfo manifeft from other parts of fcripture; for when the LORD looked down from Heaven upon the children of men, te fee if there were any that did understand and feek after GOD; he beheld them univerfally and totally corrupt; they are all, faith he, gone out of the way; they are together become filthy, there is none that doeth good, no not one *. Therefore hath the scripture concluded all under fint.

AND thus we are all flain by Adam's fall, naturally corrupt, and dead in trefpaffes, and fins: for this caufe he teftifies, except a man be born again he cannot fee the kingdom of GOD. Hence alfo he hath promised to give unto his people a new heart, and to renew aright spirit within them.-Is it rational than to fuppofe, that GoD fhould permit this corruption of nature to be hereditary to us, and inherent in us; if we were not from the birth guilty creatures, and finners in his fight? but our text is clear, and exprefs; by

Pfal. xiv. 2, 3.

+ Gal. iii. 22.

one