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buy one; that is the language of M.Neile too. He told the people, that there could not be peace in England as long as the woman Jezebel lived; and the loyal En glish cheered that expression, which I am proud to hear this meeting groan so heartily. The stupid men of the English newspapers do not know what woman he meant. Surely he could only mean one and that is the Queen. God bless her.”

ambassadors for Christ. And what did Christ say? Think you that I came to send peace on the earth? I tell you, Nay, but rather a sword.' A sword! Doubtless it is a sword. We possess, indeed, a peace the world knows nothing of. He said to His followers, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you. Not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither be ye afraid.' We have peace within. But as to our ministry, it is Mr. M'Neile alluded to these circuma sword, and not peace. It cannot be stances in a subsequent speech at a Propeace, while the world is under the power testant meeting at Market Drayton, of the devil, who is the enemy of all righte- though probably Mr. O'Connell's obousness. What peace,' so long as that wo-servations had not then reached him :— man Jezebel lives? It cannot be possible "In the faculty of lying ascribed by till peace comes in its proper scriptural our noble philosopher to the unchangeplace: The wisdom that cometh from able Papacy, they and their betters have above is first pure, then peaceable.'. When had the fertility of invention to charge the world shall be pure, then the ministers of the church will be men of peace. But me with comparing our most gracious while the world is corrupt, I say, my lord, Sovereign to that woman Jezebel!' we are men of war. Our Master has given As to denying that I had any such inus a sword. His ministry was a sword tention, it is scarcely worth the breath piercing through many hearts: and the wasted upon it. But though there be no ministry of every faithful follower of His more resemblance between Jezebel and is a sword-a sword that comes in contact our most gracious Queen than there is with the great abscess of man's corruption: between me and Hercules, yet the reand there cannot be peace while there is semblance between Jezebel and Popery, this leaven of iniquity in the world." I may say, with Fluellin, in Shakspeare, is as like as my fingers are to my fingers.' My lord, it is a singular and instructive fact connected with the Bible, that a book designed of God for the instruction of all nations should be occu

The use made of these expressions is so characteristic of these days of "fierce partizanship," that we are tempted to make room for a reference to it. The allusion to the Church of Rome under the

pied, in so large a proportion of it, with the history and circumstances of the small and comparatively insignificant nation of the Jews. It proves that the principles involved in that history are of transferable application."

denomination of "Jezebel" is at least not novel; and one should have supposed, few intelligent adults in Great Britain could have mistaken it. Nevertheless we have first the Morning Chronicle profes sing that it did not know "what woman Mr. M'Neile alluded to." Next, the Sun, He then took occasion at length to set (many of whose leading articles are evi-out the likeness of character of the Romdently written by a Romanist) openly ish Church and of Jezebel; and referinsisted that the Queen was meant. And ring again to the charge near the close of lastly, Mr. O'Connell, in addressing his his speech, observedconstituents at Dublin, on the 24th of December, spoke as follows:

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"Here is the Address to her most gracious Majesty, whom they falsely say I 'Did you ever hear of the Rev. Hugh likened to Jezebel. Oh! for language M'Neile? Is he a minister of peace, like to give utterance to the deep detestation the Catholic priesthood? No, he certain with which my loyal soul recoils from ly is not; for that man had the hardi- the traiterous sentiment! My Lord, I hood to say, some days ago, that there love the Queen with the honest ardour were no such words as minister of peace' of a Christian patriot, and daily pray in the New Testament. Oh! I shuddered for her, with the chastened earnestness at the hardihood of the wretch. He of a Christian minister. I am dutifully preaches in favour of Chartism, and of and cordially, yes I am enthusiastically planting the sword in the land; but the devoted to her commands, next to those Catholic priesthood preach against it.my of Lord and Saviour; and am willing The Chartits' language is, that he who in obedience to them to risk my life a has not a sword should sell his coat and thousand times."

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THE bright and blissful condition in which man originally existed is known to us, not by the joys of personal experience, but through the medium of inspired history. By which we are informed that the season of holiness and life was short, and soon succeeded by the age of transgression and death; that our first parents were as sailed by the tempter, listened to his seductive tale, followed his pernicious advice, and disobeyed their God; that their disobedience was speedily recognised in a public manner by the Almighty himself, when the sinful offenders, the agent and cause of their transgression, were together tried, convicted, and condemned. That was an awful season. Millions were involved in ruin. 66 By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." The transgression of Adam opened that avenue, by which spiritual death entered the soul of man, and deprived him of original righteousness; then knowledge gave place to ignorance, holiness to depravity, righteousness to guilt, and life to death. The image of God was defaced, our glory obscured, and our peace destroyed.

The fall of man, his consequent corruption, distance from God, delight in sin, and inability to love and serve his Creator-although a doctrine consonant with both reason and revelation, and confirmed by actual experience-has been disputed and disallowed by some, who trace all transgression to the influence of evil example and evil maxims. With these polemics we have neither time nor reason to argue the matter; the truth on this point being so clear, as to be evident to every candid and upright student of theology. Without taking further notice of the opinions of our opponents, than to observe, that if man is unfallen, it is impossible to account satisfactorily for the origin and prevalence of either evil examples or evil maxims-we proceed at once to the consideration of the doctrine of the sacred Volume on the

VOL. XII.

G

present state of the human race: which may be briefly summed up in the following propositions, namely-That the human mind is corrupted or depraved; that this corruption or depravity exhibits itself in the sinful conduct of all men; and that this depravity, together with its sinful consequences, is the effect of Adam's transgression, and the forerunner of death.

That the human mind is depraved, and that this depravity exhibits itself in the sinful conduct of all men, is clear from the testimony of God himself. He is represented as looking down from heaven, as looking down to the earth, and searching among the descendants of Adam for one, who was wise and piously disposed; but he did not find one so inclined. On the contrary, he saw a race of practical atheists, who lived without God in the world; defiled themselves, and defiling each other. In proof of this, the evidence of inspiration is cited, from Psalm xiv. 1-3-" The fool," or atheistic sinner, "hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works; there is none that doeth good. The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no not one." This language, so descriptive of the awful state of man in the days of David, applies equally to the days of Noah, of the prophets, and of the Gospel dispensation. In the days of Noah, we read, the human race were so prone to evil, as to bring down the righteous judgments of Jehovah on their devoted heads, in the descent of the desolating and universally destructive flood. We find the waters of the deluge able to wash man from the earth, but unable to wash sin from his heart; for, after the flood, Noah erected an altar, and offered suitable sacrifices unto the Lord, and we read-" The Lord smelled a sweet savour, and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake, for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth." In the days of the prophets, Jeremiah was so affected with human depravity as to write, "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; who can know it?" Its wickedness is beyond the conception of man. And under the Gospel dispensation we find man equally depraved. His heart is a fountain of iniquity, whence the polluting streams of transgression continually flow; according to the testimony of our Lord, who traces all our disgraceful conduct to its source, and says, "Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies"-(Matt xv. 9). See further, Romans, chapters i. ii. and iii.

That the human soul is depraved, and that this depravity exhibits itself in the sinful conduct of all men, is further proved by the lamentations and confessions of the people of God. Here we might quote much of the devotional language of the saints recorded in the Book of Psalms, &c. We select Job, of the patriarchal days, who was pre-eminently upright in his day-so pre-eminent, that the Lord said to Satan, "Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in all the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God and escheweth evil”— (Job i. 7). And yet patient and upright as he was, he says-" I have heard of Thee (the Lord) by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye seeth Thee; wherefore I abhor myself in dust and ashes”—(Job xlii. 6). David, the sweet singer of Israel, the man after God's own heart, was overcome by the workings of concupiscence, and fell grossly; but although he went astray, he still remembered God; although he was recovered by Divine grace, he bemoaned his wickedness. We cannot hear David, David all but broken-hearted, lamenting his sinful origin and craving a purified and holy state of soul-without realizing the innate wickedness of man. Let us then cry with David, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me; cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me"-(Psalm li. 10, 11). Let us exclaim, with Isaiah, "Woe is me, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips'-(Isaiah vi. 5). Let us, with Daniel, “pray and confess our sins and the sins of our people, and present our supplication before our God"—(Daniel ix. 20)— that we, through the supply of the Spirit, may not be subject to our depravity, or live in bondage to the flesh; but, on the contrary, live in the Spirit, and so enjoy heavenly freedom. The lamentations of Paul and the confessions of Peter, might here be adduced; but we proceed to remark―

That the whole economy of grace supposes and provides for the salvation of man, as polluted and depraved, as well as guilty. When disclosed in type and shadow, under the Levitical dispensation, by its ablutions, purifications, and sacrifices, it implied, that the soul needed regeneration and sanctification, as well as pardon. But now its nature is more clearly revealed, we find not only promises of pardon to penitents, of justification to the believer, but of purity. May the Lord write His laws upon our hearts; then shall we be His people, and know that He is our God. The doctrine of the sacred Volume on this point is, that man's depravity is a deeply rooted evil; that it has struck its fibres into his mental constitution, overspread his soul, and produced the deadly fruit of a darkened understanding, a defiled conscience, unholy passions, sinful desires, and rebellious conduct. The habits of his mind, the flow of his affections, the current of his thoughts—all, all are unholy and unclean; in short, he is so defiled as to be, when renewed in the spirit of his mind, but too easily brought into a state of bondage unto sin; to be but partially holy, and to stand in continual need of Divine support and protection.

The doctrine of inspiration is corroborated by the confession of all men in

all ages.

Let us listen to the benighted savage. What is the language of the pagan by his rites? Is it not, 'We are sinners, guilty and polluted, if interpreted at all? For their rites are expiatory, their offerings sacrificial and intended to placate or appease some supposed god or gods. Hear their prayers, accompany them on their pilgrimages, attend them in their ablutions. They are unhapy, in quest of some blessing, and need purification.

Sit at the feet of the polished heathen, philosophers, poets and historians, they all unite in giving a tongue to the rites and ceremonies, which have abounded and do abound. They declare that man is conscious of sin. Horace writes

"Nam vitiis nemo sine nascitur:”—Satyr. L. 1. sat. 3 ver. 68. "For no one is born without vice."

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Plato calls the disposition of man to sin kakovia, and he affirms it kakia puoε an evil in nature. Cicero laments that men should be brought into life by nature as by a step-mother, with a naked, frail, and infirm body, and with a mind or soul prone to lusts.

Turn to the moral man. He acknowledges guilt, but hopes to remove it by his good deeds. Or the libertine and he, conscious of guilt, plunges into the vortex of dissipation, is borne round the whirlpool of iniquity, and at length drawn down its centre, to the destruction of his soul in endless perdition.

The doctrine of inspiration is further proved by the proceedings of individuals and nations.

Why do individuals lock, bolt, and bar up their residences? Do they not feel it requisite and necessary to secure their property from plunder, and to protect their persons from the arm of the midnight robber? Why are they at the expense of notes and bonds and deeds, in business? Is it not to prevent fraud, and to secure themselves from the unprincipled?

Why are human laws enacted, magistrates invested with authority to punish offenders according to the laws prescribed, and officers paid to seek after and apprehend the guilty? We answer, To restrain crime, to repress the lawlessness of man. All nations, by experience, have learned, that society cannot exist without laws. They are the result of necessity, and prove the wickedness of men.

Why do nations keep standing armies and support well-manned navies? Is it not to defend themselves from the hostile attacks of neighbouring states, and to overawe the rebellious spirits at home? For whatever purpose they are kept upwhether for purposes of defence, or to preserve the public peace--and whether the disposition to break the public peace arises out of misgovernment or a desire to plunder the peaceful-it proves they are needful because man is evil minded.

The doctrine of inspiration, relative to the depravity of the human race, is further proved or corroborated by the tenour of universal history.

The history of the world is a history of wars, undertaken to gratify the ambitious lust of renowned warriors; and of devastation and bloodshed, to aggrandize

nations, or to gratify the cruel dispositions of the revengeful. Its broad and ample page presents numerous accounts of fraud and lust, rapine and debauchery; and but few of generosity, goodness and benevolence.

Sacred history speaks of the ejection of our first parents from Eden; of the descent of the flood upon the antediluvian world; of the burning of Sodom and Gomorrah; of the visitation of Egypt with plagues; the drowning of Pharaoh and his host; of the destruction of the Canaanites by the devouring sword of Joshua ; of the captivities of the Jews, and final overthrow of the Hebrew commonwealth; the desolation of Babylon, and other oriental dominions; and ascribes all to the prevalence of sin.

Profane history presents us with man, in civilized and polished life; and with man in a rude and barbarous state. If we glance at him in his savage state, we see sin inscribed in legible characters on his obscene and cruel rites. We hear it in his continued contentions; for it sounds aloud in his horrid war-cry, and is audible in the groans of the dying and the captive. If we follow his course in civilized and polished life, as depicted by the pen of the historian, we are conducted through scenes of desolation and blood. Do not the fatherless families, the bereft widows, the blazing cities, the dismantled castles, the ruined villages, and the wasted lands, by which we may trace the march of a Cyrus, an Alexander, a Cæsar, or a Napoleon, sufficiently confirm this statement, and prove that man is sinful and depraved? Thus, from the declaration of the sacred Volume, the confession of the saints of God, the nature of the economy of grace, the confession of all men in all ages, the conduct of individuals and nations, and the general tenor of all history-we have proved that the human mind is depraved, and that this depravity exhibits itself in the sinful conduct of all men.

This depravity is the consequence of Adam's transgression, and the forerunner of death.

This, in language plain and decisive, free from all ambiguity and uncertainty, is declared in the Word of God. 66 By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death hath passed on all, for that all have sinned." The transgression of Adam opened the door of our hearts to sin. Sin entered, corrupted our nature, and made us a prey of death. "By the disobedience of one many were made sinners." "In Adam all die." Here we realize the awful fact, that Adam by sin involved us all in sin and guilt.

The sinful depravity of the heart is conveyed by natural generation. We treat here, not of the mode, but the fact. Adam begat, after he was fallen, “a son in his own likeness;" he had then lost the image of God. Job exclaimed, “Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?"" How can he be clean that is born of a woman?" David lamented that he was "conceived in sin and brought forth in iniquity." Our Lord says, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh;" the stream cannot of itself rise higher than its source. We are a "seed of evil doers." The root is sinful, and so are the branches.

This depravity is the forerunner of death; hence infants die, who have not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, by making a breach in a received law. "The wages of sin is death." The awful condition in which man is plunged through the fall is our own. It is a cause for humiliation and prayer. And were it not for the provisions of eternal mercy, we must have sunk in despair to the gloomy regions of death. But now, through the blood of Christ, we may be pardoned, and by His spirit qualified for glory. "Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift.'

Matlock, Bath.

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F. PERKINS.

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