unbelieving Jews, "I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can you escape the damnation of hell?" The Apostle Paul paints the total depravity of sinners in the strongest colors. "They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable: there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips, whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood. Destruction and misery are in their ways, and the way of peace have they not known: there is no fear of God before their eyes." Agreeably to these representations, we find such appellations and epithets given to sinners, as strongly express their total depravity. They are called the unjust, the unrighteous, the ungodly, the unholy, the unbelieving, and enemies of the cross of Christ. Such persons as justly deserve these characters, must be entirely destitute of every holy and virtuous affection.

But the manner, in which the Scripture distinguishes saints from sinners, affords the most clear and convincing evidence, that all who are not saints, are totally depraved. According to Scripture, he that loveth God is a saint, but he that loveth him not is a sinner; he that repenteth of sin is a saint, but he that repenteth not is a sinner; he that believeth in Christ is a saint, but he that believeth not is a sinner; he that is born of God is a saint, but he that is not born of God is a sinner; he that is in the Spirit is a saint, but he that is in the flesh is a sinner; he that is for Christ is a saint, but he that is against him is a sinner. This mode of distinction necessarily implies, that saints

have some grace, but sinners have none; that saints have some holiness, but sinners have none; and that nothing short of total depravity can justly denominate any person a sinner, in distinction from a saint. Though the plainest passages of Scripture in favor of total depravity, may be tortured to some other meaning; yet this argument in favor of this doctrine, drawn from the scriptural manner of distinguishing saints from sinners, admits of no evasion, and cannot be rejected, without rejecting the very distinction itself. Whoever undertakes to describe a sinner, without taking total depravity into his character, will describe a saint. If he say, a sinner is one who sometimes does good, and sometimes does evil; this is a description of a saint. For every saint sometimes does good, and sometimes does evil. If he say, a sinner is one who does more evil than good; this is a description of a saint. For every saint has more sin than holiness. If he say, a sinner is one who has the lowest degree of grace; this is a description of a saint. For the least degree of love, faith, repentance, or any other holy affection, forms the character of a saint, and entitles him to the divine favor. Indeed, ask any intelligent, frank, candid man, who denies total depravity, to tell you the essential difference between a saint and a sinnèr, and he will freely acknowledge that it is out of his power. For he knows, if all men are possessed of some real holiness, then the only moral difference between one person and another is, that one has more, and another has less true love to God. But this is the difference between one saint and another, and not the difference between a saint and a sinner. The most celebrated Writers, who deny total depravity, appear to be unable to point out any essential difference be tween saints and sinners. We may read all the ser

mons of Barrow, Clarke, Hoadley, and Tillotson, and never find a single instance, in which they have drawn two essentially different moral characters. They speak of saints and sinners in Scripture language; but they never show, wherein they essentially differ, nor describe that particular act or exercise of mind, by which a sinner becomes a saint. Hence it appears from fact, as well as from Scripture, that it is impossible to point out any essential moral difference between a sinner and a saint, without making total depravity the peculiar and essential character of a sinner. If there be any such persons in the world, therefore, as justly deserve to be called sinners, in distinction from saints, they are totally depraved, and wholly under the dominion of a carnal mind, which is enmity against God. The way is now prepared to show,

II. That the total depravity of sinners totally defiles and depraves all their actions.

Their total depravity is of a moral nature, and entirely distinct from their intellectual powers. They can perceive as well, they can remember as well, they can reason as well, and they can distinguish between moral good and evil as well, as the best of saints. The total depravity of their natural faculties, would entirely destroy their moral depravity. For were their reason and conscience totally depraved, they would be altogether incapable of doing right or wrong, or performing any moral action, which should be either pleasing or displeasing to God. Their moral depravity, therefore, must consist in their hearts. And this is agreeable to the whole tenor of Scripture. The Apostle tells us, "The carnal mind is enmity against God." As enmity belongs to the heart, and not to the understanding; so the heart must be the seat of moral corruption. Solomon says, "Foolishness is

bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction will drive it far from him." By foolishness here he means moral depravity; and this he places in the heart. God promises to renew the hearts of sinners, in order to remove their moral depravity. "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh." If the removal of an evil heart will take away total depravity, then total depravity certainly consists in an evil heart. When God would paint the depravity of sinners in the strongest colors, he says, "When they knew him, they glorified him not as God, neither were they thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened." So when Christ would aggravate the depravity and guilt of the Jews in the highest degree, he says, "They have both seen and hated both me and my father." Paul also represents the very essence of sin, or moral depravity, as consisting in the opposition of the heart to the light of conscience. "To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." And this every sinner knows to be true, by his own experience. He finds that his heart is not only distinct from his conscience, but in direct opposition to it. His conscience tells him to do what his heart hates and opposes; and on the other hand, his heart inclines him to do what his conscience forbids and condemns. It appears from Scripture and experience, therefore, that the heart is the only seat of moral depravity. There is no other place in the mind, where it can be found, nor where it can possibly exist.

Now, if sinners are totally depraved, and their total depravity lies in the heart; then the Apostle's reasoning is plain and conclusive. "So then they that are in the flesh cannot please. God." A corrupt heart

necessarily corrupts all the actions which proceed from it. And since sinners always act from a corrupt heart, all their actions must be corrupt. The only way to prove any action to be criminal, is to prove that it was done from a wicked heart. Why is murder a crime? No other reason can be given, but that it necessarily flows from malice prepense. Why are all the actions of the devil criminal? No other reason can be given, but that he always acts from a malevo. lent heart. If sinners, therefore, have a totally depraved heart, which is enmity against God, and if they always act from this malevolent heart; then it necessa rily follows, that all their actions are sinful, and displeasing to him, who knows from what source they proceed. There is no way to evade the force of this reasoning, but only to deny that all the actions of sin. ners flow from the heart. And since some have presumed to deny this plain and important truth, I will endeavor to demonstrate it. Here I would observe,

1. The Scripture represents, all human actions as flowing from the heart. We are told, that Abraham was required to sacrifice his son, and that he obeyed the divine command. But we know, that his obedience wholly consisted in the intention of his heart, David is represented as doing well, while it was only in his heart to build the house of the Lord. This Solomon expressly declares. "And the Lord said unto David my father, Whereas it was in thine heart to build an house unto my name, thou didst well that it was in thine heart." And Judas acted from the heart in betraying Christ. For Satan put it in his heart to betray him. That is, Satan suggested the temptation, and Judas in his heart complied with it. These, and numerous other intances which might be collected from Scripture, clearly show, that all human actions originate in and flow from the heart.