Being: The Soul is then formed, and then our Bodies are fearfully and wonderfully made, being cu riously wrought by our Creator: So that a new-born Child is a new Creature. So, when a Man is born again, he is created again; in that new Birth, there is a new Creation; and therein he becomes as a newborn Babe, or a NEW CREATURE. So, in a Refurrection, there is a new Creation. When a Man is dead, that which was created or made in the first Birth or Creation is destroyed: When that which was dead is raised to Life, the mighty Power of the Creator or Author of Life, is exerted the fecond Time, and the Subject reftored to new Existence, and new Life, as by a new Creation. So giving a new Heart is called CREATING a clean Heart, Pfal. li. 10. Where the Word translated, create, is the fame that is used in the first ver. in Genefis. And when we read in Scripture of the new Creature, the Creature that is called NEW is MAN; not Angel, or Beast, or any other Sort of Creature; and therefore the Phrafe, New Man, is evidently equipollent with New Creature; and a putting off the old Man, and putting on the new Man, is fpoken of exprefly as brought to pass by a Work of Creation. Col. iii. 9, 10. Ye have put off the old Man-and have put on the new Man, which is renewed in Knowledge, after the Image of. him that CREATED him. So Eph. iv. 22, 23, 24. That ye put off the old Man, which is corrupt, &c. and be renewed in the Spirit of your Mind, and that ye put on the new Man, which after God is CREATED in Righteoufnefs and true Holiness. Thefe Things absolutely fix the Meaning of that in 2 Cor. v. 17. If any Man be in Chrift, he is a new Creature: Old Things are paffed away; behold, all Things are beCome New,

On

On the Whole, the following Reflections may be made:

.

1. That it is a Truth of the utmost Certainty, with refpect to every Man born of the Race of Adam, by ordinary Generation, that unless he be born again, he cannot fee the Kingdom of God. This is true, not only of the Heathen, but of them that are born of the profeffing People of God, as Nicodemus, and the Jews, and every Man born of the Flefb. This is most manifeft by Chrift's Difcourfe in John iii. 3-11. So it is plain by 2 Cor. v. 17. That every Man who is in Chrift, is a new Creature.

2. It appears from this, together with what has been proved above, that it is moft certain with respect to every one of the human Race, that he can never have any Intereft in Chrift, or fee the Kingdom of God, unless he be the Subject of that Change in the Temper and Difpofition of his Heart, which is made in Repentance and Converfion, Circumcifion of Heart, fpiritual Baptifm, dying to Sin, and rising to a new and boly Life; and unless he has the old Heart taken away, and a new Heart and Spirit given, and puts off the old Man, and puts on the new Man, and old Things are paft away, and all Things made new.

3. From what is plainly implied in thefe Things, and from what the Scripture moft clearly teaches of the Nature of them, it is certain, that every Man is born into the World in a State of moral Pollution: For SPIRITUAL BAPTISM is a Cleanfing from moral Filthinefs. Ezek. xxxvi. 25. compared with Acts ii. 16. and Joh. iii. 5. So the washing of Regeneration, or the NEW BIRTH,

is

is a Change from a State of Wickednefs. Tit. iii. 3, 4, 5. Men are fpoken of as purified in their Regeneration. I Pet. i. 22, 23. See alfo 1 Joh. ii. 29. and iii. 1, 3. And it appears, that every Man, in his first or natural State is a Sinner; for otherwife he would then need no REPENTANCE, no CONVERSION, no Turning from Sin to God. And it appears, that every Man in his original State has a Heart of Stone; for thus the Scripture calls that old Heart, which is taken away, when a NEW HEART and NEW SPIRIT is given. Ezek. xi. 19. and xxxvi. 26. And it appears, that Man's Nature, as in his native State, is corrupt according to the deceitful Lufts, and of its own Motion exerts itself in Nothing but wicked Deeds. For thus the Scripture characterises the OLD MAN, which is put off, when Men are renewed in the Spirit of their Minds, and put on the NEW MAN. Eph. iv. 22, 23, 24. Col. iii. 8, 9, 10. In a Word, it appears, that Man's Nature, as in its native State, is a Body of Sin, which must be deftroyed, muft die, be buried, and never rife more. For thus the OLD MAN is reprefented, which is crucified, when Men are the Subjects of a spiritual RESURRECTION. Rom. vi. 4, 5, 6. Such a Nature, fuch a Body of Sin as this, is put off in the fpiritual RENOVATION, wherein we put on the NEW MAN, and are the Subjects of the fpiritual CIRCUMCISION. Eph. iv. 21, 22, 23.

It must now be left with the Reader to judge for himself, whether what the Scripture teaches of the APPLICATION of Chrift's Redemption, and the Change of State and Nature neceffary to true and final Happiness, does not afford clear and abundant Evidence to the Truth of the Doctrine of Original Sin.

PART

PART IV.

Containing Answers to OBJECTIONS.

CHAP. I.

Concerning that OBJECTION, That to fuppofe Men's being BORN IN SIN, without their Choice, or any previous Act of their own, is to fuppose what is inconfiftent with the Nature of SIN.

SOME

OME of the Objections made against the Doctrine of Original Sin, which have Reference to particular Arguments used in Defence of it, have been already confidered in the handling of thofe Arguments.. What I fhall therefore now confider, are fuch Objections as I have not yet had Occafion to take any special Notice of.

There is no Argument Dr. T. infifts more upon, than that which is taken from the Arminian and Pelagian Notion of Freedom of Will, confifting in the Will's Self-determination, as neceffary to the Being of moral Good or Evil. He often urges, that if we come into the World infected with finful and depraved Difpofitions, then Sin must be natural to us; and if natural, then necessary; and if neceffary, then no Sin, nor any Thing we are blameable for, or that can in any refpect be our Fault, being what we cannot help And he urges, that Sin muft proceed from our own Choice, &c. *

Here

* Page 125, 128, 129, 130, 186, 187, 188, 190, 200, 245 246, 253, 258. 63, 64, 161, S. and other Places.

Here I would obferve in general, that the forementioned Notion of Freedom of Will, as effential to moral Agency, and neceffary to the very Exiftence of Virtue and Sin, feems to be a grand favourite Point with Pelagians and Arminians, and all Divines of fuch Characters, in their Controverfies with the Orthodox. There is no one Thing more fundamental in their Schemes of Religion: On the Determination of this one leading Point depends the Iffue of almost all Controverfies we have with fuch Divines. Nevertheless, it feems a needless Tafk for me particularly to confider that Matter in this Place; having already largely dif cuffed it, with all the main Grounds of this Notion, and the Arguments ufed to defend it, in a late Book on this Subject, to which I ask leave to refer the Reader. It is very neceffary, that the modern prevailing Doctrine concerning this Point, should be well understood, and therefore thoroughly confidered and examined: For without it there is no Hope of putting an End to the Controversy about Original Sin, and innumerable other Controverfies that fubfift, about many of the main Points of Religion, I ftand ready to confefs to the forementioned modern Divines, if they can maintain their peculiar Notion of Freedom, confifting in the selfdetermining Power of the Will, as neceffary to moral Agency, and can thoroughly establish it in Oppofition to the Arguments lying against it, then they have an impregnable Caftle, to which they may repair, and remain invincible, in all the Controverfies they have with the reformed Divines, concerning Original Sin, the Sovereignty of Grace, Election, Redemption, Converfion, the efficacious Operation of the Holy Spirit, the Nature of faving Faith, Perfeverance of the Saints, and other Principles of the like Kind. However at the fame

Time