dreadful ftupidity of mind, occafioning a fottish infenfibility of their truth and importance, when manifefted by the cleareft evidence.

SECT. VII.

That Man's Nature is corrupt, appears, in that vaftly the greater Part of Mankind, in all Ages, have been wicked Men.

THE

THE depravity of man's nature appears, not only in its propenfity to fin in fome degree, which renders a man an evil or a wicked man in the eye of the law and ftrict justice, as was before fhewn; but it is fo corrupt, that its depravity either fhews that men are, or tends to make them to be, of fuch an evil character, as fhall denomi nate them wicked men, according to the tenor of the covenant of grace.

This may be argued from feveral things which have been already obferved; as from a tendency to continual fin, a tendency to much greater degrees of fin than righteoufnefs, and from the ge heral extreme ftupidity of mankind. But yet the prefent ftate of man's nature, as implying or tending to a wicked character, may be worthy to be more particularly confidered, and directly proved. And in general this appears, in that there have been fo very few in the world, from age to age, ever fince the world has ftood, that have been of any other character.

It is abundantly evident in fcripture, and is what I fuppofe none that call themfelves Chriftians will deny, that the whole world is divided into good and bad, and that all mankind at the day of judgment will either be approved as righte

ous

ous, or condemned as wicked; either glorified as children of the kingdom, or caft into a furnace of fire as children of the wicked one.

I need not ftand to fhew what things belong to the character of fuch as fhall hereafter be accepted as righteous, according to the word of God. It may be fufficient for my prefent purpose to obferve what Dr T. himself fpeaks of as belonging effentially to the character of fucli. In p. 203, he fays, "This is infallibly the cha"racter of true Chriftians, and what is effential "to fuch, 'that they have really mortified the

flesh, with its lufts;-they are dead to fin, and "live no longer therein; the old man is cruci"fied, and the body of fin deftroyed; they yield "themselves to God, as thofe that are alive from "the dead, and their members as inftruments of " righteoufnefs to God, and as fervants of righte"oufnefs to holinefs."- -There is more to the like purpofe in the two next pages. In p. 228, he fays, "Whatfoever is evil and corrupt in us "we ought to condemn; not fo as it fhall ftill "remain in us, that we may be always condemn"ing it, but that we may fpeedily reform, and "be effectually delivered from it; otherwife cer"tainly we do not come up to the character of "the true difciples of Chrift."

In p. 248, he fays, "Unlefs God's favour be "preferred before all other enjoyments what"foever, unless there be a delight in the worship "of God and in converfe with him, unless every "appetite be brought into fubjection to reafon "and truth, and unless there be a kind and be"nevolent difpofition towards our fellow-crea"tures, how can the mind be fit to dwell with "God in his house and family, to do him fervice

in his kingdom, and to promote the happiness. "of any part of his creation ?"-And in his Keys

255, p. 145, &c. fhewing there, what it is to be a true Chriftian, he fays, among other things, "That he is one who has fuch a fenfe and per

fuafion of the love of God in Chrift, that he "devotes his life to the honour and fervice of "God, in hope of eternal glory. And that to

the character of a true Chriftian, it is abfolutely "neceffary that he diligently study the things "that are freely given him of God, viz. his elec"tion, regeneration, &c. that he may gain a just knowledge of thofe inestimable privileges, may

tafte that the Lord is gracious, and rejoice in "the gafpel-falvation, as his greatest happiness "and glory.It is neceffary that he work "these bleffings on his heart till they become a "vital principle, producing in him the love of "God, engaging him to all cheerful obedience "to his will, giving him a proper dignity and "elevation of foul, raising him above the beft " and worst of this world, carrying his heart into heaven, and fixing his affections and regards 66 upon his everlasting inheritance, and the crown

of glory laid up for him there. --Thus he is "armed against all the temptations and trials "refulting from any pleasure or pain, hopes or "fears, gain or lofs, in the prefent world None of "these things move him from a faithful discharge "of any part of his duty, or from a firm attach"ment to truth and righteoufnefs; neither counts " he his very life dear to him, that he may do the "will of God, and finifh his courfe with joy, in "a fenfe of the love of God and Christ. Ho "maintains daily communion with God, by "reading and meditating on his word. In a "fenfe of his own infirmity, and the readiness of

the divine favour to fuccour him, he daily ad"dreffes the throne of grace, for the renewal of fpiritual ftrength, and in affurance of obtain

ing it, through one mediator Chrift Jefus, en"lightened and directed by the heavenly doctrine "of the gospel," &c.

*

Now I leave it to be judged by every one that has any degree of impartiality, whether there be not fufficient grounds to think, from what appears every where, that it is but a very fmall part in deed of the many myriads and millions which overfpread this globe, who are of a character that in any wife anfwers thefe defcriptions. However, Dr T. infifts, that all nations, and every man on the face of the earth, have light and means fufficient to do the whole will of God, even they that live in the groffeft darkness of Paganism.

Dr T. in anfwer to arguments of this kind, very impertinently from time to time objects †, That we are no judges of the viciousnefs of mens character, nor are able to decide in what degree they are virtuous or vicious. As though we could have no good grounds to judge, that any thing appertaining to the qualities or properties" of the mind, which is invifible, is general or prevailing among a multitude or collective body, unlefs we can determine how it is with each individual. I think I have fufficient reafon, from what I know and have heard of the American Indians to judge that there are not many good philofophers among them; though the thoughts of their hearts, and the ideas and knowledge they have in their minds, are things invifible; and though I have never feen fo much as the thousandth part of the Indians, and, with respect to most of them, fhould not be able to pronounce

* What Dr Turnbull fays of the character of a good man is alfo worthy to be obferved, Chrif. Phil. p. 86, 258, 259, 288, 975, 376, 409, 410

P. 327, 339, 349, 343, 344, 3483 kors

peremp

peremptorily concerning any one, that he was not very knowing in the nature of things, if all fhould fingly pafs before me. And Dr T. him

felf feems to be fenfible of the falfenefs of his own conclufions, that he fo often urges against others, if we may judge by his practice, and the liberties he takes, in judging of a multitude himfelf. He, it feems, is fenfible that a man may have good grounds to judge, that wickedness of character is general in a collective body, because he openly does it himself. (Key, p. 147.) After declaring the things which belong to the character of a true Chriftian, he judges of the generality of Chriftians, that they have caft off these things, that they are a people that do err in their ' hearts, and have not known God's ways. P. he judges, that the generality of Chriftians are the moft wicked of all mankind, when he thinks it will throw fome difgrace on the opinion of fuch as he opposes. The like we have from time in other places, as p. 168. p. 258.

182.

259.

time to

Key, p.

But if men are not fufficient judges, whether there are few of the world of mankind but what are wicked, yet doubtlefs God is fufficient, and his judgment, often declared in his word, determines the matter. Matth. vii. 13. 14. Enter ye in at the ftrait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to deftruction, and many there be that go in thereat; becaufe ftrait is the gate, and narrow is the way that leadeth to life, and few there be that find it. It is manifeft, that here Chrift is not only defcribing the state of things, as it was at that day, and does not mention the comparative im of the number of them that are faved, as a confequence of the peculiar perverfeness of that people, and of that generation; but as a confequence of the general cirG cumftances.