wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved; in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins." Of course the children of God are the objects of His tenderest love: "Whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. If ye endure chastening God dealeth with you as with sons." The children of God are entitled to all the promises: "The children of the flesh, these are not the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted for the seed." "Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of the promise." "To Abraham and his Seed were the promises made.-Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus :-and if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." Finally, the children of God will inherit eternal glory, and will bear this name when all visible churches are no more: "If children then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ.” "If a son, then an heir of God through Christ." "In the resurrection-they are equal unto the angels, and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection." "The creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God." Indeed as Christians will then enter into the full possession of their inheritance, this event, which is regarded as the consummation of their sonship, is called by way of eminence their adoption: "We

ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body."*

Such is the account given us of the children of God; and a similar description is given of

The seed of Christ. This appellation distinguishes a class of men promised to Christ as the fruit of "the travail of His soul," and called "the holy seed," "a seed" that "serve Him," "the seed which the Lord hath blessed," an "elect" seed, born to possess the inheritance, a seed which shall be established forever, and though chastened, never forsaken on account of their sins. Being the seed of Him in whom centred all the promises made to Abraham, they inherit a sure title to all covenant blessings: "It is of faith that it might be by grace, to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed." "They are not all Israel which are of Israel; [NOT ALL SEED WHO BELONG TO THE VISIBLE CHURCH;]that is, they which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted for the seed."+

After the Scriptures have spoken in this sort is it not worse than trifling to say that new creature, begotten of God, new-born, children of God, seed of Christ, express nothing more than a relation to the

* Mat. v. 9, 44, 45. and xiii. 38. Luke vi. 35, 36. and xx. 33, 36. John i. 12. Rom. viii. 14-17, 21, 23. and ix. 8. Gal. iii. 7-29. and iv. 5, 7, 28. Eph. i. 4-7. and v. 1. Heb. xii. 6, 7. iii. 9, 10.

1 Pet. i. 14, 15. 1 John

† Ps. xxii. 30. and lxxxix. 4, 29-37. Isai. vi. 13. and liii. 10, 11 and lxv. 9. Rom. iv. 16. and ix. 6, 8. Gal. iii. 16, 29.

visible Church? That these terms, like all others descriptive of a holy character, are applied to visible churches, is not denied; but it is on the presumption that they are what they profess. Is it not the strangest fancy that ever was conceived, that because such terms are applied to visible churches, they express no more than an outward character and condition? Because you call members of the visible Church Christians, is it to be inferred that men are real Christians without a good heart?

Thus it appears that the new creation or new birth implies real holiness of heart, or spiritual life. If then the terms have any significancy, they import the beginning of that life. If so, there was no holiness before.

Argument III. The Scriptures in a variety of forms plainly assert the doctrine of Total Depravity.

(1.) The manner in which they speak of man, the sons of men, the world, &c. is as if these terms stood for nothing but sinners,—as if nothing but sin was inherent in the human nature. "The way of man is froward and strange. 99 "How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniqui"Do ye judge uprightly, O ye

ty like water."

sons of men? yea, in heart you work wickedness; you weigh the violence of your hands in the earth." "My soul is among lions, and I lie even among them that are set on fire, EVEN THE SONS OF men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword." A direct opposition is every

where set up between God and man, God and the world, Christ and the world: "Get thee behind me, Satan; for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of man." "We have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God." "We know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness." "I have given them thy word, and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." "If the world hate you ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." Accordingly the epithets worldly and earthly are used to express qualities altogether wicked: "Ungodliness and worldly lusts." "This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, natural, devilish."*

(2.) The promises of the Gospel are made to the least degree of holiness, and the threatenings of death are denounced against nothing but an utter want of holiness.

Such is the tenour of the promises. "Whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones, a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you he shall in no wise lose his reward." "All things work together for good to

Job xv. 16. Ps. lvii. 4. and lviii. 1, 2. Prov. xxi. 8. Mark viii. 33. John xv. 18, 19. and xvii. 14, 16. 1 Cor. ii. 12. Tit. ii. 12. James iii. 15. 1 John v. 19.

them that love God,"-in the least degree. "He that loveth me [at all,] shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him." "Repent and be baptised every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and [however feeble your repentance,] ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." "He that believeth, [however faintly,] shall be saved."

Such also is the tenour of the threatenings. "Follow-holiness, without which, [without some degree of which,] no man shall see the Lord." "If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ [at all,] let him be anathema maranatha." "Except ye repent, [in some degree,] ye shall all likewise perish." "He that believeth not [at all,] shall be damned."*

None therefore but those who are freed from the threatenings of death, and have a title to the promises of life, possess a particle of holiness.

Before I proceed further, allow me to remind you of one fact with which you cannot be unacquainted. The Scriptures divide mankind into two classes; the good and the bad, the righteous and the wicked, natural men and spiritual men, believers and unbelievers, those who are in Christ and those who are out, the justified and the condemned, the heirs of heaven and the heirs of hell. There is not a third class. With this fact before us I remark,

* Mat. x. 42. Mark xvi. 16. Luke xiii. 3. John xiv. 21. Acts ii. 38. Rom. viii. 28. 1 Cor. xvi. 22. Heb. xii. 14.