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and careleffnefs in many. Let us therefore confider this cafe with a little attention.

The abovementioned writers, &c. take for granted what is by no means certain, that the penitent thief's knowledge of Chrift, and repentance of his own fins, commenced only at the time of his crucifixion along with Jefus. But is it not poffible, that the crime for which he suffered might have been committed a long time before, though he had been apprehended for it only very lately; when, whatever change might in the mean time have been wrought in his character and converfation, the law must take its courfe, and he must fuffer the punishment due to his mifdeeds, though he had repented of them very fincerely, and become a new man? The evangelift has faid nothing that precludes this fuppofition, and therefore we are at liberty to make it, especially if it will contribute to render the circumftances of the narrative more confiftent and accountable. Let us fee then what thofe cir

cumftances are.

Firft, obferve that this penitent, in the reproof which he gave to his fellow-criminal, makes a candid and ingenuous confeffion of his crimes, and the juftice of his punishment, and that grounded upon a just and proper principle, the fear of God. Doft not thou fear God, feeing that thou also art in the fame condemnation. And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds. This feems.

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much more like the language of one who had long reflected upon, been seriously affected with, and formed mature conclufions from the fad fubject than of one who was but juft now ftruck with a conviction of his fins, and a fenfe of his miferable ftate.

Secondly, obferve alfo the clear and confident declaration which he makes concerning Jefus. This man hath done nothing amifs. Can we suppose this declaration made by a man who had not known any thing of the perfon to whom he bears this teftimony before this unhappy occafion? Doth it not seem rather the atteftation of one who had had confiderable knowledge of the rectitude of his character and the unblameablenefs of his conduct?

There are, I readily acknowledge, many difficulties attending the hiftory of the penitent thief, which I have no occafion to confider in this place, it being fufficient for my prefent. purpose to fhew that the doctrine of the probability of repentance at the article of death proving acceptable will no longer have countenance from it.

John. vi. 44. 65. No man can come to me except it were given him of my Father. Every man therefore that hath heard, and learned of the Father cometh unto me. No man can come to me, except the Father who hath fent me draw him. Now how is it that God is elsewhere faid to draw men, but by the force of motives and inftructions, which fuppofe that

men.

men have a power of attending to them and improving by them. It is alfo to be obferved that, in the whole of the difcourfe, in which the words quoted above are introduced, Jefus is blaming the jews for their infidelity; and it would be very extraordinary indeed, if for this purpose he should make use of an argument, which would intirely exculpate them, intimating that it was not in their power to do otherwise.

Our Lord fufficiently gives us to understand in what fenfe he uses the word drawing in the paffage. quoted above. He explains himself v. 45. It is written in the prophets, (Ifaiah liv. 13.) And they fhall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath beard and learned of the father cometh unto me. This was the way in which God the Father drew fome of the jews to Chrift at that time; viz. fuch of them as, influenced by reverence, love and duty to him, heard attentively, and learned the truths which he had already taught them by Mofes and the prophets; but they who were of a different spirit and conduct, with refpect to the divine truths already revealed, could not come to Chrift, who conftantly referred them to the teftimonies of Mofes and the prophets in proof of his divine miffion. To them it was not given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, Matt. xiii. 11. Agreeably hereto he fays on another occafion, If any man will do his will, he fhall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or

whether

whether I speak of myself, John vii. 17. And he thus remonftrates against the unbelieving jews, chap. v. 39. &c. Search the fcriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which teftify of me.-But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you-How can ye believe, who receive honour one of another, and feek not the honour that cometh from God only. This appears

plainly to be the language of one who confidered the cause of the unbelief of thefe jews as arifing, not from natural inability, or the with-holding of. the grace of God, but from contracted evil principles and habits, to which they determinedly adhered; as he speaks v. 40. Ye will not come unto me that ye might have life.

II. OF ORIGINAL SIN.

THAT mankind are confiderable fufferers in confequence of the fall of Adam, is not denied; but all the evils which Mofes fpecifies as affecting his pofterity on that account, are of a corporeal and temporal nature, viz. labour, ferrow, and death. It is poffible, indeed, that the body being more. fubject to disease, the mind may be more feeble, and therefore more prone to comply with fome temptations; but then it should alfo be confidered, that a fickly conftitution is favourable to many virtues, and we fee that a ftate of confirmed health is often highly dangerous in a moral refpect; fo that

upon

upon the whole it is probable that our condition is more favourable to virtue than that of Adam. That the facred writers did not confider it as, upon the whole, worse than his, is evident from their never giving the leaft hint, that any allowance will be made to men for that natural difadvantage. Nay many of the finful pofterity of Adam are blamed more feverely than he was for his fin: and if we confider his fituation and the circumftances of his fall, we cannot suppose that he had greater ftrength of mind to refift temptation that we are now poffeffed of. Since, however, fome particular texts are alledged, to prove that the nature of man is totally depraved by the fall, infomuch that all mankind, without exception, are now altogether incapable of any good thought, word, or action; and, moreover, that we are all fubject to the everlasting wrath of God on account of the fin of Adam, I fhall give a brief explication of the principal of those

texts.

Gen. vi. 5. And God faw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth; and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. If we understand this passage literally, it will be contradicted by the character which is im· mediately afterwards given of Noah, of whom it is said, ver. 9, that he was a juft man, and perfect in his generation, and that he walked with God. But it is plain that this wickednefs of mankind was not ow

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