my own enmity, or my father's, against the sove reign and his subjects have any influence to exculpate or diminish the charge of guilt, which doubtless ought to be allowed in my favour, I hope, according to the law of equity, my punishment, (if any be justly inflicted) will be very small." If it would be an affront to common sense, and contrary to every rule of equity amongst men to plead an exemption from punishment, on account of the delinquent's vile disposition, or that of his ancestors, how awful then is the deception of those who apprehend they cannot be treated by God as criminals, because of moral inability, or the badness of their hearts.

Besides, if the vileness of men's hearts, or their abominable dispositions, free them from blame, or secure them from punishment, they cannot account them to be bad hearts, seeing their present peace and future hope depend upon them. They are not it seems injurious hearts, but extremely beneficial, providing they be but sufficiently vile. Such persons would not know how to go on in religion as they do. They could not sin without sorrow, hope without holiness, believe without evidence, and rejoice in a thing of nought; but through the help of a bad heart. They do not think them deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, and that for the badness of them they are accountable to God. They consider their

base hearts, and vile dispositions, as their best friends, which justify and sanctify their omissions of duty, and commission of sins, as trifling. The gospel libertine, yea, the whole tribe of indolent, light, and trifling professors, seem to consider and use what they call their bad heart, as a dark room, or concealed warehouse, where they hope to hide their crimes, which as fast as committed, are removed thither in expectation of never being found, or exposed to view, being secured by the lock of strong delusion, under the care of carnal confi dence, who carries the key of presumption, and is lord of all the lumber.

forgotten; he hideth his

Thou wilt not require
These things hast thou

But how very different are the declarations of God, who says, The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination, HOW MUCH MORE, when he bringeth it with a WICKED MIND; Prov. xxi. 27. He hath said in his heart, God hath face, he will never see it. it. See Psalm x. 11-15. done, and I kept silent; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thyself, but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes; Psalm lvii. 21. Yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart, while they live, and after they go to the dead. But know thou that for all these things, God will bring thee into judgment; Eccl. ix. 3, chap. xi. 9.

To conclude,

It is hoped the above remarks may, through a divine blessing, help entangled Christians, respecting the following important particulars:

1. To behold and admire the equity and justice of Jehovah's government, in requiring nothing above the capacity or natural ability of his creatures; and yet continuing the equitable demand of perfect obedience, and not altering his law in the least, to suit the base dispositions of his rebellious subjects, which would have destroyed every idea of authority, and sunk the reputation of God.

2. The necessity of the almighty operations of the Holy Spirit in changing the bias and dispositions of men by regenerating, or creating them anew in Christ Jesus, and working in them to will, and to do, of his own good pleasure. For till the sinner's disposition be changed, till he be born again, and become a new creature, he can have no true love to God, no spiritual delight in his law, no approving views of Christ and his glorious gospel. And yet the change produced does not destroy the natural freedom of the human will; but he acts differently from choice, to what he did before.

3. By the distinction between natural and moral ability, sovereign grace is not only defensible against every artful attack, but it appears

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infinitely great and absolutely free. In every respect it is truly wonderful, because those who are saved were not only miserable, but inexcuseably criminal, and as such under the sentence of eternal death, from which there could not have been the least hope of deliverance had not grace provided relief. If the several parts of the great salvation be surveyed, even from its rise to its final consummation, it will appear entirely of pure grace, infinite, unmerited compassion, and astonishing mercy, which could not be the case if moral death was not a blameable state. Those who want to see the subject of grace, treated in a masterly manner, and set in a clear convincing light, I would recommend to their perusal a book, entitled The Reign of Grace, by Mr. A. Booth, London.

4. Thereby scriptural exhortations to repentance and faith, appear quite consistent, which could never be defended if criminality arose from natural, and not moral inability. For in that case, it would be equally ridiculous to call sinners to repentance, as to exhort a blind man to repent of his continuing so long in darkness, and never beholding the surrounding beauties of creation. And no less absurd than to attempt to convince the dead of the crime of indolence, for lying so long in the grave, when their help is so much needed both for work and war. While sin is

viewed as consisting in a natural defect, or a deficiency in the natural powers, penitency can never appear reasonable and right. For a man to pretend to repent, when at the same time he considers his fault to lie in a natural defect, which he cannot possibly help, if he would, is like a deaf man considering himself as exceeding criminal because he did not hear to-day, but is resolved he will not be guilty of the like sin to-morrow. It indeed seems to suppose, or require, a very great defect in a man's understanding, to be able to conclude, that such a repentance is what the scripture recommends, and the godly possess. But genuine repentance or sorrow for sin, appears from the consideration of voluntary depravity, rational, and every way fitting, because duty is not at all proportioned to our moral inability, or less binding, because of our disinclination to good.

5. The doctrine of natural and moral ability, is calculated to afford and administer much encouragement to seeking souls, and to comfort those who are really devoted to Christ; for as none can come unto him but such whom the Father draws; therefore spiritual desires after Jesus, and delight in religion, are evidences of a gracious change, holy dispositions, or a new heart.

You whose gifts are small, and natural powers