< cockle, and darnel. Our fruits be declared in the fifth chapter of Galatians. We have neither faith, Icharity, hope, patience, chastity, nor any thing else that good is, but of God: and therefore these 'virtues be called there," the fruits of the Spirit,” and not the fruits of man.'-' Hitherto we have heard, what we are of ourselves; very sinful, ' wretched, and damnable. Again, we have heard, how, that of ourselves, and by ourselves, we are "not able either to think a good thought, or work a good deed: so that we can find in ourselves no hope of salvation, but rather whatsoever maketh ' unto our destruction." Whereby,' (by Adam's disobedience,) it came to pass, that as before he was

blessed, so now he was accursed: as before he was 'beloved, so now he was abhorred: as before he was ' most beautiful and precious, so now he was most 'vile and wretched. Instead of the image of God,

he was now become the image of the devil: in'stead of the citizen of heaven, he was become the "bond-slave of hell; having in himself no one part

of his former purity and cleanness, but being alto'gether spotted and defiled. Insomuch that now ⚫he seemed to be nothing else but a lump of sin;

and therefore by the just judgment of God, was ⚫ condemned to everlasting death. This so great ' and miserable a plague, if it had only rested on Adam, who first offended, it had been so much the easier, and might the better have been born. But it fell not only on him, but also on his posterity

'First Part, Homily of the misery of man.

and children for ever; so that the whole brood of Adam's flesh should sustain the self-same fall and punishment, which their forefather by his offence most justly had deserved.-St. Paul, in the fifth 'chapter of Romans, saith, By the offence of only Adam, the fault came upon all men to condemnation; and by one man's disobedience many were 'made sinners. By which words we are taught, that ⚫ as in Adam all men universally sinned, so in Adam all men universally received the reward of sin; that is to say, became mortal and subject unto death, having in themselves nothing but everlasting damnation both of body and soul. They became (as David saith) "corrupt and abominable," "they "went all out of the way;"" there was none that "did good, no not one."- All men universally in 'Adam, were nothing else but a wicked and crooked generation, rotten and corrupt trees, stony ground, 'full of brambles and briars, lost sheep, prodigal. sons, naughty unprofitable servants, unrighteous stewards, workers of iniquity, the brood of adders, 'blind guides, sitting in darkness and the shadow of death to be short, nothing else but children of perdition, and inheritors of hell-fire." These quotations fully shew that the compilers of our homilies held the doctrine of man's total depravity, through the fall of Adam, as decidedly as any modern Calvinists do. And they thought this was not inconsistent with exhortations, and admonitions, and calls to repentance; in which we entirely agree with

1 Homily on the Nativity.

any,

them. The passage from the homilies, adduced by his Lordship as decisive against our tenets, is what few Calvinist ministers, in the establishment at least, if " would hesitate to adopt. It indeed proves, "that they do not represent our own care and exertions as fruitless, and unnecessary, or the Spirit of God, as acting irresistibly;' but whether irrespectively of our deservings, or previous good dispositions, is another question. It does not, however, prove, that any man, without special préventing grace, is truly willing to comply either with the exhortatio of the minister, or the holy motions of the Spirit.

2

P. Ixxiii. 1. 21. The real orthodox, &c.' Modern Calvinists in general, and almost all the evangelical clergy, reject all claims to private revelation, and with the most sedulous care, guard their hearers against every delusion of this kind. Forcible conversions we never think of, except as reminded of them" by our opponents: for, by special preventing grace to render a man truly willing to turn from sin to God, is not to force him. Instantaneous conversions we do not insist on: but that subject will hereafter be more fully considered: and we generally consider the operations of the Holy Spirit, as distinguishable

2

1 See Sermon on Election and final Perseverance, by the Author, The real orthodox divine maintains, in the sense just now explained, that every true Christian is inspired, enlightened, sanctified, and comforted, by the Spirit of God; but he rejects all claim to private revelation, all pretensions to instantaneous and forcible conversion, and to the sensible operation of the Spirit.'

from the actings of our own mind, only by their holy nature, tendency, and effects.

P. lxxiii. last line. 'He disclaims, &c.”1

EXPERIENCES.

No doubt there have been, and are, many persons who use the word experiences, in the sense here affixed to it, or at least approximating to it; both among Calvinists and Anti-calvinists: and, in several respects, the subject of experiences has been often stated in an unguarded and unscriptural manner. But a candid and careful investigation would convince any man, that a very large majority of the evan.. gelical clergy, nay, of the more calvinistical among them, are entirely exempt from the charge here brought against the whole body. They do not indeed exclude the word experience from their sermons. and writings but they do not mean by it, suggestions, or perceptions, known and felt to be communicated by the immediate inspiration of God.' They suppose, that divine truth, accompanied by the effectual teaching and influence of the Holy Spirit, so powerfully affects the hearts of all, who truly believe it; as to produce an entire and abiding change in their views and judgment, concerning God and themselves, time and eternity, holiness and sin; and especially concerning Christ and his salva

'He disclaims what, in the language of modern Calvinists, are called Experiences; that is, suggestions or perceptions, ⚫ known and felt to be communicated by the immediate inspiration of God.'

1

tion and that this change in the mind and judgment, produces an entire change, in the choice of the will, and the affections of the heart. This revolution, in the whole soul, from carnal to spiritual, gives rise to fears and hopes, love, hatred, desires, and aversions, sorrows and joys, anxieties and consolations, before unknown, as to the objects, nature, and effects of them. "The heart knoweth its own bitterness, and a stranger doth not intermeddle "with his joy." The same passions were indeed before excited by worldly objects, and often produced most mischievous effects: "The sorrow of the "world worketh death :" "but godly sorrow work"eth repentance unto salvation." They allow, at the same time, that there are spurious affections, in religious concerns, and consequently experiences, which decide nothing concerning the religious character of him who has them. Every thing, in religion must be assayed by the word of God; experiences, or inward feelings and affections, as well as opinions and actions. The word experience does not frequently occur in scripture; but the thing itself meets us every where. What has been spoken of Internal feelings," is applicable to this subject. The book of Psalms, especially, is replete with the Psalmist's experiences: his fluctuating fears and hopes; sorrows and joys, depressions and triumphs; his mournful complaints, and joyful thanksgivings; his choice, his longing desires, his conflicts, his victories, his thirstings after God, his rejoicing in

Prov. xiv. 10. 22 Cor. vii. 10. 3 See on 56, Refutation.