Native Depravity - Total Sinfulness by Nature.

there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable: there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 23 All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.· 5: 12 As by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.

Gal. 3: 21 If there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. 22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. [See 576.]

164. Native depravity.

Job. 11: 12 Vain man would be wise, though man be born like a wild ass's colt. 14: 4 Who can bring a clean thing out

of an unclean? not one.. - 15: 14 What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?

Ps. 51: 5 Behold I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. - 58: 3 The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born,

speaking lies.

Pr. 22: 15 Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child. Is. 48: 8 I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb.

Jn. 3: 6 That which is born of the flesh, is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit, is spirit.

Rom. 3: 10 There is none righteous, no not one. 20 There'fore by the deeds of the law, there shall no flesh be justified in his sight. 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.-5: 12 Death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. 14 Death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression.

2 Cor. 5: 14 If one died for all, then were all dead.

Ep. 2: 3 And were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

165. Total sinfulness by nature.

Gen. 6: 5 GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Ps. 5: 9 There is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.

Strength of, or moral inability.

Pr. 21: 4 The ploughing of the wicked is sin.

Ec. 8: 11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.-9: 3 This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil.

2 Cor. 5: 14 If one died for all, then were all dead. Ep. 2: 1 You hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. 12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.

Col. 2: 13 You, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened.

[See 546, 589, 688-690.]

166. Strength and obstinacy of human depravity — Moral inability.

Gen. 37: 4 When his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.

Ex. 32: 9 The Lord said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. [Dt. 9: 6, 13.] Jos. 24: 19 Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the LORD: for he is an holy God.

Pr. 5: 22 His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.-27: 22 Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him.

Ec. 9: 3 This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

Is. 48: 4 I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass.

Jer. 2: 22 Though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord God. -3: 5 Behold, thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldest. 6: 10 Behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the LORD

Works of darkness.

is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it. 13: 23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil.-17:1 The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond: it is graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars. 9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Mat. 7: 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.-12: 34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh.—17: 17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you?-23:33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

Jn. 6: 44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him. 65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.

Rom. 8: 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. [See 689, 690, 740.]

167. Works of darkness described and denounced.

Job 24: 14 The murderer rising with the light killeth the poor and needy, and in the night is as a thief. 15 The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, No eye shall see me and disguiseth his face. 16 In the dark they dig through houses, which they had marked for themselves in the day-time: they know not the light. 17 For the morning is to them even as the shadow of death: if one know them, they are in the terrors of the shadow of death.

Pr. 7: 6 At the window of my house I looked through my casement, 7 And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding, 8 Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house, 9 In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night.

Is. 29: 15 Wo unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?

Ezk. 8: 12 Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark,

Restraints-Identity of sin-Human nature untrusty.

every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, The LORD seeth us not; the LORD hath forsaken the earth.

Ep. 5: 11 Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. 12 It is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.

168. Removing restraints develops depravity.

Ex. 8:15 When Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart.-32: 22 Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief. 23 For they said unto me, Make us gods which shall go before us for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.

Jud. 2: 7 The people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the LORD, that he did for Israel. 8 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died. 10 And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel. 11 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim.

Ec. 8: 11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

169. Human nature essentially the same in all ages

Pr. 27: 19 As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man.

Mat. 23: 31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. [See 163.]

170. IIuman nature untrusty — Cautions.

Ps. 146: 3 Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. 4 His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.

Pr. 25: 19 Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint.-28: 26 IIe that trusteth in his own heart is a fool.

Is. 2: 22 Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?

Jer. 17: 5 Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart

Despondency reproved-Duty of discretion.

departeth from the LORD. 6 For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.

Mic. 7: 5 Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a guide: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom.

DESPONDENCY.

171. Despondency exemplified and reproved.

Gen. 37: 34 Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days. 35 And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning.

Jos. 7: 6 Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the even-tide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads. 7 And Joshua said, Alas! O Lord GOD, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? 10 And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?

Ps. 42: 5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.

Pr. 12: 25 Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop. Jer. 18: 11 Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you: return ye now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good. 12 And they said, There is no hope: but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart.

Mat. 27: 5 He cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. [See 24, 700.]

DISCRETION

PRUDENCE-ECONOMY.

172. Duty and advantage of discretion, etc.

Pr. 2: 11 Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: 12 To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things.-3: 21 My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion: 22 So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck. 23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and