against that principle of unbelief, which operates so powerfully, so fatally, within us. Let us remember where our danger lies : it is not in giving too much weight to the declarations of God : but in softening them down, and accommodating them to our vain wishes or carnal apprehensions. Let then the fore-mentioned record abide upon our minds. Let us be per- suaded that he, whom God blesses, shall be blessed ; and he, whom God curses, shall be cursed. In other words, Let us rest assured, that life is to be found in Christ alone ; and that " he who hath the Son, hath life; and he who hath not the Son of God, hath not lifeV]
h 1 John v. 11, 12.
Rom. iii. 10 — 20. It is written, There is none righteous, no, not one : there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable ; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre ; with their tongues they have used deceit ; the poison of asps is under their lips : whose mouth is full of cursing and bitter- ness : their feet are swift to shed blood : destruction and misery are in their ways : and the way of peace have they not known : there is no fear of God before their eyes. Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law : that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the lata there shall nojlesh be jus- tified in his sight.
THE Scriptures are the only and infallible source of divine knowledge. To them the Apostles con- tinually refer in support of their doctrines. No subject is capable of more ample proof from them than that before us. St. Paul is shewing that all mankind are guilty and depraved. In confirmation of this he cites many passages from the Old Testa- menta. From these, as stated and improved in the text, we are led to consider,
I. The representation which the Scripture gives of our state —
a See Ps. xiv. 1—3. Prov. i. 1G, 18. Isai. lix. 7, 8.