GOSPET, - The Gospel Magazine

524 THN GOSPEL MAGAZIND,
beaven'ponthe children of_men, to see if there rvere any thar, riirr understand
anrf.seek.(iod.
^Tlrev are ail qone aside, none that rlr-,eih goofl, zo rtot rne.,,
fsalrn xiv. "o*tof theheartproceedevir trro'ghts,,,,orci6rs,adrrt"ries.fnrnications,
thefts, false witness, [iasphern ie.,', l\t ati x". i t-
-"' -'
Objectiou.-Lll men are nor eqrrilly borl.
,4nsner.-See Psaln xiv., ,ooe d,oe\h good,, no tlot one, anrl if we turn to the
ppistle.to the. Rornaus, first, second, arri thirtl chapiers, wc mav see that the
Ilo,ly uhost' therein sums upthe charge against rilr uiarrkirrrl, rvithout -.;;;;;i."."ri,t{ exceptiorr,
ic in tanguage-thar cannot be
lll_.llll:.:
misratien-.r,rp. i. ei,
themselves to.be rvise, they b_ecanre fools, and crrangerl trri glory of tire rrncorrup'r)te
Gorl tnto an image, Iihe.unto corrriptilrle man, &c., vei. !S_and cven
as they did nor lilte to retairr GoC in rlreir knou.ledge, Gorl suuc';,;,"-;; ;;"*
reprobate rnlnd, to do tlrose things.wlrich are rrot convenrerri, t,einq fr["[ *itr,
all unrighteousne-ss, for.nication, ivickerrness, .ou"tourn.rrf,-iriti.i""1*..,'l"ir'"r
envy., murder, dehate, deceLt, uraliqnity, rv.hisperers, backbiteis, lrai;;; ;i-d;,;,
riespiteful, proud hoasrers, inventors of evit trrinqs, iliroberlierrt io o^r""i*,riiirout
understanrling, rrrrsociable, implacable, unmeiciful,,' Ro,n. i.'-H;.;;' il;,,
1::l"l .,ujulo,qoe, and in rlre 2nri chapter, the Apostle exrenrls tlre account,
verses lU-IU, whrclt he gums rrp in these \vur(ls, .. tltere is no see
fear of God
befbre their eves.,,
But
_
are yori and I-inclurieil in this account ? aes,if we are still ih our natural
state' and under the larv of sinai, or ten com,nindinents, as it i, ,,"titt*n, oet, ic,
" now rve knorv tliar what things soerer the raw saith, ir'saith to ti*.-ir,ri'"runder
tlrc law,.that-et:erg m.outi malt be siopped, nnd ill tlre ,*orfO*uv-U..oinl
gulrty,uetore God,', (lll.arqin,... subject to the judgment of God.,,;
., yv^lrn sucn il.oes.crrptro_n ot human nature before us, a picture pourtraVed bv
rne nnger ot God hirnsert, rvho searcheth the hearts, whar can we think of i
p'esthood connected with.rhe.confessionar, the state of the priests, and of those
rvho.appoinr them ? Bearinq in nrinrl at tlie sarne tinre that the Eioman prie.thood
are shut out from the boly ries of marriage, arrd tlre ;;;-
nected rvith it. Behold this cainal man seated'in rris confessional "tr";;i";;r;ri;k! ;ir;i;lrL;;;
very wisdom is " earthly, sensrral, devilish," James iii.l5. And ,uv l. ,u"ti in oilu
btrneflratol'rletweena-peniteutsinnerandhisGod? canthenrodesifemalebealone
rvlth such a rnan, conf'ess to hirn Ler secrel thoughts, hear his satanic insinuations,
a,nswer his plobing qrrestions, eucounter his luirful eye, *itt purl*ii;;;ii
r'tle poor.slnner, who lras been ternpred from the patti of virtue, ""i eionfess to srrch
an one all her proceedings, anrl mirrutelv speak .f things she ;s'noruart a,ned oi.
wltnout rnlgly tg lroth par.ties? But we forbear, arrd surely *ve have saici
eno.glr. what father-who hcrieves trre Bilrre anci knou's thi prague of his
orvn heart,-will suffer his dauglrter to go ro a confessional! wiirt'i,"iri*j'*iii
trust his rvife there ! rvhat brotlrer his sister I rvhat guar.dian his rvarrl r
\\re
.,
are. enjoin^ed to be fulror'ers of those wrro bi faith arrrr patience i'herit
tne promrses; it trrose rvho rvere under the larv, antl had notas vet received rhe
prornises, had the pririlege of drarving near unlo G,,tt hirnseif, J,;-h;ih-;;;:
mrseo to meel, tbem on the.mercv.seat, surely under the Gospel 1.j wlrerein'we
all rvith op"n face beholtling ihe slnr.v oi the Lor.l u.*'.hunqed liit, -;;;";;_ thJ
sarne image f.orrr glory to gloiv,. as by tbl Spirit of rt,e Lord;'j ive;
age(ro " corne lroltllv (or.onfidently) unto the rbrone of qrace, that lve mav
olltalt|*rnerc.y anrl linrl grace to help in tirne of neer]. Heb. iv.
ln Psalrn lxii. David saitlr, .,Truly. my sorrl waitetlr upon God, frorn him
pttf*+ rny salvariorr, he o,,Ig is ny roch, &c. My soul ! riair rhou'ontv ooon
yno., l,rf my expectation is frorrr lrim, he onQl i,s ,,g roch nnd, mu talaatior. tiurt
ri) nrill fltr gll !1mes,
ye p_eol)lc, pour out your heart before him_God is a iefuee
rrrr 1s.,5.,on.". " Snrely rnen of /oro degree ilre otnity, men ,tf hi.gh ,{egree'a
ue' ro tre larr rn the halance, tlrey are altogether liqhter than va-nity.,,- see
Psalm xxxii. wherein Da.vid-sayi,- ,. I ackiowledd,t ;;y-;i;-r;;;"'ri,..,;;
nrine.iniqr,iry have I not hid, I sairi, i wir,r confew,rg ilansgiession unto the Lord.
artd tlr.rt f.l'gav.est the iniq-uitv of my sin, fo'r tlris'shall on. itiut-i;;;;i;
prav unlo [hee ln a trmc rvhen thou nravest he found.', "'uurV 'fhesc are rvords oi en_
{:ouragement forus, rvhich arc c,rn6rmed in the Gospel_..If rve eonfess ;; rl;r,