Christ; ye were as sheep going astray." David in his confession declares that the propensities of his fallen nature resembled those of the silly tenants of the fold; I have gone astray, like a sheep that is lost: seek thy servant.'f Isaiah in the name of the whole church of Christ says, all we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way.'‡ On this resemblance between sinners and sheep, our Lord builds His most beautiful parable.§ Had we not wandered into the wilderness, there had been no necessity for the good Shepherd to follow us. Could we have found our way back, He need not have come to shew it to us. we been able, on a discovery made to us of our sin and danger, to return by our own strength, He need not have laid us on His shoulders, and have encumbered himself with a weight, which nothing but Almighty power could have supported. May not every individual take up the humiliating language of our church with a personal

Had

* 1 Epist. ii. 25 + Ps. cxix. 176. Chap. liii. 6. Math. xviii. 12. § Luke xv. 3.

The Xth Article of our church may be considered as a striking comment on this beautiful and instructive parable. The "condition of man after the fall of Adam is such, that he cannot turn and prepare himself by his own natural strength and good ' works to faith and calling upon God; wherefore we have no 'power to do good works pleasant and acceptable to God, with' out the grace of God by Christ preventing us, that we may have 'a good will; and working with us, when we have that good will.'

application to himself, and say, I have erred and strayed from Thy ways, like a lost sheep?”* When God had created Adam, He placed him in Paradise, and fed him in green pastures, through which the waters of holy delight flowed in rich abundance. But where are we now? Is not our present state pathetically described by that of Israel in the desert, a great and terrible wilder'ness, wherein are fiery serpents, and scorpions,

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and drought; where there is no water ?'* Alas, what strange event has brought us into the awful situation, in which we find ourselves? The scripture informs us that our first parent, who was constituted by his Creator the federal head and representative of all his posterity, transgressed the gracious law, which was given him as the condition of life; and thereby involved himself and all his children, to the latest generations, in guilt, misery, and ruin. Will any, in concurrence with Pelagius and his followers, object to the justice and equity of this proceeding? Sufficient for them is the answer of the Apostle; • Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest ⚫ against God? If it be the appointment of a righteous God that Adam should represent all mankind, and that they should stand or fall in him, His will proves it just; for His will is the result of the most perfect equity. The only question to be resolved is, whether this matter be re

* Deut. viii. 15.

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vealed in Scripture? For if it be, all controversy is at an end with respect to those, who receive the Bible as a revelation from God. Let the reader consult the fifth chapter of St. Paul's epistle to the Romans, and try to explain it on any other hypothesis. A few passages from that chapter it may not be improper to introduce here. (ver. 12.) By one man sin entered into the • world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.' (ver. 14.) Death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them, who had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of Him that was to come.' (ver. 15.) Through the offence of one many are dead.' (ver. 16.) The judgment was by one to condemnation.” (ver. 17.) By one man's offence Death reigned by one.' (ver. 19.) By one man's disobedience many were made sinners.' The parallel throughout the chapter, between Adam and our Lord Jesus Christ, shews that we were made sinners through our connexion with, and relation to the first Adam, after the same manner in which any of us are made righteous through our connection with the second; and that is by imputation. Therefore in another epistle the Apostle speaks of all men, as being by nature the chil

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+ Marg-Reading. sp. in whom.

* Κατεςέθησαν αμαρτωλοι uere constituted sinners, (viz ) by the Divine appointment.

dren of wrath." This is clearly the doctrine of the church of England, as appears by her baptismal service, where she instructs us to pray that the child brought to be baptized may be delivered from the wrath of God. She believes that all mankind are liable to that wrath, so soon as they are born into the world; before actual sin can have been committed. But this cannot be, unless there be some preceding act of sin, which has rendered them guilty. No reasonable account can be given of the propagation of corruption (considered as a punishment) without presupposing the imputation of the original offence as its meritorious cause. The second homily on the misery of man speaks decidedly on this subject In ourselves (as of ourselves) we find nothing, whereby we may be delivered

§ Eph. ii. 3.

See the first prayer in the public baptism of infants. The advocates of the doctrine of original sin, and of those doctrines which are inseparably connected with it, have been rendered odious by their adversaries through wilful misrepresentation of their creed. They have been charged with asserting the damnation of infants. The author of these essays is glad of this opportunity of avowing his belief that all infants, dying before the commission of actual sin, will be saved. But this belief he builds not on any supposed innocence, which such children may be imagined to possess, intitling them to the favour of God; but on the redemption effected by the blood of Christ. 'Infants being baptized, and dying in their infancy, are by this sacrifice (of Christ) washed from their sins, 'brought to God's favour, and made His children, and inheritors of His Kingdom of Heaven.' See the first part of the homily of Salvation.---See also the rubric after the form of Baptism.

from this miserable captivity (of sin,) into the which we are cast through the envy of the devil, by breaking of God's commandment in our first 'parent Adam.' The homily on the Nativity speaks the same language: As in Adam all men sinned universally, so in Adam all men universally received the reward of sin.' And again, Oh, what a miserable and woeful state was this, that the sin of one man should destoy and condemn all men! All this is exactly in unison with the ninth article, the title of which is very remarkable; of original or birth-sin.' To be born a descendant of Adam, and to be a sinner, are things inseparable. Whatever opposition may be made to this humiliating doctrine, either by professed infidels or impious gainsayers, none can arise from those persons, who have honestly subscribed to the truth of the 39 articles of our church, therein declaring that both the books of Homilies contain a Godly and whole'some doctrine.'*

* An appeal to the 39 articles has unhappily the less weight in the modern times, because an ingenious device has been fabricated, to elude the force of conviction from that quarter. According to the title prefixed to them by the convocation of 1562, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth,' They were agreed upon for the 6 avoiding of diversities of opinions, and for the establishing con་ sent touching true religion.' And afterwards in the declaration, which was set forth by King James the First, 'order was given, 'that no man thereafter should put his own sense or comment to be the meaning of the article, but should take it in the literal