Jesus (p)." Faith in Christ joined with repentance and a sincere endeavour to obey his commands, will through the merits of his death, avert the punishment due to our sins, and procure us admission into the kingdom of heaven.

YET THE APOSTLE DOTH CONFESS THAT CONCUPISCENCE AND LUST HATH OF ITSELF

THE NATURE OF SIN. The passage here alluded to is generally understood to be the following: "What shall we say then? is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin but by the law; for I had not known lust except the law had said, thou shalt not covet (q)."" It is observable here," says Dr. Nicholls," that the compilers of our Articles do not say, that concupiscence had only then the nature of sin when it is ripened into outward act, or has the will consenting to it, but that it has the nature of sin of itself, antecedently to the compliance of the will, and before it is reduced into act. And moreover it is observable, that they do not say that concupiscence is a sin properly so called, as when men voluntarily comply with a temptation, or do any unlawful action; but only that it hath the nature of sin.-Now a thing may have the nature of sin, or be deemed a sin in a large and figurative sense, to which no act of the will

is

(p) Rom. c. 8. v. 1.

(q) Rom. c. 7. v. 7.

is consenting.

Now the nature of sin doth

partly consist in a deflexion from the rectitude of the divine rule, which must make it for that reason disagreeable to the divine wisdom and goodness, and consequently render the persons who are the subject of this deflexion or depravation, out of favour with God. For no one can say that the lust and passions of our animal nature, and those tendencies to vice which we all of us feel within ourselves, are as pleasing to God as if all our appetites were perfectly calm and quiet, and were continually in that exact obedience, and conformity to our reason, and the rules which God has prescribed, as they would have been, if man had continued in his unlapsed state. And this doctrine was maintained by Augustine himself in the midst of his most vigorous opposition to the Pelagian tenets; for he does not look upon it as a sin, properly so called, unless the consent of the will go along with it; for explaining those words of St. James, every one is tempted when he is drawn aside by his own lusts,' he speaks thus; The mother is concupiscence, the child sin; but concupiscence does not bring forth, unless it conceive; and it does not conceive, unless it draw aside, that is, has gained the consent of the will to an evil action' (r).”

(r) Cont. Jul. lib. 6. cap. 3.

ARTICLE THE TENTH.

Of Free-will.

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, WITHOUT 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.

EVERY one must be conscious that he possesses Free-will, and that he is a free-agent, that is, that he is capable of considering and reflecting upon the objects which are presented to his mind, and of acting, in such cases as are possible, according to the determination of his will. And indeed, without this free-agency, actions cannot be morally good or bad; nor can the agents be responsible for their conduct. But the corruption introduced into our nature by the fall of Adam has so weakened our mental powers, has given such force to our passions, and such perverseness to our wills, that a man

CANNOT TURN AND PREPARE HIMSELF BY HIS

OWN

OWN NATURAL STRENGTH AND GOOD WORKS TO FAITH AND CALLING UPON GOD.

The most pious of those who lived under the Mosaic dispensation, often acknowledge the necessity of extraordinary assistance from God: David prays to God" to open his eyes, to guide and direct him (a);" "to create in him a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within him (b)." And Solomon says, that "God directeth men's paths, and giveth grace to the lowly (c)." Even we, whose minds are enlightened by the pure precepts of the Gospel, and influenced by the motives which it suggests, must still be convinced of our weakness and depravity, and confess that WE HAVE NO POWER TO DO GOOD WORKS PLEASANT AND ACCEPTABLE TO GOD, WITHOUT THE GRACE OF GOD PREVENTING US, THAT WE MAY HAVE A GOOD-WILL, AND WORKING WITH US WHEN WE HAVE

THAT GOOD-WILL. The necessity of divine grace to strengthen and regulate our wills, and to cooperate with our endeavours after righteousness, is clearly asserted in the New Testament: They that are in the flesh cannot please God (d)."-" Abide in me," says our Saviour, " and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit

(a) Psalm 119. v. 18, 33 & 35.

(b) Psalm 51. v. 10.

(c) Prov. c. 3. v. 6.

(d) Rom. c. 8. v. 8.

of

of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, and ye are the branches; he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing (e)."—" No man can come to me, except the Father, which hath sent me, draw him (ƒ)."-No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost (g)."—" It is God that worketh in you, both to will and to do of his good pleasure (h)."

"Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God (i)."—" We do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit helpeth our infirmities (k)."-We are said to be "led by the Spirit (1)," and "to walk in the Spirit (m)."-These texts sufficiently prove that we stand in need both of a preventing and of a co-operating grace; or, in the words of the Article, that WE HAVE NO POWER TO DO GOOD WORKS PLEASANT AND ACCEPTABLE TO GOD, WITHOUT THE GRACE OF GOD BY CHRIST PREVENTING US, THAT WE MAY HAVE A GOODWILL, AND WORKING WITH US WHEN WE HAVE THAT GOOD-WILL.