CCCLXXIII. THE EXTENT OF MAN'S DEPRAVITY. 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 bitterness. 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 law there shall no flesh be jus tified in his sight. THE scriptures are the only, and infallible source of divine knowledge To them the apostles continually 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 Testament From these, as stated and improved in the text, we are led to consider I. The representation which the scripture gives of our state The testimonies here adduced, declare, that the most lamentable depravity pervades 1. All ranks and orders of men "There is none righteous, no not one' [Righteousness is a conformity of heart and life to the law of God a See Ps. xiv. 1—3. Prov. i. 16, 18. Isaiah lix. 7, 8. The apostle has so arranged his quotations as to form a beautiful climax, every subsequent passage affirming more than that which precedes it. Where is the man on earth that possesses it by nature?— Where is the man whose deviations from this standard have not been innumerable?—] "There is none that understandeth" [The natural man has no discernment of spiritual thingsHis practical judgment is in favour of sin and the world-] "There is none that sceketh after God" [The things of time and sense are diligently pursuedBut whoever cultivates divine knowledge, or seriously enquires after God?] "All are gone out of the way" [Men universally prefer the way of self-righteousness to that of faith in Christ And that of sin and self-indulgence to holiness and selfdenial No one that sees them would imagine, that they really intended to tread in the steps of Christ and his apostles-] "They are together become unprofitable" [God has formed us for his own glory, and each others good But unregenerate men never attempt to answer these ends of their creatione Hence they are justly compared to things worthless and vile] "There is none that doeth good, no not one" [Nothing is really good, which is not so in its principle, rule, and end But where is the action of any natural man that will stand this test?-] 2. All the faculties and powers of men [Nothing is more offensive than an open sepulchre; or more venomous than an asp Yet both the one and the other fitly represent the effusions of a carnal heart "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth will speak❞— 1 Cor. ii. 14. d Job xxxv. 10. They may do good to the bodies of men; but never shew any real solicitude about their souls. Indeed, how should they, when they care not for their own souls? Luke xiv 34, 35. and John xv. 6. The fear and love of God are the principle, the scriptures the rule, and God's glory the end of Christian obedience, 1 Cor. x. 31. Matt. xxiii. 27. Deceit, calumny, invective, yea, in many instances, the most horrible oaths and execrations will proceed from it'— Hence that awful description of the human tongue*— From words we are ready also to proceed to actions, yea, even the most cruel and atrocious Who that sees with what readiness nations engage in war, will question the declaration in the text? Hazael revolted at the idea of murder, when warned of his propensity to commit it; yet notwithstanding his present feelings, how "swift were his feet to shed blood!""____ How many at this day are impelled by shame even to destroy their own offspring!- How frequently do men engage in duels on account of the slightest injury or insult! And in how many instances might we ourselves, when irritated and inflamed, have committed murder in an unguarded moment, exactly as others have done, who in a cooler moment would have shuddered at the thought! The instance of David, who, though "a man after God's own heart," murdered Uriah, and many others with him, to conceal his shame, is sufficient of itself to shew us, what the best of men might commit, if left to themselvesTM Well we may apply to this subject that humiliating language of the prophet' Thus, God himself being witness, instead of walking in "paths of peace" and safety, we all by nature prefer the "ways which bring destruction and misery" both on ourselves and all around us°— The whole of our state is properly summed up in this, that "there is no fear of God before our eyes; so entirely are our understandings blinded, and our hearts alienated from him, by means of our innate depravityP—] This humiliating view of our state should lead us to consider II. The inferences to be deduced from it Those which the apostle suggests in the text will suffice for our attention at this time No less than four expressions, and those exceeding strong, are used to declare the evils of the tongue. k James iii. 6. 12 Kings viii. 12, 13. with ib. ver. 15. and xiii. 7. m 2 Sam. xi. 14-17. n Isaiah i. 5, 6.. Ps xxxvi. 1. P Ver. 16. and 17. relate primarily to the evil which men do to others, though they inay include what they do to themselves. See Isaiah lix. 7, 8. 1. We are all "guilty before God" [It seems inconceivable to many, that they should really be obnoxious to everlasting misery in hell And they will plead their own cause with zeal and elo quence If they concede it with respect to some more heinous transgressors, they will deny it in reference to themselves But God has taken care that "every mouth should be stopped" It is not possible to express the universality of men's wickedness more strongly than it is expressed in the words. before us1-- All then must "become guilty before God," and acknowledge their desert of his wrath and indignation They must feel their desert of condemnation, as much as aman that has been condemned for parricide feels the justice of the sentence which is pronounced against him O that we might all be brought to such unfeigned contrition! we should not then be far from the kingdom of God"-] 2. We can never be justified by any works of our own ["We know that what the law saith, it saith unto them that are under the law". Now the law saith, "Do this and live: transgress it, and thou shalt die's———— But it speaks not one word about mitigating its demand to the weak, or its penalties to the guilty How then can any man "be justified by the works of the law?" Can a man be guilty, and not guilty? or can he be condemned by the law and yet justified at the same time, and in the same respects? Let all hope then, and all thought of justification by the law be put away from us for ever— God has provided a better way for our justification, namely, through the blood and righteousness of his dear Son'— And to lead us into that way was the intention of the Apostle in citing the passages that have already been considered Let us improve this humiliating representation for this salutary end So shall we be "justified freely by grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" "None, no not one;""none; none; none, no not one;" "all; all together;""every mouth," even "all the world." Can any, after this, fancy himself an exception? Ps. li. 17. Rom. iii, 21, 22. s Ron x. 5. Gal. iii. 10. u Ib. ver. 24. CCCLXXIV. THE BELIEVER'S RIGHTEOUSNESS. Rom. iii. 21, 22. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all, and upon all them that believe. IT is justly observed by our Lord, that "they that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick." Persons never value a remedy till they are aware of their disease: they must know their condemnation and misery by the law, before they will receive with gratitude the glad tidings of the gospel. On this account St. Paul labours through the whole preceding part of this Epistle, and especially in the ten verses before the text, to prove all, both Jews and Gentiles, guilty before God; and to shew that they need a better righteousness than any which they themselves can work out. Then he introduces that righteousness which is exhibited in the gospel, and is offered to every repenting and believing sinner. To elucidate the subject before us, we propose to shew I. What is that righteousness whereby we are to be saved The Apostle's description of it is as clear and comprehensive as we can possibly desire 1. It is "the righteousness of God" [Twice is it called "the righteousness of God;" by which expression we are to understand that it is a righteousness provided by God for us, wrought out by God amongst us, and accepted of God on our behalf. When we were destitute of any righteousness of our own, and incapable of establishing one that should be sufficient for us, God, in his infinite mercy determined to provide one for us, that should be commensurate with the demands of law and justice, and fully adequate to our wants. For this end he sent his co-equal, co-eternal Son to fulfil the precepts of the law which we had broken, and to endure its penalties which we had incurred. The Lord Jesus came into the world and executed his high commission; and thus, as the prophet Daniel expresses it, "brought in an everlasting righteousness."a a Dan. ix. 24. |