day; and we are all of us by nature the children of wrath. 1 The children of men are corrupt; they have done abominable works: there is none that doeth good: they are all gone aside, they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no not one. 2 * All we, like sheep, have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way: all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; and the whole world lieth in wickedness. 3 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us: for there is none upright among men; there is no man that sinneth not; but in many things we offend all; and it is impossible but that offences will come. Who then can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin; when there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not? The Scripture hath concluded all men, both Jews and Gentiles, under sin that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the law, to do them; therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in the sight of God. And now, for a long season, a great part of the Gentile world hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without a law; and these have had their conversation 2 Isa. liii. 6. Rom. iii. 23. 1 John v. 19. 1 Psal. xiv. 1, 2, 4. 31 John i. 8. Micah vii. 1. Kings viii. 46. James iii. 2. Luke xvii. 1. Prov. xx. 9. Eccles. vii. 20. 4 Gal. iii. 22. Rom. iii. 9. 19. Gal. iii. 10. Rom. iii. 20. ¶ 2 Chron. xv. 3. Eph. ii. 3. 2. in the lusts of the flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and walking according to the course of this world. 'How abominable and filthy is man, who drinketh iniquity like water. 2 The heart of man is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? 3 Men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil. * Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily; therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. 5 The way of man is froward and strange; and the way of peace have they not known. : • The heart of the sons of men is full of evil and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead. 7 In us, that is, in our flesh, dwelleth no good thing; for to will is present with us, but how to perform that which is good we find not. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak: and though we delight in the law of God after the inward man, yet there is another law in our members, which is continually warring against the law of our mind, in order to bring it into captivity to the law of sin which is in our members; so that oftentimes what we would, that we do not; but what we hate, that do we for the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary the one to the other: so that we cannot always do the things that we would: for the good that 1 Job xv. 16. 4 Eccles. viii. 11. ix. 3. 2 Jer. xvii. 9. 3 John iii. 19. 5 Prov. xxi. 8. Rom. iii. 17. 6 Eccles. 7 Rom. vii. 18. Matt. xxvi. 41. Rom. vii. 22, 23. 15. Gal. v. 17. Rom. vii. 19. we would, we do not; but the evil which we would not, that we do. 1 Our goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away. 2 We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. 3 When we shall have done all those things which are commanded us, we are still unprofitable servants; and we are not worthy of the least of all the mercies which God hath shewed unto us. *If thou, Lord, shouldst mark iniquities, who shall stand? In thy sight, O Lord, shall no man living be justified. 5 Every way of man is right and clean in his own eyes; but the Lord, who pondereth the hearts, and weigheth the spirits, knoweth his foolishness; and his sins are not hid from him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God; for God tempteth not any man; but every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lusts and enticed: then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin when it is finished, bringeth forth death. 7 Thou wilt say then, Since we cannot by nature do the things contained in the law of God, why doth he yet find fault? Nay, but O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? To the Lord our God belong mercies and for 1 Hos. vi. 4. 2 Isa. lxiv. 6. 4 Psal. cxxx. 3. Psal. cxliii. 2. Prov. xvi. 2. Psal. lxix. 5. 6 James i. 13, 14, 15. 10. ix. 19. Rom. ii. 14. Rom. ix. 20. 3 Luke xvii. 10. Gen. xxxii. 5 Prov. xxi. 2. 7 Rom. 8 Dan. ix. 9. Job vii. givenesses, though we have rebelled against him. And therefore we ought rather to say, Lord, what is man that thou shouldst magnify him, and that thou shouldst set thine heart upon him; and that thou shouldst visit him every morning, and try him every moment! CHAPTER IV. Concerning the Redemption of Man by Jesus Christ the Son of God, together with the Father and the Holy Ghost. GOD THE FATHER HATH REDEEMED US BY HIS SON. 1 WHEN the fulness of the time was come, God our Father, and our Redeemer, who is also in a more particular and extraordinary manner the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, sent forth his Son to be the Saviour of the world. 2 In this was manifested the love of God towards us, because that God sent his only-begotten Son into the world to be the propitiation for our sins, that we might live through him; and that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 3 God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved. was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them: for it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell, and by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. 'The Father loved the Son, and gave all things into his hand. And he spake the words of God; for God gave not the Spirit by measure unto him. * God anointed him with the Holy Ghost and with power; and he was approved of God by miracles, and wonders, and signs, which God did by him. 3 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, and by wicked hands being crucified and slain, God hath raised up. And that same Jesus who was thus crucified, God hath made both Lord and Christ; and him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to his people, and forgiveness of sins. 4 And he hath set him at his own right hand, in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come; and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church. 5 The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son. For it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. To whom the Father hath given power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as the Father hath given him. John iii. 34, 35. 23, 24. 36. 2 Acts x. 38. Acts ii. 22. 3 Acts ii. 5 John v. 22. |