QUESTION I. 251 The sense of all which is thus represented in English. There are very few who die thatgo to heaven, or a state of happiness. We are always desiring and pursuing forbidden things. Mankind is bold to rush into forbidden wickedness ; nor is any man born without vices : Youngmen most readily hearken to evil counsels ; they are soft as waxto be moulded into vice, but rough and rugged to their best monitors. Good men are very few, scarce as many as the gates of the cityThebes, or the mouths of the Nile. What day is there that does not shew us some new malefactors ? Nature recurs to its own wicked man- ners, is fixed in it, and knows not how to change. How few persons will you find contented with one sort of wickedness ? We are all very forward to learn and imitate whatever is base or wicked. After the golden age, and some few following sea- sons, all manner of iniquity broke out : Modesty, truth, and faithfulness are quite fled away, in whose place came deceit, mischief, violence and wicked covetousness. Piety lay subdued, and justice left the earth. And through so many ages of men, so many murderous wars, and labours, and toils, in time of peace, there is scarce such a thing as honesty to be found ; but through all ages there is an abundant load of crimes : Wicked- ness runs through' the people : Madness rages, fills and over- whelms all things.. Right and wrong are all mingled, and iniquity reigns even through the very laws of men." This Wan the common Complaint of the most observing heathens in their age, as it is ours in the present day. VI. Not only those who are grown up to mature age, but even mankind in its younger years,. before it is capable of proper moral actions, discovers the principles of iniquity and the seeds of sin. Whit young ferments of spite and envy, what native wrath and rage sometimes are found in the little hearts of infants, and sufficiently discovered by their little hands, and their eyes, and their watchful countenances, even before they have learned to speak, or to know good'and evil ? What additional crimes of lying and deceit, What obstinacy and perverseness proceed to blemish their younger years* ? Here our discourse is at once confronted by bringing in the words of otre Saviour, Mat. xviii. 3.' Ehcept ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall oòt enter into the kingdom of heaven. Little children say they, are here made the patterns of humility, meekness, and innocence; and in several other places of scripture, a state of childhood is represented as innocent, meek and humble and therefore they have no such native vices. f answer 4+is objection by grant- ing, That children appear to be of a much meeker and milder temper than grown person., atesuse they have much fewer temptations to vices of various kinds than ecan persons meet with.' Their inward vices are seldom awakened aód provoked somuch as they are in advancing years. Let it be further observed, that this humility of children which iv recommended in this text, is their freedom from that ambitionwhich possessed thedisciples, when they sought who shouldha grealeát in the kingdomof heaven.
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