The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-12-08

all that is spiritually good, and wholly
inclined to all evil, and that continually .
But 1T would follow from the teaching of
ii. III. IL" that the unregenerate sinner
who is honest, sincere, anxious, waiting,
hoping, working, struggling, wishing,
willing, longing to be saved from sin, is
dtsanct'ned instead of enclined to evil, and
disposed instead of ind'sposed to good.
DIR. Charles Hodge says, The affec-
lions suppose an object. They can be ex-
cited only in view of an object. 1t
is clearly impossible that we should love
God unless we apprehend His nature and
PROJECTIONS, and therefore, to call love
into exercise, it is necessary that the
mind should appEehend God as he really
Is. Otherwise the affections would be
neither rational nor holy" (Systematic
Theology, part 2, chap, s.. But according
to " 81. H. H. the affections of an anxo
lous, unregenerate sinner are towards the
law OF God, and consequently towards
God; yea, he longs to be free from sin.
that is, to be conformed to the law of
God, aohile his understanding is una6le to
discern spiritual thinqs.
According to Calvin, the prayer Of Sol
ONION, May the Lord incline our hearts
unto Him to keep his commandments, +"
is prayer which is sincerely offered to
God, only by saints. Institutes, book
2, chap. -. But surely the "inquiring
sinner who longs to be saved from SIM y
is inclined to keep God's commandments,
and so can sincerely offer that prayer.
The view taken by III. H. H" must
logically lead him to the Arminian theo-
ry that sinner may be truly penitent
for his sins, while he is destitute of saw
ing faith in Christ.
DIR. A. A. Hodge, after explaining "the
nature of that sense of sin which is an
essential element of repen ance," says,
THE only 5ndatbitabIe test of the genuine
ness Of such a sense of sin is an earnest
and abiding desire and endeavor to be de-
I1Uered from It, Outlines of Theology
! chap. 29). But this very state of heart
which Hodge declares to be an essential
element Of repentance, II. H. H" regards
as belonging to an unregenerate sinner
who is an anxious inquirer.
AL uding to the unregenerate Pictet
says, "To say that man can do nothing
but that which is evil is the same as saw
ing that man is so delighted with sin tia t
he rs unaOiIling to cease from It," (Theol
ogy, book 4, chap. 8. But "H. H. H. :"
says that an anxious inquiring sinner,
who being unregenerate has a carnal
mind which is enmity against God, is not
ONLY willing to cease from sin, but he ac-
tually longs to be delivered from it.
Calvin says, "Man, having been cor
rupted by his fall, sins voluntarily, not
with reluctance or constraint; with the
strongest propensity of disposition, not
with violent coercion, with the bias of his
own passions, and not with external com
pulsion yet such is the pravity of his
nature that he cannot be excited and BIZ
assed to any thing but what is evil. -
institutes, book g. chap 81 What would
Calvin have thought of the idea of such
sinner longing to be free from sin. that
is longing for holiness?
The language of Paul in the 7th chap
ter of Romans, where occurs the sentence.
When | would do good, evil is present
with me. is considered by Calvinists to
be descriptive of regenerated man But
| III. ii. b. must conclude that it may
describe an unregenerated anxious inqui-
rer who, since he longs to be saved from
SIN, can truly say, " would do good"
will close what have to say at this
time with the following extract from a
sermon of DR.. A. Nettleton, on Heb. Ii :
2, (Nettleton's Remains, by DIR. Tyler).
All sinners desire to be delivered from
punishment, and to be made eternallv
happy. But if this is all, they do not de-
sire the salvation offered in the gospel
for that is a salvation from sin. Now
my hearers, do you desire this salvation?
Is SIN odiouS IN ITSELF? Is it your great
est burden, and that from which above
all things you long to be delivered? II
so, then you desire the salvation Of the
gospel; and this salvation shall be yours.
But if you do not desire to be delivered
from sin, you do not desire the salvation
of the gospel and you do, of course, neg
lect it. Mistake not your hatred of pun
ishment for hatred of sim Mistake not
the fear of hell for the dread of offending
holy God. Devils believe and tren,
bic" Let no one imagine that he desires
the holy 8aJUatio1 of the gospel, while he
cannot be persuaded to live holy life :;
or, a0hate his repentance does not fot0 from
supreme lone to God F. TIP.
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