He is both depraved and condemned!
(John Angell James, “The Practical Believer Delineated” 1852)
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God created man in His own image, which consisted of true holiness.
No spot of guilt was upon his conscience, nor spot of depravity upon his heart.The light of truth irradiated his understanding.
The glow of perfect love warmed his heart.
The choices of his will were all on the side of purity.
His conscience was the seat of perfect peace.
The beauties of holiness adorned his character.
His whole soul was in harmony with the untainted scenes of Paradise–in which bowers he walked in undisturbed friendship with God.
No sorrow wrung his heart.
No care wrinkled his brow.
No anxiety broke his rest.
He was happy–because he was holy.
When he sinned, his whole moral condition was altered! He fell under the condemnation of the law he had violated, and became the subject of inward corruption. An entire change passed over his nature. He not only became guilty–but depraved!
His understanding became darkened!
His affections became selfish and earthly!
His will became prone to choose what is wrong!
His conscience became benumbed!
If he would ever be recovered from this state of misery, he must be both pardoned and sanctified.
The covenant of God’s love and mercy in Christ Jesus–the glorious scheme of redeeming grace, meets the whole case of fallen man by providing not only justification–but sanctification as well.
Wonderful gospel provision!
Pardon for the guilty!
Sanctification for the unholy!
The condition of the sinner may be likened to that of a condemned criminal shut up in prison and infected with a deadly plague! What he needs, is both the cure of his plague–and the reversal of his sentence. Neither alone, will meet his case. If he is only pardoned–he will die of the plague. If he is only cured of the plague–he will suffer the just sentence of the law.
So it is with fallen man–he is both depraved and condemned! If he is only pardoned, his depravity will be his misery. If he could by any means be reformed, he is still under sentence of death.
The glory and completeness of the gospel scheme is that it provides a cure for the diseases of the soul–in sanctification; as well as a pardon from the condemnation of the law–in justification!
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