The work of the Holy Spirit - pagina 264

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INTRODUCTION

224

Altho it acknowledges that a few remains are retained, yet it follows that " all the light which is in us is changed into darkness "; and it says before that " man is become wicked, perverse, and corrupt in all his ways," and " that he has corrupted his whole nuiure." Hence these " few remains" may never be understood to imply that there remained in man any No, a sinner in his fallen strength, willingness, or desire for good. nature is altogether condemnable. And there is, as the same article confesses, " no will nor understanding conformable to the divine will and understanding, but what Christ has wrought in man, which He teacheth us when He said, " Without Me ye can do nothing." And thus we disarm any suspicion that we look for something of Faith pervert its plain teaching.

good in the sinner. With Scripture we confess " 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 unprofit:

able; there is none that doeth good, no, not one."

But how gether?

is this to

On

be reconciled?

or praiseworthy;

ing good

How

can these two go

to-

the one hand the sinner has nothing, absolutely noth-

and on the

other, this

same sinner

always retains features of the image of God Let us illustrate. Two horses become mad; the one is a common truck horse, the other a noble Arabian stallion. Which is the more dangerous? The latter, of course. His noble blood will break

more uncontrollable rage and violence. Or, two clerks the one a mere drudge of slow understanding, office the other a youth with brains and piercing eye. Which could do

loose into

work

in

an

;

The latter, of course, and all his schemes would show his superiority working in the wrong direcThis is always the case. There is no more dangerous enetion. my of the truth than an unbeliever religiously instructed. In all his impious rage he shows his superior training and knowledge. Satan is so mighty because before his fall he was so exceedingly

his master the greater injury?

glorious.

Hence

in his fall

man

did not put off the original na-

but he retained it. Only its action was reversed, corrupted, and turned against God. When the captain of a man-of-war in a naval engagement betrays his king and raises the enemy's flag, he does not first damage or ture,

it

as efficient for service as possible, and

intact

he does the very reverse of what he

sink his ship, but he keeps

with

all its

armament

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