truth of the position, that man's original nature has been departed from, that it has become corrupted and depraved?
Yet, though man's will is in this disordered state, his understanding has or may have truth enough—it may be filled with light. There lies the great standard of truth before his eyes, the Revealed Word, which God in His mercy has purposely provided for man^s fallen state. When man was in his state of integrity, there was, indeed, no need of a written Word; for the light flowing continually from God into his mind, gave him perceptions of truth, both as to principles and as to actions,—was a guide both to his thoughts and to his conduct. But when the will became selfish and evil, more and more perverted and corrupted by bad passions and propensities, each generation receiving its parents' evil tendencies, and then adding to their number by self-indulgence and a depraved life,—then, the understanding became darkened also. Perceptions of truth became less and less clear, more and more confused and doubtful; and at length men lost all perception of the true Object of their worship, the One God, their Creator, and began to adore images of wood and stone, the "work of their own hands," as also the sun and moon, and other material objects. At the same time, they lost almost completely the perception of right and wrong; they "put darkness for light, and light for darkness—bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter;" they " called evil good, and good evil."[1] They began to think—as men too generally seem to think, at this day—that selfishness or self-love was quite natural and proper. Ambition sprung up; avarice arose; the
