as once having been ‘unrighteous, fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, effeminate, abusers of themselves with mankind, thieves; covetous, drunkards, revilers, extortioners,’ 1 Cor. vi. 9, 10, 11. And elsewhere he says, ‘We ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another,’ Tit. iii. 3. And the obstinacy and perverseness of men, going on in a course of sin, is so great, that God reproves a professing people, by telling them, that _their neck was as an iron sinew, and their brow brass_, Isa. xlviii. 4. Thus they were, before he _refined_ and _chose_ some of _them, in the furnace of affliction_, ver. 10. From hence it evidently appears, that men are not naturally inclined to comply with the gospel-call; but this is a privilege conferred on them, when, by the Spirit, it is made effectual to their salvation. _Objec._ It is objected, to what has been said concerning persons being dead in sin, before they are effectually called; that that is no other than a metaphorical expression; and therefore the sense thereof is not to be strained so far as to suppose from hence, that they are altogether without a power to do that which is spiritually good. _Answ._ When the state of men, before they are effectually called, is styled, a death in sin, which is a metaphorical expression, we must suppose, that there is a sense affixed to it, which, in some respects, is adapted to those ideas that we have of the word. If scripture-metaphors prove nothing, because the words are transferred from their literal sense to some other that is intended thereby, we shall be at the greatest loss to understand many important doctrines contained in the sacred writings, which abound very much with such modes of speaking. We do not suppose the metaphor to be extended so far, as that a person, dead in sin, is incapable of acting, as though he was a stock or a stone, the contrary to which is evident, from what has been before said concerning the power which they, who are in an unregenerate state, have of doing things materially good; but we are now considering men as unable to do what is good in all its circumstances, which may render their actions the object of the divine approbation, as agreeable to God’s revealed will; and this, we suppose, an unregenerate person is as unable to do, as a dead man is to put forth living actions; and the reason is, because he is destitute of a supernatural principle of spiritual life. Scripture and experience, not only evince the weakness, blindness, and disinclination of such, to what is good, but their averseness to it: So that whatever we do, either in the beginning or progress of the life of faith, must proceed from a renewed nature, or a supernatural principle implanted in the soul; which is sometimes called, a _new heart_, Ezek. xxxvi. 26. a _divine nature_, 2 Pet. i. 4. as well as a quickening, or being raised from the dead.