The total depravity of man’s nature is a doctrine that is not recognized by Scripture. Of course, there are many places in the Bible where the sins of man have been set forth in dark colors; but that does not imply that he is wholly a sinful creature,--born to be so. There are instances too numerous to mention, both in the Bible and in the annals of the world’s history, of men and women living a life of purity and love. Let us see what the Scripture says,--that God created man in his own image, is an undeniable fact. “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” In what sense is man the image of God? Is he the image of God’s person? No, it cannot be so. If we say that, we become pagans, and give a physical form to God. Now, the safest and most rational way to answer is, to say that he is the image of God’s nature, spirit, and love; because we recognize glimpses of these Godly graces in man, more or less. Here comes a proposition that the image of anything must contain the peculiarity, or some likeness of the original, otherwise it would not be an image. If I wish to draw a picture or make an image of the sun, I cannot make it an oblong, triangular, or square figure, I must make it a circular one; otherwise, people would call me a poor artist, and the image a wretched one,--the image of some fanciful object, but not the Sun. God is infinitely pure, holy, perfect in his nature. How, then, could his image be totally depraved? Again, if man be truly a depraved creature in his very nature, our Master, then, must have uttered some sentimental words when he said,“Be ye perfect even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” It is hard for us to understand that the image of unbounded Holiness is totally depraved, and that totally depraved creatures should become perfect as their “Father in heaven.” Let theologians call man a born sinner, yet he is not so. The Great Theologian, who knew human nature well, its capacity, its excellence, bade it “come up higher,” and “be perfect.” _The Doctrine of an Everlasting Hell._--I cannot conceive of anything as everlasting but God. Everything has its end at some time, or in some way; but God is without end. All but God is subject to change. He, our good Father, is unchangeable and everlasting. The Great King is the Sovereign over all,--heaven, and earth, and all the hosts thereof. If there is a place called hell, it must be before His omnipresence; for there is nothing that is not known, and seen, and made by God. He could not create an everlasting hell to torture his weak, frail children. Whatever He has created is for their good. Heaven and earth, with all their wonders, unite to contribute to the welfare of God’s creatures.