estore the soul to its normal condition. Man was holy
in his nature in creation. By sin he became possessed of an evil nature.
The Psalmist says, "I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother
conceive me." Psa. 51:5. The apostle declares he was by nature a child of
wrath. Eph. 2:3. Other texts could be quoted, but these together with the
knowledge of a child's disposition is sufficient to convince any candid
mind. Children naturally learn evil things, while good traits more often
have to be forced upon them by training. It comes natural for them to get
angry, to be selfish, to tell falsehoods, to fight, to be proud, etc.; not
in all to the same degree, but such disposition is largely predominant in
the generality of children, and exists to a certain degree in all.

Children are not responsible for this evil nature as we have previously
spoken. They are not responsible for their wrong acts, because they have
no knowledge of right and wrong. They may tell falsehoods before they have
strength of intellect to comprehend wrong, and it is no sin to them; but
when the child reaches such maturity of mind as to know right and wrong, a
falsehood then told makes him a transgressor and he feels the guilt of sin
upon his soul, which he never felt unto that hour. The evil nature that
influenced him to speak falsely did not condemn him, it is the yielding to
such a nature that brought the condemnation. God commands him to repent.
Of what? Not of the evil inclined disposition, but of the sin of lying.
Suppose the child after a year, or a few years does repent of his sins; he
repents of all, even to his first, but his repentance goes no farther; he
is no farther responsible, and it is impossible for man to repent of that
for which he is not responsible. God forgives him, and the forgiveness
extends just as far as the repentance.

Man is not pardoned or forgiven of that for which he is wholly
irresponsible. Every committed sin is forgiven, even to the first, and he
is as innocent and free from sin and guilt as when a babe in his mother's
arms. This is the first work of grace. He is justified, he is born again,
or reborn--brought back to the state of his babyhood. "Except ye be
converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the
kingdom of heaven." Mat. 18:3. Conversion or the first work of grace
restores us to the happy innocency of childhood. The evil nature still
remains to be removed in sanctification, the secon