A message preached at a SGAT meeting, London, May 24th, 2013. We can hardly do better than quote John Calvin's statement of the teaching of the Word of God on the natural spiritual state of unregenerate man. One quotation will suffice for our purpose. He writes: " ...our nature is not only destitute of all good, but is so fertile in all evils that it cannot remain inactive. Those who have called it concupiscence have used an expression not improper, if it were only added, which is far from being conceded by most persons, that everything in man, the understanding and will, the soul and body, is polluted and engrossed by this concupiscence; or, to express it more briefly, that man is of himself nothing else but concupiscence." Institutes, Vol. I, Bk. II, Chap. 1, Para. 8. Our own Shorter catechism states the matter thus: "Q18: Wherein consists the sinfulness of that estate whereinto man fell? The sinfulness of that estate whereinto man fell, consists in the guilt of Adam's first sin, the want of original righteousness, and the corruption of his whole nature, which is commonly called Original Sin; together with all actual transgressions which proceed from it." These statements of doctrine are, of course, but expositions of what the Bible teaches. I. As a doctrine it is plainly taught in the Scriptures. II. The Lord exercises a restraint upon depraved humanity. III. In the fulness of time God will permit a ripening of man's depravity and an entering upon a harvest of judgment.