the flesh; with prophets who searched diligently respecting the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follon; with evangelists and apostles, who counted all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus their Lord; with angels and arch angels, with the seraphim and cherubim, who eagerly look into these wonders of redeeming love, and learn through them the manifold wisdom of God. I would again invite all to the devout, diligent contemplation of these mysteries of Godliness. Is it the most dignified, it is also the most profitable study in which you can possibly engage. The mind is led to realise the vanity of the world, and its perishing prospects; it obtains peace amidst all the tumults of this fluctuating scene, a peace which passeth all understanding; it is elevated more and more to God as its portion and glory; it is gradually ripening for those regions of immortality where JESUS CRUCIFIED AND GLORIFIED IS ALL AND IN ALL. There new wonders in eternal succession will be bursting forth upon their admiring eyes; and other joys, and other joys everlastingly rolling in upon their enraptured hearts. "With open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, may you all be changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the spirit of the Lord." AMEN. SERMON II The universal apostacy of mankind confirmed. ROMANS iii, 23. "FOR ALL HAVE SINNED." HE who accidentally witnesses two neighbors contending with each other, immediately enquires into the cause; he naturally feels an anxiety to ascertain the source of their contention, and either justifies or condemns agreeably to the information obtained: If two nations are involved in war, and each aims at the destruction of the other, every spectator enquires into the original cause; that particular interest which he feels in the welfare of either or both impels him to examine, what circumstances first excited their jealousies, and afterwards issued in consequences thus awful. There is evidently a controversy between the LORD GOD OF HOSTS and our world: Whence that disquietude which often agitates the human mind; those diseases which torture the body; those scourges which perplex the nations? They all undeniably evince that the Creator has a controversy with his creature: These appearances of divine displeasure are not peculiar to one period of time, or one part of the world; they are common to all nations, and to each individual of every nation. All are therefore interested in the enquiry, what is the probable cause of this indignation of the Almighty? What melancholy event has forfeited his favor, and exposed us to these repeated and awful expressions of his wrath? No jar, or even jealousy existed at the first creation of man: No tempest then ruffled the ocean of human life; no blackness gathered over our heavens; no lightning blazed or thunders rolled either to disturb or destroy."God saw every thing that he had made, and behold it was very good; and he rested and was refreshed." The Creator experienced ineffable delight in the contemplation of his works, and imparting to every species of being a happiness suited to its capacity; in man especially, he beheld his own image illustriously shining, knowledge and righteousness and holiness; he saw his various powers of body and mind perfectly harmonising in their Maker's praise: man, on the other hand, beheld in Jehovah a friend and father; felt the most refined, elevated joy in his communion, and contemplated all his perfections co-operating for his welfare. But this communion is suddenly suspended; the former smiles of his Creator are now succeeded by fearful evidences of his wrath, and the mournful reason is assigned in our text, For all have sin ned and come short of the glory of God. Sin is defined in our shorter catechism to consist in "any want of conformity unto or transgression of the law of God." Such also is the definition given by an inspired e vangelist, Whosoever committeth sin, transgresseth the law, for sin is a transgression of the law. The original word translated sin literally signifies a departure from some rule that is prescribed; a deviation from a particular line that is drawn or from any mark at which we are aiming. Sin may therefore be considered as a violation of the divine law, either by omission or commission; a departure from this eternal standard of righteousness either by neglecting to perform what it requires, or committing what it actually forbids. It is our present design, with a humble reliance on divine aid, to establish the doctrine of universal apostacy from the living God; to prove as the apostle asserts, that all have sinned and come short of his glory. And while we attempt, in the language of the Holy Ghost, to confirm this truth, may our consciences, under his powerful influences, be deeply convinced of sin; may we all be enabled to realise its dangerous and ruining consequences. The truth of the proposition that all have sinned, is obvious. 1. From the explicit and repeated declarations of scripture; it is written as with sun-beams in almost every page of revelation, and in almost every line of every page, To repeat all the passages which tend to establish this fundamental, yet humiliating article of our religion would be to repeat a great part of this heavenly record. One inspired writer testifies, and God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth. It demands our consideration that it was not the wickedness of one man which Jehovah is represented as beholding, nor the impiety of a particular kindred or nation, but of mankind, of human nature; the whole mass was corrupted, every individual of every nation was smitten with the deadly contagion; the whole head was sick, and the whole heart was faint; and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Language cannot possibly be more explicit to express the corruption of mankind in general, the exceeding, desperate depravity of each individual, every imagination of the thought of his heart was evil, only evil to the utter exclusion of all that is morally or spiritually good; evil continually; through the powerful influence, the unlimited reign of impiety there was not the interval of a moment for serious reflection or spiritual exercises. Again, God looked upon the earth and behold it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. The Lord is represented, by another infallible witness, as looking down from heaven upon the children |