God; and then you will not wonder that we know still less of what he designs to do in the new heavens and the new earth. Те 8. "But what end does it answer to dwell upon this subject, which we so imperfectly understand?" Tc consider so much as we do understand, so much as God has been pleased to reveal to us, may answer that excellent end, to illustrate that mercy of God which "is over all his works." And it may exceedingly confirm our belief that, much more, he "is loving to every man. For how well may we urge our Lord's words, "Are not ye much better than they?" If, then, the Lord takes such care of the fowls of the air, and of the beasts of the field, shall he not much more take care of you, creatures of a nobler order? If "the Lord will save," as the inspired writer affirms, "both man and beast," in their several degrees, surely "the children of men may put their trust under the shadow of his wings!" 9. May it not answer another end; namely, furnish us with a full answer to a plausible objection against the justice of God, in suffering numberless creatures that never had sinned to be so severely punished? They could not sin; for they were not moral agents. Yet how severely do they suffer!-yea, many of them, beasts of burden in particular, almost the whole time of their abode on earth; so that they can have no retribution here below. But the objection vanishes away, if we consider that something better remains after death for these poor creatures also; that these, likewise, shall one day be delivered from this bondage of corruption, and shall then receive an ample amends for all their present sufferings. 10. One more excellent end may undoubtedly be answered by the preceding considerations. They may encourage us to imitate Him whose mercy is over all his works. They may soften our hearts towards the meaner creatures, knowing that the Lord careth for them. may enlarge our heart towards those poor creatures, to reflect that, as vile as they appear in our eyes, not one It of them is forgotten in the sight of our Father which is in heaven. Through all the vanity to which they are now subjected, let us look to what God hath prepared for them. Yea, let us habituate ourselves to look forward, beyond this present scene of bondage, to the happy time when they will be delivered therefrom into the liberty of the children of God. 11. From what has been said, I cannot but draw one inference, which no man of reason can deny. If it is this which distinguishes men from beasts, that they are creatures capable of God, capable of knowing and loving and enjoying him; then whoever is "without God in the world," whoever does not know or love or enjoy God, and is not careful about the matter, does, in effect, disclaim the nature of man, and degrade himself into a beast! Let such vouchsafe a little attention tc those remarkable words of Solomon: "I said in my heart concerning the estate of the sons of men,-They might see that they themselves are beasts." (Eccles. iii. 18.) These sons of men are undoubtedly beasts; and that by their own act and deed; for they deliberately and wilfully disclaim the sole characteristic of human nature. It is true, they may have a share of reason; they have speech, and they walk erect; but they have not the mark, the only mark, which totally separates man from the brute creation. "That which befalleth beasts, the same thing befalleth them." They are equally without God in the world; "so that a man" of this kind "hath no pre-eminence above a beast." 12. So much more let all those who are of a nobler turn of mind assert the distinguishing dignity of their nature. Let all who are of a more generous spirit know and maintain their rank in the scale of beings. Rest not till you enjoy the privilege of humanity, the knowledge and love of God. Lift up your heads, ye creatures capable of God! Lift up your hearts to the Source of your being! "Know God, and teach your souls to know Give your hearts to Him who, together with ten thou sand blessings, has given you his Son, his only Son' Let your continual "fellowship be with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ!" Let God be in all your thoughts, and ye will be men indeed. Let Him your God and your All,-the desire of your eyes, the joy of your heart, and your portion for ever. be 57 SERMON LXI. THE MYSTERY OF INIQUITY. "The mystery of iniquity doth already work."-2 THESS. ii. 7. 1. WITHOUT inquiring how far these words refer to any particular event in the Christian church, I would at present take occasion from them to consider that important question,-In what manner the mystery of iniquity hath wrought among us till it hath wellnigh covered the whole earth. 2. It is certain that "God made man upright;" perfectly holy and perfectly happy. But, by rebelling against God, he destroyed himself, lost the favour and the image of God, and entailed sin, with its attendant, pain, on himself and all his posterity. Yet his merciful Creator did not leave him in this helpless, hopeless state: he immediately appointed his Son, his well-beloved Son, "who is the brightness of his glory, the express image of his person," to be the Saviour of men; the propitiation for the sins of the whole world;" the great Physician who, by his almighty Spirit, should heal the sickness of their souls, and restore them not only to the favour, but to the "image of God wherein they were created." 3. This great mystery of godliness began to work from the very time of the original promise. Accordingly, the Lamb being, in the purpose of God, "slain from the beginning of the world," from the same period his sanctifying Spirit began to renew the souls of men. We have an undeniable instance of this in Abel, who "obtained a testimony" from God "that he was righteous." (Heb. xi. 4.) And from that very time all that were partakers of the same faith were partakers of the same salvation; were not only reinstated in the favour, but likewise restored to the image, of God. 4. But how exceeding small was the number of these, even from the earliest ages! No sooner did "the sons of men multiply upon the face of the earth," than God, looking down from heaven, "saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth;" so great that ". every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was evil," only evil, and that "continually." (Gen. vi. 1-5.) And so it remained without any intermission, till God executed that terrible sentence, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth." (Verse 7.) 5. Only "Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord;" being "a just man, and perfect in his generations." "Him, therefore, with his wife, his sons, and their wives, God preserved from the general destruction." And one might have imagined that this small remnant would likewise have been "perfect in their generations." But how far was this from being the case! Presently, after this signal deliverance, we find one of them, Ham, involved in sin, and under his father's curse. And how did "the mystery of iniquity" afterwards work, not only in the posterity of Ham, but in the posterity of Japheth; yea, and of Shem,-Abraham and his family only excepted! 6. Yea, how did it work even in the posterity of Abraham; in God's chosen people! Were not these also, down to Moses, to David, to Malachi, to Herod the Great, a faithless and stubborn generation, a "sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity," continually forsaking the Lord, and "provoking the Holy One of Israel?" And yet we have no reason to believe that these were worse than the nations that surrounded them, who were universally swallowed up in all manner of wickedness, as well as in damnable idolatries; not having the God of heaven" in all their thoughts," but working all uncleanness with greediness. 7. In the fulness of time, when iniquity of every kind, |