lage from which wickedness has been expelled, by the utmost efforts of mere philosophy? Where is the heart, which, apart from the Gospel, has attained to real peace, and the satisfactory assurance of a glorious immortality?

Surrounded by darkness as we are, in a state of nature; bewildered in uncertainty, and torn by legion lusts and cruel sins, I hear the involuntary groan of the wretched sinner, who seeks in vain to satisfy himself with sin; "Who will show me any good?" I, says the blessed Jesus, I will show thee good; I will do thee good. "Come unto me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you.

rest."

"My soul obeys the heavenly call,

And runs to this relief."

But will God indeed dwell with men? Will Christ lay down his life for his enemies? Yes," he came to seek and to save that which was lost; and he is able to save to the uttermost all that come to God by him." It has been said of the learned Athenians, that they spent much of their time in communicating, or hearing some new thing. This must have been an employment unworthy of the talents and learning they possessed; for, in the mass of news that circulated among them, either a part must have been false, and therefore, not entitled to credit; or all, even if true, could not have been interesting. But the glorious intelligence in the text is true, and firm as the broad pillars of the heavens and the earth, and challenges our utmost confidence. Nor is it one of those truths

which frightens credence, by vouching the punitive justice of God; like that which declares, that "the wicked shall be turned into hell, with all the nations that forget God." No, my brethren, it is one of those glorious truths which lays as great a claim to our gratitude, as to our faith.

The apostle, in his holy revery, does not here start a new doctrine. The event of which he speaks had been the focus where religious thought had centred for ages. Deeply interested in the same event, "the prophets searched diligently what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified before-hand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory which should follow." 1 Pet. i. 10, 11. The fulness of the time, however, had now come, and the glories of the Godhead had been vailed in humanity. John had borne witness to him, as the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world; and his testimony was confirmed by a solemn voice from heaven, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

The apostle, however, did not rest his faith, entirely, on these testimonies to the incarnation of Christ; but he seems to have had his faith led into captivity by the energetic grace which had already subdued the power of sin in his heart. "We speak that we do know; and we know, by an inward consciousness which cannot deceive us, "I am the chief of sinners;" but the power of Christ's Gospel has broken my chain, and made me the Lord's freedman. O! it is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.

You will bend your whole attention to what we shall say, while we make,

I. Some observations on the condition of mankind by nature they are sinners.

It will be proper, then,

II. To speak of the design with which Christ came into the world; namely, to save sinners.

III. We shall then say something of the truth, worth, and excellency of the Gospel revelation.

I. We are to make some observations on the condition of mankind by nature.

It is briefly stated in the text, that they are sinners; that is, influenced by carnal and sinful inclinations, which they did not receive from God, but which are the effect of depravity. All men by nature are disposed to break God's holy laws, and to run counter to his will. Although this statement is confirmed by experience and observation, there are some who deny it altogether, and contend that man is now what he was when he came out of the hands of his Creator. They therefore reject the Saviour, and essay to stand before God on a footing of absolute righteousness. They pretend to acknowledge one God; but, as for Jesus Christ, they say, with the Jews, "Away with him!" But for my own part, could I believe that men were originally what they are now; so like a wild ass's colt, so stupid, so stubborn, so intractable, so prone to evil, so averse to good, no wiser or better than men are at present; I could not go so far as the Deist: I must either be a Manichee

or an Atheist; I must either believe there is an evil God, or no God at all.

Others are willing to admit, (when stated as a general proposition,) that men are sinners, and that they are weak creatures, standing in need of pity and comfort. But when we urge it as a truth, founded on the veracity of God, that they are miserable sinners, and obnoxious to the wrath of a holy and justly offended God, they are ready to turn a deaf ear to our doctrine. In short, my brethren, the views which the carnal mind takes of this subject, are clouded and indistinct; and but seldom is it seriously considered, what a prominent point the doctrine of depravity presents, in the scheme of redemption.

It is not my design, at this time, to point to all the arguments furnished by reason, to prove this doctrine: it is a truth, which may be seen and felt, and needs no foreign wisdom. Moreover, the united efforts of the Christian world to circulate the holy Scriptures, in connexion with the seal of God which is affixed to them, fully authorizes the minister of the Gospel to consider the Bible, (a book received and approved by the best sense of mankind,) as of Divine origin-as a standard of appeals: and we think ourselves on too high ground, to put the doctrine of human depravity at issue before the tribunal of human reason.

The Lord hath spoken; let the kings of the earth keep silence. "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was evil continually."-And

again, "The heart of man is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked."

St. Paul, in a more refined age, gives us this piece of history relative to some of the most dignified of the Grecian philosophers: "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools; and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things." Rom. i. 22, 23. A certain writer wittily remarked, that every thing was worshipped as God, but God himself.

Nor is man by nature less helpless than sinful; for the law by which the Almighty designed to govern him, being once broken, could not be repaired, but by him who first gave it. It being infinite, man by his best obedience, even in his pure and perfect state, could never bring his Creator in debt to him, so as to claim salvation on the ground of merit: for he is the creature of God; his powers belong to his Maker; he owes him all the service he can perform. Man is a derived and dependant creature, and has nothing but what he has received. He cannot live without the supporting energy of God, and can return him nothing that is not his own. Now, as we cannot purchase one part of a man's property, by giving him another part of his own property; so we cannot purchase from God any thing that is his own, by that to which he has an equal claim.

But consider man in his present circumstances, fallen from God, destitute of that image of God, righteousness and true holiness, in which he was created, and deeply guilty through innumerable