SERMON VII.

GENESIS iii. 9.

"And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, where art thou ?”

THE Chapter from whence these words are taken, comprises at once, the most melancholy detail, and the most gracious promise, which were ever yet left upon record; the sacred penman, while recording the sad fall and apostacy of our first parents, with the fearful judgments which followed, records at the same time, the gracious promise, that means should be provided for the return of Divine mercy, by which the power of the wicked one should be crushed and destroyed, and man once more restored to the favour and image of his God.

But, previous to the declaration of this intended mercy, it was necessary that man should be humbled, and made sensible of his wretched

and undone state; for seeing it was by pride he fell, that pride was to be abased, before the rebel would submit himself to his injured and justly offended Creator. But instead of at once humbling himself, and confessing his guilt, his pride disposed him to stand out against God-instead of seeking how he might return, he resolved to flee from his presence, and to seek to conceal his guilty head among the trees of the garden. Vain and presumptuous attempt, proving at once the greatness of his folly, and the depth of his fall.

He who had, till then, delighted himself in God, reposing in his love, and depending on his favour with unbounded confidence, now distrusts his mercy, and dreads to encounter his presence. But how should he flee from his presence, who fills all things in heaven and earth, and "whose eyes are in every place, beholding the evil and the good ?" The Lord, who looked upon him in the act of disobedience, followed him to his vain retreat, and made him fully sensible of his presence, when he called unto him, and said unto him, "Where art thou ?"

This solemn call, which must have aroused Adam to a renewed sense of his guilt, and touched his conscience to the very quick, contained much matter for serious inquiry. It seemed, in the first place, to call him to the consideration of his fallen state; "Where art

thou?" in what a sad condition art thou now placed? how deeply art thou fallen? fallen from the image and favour of thy God: fallen from the highest happiness to the most profound misery-fallen from life to death: unhappy man! "Where art thou?" overwhelmed with shame and fear, and confusion of face, dost thou think to flee from the presence of thy insulted God! or to screen thyself from his all-seeing eye? know that the attempt is vain, for "there is no darkness nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves." Be assured, as your sin is not covered, neither canst thou deliver thyself from the just indignation, and threatened curse which you have brought down on your own head, by wilful disobedience. "Where art thou ?" in a state of conscious guilt; and lying under sentence of eternal death.

Such, my brethren, is but a very faint outline of what we may suppose to have been included in God's call to Adam, and the feelings of remorse awakened in his guilty conscience, at the voice of the Lord God: and had it not been followed by the voice of mercy, in the gracious promise, that "the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head," our first parents would have been driven from a state of conscious guilt to distraction, and despair, and no soul could have been saved.

But I would observe, that this voice came not

for their sakes alone; nor was the gracious promise which followed, only given to inspire in them a hope of restoration to the Divine favour and image: No-as this "Scripture was written for our learning," so this voice contained in it, speaks to us also: yes, it comes to us from the same Almighty and Omniscient Being, and it addresses us under the same character in which it found our unhappy forefather. It may, in truth, be considered, as speaking to us at all seasons, and under all circumstances of character, situation, and condition in life; so that there is not a human being on earth, to whom the word of God comes, to whom this call does not extend, "Where art thou ?" All then who profess to have received the Scriptures as the word of God, are bound to attend to this voice, as if it were addressed to themselves in particular-" Where art thou?" for all are accountable to the word of God, from whom that call proceeds; and "every one of us must give an account of himself to God." And if there is any one period, more than another, when we are particularly called upon to attend to this solemn question, it is at that period, to which, through the sparing mercy of our God, we have now arrived: another year has just passed over our heads, a year of many mercies, many gracious providences, and many privileges; consequently a year of great responsibility. At such a solemn season, the Giver of

all Good; the Great Master of the household; may be conceived as taking an account of his servants, and reckoning with them, according to their talents and advantages; addressing each of them as it were by name, and in these terms, "Where art thou?" Supposing such a question, and from such an authority, to be proposed to each of you this day, consider, I beseech you, how you are prepared to answer it. We may be well assured that this is a subject demanding our prompt and serious consideration, and it may assist us much in the inquiry, how we are prepared to reply to it, if we consider how many and what particulars appear to be included in this solemn question: "Where art thou?"

And first it may be considered as addressed to us all, under the character of fallen and depraved creatures, naturally at enmity with their Maker, and through an evil heart of unbelief, continually " departing from the living God." To such as remain in this state, He daily cries aloud in his word, "Where art thou?" and it is for this purpose, because "he desires not the death of a sinner, but rather that he should turn from his wickedness and live." This voice then, comes to the sinner in a way of mercy, and is the effect of love; as if he had said, "Where art thou, O sinner? art thou still dead in sin, and resolved to continue in that state of death? instead of considering thy ways, that