It will be observed, that I here suppose all men to acknowledge, in their minds, the distinction between right and wrong. There are those indeed, as I before observed, who openly deny this distinction; but as these men use exactly the same language with others, when speaking of their own excellencies and those of their friends, or complaining of the conduct of their enemies; I consider them as admitting this distinction, in their thoughts, equally with the rest of mankind. Certainly, no persons more strenuously insist on their own rights, or complain more bitterly of the wrongs, which they suppose themselves to suffer.

It cannot be denied, that we are fairly bound to do all the good which is in our power. But there is not a man living, who will soberly assert, that he has acted in this manner. The knowledge of those around him concerning his life would refute the assertion, and cover him with blushes for the folly and disingenuousness, which it evinced. The testimony of his Conscience also, concerning his thoughts, would declare it to be false; and accuse him of having added to his former guilt by the insincerity of this assertion. 3dly. Every man living is conscious of having committed many positive sins.

This truth may be sufficiently established by two obvious modes of illustration.

No man living durst recite every transaction of his life even to his nearest and best friend. There are things in the story, which he cannot bring himself by any considerations to disclose. This is true concerning his external conduct. Still more is it true concerning his thoughts: because in still greater numbers, and higher degrees, they have violated his sense of moral obligation; and contravened what he secretly believes to be the will of God. Nor is there probably a man living, who has not often rejoiced, that some, both of his thoughts and actions, are now known to himself only, and concealed effectually from his fellow-men.

Again, no man can go into his closet, and solemnly declare to his Maker, that he has not been guilty of positive sins. Even the impudence and pride of the self-righteous Pharisee, who went into the temple to pray, did not stretch so far as this. The utmost, which he ventured upon, was to thank God, that he was not as other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or publicans. He durst not thank God, that he was not so sinful as Abraham, Job, or Moses; all of whom he still knew to be sinful. Much less durst he, or any other man, declare himself, before God, to be absolutely free from moral pollution.

But were we sinless, it would be perfectly easy, safe, and natural, for us to declare the inmost thoughts of our hearts, so far as their moral nature only was concerned, to our fellow-creatures: for we are never afraid to disclose to them, unless in cases where mere prudence prevents, any of our conduct, which we are assured has been right. With the same ease, and consciousness of pro

priety, should we also assert before God, that we were without sin; if we felt assured, that this was our true character.

Were any man, who was taught the nature of the final judgment, informed by an Angel, that it would commence this day and find him in his present state; he would tremble at the information. If an exception ought to be made, it must be of him only, who, by a lively faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, a sincere repentance of his sins, and a laborious preparation to give up his account with joy, has acquired strong confidence towards God, and a vigorous hope of Evangelical justification. It hardly needs to be observed, that every such person acknowledges, in the fullest manner, his own sinfulness, and that of all men.

4thly. Every man, who makes the attempt to do his duty, and abstain from sin, finds the attempt attended by many difficulties.

When he would do good, evil, very frequently at least, will be present with him; and he will find a law in his members, warring against the law of his mind, and bringing him under captivity. The good, which, for some reason or other, he is desirous to do, he will often fail of doing, and the evil, which, for some reason or other, he wishes not to do, he, still, will often do. To say the least, he will often find an uncomfortable and guilty reluctance to do his duty, and an equally unhappy and guilty disposition to practise sin.

Often, very often, do the best of men, when summoned by their circumstances, and warned by their consciences, to perform acts of piety to God, or beneficence to mankind, of opposition to their lusts, or resistance to temptations, find one sin and another easily besetting, and many a weight hanging heavily upon them. The character of God appears less lovely and venerable, than it has done at other times; and the heart is less open to acts of justice, truth, charity, and forgiveness. Temptations approach with more charms; and sin is stripped of no small part of its deformity. The world assumes new importance, beauty, and power. Evil examples solicit with stronger influence; and evil suggestions awaken doubt, uneasiness, and discouragement. Mysteries, at such seasons, become converted, without much difficulty, into errors; and that, which is inexplicable, is suspected to be untrue. Self-denial is felt, in many instances, to be hard, unnecessary, and scarcely a duty; while indulgence, on the other hand, seems not only inviting, but excusable; not only pleasant, but safe. Accordingly, the duty in hand is left undone; or performed with difficulty, and by halves. The feet drag heavily in the strait and narrow path; or turn aside to find relief in a way, less steep, rough, and forbidding.

If such is the case with the best men; it will not be wondered at, that others find their difficulties still greater. In all Christian countries there are multitudes, who are not sanctified, and who yet intend to obtain eternal life: men taught in their childhood to know and fear God; to reverence their duty, and to perform it in every external manner; to attend on the worship of God; to read, and

believe, his word; to deal justly, kindly, and truly, with their fellow-men; to watch, and resist, their spiritual enemies within and without; and universally to respect the dictates of their own consciences. Men, habituated to such a course of life from the beginning, are often decent, amiable, and highly respected. Yet every such man, when convinced of sin, will, in unbosoming himself to a Minister of the Gospel, in whom he confides, freely confess, that he has never really done his duty in a single instance; but has always been a sinner merely; that he finds not in his heart a disposition ever to pray in such a manner, as his conscience tells him God requires, and much less a preparation of soul to perform his duty at large.

Men of profligate characters are in still more deplorable circumstances. They do not even attempt to perform their duty at all; find no struggle between conscience and inclination; slide down the declivity of sin without an effort to stop their dangerous career; and satisfied with the smoothness and slipperiness of their course, give themselves no concern about the gulf, which yawns at the bottom.

Whence do these things arise? Certainly not from external circumstances. The profligate has no more external difficulties than the conscientious man; and might, if he pleased, be equally decent and amiable. The conscientious man has no more external difficulties than the man of piety; and might, if he pleased, be a Christian also. The Christian has no more external difficulties at one time, than at another; and might, if he pleased, perform his duty with the same exactness and ease, and be always equally virtuous. By this I do not mean indeed, that, in the metaphysical sense, their external difficulties are precisely the same; but that they are so much the same, as in no case to prevent them at all from performing their duty, if they were suitably inclined; or, in other words, if they possessed the disposition of Angels. The heart undoubtedly is in each of these cases the only essential bar to obedience. Were the heart right with God, the Christian would be perfect at all times; the conscientious man would become a Christian; and the profligate would cease from his abandonment, and become not only decent and amiable, but a Christian also. This reluctance to duty, therefore, these difficulties found in attempts to abstain from sin, prove the character to be corrupt, and the heart to be sinful. As they attend all men; they prove the common nature to be polluted; and evince, unanswerably, the sinful character of all the children of Adam.

SERMON XXX.

UNIVERSALITY OF SIN PROVED BY MAN'S REJECTION of the word OF GOD.

JEREMIAH Viii. 9.-The Wise Men are ashamed; they are dismayed and taken : lo, they have rejected the Word of the Lord, and what Wisdom is in them?

"The Wise ones are confounded,

They are dismayed, and ensnared;

Behold, they have spurned at the Word of Jehovah;

And as for Wisdom, what is there in them?"

Blayney's Translation.

IN my last discourse, I proposed to consider, at length, the following Scriptural doctrine:

That, in consequence of the Apostacy of Adam, all Men have sinned.

In pursuing this design I exhibited the Universality of sin, 1. From Revelation; and,

II. From Facts.

From each of these sources I adduced a series of proofs, which appeared to me to furnish a complete establishment of the doctrine. Still it will be useful to examine so important a subject in a variety of modes; and to learn in what manner other sources furnish evidence of this great Scriptural declaration. I propose, therefore, to illustrate the doctrine, at the present time, from another Fact; viz. the rejection of the Word of God by Mankind.

In the verse preceding the Text, the people of Judea are exhibited as saying, in the midst of all their apostacy and wickedness, We are wise, and the Law of the Lord is with us: that is, We are holy, or virtuous; and the Law of the Lord is possessed, understood, and obeyed, by us; is in our hands, in our minds and in our hearts. To this arrogant declaration the prophet replies, Lo, certainly in vain made he it! the pen of the Scribes is in vain; that is, "To you God has given his Law or Word, in vain; The false pen of the Scribes hath converted it into falsehood."*"The false interpretations of the Law by the Scribes have changed the Law itself in the form, in which they teach, and you receive it, into falsehood; and to you, therefore, notwithstanding its excellence, it is in vain."

* Blayney.

The wise men, themselves, he proceeds to observe in the text, are by these means ashamed, or confounded, and taken, or ensnared, in their own false interpretations and reasonings on the Law; and can form no consistent, no safe, scheme either of doctrine or practice. Nay, their mode of understanding, and explaining, the word of God is, in effect, an absolute rejection of it. Consequently there is no Wisdom, no holiness, or virtue, in them. Their rejection of the word of the Lord is a plain proof, that they are totally destitute of all moral good.

What was true of these Wise men, or Scribes, is unquestionably true of all other men in the like circumstances. To the Scribes the word of God was offered; and was enjoined on them with divine authority. They disliked and rejected it. This conduct proved them to be void of holiness. In like manner it has been offered to immense multitudes of other men, who have disliked and rejected it also. The consequence follows irresistibly, that they as well as these Isrealites, are void of holiness.

Holiness is plainly the only virtue, or moral excellence; the only character, which can recommend Intelligent beings to God. The Scriptures know of no other; and, although they call this character by different names, such as holiness, righteousness, goodness, and wisdom, they still mean, always, the same thing. Nor can Reason devise any other excellence of this nature. Holiness and Virtue are, therefore, synonimous.

The Doctrine of the Text, then, generally expressed, is this: The Rejection of the Word of God, is decisive proof, that those, who reject it, are destitute of Virtue, or moral excellence.

To illustrate this Doctrine, will be the object of the present Discourse; and the illustration will be derived from three considerations.

I. The Nature of the Word, which is rejected:

II. The Munner, in which it has been rejected:

III. The Doctrines, which those, who have rejected it, have preferred to it.

I. The Nature of the Word which is rejected, strongly illustrates this doctrine.

Under this head I observe,

1st. The Word, which is thus rejected, is the Law, or preceptive Will, of the Creator, and Ruler, of all things.

As God created us, he has the highest possible property in us, and the most absolute right both to us and our services. This right can be bounded by nothing but his pleasure. Whatever is his, he has an unlimited right to dispose of as he pleases; nor can any one warrantably say to him, in this respect, What does! thou? Hence his right to prescribe the manner, in which we and all other creatures shall be employed and disposed of, is plainly supreme. If, then, we refuse to render to him the obedience, which he requires in all, or any, of the cases, or degrees, prescribed by him; VOL. I.

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