him with opprobrious Diftinctions, and load him with every Mark of Infamy; fully verifying that Truth in Scripture, "As he that was born after "the Flesh perfecuted him that was born after the Spirit, fo is it now." Thefe are notorious Facts. There are thofe among us who know they are guilty of fuch Things. Let me defire you to confider feriously what you are doing. The Oppofition you make is not to Man, but God. It does not proceed from a perfonal Diflike, but from a Hatred of what is good. You will not give God the Honour due unto his Name, and you would, to the utmost of your Power, prevent others from giving it. Reflect on your Conduct to your. own Child; to him in whofe Welfare your Happinefs was once centered; to him for whofe Improvement no Expence was thought too great. With what Tranfport did you confider him, while he advantageously ranged the Circle of the Sciences! And how did it inflame your Affection to reflect that Education, and the Love of Character, had preferved him from every Thing grofs! Who, then, in your Opinion, was more wife, who more religious? But why this Change in your Conduct? Why this Perfecution? Because he fees that the Form of Religion avails nothing; that the Power of it must be impreffed on the Heart; that, amidst the Variety of his Attainments, he was a Fool; being deftitute of the only Knowledge that could make him wife unto Salvation. He fees the Imperfection of his Obedience, and therefore labours to procure an Intereft in a better Righteoufnefs than his own. He fees the Sinfulnefs of drawing nigh unto God with his Lips, while the Heart is far from him; and therefore would worship him in Spirit and in Truth. On this Account, Favourite is funk in your Efteem. Formerly, it this was Your Endeavours Now, his is utmoft was your Study to please him. even anticipated his Defires. Intreaties cannot prevail for an Hour's uninterrupted Retirement, to hold Communion with his Maker. He, at whofe Sight your Heart ufed to leap for Joy, is now loathfome to you. Blufh then to confider your Averfion to what is good, when the very Sight of it can make you a Monster to your own Offspring. If ever God opens your Eyes, this Conduct will cost you a bitter Repentance. And, if that Mercy is not afforded you, our Saviour has already pronounced your Doom: "Whosoever fhall offend one of thefe little Ones that truft in it were better for him that a Mill-ftone were "hanged about his Neck, and he himself caft into "the Midft of the Sea."- You have feen then the Nature of Adam's Sin, and wherein it confifted; viz. in Ingratitude to his Maker-in difregarding his Threatenings-in believing the Devil in Preference to his Maker-and in depriving God of the Worship due to him from the whole Race of Mankind. And it has likewife been proved, that there very Inftances of Guilt run more or less through the whole Race of Mankind. But, perhaps, you'll afk, if we do not learn thefe Things one of another? they are born with us. Behold (fays “me, David) I was fhapen in Wickednefs, and in Sin did my Mother conceive me." Pfalm li. 5. This Depravity of Heart, this Averfion to what is Good, and Delight in what is Evil, we derived from our Parents, who derived it originally from their first Parent Adam. For, as Job obferves, Who can bring a clean Thing out of an unclean? Not one." If the Fountain-Head is corrupted, the Streams flowing p from it cannot be pure. Our firft Parent Adam was polluted with Guilt, and we, who defcend from him, cannot be untainted with it. Shall D 2 we we then fay that we are not Partakers of Adam's Guilt, when we have the very Seeds of it planted in our Nature, and which spring forth to Action as foon as we are capable of committing it? We may pretend to evade this, by faying that a Man cannot be guilty of what was done above five thou fand Years ago. But the God of Truth has declared, " By one Man's Difobedience many were "made Sinners ;" all that have proceeded from him hitherto, and fhall proceed from him to the End of the World. Nor was the Tranfgreffion venial, but fuch as merited Condemnation:" By "the Offence of one, Judgment came upon all "Men to Condemnation." And this was unto Death: "In Adam all die. All his Pofterity finned in him all partook of his Guilt; and are all therefore, by Nature, fubject to the Sentence of Condemnation. And this Condemnation is not merely temporal Death, but eternal Mifery: "The "Wicked fhall go into everlafting Punishment." -You have here a true, tho' difmal, Picture of what Man is by Nature: A corrupt, finful Creature, in open Rebellion against his Maker. Moreover, to this partaking of Adam's Guilt, he has added innumerable Inftances of actual Tranfgreffion; fince there is not ONE Commandment of God which we have not broken. For the Law requires Obedience in Thought, Word, and Deed; and if we fail in the least Point, we are guilty of a Breach of the Whole. Such then is Man. an innocent, upright Creature, one that has never done any great Harm, as fome fondly imagine; but a Rebel against his Maker both by Nature and Practice; and, as fuch, under a Sentence of Condemnation, which will be affuredly executed on him, if he dies without making his Peace with God. But how can he do it? He has contracted Not a Debt a Debt of ten thousand Talents, and has not whereu withal to discharge it. He has been guilty of Crimes against an infinite Being, and cannot pof fibly atone for them. The fincereft Repentance, the most bitter Remorfe, a future, and, if poffible, unfinning Obedience, are not fufficient for this Purpose. What then fhall he do? Shall he prepare himfelf to undergo the Punishment due to his Dif obedience? Alas! "Who can dwell with everlasting "Burnings?" Shall he lie down in Defpair Blef fed be God there is Mercy with him! There is Forgivenefs with him, therefore fhall he be feared. He hath made his only-begotten Son to be a Sacrifice for Sin. He hath freely offered him to Sinners. And, as a Proof of his unfpeakably Loving kindness, hath commanded it to be preached through out the World, that whofoever believeth in him fhall not perish, but have everlasting Life. May the Grace of God enable us to clofe heartily with this Mercy, before the Things which belong to our Peace are hid from our Eyes. Chrift is the only Way to Happiness, the only City of Refuge from the Purfuit of the Deftroyer. For whofoever hath not the Son, hath not Life, but the Wrath of God abideth on him. SERMON III. On JUSTIFICATION by FAITH only. JOHN III. 14, 15. As Mofes lifted up the Serpent in the Wildernefs; even fo muft the Son of Man be lifted up. That whofoever believeth in him fhould not perish, but have eternal Life. - E have, in the Words of the Text, a clear W Difcovery of the Method which God has ap pointed for the Salvation of Mankind: How Man fhould be reconciled to his offended Maker: How be fhould be faved from eternal Deftruction, which was the Punishment due to his Sins, both by Nature and Practice. And, as this is a Matter of the utmoft Confequence, it is happy for us that we are not left to guess at it from one or two obfcure Paffages, but have it plainly delivered to us in many Places of the Scriptures: All which amount to this, that there is no other Method of Salvation than by believing in the Death of Jefus Chrift. This is the Language of the New Teftament: "Chrift died for the Ungodly." Rom v. 6. "Chrift hath redeemed us from the Curfe of the Law, being "made à Curfe for us." Gal. iii. 13. "Chrift gave "himfelf |