prevailing, his strength was withered, by the touch of him with whom he strove

but, withal,

"I will not

The woman

66

he lets him not go. No, saith he, let thee go, except thou bless me." of Canaan did this. Jesus himself repels her: calls her, almost in direct terms, a dog. But, be it so; then, as a dog, she will come, and turn the very reproach into an argument. Truth, Lord; yet the dogs under the table eat of the childrens' crumbs." Yea, and more than all, Jesus himself did this, in the days of his flesh. He has taught us, by his own example, always to pray, and not to faint: and that under circumstances more hopeless, to sense, than any other

we can conceive. He was called to drink that bitter cup of wrath which our sins had mingled. He well knew the awful necessity there was for this, if any soul of man were to be saved. The whole intention of his coming was for this very thing. All the salvation of his elect depended thereupon. All the glory of his Father hung upon his obedience herein. Yet, even so, he prays. Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me." "Being in an agony, he prayed more fervently.” “He went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words." It was not for him, at that moment, to reason, but to pray. He was sure, prayer could not be

in vain; and vain it was not.

in that he feared."

"He was heard,

The Lord teach you and me, dear brethren, to do likewise: "always to pray, and not to faint." Amen!

SERMON VIII.

LIFE BY CHRIST

REIGNING ABOVE DEATII BY ADAM.

ROM. V. 17.

For if, by one man's offence, death reigned by one, much more, they which receive abundance of grace, and of the gift of righteousness, shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.

IN the verses connected with my text, the Apostle is contrasting the ruin introduced by Adam, with the recovery, the more than recovery out of it, by Christ: and he shows, here, the abundant ground of confidence which believers have, that, as they died in Adam, so they shall live, yea, reign in life, by Jesus Christ. His subject brings with it the contemplation of that deeply mysterious, but undeniable fact,—the implication of the whole human family, in the guilt, and so the curse, of Adam's transgression.

This mystery of God the apostle asserts, again and again, here, in the compass of a few verses.

66

66

66

By one man, sin entered into the world, and death by sin and so, (ourws, in this way,) death passed upon all men, (diñλ0εv, passed on, in succession, from one to another,) for that all have sinned." (ver. 12.) Through the offence of one, (Tou ivòs,) many be dead." (ver. 15.) By the offence of one, (or by one паρаπтúμатоç,) judgment came to condemnation." (ver. 18.) By one man's disobedience, many were made sinners:" (auapTwλoi KαTEσTálnσav) Mark, not sufferers only, but sinners: involved in guilt, along with him.

offence, di' ivòs

66

upon all men,

Such is the reiterated testimony of inspiration, as to the share of Adam's children, in the guilt, and ruin, consequent upon his first transgression. And, in the 13th and 14th verses of this chapter, the irresistible evidence of facts is appealed to, by the apostle, for its truth. Having asserted, that men are dealt with as sinners in Adam, that death passed upon all men, in this, and no other way, he adds, parenthetically, by way of proof, For, until the law, sin was in the world:" that is, Before ever the Mosaic law was given, for the personal violation of which men might be thought to die, sin was chargeable upon them: "But sin is not imputed, (is not so chargeable,) where there is no law;" for, it is

66

clear, there can be no transgression, where there is no command to be transgressed. "Nevertheless, death reigned:" that is to say, We have, yet, the evidence of facts, that sin was so chargeable, and that, even upon infants. "Death reigned, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression :" had never, personally, violated a known law, not even of natural conscience, as might be pleaded of adults. What remains, therefore, but that the sin thus charged, and by which death reigns, even over infants, is, (as he set out to prove,) the violation of the law of creation, in Adam: 66 who," adds the apostle, "is the figure, (or type, rúros,) of him that was to come:" who stood, like Christ, as the representative of his seed; and communicated to them all that belonged to him, in his federal capacity: innocence, continuing in his innocence; and sin and ruin, when he fell.

The constitution of God in nature, and his constitution in grace, are, in their principle, exactly alike. (See verses 18, 19; and 1 Cor. xv. 22.) In each, men are regarded, in the first instance, not as separate, independent beings; but, collectively, as united under one common head, one individual of them, who stands for all his seed, before God: so that, as he is, they are, in the judgment of God, which is "accord