rational faculties and powers, inftead of being employed in their Creator's fervice and to his glory; are turned as fo many engines of hell, to revile and blafpheme his ballowed name ;---thus, destruction and mifery is in their ways, and the way of peace they know not: there is no fear of GOD before their eyes *.

Yet in the midft of all this guilt and wretchedness, man, vain prefumptuous man, boasts of his high defcent, worth, and dignity :--he glories even in his fhame: fuch is the pride, infolence and folly, of this rebellious flave.

4. THISplainly fhews the exceeding deceitfulness of fin: the minds of men are blinded, and their hearts hardened by it; it hath put cut mens eyes, and bound their fouls with, the chains and fetters of innumerable destructive lufts; yet they know, they acknowledge it not.

SIN hath brought them in guilty before God, for which, they are fhut up in darkness as condemned criminals +, lying under fentence of death; yet they are not affected by it, nor troubled at it: yea they declare their fin as Sodom, they hide it not §; and whereas GoD is long-fuffering, and refpites the condemned finner, from day to day; they harden themfelves fo much the more in their rebellions against GOD, going about to justify themselves in their iniquity, and condemn him that is most juft. Thus,

* Rom. iii, 16, 17, 18. † John iii. 18, 19. § Ifai iii. 9.

Thus, because fentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, the hearts of the fons of men are fully fet in them to do evil *.

THE beart then of every man by nature, is above all things deceitful, because it is defperately wicked; it is full of fin, madness, and folly, whereby it deceives the foul, to harden himfelf against GOD; hence he continues to go on, adding iniquity unto iniquity, and treasuring up unto himself, wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of GOD, who will render to every man according to his works §; know therefore, O impenitent finner! that for all thy hard thoughts of GoD and hard fpeeches against him, GOD will affuredly bring thee into judgment,

5. AND laftly, guilt with corruption of nature attends every man's coming into the world; and is infeparable from his existing in the image of the earthly; how can he be clean that is born of a woman? This charge of fin alfo, and condemnation that attends it, is not by any human judgment or decree, but by the fpecial appointment and fentence of GOD; be affured therefore, that the judgment is most just; and thou art verily guilty of Adam's perfonal tranfgreffion : And as our common natural Head and Father could not prevent our being conftituted finners, and condemned E 4 when

Ecclef. viii. 11. ↑ Jer. xvii. 9. § Rom. ii. 5.

when we were found guilty before God; fo neither had he authority or power to make us finners and fubject to wrath, if we had not been found guilty in the fight of God and worthy of death, whofe judgment we know, is according to truth. Humble thyfelf therefore, O finner! before God; acknowledge thy original as well as actual fin, condemn thyself but justify GoD: beware that thou attempt not to clear thyself of the guilt of Adam's offence, because it was his perfonalat, for in fo doing thou condemneft GOD who hath imputed his fin unto thee: fay not then in thy heart, had I been in his place, I would not have been thus difobedient, for God, 'who knoweth all his works before they actually exist, knoweth affuredly, that thou wouldst have been difobedient as he was; but look thou to the SECOND ADAM, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, and fee how God is gracious to fallen man, and bath laid help for us upon the Son of his love, who was manifefted to take away our fins by fuffering for us in the flesh, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to GoD: for to him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in bim shall receive remiffion of fins *Now, &c.

SERMON III.

ROMANS V. 19.

be

As by one man's disobedience many were made finners, fo by the obedience of one shall many made righteous.

T was obferved in a former difcourfe on thefe words, that the text contains two general propofitions.

FIRST, the tranfgreffion of Adam with its deftructive influence on his pofterity.

SECONDLY, the righteoufnefs of CHRIST, with its faving influences on his people.

In confidering the firft, it was then proposed to bferve the following method.

1. To

1. To point out the perfon offending, and what was his offence.

2. To fhew who were the many here faid to be made finners, by his difobedience.

3. How they came to be affected by another's tranfgreffion, fo as to be made finners thereby.

4. By whom, or by what power and authority, they were judicially determined, or made finners.

5. MORE particularly, to fhew the extensive and destructive influence of this one man's difobedience.

6. How the curfe of GoD attends it, and why.

LASTLY, conclude with fuitable inferences.

HAVING already difcuffed the four first heads of my difcourfe, I proceed to the fifth; viz. more particularly, to confider the extenfive and deftructive influence of this one man's difobedience, which I fhall endeavour to fhew.

1. FROM fcripture.

2. FROM inconteftible facts, and experience.

3. FROM