plary justice he will do himself upon us, that "he is God, and there is none else?" We have drawn a curtain over his glory, nor doth he yet make it his glory to appear; he suffers it to be hid a little space; but he will magnificently glorify himself in the day of his vengeance, and "all the earth shall know that God is the Lord." You may make light of sin, now that ye see not the hand of justice yet stretched out; ye may take little account of the dishonour ye do unto God in the strange forgetfulness of your ways; but hear what the God of truth saith, he who changeth not, and whose words shall not fail: "The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked." "The soul that sinneth, shall die." And, "The wrath of God is revealed from heaven, against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men." Not to multiply passages; throughout the gospel revelation, the offers made us of mercy do ever suppose us to be in a lost and undone state, by reason of sin. The established appointment and decree of God in heaven and earth is, "The wages of sin is death." By the punishment of sin, God will maintain his glory, which the insolence of sin seems to have deprived him of, till the recompense of vengeance "make his mighty power to be known." Lay it to heart, then, whoever you are: you have sinned, provokingly rebelled against your Maker; and how "fearful a thing is it to fall into the hands of the living God!" Let me suggest to you the certainty of that wrath, the eternity of that vengeance, the depth and horror of that Tophet,

the fury of that fire, which the breath of the Lord kindles. If sin, like a devouring army, hath already brought desolation after it; if it hath entailed the curse of God upon nature, and upon ourselves; judge, then, what store of vengeance is prepared for it against that day, when it shall be fully rewarded. But whatever that vengeance be, sin hath made you all the children and heirs of it. This is the last consequence of man's apostacy; it hath brought the curse of God upon us. The great Governor of the world" will not let sin go unpunished."

And now, "what shall we say to these things?" You cannot deny the accusation. "The whole world is guilty before God." You cannot dispute the consequences. You must own, that you have dishonoured God's government, and set yourself at a deplorable distance from God and happiness, and incurred his avowed wrath. Sad state of a sinful world! Methinks, in such a view of ourselves, every heart should be struck with an awful suspense, with a sacred dread about the issue. That trembling anxiety, which seizes every breast, upon occasion of some more solemn execution, when the hand is now lifted up to strike the blow, should possess our souls. And yet I have another consideration to add, when we meet again, which must abundantly contribute to increase our apprehension. But I shall dismiss you for the present, with this awakening passage of Scripture, which you will find in the sixth chapter of Genesis, which introduces God's denunciation of vengeance upon the first

world:- -"God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy man, whom I have created, from the face of the earth; for it repenteth me that I have made them."

The application is both easy to be made, and terrible to be thought of.

SERMON II.

THE HELPLESSNESS OF MAN.

ISAIAH lxiii. 5.

And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold.

No sooner had Adam sinned, than he felt the terrible consequences which sin ever brings with it.Reflect a moment upon the circumstances he was in, when now having transgressed the divine commandment, he "heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden." Conscience in alarm proclaimed his guilt, and prevented the accusation, "Thou hast eaten of the forbidden fruit." The curse sounded in his ears, "In the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die." God was at hand to inflict the vengeance. What should the wretch do? He dared not stand the once beloved countenance of God. Nor did he reflect, how vain it was to think of flying from his universal presence. Foolishly he hid himself amongst the trees, till the voice of God commanded him forth. Sin instantly begets an abhorred issue in the soul, the confusion of guilt, dislike of God, and a dread of vengeance-" Adam was afraid, and hid himself."

Our God is a consuming fire," to sinners: sin cannot endure his majesty. Sin, dishonourable to God, and apprehensive of his avenging arm, doth not like his presence. Say thou, who hast weighed the consequences of sin with any consideration, is it a light thing that thou hast dishonoured God, and provoked his wrath upon thy head? Canst thou well bear to think of him, who, strict in justice, and almighty in power, is thy enemy and avenger? Art thou not ready to act over again the sad folly of Adam; to hide thyself from God's presence; to drown the too terrible reflection in care or pleasure, till God call thee forth and will be attended to? It is well if thou hearken to that voice, though the sound of it be terrible to thy soul. Well wilt it be with thee, if in this thy day thou lay to heart the consequences of thine iniquities, while yet there is hope; if, though with trembling and astonishment, thou art made to feel the state of a sinner, that most deplorable state of being a rebel, alienated from all esteem of God and fitness for his glory, and an heir of vengeance and rejection. Then, with an interesting concern, thou wilt enter with me into this farther inquiry, Whether thou canst remove these consequences from thee; whether thou canst restore the honour thou hast taken away from the Governor of the world, bring back thy soul to a creaturelike disposition, without which thou must remain incapable of tasting spiritual happiness, or averting God's vengeance?

I must be allowed to tell you, you cannot.