"CHRISTIAN." He traces the wickedness of mankind to a spirit of independence, which has led them to cast off God altogether, and to live without him in the world. This has given a peculiarly forcible turn to all his statements, wherein he marks the whole of our defection from God, in terms corresponding with his primary idea. And he does this, not so much by a reference to passages of Scripture, which might be thought overstrained, as by an appeal to our own judgment and conscience, which cannot but assent to every word he speaks. In his statements, too, there is a surprising depth; so that he appears as if he were acquainted with every motion of the heart. We are not aware of any writer that equals him in this respect. Others have their peculiar excellencies, in which they may surpass him; but in this, which is of primary and fundamental importance, if he do not surpass all, it may at least be said of him, that he is second to none. There is a very extraordinary force in his statements also, as arising from this circumstance, that he scarcely ever draws a character, without contrasting it with others which might be mistaken for it, and marking with astonishing precision every variety of disposition and feeling which shall distinguish it from those characters to which it is most nearly allied. Suppose, for instance, he portrays the feelings of a careless sinner under any circumstances, he brings into view the feelings of one who gives himself credit for a religious turn of mind, and shows how small the difference between them is, in the sight of God; and then marks how wide the distance of both of them is, from that which characterizes the truly pious soul. In fact, for the attainment of self-knowledge, we cannot but recommend this book as of singular value. And as it is free from that species of phraseology with which many religious books abound, we cannot but look upon it as pre-eminently fit to be put into the hands of those who are liable to be offended by the use of particular expressions, and who are sufficiently thoughtful to investigate and digest the salutary truths contained in it. C. S. Cambridge, February, 1825. CONTENTS. SERMON I. THE SINFULNESS AND MISERY OF MAN. PSALM xiv. 2, 3.-The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doth good, no, not one, Page 35 Complaint of the general unconcernedness about salvation, ib. Yet the Gospel a glorious salvation, 36 Faith in Christ, and the new creature, contain the sum of it, 38 By man's apostacy, dishonour is brought upon God's go He has lost the image of God, and is left in a state of unfit- 48 51 SERMON II. THE HELPLESSNESS OF MAN. ISAIAH Ixiii. 5.—And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold, Man cannot help himself, or compose the difference sin hath Nor put on the disposition of a creature, 55 Jesus Christ is able to succour sinners, having taken away all the dreadful circumstances that follow upon sin: and, withal, he is willing to do so, He hath fully vindicated, and restored God's injured glory, by his obedience even unto death, He is as willing to save as he is able, A review of the whole, in an expostulation with the sinner, 89 The sinner sensible of his misery and helplessness, More particularly, is come to him for pardon and peace with God, through the alone merit of his death and righteousness, 97 And to be rescued from the slavery of sin and Satan, ib. And by his meekly following the Holy Scriptures, A daily communication between the Saviour and real believer, 103 The believer is to labour after a deeper sense of his being lost and undone in himself, ib. To aim at more enlarged views of the fulness of Christ, ib. ib. A change wrought by the grace of God upon the heart, pro- The character of the careless sinner and the formalist, |