shame, and confusion; trouble and pain, afflictions and death, are the unhappy effects of that dreadful fall.The crown is fallen, and the excellency of man is gone, and all the world lieth in wickedness. That which is born of the flesh is flesh all are corrupted, unclean and defiled, from the crown of the head, even to the sole of the feet. We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness is as filthy rags. Enemies to God by wicked works;-loving darkness rather than light, be cause our deeds are evil. Eating sin like bread, and drinking iniquity like water; holding fast deceit, and refuse to let it go. All the imaginations of man's heart, are only evil and that continually. Man, in consequence of sin, is a most obstinate, hard-hearted, and stiff-necked creature; full of presumption, vanity and hypocrisy, falsehood and covetousness. This corruption is the same in its nature in all the children of men, all over the terrestrial globe. The blooming youth and the aged sire, the strongest giant and the feblest invalid, the noble prince and the humble peasant, are all exposed to the same death. With equal pace, As the cottage gate. Corruption, sin or ungodliness, is the same in its nature in all, though it may differ in degrees; and it is all the same in design, that is, to reject the law of God, the rule of life. We said that is an universal depravity. It is a deluge that has overflown the whole habitable globe. The enemy is come in like a flood. The laws, and the violation of those laws; the prisons, the gallows, and various punishments that are invented in different parts of the world, to prevent vice and immorality, evidently prove the universality of this deluge of corruption. The sac rificing of the pagans to false gods, and their divers washings, in various rivers, shew the hand writing on their consciences; that under a feeling sense of their depravity, they are afraid of punishment. Mene tekel, is written on the heart of every individual of the human race. There is none of them exempted from that fear that hath torment; notwithstanding their endeavors to hide it, and to be full of boldness in the service of sin and satan. This deluge of depravity is so unfathomably deep and so outrageously rapid, that it is only by the grace of God, we can come out of it. But his arm is not shortened that he cannot save, and his ears are not deaf to the cries of sinking sinners. Thus we see, that depravity and death, is not only the truth revealed in the Bible; but it is stamped on the minds, the conduct, and the conversation of All the inhabitants of the earth. As the effects, so the cause must be.However it is only the light of divine revelation, that shows the origin of human depraviy. Again, this depraved principle manifesteth itself, by the wicked and ungodly actions of men. As the tree, so the fruit will certainly be. As the smoke and sparks of the chimney shew, that there is fire within; so all the filthy conversation of men, and all the unfruitful works of darkness evidently prove the fountain from whence they proceed is full of impurity and abominations. The speech of men betrayeth them. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. The throat as an open sepulchre is the clearest evidence, that the man is gone out of the way, and is become altogether unprofitable. Foolish talking and jesting, the corrupt communication that proceed out of the mouth, shew a bad heart. Evil speaking proceeds from malice and envy. Cursing and swearing evidently prove the heart is not right win God. Because of swearing the land mourneth. When the mouth is full of cursing and bitterness, the throat an open sepulchre, the poison of asps under the tongue, the feet swift to shed blood, destrustion and miseries in all the man's ways and he an entire stranger to the way of peace; who will dare to say that such a man is not de. praved? It is vain to serve God. What profit is it that we should keep his commandments. Who is the Lord that I should obey him? is the language of a depraved -hell deserving mortal. When we see reasonable creatures worshipping the work of their own hands; sacrificing to devils; and idols of gold and silver, brass, stone and wood, which neither can see nor hear nor walk; changing the glory of the uncorruptible God to an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and to four footed beasts, and creeping things; we see the effects of the depravity of the human heart. False religion, persecution, and apostacy are the bitter fruits of the same tree. Gluttenness, drunkenness, adultery; robery, murder and all manner of sinful actions, are strong evidences of the corruption of human nature. In addition to what we have said, we might mention, the neglect of duty to God and man. We should know and fear the Lord; we should love and obey him, praise and adore him. We should believe and trust in him, pray unto him, submit to his government, and be holy in all manner of conversation. We should love our neighbor as ourselves, be just and honest in our dealings, be merciful and ready to forgive. We say, the neglect of these, and all other duties too numer. ous to be mentioned now, proves that there is something wrong within. Religion should begin with the heart, but should manifest itself in the general conduct. thing in this way: Suppose a large grave yard, surroun ded by a high wall, with only one entrance, which is by a large iron gate, which is fast bolted. Within these walls are thousands and ten thousands of human beings, of all ages and classes, by one epidemic disease bending to the grave-the grave yawns to swallow them, and they must all die. There is no balm to relieve-no physician there they must perish. This is the condition of man as a sinner. All have sinned, and the soul that sinneth shall die. While man was in this deplorable state, Mercy came down and stood at the gate, looked at the scene and wept over it, exclaiming, "Oh that I might enter, I would bind up their wounds, I would relieve their sorrows, I would save their souls." While Mercy stood weeping at the gate, an embassy of angels, commissioned from the court of Heaven to some other world, paused at the sight, and Heaven forgave that pause; and seeing Mercy standing there they cried, "Mercy, can you not enter? Can you look upon that scene and not pity? Can you pity and not relieve?" Mercy replied, "I can see;" and in her tears she added, "I can pity, but I cannot relieve." "Why can you not enter?" "Oh," said Mercy, "Justice has barred the gate against me, and I cannot, must not, unbar it." At this moment Justice himself appeared, as it were to watch the gate. The angels inquired of him, "Why will you not let Mercy in?" Justice replied, "My law is broken, and it must be honored-die they, or Jesus must!" At this, there appeared a form among the angelic band like unto the Son of God, who addressing himself to Justice, said, "What are thy demands?" Justice replied, "My terms are stern and rigid: I must have ignominy for their honor-I must have death for their life-Without shedding of blood, there is no remission." "Justice," said the Son of God, "I accept thy terms. On me be this wrong, and let Mercy enter." "When," said Justice, "will you per form this promise?" Jesus replied, "Four thousand years hence, upon the hill of Calvary, without the gates of Je. rusalem, I will perform it in my own pèrson." The deed was prepared, and signed in the presence of the angels of God. Justice was satisfied, and Mercy entered, prea. ching salvation in the name of Jesus. The deed was committed to the patriarchs, by them to the kings of Israel and the prophets-by them it was preserved until Daniel's seventy weeks were accomplished-then, at the appointed time, Justice appeared on the hill of Calvary, and Mercy presented to him the important deed. Justice said, "where is the Son of God?" Mercy answered, "Behold him at the bottom of the hill, bearing his cross" -and then she departed, and stood aloof at the hour of trial. Jesus ascended the hill, while in his own train followed his weeping church. Justice immediately pre. sented him with the deed, saying, "This is the day when this bond is to be executed." When he received it, did he tear it in pieces, and give it to the winds of heaven? No; he nailed it to his cross, exclaiming, "It is finished." Justice called on holy fire to come down and consume the sacrifice. Holy fire descended-it swallowed his Humanity, but when it touched his Deity it expired! and there was darkness over the whole heavens-but glory to God in the highest, on earth peace and goodwill to men.' II. We would notice the sinner's restoration to the favor of his offended God. Much more the grace of God hath abounded unto many. It is through the abounding grace of God alone, that sinners are restored to his favor. That abounding grace is manifested in the gift spoken of in the text; and the glorious work is accomplished by the one man Christ Jesus. By grace ye are saved through faith; and |