to his rebellious creature, till then incorruptible and immortal, "and to dust thou shalt return." How finely (but with what a mixture of light and darkness) does the Heathen poet touch upon this change? Post ignem etherea domo subduxerat. "After man had stolen fire from heaven." (What an emblem of forbidden knowledge!) Magna et nova febrium, &c. that unknown army of consumptions, fevers, sickness, pain of every kind, fixed their camp upon earth, which till then they could no more have entered, than they could have scaled heaven and all tended to introduce and pave the way for the last enemy, death. From the moment that awful sentence was pronounced, the body received the sentence of death in itself; if not from the moment our first parents completed their rebellion, by eating of the forbidden fruit. May we not probably conjecture that there was some quality naturally in this, which sowed the seeds of death in the human body, till then incorruptible and immortal? Be this as it may, it is certain that, from this time, "the incorruptible body has pressed down the soul." And no marvel, seeing the soul, during its vital union with the body, cannot exert any of its operations, any otherwise than in union with the body, with its bodily organs. But all of these are more debased and depraved by the fail of man, than we can possibly conceive: and the brain, on which the soul more directly depends, not less than the rest of the body. Consequently, if these instruments, by which the soul works, are disordered, the soul itself must be hindered in its operation. Let a musician be ever so skilful, he will make but poor music, if his instrument be out of tune. From a disordered brain, (such as is, more or less, that of every child of man,) there will necessarily arise confusedness of apprehension, showing itself in a thousand instances; false judgment, the natural result thereof, and wrong inferences; and from these, innumerable mistakes will follow, in spite of all the caution we can use. But mistakes in the judgment will frequently give occasion to mistakes in practice: they will naturally cause our speaking wrong in some instances, and acting wrong in others; nay, they may occasion not only wrong words or actions, but wrong tempers also. If I judge a man to be better than he really is, in consequence I really love him more than he deserves. If I judge another to be worse than he really is, I shall in consequence love him less than he deserves. Now both these are wrong tempers. Yet possibly it may not be in my power to avoid either the one or the other.

2. Such are the unavoidable consequences of having these treasures in earthen vessels. Not only death and its forerunners, sickness, weakness, and pain, and a thousand infirmities, but likewise error in ten thousand shapes, will be always ready to attack us. Such is the present condition of humanity! Such is the state of the wisest men! Lord, "what is man, that thou art still mindful of him, or the son of man, that thou regardest him?"

3. Something of this great truth, that the "corruptible body presses down the soul," is strongly expressed in those celebrated lines of the ancient Poet: speaking of the souls of men, he says,

"Igneus est ollis vigor et celestis origo

Seminibus, quantum non noxia corpora tardant,
Terrenique; hebetant artus moribundaque membra."
— — —“These seeds of heavenly fire,

With strength innate, would to their source aspire ;
But that their earthly limbs obstruct their flight,
And check their soaring to the plains of light.”

4. But suppose it pleased the All-wise Creator, for the sin of man, to suffer the souls of men in general, to be weighed down in this miserable manner, by their corruptible bodies; why does he permit the excellent treasures which he has intrusted to his own children, to be still lodged in these poor earthen vessels? Would not this question naturally occur to any reflecting mind? perhaps it would; and therefore the Apostle immediately furnishes us with a full answer: God has done this, that "the excellency of the power might be of God, and not of us:" that it might be undeniably plain, to whom that excellent power belonged that no flesh might glory in his sight, but that all who have received this treasure, might continually cry, "Not unto us, but unto thee, O Lord, be the praise, for thy Name and for thy Truth's sake."

5. Undoubtedly this was the main design of God, in this wonderful dispensation, to humble man, to make and keep him little, and poor, and base, and vile, in his own eyes. And whatever we suffer hereby, we are well repaid, if it be a mean of hiding pride from man; of laying us low in the dust, even then, when we are most in danger of being lifted up by the excellent gifts of God.

6. Nay, if we suffer hereby, from the mean habitation of the immortal spirit; if pain, sickness, and numberless other afflictions beside, to which we should not otherwise have been liable, assault us on every side, and at length bear us down into the dust of death: what are we losers by this? Losers! No; "In all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." Come on then, disease, weakness, pain: afflictions, (in the language of men.) Shall we not be infinite gainers by them? Gainers for ever and ever! Seeing "these light afflictions, which are but for a moment, work out for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory!"

7. And are we not, by the consciousness of our present weakness, effectually taught wherein our strength lies? How loud does it proclaim, "Trust in the Lord JEHOVAH, for in him is everlasting strength!" Trust in him who suffered a thousand times more than ever you can suffer! Hath he not all power in heaven and in earth? Then, what though

“ The heavenly treasure now we have

In a vile house of clay!

Yet he shall to the utmost save,
And keep it to that day."

POTTA, June 17, 1790.

SERMON CXXVII.

ON LIVING WITHOUT GOD.

"Without God in the World.”—EPHESIANS ii. 12.

1. PERHAPS these words might be more properly translated, Atheists in the world. This seems to be a little stronger expression, than without God in the world;" which sounds nearly negative, and does not necessarily imply any more than, the having no fellowship or intercourse with God. On the contrary, the word Atheist is commonly understood to mean something positive, the not only disclaiming any intercourse with him, but denying his very Being.

2. The case of these unhappy men may be much illustrated by a late incident; the truth of which cannot reasonably be doubted, there having been so large a number of eye-witnesses. An ancient oak being cut down and split through the midst, out of the very heart of the tree, crept a large toad, and walked away, with all the speed he could. Now how long, may we probably imagine, had this creature continued there? It is not unlikely it might have remained in its nest above a hundred years. It is not improbable, it was nearly, if not altogether, coeval with the oak; having been some way or other enclosed therein, at the time that it was planted. It is not, therefore, unreasonable to suppose, that it had lived that strange kind of life at least a century. We say, it had lived! But what manner of life? How desirable! How enviable! As Cowley says,

"O life, most happy and most dear!

O life, that Epicures would long to share!"

Let us spend a few thoughts upon so uncommon a case, and make some improvement of it.

3. This poor animal had organs of sense, yet it had not any sensation. It had eyes, yet no ray of light ever entered its black abode. From the very first instant of its existence there, it was shut up in impenetrable darkness. It was shut up from the sun, moon, and stars, and from the beautiful face of nature. Indeed from the whole visible world, as much as if it had no being.

4. As no air could penetrate its sable recess, it consequently could have no hearing. Whatever organs it was provided with, they could be of no use, seeing no undulating air could find a way through the walls that surrounded it. And there is no reason to believe, that it had any sense analogous to those either of smelling or tasting. In a creature, which did not need any food, the second would have been of no

possible use. Neither was there any way, whereby the objects of smell or taste could make their approach to it. It must be very little if at all, that it could be acquainted with the general sense, that of feeling as it always continued in one unvaried posture amidst the parts that surrounded it, all of these being immovably fixed, could make no new impression upon it. So that it had only one feeling from hour to hour, and from day to day, during its whole duration. 5. And as this poor animal was destitute of sensation, it must have equally been destitute of reflection. Its head, (of whatever sort it was,) having no materials to work upon, no ideas of sensation of any kind, could not produce any degree of reflection. It scarcely, therefore, could have any memory, or any imagination. Nor could it have any locomotive power, while it was so closely bound in on every side. If it had in itself some springs of motion, yet it was impossible that power should be exerted, because the narrowness of its cavern could not allow of any change of place.

6. How exact a parallel may be drawn between this creature, (hardly to be called an animal,) and a man that is without God in the world! Such as are a vast majority of even those that are called Christians! I do not mean that they are Atheists in the common sense of the word. I do not believe, that these are so numerous as many have imagined. Making all the inquiry and observation I could for upwards of fifty years, I could not find twenty who seriously dibelieved the Being of a God: nay, I have found only two of these, (to the best of my judgment,) in the British Islands: both of these then lived in London, and had been of this persuasion many years. But several years before they were called to appear before God, both John S- and John B- were fully convinced that there is a God, and, what is more remarkable, they were first convinced that he is a terrible, and then, that he is a merciful God. I mention these two accounts, to show, not only that there are real literal Atheists in the world, but also, that even then, if they will condescend to ask it, they may find "grace to help in time of need."

7. But I do not mean such as these, when I now speak of those who are Atheists, or, "without God in the world." But of such as are only practical Atheists, as have not God in all their thoughts: such as have not acquainted themselves with him, neither have any fellowship with him: such as have no more intercourse with God or the invisible world, than this animal had with the visible. I will endeavour to draw the parallel between these. And may God apply it to their hearts!

8. Every one of these is in exactly such a situation with regard to the invisible, as the toad was in respect to the visible world. That creature had, undoubtedly, a sort of life, such as it was. It certainly had all the internal and external parts, that are essential to animal life. And, without question, it had suitable juices, which kept up a kind of circulation. This was a life indeed! and exactly such a life is that of the Atheist; the man without God in the world. What a thick veil between him and the invisible world; which, with regard

to him, is as though it had no being. He has not the least perception of it; not the most distant idea. He has not the least sight of God, the intellectual sun; nor any the least attraction toward him, or desire to have any knowledge of his ways: although his light be gone forth into all lands, and his sound into the end of the world, yet he heareth no more thereof than of the fabled music of the spheres. He tastes nothing of the goodness of God, or the powers of the world to come. He does not feel, as our Church speaks, the working of the Holy Spirit in his heart. In a word, he has no more intercourse with, or knowledge of, the spiritual world, than this poor creature had of the natural, while shut up in its dark enclosure.

9. But the moment the Spirit of the Almighty strikes the heart of him that was till then without God in the world, it breaks the hardness of his heart, and creates all things new. The Sun of Righteousness appears, and shines upon his soul, showing him the light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. He is in a new world. All things around him are become new. Such as it never before entered into his heart to conceive. He sees, so far as his newly opened eyes can bear the sight,

"The opening heavens around him shine,
With beams of sacred bliss."

He sees, that he has "an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous," and that he has "redemption in his Blood, the remission of sins." He sees a "new way that is opened into the Holiest by the blood of Jesus ;" and his light "shineth more and more unto the perfect day."

10. By the same gracious stroke, he that before had ears but heard not, is now made capable of hearing. He hears the voice that raiseth the dead, the voice of Him that is the Resurrection and the Life. He is no longer deaf to his invitations or commands, to his promises or threatenings, but gladly hears every word that proceeds out of his mouth; and governs thereby, all his thoughts, words, and actions. 11. At the same time he receives other spiritual senses, capable of discerning spiritual good and evil. He is enabled to taste as well as to see, how gracious the Lord is. He enters into the Holiest by the Blood of Jesus, and tastes of the powers of the world to come. He finds Jesus's love far better than wine; yea, sweeter than honey or the honey-comb. He knows what that meaneth, "all thy garments smell of myrrh, aloes, and cassia." He feels the love of God shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost which is given unto him: or, as our church expresses it, "feels the working of the Spirit of God in his heart." Meantime it may easily be observed, that the substance of all these figurative expressions is comprised in that one word FAITH, taken in its widest sense; being enjoyed more or less, by every one that believes in the name of the Son of God. This change from spiritual death to spiritual life, is properly the New-Birth: all the particulars whereof are admirably well expressed by Dr. Watts in one verse: