every new sun that rose, rejoicing like a strong man to run his race brought him in every day new subjects of godly thought and of admiring praise; and it was only for that reason that he could delight to look on them. The flowers that appeared on the earth-the singing of birds, and the voice of the turtle heard throughout the happy land—the fig tree putting forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grapes giving a good smell-all these combined to bring in to him at every pore a rich and varied tribute of pleasantness. And why? Just because they brought into the soul rich and varied communications of the manifold grace of Jehovah. For, just as you may have seen a child on earth devoted to its earthly parent-pleased with everything when he is present, and valuing every gift just as it shows more of the tenderness of that parent's heartit with that genuine child of God. In God he lived, and moved, and had his being; and not more surely would the blotting out the sun in the heavens have taken away that light which is so pleasant to the eyes, than would the hiding the face of God from him have taken away the light of his soul, and left nature a dark and desolate wilderness. when Adam fell, the fine gold became dim-the system of his thoughts and likings was just reversed. Instead of enjoying God in everything, and everything in God, everything now seemed hateful and disagreeable to him, just in as far as it had to do with God.

-So was

But

When man sinned, then he feared, and hated Him whom he feared; and fled to all sin just to flee from Him whom he hated. So that, just as you may have seen a child who has grievously transgressed against a loving parent, doing all it can to hide that parent from its view-hurrying from his presence, and plunging into other thoughts and occupations, just to rid itself of the thought of his justly offended fatherin the very same way when fallen Adam heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day— that voice which, before he sinned, was heavenly music in his ears-then did Adam and his wife hide themselves from the presence of the Lord, among the trees of the garden. And in the same way does every natural man run from the voice and presence of the Lord not to hide under the thick embowering leaves of Paradise, but to bury himself in cares, and business, and pleasures, and revellings. Any retreat is agreeable, where God is not any occupation is tolerable, if God be not in the thoughts. Now I am quite

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sure that many of you may hear this charge against the natural man with incredulous indifference, if not with indignation. You do not feel that you hate God, or dread his presence; and, therefore, you say it cannot be true. But, brethren, when God says of your heart, that it is desperately wicked," yea, unsearchably wicked-who can know it? when God claims for himself the privilege of knowing and trying the heart-is it not presumptuous in such ignorant beings as we are, to say that that is not true, with respect to our hearts, which God affirms to be true, merely because we are not conscious of it? God saith that "the carnal mind is enmity against God"-that the very grain and substance of an unconverted mind is hatred against God—absolute, implacable hatred against him in whom we live, and move, and have our being. It is quite true that we do not feel this hatred within us; but that is only an aggravation of our sin and of our danger. We have so choked up the avenues of self-examination—there are so many turnings and windings, before we can arrive at the true motives of our actions that our dread and hatred of God, which first moved man to sin, and which are still the grand impelling forces whereby Satan goads on the children of disobedience these are wholly concealed from our view, and you cannot persuade a natural man that they are really there. But the Bible testifies, that out of these two deadly roots-dread of God and hatred of God-grows up the thick forest of sins with which the earth is blackened and overspread. And if there be one among you, brethren, who has been awakened by God to know what is in his heart, I take that man this day to witness, that his bitter cry, in the view of all his sins, has ever been: "Against thee, thee only have I sinned.”

If, then, dread of God, and hatred of God, be the cause of all our sins, how shall we be cured of the love of sin, but by taking away the cause? How do you most effectually kill the noxious weed? is it not by striking at the root? In the love of Christ to man, then-in that strange unspeakable gift of God, when he laid down his life for his enemies when he died the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God-do not you see an object which, if really believed by the sinner, takes away all his dread and all his hatred of God? The root of sin is severed from the stock. In His bearing double for all our sins, we see the curse carried away-we see God reconciled. Why

should we fear any more? Not fearing, why should we hate God any more? Not hating God, what desirableness can we see in sin any more? Putting on the righteousness of Christ, we are again placed as Adam was with God as our friend. We have no object in sinning; and, therefore, we do not care to sin. In the 6th chapter of Romans, Paul seems to speak of the believer sinning, as if the very proposition were absurd. “How shall we, that are dead to sin"—that is, who in Christ have already borne the penalty— "how shall we live any longer therein?" And again he saith, very boldly: "Sin shall not have dominion over you"-it is impossible in the nature of things" for ye are not under the law, but under grace "-ye are no longer under the curse of a broken law, dreading and hating God; ye are under grace -under a system of peace and friendship with God.

I

But is there any one ready to object to me, that if these things be so-if nothing more than that a man be brought into peace with God is needful to a holy life and conversation-how comes it that believers do still sin? answer, it is indeed too true that believers do sin; but it is just as true that unbelief is the cause of their sinning. If, brethren, you and I were to live with our eye so closely on Christ bearing double for all our sins-freely offering to all a double righteousness for all our sins; and if this constant view of the love of Christ maintained within us—as assuredly it would, if we looked with a straightforward eye -the peace of God which passeth all understanding-the peace that rests on nothing in us, but upon the completeness that is in Christ-then, brethren, I do say, that, frail and helpless as we are, we should never sin-we should not have the slightest object in sinning. But, ah! my friends, this is not the way with us. How often in the day is the love of Christ quite out of view! How often is it obscured to us!-sometimes hid from us by God himself, to teach us what we are. How often are we left without the realizing sense of the completeness of his offering-the perfectness of his righteousness, and without the will or the confidence to claim an interest in him! Who can wonder, then, that, where there is so much unbelief, dread and hatred of God should again and again creep in, and sin should often display its poisonous head? The matter is very plain, brethren, if only we had spiritual eyes to see it. If we live a life of faith on the Son of God, then we shall assuredly live a life of holiness. I do not say we ought to do so; but

ere any of you, then, brethren, desirous of being made f being delivered from the slavery of sinful habits and as? We can point you to no other remedy but the Christ. Behold how he loved you! See what he you-put your finger, as it were, into the prints of s, and thrust your hand into his side; and be no more , but believing. Under a sense of your sins, flee to the of sinners. As the timorous dove flies to hide itself revices of the rock, so do you flee to hide yourself in nds of your Saviour; and when you have found him shadow of a great rock in a weary land-when you r his shadow with great delight-you will find that slain all the enmity-that he hath accomplished all rfare. God is now for you. Planted together with n the likeness of his death, you shall be also in the of his resurrection. Dead unto sin, you shall be

to God.

e love of Christ to man constraineth the believer holy life; because that truth not only takes away and hatred, but stirs up our love. When we are to see the reconciled face of God in peace-that eat privilege. But how can we look upon that conciling and reconciled, and not love him who loved us? Love begets love. We can hardly >m esteeming those on earth who really love us, I worthless they may be. But, ah! my friends, e are convinced that God loves us, and convinced a way as by the giving up of his Son for us all,

we but love him in whom are all excellences— ng to call forth love? I have already shown you Gospel is a restorative scheme; it brings us back to e state of friendship with God which Adam enjoyed, s takes away the desire of sin. But now I wish to u, that the Gospel does far more than restore us to e from which we fell. If rightly and consistently d by us, it brings us into a state far better than

It constrains us by a far more powerful motive. ad not this strong love of God to man shed abroad eart; and, therefore, he had not this constraining o make him live to God. But our eyes have seen

this great sight. Before us Christ hath been evidently set forth crucified. If really we believe, his love hath brought us into peace, through pardon; and because we are pardoned and at peace with God, the Holy Ghost is given us. What to do? Why, just to shed abroad this truth over our hearts-to show us more and more of this love of God to us, that we may be drawn to love him who hath so loved us—to live to him who died for us and rose again.

It is truly admirable to see how the Bible way of making us holy is suited to our nature. Had God proposed to frighten us into a holy life, how vain would have been the attempt! Men have always an idea, that if one came from the dead to tell us of the reality of the doleful regions where dwell, in endless misery, the spirits of the damned, that that would constrain us to live a holy life; but, alas! brethren, what ignorance does this not show of our mysterious nature ! Suppose that God should this hour unveil before our eyes the secrets of those dreadful abodes where hope never comes; nay, suppose, if it were possible, that you were actually made to feel for a season the real pains of the lake of living agony, and the worm that never dies; and then that you were brought back again to the earth, and placed in your old situation, among your old friends and companions; do you really think that there would be any chance of your walking with God as a child? I doubt not you would be frightened out of your positive sins; the cup of godless pleasure would drop from your hand-you would shudder at an oath-you would tremble at a falsehood; because you had seen and felt something of the torment which awaits the drunkard, and the swearer, and the liar, in the world beyond the grave; but do you really think that you would live to God, any more than you did that you would serve him better than before? It is quite true you might be driven to give larger charity; yea, all your goods to feed the poor, and your body to be burned; you might live strictly and soberly, most fearful of breaking one of the commandments, all the rest of your days; but this would not be living to God; you would not love him one whit Ah! brethren, you are sadly blinded to your curiously formed hearts, if you do not know that love cannot be forced; no man was ever frightened into love, and, therefore, no man was ever frightened into holiness.

more.

But thrice blessed be God, he hath invented a way more powerful than hell and all its terrors—an argument mightier