themselves familiar with ideas of an atonement, which they revere as complete, although it neither satisfies justice nor procures reconciliation. So powerful is the influence of habit, that we use terms, without knowing their import, because we have been accustomed to them. But sure I am, that no man will, in the common concerns of life, in the courts of law, or in the public transactions of nations, consider that atonement as complete, which is not satisfactory, nor that satisfactory, which does not set future controversy aside, produce reconciliation, and exclude further punishment.

Atonement, of whatever kind, always implies a previous understanding between the parties, that what is offered, as such, by the one, shall be received, as satisfactory, by the other. A Sacrifice may indeed be made and is often made, without any antecedent agreement, and without any subsequent acknowledgment; but Atonement cannot possibly be considered irrespectively of a contract stipulating that the sacrifice shall be accepted as compensation for the offence. The offering, presented with intent to conciliate, may be in itself of little value, or it may be of transcendent worth; it may be effectual or ineffectual to its purpose, if no previous agreement exist: but atonement, being the satisfaction required and given for the injury; it is impossible to conceive of it as either indefinite or ineffectual. This would be to deny the doctrine of atonement altogether. It is probably the mistake of not distinguishing between the sacrifice itself, and the effect produced by it, that has occasioned so much diversity of opinion among Christians relative to the extent of the satisfaction given to divine justice by the death of the Son of God. The Sacrifice is intrinsically of infinite worth; but, the atonement produced by it, is defined by previous compact-The eternal Covenant of Redemption and of Grace.

It is then a peculiar excellency of evangelical religion, that it secures reconciliation with God upon the footing of perfect satisfaction made to divine justice for all the sins of Christ's spiritual seed. The Son of God became the Son of man also. He is himself the Priest, himself the Sacrifice, himself the Altar which sanctifies the gift. He acted in the name and in the room of his people. He said, It is finished: and God is well pleased. He, through the eternal Spirit, offered himself without spot to God; and by this one offering, he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

3. Evangelical religion, alone, secures to man a change of mind, by supernatural power, from sinfulness to holiness.

The benefits of pure morals are obvious to every one: and every scheme of religion proposes some restraints upon vice. The very idea of society, includes the use of means for the preservation of order, the maintenance of justice, and for the reformation or punishment of transgressors, in order to promote the public morality. Plans for instructing youth, in useful knowledge, for restraining their eager passions, and for establishing among all classes habits of regularity, have, in every part of the civilized world, been esteemed and recommended. The sense of right and wrong, so universal among mankind, refers, however, to a higher authority, than the spontaneous regulations of social life. Conscience derives its force from the consideration of some invisible superior, who is at once the Lawgiver, the Witness, and the Judge of moral conduct. Men's ideas of morality cannot, therefore, fail to be greatly affected, by the opinions which they entertain respecting the attributes of the object of their adoration: and the moral tendency of the doctrines, if it can be correctly estimated, furnishes an excellent criterion, at all times, of its truth and its worth. However numerous and powerful may be the other causes which affect the condition of morals in any community, we are able generally to learn from it the character of their gods and their worship; and for the same reason we may also conjecture what is the state of morality among a people from a knowledge of the attributes which they ascribe to their Deities. The licentious votaries of Comus, of Venus, and of Bacchus, as well as the ferocious followers of Thor, of Woden, and of Freya, will bear upon their hearts the image of their respective gods.

From the state of Society, from time to time, among the descendants of Abraham, it is not difficult to ascertain, whether they were most in the habits of worshipping the Lord God of Israel, or of bowing the knee to Baal, and sacrificing to Moloch.

While the moral tendency of the Christian religion evinces its decided superiority to every other system, it is peculiarly characterized by making effectual provision for the reformation of the heart and the life. This provision consists, not merely in furnishing the best instruction and the most powerful motives to a life of righteousness, but, principally, in giving absolute effect, to these means of improvement, by the power of the Holy Ghost. Revelation makes present always, to our immortal minds, one infinitely glorious God; the Creator and Governor of the universe, in whom we live, and move, and

have our being, and in whom all things consist. It makes him present to us, in the midst of our wants and our enjoyments, exclusively the object of our fears and our hopes. Jehovah, possessed of all perfection, without one discordant attribute, is himself wisdom, goodness, power, truth, love, immense, unchangeable, and eternal. This, Christian, is your God. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, one God: He is the object of your adoration; to him you are baptized; and from him you receive the blessing.

When God created man, he did not leave him to live at random. He impressed a law upon his heart. He reiterated his precepts with an Almighty voice from the flaming heights of Sinai. He wrote them on Tables of Stone. He gave them to us in the Bible: and he hath made an everlasting impression of them on the tables of our renovated hearts. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, This is the Covenant that I will make with them; after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them.

Christianity provides directions for every relation and every condition of life. It is a rule of conduct to the magistrate and minister, to the father and the son, to the husband and the wife, to the neighbour and the stranger; and especially to the whole household of faith. It is a lamp suspended over the path of the poor, the industrious, and the opulent, which gives light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. It allays resentment. It cherishes contentment. It encourages magnanimity, benevolence, and beneficence; and sanctifies the disposition to piety and truth, until the man of God be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

Evangelical religion describes holiness in the clearest terms; requires it by the purest precepts; illustrates it by the best examples; and urges it by the tenderest motives, and under the most awful and solemn sanctions: But it is peculiarly distinguished from every other kind of religion, of whatever name, by certainly providing for the communication of holiness to the mind of sinful man, by supernatural power. In this, the gospel stands alone. In recommending morality, other systems may imitate, though they cannot equal it; but, this alone provides the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.

Fallen man is, by nature, a sinner. He is dead in trespasses and in sins" wholly defiled in all the faculties and parts of soul and body. By this original corruption," I use the words of our ecclesiastical standards, "we are utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good. Man, by his fall, hath wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good--He is not able, by his own strength, to convert himself, or to prepare himself thereunto." Man is indeed naturally a moral agent. Intellect, he possesses; Conscience, he possesses; Will, he possesses. He is, consequently, a subject of moral law and government. He has the power of perceiving what is before him; the sense of right and wrong; and liberty of choosing his own course of life. These are moral faculties; they constitute him a moral agent. They are natural faculties; they are a part of the constitution of human nature: But no exertion of these faculties, unassisted by supernatural power, can possibly produce holiness. Enlarge them as you will; strengthen them, indefinitely, if you please; without divine grace, there is no ability to will or to do what is spiritually good. However powerful the intellect, it is still spiritually blind. However acute the moral sense, it is still the guilty conscience. However efficient the will, it is still but vigorous in evil. This is human nature corrupted. Give it what degrees of power you will; increase it again ten thousand fold; let it at once exert all its ability: This augmented natural ability, in all its exertions, is evil continually. It is impossible it were otherwise; for it is nature still. Whatsoever is born of the flesh, is flesh: and the carnal mind is emnity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. It is still corrupt nature. So then they that are in the flesh, cannot please God. There is no remedy, but a change of nature: and a change of nature requires supernatural power.

To be carnally minded, is death. Yes, brethren, it is death; and if there be natural ability in fallen man to effect upon himself regeneration of nature, then is death no longer the extinction, but the creator of life. Then, too, shall bodies form themselves from the dust: souls shall become their own creators: the dead shall by their own ability burst forth from their tombs: worlds shall call themselves into existence; and we shall cease to insult your understandings with the delusive evangelical message.

But, no! brethren; rather let every mouth be stopped, and all the world become guilty before God. I bring you good tidings. What is impossible with man, is possible with God. Although by nature dead, your life is hid with Christ in God. And you hath he quickened, who were dead in tres

passes and sins: For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works. It is the Spirit that quickeneth. Whatsoever is born of the Spirit is spirit. He that began this good work shall carry it on to the day of Jesus Christ. For whom he did predestinate, them he also called; whom he called, them he also justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified. We all with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, shall be changed into the same image from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord.

4. Evangelical religion secures for believers a title to a place in heaven, on account of the merits of another-the merits of their Redeemer.

By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Every religion, I am aware, proposes to its devout followers, exemption from endless punishment, and happiness in the world to come. So far, these systems occupy common ground with the gospel; and alas! many who profess the faith of Jesus Christ, are contented to occupy no more, through life, than common ground with them. They found their hopes of future happiness, upon some inherent or acquired excellency, distinguishing themselves from others of their fellowmen. These qualities, of their personal character, upon which their hopes repose, may, indeed, as custom, or education, or convenience dictates, be represented as conferred upon them by favour from on high; and thus, while they speak in terms of modesty, and cast the veil of affected humility, over their pride; they still rest their hopes of admission into heaven, upon some attribute of their own moral character, whatever may be the manner in which it was communicated or acquired. Ascribe, as you please, my hearers, the good qualities of your heart and life, to your natural constitution, to your improvement of opportunities, to your friends, to your education, to your church or country, to the general providence or the special grace of God; refer your personal goodness to whatever source, if you rest upon it your title to celestial blessedness, and make it the foundation of your faith and your hope, you subvert the gospel, and are not yet essentially different from the heathen. The righteousness of Jesus Christ, the Mediator, is alone the condition of the gracious