complaisance to him sullying the beauty of his holiness, and falsifying his truth. But let God be true, and every man a liar.” (Rom. iii. 4.) He hath spoken, and who shall disannul it? He is in one mind, and who shall turn him back ?" (Isai. xiv. 27. Job xxiii. 13.) Better, far better, is it for us to bow at present before his unchangcable law, and trembling at the sanction, fly to the only door of hope, than, trusting on lying vanities, be covered with confusion, when the devouring storm shall come, and sweep away every refuge of lies; (Isui. xxviii. 17.) when he shall rain upon the ungodly, snares, fire and brimstone, storm and tempest, this shall be their portion to drink." (Psal. xi. 6.)

I am about to open to you, my brethren, the curse and "wrath of God revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men." (Rom.i. 18.) A subject we are most interestedly concerned in; forasmuch as this unrighteousness is found in every soul of us; before God's bar can "no man living be justified." (Psal. cxliii. 2.) May the awful terror of God's judgments force us to take refuge in the arms of his grace, under the shadow of whose wings we may be safe; where no deluge of wrath, no devouring scourge, no curse can reach us.

I shall endeavour to shew,

I. That in the natural course of things the curse of God's broken law must fall upon every sinner's head.

II.

The dreadfulness of that curse: and,

III. Add a word of application.

I. In the primary natural course of things, the curse of a broken law must fall upon every sinner's head. That we are all sinners is proved. As sinners, wrath is due to us and pronounced. against us.. Can we escape it, is the question.

By no powers of our own is it possible: sin once committed cannot be undone. By two ways men usually seek to escape the wages of sin.

By sorrow for the past, and doing better for the time to come." But neither of these can heal the breach.

(1.) Sorrow for the past will not cancel the obligation to suffer the punishment of transgression. This is the first refuge of lies to which proud man betakes himself. But what will this avail? Will fountains of tears, day and night, wash out the stains from our conscience, or blot out our sin from God's book? They can no more stop the course of God's law than the cries of the criminal who is convicted for murder, or the tears of the debtor who is arrested for his extravagancies, can stay the execution of human justice. Besides, what is the cause of most of this sorrow? Is it any thing more than a selfish fear of deserved punishment? And can this be any compensation for the dishonour shewn to God's Laws? But be it what it will, the divine Law knows no language, but " pay me what thou owest ;" and in default thereof, delivers over to the tormentors. God's word is, "The soul that sinneth it shall die." (Ezek. xviii. 4.) Every sinner is a convict in law. The sentence only remains to be passed, and then execution will be made upon every attainted soul.

But, (2.) We generally place greater hopes on our doing better for the time to come. This usually goes by the name of true repentance; a little sorrow for the past, and a good resolution for the future: but alas! this is as vain and fruitless as the other.

Suppose yourself as good as your word. Suppose you really could do what you say, could turn from every evil way, and live henceforth as pure as an

angel? Would that secure you? Alas! your present and future obedience would be no more than the Law required. You would be "an unprofitable servant, doing no more than was your duty to do." (Luke xvii. 10.) You would have nothing over. Your past offence must remain as before and it must therefore render all your subsequent services in vain. You would not, it is true, be condemned for present iniquity; but what would that avail, if still you must answer for the past? Tell your creditor, you are deter mined to run no more in arrear, will he give you a receipt in full on that condition? You see then, even on this supposition, sin once committed becomes indelible by you.

But the supposition you can thus do better, and the promise of doing so are chimerical. Were you to hear a man, who after repeated essays never yet was able to finish one wheel or part of one, engaging to complete some grand and curious machine, on any penalty which might be inflicted; I know not whether you would blanre most his ignorance or his arrogance yet not so great as yours, who resolve upon perfect obedience to God, after such frequent experience of inability to keep one of his commandments. Until Until you can cease to be a corrupted creature, you cannot cease to transgress; and if so, what I pray you, can your future conduct be but a sequel to the past, adding sin unto sin? and will a corrupt walk now atone for the same before?

But will not both these together, sorrow for the past, and sincere though imperfect obedience for the time to come, avail for me with God? Will he not pleased if I do my best? I answer,

You neither do the best you can, and that best is bad too.

You do not the best you can. Who will dare to say that he doth really keep every one of God's commandments to the uttermost of what he might have done? Let any man but reflect upon his conduct one day, and see whether he hath not done things which he ought and might not have done; and left undone what he might have accomplished, for the glory of God and for the good of his neighbour. We could no more stand. the plea of doing our best, than of obeying in perfection.

2

But after we had really done our best we should only have increased our condemnation: for what is our best, our very righteousnesses? Are they capable to stand the severity of God's judgments Can they appear before the holy law of God? Will they challenge the rewards of obedience ? So far from it, that the very iniquity of our holiest things must have one to bear it, or we are undone. And why? because the corruption of our nature defileth all we do. The best deeds of the natural man are wholly unclean, have not a spark of spiritual goodness in them. "For who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean ?" (Job xiv. 4.) whilst the heart of a renewed man being so but in part, enough of defilement mixes. in his best duties, to render them incapable of bearing the scrutiny of the Law of God. *

The consequence then is, that if we stand on the footing of our own obedience to the rule of our duty, we fall inevitably under the curse; nor can any method we can devise or make use of enable us to escape its execution. We must sufferor perform. The latter is impossible, therefore the former must be our portion. Which leads me,

See Article XII. and XIIL

II. To consider what is the import of the threatning God hath declared against the transgressor, or the dreadfulness of the curse denounc ed. The security of sinners arises from a disbelief or misapprehension of the real wages of sin. Nor is there a soul who is saved from the curse of the Law, but would look upon sin in a more hateful light, if he really and fully apprehended the wrath revealed against it.

I will wave at this time the numberless evils that are the present wages of sin; though these might fill volumes. The pains, the diseases, the, calamities, the afflictions, the misery and distresses, which in this present time are the portion of the sinner; and death itself, the last and most dreaded of all. We may be assured from what we already see and feel, that "it is a fearful thing indeed to fall finally into the hands of the living God." (Heb. x. 31.) If these are but "the beginning of sorrows," what must the fulness. and completion of them be?

I would pause a moment, that solemn awe might fix upon every mind, when we are entering. on a subject so tremendous. It is what you and I, my brethren, have the most deep and intimate concern in. We are the sinners to whom. the wages of sin are due. One transgression only deserves this wrath; what will it then be, when sinners have filled up the measure of their iniquities, and as the sand of the sea their transgressions are numberless? Q! for a heart of flesh to tremble for others and for ourselves.

If any scorners hear or peruse these lines, I shall expect to be called uncharitable, or a melancholy enthusiast, and they will feel their heart provoked "to kick against the pricks. But, sinner, know that these are the true sayings. of God, Thou must deny his word before thou