Keeping this in view, what is needful for our present purpose is plain. Our Saviour informs Nicodemus of God's proposed mercy, and of the means by which it was procured; and declares the necessity which man, as a fallen sinner, was under, of a new and spiritual birth, to render him capable of the advantages proposed to him, and of the appointed and only sacrifice for sin, of which all others were typical. He informs him, that they had a figure and a representation in the Old Testament Church, which, in connexion with the prophecies respecting the Messiah, might have instructed them that the fulness of time, or the predicted time, was come, when all should be fulfilled. For as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up. That as, in the one case, those who were bitten of actual venomous serpents, were cured by beholding the brazen serpent-so, in the other case, the soul bitten and poisoned by the venom of sin, might be healed by beholding the Lamb of GOD lifted up on the cross, to take away the sins of the whole world.

Of the necessity of that renewal which a spiritually dead creature must obtain, to render him capable of spiritual things, expressed under the figure of a new birth, or birth from above, he chides Nicodemus for being ignorant.-Art thou a master in Israel, and knowest not these things? Seeing that both the institution of sacrifice, which is an acknowledgment of guilt and forfeited life on the part of the offerer, and the very reason of the thing, require such a change to pass upon us. That which is born of the flesh is flesh.—By your natural birth you have no title to a heavenly inheritance, nor any qualification for it. The one can only be obtained by faith in me-the other, by repentance towards GoD, wrought in the heart by the HOLY GHOST, and bringing forth fruit unto holiness of life. And this birth from above, this renewal of the SPIRIT, is only to be obtained by believing in my Person-embracing my doctrine-entering my Church by baptism, and continuing therein as my disciple. Except a man be born of water and of the SPIRIT, he cannot enter into the kingdom of GoD—either that kingdom which I am come to set up and establish in the world, or that higher, but, at present, invisible kingdom, to which the profession of my religion is a

preparatory and indispensable step. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Therefore, I am come into the world to gather into one the children of GoD scattered abroad, to fulfil the law and the prophets--to declare the way of God more perfectly, and by tasting death for every man to open a new and living way, through faith and holiness, to eternal life. Thus is light come into the world; that light which is the life of men; and this light is witnessed both by the law and the prophets, and confirmed by my doctrine and miracles. For GOD sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world but men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil.

Thus do we perceive, my hearers, the connexion of the particular passage before us, not only with this conversation, but with the whole gospel. It is, in fact, the germ of the gospel, and contains in itself, as in a seed, both the root and the branches of that glorious dispensation of grace under whose saving influence it is our unspeakable privilege to be placed. God hath given his only begotten Son, and that well beloved Son hath come, and shed the light of life over a benighted and sin-enslaved world. And yet what numbers refuse to come to this light; and for the old reason, because their deeds are evil. What multitudes cling to the world as their hope, though they know it is with themselves hasting to vanish away! And what still greater numbers care for none of these things, but flutter down the stream of time, amused with the bubbles which burst on its surface-occupied with the vanities which perish as they are gained-or engaged in plans and expectations which promote the advantage of one with the injury, perhaps the misery, of numbers. Yet these all have souls, immortal souls, too, and for which CHRIST hath paid his blood. These must all be judged by the word spoken unto them, and suffer the eternal forfeit of God's love derided, his mercy despised, his revealed wrath dared, unless they come to repentance, and flee to that VOL. II.-18

cross which is at one and the same time the release and the condemnation of sin and sinners. To this they are invited by the love of God, and commanded by his authority-to this they are drawn by every motive which is known to have force with reasonable creatures, and, beyond all, by the tremendous truth contained in my text and enforced throughout the gospel, that without an interest in CHRIST they must perish for ever; which brings me to the

II. Second point proposed, which was, to explain what is so clearly implied in the text, that but for the coming of CHRIST man must have perished.

It is but to consider the nature of sin and its effect on the sinner, my brethren, to comprehend the value and efficacy of this unspeakable gift to a world of sinners. Sin is any want of conformity to the pure and holy nature of GOD. Of course there can be no fellowship or agreement between the sinner and GOD. Nor on the part of the sinner is it wished—the holiness of GOD being that attribute in Deity which the habitual sinner is most at war with. But more particularly, sin is the wilful transgression of any express command of GOD. Now this cannot take place, without setting at nought both the authority and the goodness of GOD. So that sin, in its nature, comprehends rebellion, contempt, and ingratitude. These enter into the very elements of sin; and where they exist, as they do in every sinner, though he may not be conscious of them without reflection, it is plainly impossible that any union should continue between the parties.

The effect or consequence of sin is two-fold, as respects GoD and as it respects ourselves.

As respects God. Seeing he is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity, and cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance, it must at once cut off the sinner from whatever state of favour he was previously in. And as it is moreover direct rebellion against his sovereign authority, as supreme lawgiver, it calls loudly for the vindication of that authority, by the infliction of the punishment due to and denounced against it.

Hence, as respects GOD, the inevitable consequence of sin is, renunciation, wrath, and punishment.

As respects ourselves, the effect or consequence of sin is, separation or excision from GOD; and this virtually, by raising the standard of rebellion in our hearts, against his authority and government-and actually, by siding with his enemy. And were there nothing more, no farther consequences to be apprehended, this in itself would be destruction; for to be cut off from the only source of all comfort, hope, and blessing, without a possibility of return, is, in fact, to an immortal creature, to perish forever.

But this separation or excision from GOD because of sin, involves further the loss of his HOLY SPIRIT, which is the principle of life-spiritual life in the soul; the depravation of all the faculties of the mind, and the decay and death of the body. Hence, natural evil is the consequence of sin, and had no place in the creation of God until sin, entertained in the will and perfected in the act by the first man, opened a door for all its plagues to enter in and overwhelm us.

Now if the nature and effect of sin be as I have very briefly stated it, my hearers, and my warrant is the word of God, what must become either of an individual or of a world in such a situation? Is it competent to the rebel lying at mercy to settle the conditions on which he is to be forgiven? Is it competent to the offender to say what satisfaction shall be sufficient to compensate for his offence? Or is this the prerogative of the party rebelled against and offended? Let common sense and common usage teach us wisdom in this infinite interest. But But suppose the punishment and penalty could be, by us, either borne or escaped from, or satisfied in any way, what becomes of the distance it hath put between GoD and our souls? How is that barrier to be removed? Can a human hand wrest the flaming sword that guards the tree of life from the hand of the cherubim, and regain the Paradise from which sin hath driven him out? But let us admit even this monstrous proposition. Would Paradise or Heaven be such to the sinner? And is the creature, the work of another hand, able to re-create himself? Can he who hath lost the image of GoD restore it to himself? Will the HOLY SPIRIT return at his bidding, and renew him in the spirit of his mind, and restore what sin hath decayed? Alas! here is an im

pregnable barrier which we cannot force, and without which God is but lost to us for ever. Every way, therefore, we are undone in ourselves. Hope is cut off, and heaven barred against us. And thus we see how man could not but have perished for ever, had JESUS CHRIST never been given. He only could make the required satisfaction for the sins of the whole world. He only was worthy to be heard in our behalf. None other than a divine person could make that atonement which balanced and overweighed the infinite demerit of sin. And none other than the only wise GoD could so have met our want with the riches of his grace, as is displayed in the gospel; where mercy and truth are met together, righteousness and peace have kissed each other-where sin is pardoned and justice satisfied-the sinner reclaimed and holiness established-death conquered and immortality brought to light-GoD glorified and the sinner saved-hell overcome and heaven replenished by the cross of CHRIST. Well did St. Paul say, GOD forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of my LORD JESUS CHRIST. And O that the millions to whom this saving doctrine is plainly set forth by the preaching of the word would but consider the bearing it has upon their eternal interests; that they would so meditate upon the gracious and merciful purpose which clothed him in our nature and stretched him upon the cross, as to prepare for his second advent in glory, to judge the world, to triumph over his enemies, and reward his servants. O come that blessed day when trial will be over, suffering at an end, and CHRIST be glorified in all his saints-when the Church triumphant shall celebrate the praises of her God and Saviour, in hosannas lasting as eternity!

But to attain this joyful and glorious hope, my brethren, the gracious purpose wherewith God was pleased to give his only begotten Son, must be answered; which brings me to the

III. Third head I proposed to speak of, which was to point out the nature of the salvation thus wrought out for us. To understand this aright and to apply it profitably we must consider the nature and extent of our undoing.

As this undoing extended both to body and soul, the salvation wrought out for us by CHRIST reaches to the same extent,