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SERMON II.

The Helplessness of Man.

ISAIAH LXIII. 5.

And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold.

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O fooner had Adam finned, than he felt the terrible Confequences which Sin ever brings with it. Reflect a Moment upon the Circumstances he was in, when now having tranfgreffed the divine Commandment, he beard the Voice of the Lord God walking in the Garden. Confcience in Alarm proclaimed his Guilt, and prevented the Accufation, Thou haft eaten of the forbidden Fruit. The Curfe founded in his Ears, In the Day that thou eateft thereof, thou shalt furely die. GOD was at hand, to inflict the Vengeance. What fhould the Wretch do? He dared not fstand the once-beloved Countenance of GOD. Nor _ C

did

did he reflect, how vain it was to think of flying from his univerfal Prefence. Foolifhly he bid himself amongst the Trees, till the Voice of GOD commanded him forth. Sin inftantly begets an abhorred Iffue in the Soul, the Confufion of Guilt, Diflike of GOD, and a Dread of Vengeance. Adam was afraid, and bid himself.

Our God is a confuming Fire (z) to Sinners, Sin cannot endure his Majefty. Sin, difhonorable to GOD, and apprehenfive of his avenging Arm, doth not like his Presence.. Say thou, who haft weighed the Confequences of Sin with any Confideration; Is it a light Thing, that thou haft difhonored GOD, and provoked his Wrath upon thy Head? Canft thou well bear to think of him, who, ftrict in Juftice and almighty in Power, is thy Enemy and Avenger? Art thou not ready to act over again the fad Folly of Adam; to hide thyfelf from God's Prefence; to drown the too terrible Reflexion in Care or Pleafure, till God call thee forth and will be attended to? It is well if thou hearken to that Voice, though the Sound of it be terrible to thy Soul. Well will it be with thee, if in this thy Day thou lay to Heart the Confequences of thine Iniquities, while yet there is Hope; if, though with Trembling and Aftonishment, thou art made to feel the State of a Sinner, that most deplorable State of (≈) Heb. xii. 9.

being

being a Rebel, alienated from all Efteem of GOD and Fitness, for his Glory, and an Heir of Vengeance and Rejection. Then with an interesting Concern thou wilt enter with me into this farther Inquiry, whether thou canst remove these Confequences from thee; whether thou canft reftore the Honor thou haft taken away from the Governor of the World, bring back thy Soul to a Creature-like Difpofition, without which thou must remain incapable of tasting spiri tual Happiness, or averting GOD'S Vengeance.

I MUST be allowed to tell you, you can

not.

THIS was the fecond Point.

AND, upon this Particular, I fhall wifh to drive you to the Diftrefs of Jonah's Mariners; having raised a Tempeft about you, to leave you without any other Hopes of Safety, than by cafting forth into the Sea your Selfconfidence. You may be apt to look for Security and Salvation, and Healing the Breach that Sin hath made between GOD and you, by Labor and Repentance, purely your own. As the Mariners did, you may be rowing hard to this Land to fave yourfelves, unwilling to throw yourfelves upon Mercy as otherwife loft. But when you fhall not be able; when you fhall find, that you cannot truft in any thing you can do, ither to glorify GOD, to recover Purity of C 2 Heart,

Heart, or to fatisfy his Juftice; then with unwonted Attention you shall confider that mighty Redeemer, who is come to restore the Breach, and tenderly waits to hide and cherish you under the Covering of his bealing Wings.

I SAY therefore, that having been found guilty of Sin before the Majefty of GoD, thereby you have difhonored him, in fuch a Manner alienated yourself from God, that you are unfit for his Prefence and Glory, and have intailed an eternal Curse upon you, But from these Confequences you cannot rescue yourself.

I WOULD engage you to obferve the Connection there is between these Confequences of Sin. It is notorious, that the Rebellion of Man's Will and Way difhonors God as the Governor of the World. This Rebellion hath destroyed all Capacity of Happiness in the Creature with the Creator, though in him only it is poffible that a reasonable Being can be bleffed, while the Glory of God, and the evil Difpofitions of Man's rebellious Nature, lead directly to a State of endless Banishment from God's Prefence, and of avowed and most required Punishment, Till God be glorified, till Man be humbled, the Separation between the Creator and Creature remains; and the Iffue, on the one Part and the other, must be Man's Ruin for-ever.

GOD

GOD remaining difhonored and Man rebellious, the Event is Enmity and Death. If therefore you would compofe the Difference Sin hath made between GoD and you,—you must render back all the Glory you have deprived GOD of,-you must put on the Difposition of a Creature, you must fatisfy the Demands of infinite Juftice. See now how incapable you are to effect either of these.

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First, IF you would remove the Confequences of Sin from you, you must render back the Glory to GoD you have deprived him of. I will fuppofe you fenfible, that by your Sins and Rebellion you have difhonored GOD your Maker and Governor, and that you are willing to do all in your Power to render back that Glory to him. I will fuppofe you too, with the utmost Purity of Heart and Integrity of Life, returned to your Allegiance; and that with fuch a Simpicity in yourself, your conftant earnest Endeavour is to promote God's Glory in the World, by all the Influence you have upon others. But now, even in this Cafe, you will not advance a Step towards repairing the Dishonor which your past Sins have brought upon GOD. For what by fuch a Conduct are you doing, more than your Duty? Or was it not your Duty to have been with GOD always, as I fuppofe you now to be? It is true by fuch an humble C 3 De

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