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sometimes been introduced, woven by the ingenuity of man; wise regulations have been adopted, and the most promising theories have been recommended, and have for a time received the applause of mankind: but the depravity of the human heart has soon broken through all these things, as if they had been spiders' webs. Regardless of all consequences, under the influence of this evil principle, men rush into forbidden wickedness; hence the world is so full of crimes, and human life is made so wretched! Education may restrain these evil propensities, and human laws may curb the prevailing licentiousness and iniquity, but these cannot implant a new principle, these are not able to overcome the corruption of the human heart. A sound education, and equitable laws, are good things, and are of vast importance in every state; but they are defective through the innate depravity of the human race; something still further is requisite, and that is the the influence of true religion.--Therefore, we observe,

3. How highly we ought to prize the glorious Gospel of our Lord and Saviour, where a remedy is provided for this deeply-rooted evil! With respect to the guilt of original sin, we are assured that "the offering of Christ once made

is that perfect redemption, propitiation, and satisfaction, for all the sins of the whole world, both original and actual; and that there is none other satisfaction for sin but that alone."* Divine revelation declares, for our comfort, that God has "opened a fountain for sin and uncleanness;" that Christ shed his precious blood on the cross in order to cleanse us from all sin and unrighteousness, and to redeem us from all iniquity. In the exercise of penitence and faith therefore we must apply unto him, that we may be cleansed from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. We are bound to "thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord," that deliverance and salvation have been provided for us by virtue of his atonement. We should also bless God for having promised to give unto us the renewing grace of the Holy Spirit, to change our hearts, to sanctify our souls, and to make us "partakers of the divine nature." "The laver of regeneration" is provided in the Gospel, and "the renewing of the Holy Ghost is shed abundantly "on all believers." If we have been duly humbled under a sense of our depravity and guilt, we shall gladly avail ourselves of these effectual remedies. We shall desire to "put off concerning the former

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• Art. xxxi. y Rom. vii. 25. z 2 Pet. 1. 4. a Tit. iii. 5. "I thank God," &c." I ery unto God," &c.-Syriac.

conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts. And we shall long to be renewed in the spirit of our mind, and to put on that new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness:" that "as we have borne the image of the earthly," that is, of Adam, "we may also bear the image of the heavenly," that is, the image of our glorious Redeemer Jesus Christ.

b

Ephes. iv. 22-24,

c 1 Cor. xv. 49.

SERMON III.

THE DIVINELY APPOINTED MEANS OF

PURIFICATION FROM SIN.

PSALM LI. 7, 8, 9.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.

IN our last Discourse we were led by the confession of the penitent King, to consider the important doctrine of Original Sin, or innate depravity, as the source of those numerous pollutions which defile the life of man. We found that after an humble acknowledgment of his actual transgressions, he pro

ceeded to declare with deep sorrow of heart, that he was conceived in sin and brought forth in iniquity that although his parents were righteous before God, yet he was born in a state of sinful infirmity, and was prone to go astray even from his birth.

We endeavoured to show from other declarations in the sacred volume, from the history of mankind in every age, and from the condition of the world around us, that this confession of David may be applied to every child of fallen Adam; that human nature is depraved and inclined to evil; and that this principle of iniquity has often burst forth like a raging torrent, in defiance of numerous restraints, and has deluged the earth with sorrow and wretchedness. We also perceived that nothing short of a principle of divine grace, could effectually counteract this tendency to evil; that education and human laws might check, but could never of themselves remove, the desolating stream of depravity; but that the Holy Scriptures set before us the true remedies for this universal evil, by providing a source of purity, with respect to its pollution, and by opening a new fountain of life and blessedness. The Psalmist refers us to these remedies in the words of the Text, Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean, &c.

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