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boundless mercy of God. This mercy the sinner rejects -rejects while he knows that he cannot be saved by justice-rejects after it has been offered ten thousand times, and with love-rejects while spiritual death preys upon him, and while eternal death is before him. Is not this great pride-great slighting of a holy God? Is it not suicide? This mercy is free and infinite, and we are in need of it, and this is what renders us so odious in the rejection of it.

II. The power which it despises.

How odious is that man who despises the power of a good ruler; what a destitution of sense and wisdom does he exhibit! How great the crime to contemn a judge when acting uprightly! Now God is king over all, not by a delegated, but by an inherent right; so is he "the judge of all the earth." He cannot but do right, and in his arm is almighty power. The sinner despises his power, and refuses to respect him as a lawgiver, governor, and judge. Every act of sin is a despising of the power which forbids it. Yea, sinners challenge God to exert his power; as profane swearers, for example. They no more respect his power than if he had none, and act as if he had none. And his power is exerted only for the happiness of the universe. There must be, then, something awfully wicked in the sin which despises it.

III. The ingratitude which it manifests.

Ingratitude, even to men, is one of the most odious traits of character. The greater the goodness bestowed, the greater the ingratitude. Now God is our Father, and every blessing which we receive comes from him. He is our Redeemer, and O the infinite love which that redemption manifests! For all these favours the sinner feels no gratitude. He is thoughtless, even in the most favourable view which we can take; he murmurs, and is discontented. That love which God displays in his redemption

he will not accept nor reciprocate, but turns his back upon it. Yea, he reviles his Saviour, and stabs him to the heart. For proof, see how the Saviour was treated when on earth. Thus is he treated now; for ye are at enmity against him. Sin has lost none of its peculiarities. O hellish ingratitude! O frightful sin! what is thy nature ?

IV. Sin is "exceeding sinful," for it is rebellion against God.

It is very difficult to decide when men have a right to rebel against "the powers that be." But all admit that we have no right to rebel against a good government. How exceedingly wicked, then, must be rebellion against God; for he has,

1. A perfect right to our obedience, as our Creator and Preserver. We are owned by him. This world is his; subject to his power, governed by his laws.

2. His government is wise and just. None can fathom the wisdom exhibited in his natural, intellectual, and moral laws; nor his justice, displayed in all his works and ways; they are infinite.

3. His government would secure the greatest possible amount of happiness to every man. This follows from his infinite benevolence. Men have found it so in proportion to their obedience; as in the blessings of society.

4. He is holy. By consequence, he hates sin. The sinner knows this, but he willingly offends this holiness. Sin must be "exceeding sinful," because holiness abhors it. Every act of sin is rebellion. How far is rebellion carried, notwithstanding the restraints of God's grace! What would sin do were these restraints removed! It would destroy all that is dear, all moral right, and even dethrone the Deity! Proof is found in the crucifixion of Christ.

We see from this subject,

1. Why one sin justly exposes us to the wrath of God. One sin combines all this rejection of the mercy and contempt of the power of God; all this ingratitude and rebellion. And it is against him who hath done so much for us!

2. The necessity of regeneration. God is holy, and we are sinful; and can we hope to partake of his happiness without partaking of his nature? His nature is far differ

ent from ours.

"Ye must be born again.”

XIX.

SIN .... EXCEEDING SINFUL.-Rom. vii, 13.

So

SUCH is human nature, that in order to induce men to break off their sins, it is necessary to show them not only what sin is in its nature, but also what it is in its consequences. Little do sinners think of the nature of their acts if they are not followed by evil consequences. deep is the sleep into which we are fallen, that nothing but an appeal to our feelings can wake us. Let us endeavour to show that sin, in its consequences, is an exceedingly great evil. This will appear evident if we consider,

I. The happiness which it rejects.

Had man remained in a state of innocence he would have been perfectly happy as a physical, intellectual, moral, and social being. But sin closed the fountains of happiness, and opened those of misery. The gospel comes to open the former, and eternally close the latter. If all men would act according to it, they would here secure happiness almost as great as that which was lost, and be perfectly happy hereafter. But sin destroys the happiness of man,

1. As a physical being. It leads him to those courses which impair all his physical powers; it induces disease, pain, and death. He does not, as he might, merely wear out. "The years of the wicked shall be shortened."

2. As an intellectual being. The mind is affected by the body; its power is not half as great as it might be, and of course cannot, in its exercise, result in so much happiness. Intellectual pursuits are also attended with pain.

3. As a moral being. He loses an approving conscience, a blessed hope, and satisfied desires. He loses all that happiness which the most holy Christian enjoys.

4. As a social being. If the gospel were obeyed universally there would be no oppression, wars, or other national evils. How rapidly would men then make progress in those arts and sciences which would increase the blessings of life! We lose by sin all these advantages, as well as all the delight which would result from a perfect state of brotherhood.

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5. As an immortal being. The gospel proposes to raise us, not to an earthly, but to a heavenly paradise; to all the happiness of angels. How useless to attempt a description of the joys of heaven! Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." They are infinite and eternal. But sin prevents our yielding to the gospel, and leads us to reject all this happiness. Is it not, then, "exceeding sinful?”

II. The misery which it brings upon us.

And here where shall we begin the sad recital?

1. As physical beings. Our diseases and pains are the result of sin, actual or original. How great the bodily pain of the drunkard and debauchee! See how disease is transmitted!

2. As intellectual beings. Sin has rendered the intel

lect like an encaged bird. How often is it impaired so as to lose its powers! as in cases of insanity.

3. As moral beings. How much we suffer from the fear of punishment, from remorse, and unsatisfied desire! On death-beds we see the misery of ages condensed into moments, and the elements of eternal wo inflaming human breasts!

4. As social beings. How much we suffer from the unkindness and selfishness of our fellow-men! How much from fraud, cruelty, and oppression! How much from war, volumes cannot tell. All is the effect of sin. There is not one evil, great or small, which is not the fruit of sin. Sin hath made our world a "vale of tears," a "field of blood," a "place of skulls." medy but the gospel, and this sin despises.

There is no re

5. As immortal beings. Sin does not end with this world. Here it only mingles the cup, and puts it to our lips; in the other world we shall drink of it for ever. Fear, remorse, and pain only begin their work here; there they will be quickened into eternal labour. Memory, reason, and imagination will there unite to carry on the work. The justice of God will there aggravate the sinner's case. Will there not then be individual misery there as the fruit of sin? There will be also social misery. From such a state of society as will there exist, could you expect any thing else? There mutual hatred and malice will be implacable, and the means of showing them augmented. O what contentions there! In addition to all this, there will be the wrath of God on each and all, and that for ever. O what misery! Sin has made all the ingredients, and mixed them; is it not then "exceeding sinful?" But ah! I may have given you no conception of eternal death. May you never taste it!

We see from this subject,

1. Why sin is so hateful to God. It is so not only be.

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