let us confess with God's church: "Behold, thou "art wroth, for we have sinned. But we are all

as an unclean thing.There is none that calleth "upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take "holl of thee. Be not wroth very sore, O Lord, nei“ther remember iniquity for ever," Isaiah Ixiv. 5, 6,7 and 9. 2d. To state the damages, these are numerous and highly aggravated; we will state à few: the 1st. Is the marring God's image. The result of the consultation of the blessed Trinity on the forination of man was, that he was to be made in the image of God; perfect, holy, upright, like his divine original, though ins a state of probation and liable to fall. He fell, and by his fall, assimilated himself willingly to the image of that deceiver who is the enemy of God. Hence he marred God's image in himself, became every thing contrary to `perfection, holiness and uprightness, and made himself unworthy of that life, which proved his high and divine original. 2d. The deflowering Eden, "Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, "and there he put the man whom he had formed," Gen. ii. 8. Is it an improper question to ask what became of Eden, after man was expelled from at 1.trust not, for though scripture is silent upon it, we have two ways of judging concerning it: the first is the general curse on the earth for man's sake, "Cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sor"row shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy "life" Gen iii. 17. The second, is the testimony

"The

of profane History. Where is Eden? Its hedges are broken down, and the wild boar out of the wood hath wasted it. See Psalm lxxx. 12, 13. It is laid open to the world, and like many ancient cities, the spot where it once was is not known.

But I ask further, Where was Eden? And on this point the scripture is pleased to give us some little information. “A river went out of Eden to "water the garden, and from thence it was parted, ❝ and became into four heads. The name of the "first is Pison: that is it which encompasseth the "whole land of Havilah. And the name of the "second is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth "the whole land of Ethiopia. And the name of "the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which "goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the

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fourth river is Euphrates.” Gen. ii. 11 to 14. To quote a few words from a modern author,' who. thus adds, " Concerning the situation and rivers of "the country of Eden, as here described by Moses, "Bishop Patrick, in his commentary upon this

place, gives an account which seems to be not "altogether improbable. The garden lay in the country of Eden! out of, or through which "country, a river went, unto the garden to water "it; (ver. 11,) and from thence from the country "of Eden it parted, or was divided, and became into four heads: namely, two above, before it entered Eden, called Euphrates and Hiddekel, "or Tigris: and two below, after it had passed

"through Eden, called Pison and Gihon, which compasseth or runneth along by, the whole land "of Cush," ver. 13. See Bp. Watson's Theological Tracts, Vol. I. page 33. I pass on, ‹

3d. Breaking God's law. Whatever marreth God's image, or spoileth his handy works, breaketh also his righteous law, which is set as a sovereign guard and faithful avenger of every wrong done to his most precious and adorable attributes. If the sin of man hath so made havoc of God's workmanship, God hath indeed to complain of damages; of damages done to him by those who ought to have his glory, honor and interest at heart. And what saith the law; 1st. Do this and die. 2d. Pay me what thou owest; and this man not being able to do; 3d. Dust thou art, and to dust shalt thou return: and oh! what a thunderer is the law it is that voice," which they that heard it, entreated "that the Word should not be spoken to them any more," Heb. xii. 19. It is that voice which declareth that" our God is a consuming fire," Heb. xii. last verse.

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Now in this breaking of God's law, God receiveth or suffereth damage in all his perfections; his justice is robbed of the power to punish; "Ye

shall not surely die," said the serpent, and man believed it against the oaths and determination of God; his wisdom is dragged down to the level of finite capacities, or theirs exalted, (which is an 'equal degradation) to his: "Ye shall be as gods

"knowing good and evil."

Satan dared assert this,
Yea, his very love and

and man believed this also. mercy are abused to wicked purposes: as if these attributes were to exist winking at sin, to the disesteem and abuse of his awful justice. Oh! the law what a terrible thing to man. May we by faith look to Christ, that the terrors of the law overtake us

. not.

4th. Disordering God's creation. The first sin of man it hath been observed, spoiled the six days work of a God. Not that it demolished the glory thereof, casting a reproach before its Maker, but that it robbed it of that harmony, order, and beauty which God had given it; the beasts of the field which obediently came to Adam to be named, fly from him and rebel against him, the ground which brought forth fruit, brings forth thorns and thistles. Man whose delight should be in man, as his fellow image of God: abhors that image imperfect, yet restored: wicked Cain slayeth justified Abel: and thus completes the sad catastrophe of crimes, by approaching close to the denial of a God. It is true the murderer Cain was not so hardened in sin, as many murderers since. But this arose, not because the extent or heinousness of his crime was less, but from this cause that God more manifestly communicated himself to his creatures then, than since: yet still Cain had às little desire to bring glory to God, as witness, that instead of confessing his sin in the heinousness thereof, and the justice of the sen‐

tence in consequence thereof, he cried out against the chastening hand of God: and in rebellion and despair, "My punishment is greater than I can "bear," Gen. iv. 13.

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5th. Entertaining God's enemies. My son, "(said Solomon) if sinners entice thee consent thou 66 not," Prov. i. 10. Go not with the multitude to do evil.

Now it may be observed, that harbouring the king's enemies, and entertaining them as friends, is treason in the civil law of every land. It is treason also in the eye of the king of Kings, who commands ùs not even to touch the unclean thing, that he may receive us. 2 Cor. vi. 17. And this also is a part of that spiritual adultery, which consists in Ja repudiation or putting away of the Lord of Hosts, from being our husband in the most endearing sense of the word.

6th. and last. In slighting the Lord Jesus. Now this is in direct rebellion to the voice and commandment of God, who with a voice from Heaven declared, "This is my beloved Son, hear ye him." Much time might be spent in shewing the various ways in which whilst in our natural fallen condition, we slight the Lord Jesus; these may be ob served, viz. in denying his divinity, in slighting the efficacy of his mediatorial offices, the benefit of his sufferings, the merit of his blood, the fruits of his death, the prevalence of his intercession, the im portance of his resurrection, and finally the awful