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drank of the brook by the way, and seemed ready to depart and to be with Christ, to drink wine new with him, in the kingdom of his Father. This holy delight in God is real, and not enthusiastic; it is bestowed only on the new born heirs of grace, and it is given them as a pledge of joys to come; their hearts burn within them while he talks with them by the way.

In reflecting on this subject we are struck with the idea. that we often have to blame ourselves for not sufficiently estimating our mercies during the time of their continu

ance.

These disciples, notwithstanding the pleasure they had found in his society, did not, till just as he left them, discover him to be their Lord; to the present day Joseph. often knows his brethren, whilst they know him not. And then afterwards they say, did not our hearts burn within us? True, they did. But why did not we value the blessing while we enjoyed it? Why did we not say, as the word of wisdom dropped from his mouth, it is the Lord? Again, a review of past favors greatly supports the mind under present bereavements.

When we seem forsaken; when our affections towards Christ appear but cold, oh! what a privilege it is to be enabled to revert to a period when our hearts did burn within us, while he talked with us by the way. This thought cheers the drooping spirits, and raises the fainting head; it excites our hope, too, that he will be with us again, and hold converse with us, even till the hour of death; yea, it makes us argue, that if the Lord had intended to destroy us, he would not have made our hearts burn within us by his divine communications.

It is the duty and interest of us all earnestly to pray for the society and conversation of Christ.

The blessing itself is so desirable, for it is to have the honor of dwelling and walking with Christ, and the sensations which he, by his discourse excites in the mind, are so pleasing and delightful, that we ought earnestly to beseech him to tarry with us; if he is an instructor and companion, how short will the distance to heaven appear, and how light and momentary the trials of the way.-Lastly,

If those who travel with the Saviour, are thus blessed, how miserable are they who are altogether alienated from him.

Sinner, you never yet enjoyed the society of Christ, nor do you wish it. You are loading him with reproaches, and will have none of his counsel, and he will never say of you, "they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy;" the fever of lust, and the torment of envy shall be your curse, while you live in the pains of hell, your portion after death, when you will burn in the "fire that never can be quenched, and the smoke of your torments shall ascend up for ever and ever." Oh! may we, instead of this awful glorfied with his constant presence

doom, be honored and

in a better world; so shall the chosen of Nazareth be praised and adored by us for ever and ever.

447

SERMON XIX.

DEATH BY ADAM-ETERNAL LIFE BY CHRIST.

"As we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly."-1 CORINTHIANS xv. 49.

"THE proper study of mankind is man ;" and the best science to which any of us can attain is, to know ourselves; for "all wisdom centres there." Human nature is a fit subject of investigation, and will well repay the mind's attention to it; it has frequently been represented in unjust and improper points of view; men have formed very mistaken ideas of themselves and of their condition, and have too often represented their case to be rather what they wished it, than what it really is. The testimony of the Bible, however, viewed in connection with facts which we are every day called to witness, will appear to be the best teacher of what we are in our true character, our real condition, and our bounden duty. Here we learn what man originally was, what he now is, and to what standard of excellence he ought to attain. From the Bible alone, that fruit of heavenly wisdom, can we derive proper ideas of human nature. Here its past excellence, its present degradation, and the only means by which it can possibly be restored, are detailed with unquestionable veracity, and told

by the Spirit of God. Here we learn that, as in Adam all whom he represented, the whole human race, fell and died; so in Christ Jesus all to whom he is a covenant head shall live forevermore: and that as these characters, before conversion, gave awful evidence of fatal union to their head, so by the grace of God shall they now be made to resemble Jesus, who is given as a covenant of the people, who is the Head of the body, the church. "As we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly." Here, then, you perceive the depth of misery to which you fell, and the height of happiness to which you are raised. My text shows you the man, by whose disobedience you lost your peace, your happiness, your God. My text presents you also with that glorious. Redeemer, who has restored that which he took not away, and given you more blessings than your father lost. In discoursing upon this text, we must—

I. Confirm the lamentable fact, that, by nature, we all bear the image of the earthy.

II. Rejoice in the glorious truth, that, as believers, we shall bear the image of the Lord from heaven.

It is necessary that I—

I. Show that we all bear the image of the earthy Adam. So says my text; so says experience, the melancholy experience of all ages and nations; so witness the shrieks, the groans of dying infants; so testify our own eyes, beholding the miseries that are abroad in the world; so witness our own feelings in the endurance of those ills to which mortality is subject. Here, too, let it be remembered, that the

mischief we lament is universal; that the evils we deplore are experienced all over the world; that all mankind suffer from their connection with their first parent; that every individual on the globe bears the image of the earthy Adam. Oh, show us, if you can, the spot of earth to which the effects of the curse have not yet reached; and tell us, if among all the tribes of men in Europe, Asia, Africa, or America, there are any to be found who do not discover a depraved nature, who do not bear the image of the earthy. So extensive are the calamities introduced into the world by sin; so general the dire effect of our first parent's disobedience to the will of Heaven.

In order that we may enter into the import of the expression, "bearing the image of the earthy," permit us to observe, that we bear this image in our bodies—and that we bear it in our souls. Behold it

1. In our bodies, which are earthy, frail, and tending to dissolution.

Observe this image is evident in our bodies, as they are earthy; for the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground so poor in our origin that we have no pretension at all to nobility of descent, but must look upon the earth as our common parent, and say, Oh, how poor a creature is man, that is a worm, and the son of man, that is a worm! Oh, what a lecture does the constitution of our frame read us upon the folly of human pride, upon the ridiculous absurdity of towering ambition! Never let us suppose ourselves to be some great ones, since it is evident that we are vile as the dust; and the ground we tread on contains the materials of our formation, and the means of our support. Verily, our bodies are but clods of clay, and soon must

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