ed flame. Hatred of sin (for yet no other ground of hatred was known) hatred of sin guarded every avenue of the temple, and kept the gates that nothing might enter which defileth or maketh unclean. Hope lifted up her hands and eyes to heaven, and shewed, by the intenseness of her countenance, where her anchor fixed. Fear, with reverential awe, bowed down before the sanctuary, where yet no veil had hid the presence of the Deity. Joy told its raptures in hosannas of neverceasing praise; and sought on earth to join those songs which beings of superior excellence poured forth before the throne of God. Whilst memory unfolded the volume of divine mercies, and stood in pleasing contemplation revolving the past transactions. And conscience, yet unsullied, beheld, as God's vicegerent, the hallowed service, and gave its approbation, as the voice of God.

Thus was his soul beautiful in holiness, and his body, where yet unbridled appetite and lawless lust had found no place, yielded every member an instrument of righteousness unto holiness. Such was man. "God beheld and blessed them, and bid them multiply and replenish the earth." (Gen. i. 28.) that there might be a generation to serve him, sharing in all their parents' excellence. God could not but be pleased with the work of his hands; and, as the present mark of his regard crowned him with glory, honour, bliss and immortality.

1. Man enjoyed a state of great glory. It is the conjecture of an ingenious author, that man in innocence was clothed with a visible glory : such as we still image to ourselves, whenever we form an idea of an angelic vision; or according to that representation of the Psalmist, that when God appears, he clothes himself" with light as

with a garment.

It must be owned, that there is more than one text of scripture that seems to allude to this. And the transaction on the mount, when the "body of Jesus was transfigured, and became white and glittering," (Matt. xvii. 2.) compared with the promise, of "being made like unto his glorious body at the resurrection day," (Phil. iii. 21.) seems to make it not improbable, that such external irradiation might be the attendant on man's innocence until sin had uncovered his nakedness. Besides, if Moses by once beholding, not the face of God, but his back parts only, brought down from that vision a glory on his countenance, which the children of Israel could not look upon," (Exod. xxxiv. 30, 33.) why might not the frequent, and as it seems familiar intercourse, which man in paradise had with the blessed God, leave deeper impressions of glory behind it? But however this may be, we are sure his body became the divine Architect. The last and most excellent of all his works below. And if, corrupted as it is now become, we cannot without some admiration regard it, "so fearfully and wonderfully is it made," (Psal. cxxxix. 14.) what may we not conceive of its paradisaical glory? His soul, the foregoing description intimates to have been surpassing excellent and united, such a body and such a soul could not but form a creature, that, as the sun in the firmament, shone forth the chief of all the works of God.

2. Honour was heaped on him with a liberal hand. By nature, "but little lower than the angels." (Psal. viii. 5.) By grant, endowed with a dominion coextensive with the regions he was placed in. The universal monarch of this lower world, and all things in it. "God put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, the beast of

the field, and the fowls of the air, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the sea." (Psal. viii. 6, 7, 8.) The majesty of man impressed an awe upon the whole creation; their Maker's visible representative on earth.

3. Blessings surrounded him on every side. Within every thing was peaceful and serene. His soul, like the smooth surface of the sea, unruffled by the least blast of air, had yet felt no tumult of contending corruption; but satisfied in itself, and conscious of its innocence, was replenished with consolations as from a well of water springing up into everlasting life:" (John iv. 14.) whilst above all, the presence and favour of God, the most intimate and endeared communion with him, and the constant: notices of his love, could not but minister the most ravishing delight. And without, all nature was formed to minister not only to his wants, but innocently to gratify his senses. "Whatever was pleasant to the sight, or good for food," (Gen. ii. 9.) arose in Eden's happy ground; the Almighty husbandman had planted it. (John xv. 1. Gen. ii. 8.) purely to bless his favourite man and what could be wanting, where God youchsafed to prepare for him a residence of bliss?...

4. Immortality crowned the whole. What he was, he would for ever have been: or if any change succeeded, it would have been a change from glory to glory. When translated to a higher place of bliss, his obedience, however undeserving the reward, should be still more abundantly repaid. "The tree of life," (Gen. ii. 9.) sacramentally sealed the continuance of his bliss, whilst he persisted in obedience. And the declaration concerning "the tree of knowledge" (Gen. ii. 17.) implied farther in it a promise, that his life

should be eternal, if he did not eat of the forbidden fruit. In its constitution, the natural body either had not the seeds of dissolution, or some powerful quality implanted in the tree of life might prevent it, or from God the fountain of life his body might immediately be fed with living streams. Certain it is, that death and all its hateful evils, disease, decay and pain were unknown, until sin broke down the wall, and introduced the monster pregnant with woe.

For such high favours, to be continued to his posterity, God might justly have demanded from him whatever marks of allegiance and fidelity he chose to impose: but herein how wondrous was the divine goodness! he would not debar him the least satisfaction he enjoyed; but chose only one single tree to be the test of his obedience," forbidding him to eat of it on penalty of death." (Gen. ii. 17.) The thing was in itself indifferent; the command of God enjoined it; it was the most easy to be complied with; and simply required acquiescence in the divine will. Who would not have been content to rest the issue of his life and death on such a test, especially in the hands of One so highly furnished with every good and perfect gift?.

Yet here, astonishing to tell! the scripture informs us that man, through the suggestions of the devil, was seduced. His heart, led first by reasoning to entertain unhallowed desires after knowledge; then looking until lust kindled, he is at last tempted to " pluck and eat:" (Gen.. iii. 6.) and as the fatal consequence, to forfeit all his bliss, bring down the wrath denounced, and render himself obnoxious to death spiritual, temporal and eternal. Short is the dire descrip-. tion yet long and dreadfully felt the issue..

A thousand questions which follow from the pride which now possesses us, of why and how this was permitted, the holy Ghost hath been pleased not to resolve. He relates the simple fact, commands implicit faith. To reason here is to disbelieve; that so it was, is enough for us to know.

How deeply we are affected by the first man's disobedience, what we feel may tell us.-Adam, our father and representative, in whom the whole nature of man then subsisted, tainted his blood by this atrocious act of treason. An act of the most complicated baseness and unpro→ voked rebellion. We were in his loins. "In Adam all died. (1 Cor. xv. 22.) By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all, forasmuch as all have sinned." (Rom. v. 12.) Man's nature is wholly fallen under the curse. And as our articles declare "every child of Adam born into the world, doth for this deserve God's wrath and damnation." (Article IX.) I shall rest here for the present, purposing to consider more distinctly the consequences of the fall in some ensuing discourses concluding the present with the following observations.

1. What an alteration hath passed on the nature of man?"How is the gold become dim ? How is the most fine gold changed?" (Lam. iv. 1.) Who can reflect on the first beauteous. image, and withhold a tear of sorrow?" How art thou fallen, son of the morning ?"

When Judah's sons, escaped from the house of their prison, returned to Sion to build again the temple of the Lord, the new foundation could be laid only by removing the splendid ruins of the desolated sanctuary; then came the remembrance of its former glories