see

and from the power of Satan unto God." (Acts xxvi. 18.) We must be "renewed in the spirit of our minds; (Eph. iv. 23.) we must put off the old man, (Eph. iv. 22.) and put on the Lord Jesus Christ; (Rom. xiii. 14.) we must be transformed into his image and likeness," (2 Cor. iii. 18.) before we can ever hope to him face to face." And how earnestly will they seek it, who feel how deeply they need it; and know that except the holy Ghost work this effectual change in us, that which is born of the flesh is and must be for ever flesh?" (John iii. 6.) Happy is the man who, taught in any measure to know himself, flies to the throne of grace, and, according to his necessities, pleads with importunity for an abundant supply of the spirit of Christ to lighten his darkness, help his weakness, discover the deceitfulness, change the corruption of his nature, and to "make him a new heart, and create a right spirit within him." Such a one shall be rescued from his native misery, and " grow up into him, who is the head, even Christ," till in heaven "he comes to the measure of the stature of his fulness,," and everlasting victory over a desperately wicked heart shall crown his happy labour.

SERMON V.

THE DECEITFULNESS AND CORRUPTION OF THE HEART,

JEREMIAH XVII. 9.

THE HEART IS DECEITFUL ABOVE ALL THINGS, AND DESPE RATELY WICKED, WHO CAN KNOW IT.

WHY is dust and ashes proud? Who can

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solve the question, or shew satisfactorily wherein we can justly glory? Surely the more we examine, the more we shall be convinced, that "Pride was never made for man :" for man, a creature so fallen; so polluted in his nature; so desperately wicked in heart; so corrupt in all his ways. Yet dust and ashes, sinful dust and ashes, will be proud notwithstanding; and vaunt itself as though it were some great thing;" will tell of its dignity; glory in its rectitude; admire its own excellencies; extol its goodness; and boast almost its divinity, as God knowing good and evil;" as self-taught to decide on every instance of right and wrong; and naturally charmed with Virtue's beauty, disposed with faithfulness to embrace it. Strange ignorance! Infatuation lamentable and claiming much more justly our pity, then the poor lunatic that struts a King in his iron-fenced cell, with his crown of straw and tattered robes of fancied majesty. "Know thyself," vain man! thou mass of corruption; thou polluted both in flesh and spirit; thou abomination of the most Holy; know thyself and be confounded, "The crown

is fallen from thy head; thy glory is departed from thee;" thy all is lost: arise then, and take to thee thy proper garments; clothe thyself in sackcloth, confess "thou art vile, abhor thyself in dust and ashes." (Job xl. 4-xlii. 6.)

Happy will it be for us, my friends, when the discovery of our hearts has laid us thus low. "Before honour is humility," (Prov. xv. 33.) By "pride the angels fell from heaven;" (Tim. iii. 6.)by pride man also fell on earth; by pride we sink deeper still in the abyss of sin; and by pride obstinately persisted in, with them we must for ever be cast into the bottomless pit.

*

Humility and lowliness of mind are the only ways by which we can ascend from the depths of corruption. By humility alone we can be led to seek the restoration of the image we have lost upon earth; and by humility we shall mount, as on the steps of Jacob's ladder, to the heaven for which we were originaly designed. O precious humility, what a friend art thou to fallen man! But how may we obtain this virtue of humility? Here is the question: and what answer can be given? Know thyself. So far as we see the truth of our state; so far as we really inquire into the mystery of iniquity within ; so far as we are convinced of the deep and utter apostasy of our nature; so far, and no farther, shall we be humbled. Now to effect this hath been my purpose in the preceding discourses on these words, which subject will be concluded in the present. O that the truths they contain may, through the illumination of the Holy Spirit, be made the means, if but to any one soul, of true humility; and consequently, of leading it to him who promises "to

* What is here spoken of humility, must be understood to imply no more than that the sense of our guilt alone can make the gospel welcome to us. For it is this humbling discovery of our own hearts, which convinces us that Christ must be to us all and in all.

revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite!" (Isai. lvii. 15.)

That the heart of man is desperately wicked I have attempted to shew, from the consideration of some of the chief tempers of his soul: from whence it hath appeared, that he is by nature unbelieving, proud, self-willed, disobedient, impatient, angry, envious, full of hatred, malicious, revengeful. I shall farther pursue this mortifying subject in the consideration of his earthly-mindedness and vile affections.

We are fallen under the dominion of flesh and sense. Every object from without tends to ensnare us, and to draw forth the worldliness and lust which is within us. All our wisdom is chiefly employed in contriving to make provision for these; whilst the lusts themselves, "the lust of the eye, and the lust of the flesh," insatiate as the grave, are daily crying, Give, Give.

1. The lust of the eye, or the love of money, is naturally fixed in our hearts; and how deeply you may easily see, if you will consider the manner of getting or using the unrighteous mam

mon.

It must be observed, before I enter particularly into the workings of this temper, that covetousness sometimes reigns alone or chief in the heart, sometimes it is accompanied with other interfer `ing vices; alone, when the covetous man is merely intent upon heaping up, longs to see so much in his bags; goes and counts over his sums with secret delight; marks every piece; and worships with most unfeigned affection his golden god, Sometimes accompanied, when other vicious passions also call for their gratification. And here the greatest profusion of money may be consistent with the most covetous desire of it. The statesman, whose love of the unrighteous mam

mon shall make him infamously to fleece the public, may yet spend his thousands of that illgotten treasure in bribery and luxury. The tradesman, whose attention to enrich himself makes him wear out his life in almost sleepless industry and care, may yet be a squanderer of those very riches in a tavern or bagnio. The highwayman, whose love of filthy lucre tempts him daily to hazard his neck at the gallows, may yet be found bestowing that very idol on his mistress in a brothel. These may all be just as strong instances of this temper as the miser. The only difference is, their other vices at times are more predominant, and they clash with each other. Pride, lust and vanity, take the ascendency, and then the fruits of covetousness are dispersed, and new calls arise to exercise it. Hence a young person may be as covetous as an old one, though the former never kept five guineas long at a time in his possession, and the other never spent five shillings out of his thousands but in absolute necessaries. I note this, because few persons imagine that covetousness and prodigality can be so nearly allied.

Having premised this, I say, the love of money is naturally fixed in our hearts. This will be evident in the desires of the heart after it. Now examine yourselves whether some or other, more or fewer, of the following symptoms have not appeared in you. you. When When you have seen another's. affluence, have you never felt the secret wish, "O that it were mine?" When alone, hath not your mind been running out in imaginary prospects? grasping at the distant hope of affluence ? and pleased with the shadow, though every appearance of actual success was wanting in your views? Hath not this principle set you on contriving how to abound? Yea, hath it not been