God. There are many other things effentially neceffary to form a religious character befides tribulations. What thofe things are, neither time nor my present plan admit now of an enquiry.

Secondly, we are here taught that fanctified afflictions are to be numbered by the faints among their great bleffings. Hence fays the Pfalmift, "It was good for me to have been afflic"ted." He knew by experience they had been useful to him, and profitable to his fpiritual interefts. And the apoftle affirms, that "They yield the peaceable fruits of righteouf"nefs to them that are tried thereby." Thus troubles pro perly confidered and improved, exhibit the goodness, mercy and loving kindness of God to his people. Yes, fays the poor dejected christian, "If I could know that my afflictions were fanctified to me, then could I rejoice in them and praise and bless God for them, but how fhall I know this to be the cafe?" It is much eafier to defcribe fan&ified affliction, than to experience it, or for fainting fouls to derive cofolation therefrom. For the prefent take this account hereof. Afflictions are fanctified or prove a bleffing, when they awaken us to a greater attention to God, to Jefus Chrift, to divine things, to holy meditations, self examination; when they difpofe us to the exercises of mourning for fin, renewed acts of faith, self dedication, humility, patience, fubmiffion; when they fhow us the emptiness and unfatisfactory nature of the world, wean us from it, raise our hearts to things above, and caufe us to long and breathe more after the celeftial rett. Such things as thefe are fure evidences of fanctified troubles; hence the chriftian in affliction should call to mind the former years of the right hand of the Lord, to remember God from the land of Jordon

and of the Hermonites, and the hill Mizar. Thus true grace may be improved and cultivated by chaftifements and instead of fainting, chriftians ought to gain ftrength and grow hereby,

They are employed by God for the curing of our spiritual melodies, our pride, worldly mindedness, carnality &c. hence believers instead of faying, or thinking, the Lord hath written bitter things against them, fhould rejoice and be thankful for the fevereft difpenfations of providence, that form them to more meekness and gentlenefs, more humility and felf denial, duty and addictedness to God, in one word, to more meetness for his fervice and for glory.

Let these confiderations comfort mourners in Zion. May the Lord hear them in the day of trouble. Always remember, O chriftian, not to faint when thou art rebuked of God.

SERMON XXXIII

How Death is the Wages of Sin.

Rom. vi. 23. For the wages of fin is Death.

WITHOUT the formality of an introduction to these words, we fhall endeavour by divine affiftance to confider,

First, what is intended by the term death.

Secondly, what the apoftle means when he reprefents it the wages of fin.

First, we are to confider the use and intention of the term death.-How fhould our prayers afcend to heaven, that our contemplations may be fuitably directed upon this folemn fubject, so that we may all become prepared for this awful event.

Nothing is more common in the facred oracles, than to fet forth a state of calamity and mifery, by the word death. When the effects and confequences of fin are spoken of, they are almost always fignified by this term. Thus when God

told Adam what would be the effects of his difobedience in eating the forbidden fruit, he fays, "In the day thou eateft "thereof, thou fhalt furely die." The event fhows us, the lofs of his then happy fituation was one thing intended in the threatning; for banishment from Paradife immediately enfued. The event alfo fhows, that he not only loft his happiness, but that he inftantly became miferable; he felt himself full of confternation and diftrefs, covered with shame, he knew not what to do or where to fly; all horror within and terror without; afraid of God, he endeavoured to conceal himfelf. Thus when the apoftle in the New-Teftament, mentions the confequences of fin, he ufually employs the term death: "If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die. By one man's "offence death reigned; to be carnally minded is death; and "in our text the wages of fin is death." All will readily allow that a ftate of mifery and wretchedness is fignified by this term.

Death in the fcriptures is ufed to exprefs three things, hence it is commonly distinguished into three kinds, natural, fpiritual, and eternal death. Natural death frictly confidered, is the diffolution of the foul and body; fo that the body returns to duft from whence it fprung, and the foul to God, as its more immediate author and final judge.

For understanding fpiritual death the following remarks must be obferved.

When man was originally created by God, he was formed with two kinds of principles, effentially diftinct the one from the other, which principles are ftiled, natural and moral, or holy. Natural principles are fuch as belong to the very conftitution of the foul, form its effence and cannot be separated from it. They cannot be extinguished but by the extinction of the foul itself, fuch as underflanding, will, and affections. Te

thefe were fuperadded another kind of principles, which may be called moral or holy. Thefe do not belong to the foul fo as to be a neceffary refult of its existence; these are separable from it without the deftruction of its being. The fum of thefe principles is a fupreme love to God, and a benevolent temper towards the whole family of mankind, a difpofition to prefer God above all, and to promote the felicity of his fellow creatures. These do not effentially pertain to the nature of man, but man may, and does exift when they are become extinct. They feem as if they depended upon the immediate communications of God, and the inhabitation of the Holy Ghoft. By thefe holy principles, an intercourfe and communion is maintained between the creature and the Creator. Where the fpirit of God dwells, there is communion with God, there is holinefs and a fupreme affection to him. All his natural principles, his will, paffions and appetites, are fubordinated to the will and pleasure of God; and in these things confifts man's fpiritual life. While thefe retain their power and dominion, harmony, peace, order and happiness will prevail in the foul.

In thefe principles chiefly confifts the image of God, knowledge, righteoufnefs and holinefs with which man was at firft created. And in the lofs of thefe confifts fpiritual death. As foon as unhappy man had committed the prohibited deed, and disobeyed, God fortook him, the fpirit relinquifhed his habitation, and all thefe holy principles became extinct, and all the glory and excellency of man departed from him. hence no principles remained in the foul, fave thofe which were natural, the others were utterly loft. Hence he became wholly depraved; nothing in his heart but fin and corruption, and nothing in his life but vice and disorder. Thus man is loft and is fpiritually dead. He is now dead in trefpaffes and fins.