you in Defcription, which is but too rarely to be seen in Life. That it may be made an Inftrument in the Hand of the SPIRIT of forming you after its Likeness, is my first and most earneft Defire. And fhould GOD vouchfafe to grant this Bleffing upon my Attempt, to You and others, it will be my highest Comfort, and an encourging Answer to the Prayers and Labors of Your affectionate Servant in CHRIST JESUS, TRURO, May 22, 1755. SAMUEL WALKER. PREFA C E. By the Reverend Mr Adam, of A S the following Sermons are excellently calculated to promote vital Chriftianity, by illuftrating the means and neceffity of a real, inward Change, or the Recovery of Man from his prefent State of grofs Infenfibility under the Fall, to a Life of Acquaintance and Communion withGOD; it is hoped they will be well received by fe. rious Perfons of all Denominations; and, with the divine Bleffing, answer the Author's Defign, in roufing the ftupid Sinner, undeceiving the Formalift, and animating Men of Good-will to higher Attainments. If the fingle Point infifted on in the firft Sermon, namely, the deep Guilt of an ApoState, Independent Will, was duly attended to, it might be a Means of checking many of the careless, giddy Tribe in their mad Career of Selfifm, and fenfual Pleasure; and perhaps awaken some startling Thoughts concerning natural Corruption, in the Breast of the more cool Objecter to Revelation in general. A rational Creature, made to be happy by knowing and loving GOD, and steady Conformity to his Will, and yet turned from Him in the Bent of its Will and Affections, and fecking after Happinefs in oppofition to Him, is a Monfter in Nature. Do but allow the Fact, which is fufficiently confirmed by the Experience of all Ages, and the Confeffion of the best Men that ever lived, and we need lock no-where else than to this poifoned Fountain of a felfish, corrupt Will, for the Vanity, and Wretchednefs of our State. It may juftly be queftioned, Whether there can poffibly be two kinds of Happiness in Nature, and whether GOD can conceive or produce a Happiness different from, and much lefs oppofite to, his own. If then the Happiness of GOD fprings from, and is one with the perfect Rectitude of his Will, and there can poffibly be no Happiness in any part of Creation, but ac'cording to His Idea and Standard of it, the neceffary Confequence of a rebellious Departure from the fovereign Will, which made and governs the Univerfe, must be perpetual Error, and certain Mifery. And though GoD in Mercy may inftruct, admonish, bear with, and ufe all fuitable Methods to reclaim his perverted Creatures from their foolish Wandrings, and bring them back again into the one, fole Road of Order and Happiness, yet he has not the Power, Power, if he could have the Will, to make them happy out of it. THE Difputer of this World, thinks it too great a Stoop of Majefty, for God to become Man, that he might accomplish the Work of our Redemption; and cries out, not with pious Admiration, but in the Selffufficiency of his Reason, What is Man that thou shouldst so regard him? And the willing Slaves of Sin, as well as those who are engaged in a continual Round of what is called innocent Pleasure, or worldly Bufinefs, and abandon themselves with full Relifh to the Comforts of the Animal Life, without understanding and feeking after GOD, take Refuge in Mercy, and make it the first, if not the only Article of their Creed; meaning by that, a Power or Will in the Most High to dispense with Truth and Justice, in: order to fuit their Cafe, and fneering at the horrid Word, Damnation. But the Answer to both is, that the Recovery of felf-confcious, intelligent Beings from a State of Enmity and Rebellion against their Maker, and their eternal Happiness or Misery, is no Trifle with GOD, though it is with Man.That if Help was wanted, it would be offered; and when it was, we might well suppose it would be in a Way far exceeding our natural Thoughts and Apprehenfions.That the Greatness and Mysteriousness of the Deliverance, fhews dreadfully the GreatA 5 nefs nefs of our Danger, and the infinite Malignity of that Difpofition in Man which required it. That it comes to us in the Way of a Cure; and as Restoration of Health to the Soul. That our great fpiritual Disorder, terrible Corruption, and absolute Incapacity for Happinefs, is the Aversion of our Wills from GOD, and Oppofition to Him in Self; -and that if we reject our Remedy, by refusing to return to an Union of Will with Him, there is no fuch Refource of Mercy in his Nature as we vainly dream of: We have the Effence of Mifery in ourselves, and by our own obftinate Choice of it, put an eternal Bar to his Goodness.. ́ I fuppofe CHRIST has given us fufficient Intimation of the State we are in, and carries us to the Root of our Diftemper, when he teaches us to pray that God's Will may be done in Earth as it is in Heaven; and charges us to deny ourselves, take up our Cross, and follow him, whofe Meat and Drink it was to do the Will of Him that sent him; nay, and tells us, that whosoever be be that forfaketh not all that he bath, he cannot be his Difciple. Does not this feem a grievous, hard Saying to thee? Art thou unwilling to cross thy Defires, and give up ALL thy worldly Views of Profit or Pleasure for the Will of GOD? Deceive thyfelf no longer; truft not in an outward Civility, nor any kind of Life, whether in Religion or in the World; |