In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread. Gen. iii. 19. The Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden. Gen. iii. 23. Are we involved in the fall? Yes. Adam was the covenant head of the human race. Had he retained his original state, we should have been partakers of his holiness and happiness; and as he corrupted our nature, we are born in sin, and exposed to the misery which sin has occasioned. Every plant and animal possesses the properties of that from which it is derived. Sift wheat ever so clean, still there will be chaff in the new grain. God called their name Adam. Gen. v. 2. Gen. v. 3. Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Job xiv. 4. Rom. v. 14. By the offence of one, judgment came upon all. Rom. v. 18. By one man's disobedience many were made sinners. v. 19. By one man came death. 1 Cor. xv. 21. In Adam all die. 1 Cor. xv. 22. Rom The Scriptures always describe man as a sinner; and all the types and ceremonies under the law of Moses refer to him as such. God saw that the wickedness of man was great. Gen. vi. 5. Gen. vi. 11. The Lord looked down from heaven, to see if there was any that did seek God-There is none that doeth good. Ps. xiv. 2, 3; liii. 2, 3. Behold I was shapen in inquity. Ps. li. 5. The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray as soon as they be born; speaking lies. Ps. lviii. 3. All we like sheep have gone astray. Isa. liii. 6. The heart is deceitful above all things, &c. Jer. xvii. 9. Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. John iii. 3. There is none righteous, no not one. Rom. iii. 10. 18. All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. Rom. iii. 23. In me, that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing. Rom. vii. 18. The Scripture hath concluded all under sin. Gal. iii. 22. You, being dead in your sins, hath he quickened. Col. ii. 13. To them that are defiled and unbelieving-even their mind and conscience is defiled. Titus i. 15. The infection of sin is not only universal but deep. The hearts of all men are fashioned alike, and contain within them the seeds of the most revolting wickedness. However much we may be shocked with the crimes which we see others commit, we should assuredly be guilty of equal enormities, if we were not prevented by the restraint which God puts on us. When Hazael, the prime minister of Benhadad, king of Syria, was told by the prophet Elisha of the dreadful cruelties which he was on the point of perpetrating, he exclaimed with horror, "But what, is thy servant a dog that he should do this great thing?" 2 Kings viii. 13. He nevertheless did all the evil which was thus foretold. We are not our own keepers. We should beware of resolving in our own strength, "I will not do this or that;" lest God punish our pride by suffering us to fall into the sins we dread. Our prayer on such occasions should be, "Lord! deliver us from evil.” What are the consequences of being born in sin? We are the children of wrath, and are therefore by nature exposed to misery here and hereafter. In this life, we have to endure sorrow, sickness, and labour, and have the wrath of God abiding on us. John iii. 36. In sorrow shalt thou eat of it. Gen. iii. 17. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread. Gen. iii. 19. Hereafter, we are in danger of eternal torments. The soul that sinneth it shall die. Ezek. xviii. 4. 20. Matt. viii. 12; Their worm dieth not, and their fire is not quenched. Mark ix. 44. 48. Isa. lxvi. 24. He that believeth not, the wrath of God abideth on him. John iii. 18. 36. The wrath of God is revealed-against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. Rom. i. 18. Treasurest up unto thyself wrath, against the day of wrath, &c. Rom. ii. 5. Who will render to every man according to his deeds. Rom ii. 6. Tribulation and anguish upon every soul that doeth evil. Rom. il. 9. The law worketh wrath. Rom. iv. 15. The wages of sin is death. Rom. vi. 23. Endured, with much long-suffering, the vessels of wrath, fitted for destruction. Rom. ix. 22. As many as are under the law are under the curse. Gal, iii. 10. Were by nature the children of wrath. Eph. ii. 3. Because of these (sins) cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Eph. v. 6. Col. iii. 6. Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. James i. 15. And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, &c. Rev. vi. 16. Whosoever was not found in the book of life, was cast, &c. Rev. xx. 15. [Sinners] and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone. Rev. xxi. 8. The punishment of the wicked in hell will never be at an end. When they have endured it for a thousand ages, it will still be the wrath to come. Matt. iii. 7. Luke iii. 7. 1 Thess. i. 10. You are now taught your wretched state by nature. You are all rebels; rebels on whom sentence is already passed. It is therefore very foolish to speak of degrees of guilt. May God bring the conviction home to your hearts. Your condition however is not hopeless. Mercy is offered. Christ is sent to avert the sentence by his intercession; to open your eyes to your situation; to bring you to repentance, and to reconcile you to your offended God: to set you as pardoned prisoners at liberty, and restore you to the favour you have forfeited. Pray earnestly that you, through faith in him, may be made the children of grace, and thus escape the wrath which hangs over the children of disobedience. It is difficult to explain how sin entered into the creation, or why God permitted it to deface and destroy the works of his hand, which he had pronounced very good. This, however, is not necessary for us to know. The exist ence of sin is beyond a doubt, and no considerate person can avoid feeling that it dwells within him. Collect, 1st Sunday after Trinity.-Because through the weakness of our mortal nature we can do no good thing without thee, grant us the help of thy grace, that in keeping thy commandments we may please thee both in will and deed. CHAPTER II. ON BAPTISM. "WHO gave you this Name ?" 66 My Sponsors in Baptism, wherein I was made a member of Christ, the child of God, and an inheritor of the kingdom of Heaven." What is Baptism? It is an act of dedication to God, being a covenant admission into the Church of Christ, in which, on God's part, all the privileges of the Gospel are made over to the baptized; and the person baptized takes on him, by a solemn profession and vow, to observe and adhere to the whole Christian religion. It is, therefore, "a means whereby we receive the grace of Christ, and a pledge to assure us thereof." What is implied in Baptism? An acknowledgment of our defilement by sin, and of the necessity of our being washed from its pollution. As children are defiled by original sin, being born in the flesh, they are admitted into the outward Church by the ordinance of baptism, wherein they are washed by water, as a type of that inward washing by the Holy Ghost, without which they cannot be members of the true Church. Need we be baptized more than once? No. Baptism is the ceremony whereby we obtain admission into the Church of Christ, and need not be repeated. One Lord, one faith, one baptism. Eph. iv. 5. Was there any ceremony answerable to it among the Jews? Yes; the rite of circumcision, when their children were thus admitted into covenant with God, and names were given to them. Abram's name was changed to Abraham. Gen. xvii. 5. John the Baptist's name was given. Luke i. 59. 63. Our Saviour's name was called Jesus. Luke ii. 21. Baptism is acknowledged by St. Paul to have succeeded in the place of circumcision, and is now what that institution formerly was. In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him, through the faith of the operation of God. Col. ii. 11, 12. In what light are Circumcision and Baptism to be considered? 1. As seals of spiritual blessings and outward privileges. Seals are intended for the confirmation or attestation of the agreement entered into by the parties who use them. In this case Baptism vouches the truth of God for the performance of the promises made in his word. He received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of faith. Rom. iv. 11. 2. As a sign of regeneration. So many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ, were baptized into his death. Rom. vi. 3. As Christ died for our sins, so we should die unto sin. As many of you as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ. Gal. iii. 27. Is it right to baptize children? Yes, certainly; infants were admitted members of the Church, under the law, by circumcision, which was the only rite of admission, either for children or adults. Baptism is the only ordinance in the Christian Church, whereof children can partake; they must therefore be admitted to it, otherwise the dispensation of the gospel must be more limited than that of the law. Children are certainly as capable of receiving the blessings, and fulfilling the duties required of them now, as under the Jewish economy. The covenant made with Abraham was, I will be a God to thee and to thy seed. Gen. xvii. 7. The promise of the Gospel is, To you and to your children. Acts ii. 39. Jesus says, speaking of children whom he invited to come to him, Of such is the kingdom of God, i. e. the gospel church. Matt. xviii. 4; xix. 14. Mark x. 14. The Apostles baptized whole households, which we must suppose included children. |