bear us up, but a view of power, wisdom, and all-sufficiency absolutely infinite. And still more, when a sense of our great sinfulness would overwhelm us with total despair, were it not for the infinite riches of grace, the infinite fulness of Christ, and the immutable faithfulness of God to his word.

But to trust God in a direct view of his all-sufficiency, grace, and fidelity to his promises, is a very different thing from every species of self-confidence. It is directly opposed to self-confidence, or that dependance on our own righteousness, which leads us to reject the sacrifice of Christ. Job contended justly, though sometimes too eagerly, that he was not a hypocrite, but he never pleaded that he was not a sinner. vii. 20. ix. 2. 20. He relied on the promised Redeemer. Genuine faith is also opposed to that presumptuous confidence which emboldens a man to believe his good estate on the ground of some supposed former experience, though he is now going on in an evil way, and has no present exercise of grace, nor concern about it. The stronger a man's confidence is in a course of backsliding, the more room there is to suspect his hypocrisy; and when sincere souls are in doubt about the past, their best way is to come afresh to God now.

Do you know any thing of this trust? Have you renounced every other confidence but the living God? Have you been led to despair of finding happiness but in him? of enjoying his favor only through Christ? Do you look for perfect happiness in an invisible world? Relying on a Saviour you have never seen, do you trust in him, though unworthy and guilty? Renouncing every other dependance, wholly distrusting yourself, do you trust him with your immortal soul, and its eternal interests? And with all your present concerns? Though not exempt from trials, can you trust him in death? Can you plunge into eternity?

XVIII.

THE SUPERIORITY OF MAN OVER THE IRRATIONAL

CREATION.

JOB XXXV. 11.

Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven.

JER. viii. 7.

Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgment of the Lord.

UPON reading these words only, there seems an opposition between the language of Elihu, and that of Jeremiah; but on looking back at the words which precede the former passage, both writers will appear fully to agree in their estimate of the moral character of man; though Elihu's observation will justly remind us, that the strange stupidity of man, is owing, not to the want of natural faculties, but to his sinful disposition, and so is not of the excusable, but of the criminal kind. My design, therefore, is to call your attention to two principal subjects.

FIRST: The superiority of man to the irrational creation, with respect to his natural powers.

Do not think, Christian brethren, that this will be a dry or uninteresting subject. Its consideration is needful to enhance our gratitude; while it will help us to estimate our obligations, so it will aggravate our guilt: but it may be turned to a good

account.

Though some irrational animals may exceed man, in particular respects, yet he possesses those advantages which give him a decided superiority to them all.

The birds can soar aloft in the atmosphere; the fish can swim in the mighty waters; many beasts excel man in swiftness, and others in strength; yet he can conquer and tame, subdue or destroy them.

Animals may excel man, in such senses as are requisite for their preservation; but he has a far greater extent of capacity

for attaining general knowledge, and accurately investigating the whole of nature: whereas all their knowledge is confined to a narrow sphere.

The capacity of animals admits of no improvement that is serviceable to themselves; their instinct is no more sagacious than it was in the earliest ages. It is rather diminished, than improved, by being under the care of man. Nor do long-lived animals make any important progress in knowledge. But man is capable of improvement as long as his powers remain undebilitated; he may be learning in old age; and were his life protracted, his improvement would be without bounds; as good men's shall be in another state.

Man has a far superior capacity of sympathy with his own species. Not only is parental affection more durable, but the social affections are far more extensive.

Man is capable of looking backward and forward: he can search into the past history of his species, and regard his remote posterity: he is affected by the state of his fellow-men, in distinct parts of the globe, and different periods of time; interesting himself in whatever concerns mankind; exulting in the diffusion of human happiness; yea, in the felicity of all holy intelligences.

Above all, man is capable of moral government: of forming an idea of a first cause, and a moral Governor; inquiring into his nature and will; being influenced by hopes and fears of rewards or punishments: as expecting the approbation or disapprobation of his Maker, according as he has united with him in design or opposed him.

No inferior creature has any powers suited to this noble employ of intentionally glorifying God, or hoping to enjoy him, that man has, if he were not indisposed by sin to a due improvement of them. This leads us to consider,

SECONDLY: The degradation of man below the irrational creatures, through his depravity, perverseness, or wilful stupidity. Alas! there is none who saith, Where is God my maker?" "The ox knoweth his owner," &c.

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The

The evidences of this sinful stupidity are abundant. sottishness of men without divine revelation. Idolatry. Isaiah xliv. 10. 20. Horrid form of idols. Vile notions of

invisible deities. Among the heathen we find no just view of moral government; no anxious inquiries after God; no fixed standard of morals; but wicked rites, and human sacrifices. And there has been no emancipation merely by reason. Idolatry still subsists. The perverseness of man favored with revelation. The Jews were prone to conform to the heathen. Neglect of divine injunctions—— prevalence of sin-opposition to prophets. Jer. xxv. 3, 4. 7. Hos. viii. 12. Jer. viii. 8, 9. How is revelation still disregarded by nominal Christians, Greeks, Papists, Protestants! The neglect of their powers by the ignorant. Even here, in a Christian country. How little are many above the brutes, and in some respects far below. of their powers, by the learned and refined. many, among the polite and educated. enough to perceive the folly and sin of the practice. How deplorable is the atheism of some, who are extensively acquainted with the animal frame and wonders of creation. They admire any thing rather than God, and study any thing but religion. The injuries offered by man to man. In private life, sometimes to relatives; by wars, slavery, &c. Beasts of prey never made such havoc. War begets poverty; poverty, peace; and then they quarrel again; and so they would go on, till the last conflagration, if God had not promised to pour out his Holy Spirit.

The abuse Profaneness of

Surely they know

The enmity of

How vile is the abuse of

man to God. Brutes are incapable of this unwillingness to realize his being and perfections. his name, day, word, and people. the commands of his holy law.

The violation of all Even by those to whom it

was given in writing, and who have often heard it explained and enforced. monstrances of conscience, strongly testifying against sin. Ps. xxxii. 9. The stupid neglect of the glorious gospel,

The opposition often made to the re

The

even by such as do not pretend to deny its truth. improvidence of men for futurity. Though there is an appointed time for man on earth, and he knows his present existence must soon terminate. Brutes have no distant foresight of death. Death is as certain as the approach of winter. Man's thoughtlessness in prosperity. Not like

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Man

The meanest of

the bee, providing for winter. His stupidity or rebellion in adversity. Not willing to receive correction; (Job xxxvi. 10.) not humbling himself under the mighty hand of God, but often trespassing and rebelling more and more. learns not by his own experience. Surely in vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird." quadrupeds will shun snares and traps. Few beasts will drink intoxicating liquors; and I have heard credible accounts of such as resemble man in shape, which after once finding the effect of such liquors, could never be induced to taste them more. Yet men, conscious that they are ruining body, substance, family, and soul, can seldom be reclaimed from that which it would be a slander on brutes to call a beastly crime. Man is more insensible than the beasts to the

obligations of gratitude; especially towards God.

It is a strong evidence of the corruption of human nature, that there is so little proportion between our disposition to resent injuries from our fellow-men, and a disposition to remember favors. But our obligations to God are far greater, and our sense of them far less.

From the whole, then, we may learn, How evidently does man still possess those faculties which are requisite to constitute him accountable and criminal. If men cannot deny their fallen state, they love to misrepresent it, as if it were a state merely pitiable, sunk below obligation; in which they are as innocent as stocks and stones. But how false ! Yet how great is man's depravity, criminality and misery! How impossible that he should help himself; or that help should arise from any other source, but sovereign, wonderful, efficacious grace!

XIX.

ON CONTEMPT OF GOD.

Ps. x. 13.

Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God?

THERE are two principal objects kept in view in this Psalm. First, To show that though God may seem for a