SERMON XXX.

DEDICATION AT AMSTERDAM, N. Y.

[Concluded.]

FROM what has been argued, we perceive, that there is but little of true religion in the world. A mysterious change from nature to grace has, therefore, no foundation in the teachings of Christ. It is an invention of man, which has been handed down in the religious creeds from father to son, ever since the days of Calvin, the thundering reformer of Geneva, so that the impression has become general that this is, indeed, the religion of the Bible. Those who honestly believe in experiencing this change before they can be Christians, cry down morality as good for nothing at all to sustain them at the bar of God, while this mysterious change, this frame of mind is all sufficient in life, in death, in eternity. Now, my friends, it is exactly the reverse of this. A belief in God, and in the divine mission of his Son, and a conscientious discharge of the duties of life, -in one word, a sound morality, is all, and a mysterious change is nothing, having not the slightest foundation in reason or revelation. To love our fellow-creatures as our text teaches, and to do them good, is all that God requires of us.

"For what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with thy God?" This is not only the whole of his requirement, but it is vital religion. "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the widow and the fatherless in their affliction, and keep himself unspotted from the world." This is not only the whole requirement of God and pure religion, but it is the whole 'duty of man. The Scriptures say, "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter, fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man."

Now it is certain, that all these things are done by thousands, who have never met with a mysterious change, who never made a profession of religion, and never thought they were religious, because the church did not consider them'so. Too many of those, who doat so much upon this mysterious change, and upon what they profess to have experienced, think they may hate and slander their fellow-creatures, feel uncharitable towards other denominations, and be what we should call immoral, still, it is no harm in them because they have experienced religion! But this is a most unhappy delusion. Less than three hundred years ago, this very class of Christians sincerely believed, that it was doing God service

to torture and burn all who differed with them in faith.

All are now sensible, that such were not only destitute of religion, (though they had experienced the same mysterious change,) but that they were unmercifully wicked. And the day has dawned when men will learn that such changes, and frames of mind, as many now experience, are nothing at all, so long as they fill the mind with bigotry, envy, and hatred towards any denominations. of Christians.

Having probably said all that is necessary in defence of the religion of Jesus Christ and of the true worship of that God to whose service we dedicate this house, we will now take hold of the doctrine of total depravity, and prove, that a mysterious change from nature to grace is not true. Before we grapple with this strong hold of orthodox faith, we would caution you to bear in mind, that the expression, "from nature to grace," is not in the Bible.

The reason why such a change is supposed to be necessary, is, because they contend, in the first place, that man comes into existence totally depraved. Now if this were true, then I readily grant that such a change would be necessary as a prerequisite for the enjoyment of happiness in virtue. If, then, we succeed in proving that man,

in a state of nature, is not totally depraved, our point is gained.

We will first state what we are to understand by total depravity. It is to be born into existence completely averse to all that is good, and wholly inclined to all that is evil; so that we can neither speak a good word, think a good thought, nor perform a good action acceptable to God; that it is just as natural to do evil as for water to run downwards. In fine, that it is our nature to do wrong. In this state no man, however moral, is considered in a better condition for immortal happiness than the most abandoned or profligate wretch, because all he does is out of mere selfishness. But, after a man has met with this myssterious change from nature to grace, even though he is not so good as the moral man, he is still acceptable to God, because what little good he may do, is for the glory of God, and not out of selfish motives.

We will now bring this doctrine of total depravity to the test of reason and revelation. The fish in the water is happy in that element, and would die were he to be brought into the air without changing his nature. It would be no favor to the fish to be converted into a bird by some mysterious change, neither would it be any favor to the bird to change its nature into a fish so as to be happy in the water. Each is happy

in its own element, because that element is perfectly adapted to its nature. Now, if man is brought into existence totally depraved, and in a state of nature perfectly fitted to do evil, then sin is his element, in which alone he can be happy. How then can man be punished in sin, with the horror of a guilty conscience? Impossible; because sin, on this principle, must be his delight, his peace and joy, out of which he could not be happy. We then inquire, why do the Scriptures aver, "there is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked?" If men are totally depraved, then the Scriptures ought to declare that there is no peace to natural men in working righteousness, but there is great peace in doing wickedness, because it is their nature.

The bird does not die by being in the air, but would if it were put under water. So if sin were man's nature, he could not morally die in sin, because it is his element. He would die, that is,

lose his enjoyments, in righteousness. In this case the Bible ought not to declare, "ye are dead in trespasses and sins," and alive in righteousness.. No, but ye are dead in the practice of holiness and alive in trespasses and sins, because it is your nature, your element, to do wrong.

Again, what sense or propriety is there in exhorting men, totally depraved, to change themselves from nature to grace, or to perform one