The word of command,—now, of deliberation.-Trinity in our creation,-so in our regeneration.

I. God's natural image, lost in part.

1. Clear understanding,-now dark.
2. Pure reason,—now carnal.
3. Upright will,—now sinful.

4. Holy affections,-now disordered.

5. Strong memory,-now losing good.

6. Immortality, lost as to the body, which would have suffered no violence, hunger, pain, or old age.

II. Totally lost.

1. Dominion over the creatures.

EXCEPTIONS.-Seas, fishes, rocks, earth. (Moses.)— Sun, Moon. (Joshua.)-Fire. (Elijah.)—Iron. (Elisha.) -Seas, fishes, trees, winds. (Jesus Christ.)

Faith as mustard-seed.

2. Impassibility.—(Naked) insects, vermin, thorns, &c. 3. Intuitive knowledge.-Creatures, angels.

4. Glory.-(Naked) garment of light.

5. Knowledge of God.—Adam hiding, quibbling, &c. 6. Love of God.-He fled from him.

7. Righteousness and true holiness.-Innocency, propensity to good.

8. Peace and happiness.

III. How is the mighty fallen!-Ox for stupidity.Wild ass for refractoriness.-Lion for rage.-Fox for craftiness.-Dog for greediness.-Swine for impurity.Devil for sin.-Covetousness besides.

IV. INFERENCES.-1. If we are born in sin, we are fallen. Satan's image.

2. If God created us, let us obey him. Leave the usurper, return to our first Master.

3. No safety or bliss till God's image is recovered.

4. How rational the doctrine of the new birth.

5. It is God's work; Let us make; created again. 6. How precious Christ, the second Adam, whose image we are called to recover. "We all with open face behold

ing," &c. 2 Cor. iii. 18.

7. How empty formality and morality.

8. How invaluable the workings of the Spirit.

9. How deluded professors not new created.

V. APPLICATION.-1. Careless sinners.-Know whence you are fallen.-Awake.-See your calling in Christ Jesus: a king, a priest, a prophet, a son of God.-Confess what you are: groan for what you are not. If you remain sinners, like to like.

2. Distressed souls.-See the second Adam, "made to you of God wisdom," &c. You can do all things through Christ.-Innocency, happiness, garments of righteousness, and glory in him.-Believe till you are changed.-Plead, God was your Father.

3. Children of God.-Grow, walk in his image.-Show you are born. Know your privileges in Jesus Christ are greater than in Adam.-Seriousness, majesty, dignity, heavenly-mindedness, contempt of earth, become you.

"Whose image and superscription hath it?" See by thoughts, words, actions.-See by the contrary, the glass of the law and the gospel.-O pray that God would deface with Jesus's blood, and stamp you with his Spirit. -New heart: till then all is against you, creation, redemption, &c.

OUTLINE II.

Behold, now is the accepted time: behold, now is the day of salvation. 2 Cor. vi. 2.

INTRODUCTION.-Two grand devices of satan, and mis

takes of men.

1. Unbelief: "God will not save us now." 2. Impenitency: "He will do it at death." I. What is "the accepted time?"

1. When God offers sinners to accept their pardon their sins.

2. When sinners can close with that offer.

persons and

Time of rejection.-Foolish virgins.-Prov. i.-Esau.
II. What is "the day of salvation?"

1. As to Christ: days of his flesh, birth, temptation, agony, death, resurrection, intercession.

2. As to the Spirit: when he saves sinners by an application of what Christ has done and suffered.

(1.) From stupidity, by awakenings. (2.) From guilt, by a pardon.

(3.) From uneasiness, by peace and joy.

(4.) From a spiritual hell, by a taste of heaven.
(5.) From sin, by righteousness and a new birth.

A day. Short space, wasting, soon gone, to work in: followed by the night.-Day of life, day of grace, Lord's day, day of health, day of youth, day of the gospel, day of power.

Remember Felix, Lot's sons, Jerusalem.

III. "Now is the accepted time," &c.

The Father calls, Jesus intercedes, ministers plead, the Spirit strives while you have conscience to reprove, eyes to see, ears to hear, senses, health, leisure.

Now, Christ stands; now, saints pray; now, mercy courts; now, sceptre of love; now, door of heaven opened; now, well of life unsealed; now, the scale hovers; now, a breath; now, death is coming; now, gospel trump sounds; God about to summons; now, that others enter in.

BEHOLD, consider.-Let not satan, world, flesh, blind thee.

Behold, soon the time of rejection, no time.-Soon the day of death, of judgment, of condemnation. The day when the wheels of opportunity shall be fast. O who shall bear that day of God, that last day?

APPLICATION. To sinners.-Jesus weeps over you. Know, squander not your day; kill not time, soul, and Saviour together.

Mourners.-Publicans, now, Zaccheus, no to-morrow. Believers.-Know, tell, show; day of glorification near.

A

OUTLINE III.

This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.-Matt. xxi. 38.

INTRODUCTION.-Speech both of the Jews and of every unbeliever, at least, in their hearts and actions.-Barbarous mothers.-Herod and Pharaoh kill.

I. Jesus is the Son and Heir.

1. Son.-Isaiah ix. 6; Matt. iii.; Heb. i.; Psalm ii.— One in nature and essence, dignity.-As old as his Father, as venerable; always begotten, and always in begetting; as brightness, and the sun.

2. Heir.-Heb. i. 2; Rom. viii. 17; and iv. 13. II. What is his inheritance?

1. Heaven. That part of it people do not trouble themselves much about.

2. Earth." The uttermost parts" of it. Psalm ii. 8. For this many fight: they will seize on houses and lands, and those refined particles of the earth, called "silver and "gold," with all its fruits.

3. "The heathen for his inheritance."-All nations, our souls and bodies, our senses, powers, members, hearts are Christ's, though we seize upon them as our own.

III. The unbelieving heart, the Jew within says, "Let us kill him." Let us see him killed without taking his part. Let us reject him. Let us not entertain him. Let us account his blood a common thing. Let us crucify him by sin. Let us look on him as dead and lost. Let us "seize on his inheritance." He is come to take possession of thy thoughts and heart; seize them not; they are his right, as Son, as Redeemer, and Heir.

APPLICATION.-1. Unconverted.-Too long have ye murdered him afresh,-perhaps, doubly on his holy days.

2. Ye unbelievers, though you do not kill him, yet, Pharaoh-like, you take him not up, you nurse him not, as Pharaoh's daughter did Moses.-Mind now.

This is the Heir, the Son; come, let us kiss him, adore,
Let us restore him his inheritance.

serve him.

Let us

kiss him, with the shepherds; restore his own, with the wise men in so doing, you will become heirs and jointheirs.

3. Ye believers, be as busy every one in saying, "This is the Son, believe on him," as the Jews were in crying, "Crucify him!"-Remember, you are his peculiar possession.

OUTLINE IV.

Ye desired a murderer to be granted unto you, and killed the Prince of life.-Acts iii. 14, 15.

INTRODUCTION.

"Killing" not literal. Four soldiers. Uriah killed by David and the Ammonites' sword; so Christ by the Roman spear. Sin is the true cause.

I. We have desired a murderer to be granted to us. 1. Barabbas within, who hath made insurrection against God, superiors, conscience, law, gospel.

2. Who hath committed murder on our souls and bodies, and on those of others. Yea, Christ himself has been stabbed.

Sin is the butcher of mankind, subtle poison, sharp dagger, envenomed dart. It brings lethargy and spiritual death, grieves and drives the author of life, gilds the pill, sweetens the cup, comes in disguise, lets in a troop.

II. How our sins have particularly murdered Christ and us.

Priests, magistrates, people, pursue him to the garden; bound by the chain of our sins. We wander; he is led captive. We execute; he is silent. We shut our eyes; he is blindfolded. We pamper the flesh; he sweats blood, and agonizes. We seek ease; he faints under the cross. We are proud; he is crowned with thorns, and naked. We abuse our hands and feet; he is pierced. We are intemperate; he thirsts, and hath vinegar and gall. We are unclean; he is bathed in blood. We are