REMARKS.

I. In this passage, we find a short, but affecting account of one of the most stupendous events, which have taken place in the Uni

verse.

A vast multitude of Intelligent beings, of the first order in the divine kingdom, excelling all other orders in knowledge, power, and splendour, and unrivalled in the favour of God, rose up in rebellion against their Creator, Benefactor, and Sovereign; lost their pristine honour and happiness, their primeval virtue and dignity; sunk down to the depths of sin, shame, and misery; and incurred the endless hatred and contempt of all good beings.

From this singular and amazing event, many interesting truths may be learned by us.

1st. No created faculties, no finite holiness or happiness, furnish sufficient inducements to prevent creatures from apostacy.

Angels fell. All others, therefore, may fall; and, if left to themselves, will fall. The true reason, why the spirits of just men made perfect, and the innumerable company of holy Angels, persevere in their obedience, is evidently, I think, not their own inherent perfection, but the promise of God and his almighty power, especially exerted to secure them from sin. Without this safeguard, they would, at least in my view, be utterly unsafe, and plainly exposed to destruction. We cannot but see, therefore, with what forcible propriety our Saviour has taught us to pray after this manner. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil! If Angels needed a continual exertion of divine power to preserve them from falling; how much more do we, frail and feeble as we are, prone by nature to sin, and easily overcome by temptation, need the same exertions for our daily and hourly safety! How constantly, and earnestly, ought we to offer up these petitions! How unceasingly ought we to beseech God to keep our feet from falling, our eyes from tears, and our souls from death; and to implore the influence of his Holy and Good Spirit to make the meditations of our hearts, and the words of our mouths, acceptable in his sight. He only can preserve the bruised reed from falling asunder, and the dimly burning flax from being extinguished in everlasting darkness.

2dly. We are here taught, that pride could disturb the peace and happiness of heaven, and prove the cause of endless ruin to a multitude of inhabitants.

How great an evil then, is pride! It overcast, in a moment, all the beautiful and eternal prospects; it eclipsed, in a moment, all the splendour, virtue, and dignity, of Angels. What a vast, what an immeasurable ruin did it here accomplish! What a change did it make in the Universe! What an amazing change did it produce in those, by whom it was exercised! How ought we, then, to tremble at the indulgence of pride; the sin, to which we are probably more prone than to any other! More, or less, it occupies every heart; manifests

itself in all the conduct of the children of men; and intrudes itself into their piety, their benevolence, their prayers, their songs, their alms, their humility, and their repentance. If Angels were so odious in the sight of God, on account of their pride; how odious must we be! If they were ruined by it for ever; what will be

come of us?

3dly. We are further taught, that no creatures are so necessary or important, to God, as to be secure from his anger when they sin against him.

Angels sinned, and were destroyed. Who, then, if found of the same character, will escape?

Men often satisfy themselves, that they are safe in the falsely intended reflection, that God never made men to damn them. I have used the words, which I have frequently heard used to express this miserable refuge of lies. It is undoubtedly true, in the strictest sense, that God never created either men, or any other beings, for this end; but it is equally true, that he has created men, and Angels also, who, after they were created, sinned; and who, for their sin, were condemned to final perdition. The phraseology, apparently true, is substantially false; and is used only for the purpose of deceiving ourselves and others. The Angels might certainly have used this language with more seeming force, and justice, than we can; but it could not save them, and, therefore, certainly can

not save us.

The number of wicked men, often relied on in no small degree as a foundation of hope and safety, is merely a foundation of sand. The number of the wicked Angels did not avail them at all. Every one of the rebels was destroyed as absolutely, as if no other had been concerned in the rebellion. Their number, also, was immensely great; and one of them was of more worth and importance, than many men united.

5thly. The punishment of the evil Angels is not disciplinary.

They have been already punished at least six thousand years; yet, instead of being reformed, they have grown worse continually; and will grow worse, not only till the day of judgement, but proba bly for ever. The Scriptures inform us, that the punishment of evil Angels is the same with that of evil men. The punishment of evil men, therefore, is not disciplinary, but punishment properly so called; punishment designed to reward the sins, not to amend the characters, of either Angels or men. Both are hopeless of amendment; yet both may be useful, although dreadful, examples to the rest of the universe. There is not a reason to believe, that sin was ever renounced, or a sinner reformed, except by the almighty power of the Spirit of Grace.

II. We learn from these observations, that opposition to God, is supremely odious and deformed.

This is the fundamental characteristic of Apostacy in both Angels and Men. Of this, the diabolical character is made up. How

odious and deformed is it most justly accounted! How false; how malicious; how cruel; how base; how detestable! Let it be remembered, that all opposition to God, is, in nature and substance, the same; and that it differs not in kind, but merely in degree.

III. In how many respects do wicked men resemble wicked An gels!

Like them, do wicked men exalt themselves against God, hate his government, oppose his designs, and revile his character; inflate themselves with pride; murmur at their own allotments; covet the enjoyments of others; corrupt their fellow-creatures; tempt them to iniquity; and defraud them of endless life. Like them, do they hate, envy, injure, calumniate, and destroy. How much of the history of this great world has resembled a history of fiends! How much of it has been a history of falsehood, fraud, treachery, pollution, slanders, contentions, murders, oppression, slaughter, irreligion, impiety, profaneness, and blasphemy! How readily have evil men, like evil angels, undertaken to rival God; and demanded the homage, worship, and obedience, due to him

alone!

How laboriously do Infidel writers, even now, oppose their Maker, and their Redeemer; and strive to shut both their fellowmen and themselves out of heaven! Particularly, with what frequency, and constancy, do they repeat the very falsehood, which was first told to the parents of mankind: Although ye disobey God, ye shall not surely die. How continually do wicked men, by argument, ridicule, eloquence, and example, tempt each other to sin against God! How great a part of their life and labours do multitudes spend in this employment! Where can we find a moral distinction between this conduct, and that of fallen Angels?

IV. The same punishment, which is reserved for evil Angels, is accordingly reserved for evil men.

This punishment was prepared, at first, for the Devil and his Angels. But Christ, the final Judge of the quick and the dead, has informed us, that impenitent men shall, at the great day, stand with them on the left hand; be included in the same sentence; and depart to the same place of torment. Both will have been embarked in one cause; will have sustained one character; and will, therefore, share in one allotment of wo. Perhaps there is not a more affecting, more overwhelming consideration to a serious mind, than this: that evil men will hereafter be confined in the same habitation with these hateful beings; who are possessed of a disposition to do every thing, which is injurious to God, and their fellow-creatures, and to perpetrate all the crimes dictated by malice, cruelty, deceit and revenge. To be imprisoned in this world with a collection of abandoned villains; to be hated and despised, deceived and betrayed, oppressed and insulted, wounded to the soul with unceasing cruelty and treachery, and broken down by scorn and in

solence, even for our present momentary life; would, I think, be a lot sufficiently dreadful to lacerate the soul with agony. What then must be the nature and misery of a confinement with these powerful, active, sagacious beings; whose minds are all malice, fraud, and cruelty; and whose endless being is only a succession of rage, revenge, and despair!

SERMON XXI.

CREATION.-THE EARTH.

GENESIS i. 1.—In the beginning God created the Heaven and the earth.

IN the four preceding sermons, I have briefly considered the several things, intended in the Jewish use of the word Heaven; and made some observations concerning the character and circumstances of those beings, who either are, or have been, Inhabitants of the Supreme Heaven. The next subject of examination in our progress, is the World, which we inhabit.

In the history, given by Moses of this great work, we are informed,

In the first place, that, together with the rest of the material system, it was made of nothing; or, in other words, the materials were brought into existence, of which the world was afterwards composed. That we might be at no loss concerning this truth, Moses has taught it distinctly in Genesis ii. 3; where he informs us, that God rested from all his works, which he created, and made; or, as in the original, created, to make. Of the energy, by which this mighty effort was accomplished, the Psalmist gives us a most sublime conception, when he says, concerning the Creator, that He spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast. These materials, after they were first brought into being, were, originally, a mere mass of confusion, in the language of the Divine Writer, without form, and void; and are styled, successively, the earth, the waters, and the deep.

Secondly. The first element, separated from the Chaos, was light; the most wonderful, and the most useful, of all material objects. At this time, it seems not to have been gathered into any common receptacle; as, according to the received philosophy, it is at the present time; but to have been diffused extensively through the universe. It is possible, that this may now be its real state; and that the sun, and stars, instead of being in themselves luminous, may merely possess the power of originating its motion, and direction. That period of darkness, which intervened between the creation of the Chaos, and the production of light; and that period of light, which preceded the next return of darkness, constituted the first day. In reference to this event, the Israelites were commanded to celebrate their Sabbath from evening to evening: this being the true course of a natural day.

Thirdly. The next event in this great work was the constitution of the Firmament, and a division of the chaotic mass into two great VOL. I.

42