Adam was created pure and perfect in the image or likeness of God, like unto him in righteousness and true holiness but when he disobeyed the command of God by eating the forbidden fruit, he lost that image of God; the threatened sentence took effect and he died, that is, became spiritually dead as to his soul, the divine life being withdrawn and the soul separated from God, the source of life. He became, also, subject to bodily death, which began then to work in his frame, and liable moreover to the everlasting punishment of sin hereafter, which is called the second death. With respect to this awful event, our Church, in one of the Homilies, says thus, "As before Adam was blessed, so now he was accursed; as before he was loved, so now he was abhorred: as before he was most beautiful and precious, so now he was most vile and wretched; instead of the image of God, he was now become the image. of the devil; instead of the citizen of heaven, he was become the bondslave

of hell; having in himself no one part of his former purity and cleanness, but being altogether spotted and defiled; insomuch that now he seemed to be nothing but a lump of sin, and therefore by the just judgment of God was condemned to everlasting death.” And this so great and miserable a plague fell not only on him, but also on his posterity and children for ever." And what the Church thus asserts in the Homily is confirmed by the Scriptures just now read to you, which tell us that, by Adam "sin entered into the world, and death by sin;" that through the disobedience of Adam all men are dead and made sinners;" and that "by his offence judgment or sentence passed upon all to condemnation;" that by nature we are "children of wrath;" i. e. justly lying under the wrath of God, "born of the flesh,' "carnal," "unclean," and having "no good thing dwelling in us." Adam in his fallen and corrupt state "begat a son in his own likeness, after his image,' like himself, in sinfulness and corrup

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tion; as must needs have been the case, for "who could bring a clean thing out of an unclean ?" and in that same state of sinfulness and corruption, every person hath been begotten and born from that hour to the present: "out of the root and stock corrupted, there sprung forth corrupted branches, that conveyed also their corruption into the other twigs springing out of them." Hence the Psalmist says of himself, "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me:" and St. Paul says of himself, that he was "carnal, sold under sin;" and that he knew "that in him, that is in his flesh, dwelleth no good thing;" and the same Apostle tells us that "the carnal mind" (by which is meant the principles, inclinations, and purposes of the flesh,) "is enmity against God," and that "the flesh lusteth against the spirit;" the desires of the fleshly nature are opposed to the influences of the Holy Spirit. And we are told in the book of Genesis that God saw that "every imagination

of the thoughts of man's heart was only evil continually," even "evil from his youth;" and by the prophet Jeremiah," the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked."

The Bible, which tells you these things, is the book of truth, written under the inspiration of Him who knows what is in man. Ponder then these declarations of the Bible, and apply them to yourself; for to you they do apply; consider the description which they give of your state by nature, so depraved and so corrupt, so destitute of good, so full of evil; look at the deceitfulness and wickedness of your natural heart;-it is described as being "deceitful above all things and desperately wicked," so wicked that you can never see the whole depths of its wickedness, for that could only be discovered by your being placed in all the infinite varieties of possible circumstances and temptations. Yet your experience of the past and the present, may abundantly convince you of the great wickedness of your heart;

for whatever there may have been, or still be in you, contrary to God's holy will, whether in thought, word, or deed, is an effect and proof of an evil heart; for from the heart it hath all proceeded; and if you try yourself honestly how much will you find in you contrary to the holy will of the holy God. Let me suggest to you some few particulars with respect to which you may try yourself in this matter. Kneel down on your knees at any time, and try to pray fervently, if it be only for ten minutes, and mark the result; even within that short time the heart will be found starting aside, or insensibly wandering away from God; thoughts of other things will arise, and various imaginations allure the attention. Or try to think seriously of God and eternal things for one half hour together; you will find your heart naturally unwilling to begin, and soon growing tired and weary, turning to some other subject, and leading you far away from what you purposed to meditate upon.