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endeavours of Christ to bring you under His gentle dominion. When in His name we invite you to submit to Him, and to take upon you His easy yoke, we are aware of the many obstacles which Pride and Unbelief, which Covetousness and Lust, which Prejudice and Wordly-mindedness, oppose to His progress in your Souls. We are aware how slow you are. to believe His word, and how loth to part with those favourite opinions, and practices, which you have long indulged. These are the strongholds in your hearts. And what, then, is the Object of our ministry among you, but to pullthem down: "to cast down imaginations, and every high thing which exalts itself within you against the Knowledge of God?" And what Means do we use for attaining this object, but those which the Word of God commands us to use, and which His Spirit we trust will bless. We endeavour to set before you Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. We preach to you that Gospel for the remission of sins, which He commanded to be preachedin all nations. We constantly and earnestly pray to Him, to bring it home with power to your hearts. And we believe that what He has promised, He is able also to perform; and that by the foolishness of preaching He will save them that believe. We are persuaded that strong as may be the Holds of Satan in your hearts, Christ is able by this

simple instrument, the Preaching of His Word, to pull them down, to overcome and cast out the strong man armed, and to take you unto Himself, to be a peculiar possession, a glorious inheritance. O! may He at this time gain some triumphs among us! May His Word go forth with demonstration, and prove itself this day to be "the Power of God unto Salvation!" May the light shine into your hearts, to give you the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ! Even now, while these words are sounding in your ears, may His Spirit convince you of sin, of righteousness, and of judgement! May it humble your pride, destroy your unbelief, overthrow your prejudices, expel lust and covetousness from your Soul, subdue within you the flesh and the world, and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ! My Brethren, pray for yourselves: pray that these blessed effects may be wrought in you! Pray that you may experience the power of His Spirit in your heart; and thus may "prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God." Be persuaded that there is more reality and substance in Religion, more excellency, more happiness, more enjoyment in it, than you' may have hitherto supposed. And remember that "the same Lord over all, is rich in mercy unto all, that call upon Him."

And you especially, who know the Lord, in whose hearts the strong-holds have been pulled down; who have submitted to Christ, and find His service perfect freedom; do you especially pray that His kingdom may come, and be enlarged; that His Word may run, and be glorified; and that many hearts may be subdued before Him. May we all unite in praying that "the Lord will send the rod of His strength out of Zion, and rule in the midst of his enemies :" that He will make us a willing people in the day of His power; and cause us to worship Him in the beauty of holiness!

SERMON II.

THE CARNAL MIND ENMITY AGAINST GOD.

ROMANS, viii. 7.

The Carnal Mind is Enmity against God.

THE Corruption of our nature is a fundamental Doctrine in the Christian System: a Doctrine, which lies so entirely at the bottom of all true Religion, and is so intimately connected with every other article of our Faith; that to obtain just and adequate conceptions of the degree, the depth, and the extent of this corruption, is a point of the utmost moment. With this view I would lead you to a particular consideration of the words of the text; which contain as clear, and comprehensive a description of human Corruption, as can be found in the Sacred Scriptures. "The Carnal Mind is Enmity against God." In discoursing on this passage, I shall endeavour,

I. To explain and illustrate the declaration contained in it; and

II. To apply the truth thus explained for our instruction in doctrine and righteousness. May He, who alone can teach our hearts, vouchsafe us His blessing, and enable us to see what is in man!

I. I am to explain and illustrate the declaration contained in these words: "The Carnal Mind is Enmity against God." The Carnal, or Fleshly Mind (for both words have the same meaning) is the same with the natural heart. It is an expression used to deseribe the state of the soul by nature, since the fall of our First Parents. It is "flesh.' No sooner did Adam by transgression lose the divine image, in which he had been created, but he became flesh: not only mortal in his body, and subject to disease and decay; but corrupt and carnal in his soul. And such are all who descend from him; for "that which is born of the flesh, is flesh."

Let us bear then in mind, that it is not of Adam only, of whom we are going to speak. It is not his nature merely, which I am about to describe. It is not the state of heart, belonging to any particular number of his children, be they more or fewer, which is here represented as carnal. No, it is the state of all his posterity. They are all "carnally-minded." The carnal mind spoken of in the text, belongs to all men naturally, without exception.

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