which sense the brutes do with their offspring, though even there this difference arises, that whereas the offspring of brutes cast off their dependance, allegiance, &c. to their dams, as soon as they can, man is bound to his parents by ties of gratitude after the tie of dependance ceases, and this further for this very reason, that when old age visits their parents, their children may return the obligation with ten-fold tenderness, and bring down their grey hairs with comfort to the grave.

Now every mean which God uses is honored by his use of it, and though in the mere use made of it, the brate and the man answer the same end, namely, that of producing their like; yet the end of the use is not the same in this, that they dọ not both produce their offspring in the likeness of God. This is designed of God to be confined to man. Alas! that man in this should not fill up his allotted station. But the fall hath done this through the sin of the fall. And though man in the ruins of his reason, and in his speech, carries yet a lordly appearance, and a tone of authority in some degree in the sight of other animals, yet in the sight of God, the wreck of his fallen nature is a miserable degraded and unworthy object, which nothing but the rich grace of the Father manifested in, through, and for the sake of the Son, prevents from falling for ever into hell. But 2d. This commandment is reasonable, because by the visible object of an earthly father, we ought to consider our duty to

our heavenly one. God in one sense is the Father of all flesh, as being the author of their being, and

the giver of every mercy. Man has fallen and for

feited this right of having God for his father for ever, and if any new relationship is made to subsist it must be according to the good pleasure of God in the way of his appointment, agreeably to his justice as well as mercy, by means which he shall ordain, and in conformity (as it respects the objects chosen) with his own free and sovereign choice: and all these things centre in Christ.

6th. Thou shalt not kill.

Alas! is man in arms against God's creation? In arms against the blessings which God has given him? Yea, and worse than all, in arms against his species. The boy at school, torturing a beetle or a butterfly, knows not the infernal malice of him who sheds the blood of his brother. And though cruelty to any dumb creature is insufferable, yet more especially that towards a brother, whose blood will from the ground cry aloud to God for vengeance. Murder it may be observed was the first open fruit of rebellion, and the first awful proof of man's obstistinate hatred to God in spite of offers of mercy: "For (says the apostle John) he that loveth not "his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love "God whom he hath not seen," 1 John iv. 20. and the first open act of sin after the fall that we have any account of in holy writ, was that of Cain slaying Abel, which arose from a cause intimately con

1

nected with the profession of religion and the worship and glory of God, for the same apostle adds, "And wherefore slew he him? Because his own "works were evil, and his brother's righteous," 1

John iii. 13.

7th. Neither shalt thou commit adultery.

As adultery, fornication, whoredom, and the like, are taken in different senses in holy writ, it may not be amiss to enquire a little into the nature of the terms which it may be observed are synonymous, at least so far as this, that they point out the same sin, though they may mark it out in different stages, or degrees of aggravation. Adultery is of two

kinds, temporal and spiritual. The first of which comprises two things, 1st. A sin against the Holy Ghost, and 2d. viz. A sin against one's own body. "What (says the apostle Paul with evident "marks of surprize and abhorrence) know ye not "that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost "which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye

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are not your own? Perhaps it will be said by some, that this passage refers particularly to God's elect people, who are more particularly temples of the Holy Ghost. I grant it from what follows: "Ye are bought with a price." But still every man breathing is a temple of the Holy Ghost? 1st.

It hath been observed by many, that the first blood ever shed, was shed in the cause of religion; Alas! what a proof that fallen man till renewed by God's Spirit hates holiness, and every thing that aims at perfection in God's sight.

Because the Holy Spirit resides in him as the principle and support of animal life: as the Psalmist observes," Thou sendest forth thy Spirit, they are "created: thou takest away their breath, they die, "and return to their dust," Psalm civ. 29 and 30, and as the influence of the Holy Spirit in breathing into man the breath of life, consisted in breathing pure life, as witness Adam who was sent complete from the hand of God, so this pure creature must be a fit residence for the Lord the Spirit, for which alas! it was unfitted by man's fatal transgression and fall. 2d. It is a sin against one's own body. "Every "sin that a man doeth is without the body, but he "that committeth fornication, sinneth against his "own body," and this first by debasing even the body to the level of that of brutes. If by the impurity of the body the Holy Spirit departs and will no more reside therein, all light, all love of good, every generous, noble, elevating thought is extinguished, and man that is without understanding is like the beasts that perish: 2dly. By joining it in league with the devil; "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield your"selves servants to obey, his servants ye are whom

ye obey, whether of sin unto death, or of obe“dience unto righteousness," Rom. vi. 16. and it may be observed our subjection to satan, is a willing subjection. 3d. By joining it to an harlot, " Know ye not, that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two saith, he shall be one flesh." Alas! alas! what a miserable being is he who is

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joined to an harlot. What can he bear?

Not the

Not the

Not the

day, for the day shudders at his deeds. light of the moon, he shrinks even at this. light of conscience in even its natural lustre; for this if it speak at all, speaks for the honor of God. Not the eye of God, for this would pierce him through, and he would shrink as nothing from his sight: poor deluded people, they are caught by a strange woman whose path is in the way to hell. 4thly. I cannot pass by observing, briefly, by intro ́ducing numberless diseases into the human frame. Delicacy forbids to mention the disorders arising from the illicit and sinful connexion of the sexes? Can he be said to respect his own body who plunges into a sin, that may undermine his constitution, and bring him to a speedy or torturing end. But I forbear, observing only with these are connected the stings of conscience.-The body and spirit are oft in unison together, and have a mutual effect on the joys and sorrows of each other; oh then, when conscience embitters the moments of pain, by giving a retrospect to past transgresson without any antepast to the balm of gilead, the physician of souls! But whilst we suppose God so peremptory against the sin of fornication, adultery, &c. among his people in their relative situation, can we think he will pass these crimes when committed against himself? Hence they have, 2d. a spiritual sense in scripture. Under this, spiritual adultery comprises, Ist. idolatry. “But draw near kither ye sons of the sorceress, the