its original angelic proclamation :

God in the highest, on earth peace toward men."

Glory to good will

Lecture X.

THE FALL AND REDEMPTION OF MAN.

"Therefore as by the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of One the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners; so by the obedience of One shall many be made righteous."

"That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness, unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord."

These two fundamental articles of Christian doctrine, the universal condemnation of mankind to a participation both in the natural effects and the penal consequences of Adam's transgression, and in the universality of that redemption from them which, in unmerited mercy is provided, and which is effected only through the mediation and the righteousness of Christ, are best contemplated in that intimate conjunction in which they are exhibited in these several texts: being justly understood only in this

is worthy to be deeply pondered according to the scriptural view of its respective character. The doctrine of redemption by Christ has however so inseparable a relation to that of the fall in Adam, that no adequate apprehensions of the former can be received, independently of its connexion with the latter and utterly imperfect must be every view that can be formed of the depth of that fall which has involved the whole human race, if it embrace not, for its counterpart, the extent of that most costly and most efficacious sacrifice, which, according to the counsels of Infinite Wisdom, was ordained in order to a final and complete restoration from the fall.

How great must be the depth of that fallthe extent of that loss, which has required so gracious, yet so awful a display of Divine interposition, to effect its complete, though conditional reparation! To say that it did not require it, or that a less stupendous process might have been equally effectual to the purpose, would be in effect, however undesignedly, to "charge the Almighty foolishly," by intimating a disproportion between the means and the end; which is utterly inconsistent with the consummate

wisdom that is manifested in all His works. And to say as some have unwarrantably done, and betrayed their own partial blindness by confessing, that they could see no connexion between the sufferings of Christ and the salvation of mankind, is indeed to afford an humiliating proof, that even when the attention has been much employed on religious subjects, we are liable to be left in darkness respecting sacred truths, when we lean to our own understandings, in opposition to the most express and variously multiplied declarations of Divine revelation.

That the utmost depth, and utmost extent of the cause and of the effect of the Redeemer's process, may be unfathomable and immeasurable to finite comprehension, will be found to be acknowledged in the course of these Lectures. But while the most unskilled in spiritual science must be sensible, that the fall and the redemption of mankind, are subjects which exhibit an indissoluble connexion in the scriptural characters of each, the more deeply exercised in religious experience, are enabled to discern a real harmony between the unperverted views of mediatorial redemption, and that fallen condition of

It is not denied that a virtual and practical experience of both these important truths, may in some degree be attainable by those who have admitted inadequate ideas, or who may be destitute of correct or even discursive information, on either subject. For the knowledge which is essential to the efficacious operation of these truths, consists not in a speculative apprehension of them, but in such a sensibility of that depraved nature inherited from Adam, as convinces us of our absolute need of that Divine Grace which is the gift and purchase of redeeming love, and which alone is effectual to our regeneration. But though this experimental knowledge is not the infallible result of the most correct verbal delineation; yet when the words dictated by inspiration, are accompanied by a measure of that holy Influence from whence they have proceeded, how forcible are they found in imparting right impressions to the simple-hearted! how confirming to the more advanced disciple! and how fitly adapted to evince to those who have not yet received them, that something is still lacking on their part, in order more effectually to remove from their heart that veil, which prevents their seeing eye to eye with the Divinely instructed and commissioned promulgators of evangelical truth!