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loco focos of the state, leading their asses, which they have fitted for mounting, whenever they please. And how severely soever, they are at times, treated by their Balaamlike masters, they still, tamely and submissively, turn and say, are not we your asses, upon which you have ridden, ever since we were yours?

If any man have ears to hear, LET HIM HEAR.

SERMON V.

ROMANS XV-4.

FOR WHATSOEVER THINGS WERE WRITTEN AFORETIME, WERE WRITTEN FOR OUR LEARNING, THAT WE, THROUGH PATIENCE AND COMFORT OF THE SCRIPTURES, MIGHT HAVE HOPE.

CHRISTIAN READER-Nothing can be more evident in the first place, than that the Holy Ghost, through his Apostle, has, here, without reserve or limitation, applied the whole of the doctrinal, historical and prophetical parts of the Old Testament Scriptures, to the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Gospel of his salvation.

And we have selected this text, with a view to bring before the public, certain distinguished charactes in both church and state, whom we did not honor in our dedication, to wit: such as have shown themselves to be followers of Thomas Jefferson and Tom Paine, with respect to both religion and geology. We shall confine our remarks and illustrations, to the history of the antediluvian or primeval state of men, including the history of the deluge, with the view to establish the testimony of Moses, against this ungodly class of men.

The term antediluvian, you know, has been universally employed to denote anything that happened or existed, before the general deluge. But we are compelled to admit,

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in the commencement of our lecture, that the records of the antediluvian world are extremely brief; yet they contain many important and perfectly creditable intimations respecting the religion, the arts, and the policy of the primal race of men. The creation of the world; and of its various inhabitants and productions; the rapid and excessive corruption of the entire human race, till God destroyed them all by a reduction of the earth to a state of primeval chaos, are all recorded in six short chapters, in the fore part of the book of Genesis: and this is the only authentic record of the history of the world, for upwards of sixteen hundred years! But this period was fertile, no doubt, in incidents and inventions, and important to the historian, as exhibiting the gradual development of the human character; together with the origin and increase of those arts which contribute to the comforts and elegancies of life. And it would be highly interesting to show the progress of only the useful and ornamental arts, which we know, with certainty, existed in the antediluvian world; and which, were, in all probability, transmitted to the post-diluvian ages, as the basis of future improvements. It would be no less interesting, to explore the cause of that corruption, which, at last, became so general, and which produced such dis astrous consequences! We have the strongest reasons to believe, that a high degree of refinement in luxury, accompanied this universal and awful corruption; as great national depravity has never been seen, when not preceded by refinement, and attended by corruption. Our information, however, with respect to these exciting topics, is extremely limited, and must be taken from the few incidental intimatious furnished by sacred history. These intimations, however, are exceedingly valuable; and, it is to be hoped, a review of them, will lead us to some important and happy results, as to our views respecting the Religion, Arts, Government, and Manners, of the antediluvian world. Each of these particulars, will be made the subject of our

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present observations; after which, however, we shall notice some remarkable circumstances which occur in the scripture account of that period; but which cannot properly be comprehended under any of the above heads; and, in conclusion, we shall examine how far the Mosaic accounts respecting that period, are confirmed by other sources of information.

And with respect to the Religion of the antediluvians, as the Bible is chiefly the history of it, we have a fuller account of this, than of any other circumstance connected with their history. Although they had neither written laws, nor a written revelation, yet there can be no doubt, that their religion was communicated to them from heaven, as really and emphatically, as the religion either of Jews or Christians. For the "Almighty God," the "I Am that I Am," and "Jehovah," by either and each of which terms, the Sovereign of the universe chose to make his Godhead known to the antediluvians, actually conversed with our first parents; made known to them his will; definitely informed them how they must worship him; and emphatically appointed certain institutions, as auxiliaries to their faith, and memorials of their duty. The most prominent and remarkable of those institutions were, the Sabbath, and Sacrifices. The former of these, was appointed directly on finishing the work of creation, and was designed to serve as a memorial of the wisdom, and goodness, and power of God, till the end of the world. It is a strange mistake, and in our view, absolutely absurd, to suppose, with Spencer, and many other infidel and petulent scriblers, that the Sabbath was merely a Jewish rite, when it is as evident, as the voice, and language, and majesty of the infinite God could make it, that it was ordained for all mankind from the beginning of the world!

The septennary division of Time, which obtained amongst nations, who were entire strangers to the Jewish ritual, af

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fords conclusive evidence, that they derived their practice from an entirely different source, than that of the authority of God. In fact, the injunction given to the Israelites at Sinai, to observe the Sabbath, was not imparted as any new Institution, but was founded on a well known primitive use. "In six days, the Lord made heaven and earth," &c.; "wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it." Here we perceive the meaning of the word day, as used by God in his account of the work of creation. The first revolution of light and darkness, in God Almighty's universe, he emphatically denominated a day. The second revolution of light and darkness, the second day. The third revolution of light and darkness, the third day. The fourth revolution of light and darkness, the fourth day. The fifth revolution of light and darkness, the fifth day. The sixth revolution of light and darkness, the sixth day. And having here finished his work, he ordained and declared the seventh revolution of light and darkness -should be known as the seventh day-the Sabbath on which he rested- saying himself, he rested on the seventh day, and sanctified it. In prophetic style, the meaning of the word day, is always uncertain. Thus much for the meaning of the term "day," as used by God in his revelation to mankind.

But, as to the origin of Sacrifices, our information is not so precise, and definite; it is, however, sufficiently clear, to authorize us to affirm, that they were early observed, and that their observance was by Divine appointment. It never has been doubted, amongst intelligent orthodox christians, that in the promise, that "the seed of the woman should bruise the head of the serpent," an intimation was distinctly conveyed to Adam, that the human race should be delivered by the Messiah; indeed, we have reason to believe that our first parents, and their offspring, believed, and so