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62 And destin'd man himself to judge man fall'n. And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the son of man. John v. 27. God will accomplish to him all those glorious predictions which represent him as possessed of universal and perpetual dominion, and coming in the clouds of heaven in that day when the judgment is set, and the books are opened. Let us labour to secure an interest in him; treating him with that submission, duty, and obedience, which becomes at once the divinity of his nature, and the dignity of his office.

85 Of high collateral glory:

To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. Rev. iii. 21. But even this most expressive promise was not equal to all the purpose of a Saviour's love; that nothing, therefore, might be wanting to enkindle the most generous ambition, he has been pleased to speak of our sitting down with him upon his throne, as he is set down on his Father's throne. And who then will And who then will ever scruple

to suffer with him, wher thus assured of reigning

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manner demanded, "Adam where art thou?" Trembling and fearful, he replied, "I heard thy voice in the garden, and was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself." The Judge, in the language of meekness, said, "Who told thee that thou wast naked? hast thou eaten of the tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldst not eat?"

In this trial, how condescending, tender and benevolent is the Almighty!

137 This woman, whom thou mad'st to be my help, And the man said, The woman that thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. Gen. iii. 12.

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thus abash'd reply'd. The Serpent me beguil'd, and I did eat.

Eve, in her confession, simply told the truth. "The serpent beguiled me and I did eat." The enquiry being ended, judgment was passed, beginning with the serpent, who was "cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field;" a sentence which has taken place in the most literal manner, as there is nó creature in world more generally dreaded and detested. 184 Saw Satan fall like lightning down from Heaven, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from Heaven. Luke x. 18. And he said unto them, I know hat it is and must be so: for I myself saw Satan eat prince of the demons, falling like lightheaven on his first transgression, and er how immediate and dreadful his d I foresee in spirit that renewed, sistible victory, of which this present

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So round me press'd, exulting at my sight,
With cries and agonies of wild delight,
The weeping sailors; nor less fierce their joy,
Than if returned to Ithaca or Troy,

HOMER'S ODYSSEY.

hath God then said that of the fruit

Of all these garden trees ye shall not eat,

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Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? Gen. iii. 1.

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Of each tree in the garden we may eat,

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We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, ye shall not eat of it; neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. Gen. iii. 1.

he knows that in the day Ye eat thereof, your eyes that seem so clear

For God doth know, that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened: and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. Gen. iii. 5.

733 He ended, and his words replete with guile

Exhort one another daily, while it is called, to day; lest any of you be hardened, through the deceitfulness of sin. Heb. iii. 13. You are surrounded with many temptations to do this; but exhort one another daily, while you are under this dispensation of grace, whilst it is called, to day and the deserved judgments of God are suspended; that no one of you may, by insensible degrees and artful insinuations, be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin, and its fallacious

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811.

advances on the mind; whereby, if you are not resolutely on your guard, you may be seduced finally, to forfeit the invaluable blessings which are so freely offered, and which have so long been set before you.

this fruit divine

Fair to the eye, inviting to the taste,

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The woman saw that the tree was good for food; and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make them wise. Gen. iii. 6. Heav'n is high,

High, and remote to see from thence distinct

Yet they say, The Lord shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it. He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? shall he not hear? He that formed the eye, shall he not see? Psalms, civ. 7, 9.

835 But first low reverence done, as to the Power That dwelt therein,

Worshipped and served the creature, more than the Creator. Rom. i. 25. Let us give the most attentive heed, and be much upon our guard, against those vain and sophistical reasonings to which they who, knowing God, are ready to fly; lest we approve ourselves fools in proportion to the degree in which we profess to be wise, and provoke God to give us up to an injudicious mind, and to leave us to that reciprocal influence, which evil principles and evil actions have to render each other more inveterate and incurable.

996 She gave him of that fair enticing fruit With liberal hand:

She took of the fruit thereof and did eat, and

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gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat. Gen. iii. 6.

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Herculean Samson

Samson was a Danite: that is, one of the tribe of Dan, a judge: he was the twelfth of the Judges of Israel: he succeeded Abdon, and judged the people twenty years: Delilah was his mistress and betrayer. Judges, xvi. 4.

1103 In Malabar or Decan spreads her arms Branching so broad and long,

The Indian fig, likewise called the banyan and the wonder tree, is sometimes of an amazing size, as it is continually increasing, every branch proceeding from the trunk, throws out long fibres which take root in the ground, and shoot out new branches, which again throw out fibres, that take root and continue in this state of progression, as long as they find soil to nourish them, Malabar and Decan are places in the East Indies, where they flourish.

1115 Columbus found th' American so girt With feather'd cincture,

Christopher Columbus, a native of Genoa, was the first who undertook to extend the boundaries of the world. He sailed from Spain, in the year 1492, with a fleet of three ships, after a voyage of thirty-three days, amidst the murmurs of a discontented mutinous crew he landed on one of those islands now called Bahamas, in a rich dress, and with a naked sword in his hand. His men followed, and, kneeling down, they kissed the ground which they had so long desired

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