A. (1) Man’s _nature_ as it left the Creator’s hands was very noble. It was immortal, not by nature, but by grace. By nature it was capable of decay and death, but by grace it was provided with the tree of life, the fruit of which renovated and preserved it. (2) Man’s _life_ was maintained subject to a condition, the condition of obedience. Its preservation was contingent on the keeping of God’s commandment. The soul as created was innocent; man was wise in intellect and clean in affections; he was associated with angels, accustomed to converse with God, peaceful in conscience, and endowed with all gifts of nature and grace. (3) Man’s _knowledge_ of God was not enigmatical, but intuitive. He saw God by some internal power of contemplation: a power not so perfect as that will be which we shall possess in our country, nor so imperfect as that which we have in the way. (4) Man’s _conscience_ was at peace with God; and internal peace implies external peace as well. Paradise was a place of perfect peace, for the elements were tranquil, the animals were in subjection, nourishment was in abundance. Had this state of peace continued, man would not have died, but he would have been translated to Heaven without death. (5) But alas! all this was forfeited by sin; and man was spoiled of his graces, and wounded in his faculties. He lost original righteousness, and with its loss his tranquillity was disturbed, his flesh became unbridled, his intellect parched, his will depraved, his memory disturbed. (6) Creation was moreover armed against him, so that earth was no more ready to nourish him spontaneously; but he was constrained to labour in the sweat of his brow for his daily bread. B. And now we are led to a consideration of the Gospel for the day, which speaks of fallen man, and of fallen man working, and working moreover to recover the conditions which he had before he fell. The Gospel is full of doctrine and dogma suited to all conditions of men. Doctrine I. is serviceable for increasing our faith. For the Gospel teaches us that in no other way can we attain the reward of the kingdom, than by working with true faith in the Lord’s vineyard, which is the Church. It is not sufficient that we should be called, we must work as well. Work is not sufficient, unless it be work in the Lord’s vineyard. Work in vineyards of our own planting will never be paid for by the Lord of the vineyard, when He comes to give the labourers their hire. Again; this Gospel opposes the presumption of those carnally-minded men who think to be saved by faith only; whereas faith without works is dead, being alone.