to conviction, the other much harder to be discovered and cured. Ask some men on what their hopes of salvation are grounded, and they will tell you they are just in their dealings with men and constant in their prayers to God; that is all, and therefore they doubt not of their salvation. Thus they substitute a righteousness of their own in the place of Christ's blood, and are their own destroyers by seeking in this way to be their own saviours. But there is a more refined way of self-righteousness, dressed up in such pretences of humility that men are hard to be convinced of it. I pity many souls on this account who stand off from Christ, and dare not believe because they want such and such qualifications to fit them for Christ. O, saith one, could I find so much brokenness of heart for sin, so much reformation and power over corruptions, then I could come to Christ; the meaning of which is, if I could bring a price in my hand to purchase him, then I should be encouraged to go to him. Here now is horrible pride covered over with a veil of humility. Poor sinner, either come naked and empty-handed, according to Isa. 55: 1, and Rom. 4:5, or expect a repulse; for Christ is not the sale, but the gift of God.

MARK 6. Whatever soul opens to Christ, opens finally and everlastingly to him; the heart once opened to Christ, must stand open for ever to him, never to shut him out any more. And here is a very observable difference between a man who comes to Christ in a sudden fright of conscience, and parts from him again when that fright is over, and a man who receives Christ to dwell in his heart by faith. Eph. 317. When Christ comes into the heart, he saith, "Here will I dwell for ever;" and, "Lord," saith the soul,

so I receive thee; this is the day of union, O let me never know a day of separation; let it never be in the power of life or death, angels, principalities or powers, things present or to come, to make a separation between thee and me." "Soul," saith Christ, "thou shalt be mine while I am in

"I will

Hos. 2:19.

heaven;" and, "Lord," saith the soul, "I will be thine while I am on earth.” "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee," saith Christ; "O, my Lord," saith the soul, "hold me fast in thy hand, that I may never leave nor forsake thee; my estate, liberty, and life may and must go, but it is the fixed purpose of my heart never, never to let thee go.' The espousals between Christ and the soul are for ever: betroth thee unto me for ever," yea, for ever. And here lies another great difference between the hypocrite who takes Christ with a politic reserve, that will venture with Christ at sea no further than he can see the shore, and the upright heart that embarks itself with Christ without reserve, come what will; that saith to him, as Ittai to David, when entreated to go back in a time of danger, "Nay, where my Lord Jesus Christ is, whether it be in liberty or in prison, in life or in death, there also will I be." may persuade to a retreat; but, saith the soul, I cannot retreat wherever the truths, the interest and glory of Christ are, there also must I be; for upon these terms I first received him, and opened the door of my heart to him. These things are no matters of surprise to me, Christ and I have debated them long ago; he dealt fairly with me, and I must deal faithfully with him.

Flesh

Now, brethren, view over these six trials; have your eyes been opened to see sin in its vileness, and Christ in his beauty and necessity? Have your hearts been wounded with compunction and sorrow for sin? Are the love and delight of sin gone out of your souls? Have you no exceptions either to the cross or yoke of Christ? Have you given up all your own righteousness, whether gross or refined, for dung and dross, and received Christ for ever? Then thy heart is savingly opened to him.

The last improvement of this doctrine will be, to draw from it CONSOLATION to all whose hearts the Lord has thus

opened to receive Christ at his knocks and calls of the gospel.

Has God indeed opened your heart, and made you sincerely willing to receive Christ? then there are ten sweet consolations, like so many boxes of precious ointment, to be poured forth in the close of this discourse, upon every such soul.

CONSOLATION 1. The opening of any man's heart to receive Christ, is a clear, scriptural evidence of the Lord's love to and setting apart that man for himself from eternity. I do not say that every man whose heart is opened by faith, is thereupon immediately assured and satisfied that God has chosen him to salvation. But whether he apprehend it or not, the thing in itself is certain. "Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in Holy Ghost, and in much assurance."

power, and in the 1 Thess. 1: 4, 5.

Their election of God was the thing to be proved; but alas, might they say, Who can know that but God alone? it is among the divine secrets. Yes, saith the apostle, we know it, and by this we know it; for our gospel came not unto you in an empty sound, but in mighty efficacy, effectually opening your hearts to believe. A more clear and certain evidence of your election cannot be given in this world.

Again, look into Rom. 8:30: “ Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called; and whom he called, them he also justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified." There are two great and ravishing truths cleared in this scripture the one is, that the whole number of the called upon earth were predestinated to life before the world was; the other is, that as the whole number of the glorified saints in heaven is made up of souls called and justified on earth, so the called soul, that is, the soul that savingly opens to Christ by faith, may, from that work of the Spirit upon him, solidly reason backward to God's electing love before

all time, and forward to his glorification with God when time shall be no more. O how strong is the consolation flowing out of this glorious work of the Spirit on our hearts.

CONSOLATION 2. The opening of the heart to receive Christ, is the peculiar effect of the almighty power of God. The arm of an angel is too weak to break those strong bars before-mentioned; therefore the exceeding greatness of his power is applied unto this work of believing: "The exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead." Eph. 1:19, 20. Here is power, the power of God, the greatness of his power, the exceeding greatness of his power, the very same power which wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead; and all this is needed to make the heart of man open by faith to receive Christ. The only key that fits the cross wards of man's will and effectually opens his heart, is in the hand of Christ: "He hath the key of David; he openeth, and no man shutteth." Rev. 3:7.

How long some of you sat under able ministers, searching sermons, and alarming providences; yet to no purpose, till this almighty power came with the word, and then the work was done. "Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power." Psalm 110: 3. What a glorious power was that which opened Christ's grave, when he lay in the heart of the earth, with a weighty stone rolled upon his sepulchre. And how mighty a power was that which broke asunder all those bars which kept thy soul in the state of sin and death. None feel this power but those whom God intends for salvation; and having once wrought this, it is engaged to go through with all the rest which yet remains to be done to perfect thy salvation.

CONSOLATION 3. The opening of thy heart to Christ is not only an effect of almighty power, but an effect without

which all that Christ has done and suffered had been of no avail to thy salvation; neither the eternal decrees of God, nor the meritorious sufferings of Christ, are effectual to any man's salvation, until this work of the Spirit be wrought upon his heart. The offering of Christ is sufficient to purchase our redemption, but the receiving of Christ by faith brings home salvation to our souls. Where there are many causes to produce one effect, that effect is not produced until the last cause has wrought. Thus it is here: the moving cause, namely, the free-grace of God, has wrought; and the meritorious cause, the death of Christ, has also wrought; but still the heart, even of an elect man, remains under guilt and condemnation, till the Spirit, who is the applying agent, has also wrought the blessed effect we now speak of. It is Christ in us, that is, in union with our souls, which is to us the hope of glory. Col. 1:27; 1 Cor. 1:30. Behold, then, the last stroke given in this opening of the heart by faith; herein electing love has brought home Christ, with all the purchases and benefits of his death, into the actual possession of thy soul. O how transporting a consideration is this.

CONSOLATION 4. In this work, the opening of the heart by faith, the great design of the gospel is also accomplished. You behold in the church a glorious frame of ordinances set up by divine institution, ministers appointed to preach, sacraments, prayers, singing-a variety of ordinances set up and excellent gifts bestowed on men, as the fruit of Christ's ascension into heaven. Now, what was the design of God in the institution of all these things, but that by them, as instruments in his hand, our ignorant, dead, unbelieving hearts might be opened to Christ in acts of repentance and faith, and built up to a perfect man? Ministers are sent to open your eyes, to turn you from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God. Acts 26:18. They are not sent by Christ into this world to get a living, to pursue a trade for themselves, but to bring you to faith. 1 Cor. 3: 5.