cording to that strong and beautiful paffage: "And the "four and twenty elders which fat before God on their feats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, faying, "We give thee thanks, O Lord God almighty, which art, "and waft, and art to come, because thou haft taken to thee "thy great power, and haft reigned."*

The other obfervation I am to make is, that a true penitent always acquires the deepeft abhorrence of that atrocious, though prevailing fin, of profaning the name of God in common difcourfe. There are many perfons, not otherwise the most abandoned, who have no juft fenfe of the heinoufnefs of this fin: and as it is not directly levelled against the temporal intereft of our neighbors, it is far from being generally fo fcandalous and difhonorable as it ought to be. Such religion or virtue as is founded on worldly principles and views, may eafily conlift with its continuance; but he who is convinced of the evil of all fin, as rebellion againft, and difobedience to God, will see the horrible guilt and impiety that attends this abominable practice. That religon which is the work of God's holy Spirit, and confifts in the recovery of his loft image, will never be able to bear fo direct a violation of his facred authority, fo unprovoked an infult upon his honor and glory.

A fear of punishment then we have feen, without a fenfe of the evil of fin in itself, is not fufficient. Let me now add, that this discovery of the evil of fin in itfelf, muft increase our fear of punifhinent, by fhewing it to be jufl. A fear of punishment while alone, always tempts the finner to fearch about on all hands for arguments against that fuffering, the juftice of which he cannot perceive. Hence infidelity of heart and fecret fuggeftions, that furely it cannot be that God will punifh as he hath faid. Hence blafphemous impatience. Hence rifing thoughts and rebellion against God, even while under his rod; fuch as are defcribed by the prophet Hofea: "And they have not cried unto me with their heart when they howled upon their "beds." Nay, hence fometimes the bittereft profeffed

*Rev. xi. 16, 17. † Hofea vii. 14.

infidels among thofe, who have been brought up in the knowledge of the truths of the gofpel, while they have never feen their beauty, or felt their power.

But fo foon as there is a discovery of the glory of God. and the univerfal and perfect obedience due from all to him, this throws a new light on the tokens of a divine difpleasure against fin, in the works of creation and providence. This carries home, with irrefiftible force, all the threatenings of the wrath of God againft finners in his word. Their juftice is then deeply and inwardly felt, and the finner begins to wonder at the patience of a long-fuffering God, that has not long ere now made him a monument of vengeance.

The fame view it is that not only begins, but carries on and compleats genuine convictions of fin, that filences all objections, and refutes the reafonings of the carnal mind. Every fincere convert will have, in a greater or leffer degree, the evidence in himself, that his change is of fovereign grace. He will probably be able to recollect in how many inftances his mind fet itself to oppofe, and was at pains as it were to collect and mufter up every objection against the obligation and fanction of the law of God. The objections are raifed, firft, against the neceffity or benefit of obedience, and then against fuffering for difobedience, till all are borne down by the fame almighty power which fpake and it was done, and which can "lead captivity cap"tive." I cannot propofe to enumerate all the objections, or rather, all the forms, in which objections may arife in the finner's mind, when ftruggling againft conviction; but I fhall mention a few of them, and fhow what it is that muft put them to filence.

1. Perhaps the finner will fay, alas! why fhould the law be fo extremely rigorous, as to infift upon abfolute and finlefs obedience? Hard indeed, that it will admit not of any tranfgreffion, any omiffion, the leaft flip, or failing or frailty, but pronounceth fo fevere a fentence, "Curfed is every one that continueth not in all things which are "written in the book of the law to do them."* But confider, I pray you, what is the law, and who is the au

thor of the law. The fum of all the commandments of the law is, "To love the Lord your God with all your "heart, with all your foul, with all your mind, and with "all your strength." Is this unreasonable? or, is it too much? Is he not infinitely amiable, and abfolutely perfect? Is he not the juft and legitimate object of fupreme love? Is not every defect of love to God effentially finful? and can it be otherwise confidered? He is a God of truth, who will not, and who cannot lie. He must therefore affert his own majefty and right, and fay, as in the prophet, "Is there a God befides me? yea, there is no God; I "know not any."* A difcovery of the glory of God at once filences this objection, and fhows that he afks but his due; and as he is the unchangeable God, any abatement in the demands of the law not only would be unreasonable, but is in truth impoffible.

2. Again the finner will perhaps fay, "But why fhould "the fentence be fo fevere? The law may be right in it"felf, but it is hard, or even impoffible for me. I have "no ftrength: I cannot love the Lord with all my heart. "I am altogether infufficient for that which is good." Oh that you would but confider what fort of inability you are under to keep the commandments of God! Is it natural, or is it moral? Is it really want of ability, or is it only want of will? Is it any thing more than the depravity and corruption of your hearts, which is itfelf criminal, and the fource of all actual tranfgreffions? Have you not natural faculties, an understanding, will, and affections, a wonderful frame of body, and a variety of members? What is it that hinders them all from being confecrated to God? Are they not as proper in every respect for his fervice, as for any bafer purpofe? When you are commanded to love God with all your heart, this furely is not demanding more than you can pay for if you give it not to him, you will give it to fomething elfe, that is far from being fo deferving of it.

The law then is not impoffible, in a frict and proper fenfe, even to you. Let me next afk you, Is it unreafon

* If. xliv. 8.

able? Does he afk any more than all your hearts? and are they not his own? Has he not made them for himfelf? If not, let any rival rife up and plead his title to a share? Does he afk any more than that you fhould love him fupremely and is he not every way worthy of your love? If he commanded you to love what was not amiable, there would be reafon for complaint. By tracing the matter thus to its fource, we fee the righteoufnefs and equity of the divine procedure, and that the law of God is eternal and immutable, as his own nature. Wherefore, "let God

"be true, and every man a liar." All the attempts to impeach his conduct as fevere, only tend to fhow the obliquity and perverfenefs of the depraved creature, and not to diminish the excellence of the all-glorious Creator.

While men continue flaves to fin, it is abfurd to fuppofe they fhould acquiefce in their Maker's authority: but fo foon as any perfon difcovers the infinite amiableness of God, and his obligation to love and ferve him, his mouth will be immediately flopped, himself and every other finner brought in inexcufeably guilty. He will fee that there' is nothing to hinder his compliance with every part of his duty, but that inward averfion to God, which is the very effence of fin. It is of no confequence what your natural powers are, whether thofe of an angel or a man, a philofopher or a clown, if foul and body, and fuch powers as you have, are but wholly devoted to God. Do you fay this is impoffible? where then lies the impoffibility of it, but in your depraved inclinations?

This

But we have not yet done with the objections; the most formidable of all is behind. Perhaps the finner will fay, How unfortunate focver this inclination may be, I brought it into the world with me. I derived it from my parents; it is my very nature; I am not able to refift it. brings in view a fubject far more extenfive than to admit of being fully handled here. We may alfo eafily allow, that there is fomething in it beyond the reach of our limited capacity but whatever be the nature and effects, or manner of communicating original fin; whatever be the ufe made of it, in accounting or events as a general caufe; if any voluntary agent hath nothing to offer in oppofition

to the strongest obligation, but that he finds himself utterly unwilling to obey, it feems to be an excufe of a very extraordinary kind. We are fure that no fuch excufe, would be accepted by an earthly law-giver; nor have we the least reason to think, any more regard will be paid to it by him "who judgeth righteously."

In this, as in most other things, there is a wide difference between the fentiments of a hardened and a convin. ced finner. The first, who hath no just view of the guilt of his actual tranfgreffions, is always prone to extenuate them, by introducing original fin as an excufe for his con-. duct: but a finner, truly convinced of the evil of his felt and experienced enmity against God, makes ufe of his early and original depravity for his further humiliation. Thus the pfalmift David, when under the exercife of penitence for: the complicated crimes of adultery and murder, expreffes himself as follows: Behold, I was fhapen in iniquity, "and in fin did my mother conceive me*." In whatever way it was first introduced, it is certain that all averfion and oppofition to God must be evil in itself, and the fource of mifery to him in whom it dwells; for all that "are afar off from him" fhall certainly perifh; and all that continue unlike to him muft depart from him. Without perplexing ourselves with, debates about the propriety or meaning of the imputation of Adam's first fin, this we may be fenfible of, that the guilt of all inherent corruption must be perfonal, because it is voluntary and confented to. Of both these things, a discovery of the glory of God will When he feeth the infipowerfully convince the finner. nite beauty of holiness, and the amiableness of the divine. nature, he cannot forbear crying out of himself, "Woe is "me, for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midft of a people of unclean "lips; for mine eyes have feen the King, the Lord of Hoftst." As the impurity of his heart, fo the irregularities of his life, will ftare him in the face: they never appear fo hateful, as when brought into comparifon with

VOL. I.

* Pf. li. 5.

Dd

+ If. vi. 5.