meaning themselves.-Just as if there were a sort of christians that cannot bear the light, nor stand a scriptural trial. What will they do when they come before the awful bar of the heartsearching God! Others cry, "But every christian does not experience alike ;" and so, though they are destitute of the very essence and life of religion, yet they hope all is well; and many are confident that these things are not so; "For," say they, "if these things be true, who then shall be saved?"-I answer, Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way that leads to life; and few there be that find it: But wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many go in thereat....Mat. vii. 13, 14. And mark what follows in the next verse, (15)...Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's-clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves: (ver. 16)....Ye shall know them by their fruits. By what fruits? Why, this is the constant character of false prophets throughout the Bible, that they cry, Peace and safety, and heal the wound of poor sinners slightly, and daub with untempered mortar; i. e. they make religion to be an easier thing than it is-more agreeable to corrupt nature; and so encourage sinners to rest in something short of true grace. So the Pharisees did, notwithstanding all their pretended strictness; and so the Arminians do, notwithstanding all their seeming zeal for good works; and so the Antinomians do, notwithstanding all their pretences to extraordinary light, and joy, and zeal, and purity, and holiness. And this is the common character of all false prophets, and false teachers, and heretics, that, being enemies to true religion, they cut out a false scheme in their heads, to suit their own hearts; and so, however greatly they may differ, in many things, yet herein all agree, to make religion an easier thing than the Bible does, and to make the gate wider, and the way broader, than Christ and his apostles; and, by this mark, the difference between them and the true prophets may always be certainly known: and therefore Christ having just said, Strait is the gate, and narrow the way, &c. immediately adds, Beware of false prophets-by their fruits ye shall know them; for they all invent some easier way

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to heaven, though it may be in sheep's clothing, i. e. under a show of great strictness: And this, their invention, being false, they are thus denominated false prophets : And thus, what has been said concerning the nature of true religion, may serve to clear up the believer's gracious state; and may afford matter of con viction to others.

SECTION VII.

WE HAVE GREAT REASON TO BE HUMBLE, AND THANKFUL, AND LIVE ENTIRELY DEVOTED TO GOD.

USE III. Of humiliation. What has been said may be improved by sinners and saints to promote their humiliation: For by the law is the knowledge of sin; and a sight and sense of our sinfulness tends to abase us before the Lord.

In this glass of the law, sinners may see what they are, in heart and life; and, by this rule, they may learn how God looks upon them. There is a knowledge of ourselves of our hearts and lives, that is natural to us. Men, by their power of self. reflection, have a sort of an acquaintance with themselves: they know their present views and designs-their present inclinations and way of living; and remember, more or less, how they have lived in years past: But men are naturally very ignorant of the nature of God, and of his holy law; and so, are very ignorant of themselves, in a moral sense-are very insensible how God looks upon them, and what their hearts and lives are, compared with God and his holy law. Natural conscience has some notions about right and wrong, and so does something towards accusing and condemning men, especially for their grosser sins; but na. tural conscience is, for the most part, so blind, and so much asleep, and, in most men, has been so much abused, and browbeat, and kept under, that it lets men pretty much alone. Men hold the truth in unrighteousness, according to the Apostle's phrase, and keep their consciences in chains; and so are, in a great measure, without the law; and hence, sin is dead: for where there is no law, there is no transgression: And when men know not the law in its true meaning and extent, they are insensible how they swerve from it, and how contrary they are

to it, and how sinful sin is: But when the commandment comes, sin revives.

Think of this, therefore, O sinner, that the infinitely glorious God, your Creator, Preserver, and Governor, deserves to be loved, and lived to, and delighted in with all your heart; and that this is what he requires at your hands: and know it, he hates your hypocritical shows and pretences, so long as that, in heart, he sees you are an enemy to him: You may pretend that you cannot help your heart's being so bad; but God knows you love your corruptions, and hate to have them slain, and love to have them gratified: You love to be proud, and hence you love to be applauded; and the praise of men is sweet, and of greater price with you than the praise of God: you will do more to please the world than to please God-yea, will displease God, to keep in with a wicked world, who hate God; and God knows it: You love to love the world; and hence love to lay worldly schemes, and are secretly ravished with worldly hopes when things are likely to go well, and account no pains too great in worldly pursuits; but you hate to pray in secrethave no heart for God-can take no delight in him; and God knows it. And will you now pretend, for your excuse, that you cannot help your heart's being so bad, when it is you yourself that are so bad, and love to be so bad, and hate to cease to be what you are? If God has, by his spirit, awakened your conscience a little, and terrified you with the fears of hell and wrath, it may be your corruptions are somewhat stunned, and honor and worldly gains do not appear so tempting, and you are ready to say that you would willingly part with your reputation, and every thing you have in the world, for an interest in Christ and the divine favor; and now you think you are sincere : but God knows it is all hypocrisy; for he sees you do not care for him, but are only afraid of damnation. And God knows that, if once you should get a false confidence of pardon and the divine favor, you would soon return to folly, as the dog to his vomit, and set out after the world as eagerly as ever; or else vent your corruptions in spiritual pride, and in ranting, enthu

siastic, wild-fire, and party selfish zeal, as thousands have done, who once felt just as you do now. God, therefore, does not mind your pretences, nor believe your promises; for he knows what you are. You may deceive yourself, but cannot deceive him: He knows your corruptions are stunned, but not mortified; and that your nature is just what it was, and you as really an enemy to God as ever: And, it may be, you may see it yet, when you come to find out how God looks upon you, and upon your prayers, and tears, and promises: for it is commonly the case with sinners, when they perceive that God is not pleased with their devout pretences, and does not design to save them for their hypocritical duties, by the secret workings of their hearts to discover that they care only for themselves, and are real enemies to God and his law. Love to God, O sinner, is not begotten by the fears of hell, nor by the hopes of heaven. If you do not love God for what he is in himself, you do not love him at all; but only flatter him with your lips, and lie unto him with your tongue. But it may be manifest to you that you do not love him for what he is in himself, because you do not love his law, which bears his image. You do not like the law as a rule for you to live by, for it is too strict for you: and you do not approve of the law as a rule for God to judge you by, for you think it hard for God to damn men for the least sin. Know it, therefore, O sinner, that there is no good in you, or any goodness in your duties; but you are in a state of rebellionan enemy to God, and to his holy law: come down, and lie in the dust before the Lord, and own the sentence just by which you stand condemned, and be quiet at his feet; and if ever he saves you, forever attribute it wholly to free and sovereign grace. When the commandment came, sin revived, and I died: And such an one was you, O believer; and, in some measure, you are such an one still; and, in some respects, your sins are a great deal more aggravated. Oh! never forget the days, and weeks, and months, and years you have formerly spent in sin! Once I was a persecutor, and a blasphemer, and injurious, said St. Paul; and his heart bleeds afresh, and he sets himself

down for the chief of sinners....I. Tim. i. 13, 15. But what are you now, after all the grace of God....after all the kind methods heaven has taken to reclaim you-and what are your attain ments, if you compare yourself and attainments with the holy law of God, in its spiritual nature and divine strictness? Do you feel such a heart towards the great and glorious Governor of the whole world, as becomes you? Think what a God he is, and how angels and saints on high love him: Think of his majesty, and greatness, and glory, and excellence-and how he is the fear, and delight, and joy of all heaven: Think of his original and entire right to you, and absolute authority over you: Think of the vileness of your apostacy, and of the depth of your ruin: Think of redeeming love: Think of converting grace: Think of the many means God has used with you in his providence, and by his spirit: Think of all his loving kindnesses and tender mercies. And think what a beast you are before the Lord! Lie down in the dust, and cry, and mourn, and weep, and let your heart break !*Oh, your want of love to God....of zeal for his glory....of delight in his perfections, and of gratitude for all his kindness! Alas, how you disesteem the God that angels love, and comparatively despise the God that all heaven adores! Alas, how careless you are about his honor and interest, and how inactive in his service! Alas, how you disrelish the fountain of all goodness, and the ocean of all blessedness, and hanker after other things, and go away from God, to seek rest elsewhere, and thereby cast infinite contempt upon the delight of heaven, and the joy of angels, the ever-blessed and all-sufficient God! Think of the peculiar obligations God has laid you under by all the secret ways of his providence and grace with you, and of all the infinite pains he has taken with you to make you humble....weaned from the world....devoted to God....loving, kind, tender-hearted, friendly, and obliging to all mankind, and universally holy; and see, and say, Was ever wretch so vile! Did ever wretch treat such a God in such a manner, under such circumstances! Oh, how far, how infinitely far you are from being, what you ought to be! This made St. Paul account him