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"God their redeemer. Nevertheless they did flatter him "with their mouth, they lied unto him with their tongues; "for their heart was not right with him, neither were they "ftedfaft in his covenant."* Hence it appears, that to a difcovery of the glory and excellence that is in God, it is neceffary that we be in fome measure changed into the fame image. To fay that this is the effect of our own attempts and endeavors in the way of duty, without the constraining power of divine grace, is, when thoroughly examined, a manifeft contradiction. If perfons endeavor to force or oblige themselves to love any one, it is a fure fign that he is very unlovely in their eyes. Love cannot be forced, or rather to speak more properly, forced love is not love at all. In a word, it is our indispensable duty to attend to every dictate of conscience, and to follow it fo far as it goes; but I cannot help thinking, that for a finner truly and fincerely to defire a change of nature, would be an evidence of a change begun. Therefore, till a finner get a fupernatural illumination, he can never fee the glory and beauty of the divine character. Before this, he may feek to propitiate God's favor, he may wish to avoid his wrath; he may defire a change in God for his own fafety, but he cannot be fatisfied with him as he really is. It must be the fame almighty power, which brought the world out of nothing into being, that must bring back the finner from his rebellion and apoftacy, according to that promise, evidently applicable to the Saviour; "Thy peo

ple fhall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beau"ties of holiness." Neither is the fame thing lefs clearly afferted in the New Teftament; "For it is God which "worketh in you, both to will and to do of his good plea"fure."I

3. Hence we may fee wherein lies the fundamental ef fential difference between common or imperfect convictions, and the effectual fanctifying and saving influences of the Holy Ghost. The first arise from a view of the natural perfections of God, from a belief of his power and severity, without any difcovery of his righteoufness and

* Pf. lxxviii. 34, 35, 36, 37. † Pf. cx. 3. Phil. ii. 13.

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glory. Therefore, however great a length they may proceed, however different or oppofite their effects may be, they never produce any real change in the heart. It is of great confequence to attend to this important distinction; for though imperfect convictions fometimes are entirely effaced, and are followed by no lafting effect at all, yet it is often otherwife. They frequently produce a counterfeit religion, which not only continues for a time, but is carried down by fome to the grave as a lie in their right-hand. So fubtle are the deceits of fatan, that there are many hollow forms of religion, not only upon a legal, but an evangelical bottom. I fhall give the reader a sketch of the principles and outlines of both.

There are fome legal hypocrites. Awakened to a sense of their danger merely from the irresistible power of God, they fall to the exercife of repentance, and hope that by fo doing they may live. Hence the whole fyftem of bodily penance and mortification. Hence alfo fo ftrong an attachment, in fome worldly perfons, to the external forms of religion, and veneration for the places of divine worship. Being now fomewhat more regular and decent in their ordinary carriage than before, they entertain a fond hope that all fhall be well. In the mean time, they are fo far from being reftored to the image of God, or being governed by his love, that all this is a burden to them; and indeed it is because it is a burden, that they are fo prone to think it meritorious. Confcience checks them, and they dare not run to the fame excefs with others, or even repeat what they themfelves did formerly; and by this comparifon, cannot help thinking they are in a hopeful way. But did fuch perfons reflect a little on the nature of God, they would fee their error. They would learn, that they are fo far from being renewed in the fpirit of their minds, that whatever lengths they go, they are dragged or driven againft their will; and whenever they can find a plaufible excufe, they are ready to withdraw their neck from the yoke. A juft view of the glory of God, and the obligation upon every rational creature to love and imitate him, would effectually cure them of all felfrighteousness and felf-dependance; would lead them to

himself and the grace treasured up in his Son, to "work "in them the whole good pleasure of his goodness, and the "work of faith with power."

On the other hand, there are evangelical hypocrites. 'These begin upon the fame principles, and their views have the fame radical defect with the former. They are awakened to a sense of danger, and fometimes made to tremble through fear of divine judgments, but without any difcovery of the glory and amiablenefs of the divine nature. If fuch perfons happen to live in a family or congregation, where they hear much of the doctrine of redemption, it may have its place in their scheme. They may be fo convinced of their own manifold tranfgreffions, as to be fatisfied to throw their guilt upon the furety, and rely on the fufferings and death of Chrift, for deliverance from the wrath of an offended God. Nay, I have not the leaft doubt that fome may, by a confident prefumption, imitate the faith of God's elect, and believe that Chrift died for themselves in particular. So long as this perfuafion can maintain its ground, it may, and must give them great joy and fatisfaction. Who would not find confolation in thinking themselves in fafety from divine wrath? Yet all this while they never fee the evil of fin in itself, as an opposition to the nature, and a breach of the law of God. They are never brought to love an infinitely holy God in fincerity of heart. They may love him, because they suppose themselves the peculiar objects of his love, with fome obfcure, confused, fenfual idea of the delights of heaven; but they know not or confider not, the nature of that falvation he hath provided for his chofen.

All fuch love, it is plain, arifeth from a falfe confidence in their own ftate, and not from a true knowledge of God. Their notions of God's love to them contain more of a partial indulgence to them as they are, than of his infinite compaffion in forgiving what they have been. The ef fects of fuch religion are just what might be expected from its nature, violent and paffionate for a feafon, and commonly oftentatious, but temporary and changeable. Selflove lies at the root, and therefore, while they are pleased and gratified, they will continue their pofeffion of attach

ment; but when self-denial or bearing the crofs is requir ed, they reject the terms, they lose their transporting views, and return to their fins.

There are many examples of this, not only in fcripture, but in the history of the church in every age. Many of those disciples who feemed gladly to embrace the doctrine, and highly to honor the person of Christ, when they heard fome of the most mortifying precepts," went back and "walked no more with him."* The character is little different, which we find defcribed under the image of the ftony ground hearers, who "having not root in them"felves, when perfecution or tribulation arose because of "the word, by and by were offended." I hope this, with the explication above given of its caufe, may be of ufe to account for fome appearances in a time of the revival of religion. Perfons who feem to have the fame exercises with real converts, yet afterwards fall away, and " return "with the dog to his vomit agam, and with the fow that "was washed, to her wallowing in the mire." This gives occafion to adverfaries to speak reproachfully, and is greatly diftreffing to those who truly fear God. But would men carefully attend to what the holy fcriptures teach us to expect, their surprise in all fuch cafes would ceafe. "For it must needs be that offences muft comet." And though there are many counterfeits, there will ftill be fufficient means to diftinguifh the gold from the drofs.

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SECT. III.

There must be a conviction of sin and danger.

HE next great step in a faving change, is a deep humiliation of mind, and conviction of fin and danger. The abfolute neceffity of this is very evident, and indeed generally confeffed. It is equally evident, whether we confider the nature of the change itself, the means of its production, or the motives to all future duty. If an entire change is neceffary, there must be an entire and + Matt. xviii. 7,

John vi. 60.

thorough diffatisfaction with, and difapprobation of, our paft character and ftate. Whoever is pleafed with his prefent character, will neither defire, endeavor, nor even accept of a change. If we confider the means of our recovery, by Jefus Chrift fuffering in the room of finners, the fame thing will appear with increafing evidence. Those who are not humbled under a fenfe of guilt and corruption, will treat with great contempt a purchased pardon and a crucified Savior. This our Lord himfelf often tells us in the plainest terms. "They that are whole "need not a phyfician, but they that are fick. I came "not to call the righteous, but finners to repentance."* To these indeed his invitation and call is particularly addreffed; "Come unto me, all ye that labor, and are heavy • laden, and I will give you reft."†

To the fame purpose, we fhall find many other passages, both of the prophetic and apoftolic writings. The glad tidings of falvation are always directed to the humble, miferable, broken-hearted, thirfty, perifhing foul. Thus in the prophet Ifaiah, "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters; and he that hath no money, come ye, buy and eat; yea, come buy wine and milk, "without money and without price." When Chrift entered on his perfonal ministry, he opened his commiffion in the following terms. "The spirit of the Lord "is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor: he hath fent me to heal the broken"hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of fight to the blind; to fet at liberty them that "are bruifed, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord."|| I fhall only mention one other paffage: "And I will give "to him that is athirft of the fountain of the water of life "freely."

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From these paffages, and many others in the fame ftrain, it is evident beyond contradiction, that there must be a deep humiliation of mind, and fenfe of guilt and wretchedness, before a finner can be brought unto God. This

* Luke v. 31, 32. † Matth. xi. 29. If. lv. 1. || Luke iv. 18. Rev. xxi. 6.

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