every one that continueth not in all things which are "written in the book of the law to do them."*

fider, I pray you, what is the law, and who is the author 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 ftrength." 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 otherwife 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 should "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, and 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.

*Gal. iii 10. † If. xliv. 8.

The law then is not impoffible, in a flrict and proper fenfe, even to you. Let me next afk you, Is it unreafonable? Does he afk any more than all your hearts? and are they not his own? Has he not made them for himself? If not, let any rival rife up and plead his title to a fhare? 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 perverfeness 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 fuppose they should acquiefce in their Maker's authority: but fo foon as any perfon difcovers the infinite amiablenefs of God, and his obligation to love and ferve hin, his mouth will be immediately ftopped, himfelf 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 philosopher 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?

But we have not yet done with the objections; the most formidable of all is behind. Perhaps the finner will fay, How unfortunate foever 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. This brings in view a fubject far more extenfive than to admit of being fully handled here. We may also easily allow, that there is fomething in it beyond the reach of our limited capacity: but whatever be the nature and ef

fects, or manner of communicating original fin; whatever be the use made of it, in accounting for events as a general caufe; if any voluntary agent hath nothing to of fer in oppofition to the strongest obligation, but that he finds himself utterly unwilling to obey, it seems to be an excufe of a very extraordinary kind. We are fure that no fuch excufe would be accepted by an earthly lawgiver; nor have we the leaft 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 convinced finner. The firft, who hath no juft view of the guilt of his actual tranfgreffions, is always prone to extenuate them, by introducing original fin as an excufe for his conduct but a finner, truly convinced of the evil of his felt and experienced enmity against God, makes use of his early and original depravity for his further humiliation. Thus the Pfalmift David, when under the exercise of penitence for the complicated crimes of adultery and murder, expreffes himself as follows: "Behold, I was shapen "in iniquity, and in fin did my mother conceive me."* In whatever way it was firft 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 sensible 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 powerfully convince the finner. When he feeth the infinite beauty of holinefs, and the amiablenefs of the divine nature, he cannot forbear crying out of himself, "Woe is me, for I am undone, becaufe 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 Hofts." As the impurity of his heart, so

the irregularities of his life, will ftare him in the face: they never appear fo hateful, as when brought into comparifon with the divine holinefs; and if he "effay to jufti"fy himfelf, his own mouth will condemn him" as guilty from choice.

Once more, the fame view will effectually confute, and fhew the vanity of, thofe pretenfions which are derived from our own imperfect and defective obedience. When conviction first lays hold of a finner, however vain the attempt, he has ftill a ftrong inclination that righteousness "fhould come by the law." This is not wonderful; for in no other way can he himself have any title to glory, and a thorough renunciation of all felf-intereft, is too great a facrifice to be made at once. Hence he is ready

to look with fome measure of fatisfaction on thofe who have been greater finners than himfelf, and fecretly to found his expectation of pardon for thofe fins he hath committed, on the fuperior heinoufnefs of thofe from which he hath abftained. Hence alfo he is ready to hope he may make fufficient atonement for his paft fins by future amendment: but a difcovery of the holinefs of God, and the obligation to love him "with all the heart, and foul, "and ftrength, and mind," foon deftroys this fond imagination. It fhews him that he can at no time do more than his duty; that he never can have any abounding or foliciting merit: nay, that a whole eternity, fo to fpeak, of perfect obedience, would do juft nothing at all towards expiating the guilt of the leaft fin. But befides all this, the fame thing fhews him, that his best duties are stained with fuch fins and imperfections, that he is ftill but adding to the charge, inftead of taking from the old fcore; for "we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righte "oufneffes are but as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a "leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have carried us "away."* Thus, one after another, he is ftript of every plea, however eagerly he may cleave to them, and fupport or bolfter up one, by the addition of another. He fees not only his danger, but his guilt; not only the fear

fulness of his state, but the holiness and righteousness of his judge. He lies down proftrate at the footftool of the Almighty, and makes unmerited mercy and fovereign grace the only foundation of his hope.

SECT. IV.

Of the degree of sorrow for sin in true penitents.

AVING thus confidered the proper fource of genu

HA

ine conviction and forrow for fin, it was propofed next to enquire, to what degree it muft be, in order to a faving change. The truth is, were not this a question often proposed, and the refolution of it defired by serious perfons, the weakest of whom deferve all attention and regard from every minifter of Chrift, I fhould have left it altogether untouched. The reafon of this obfervation is, that I am perfuaded, and take the prefent opportunity of affirming it, that the chief diftinction between convictions genuine or falutary, and fuch as are only tranfitory and fruitlefs, does not lie in their ftrength and violence, fo much as their principle and fource, which has been formerly explained.

There is often as great, or, perhaps, it may be safely faid there is often a greater degree of terror in perfons brought under occafional convictions, which are afterwards fruitless, than in others, in whom they are the introduction to a saving change. It is probable that the horror of mind which poffeffed Cain after his brother's murder, was of the most terrible kind. It is probable that the humiliation of Ahab, after he had caufed Naboth to be deftroyed by falfe evidence, and was threatened with a dreadful vifitation, was exceeding great. It is probable that the mere paffion of fear in either of thefe criminals. was equal, if not fuperior, to the fear of any true penitent recorded in fcripture. It is the principle that diftinguifhes their nature. It is the differing principle that produces oppofite effects. The one is alarmed and trembles through fear of wrath from an irrefiftible and incenfed God; the other is truly fenfible of fin in all its malignity, and fears