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and better than other men, and expect that God will treat them better. Besides,

4. They think God ought to save them for the sake of their righteousness, though he never gave them the least encouragement to do it. He has always insisted upon other terms of forgiveness and salvation. He has always required them to give up all self-dependence, and rely upon his mercy, through faith in a Mediator. The whole law was a school-master to bring them to Christ. But still self-righteous sinners have always chosen to be saved for their own righteousness, and complained of God, for refusing to accept their self-righteous services. This God declared by the prophet Isaiah. Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgressions, and the house of Jacob their sins. Yet they seek me daily; and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God; they ask of me the ordinances of justice, they take delight in approaching to God. Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? Wherefore have we afflicted our souls, and thou takest ne knowledge?" These sinners in Zion, thought that God ought to have accepted them on account of their self-righteousness, though it flowed entirely from their selfish hearts. God tells them by the prophet Ezekiel, that they charged him with injustice, because he would not regard and save them for their supposed good works.

"Ye say the way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of

Israel; is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal?" Sinners of the same character and disposition, complained of Christ for condemning all their self-righteous doings, and telling them that instead of being accepted of God, they were exposed to his everlasting displeasure. And all self-righteous sinners have the same feelings, and think not only that God may, but that he ought, to pardon and save them, on account of their own righteousness. They imagine that, if after all their desires, and prayers, and exertions to be saved, God should cast them off, he would treat them unjustly, and they should have just reason to complain of his conduct forever. I now proceed to shew,

II. That sinners must renounce such self-righteous views and feelings in order to be saved. This Christ taught in the parable, by the conduct and language of the publican. He makes no mention of his good deeds, but stands and pleads for mere mercy. His only petition is, "God be merciful to me a sinner." We find the same renunciation of self-righteousness in the conduct of the returning prodigal. When he came to himself, and saw his own character and condition, he said to himself, "I will arise, and go to my Father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and I am no more worthy to be called thy son." But Paul, who was the most remarkable for his self-righteousness,

was the most remarkable for entirely renouncing it. He says, "I was alive without the law once, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. And the commandment, which was ordaine ed to life, I found to be unto death." This he tells us, in another place, led him to renounce all confidence in the flesh, and all dependence upon his own righteousness. "If any man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, as touching the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ." Thus Paul renounced his own righteousness, in order to secure pardon and acceptance with God. And he taught others to do the same, to obtain the same end. He told the Galatians, that they could not be justified by their own righteousness. "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we believed in Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." Indeed, it appears from the whole tenor of scripture, that sinners must renounce their self-righteousness, in order to obtain eternal life. But the question before us is, why must they renounce their self-righteousness, in order to be saved? In answer to this, it may be observed,

1. Because they must condemn themselves, in order to be saved. The Divine law condemns them as deserving eternal destruction; and this law is holy, just, and good. They must, therefore, condemn themselves, as the law condemns them. But, as long as they retain their self-righteous views and feelings, they condemn the law and not themselves. As touching the law, they feel themselves obedient, and not worthy of that eternal punishment which the law threatens, They really view the law as unholy, unjust and rigorous. They do in their feelings condemn the law, and not themselves. These feelings, therefore, must be given up, and they must judge and condemn themselves for every violation of the Divine law, and say in their hearts, that it is holy, just and good. And when they view the law in this light, and the commandment comes in its full force and authority, their sin will revive, and their hopes die. But till they do thus give up their self-righteous feelings, they cannot judge and condemn themselves, as the eternal law of righteousness, which they have broken, judges and condemns them. This, then, is one reason why they must renounce their self-righteousness, in order to be saved.

But,

2. Another reason is, because they must justify God in putting his law in execution, in order to find acceptance with him. While

they retain their self-righteous views and feelings, they really condemn God for giving them a law requiring perfect obedience upon pain of eternal death. They say in their hearts, that he is a hard master, and his ways are unequal, if he holds them bound by such a law, and should put it in execution. If, therefore, he insists upon his right, they will insist upon theirs, and establish their own righteousness in direct opposition to his. This, Paul tells the self-righteous Jews, was their feeling and conduct. "Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel, is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record, that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For, they being ignorant of God's'righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God." Just so long as sinners retain their self-righteous views and feelings, they invariably justify themselves and condemn God, as unrighteous, in threatening them with eternal destruction, notwithstanding all their desires and exertions to be saved. But they must glorify God, before he will justify them. And hence it is absolutely necessary, that they should willingly and heartily renounce their own righteousness, in order to ask for mercy in sincerity. For unless they see and feel that God would be just in their final condemnation, they cannot sincerely ask for his mercy to save them from it; because God cannot exercise any mercy, in saving them from an unjust punishment. As, therefore, they must be brought to pray the prayer of the Publican, "God be merciful to us sinners ;" so they must renounce their own righteousness, in order to find favour with God. Besides,

3. Self-righteous sinners must be brought to accept a pardon entirely on Christ's account, in order to salvation. For there is no other name given under heaven among men, whereby they can be saved, but the name of Christ. Christ told the Jews, "Except ye believe that I am he, ye shall die in your sins." And he appointed the apostles to carry this message from him, through the whole world. "He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall be damned." Paul preached the absolute necessity of faith in Christ, in order to pardon and salvation. "Be it known unto you, therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses." But so long as sinners retain their self-righteous views and feelings, it is impossible that they should believe in Christ, and trust in him for pardon and acceptance in the sight of God. While they trust in their own righteousness, they must reject the righteousness of Christ, and utterly refuse to rely upon him alone, to recommend them to the pardoning mercy of God. Hence they must totally renounce all their self

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righteousness and self-dependence, in order to embrace the gospel, which is founded upon this single truth, that God would be amiable and glorious in punishing sinners forever, for the least violation of then his holy law. Every degree of self-righteousness stands directly optheposed to the gospel, and therefore it must be entirely given up in the heart, in order to depend upon the atonement of Christ for forgiveness and eternal life. So that it is just as necessary that sinners should give up all their self-righteous feelings, as it is that they should believe the gospel, and comply with the only terms of salvation, which God has proposed.

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The discourse will now be closed with a few brief

INFERENCES.

1. It may be inferred from what has been said, that whenever sinners seriously set themselves to seek salvation, they do nothing but throw obstacles in the way, and the only way, in which they can be saved. They can be saved only in the way of grace; but they desire and strive to be saved in the way of works. All their exertions are directed to establish their own righteousness, and render themselves more deserving, or less undeserving of the divine favour. They read, and strive, and seek, and pray, all to grow better, and become more worthy of the pardoning mercy of God. But the farther they proceed in this course, the farther are they removed from "the righteousness of God, which is by faith in Jesus Christ." The more they strive to establish their own righteousness, the less fit they are to be justified freely by God's grace. No sinners recede faster and farther from the kingdom of heaven, than those who are seeking and striving, with a self-righteous and self-justifying spirit, to obtain salvation: and any mode of conversing or preaching, which is suited to encourage them in such a course, tends directly to destroy their souls.

2. We may infer from this subject, what particular doctrines it is of special importance to preach to sinners, at all times, and more especially when they are awakened and enquiring what they shall do to be saved. However deep their concern and anxious their enquiries, they still trust in themselves that they are righteous; which continually throws an insuperable obstacle in the way of their justification. Those doctrines, therefore, which are best calculated to show them the sinfulness and danger of self-righteousness, are to them the most important and useful. And these unquestionably are the doctrine of total moral depravity, and the doctrine of God's absolute sovereignty in the dispensations of his grace. These doctrines, which are inseparably connected, cannot fail, when rightly explained and understood, to show sinners the wickedness of trusting in themselves, and the folly and presumption of endeavouring, by their own unrighteous deeds, to recommend themselves to the favour of God. Hence it was, that Christ and his apostles dwelt so

much, in their sermons, upon these essential doctrines of the gospel; and hence it is, that succeeding ministers of the word, have so of ten found a plain and faithful exhibition of these doctrines, to be the power of God and the wisdom of God, for the conviction and conversion of awakened, enquiring sinners.

3. This subject shows us the reason why no sinner can come to Christ, unless drawn of the Father. Sinners trust in themselves that they are righteous. There is nothing which they are so unwilling to do, as to renounce all claim to salvation, and approve of the justice of God, should he leave them to perish in their sins.— This they can never be persuaded to do, until made willing in the day of God's power. Their unwillingness to give up their own righteousness, constitutes their moral inability to come to Christ, which, though criminal and inexcusable, is never removed but by the special influence of the Holy and Divine Spirit.

Finally. It may be inferred from this subject, that the terms of life in the gospel, are as easy and low as possible. God offers to pardon and save all sinners, who will only renounce their self-righteousness. Every sinner under the light of the gospel, may be saved, who does not persist in justifying himself, and in refusing pardon as a gift of grace. How could Divine mercy have made the terms lower? Whosoever will, may take of the water of life freely. Who soever will stand and pray the prayer of the Publican, "God be merciful to me, a sinner," shall be justified and saved.

SENEX.

THE SABBATH.

The Reports made to Congress, during the last session, respecting the transportation and opening of mails on the Sabbath, have been so fully, and in many instances, so ably discussed, in the various religious and other papers, that we have thought it unnecessary to take up the subject. The following Extracts, however, are so much in point, and so well written, that we cannot resist the inclination to lay them before our readers. They are from a Sermon by Rev. Seth Williston, of Durham, N. Y. in 1825, from Nehemiah xiii. 17, 18: Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the Sabbath-day? Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us and upon this city? Yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the Sabbath. From his text, the preacher deduces the following sentiments:

"I. Whatever decidedly tends to bring the wrath of God on a nation, is to that nation the greatest possible injury.

II. The profanation of the holy Sabbath is eminently calculated to do this. HII. When the nobles, or leading men of a nation, are guilty of this evil, they ought to be contended with."

The illustration of the two first of these sentiments, is very clear and convincing; but we shall, at present, make our extracts from that of the third, and from the Practical Remarks, as more appropriate to the subject now under public discussion.-Ed.

In entering on this division of the subject, it is important to know, in what way the rulers of a nation may be chargeable with the sin of profaning the Sabbath.

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