way

easy

of discussing doctrines: and the subjects, which chiefly perplex speculating men, and furnish the most materials for controversy, appear very and plain, when applied to practical purposes, according to the state of mind, which they were intended to meet. So that the wisdom and goodness of God, in not arranging revealed truths according to the supposed exactness and consistency of human systems, are most illustriously displayed, when these truths are applied to the several cases to which they are suited, for conviction, instruction, warning, encouragement, or exhortation.

Whatever be the nature of divine illumination; or whatever may have been a man's previous thoughts about it; he cannot in general, when first divinely illuminated, very readily perceive

any holiness in the change of which he is conscious. He now discovers, as it were intuitively, that he is a guilty polluted creature; that his supposed virtues were specious vices, and his religious duties formal, selfish, and hypocritical; and that his heart is deceitful and desperately wicked and in proportion to the degree of his illumination, is his conviction of these humiliating truths. These recent discoveries, (or these new perceptions of what perhaps he before assented to as a notion,) occupy his thoughts: he can hardly conceive, that the hearts and lives of other men are so bad as his own; still less can he think that real and eminent saints feel those evils of which he

ΝΑ

is conscious: nay, he can scarcely be convinced, that his own heart was formerly so sinful as he now finds it to be. "Without the law sin was "dead" and the spirituality of the precept not only detects, but irritates, the depravity of nature, excites all manner of concupiscence, and sometimes even stirs up the dormant enmity of the heart into direct exercises of opposition to the holy character and righteous government of God. This is also connected with a discovery of the hatefulness of sin, and a disposition to abhor it in all its forms; so that self-loathing becomes a predominant part of the new convert's experience. The stone is become flesh; and exquisite sensibility, in feeling and hating every sinful emotion, is united to a quickness of discernment in discovering sin where not before suspected; and its odious nature and numerous aggravations, which before were excused and palliated.-Every thing, therefore, concurs to discourage, as well as to humble, a person in this situation; except the glad tidings of the blessed gospel: and should a self-complacent thought intrude itself, while he reflected on these new and more just views of his own character, he would reject it with alarm and detestation.

Thus at the very time, when the sinner is made completely willing to welcome Christ and his whole salvation; so far from perceiving any warrant in his own holy dispositions, to authorize his

believing application to the Saviour and reliance on him, he commonly thinks himself worse than ever, and viler than any other sinner; and is often tempted to conclude that he has sinned beyond the reach of mercy, and that Christ will except him from the general rule of "casting out none "that come to him."-What then can meet this case, but the scriptural assurances,

Ask and it

shall find; for every

shall be given you; seek and you "knock and it shall be opened to you: one that asketh receiveth ?"--And what can be more improper than to embarrass him with nice distinctions; in direct opposition to the apostolical direction, "Him that is weak in the faith re"ceive ye, but not to doubtful disputations?”— In proportion as the gospel is understood, it gives encouragement, and suggests pleas, to that man who is most vile in his own estimation. He cannot indeed say, "God I thank thee, I am not as other men:" but he may "smite on his "breast, and say, God, be merciful to me a sin

ner." "For thy name's sake, O LORD, pardon "mine iniquity; for it is great.'

"I do not pre

"sent my supplications before thee for my own "righteousness, but for thy great mercies." The infinite and everlasting mercy of God; the allsufficient merits, atonement, and intercession of the incarnate Son: the unencumbered invitations of the gospel, and its exhortations and injunctions, with the promises connected with them, fully

warrant the vilest sinner that ever lived, to apply for salvation without delay, and without any reason to fear a repulse. For they, who have committed the unpardonable sin, "cannot be renewed "to repentance," and will never thus come to Christ for his humbling holy salvation.

Trembling and almost desponding sinners seldom consider their convictions, as the effect of a supernatural influence: nor indeed do they in general reflect at all on the cause or nature of the change of which they are conscious. And when they have leisure from the tumult of their thoughts, to make enquiries of this kind; they commonly ascribe the whole to means and instruments; and frequently imagine, that if others had heard the same sermon, or read the same book, they must have been equally convinced. And having a far worse opinion of themselves, it is very difficult to make them sensible, even by the clearest evidence, that their temper of mind is really better in the sight of God, than it was before. It must therefore be impossible, for a sinner, in this condition, to find a warrant for his faith, in those feelings of his own mind, which constitute a disposition to believe. Nor has he the least occasion for it; as the word of the gospel gives him a sufficient warrant and a most abundant encouragement "come to Christ that he may have life."

66

IL. Even such persons, as have been long accus

tomed "to live by faith in the Son of God," who have frequently known "peace and joy in be"lieving, and have abounded in hope by the

power of the Holy Ghost," are sometimes overcome by temptation, or called to pass through sharp conflicts, and great darkness and distress of soul. In these circumstances, they are often led to question, whether all their past experiences have not been a delusion; whether they were ever" called with an holy calling;" whether they ever truly loved the Lord or not. Should they then keep away from the throne of grace, and stand at an awful distance, from the compassionate Physician of their souls, till they have de termined these questions? Alas, they can determine nothing in this dark and doleful state! Every thing in themselves appears polluted and vile: the recollection of their past profession, advantages, and comforts, aggravates their distress, and adds weight to the burden of their guilt; so that they are often tempted to draw the most desperate conclusions concerning their state, and the Lord's intentions respecting them. But in this manner they commonly begin to emerge from their distress. If all,' say they, 'has hitherto been self-deception, still the Lord is infinitely merciful; all things are ready; the invitations except none; and the Saviour says, "Him that cometh unto me, "I will in no wise cast out." Encouraged by such thoughts, "Out of the depths they cry ear