powerfully call forth the expreffions of forrow and fympathy. But it is not difficult to judge which of them dwells moft heavily upon the mind, which of them would be first avoided by the deliberate choice of the heart. Every true penitent does certainly fee fin to be the greatest of all evils, and will discover this by comparison with all the other evils of which he hath at prefent any knowledge or experience.

4. I fhall only mention one other evidence of conviction's being to a proper degree, which is when a sense of the evil of fin is ftill growing, inftead of diminishing. This will be found effentially to diftinguish a sense of the evil of fin in itself, from a mere terror of God's power in taking vengeance on the finner. Time gradually weakens the one, but knowledge, and even the mercy of God, continues to increase the other. When a finner is brought under great convictions, it is a state fo painful and diftreffing, that it cannot continue long. Some kind of peace

muft of neceffity fucceed. Either he ftifles his convictions, hides the danger by shutting his own eyes, and returns to his former fecurity and licentiousness of practice; or he does fome things for a time, to quiet the cries of confcience, and lay a foundation for future peace; or, laftly, he returns to God through Chrift, by true repentance, and continues to ferve him in newness of life.

The first of these cafes needs no illuftration; the fenfe of fin in all fuch perfons being not fo properly weakened as deftroyed. In the second, the finner is under great reftraints for a seafon, but, when the terror is over, his obedience and diligence is immediately relaxed. This fhows plainly, that he had no fincere or cordial affection to the law of God, but was afraid of his power. It fhews that his convictions never were of a right kind, and, therefore, it is no wonder their ftrength should decay. But, in every true penitent, a fense of fin not only continues, but daily increases. His growing. difcovery of the glory of God, points out more clearly to him his own corruption and depravity, both in its quantity and its malignity, fo to fpeak. The very mercies of God, whatever delight or sweetness they afford, take nothing away from his fenfe of the evil of his doings, but rather melt him down in penitential forrow. They ferve to cover him with confufion at his own unworthinefs, and to fill him with wonder at the divine patience and condefcenfion.

The first work of a convinced finner is, to mourn over the grofs enormities of a profligate life, or a life devoted to worldly pursuits. And his continued employment after converfion is, to refift and wrestle with that inherent corruption which was hidden from his view before, but be

comes daily more and more fenfible. So true is this, that I have known many instances in which the most genuine expreffions of felf-abasement happening to fall from aged experienced Chriftians, have appeared to others as little better than affectation. They were not able to conceive the propriety of these fentiments, which long acquaintance with God and with ourselves doth naturally and infallibly inspire.

From these remarks, let me beg the reader to judge of the reality and progrefs of the spiritual life. Does your fenfe of the evil of fin not only continue, but grow? Do you now fee fin in many things which you never fufpected before? Do you fee more of the boldness, ingratitude, and fottifh folly of finners and defpifers of God? Are you daily making new difcoveries of the vanity, fenfuality, and treachery of your own hearts? Be not difcouraged at it, but humbled by it. Let it empty you of all felf-esteem and felf dependance, and give you a higher relish of the gospel of peace. The fubftance of the gofpel is "fal❝vation to the chief of finners, by the riches of "divine grace, and the fanctification of your "polluted natures by the power of the Holy "Ghost."

As I would willingly give as much information and instruction as poffible, I fhall, before quitting this part of the fubject, speak a few L

words

words of a pretty extraordinary opinion to be found in some of the practical writers of the last age. It is, that genuine conviction, and the foul's fubjection to God, ought to be carried so far in every true penitent, as to make him willing, fatisfied, and, fome fay, even "pleafed," that God should glorify his juftice in his everlafting perdition. This is fo repugnant to nature, and to that very folicitude about our eternal happiness, by which the confcience is first laid hold of, that it appears to be

utterly impoffible. There have been many to whom this requifition has given inexpreffible concern, has been a daily fnare to their conscience, and an obstruction to their peace. There is fuch an infeparable connection between our duty and happiness, that the queftion should never have been moved; but, for the fatisfaction of those who may have met, or may still meet with it in authors, otherwise deservedly esteemed, I fhall make fome remarks, which I hope will either explain it in a found fenfe, or fhew it to be at bottom false.

Men do often differ more in words than in fubftance. Perhaps what these authors chiefly mean, is no more than what has been explained above at confiderable length, viz. That the finner finds himself without excufe, his "mouth is "stopped," he feeth the holiness of the law, he confeffeth the juftice of the fentence, he quits

every

every claim but mercy. Thus he may be faid to abfolve or justify God, though he should leave him to perish for ever. So far, I apprehend, it is undeniably juft; otherwife, the very foundation of the gospel is overthrown, and falvation is not" of grace," but " of debt." If we impartially examine the word mercy, and the many ftrong declarations in fcripture of our obligations to God for the gift of eternal life, we shall find that they cannot, confiftently, imply less, than that the finner "deferved," and was liable, to "eternal death."

But to carry the thing farther, and to say that the penitent must be pleased, and fatisfied with damnation itself, as he is pleafed with fuffering in another view, as it is his heavenly Father's fanctified rod, appears to me to be at once unnatural, unreasonable, unlawful, and impoffible. It is plainly contrary to that defire of our own happiness which is fo deeply implanted in our natures, and which feems to be infeparable from a rational creature. No fuch thing is, either directly or confequentially, afferted in the holy fcriptures, which so often urge us to a due care of our own best interests. "Wherefore, fays the prophet, "do you spend your money for that which is not "bread, and your labour for that which fatis"fieth not? Hearken diligently unto me, and "eat ye that which is good, and let your foul "delight

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