shall see God," (Heb. xii. 14,) and that all "they shall be damned that believe not the truth, but have pleasure in unrighteousness," (2 Thess. ii. 12,) and that "Christ will come in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall be punished with everlasting destruction, from the presence of the Lord, and the glory of his power, when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and admired in all them that do believe." (2 Thess. i. 7-10.) And would not a man think that such words as these should waken the guilty soul that doth believe them; and make us all to look about us? I confess it is no wonder, if a flat atheist or infidel should slight them and deride them! But is it not a wonder if they stir not those, that profess to believe the word of God, and are the men of whom these Scriptures speak? And yet among a thousand that are thus condemned already; (I say, by the word, that is the rule of judgment, even condemned already; for so God saith, John iii. 18,) how few shall you see that with penitent tears lament their misery? How few shall you hear, with true remorse, complain of their spiritual distress, and cry out as those that were pricked at the heart, (Acts ii. 37,) Men and brethren, what shall we do? In all this congregation, how few hearts are affected with so miserable a case! Do you see by the tears, or hear by the complaints of those about you, that they know what it is, to be unpardoned sinners, under the wrath of the most holy God! And what is the matter that there is no more such lamentation? Is it because there are few or none so miserable? Alas! no: the Scripture, and their worldly, fleshly, and ungodly lives, assure us of the contrary. But it is because men are strangers to themselves: they little think that it is themselves, that all the terrible threatenings of God do mean. Most of them little believe or consider what Scripture saith; but fewer consider what conscience hath to say within, when once it is awakened, and the curtain is drawn back, and the light appeareth. The first proposition inferreth not the conclusion; and the assumption they overlook. Did all that read and hear the Scriptures know themselves, I will tell you how they would hear and read it. When the Scripture saith, "To be carnally minded is death:" and "If ye live after the flesh ye shall die," (Rom. viii. 8. 13,) the guilty hearer would say, I am

carnally minded: and I live after the flesh: therefore I must turn or die. When the Scripture saith, "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also," (Matt. vi. 21,) The guilty conscience would assume, my heart is not in heaven, therefore my treasure is not there. When Scripture saith, "Except ye be converted and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven," (Matt. xviii. 3,) and "Except a man be regenerate and born again, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God," (John iii. 3. 5,) and "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away, behold all things are become new," (2 Cor. v. 17,) and "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, the same is none of his," (Rom. viii. 9,) The guilty hearer would assume, I was never thus converted, regenerate, born again, and made a new creature: I have not the Spirit of Christ: therefore I am none of his, and cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven, till this change be wrought upon me. When the Scripture saith, "Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge," (Heb. xiii. 4,) The guilty hearer would say, How then shall I be able to stand before him?

Yea, did but hearers know themselves, they would perceive their danger from remoter principles, that mention the dealing of God with others. When they hear of the judgment of God upon the ungodly, and the enemies of the church, they would say, "Except I repent, I shall likewise perish." (Luke xiii. 3. 5.) When they hear that "judgment must begin at the house of God," they would infer "What shall be the end of them that obey not the Gospel of God? And when they hear that "the righteous are scarcely saved," they would think "Where then shall the ungodly and sinner appear?" (1 Peter iv. 17, 18.)

3. If you know not yourselves, you cannot be Christians: you cannot have a practical belief in Christ; for he is offered to you in the Gospel, as the remedy for your misery; as the ransom for your enthralled souls; as the propitiation for your sin, and your peace-maker with the Father; without -whose merit, satisfaction, righteousness, and intercession, your guilty souls can have no hope. And can you savingly value him in these respects, if you know not that sin and misery, that guilt and thraldom, in which your need of Christ consisteth? Christ is esteemed by you according to the judgment you pass upon yourselves.

They that say they are sinners, from a general brainknowledge, will accordingly say Christ is their Saviour and their hope, with a superficial belief, and will honour him with their lips with all the titles belonging to the Redeemer of the world: but they that feel that they are deadly sick of sin at the very heart, and are lost for ever if he do not save them, will feel what the name of a Saviour signifieth, and will look to him as the Israelites to the brazen serpent, and cast themselves at his feet, for the crumbs of grace, and will yield up themselves to be saved by him, in his way. An ineffectual knowledge of yourselves, may make you believe in a Redeemer, as all the city do of a learned, able physician, that will speak well of his skill, and resolve to use him when necessity constraineth them; but at present they find no such necessity. But an effectual sight and sense of your condition, will bring you to Christ, as a man in a dropsy or consumption comes to the physician; that feels he must have help or die. Saith Bernard, 'Filium Dei non reputat Jesum, qui ipsius non terretur comminationibus, &c.' You will not take the Son of God for a Saviour, if you be not affrighted by his threatenings. And if you perceive not that you are lost, you will not heartily thank him that came to seek and save you. Non consolantur Christi lachrymæ cachinnantes; non consolantur panni ejus ambulantes in stolis; non consolantur stabulum et præsepe amantes primas cathedras in synagogis.' Saith Bernard, Christ's tears do not comfort them that laugh: his rags do not comfort them that (love to) walk in robes: his stable and manger comfort not them that love the highest seats in the synagogues. Can you seek to Christ to take you up, till you find that you have fallen and hurt you? Will you seek to him to fetch you from the gates of hell, that find not that you are there?

But to the self-condemning soul that knoweth itself, how welcome would a Saviour be? How ready is such a soul for Christ? Thou that judgest thyself art the person that must come to Christ to justify thee. Now thou are ready to be healed by him, when thou findest that thou art sick, and dead hast thou received the sentence of death in thyself? Come to him now and thou shalt have life. (John v. 40; 1 John v. 11.) Art thou weary and heavy laden? Come to

him for rest: come and fear not; for he bids thee come. (Matt. xi. 27, 28.) Dost thou know that" thou hast sinned against heaven and before God, and art not worthy to be called a son?" Do but cast thyself then at his feet, and tell him so, and ask forgiveness, and try whether he will not welcome and embrace thee, pardon and entertain thee, clothe thee and feast thee, and rejoice over thee as one that " was lost and is found, was dead and is alive." (Luke xv.) For "be came to seek and to save that which was lost." (Luke xix. 10.) While thou saidst, "I am rich and increased in goods, and have need of nothing, and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked ;" thou wouldst not" buy the tried gold that thou mightest be rich, nor his white raiment that thou mightest be clothed, that the shame of thy nakedness might not appear; nor Christ's eyesalve that thou mightest see." (Rev. iii. 17, 18.) But now thou art poor in spirit, and findest that thou art nothing, and hast nothing, and of thyself canst do nothing that is acceptably good, (John xv. 5,) and that of thyself thou art insufficient to think any thing that is good; (2 Cor. iii. 5;) now thou art readier for the help of Christ, and a patient fit for the tender healing hand of the physician. Whilst thou saidst, "God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, nor as this publican, thou wast farther from Christ and justification, than now thou standest as afar off, and darest scarcely look up to heaven, but smitest on thy breast and sayest, Lord be merciful to me a sinner." (Luke xviii. 11-14.) Not that extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or any that are ungodly, are justified or can be saved, while they are such: not that a smiting on the breast, with a "Lord be merciful to me a sinner," will serve their turn while they continue in their wicked lives: but when thou art brought to accuse and condemn thyself, thou art prepared for his grace that must renew and justify thee. None sped better with Christ than the woman that confessed herself a dog, and begged but for the children's crumbs: and the centurion that sent friends to Christ to mediate for him, as being unworthy to come himself, and unworthy that Christ should enter under his roof: For of the first Christ said, "O woman, great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt;" (Matt. xv. 27, 28;)

And of the second he saith with admiration, "I have not found so great faith, no not in Israel.” (Luke vii. 6—9.) Though thou art ready to deny the title of a child, and to number thyself with the dogs, yet go to him and beg his crumbs of mercy. Though thou think that Christ will not come to such a one as thou, and though thou beg prayers of others, as thinking he will not hear thy own, thou little thinkest how this self-abasement and self-denial prepareth thee for his tenderest mercies, and his esteem. When thou art contrite (as the dust that is trodden under feet), and poor, and tremblest at the word, then will he look at thee with compassion and respect. (Isaiah lxvi. 2.) "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place: with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones : for I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth; for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made." (Isaiah lvii. 15.) When thou art using the self-condemning words of Paul, (Rom. vii. 14—25,) “ I am carnal, sold under sin: what I would, that do I not; and what I hate, that do I. For I know that that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing—— I find a law, that when I would do good, evil is present with me

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A law in my members warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin-" when thou criest out with him " O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me, from the body of this death;" thou art then fitter to look to thy Redeemer, and use the following words, "I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord." When thou didst exalt thyself, thou wast obnoxious to the storms of justice, which was engaged to bring thee low: but now thou humblest thyself, thou liest in the way of mercy, that is engaged to exalt thee. (Luke xiv. 11; xviii. 14.) Mercy looketh downward, and can quickly spy a sinner in the dust; but cannot leave him there, nor deny him compassion and relief. Art thou cast out as helpless, wounded by thy sin, and neglected by all others that pass by? Thou art the fittest object for the skill and mercy of Him that washeth sinners in his blood, and tenderly bindeth up their wounds, and undertakes the perfecting of the cure, though yet thou must bear the surgeon's hand, till his time of perfect cure be