ful for help, and readily comply with the advice of fuch as can help them. And therefore, when a certain publican, to testify the fincerity of his repentance, refolved to part with his estate rather than not do every body right that he had before wronged, Jefus Chrift affures him, that his having been a greater finner than ordinary will be no hindrance to his falvation: for the Son of Man (faith he) is come to feek and to fave that which is loft; that is, fuch as out of a sense of their misery apply to him for health and falvation.

b

In fhort; wherever the gofpel was preached, whether to Jews or Gentiles, as many as were ordained to (that is, difpofed for) eternal life, believed. As many as feared God, and were in fear for themselves, and trembled to hear of a judgment to come, all fuch believed, became Christians in good earnest, and thought it a great bleffing that they could be delivered from their fears upon the conditions the gospel proposed.

By this time you perceive the meaning of the text, which I have brought all these scriptures to explain: Unto you that fear my name, fhall the Sun of Righteousness arife with healing in his wings. That is; To all that truly fear God, and are fenfible how much they have provoked him by their fins; to fuch, Jefus Chrift and his gospel will both be welcome, and a bleffing: whilst all the proud,

b Luke xix. 10. • Acts xiv. 48.

(as

(as it is in the verfe going before the text) fuch as do wickedly, fearing no evil, shall be burnt as ftubble.

So that the plain meaning and defign of all thefe fcriptures is, to fhew how men must be difpofed to received Jefus Chrift, and his gofpel, to any faving purposes. For it is but too fure, that there are an infinite number of people, to whom Jefus Chrift, the Sun of Righteoufnefs, is preached, who notwithstanding continue in darkness; and though he comes with healing in his wings, yet they perish for want of being difpofed to be faved. To you that fear God, (faith the Prophet) he will arife with healing in his wings. Whosoever among you feareth God, (fay the Apostles) to you is the word of this falvation fent. The fear of God, therefore, is the foundation of faving faith.

People may profess christianity, and be no gainers by it in the end; they may be called Chriftians, before they know the duties or the bleflings of the gofpel; and if they have not the fear of God in their hearts, they may live in a noutward, formal profeffion of the chriftian religion all their days, and die in a condition not better than that of infidels.

Therefore, it behoves us all, as we value our fouls, ferioufly to confider, and to know,

First; What that fear of God is, and how it is wrought in us, which is fo neceffary a ⚫ condition and foundation of faving faith? 2dly. We

Acts xiii. 26.

2dly. We fhall fee that we have just cause to be afraid, and that the more we know, the more we shall abhor ourselves.

Laftly. That the more we know and abhor ourselves, the fooner will God receive us into favour, and the more cautious we shall ever after be of lofing his favour.

And these shall be the particulars, which, by God's help, I fhall now explain to you. I. We will first confider what this fear of God is, and how it is wrought in us, which is the condition and foundation of faving faith.

And firft, we must be careful not to mistake the fear of man for the fear of God. Human laws, fear of fhame, of reproach, and many other worldly confiderations, may restrain a man from crimes that other people are guilty of; and yet, fuch a man may be an utter ftranger to the fear of God. Whereas fuch as truly fear God are not led thereto by any earthly confideration whatever; but they have feriously confidered their own great corruption, and God's infinite purity; their own fad deferts, and God's fevere juftice; they cannot but acknowledge the juftice and holiness of his laws, and yet they find in themselves an unwillingness to obey them. They are fure that without God's grace they cannot do any thing that is good; and yet they find in themfelves a ftrange backwardness even to ask that favour and affiftance. They know, that they live upon his bounty, and yet they cannot find

These are

in their hearts to be thankful. both instances of great diforder, and must needs make them liable to God's displeasure. They profess to believe, that the eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good; and yet they are apt to fin as prefumptuously as if they were indeed hid from his fight. They hear how feverely he threatens those that tranfgrefs his laws. They have seen his judgments upon other finners, and they know not how foon it may be their own cafe.

All these are real occafions of fear; and this fear is greatly increased, when they confider how unable they are to help themselves.They cannot flee from his prefence; they dare not stand upon their innocency; they fee that forrow and tears, and asking forgiveness, will not prevail, with an earthly judge to pardon criminals, when their crimes are only against men like themselves; and why should they fuppofe that God will not avenge the prefumptuous breach of his laws, and affronts against his divine Majesty.

And not only their fears are increased by thefe confiderations, but their forrows likewife, by confidering the happiness of heaven, which they were made capable of enjoying : and knowing at the fame time, how unworthy they have made themselves of fuch mighty favours.

Now; people that are under fuch convictions of guilt, under fuch fears, under fuch

concern

concern for their everlasting welfare, (as all people must be who lay things to heart) fuch people will be glad to hear that God will forgive them upon any terms; they will thankfully own his great goodness, and refolve to comply with what he is pleased to appoint, in order to their restoration to favour; they will be afraid of lofing his favour again, by any wilful neglect of their duty;-and, when through frailty they had done amifs, they will moft heartily bewail their misfortune and faults:-and by fuch difpofitions as thefe, they become fit objects of God's mercy in Jefus Chrift. For it was to people thus affected and thus difpofed, that Jefus Chrift fpoke, when he faid, Come unto me, all ye labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you reft. And indeed it is purely for want of fuch difpofitions as thefe, that the gospel is preached without effect; that Jefus Chrift, and falvation through faith in him, is offered even to us Gentiles, who before were in darkness and in the fhadow of death; and we fcarce esteem it à favour, because we are not sensible of the fad estate we are in without the blessing of a Redeemer.

that

For as a man, who feels his diforder, and knows that he is in danger without the help of a physician, cannot poffibly be easy till he has done what he can to fave himself from death, and will be truly thankful when help