you grow more unworthy and ill-deserving. For, besides former transgressions, there are your daily short-comings, whereby you are continually meriting hell, without doing any thing, in the least measure, to make amends for what is past. And now, 5. Do all your hopes of finding mercy at last, take their rise, only and absolutely, from the free grace of God, through Christ, as revealed in the Gospel? St. Paul was doubtless one of the holiest men that ever lived: yet no man seems so sensible of his own vileness, and need of Christ and free grace. The law, says he, is spiritual; but I am carnal, sold under sin. Oh wretched man that I am! I am less than the least of all saints. By the deeds of the law no flesh can be justified. And he ever looks to be justified by free grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus". He is concerned, to be found, not in himself, having on his own rightcousness; but to be found in Christ, having on his righteousness b. In a word, it was his character, to worship God in the Spirit, to rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. And this, which was his character, will be your nature, if you really see the great evil of sin. 6. Is it become natural to you, to be afraid of SIN, of all sin as the greatest evil? Are you afraid of secret, as well as open sins? Of sinful thoughts, as well as sinful actions? Of an ungracious, unholy frame of heart, as well as an unholy life? Are you afraid of having your heart turn away from God, the fountain of all good? Of losing a relish for secret prayer? Of wandering thoughts on the sabbath, and at sacrament? And are you afraid of whatsoever tends thereto; such as vain company, a merry way of living, love to the world, neglecting to watch the heart? Do you make conscience of walking with God, and of maintaining communion with the most high, in your closets, and families, and in the house of God? Or does not a round of duties, and form of religion, content you? Do you make conscience of loving your neighbour as yourself, and doing as you would Rom. vii. 14. 24. y Eph. iii. 8. z Rom. iii. 20. a Rom. iii. 24. b Phil. iii. 8, 9. be done by; paying your debts, at the time agreed upon, and showing mercy to the poor? Do you make conscience of it, to bridle your tongue, to avoid tattling, and acting as busybodies in other men's matters? Do you make conscience of it, not to mispend your time in fruitless visits at taverns; in frolics, or in any other vain or unprofitable way but to devote your time and all your talents, to the service of God? If you see your obligations to God, you will make conscience of pleasing him in all things. If you see the great evil of sin, you will be afraid of it in every shape. If it appears to you as the greatest of evils, you will be most afraid of it. You will be more afraid of sin, than of any worldly loss, or of any reproach, or shame, or suffering, or even of death itself. However it may be with a good man, for a fit, this is his habitual temper d. Indeed, in general, men are but little afraid of sin they will go into the way of it: they will run into temptations, to taverns, to frolics, to vain company; and care but little or nothing about the love of God, and secret prayer: no, nor so much as whether they are honest in their dealings, and true to their promises: and yet, alas! are ready to imagine themselves to be the children of God. : However, an habitual sense of the great evil of sin, is so essential to vital piety, that without it, men, (let their past experiences and their present pretences be what they will,) are but mere hypocrites. Their repentance is counterfeit their faith is false: their religion is all unsound. If you know not the great evil of sin, you know nothing, yet, as you ought to know. You are a stranger to God, ignorant of your own heart, and of the deplorable condition you are in, and to this day are unhumbled, impenitent, and unpardoned. Wherefore, consider these things, answer these questions; and see, and say, what is your state. Oh! how doleful is the state of secure, Christless sinners! At enmity against God! Rebels against the majesty of heaven! Their frame of heart and manner of life, a continual despising the Lord! a grief to the Holy One of Israel! a constant provocation! And yet, alas! they know it not; nor does it once enter into their hearts: they go on at ease, ar are merry, as though all were well. And little think what is just before them-The day of accounts drawing nigh; a day of darkness; of gloominess; and of thick darkness; and of great wrath! Awake, O stupid sinner! Look round; see what you do; see where you are and consider what will be the end. Can your hands be strong, or your heart endure, O guilty rebel, when GOD ALMIGHTY shall come forth to deal with you, according to your crimes! Behold, now is a day of grace: and God is ready to be reconciled: a door of mercy is opened, by the blood of the Son of GoD: pardon and peace are proclaimed to a rebellious guilty world. Repent, therefore, and be converted; that your sins may be blotted out. But if after your hardness and impenitent heart, you will venture to go on, treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath; you are like to know it, to your everlasting sorrow, that it is a fearful and horrible thing, to sin against the LORD. INDEX. Note. The unit figures, i. ii. iii. designate the volume, the other figures desig A Antinomians, errors of, respecting the ABRAHAM, wisdom of God in his Antinomians, have no true ideas of the dealings with, i. 77. Note. how justified by works, ii. 113. iii. 48. - his sin imputed to them, i. 300. his original obligation to love God, 323. guilt of his first sin, what, i. 304. his trial just, i. 303. and good, i. 305. - his representing his posterity, justice Adoption, spirit of, what, i. 451. of the Jews, what, i. 170-175. iii. Affections, holy, excited by divine truth, Amusements, vain and fashionable, sin wickedness of, ibid. doctrines of, ii. 260. i 118. respecting faith, i. 379. and justify- respecting satisfaction for sin. i. 378. grace of the gospel, ii. 376. nor of Antinomianism, gross and refined, dif- confirmed in holiness, when, ii. 66. their reflections on it, ii. 68, 69. their reflections on the death of their glory consists in, what, i. 522. Siena, character of, iii. 382. respecting the law and its require- - religious exercises of, not according - - opens the way for the free exercise not to be considered as paying a debt, - extent of, i 382. sufficient for all mankind, i. 386. 532 Atonement, importanee of the doctrine, necessary, why, i. 391-402. -the importance of seeing our need of Assurance, Christian, attainable, i. 248. - was possessed by all Christians in the -- -- - doctrine of, considered, ii. 274. 325, controversy about it, considered, ibid. Believing that our sins are forgiven, not - - his works, a catalogue of, i. 36. his religious sentiments, what, i. 36. his directions how to profit by a pes Blessings of the gospel conditional, ü. - — temporal, all the fruits of Christ's Blameworthiness of the sinner, denial of, nature of their prayers, what, ii. Blood of Christ, efficacy of, i. 366. Backsliders, to return to God, how, i. design of, what is implied in this co- - covenant entered into by adults, what, -duty of those under baptismal vows, obligations arising from thence, what, - infant, a covenant entered into by does not entitle the subject of it to - directions given to persons, how to Believers, and their service,s accepted - their spiritual conflict, i. 246. - their views in believing, what, iii. 55. - – gives encouragement to all sinners to |