the Epistle of James adapted to the case of those, * Prov. vi. 22. Ps. li. 10. Prov. iv. 23. † 2 Cor. vi. 16. God."* We must look to Jesus, our glorious follow grace, Leader, that we may be strong in his his example, and walk in his steps. the cross and we also must take it up. He despised the shame: and so must we. But, the apostle adds, "Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin." This plainly implies, that it is better, and safer for us to lose this mortal life, than to yield to sin. There is also another example, which the Lord Jesus has himself commended to us: "And the publican standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner." If you can thus cry for mercy, and grieve for sin, and hate it, because you have offended God; then, despair not, but take courage, for there is ground to hope, that where sin has abounded, grace will much more abound in the full and free pardon of it, and in delivering you from its power. I am aware that many wish us to preach a smoother doctrine, and want to obtain comfort by shorter and easier methods. But I neither will, nor dare hide from them their real state, nor that part of divine truth, which immediately belongs to them. It is far better to open a wound, and search it to the bottom, that the proud flesh, and corrupt matter may be removed, than to skin it over, and leave them to gather strength. I shall now speak to another description of persons, whose character is not so favorable, nor their state so hopeful as that of mourners in Zion. I mean those, who misunderstand, and abuse the doctrine of man's spiritual inability and helplessness. Education, custom, and, it may be, convic * Heb. xii. 1. + Luke, xviii. 13. tion bring them under the sound of the gospel; and they give their assent, in words, to the doctrines of grace. Thus far they may be said to seek the Lord. But it is a sort of antinomian seeking They will hear perhaps all the sermons they can; but do nothing more. Their idea seems to be, that they are to remain passive, that the Lord may work all in them, or do all for them. As they are assured, that without Christ they can do nothing, they perversely conclude, that all attempts, on their part, must be useless; and some even go so far as to intimate, that nothing ought to be required of them. They commonly argue after the following manner: 'We are helpless ; why then should we attempt that for which we have no power? God is a Sovereign; and works where and when he pleases. If we are chosen, we shall be saved: and if not 'tis in vain to seek,' The truth however is, that their want of power is chiefly a want of will, arising from their dislike of holy duties, to enter on which, with any earnestness, or sincerity, they are averse; and consequently, instead of being any proper excuse, it is their sin. Of this they seem not aware; and being insensible of their own guilt and unworthiness, they speak of the dispensation of grace with a bold and indecent freedom, as if God had given them no powers whatever, either of body, or mind, which they could employ in seeking him. Their character approaches very near to one which the Lord himself has drawn in the parable of the talents:+Then he who had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee, that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, + Mat. xxv. and gathering where thou hast not strawed: and I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth lo, there thou hast that is thine." And mark, I beseech you, how his lord pronounced him to be a wicked, slothful, and unprofitable servant; and commanded him to be cast into outer' darkness, where there is weeping and gnashingof teeth. O what shall I say to you, who resemble the character just described? Who make even your knowledge of God's will a plea for continuing to disobey it? You know that he commands us to be holy yet you justify yourselves in not following after holiness because you find in your bosom an aversion to it! Is this well? Is it honest? Can you flatter yourself that this will be admitted by infinite Wisdom and Purity,-by Him, who alone is infallible, and who trieth the hearts? Would it be allowed at the bar of human justice, before a judge, who is fallible like ourselves? You know it would not. To plead there an incorrigible aversion to equity would be received as an aggravation of crime, and of punishment too. In Adam you possessed innocence, the love of righteousness, and the power to continue holy and in him you' have sinned them all away. His act and deed you have also, in your practice, approved, and made your own, times without number. And has the Great God no longer any claim to your allegiance,any right to require your obedience to his righteous law, because you are now conceived in sin, and transgressors from the womb? And is it nothing to you, that He, in infinite love and compassion, has sent his only Son, as the second Adam * Isa. xlviii. 8. to restore, and save you; and most graciously invites, and beseeches you to be reconciled to God? If 1 you are still tempted to say, 'it is vain to seek God, or to make any attempts to serve him,' the whole Bible is against you; and all, who know God, are against you ;-all ready, as with one voice, to vindicate him from the groundless aspersion. They will all insist, that "God heareth prayer; that he is good to the soul that seeketh him, and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon him ;"* and that the least service done with uprightness, shall not lose its reward. The gracious command is, Seek; and the faithful promise, Ye shall find. To refuse the first is rebellion; to make light of the last is unbelief, the root of all your wretchedness under the gospel. Learn then that your utter helplessness is but another term for the entire depravity of your nature; and instead of imagining, that it may exempt you from any obligations to serve God, confess, and bewail it as your sin, and as the source of all your disobedience, and misery. This is what enlightened men have done before you, and what is now done by all, who are brought to a true and correct knowledge of themselves. David lamenting with penitential sorrow his enormous transgressions, evidently viewed them as aggravated, and not diminished by the assurance that he "was shapen in iniquity, and that in sin his mother had conceived him."+ The fact, that you are by nature children of wrath, is a levelling blow at all the wisdom, goodness, excellence, and pride of man`; and calls you, not to self-justification; but to selfabasement, contrition, and brokenness of heart. Ps, lxv. 2. Lam. iii. 25. Ps. lxxxvi. 5. + Ps. li. |