profess to receive it; these receive it in the letter, but submit not to its spirit.

Many reasons, some of them of a subordinate nature, might be assigned; but perhaps they may all be included in the two following.

I. Those who profess a regard only to the letter of the gospel, reject its spirit, because of its humbling tendency.

It is easy for men notionally to receive the gospel in its general tenor, as a system of mercy, revealing the marvellous display of the love of God, in giving his only begotten Son to be the Saviour of sinners.

In this most general and partial view of the gospel thousands rest, and deceive themselves; supposing they know and love the gospel, while they continue total strangers to that part of it, from which alone they can on proper grounds conclude their saving interest in it. For these the blessed gospel is too humbling in two respects:

1. In what it takes away. Is its professor a moralist? However incompatible morality may be with the gospel, as a ground of hope for a sinner; yet many gospel professors are going about to establish a righteousness of their own, not submitting themselves to the righteousness of God. Indeed a self-righteous spirit is so interwoven in our natures, that to be saved without

our contributing any thing towards our own salvation, appears to the mind, unenlightened by the gospel, preposterous and alarming. To those who have been carefully building up their Babel of Iruman merit, and who have thought the top thereof would soon reach unto heaven, how mortifying that word which bids them desist; which at once levels their building with the ground; and adds, by the deeds of the law shall no flesh living be justified! This demolition the gospel will and must effect. Its object is to slay the vain confidence of man in his own works, to show him that all his righteousnesses are but filthy rags; Isa. lxiv. 6. and to leave him a sight of nothing in and of himself, but sin. The gospel thus taking away every vestige of self-applause, no longer suffers us to go to God, saying, God, I thank thee, I am not as sinful as other men; but humbling us in the dust, constrains us to confess our sins, and to beg for mercy; see Luke xviii. 13.

And as the gospel thus strips us of all our ideas of inherent righteousness, and of merit as arising out of any conformity to the divine law, so it takes away our supposed ability to do any thing acceptable to God of ourselves. If after having thought highly of our attainments, we should suffer any alarm by a consciousness that our works will not be found perfect before God,

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and this qualm be soon got over by the consideration, that it is only necessary for us to put too a little more strength and resolution, to be more uniform and vigilant, and more to guard our desires and affections, and we may still hope that our obedience will be accepted; the gospel drives us from this hold by assuring us, that we are without strength; that we are not sufficient to think any thing as of ourselves; but that our sufficiency is of God. And if we still cling to a reserve of strength in ourselves, the divine word admonishes us, that the heart is deceitful, and desperately wicked; and that he that trusteth his own heart, on account of its self-flattering suggestions, is a fool; for that it will surely fail and deceive him. Moreover, the gospel takes away any ground of boasting, or of hope towards God, from our external, national, or family privileges. An outward subjection to the authority of the gospel, as seen in our constant attendance upon it, will avail us nothing; for he is not a true christian, who is only so outwardly see Rom. ii. 28, 29. No people could pride themselves more on account of national distinctions, than the Jews; and so far as their privileges were embraced to right purposes, they had, says Paul, much advantage every way: but resting in their outward superiority, and rejecting the spirit of the gospel, they were cut off. And to

what evil principle did he attribute their destruction? To unbelief: see Rom. ix. 32. Nor are there, perhaps, few in our days, who take comfort from the persuasion, that though they do not pray themselves, yet having parents, ministers, and others, who pray for them, and knowing that the prayer of a righteous man availeth much, in some future day, their souls will enjoy the benefit of these prayers. Under this delusion they restrain prayer themselves; for their hearts being yet wedded to some evil way, they fear that their prayers may possibly interfere with their propensities, which they wish to indulge a little longer; nor do they desire that the prayers of others should be heard for them, until they have lived a few more years in their present evil course. Their principal fear is, lest they should be disturbed too soon! Though knowing, that, unless they are changed before they die, they must be lost, they indulge the pleasing thought, while going on in sin, that a number of prayers are putting on the file for them; and therefore they are buoyed up with the idea, that they shall not be suffered to die in an unpardoned and guilty state. Awful delusion! Against this the gospel thus guards us. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own

burden. Gal. vi. 4, 5. see also Matth. iii. 9. 2 Cor. xiii. 5. Yes, the gospel saps this vain hope, by assuring us, that if we would obtain an interest in its blessings, we must ask, that we may receive; we must seek, or we shall never find; we must knock, or the door of mercy will remain shut against us. The gospel thus driving the sinner from his refuges of lies, and he being a stranger to its real spirit, no wonder that his unhumbled mind rejects it. But unbelief is the cause, and at the bottom of this rejection; for did he see and truly believe in the utter unworthiness of all his moral duties, and in his total weakness and depravity; did he properly see that every moment, which leaves him short of union to Christ, may be the moment which shall fix him beyond the reach of hope, he would instantly embrace the gospel, and would not venture to build a hope upon any expected change at some future day. The gospel is of too humbling a tendency,

2. In what it enjoins and requires. Against this a heart under the prevalence of unbelief will not fail to raise objections. The gospel enjoins a genuine repentance for sin. This cannot be experienced without the searching influence of truth upon the conscience. This influence must bring sin properly to light, and will be attended with disquietude of spirit; many arrows of