minious and torturing death; while and it profited me not; he will dehe believed in the Saviour sus-liver his soul from going down into pended beside him, for the salva- the pit, and his life shall see the tion of his soul from future condem-light." Job xxxiii. 27, 28. nation. Was there no essential No doubt this (as well as all difference in the frame of his spirit, other holy dispositions) may be from that of the other thief, who in counterfeited; and the appearance the agonies of death, joined the of humility assumed where the multitude in reviling the holy Je- heart remains unhumbled. Thus, sus? Did this difference arise from Pharaoh, Judas, and several others any other cause than regeneration? confessed their sins in a partial, And was not he a partaker of true extorted, and reluctant manner. holiness? Yet no doubt, if genuine, it implies Confession of sin, an essential a right spirit; the proper frame of part of true repentance, is every mind, in which a sinner ought to where represented as inseparable appear before his offended Lord, from saving faith, and preparatory being exactly the reverse to a proud to forgiveness. "He that covereth self-justifying disposition. He who his sins shall not prosper; but he ingenuously confesses his sins, gives that confesseth and forsaketh them, unto God the honour both of his shall obtain mercy." Prov. xxviii. justice and of his mercy; he ex"If we say that we have no presses approbation both of the sin, we deceive ourselves, and the holy law and of the blessed gospel; truth is not in us. If we confess he willingly submits to God's righour sins, he is faithful and just to teousness, and is prepared to welforgive us our sins, and to cleanse come a free salvation; he adores us from all unrighteousness." 1 the grace, which "hath abounded John i. 8, 9. "I acknowledged my towards us, in all wisdom and prusin unto thee, and mine iniquity dence," and glorifies the Lord, as have I not hid. I said, I will con-" just, and the justifier of him that fess my transgressions unto the believeth in Jesus."

13.

66

Lord, and thou forgavest the ini- "His name," says the angel, quity of my sin." Ps. xxxii. 5." shall be called Jesus; because he "Wash me throughly from mine shall save his people from their iniquity, and cleanse me from my sins." " God, having raised up his sin; for I acknowledge my transgres- Son Jesus," says the apostle," hath sions, and my sin is ever before me.' sent him to bless you, in turning Ps. li. 1-5. The publican, the away every one of you from his iniprodigal son, the thief upon the quities." He gave himself for us, cross, and other instances already to redeem us from all iniquity, and adduced, exemplify this ingenuous, to purify us unto himself, a peculiar unreserved confession of their sin-people zealous of good works." fulness nor is there a single case Now let a reflecting person seriin Scripture, real or parabolical, of ously ask himself, whether any one a sinner acceptably applying to God can truly believe in Christ, without for pardoning mercy, in which this in the least understanding this part disposition to glorify him, by a full of his salvation, or desiring the and free confession, is not implied principal blessing which he confers or expressed. "He looketh upon on his people? Can he desire salmen; and if any say, I have sinned vation from sin, without the least and perverted that which was right hatred of sin or love of holiness;

Or can there be any hatred of sin Christ for any part of this salvation, and love of holiness in a heart that or diligently use the proper means is entirely unholy?—The views of of seeking it. "The soul of the a newly awakened sinner may be sluggard desireth, and hath not: extremely confused, and the fear of but the soul of the diligent shall be wrath, with desires of deliverance made fat." Prov. xiii. 4. from it, may greatly preponderate

When our Lord invites "the in his experience: nor should this weary and heavy laden to come be condemned as mere selfishness, unto him, that they might find rest while salvation from deserved pu- to their souls;" he adds, "Take nishment is sought from God's my yoke upon you and learn of mercy in his appointed way; for me.' He declares that he will even this is directly contrary to our treat all those as enemies, "who natural pride and enmity to God; will not have him to reign over and the desire of happiness is as them :" and every scriptural call to strong in a holy as in an unholy sinners implies the same instruction. creature. Indeed the sinner him- "Seek ye the Lord while he may self in his first application for be found; call ye upon him while mercy, may not, during the anxious he is near: let the wicked forsake trepidation of his heart, perceive his way, and the unrighteous man any thing more than a desire of his thoughts; and let him return forgiveness and happiness in the unto the Lord, and he will have favour of God: yet in reality, every mercy on him; and to our God, and acting of true faith in Christ is con- he will abundantly pardon." Isaiah nected with some degree of a desire lv. 6, 7. Certainly the evangelical to be delivered from sin, and to be prophet had no idea of forgiveness made holy; which will appear to and the comfort of it, preceding the intelligent observer, in that ten- every degree of true repentance derness of conscience, and dread and all the works meet for repentof relapsing into former evil ways, ance, according to the doctrine which are manifested by convinced maintained by some modern teachsinners, in their deepest distress, ers of free salvation. With these and which often help the judicious Scriptures before us, can we mainpastor to discriminate between tain, that any one truly returns to those convictions which arise from spiritual illumination, and the terrors which spring from merely natural principles.

the Lord, by Christ the living Way, and by faith in him, who does not so much as desire salvation from his sins, and renewal unto holiness? Indeed they, who are well versed And is not a sincere and hearty in doctrinal discussions, may feel desire of these blessings itself a a kind of wish after sanctification, genuine part of holiness? without any hatred of sin or love It has been shown, that humility, of holiness, from a conviction that repentance, hatred of sin, with sinthey cannot be saved unless they cere desires to be saved from it, and be sanctified: and thus the common a willing submission to Christ as saying," the desire of grace is grace," our King, are inseparably connectshould be used with caution, or it ed with every exercise of genuine may aid the enemy to deceive men's faith in him: and doubtless all souls. But persons of this descrip- these are branches of true holiness. tion will not sincerely apply to The same also may be observed con

cerning the genuine spirit of prayer, tive reliance? Or is it the soul going which has properly been considered forth with fervent desires after the as the very breath of faith, and one mercy and grace, of which the urof the first symptoms of spiritual gent want is felt, to him whom it life. A person at a distance from believes able and willing to deliver, the means of clear instruction, or to help, and to save? If this latter perplexed in attempting to distin-be the acting of faith in Christ, guish truth from falsehood, may what is the medium of the soul's sincerely pray for divine teaching, application to him, except the liftand other spiritual blessings, from ing up of the heart in desire and a general knowledge and feeling of expectation? and this is the essence his wants, and a belief of some re- of Prayer. Hence it is that salvavealed truths, even previously to tion is so closely joined with prayer explicit faith in Christ: and thus he in many places in Scripture. "Thou, may be further enlightened as to Lord, art good, and ready to forthe nature and glory of the gospel, give, and plenteous in mercy unto and have the way of God expound-all them that call upon thee." Ps. ed to him more perfectly. Acts lxxxvi. 1-7. “ Ask, and it shall be xviii. 24-28. But it cannot be given you:-Every one that asketh conceived, that any one has believed receiveth." "Let us come boldly in Christ, and been even justified to the throne of Grace, that we may by faith in him; while he has never obtain mercy, and find grace to help yet in his heart presented a single in time of need." "All that call sincere petition for spiritual bless-on the Lord shall be saved." Acings!-Indeed the application of cording to these promises, it is as the soul to Christ for salvation impossible a man should truly pray, seems to be essentially prayer, and yet not be saved, as that he mental prayer, and as inseparable should truly believe, and not be from it, as the motion of the lungs saved; because genuine faith and from the act of breathing, or that prayer are inseparable.

:

of the heart from pulsation. True Men may read, repeat, or even Christians are frequently in the frame prayers, in a formal manner, New Testament distinguished as without the least degree of real ho"those who call on the Lord Jesus liness. They may sincerely ask for Christ;" and it is said, "The same temporal things, "that they may Lord over all is rich unto all that consume them on their lusts;" or call upon him for whosoever shall for deliverance from temporal calacall on the name of the Lord shall mities and dangers. They may even be saved. How then shall they call pray heartily to be saved from fuon him, in whom they have not be-ture punishment, and to be made lieved?" Rom. x. 10-14. It is for ever happy, according to their allowed that no one can call on the own notions of felicity, without any Lord Jesus, before he has some de- idea of what happiness consists in. gree of faith in him: but at the But genuine prayer is the language same time, these testimonies of the of humility, and of spiritual desires Scripture prove, that the spirit and expectations: it is the expresof prayer inseparably accompanies sion of conscious indigence, depenevery exercise of faith from first to dence, and unworthiness; and of last. Else what is the nature of hearty longings after those blessfaith? Is it merely assent and inac-ings, which God alone can bestow,

and which can only be enjoyed in pany saving faith.

"The sacri

his favour and presence. "Lord, fices of God are a broken spirit: a thou hast heard the desire of the broken and contrite heart, O God, humble; thou wilt prepare their thou wilt not despise.'

heart; thou wilt cause thine ear to If then humility, godly sorrow, hear." Ps. x. 17. Hence we read hatred of all evil, ingenuous confesof "praying in," or by, "the Spi- sion, and whatever else belongs to rit;"" praying in the Holy Ghost," true repentance, with upright deand "worshipping in spirit and sires after salvation from sin, and truth." "The sacrifice of the wick- spiritual prayer, do indeed invariaed is an abomination to the Lord: bly attend every acting of faith in but the prayer of the upright is his Christ; that faith must be a holy delight." Prov. xv. 8. Saul, when a exercise of a regenerate soul; for Pharisee, may be supposed to have surely none will maintain, that made long prayers: but these were there is not the least symptom of doubtless very different from the spiritual life, the smallest degree of earnest supplications which he holiness, in any of these, or in all poured out before the Lord at Da- of them united! On the other hand, mascus, and which were thus no- it can scarcely be imagined, that ticed, "For behold he prayeth." any will deliberately persist in Can it be conceived, that a holy maintaining, that justifying faith God delighteth in any prayer, which so precedes all humiliation, and hath nothing holy in its nature? Yet other spiritual affections, as to be the humble supplicants, who are wholly unconnected with them; most acceptable to him, are most and that a man is actually justified apt to be dissatisfied with them- and at peace with God, before he selves, and even to question the at all begins to humble himself, be sincerity and uprightness of their sorry for his sins, to confess and earnest and fervent prayers. hate them, or to pray for spiritual

The case of Manasseh may illus-blessings! This would invert the trate this subject; for none of those, whole order of Scripture, and can who enter into the spirit and im- never be directly and consistently portance of this discussion, will avowed by a candid and serious disdeny that he found mercy by faith ciple of the Lord Jesus; however in the promised Saviour. The first he may be led, upon a controverintimation of any thing hopeful in sial subject, to drop expressions, his case is thus given: "When he make statements, or adopt sentiwas in affliction he besought the ments, which fairly admit of such Lord his God, and humbled himself an interpretation. But in fact, the greatly before the God of his fa- grand difficulty consists in prevailthers, and prayed unto him; and ing with men, so far to examine he was entreated of him, and heard their preconceived opinions, and to his supplication." In the subse-question the truth of them, as to quent narrative, his prayer is re- bestow the pains requisite for duly peatedly mentioned; and his sins weighing the force of those argubefore he was humbled are strikingly ments, which from Scripture are contrasted with his subsequent con- brought against them; and either duct. 2 Chron. xxxiii. Hence I solidly to refute them, at least so apprehend, we may infer with cer- as to satisfy their own minds, or tainty, that acceptable prayer and candidly to acknowledge that they genuine humiliation always accom- were mistaken.

SECTION IV.

sery, more clearly than any other discovery ever made of the divine

The Holy Nature of Faith more di-perfections and government; though

rectly shown.

in harmony with the most endearing and encouraging displays of love and mercy to the vilest of sinners. But if every thing be kept out of sight, or very slightly noticed, ex

THE holiness of saving faith may not only be inferred from its Author, its source, and its concomitants; but likewise from a careful considera- cept the displays of infinite and tion of its peculiar nature. everlasting love and mercy; unre

to "

The apostle exhorts Christians generate men may embrace this build up themselves in their mutilated gospel with an unholy most holy faith." Jude 20. Should faith, and so encourage themselves it be urged, that he meant the doc-in sin by the confident expectation trine of faith and not faith itself; of impunity. It will, however, still we inquire, how a most holy doctrine be undeniable, that the most holy can be received in a right manner doctrine of primitive Christianity by a faith not at all holy? We read can never be cordially embraced of those who "held" (or imprisoned) except by a holy faith. "the truth in unrighteousness;"- St. James carefully distinguishes "because they liked not to retain a cordial consent to the true gospel God in their knowledge:" Rom. i. from a dead faith; for saving faith 18-28. And if this were the effect is living and operative; and by it of man's carnal enmity against God, we receive the truths of revelation in respect of those truths which are with cordial satisfaction and corresdiscoverable by reason; what must pondent affections, as relating to be the opposition of the same prin- our own situation, character, and ciple to the offensive message of everlasting interests. "Being warnthe gospel. When the assent of ed of God," and " believing the the understanding is compelled, by truth," "we are moved with fear;" invincible evidence to the real doc- we perceive ourselves in danger of trine of the cross, the most deter- the wrath to come, and allow that mined resistance is excited: but in we deserve it; we submit to the general men contrive to cast a shade righteousness of God, reverence over that part of truth which most his authority,and implore his mercy; offends them and by an abuse of we discover the appointed refuge the other parts, they stifle their and flee to it; we perceive the suitconvictions, and quiet themselves ableness of his salvation to honour in a worldly course of life. This is his justice and law, as well as to especially effected by partial and glorify his grace; and this very unscriptural views of the gospel; circumstance which offends the and thus may evangelical professors proud and carnal mind, renders it "hold the truth in unrighteous-doubly precious to all those who ness," in the most awful sense ima- have "received the love of the truth ginable. that they may be saved."

Christianity, as stated in the The apostle Paul speaks of the Scriptures, displays the glorious "faith of God's elect;" and Peter justice and holiness of God, in con-addresses those "who had obtained nexion with the odiousness and like precious faith." Tit. i. 1, 2. desert of sin, and the sinner's tre- 2 Pet. i. 1. And thus he gives to mendous danger of everlasting mi-juith the same epithet, which he