I.

the Gospel. "Bleffed are the pure in DISC. "heart, for they fhall fee God"-" Bleffed are the peace-makers, for they shall be "called the children of God"-"If thy offend thee, pluck it out"-" If

« right eye

thy right hand offend thee, cut it off," i. e. part with your favourite fins, however painful may be the work of relinquishing them; "Swear not at all"-" Love your "enemies; bless them that curse you; do "good to them that hate you, and pray "for them which defpitefully use you "and perfecute you"." These are the explanations of the moral law enforced by our Saviour, explanations that check at once the progrefs of all wickedness, by forbidding us to encourage even the first conceptions of fin, and by deterring our very fouls from approbation of any wicked or unholy thought.

When in the hours of folitude we examine the difpofitions of our own hearts, and reflect on the general tenor of our conduct,

DISC, we are fure that we cannot be concealed

I.

either from the knowledge of God, or from the witness of our own confciences! In that fituation, the mask of hypocrify cannot difguife, the arts of felf-impofition cannot deceive. The recollection of fuccessful endeavours to live as becomes men, who would be virtuous and religious in principle and practice, will then impart to the soul a fecret fatisfaction, which nothing external can poffibly communicate. On the other hand, the remembrance of our fins paft will fmite our bofoms with irresistible force; for, the aggravations of fuch offences we cannot palliate to ourselves; the ftings of remorfe will torture every foul, that is not loft to the genuine feelings of human nature. Sorrow too for the continual ftate of imperfect obedience, in which they live diffatisfied with their own frailties and earnestly defirous of greater improvements in all virtues; forrow from this fource will affect the minds of all, who know themselves, and their own weakness! For who, that has confidered and fearched his own heart, will

not

I.

not find himself to be a creature of extreme DISC. weakness in the exercife of his moral powers? And who, that understands and admires the fanctity of God's laws; who that devoutly wishes to offer unto God himself, his foul and body, as a living facrifice presented in a reasonable service; who that anxiously ftrives to conform his thoughts and manners to the Christian rule, can ceafe to lament that within him and without him he experiences fuch obftacles to the full discharge of his duty, and betrays fuch infirmities by yielding more or less to the prevailing habit, whatever it may be?

Such are the inward workings of our minds, when the world feeth us not! and in this condition, our only confolation, our only hope, can be found in the Gospel! "Come unto me, (fays our compaffionate Redeemer,) all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you reft"," even reft unto your fouls. "Being juftified by faith, we have peace with God, through

1

DISC.

I.

our Lord Jefus Chrift"." Chrift is the author of our peace with God, having effected the reconciliation of God to man and of man to God, by the atonement which he has made for fins relinquished and tranfgreffions involuntary; he is also the author of our peace with God, by the affurance he hath given us, that through the propitiation made by him, repentance shall be effectual towards the obtaining of pardon; and that our own weakness shall be strengthened by the affistance of the Holy Spirit, if we will but lift up our hearts unto God in the time of difficult trial!

That, which neither the law of nature nor the Mofaic difpenfation could convey to us, the Gospel does impart; it promises pardon to all thofe, who with fincere repentance and true faith come unto Christ. Repentance of itself cannot avail towards the obtaining of forgiveness; for it cannot restore us to the state of innocence, which we have already forfeited. Under human governments, the contrition of a malefactor

18 Rom. v. I.

cannot

I.

cannot remove the guilt of his tranfgreffion, D IS C. nor can it replace him in the condition which he enjoyed before he had offended against the laws. In fome fuch light we may view our own fituation with respect to our fins against the Almighty! Repent of them we may and fhall; but the bitterest agonies of repentance cannot make innocent him that has once finned, cannot exempt from deferving the confequences of divine juftice him that has once been obnoxious to it. Hence therefore we have need of a Redeemer, who, of his mercy, will himself bear the punishment due to our fins; we have need of a Mediator, who, in compaffion to mankind, will never cease to make interceffion for them. Such a Redeemer, fuch a Mediator, is Chrift," who is able to "fave to the uttermoft them that come to "God through him"."

The condition, on which our repentance will be accepted, is faith in Christ, i. e. a firm belief that "Chrift came into the world to "fave finners

a confident affurance

20 99
>

19 Heb. vii. 25.

C 3

20

1 Tim. i. 15.

that