that Samuel, whofe very conception was the anfwer of prayer, who was called from his mother's womb, and ferved in the temple from his being a child, fhould have experienced the fame depth of humiliation with fuch as Manaffeh, for example, who had been guilty of many atrocious crimes, and continued long in a hardened and infenfible ftate. Therefore,

2. Suffer me to obferve, that the great and principal evidence of a proper degree of conviction and forrow for fin, is its permanency and practical influence. Genuine conviction is not a flash of fervour, however ftrong, but a deep, abiding, and governing principle, which will thew its ftrength by its habitual power over its oppofite. Every true penitent will join in these words of Elihu: "Surely it is meet to be said "unto God I have borne chaftisement, I will "not offend any more: that which I fee not "teach thou me; if I have done iniquity, I will "do no more *." Nothing else will be a fufficient evidence of penitence, where this is wanting; and where this is the cafe, nothing can be wanting that is really neceffary. This may, perhaps, as I obferved on another part of this difcourfe, be thought too general, but I am perfuaded it is the only fafe ground to build upon, according to the fcriptures. Every other claim

* Job xxxiv. 31, 32.

of

of relation will be rejected at laft by our Saviour and Judge, as he hath plainly told us: "Not 66 every one that faith unto me, Lord, lord, fhall "enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that "doth the will of my Father which is in heaven. "Many will fay to me in that day, Lord, lord, "have we not prophefied in thy name? and in "thy name caft out devils? and in thy name "done many wonderful works? And then will I "profefs unto them, I never knew you, depart "from me ye that work iniquity f."

Would any know, therefore, whether their forrow for fin hath been to the requifite degree, let me intreat them to fuffer confcience to answer honeftly to the following interrogatories. Has your conviction of fin been fuch as to make you abhor and hate it, in every form? Hath it been fuch as to make you refolve upon a thorough and perpetual feparation from your once beloved pleafures? Does it make you ready to examine the lawfulness of every purfuit, and to abitain even from every doubtful or suspected practice? Is there no known fin that you are defirous to excufe or palliate, ftudious to conceal, or willing to spare? Remember this neceffary caution of our Saviour: "And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and caft it from thee: for it is profitable for "thee that one of thy members fhould perish,

† Matt, vii, 21, 22, 23.

"and

"and not that thy whole body should be cast in"to hell. And if thy right-hand offend thee, "cut it off, and caft it from thee: for it is pro"fitable for thee that one of thy members should "perifh, and not that thy whole body should be "caft into hell *." Is there no fin, however long practifed, or however greatly delighted in; is there no fin, however gainful or honourable, but you defire liberty from its enflaving power, as well as deliverance from its condemning guilt? Is there no part of the law of God, of the duty and character of a Chriftian, however ungrateful to a covetous heart, however defpifed by a fcorning world, but you acknowledge its obligation? Would you, indeed, rather be holy than great? Do you rather choofe perfecution with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of fin for a feafon? See what terms Chrift makes with his difciples: "If any man will come after me, let "him deny himself, and take up his crofs, and "follow me: for whofoever will fave his life "fhall lofe it, and whofoever will lofe his life, "for my fake, shall find it +." Upon the whole, inftead of finding fault with the duty or lot of God's children, can you truly fay, "O that "there were fuch an heart in me that I could "keep his ftatutes! The law of the Lord is perfectly holy. The paths of the Lord toward

*Matt. v. 29, 30.

+ Matt. xvi. 24.

66 me

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"me have been infinitely gracious. My heart "only is exceeding finful. O Lord, write thy "law in my heart, and put it in my inward parts give me a new heart and a new spirit, "and cause me to walk in thy ftatutes, and keep "thy judgments, and do them."

3. It is an excellent evidence of conviction's being right both in principle and in degree, when the penitent hath a greater fear of fin than of fuffering. As the great fource of genuine conviction of fin is a fenfe of its evil in itself, rather than an apprehension of its confequences even in the life to come, there is no way in which this will discover itself more diftin&ly, than in the views we have of fin, and fuffering in the prefent ftate. Whether do you grieve moft heartily for fin, or for worldly loffes? Which of them do you avoid with the greatest folicitude and care? Will not this show what it is that lies nearest your hearts, and hath the dominion there? Will not this show it in a manner that must be convincing even to yourselves, and leave no room to reply? Alas! how heavy a sentence does this carry against many profeffing Chriftians? How great their anxiety about the things of time, how little about the concerns of eternity? How carefully will they obferve the increase or decrease of their trade and opulence? But how little attention will they pay to the growth or decay of religion in their

hearts?

hearts? They will dread the arts, and fly from the fociety, of a fraudulent dealer, but will fufpect no danger while their ears are drinking in the poifon of licentious or impure converfation. The lofs of a child, or the lofs of their fubftance, oppreffes them with forrow, while even the commiffion of grofs fin, if concealed from the world, produces a reflection fcarcely felt, and speedily forgotten.

I have faid, indeed, above, that all persons are not equally fufceptible of violent emotions of any kind. But what shall be said of the fame perfons, who have the strongest paffions on every other fubject, and nothing but coldness and indifference in matters of religion? What shall be faid of the fame perfons, who are easily and deeply affected with all temporal fufferings, and yet are but very flightly affected with a sense of the evil of fin? Whofe tears flow readily and copiously over a dying friend, but have no tears at all to fhed over a dying Saviour? Does this at all correspond with the description given by the prophet, "of mourning as for an only fon;" in which penitential forrow is compared to the most severe and exquifite of all human calamities. I muft, however, obferve, that temporal fufferings are ordinarily attended and aggravated by fenfible images, and are alfo fometimes fudden and unexpected, on both which accounts they may more powerfully