them, that if the iniquity of your most holy things be imputed, it must greatly increase the moral distance between God and you. Consider whether, while you are under the law, or covenant of works, you are capable, not only to fulfil all its preceptive demands, and so not further expose yourself to its curses; but also to do something towards making satisfaction to God's justice for what you have already done amiss, and to merit his favour. Or consider, whether you have any claim to God's acceptance of your person upon Christ's account, without an interest in him, and whilst condemned already by his own mouth, and under the wrath of God for your unbelief. Consider, whether you can have any promise of acceptance to plead, while you remain under the curse both of the law and gospel. Consider, whether an omniscient and holy God can be either deluded or gratified with mere external shows of religion, when he knows you have a heart in you that is far from him. Consider, whether you can ever make the case better, by all your endeavours to change your own heart, and to create yourself anew in Christ Jesus, any more than you can produce a new world. Consider, whether you dare venture your eternity upon this issue, that you sincerely do what you can to serve God; and whether there be not such sinful defects cleaving to your best performances, as may justly condemn both you and them. Consider again, whether, if you should do all you can in the service of God, you would do any thing that would either fully come up to the terms of the covenant of grace, or bear the least proportion to that salvation which the gospel requires. Consider once more, whether the glorious God has not an absolute right to dispose of his own favours, just how, when, and where he pleases; and whether he has not assured us.

that he will bestow his everlasting mercy upon none but those who are really conformable to the terms of the covenant of grace.

Now, sir, if you, while unregenerate, can neither make atonement for your past sin and guilt, nor come up to the demands of the law of nature; if you can neither please God by your sinful performances, nor impose upon him by your hypocritical shows: if you run further in debt by the sin of your duties, instead of paying any thing of the old score: if you have no claim to acceptance on Christ's account, without a special interest in him; nor any claim to the benefits of the covenant of grace, till you actually comply with the terms of it if both law and gospel condemn you in your present state; and nothing but Omnipotence can change your heart, and make your state better: if God be a sovereign Donor of his own favours, (and you can have no promise to plead, while you remain under the curse and wrath of God, and a stranger to the covenants of promise,) if even you yourself must allow all these things to be undoubted truths, it must then be true, even to demonstration, that, while in such a state, you are capable of no qualifying condition of the Divine favour, and had need therefore to feel that you lie at mercy.

To conclude this head, if God himself may be believed on in the case, "He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth,' Rom. ix. 18. It is not for our sakes that he bestows. grace upon us, but for his holy name's sake, Ezek. xxxvi. 22. 32. "He predestinates us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved," Eph. i. 5, 6. He acts in this case

according to his own sovereign pleasure, as a "potter that hath power over his clay, to make one vessel to honour, and another to dishonour;" and we have no liberty to reply against God: it is insufferable arrogance, for the thing formed to say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus ?" Rom. ix. 20, 21. Sir, as you yourself claim a sovereignty in the dispensation of your favours, surely you will not dare to deny a like sovereignty in the eternal God. Believe it, the glorious God is a sovereign Benefactor, and he will be acknowledged as such by all that ever partake of his saving mercy.

Now I am prepared to show you, that the consequence which you draw from this doctrine is unjust, and even directly contrary to the improvement you ought to make of it.

And the reason I offer for this is, that a realizing belief of the truth before us directly tends to bring most glory to God; and most safety, comfort, and happiness to yourself. It is easy to conceive how it conduceth most to God's glory, for us to consider him as the fountain and foundation of all grace and mercy; and to consider all the favours we enjoy, or hope for, as flowing from the mere goodness of his nature, and not from any motive or inducement which we can possibly lay before him. In this view of the case we do that honour to an infinite and eternal Being, as to suppose him a self-existent, independent, and immutable Sovereign while, on the contrary, to imagine ourselves capable, by any thing we can do, to change his purposes, engage his affections, or excite and move his compassions towards us, is to conceive him to be altogether such a one as ourselves, liable to new impressions from our complaints or persuasions, mutable in his affections, and dependent upon our

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duties for the exercise of his grace. And I leave it to you to judge, which of these apprehensions is most worthy of that God, who is infinitely exalted above us, and is without any variation or shadow of turning. I leave it likewise to you to judge, which principle is most likely to subserve our best interests, that which does most honour, or that which does the most dishonour to God.

If we apply this to the present case, I ask, In which way can we find most encouragement to seek or strive for mercy? in which way have we the best prospect of success? by entertaining false and dishonourable conceptions of the Divine Being, and denying to God the glory which is due to his name? or by lying at the foot of a Sovereign, and thereby ascribing to him the infinite perfections of his excellent nature? Though in this latter way you can make no change in God, you will, nevertheless, have the evidence that he has made a change in you, and a comfortable prospect that, by bringing you to a submission to his sovereignty, he has a design of special favour to your soul.

If we should yet further continue our view of this case, it will appear, that a submission to the mere sovereign mercy of God is most conducive to your own comfort, safety, and happiness. This consideration is a just foundation of comfort and hope, in that it obviates the darkness and discouragements, that would otherwise arise from a sense of your guilt and unworthiness, and from your impotence and unavoidable infirmity and imperfection in the service of God. What hope could you find from your duties, when after your best endeavours, you would see so much deadness, formality, and hypocrisy, in your highest attainments? What hope from your reformations,

when you find so much sin and corruption gaining ground against all your good purposes and resolutions? What hope from your affections, when so much hardness of heart, worldly-mindedness, sensuality, and carnal dispositions, are separating between God and you? Can you quiet your soul by imposing upon an omniscient God, with your vain shows and flattering pretences? No, sir, if you have any true discovery of your own heart, these considerations must continually perplex and distress your soul with distracting fears and despondences, as long as you are thus compassing yourself about with sparks of your own kindling for these defects and imperfections will certainly accompany your best resolutions, endeavours, and attainments. But then, on the other hand, if you lie at mercy, and submit to God as the sovereign Disposer of his own favours, you have good grounds of encouragement and hope. Are your sins great, and greatly aggravated? The mercy of God exceeds them all. Have you no meritorious qualifications, to recommend you to the favour of God? Multitudes of others have found mercy, who had no better qualifications than you have. Have you no special promise to depend upon as belonging to you, while in an unconverted state? Yet is it not sufficient, that you have gracious encouragement to leave all in the hands of that mercy, which infinitely exceeds your highest apprehensions or imaginations ?

Now, sir, look around you; and see what refuge you can possibly betake yourself to. You are in the hands of justice, and which way can you make your escape? If you attempt to flee from God, you perish; but if you flee to him, there is hope. He is sovereign in the donation of his favours; you have therefore as good a prospect of obtaining salvation