which we have deferved: fo much is the bleffing of our redemption of more impor tance to us than our creation or our prefervation.

THE relations in which God ftands to us of creator and preferver, lay us under the obligation of conforming ourfelves to his will: if we have done and continue to do this, we have nothing to fear, but may affure ourselves, that infinite justice will never fuffer our being to be worse to us than not being, and may hope that infinite goodness will preserve to us (if not increase) the bleffings we enjoy; in this cafe we have no further to look, and a Redeemer is upon this fuppofition altogether unneceffary; but are we thus innocent-thus perfect? Far be from us the arrogant imagination; we know, we feel that we have been and are finners, in thought, word, and deed: we have, in the expreffive words of our Liturgy,

erred

erred and strayed from God's ways like loft sheep; we have followed too much the devices and defires of our own hearts; we have offended against his holy laws; we have left undone thofe things which we ought to have done, and we have done those things which we ought not to have done, and there is no health in us.

FROM God's juftice therefore, we have nothing to expect but punishment; from his goodness, the first thing we have to hope for, is forgiveness. But how know we that it is confiftent with his juftice, fo to exert his goodness as to grant us this forgiveness? Let not the pride of human reason haftily answer this question, without having duly confidered what the purposes of univerfal government over rational creatures may require. In human governments we find that the welfare of fociety cannot be maintained without the punishment of offenders; how

know we that the fame is not the cafe in God's kingdom? and then what must become of us? Undoubtedly to a fincere penitent, reafon and nature dictate hope of God's mercy; but hope mixed with fear, if matters be thoroughly confidered; because reason cannot find a fure foundation on which to build that hope; and if matters be not thoroughly confidered, the forebodings of confcience will at times alarm the breast with anxious doubts; for ceafing to do evil does not undo the evil that has been done, any more than ceafing to contract new debts discharges the old: but the advocates for the fufficiency of human reafon, without the affiftance of Revelation, must be reminded, that even the confcioufnefs of guilt, (after the heart has been hardened through the deceitfulness of fin) which produces true contrition, and leadeth to real and fincere repentance, is looked for in yain in untaught and unaffifted nature;

and

and if this could be there found, it cannot be found accompanied by thorough and perfect amendment of heart and life; for it is not thus found in us who are bleffed with fuperior information, and are trained up to an higher sense of duty; our hearts condemn us of falling conftantly fhort of the glory of God; and God is greater than our hearts and knoweth all things.

How then can man be juftified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman? Behold even to the moon and it Shineth not; the ftars are not pure in his fight; how much lefs man that is a worm, and the fon of man that is a worm! To whom then can we look for comfort, and upon what can we ground our hope of mercy: bleffed be God! there is one to whom we may look in this distress of nature; to him who hath pronounced with authority-Comfort ýe, comfort ye, my

people,

We

people, fpeak ye comfortably to Jerufalem, and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: bleffed be God for the light which hath fhined upon the people which walked in darkness and the fhadow of death. can now ground our hope of pardon upon the fureft foundation; upon him who fpeaketh in righteoufnefs and is mighty to fave. Chrift hath redeemed us from the curfe of the law, being made a curfe for us; for God was in Chrift, reconciling the world unto himself, and made peace through the blood of his cross. Who then fhall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth, who is he that condemneth? It is Chrift that died, yea rather that is rifen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh interceffion for us. Let then the proud difputer of this world truft if he will to the faint glimmering of natural reafon; we