whether or no you should this moment diately preceding my text, he brings sevrenounce all competitors, and give him eral quotations from the Old Testament the chief room of your hearts. May I writings, which give a very strong and hope you are resolved? Happy you, melancholy representation of the corrup

thrice happy, if you be so ! Now you tion and depravity of the human kind. begin to live, your former unworthy be- But lest the Jews should allege that these, havior shall all be forgiven; and that and other passages of the like nature, compassionate Redeemer, who procured were only descriptive of the Gentile nations, sparing mercy for you even when you de- and could not justly be extended to them, spised him, and, by his gracious interposi- whom God had chosen from the rest of tion, hath kept you alive till this hour, the world, and set apart for himself as his will not reject your penitent, believing peculiar inheritance; he judged it proper souls, but will accept your esteem and love, to remind them, that the sacred books, though late; and, in return, will bestow from which he had taken the above descripupon you all the enriching benefits of his tion, were primarily addressed to the Jews, purchase. But if any of you shall justify and designed for their instruction and use; your former contempt, and resolve to per- We know, says he, that what things sosist in it, I must declare the righteous sen- ever the law saith, it saith to them who tence of God; and I shall do it in the are under the law; consequently these words of John the Baptist (John iii. 36.) quotations, which are all expressly con“He that believeth not the Son, shall not tained in the law, may and ought to be see life; but the wrath of God abideth on considered as a just representation of the him." Let my counsel therefore be ac-state of those to whom that law or revelaceptable unto you. "Seek the Lord while tion was given. And he further adds, that he is yet to be found, and call upon him they were inserted in Scripture for this while he is near. Kiss the Son, lest he very purpose, that the plea of innocence be angry, and ye perish from the way; for being taken away from the Jews as well if once his wrath be kindled but a little, as from the Gentiles, every mouth might then shall it be found that they," and they be stopped, and thus all the world might only," are blessed who put their trust in become guilty before God. From which him." words, as they stand connected with the apostle's reasoning, we learn, in the

SERMON VI.

THH LAW'S SUBJECTS.

ROMANS III. 19.—Now we know, that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty

before GOD.

First place, That it is extremely difficult to bring men to a proper sense and acknowledgment of their guilt and misery.

I hope none will be so unreasonable as to require a labored proof of this observation; for you will easily perceive that I can have no other witnesses to produce but yourselves. I affirm that it is so upon the authority of Scripture; and can only appeal to your own hearts for the truth of THE great design of this epistle is to it. Besides, none will deny this who are lead men to Christ, as the only refuge for already convinced of their guilt and misperishing sinners: and because none will ery; for this is an essential property of value a remedy but they who feel their real conviction, that the deeper it is, it disease, and wish for health, the apostle renders the person still more sensible of therefore, in the two foregoing chapters, the natural hardness of his heart; so that examines the condition both of Gentiles nothing grieves him so much, as that he and Jews; under which denominations, cannot grieve more for sinning against the whole posterity of Adam are included; and proves by plain, undeniable facts, that all, without exception, are guilty before God, and consequently, that all stand in need of a Saviour. In the verses imme

God: And they who are of an opposite character, who boast, "That they are rich, and increased with goods, and standing in need of nothing;" such persons, I say, prove the truth of this observation, by

demanding a proof of it, and are themselves examples of the thing they deny.

has got beneath him some empty forms of duty, upon which he leans, and confidently I know it is an easy matter to bring presumes that all shall be well with him. men to a general acknowledgment that I have frequently observed, that no they are sinners. Many are ready enough sermons are so tasteless to many hearers to confess this much, who, at the same as those which treat of the Saviour: they time, have a very good opinion of their can listen to other subjects; but when we state for though they cannot lay claim talk of Jesus Christ, and of that great to perfect innocence, yet they look upon salvation "which angels desire to look their guilt as a very trivial thing, and im-into," they dismiss their attention, and agine that their vices are more than over-perhaps make a shift to sleep in their balanced by the virtues they are possessed seats; when, God knows, were they aware of; and thus, "being ignorant of God's of the thousandth part of their danger, righteousness," or of that righteousness they would find it difficult enough to sleep which is necessary to justify a sinner in on their beds. Did we really see ourselves the sight of God, "they go about to estab-in a just light, could we divest ourselves, lish their own righteousness, and will not submit themselves unto the righteousness of God."

Pride is the hereditary disease of our natures: we derive it from our first parents; and though it is subdued in all who are sanctified, yet still it lives within them, and is always the last part of the old man that dies. Nay, it is apt to grow upon the ruin of other sins, as we see in that noted instance of the Pharisee, who, under the specious pretext of thanking God for his grace, went up into the temple merely to give vent to his self-admiration: "God," said he, "I thank thee that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers; I fast twice a week, I pay tithes of all that I possess." What he said might be true; nay, our Lord seems plainly to admit that it was so: yet he tells us, that this vainglorious creature carried nothing away with him but his self-conceit: he returned to his own house without the blessing of God; "For every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; whereas he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."

for a little, of our pride and prejudice, till we got one serious and impartial view of our natural condition, this would render a Saviour so necessary, that we should never be at rest till we had secured his friendship: But as our Lord himself hath told us they that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick.' I shall therefore proceed to show, in the

This

Second place, That all men, without exception, are guilty before God; and that whoever attends to the Scriptures of truth, or gives ear to the testimony of his own conscience, may soon discover such plain convincing evidence of guilt, as is sufficient to stop his mouth, and to render him speechless and self-condemned in the presence of a just and holy God. proposition is perfectly consistent with the former; for the difficulty of bringing men to a right sense and acknowledgment of their guilt and misery, doth not arise from any want of evidence, but is purely owing to their own inattention and pride. sad truth is clear as noonday; but they shut their eyes, and will not see it.

The

As the testimony of Scripture is full and explicit, so the short abstract contained in the foregoing verses speaks upon this head with the utmost possible preci

This, my brethren, is one main cause why the preaching of the gospel hath so little effect. Could we bring men to a sense of their guilt and misery, they would | sion. "There is none righteous, no, not gladly listen to the tidings of a Saviour. one. There is none that understandeth, But this is difficult work indeed. We can there is none that seeketh after God. scarcely persuade the most profligate They are all gone out of the way, they wretch to think himself in danger, till are together become unprofitable, there is God lay his hand upon him, and set death none that doeth good, no, not one. Their before his eyes. Judge, then, how hard throat is an open sepulchre; with their a task it must be, to convince the more tongues they have used deceit; the poison close and reserved sinner! who probably of asps is under their lips: whose mouth

is full of cursing and bitterness. Their sent calamitous state of mankind, in a feet are swift to shed blood. Dertsuction consistency with these perfections, upon and misery are in their ways; and the any other supposition than this, that "all way of peace have they not known. There have sinned," and thereby incurred his is no fear of God before their eyes." And these things, the apostle informs us, were written not merely to stop the mouths of some notorious offenders, who proclaim their sins as Sodom, and hide them not; but that every mouth might be stopped, and all the world become guilty before God. Accordingly, at the 23d verse of this chapter, he concludes upon the whole evidence in the following words: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."

This truth hath been attested by the most eminent saints that ever lived upon earth. "Behold I was shapen in iniquity," said David, "and in sin did my mother conceive me;" and therefore he pleads in another place, "Enter not into judgment with thy servant, O Lord; for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.” "We are all as an unclean thing," said the prophet Isaiah, "and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have carried us away." Neither have the saints under the New Testament dispensation been any whit behind them in penitent acknowledgments of their guilt. Paul styles himself "the chief of sinners;" and the beloved disciple declares, in express terms, that all pretensions to innocence are not only false but blasphemous: "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." Nay, "if we say that we have not sinned, we make God a liar, and his word is not in us."—1 John i. 8, 9.

This further appears from the various kinds of misery which abound in the world, especially death, from which none of Adam's posterity are exempted. These do necessarily suppose guilt; for it is not agreeable to the justice of God to afflict and punish innocent creatures. Now, this mean of conviction is so plain and obvious, that a man must do great violence to his reason before he can resist the evidence it affords. Goodness and justice are attributes which are universally considered as most essential to the Supreme Being; and yet it is impossible to account for the pre

righteous displeasure. So that you sec there is no penury of witnesses upon this head. The Scriptures expressly declare that all are sinners; the most eminent saints under both dispensations have attested the truth of this assertion; and the many awful tokens of the divine displeasure, which we daily behold and feel, render it absurd to suppose the contrary.

But there is yet another witness behind, whose testimony can be liable to no objection; a witness which every man will find within his own breast; I mean Conscience, to which I now appeal for the truth of this matter. And here I shall renew the question which Solomon proposed many ages ago: "Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sins?" Can you discover nothing amiss in your temper and practice? Do they in all points agree with the rule of God's word? Dare any of you appeal to the justice of God for acquittal? and claim happiness as the due reward of your obedience? Say, O man! has thou no need at all of pardoning mercy? Wilt thou give it under thy hand, that thou shalt never plead the merits of a Saviour for thy justification? that at the hour of death, or in the day of judgment, thou shalt never once implore his help, nor cry for mercy, but stand upon the foundation of thy personal righteousness before his impartial tribunal? Or rather, my brethren, are you not conscious of innumerable instances of guilt, wherein you have acted in direct opposition, not only to the written law, but to the inward sense and authority of your own minds; doing what ye knew was displeasing to God; and that, not by the mere force of sudden temptation, but coolly and deliberately, in the face of those arguments which ought, in all reason, to have restrained you from them? I think I may venture to affirm, that there is not one person here present who is not able to recollect several instances of this kind; and if our own blind and partial hearts do now condemn us, alas! how shall we justify ourselves at the bar of that God " who is greater than our hearts, and

knoweth all things?' This leads me to observe, in the

Third place, That one great end of the law is, to humble the pride of men; that, from a conviction of their guilty and miserable estate by nature, they may, as it were, be compelled, by a happy necessity, to flee for relief to the gospel method of salvation through Christ.

smallest deviation subjects the transgressor to the justice of God, and to all the fatal effects of his indignation, both in this life and in that which is to come.

Now, this being the case, it is easy to discern the subserviency of the law to the gospel; or, in other words, the use of the law to lead men to the Saviour. The law discovers sin, and at the same time deThis important truth is directly as- mands an unsinning obdience. None of serted by the apostle, in my text, and fre- us can plead innocence, and the law adquently repeated in other parts of his mits of no excuse for guilt; nay, it is not writings. Nay, the principal scope of only silent as to the doctrine of forgivethis epistle is, to call off the Jews from ess, which might leave some room for any dependence upon their own righteous- conjecture and hope, but in plain and awness, by giving them a fair representation ful words pronounces the sentence of of the spirituality, extent, and rigor of death, and dooms to irremediable punishthe law; that, finding themselves unable ment all the workers of iniquity without either to answer its demands, or to endure exception. Thus the sinner is "bound its curse, they might thankfully embrace hand and foot," as it were, "and cast into the Lord Jesus Christ, who is indeed prison;" his mouth is stopped, and noth"the end of the law for righteousness to ing remains for him but either to continue every one that believeth." And the sub-in misery, and bear the curse of God for serviency of the law to the gospel, or the ever; or else to appeal from the law to use of the law to lead men to the Saviour, the gospel, and to claim the benefit of will evidently appear, if we consider,

that indemnity which Christ hath purchased with his blood, and freely offers to all who, condemning themselves, and renouncing their own righteousness, flee to him as their hope and city of refuge. From all which we may conclude, in the

That the law demands nothing less than a perfect, unsinning obedience to all its precepts. It makes no manner of allowance for the infirmities of men; for "whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point," in the eye of the Lawgiver, Fourth and last place, That every apol"is guilty of all." It declares what is due ogizing sinner who opens his mouth in his to God by his creatures, and insists upon own vindication, doth impiously give God the payment of it even to the uttermost the lie, and exclude himself from the of farthing. In the law, strictly considered, fers of his mercy and grace; whereas the there is no provision or promise of pardon humble, self-condemning sinner lies, so to the guilty; on the contrary, it denounces to speak, in the very road of mercy, and condemnation and wrath against all trans- shall, through faith in Christ Jesus, obgressors of what kind soever; for thus it tain salvation with eternal glory. is written, "Cursed is every one who con- This inference is so just and obvious, tinueth not in all things which are written that it scarcely needs any illustration. in the book of the law to do them." It For if "all are sinners," and if this be is not enough to do some things which are one great end of the law, to bring men to commanded; we must do them all: nor a sense and acknowledgment of their guilt, is it even sufficient that we do all things that they may be compelled to flee to for a season; we must also continue in Christ Jesus for relief; what foolish, them, otherwise we forfeit the divine self-destroying creatures must those be, friendship, and become liable to the wrath who, in despite of the clearest evidence, of an infinitely just and omnipotent God. and in flat contradiction to the only meThis is the genuine voice of the law, "Do thod of deliverance and hope, will offer to and live; " " but the soul that sinneth babble in their own defence? | What can shall surely die." It knoweth no middle you propose by this conduct, O sinners! sentence between these two; it doth not God puts it to your choice, as it were, whisper one word of mercy; but the at what court you would be tried,

whether you will plead at the tribunal of the world with the doctrine of repentance; justice or of mercy? If you penitently in like manner, the Holy Spirit prepares acknowledge your guilt, and cry for mercy through the great Mediator, he is in finitely more willing to bestow it upon you, than you can be to ask it of him; but if you proudly insist in your own vindication; if you extenuate your guilt, or depend upon any thing in yourselves for pardon and acceptance, you thereby incur the rigor of the law; you "shall have judgment without mercy," and "Jesus Christ can profit you nothing."

the heart for the reception of the same glorious Redeemer, by such painful and humbling convictions, as to render him. both necessary and desirable to the soul: And therefore it ought to be matter of joy and thankfulness to the sinner, when God smites his heart with a sense of sin; of such sickness, it may be truly said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God." Hereby, as it were, he dislodges his enemies, and empties the soul of every other guest, that he may come and fill it with his own gracious presence.

Be persuaded, then, my dear friends, as the proper improvement of all that has been said, "to humble yourselves presently under the mighty hand of God, that Lift up your heads, then, O trembling you may be exalted in due time." See sinners! look forward but a very little and acknowledge your guilt and unworthi- way, and you may see to the end of that ness, that you may not be finally condemn dark valley through which you are now ed with the world; and beg of God that passing. This road became necessary afhe may search and try you, and make you ter man's apostasy; and it is the kindthoroughly acquainted with your real con-ness, not the anger, of your heavenly Fadition; that, finding yourselves" wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked," you may repair, without delay, to that all-sufficient Saviour, "whose blood cleanseth from all sin," and "who is made of God, unto all who believe on him, wisdom and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption."

ther, that hath brought you into it. Had your destruction been pleasing to him, he would have suffered you to walk, without disturbance, in the broad way that leads to destruction: but by alarming your fears, he plainly intends to prevent your ruin; and the present taste he hath given you of the bitterness of sin, is graciously meant to divorce your hearts from the love of it, and to render the remedy which he offers, more welcome and precious in your esteem.

As for you upon whom the law hath already had its effect, who are weary and heavy laden with the burden of sin, be not discouraged; the seeds of consolation-For, let it be observed, as a further are sown in your griefs; this weeping night shall ere long be succeeded by a joy ful morning; and “ upon you who" thus "fear his name, shall the Sun of righteousness" shortly" arise with healing in his wings;" for this gracious temper is the peculiar work of the Spirit of God; it is he who brings the light into the soul, whereby its natural deformity is seen; it is he who casts down those proud imaginations which exalt themselves against God, and hide from the sinner his poverty and wretchedness: and it is this divine Spirit, who, by the ministry of the law, removes those false grounds of hope upon which the sinner was accustomed to lean, and obligeth him to ask that interesting question, "What shall I do to be saved?" pears, that humble, convinced souls are As John Baptist prepared the way for his peculiar charge: he is the physician, Christ's public appearance, by rousing not of the whole, but of the sick; not of

ground of encouragement, that the gospelcall is particularly addressed to persons of this character: "Come unto me," says the blessed Jesus, "all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” And herein he exactly fulfils the appointment of his Father, and acts in the most perfect conformity to the commission he received from him; of which we have a fair copy, (Isaiah lxi. at the beginning:) "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound." From this passage it plainly ap