ab?」《**《

may imagine that a diftant relation, who is very rich, will bequeath to him a confiderable part of his inheritance; but if he has no promife, nor any kind of intimation from the proprietor of the eftate, that he will do fo, the poor man's expectation is ill founded; in fact it is presumption. It is like the wild conceit of the infatuated Athenian, who imagined that every thip which entered the harbour was his own. In matters of religion, we often find those persons the most confident, who have the leaft ground or reafon to be fo.

There is a manifeft difference between a prefumptuous finner, and a man of real piety. The one is bold and confident, without any regard to the declarations of God in his facred word; the other is jealous over himfelf, left he fhould be deceived, and often diftreffed with fears and mifgivings of mind. The one talks of nothing but the mercy of God, without any regard to his holiness, his juftice and his truth. The other is affected with that view of the divine character which is given us in the bible. He trembles before the Majesty of a fin-avenging God; and can take no encourage. ment from any proposed system, which does not difcover how divine juftice can be satisfied for the offences he has committed, as well as mercy dif played in pardoning them. Nothing can give his

wounded

............

wounded confcience relief, but that which fecures due honour to God, in all his attributes.

The prefuming finner regards nothing so much as his own fecurity from deftruction; the gracious man is concerned, not only about the pardon of his fins, and the juftification of his perfon, but about the purification of his heart, and the conformity of his life to the will of God. He hungers and thirfts after righteousness, and cries with the Pfalmift, "O that my ways were directed to keep thy ftatutes! Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect to all thy commandments." He knows, that though the falvation of the foul is entirely of the free grace of God, through the atonement of Jefus Chrift, yet where that falvation is experienced in reality, the fruits of it will be apparent. This confideration prevents him from being too bold and confident in concluding upon his interest in the divine favour. It is far from being my intention to encourage a state of fufpence, of doubting, and of diftruft, in the minds of fincere chriftians. Let not such cast away their confidence, but rather let them give diligence to the full affurance of hope to the end. The reader should remember, that I am now addreffing myself to fuch as prefume that they are in God's favour, on improper and uncertain grounds. For instance,

One

One man thinks himself in God's favour, because he is indulged with worldly profperity. But this we have feen is an improper conclufion. Another thinks well of his ftate because he is attended with many troubles and calamities. But afflictions are no figns of favour, unless they are sanctified, and produce the peaceable fruits of righteousness in those who are exercifed thereby. One thinks his ftate good because he hears the word preached regularly, and enjoys the ordinances of God in their appointed seasons. But many will fay at last, "We have eaten and drunk in thy prefence, and thou haft taught in our streets;" to whom the great Judge will reply, "I never knew you." Another concludes he is one of God's children, because he has acquired a good degree of religious knowledge, can talk fluently on divine subjects, and express himself in prayer with great readiness and propriety. But let him remember, that Judas had gifts as well as the reft of the apoftles; and though a perfon could fpeak with the tongues of men and angels, and have not charity, he is nothing.

One man thinks himself in the favour of God, because his life is very different to what it was at a former period. But reformation is not regeneration. Another concludes he is the object of God's love, because he is bountiful and liberal to the neceffitous.

》..《9.ར་་

eeffitous. But though I fhould give all my goods to feed the poor and have not charity, I am nothing. One man is perfuaded of his intereft in God's favour, because he every day offers up many prayers, and attends to other religious duties. But the hypocritical pharifees made long prayers; and Saul, before his converfion, thought himself blame. lefs touching the righteousness which is of the law. Another concludes it is well with him, because he finds pleasure and joy in religious exercises. But let him read with ferious attention the parable of the fower. A certain clafs of profeffors are there described, who heard the word with joy, but hav ing no root in themselves, their profeffion came to nothing. From all these hints it is plain, that a man may easily flatter himself into a mistaken confidence of his being in the favour of God, and think himself something when in fact he is nothing, and fo deceive his own foul.

Many of the things which I have mentioned are in themselves good and commendable; but they are not fufficient evidences of God's fpecial favour. More substantial and fatisfying grounds fhould be inquired after, according to the word of God. There is no cafe in which men are more liable to deception than that which is now under our confideration;

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deration; nor is there any cafe in which a deceps tion is attended with greater danger..

The prophet Micah had to do with a self-flattering race of men in his day, who faid, "Is not the Lord among us? No evil can come unto us." Alas! poor finners; it is not your bold and unfhaken confidence of safety, but fcriptural evidence, that is to be regarded, in this weighty concern. It is awful to hear deluded finners fpeak of their elevated hopes of being in God's favour, while it is evident from the temper of their minds, and the whole conduct of their lives, that they have neither: part. nor lot in this matter, but are in the gall of bitternefs, and in the bond of iniquity.. Can you be in God's favour who never experienced a real change from nature to grace? You who were never deli vered from the power of darkness, never translated into the kingdom of God's dear Son? You who never knew what evangelical repentance means; who never had your hearts purified by faith in the divine Saviour?

Can you imagine yourselves to be in God's favour, who never devoted yourselves to him, to be governed, ruled and guided by him? You who are satisfied with the mere form of godliness without its power? You who take pleasure in fecret fins, live in them, and are unwilling to part with them? Have you