warrant their hope in him. None, in the first instance, see, nor, if they were instructed, would they approve, the Gospel method of salvation, simply by faith in Christ. To renounce evei'y kind and degree of hope in themselves is, to their proud hearts, an act of humiliation, to which they cannot submit. They think, so entirely to set aside good works, is to disparage them, and to countenance a neglect of them; and therefore they cannot cast themselves wholly and entirely on the merits of a crucified Redeemer. This reluctance to glorify Christ is, indeed, over- come sooner in some than in others : and in this respect " the publicans and harlots for the most part enter into the kingdom sooner than the Scribes and Pharisees''," because they are sooner convinced that they have nothing of their own to rely upon : but in all is there the same tendency to establish a righteousness of their own, and a difficulty in being brought to " submit to the righteousness of Christ '^."]
3. When truly converted to the faith of Christ—
[To every one, without exception, " is Christ precious," even preciousness itself *=. Find one to whom he is not " fairer than ten thousand, and altogether lovely ^." You might as well look for one in heaven itself, as on earth. It is not possible to have " tasted how gracious He is," and not love him, and serve him, and glory in him. Equally characteristic also of the be- liever is the love of holiness. Sin is no longer that pleasant morsel which they would roll under their tongue : it is hateful and abominable in their eyes ; and they would gladly have it crucified within them. The divine image is that which they now affect ; and after which they pant, as the hart after the water-brooks. In all, indeed, these marks are not alike visible, because all are not alike gracious ; but in all, according to their measure of the gift of Christ, is this grace found : and if there be a professor of religion in whom it is not found, I hesitate not to say, that he belongs not to the class of whom I am speaking, but must take both his name and portion with the hypocrites. Of course, when I speak of the love of holiness, I comprehend it in all its parts, and consider it as extending equally to both the tables of the Law. The man who has a scriptural hope in the Lord Jesus Christ will not fail to " purify himself, even as Christ is pure ^."]
Now this subject is not one of curious speculation ; but of real use, of most important use,
I. For our humiliation — [See the portrait of human nature as drawn in the first chapter of the Epistle to the Romans. See it as again
c Matt. xxi. 31. '^ Rom. ix. 30 — 33. and x. 1—3.
e 1 Pet. ii. 7. Tijjii]. f Cant. v. 10, 16. el John ill. 3.
26,'3 PllOVEllBS, XXVII. 19. [813.
exhibited in the third chapter : " There is none righteous, no, not one : tliere is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketli after God. They are all gone out of the way ; they are together become unprofitable : there is none that doeth good ; no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre ; with their tongues they have used deceit ; the poison of asps is under their lips : whose mouth is full of cursing and bitter- ness : their feet are swift to shed blood : destruction and misery are in their ways : and the way of peace have they not known : there is no fear of God before their eyes." But it may be asked, What can these passages have to do with the more moral part of the community? I answer, that "whatsoever things the Law saith, it saitli to them who are under the Law ; (as every child of man is;) that everij mouth may be stopped, and all the world become guilty before God^." Take this glass then. Brethren, and behold your own faces in it ; and say, whether you have any reason lor self-admiration and self-com- placency ? The true character of your hearts is this : " They are deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked ' :" and, if there be any superiority in the conduct of any, you owe it, not to the superior quality of your hearts, but to the preventing and assisting grace of God. And the best amongst you may look upon the vilest of the human race and say, ' Such an one might I have been, but for the grace of God ! ']