Christ alone for the salvation of our souls. We must so discern their excellence, as to be induced to " con- sider" them ; to consider the death of Christ as the only sacrifice for sin ; and to consider an interest in it as the only means for salvation.
Thus, in order to our being effectually converted to God, Christ must become our meditation and delight. The height and depth, and length and breadth of his unsearchable love must occupy our minds, and in- flame our hearts with love to him. Nor is it in our first conversion only, but in every subsequent period of our lives, that we must thus have respect to his death. In all our approaches to God we must come, pleading the merits of the Redeemer's blood, and trusting only in his all-sufficient atonement. It is this alone that will preserve our souls in peace, or enable us to manifest to others,
II. The fruit and evidence of conversion —
The hearts of men are the same in all ages ; and the effects produced on them by the Gospel are the same : the very first fruit and evidence of our con- version by it is, that our " mouths are shut at, or before the Lord Jesus." First, with respect to the vindicating of ourselves. Natural men, according to the external advantages they have enjoyed, will ac- knowledge more or less the depravity of their hearts. But, whatever difference there may be in their out- ward confessions, there is very little in their inward convictions. All entertain a favourable opinion of themselves : they cannot unfeignedly, and with the full consent of their minds, acknowledge their desert of God's wrath : they have some hidden reserves : they secretly think that God would be unjust if he were to condemn them : they cannot persuade them- selves that their iniquities merit so severe a doom. They pretend to hope in God's mercy ; but their hope does not really arise from an enlarged view of his mercy, so much as from contracted views of their own sinfulness. But, in conversion, these " high imagi- nations are cast down." The soul, enlightened to