[It is common for moral and sober persons to think that God entertains as high an opinion of them as they do of them- selves; and to despise the poor and contrite as weak enthusiasts. But what warrant have they for their presumptuous confidence? Can they find any declaration of God in their favour? Has he ever said that he would dwell with them ? Even in heaven there are no self-admiring thoughts entertained either by men or angels1-; how much less then can there be any ground for such a disposition on earth! The Scripture tells us, it was not the proud Pharisee, but the self-condemning Publican that " went down to his house justified." And to all eternity will it be found true, that " lie who exalteth himself shall be abased, and that he alone who unfeignedly humbleth himself, shall ever be exalted."]
2. That a consciousness of guilt is a ground for concluding that God is our enemy —
[Sin doubtless renders us obnoxious to the Divine dis- pleasure : but it is sin unrepented of, and not merely sin committed, that shall condemn us. " The broken and contrite heart God will not despise s," and the more contrite we are, the more reason we have to hope that God is reconciled towards us. But there are some, who, contrasting their own meanness and sinfulness with the majesty and holiness of God, are ready to say, " There is no hope." Let not such persons however be discouraged; for " though God be high, yet will he have respect unto the lowly* ;" yea, he not only will dwell with such persons, but actually does dwell with them : this is God's own assertion in the text ; and it is our duty, as well as our privilege, to believe him.]
3. That the exercise of serious and deep repentance will deprive a man of all the comforts of life —
[Repentance will doubtless deprive us of all pleasure in sin. But is there no other source of happiness than sin ? May not all the gratifications of sense, and all the comforts of society, be enjoyed in a way of righteousness, as well as in the ways of sin ? But even supposing we were deprived of these, would not the presence of God in our souls compensate for the loss of them? Is it nothing to have God " manifesting himself to us as he does not unto the world," yea, " dwelling in us, and reviving us" with the consolations of his Spirit? or does a
r The cherubim veil their faces and their feet while they serve God, Isai. vi. 2. And the glorified saints cast their crowns at the feet of Jesus, as unworthy of the honour conferred upon them, Rev. iv. 10, 11.
s Ps. li. 17. t Ps. cxxxviii. 0.