b Ezek. xi. 19. c John xvi. 7, 8. * Matt. v. 21, 22, 27, 28. fe Rom. vii. 7. f Ps. xl. 12.
Benefactor; the most injurious rebellion against our almighty Creator; and the most inconceivable folly, as destructive of our eternal welfare.
We are apt, for the pacifying of our own minds, to balance our virtues against our faults. But the Holy Spirit, by applying the law to our consciences, and shewing us the extent of its demands, makes us to see that our brightest virtues are, in fact, but splendid sins, falling, as they do, infinitely short of that per- fection which the law requires of us. Thus the Holy Spirit shews us, not only the depth of our guilt, but the awfulness of our desert ; and that, if we die in an unpardoned state, we have nothing to expect at God's hands, but wrath and fiery indignation.
But, in addition to all this, there is one sin in par- ticular of which the Holy Spirit will convince us, and which is especially referred to by our Lord, — the sin of unbelief. Our Lord says, " I will send the Com- forter, to reprove the world of sin, because they believe not on mee." Now this is a sin of which the uncon- verted man makes no account. If he think of it at all, it is rather in extenuation than in aggravation of his other sins. He considers unbelief rather as his misfortune than his fault. He never once suspects that there is in him a corrupt bias, and an evil heart of unbelief; and that these are the main causes of his departing from the living Godb. Nor is he at all aware that his unbelief owes its origin to the corrup- tion of his heart, and not to any want of clearness in the things revealed.
God has sent his only dear Son into the world, to reconcile sinners unto him, by his own obedience unto death. He has, also, given most abundant evidence of this, such as must of necessity convince any dis- passionate and candid mind. And he invites all the children of men to accept of mercy in this his ap- pointed way. The heathen, who have never heard of this merciful provision made for them, are not accountable for their neglect of it ; but we, who have been instructed in the knowledge of Christ, and
g John xvi. 7—9. h Heb. iii. 12.