the less there is for him to do within us. And hence it is, that many deny the necessity of his influences altogether, either for the illumination of our minds, or the sanctification of our souls. The truth is, that the whole denial of the doctrine of the Trinity, and of all the doctrines dependent on it — the doctrine of the atonement, of imputed righteousness, and of divine influences — must be traced to this source. Men feel not their need of a Divine Saviour : they feel not the need of an Almighty Agent, to work in them the whole work of God. Hence their principles of theology are brought down to the low standard of the Pelagian, Arian, and Socinian hypotheses. Let but a person obtain a thorough insight into the spirituality of the law, he will see that their meagre systems can never supply his wants, never afford a remedy suited to his necessities. If any one less than God himself undertake to effect his salvation, he sees that he must inevitably perish : and, if he had none but a creature to rely upon, glad would he be to be permitted to take his portion under rocks and mountains.
Having established, I trust, the truth of my first position, namely, that without a knowledge of the law we can have no just sentiments ; I proceed to shew, in the second place,
That neither can we have any proper feelings. Of course, I must make the same limitation as before, and be understood as speaking only of feelings so far as religion is concerned.
Without the knowledge of the law there can be no true humility. This is a matter of vast importance. — What is humility ? It is not a mere sense of our weakness as creatures, nor a general acknowledg- ment that we are sinners ; but a deep and abiding consciousness of our guilty and undone state ; a con- sciousness, that darkness itself is not more opposite to light, than we are to the pure and holy law of God. It is a sense of our utter alienation from God, yea, and of enmity against him ; insomuch, that " every imagination of the thoughts of our heart is