tempted, is drawn away of his own Inst and enticed;" he adds, " Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift, and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning:" Evil is from yourselves, and from yourselves alone : good, and only good, is from God.
Now you cannot but know, that, like our first parents, we are ever ready to exculpate ourselves, and to cast the blame of our sins, either on the tempters that led us to them, or on the propensities which God himself has implanted in us. But :n both of these cases we do, in fact, cast the blame on God, as either immediately or remotely the cause of the evils we commit. But beware of all excuses, be they what they may. The fault is all your own, and nothing but humiliation and contrition will become you to the latest hour of your lives
If ever you perish, you will have none but yourselves
to blame.]
2. In a way of self-dependence —
[We are ever prone to look for some good in ourselves, instead of seeking all good from God alone. But it is in vain to rely on any wisdom of our own to guide us, or strength of our own to support us, or righteousness of our own to justify us. Satan himself may as well look for these things in himself as we : and it is on this account that God has been " pleased to treasure up in his dear Son a fulness of them, that we may receive them all from him" from day to day, and from hour to hour. Know ye this, that in yourselves " ye are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked;" and "from Christ alone can ye ever receive raiment to cover you, or gold to enrich you, or the eye-salve" that shall administer healing to your organs of vision. " All your fresh springs must be in God," even in God alone ]
3. In a way of self-applause —
[We are no less prone to take to ourselves credit from what is good, than to shift off from ourselves blame in what is evil. But " if we differ from others or from our former selves, who is it that has made us to differ? or what have we that we have not received from God himself?" As well might the earth boast of its fertility independently of the sun, whose genial rays have called it forth, as we arrogate to ourselves honour on account of any good that we have ever done. If you would see what the earth would be independent of the sun, go to the polar regions in the depth of winter. And, if you would see what you yourselves would be independent of God, go down to that place where God never comes by the operations of his grace, and where the damned spirits are left without controul. If there be any good in you, it is from Christ that you have