contracted by their own actual transgressions. Consequently, they have never trembled for fear of God's wrath, nor with strong crying and tears sought deliverance from it through the atoning blood of Jesus. Hence the grace of God has never been extended to them; and consequently they have never " tasted that the Lord is gracious." They, as I have before said, may descant learnedly upon the subject of divine grace ; but their discussions proceed from the head only, and not from the heart. As a man who has never tasted honey, however conversant he may be with its qualities, has no just conception of its flavour, so none but he who has experienced the grace of God in his soul can know really what it is. He knows it, because he has tasted it : and others know it not, because they have not tasted it.]
The Apostle addressing these declares to them, II. Their duty- He teaches them,
1. What they are to put away, as injurious to their welfare —
[The unconverted man, though he may appear righteous before men, is in reality full of the most abominable evils. He may not indulge in any gross sins; but he is full of "malice" towards those who have injured him in any tender point; and would feel gratified, rather than pained, at any evil that should befall him. His whole converse with mankind, too, is for the most part little better than one continued system of "guile and hypocrisy" which are the two chief constituents of what is called politeness. If a rival surpass him in any thing on which his heart is set, and gain the honours which he panted for, he will soon find that the spirit which is in him lusteth to " envy." Moreover, whether he be more or less guarded in his general conversation, he will find in himself a propensity to " evil speaking," as if he felt himself more elevated in proportion as others are depressed. Now these dispositions are more or less dominant in the natural man, as
St. Paul has strongly and repeatedly declaredf and,
after a person is converted to the faith of Christ, he needs to watch and pray against them with all imaginable care : for as inveterate disorders in the constitution will impede the growth, and destroy the vigour, of the body, so will these hateful dispositions " war against," and, if not subdued and mortified, prevail to the destruction of, the soul. These things therefore must be " put away."]
f Eph. ii. 3. Tit. iii. 3.