ly amiable, and abfolutely perfect? Is he not the juft and legitimate object of fupreme love? Is not every defect of love to God effentially finful and can it be otherwife confidered? He is a God of truth, who will not, and who cannot lie. He must therefore affert his own majesty and right, and fay, as in the prophet, "Is there "a God befides me? yea, there is no God; I "know not any *." A difcovery of the glory of God at once filences this objection, and fhows that he asks but his due; and as he is the unchangeable God, any abatement in the demands of the law not only would be unreasonable, but is in truth impoffible.

2. Again, the finner will perhaps fay, "But "why fhould the fentence be fo fevere? The "law may be right in itself, but it is hard, or "even impoffible for me. I have no ftrength: "I cannot love the Lord with all my heart. I

am altogether infufficient for that which is "good." Oh that you would but confider what fort of inability you are under to keep the commandments of God! Is it natural, or is it moral? Is it really want of ability, or is it only. want of will? Is it any thing more than the depravity and corruption of your hearts, which is itfelf criminal, and the fource of all actual trans

* If, xliv. 8.

greffions?

greffions? Have you not natural faculties, an understanding, will, and affections, a wonderful frame

of body, and a variety of members? What is it that hinders them all from being. confecrated to God? Are they not as proper in every respect for his fervice, as for any bafer purpose? When you are commanded to love God with all your heart, this furely is not demanding more than you can pay for if you give it not to him, you will give: it to fomething elfe, that is far from being fo de ferving of it.

The law then is not impoffible, in a frict and proper fenfe, even to you. Let me next afk you, Is it unreasonable? Does he ask any more than all your hearts? and are they not his own? Has he not made them for himself? If not, let any rival rife up and plead his title to a fhare?) Does he afk any more than that you fhould love him fupremely? and is he not every way worthy, of your love? If he commanded you to love what was not amiable, there would be reafon fort complaint. By tracing the matter thus to its source, we see the righteousness and equity of the divine procedure, and that the law of God is eternal and immutable, as his own nature. Wherefore" let God be true, and every man a "liar." All the attempts to impeach his conduct as fevere, only tend to fhow the obliquity and

K 5

and perverseness of the depraved creature, and not to diminish the excellence of the all-glorious Creator.

While men continue flaves to fin, it is abfurd to suppose they should acquiefce in their Maker's authority but fo foon as any perfon discovers the infinite amiablenefs of God, and his obligation to love and ferve him, his mouth will be immediately flopped, himself and every other finner brought in inexcufably guilty. He will fee that there is nothing to hinder his complance with every part of his duty, but that inward averfion to God, which is the very effence of fin. It is of no confequence what your natural powers are, whether those of an angel or a man, a philofopher or a clown, if foul and body, and such powers as you have, are but wholly devoted to God. Do you fay this is impoffible? where then lies the impoffibility of it, but in praved inclinations?

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But we have not yet done with the objections; the most formidable of all is behind. Perhaps the finner will fay, How unfortunate foever this inclination may be, I brought it into the world with me: I derived it from my parents; it is my very nature; I am not able to refift it. This brings in view a subject far more extenfive than to admit of being fully handled here. We may

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also easily allow, that there is something in it be yond the reach of our limited capacity: but whatever be the nature and effects, or manner of communicating original fin; whatever be the use made of it, in accounting for events as a general caufe; if any voluntary agent hath nothing to offer in oppofition to the strongest obligation, but that he finds himself utterly unwilling to obey, it feems to be an excufe of a very extraordinary kind. We are fure that no fuch excufe would be accepted by an earthly law-giver; nor have we the leaft reafon to think, any more regard will be paid to it by him "who judgeth righteoufly."

In this, as in most other things, there is a wide difference between the fentiments of a hardened and a convinced finner. The firft, who hath no juft view of the guilt of his actual transgreffions, is always prone to extenuate them, by introducing original fin as an excufe for his conduct but a finner, truly convinced of the evil of his felt and experienced enmity against God, makes use of his early and original depravity for his further humiliation. Thus the pfalmift David, when under the exercife of penitence for the complicated crimes of adultery and murder, expreffes himself as follows; " Behold, I was "fhapen in iniquity, and in fin did my mother conceive me *." In whatever way it was first

introduced, it is certain that all averfion and oppofition to God must be evil in itself, and the fource of mifery to him in whom it dwells; for all that "are afar off from him" fhall certainly perifh; and all that continue unlike to him muft depart from him. Without perplexing ourfelves with debates about the propriety or meaning of the imputation of Adam's firft fin, this we may be fenfible of, that the guilt of all inherent corruption must be perfonal, because it is voluntary and confented to. Of both these things, a discovery of the glory of God will powerfully convince the finner. When he feeth the infinite beauty of holinefs, and the amiablenefs of the divine nature, he cannot forbear crying out of himself, "Woe is me, for I am undone, because "I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in

the midst of a people of unclean lips; for mine " eyes have feen the King, the Lord of hofts *." As the impurity of his heart, fo the irregularities of his life, will ftare him in the face: they never appear fo hateful, as when brought into comparifon with the divine holiness; and if he effay

to juftify himself, his own mouth will con"demn him” as guilty from choice.

Once more, the fame view will effectually, confute, and fhew the vanity of, thofe pretenfions which are derived from our own imperfect.