even necessity of sinners exercising such humility or self-abasement, in order to obtain divine mercy. For,

1. God cannot consistently receive them into his favour before they voluntarily humble themselves for their transgressions in his sight. They have hated, disobeyed, and opposed him, without a cause. They have despised and rejected the Son of his love. They have grieved and quenched his holy Spirit. They have abused his goodness and forbearance, and rendered themselves objects of his holy displeasure. He cannot, therefore, consistently with the purity of his nature and the dignity of his character, receive them into his special favour, until they freely and of their own accord abase themselves before him. Though Christ has made atonement for their sins, so that justice may be displayed in their forgiveness; yet God cannot forgive them, consistently with his honour and dignity, until they freely and voluntarily take their proper places before their righteous and injured Sovereign. This is agreeable to the common sentiment of mankind, in regard to the proper conduct of the offended towards offenders. The prince will not forgive the subject, the superior will not forgive the inferior, nor will any person forgive another, until the offender manifest humiliation and self-abasement. And it much less becomes the supreme Majesty of heaven, to forgive the transgressor, until he humbles himself before him, and sincerely cries like the publican, "God be merciful to me a sinner." If God should return to sinners before they return to him, he would humble himself before them, instead of their humbling themselves before him. He cannot deny himself nor give his glory to another. He can no more act below his dignity, than he can act contrary to his wisdom, holiness, or justice. There is, there

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fore, a moral necessity of sinners humbling themselves before him, in order to obtain his special and everlasting favour. Besides,

2. It is impossible for sinners to receive divine mercy, before they take their proper places, and are willing to sink as low as divine justice can sink them. If it were possible for God consistently to pardon and receive them into his favour, before they humble themselves for their sins, yet they could not receive pardon and acceptance from the hand of God, as an expression of mere merey. God cannot shew mercy in pardoning, where he cannot shew justice in punishing. If God cannot justly punish sinners forever for their sins, then he cannot display mercy in saving them from everlasting punishment. And if sinners do not see and approve of his justice in punishing them, they cannot see and cordially acknowledge his mercy in pardoning their transgressions, and saving them from future and eternal misery. It is true, they might be glad, if God would not inflict upon them an unjust and undeserved punishment, but they could not consider his withholding punishment as an act of mercy. It is, therefore, indispensably necessary, that they should humble themselves in his sight, before he lifts them up. They must voluntarily sink themselves, before they can submissively desire him to save them from sinking forever under his just displeasure. They must of their own accord lay their necks on the block, before they can sincerely plead to be saved from death. Though they can, while totally unhumbled, talk about the mercy of God, and in words plead for mercy; yet they cannot cordially accept of his mercy, until they see and love his justice, and freely resign themselves into his hands, to save or destroy, as shall be most for his glory. The humility, which God requires of sinners,

of these opposite opinions is agreeable to truth. It appears from what has been said in this discourse, that sinners ought to abase themselves before God for their sin, and that they ought to abase themselves as low as their sin deserves. And what sin deserves, let the Assembly of divines say. "Sin deserves God's wrath and curse both in this life, and in that which is to come." This answer agrees with what the inspired writers say upon the subject. The apostle declares, "The wages of sin is death." And our Saviour says,, that he will adjudge the finally impenitent' to this punishment at the last day. "Depart from me, ye accursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels." Such a punishment every sin deserves, and such a punishment every finally impenitent sinner must forever suffer. All penitent and self-abased sinners must, therefore, be willing to suffer the wrath and curse of God forever. But still it may be inquired what is implied in this willingness. It does not imply love to pain or misery, but only a love to that benevolent justice, which inflicts it. All the impenitent at the day of judgment, will see the justice of God in casting them off forever, while their hearts will rise in enmity against their holy and righteous Judge, for giving them the due reward of their deeds. But those who are abased for sin, love that justice of God, which they see and feel would be displayed, if he should actually treat them according to their demerit. They are, therefore, willing that God should glorify himself by them, either by making them happy, or making them miserable forever. Though they ardently desire to be saved; yet they are willing to give up their own personal good, if the glory of God, which is an infinitely greater good, requires it. Such a willingness, that God should dispose of them for his own glory, is absolutely

necessary, in order to accept of pardoning mercy, and, indeed, in order to enjoy the happiness of heaven. For how could they be happy in seeing God treat other sinners according to their deserts, if they were never willing that he should treat them in the same manner? Or how could they say, "Amen, Alleluia," while they saw "the smoke of the torments of the damned ascending forever and ever," if they were never willing to lie down in everlasting sorrow?

Judas and Paul were once both sinners and deserved to be destroyed; Judas for betraying Christ; and Paul for persecuting him in his followers. But Paul was saved and Judas was rejected. Suppose, these two remarkable persons should meet, and Judas should ask Paul, whether he was ever willing that God should cast him off, and treat him according to his deserts? What answer can we suppose, that Paul would give to this pertinent and solemn question? He must say, either that he was, or that he was not, willing that God should cast him off forever. If he should say, that he never was willing that God should cast him off forever; would not Judas reply, Paul, you and I are perfectly agreed in our sentiments and feelings upon this solemn subject, for I was never willing, that God should cast me off forever. There is only a circumstantial difference between us. me in your place, and you in my love and praise him as you do, and you will hate and blaspheme him as I do. Could Paul deny these consequences of being unwilling to be cast off forever? But if Paul should say to Judas, I remember the time, when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. I then said, the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good. And ever since that time, I have delighted in the law of God after the inward

Let God only put place, and I shall

man; and I still delight in it, and would, with my present feelings, delight in it, if I were fixed in your place forever. My heart is essentially different from what it was once, and what yours always was and always will be. I know what it was to be in a condemned state, and to love God for condemning me, I can therefore love God for condemning you as he condemned me, and for casting you off forever, as he might have justly cast me off forever. It is because I have thus cordially accepted the punishment of my iniquity, that I can say, that it is by the grace of God, that I am what I am, and where I am. So low Paul abased himself, and so low must every one abase himself, in order to be finally exalted.

3. If humility consists in a free and voluntary selfabasement for sin, then it is the most amiable and shining exercise of a holy heart. The truly humble person lies as low as he deserves to lie, and takes his proper place, as a sinner, freely and of his own accord. This is exercising a more amiable and selfdenying spirit, than any innocent creature ever did, or ever can exercise. It appears amiable and beautiful in the principalities and powers above to fall down in cheerful and unreserved submission before the supreme Majesty of heaven and earth; but it appears much more beautiful and amiable in Adam, Abraham, Moses, Samuel and the prophets, Paul and the Apostles, to fall down in cheerful self-abasement before the throne of divine grace, and ascribe their salvation wholly to Him who was slain, and redeemed them unto God by his blood. The humility of all who finally reach the kingdom of glory, will be the most beautiful trait in their character, and render them the most amiable in the eyes of all the pure and innocent spirits, who