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blood. Our prayer to God will be, like that of the Pfalmift, Search me, if there be any way of wickednefs in me, try out the ground of my "heart. Prove me, and confider me; and lead "me in the way everlasting."

There is only one point more which I fhall no tice with refpect to conviction of fin, and that is the abfolute neceffity of a conviction of the fin of unbelief. Before we can truly believe, we must be fenfible not only of a "heart deceitful above "all things and defperately wicked," but of "an "evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the "living God *..

The neceffity of this has ftruck fo forcibly on fome pious minds that they have explained the conviction of fin, fpoken of in our text, as almost entirely relating to it. "He fhall, convince the world of fin, because they believe not on me ;" that is, fay they," He fhall convince the world of "their fin in not believing on me." This appears, however, confiderably to leffen the force of the text; efpecially as we confider the conviction of unbelief as included in that of fin in general, and admit the neceffity of this conviction equally withthemfelves. Nay, we are firmly perfuaded, that, until the conviction of " an evil heart of unbelief" take place, the foul never can be truly humbled in the fight of God, and fitted for the reception of true faving faith in Chrift. It feels not its want of this, and never can truly feek it. It has no firm and deeply rooted perfuafion that this is "the

Heb. i. 12.

"the gift and operation of God ;" and therefore, it will not fupplicate for it earneftly and entirely at his hands. It will either reft in a falfe, fuperficial, and delufive peace, or vainly exhaust itself in felf-righteous or felf-confident efforts of its own; ignorant, meanwhile, that "the condition of man, "after the fall of Adam, is fuch, that he cannot "turn and prepare himself, by his own natural "ftrength and good works, to faith and calling "upon God. * But, when the foul truly perceives that there is in itfelf no principle whatever of falvation; that it must be "faved," if at all by grace." free unmerited grace" through faith, "and that not of itself, it is the gift of God +; not "of works" in any shape or degree whatever, either of repentance, faith, or holinefs, but of grace and grace alone; then it is truly humbled and brought low; then it is not far from the kingdom of God; who, while he "refifteth the proud, giveth grace "unto the humble."

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But, an objection to what has been faid may poffibly arife. It may be urged, "If this be "conviction of fin, we can never admit that the "Holy Ghoft does convince the world, or even

what is called the Chriftian world, the inhabi "tants of thofe countries where the gospel is pub"lished." It may be anfwered, we do not confider the text as applicable to any others, but muft leave all others to fuch a mode of falvation as an infinitely wife and loving God may deem most

Article 10. +Eph. ii. 8. James iv, 6, 1 Pet. v. 5. &c.

moft fitting. We confider this conviction of fin as applicable only to fuch perfons as are called on to believe in Chrift, in the prefent full and com-` plete difpenfation of his gospel, under which we have the happiness to live. But, ftill it may be faid, "All fuch are not thus convinced of fin." This must be very readily admitted. So far from all comparatively very few are thus convinced. Christ's flock, even in what are called Chriftian lands, is ftill a little one. *Wide is the gate, "and broad is the way, that leadeth to deftruction, "and many there be that go in thereat but "ftraight is the gate, and narrow is the way that "leadeth unto life; and few there be that find it t." If ye will be faved, therefore, ftrive," agonize "to enter in at the ftraight gate; for many will "feek," coolly indifferently feek" to enter in, "and fhall not be ablet." The plain fact appears to be this: The Holy Spirit fhall convince all of fin, in the same sense as Christ died for all: that is, all who will receive him. "He ftands at the "door of their hearts, and knocks, and if they will "hear his voice, and open unto him, he will "enter in §." But if, when he enlightens their mind in any degree to behold the nature of God, and of his law, and of their own finful and corrupt hearts, they turn away offended, refift his facred influences, and quench his power, it is not wonderful that he fhould leave them to a ruin of their own choofing. If they will not behold God fuch

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fuch as He really is, a holy and a jealous God, a God of" purer eyes than to behold iniquity "a confuming fire to all fin and wickednefs t, who will in no wife, clear the" impenitent " guilty;" a God requiring truth in the inward parts §, who "muft be worshipped in fpirit, and in truth |;" all whofe laws are, like himself, pure and spiritual, and exceeding broad a," extending to the very thoughts, and the inmolt emotions of the heart b:" if they will not bear to behold themselves con demned by these in ten thousand instances, and without any means of efcape in their own power; if they will not carefully perufe the written word of God, with earneft prayer to him, to enlighten their minds that they may comprehend its extenfive and fpiritual meaning; if they will not endure the faithful preaching of his minifters, who "feparate the precious from the vile c," who "fay to the righteous, it fhall be well with him, "but woe unto the wicked, it fhall be ill with

himd;" if they will attend only to smooth things, pleafing deceits e; and will fay unto themselves," peace, peace, when there is no peace f," it is not furprifing that God's Holy Spirit fhould no longer ftrive with them, but leave them to their highly merited deftruction.

APPLICATION.

I fhall referve the Holy Ghoft's convictions of righteoufnefs and of judgment for the fubject of my next difcourfes. In the mean time I would exhort you carefully to examine yourselves, whether you have been truly convinced of fin, as this fubject has been explained, both from the doctrines of the Scriptures, and of our Church.

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1ft, Are there any perfons prefent to whom all that has been faid appears as foolishness and enthufiafm? They may be certain, then, that "they "have neither part nor lot in this matter," They are in the very "gall of bitternefs, and bond of iniquity." The natural man receiveth not the things "of the Spirit of God, but they are foolishness unto "him, neither can he know them, because they "are fpiritually difcerned." Satan," the God of this world hath blinded their mind, left the glorious gofpel of Jefus Chrift, who is the "image of God, fhould fhine unto them t.” "And this is their" great, their grievous "con"demnation, that light is come into the world, "but they love darkness rather than light, be"caufe their deeds are evil. For every one, that "doeth evil, hateth the light, neither cometh to "the light, left his deeds fhould be reproved, "But, he that doth truth cometh to the light, that "his deeds may be made manifeft, that they are "wrought in God."

1 Cor, ii, 14. † 2 Cor, iv. 4. John iii. 19, 20, 21.