the zeal of some may seem to be against it. For he who condemns it in one shape, may heartily like it in another. And every unregenerate man, of whatever profession, Arminian, Antinomian, or Calvinist, is at enmity against God and his law; and therefore is disposed to justify himself, and lay the blame upon his Maker. Being better instructed, many may keep their thoughts to themselves, as being rationally convinced they are wrong, how naturally soever they flow from their hearts, and indicate the true temper of their souls; but thousands will boldly speak out their minds, and in their ignorance attempt to justify themselves before their Maker.

"It is impossible," cries one, " that I should love God before I know my sins are pardoned: for there is no loveliness in his nature in any other view." And if there is no loveliness in his nature, but on this account; then the law which, without any respect to this, requires us to love God with all the heart, is wrong. And so the man is not to blame, but stands justified, in his non-conformity to this perfect rule of right.

which he has

"But the divine law requires sinless perfection," says another," and that on the penalty of eternal damnation: but this is more than any son of Adam can do." And what consequence would he draw from these words, to no determinate ideas, as such men will admit of no distinction between want of heart, and want of power. What consequence, I say? Why, in his esteem, no son of Adam is to be blamed, for not being perfect as our Father which is in heaven is perfect. And so an apostate world all stand justified at once, in their not continuing in all things written in the book of the law to do them. And therefore the HOLY ONE of Israel must be condemned, for denouncing the curse in this case. And the Son of God must be supposed to have died a sacrifice to tyranny. All which is no better than downright blasphemy, pregnant with infidelity. But a selfrighteous heart will maintain its ground, and stand the shock, although to the subversion of all religion, natural and revealed.

Therefore I say, a self-righteous, self-justifying disposition, not only operates, but reigns in every unregenerate heart.

It is loved, it is approved, it is justified, it has full possession of the heart. Even so full possession, as to to be proof against all the miracles which support the truth of divine revelation. And therefore let God declare in his law, that any defect of perfect obedience merits eternal wo; and let the goodness of this law be asserted and sealed by the blood of an incarnate God, it is all to no purpose. A self-justifying heart will stand its ground, and vindicate itself, in opposition to all.

Our blessed Saviour, the express image of his Father's person, viewed the character of the Pharisees in the same light his Father's law did, and in his heart he verily thought" all heaven ought for ever to love and adore the infinitely glorious Majesty, although they received their just desert, and perished for ever." Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? And had they viewed themselves in the same light, and had an answerable frame of heart, they had not been disgusted, but rather pleased with his character. "Truth, Lord, we are serpents, we are a generation of vipers, an infinitely odious and hateful race, worthy of the damnation of hell. Nor would it be a blemish, but a beauty in the divine conduct, to send us thither." This would have been to have thought soberly of themselves, and as they ought to have thought. But just the reverse was the temper of their hearts. "You think dannation good enough for us. And we think crucifixion good enough for you. Away with

s This would have been to have thought soberly of themselves, and as they ought to have thought. No, says Mr. Cudworth, this would have been “ the summit" of self-righteousness, p. 224. That is, if the Pharisees had viewed their own character in that odious point of light in which Christ did, it had been the highest degree of pride. Why then were not the Pharisees pleased with that odious character Christ gave them? Why was not their pride gratified by these words, ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Does Mr. Cudworth really believe, that God the Father and God the Son viewed the character of the Pharisees in a point of light, in which, if the Pharisees had viewed themselves, it must have cherished and fed a self-righteous spirit? To believe this, is worse than infidelity. And yet this is implied in his charging my Theron with self-righteousness, merely for viewing his character in the very light in which it stood in the eyes of God, and of his Son, in which view he thought in his heart, that all heaven ought for ever to "love and adore the infinitely glorious Majesty, although he received his just desert and perished for ever." And so God the Father thought, and so thought Jesus Christ his Son.

him, away with him! crucify him, crucify him!" And if these men had no cloak for their sin in our Saviour's eyes, 1700 years ago, we may be assured that all our self-justifying pleas will be esteemed of no weight in his sight, when he comes to judge the world according to his Father's law, in all its rigour. So far, so very far from it, that when he pronounces the final sentence, angels and saints will shout forth their hallelujahs all around him.

There is not a self-justifying sinner on earth, who has a better plea to make in his own behalf than many a Pharisee had. Can you say, "I am strict in external duties"-" I more," might the pharisee say—" All these things have I kept from my youth up. Yea, as touching the righteousness of the law, I am blameless. For, lo! these many years do I serve thee, Deither transgressed I at any time thy commandment.”— "Yes, but I practise many difficult and self-denying duties," says the sinner; "I more," says the Pharisee; "I fast twice in the week, and give tythes of all that I possess." " But I am hearty and zealous in religion," says the sinner; " I more," says the Pharisee; "for with great expense and fatigue I compass sea and land to make proselytes." "But I believe that God loves me, and that I shall assuredly have eternal life; and in this belief, I love God," says the sinner; "I more," says the Pharisee; "for we know we not only have Abraham to our Father, but God is our Father. I am not as other men, in his very how good and how upright I am." hated Jesus Christ," says the sinner. you hate that character of God which to do honour to which, the Son of God laid down his life. They felt toward the character of Jesus Christ, just as every self-righteous sinner feels toward the character of God the Father exhibited in his law. "Yes, but I believe the Gospel, and they rejected it." You cordially believe the Gospel in no other sort than they believed the writings of Moses, viz. understood in such a manner as to justify them, even as they justified themselves. In every other sense, whatever orthodox profession the self-righteous sinner may make with his mouth, yet in the temper of his heart, he rejects the

VOL. II.

61

And I can thank God presence, for he knows "Yes, but the Pharisees True, but no more than is exhibited in that law,

Gospel as much as they did. For no man believes that Jesus is the Christ, with all his heart, but he who is born of God. 1 John v. 1. Indeed you may give the Gospel a new meaning of your own, just as they did the writings of Moses, and this new meaning you may love and believe cordially, even as they believed their pharisaical scheme. But the very truth you hate and oppose in the temper of your heart, even as they hated and opposed Christ in an open and public manner. "But it is impossible this should be my character, for then I am no better than an enemy to the God of heaven," says the sinner. True, exactly true.-This is your very character in the sight of heaven. As it is written, Rom. viii. 7. The carnal mind is enmity against God, is not subject to his law, neither indeed can be. And just so our blessed Saviour, the meek and lowly Jesus, told the Pharisees, ye serpents, ye generation of vipers. Nor had they any reason to take this plain dealing ill at his hands.

V. There is nothing short of the regenerating influences of the Holy Spirit, that can effectually take down the pride of a self-righteous heart, and beget a disposition to justify God, and take blame to ourselves, answerable to the import of the divine law.

Scriptural and rational arguments cannot do it. Rather as the Leviathan in the book of Job, esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood; so all Scriptural and rational arguments. are before a self-righteous heart.

Miracles are also insufficient. For when the Pharisees could evade the force of them no other way, they would even in contradiction to common sense, declare, he casteth out devils by Beelzebub. Just as if satan might be divided against himself.

Nay, Scripture, and reason, and miracles, all united together, are not able to take down the pride of a self-righteous heart. St. Paul tried them all, and he did his best, and a little before his death, in an Epistle to his son Timothy, he fairly owns himself beat. 2 Tim. iii. 13. Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. He could make them see that they were inconsistent with themselves, and even make it appear to others that they were self-con

demned; but still they would obstinately maintain their selfrighteous principles, although they were excommunicated for it. Tit. iii. 10, 11. And these men were our ensamples, and these things were written for our instruction.

For an impenitent sinner to "believe that God loves him, and that his sins are forgiven," instead of taking down, naturally feeds the pride of a self-righteous heart. Witness the Pharisees of old.

To say," that we are to be perfectly passive, to do nothing, to feel no motion in our hearts; but to be justified without any act, exercise, or exertion in the human mind," does not indeed agree with Scripture language, which calls upon us to repent and be converted, and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, that our sins may be blotted out, and we be saved; however, it is not so disagreeable to the pride of an indolent, sluggish heart, dead in sin, but that it may pass. For if men can but get a hope they shall be saved, without being brought down to own that God's character is as glorious, and theirs as odious, as the divine law supposes, and so without being necessitated to look to free grace through Jesus Christ, in that precise point of light, in which it is exhibited to view in the Gospel, the life of Agag is saved; a proud, impenitent, self-justifying, self-righteous spirit, is unsubdued; and the native enmity of the heart against the divine character, keeps its ground. And a carnal heart, under terror, can, in a strait, bear with any scheme, in which these points may be saved. But to exalt God so high, and come down so low, as in the least degree to answer to the import of the divine law, and to the import of the cross of Christ, is so diametrically opposite to the temper of a carnal heart, which is at enmity against God, that nothing short of the regenerating influences of the Holy Spirit can effect it.

No conviction, from the spirit of God, the mind of a natural man, remaining such, is capable of, is sufficient to strike death to the root of a proud, self-righteous, self-justifying disposition. Great convictions of sin and guilt, a natural man is capable of. Yea, it is possible the conscience of a natural man may be so awakened, as that he may know, may be quite certain, that there is not the least jot of goodness in his