tures. Do they not declare, that "all have "sinned, and come short of the glory of "God *;" that "there is none righteous, 66 no not one+;" that "in us (that is, in "our flesh) dwelleth no good thing?"I refer you even to yourselves. Have you never harboured an evil thought, or indulged an unhallowed passion? Does your conscience charge you with neither the commission of a single sin, nor the neglect of a single duty? In one word, are you holy as God is holy, and perfect as he is 'perfect; Alas! "if we justify ourselves, our "own mouths shall condemn us . If we 66 say that we have no sin, we deceive our"selves, and the truth is not in us §." We must acknowledge, then, that we have all 66 gone astray like lost sheep : We have "sinned with our fathers: we have com"mitted iniquity: we have done wicked“ly **", What then shall we answer unto thee, "O thou Preserver of men!" Sin subjects us to punishment: "The soul that What therefore *Rom. iii. 23. + Rom. iii. 10. tt Ezek. xviii. 4. Rom. vii. 18. should be our heart's desire and prayer to God? What, but that we may be saved? But if ever we be saved, we must be saved wholly by grace; and consequently, must receive the blessing of pardon. Without pardon, we are still "in our sins," and necessarily subject to punishment. Now, pardon secures deliverance from punishment-from all the direful consequences of sin; pardon, therefore, is implied in the very nature of salvation. But, secondly, that we may be saved, not only must our sins be pardoned-ample reparation, also, must be made to the divine law, which we have violated. Though grace, the most abundant, were shown to any being or class of beings, yet were it shown at the expence of justice, wisdom could not applaud, nor even cease to condemn it: for, in this case, it would be undeserving of the name of grace: it would not only be inconsistent with the divine nature, but ultimately tend to ruin the order and felicity of the universe; because the order and felicity of the universe must always depend upon the moral rectitude that obtains in it. But moral rectitude consists in obedience to "the law of the Lord :" and "the law of the Lord," like the Lord himself, "is perfect," and admits of nothing short of perfect obedience. Did it admit of imperfect obedience, it would admit of the transgression of itself. But dare we thus to fasten contradiction on the law of God? Dare we to consider it as encouraging or tolerating the least degree of sin? No:It denounces "indignation and wrath, tri"bulation and anguish," against every, even the slightest transgression. Hear its awful language! "Whosoever shall keep "the whole law, and yet offend in one point, is guilty of all *." "Cursed is every "one that continueth not in all things "which are written in the book of the law "to do them *." Can there be a law without sanctions—without promising a reward to the obedient, and threatening punishment to the disobedient? And what are these sanctions, unless they be carried into execution? Whatever reason there be for God to threaten punishment, the same reason holds for his inflicting it, when the infliction is merited. If it was reasonable to threaten, would it not be a departure from reason, if the threatening were not accomplished? God threatens nothing but what righteousness requires. And shall not "the righteous Lord" ever love, and adhere to righteousness? Is he "a man, "that he should lie, or the son of man, that " he should repent? hath he said, and shall " he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall " he not make it good?" Whatever he hath said, wisdom and truth, and goodness itself, require him to perform. Before, then, we can be saved, things which seem to be heterogeneous, must combine: things which seem to be irreconcilable, must fully harmonize :-Sin must be punished, and yet the sinner be redeemed: the law must be magnified and made honourable, and yet pardon be extended to the guilty: " mercy "and truth must meet together; righte"ousness and peace kiss each other:" God must be just, and yet the Justifier of the ungodly. THIRDLY, That we may be saved, not only must our sins be pardoned, and ample reparation made to the divine law, which we have violated; we ourselves, too, must be made holy-made meet for the presence and enjoyment of God. Salvation is deliverance from misery, and restoration to happiness. But we cannot be happy, that is, we cannot be saved, unless, we be holy. Holiness constitutes our chief resemblance to God; and unless we resemble him, we cannot have the happiness of those "whom he chooseth, and causeth to approach "unto him, that they may dwell in his "courts, and be for ever praising him." To be happy, there must be a correspondence between the faculty that enjoys, and the object enjoyed. It is natural for a beautiful object to please the eye; but it must be an eye fitted to receive a pleasing impression from such an object. It is natural for harmonious sounds to please the ear; but it must be an ear fitted to distinguish and relish the charms of music. In like manner, it is natural for all men to desire happiness; but that true happiness may be enjoyed, there must be a correspondence between the mind, and the object from which its happiness is derived. Now, that object is God, and holiness forms the re |