score.

It is to be feared too many depend upon their penitent frames, their duties, their reformations, their works of charity, or other religious exercises, as what will excite affections or compassions in the glorious God, correspondent to what they find in themselves. And hence when conscience upbraids the sinner for his past offences against God, he hopes to appease his displeasure by his remorse, by his duties, or by his more careful future conduct: And now he thinks his account is balanced, and he begins upon a new Hence it is, that his hopes and fears bear proportion to his frame and carriage. Every serious pang, every religious duty or moral practice, which his conscience approves, will raise his dejected hopes, and give him comforting expectations of the Divine favor. But it should always be remembered that the change to be hoped for by our religious frames or moral conduct, must be in ourselves and not in God. He is of one mind, and who can turn him. He is the Lord and changeth not. We are therefore not to look to our good works, but to the Redeemer's merits, and the infinite mercy of the Divine nature, as what will render God gracious to us. Though we are only to hope for mercy in a way of duty,

it is not because this will render God more willing to bestow it, but because it is the way which God hath appointed, to render us more disposed and ready to receive it. When the glorious God treats with us, as if he were a partaker of human affections and passions, this is mere condescension to our weakness, we being incapable to behold him as he is. Surely it is not to make us imagine that he is altogether such a one as ourselves. Our busi ness therefore is to come to Christ, and learn of him; to bow our necks to his yoke; to do good works from faith in Christ, and out of love and obedience to him; and in that way to hope in God for mercy, for Christ's sake, and for his own sake, and not for ours. We are to obey him as a gracious Sovereign, and to hope in him as the sovereign author and giver of his own favors. We are to hope in his mercy, not because we can allure him to the exercise of it, or recommend ourselves to him by any thing we can do, but because he is infinite in goodness, and delighteth in mercy.

2dly. We are not to do good works with a view to qualify us for our reception of Christ by faith, or for obtaining an interest in him. It is too common a case, for men to quiet

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their consciences, and to entertain hopes of salvation, from a notion, that they endeavor to do their best; that they endeavor to be found in a way of duty; that they endeavor to mortify their lusts, and to live a holy life; and therefore, though guilty of many defects, both in their duties and conversation, they hope God will accept them upon Christ's account, that the merits of Christ will make up the defects of their performances. When they fall into gross sin, they will then perhaps be afraid that Christ will not accept such as they are; but on their reforming their conduct, their fears blow over, and they begin to hope, that they shall yet obtain mercy for Christ's sake. And what is the meaning of all this? but that they shall obtain an interest in Christ by their good works; and when they have done their part, He will do the rest, will make up their defects, and give such a value to their sincere, though imperfect obedience, that this shall recommend them to the favour

and acceptance of God. As though our glorious Redeemer undertook our ransom for no other end, than to render our deficient duties meritorious, and our sins innocent and inoffensive.

This legal and self-righteous principle, seems generally to obtain with the careless, carnal world—they are secure, and give themselves no concern about the affairs of their souls. Nor is this error confined to the world. It is much to be lamented, that many serious persons, who are exercised with concern for their salvation, are greatly embarrassed in their minds for want of clear conceptions of the Gospel. The fact is, they do not believe this plain truth, that Christ came to save sinners, and that they must come to him and trust in him as sinners, having no qualification of their own to entitle them to his favor, nothing but guilt and pollution, and his sufficiency to plead for their acceptance with, and interest in him.

In proportion therefore, as we look to our qualifications to recommend us to Christ, so far we practically make a Saviour of our good works, and reject the salvation of Jesus.

The Gospel brings glorious tidings of salvation to perishing' sinners. It exempts and excludes none who will come to Christ for life, who will come to him as lost sinners, under a sense of their guilt and unworthiness; and who will take the water of life freely ;-be their guilt ever so great, his blood will cleanse them

them from all their sins; be their hearts ever so hard, he will take away their hearts of stone and give them hearts of flesh; be they ever so destitute of any gracious qualification, of his fulness they shall receive, even grace for grace, whatever their case be, they may safely trust in him, as the author of eternal salvation. But it is the misery and ruin of multitudes, who are pretending to seek salvation by Christ, that they are for dividing the work of their salvation with Him, who will do all, or nothing for them. Hence though they follow after the law of righteousness, they do not obtain it, because they seek it not by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. good works have no place at all. We are to look after no recommending qualifications for an interest in Christ; but to come to him guilty and miserable as we are, that he may be all in all to us, and do all in us and for us. He came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Here then,

3dly. We are not to do good works in expectation, that we shall by them obtain a title to the future inheritance. It cannot be too deeply impressed on our hearts, that, as the Apostle saith, it is not by works of righteousness which we have done, but of his mercy