thing speaks for itself. Show me a man of whom it can be truly said, that he loves what he hated, and hates what he loved, and I will pronounce him to be God's workmanship.

I see less malignity in sin, and can more easily forgive it, because I consider it, not chiefly as sin against God, but against myself, my own ease, reputation, and interest; in this point, and a leading one it is, scriptural knowledge differs totally from natural. The repentance which brings us to Christ is toward God.

Lopping off the branches of sin, is labour in vain, and always to be renewed; there is no way but laying the axe to the root.

Sin should sit heavier on the soul, and cut deeper into the heart, than the loss of a first-born. Blessed are they that mourn; and who has not cause for it?

Till a man feels sin as poison in his blood, and finds that he cannot get rid of it in this world, he will never think in good earnest of another.

No man has any warrant from scripture to believe that his sins are forgiven, unless he repents of them; that is, is heartily sorry for them, and earnestly desires to be delivered from the power of evil habits, and an evil nature.

It cannot be expected that any man, not a gross sinner, should repent; that is, charge himself with guilt and folly, and desire a change of his state, till he is convinced of the universal, total depravity of human nature. If he is persuaded that there is any excellence, dignity, rectitude, or good belonging to the species, he will compliment himself with it all. It is impossible for any man to know Christ to be a Saviour, till he knows himself to be a sinner.

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Man is never in God's way in spirituals, till he quits himself and his own way. And this I take to be the most natural meaning of the words, except ye be converted, and become as little children," who are confessedly helpless, incapable of acting for, and

governing themselves, kingdom of heaven."

It would be thought monstrous arrogance, blasphemy, and invasion of God's prerogative for any one to pretend to make the soul and body of a man. And yet perhaps it is no less presumption to pretend to any share in the creation of the spiritual man in Christ. How is it possible I should form the image of God in myself, when I do not know what it is, nor ever shall, till it is actually produced in me? It is well for us that the want of such a previous idea is no hindrance to our reception of it; and for this we have St. Paul's word, who says, that what God worketh in us is exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think. This deserves to be considered by the narrowers in all sects and parties.

Justification by faith can never be received, desired, sought after, or even understood, till the soul has been well disciplined and broken under the pressure of the law, and brought to a full sight and experience of its inability to answer the demands of it. And our acceptance of the free grace of God in Christ will always necessarily be more or less sincere, more or less fruitful in good works, in proportion to our sense of the want of it.

Those who have felt the misery of an evil conscience, and laid groaning with anguish of spirit under a heavy sense of God's wrath, are comparatively in little danger of returning to such a state after they have once been delivered from it.

I cannot get within myself, and yet all depends on it. It is not enough to know that God sees me, unless I see myself in my own frightful nakedness.

There is nothing like being pinched, and sore galled with a sense of guilt. Redemption by Christ will then be viewed in its proper point of light; the glad tidings of the gospel eagerly embraced by the disconsolate fainting soul. It is impossible for those who never felt the trouble and uneasiness of a

wounded conscience, to desire, or believe, or value the peace of God. It is by a miracle that any man repents. Many see the folly of their conduct, and are sorry for the inconveniences they have brought on themselves and others by it; but to be convinced of guilt before God, to have a sight and sense of our vileness, and a hearty detestation of ourselves for it, is what I believe never happens but under the working and influence of God's Spirit.

God will have his grace acknowledged in the free pardon of our sins. But this can never be till we feel and know in good earnest that we are sinners. God brings us under the bond of the law, that his mercy may be magnified in releasing us from the terror, curse, and punishment of it. The end of this procedure is to shew man his obligation to the performance of the law, his demerit in the breach of it, and God's love in our forgiveness. And, in our present circumstances, there is no other method of introducing into the soul a sincere love of God, for naturally we do not love him.

When God calls to us in our hiding-place, and says, "Where art thou?" the stoutest heart will be afraid, notwithstanding its covering of fig-leaves.

The knowledge of ourselves, and of our sinful condition by the fall, is one main point in religion; but then it is often a long time before we are enough pinched with the sense of it, to pray in good earnest. When we find out our sin in one instance, it should convince us of the guilt of more yet undiscovered, and lead us to the accursed root of all.

All is delusion and sad mistake, till we know Christ inwardly and experimentally by the Spirit, as applying his whole salvation and every part of it to the soul: 1. In his sore judgments, convincing us of the greatness and damnableness of sin, and of our own sin in particular: 2. In his comforts raising us to a clear sense of, and cheerful confidence in God as a reconciled Father: 3. In his cleansing operations,

turning the strong man out of possession, and enabling us to say triumphantly," Behold all things are become new." The great danger of miscarrying in this work, is by passing too cursorily over the first step, healing our wounds slightly, and justifying ourselves too hastily.

We are never so near heaven as when we find ourselves almost in hell. We cannot stay long there.

It is impossible we should ever be on a footing of truth and sincerity with others, till we know how to speak the truth to ourselves.

CHAPTER VI.

JESUS CHRIST.

CHRIST comes with a blessing in each hand, forgiveness in one, and holiness in the other; and never gives either to any who will not take both.

Christ's forgiveness of all sins is complete at once, because less would not do us good; his holiness is dispensed by degrees, and to none wholly in this life, lest we should slight his forgiveness.

I owe it to Jesus that I have a moment's quiet.

The love of God springs from the knowledge of Christ, and seems impossible to man in any other

way.

I owe Christ a heart, a will, a life.

The Lord's Christ is the soul's joy, support, and confidence in all states and conditions; riches in poverty, comfort in trouble, ease in pain, health in sickness, life in death.

I see the glory and blessedness of God in giving his Son to die for such sinners as I am, and would give the world to have a lively gratitude and burning love to him in my heart; but can have no peace but in thinking that he died for my ingratitude.

Christ's riches, as in himself, are unsearchable; in us they are soon told.

The salvation of man is as much the gift of God and the work of Christ, as his life and being.