SERM. V. that he has too little.

For we then giv

the best Proofs of our Worthiness when we have a deep Senfe, and make an humble Confeffion of our own Unworthinefs. Human Nature, confcious of it's numerous Frailties, fhrinks back at the Thoughts of an Interview with it's Creator; and Nothing can difarm Death of it's Terrors, but that Religion, which has made us the most gracious Overtures; and in which the awful Majefty of the Judge is qualified by the lovely Mercies of the Saviour. None of us can merit: And after All we can do, (though none of us do all we can) we are but unprofitable Servants : But he makes the nearest Approaches to Merit, who, after his fincere Endeavours to please his Maker, humbly difclaims all Merit, but -the all-fufficient Merits of his bleffed Saviour.

ཨ

If any Doubt remain with any one whether the divine Approbation, and the divine Favour, are equivalent and fynonymous Terms; let him, to put the Matter past Dispute, reflect, what a Difference there is between these two Petitions: God approve of me, a Sinner: And, God be favourable or merciful to me, a Sinner.

The

The former is highly ridiculous and abfurd. SERM. V. For it is impoffible, that God fhould approve Sinners, as fuch; and the best of us are but penitent Sinners: But it is not impoffible, that he may be merciful and benevolent to Thofe, whom he cannot approve, as far as they are Sinners: (For otherwise, he would never have commanded us to hate and difapprove the Sin, but yet to regard the Sinner with a Love of Benevolence.) Which Benevolence of the Deity may exert itself in Acts of folid and fubftantial Favour, when our Saviour's Satisfaction hath made it no ways interfere with the Ends of his Government, and the general Good.

In short, we muft fo far, or in fuch a low Degree, approve ourselves to God, as to be deemed by him Subjects not incapable of, or difqualified for, everlasting Happiness. But when that is done; it is through Chrift alone, that the Weakness of our Endeavours must be pardoned, and the Sincerity of them accepted.

Which brings me, fecondly, to distinguish between a Capacity for a Thing, and a Title to a Thing. Nothing, but what internally alters the Sinner, can make him a Bb 2 Sub

SERM. V. Subject capable of God's Favour hereafter. A Capacity for everlasting Happiness, must be partly founded on our own good Habits and Difpofitions; fince heavenly Pleasures cannot fuit a Soul, that is deeply and habitually immersed in Vice. But the Title to Happiness must be founded on fomething extrinfic. We are told, that we shall be rayleλo, equal to the Angels hereafter. Now, though Man had never finned, he had no more Ground to expect, that he fhould be as the Angels of God hereafter; that he has Reason to complain, that he is not an Angel at present: Much lefs, when Man had finned, when he was become an obnoxious Creature, could Reafon fupport fuch extravagant Pretenfions.

Though therefore our Saviour's Sufferings, as not internally altering the Sinner, could not give him a Capacity or Relish for Happiness; yet, they might give him what he wanted, when a Subject capable, a Title to eternal Blifs. Repentance must remove the difqualifying Circumstances, those Circumstances, that are a Bar to endlefs Felicity. But, when the difqualifying Circumstances are removed, then eternal

Life is the Gift of God, through Jefus SERM. V. Chrift. Repentance in itself, confidered intrinfically, cannot be fo acceptable to God as unfinning Obedience: And therefore it wanted fomething extrinfic to make it so : Our Saviour performed an unfinning Obedience, and it was placed to our Account.

But this brings me to the second Scheme, which I promised to confute, the Efficacy of mere Repentance, without any Atone

ment.

And here a great many Questions may be asked, which the Light of Nature cannot determine, viz. Whether Repentance, if it can atone for any, will atone only for lefs Crimes; or alfo for notorious Sins, long perfifted in? If for the latter, Whether it will be fo far available as to procure a total Exemption from Punishment; or only to Soften the Rigour of the Penalty? If it avails fo far, as to procure a total Exemption, which can never be proved; Whether it could likewise entitle to any Happiness? And what that Happiness would be? Whether an unmixed eternal Happiness; or only a Happiness of a Short Duration?

It were to be wifhed, that those who are fo reftlefs in their Endeavours to destroy

SERM. V. Chriftianity, would let it alone, till they could propofe, in lieu of it, fome fatisfac

tory Scheme for a wife Man to live and die by; fome tolerable Hypothefis to support us under the Calamities of Life, and the Pangs of Death, fo well calculated for our Comfort in this World, and our Happiness in the next. But the Misfortune is, they for fake the Fountain of living Waters, and bew out broken Cisterns, which will hold no Water. An authentic Promife of eternal Life, from him who keepeth his Promife for ever, is of infinitely more Value, than all the dry and jejune Speculations of Reason, abftractedly from Revelation.

Will Repentance alone recover that Happinefs, which Mankind had forfeited; and rescue them from that Mifery, to which they were become obnoxious? Do we not find, in the ordinary Courfe of Nature, which is God's Appointment, that Punishments, which no After-Conduct, no fubfequent Reformation, can entirely remove, often attend upon Guilt *. Guilt *. A Man, for Inftance, fhall feel the ill Effects of De

* See Bishop Butler's Analogy, Page 200.

bauchery,