this manner, the awakened finner will naturally exprefs his concern. He is afhamed, and blushes to lift up his face to God, because of his iniquities. Like the publican, who stood afar off, and durft not fo much as lift up his eyes to heaven, full of inward concern he fmites upon his breaft. In a word, the foul in this condition, is covered with darkness as with a cloud; but when that cloud is removed, it often happens, that they are enlightened by the Sun of righteousness and made glad according to the days in which they have feen evil.

2. This concern for the falvation of the foul, implies in it likewife an alarming apprehenfion of danger. This is the natural refult of the former. Whereever an affecting fenfe of guilt prevails, it is always attended with a dread of punishment. They are infeparably connected in nature. Elfe, Why that fecret fhame, that fear and horror which feize upon the wicked? When we are confcious to ourselves of having acted wrong, Why do we feel our minds disturbed by remorfe? This is nothing but the voice of nature proclaiming within us, "The foul that fin"neth, it shall die."

It is true, indeed, while finners enjoy profperity and health, while the candle of the Lord fhines upon them, and their glory and wealth is increased, they may pretend to fhake off thofe fears, and affect to be fuperior to the dread of future punishment. But this is, like Jonah, to fleep in a ftorm; or as an apoftle emphatically expreffes it, "to fport themselves "with their own deceivings." The awakened finner acts a wifer part. Instead of attempting to divert thofe fears, or filence the reproaches of his wounded confcience, he hears them with concern, and seriously thinks on his mifery and danger. As he is fenfible that he has offended God, he dreads the effects of his righteous indignation. His apprehenfions of this kind are even fometimes fo alarming, that under the

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deepest distress and anguish of mind, he is ready to adopt the language of Job; "Oh, that my grief were "thoroughly weighed, and my calamity laid in the "balances together! For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poifon whereof drinketh up "my fpirits: the terrors of God do fet themselves in array against me." And what can be more dreadful, than to be expofed to the wrath of the Almighty, who can punish to the utmost, and who lives for ever to execute his vengeance? How vigorously then should we endeavour to be delivered from this wrath, and reconciled to God! And this leads me to obferve,

3. That this concern for the falvation of the foul, implies in it likewise, an earnest care and anxiety of mind to be delivered from this guilt, and to escape this danger. This we find was the cafe with Saul in our text. No fooner was his confcience wounded, than he immediately crys out, "Lord, what wilt thou "have me to do ?" And this indeed is the voice of nature itself. There is a principle of felf-prefervation implanted within us, which infpires us with a natural apprehenfion of every thing that can destroy our being, or endanger our happiness. No fooner, therefore, is any thing prefented to us as an object of terror, than fear, that wakeful paffion takes the alarm, and excites us to fly from it. But when the object we dread is infinitely terrible, when inflexible justice, armed with almighty power, is incensed against us, our fears in a special manner are exceffive, and our inquiries for deliverance natural. The finner, awakened by a sense of danger, seeing himself guilty and polluted, is filled with anxious concern; and the language of his heart is, "What fhall I do to be "faved?" To this purpose, we have a lively inftance in the behaviour of Peter's hearers. The apoftle had dealt faithfully with them; he had charged them with the fin of crucifying the Lord of Glory; and the confequence

fequence was, their confciences were ftung with remorfe; and " they faid unto Peter and the rest of "the apoftles, Men and brethren, what shall we "do (a)?" Their minds were now awakened with a fenfe of guilt, they found themselves expofed to the wrath of God, and hence they were filled with anxiety how to be delivered from it.

II. We now proceed to inquire, whence this concern for the falvation of the foul arifes.

And here, to prevent mistakes, it may be proper to obferve, that, in order to produce this concern, the influence of the Holy Spirit is abfolutely neceffary. This will be evident to any one who feriously confiders the weakness and corruption of human nature, the greatnefs and excellency of this good work, the violent oppofition raised against it by our fpiritual enemies, and the express declarations of holy fcripture. And, indeed, to deny this, or even to call it in question, would betray the groffeft ignorance both of ourselves, and of the word of God. "Without me," fays our Saviour, "ye can do nothing" and the apoftle tells us, that we are not fufficient of ourselves to think fo much as one good thought; and, by a neceffary confequence, we are quite unable, without fuperior affistance, to perform one good action. The Spirit of God is the first mover, and not only fo, but the fole agent in this good work. He it is who commands the light to fhine out of darknefs; he convinces men of fin, of righteoufnefs and judgment; it is his inward and powerful operation, that makes the finner cry out, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do ?".

Now, taking this along with us, it will appear that this concern for the falvation of the foul, arifes from the two following caufes.

1. From a difcovery made to the foul by the Holy Spirit, of the hateful and malignant qualities of fin; that it is the vileft, moft abfurd, and unreasonable

(4) Acts ii. 37.

thing

thing in the world; that it deforms human nature, pollutes and debases the foul, and finks a man far below the dignity of his being; that it is the greatest reproach to our reafon, and contradicts the very purpose of our existence. Again, the finner awakened by the Spirit of God, fees fin in general, and his own fins in particular, to be the highest dishonour to God, a contempt of his authority, a violation of his laws, and directly oppofite to all the perfections of his nature. He even discovers that every act of fin of which he is guilty, is impregnated with nothing lefs than rebellion against the Divine Majefty, oppofition to his holiness, ingratitude to his goodness, and defiance of his almighty power. And, by how much every fin is aggravated by circumftances of time and place, by being committed against the clearest light, contrary to the remonftrances of our own confciences, the striv ings of the Spirit within us, and folemn engagements; fo much the more is fin compofed of these malignant qualities. Now, when the finner has fuch views of fin as thefe, when he sees this monster as it were diffected, and difcovers the hateful ingredients in its compofition, he cannot but deteft and abhor it; he is made to blush and be afhamed of himself before God, and, full of grief and concern, to cry out with the apoftle, "O, wretched man, that I am, who fhall de"liver me from the body of this death ?"

2. This concern more especially arifes, when the Holy Spirit difcovers to the finner, the fatal and direful confequences to which his fins expofe him, both in time and through eternity; that they have made him a child of wrath, and a fon of perdition; that he is thereby fallen under the difpleasure of God, and liable every moment to the dreadful curfes of his broken law; that ruin and deftruction hang over him, and threaten him with intolerable, and everlasting mifery. Thefe confequences of fiu may for a little be fufpended by the interpofition of mercy, in order

to

us,

to try, if, during this period of refpite, the finner will be fo wife as to return to God. But, if it fhall fail of producing this effect, mercy foregoes the friendly office, and vengeance overtakes him. For as Paul informs "the " Inof fin are death (a)." wages dignation and wrath, tribulation and anguifh fhall "be upon every foul that doth evil." And who knows the power of God's anger, and what Almighty juftice can inflict upon the wicked? Surely it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Our God is a confuming fire; and who can dwell with devouring fire? who can abide with everlasting burnings? Now, when the foul is awakened to fuch a fenfe of fin, when it is impreffed with fuch ideas of its malignity and unhappy confequences, it is then, indeed, made to complain of it as a heavy burden, from which above all things it defires to be delivered.

III. We now proceed to endeavour to excite you to fome fuch serious concern, by a few arguments addreffed to your confideration.

I might address you by a great variety of motives, for almost every thing around us affords an argument to fober contemplation. In the words of the prophet Ifaiah, we might call upon you as men, as reasonable and intelligent creatures, "Remember, and fhow your"felves men: bring it again to mind, O ye tranf"greffors." We might apply to you by the most engaging motives of the gofpel, by the tender mercies of God, the dying love of a Redeemer, and thofe exceeding great and precious promises, in comparison of which the pleasures of the world are contemptible and mean. But, as this would lead us far beyond the limits of an ordinary difcourfe, we fhall confine ourfelves to the few following arguments.

1. Confider the unfpeakable dignity and worth of the immortal foul. View it in its noble faculties, those intellectual and active powers with which it is endowed

(a) Rom. vi. 23.