less law of rebel nature; no human science, whether pretended to be implanted, or by the use of reason to be acquired, have any right to guide the conscience. These are blind leaders of the blind. They undertake what they are not only unfit, but what they have no warrant for. A parcel of felons in jail may think what they will of their state. They may take it upon them to form a mock court, and to try one another. They may acquit or condemn, as they please; but the judge and the jury will pay no regard to their foolish proceedings. There is a word which is to try us at the last day, and by that we should try ourselves at present. It was revealed for this purpose. And when the revealed truth is clearly understood, then conscience is acting aright; if it finds a true verdict for God, either accusing, or else excusing, according to the direction of his unerring word.

And this is the work of the Holy Spirit. He enlightened the judgment with the knowledge of the truth, in order to make it practical; which he effects by bringing

the conscience to submit to the sovereignty of God in the law, and to submit to the righteousness of God in the gospel. Herein he displays the omnipotent power of his grace, according to the promise, John xvi. 8. He carries with demonstration the conviction of guilt, and the conviction of righteousnes, to the conscience. By the former he gives the sinner a real heart-felt sense of his sin and misery, and he acknowledges himself a convict of the law, justly deserving all its penalties, in time and eternity. By the latter he sets open a door of hope, showing him the perfect righteousness of the God-man, wrought out for such guilty creatures as he is he enables him to plead it before the throne, and to trust in it for his acceptance; by which means, he finds relief in his conscience, and comfort in his heart. Being justified by faith, he has peace with God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

What the Holy Spirit teaches, has life as well as light in it. He accompanies his doctrine with the power of God. What he has revealed concerning the state of mankind

under the fall, he applies with divine evidence to the conscience. Under his influence, the sinner reads those scriptures, and feels the truth of them. "As by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: through the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation for it is written, there is none righteous, no not one; there is none that understandeth; there is none that seeketh after God: they are all gone out of the way; they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no not one. Now we know, that what things soever the law saith, it commands them who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God." His mouth is stopped. He has no plea to What the law saith,

make. No excuse left.

he subscribes to. The law brings him in guilty before God, and in his conscience he bears his testimony to the law. He acknowledges it to be holy, just, and good, even in its penalties, which he deserves to suffer.

Formerly he tried in his own strength, and took great pains to escape them; but now he gives over all those self-righteous attempts. He found, that he laboured in vain to atone for his sins, or to make himself holy. He groans, being burdened under the ruins or the fall. His ignorance, rebellion, apostasy; his corruption in every faculty of soul and body, render him unable to take one step in his return to God. He owns it, and confesses, that without Christ he can do nothing.

O my soul, consider, whether God has taught thee this knowledge of thyself. It is absolutely necessary to reconcile thee to him, and to his ways. Thou wilt never heartily agree to walk with him by faith, so long as thou hast any thing of thine own to trust in, or to draw comfort from. Examine then; art thou sensible of thy fall, and dost thou feel the sad effects of it? Dost thou know what it is to be alienated from the life of God? What! dost thou find to this day the opposition of thy sinful nature to the holy law, the flesh lusting in thee against the spirit?

Has God thus convinced thee of sin? If he has, then in thy conscience thou submittest. to what the law says of thy state. Thy mouth is stopped, and thou art guilty before God. Thou hast nothing of thine own to urge in arrest of judgment. This is an enlightened conscience: so far it speaks for God, and is guided by his unerring word. O pray to the Lord, the Spirit, and beg of him to guide thee into all truth, that he may bring thy conscience to submit to the righteousness of Jesus, and to be a faithful witness for him.

nant.

This is his proper work in the soul, and what he undertook in the everlasting cove"When he is come," says Christ, "he shall convince the world of righteousness; he shall testify of me, that I am made of God righteousness to believers; and he shall glorify me, as Jehovah their righteousness : thus he shall teach them my righteousness, with which the father is satisfied; and he shall, through faith, apply it effectually to their consciences, and they shall also be satisfied with it." Being justified by faith, they