200 The fixth Sign PART III. of Sin ; they don't fee the hateful Nature of Sin ; a Senfe of this is given in evangelical Humiliation, by a Difcoveryof the Beauty of God's Holinefs and moral Perfe6uion. In a legal Humiliation, Men are made fenfible that they are little and nothing before the great and terrible God, and that they are undone, and wholly infufficient to help them- felves ; as wicked Men will be at the Day of Judgment : But they have not an answerable Frame of Heart, confifting in a Difpofition to abafe themfelves, and exalt God alone : This Difpofition is given on- ly in evangelical Humiliation, by overcoming the. Heart, and chang- ing it's Inclination, by a Difcovery of God's holy Beauty : In a legal Humiliation, the Confcience is convinced ; as the Confciences of all will be moil perfed+ly at the Day of Judgment : but becaufe there is no fpiritual Underf}anding, the Will is not bowed, nor theInclination altered : This is done only in evangelical Humiliation. In legal Hu- miliation Men are brought to defpair of helping themfelves ; in Evan- gelical, they are brought voluntarily to deny and renounce themfelves : In the Former they are fubdued and forced to the Ground ; in the Latter, they are brought fweetly to yield, and freely and withDelight to proftrate themfelves at the Feet of God. Legal Humiliation has in it no fpiritual Good, nothing of the Na- ture of true Vertue ; whereas evangelical Humiliation is that wherein the excellent Beauty of chriflian Grace does very much confifl. Le- gal Humiliation is ufeful, as a Means in order to Evangelical ; as a common Knowledge of the Things of Religion is a Means requifite in order to fpiritual Knowledge. Men may be legally humbled and have no Humility ; as the Wicked at the Day of Judgment will be thoroughly convinced that they have no Righteoufnefs, but are alto- gether finful, and exceeding guilty, and juflly expofed to eternal Damnation, and be fully fenfible of their own Helpleflnefs, without the leaf+ Mortification of the Pride of their Hearts: But the Effence o evangelical Humiliation confifls in filch Humility, as becomes a Creature, in itfelf exceeding finful, under a Difpenfation of Grace ; coniifting in a mean Efleem of himfelf, as in himfelf nothing, and al- together contemptible and odious ; attended with a Mortificationof a Di pofition to exalt hintfelf, and a free Renunciation of his own Glory. This is a great and mofl effential Thing in true Religion. The vvhole Frame of the Gofpel, and everyThing appertaining to the new Covenant, and all God's Difpenfations towards fallen Man, are cal- culated to bring to pafs this EtFe t in the Hearts ofMen. They that are def+itute of this, have no true Religion, whatever Profeffion they may make,& how high foever their religiousAffec(+ionsmay be; Hab. 2. 4. Behold, his Soul which is liftedup, is not upright in him ; but the 711/7fhall live by his Faith : i. e. He (hall live by his Faith on God's Ri hteoufnefs and Grace, and not his own Goodnefs and Excellency. God
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=