258
rBAITH BUILT
ON
KNOWLEDGE.
[DISC.
x
our
natural
delight
in
sin
and
the
creature, and our
na-
tural
aversion
to
God,
and
all
that
is
holy
:.
together
with
our
utter
incapacity of
enjoying heaven whilst
we
are
in
this temper,
and our impotence
to
change
our
own
natures, and turn
our
souls from
earth
to
heaven.
It
supposes
and
implies
a
painful sense
of
our
having
offended
God, and
weariness
of
this
state of
sin,
and a
hearty
willingness
to
be
delivered
from it
:
For
why
should
we
seek
after
the
knowledge
of
such
an almighty
Friend and
Saviour,
if
we were
not fearful
of
eternal
',misery
without
one
?
Or
why
should
we
concern our-
selves
about
a
person
that
can subdue
sin in us,
if
we,
are
not
so
far made
willing to
part
with
it,
as
to have
our
natures
reformed into
holiness
?
And
let it
be
observed,
that
this
painful
sense; this inward weariness
of
the
power and
reign
of
sin in
us,
and
this
desire
'of
deliver-
ance
from it,
is
the most essential
part of
true repent-
ance, or the conversion
of
the soul
from
sin to
God.
It
includes,
in the
next
place,
a
sight and
belief
of
the
all-
sufficiency
of Christ
to supply
our
wants
;
that
there
is
atonement
in
him
for
our
sins,
and
pardon pro-
cured
by him
;
that
there
is.
righteousness
with him
for
our
justification and acceptance
unto
eternal
life
;
and
all this
by
the means
of
his
perfect obedience and
death,
That
there
is
power
and
grace
in him
to
conquer
all
our
sins,
to suppress temptations,
to
reform
our
vicious
ap-
petites, to incline our
wills
to
God,
to
strengthen
our
endeavours for
the
practice
of
all holiness
;
to
keep
us
.
in the
favour
and
in the image
of
God; and
conduct
us
safe to heaven
;
and
that
he
is
appointed
by
the
Father
to do all this for.sinners.
It
consists formally
in
a
committing
of
the guilty
and
sinful soul
to
the care
of
Christ, according
to his
Father's
commission
to take care
of lost
souls,
and
to
keep
that
which
is
committed
to him.
It
is
a
secret address
of
the
heart
untò
Christ, whereby
we
resign
our
guilty persons
to
him, to be
pardoned. for
the sake
of
his
sufferings
;
pur unrighteous
souls,to
be
accepted through
his
righte-
ousness
;
our
sinful
and polluted natures
to be
sanctified
by
the power
of
his
grace,
and
to
be
preserved
safe to
death
and
glory.
After
all
this,
there
.follows
an
acquiescence,
or
rest
rf
the
soul
in
Christ,
i.
hich
lie
promised,
when he
called