DISCOURSE X. 279 Saving faith therefore supposes and implies in it a lively sense of the guilt of our sins, and the eternal misery that is like to ensue; a sight of the just vengeance of God to which we are exposed and how incapable we Are to make atonement for our- selves ; or procure pardon ; a sense of our want of aperfect righteousness to justify us before God, and how impossible it is f®r us to make one out of our own works and duties: for why should we trust another to do that which we can do for ourselves. Itsupposes also a sight of the corruption of our natures, our perpetual tendency to fresh iniquity, and our weakness to perform the duties of life or religion ; our natural delight in sin and the creature, andour natural aversion to God, and all that his holy ; together with our utter incapacity, ofenjoying heaven whilst we are in this temper, and our impotence to change our own naturçs, and turn our souls from earth to heaven. It supposes and implies a painful sense of our having of- fended God, and weariness of this state of sin, and a hearty wil- lingness to be delivered from it: For why should we seek after the knowledge of such an almighty Friend and Saviour, if we were net fearful of eternal misery without one ? Or why should weconcern ourselves 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 na- tures 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 deliverance from it; is the most essential part of true repentance, 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 procured by him ; that there is righteousness with hies 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 appetites, to incline our wills to God, to strenghthen our endeavours for the practice of all holiness; to keep us in the favour and in the image of God, and con- duct us safe to heaven; and that he is appointed by the Fa- ther 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 unto Christ, whereby we resign our guilty persons to him, to be pardoned for the sake of his sufferings; our unrighteous souls to be accepted through his righteousness; our sinful and polluted natures to be sanctified by the power of his grace, end to be pre- served safe to death and glory.
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