produce in the minds of ignorant, deluded people, a strong persuasion of the truth of many things declared in the New Testament. Thus when images of Christ, in Popish churches, are on some extraordinary occasions,made by priestcraft to appear to the people as if they moved, and talked, and wept, and shed fresh blood;--the people may be fully persuaded that a miracle is wrought by Christ himself, and from hence be confident that there is such a divine person, and that what they are told of his sufferings, and death, and resurrection, and ascension, and his governing the world,are true. Through the influence of these lying wonders, a kind of conviction may be produced, but it is not the conviction of a mind evangelically enlightened. The invariable and final tendency of the influence of Satan, is to promote delusion; but notwithstanding this, he may so mix lies with truth, that they cannot be easily discovered.--There are no doubt many persons deluded by a counterfeit faith, produced by impressions on their imagination in the manner described above.

Thirdly. Professors may appear to grow in faith, when the foundation of their faith is nothing more than a persuasion of their individual interest in spiritual blessings. They hear of the glorious things of religion; and, believing that all these blessings are theirs, they easily become confident that what they hear is true. It is very obvious that our inclinations and interest, have a powerful influence on our judgments. While a natural man is convinced, that, if there is a heaven and a hell, the latter, and not the former belongs to him, he will endeavour to disbelieve the existence of both; but when he is persuaded that hell belongs only to others, and not to himself, he will easily admit te reality, and will frequently exclaim against

others, for neglecting the means of escaping it. Being confident that God has promised heaven to him, he may appear strong in faith as to its reality, and may have great zeal against that infidelity which denies it. But I proceed to another distinguishing sign of gracious affections.

VI. Gracious affections are attended by evangelical humiliation.

Humiliation is of two kinds, legal and evangelical. The former may be exercised while we are in a state of nature, the latter is peculiar to the saints; the former is produced by the common, the latter by the special influence of the Spirit of God. In legal humiliation men are made sensible that they are extremely little before the great and terrible God, and that they are wholly helpless in themselves; but they do not possess a correspondent frame of mind, consisting in a disposition to abase themselves, and to exalt God alone. This frame of mind is given in evangelical humiliation only, in which the disposition is changed by a discovery of the holy beauty of the Divine Majesty. In legal humiliation, the conscience is convinced, but the will is not changed,-the disposition is not altered. In legal humiliation, men are brought to despair of helping themselves; in evangelical, they are brought willingly to deny themselves : in the former, they are subdued and forced to the ground; in the latter they are brought sweetly to yield, and with pleasure, to prostrate themselves before the footstool of the Almighty.

Legal abasement has nothing in it of the nature of true virtue; whereas evangelical abasement is that wherein the excellency of Christian grace very much consists. Legal humiliation is useful as a means in order to evangelical; as a common

knowledge of religion, is a means requisite in order to spiritual knowledge. We may be legally humbled, while we have no humility; as the wicked, at the day of judgment, will be fully convinced that they have no righteousness, but are exceedingly guilty, and justly exposed to eternal damnation, without the least mortification of their pride. The essence of evangelical humility consists in such a self-renunciation, or abasement, as becomes a creature, in itself exceedingly sinful, but under a dispensation of grace.

This frame of mind is a most essential circumstance in true religion. The whole constitution of the gospel, every thing belonging to the new covenant, and all the dispensations of God towards fallen man, are calculated to produce this effect on the human heart. Those who are destitute of this, have no true religion, whatever professions they make, or whatever their religious affections are. It is abundantly manifest in the word of God, that humility is that state of mind in his people to which he has a particular respect, and without which nothing is acceptable to him. "The Lord

and

is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, saveth such as" are "of a contrite spirit," Psa. xxxiv. 18. 66 Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly," Psa. cxxxviii. 6. "He giveth grace unto the lowly," Prov. iii. 34. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God," Matt. v. 3. "Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, shall not enter therein,” Mark x. 15. See also Psa. li. 17. Isa. Ivii. 15. lxvi. 1, 2. Mic. vi. 3. Matt. xviii. 34. The centurion of whom we have an account in Luke vii. acknowledged that he was not worthy that Christ should enter under his roof, or that he himself should

come to him. Observe the manner in which the woman who was a notorious sinner, came to Christ. She did not think the hair of her head, which is the natural crown and glory of a woman, too good to wipe the feet of her Redeemer. Jesus most graciously received her, and said to her, "Thy faith hath saved thee, go in peace." The woman of Canaan, when Christ said to her, "It is not meet to take the children's bread, and cast it to dogs," "admitted that she deserved to be so denominated; upon which Christ said to her, "O woman, great is thy faith, be it unto thee even as thou wilt," Matt. xv. 26-28. "And he spake this parable unto certain" persons who "trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others," &c. "The publican standing afar off, would not so much as lift up his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful unto me a sinner," Luke vii. 37, &c. 1 Cor. xi. 15. "I tell you, This man went down to his house justified rather than the other," that is, the Pharisee; "for every one that exalteth himself, shall, be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted," Luke xviii. 9, &c. "A new heart also will I give you ;--and I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, &c.Then shall ye remember your own evil ways; and your doings that were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight, for your iniquities, and for your abominations," Ezek. xxxvi. 26, 27, 31. "That thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more, because of thy shame, when I am pacified towards thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord," xvi. 63.

As we would therefore make the Holy Scriptures our rule, in judging of the nature of true

religion, and particularly of our own state, we should regard this humility as one of the most essential things pertaining to the character of a true Christian.

This is the principal part of the great duty of self-denial,--a duty consisting, first in denying our worldly interests and gratifications; and secondly in renouncing all dependence on our own righteousness. The latter is the more difficult part of self-denial, for though they always go together, yet natural men approach much nearer to the former than the latter, Many Anchorites and Recluses have relinquished the wealth, and pleasures, and common enjoyments of the world, who were very far from renouncing their own righteousness. They never denied themselves for Christ, but only discarded one lust, that another might be more fully cherished and gratified. The strength of that self-righteous, self-exalting spirit, which is natural to man, is almost inconceivable. What will he not do, in order to feed and gratify this principle! What self-denial, in reference to some things, has been exercised by Essenes and and Pharisees among the Jews; by Papists; by many sects of heretics and enthusiasts among professing Christians; by Mahometans; and by Pythagorean Philosophers, and others among the heathen; solely for the purpose of sacrificing to this Moloch of spiritual pride; and in order that they might have something in which to exalt themselves before God, above their fellow men!

There is nothing in which those hypocrites, who make the most splendid show of mortification to the world, and high religious affections, so much fail in, as the humility spoken of above. They make great pretensions to humility, as well as to other graces; and very often there is nothing of which they make a greater profession. They sel