Thus much upon the first statement, that this doctrine ought to give hope to the sinner.
2. Secondly, THIS DOCTRINE AFFORDS DIRECTION TO THE SINNER, as to how to act before his God in seeking mercy. O soul, if salvation is of grace alone, it would be a very wrong course of action to plead that thou art not guilty, or to extenuate thy faults before God: that was to go upon the wrong tack altogether. If salvation is by thy merit, or by an absence of demerit, then thou wouldst be right enough to set up a good character as a plea, though I believe that in the trial thou wouldest mightily break down, for thou art as full of sin as an egg is of meat, and thy sin is as damnable as hell itself, and there fore it were vain for thee to plead innocence; but if thou couldest plead it, it is the wrong plea. If salvation be of grace, then go to the Lord and confess thy sin and transgression, and ask for grace. Do not for a moment attempt to show that thou hast no need of grace, for that were folly indeed. What more foolish than for a beggar to plead that he is not in want? Do not shut the door of grace in thine own face. To say, "I am not guilty," is to say "I do not want mercy;" to say "I have not transgressed," is to say, "I do not need to be forgiven," and how better couldest thou commit spiritual suicide than by such pleading?
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