essential doctrines of the gospel, which is a glass in which they cannot help seeing themselves in the gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity. Let a preacher only tell them, that these doctrines are not true; and they feel at liberty and peace; and no other doctrines will disturb them. For the truth of this, I appeal to observation and experience. Do we see or hear, that any people complain of preaching, which does not bring these doctrines into view; or do they ever appear to be in anxiety and distress about the concerns of their souls, or their spiritual and eternal state? and do they not rather ascribe all such anxiety and distress to the workings of a deluded imagination? But what says experience in this case; I mean the experience of those, who are inwardly displeased with these peculiar, pinching doctrines? Do they not feel a load thrown off from their minds and set at loose and ease, when they hear these doctrines denied, discarded and reprobated? This is proof sufficient, that the reason why they are so disagreeable to the hearts of many, is that they discover and fasten the bands and cords, which bind them to God.

4. If sinners endeavor to free themselves from their obligations to God; then they always endeavor to stifle convictions. Some unhappy occurrence, or some sudden bereavement, or some affecting discourse about the joys of heaven and the miseries of the damned, may awaken and alarm sinners, without producing any genuine convictions. But a sense of danger is very different from a sense of guilt, or desert of punishment in which real conviction of sin consists. Sinners are never convinced, that they deserve God's wrath and curse both in this life and in that which is to come, un

til they not only feel their obligations to God, but the propriety and justice of the bands and cords, by which he has bound them to himself. When they realize, that he had a right to make them dependent, to lay them under moral obligation, and to bind them by the infinite authority of his law to love him supremely, upon pain of endless destruction; then they feel their guilt for violating such sacred obligations to their creator and law-giver; and are convinced, that they deserve to die for their disaffection and rebellion against such a great and glorious being as God now appears to be. But while they are merely awakened and alarmed by the apprehension of danger, they have no such convictions of sin and guilt; and therefore, rather pity, than condemn themselves. And they often take comfort under their awakenings, and try to cherish and continue them, with a hope they will do them good, and finally prove the means of their conversion and salvation. Though they are painful to endure, yet they have such strong and ardent desires to be saved and to escape eternal destruction, that they would be willing to endure them as long as they live, if this might only be the consequence. Accordingly, instead of stifling, they mean to cherish their awakenings, and often say, that they are afraid they shall lose their sense of danger and become stupid. But they do not feel so reconciled to convictions. These they dread and endeavor to stifle. For these are the bands and cords that bind them, which they desire and endeavor, with all their might, to break and cast from them.Convictions weaken their strength and hopes and fasten their cords and throw them into the sovereign hands of God, from which they feel they cannot escape.

They could bear their infirmities or fears, but a wounded spirit they cannot bear. While they feel themselves at liberty to murmur and complain and to pity themselves as hardly dealt with, they find self-support. But when they feel self-condemned, as well as legally condemned; and that the same bands and cords, which bind them to duty, equally bind them to future and eternal punishment, they realize, that there is no alternative, but cordially to approve of their just condemnation, or lie under the weight of it forever. But under such clear convictions of guilt, their carnal mind, which is enmity against God will not suffer them to submit. They had rather die, than do it. Then is the time if ever, for God to change their hearts and save their souls; or still reserve them to the judgment and condemnation of the last day.

5. If sinners are under such natural, moral and legal obligations to God, as have been mentioned; then he can awaken and convince them at any time he pleases. Though they feel at ease and liberty and imagine they can walk in the ways of their heart and in the sight of their eyes as long as they please, without any restraint ; yet they are actually bound by bands and cords that they cannot break. And it is only for him to open their eyes to see and their consciences to feel the bands and cords, by which they are bound, in order to throw them into the deepest anxiety and distress. And this he can do, when they are sick, or when they are well; when they are in adversity, or in prosperity; when they are in the house of God, or when they are ab sent; when they are busy, or when they are idle.— They are never out of his sight, nor out of his reach. He always has access to their minds and can direct the

arrows of conviction to their consciences, at any time and in any place he pleases. Though they put far away the evil day and resolve to shut their eyes and their ears against divine truth and harden their hearts and consciences against all means of conviction; yet God can open their eyes and ears and break their resolutions and fill their hearts and consciences with guilt and remorse. He can do this, though they have made a covenant with death, and with hell are at agreement. He can separate their hearts and hands, however linked together, and take one and leave another. This he has done; and is continually doing. He can break their bands and fasten his own, which they cannot break. They have no ground to rejoice and exult in their power to resist convictions and maintain their peace and security; for they have no such power only when God lets them alone. And they know not how long he will let them alone. It seems to be high time for him to rise in his awful majesty and make them see and feel, that they are in his hand, as the clay is in the hand of the potter; and that he can crush them as a potter's vessel.

There is no duty

They are unwilling

6. Since sinners endeavor to free themselves from all their obligations to God, we may see why they are so extremely averse from prayer. they are so unwilling to perform. to be exhorted to this duty; and much more unwilling to perform it. The reason is, they cannot pray, without acknowledging their obligations to God, which they hate and wish to break. The child feels this; and neglects to pray. The youth feels this; and neglects to pray. Those, that are pursuing vanities, feel this; and neglect to pray. The sober moral sin

ner feels this; and neglects to pray. All sinners wish to forget, or break their obligations to God; and cannot bear to strengthen them, by going to him in secret and acknowledging them. Let any sinner, who has cast off fear and restrained prayer, go to God in prayer this evening and he will feel that he has bound himself to pray to-morrow and from day to day, as long as he lives. But he hates his obligations to God; and will not begin to pray. Or if he does begin, he will neglect it as soon as his sense of his obligations to God is gone. This is true of every careless, stupid or merely awakened sinner. But the sinner under genuine convictions, has different feelings in respect to prayer. He is afraid to pray, because he feels he cannot sincerely acknowledge the justice of these bands and cords, which he wishes with all his heart to break and intends to break, if possible, as long as he exists. Many a convinced sinner has thus become speechless and found he could say nothing like prayer, which was consistent with his total enmity to God. Parents have no reason to wonder that they cannot persuade their children to pray; and ministers have no reason to wonder that they cannot persuade sinners to begin to pray, or after they have lost their awakenings and convictions, they cannot persuade them to begin to pray again. When any person prays, he acknowledges his obligations to God and pledges himself to do his whole duty. This the sinner is not willing to do; and therefore neglects to pray. This the person, who has lost his convictions, is not willing to do; and therefore neglects to pray. And this the false or declining professor is not willing to do. It is the fear of men's acknowledging and confirming their obligations to God, that prevents their be

1