vation, as every one knows, fignifies a delivery from fome one thing or other, that is looked upon as dangerous, evil and hurtful. None are capable of falvation, fave these who are either under fome fuch evil, or who are in danger of it: and then they may be faid to be faved, when they are freed from it, or from the danger of it; when they are delivered from diftreffes, or when their fafety is provided for. This is the plain import of the word. But as it is used by convinced finners, it takes in more it not only respects deliverance from evil, but also the enjoyment of God and of good. It is frequently fo ufed in fcripture: falvation there is put, not only for deliverance from hell, but for the title to heaven, and hence believers are ftiled heirs of falvation, Heb. 1. 14. Where the apostle, fpeaking of the angels fays, Are they not all ministering spirits fent forth to minifter to them who fhall be heirs of falvation? In one word, this falvation that awakened finners feek after, takes in freedom from fin, and a title to life; and hence the question in the text takes in other two.

1. What shall I do that I may get pardon of fin? The finner fees that it is fin that draws hell upon him; therefore unless this be pardoned, he despairs utterly of freedom from hell and wrath. The one he fees impoffible to be obtained, unless he can first get the other. As fin draws on hell; fo pardon is linked to salvation from hell, or rather falvation from wrath is linked to pardon. This we fee plainly enough in the carriage of thefe convinced finners, in that vi of Micah and 6. Wherewith Shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? fhall I come before him with burnt-offerings and calves of a year old?

Will the Lord be pleafed with thousands of rams, or ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firft-born for my tranfgreffion, the fruit of my body for the fin of my foul? This is the genuine language of a convinced finner. Pardon he would have at any rate.

2. The other question that is implied in this, in the text, is that of the young man that came to Chrift, Mark x. 17. What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? Though pardon of fin, or freedom from wrath, be that which first occurs to an awakened finner, as the object of his defires; yet it is not all that he defires. Salvation would be very incomplete, if eternal life came not in to boot for man might be forgiven, and yet be turned into nothing, or not admitted into the enjoyment of God. A rebel may be pardoned, and yet never be made a favourite. That this, as well as the other, will be much upon the thoughts of a folidly convinced finner, appears from feveral confiderations.

(1.) When God himself condescends to direct fuch, he makes fomething more than pardon neceffary to them. Hof. xiv. 2. There the rem nant of the Jews, whom the Lord has a mind to do good to, are told what they must seek from him. when they return, and what was neceflary in order to their happiness: not only muft they have their iniquities pardoned, but they must have gracious acceptance with God, or admiffion into his favour. Take with you words, and turn to the Lord, Jay unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously. Gracious acceptance with God, is full as neceffary in order to the content of an awakened finner, as pardon of fin.

(2.) Awakened finners in all ages, have by their

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pra-.

practice evidently difcovered, that pardon alone did not feem fufficient to fatisfy them. They have ever been feeking after fome righteoufnefs, wherein they might appear before God, and up. on which they might found their title and claim to eternal life, as being fenfible that pardon of fin alone could not do it. The Jews, who expected pardon from the mercy of God, yet went about to eftablish a righteoufnefs of their own, being ignorant of the righteoufnefs of God, Rom. x. 3.

(3) In one word, a convinced finner is one that is perfuaded of a future ftate, and that the things of this world cannot make him happy: therefore he certainly means the fame by this queftion, What shall I do to be faved? that we mean when we enquire, What shall make us happy? That every awakened finner is convinced of a future ftate, is unquestionable; fince the wrath he would fo fain be freed from, is chiefly in a future ftate; nor is it lefs plain, that it is complete happinefs he aims at, and that all his trouble arifes from the apprehenfions of the inconfiftency between his happiness and unpardoned guilt. That which only remains to be made appear is, That pardon of fin alone cannot fecure him of eternal happiness and this is eafily proven; for there are two things which pardon doth not, and yet without them both, it is impoffible that man fhould be happy. 1. Pardon of fin gives man no title, no claim to eternal life and happinefs. Innocence in Adam did not give him a title to heaven; can any then think that pardon now can give us a title? Eternal life was to be the reward of a courfe of obedience; nor had innocent Adam any pretenfions to it, till fuch time as he had fulfilled a courfe of per ́fect obedience: far lefs then could fallen man have

any

any pretenfions to it, if only his fins were pardoned... 2. Pardon of fin doth not make man meet for the inheritance of the faints in light, for converfe and intercourfe with God. A convinced finner will fee, that there is no poffibility of accefs for him to the enjoyment of God, unless there be an entire change wrought upon his nature; for how can two of fo very different natures have any mutual complacency in one, another? God can have none in the finful nature of man; nor can the finful nature of man have any in the holy nature of God: and it is what none can fay, that pardon changes the nature of the perfon that is pardoned.

Now to fum up what we have faid under this head, when an awakened finner puts the question, What must I do to be faved? he just means, How Shall I obtain happiness? And this has these three in it. 1. How fhall I get my fins pardoned? 2. How thall I get a title to eternal life? 3. How fhall I be made meet to be a fharer of the inheritance of the faints in light? Unless the mind be fully fatisfied as to these three enquiries, it can never think itself fecure or happy. That which comes in the

III. Place to be enquired into, is the nature of this (concern) which is the genuine iffue and neceffary refult of found conviction. The nature and effects of this, we fhall unfold to you in the following particulars. And,

1. To lay falvation to heart, or to be concerned about it seriously, imports diffatisfaction with all other enjoyments, fo long as the foul is in the dark about this. The man may poffibly be poffelfed of great things in the world, he may have all going there with him according to wish; but

if once he begin to take falvation to heart, he will find content of mind in none of these things. If fuch a one caft his eye upon his enjoyments, his riches, his honours, his pleasures, he will be fure to conclude as Haman did upon another account, Efthér v.13. Yet all this availeth me nothing, fo long as Iam at an uncertainty about falvation. These things cannot fatisfy. What are they to a dying man? One that apprehends himself just ready to be fwallowed up of the wrath of God, can relish no fweetness in any of these things, till once he be rid of the fears of that. Thus we fee it is with the jaylor: He, who but a little before was fo anxious about the prifoners, that he was ready to have made himfelf away for fear of their efcape, turns now unconcerned about these things; and we hear not, that, while all the doors were open, he made any provifion for their fecurity, nor did he receive any fatisfaction from understanding that they were all fafe. This diffatisfaction is not fuch a difcon- .. tent as fome fall into who are noways awakened, which leads them to fret, grudge and repine, because their lot in a prefent world is not fuch as they would have it; no, but it is fuch a diffatisfaEtion as flows from a folid perfuafion that thefe things cannot afford happiness, or avert impending and threatened mifery, which is fo terrible in the eyes of the alarmed finner.

2. This concern about falvation, imports thoughtfulness about the threatened evils, and the means of preventing them. When the foul has once got a view of fin and mifery in their native colours, and fees mifery threatening it, then this arrests the thoughts; the mind can ply itself to no other thing with pleasure, but only to the ways and means of escape. If other thoughts intrude,

they