“Christ came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.  He came to seek and save that which was lost.”  To sinners, mercy is offered in him.  Were we without sin, we should have no need of mercy.  If we flee from Christ because we are sinners, we flee the mercy which alone can save us, and put offered salvation from us; for it is offered us only in him.  To drive sinners away from the Savior by fear, when he can hold them no longer secure in sin, is an old device of the deceiver, which hath probably often succeeded.

On secure and awakened sinners, different delusive arts are practised.  The former are persuaded that sin is a trivial evil, far from meriting eternal punishment; that God is not greatly offended at it; that it is easy to obtain forgiveness; that as we are required to forgive every offender who saith, I repent, God will do the same; that it is only to ask mercy, when we can sin no longer, and it will be immediately granted; so that there is very little danger in sin.  But those who are awakened—­who see the evil of sin, and tremble for fear of God’s judgments, are tempted to believe that divine justice will only be exercised, especially to them—­that their sins are unpardonable; their day of grace ended, and that they have nothing before them but “a certain fearful looking for of judgment.”  In such suggestion, the design of the tempter is to drive sinners to despair, and thus drive them away from Christ.  If he avails to effect it, his end is gained; for there is salvation in no other.

It is emphatically true of the despairing sinner, that he “cannot go to Christ for life.”  All who go to him, believe him able and willing to save.  Devoid of this faith none can go to him.  Therefore doth the fear which precludes faith lead down to ruin.

II.  Fear which operates to explain away the law of God, hath the same effect.

This is sometimes the effect of fear.  Those who believe that there is a God, and that the holy scriptures are his word, cannot feel secure while they consider themselves condemned by his law, and view themselves as the objects of his wrath.

Therefore do the slaves of depravity endeavor to explain away God’s law—­therefore to persuade themselves that certain duties are not required—­that certain self denials are not enjoined; or that there is something in their particular case which exempts them from this or that, which is required of others.

The cunning which some discover in finding out excuses and evasions, by which to cheat themselves and silence their consciences, is affecting.  It shews them to be the slaves of Satan, and servants of corruption, and that they love their masters, and refuse to go out free, when liberty is offered.

When people of this description pretend to inquire what is their duty, their real design is to evade the obligations of it.  And they often succeed to persuade themselves that they are free from the obligations of it.  But few others are deceived.  The veil of the covering spread over their designs and views, is opaque only to themselves; to others it is transparent, and leaves them without excuse.