ot see God's face
in the case you are born into. You know nothing of sin, who wonder that
any should go to hell. No, if you knew anything of sin, you would wonder
that ever God should look on such cast out in the open field in their
blood.

_Next_, You must know the insufficiency of all things imaginable, to wash
away sin's filthiness, except the blood of Christ. Since you are unclean,
do you not ask, how shall we be washed? Indeed many have an easy answer,
and pass it lightly. The multitude know no way to cleanse in, but the
tears of repentance and mourning; and so, many think themselves clean,
when they run and pour out a tear as Esau did for the blessing. But what
saith the Lord? "Though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much
soap, yet thine iniquity is marked." Can such an ingrained uncleanness,
can such an infinite spot in the immortal soul, be so lightly dashed out?
Many think baptism cleanseth them, but was not this people circumcised, as
ye are baptized? And Peter tells us, it is not the washing of water, &c.
1 Pet. iii. 21. Sacrifice and offering will not do it. This people
thought, sure they had satisfied God, when they brought a lamb, &c., but
all this is abomination. Would not many of you think yourselves cleansed
from sin, if you offered all your substance, and the fruit of your body
for the sin of your soul? Nay, but you must see an absolute necessity of
the opened fountain of Christ's blood, that cleanseth from all sin.

Then we would have you abhor yourselves in dust and ashes, and see nothing
in all the creation so vile as you; look on sin in the sight of God's
face, and how unholy will it appear! There are many sins, little ones,
that in our practice pass for venal and uncontrolled; but look on the
filthy loathsome nature of all sin, and hate the least offence, for it
hath a kind of infiniteness in it, and blotteth the soul, defileth the
person. How great a necessity is there of continual application to the
fountain, of dwelling beside it, that you may wash daily! David's so
often repeated and inculcated prayer, "Wash me, cleanse me," &c. Psalm
li., declareth that he hath apprehended much uncleanness in sin, that it
needeth so many applications of the precious blood. And you who have come
to Jesus, and are clean, O how much owe you to free grace, that passed by
you in your blood, and said, "Live, it is a time of love!" How strange is
it, that glorious Majesty cometh to own deformity, and com