y from any act of ours. We must
beware of leaning to our repentance and godly sorrow, even so far as to
think to commend ourselves to God, thereby that we may obtain pardon.

4. The believer would consider seriously the dreadfulness of their
condition who are lying under the lash of the law for sin. The law
saith, "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in
the law;" and every sin is a transgression of the law. So that,
according to law and justice, they are in hazard. For every sin in
itself exposeth the sinner to eternal wrath, sin being an offence
against God, who is a righteous judge, and a breach of his law. A right
sight and apprehension of this, would serve to humble the sinner before
God, and make him more earnest in seeking out for pardon, that this
obligation to punishment might be removed.

5. The believer would not only consider the sin itself, but also take
notice of all its aggravations. There are peculiar aggravations of some
sins taken from the time, manner, and other circumstances, which,
rightly considered, will help forward the work of humiliation. And the
sins of believers have this aggravation above the sins of others, that
they are committed against more love, and special love, and against more
opposition and contradiction of the grace of God within the soul,
against more light and conviction, &c. And therefore their humiliation
upon this account ought to be singular and serious. So was it with
David, when he took notice of the special aggravation of his sin, Psalm
li. 4, 6, 14, and Ezra, chap ix. and Nehemiah, chap. ix. and Daniel
chap. ix. This considering of sin, with its due aggravations, would help
to prize mercies at a high rate, and cause the soul more willingly wait
for and more seriously seek after remission; knowing that God is more
angry for great sins, than for sins of infirmity, and may therefore
pursue the same with sorer judgments, as he broke David's bones,
withdrew his comforts, &c.

6. The believer would be convinced of an impossibility of doing anything
in himself which can procure pardon at the hands of God; should he
weep, cry, afflict himself, and pray never so, all will do nothing by
way of merit, for taking away of the least sin that ever he committed;
and the conviction of this would drive him to despair in himself, and be
a mean to bring him cleanly off himself, and to look out for mere mercy
in Christ Jesus. So long as, through the deceitfulness of