Of _this_ the Holy Spirit convinces them—of _this_ they are ashamed—for _this_ they feel condemned by the holy law of God—from _this_ they are turned, and being convinced they feel their need of a Saviour, a surety, a better righteousness than their own, this makes them _sincere_ in their pursuits. To such as these the Lord speaks—“Hearken unto me ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord.” And as they follow after righteousness so they are said to follow holiness, to follow the Lamb who is both the righteousness and the holiness of his church, and are made sincere by grace. In this pursuit they will not rest. To such as these the gospel invitation is given, even to the _poor_, who are convinced that they are not able to pay the demands of the law halt, who through temptation, unbelief, and erroneous characters, waver in their minds about some of the great truths of God—lame and maimed feel their own weakness, helplessness, wounded in spirit, nor can they get on in the divine life—_blind_ about their interest in Christ for a season. Such are those who _sincerely_ know themselves to be what God declares have a right to all the precious privileges of the gospel. And it is such as these the Lord has pronounced blessed in his sermon on the mount in eight particulars; as the poor in spirit emptied of all supposed goodness in themselves, mourning in mind on account of sin and abused goodness—meek, humble, docile, teachable, hungry and thirsty, which includes sensations of pain, desire and pursuit—merciful to the souls, bodies, and names of others—pure in heart by receiving the atonement and by the indwelling of the spirit—and the word peace-makers in the church—loving to those who belong to God—hating variance, strife, and pride, persecuted for imputed and imparted righteousness-sake, for decidedness in the cause of Christ—though reviled, yet falsely, such have their reward in heavenly smiles now and to all eternity in a better world—these are those who are sincere—chastened, tempted, tossed, dejected, broken in nature by the fall, and in heart by grace, sorrowing on account of sin and over a suffering Saviour. To those who are so _sincerely_ tried the Saviour opened his commission in the synagogue, taking his sweet text from Isaiah—“The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to captives and the opening of the prison doors to those that are bound, to set at liberty those that are bruised, to comfort all that mourn.” These are characters to whom Christ can only be precious—the whole in their own estimation need him not. I came not to call such but sinners to repentance; and being called into a state of repentance, that grace will flow sweetly when love, mercy and goodness is felt. This is the Holy Spirit’s description of those that are _sincere_. He has condescended to