the understanding of the prudent, 1. Cor. i. 19. The world, we are informed, by wifdom knew not God, ver. 21. "But God hath chofen the foolish things of the world, to confound the wife; and the weak things of this world, to confound the things that are mighty," ver. 27.

We are commanded to become as little children, Mat. xviii. 4; "Whofoever shall not receive the kingdom of God, as a little child, he fhall not enter therein," Mark x. 15.

And Chrift himself thanked his Father that he had hidden these things from the wife and prudent, and revealed them unto babes, Mat. xi. 25.

We must likewise have in our minds a firm persuasion that God is able and willing to grant us our request. If we attend to the circumftances, which gave occafion to most of our Saviour's mi racles, we fhall find, that the greatest inducement with him to exert this fupernatural agency, was, when he perceived that the perfon brought before him, had full confidence that he fhould receive what he wanted. Hence the expreffions, "Thy faith hath faved thee. Faith hath made thee whole. O woman, great is thy faith. According to your faith be it unto you." Hence we are affured alfo, that "all things whatsoever we afk in prayer, believing, we fhall receive," Matt. xxi. 22. Wherever our Lord found this faith wanting, he declared he could do little for them.

Thirdly. What is the nature of that juftification, which is wrought for us by faith? In the first place then we are juf◄ tified from the guilt of our paft fins. "Through his Name whofoever believeth in him, fhall receive remiffion of fins," A&s x, 43. "Jefus feeing their faith faid unto the fick of the palfy, Son, be of good chear; thy fins be forgiven thee," Matt. ix. 2. "And when he saw their faith, he faid unto him, Man, thy fins are forgiven thee," Luke v. 20. "There is therefore now no condem nation to them which are in Chrift Jefus," Rom. viii. 1.

Secondly. We are faved from the power of fin: that is, fin has loft its dominion over us; we are no longer flaves to it. We no longer regard God as a fevere mafter, but as an indulgent Father. "We have not received again the fpirit of bondage, but the Spirit of Adoption, whereby we cry Abba, Father; the Spirit itfelf bearing witnefs with our fpirit, that we are the children of God."

Thirdly. "Being juftified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jefus Chrift: By whom we have accefs by faith into this grace wherein we ftand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God," Rom. v. 1, 2, And again, verfes 10, 11, "For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." And not only fo, but we also joy in God, through our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift, by whom we have now received the atonement," Rom. v. 11. He therefore that is jufüfied by faith, poffeffes the moft folid peace and fatisfaction which

he

he is capable of enjoying in this life; his heart is filled with gra titude to the Supreme Being, he fees the hand of God ftretched out before him, wherever he goes: It is his meat and drink, his conftant ftudy and fincereft delight, to do the Will of his Father. who is in heaven; while he lives, he lives to his glory, and when. he dies, he dies triumphant.

I proceed, laftly, to confider the doctrine of the New Birth, or the work of regeneration in the foul of man. If we admit that man in his natural ftate is dead in fin, and reflect for a moment that "without holinefs, as the Scripture affures us, no one can fee the Lord," we must at once be convinced of the neceffity of fome very important change being effected in our lives and conduct, before we can be acceptable in the fight of God. Now the word of God tells us, that we are not only finners by practice and habit, but that we are born in fin, "that we are eftranged from the womb." "That we go aftray as foon as we are born: " with many other paffages of a fimilar import, Pfalm lviii. 3, 9. Our Saviour declares, Except a man be born again he cannot fee the kingdom of God." Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, to whom our Lord was at that time addreffing himself, faith unto him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the fecond time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jefus anfwered, Verily, verily, I fay unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the fpirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God," John iii. 3. 5.

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Two things principally offer themfelves to our confideration on the prefent fubject. First, the nature of the New Birth, or in what the work of regeneration confifts. Secondly, By what means. this work is accomplished in us.

"If any man be in Chrift, he is a new creature; old things are paffed away; behold, all things are become new," 2 Cor. v. 17. Mr. Wefley has expreffed himfelf upon this point fo clearly, that. I cannot forbear quoting his own words. "Before a child is born into the world, he has eyes but fees not: he has ears, but does not hear. He has a very imperfect use of any other fenfe. He has no knowledge of any of the things of the world, or any natural understanding. To that manner of exiftence which he then has, we do not even give the name of life. It is then only when. a man is born, that we fay, He begins to live. For as foon as he is born, he begins to fee the light, and the various objects with which he is encompaffed. His ears are then opened, and he hears the founds which fucceffively flrike upon them. At the fame time all the other organs of fenfe begin to be exercifed upon their proper objects. He likewife breathes and lives in a manner wholly different from what he did before. How exactly doth the parallel hold, in all thefe inftances? While a man is in a mere natural flate, before he is born of God, he has, in a fpiritual fenfe, eyes, and fees not; a thick impenetrable veil lies upon them. He has cars, but hears not; he is utterly deaf to what he is moft of all concerned

concerned to hear. His other fpiritual fenfes are all locked up; he is in the fame condition as if he had them not. Hence he has no knowledge of God, no intercourfe with him; he is not at all acquainted with him. He has no true knowledge of the things of God, either of spiritual or eternal things. Therefore though he be a living man, he is a dead chriftian."

But as foon as he is born of God, as foon as he is regenerate, or, in the language of St. Paul, "becomes a new creature, old things are paffed away;" many of thofe objects, the poffeffion of which conftituted formerly his higheft felicity, are now regarded with indifference; feveral of them with deteftation and abhorrence. The pleasures of fenfe, the applaufe of the world, the accumulation of wealth, the love of power, have no longer dominion over him. He loves God above all things, and his neighbour as himself. Freely he has received, and freely he gives. He efleems no man his enemy; and those whom he formerly regarded as fuch, he can cordially receive into his bofom. His very best actions upon which he before fo much prided himself, and by which he vainly expected to merit heaven, he now perceives, not only to be unprofitable, but to have in them the nature of fin. Rom. xiii. 23. In short, creation itfelf wears a new afpect. Every thing around him appears to bear the ftamp of the divine image. He views himfelf in the light of a prifoner at large; of one who had been immured all his life within the dark and dreary walls of a dungeon, and is now permitted to fee the light of the fun: "the eyes of his understanding are opened:" the light of God's countenance fhines upon him; and he feels the love of God fhed abroad in his heart." The moft trifling omiffion, the most venial error, now fills him with remorfe: and if he neglect any opportunity of prayer and praife; if he lofe fight of his Creator, or live as it were without God in the world, but for one moment, his confcience accufes him, and he can take no reft, and admit of no comfort, till by repentance he have received fresh affurances of forgiveness, and made his peace with God. He now finds "that wisdom's ways, are ways of pleasantnefs, and all her paths are peace," Prov. iii. 17.

He goes on progreffively from one degree of holiness to another, he grows in grace, and in the knowledge and love of Chrift, he fights the good fight of faith and finishes his courfe with joy and gladness. This is the nature of the New Birth, " and fo is every one that is born of the fpirit."

Secondly. We are to confider by what means this work is accomplished in us. It is evident from Reason as well as Scripture, that man by the aid of his own reafon and ftrength alone, can never be able to effect this change in himself. He cannot devote himself entirely to a life of piety and virtue, and persevere in it, trufting merely in his own ability. Surrounded, as he continually is, with trials and difficulties, he never can fuccefsfully oppose them all, and come off conqueror by dint of mere affi

duity, or by the power of his own fingle exertions. For fo great is the propensity to evil, and fo numerous the temptations to commit it, that although by vigorous and determined efforts, he may be fometimes-kept from falling; yet, the practice of virtue can never become habitual, and he will always remain a stranger to that peace of mind which true religion is alone capable of infpiring. The prophet Jeremiah tells us, ch. x. 23," That the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." And again, ch. xiii. 23, "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the Leopard his fpots? Then may ye alfo do good, that are accustomed to do evil." In Paul's epiftle to the Galatians, we read, "The flesh lufteth against the fpirit, and the fpirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other: fo that ye cannot do the things ye would." Our Lord himself. declares our natural inability to ferve God, when he tells us, that "No man knoweth the Son, but the Father: neither knoweth any man the Father, fave the Son, and he to whom foever the Son will reveal him," Matt. xi. 27. It appears then, that this great and important work of regeneration in our fouls, can be effected by no lefs a power than God himself. "By grace are ye faved through Faith; and that not of yourfelves: it is the gift of God," Eph. ii. 8. By the grace of God, fays St. Paul, I am, what 1 Cor. 10. And this Grace is the free gift of God thro' Chrift, John. vi. 65. "As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the Vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the Vine, ye are the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the fame bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing," John xv. 4. 5. "No man can come unto me, except the Father, who hath fent me, draw him ; and I will Taife him up at the laft day," John vi. 44.

I am,"

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From thefe paffages in Holy Scripture, (and they are very few in comparison of what might be brought in proof of what we have advanced;) it is to me undubitably clear, that in order to walk uprightly with our God, and do his will during our pilgri mage here, we must receive Divine Aid; we muft, in fhort receive a portion of the Divine Spirit; we must be no longer under the law, but under grace, Rom. vi. 14. And this grace is the free and undeferved gift of God through Chrift.

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To fuch as are already converted to God, I fhall be excufed if I offer one word of advice: It is applicable to all of us, and cannot in my opinion, be too often impreffed upon our memories. It may be fummed up briefly in the Apoftle's own words, " Let him that thinketh he ftandeth, take heed left he fall," 1 Cor. x. 12. Now we fhould remember the conditions, on which God has promised never to leave nor forfake us; viz. that we never leave nor forfake him. A ftate of grace is only to be preferved by the fame means which were inftrumental in procuring it for us at first; and these are, frequent and fervent communion with God in prayer, religious converfation, a ftritt guard upon our conduct, and ex

3

horting

borting each other, as opportunity occurs, respecting the duties we owe to God, our neighbour, and ourselves, are amongst other qualifications, requifite to make us hold faft the profession of our Faith without wavering, Heb. 10. 23." And let us not be weary in well-doing for in due feafon we fhall reap, if we faint not," Gal. vi. 9. The prize is to those who endure to the end. "No man having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God," Luke ix. 62. "The backflider in heart fhall be filled with his own ways: and a good man fhall be fatisfied from himfelf, Prov. xiv. 14. In 2 Pet. ii. 21. we read, "it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them." St. Paul paints the dreadful confequences of falling from a ftate of grace, "For if we fin wilfully, after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more facrifice for fins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment, and fiery indignation, which fhall devour the adverfaries. He that defpifed Mofes' law, died without mercy, under two or three witneffes: Of how much forer punishment, fuppofe ye, fhall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was fanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of Grace," Heb. x. #6,-29. May we be found in the number of those whọ haye laboured, and have not fainted, Rev. ii. 3; who have held the beginning of our confidence fted faft unto the end, Heb. iii. #4: and after having fought the good fight of faith, and finished our course here, be received into everlafting habitations, and hear thefe comfortable words of our Saviour applied unto us, "Well done, thou good and faithful fervant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.' I am your fincere friend, DISNEY ALEXANDER.

Nov. 18, 1795.

[To be continued.]

A DISCOURSE ON SANCTIFICATION.

BY MR. PAWSON.

[ Concluded from page 225. ]

IN I Lord shall be accomplished in

'N the third place I propofed to confider, By what means

us.

We are told in the text itself, "Through, or by means of the truth." But the word Truth is not always used in the fame fenfe in the New Teftament. Sometimes by the truth we are to understand Chrift. himfelf: So he speaks, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life, no man cometh to the Father but by me." If by the word Truth, in the text, our Lord means himself, then VOL. XIX. June, 1796.

it