Chrift and him crucified, that whether they live or die they may be the Lord's? If this is the cafe, you have just ground to fear that you are of that unhappy number who "favor not the things that be of God, but the things that "be of man."

3. Another excellent evidence of regeneration is, the Xmoderation of our attachment to worldly enjoyments in general, and habitual fubmiflion to the will of God. So foon as this change takes place, it will immediately and certainly abate the measure of our attachment to all earthly things. Formerly they were the all of the foul, its portion and its reft; but now a clear difcovery being made of greater and better bleffings, they muft fall back into the fecond place. There is a wonderful difference between the rate and value of prefent poffeflions of any kind, in the eye of him who lives under the impreffions of eternity, and of him who believes it but uncertainly, who understands it very imperfectly, and who thinks of it as feldom as confcience will give him leave. It must be confeffed we are all apt to be immoderate in our attachment to outward blessings; this is the effect and evidence of the weaknefs of our faith: but, fo far as faith is in exercife, it must mortify carnal affection. There is no way in which an object appears fo little, as when it is contrafted with one infinitely greater, which is plainly the cafe here. The truth is, time and eternity, things temporal and things fpiritual, are the oppofite and rival objects of human attention and esteem. It is impoffible that one of them can be exalted, or obtain influence in any heart, without a proportional depreffion of the other. They are, alfo, as they feverally prevail, the marks to diftinguith those who are, and those who are not, brought again from the dead. For as the apofile fays, "To be carnally mind"ed is death, but to be fpiritually minded is life and "peace. ""*

Further, it is not only in abating the measure of our attachment to worldly things that religion fhews itself, and the change is difcovered, but in the ufe and applica

Rom. viii. 6.

tion of them. The real Chriftian's powers and faculties, poffeffions and influence, are confecrated to God. His abilities are laid out for the glory of God. He no more confiders them as a mean of excelling others, and getting to himself a name, but of doing good. He finds it his highest pleasure to ferve God with his talents; he thinks it his duty to plead for him in his converfation, to honor him with his fubftance, to enforce and ratify the divine laws by his authority and example.

The fame thing fhews plainly why a Chriftian must manifeft his new nature by fubmiffion to the divine will. Does he receive his mercies from God? Does he love them lefs than God? Does he esteem it his duty to use them in his fervice? And can he poffibly refuse to refign them to his pleasure? I am fenfible that refignation to the will of God, abfolute and unconditional, is a very dif ficult duty, but it is what every believer habitually ftudies to attain. He chides his remaining impatience and complaints, grieves at the continuing ftruggles of his imperfectly renewed will, and is fenfible that in this the fuperiority of his affection to God above the creature ought to appear. Unrenewed perfons, when their earthly hopes are disappointed, immediately renew the purfuit; they only change the object to one more within their reach, or they alter their measures, and endeavor to amend the fcheme; but real Chriftians, receiving a conviction of the vanity of all created things, seek their refuge and confolation in the fulness and all-fufficiency of God.

SECT. IV.

A more particular enquiry into what properly constitutes the sincerity of the change.

TH

HUS I have given a fuccinct view of the most remarkable effects and vifible evidences of regeneration. I cannot, however, fatisfy myself with this, because I am perfuaded the great question is, how far they ought to go, ad to what measure of strength and uniformity they ought to arrive. There are not a few who may,

in a certain degree, fincerely think themselves possessed of most or all the difpofitions mentioned above, whose state is nevertheless very much to be fufpected. On the other hand, perhaps, fome of the humbleft, that is to say, the very best, may be in much fear concerning themselves, because they do not perceive either that vigor or fleadiness in their holy difpofitions which they greatly defire and are fenfible they ought to attain. Befides, what hath been hitherto faid is only general, viz. that those who are born again will have new apprehenfions of things, will be humble, mortified to the world, and fubmiffive to the will of God. In this way it will be most applicable to, or at least most sensible in thofe, who had once gone great lengths in profanity, and were, by the almighty and fovereign grace of God, fnatched as " brands from the burning." The oppofition between their new and old characters is ordinarily fo great, that it will not admit of any doubt. To fome others it may be necessary to make a more ftrict and particular enquiry into the nature of fincerity, and what is the full and proper evidence of the reality of the change.

That the reader may form as clear and diftinct conceptions on this fubject as poffible, he may be pleased to recollect what was obferved above, That perfect holiness confifts in having the heart wholly poffeft by the love of God, without the mixture of any inferior or bafer paffion; and that regeneration confifts in a fupreme defire to glorify God, and a preference of his favor to every other enjoyment. Now what chiefly occafions difficulty in difcerning the reality of this change is, that there is much unfubdued fin remaining in the children of God, and that there are many counterfeit graces, or appearances of religion, in those who are, notwithstanding, in the " "bitternefs, and in the bond of iniquity."

gall of

That there is a great degree of unmortified corruption ftill remaining in the faints of God, and that not fo much as one is wholly free from it, is apparent from too many melancholy proofs. It appears from the pathetic complaint of the apoftle Paul, formerly referred to, of the law in his members warring against the law of God in his

mind. It appears, alfo, from the grofs fins into which fome eminently holy perfons have been fuffered occafionally to fall, through the ftrength of temptation, as David's adultery and murder, Solomon's idolatry, the apostle Peter's denial of his mafter, and feveral others recorded in fcripture.

On the other hand, there are alfo counterfeit graces, common or imperfect operations of the Spirit, which do not issue in a real conversion and faving change. This it will be proper to keep in mind, and perhaps, also, to attend a little to the proofs of it both from fcripture and experience. That the word of God has fome effect even upon those who continue unrenewed, is plain from many examples recorded in the facred volume. We read of a Felix trembling at the thoughts of a judgment to come: "And as he reafoned of righteoufnefs, temperance and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go "thy way for this time, when I have a convenient feafon "I will call for thee."* But we are not informed that he ever found that convenient season, or defired to hear any more of such words.

In the parable of the fower we have a character described of those who not only "heard" the word, but "received it with joy," and on whom it had an immediate and vifible, though only a temporary effect. "Some fell upon ftony places, where they had not much earth, and forth"with they fprung up, because they had no deepness of "earth; and when the fun was up they were fcorched,

and, because they had no root, they withered away.†— "He that received the feed into ftony places, the fame is "he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth "it; yet hath he no root in himself, but dureth for a "while for when tribulation or perfecution arifeth be"cause of the word, by and by he is offended."‡ We read alfo of a Herod, who not only heard the word gladly, but did many things." For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a juft man, and an holy, and obferved “him, and when he heard him he did many things, and * Acts xxiv. 25. † Matth. xiii. 5, 6, Ibid. ver. 20, 21.

"heard him gladly."* Nay, we fee even Ahab, the profane prince of Ifrael, humbling himfelf, and putting on fackcloth, under the denunciation of divine wrath. Neither have we any reafon, from the circumftances of the ftory, to believe that this was wholly hypocritical, but the contrary. "And it came to pafs when Ahab heard thefe "words, that he rent his clothes, and put fackcloth on his "flefh, and fafted, and lay in fackcloth, and went foftly."+ These things, and all others of the fame kind, even in wicked men, are reprefented as the effect of the operation of the Spirit, in many paffages of fcripture. I fhall only mention one, which is pretty remarkable, and well merits our attention. "For it is impoffible for those who were once enlight“ened, and have tafted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good "word of God, and the power of the world to come, if "they fhould fall away, to renew them again to repen"tance, feeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God "afresh, and put him to an open fhame."+

The fame thing indeed appears plainly from the state of the world, and in a particular manner from that variety of partial characters which I have formerly defcribed. There are many things which have a religious appearance, and are taken by the deluded poffeffor for religion, when at bottom there is no real religion at all; and "mene tekel" fhall be written upon them in the day of trial. There is a long gradation of characters between the openly profane finner, with a hardened heart, a feared confcience, and a fhameless countenance, on the one hand; and the refined, felf-deceiving hypocrite, with his duties and his forms, on the other: between those who are furious, violent, and malignant enemies to religion in profeffion and practice; and thofe, who answer difcreetly with the young man in the gofpel; and of whom it may be faid, as our Saviour fays of him, that they " are not far from the king"dom of God." This fhews at once the importance and difficulty of pointing out the great and diftinguishing characters of real religion, and fhewing how it effentially dif fers from all counterfeits.

* Mark vi. 20.

1 Kings xxi. 27.

Heb. vi. 4.