that frequent those solemnities. Or if, at such times, there may be something of a more than ordinary seriousness; yet, by one temptation or other, we very often see those sacred bonds broken; and persons give themselves a loose to act, as if they had never come under such obligations.

So that upon the whole, it can be no breach of charity to say, that many are enrolled among the number of communicants, whose names are not written in the book of life. And therefore, there is a great deal of difference betwixt a man's being allowed to pass for a christian, now; and his being found really such, at last; without which, he cannot be admitted into heaven.

But before I set myself to enlarge on that, it is very fit to add; That even at present, the distinguishing privileges and blessings of the real christian are such, as these nominal christians intermeddle not with: it may be said concerning them, with reference to these privileges, that they have neither part nor lot in the matter.

The grand blessing of the gospel is, peace with God: but it is impossible to obtain this, if we are not made new creatures. The favour of God is indeed the purchase of CHRIST; but it

* If by the favour of God is meant his eternal purpose of love to sinners, or that grace which is IN HIMSELF, instead of being purchased by Christ, Christ himself is the fruit of it, and that gift in which, above all others, the love of the Father is illustriously displayed. God commendeth his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us......There neither is nor can be any preparation for an interest in this love.

Christ did not suffer and die either to render God gracious, or prepare sinners for his favour; but he died because God, while determined to maintain the honour of his justice, had a purpose of love, and was resolved to be gracious ;.....and that these who were

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is what none shall be interested in, that are not prepared for it. He will never present any to the Father, as objects of his special love, till they are fit to be presented to him. We must be restored to the likeness of the Deity, or we can never be restored to his complacential love. Hence it is that the new Birth, by which we are created again in the image of God, becomes necessary to our being qualified for the marks of his special favour.

Another very high privilege of the gospel, is our union and communion with Christ. We are made one with him, and derive all our supplies from him: Which we cannot possibly be, except the same mind be in us, which was also in Christ Jesus. All the members of his body must, in some measure, be conformed to their head. Unless we should suppose, that this mystical body is like the image of Nebuchadnezzar; the head gold, but the feet iron and clay. And then what must become of such a text as that, Be ye holy, for I am holy? Or where would be the just reasoning of that other place, What communion hath light with darkness? and what concord hath Christ with Belial? 2 Cor. vi. 14, 15.

Farther; we cannot have peace in our own consciences, nor obtain a settled composed temper of mind, without such a change; this is necessary to remove our confusions, our guilt, our fears, and our reigning corruptions.

the objects of his love might enjoy the fruits of it to all eternity. Had it not been for the favour of God, Redemption had never been contrived, nor Christ chosen and constituted the Saviour. But God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever be lieveth in him might not perish but have everlasting life: which declaration now should, and sooner or later will, make all who know the GIFT of God make these words the burden of their song, Thanks be unto God for bis unspeakable gift.

There is an essential difference between God's love of good will to sinners, and the complacency he has in such as are conformed to his image. EDITOR.

And then again; those joys and consolations that proceed from the good Spirit of God, are only to be expected as consequent upon his renewing influences and operations. Where he is not a converting, he will not be a comforting Spirit.

Now let him that readeth, understand: And if he does so, I am persuaded, he must be convinced, that no man can be a real christian, except he be born again. Without this, he cannot perform the duties of religion aright; nor can he be interested in the peculiar and most desirable privileges of christianity: and therefore whatever he may seem to be, or to do, in the eye of the world; he neither is, nor does, what God requires and expects from him. So that however he may pass for a christian at present, he shall not be admitted to the happiness of such at last. This I am now to insist on, by shewing,

II. That no man shall enter into the kingdom of God above, or dwell in his glorious presence in heaven, unless he be born again.

And here let me afresh summon the attention of him that hears or reads. If what has been said already, has made no suitable impressions; yet something may now possibly be offered, that shall find a nearer and quicker way to thy heart.

May I not suppose it is a pleasure to thee, to hear of heaven? And that thou art, sometimes, ready to talk of it too? Nay, is not the hope of being saved, become a familiar expression in all parts of thy conversation? What, if after all the pleasing things thou hast heard of that blissful place, and all thy presumptuous hope of arriving at it, thou shouldest never come there? Canst thou bear such a thought, without being startled and concerned? Well, I am now in plain terms to assure thee, that except thou art renewed and born again, thou shalt never enter into heaven.

1. Thy LORD and SAVIOUR has most expresly declared

this, and his faithfulness stands engaged to make it good.

Besides the text I am upon, and the repetition of the same thing a little after; it is made as indispensably necessary to salvation, in other places of scripture, as in these, Matth. xviii. 3. Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again, Acts iii. 19. Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. And in Heb. xii. 14. we are told, that without holiness no man shall see the Lord: that is, holiness of nature, which is productive of holiness in the life. Once more, Rev. xxi. 5. He that sat upon the throne, is represented as saying, Behold I make all things new: Upon this it is, that those who have overcome, are made to inherit all things; even as thus renewed: But without this, it is absolutely determined in the last verse of that chapter, there shall in no wise enter into it (the heavenly Jerusalem) any thing that defileth.

Now can it be expected that, after all this, God should not keep to his word? If such declarations as these be looked upon as false, the promise of happiness joined with them must be false too.

They are wretched mistakes, which, on both hands, men run into; when they think, that an infinitely holy unchangeable God will deal, either more mercifully, or more severely with them, than he has spoken in his word. Yet so it is; that, whilst some of timorous and melancholy dispositions, can hardly be persuaded to believe, God will be so gracious and merciful as the scriptures represent him; there are others of more sanguine tempers, that are ready to conclude, God will not condemn them to endless misery, although they live in those sins, against which, everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord is most expressly denounced. Thus men are ready to judge of the great God, by themselves; and because they do not so carefully observe their freindly promises, nor so fully execute their hasty threatenings, as to make them good without

varying from them, therefore they conclude, it is thus with God.

Whereas the very foundation, and principle of all religion, is the TRUTH OF GOD. For if it could be supposed that God dealt deceitfully with his creatures, or that he would vary from the settled rules of his government and procedure, so as to become either better or worse than his word; he would no longer be a proper object of that honour, and trust, and obedience, which he requires of us. Wheresoever therefore any thing is expressly insisted on as a term of salvation, there can be no dispensing with it, no admission into heaven without it; nor will any thing, of our contriving, be accepted in the room of it,

It is not what way I would prescribe, if I was to chuse the method of obtaining eternal life; but the way settled and appointed by God, that every man ought to study, and with which he must entirely comply. Let men lay what schemes of salvation they please; let them insist upon the common forms of worship, or a heat and zeal for a particular party, as the way to heaven: Or let them contrive, in some singular and reserved way of their own, to give up themselves to God; yet if no real thorough change be made in their souls, they are still to seek for the true way of salvation. It is the express declaration of our Lord, and all the powers on earth shall never be able to alter his measures and proceedings, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. If it was becoming the divine goodness and perfection, to make such a declaration; infinite truth, and justice, require it should be made good. God will not act inconsistently with his word to save any. But consider farther;

2. It is wholly disagreeable to the purity and holiness of God (as well as his faithfulness and unchangeableness) to admit such into his presence and favour, as are unsanctified and unrenewed.

The scripture has described the abhorrence which there is