fruitful," 2 Pet. i. 18. Were there a more diligent and prayerful study of God's word-a more regular and constant attendance upon a stated ministry (if that ministry be found productive of spiritual benefit), connected with frequent seasons of retirement, consecrated to meditation, self-examination, and secret prayer, there would be less of that superficial Christianity which marks the many in this day of high and universal profession. We want more depth of knowledge-more spirituality-more experience-more of the life and power of true godliness, in a word, more of the anointing and sanctifying influences of the Holy Ghost in the church.

But, in the exception that we make, we refer to a knowledge of the truth that is not saving in its effects, is not influential in its character, and which has its place in the judgement only;-assented to, approved of, and even ably and successfully vindicated, while the soul, the seat of life, the will, the instrument of holiness,-and the heart, the home of love, are all unrenewed by the Holy Spirit. Beloved reader, you cannot be too distinctly nor too earnestly informed, that, there is a great difference in divine knowledge. There is a knowledge of the truth, in the attainment of which, a man may labour diligently, and in the possession of which, he may look like a

believer; but which may not come under that denomination of a knowledge of Christ, in allusion to which our dear Lord, in his memorable prayer, uses these words, "This is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." John xvii. 3. The fatal error, to which you are exposed is,―O that you may have escaped it!-the substituting a knowledge of divine truth in the judgement, for the quickening grace of God in the heart. It is surprising, how far an outwardly moral individual may go in divine attainments-spiritual knowledge-eminent gifts-and even great usefulness, and yet retain the carnal mind, the rebellious will, the unhumbled and unbroken heart. If the volume of divine truth had not informed us of this, and supplied us with some striking and solemn cases in proof, we should be perpetually beguiled into the belief that, a head filled with rational, speculative, theoretical truth, must necessarily be connected with some degree of divine grace in the affections. But not so. Balaam's knowledge of divine things was deep; he could ask counsel of God, and prophecy of Christ, but where is the undoubted evidence that he "knew the grace God in truth?" Saul prophesied, had "another spirit" given him, and asked counsel of God, but Saul's heart was unchanged by the Holy Spirit.

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Herod sent for John and "heard him gladly, and did many things," and yet his heart and his life were strangers to holiness. Addressing the Pharisees, the apostle employs this striking language, "Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, and knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law:" and yet deep hypocrisy was their crying sin. O let no man be so deceived as to substitute knowledge for grace. Better that his knowledge of the truth should be limited to its mere elements, its first principles, and yet with it, be enabled to say,-"Behold I am vile,' but 'He hath loved me and given himself for me,'" than to possess "all knowledge," and live and die destitute of the renewing grace of God upon the heart.

Still further may an individual go in an approximation to the evidences of true godliness, and yet remain unregenerate. He may possess eminent spiritual gifts-fluency of expression in prayer-great exhortatory powers-eloquence in preaching clear discrimination in spiritual subjects -the discerning of spirits-the gift of speaking and of interpreting of tongues,-and yet continue a graceless soul, retain the "carnal mind," and the "heart of flesh." What, we ask, is the most instructive and solemn page in the history of the Corin

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thian church?-that which teaches us that, great gifts may exist in union with great impiety. In other words, that gifts are not graces. That an individual, or a community of individuals, may possess the gifts that edify, and at the same time be destitute of the grace that humbles and sanctifies. On the other hand, how frequently is the union found to exist, of feeble natural and acquired gifts, with great grace-deep spirituality, and even extensive usefulness. The tongue has stammered in prayer;-thought, deep welled in the mind, has found no adequate utterance;feelings, burning in the heart, no outlet;-a glowing and spiritually-chastened imagination, no conductor;—and yet, in the man's secret life, there has been the holy and close walk of a patriarch, and in his public one, the self-consuming zeal of an apostle. God has revealed to him the secret of his love; Christ has opened to him the treasures of his grace; and the Holy Spirit has sealed him to the day of redemption. Well might an eminent prelate have exclaimed, as he surveyed a spectacle like this "The poor illiterate world attain to heaven, while we, with all our learning, fall into hell."

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One step further would we go. There may strong light and conviction of sin in the conscience (Heb. vi. 4)-deep distress of soul in the near

prospect of death and eternity (Acts xxiv. 25)this, succeeded by solemn vows, purposes, and resolutions (Exod. ix. 27, 28)—and this, by a species of joy (Matt. xiii. 20)-connected with an external mortification of sin (Acts viii. 12, 13)— and yet, the mighty and spiritual process of regeneration, not even have commenced in the soul. Far be it from us to say that, the Spirit of God may not employ these as means of conversion,-he may, he often does; yet, they may exist alone and apart from any connexion with a work of grace. We are aware that, in shewing what regeneration is not, we have assumed high and solemn ground, and have advanced statements which, if supported by the scriptures of truth, (and we have endeavoured to fortify every position by the word of God) will break up the lying refuges, and undermine the spurious hopes, and explode the false evidences, and rend in twain the specious covering of many, now dwelling in the outer courts of Christianity, and making "a fair shew" of religion "in the flesh." Gal. vi. 12. But, the vast importance of the subject, and its vital relation to the eternal happiness of the soul, demanded from us a close investigation of the false evidences of this great work. We now proceed to view positively, the nature of Regeneration.

Need we enlarge upon the moral state of the