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things," hath great reason to suspect the absence of the divine life in his soul. There may be much that marks a resemblance to the new birth; there may be the portrait finely executed, the marble statue exquisitely chiselled, but there is not the living man, "the new creature." We can expect no increase of perfection in a finished picture, or in a piece of statuary; that that hath not life in it cannot grow. This is self evident.

An individual may look like a believer, and even die, with a false peace, like the righteous, and all the while retain his dwelling among the tombs. But the spirit we are now considering is that of a man truly "born again." Phil. iii. 12-14. "Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect; but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark," &c. O holy resolve of a regenerate man! Here is the springing up of the well of living water in the heart. Here is the turning of the soul to God. See how the fountain riseth! See how the flame ascendeth! It is the mighty energy of God the Holy Ghost, drawing the soul upward, heavenward, Godward.

Let not the Christian reader close this chapter with a burthened heart. Let no dear child of God "write hard and bitter things against himself," as he reads this last sentence. Let him not come to any hasty, unbelieving, doubting, and God-dishonouring conclusions. What art thou to thyself?-worthless-vile-empty? What is Jesus to thee?-precious-lovely-all thy salvation and all thy desire? What is sin to thee?— the most hateful thing in the world? And what is holiness?—the most lovely, the most longed for? What is the throne of grace to thee?-the most attractive spot? And the cross? - the sweetest resting place in the universe? What is God to thee?-thy God and Father-the spring of all thy joys-the fountain-head of all thy bliss -the centre where thy affections meet? Is it so? Then, thou art born again-then, thou art a child of God-then, thou shalt never die eternally. Cheer up, precious soul! the day of thy redemption draweth nigh. Those low views of thyselfthat brokenness, that inward mourning, that secret confession, that longing for more spirituality, more grace, more devotedness, more love, doth but prove the existence, reality, and growth of God's work within thee. God, the Holy Spirit, is there, and these are but the fruits and evidences of his indwelling. Look up, then, beloved

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reader, and let the thought cheer thee,-that soul never perished, that felt itself to be vile, and Jesus to be precious.

Thus, have we endeavoured to unfold some of the prominent and essential attributes of the great work of regeneration. The next chapter will exhibit the Author of the work, and a more experimental and practical view of its nature and tendency. And, may the anointing of the Holy Ghost rest upon the reader while perusing it.

CHAPTER III.

THE SPIRIT, A QUICKENER.

THE SOUL, AFTER CONVERSION.

"That which is born of the Spirit is spirit." John iii. 6.

No truth shines with clearer lustre in the divine word, than that, salvation, from first to last, is of God. It is convincingly and beautifully shewn to be, the work of the glorious Trinity in unity. Each person of the Godhead occupying a distinct and peculiar office, and yet all engaged upon, and, as it were, coalescing in, this mighty undertaking. The Father, is represented as giving his elect in covenant engagement to his Son, John xvii. 2. The Son, is represented as assuming in eternity the office of Surety, and, in the "fulness of time," appearing in human form, and suffering for their sins upon the cross, Rom. viii. 3. The Holy Ghost, is represented as convincing of sin, working faith in the heart, and leading to the atoning blood, John xvi. 8. Thus is salvation shewn to be the entire work of the Triune God, distinct in

office, yet one in purpose. We have now more immediately to do with that department in the stupendous plan, ascribed especially and peculiarly to God the Eternal Spirit.

We have already viewed the sinner in the various phases of his unconverted state. Awful did that state appear! The understanding, the will, the affections all dark, perverted, and alienated from God;-yea, enmity and death marking every unconverted man. We have seen this state reversed. The temple restored, and God dwelling again with men. The heart brought back to its lawful Sovereign, and clinging to him with all the grasp of its renewed affections. Darkness suc

ceeded by light, enmity by love, ingratitude by praise and the whole soul, turning with the rapidity and certainty of the magnetic needle, to God, the centre of its high and holy attraction. To whose power are we to attribute this marvellous change? To the sinner himself? That cannot be. For, the very principle that led to the first step in departure from God, and which still urges him on in every successive one, supplies him with no adequate power nor motive to return. To the mere exercise of some other human agency? That is equally impossible. For, in the whole empire of created intelligence, God has no where delegated such power and authority to a single

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