This appears from our Saviour's affertion, that we must be "born again." It appears from a great variety of other fcripture phrases, and is the certain confequence of fome of the most effential doctrines of the gospel.

With what jealoufy ought this to fill many of the ftate of their fouls? How flight and inconfiderable a thing is it that with multitudes passes for religion? especially in these days of ferenity and funfhine to the church, when they are not compelled by danger to weigh the matter with deliberation? A few cold forms, a little outward decency, fome faint defires, rather than endeavors, is all they can afford for fecuring their everlasting happiness. Can the weaknefs and infufficiency of these things poffibly appear in a stronger light than when true religion is confidered as a new creation, and a fecond birth? If the infpired writers be allowed to exprefs themselves either with propriety or truth, it is painful to think of the unhappy deluded state of fo great a number of our fellow-finners.

ed it.

Will fo great a change take place, and yet have no vifible effect? Had any great change happened in your worldly circumftances, from riches to poverty, or from po verty to riches, all around you would have fpeedily difcernHad any fuch change happened in your health, it had been impoffible to conceal it. Had it happened in your intellectual accomplishments, from ignorance to knowledge, it would have been quickly celebrated. How comes it then to be quite undifcernable, when it is from fin to holiness? I am fenfible that men are very ingenious in juftifying their conduct, and very fuccefsful in deceiv ing themfelves. They will tell us that religion is a hidden thing, not to be seen by the world, but lying open to his view who judgeth the fecrets of all hearts. And doubtlefs this is, in one view, a great truth: true religion is not gi ven to oftentation; diffident of itself, it is unwilling to promife much, left it fhould be found wanting. But it ought to be confidered that, however concealed the inward principle may be, the practical effects muft of neceflity appear. As one table of the moral law confifts entirely of our duty to others, whoever is born again, and renewed in the fpirit

of his mind, will be found a quite different perfon from what he was before, in his converfation with his fellowcreatures.

Hypocritical pretences to extraordinary fanctity are indeed highly criminal in themselves, and extremely odious in the fight of God. But the prefent age does not seem to have the leaft tendency to this extreme. There is another thing much more common, not lefs abfurd, and infinitely more dangerous to mankind in general: a demand upon the public, that, by an extraordinary effort of charity, they fhould always fuppofe the reality of religion in the heart, when there is not the leaft fymptom of it in the life. Nay, fome are hardly fatisfied even with this, but infift that men fhould believe well of others, not only without, but against evidence. A bad opinion expreffed of a man, even upon the most open inftances of prophanity, is often anfwered with, "What have you to do to judge the heart?" It is amazing to think what inward confolation finners derive to themselves from this claim of forbearance from their fellow-creatures. Let me befeech all fuch to confider, that as God cannot be deceived, and will not be mocked, so in truth they usually deceive none but themselves. Every human affection. when it is ftrong and lively, will discover itself by its apparent effects; and it is as true of religious affections as of any other, that "the tree is known by its "fruits."

But if they have reafon to fufpect themselves whofe change is not visible to others, how much more thofe, who, if they deal faithfully, muft confefs they are quite strangers to any fuch thing in their own hearts. I do not mean that every person should be able to give an account of the time and manner of his converfion. This is often effected in fo flow and gradual a manner, that it cannot be confined to a precife or particular period. But furely those who are no way fenfible of any change in the course of their affections, and the objects at which they are pointed, can fcarcely think that they are born again, or be able to affix a proper meaning to fo ftrong an expreffion. I have read on obfervation of an eminent author, That thofe who eannot remember the time when they were ignorant or

unlearned, have reafon to conclude that they are so still: because, however flow and infenfible the fteps of improvement have been, the effects will at laft clearly appear, by comparison with an uncultivated ftate. In the fame manner, whoever cannot remember the time when he ferved the former lufts in his ignorance, has reafon to conclude that no change deferving the name of regeneration, has ever yet taken place.

It will be, perhaps, accounted an exception to this, that fome are so early formed for the fervice of God, by his bleffing on a pious education, and happily preserved from ever entering upon the deftructive paths of vice, that they cannot be supposed to recollect the time when they were. at enmity with God. But this is an objection of no confequence. The perfons here defcribed have generally fo much tendernefs of confcience, fo deep a fenfe of the evil of fin, that, of all others, they will moft readily discover. and confefs the workings of corruption in their own hearts, and that "law in their members that warreth against the "law of God in their minds." They will be of all others moft fenfible of the growth of the new, and mortification of the old nature; and will often remember the folly and vanity of youth, in instances that by most others would have been reckoned perfectly harmless.

What hath been faid in this fection, is exprefsly defigned to awaken fuch fecure and carelefs formalifts as may have any general belief of the word of God. To be bor again must be a great change. Can you then suppose that you have undergone this not only without any application to it, but without fo much as being sensible of it, or being able to discover its proper effects..

SECT. II.

This expression, EXCEPT A MAN BE BORN AGAIN, and other similar expressions, imply, that the change here intended is not merely partial, but universal.

A

NEW birth evidently implies an univerfal change. It must be of the whole man, not in fome particuVOL. I. N

lars, but in all without exception. As this is a truth which naturally arises from the fubject, fo it is a truth of the last moment and importance, which merits the moft ferious attention of ali those who defire to keep themselves from illufion and self-deceit in this interefting question.

Innumerable are the deceits of Satan. If he cannot kecp finners in abfolute blindness and fecurity, which is his firft attempt, he induftrioufly endeavors to pervert their views of religion, either by caufing them to mistake appearances for realities, or fubftituting a part for the whole. This branch of the fubject is of the more confequence, that I am perfuaded it is peculiarly applicable to great numbers of the ordinary hearers of the gospel as fuch. The great bulk of those who finally fall fhort of everlasting life, though they lived under the adminiftration of word and facraments, are ruined by mistakes of this kind. There are few of them, if any at all, who have at no time, through their whole lives, any ferious impreffions about their fouls, or do nothing in the way of religion. There are still fewer who are speculative unbelievers, and fortify themselves in their prophane practices, by irreligious principles. The far greatest number do fome things, and abftain from others, to quiet the inward complaints of confcience, and must have some broken reed or other on which they may reft their eternal hopes.

It might serve in general to alarm fuch perfons, that, as I have obferved above, the change is evidently very great, and therefore they ought not eafily to fuppofe that it is already paft. But I now add fomething ftill more awakening, that the change, however great, if it is only partial, is not fuch as is neceffary to falvation. There may be a change truly great in fome particulars, from one period of life to another, not only fenfible to a man's felf, but vifible and remarkable to others about him, which yet is not faving, because it is not general, or because it is not permaThe truth of this obfervation, that the change must be univerfal, appears from the conftant tenor of the holy fcriptures. Thus the Pfalmift fays, " then fhall I not be afhamed, when I have refpect unto ALL thy command

nent.

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"ments."* And the apoftle James, "Whofoever fhall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he "is guilty of ALL." It is indeed, fo much the language of fcripture, that it is needlefs to infift upon it. God will be ferved without a rival, and will not fhare dominion with any in the human heart. But what I am perfuaded will be of moft ufe upon this fubject, will be to point out, in a few particulars, by what means a partial change is fometimes brought about, and how this differs from the faving and univerfal.

1. In the first place, fometimes a partial change in point of morals, is produced merely by a natural or accidental change in age, temper, or fituation. There are different fins to which men are addicted in the different periods or ftages of the human life. Thefe, of confequence, give way to, and are fucceeded by one another. There are, indeed, inftances of extraordinary depravation in fome perfons, who "felling themfelves" like Ahab, to work iniquity, become the flaves of almoft every evil habit incident to human nature. Thefe, however, are esteemed monfters even by the world in general, who continue in the commission of every fin while they can, and burn with defires after them when they cannot. But it often happens that the folly and levity, nay, even the diffolute licentioufnefs of youth, gives way to the ambitious projects of riper years, and the hurry of an active life; and thefe again. are fucceeded by fordid, felfifh, and covetous old age. In many cafes the fins are changed, but the difpofition to fin, and averfion from God, remains ftill the fame. One fin may be eafily fupplanted by another, in a heart that is wholly a stranger to renewing grace. How greatly then may men deceive themfelves, by drawing favorable conclufions from even a great and remarkable change in fome one or more particulars, while they continue under the government of fins of a different kind. It is of fmall confequence which of the commandments of God are tranf greffed, fince they are all of equal and indifpenfible obligation. It is of little moment for a man to get quit of one