immediately and certainly abate the measure of our attachment to all earthly things. Formerly they were the all of the soul, its portion and its rest; but now a clear discovery being made of greater and better blessings, they must fall back into the second place. There is a wonderful difference between the rate and value of present possessions of any kind, in the eye of him who lives under the impressions of eternity, and of him who believes it but uncertainly, who understands it very imperfectly, and who thinks of it as seldom as conscience will give him leave. It must be confessed we are all apt to be immoderate in our attachment to outward blessings; this is the effect and evidence of the weakness of our faith: but, so far as faith is in exercise, it must mortify carnal affection. There is no way in which an object appears so little as when it is contrasted with one infinitely greater, which is plainly the case here. The truth is, time and eternity, things temporal and things spiritual, are the opposite and rival objects of human attention and esteem. It is impossible that one of them can be exalted, or obtain influence in any heart, without a proportionable depression of the other. They are also, as they severally prevail, the marks to distinguish those who are and those who are not brought again from the dead. For as the apostle says, "To be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace."

Further, it is not only in abating the measure of our attachment to worldly things that religion shows itself and the change is discovered, but in the use and application of them. The real Christian's powers and faculties, possessions and influence, are consecrated to God. His abilities are laid out for the glory of God. He no more considers them as a mean of excelling others and getting to himself a name, but of doing good. He finds it his highest pleasure to serve God with his talents; he thinks it his duty to plead for him in his conversation, to honor him with his sub

stance, to enforce and ratify the divine laws by his authority and example.

The same thing shows plainly why a Christian must manifest his new nature by submission to the divine will. Does he receive his mercies from God? Does he love them less than God? Does he esteem it his duty to use them in his service? And can he possibly refuse to resign them to his pleasure? I am sensible that resignation to the will of God, absolute and unconditional, is a very difficult duty, but it is what every believer, habitually studies to attain. He chides his remaining impatience and complaints, grieves at the continuing struggles of his imperfectly renewed will, and is sensible that in this the superiority of his affection to God above the creature ought to appear. Unrenewed persons, when their earthly hopes are disappointed, immediately renew the pursuit: they only change the object to one more within their reach, or they alter their measures, and endeavour to amend the scheme; but real Christians, receiving a conviction of the vanity of all created things seek their refuge and consolation in the fulness and all-sufficiency of God.

SECTION 4. A more particular inquiry into what properly constitutes the sincerity of the change.

Thus I have given a succinct view of the most remarkable effects and visible evidences of regenera tion. I cannot, however, satisfy myself with this, because I am persuaded the great question is, how far they ought to go, and to what measure of strength and uniformity they ought to arrive. There are not a few who may, in a certain degree, sincerely think themselves possessed of most or all the dispositions mentioned above, whose state is nevertheless very much to be suspected. On the other hand, perhaps, some of the humblest, that is to say, the very best, may be in much fear concerning themselves, because they do

not perceive either that vigor or steadiness in their holy dispositions which they greatly desire, and are sensible they ought to attain. Besides, what hath been hitherto said is only general, namely, That those who are born again will have new apprehensions of things, will be humbled, mortified to the world, and submissive to the will of God. In this way it will be most applicable to, or at least most sensible in those who had once gone great lengths in profanity, and were, by the almighty and sovereign grace of God, snatched as "brands from the burning.' The oppo

sition between their new and old characters is ordinarily so great, that it will not admit of any doubt. To some others it may be necessary to make a more strict and particular inquiry into the nature of sincerity, and what is the full and proper evidence of the reality of the change.

That the reader form may as clear and distinct conceptions on this subject as possible, he may be pleased to recollect what was observed above, That perfect holiness consists in having the heart wholly possessed by the love of God, without the mixture of any inferior or baser passion; and that regeneration consists in a supreme desire to glorify God, and a preference of his favor to every other enjoyment. Now, what chiefly occasions difficulty in discerning the reality of this change is, that there is much unsubdued sin remaining in the children of God, and that there are many counterfeit graces, or appearances of religion, in those who are, notwithstanding, in gall "the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity."

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

gross sins into which some eminently holy persons have been suffered occasionally to fall, through the strength of temptation, as David's adultery and murder, Solomon's idolatry, the apostle Peter's denial of his Master, and several others recorded in Scripture.. On the other hand, there are also counterfeit graces, common or imperfect operations of the Spirit, which do not issue in a real conversion and saving change. This it will be proper to keep in mind, and perhaps, also to attend a little to the proofs of it both from Scripture and experience. That the word of

God has some effect even upon those who continue unrenewed, is plain from many examples recorded in the sacred volume. We read of a Felix trembling at the thoughts of a judgment to come: "And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time, when I have a convenient season I will call for thee." But we are not informed that he ever found that convenient season, or desired to hear any more of such words.

In the parable of the sower, 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 visible, though only a temporary effect: "Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth; and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: and when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away." "He that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended." We read also of a Herod, who not only heard the word gladly, but did many things: "For Herod feared John knowing that he was a just

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man, and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him he did many things, and heard him gladly.” Nay, we see even Ahab, the profane prince of Israel, humbling himself, and putting on sackcloth, under the denunciation of divine wrath. Neither have we any reason, from the circumstances of the story, to believe that this was wholly hypocritical but the contrary. "And it came to pass, when Ahab heard these words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth on his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly." These things, and all others of the same kind, even in wicked men, are represented as the effect of the operation of the Spirit in many passages of Scripture. I shall only mention one, which is pretty remarkable, and well merits our attention: "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they should fall away, to renew them again to repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame."

The same thing indeed appears plainly from the state of the world, and, in a particular manner, from the variety of partial characters which I have formerly described. There are many things which have a religious appearnce, and are taken by the deluded possessor for religion, when at bottom there is no real religion at all; and "MENE TEKEL" shall be written upon them in the day of trial. There is a long gradation of characters between the openly profane sinner, with a hardened heart, a seared conscience, and a shameless countenance, on the one hand; and the refined, self-deceiving hypocrite, with his duties and his forms, on the other: between those who are furious, violent and malignant enemies to religion in pro