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ligible, than to give this fhort view of the characters and pursuits of the men of the world; and then to obferve, That the change in regeneration doth properly consist in a strong inward conviction of the vanity of worldly enjoyments of every kind; and a perfuafion, that the favor and enjoyment of God is infinitely fuperior to them all. Whatever other differences there may be, this will be found in every child of God, from the higheft to the loweft, from the richest to the pooreft: from the wifeft to the molt ignorant; and from the oldeft to the youngeft. Every fuch one will be able to fay with the Pfalmift, "There be "many that fay, Who will fhew us any good? Lord, lift "thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. Thou "haft put gladness in my heart, more than in the time "that their corn and their wine increased. I will both lay me down in peace, and fleep, for thou, Lord, only "makeft me dwell in fafety."*

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I shall afterwards have occafion more fully to explain the comparative influence of this defire; but before I conclude this fection, must make the two following remarks: 1. That the favor of God muft appear to the believer as abfolutely neceffary to his comfort. 2. As full and fuffi

cient for that purpose.

1. He that is born again, confiders the favor of God as abfolutely neceffary to his comfort. He fees the emptinefs and inherent vanity of all things elfe. Even when the world fmiles, even when things fucceed with him to his wifh, he will not reft fatisfied with any, or all temporal mercies. He will, above all, defire an intereft in that love which God beareth to his "chofen people," a right by promise or covenant to the use of prefent comforts, and the favor and protection of his fpecial providence. How contrary this to the temper of many, who have a name to live while they are dead? If the world fimiles, they follow it with eagerness, and embrace it with complacency, while they are cold and indifferent in their defires towards God. Perhaps, when they are diftreffed with outward calamities; when experience conftrains them to confefs

Pfal. iv. 6, 7, 8.

the vanity of the creature, they cry to God for relief. But when ease and profperity return, they foon forget his works, are well pleased with their condition, and neither grieve for his abfence, nor are afraid of his anger. This thews plainly, that whatever occafional fymptoms they may discover, they are fupremely and habitually poffeffed by a love of the world, and defire of fenfual gratification. In oppofition to this, every real Chriftian fees the favor of God to be fo abfolutely neceffary, that he cannot be without it. He fees it to be more neceffary than riches, honors, or pleasures; nay, than health, or even life itfelf; all which he values chiefly as they are the fruits of the divine bounty, as tokens of divine love, and as they af ford him an opportunity of promoting the divine glory. He is ready to fay with the Pfalmift, "Whom have I in "heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I “defire besides thee: my flesh and my heart faileth, but "God is the firength of my heart, and my portion for “ever.”*

2. He that is born again, confiders the favor of God as full and fufficient for his comfort and happiness. That is to fay, he is habitually fatisfied with this as his portion, whether there be abundance or ftraitnefs as to outward provifion. He counts the favor of God as abfolutely neceffary, but nothing elfe is confidered as fuch. No earthly enjoyments can fatisfy him without God's favor; but this will fatisfy him, be his outward condition what it will. I am far from meaning to affirm, that every good man is free from the leaft rifing nurmur, the leaft impatient or rebellious thought. If it were fo with any man, he would be perfect in holinefs; but I mean to fignify, that this is his habitual and prevailing temper. He is inwardly convinced, that thofe alone are happy; and that they are, and shall be, compleatly happy, who are reconciled to God, and the objects of his fpecial love. His own remaining attachment to prefent things, and immoderate forrow under outward calamity, he fincerely laments as his weakness, and humbly confefles as his fin. He en

* Pfal. lxxiii. 25, 26.

deavors to supply the void left by every earthly comfort, when it is withdrawn, by the fulness and all-fufficiency of God. He poffeffes, in fome measure, and breathes after more and more of the temper expreffed in the two following paffages of fcripture: "Although my house be "not fo with God, yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and fure; for this "is all my falvation, and all my defire."* Although "the fig-tree fhall not bloffom, neither fhall fruit be in "the vines; the labor of the olive fhall fail, and the field "fhall yield no meat; the flock fhall be cut off from the

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fold, and there fhall be no herd in the falls; yet will. "I rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my fal "vation."†

Thus I have endeavored to point out wherein the change in regeneration doth immediately and properly confift. It is juft the recovery of the moral image of God upon the heart; that is to fay, to love him fupremely and ferve him ultimately, as our highest end; and to delight in him fuperlatively, as our chief good. This recovery, however, is but begun on earth. It is gradually improved in the progrefs of fanctification, and fhall be fully compleated at the refurrection of the juft. The fun of the moral law is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, and foul, and strength, and mind. This is the duty of every rational creature; and, in order to obey it perfectly, no part of our inward affection or actual fervice ought to be, at any time, or in the leaft degree, mifapplied. This is the cafe with no mere man, while he continues in the body. But regeneration confifts in the principle being implanted, obtaining the afcendency, and habitu. ally prevailing over its oppofite. Even in thofe who are born again, there will still be many ftruggles between the "law of fin in their members," and the "law of God in "their minds." This we find deeply lamented by the apostle Paul: "O wretched man that I am, who fhall "deliver me from the body of this death?" It ought to give unfpeakable confolation to the chriftian, when he re

* 2 Sam. xxiij. 5. ↑ Habbak. iii. 17, 18. Rom. vii. 24.

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flects, that the feed which is planted by divine grace, fhall be preferved by divine power. A gracious God will neither fuffer it to be fmothered by contending weeds, nor destroyed by the inclemency of this tempeftuous climate, till it be transplanted into the milder regions of peace and ferenity above.

SECT. III.

The effects of regeneration; with some of the principal evidences of its sincerity.

IN

N the further profecution of this head, I propofed to mention fome of the principal evidences and fruits of a faving change. Thefe, no dobut, it were eafy with fufficient propriety greatly to extend and enlarge, because they include all the marks and figns of real religion, fuited to every character and every fituation in which a chriftian can be placed. The heart being renewed, the life will of neceffity be reformed, and holiness in all manner of converfation, including the duties of piety towards God and justice and charity towards men, will be its native and genuine effect. But this would be too wide and general a field. I find moft writers on this fubject take particular notice of the new views and apprehenfions which the regenerate perfon hath of himself, and every other thing or perfon to which he ftands related. I fhall therefore very fhortly obferve, he who is born again, dif covers his new nature and life by new apprehenfions of God-of himfelf-of the world-of eternity-of Jefus Chrift the Saviour of finners-and of all the ordinances of his appointment.

The regenerate perfon has new views of God, both in refpect of greatness and goodness. He really and inwardly believes the being, prefence, power and providence of God, which he in a great measure difbelieved before. Whereas formerly, even what he did believe of God was feldom in his thoughts; now it is almost impoflible for him to look upon any thing, or perfon, or event, without confidering its relation to God. O what "terrible majef

"ty" does his fanctified understanding perceive in this Being of Beings, compared to the times of his former blindness? What a luftre and glory does the opened eye fee in all the divine perfections? Above all, what a ravishing and astonishing view has he of the divine goodness and love? Wicked men, governed by felf-love, are therefore infenfible of obligations. Inordinate in their defires, they are never satisfied with their poffeffions; whereas the child of God difcovers and confeffes the infinite goodness of his Creator in all his mercies, of the least of which he is not worthy.

He hath quite new apprehenfions of himself, his own character and state. Before, he thought himfelf his own master, looked upon every religious law as a hard and ty, rannical reftraint; but now, he fees that he belongs to God: he now remembers his Creator, confeffes his obligations, and mourns for his tranfgreffions. A converted finner often admires and ftands aftonifhed at his own former conduct. He wonders at the boldnefs of a poor guilty helpless rebel, perhaps curfing and blafpheming, perhaps rioting in fenfuality and luft. He wonders that the power of God did not arreft him in his course, and by fome fignal stroke, make him a standing monument of righteous indignation. He trembles to think of his former state, and it excites in him a deep and lively acknowledgment of the riches of divine grace. How great a fense of this does the apostle Paul often exprefs in his own cafe; "who was before a blafphemer, and a perfecutor, “and injurious.This is a faithful faying, and worthy "of all acceptation, that Chrift Jefus came into the world "to fave finners, of whom I am chief."*

The above is often connected with, and increased by his views of the world and of worldly men. The charm is now broke, the falfe colors are now taken off from the world and all its enjoyments. How ardently did he love them once? how eagerly did he profecute them? and how rich did he esteem them? He envied every one who pos fessed them, and thought that none fuch could fail of being

* 1 Tim. i. 13, 15.

3.

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