"done but according to his mercy he faved us, by the wathing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy "Ghost."* There is no part of the fcripture doctrine which the natural man hears with greater averfion, or opposes with greater violence. It gives fo humbling a view of our own character and state, and stands so directly opposed to pride and felf-fufficiency, that it cannot be truly acceptable to any, till they are brought to a faving acquaintance with its power and efficacy. However it hath been, this "foolishness of preaching," or rather, this commonly esteemed foolish part of preaching, that God hath most remarkably bleffed for the falvation of fouls; I will therefore endeavor to fhew, in as plain and fatisfying a manner as I am able, that this is the doctrine of the holy fcripture; and then to vindicate it from the chief objections that are usually raised against it. How many paffages of Scripture are there, that fpeak in the strongest terms, not only of our miserable but helplefs ftate before converfion. Thus the apostle to the Ephefians, "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trefpaffes and fins." And again, "But God, who is "rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, "even when we were dead in fins, hath quickened us to gether with Chrift (by grace ye are faved.") In his epiftle to the Coloffians, he repeats the fame thing; "And "you, being dead in your fins and the uncircumcision of 66 your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, ha"ving forgiven you all your trefpaffes." The reader must know, that in many other paffages the fame truth is to be found, couched under the fame or like metaphors: fuch as "blindness, darkness, hardness of heart." The force of the expreffion is feldom fufficiently attended to. Suffer me then to put the question, Do you give credit to the holy fcriptures? Do you form your opinions without partiality or prejudice from them? Then you must receive it as truth that man, in his natural ftate, can do nothing of himself to his own recovery, without the concurrence of fuperior aid. If there is any meaning or propriety in Titus iii. 5. † Eph. ii. 1. Eph. ii. 4, 5, Col. ii. 13 fcripture language, we muft yield to this. What more could be faid, than that we are "dead" in fin? What more incapable of action, than one who is entirely deprived of life? But left there should be any remaining exception, the thing is afferted in plain and explicit terms, without any metaphor, by the apoftle John, from our Saviour's own mouth: "No man can come unto me, except the Father "which hath fent me, draw him; and I will raife him. up at the laft day. It is written in the prophets, And "they fhall be all taught of God; every man, therefore, "that hath heard and hath learned of the Father, coeth unto me."* I fhall mention only one paffage more, in which, under the fimilitude of a wretched outcaft infant, the prophet Ezekiel reprefents the natural ftate of Jerufalem. "And as for thy nativity, in the day thou wast born, "thy navel was not cut, neither waft thou washed in wa"ter to fupple thee; thou waft not falted at all, nor fwad"dled at all. None eye pitied thee, to do any of thefe "unto thee, to have compaflion upon thee; but thou waft "caft out in the open field, to the loathing of thy perfon, "in the day that thou waft born. And when I paffed by "thee, and faw thee polluted in thine own blood, I faid unto thee, when thou waft in thy blood, Live; yea, I "faid unto thee. when thou waft in thy blood, Live."t Here all the circumftances are collected, that could fignify at once a miferable and weak, wretched and helpless condition, or that could ferve to make our deliverance at once a signal inftance both of grace and power. This leads me to obferve, that the fame truth will receive further light from those passages of fcripture, in which the real agent in this great change is pointed out, and which celebrate the efficacy of his power. As in the text it is afferted, that, "except a man be born again, he can"not enter into the kingdom of God:" So in other pasfages, true believers are faid to be "born of God-born "from above-born of the Spirit." The power of God exerted in the renovation of the finner, is defcribed in John vi. 44, 45. † Ezek. xvi. 4, 5, 6. language taken from the firft formation of the world. "For "we are his workmanship, created in Chrift Jefus unto "good works, which God hath before ordained that we "fhould walk in them."* And, "If any man be in "Chrift, he is a new creature; old things are paft away, "behold all things are become new." See the prophecies of the Old Testament, refpecting the plentiful effufion of the holy Spirit in the times of the gofpel: they contain a clear defcription of divine fupernatural influence. Thus the prophet Ifaiah, "For I will pour water upon "him that is thirfty, and floods upon the dry ground. I "will pour my Spirit upon thy feed, and my bleffing up. "on thine offspring; and they fhall fpring up as among "the grafs, and as willows by the water-courfes." To the fame purpose the prophet Ezekiel: "Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye fhall be clean "from all your filthinefs, and from all your idols will I "cleanse you. A new heart alfo will I give you, and a "new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away "the ftony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an "heart of flefh; and I will put my fpirit within you, and "cause you to walk in my ftatutes; and ye fhall keep my judgments, and do them" Let it not feem tedious to any that I have collected fo many paffages of fcripture on this fubject. It is no light thing; and indeed it is no common thing, to believe it from the heart. But let us now affirm it, on divine teftimony, that regeneration is the work of the Holy Ghost. 66 But I would not build this truth upon any other evidence. When we ftand in God's room, bear his meffage, and fpeak in his name, nothing fhould be affirmed, which cannot be fupported by a "Thus faith the Lord." having done fo, I think I may warrantably observe how much the visible state of the world correfponds with the fcripture declarations on this fubject. I hope this will be neither unfuitable nor unprofitable, confidering what an inward averfion men have to receive and apply them. If. xliv. 3, 4. * Eph. ii. 10. † 2 Cor. v. 17. Do we not daily fee many inftances of perfons, of first rate understandings and great natural abilities, who yet continue blind to their duty to God, and the falvation of their fouls? As they are born, fo they continue to fhow themselves through their whole lives, "wife to do evil, "but to do good they have no knowledge." What proofs do they often give of the power and influence of habits of wickedness over them? How frequently does it happen, that their attachment to fin in general, or to fome particular fin, is fuch, as to bear down before it all regard to their own intereft, temporal and eternal? While at the fame time perfons of unfpeakably inferior talents, enlightened by the Spirit and fanctified by the grace of God, fhall ftand firm against the most dangerous temptations, and escape the pollution that is in the world through luft. This our bleffed Lord adores as a part or proof of the fovereignty and unfearchable wisdom of his heavenly Father: "In that hour Jefus rejoiced in fpirit, and faid, I thank "thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou "haft hid these things from the wife and prudent, and "haft revealed them unto babes: even fo, Father, for fo "it feemed good in thy fight. Is it not plain, that fuperior advantages of inftruction, though very valuable, are far from being always effectual? Sometimes those who live long under the falutary inftruction and edifying example of pious parents and maf ters, continue, notwithstanding, in an infenfible state, Sometimes we see perfons fit long under the most enlightening and awakening ministry, with hearts as hard as the nether milftone. The cafe of the ordinary hearers of the gospel is indeed often affecting, and leads to ferious meditation on the depths of the divine counfels. Suffer me to befpeak the readers of this clafs in the following terms. Are not many of you a wonder to yourselves, as well as to one another? Is not your danger often pointed out to you in the cleareft manner? Is not your character drawn and diftinguished by the most undeniable marks? Are not your duty and interest set before you in fuch a * Luke x. 21. manner, that it cannot be contradicted, and there is nothing left to reply? And yet after all, though there may be fome weak or temporary refolutions, it is without any real or lafting effect. Doth not this ratify and confirm the following paffage of fcripture?" Who then is Paul, and "who is Apollos, but minifters by whom ye believed, " even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increafe. So then, "neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that "watereth, but God that giveth the increase."* ་་ To be abfent altogether from the ordinances of God is a dreadful and dangerous thing, for it leads directly to a ftate of total blindnefs and undisturbed fecurity. I have often thought, however, that the cafe of many who continue to give their attendance is much more wonderful. Are there not habitual drunkards often feen in the house of God? Are there not fome profane fwearers often seen in the houfe of God? Are there not fome who walk in the luft of uncleannefs? fome who retain, without reftitution, unrighteous gain, whom approaching death, the wrath of God, and the fire of hell cannot terrify? Of fuch, we may juftly fay with the apostle Paul," But if our gospel be hid, "it is hid to them that are loft, in whom the god of this "world hath blinded the minds of them which believe "not, left the light of the glorious gospel of Chrift, who is "the image of God, should shine unto them."+ Let it be further confidered, how much providential warnings are generally defpifed, even when they are fo awful in their nature, and fo clear in their meaning, that one would think nothing but an abfolute infatuation could prevent their effect. Sinners may keep themselves from hearing the word of God, and from any fuch reading or conversation as will bring eternity in their view. But he vifits them in their families or in their perfons, and they cannot fly from these " terrible things in righteousness," by which he pleads his caufe from day to day. Are not the young and beautiful foon carried to their graves? Are not the great and noble foon humbled in the duft? Have † 2 Cor. iv. 3, 4. * 1 Cor. iii. 5, 6, 7. |