"from another? And what haft thou, that thou didst not "receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why doft thou "glory as if thou hadft not received it ?"*

I cannot help alfo obferving here, that every true convert is naturally led to confider himfelf as the chief of finners, and every real Chriftian to reckon that others are preferable to him in holiness and fpiritual attainments. This is often taken notice of by religious writers, in a perfect confiftency both with fcripture and experience. We fee this was the cafe with the apoftle Paul, that eminently holy, faithful, and active minifter of Jefus Chrift. He exprefsly ftiles himself the "chief of finners ;" and fays, "Howbeit, for this caufe I obtained mercy, that in me first," or in me as a capital and leading instance, “ Je. "fus Chrift might fhew forth all long-fuffering, for a pat "tern to them which fhould hereafter believe on him to "life everlasting." And elsewhere to the fame purpose, with a view to his minifterial labors; "For I am the leaft "of the apoftles, that am not meet to be called an apofile, "because I perfecuted the church of God; but by the 66 grace of God, I am what I am, and his grace which was "bestowed upon me was not in vain, but I labored more "abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of "God which was with me." This is eafy to be accounted for. Every man must have a far more clear difcovery and conviction of his own fins, in their heinous nature and aggravating circumftances, than of those of any other, as well as a greater infight into the remaining corruption of his own heart. Hence it is natural for him to conclude, that none have been fo deeply indebted as himself, to the riches of divine grace, for pardon and recovery.

From every view we can take of the matter, therefore, it is plain that the regenerate perfon must be, according to the ftrong and beautiful language of the Holy Scripture, "clothed with humility." He must be very humble; he must be humble in every refpect; he must be inwardly, habitually, constantly, univerfally humble. I know no difpofition better fitted either to determine our character in

* 1 Cor. iv. 7. † Tim. i. 16. 1 Cor. xv, 9, 10. VOL. I.

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general, or to decide when the Chriftian is discharging any duty in a proper manner. It is alfo a good touchftone by which to try a profeffion, or apparent zeal for religion. I am fenfible it is a duty openly to profess Chrift before men, and that he has pronounced a dreadful threatening against those who fhall meanly deny him; "Who"foever fhall be ashamed of me, or of my words, in this "adulterous and finful generation, of him alfo fhall the "Son of Man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory "of his Father with the holy angels."* There are many of the duties of a Christian which require a firm resolution, a boldness and fortitude of mind; yet even this fhould be accompanied with humility. Unneceffary oftentation is always a fufpicious fign. A Chriftian fhould be constrained, in all fuch cafes, by a fenfe of duty, and enter upon his work with a diffidence of himself, and reliance on divine strength.

Let not the reader think this part of the fubject tedious, or extended beyond its due bounds; let him rather enter on a deep and careful fearch into his own heart, and fee how it ftands with himself in this particular. There is often a counterfeit humility. A proud and vain-glorious carriage is odious to man as well as to God. Pride in one man, is always in open hoftility against pride in another; nay, pride, when difcovered, effectually defeats its own purpose. Not only is a man who is vain of nothing, justly and univerfally contemptible, but in all cafes, as Solomon fays, " for a man to fearch his own glory, is not "glory." Even the most eminent abilities, the moft amiable qualifications, and the most laudable actions, are greatly fullied by an apparent vanity and thirst of praise. is hardly poffible to bring others to acknowledge that man's worth who afferts it with his own tongue, and abfolves the world by paying tribute to himself. Hence there is a remarkable obfervation of a foreign writer of eminent piety and learning, to this purpose, That a worldly principle, when it is attended with found judgment, and in its higheft perfection, does homage to religion, by imitating its

Mark viii. 38.

It

effects. And, indeed, what is all politeness of carriage, but a fort of hypocrital humility, and an empty profeffion of that deference to the judgment and kindness to the perfons of others, which a true Chriftian hath implanted in his heart?

How felf-deceiving is pride? How many are there even of those who have a form of godlinefs, who are wrapt up in themselves, who would have all men to esteem them, who would have their opinions to prevail, and their meafures to take place, in every matter of the fmalleft confequence, and are never fatisfied but when this is the cafe? Öf this they are often quite infenfible themselves, when every one about them perceives it without the leaft difficulty or uncertainty. Nay, is it not very furprifing and very lamentable, that there is ftill fo much pride to be found even in good men, which betrays itself by many evidences, impatience of contradiction in their fentiments, exceffive grief, or immoderate refentment, when their characters are attacked by unjuft and malicious flander? It is lawful to be fure, in fuch a cafe, to embrace every opportunity of vindication; but, as it is not wonderful that it fhould happen, fo the real Chriftian fhould ftudy to bear it with meekness, and to forgive it fincerely, as he afks forgiveness of God.

on.

From all this it is eafy to fee, that the regenerate perfon must be humble.. Believe it, O Chriftian, fo much as you have of humility, fo much you have of true religiSo much as your fentiments are altered in this refpect, fo much you have ground to think the change to be real; and fo much as you take root downwards in true humility, in the fame proportion you will bear fruit upwards, in all the duties of a regular, exemplary, and useful conversation.

2. Another excellent and useful evidence of regenera tion, is the fanctification of natural and lawful affections. There are, perhaps, few either more fure or more plain evidences of real religion than this. Regeneration does not confift in giving us new fouls, new faculties, or new affections, but in giving a new tendency and effect to thofe we had before. There are many persons to whom we

bear naturally an affection, and it is far from being the defign of religion to deftroy this affection, but to regulate it in its measure, to keep it in its proper channel, and direct it to its proper end. This is a part of the fubject which I have always thought of great moment and importance, on more accounts than one. It hath pleafed God, by joining us together in fociety, to conftitute a great variety of relations; these ties are of God's own making, and our affections to all perfons fo related to us are natural, and in fome of them very ftrong. How then do they operate ? In what manner do they exprefs themselves? Nothing will more evidently prove what is the ruling difpofition of the heart. Whenever we love others fincerely, we fhew it by defiring and endeavoring to procure for them those bleffings which we ourselves most highly esteem.

Let us take any one of these relations for an example. x Does a parent fincerely love his children? Religion doth not weaken, but ftrengthen this affection, and add to the force of his obligation to serve them. But if the parent truly loveth God above all, how will his love to his children be expreffed? Surely by defiring, above all, that they may be "born again." Their following finful courfes will give him unfpeakably more grief than their poverty, sickness, or even death itself. He will be more concerned to make them, and more delighted to fee them, good than great; and, for this purpose, every step of their education will be directed. Would not every parent shudder at the thoughts of fending a beloved child to a houfe infected with the plague, or any other fcene where health or life would be in imminent danger? What then shall we think of thofe parents who, from the fingle profpect of gain, without fcruple, place their children in houfes deeply infected with the leprofy of fin, and expofe them, without the leaft neceffity, to the most dangerous temptations?

I know there are fome inflances in fcripture of perfous who have been confidered as very pious themfelves, who yet were fhamefully negligent in this branch of their duty. Of thefe Eli, mentioned in the book of Samuel, is one, whofe fons, though in the moft facred office," made them"felves vile, and he reftrained them not." I imagine I

could eafily bring in doubt, if not the reality, at least the eminence of his piety, and others of the fame kind though often taken for granted, without much examination; but I fhall only observe what an oppofite account is given of the divine conduct toward Eli and toward Abraham, the father of the faithful. He revealed his will, and employed in his message the child Samuel, to the neglect of Eli, grown old in his courts, and denounced the most severe and terrible judgments against him and his houfe: “Be"hold, I will do a thing in Ifrael, at which both the ears "of every one that heareth it fhall tingle; in that day I "will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken "concerning his houfe: when I begin I will alfo make an "end. For I have told him that I will judge his houfe "for ever, for the iniquity which he knoweth."* On the contrary, fee the honorable diftinction put upon Abraham : "And the Lord faid, Shall I hide from Abraham that

thing which I do, feeing that Abraham fhall furely become a great nation, and all the nations of the earth "fhall be blessed in him. For I know him, that he will "command his children and his houfhold after him, and "they fhall keep the way of the Lord, to do juftice and judgment, that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that "which he hath fpoken of him."t

Nothing indeed can be more plain from reafon itself, than that, in proportion to the impreffion which parents have upon their own minds of the importance of falvation, will be their concern and care that their children alfo may be the heirs of everlasting life. Suffer me to afk every parent who reads this difcourfe, or rather to befeech all fuch, to afk themselves ferioufly, what are their own strongest defires and hopes concerning their children? In those moments when your affections are fondeft, and your partial flattering expectations moft diftinctly formed, are you obliged to confefs that your minds run much more upon the prospect of your childrens living in affluence and fplendor, or being promoted to places of honor and truft, than their being brought to a faving acquaintance with

* 1 Sam. iii. 11, 12, 13. † Gen. xviii. 17, 18, 19.