If as exercise of Faith, it must be granted either as a Gift or a Reward. a Gift, then the case stands upon grace only, and precisely amounts to our purpose, such a gift being out of the reach, and above the na'tural inclination of the unrenewed man. But if as a Reward, then it must first be proved, how a man can earn or dsserve a favor, or be entitled to it by any congruity, before he has strength to labor for it, or will to desire it, or the true sense and knowledge of its value. The most advanced Christians complain most of the want of these powers in themselves; and surely the dead in sin have not more efficiency within them than these. The whole, therefore, comes to the same issue; they that are in the flesh cannot please God, and they that are led by the Spirit of God, they, and they only, are the sons of God. § 13. § 13. The more we carefully contemplate the errors, which have crept into or defiled the Church, the more we shall perceive, that they uniformly arise from an ignorance of the penetrating spirituality of the divine Law; from a heart whole and unbrokenby the application of that Law through the powerful operation of the Spirit of God; from a perversion of the Gospel itself through inexperience of its efficacy in establishing pardon, peace, love of God, and dread of sin; and, in conjunction with all this, a confident opinion, either in whole or in part, of Man's will, wisdom, and powers, in the great business of salvation. Persons, under these circumstances, are too often ready to impute, both for themselves and others, to their own thoughts, their own considerations, their own reflections, their own arguments, and their own rational inquiries, the adop tion of those principles and the profession of those effects, which, if right and true, can only be justly imputed to the sovereign act and good pleasure of God. Hence it follows, and it seems unavoidably to follow, from such a representation, that they must consider men as the primary agents or first movers in their own. conversion, and that God only drew, nigh unto them, because they had, previously, by the strength of their own minds, convinced by the force of truth in argument, or by rational and moral suasion, drawn nigh unto him. § 14. How different is the language of the Holy Ghost! The sons of God, even they who believe in his name, are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. THAT which is born of the flesh, is FLESH; and THAT which is born of the Spirit, is SPIRIT. Marvel not (said Christ) that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth [even the natural agent is not subject to human control], and thou hearest the sound thereof [its effects are felt and known], but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth: sois EVERY ONE that is born of the Spirit.—The preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the POWER of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.-But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.* * 1 Cor. ii. 1-16. Many Many other passages of the like import might be quoted: And, indeed, the whole of Redemption proceeds upon this plan, which renders all the glory to the free, sovereign, and unmerited, Grace and Mercy of Jehovah in covenant, and imparts all the benefit to poor, lost, broken-hearted, man. "People may, indeed, by industry and natural abilities, make themselves masters of the external evidences of Christianity, and have much to say for and against different schemes and systems of sentiments; but all the while the heart remains untouched. The first lesson in the school of Christ is to become a little child, sitting simply at his feet, that we may be made wise unto salvation.”* § 15. It may be asked; only the objects of mercy, "If then called in Cardiph. vol, i. p. 161. Scripture |