The Holy Ghost the great Agent in our regeneration, and his mercy illuftriously manifested in that work,

EPHESIANS, ii. 4, 5.

BUT GOD WHO IS RICH IN MERCY, FOR HIS GREAT LOVE WHEREWITH HE LOVED US; EVEN WHEN WE WERE DEAD IN SINS HATH QUICKENED US TOGETHER WITH CHRIST.

THE generous mind entertains a grate ful recollection of benefits received; and the more valuable fuch benefits are, the more unexpectedly they are communicated; and the more diftinguished the perfon who bestows them, the receiver will feel ftronger emotions of gratitude. It affords him a fecret fatisfaction occafionally to contemplate the gift, and then to acknowledge the bounty of him who imparted it. This principle of gratitude, which is common to us as men, operates with peculiar force in the bofom of the chriftian. Ten thoufand confiderations occafionally rufh upon his mind, exciting his love and praise to the author of his falvation. When he contemplates the wretched

ness of his natural eftate, the privileges which he now enjoys by adopting grace, and thofe inconceivably greater mercies which are referved for him in heaven; when with these he connects, in his own reflections, the immenfe expenfe at which they were obtained, he is loft in aftonishment ; he afks in unfeigned gratitude of fpirit, What Shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits towards me? He delights to aggravate his former impieties that the luftres of divine mercy, in calling him to glory and virtue, may appear more illuftrious. I am the leaft of the apoftles, is the acknowledgment of one, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I perfecuted the church of God, but I obtained mérey; his grace was exceeding, abundant, with faith and love which was in Chrift Fefus. Such were those grateful emotions which dictated the verfes that are chofen for your confideration. confideration. 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 together with Chrift.

WE lately attempted to illuftrate the change here expreffed by quickening us together with Chrift: We endeavored to prove from fcriptural teftimony that, in the accomplishment of this work, the understanding is divinely enlightened; the will is effectually fubdued; the inclinations are purified and directed to fpiritual objects, and the very body under the controul of the fancti

fied fpirit becomes an inftrument of righteoufnefs unto God. Old things are paffed away, and all things are become new.

FOLLOWING the fame word as our rule, and relying on the fame spirit for affiftance, we defign to prove that the author of this change is Jehovah, and that it is effected to the praife of the glory of his grace.

THAT God alone can be the author of our regeneration is evident, when we confider,

1. THE fituation of man previous to this change. He is without ftrength, and not only without ftrength, but dead in trefpaffes and fins. Can the man who is naturally dead perform of himself any natural action? Can he command the living principle to enter his lifeless body, and rife and walk by his own power, when he is altogether without power? Equally incapable is the man who is fpiritelly dead to perform any spiritual action; to love God, to aspire after holiness, or anfwer in any degree the great end of his creation. Again, he is represented not only as without ftrength to please God, but enmity the most irreconcileable against him, and his righteous ways. Every imagination of the thoughts of his heart is only evil continually. Now, can it be fuppofed that we will voluntarily turn to an object which is cordially abhorred, or will we obey

thofe commandments which are holy and juft and good, when our inclinations are evil, only evil, and that continually? We are taught by another infallible author, that the carnal mind is enmity against God; that it is not fubject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. This fingle teftimony is fufficient to establish the doctrine of human impotency beyond the fhadow of doubt. The carnal mind, the mind of the flesh, of man while he remains under the dominion of his fleshly, depraved difpofition is enmity against God, and as a natural confequence, it is not fubject to the law of God; we will not obey him whom we defpife and abhor; it is not poffible that we can offer Jehovah our fupreme affections, when our hearts are fwelling with hatred against him; neither indeed can be. Man labours under an abfolute, moral incapacity of loving God, or yielding obedience to his commandments. understanding is covered with darkness, and therefore has no apprehenfion of his excellencies; the heart is completely estranged from him, and the will like an iron finew obftinately refuses fubmiffion to his authority. The apostle's conclufion therefore is not more mournful than true, They that are in the flesh cannot please God; or that challenge of the prophet, Can the Ethiopian change his fkin, or the Leopard his fpots ? Then may ye alfo do good that are accustomed to do evil.

The

2. THAT this change must be the work of Je

hovah is evident from the various characters by which it is expreffed in fcripture. It is called a regeneration, and a new creature. Can man cre

ate himself naturally? Is he capable of caufing the bones to grow, and to use the prophet's language, of commanding the finews and the flesh to cover them, and afterwards the life to enter them? Is he unable to add one cubit to his bodily ftature, or render one hair white or black, he can much lefs be the author of his exiftence; and if he cannot be the author of his natural, how can he become the author of his spiritual and immortal being? Again, it is defcribed by opening the eyes of the blind; unftopping the ears of the deaf, and caufing the dumb to fing. Are either, or all of these prodigies within the fphere of human effort? Can man by all his ingenuity or all his ability give the organ of fight to him who was born blind, or the organ of hearing to him who is deaf, or enable the dumb to fpeak plainly? The exquifite artist may execute a likeness of the human frame, and admirably imitate its various members, but can he afterwards give life to his painting, caufing it to fee, and hear and articulate speech? If he cannot form the outward, how can he form the inward intellectual eye? Is he unable to qualify the body for beholding the fun, how can he open the eyes of the understanding to contemplate the glory of God in the face of Jefus Christ? The finner in this change is alfo reprefented as raifed to newness of life; as putting off

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