philosophy, sir, I would wish to believe Sir Isaac Newton's theory of the motions of the heavenly bodies, but I cannot believe it. I cannot believe that the earth moves round the sun, and that the sun does not move round the earth, &c., &c. Would the professor gravely say to him-my friend, it is very true you cannot believe this yet, but pray that you may be enabled to believe it? No, he would direct him to understand it, and he could not but believe it. Just so with the gospel; whoever understands it will believe it. A man might as well be supposed to be able to comprehend all the observations of Euclid without yielding his assent to his propositions, as to understand the gospel without believing it. If a man will say he would wish to believe, let him be told that he does not yet understand it. State it to him, and press him to receive it.

SECTION IV.

FAITH IN THE ATONEMENT OF CHRIST, OR THE BELIEF OF THE GOSPEL, EFFECTUALLY CHANGES THE MIND, PURSUITS, AND CONDUCT; OR THE GOSPEL EFFECTUALLY CHANGES THE MIND, PURSUITS, AND CONDUCT OF ALL THAT RECEIVE IT.

IT has ever been the charge of the enemies of the Gospel, that it is unfriendly to good works. In this accusation the nominal Christian agrees with the infidel, and differs from him only in endeavouring inconsistently to hold the truth of revelation, while he makes a gospel more effectual, in his view, to produce a holy life. The lives and even the sentiments of some that profess to be saved by grace through the righteousness of Christ, may tend to confirm them in their views of the effects of the Gospel. But whether we attend to the nature of the Gospel itself, or the apostolical declarations with respect to the genuine and necessary effects of the belief of it, we shall find this charge totally without foundation. So far from it being true, that salvation, through the

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belief of the atonement of Christ, encourages sin, it is the only way in which men ever will be turned to the service of God from their wicked works. Neither, therefore, do they who bring this accusation understand the Gospel; nor do they understand it, who, professing to believe it, consider it as giving indulgence to them in their sins. With respect to both these, damnation is just, for they have both made God a liar, inasmuch as they have not believed the record that God hath given of his Son. The god of this world hath blinded their eyes, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should shine into them. We shall, therefore, show, in this section, both from the nature of the Gospel, and from the apostolical declarations, that it effectually changes the mind, pursuits, and conduct of all that receive it.

The change that the belief of the truth produces on the mind is so great, that it is called, in Scripture, a being born again, or a being born of the Word of God. Of this change, Jesus discourses to Nicodemus.-John iii. 1-8. Nicodemus, from the first, considered Jesus as a teacher sent from God, and, from his address, seems to have thought that this acknowledgment was all that was necessary to become his disciple; but the Lord informed him, that "except a man be born again, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." This birth, in the course of the conversation, he informed him is a spiritual birth"born of water and of the Spirit"-importing, as I apprehend, a being changed, through the means of the truth represented in baptism, by the efficacy of the Holy Spirit.

That this change is really produced by the belief of the truth, is clear from 1 Peter i. 23, where it is called "a being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God:"" and this is the word which, by the Gospel, is preached unto you." This great change, then, is produced on the mind by the Eternal Spirit, through the Gospel. Among those that hold the doctrine of the new birth of Christians, there are two opposite and equally dangerous errors, both, however, abundantly refuted by the passages alluded to, without reference to innumerable others in

of

the holy Scriptures. One very numerous class insist strongly on the necessity of a spiritual birth; but they teach that the Spirit effects it often independently of the word of truth, and before the truth is known, or has ever been heard. This opinion leads to enthusiasm, and gives no proper criterion between the teachings of the Spirit, and the extravagant ravings of a wild imagination. But the scriptural view of the birth and teachings of the Spirit gives no refuge for the extravagancies of fancy that have so much disgraced the profession of Christianity in the estimation of the infidel and philosopher. When it is held forth that the Spirit teaches by the word, and nothing but what is contained in the word, the enthusiast has no cover, the reviler has no just handle to mock, and the Christian has a security from the imposition of his own imagination, and the imagination of others. Another class, but a very small one, hold that, in the new birth, there is no agency the Spirit distinct from the word, and that the word itself produces this change. This contradicts our Lord's account of the matter, which says, that believers are born of "water and of the Spirit." It contradicts the apostle Peter's account, for he says, in the verse preceding the one already quoted, that they had obeyed the truth through the Spirit. The latter class speak much more confusedly and inconsistently than the former. In attempting to hold the Scripture language, they are inclined to say that the Spirit is in the word, or that the word is the Spirit; that is, the soldier is the sword, and the sword is the soldier. But the word of God says that the word is not the Spirit, but the sword of the Spirit. And in the passage quoted from Peter, the truth is what they obeyed, and their obedience was produced through the Spirit. If there is anything distinct, the truth mentioned here is distinct from the Spirit, through which they obeyed that truth. I have never seen this sentiment in print, but the abettors of it seem to admit principles that overturn their system. I believe they have admitted the sovereignty of God in the salvation of sinners, and many other things which, if admitted, effectually overturn their views. I am sure some of them did at first admit such principles, and hold such

contradictory opinions, that there was no possibility of reasoning with them. For when a person either does not see, or will not admit, the necessary tendency of his views, argument is at an end; but I predicted at the time that they would either give up their views, or go further, and probably before this they have done the latter. I have no design to canvass this opinion at present: I barely notice it, that if this address falls into the hands of any of those persons, some of whom I formerly loved and esteemed much for the truth's sake, that then appeared to dwell in them, they may be induced to reconsider this subject. I grant that some may be so entangled in the reasonings of men, that they may hold the truth, and yet hold things inconsistent with it. But I am constrained to declare, that I consider all who follow up these principles as fallen from the truth. When they are pursued to their proper issue, they will make man's salvation ultimately of himself. I pray God that he may give them repentance to the acknowledgment of the truth. Though the two classes mentioned hold opposite errors, yet they have a common foundation. The one teaches that though the new birth is the work of God, yet that it may be obtained by the exertions and prayers of the sinner; and since, according to the doctrine of the other, there is no divine influence necessary to produce this change by the word, if the word produces it in one, and not in another, the difference must be in the persons. According to both systems the converted man may glory in himself. In opposition to every thing of this kind, the apostle declares, that God's plan of salvation excludes boasting, and calls upon him that glories, to glory in the Lord.

This change produced on the minds of believers by the Spirit through the gospel, is seen in their views of God, of themselves, and of their fellow-men. All men ignorant of the gospel hate the just and holy God of the Scriptures. Philosophers may discourse with much correctness with respect to the being and attributes of God, and express great devotion towards the character of him whom they point out as the object of worship. But this god is but an idol. He is no more the just and terrible God of Moses, who will not clear the guilty, than the Jupiter of

the ancient Greeks and Romans. This may easily be seen by presenting to these venerable sages the true character of God. Even their accustomed philosophic gravity forsakes them, and all their boasted self-command cannot keep them from blaspheming, storming, and grinding their teeth. The same thing is true with respect to the most devout religionists of all denominations. They all, no less than the most abandoned profligate, hate that God who has manifested himself to the world through Jesus Christ. The god that each of them loves, has attributes suitable to their views of their own character. Now, as soon as men believe the truth, they love God, because they now apprehend him in his true character. Formerly, they could not love a great and holy God, because they did not see how a just and holy God could love them. Now they see that God is perfectly just, while he forgives them. We love him, says the apostle John, because he first loved us. Though they may have formerly not only acknowledged the existence of God, but may have even verbally assented to what the Scriptures say about him, yet now they, for the first time, come to know God, and to conceive of him according to Scripture.

The belief of the gospel changes also the views that men have of themselves. However abandoned is a man's character, he does not consider it so bad as the Scriptures represent the character even of the least guilty. He never views his case as hopeless, but with all his sins thinks he may still get to heaven. If this is the case with the most profligate, the sober, virtuous, and devout, will have no hesitation in resting in the goodness of their character before God. But as soon as they believe the truth, they have other views of themselves. Paul, who while an unbeliever was blameless with respect to the righteousness that was in the law, confessed himself to be not only worthless, but the chief of sinners, when he received the truth. "In me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing," "sinners of whom I am chief."

Believers also are changed in spect to their fellow-creatures.

their minds with reIt is the testimony of