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and when they are made alive, conversion is as natural to them, as motion is to a living body. In regeneration, man is entirely passive; in conversion, he is made active. The day of the new birth is the time of the Spirit's power being exerted on men, to make them willing to turn from sin to holiness; and therefore, though, in conversion, the renewed soul is active, yet this is not from its natural power, but from a supernatural power put forth in it, and upon it. This power of acting is not a plant in nature's garden, neither does it spring from the impotent root of the carnal will, but it is planted in the soul by the Spirit's hand, and is settled in the will, by him whose office it is to renew the elect of God. Regeneration likewise differs from sanctification; not, indeed, from it, as it may be said to be habitual, but as it may be styled actual sanctification; for that, considered as gradually progressive, grows from the new birth, as its root.

If we duly weigh this account of the work of grace in the soul of man, we shall see no reason to think that man is left at liberty to fulfil the will of the flesh, because he is new-formed by the irresistible power of the Holy Spirit. He must be said to be passive in the new birth, but what does this great change pass upon him for? That he may be active, and show that he is raised from a death in sin, by his living a life of holiness. It would be very irrational, and what would be hissed at, if any were to suggest, that a child's not contributing to his living, but being wholly indebted to God's creating power for it, is a let to his performing the functions of natural life; and it is full as ridiculous to say, that a sinner's doing nothing towards new forming himself, but owing his new birth to the Holy Spirit's efficiency, is an impediment to his putting forth the subsequent acts of the spiritual life.

If any should be so weak as to say, that being newcreated and regenerated by the Spirit's efficacious operations, being turned by his almighty power from darkness to light, and from sin to holiness, and being sanctified by him, has a tendency to check persons in

making a progress in the Christian course, it must be owned to be a mere folly to go about to argue with, and answer such a person. If any make this doctrine a handle to be lazy and indolent, in the performance of what is good, it is a sign that they pretend to what they know nothing of. Our spiritual life is from the quickening power of the Holy Ghost, and is not from our own wills; but then we should consider, that we are not raised from a death in sin, that we may remain inactive, and we are not made alive to righteousness, that we may indulge idleness. The Spirit enlightens our minds, renews our wills, and purifies our affections, not that we may be slothful and negligent, but that we may be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. The Apos tle Paul's advice was this, "I beseech you, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, and be not conformed to this world, but be transformed, by the renewing of your mind, that you may know what is the good, the acceptable, and the perfect will of God. Ab hor what is evil, cleave to what is good; be not slothful in your work, but be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord," Rom. xii. 1, 2, 9, 10, 11. The grace of the Holy Spirit, by which we are regenerated, we say is efficacious, irresistible, and not to be frustrated. Now, can it be thought that this grace is bestowed, that we may continue inactive as to what is good? This would be to suppose it efficacious, without accomplishing its design; irresistible, and yet defeated; not to be frus trated, and yet to be in vain. We are, by nature, in the dark grave of corruption, and we can no more raise ourselves, and bring ourselves into the light than a carcass, which has lain long in the dormitories of the earth, can throw off the clods which are heaped up over it, or unlock the door of the vault that contains it; and we are dead in trespasses and sins, and can no more put forth the acts of a new life, than the shattered parts of a body reduced to dust, can reunite and regain a union with the immortal soul. It is the Spirit who, when we lie buried in corruption, and are dead in sins,

quickens us, and effectually says, " Arise, awake, come forth, and shine, for Christ will give you life;" and his end in doing this is, that "we may walk as children of the light, and may act wisely and circumspectly." The apostolic doctrine was as follows: "You were sometimes darkness, but now are you light in the Lord; walk as children of the light, for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth, and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness." It is said, "Wake thou that sleepest, and rise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee life." See then "that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as those who are wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil," Eph. v. 7, 8, 9, 11, 14, 15, 16. It is the Spirit's design in giving us life, that we may show we are alive, by acting with diligence, caution, wisdom, and circumspection, in avoiding all things which are of a sinful and mean nature, and by pursuing after those things which are good and commendable; so that the doctrine of our regeneration and conversion being owing to his efficacious and irresistible grace, can never countenance laziness or looseness.

We grow in grace, and persevere by virtue of strength derived from Christ. He who was truth itself, declared, that without his aid we can never proceed, when he said to his disciples; "You cannot bear fruit, unless you abide in me: I am the vine, you are the branches; he that abides in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit, for without me you can do nothing," John xv. 4, 5. We can do nothing which is good, unless we derive strength from Christ, by virtue of our union with him; but it would be odd, if it were to follow, that we must do nothing, because we are in Christ, and are upheld and nourished by him. We must wait on Christ, or trust in him for persevering vigour; and, if we expect aid from him, we must be in a watchful posture; then it will be with us, according to what is promised to such as rely on Christ, in Isaiah's prophecy; "The youths shall faint, and be weary; and the vigorous young men shall utterly fail: but such as

wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with the wings of eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint," Isa. xl. 30, 31. Such as depend on their own strength shall soon faint and tire, and die, if they are left to themselves; but such as wait upon Christ, such as rely upon his power, will renew their strength. When they do this, it is not that they may lie down, and sleep by the way, but that they may be active and industrious in duty, that they mount up towards heaven, with a towering sprightly motion; such as is that of the lively eagle when scorning the ground, she soars aloft; that they may run in the paths of duty, which are truly the paths of honour, without being weary, or being obliged to drop, for want of spirits; and that they may refresh themselves with continued walks within the sacred enclosures of pure religion, where are the most refined pleasures, without being faint, or being forced to sit down tired, without a prospect of being able to recruit their vigour. If we are once ingrafted into Christ, we shall go on in his strength, in the way of holiness, and we shall be kept by his power, so that we shall never totally or finally fall from grace; of this he himself assured us, when he said, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me, and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand," John x. 27, 28. This does not excuse us from keeping up a constant watch against the motions of indwelling corruption, and the temptations of the infernal powers; for if we lay aside our guard, we may fall into sin, and so provoke our beloved and our friend to withdraw himself and be gone, and then our feet will stumble on the dark mountains of desponding thoughts and distrusting fears. The sure encour agement we have to hope that we shall be kept by the power of Christ, through faith to complete salvation, is far from giving a licence to carelessness and indolence; we may, indeed, wickedly make it a handle for these; but then, if we belong to God, we expose ourselves to the smart of his Fatherly rebukes. Trust in Christ's

power is a grace of an active nature; and, if we go on in his strength, it must be in a way of holiness: therefore a lively faith, instead of making us lazy, will put us upon being stedfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord; and the more, because we know that our labour of love shall never be in vain in the Lord, 1 Cor. xv. 58.

If they who trust in Christ for righteousness and life, are favoured, by the Holy Spirit, with an assurance of their having a share in the love of the Redeemer, this has a tendency to make them more fervent and active in true obedience, and so does not promote licentiousness. Assurance of salvation is a deep sense and a lively taste of the Divine love, joined with a firm persuasion of Christ's good-will to us, whereby we are enabled to look back on what we are by grace, and to see that God is our Father, that Christ is our Redeemer, and that he will save us with an everlasting salvation. This presupposes faith, and cannot be without it; but it is not essential to true faith at all times, but it is bestowed in a way of sovereignty. Assurance is from the Holy Spirit; and, in giving it to a Christian, he affords him a true insight into the treasures of the grace of God, and the love of Christ; he enables a child of God to plead his adoption, with a filial confidence; for we are told, Gal. iv. 6, that because we are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, enabling us to cry, Abba, Father." He witnesses with the spirit of a saint; for we are informed, Rom. viii. 16, that "the Spirit himself bears witness with our spirits, that we are the children of God:" and he seals up, to a believer, his interest in the love of God, and is the earnest of the heavenly inheritance; for it is declared, 2 Cor. i. 13, 14, 22, Eph. iv. 30, 2 Cor. v. 5, that "by the Holy Spirit, who is the earnest of our inheritance; we are sealed to the day of redemption." The assurance of salvation, which is from the witnessing and sealing of the Spirit, makes us more holy. It cannot be thought, that he who is infinitely pure, will, or can encourage looseness; where he takes up his abode, there must be

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