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tinued fo under repeated ftrokes, till the terrible defolation they met with at the Babylonish captivity; from that period however, notwithstanding their great guilt in other particulars, they never returned to idolatry, but to this day continue to have the deepest abhorrence of that capital crime.

There are many particular perfons in the fame fituation. Some fins which have lain heavy on their confciences, or for which they have feverely fuffered in the course of Providence, they will not commit; but others, one or more, which may be called their "own iniquity," they hold faft, and will not let them go. Are there not different degrees of depravation and obftinacy to be found in different finners, as well as different degrees of holiness, obedience, and fubmiffion in the children of God? And though there is ufually a progress in the first to the worse, as well as in the laft to the better, yet ftill there may be particular fins which they dare not commit, and particular duties which they diligently discharge. Nay, this partial character is often the very thing that blinds their minds, and continues their fecurity in an habitual alienation of heart from the life and power of true religion.

Are there not many cuftomary Chriftians who have a form of godlinefs, and, though they are utter ftrangers to communion with God, yet nothing will induce them to part with their form? Are there not many whom it would be unjust to brand with the groffer crimes of profane fwearing, fenfual riot, or unclean luft, who yet have their hearts fet upon the world, which they love and pursue, and on which they reft with complacency, as their sweeteft portion? Are all outwardly decent and fober perfons ready to take up the cross, and follow their master without the camp? Are they ready to forfake" houses and bre"thren, and fifters and lands, yea, and their own life "alfo, for his fake and the gofpel's?" And yet without this they cannot be his difciples. There are many hard fayings in religion, which ordinary profeffors cannot bear, and with which they never comply. Remember the cafe of the young man who came to our Saviour, and fpoke with so much modesty and discretion, but could not bear

this great trial: "Then Jefus beholding him, loved him, "and faid unto him, One thing thou lackeft: go thy way, "fell whatsoever thou haft, and give to the poor, and "thou fhalt have treasure in heaven; and come, take up "the cross and follow me. And he was fad at that fay"ing, and went away grieved, for he had great poffeffi"ons."*

3. Sometimes a partial change is produced, in a great measure, even by the love and attachment which men have to fome one darling and governing fin. The lefs willing they are to cut off the right hand, and to pluck out the right eye, the more zealous and diligent they will be in other things, to atone for the indulgence, or to cover it from their own obfervation. How careful is a Pharifee to tithe mint, anife, and cummin, while he neglects the weightier matters of the law? How does he "make broad "his phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of his gar"ment," while he is defective in "judgment, mercy and "faith?" How did the ancient Jews come with thousands of rams and ten thousand rivers of oil, while living in the habitual neglect of fome of the most important branches of the divine law? We have an appofite example of this in the conduct of Saul, when fent against Amalek: he fpared of the fpoil what was good, though he was commanded to destroy it, and then pretended to make a free uncommanded offering of facrifice unto God, for which he met with this juft and fevere reprimand: "Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt-offerings and facrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better "than facrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams."+ We fee every day innumerable inftances of the fame kind; when there is any fin which men are willing to fpare, which they defend with arguments, or palliate with excuses, they are fo much the more ready to over-do in such duties as are not fo contrary to the prefent current of unfanctified affection.-From all this you will plainly fee, that no man ought to judge of himself by the greatness of the change in any particular, unless it is univerfal, and without exception.

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SECT. III.

From these words, EXCEPT A MAN BE BORN AGAIN, HE CANNOT SEE THE KINGDOM OF GOD, and other similar expressions in the holy scriptures, we may infer that the change here intended is not merely EXTERNAL and IMPERFECT, but INWARD, ESSENTIAL and COMPLEAT.

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MIGHT have divided this observation into two parts, and treated of them feparately; first fhewing that it is not an outward and apparent only, but an internal and real change; fecondly, that it is not an imperfect change, or difference in degree only, but a compleat and essential change of the whole character. But as the illuftration of these two must have neceffarily in a great measure coincided, and they are very clofely connected, I have chosen to join them together.

That what fhall be faid on this fubject may be the more ufeful and profitable, I will endeavor to explain, in as diftinct and fimple a manner as I am able, what you are to understand by the above remark. The firft part of it will be most easily comprehended, that it is not an external only, but an internal change; that the most apparently ftrict and regular converfation, the moft faultlefs difcharge of outward duties, will not be fufficient, while the heart continues enflaved to fin in general, or under the dominion of any particular luft. The other part of the remark is, that the change must not only be imperfect, or in degree, but effential and compleat. That is to say, it is not fufficient that a man be fomewhat lefs wicked than before, that he not only gives up fome fins, but ufe moderation in others; nay, though he be under fome degree of restraint univerfally, if ftill there is not what may be called an effential change of character, if ftill fin has the afcendency upon the whole, though its dominion be not fo un

controlled as before.

Sin may certainly have the chief feat in the affections, though it hath not altogether quiet and peaceable poffeflion. There must always be fome governing principle, which, properly speaking, conftitutes the character. As our Sa

viour tells us, "No man can ferve two masters; for either "he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will "hold to the one and defpife the other; ye cannot serve "God and mammon."* Grace and corruption are oppofite to their natures, and mutually deftructive of each other, fo far as they prevail: and therefore the great queftion is, not how far any of them is altered from what it was formerly in itself, but how far it prevails in oppofition to the other, and hath truly the government of the man. I find it extremely difficult to communicate this truth in a fimple and intelligible manner, fo as to be level to the meanest capacities. And it is little wonder; for here lies the chief part of the deceitfulness of fin. It will, I hope, be better understood by what is now to be added, both for its proof and illuftration.

That what I have above afferted is agreeable to the analogy of faith, and a part of the will of God, may eafily be made appear. It is the conftant uniform doctrine of the holy fcriptures. There we find it is the peculiar prerogative of God, that he seeth and judgeth the heart. By this his knowledge is diftinguished from, and excels all created understanding, and therefore, as no appearance will deceive, fo no infincere profeffion will be accepted by him: "For the Lord feeth not as man feeth, for man "looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord look"eth on the heart." To this purpose is the exhortation of David to his fon Solomon: "And thou Solomon, my fon, know thou the God of thy father, and ferve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind, for the "Lord fearcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts."

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The stress that is laid on this in fcripture, and the frequent repetition of the word "heart," can hardly have ef caped the notice even of the most curfory reader, or the moft fuperficial obferver. We find the confent of the heart required as indifpenfably and chiefly neceffary, and that as diftinguished from outward and apparent obedience, which, without it, will be of no value." My fon, give me

* Matt. vi. 24. ↑ Sam. xvi. 7. 1 Chron. xxviii. 9.

"thine heart," fays Solomon," and let thine eyes obferve "my ways."* We find an inward change of heart and difpofition promifed by God as the work of his Spirit and grace: "A new heart alfo will I give you, and a new fpi"rit will I put within you; and I will take way the ftony "heart out of your flefh, and I will give you an heart of "flesh, and I will put my Spirit within you, and caufe

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you to walk in my ftatutes, and ye fhall keep my judg"ments and do them." We find the fame thing implored by penitent finners, as necessary to their recovery: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right fpirit within me." And we find the duty of returning penitents, prescribed in the very fame terms: "Caft away "from you all your tranfgreffions, whereby ye have tranfgreffed, and make you a new heart and a new fpirit; for "why will ye die, O houfe of Ifrael."

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I fhall only further obferve, that we find in fcripture an integrity of heart required to real religion; that is to fay, that the love of God must be the commanding governing principle, that there must be no divided or rival affection fuffered to remain: "For the Lord your God proveth you, "to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your foul," The firft duty of "the moral law runs in thefe terms: "Thou fhalt love "the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy "foul, and with all thy mind;"** which, as a precept of the gofpel, is explained by the following paffage; "He "that loveth father or mother more than me, is not wor

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thy of me; and he that loveth fon or daughter more "than me, is not worthy of me."++ If, to any, the collecting of fo many paffages of fcripture feem tedious, it is entirely owing to the abundance and commonnefs of them. It were eafy to have added ten times the number to those which have been already quoted, a circumftance to which I particularly beg the reader's attention, as it sets in the ftrongeft light the certainty and importance of this truth.

* Prov. xxiii. 26. † Ezek. xxxvi. 26. 27. ‡ Pfal. li. 10. || Ezek. xviii. 31. Deut. xiii. 3. ** Matt. xxii. 37. Matt. X. 37.

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