take away the guilt of fin, or destroy the efficacy of means. A fenfe of duty therefore constrains us to refume the arduous and difficult task, intreating the affiftance and bleffing of God, under a firm perfuafion that he will hear the prayer of faith, and make his own word " quick and powerful, "fharper than any two-edged fword, piercing even to the "dividing afunder of foul and fpirit, and of the joints and “the marrow, and a discerner of the thoughts and intents "of the heart."

The subject I have made choice of, and intend to handle in the enfuing treatise, immediately regards the subftance of religion, and is happily as little entangled in controverfy as any that could be named. We are told that "except a man be born again, he cannot fee the "kingdom of God." In this all parties, every profeffion and denomination of Chriftians, do or ought to agree. By whatever name you are called, whatsoever leader you profefs to follow, whatever ordinances you enjoy, if you are not "born again," you fhall not enter into the kingof God.

That manner of preaching the gospel, explaining or recommending divine truth, appears to me moft profitable, which brings ofteneft into view, or, rather, never lofes view of the great and effential difference between believers and unbelievers, faints and finners, heirs of glory and heirs of hell. These are mixed together on earth. They have common privileges as men and citizens. They cannot be certainly diftinguished by human obfervation; for though the image of God fhines in a bright and fenfible manner in fome on the one hand, and fome bear very plain and deadly fymptoms on the other, whofe ftate may be determined with little hazard of mistake; yet, in the intermediate degrees, there are multitudes whofe real character is known only to God. What then can be said more awakening, and at the fame time, more certainly true, than that every hearer of the gofpel, and every reader of fuch a treatife as this, is either reconciled to God and the object of his love, or at enmity with God, having "neither part nor portion" in his favor; and as many as die in this laft condition, fhall be the everlasting monu

ments of divine wrath. How important a diftinction! and can any man refrain from faying, "Lord thou know"eft all things-to which of thefe claffes do I belong?"

But there is fomething, if poffible, ftill more preffing in the paffage of fcripture which I have placed at the head of this difcourfe. Not only are all men of two different and opposite characters now, but all men are originally of one character, unfit for the kingdom of God; unless a change has paft upon them they continue fo; and unless a change do pafs upon them hereafter, they must be for ever excluded. This our Lord introduces with a ftrong affeveration, and signal note of importance: "Verily, verily, I "fay unto you, Except a man be born again, he cannot fee "the kingdom of God." Thefe words were spoken to Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This "mafter in Ifrael" came to Jefus by night. Convinced he feems to have been of the power which attended his miniftry, but, under a ftill stronger attachment to his worldly intereft, he durft not openly avow his conviction. Our Lord, at once to enlighten his mind with the most falutary of all truths, and level his pride of understanding by the manner of conveying it, faith to him, "Except a man be born again, "he cannot fee the kingdom of God." This appears to have been extremely aftonifhing, by his anfwer in the following verfe; "Nicodemus faith unto him, How can a "man be born when he is old? Can he enter the fecond "time into his mother's womb and be born?"

It is not my purpose to give a tedious explication of the paffage, or entertain the reader with a profufion of criticifm upon the words. This expreffion, the kingdom of God, hath various fignifications in fcripture, but chiefly two in the New Teftament, (1.) The gospel difpenfation, or government of the Meffiah, as diftinguifhed from the preceding periods; (2.) The kingdom of heaven, where the fincere difciples of Chrift fhall be put in full poffeffion of the bleffings of his purchase. I take it to be the last of thefe, that is, either only, or chiefly intended in this place. Both of them, indeed, may be meant in their proper or der, and for their different purpofes. An open profeflion and receiving the external b was neceflary to a con

cealed friend and cowardly difciple; but a right to the fpiritual privileges of the gofpel, and the promile of eter nal life, was the only thing that could make the profeffion valuable or defirable. Accordingly our Saviour feems to fpeak of both in his reply to Nicodemus's admiffion into the vifible church by baptism, and renovation by the Holy Ghoft, Jefus answered, Verily I fay unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he "cannot enter into the kingdom of God."

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I am fenfible that regeneration or the new-birth is a fubject, at prefent, very unfafhionable; or, at leaft, a ftile of language which hath gone very much into defuetude. It is, however, a fubject of unfpeakable moment, or, rather, it is the one fubject in which all others meet as in a centre. The grand enquiry, in comparison of which every thing elfe, how excellent foever, is but fpecious trifling. What doth it fignify, though you have food to eat in plenty, and variety of raiment to put on, if you are not born again if after a few mornings and evenings spent in unthinking mirth, fenfuality and riot, you die in your fins, and lie down in forrow? What doth it fignify, though you are well accomplished in every other refpect, to act your part in life, if you meet at laft with this repulfe from the Supreme Judge, " Depart from me, I know you not, "ye workers of iniquity?"

If this fubject is, indeed, unfashionable and neglected, we are miferably deceiving ourfelves. If a new nature is neceffary, to attempt to repair and new model the old will be found to be loft labor. If the fpring is polluted and continues fo, what a vain and fruitlefs attempt is it to endeavor, by addition, or by foreign mixture, to purify the ftreams. Juft fo it is by no means fufficient, or, to speak more properly, it is altogether impoffible, to reform the irregularities and vicious lives of finners, and bring them to a real conformity to the law of God, till their hearts are renewed and changed. It is like rearing up an old fabric, adding to its towers, and painting its walls, while the foundation is gone. See what the prophet Ezekiel fays of fuch foolish builders, "Wo to the foolish prophets-becaufe, "even because they have feduced my people, faying,

"Peace, and there was no peace; and one built up a "wall, and lo, others daubed it with untempered mortar:

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fay unto them which daub it with untempered mortar, "that it fhall fall: there fhall be an overflowing fhower, "and ye, O great hailftones, fhall fall, and a ftormy wind "fhall rent it."*

But, perhaps, the fubftance of the doctrine is retained while the language is held in derifion. We are told, it is but a figurative expreffion, and the fame in its meaning with repentance or reformation. Doubtlefs it is fo. And it were greatly to be wished, that many did thoroughly understand what is implied in repentance unto life. But the reader is intreated to obferve, that it is a metaphor frequently used in the holy fcripture. I think, alfo, it is a metaphor of peculiar propriety and force; well adapted to bring into view both the nature of the change which it defcribes, and the means by which it is accomplished. If there are any who in writing, or speaking on this fubject, have introduced or invented unfcriptural phrases, and gone into unintelligible myfticism, this is neither wonderful in itfelf, nor ought it to be any injury or difparagement to the truth. There is no fubject either of divine or human learning, on which fome have not written weakly, foolishly or erroneoufly; but that ought not to excite any averfion to the doctrine itself, which hath been perverted or abufed. I pray, that God may enable me to write upon this interesting subject, in a clear, intelligible and convincing manner; to fupport the truth from the evidence of fcripture and reason; to refolve, in a satisfying manner, any objections that may feem to lie againft it; but, above all, to carry it home with a perfuafive force upon the confcience and heart. I contend for no phrases of man's invention, but for fuch as I find in the holy fcriptures; from thefe I am refolved, through the grace of God, never to depart. And, in the mean time, I adopt the words of the eminent and useful Dr. Doddridge, "If this doctrine, in "one form or another, be generally taught by my bre"thren in the miniftry, I rejoice in it for their own fakes,

* Ezek. xiii. 10, 11.

"as well as for that of the people who are under their "care."

The plan of the following treatise is this:

I. To make fome general obfervations upon the metaphor used by the apoftle John, "Except a man be born. again ;" and the fame, or fimilar expreffions, to be found in other parts of the word of God.

II. To fhew wherein this change doth properly and directly confift, together with fome of its principal evidences and effects.

III. To fhew by what fteps, or by what means, it is ufually brought about.

IV. In the laft place, to improve the fubject, by a few practical addresses to perfons of different characters.