ever is born of God, fays St. John, i. e. whoever is begotten to this new life in Chrift by the power of God, overcometh the world. St. Paul tells us, that the Spirit of God will quicken our mortal bodies, as well as our dead bodies. Which is not to be understood without having recourfe to the first refurrection, which is to a new life of holiness here, and which must be the forerunner and introducer of the second refurrection to glory. The Apostle to the Philippians tells us, that he willingly fuffered the lofs of all things, that he might know Chrift and the power of his refurrection. And this he defired to know, that he might attain to the refurrection of the dead, Phil. iii. 10, 11. Where, if you remember what has been faid of our being made conformable to the death and refurrection of Christ, by rifing to holinefs and righteousness, you will not be at a lofs to understand what it is to know, or feel, the power of Chrift's refurrection; or to understand, how the knowing the power of Chrift's refurrection fhould be a means of attaining to the refurrection of the dead. Such is the power of Chrift's refurrection, that those who feel it have, as the Apostle in the 20th verfe informs us, their converfation in heaven; whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jefus Chrift. This, which St. Paul calls knowing the power of Chrift's refurrection, and having our converfation in heaven, the author to the Hebrews calls, tafting the powers of the world to come, Heb. vi. 5. The refurrection is indeed one of the powers of the world to come, which all partake in, and tafte of, whofe mortal bodies are quickened by the Spirit of God. In the verfe

after this it is faid, that those who fall from their faith, crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to open fhame. How does he who falls away crucify Chrift, or put him to open fhame?: This cannot be understood, but by having recourse: to the Scripture reprefentation already explained. But, if we remember that all who are baptized crucify the old man with his deeds; that they put on the new man created after holinefs; that the. Apostle to the Galatians exprefsly says, that as many as are baptized put on Chrift; it will readily appear, why it is that those who fall away crucify Christ. afresh for, by receiving the faith, they put on Christ, and crucified the old man and his deeds; but if they defert the faith, and return to their former deeds, and again put on the old man, they do then crucify Chrift again with his deeds, and put. him once more to open fhame.

This notion of the different ftates and conditions of man, of the death of the old man, of a new creature in Chrift, runs through the precepts, exhortations, and doctrines of the Gofpel, which cannot be understood but by analogy to this notion; and therefore I hope I may be excufed in fpending fo much of your time in the illuftration of it. You have heard already of our death, and burial, and refurrection with Chrift: but the Apoftle in the text carries the metaphor ftill one degree higher; If ye be rifen with Chrift, feek thofe things which are above, where Chrift fitteth at the right hand of God. As if he had faid, It is not enough that ye are rifen from the dead with Chrift, you must also afcend: after him into heaven; for there is your life hid in

Chrift, there are your true riches, and thither must you go to take care of them. You are dead to the world, and can no longer live to it; your life is spiritual and heavenly as is your life, fuch muft be the actions which flow from it, the inclinations that attend it. Since therefore you are dead to the world, alive to Chrift through the Spirit of holiness, you must act like members of Chrift, and fet your affections on things above, where Chrift your life is afcended. Hence it is that St. Paul often exclaims against the abfurdity of a Chriftian's living in fin. You may juft as well fay, that all the actions of life may be performed in the grave, when a man is dead and buried, as fay that a Chriftian may continue in fin: for the Chriftian has crucified and buried the body of fin. How then, as the Apoftle cries out, fhall we who are dead to fin continue any longer therein? Sin is the only poifon by which the life of Chrift, which is in us, may be deftroyed. It is a life which no man can take from you but yourself. Those who kill the body cannot reach it not all the powers of darkness, fin only excepted, can separate believers and our Lord. But every unmortified luft, every unfubdued vice, is a cancer that eats into our very vitals, and, if we do not cut them off, will in the end deftroy us quite. Holiness is as neceffary to our spiritual life, as eating and drinking are to our natural; and therefore the Apostle's conclufion in the text is juft, If we be rifen with Chrift, if we live with him, we must feek the things which are above.

DISCOURSE XLIV.

JAMES iii. 17.

“The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and eafy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrify.

THE gifts of the Holy Spirit are distinguishable into two kinds, being either extraordinary, and peculiar to fome times and perfons; and given, not for the fanctification of the men on whom they are beftowed, but for the edification of the church, which is the body of Chrift: or they are common to all times of the Gofpel, and neceffary to perfect the man of God in every good work; and therefore tendered to all who undertake the conditions of Chriftianity, according to the promise of God made through Chrift Jefus. Of the first fort were those wonderful gifts bestowed on the Apostles, and first planters of Chriftianity, by which they were enabled to convey the knowledge of the falvation of God to men of all languages, and to convince the world by figns, and wonders, and mighty works, of the truth of their miffion; and that the word by them spoken was the word of life, proceeding from