of the Holy Ghost setting in with the word a new man, perfect in all its partscapable, as soon as it is created, of beholding objects clearly and distinctly, though not yet renewed in knowledge to such a degree as to have its "senses properly exercised," as it has in after experience, when they are drawn out on its proper object, Christ, who is all to the new man, and in all. He is the very life and soul of this new creature, where there is neither circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free, but where Christ. is all, and in all; therefore it is not strictly proper to say such a thing is the first work of the Holy Ghost on the soul, and such is the next, till, after putting his hand again and again to the work, it shall be completed. The work is effected at once by his word; therefore it is, on this account, compared by the prophet to rain, giving seed to the sower, and bread to the eater-"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor your

ways my ways, saith the Lord:" see Isaiah 55. "As the prolific rain, so shall my

word be."

How this great work is effected, our Lord himself does not vouchsafe to explain. He says "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit." As God said, on the first creation, 'Let there be light,' so, by his almighty fiat, light is created for the new creature; so that he discerns spiritual and eternal objects as the Holy Ghost is pleased to hold them up to view, which he does in a way secret Sometimes he is pleased to make a glorious revelation of Christ, as he did to the apostle Paul, and to let him see afterwards what sin was in its greatest deformity; to others he makes greater discoveries of sin, even of the sin of unbelief, and gives them but little views of Christ; to some he discovers at first the insufficiency of their

to us.

own righteousness, and how vain are all their own attempts to attain it; to others he makes some little discovery of sin, and by degrees shews them that "sin by the commandment is exceeding sinful;" but all with one view of leading them directly to Christ, whom he holds up to them in some degree now, even together with the views that he has given them of sin; otherwise the new creature would not be able to bear a great discovery of sin, so odious is it in the sight of God, and so repugnant to the new creature, which is created in righteousness and true holiness, and renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him. The new creature is the image of God created for the reception of Christ, and to take in conceptions of spiritual and divine objects; and as we go on in the divine life, the Holy Ghost is pleased to shew us here a little and there a little, (sometimes a view of Christ, and the Father's love in him,) in order to en

courage us in the way; and then a view of our great sinfulness, to the end that we may go to this great Physician, and make use of him according to our need: and, at other times, he lets us feel for a season how despe rately wicked the human heart is, that the revelation he intends to make to us of Christ, as the Lord our Righteousness, and as having put away sin by the sacrifice of himself, may be more prized by us, and be unto us a never-failing source of consolation and delight,

ESSAY XI.

ON THE WAY OF HOLINESS, AND COM. MUNION WITH GOD.

Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. Heb. 12. 14.

Ir is an allowed truth amongst all denominations of Christians, that without holiness no man shall see the Lord-see him as he is, and be admitted to sit down at the marriage-supper of the Lamb: but they in general mean the principle of holiness-that meetness which all believers have in regeneration, being thereby made "meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light;*" or they mean by it, that sanctification, or the holiness of Christ, is imputed to them that believe in the same manner as his righteousness is imputed; and they are

• Coloss. 1.