pleasures?—what satisfaction would such an one take in the employments of a prayer-meeting? Think you such an one would feel at home in the society of those who are devoted to the service of God? But we need not go to the pleasure-taker, the world's express devotee, for an example; there are, doubtless, many whose chief enjoyment consists in prosecuting the business of the world, in labouring after the bread that perisheth, and who never think of sanctifying that labour by fervency of spirit. Such an one may endure to attend the worship of God for an hour, to satisfy conscience; but how would such an one endure, with an unchanged heart, the perpetual employments of heaven? Would his present frames and feelings meet with suitable gratifications in the employments of the celestial state? I trust the reasonableness of the argument will appear when it is considered that, if an hour spent in the service of God is tedious to a man, an eternity spent in that service would be intolerable; and from thence we may deduce the absolute necessity of being" born again" before the presence and service of God, and the employments of heaven, can be an enjoyment to the soul; therefore," marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”

The necessity of regeneration was not urged by our Saviour solely upon Nicodemus; nor was it intended exclusively for the Jewish nation; nor should we think that because we are nominally a nation of Christians, it was not intended to apply to us; on the contrary, what our Saviour said to Nicodemus is applicable to every one: Except ye be born again, ye cannot see the kingdom of God."

The effects of this great change. If one feature of Christianity is more prominent than another, it is that which shews it to be a restorative dispensation. When

born again, a man is in a measure restored to the image of God, which was lost by the fall; he is restored to the favour of God, which by sin he had forfeited. When born again, a man sees the evil of his past life; he not only abhors sin in its every feature and every form, but he possesses an increasing love to holiness; he begins to represent Christ in his transactions with men. It has been said that when Christ ascended to heaven, he took with him our nature to represent us, and he left with us his nature to represent him. When born again, a man begins to be acquainted with the transports that are to be felt, arising from the beamings of the love of God in the heart. Let not any one think that these transports are confined to the heaven of God's presence, and that on earth we have only the name of joy; I tell you nay, for be assured that eternal life commences at the period of regeneration, and this cannot be without a man being acquainted with it. And who can feel assured of being in a regenerate state, of being an object of the love of God, of being predestinated to eternal life, and having that life commenced in him, and not joy and rejoice in the hope of glory? Who can possess the evidence of sins pardoned, of peace with God, and joy in the Holy Ghost, and not experience the dawnings of bliss unutterable? What is spiritual joy, but a sense of union with Christ, the object of the soul's desires? Did not Jesus promise his disciples that their hearts should rejoice, and that their joy no man should take from them? "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full; for it is God who worketh in you, both to will and to do of his own good pleasure."

Bnt while I would point out the joyous effects resulting from this great change, I desire by no means to

mislead the doubting soul, who might be supposed to conclude that, because he has never attained to joy and peace in believing, that therefore he has no portion with believers. Remember, joys are not the best evidences of a salvable state, however much they are to be desired. The best proofs of a work of regeneration having commenced in the heart, is a thorough hatred to every known sin; and then it follows of course that an exterminating war will be commenced against it; the armour will be buckled on, the combat will be manfully maintained, the watch tower will be the post of observation. Another proof will be, anxious desires, and increasing aspirations after a holy and heavenly frame of mind; all the sweet morsels of sin will be loathed, all the lusts will be subdued, or brought into subjection; and in proof that spiritual mindedness is the object of desire, the regenerated man will be frequently upon his knees in secret, will detect himself in stealing opportunities from the avocations of life to hold converse with God; and this is the experience of many a heavenly-minded Christian. But be not deceived, God will not be mocked with the appearance of worship; he desires not the form of prayer; it is the heart and the affections that must be given to him in prayer; it is for this that he woos the sinner; the heart must be in all your praises, in all your requests, and in all your intercessions, or prayer is but a solemn mockery of God.

The man who is born again will always reckon that he has not yet attained, as he will experience that he is not yet perfect; and therefore he will be forgetting the things that are behind, and be pressing forward to the things that are before, that are held out to him; for there is no standing still in religion; if a man is not gaining ground, he is decidedly losing it; if he is not

M

advancing, he is retrograding. And these are some of the effects, some of the symptoms or proofs, of that great change having taken place in the heart of a sinner: "Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

You have been attending, reader, to a very important doctrine of religion, as taught by the Lord Jesus Christ, and I doubt not you give your assent to the truth of it; but do you desire that this change should pass upon you? Do you feel the necessity in your own case that you must be born again? If you earnestly desire it, you will now retire to your secret chambers, and will there prostrate yourself before the eternal God, and will not cease to importune him, and to wrestle with him in prayer, until he grant the boon of a new heart.

243

DEATH AND JUDGMENT.

Ir is evident from the present scheme of things that the world cannot always remain as it now is, with respect to its moral government. When we look through the different grades of society, we see nothing but violence and oppression, dishonesty and fraud. However desirable the continuance of the present state of things may be to those who are at ease in their possessions, it cannot reasonably be supposed by the considerate observer that a just and righteous God can look on without purposing to rectify the abuses that, through the tyranny of sin, have nearly swept away all right, and to punish the usurper who has scouted his righteous laws, and substituted in their place deceit and outrage. "The land is full of adulterers, because of swearing the land mourneth; both prophet and priest are profane, yea, in my house have I found their wickedness, saith the Lord. The Lord's voice crieth unto the city, Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure that is abominable? shall I count them pure with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitful weights? For the rich men thereof are full of violence, and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouths." There