this world, or to risk the tremendous consequences. "He looks not at the things which are seen, but "at the things which are not seen: for the things "which are seen are temporal, but the things "which are not seen are eternal."

His former thoughts of Christ and his salvation are passed away. He once despised the glorious Redeemer in his heart; perhaps he deemed those to be hypocrites or enthusiasts, who spoke in animated language of his love and preciousness: but these imaginations are no more; he is now ready to exclaim, "How great is his goodness! how "great is his beauty!"-He counts all but loss for Christ, and fears exceedingly coming short of his salvation. He cannot think meanly of him, or be indifferent to his favour, cause, or glory; yet he continues dissatisfied with the degree of his admiring love and gratitude to his great Benefactor.→ His former opinions concerning the wise and happy among the sons of men are irrecoverably gone. He pities the very persons, whom he once admired or envied; and he counts the despised and afflicted disciples of Christ "the excellent of the earth, in whom is all his delight." He longs to share their privileges and felicity: nor could he recover his former aversion to them, even if he supposed that he should be for ever excluded from their company.

When any one is in Christ a new creature, his old pursuits and pleasures also pass away. As the y of his servants.

is still more decided in things diHow shall he that is dead to sin live erein?" He hates and dreads sin as y: "His seed remaineth in him, t sin, because he is born of God." eed forsake his lawful employments; y learns to follow them from new a new manner; not from covetousrldly principles, but as his duty, od and man, and according to the sacred scriptures.

✓ be perceived, that the old compaman will pass away. Even when and other causes render some inungodly persons unavoidable, it s cordial and intimate. When such ters meet, one of them must be out all those associates therefore of the ormer years, who have no interest he acquaintance, will drop off, as

lars that have been mentioned, may cimen: and it should be remer every respect in which "old thing "things become new," the apost the word behold, hath emphaticall attention to this circumstance!

This too might be illustrated the various operations of the beli the objects of his affections. He grieves and rejoices, desires and manner; and his passions have re jects. He fears the wrath and fro hopes for glory and immortality his own sins, and the miseries o rejoices in God, hungers and thi ousness, and abhors that which is ment and taste are gradually for word; his memory is replenished with divine truths, and his imagination employed in realizing invisi ble things. The company of his choice, the places of his willing resort, the books he prefers, his select topicks of discourse, the use he makes of his time and talents, the manner in which he conducts business, and enjoys the comforts of life, might be enlarged upon, to shew in what respects "all things are become new." For the real Christian desires, that "whether he eat or drink, or " whatsoever he do, he may do all to the glory of "God."

The extent of the apostles' meaning may, however, be further illustrated, by shewing that the believer does the same things in a new manner, in respect of the best part of his former conduct, and the worst of his present.-He used perhaps to attend on religious ordinances: and though his heart was not engaged, nor his professions sincere; he returned home well satisfied with having done his duty, or elated with an idea of his own goodness. But now, when his prayers and praises are the language of his habitual judgment and desires, and he is upon the whole a spiritual worshipper; he is continually humbled for the unallowed defects and evils of his services, and seeks to have all washed in the atoning blood of Christ.

On the other hand, it must be allowed that sin dwelleth even in the true convert; and he may possibly fall into the same evil, in which he once

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poses, than he formerly had in more particular examination of be left to your private meditation clude at present with a brief appli There are persons professing who avowedly disregard this sul speak of regeneration or the ne ready to answer, "How can thes perhaps to retort an indiscriminat thusiasm. But do you intend Judge in this manner? Do you heaven, by disproving the tru solemn and repeated declarations ment the standard of truth? Can ful to salvation, which you do no God be indeed glorious in holines and joys of heaven be holy, ar holy, an entire change must, in th things, take place, before he can