not in its degrees: it is not a deliverance from all sin : it exhibits the soul in its spiritual infancy, complete indeed in all its faculties, but not in a completely strong and healthy state, and requiring for its support and growth unto "the fullness of the measure of the stature of Christ," the care of the physician and the use of his medicines, as well as "the breath of Heaven, and the food that strengthens man's heart." The regenerate are not Angels. They are not as Adam was in his state of perfect righteousness and innocency: they are not immaculate. The +"body of sin" is not "destroyed" in them. They have two manner of principles within them, "the flesh and the spirit ;" and "these are contrary the one to the other;" so "that they cannot do the things that they would." ́§ “I delight,” saith St. Paul, "I delight" (and no unregenerate person can possibly thus delight) "in the law of GoD after the inward man: but I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death."

So then, a proneness to sin remains even in the Regenerate; just as a tendency to disease

* Eccl. vii. 29.

+ Rom. vi. 6.

§ Rom. 7. 22-25.

Gal. v. 17.

|| Art. IX. And see Matt. xiii. 33.

exists in the new-born infant: and, "if a man say that he hath no sin, he deceiveth, himself." And therefore, a state of Regeneration being a state liable to manifold imperfections, in consequence of the infirmity of our nature, or the "sin that dwelleth in" the regenerate, although it makes a person meet for admission into the church below, and is connected with the gift of eternal life, even now, doth not make him absolutely meet for actual admission into the church above.

The perfect sanctification of the soul, is it's preparation for the enjoyment of heaven. § The Apostle says, "Without holiness no man shall see the Lord;" and, "If ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." ¶And," that He might present to Himself a glorious Church without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish." And, **" These washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple;" and, "++ there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lie."

What language can more forcibly declare that

* 1 Joh. i. 8. + Rom. vii. 17.
Rom. viii. 13.

§ Heb. xii. 14.

Col. i. 12.

¶ Eph. v. 27.

** Rev. vii. 14, 15. ++ Ib. xxi. 27.

the glory of heaven requires "graces exalted above all imperfections and frailties," which must be bestowed by the Giver of "every good and of every perfect gift," before" the night cometh when no man can work?"

It being, then, allowed that the phrase "the kingdom of God," in our Saviour's discourse with Nicodemus, means the Church on earth, it will not be a difficult thing to prove the necessity of a person's being blessed with the grace of Regeneration, before he can be really admitted into this spiritual society.

For the Church of GoD is a society distinguished by the titles—" the family of God," "the household of GoD," "the children of GoD." It was established by the blessed Jesus to display the Divine * Attributes in its defence, happiness, obedience, preservation, sanctification, and glory. It is, therefore, evident, that, until a person be "born again," he must remain, with respect to it, an " + alien and a foreigner."

Again, the Church was established for mutual help and comfort. If this is the case, no person can be enrolled among its members, who cannot partake of it's privileges, relish it's employments,

* Is. xliii. 1—3. 15-21. Lu. ii. 10-14. Eph. ii. 4-7. † Eph. ii. 11, 12.

Joh. xv. 16, 17. xvii. 20, 21.

Eph. ii. 19-22.

Gal. iii. 27, 28.

obey it's Lawgiver, and of set purpose promote it's interests. Because while he is disqualified by a different character and conduct, he must be as a wolf among sheep.

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1. "An unregenerate person cannot partake of the privileges of the Church of God. It has "* fellowship with the Father and with his son Jesus Christ," by the Spirit. But an unregenerate man is" without God, and without Christ." How then can he call God his Father? or the Son of God his Redeemer ? or how can he worship GoD in spirit and in truth?-To the true Church of GOD it is said, "‡ All things are your's; whether ministers, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are your's." But "to the unregenerate is nothing blessed, because he himself is not blessed of GOD.-Upon the Church of God rests the || blessing of peace and of life for evermore." But the unregenerate a child of wrath." How then can person is " he either have peace with GOD, or "be a partaker of the inheritance of the saints in light?"

2. An unregenerate man cannot relish the employments peculiar to the Church of God. For "what ** communion hath darkness with light?

* 1 Joh. i. 3. + Eph. ii. 12. § Deut. xxviii. 15-19.

|| Ps. xxix. 11.
¶Eph. ii. 3.

Is. iii. 11.

1 Cor. iii. 21-23. Rom. iii. 16.

cxix. 165. cxxxiii. 3.

** 2 Cor. vi. 14.

and what fellowship hath unrighteousness with righteousness?" He says of reading and meditation and prayer; he says of praise and thanksgiving; he says of a holy observance of the Lord's day, "What a * weariness is it!" Religious acts are not congenial to his temper and spirit. He may, for worldly reasons, or from selfrighteousness, or from fear, wear "the form of Godliness;" but he is a perfect stranger to “its power;" and he is content to remain so, because he has no heart for it.

3. An unregenerate person cannot obey the Lawgiver of the Church. + For "the carnal mind is enmity against GOD; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither, indeed, can it be." In the nervous language of Bishop Hopkins, "the whole bent and inclination of the soul, that ought to be carried out to GOD, but cannot, pitcheth upon what it can, and that is upon the creature those things which please the carnal, sensual appetite; and that in an inordinate manner, to the neglect and slighting, yea, to the contempt and hating of God."

4. "An unregenerate man cannot of set purpose promote the good of the Church of God. For," the natural man receiveth not the things

* Mal. i. 13.

+ Rom. viii. 7.

1 Cor. ii. 14.

Bishop Hopkins's first Sermon on Regeneration.

§ Eph. ii. 19.