and glory of which, furpafs all defcription-in which is the throne of God and of the Lamb, where his fervants fhall ferve him, and fee his face, and have his name in their foreheads-where there fhall be no curfe where there fhall be no night-where they fhall need no candle, nor light of the fun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they fhall reign forever and ever.

in the gofpel are exhibited and presented before us, all the motives to the exercife and practice of piety and holiness, which are founded in and refult from all the obligations to love and ferve the living God, which croud upon the mind, from a view of him as being inexpreffibly and infinitely amiable and glorious, excellent and perfect-our Creator and conftant preferver and rightful sovereignthe fountain, fource and comprehenfion of being and all good; and therefore infinitely worthy of our fupreme and conftant love and fervice; and from all the obligation which strikes the mind, from a view of his authority as original, underived, and infinitely binding, and of the facrednefs and unchanging obligation of his law; and alfo from a view of a great number of particular precepts and prohibitions, HE fuitableness and clothed and enforced with the au

Surely upon reading thefe gof pel doctrines and contemplating thefe fcriptural reprefentations, it must be admitted, and clearly feen, by candid minds, that the gofpel is admirably fuited and peculiarly calculated, to reftrain from fin, and to excite to the ftudy and practice of righteoufnefs and true holinefs.

NUMBER VIII.

IX. T tendency of the gof

thority of the great God and our

pel, to fubferve the intereft of true Lord Jefus Chrift, expressly forreligion, and to excite to the ftu- bidding all the variety of particudy and practice of univerfal holi-lar finful lufts and paffions, works nefs, appear, with abundant evi- and ways, which are contrary to dence, from the variety and great- or inconfiftent with true piety and nefs of the motives, which it ex-real holiness, and injoining all the hibits and prefents before us.

Thefe indeed, at least a great part of them, have been fuggefted under the foregoing particulars. A general view of them in this place, will, of courfe, be comprifed in a concife repetition or recapitulation of the principal things more largely ftated in the preceding numbers. I, however, conceive it may be useful, and pertinent to the general defign of treating on this fubject, to collect and exhibit them together, in one fummary view. This will now be at tempted.

From a review of the various particulars which have been flated and illuftrated, it will appear, that

variety of particular exercifes and affections, works and duties, which are comprehended in true religion in all its extent.

From this review it will alfo appear, that the gofpel exhibits all the motives to holiness and true religion, which can be derived from the most difinterested selfmoving goodness and love of God and Jefus Chrift, difplayed in the plan and work of redemption-the love of God, in appointing and giving his only begotten Son to be the propitiation for our fins; and the love and grace of the Son, in freely undertaking and performing the arduous work, at the infinite expenfe of his humiliation and o

bedience unto death, the death of | been stated and illuftrated, can we the cross. avoid the conclufion-can we reIn the gospel are likewife exhib-frain from confeffing, that the ited all the motives prefented to gofpel bears upon it the evident view, in the moft gracious invi-marks of a divine origin-that it tations, calls and offers, and great juftly claims for its author the only and precious promises, on the one true God? hand; and on the other, in the moft folemn warnings and reproofs, and awfully tremendous threatenings, and terrible denunciations of the eternal wrath of the living God and all which naturally arife to view and croud upon the mind, from a very ftriking and affecting representation of the folemn fcenes of Chrift's fecond coming the end of the worldthe general refurrection-the last judgment, and the eternal ftate of retribution. In a word, the gofpel presents to view all the motives derivable from every confideration of duty and interest-all that are fuited to operate on our confciences, or our hearts-our benevolence or our gratitude-our hopes, or our fears.

The fcriptures claim our belief as being a divine revelation-the word of God. In perufing them we find a very fingular description of his character. They prefent to our view a character exceedingly different from, and inexpreffibly more excellent and amiable, majeftic and glorious, confiftent and perfect, than was ever defcribed or conceived by any human being, whofe ideas of the Deity were not derived either directly or indidirectly from this fource; and proportionably better fuited to promote righteoufnefs and piety. Who then, could poffibly be the author of this defcription, but God himself? He alone has a perfect, intuitive knowledge of himfelf. He alone is capable of clearly and On the whole, may I not ven- fully describing his own character, ture an appeal to the reafon, judg- and exhibiting before us a juft view ment and confcience of all, who and representation of it. Therehave read the preceding numbers, forc, when we find this actually and retain an idea of the principal done in a book which profeffes to things which have been stated as be the word of God, whilft nothwitneffing, that the gofpel is in- ing like it, nothing anywife comdeed a doctrine according to godli-parable to it, was ever effected by nefs-that in its whole fyftem, it any human creature, not exceptis not only confiftent with true re-ing the greateft philofophers and ligion, but admirably well calcula- moralifts, and wifeft of men, who ted to enforce and promote it did not derive their information that the scriptures are indeed well from the fame fource, can there be fuited, as means, to make men the leaft room for doubt refpecting wife to falvation, through faith in the author of this book? Is it not Jefus Chrift; and profitable for demonftrably and beyond all difdoctrine, for reproof, for correc- pute, the very thing it claims to tion, for inftruction in righteouf-be-the word of God? Again, nefs; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished to all good works?

Upon a careful examination of the fcriptures, they are found to contain and inculcate, under the profeffed fanction of divine author1. In a review of all that hasity, a fyftem of doctrines, inftita.

REFLECTIONS.

2. How worthy are the fcriptures of our most cordial reception and grateful acknowledgment-of our admiration and esteem-of our attentive perufal and daily study! How precious fhould they be in our eyes, and to our hearts!Hence,

der the fcriptures generally difbelieved and rejected! If, under fuch light and advantages as we enjoy, any of us should conduct in this manner, or only continue to live in fin eftranged from God, how can we expect to escape a diftinguishingly awful punishment? Let us, therefore, take warning, before it is too late; and apply, with diligence, to the study of the holy fcriptures, as being indeed the word of God. And may his

zions and commands, inftructions, precepts and prohibitions, ceunfels, warnings and admonitions, encouragements and reproofs, prom ifes and threatenings, bearing teftimony against and forbidding all un. righteousness and fin-all impiety towards God, and all injuftice, unmercifulness and cruelty towards 3. How great is the folly, and men-every thing injurious and how aggravated the wickedness, of hurtful to ourselves or others-ev-difregarding and neglecting the ery thing morally bafe and defiling Bible; and efpecially, of flight-every thing oppofite to or incon- ing, defpifing, and and rejecting fiftent with integrity and upright-it as an impofture, reproaching nefs, juftice and mercy, truth and it, and attempting to make it holiness, and the most perfect be-a fubject of ridicule, and to rennevolence and goodness; and pofitively requiring every juft, right and benevolent exercife and affec tion towards God and men, with their correfpondent fruits and expreffions in practice; enforced by motives the most weighty and interesting, awful and alluring, that the heart of man can conceive; and accordingly calculated, in a degree not to be expreffed, beyond any other fyftem ever prefented to the view of mankind, to encourage, promote and enforce, and to ex-grace effectually teach us, to deny cite to the conftant ftudy and practice of univerfal righteoufnefs and true holiness, Now is it poffible that men, interested, defign. ing and wicked men, fhould be the inventors and authors of this fyf tem, fo different from, and fo inexpreffibly furpaffing all others, in felf-confiflency, purity and excellence, energy and adaptednefs to its end, and fo contrary and croffing to the darling lufts and paffions of mankind? The fuppofition is too abfurd to be admitted by arational mind, not exceedingly blin

ungodliness, and worldly lufts, and to live foberly, righteously, and godlily, in this prefent world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God, even our Saviour Jefus Chrift: that at his coming, we may ftand among those, whom he hath redeemed from all iniquity, and purified unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Amen.

On the growth of Chriflians.

TH

HEY, who are made fub1. jects of the fanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit, are likened to new-born babes. 1 Pet. ii. 2. "As new-born babes de

ded by prejudice and a very perverfe difpofition. It is manifeftly impoffible to account for the existence of this fyftem, without acknowledg. ing God for its author. Hence, fire the fincere milk of the word."

"But as many as re

This is a moft ftriking fimilitude being born. to illuftrate the beginning of fpir.ceived him, to them gave he power to become the fons of God, even to them that believe on his name ; which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."

itual life in the hearts of depraved men; and one which the Holy Ghoft hath frequently made ufe of for that purpose. Our divine Saviour, who was a perfect teacher, who was perfedly wife in the choice Keeping our eye on this fimiliof words to communicate truth, tude, we fhall readily fee, that men was the first to call the implanta- are no more active in producing tion of grace in the heart, a being spiritual exiflence, in their hearts, born again. This fimilitude was than they are, in producing their adopted in the conference he had natural exiftence. There is a time with Nicodemus, a ruler of the when men begin to have holy exerJews. The Saviour very well cifes, or begin to be spiritually alive, knew what inftruction this man as much as there is a time, when needed, and with which of the they begin to breathe the breath of Christian doctrines to open the con- life: and before this, they are defference he had fought, with fotitute of life, deftitute of all hely much pains. He began immediate-affections.-There is a variety of ly with regeneration, or the necef- phrafes, in fcripture, which reprefity of a change of heart. "Ver- fent the implantation of grace in ily, verily I fay unto thee, Except the heart, in the fame light; phraa man be born again, he cannot fee fes, which imply that when finners the kingdom of God." Nicodemus, are adopted into the holy family conceiving Chrift had reference to of God, they are new-born babes, the natural birth, faith unto him, in a spiritual fenfe. How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the fecond time into his mothers womb, and be born?" The Saviour then explained, and gave him to understand, that he had made ufe of a fimilitude to ilJultrate a Spiritual and important truth. "That which is born of the flesh is fleft; and that which is burn of the fpirit is fpirit." Thus reafoned our Saviour, while inftructing this Jewith ruler. He likened those who are made fubjects of the fanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit to new-born babes. As their natural existence began by being born into the world, and by having the breath of life breathed into them, fo their fpirit ual life began by being regenerated by the Holy Spirit. John, in the first chapter of his gufpel, do fcribes the implantation of grace in the heart, by the fimilitude of

The

2. After being fpiritually born, men are faid to grow. They grow as fpiritual men, as well as natural men. At first, they are babes, then children, and afterwards per fect men in Chrift. They are born again, to live and grow. growth of Chriftians is declared, and abundantly teftified, by many of the infpired writers. It is faid in the book of Job, "The right eous hall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be fronger and stronger. The wife man in his proverbs, afferts the fame idea with ftill greater clearnels. "But the path of the juft is as the fhining light, that fineth more and more unto the perfect day." We may know there is fuch a thing as Chriftians growing in grace from its being fo often commanded that they thould grow. ing brotherly love,

"But as touch

(faid the apoftle

growth of Chriflians confifts, we may draw very dangerous conclufions with respect to ourselves and

others.

to the Theffalonians) ye need not | Unless we understand in what the that I write unto you: for ye your felves are taught of God to love one another. And indeed ye do it towards all the brethren, which are in all Macedonia: but, we beseech you, brethren, that ye increafe more and more." In the 2d epittle of Peter, we find this exprefs command, But, grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jefus Chrift." When in prifon, the apostle Paul used to pray for the faints, that they might grow, and be more conformed to God. "The Lord make you to increase and abound in love one to wards another, and towards all men, even as we do towards you." We have alfo examples of Chriftians praying for themfelves, that they might be made to grow. The apoftles faid unto the Lord, Increase our faith.

1. Do Chriftians grow better, in their own apprehenfion? Do they view themfelves to increase in worthiness? No; this is very far from being the cafe. The more they know of themselves, the more they are aflamed of themselves. As light increafes, they see more and more of their own deformity. Notwithstanding all the conviction of fin, which they were made to feel, before their hearts bowed to Chrift, they afterwards learn, that their views were very faint. A few years of experience in this world of temptation and trial, af. ter converfion, lead Chriftians to fay of the corruption and deceitfulnefs of their hearts, as the queen of Sheba faid of the glory of Solomon, The one half was never told us. When they are brought under fevere trials-trials which are calculated to fcan their hearts, they become aftonifhed at themfelves-aftonifhed that they carry about fuch a load of iniquity in their breafts. Did David think he was growing better, and was increasing in worthiness, after he was made to fee what he had been doing in the affair of Uriah? So far was he from this, that he probably never before funk down fo low in his own efteem. What had he to fay? "I acknowledge my tranf greffion and my fin is ever before me." With his fin ever before him it is plain he could not fee much worthinefs in himafelf.-Did Peter

The growth of Chriftians, therefore, is made certain not only from exprefs declarations of fcripture, but from their being commanded to grow, as a thing attainable, and from examples of prayer, in which growth in grace was the burden of the petition. And how reasonable it is, that Chriftians fhould be actually making progrefs in religion! Is it becoming them always to be babes? The apoftle fharply reproved the Hebrews, becaufe their growth in divine things was fo flow. Heb. v. 12, 13, 14-All the real children of God are making more or lefs progrefs in divine things. Doubtlefs there is a great difference, as to their improvement; owing, as may be the cafe, to their different advantages, or to their different degrees of faith-think he was growing better, when fulness.

3. In what does their growth confift? This is a very important inquiry; in pursuing which we ought to make accurate diftinctions.

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he was made to reflect on his denial of his Lord? Probably he never before experienced fuch fhame in view of himself, and that he never before viewed himself fo