eth in you, both to will and to do, of his own good pleasure."

The promise of God, A new heart will I give you, and a new Spirit will I put within you, does not make void the commandment. Cast away from you all your transgressions, and make you a new heart, and a new Spirit; for why will ye die?

To distinguish between renovation and conversion, and to call the former the creative work of God, in which the subject is wholly passive; and the latter, altogether the work of nan, in which he is wholly active, is a refinement in divinity, which the gospel has not taught, and by which, I am afraid, Christians are little edified. The scripture uses the terms, regeneration, repentance and conversion, to express the whole change requisite to eternal life; for with each of them eternal life stands connected. To this change, taken in its complete sense, the use of means, and the grace of God, are both necessary. The former is our duty -for the latter we must look to him. "Let us do all things without murmurings and disputings, that we may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God without rebuke."

There is one observation more, which I will make on our text;

VI. That the change here spoken of is exceedingly great.

This, the terms used by our Apostle plainly import. It is putting off the old man, which is corrupt, and putting on the new man, which is created after the im age of God.

The observable and sensible alteration in those converted from the ignorance, superstitions and vices of heathenism, was much greater, than that which takes place in such as have grown up in the knowledge of the gospel, and under the restraining influence of a virtuous education. But in the latter the change is great, though not attended with all the same remarkable cir

cumstances. The real nature and essence of conver. sion, is the same in all. It is a change of temper from the love of sin, to the love of God; and a correspondent change of life by forsaking the ways of sin, and turning the feet into God's testimonies.

Let none then imagine that they are, the subjects of this change, merely because they entertain some new sentiments, feel transient emotions of the affections in their devotions, or have renounced some of their for. mer guilty practices. "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away, and all things are become new :" It is a heart habitually con. formed to God, and directed to keep all his commands, which proves that we have passed from death to life.

Some will, perhaps, here inquire, "If the change is so great as has been represented, must not every one who has been the subject of it, certainly know the reality, and even the very time of it?

This will not follow. The scripture supposes, that true Christians may want the full assurance of hope, and therefore directs them to seek it with diligence to the end; to examine themselves whether they are in the faith; and to fear, lest, a promise being left them, of entering into God's rest, they should seem to come short of it.

There is reason to believe, that some are renewed in their early childhood, before they have capacity dis tinctly to mark, or strength to retain the things which pass in their minds.

There are some, who, under the advantage of good instructions and examples, are, in a great measure, secured from the corruptions of the world, and the hardening influence of sin. These may be so gradually prepared for the change, and carried through it by such easy and gentle steps, that they can fix on no particular time, when it began, or when it was completed.

New converts are but babes in Christ. There is much corruption still remaining; and the principles of

holiness are weak in their souls. Hence they see cause to call in question the reality of their conversion, till they have had time to prove it by its fruits; and even then, they may find it difficult to ascertain the time, when the change took place.

It may also be remarked, that there is a great difference between one's knowing, that there is an alteration in him, and knowing that this is a renovation in the Spirit of his mind. Every sinner, who, at adult age, is reclaimed from a life of gross wickedness, is sensible of a change. He is conscious of the awakenings and convictions which he feels, of the resolutions which he forms, and of the reformations which he makes; and he will probably remember them all his days; but till he has had time to bring forth, with patience, the fruits of repentance, he may remain in doubt, whether all this is the work of saving grace.

And even improved Christians may, through disorders of body, heavy afflictions, pressing temptations, or misapprehensions of the proper evidences of grace, labor under great bondage to fear, and walk in darkness and doubt much of their time; perhaps all their days.

These observations sufficiently shew, that however great the change of conversion may be in itself, the full assurance of hope is not immediately, or necessarily connected with it. The humble Christian, impressed with a sense of the importance of the change, and the awful consequences of a mistake, will be disposed to entertain a godly jealousy. He will keep under his body to bring it into subjection, lest by any means, after all his experience, and all his hope, he should finally be a cast away.

Let us then give all diligence to make our calling and election sure, and adopt the prayer of the Psalmist, "Search me, O God, and try my heart; prove me and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

SERMON XXVII.

Truth between Man and Man.

EPHESIANS iv. 25.

Wherefore, putting away Lying, speak every man Truth with his neighbor; for we are members one of another.

ALL the graces of the Christian temper have a

strict connexion. The renovation of our nature after the divine image lays the foundation for all holy exercises and works. Where this has taken place, there will be a prevailing opposition to sin of every kind, and a governing regard to the whole compass of christian virtues and duties. The apostle observes to the Ephesians, that, by the gospel," they had been taught to put off the old man, which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts, to be renewed in the spirit of their mind, and to put on the new man, which, after God is created in righteousnes and true holiness, or holiness of truth." But he would not have their religion end here. He reminds them that the tenor of their lives must correspond with this renovation; that they must no longer walk, like other Gentiles, in the vanity of their minds, but according to the pure precepts of that new religion, which they had erbraced.

In our text and the verses following, he enumerates the several virtues and duties, which must appear in

the life of the renewed Christian; such as veracity, meekness, justice, industry, purity of speech, kindness, chastity, &c. all which we shall consider in their order.

The virtue, which our text offers to consideration is truth or veracity, in opposition to lying. This nat urally arose first to the Apostle's view from his description of the new man, as having put off deceitful lusts, and put on true holiness. We will,

1. Explain the duty here enjoined: “ man truth with his neighbor."

Speak every

II. Shew, that speaking truth is a necessary part of the Christian character. "Ye have been renewed

wherefore speak truth."

III. Apply the Apostle's argument: "For we are members one of another."

1. We will explain the duty here enjoined, which, for greater emphasis, the apostle expresses both negatively and positively. "Putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor."

Truth or veracity, as opposed to lying, is the agree. ment between our words and sentiments; as, on the contrary, lying is a disagreement between them, formed with a delusive intention. If by language, writing, or any known and agreed signs, we purposely convey to others false notions of things, we are guilty of that species of deception, which is commonly called lying. In opposition to this, we are to speak truth with our neighbors. In all our intercourse with one another, we are to express the real meaning of our hearts, and to convey, what we suppose to be, right ideas of those matters, which are the subjects of our discourse.

It will be useful to explain and state this point a lit-. tle more particularly.

Let it be observed,

1. There are cases, in which one may speak that which is not true, and yet not be chargeable with lying; for he may, have no intention to deceive. He VOL. III.

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