fight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all thefe things, God will bring thee into judgment."* This is the path of the abandoned and heaven daring profligate, who cafts off all fear of God, who burfts afunder every bond, "who draws iniquity with cords of vanity, and fins as it were with a cart-rope."

Again, There are fome whole hearts are fet upon prefent gain. Inftead of making that fober and moderate ufe of this world and its enjoyments, which becometh mortal creatures, they look upon it as their home. In ftead of confidering it only as a mean to a higher end, they have it as their chief or principal view, to fecure or enlarge their poffeffion of it. Thefe "fay to the gold, Thou แ art my refuge, and to the fine gold, Thou art my confi"dence."-They think their " houfes will endure for "ever, and their dwelling-places to all generations." This is often the fin of riper years: and, that the brutifh folly of finners may more eminently fhow itfelf, it is of ten the reproach and fcandal of old age, when its abfurdity is most fenfible and apparent. What doth it fignify how much men of this character defpife the levity of youth, or hate the filthy receptacles of fenfuality and luft, while their affections are fupremely fet upon the prefent world, while "they blefs the covetous, whom the Lord abhorreth ?"

It is often fufficient to raise in every ferious person a mixture of compaffion and indignation, to hear those with whom poverty is the only crime, openly pleading for, and boafting of their attachment to the world, or treating with a finile of contempt thofe who tell them, from the word of God, that it is vain. Though nothing is more frequently confirmed by experience, it is ufual to confider this as only pulpit declamation, a part of our bufinefs and profeffion, but containing a maxim that cannot be applied to common life. Let all fuch be informed, whether they will hear it or not, that, however regular and abftemious they may be as to all fenfual indulgence, however diligent, eager, and fuccefsful in trade, "except they be born again, they cannot fee the kingdom of God." And, that they

nay not deceive themselves, but know in part at least, wherein this change confifteth, let them peruse and ponder the following paffage of the apoftle John: "Love not the "world, neither the things that are in the world: if any "man love the world, the love of the Father is not in "him."*

Once more. There are fome who walk in the path of ambition. Pride and vain glory is the idol at whofe fhrine they bow. Thefe, indeed, may be divided into very dif ferent claffes. Pride, which may be called the mafterpaffion of the human frame, takes in the most extenfive and univerfal range. There is fcarce any ftate in which it is not able to exert itself, fcarce any circumftance which it is not able to convert into the means of its own gratification. All natural advantages which men enjoy over others, whether in refpect of body or mind; all the additional trappings of fociety, viz. wealth, ftation, and office; all acquired advantages, intellectual, or even moral, become the fuel of pride. As fome endeavor by extraordinary actions to spread their fame in public life, others, though in a narrower sphere, are under the habitual government of the fame defire. While great men are taking cities, and deftroying kingdoms, to get themfelves a name, others of meaner rank are vying with one another in dress, furniture, and equipage, or fuch inferior arts as they have been able to attain. Nay, thofe who never did any thing that could merit praife, too often fhew themfelves under the government of the most hateful and detefted kind of ambition, by a rancorous malice and envy against fuch as excel or outfhine them. We may go a step farther, and fay, there is great reafon to believe, that in fome the cultivation of their minds, long and affiduous application to study, zealous and fuccefsful endeavors to promote the public good, ought to be afcribed to no other fource, to no higher motive.

I thought I could not fall upon any way to illuftrate this part of my fubject, which would make it more intelligible, than to give this fhort view of the characters and pursuits

1 John ii. 15.

of the men of the world; and then to obferve, That the change in regeneration doth properly confift in a strong inward conviction of the vanity of wordly enjoyments of every kind; and a perfuafion, that the favor and enjoy. ment of God is infinitely fuperior to them all. Whatever other differences there may be, this will be found in every child of God, from the highest to the loweft, from the richeft to the poorest: from the wifeft to the moft ignorant ; and from the oldeft to the youngeft. Every fuch one will be able to say with the Pfalmift, "There be many that fay, "Who will fhew us any good? Lord, lift thou up the light "of thy countenance upon us. Thou haft put gladness "in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and "their wine increased. I will both lay me down in peace, "and fleep, for thou, Lord, only makeft me dwell in fafety."

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Í fhall afterwards have occafion more fully to explain the comparative influence of this defire; but before I conclude this fection, muft make the two following remarks: I. That the favor of God muft appear to the believer as abfolutely neceffary to his comfort. 2. As full and fufficient for that purpose.

1. He that is born again, confiders the favor of God as abfolutely neceffary to his comfort. He fees the emptiness and inherent vanity of all things elfe. Even when the world fmiles, even when things fucceed with him to his wish, he will not reft fatisfied with any, or all temporal mercies. He will, above all, defire an intereft in that love which God beareth to his" chofen people," a right by promife or covenant to the ufe of prefent comforts, and the favor and protection of his fpecial providence. How contrary this to the temper of many, who have a name to live while they are dead? If the world fmiles, they follow it with eagernefs, and embrace it with complacency, while they are cold and indifferent in their defires towards God. Perhaps, when they are diftreffed with outward calamitics; when experience constrains them to confefs the vanity of the creature, they cry to God for relief. But when cafe

* Pfal. iv. 6, 7, Er

and profperity return, they foon forget his works, are well pleafed with their condition, and neither grieve for his abfence, nor are afraid of his anger. This fhews plainly, that whatever occafional fymptoms they may discover, they are fupremely and habitually poffeffed by a love of the world, and defire of fenfual gratification. In oppofition to this, every real Chriftian fees the favor of God to be fo abfolutely neceflary, that he cannot be without it. He fees it to be more neceffary than riches, honors, or pleafures; nay, than health, or even life itfelf; all which he values chiefly as they are the fruits of the divine bounty, as tokens of divine love, and as they afford him an opportunity of promoting the divine glory. He is ready to fay with the Pfalmift, "Whom have I in heaven but thee? and "there is none upon earth that I defire befides thee: my "flesh and my heart faileth, but God is the ftrength of my. “heart, and my portion for ever.”*

2. He that is born again, confiders the favor of God as full and fufficient for his comfort and happinefs. That is to fay, he is habitually fatisfied with this as his portion, whether there be abundance or ftraitnefs as to outward provifion. He counts the favor of God as abfolutely neceffary, but nothing else is confidered as fuch. No earthly enjoyments can fatisfy him without God's favor; but this. will fatisfy him, be his outward condition what it will. I am far from meaning to affirm, that every good man is free from the leaft rifing murmur, the leaft impatient or rebellious thought. If it were fo with any man, he would be perfect in holinefs; but I mean to fignify, that this is his habitual and prevailing temper. He is inwardly convinced, that thofe alone are happy; and that they are, and fhall be, compleatly happy, who are reconciled to God, and the objects of his fpecial love. His own remaining attachment to present things,and immoderate forrow under outward calamity, he fincerely laments as his weakness, and humbly confeffes as his fin. He endeavors to fupply the void left by every earthly comfort, when it is with'drawn, by the fulness and all-fufficiency of God. He

Pf. Ixxiii. 25, 26.

poffeffes, in fome measure, and breathes after more and more of the temper expreffed in the two following pafla, ges of fcripture: "Although my houfe be not fo with God, yet he hath made with me an everlafling convenant, or"dered in all things, and fure; for this is all my falvation, "and all my defire."* Although the fig-tree fhall not bloffom, neither fhall fruit be in the vines; the labor "of the olive fhall fail, and the field fhall yield no meat; "the flock fhall be cut off from the fold, and there fhall be "no herd in the ftalls; yet will I rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my falvation."t

Thus I have endeavored to point out wherein the change in regeneration doth immediately and properly confift. It is juft the recovery of the moral image of God" upon the heart; that is to fay, to love him fupremely, and ferve him ultimately, as our higheft end; and to delight in him fuperlatively, as our chief good. This recovery, however, is but begun on earth. It is gradually improved in the progrefs of fanctification, and fhall be fully compleated at the refurrection of the juft. The fum of the moral law is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, and foul, and strength, and mind. This is the duty of every rational creature; and, in order to obey it perfectly, no part of our inward affection or actual fervice ought to be, at any time, or in the leaft degree, mifapplied. This is the cafe with no mere man, while he continues in the body. But regeneration confifts in the principle be ing implanted, obtaining the afcendancy, and habitually prevailing over its oppofite. Even in thofe who are born again, there will fill be many flruggles between the "law

of fin in their members," and the law of God in their "minds." This we find deeply lamented by the apoftle -Paul: "O wretched man that I am, who fhall deliver "me from the body of this death?" It ought to give unfpeakable confolation to the chrifian, which he reflects, that the feed which is planted by divine grace, fhall be preferved by divine power. A gracious God will neither fuffer it to be fimothered by contending weeds, nor deftroy

* 2 Sam. xxiii. 5. † II.bbak. H. 17) 13. Rom. vii. 24.