which lies upon all, is, whether we can difcern in ourselves the change itself, or that temper of mind which the Scripture defcribes as a new fpirit, and which we cannot but fee to be a fpirit very different from that which "works in the children of difobedience ?" If we can-not remember when it was intirely otherwise with us, or how our minds came to be thus formed anew; yet are our fouls now prevail-ingly fo fet and bent, as the fpirits of true Chriftians are? Does our governing temper anfwer the gofpel defcription of a new creature ? 2. If we must answer in the negative, or have juft ground to fear it: yet let us not defpair of a change ftill, but apply ourselves. fpeedily in the appointed way to feek after it." It is obfervable, that this renovation is made in Scripture the fubject of a precept, Ezek. xviii. 13. "Make you a new heart, and a new fpirit" and in another place the fubject of a promife, Ezek. xxxvi. 26. "A new heart," fays God, "will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you." Thefe two views of the matter may plainly teach us, that on the one hand, there is duty incumbent upon us in order to this end, or elfe God would never have delivered fuch a command to a fallen creature; and yet on the other hand, that we are not fufficient of ourfelves to produce fuch a change, otherwife God would not have interpofed with a promife: but both laid together, carry an intimation, that the grace of God, which will be fufficient for us, may be expected, when we apply ourselves to our du ty ty in the cafe. The precept delivered by St.. Paul, backed with an anfwerable promife, runs parallel with this, Phil. ii. 12, 13. "Work out your own falvation with fear and trembling For it is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do of his good plea fure." Our duty in this cafe we are concerned to mind, in hope of the divine bleffing. And it lies upon us to fet ourselves to ferious confideration; to review our fins in their number and aggravations; to meditate on the indifpenfible neceffity of a new nature, that "except we are born again, we cannot enter into the kingdom of God;" to think of the goodwill of God to finners, and the encouragements he has given us to pray for his grace, if we are convinced of our need of it; to call to mind the kind afpect of Chrift's death upon the falvation of mankind, and the general promifcuous offer of the grace of the Gofpel wherever it comes: Thefe fubjects of confideration we are in fome measure capable of as we are reasonable creatures; and under the common influences of the divine Spirit accompanying the Gofpel; and though no fuch fteps taken by us can deferve his renewing grace, yet they put our fouls into the posture which he requires from us, and are a hopeful fymptom of fuccefs. We fhould, alfo diligently attend upon God's ftated ordinances remembring that faith ufually comes by hearing: and continue inftant in prayer to God, upon the foot of the convictions already impreffed an our minds. It is worth our notice to this purpose, purpose, that after God had made the prom ife of giving a new heart, and of other covenant bleffings, he adds, that " he would yet for this be enquired of, to do it for them," Ezek. xxxvi. 37. And we know the general encouragement left us to hope, that "the heavenly Father," the common Father in heaven," will give his holy fpirit to them that afk him," Luke xi. 13. 3. Let the best retain a fenfe of the imperfection of the new nature in them, and of their obligation ftill to cultivate it till it arrive at perfection that till they put off the body, there will be daily occafion to be "putting. off the old man, and putting on the new." If the change is begun, advance and improvement is a more eafy thing, and what we have a covenant-security for in the way of duty. SERMON III. The Christian Temper a Divine: Nature. 2 PET. i. 4. the middle of the verse.. -That by thefe ye might be partakers of the divine nature I SHALL look no farther back into the context, than to obferve, that the Apostle takes takes notice in the beginning of this verfe, that there are given unto us" in the Gofpel "exceeding great and precious promifes:" Promifes very great in themfelves; and fuch as deferve to be precious and of high esteem with us, because they are quite contrary to what we had reafon to expect, and yet perfectly fuitable to our wants, and conducive to ourhappiness. And then, in the words chofen for my prefent fubject, he acquaints us with the defign of God in giving out fuch excellent promises; "That by thefe ye might be partakers of the divine nature." Now, It 1. This may be understood as a privilege; and fo the divine nature" will mean God himself. "That by thefe" promifes, by conferring on us the bleffings promifed in the Gofpel, ye might have fellow fhip with the di-, vine nature." That conftruction may be put upon the words, γένησθε θείας κοινωνοί Φύσεως ; and fo they will contain a certain truth. was the gracious purpose of God, by the Gofpel to raise finful creatures to a fort of alliance with God, to a federal union with him by Chrift, to the dignity of his children, to have his fpirit dwelling in them, and to be allowed fellowship and communion with him. In this view, the intention of God, as represented here, would amount to much the fame with that affigned by another apoftle, 1 John i. 3. "That which we have feen and heard, declare we unto you, that ye alfo may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jefus Chrift." "We "Apostles make known the Gofpel to you, " that that you may have a fhare along with us in "the bleffings tendered in it: And it is no con"temptible thing we offer you a fhare in, it is "no less than a fhare with the Father, and "his Son Jefus Chrift, i. e. in the bleffings "and favours which come from the Father "through his Son." But, 2. This is rather to be understood as beIpeaking our duty; the "divine nature" here not fignifying God himself, but rather divine qualities, or a divine temper and difpofition. I am inclined to think that this is the fense of the apostle; partly because in the original there is no article added, which fhould fix the conftruction to be, as in our tranflation, The divine nature; and therefore, according to the genius of that language, it rather feems proper to translate it, a divine nature, i. e. a temper of foul, which in a metaphorical fense, may be called divine, because of the relation it has to God and principally, because the Apostle himself appears fo to explain it in the words. immediately following; "Having efcaped the corruptions that are in the world thro' luft; and befides this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, and to virtue, knowledge," &c. Wherein he feems to give a defcription of that which he had before called a divine nature, in the two great branches of it; the one, a purification from the corrupt lufts which prevail in the world; and over and above that, the graces and virtues of the chriftian life. : That which I propofe in the confideration of these words, is, to treat of the chriftian fpirit or frame of mind, in this view of it, "That |