It may be objected that the advent of puberty is not a change of importance enough to be called a birth, or a resurrection, or a new creation, which are the titles of regeneration in the New Testament. But perhaps the importance of the change in question is not duly considered. Fashionable delicacy casts a veil over it and probably would prefer not to recognize it at all. It is manifestly the birth of a new life, new susceptibilities and new faculties, not indeed by themselves, but in a life previously existing. And it must be remembered that regeneration certainly is not a birth or a resurrection or a creation of new life by itself. The subject of the change had a previous life and consciousness, into which the new life enters. The latency or internality of the birth in the case of puberty, instead of being an objection, is an argument in its favor; for regeneration is certainly a latent, internal change. The secresy and obscurity of the processes of grace are indicated in the parable on which we commented at the beginning. So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground, and should sleep and rise, night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.' A similar intimation seems to be intended in John 3: 8. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the spirit."

On the whole it seems plain that by adopting in our minds the advent of puberty instead of literal birth, as the emblem of regeneration, we shall obtain truer ideas of the change-ideas more like those of the primitive church -and shall find a solution of many dark problems in the language of the apostles and in the phenomena of experience around us.

$35. THE POWER OF CHRIST'S RESURRECTION.

PAUL mentions the resurrection of the dead,' (Heb. 6: 2,) as one of the fundamental doctrines of the gospel. It will be found by an examination of all those passages in his writings which distinctly state the great topics of his preaching, that this subject was held by him as paramount in importance to all others not excepting even the death of Christ. The discussion of the resurrection in the 15th chapter of 1 Corinthians, commences thus: Brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved,' &c. After briefly stating the death of Christ, the apostle presents the fact of his resurrection, as the sole foundation of the believer's hope, and the chief subject of that gospel which he had received and preached; If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain,' &c. Ver. 14. In giving directions to Timothy concerning his ministry, Paul says-Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel." 2 Tim. 2: 8. His estimate of the relative importance of the doctrine of the

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resurrection of Christ, may be seen in a multitude of passages like the following: Now it was not written for his [Abraham's] sake alone, that it [faith] was imputed to him [for righteousness,] but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; who was delivered for our offenses, and raised again for our justification.' Rom. 4: 23-25. If, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. Rom 5: 10. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again,' &c. Rom. 8: 34. If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.' Rom. 10: 9. &c. By these specimens of Paul's preaching, we may discover the occasion of the charge brought against him by the Athenians, that he seemed to be a setter forth of strange gods, because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.' Acts. 17: 18.

Paul evidently preached the resurrection of Christ, not as a mere historical truth, or as a pledge of the future and distant resurrection of believers, but as a ground of present justification-as the truth that is the food of saving faith. His views of its present moral bearing, will be seen in the following passages.

'What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ, were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, EVEN So we also, should walk in newness of life;-for if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.' Rom. 6: 1-5. It is necessary to understand the nature of the baptism of which the apostle here speaks, in order to perceive the force of his argument. The following texts determine the nature of Christian baptism: As the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ -for by one spirit are we all baptized into one body.' 1 Cor. 12: 12, 13. 'As many of you as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ.' Gal. 3: 27. By the baptism of the Holy Ghost, believers become one with Christ: the reasoning of the apostle then proceeds thus. 'How can they, who have become one with Christ, continue in sin? His death to sin has become theirs, and they are united with him in his resurrection. The same power of the Father which raised him from the dead, secures them from sin." For,' says he, (Rom. 8: 11, 12,) if the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead, dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies, by his spirit that dwelleth in you: therefore brethren, we are debtors not to the flesh, to live after the flesh,' &c. In other words-if Christ is in us, his resurrection is in us; we are quickened together with him,' and are no more in bondage to a carnal nature. Again, Paul prays, (Eph. 1: 19, 20,) that the saints might know what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working

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of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead. In thus preaching the resurrection of Christ, as a power operating in his whole body, and at once redeeming all the members of that body from the bondage of the flesh, the apostle very properly represents it in the 15th chapter of 1 Corinthians, as the very keystone of the gospel- If Christ be not raised, your faith is vain, ye are yet in your sins.' Ver. 17. JEsus, AND THE RESURRECTION,' is no more nor less, than 'JESUS, AND SALVATION FROM SIN.' Subvert the doctrine of the resurrection, and you annihilate the gospel; for the author of the gospel, was called JESUS, because he should save his people from their sins.' Mat. 1: 21. He was manifested, that he might take away our sins.' 1 John, 3: 5. Without the doctrine of the resurrection, we may indeed proclaim that Christ died for our offenses; but what avails his death, if the sinner must still cry, O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of his death ?'-and such must be his cry, if Christ was not raised again for his justification.' Let the slave of sin appropriate to hinself, as he may, the benefits of the death of Christ, if he cannot make the resurrection of Christ his own, he must still remain in the horrible pit and miry clay.' In order to save a man, who has sunk in the filth and darkness of a 'horrible pit,' two things are necessary: first, the man 'who undertakes to save him, must descend into the pit; second, he must ascend with him that was lost. The annunciation of the descent of a Savior, would furnish but poor consolation to the sufferer in this case, if his faith could not fasten at once upon the hope of his ascent. Even so, to preach the death of Christ, without commending his resurrection to the faith of sinners, is little better than to mock their misery. In order to redeem men from the curse and power of sin, Christ must first descend into fellowship with them, and then 'ascend above principalities and powers;' in other words, he must die and rise again. This he has done, according to Paul's gospel :- When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth' He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens,' &c.) Eph. 4: 8-10. Hence, Paul could say to one who dwells in the lower parts of the earth'-who cries from the bottom of the pit, O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? Say not in thine heart, who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above,) or who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) The word is nigh thee, even in thy heart, and in thy mouth; that is, the word of faith, which we preach, (viz. Jesus and the resurrection;') that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.' Rom. 10: 6-9. Confessing Christ within you, you testify your apprehension of his descent into the deep, i. e. his death; believing in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, your faith receives his resurrection in yourself, and you find yourself lifted out of the dark abyss of sin and death, and sitting with him in heavenly places.

The consequences of this doctrine are so startling, that Paul scems to have

anticipated the charge of insanity-2 Cor. 5: 13-17. Whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God; or whether we be sober, it is for your cause. For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then all died: (see the original:) and that he died for all, that He they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. [Believers are married to him that was raised from the dead;' (see Rom. 7: 4;) are members of his flesh and of his bones; (see Eph. 5: 30.) The wife lives not to herself, but follows the estate of her husband. If her husband has past death, and stands in the resurrection, she looks upon death as behind her, and herself as raised from the dead. That we do not pervert the meaning of the apostle, will be seen by the inferences which he immediately draws from the foregoing statement.] Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: [inasmuch as we are not in the flesh, but with Christ in the resurrection; and inasmuch as the death and resurrection of Christ have given to all men the same exaltationlooking at the truth as it is in Jesus, we see all have past death, and are risen with him:] yea though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. [Christ in the resurrection is our salvation and the subject of our gospel.] Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.' [He has passed from a carnal state into the resurrection-from this world into the heavenly world; his state and relations are as fully changed, as the idea of a translation from earth to heaven demands.]

One of the most obvious inferences from these truths, is, that believers by fellowship with Christ in his resurrection, are released from the beggarly elements and carnal ordinances of that worldly sanctuary which they have left. As he that is dead is freed from sin,' so he that is freed from sin is freed from the law; for the law is not made for a righteous man.' The law, with its shadows of good things to come,' cannot carry its claims beyond death. If Christ died for all, he made an end of the law and its shadows for all. Such was the judgment of Paul: Ye are complete in him; -buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him, through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead: and you, being dead in your sins, and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses: blotting out the hand-writing of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross, &c. Let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath day, &c. If ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances?' Col. 2: 10-20. Believers, passing into the resurrection, not by literal death, but by faith, living not to themselves, but to him that died for them and rose again, look back to his cross as the monument of their transition from earth to heaven-see the ordinances of the worldly sanctuary nailed to it, as trophies of his triumph-and find themselves with him in the freedom befitting a heavenly state.

As the resurrection of Christ released men from sin, which is the sting of

death; and from the law, which is the strength of sin, it manifestly destroyed, in respect to believers, the dominion of him that hath the power of death. Their life was hid with Christ in God.' They had 'everlasting life.' That change which was called death by the servants of sin, was to them the consummation of their resurrection. These remarks cover the transition period, from the resurrection of Christ, till his second coming. During that period, the promise of Christ-He that believeth on me shall never die—was substantially, though not literally fulfilled. The saints of that age, though they were married to Christ in the resurrection, were yet so far within the terri tories of him that hath the power of death, that they did not escape the form, though they were saved from the sting of dying. Paul, standing in the front rank of the host, testified that he had not yet attained the resurrection of the dead; (Phil. 3: 12;) and he severely condemned some who said that the resurrection was past already; (2 Tim. 2: 18;) yet he was striving to apprehend that for which he was apprehended of Christ,' and looking for the Lord Jesus Christ' from heaven, to change his vile body. Phil. 3: 12-21. He also assured the churches, by the word of the Lord, that the time would come, and that speedily, when the power of death should be abolished, and mortality be swallowed up of life. 1 Cor. 15: 51, &c. Death was the last enemy that should be overcome. During forty years, the power that raised Christ from the dead was revealed in believers, redeeming them from sin and the law, sustaining them in the fellowship of Christ's sufferings, advancing them from one victory to another, till at the end of the Jewish dispensation death was wholly destroyed, and the bride of Christ was changed into the likeness of his glorious body. We leave it to the leisure of others to calculate what is the hope of the calling of those who believe on Christ eighteen hundred years after his perfect victory over death-thanking the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that according to his abundant mercy he hath begotten us unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."

$36. AN OUTLINE OF ALL EXPERIENCE.

THE ultimate causes of all good and evil, are the spirit of love, and the spirit of selfishness-God and the devil. Human life is placed under the power of these spirits, and in all stages of its experience is either subject wholly to one or to the other of them, or is in the conflict between them.

As man is composed of body and soul, his life is of a twofold quality, animal and spiritual. We call his animal life, the flesh or the outer man; and his spiritual life, the spirit or the inner man. The flesh is the natural soil of selfishness, and is therefore the vantage-ground of the devil. The spirit is susceptible of divine influences, and when awakened, appreciates the law of love: it is therefore the vantage-ground of God.