" were produced by the agency of the Holy Spirit: and his conduct manifested, that he was not merely terrified, but also humbled, and sorry for his sins; and especially that he heartily repented of the cruel usage, which the prisoners had received from him, as he made them all the amends of which the circumstances would then admit. This done, he cried out, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" and they answered, "Believe in the Lord Jesus "Christ, and thou shalt be saved." And, when they had further instructed him and his family in the nature of Christianity, he embraced that despised and persecuted religion, professed his faith by receiving baptism,ventured all consequences in thus joining himself to the hated sect of the Christians, shewed every kindness to Paul and Silas, and was filled with "peace and joy in believing.”—This is a fair specimen of the nature and tendency of those convictions, by which sinners are brought to believe in Christ. The gaoler's faith was evidently connected with repentance, of which he shewed some tokens, and produced some fruits, before he understood the plan of salvation revealed in the gospel, and when he had merely a general belief that he might be forgiven and saved. The further and more explicit exercise of faith, when it was fixed on Christ the Saviour, "worked by love" to him and his servants; "overcame" the love of the world and the fear of the cross; and purified his Heart from the pride, enmity, and selfishness, which before had reigned there without control. But let us contrast this example, with that of Felix, a sinner of high rank, before whom Paul, again a prisoner, "reasoned of righteousness, 66 For he temperance, and judgment to come." also "trembled:" but the love of sin caused him "to hate the light;" and he sent the ambassador of heaven, to the authority of whose message his conscience bore painful testimony, back to the dungeon, saying, "Go thy way for this time, when "I have a convenient season I will call for thee. "He hoped also that money should have been given him of Paul, that he might loose him "wherefore he sent for him the oftener, and com"muned with him. But after two years Portius "Festus came in Felix' room; and Felix, willing "to shew the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound."— It does not appear, that before the memorable night of his conversion the gaoler was at all better disposed to Christianity than Felix: they both were convinced and " trembled:" but the former, was made partaker of " an honest and good heart” by new-creating grace, and "the good seed" of the word " took root, sprang up, and brought forth "fruit;" while the latter continued' carnal, covetous, sensual, and at enmity with God, notwithstanding his transient alarm while the word of truth was sounding in his ears.* This may be further illustrated by the case of king Agrippa, who listened to the apostle Paul's inimitable defence, and was " almost persuaded to "be a Christian." His understanding assented to the truth, and his conscience was on the part of the Christian teacher: but his heart remained under the power of worldly principles; and he still neglected Christ and his salvation. But we are told, * Acts xvi. 23-34. xxiv. 24—27. "The Lord opened the heart of Lydia, that she at"tended to the things which were spoken of Paul." Now who can doubt, but that there was an essential difference between the heart which the Lord opened, and that which sin and Satan closed ?* Thus the apostle informs us that the "veil still "remaineth on the heart of the unbelieving "Jews;" and for almost eighteen hundred years they have despised, abhorred, and blasphemed the Messiah, to whom their Scriptures so fully bear testimony, and whom their fathers crucified. Yet the Lord hath declared, "I will pour upon them “ the spirit of grace and supplication, and they "shall look upon me, whom they have pierced, and "mourn." Then the veil will be "taken away from their hearts, and they will become penitent believers in the crucified Emmanuel: and who can suppose that this change, wrought by the Spirit of grace, by which they are brought to believe in Christ, is any other than regeneration? Again, the apostle, having shewn the nature of his ministry, and his manner of fulfilling it, adds these remarkable words: "If our gospel be hid, "it is hid to them that are lost; in whom the God "of this world hath blinded the minds of them that "believe not, lest the light of the gospel of the "glory of Christ, should shine unto them." And on the other hand he states that, where the gospel is truly believed, " God who commanded the light "to shine out of darkness, hath shined into the "heart, to give the light of the knowledge of the * Acts xvi. 14. xxvi. 28. t Zech. xii. 10. + 2 Cor. iii. 15. "glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.* Hence it is most manifest that the illumination, which is the immediate cause of saving faith in Christ, particularly respects the heart, and prepares it for welcoming those discoveries of the divine glory in the person and salvation of Christ, which the proud and carnal heart despises and hates; and which Satan especially hides from those who continue in unbelief. And surely this difference implies, that the one is a holy, and the other an unholy state of the affections; the one being regenerate, the other not. The same is manifestly implied in our Lord's words, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a "man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of "God.". "Except he be born of water and of "the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of "God." "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; "and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." Can any man savingly believe in Christ, before he is able in the least degree to perceive the nature of the kingdom of God? And is it not by faith in Christ that the sinner enters into that kingdom? St. Paul affirms that " the natural man receiveth "not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are "foolishness to him, neither can he know them; "because they are spiritually discerned."§ The contrast between "the natural man and the "spiritual man," and indeed the whole context, fully proves, that he spoke of an unregenerate person, one in a state of nature, "born of the flesh," 2 Cor. iv. 99 + John iii. 1-8. and not of the Spirit: and, would we know what "things of the Spirit of God are foolishness" to such persons, another text from the same epistle informs us; "the preaching of the cross is to "them that pèrish foolishness."* Now can he, to whom the doctrine of a crucified Saviour is "foolishness," and who cannot receive or know this doctrine and other truths connected with it, for want of" spiritual discernment," be at the same time a true believer in Christ? or does the apostle mean, that this is the case with only some of the unregenerate? The language of St. John is equally decisive on this subject. "As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even "to them that believe in his name; which were "born-of God." The concluding words of this passage evidently point out the source of that difference, which subsisted between the believing and the unbelieving Jews. The former being " born "of God," received Christ by faith, and were by adoption admitted into the family of God, and to all the privileges of his children: the latter, notwithstanding their descent from Abraham, continuing unregenerate, rejected the promised Saviour, and were not owned as the children of God. I am aware, that this text is confidently brought forward in proof, that faith precedes regeneration; and in that case it would stand single in scripture: but a careful consideration of the passage and context is sufficient to evince, that this was by no means the evangelist's design. Christ came to the Jewish |
