relying activities to which their view of this subject calls him. Do but set him to work, flatter his "natural abilities," and you may bind upon him burdens as heavy as you like, without disturbing his personal complacency. Send him to fast with the anchorite in his cell, or to share with the Jesuit in his sleepless toils, or to maim and lacerate his body with the brainsick Brahmin, and all this he will do with cheerful alacrity, if you can persuade him that he has the power of saving his soul thereby. O, yes! man is in his element when you talk to him of his responsibilities, especially in a way that is calculated to foster his self-righteousness, and to gratify his spiritual pride. But, you brethren, be not deceived by such oft-nibbled and half-naked baits as these. Stand fast in the truth as ye have been taught. See that ye "hold the mystery of faith in a pure conscience," and seek that ye may be enabled to obey from the heart the form of doctrine which has been delivered unto you." Walk in the Spirit---pray in the Spirit ---live in the Spirit; "for to be carnally-minded is death, but to be spiritually-minded is life and peace." Remember that "they who are after the Spirit do mind the things of the Spirit, but they that are after the flesh the things of the flesh; but ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now, if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." Amen. 66 " DISCOURSE III. THE DOCTRINE OF REGENERATION STATED AND DEFENDED. WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH THAT JESUS IS THE CHRIST 1 John v. 1. Of all the doctrines of divine truth, the doctrine of Regeneration is perhaps the most distasteful to the natural heart, and that is doubtless the cause of the peculiar disfavour with which it has always been regarded by the world. Wherever a spirit of revival is poured out upon the church, this doctrine breaks forth into new life and vigour; and the invariable consequence is, that the enmity of the unregenerate is aroused, and the obnoxious truth before us assailed, with all the weapons of hostility that the carnal reason or inbred corruption of man can supply. In times and places wherein great ignorance prevail, the doctrine of the "new birth" is not only boldly denied, but branded with every species of ridicule and Such was the reception it met with both in England and Scotland, when, somewhat less than half a century ago, the cause of evangelical truth awoke as it were from the grave, scorn. THE DOCTRINE OF REGENERATION 49 where it seemed to lie buried with the godly Puritans and slaughtered Covenanters. No sooner were the views of these famous "witnesses" brought again to the light, than they were hailed with a storm of wrathful contempt on the part of the public generally, but particularly on that of the educated classes. In this, strange to say, they were aided and abetted by a race of worldly-minded ecclesiastics, who, devoting themselves to literature, had obtained possession of the press-an engine which they turned with all the zeal of hireling partisans against the re-appearing spirit of the gospel-the long neglected but re-animated principles of apostolical truth. In the midst of this apparently unequal struggle, however, the interests of scriptural Christianity gradually gained ground. The faith of the few was pure and powerful enough to put to flight the armies of the aliens; and, what tended much to this result, it pleased God to raise up, among the foremost leaders of public opinion, a chosen band of brave and faithful men, who were not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, and who, therefore, lent their best aid both to define and to defend it. By the labours of a Wilberforce, a Venn, and a Simeon in England, supported by the Erskines, the M'Laurins, and the Moncrieffs in Scotland, the ridicule connected with the peculiar doctrines of Evangelism, was, in the course of time, wiped away, insomuch that these doctrines were at last received into something like favour even by the higher ranks of society; through whom again they were recommended to those mindless multitudes who shape their opinions and practices by the example of the great. But though the prejudices arrayed against evangelical truth had been so far removed, the feelings on which these prejudices were founded still remained in the public mind, and continued to manifest themselves under various forms. The idea of the new birth could no longer be ridiculed with decency: the cry of fanaticism could no longer be raised against those by which that idea was seriously entertained; but still the doctrine itself was, to human nature, as unpalateable as ever; and, if it could not be safely denied or directly assailed, it might in some way be modified, and thus rendered less offensive to those by whom it was secretly and thoroughly disliked. Hence the attempts that have been made to strip the doctrine in question of all its most special and spiritual characteristics, and to reduce it into a form that diminishes, as far as possible, the Divine interference, and brings it more immediately within the scope of the creature's power. We need not remind you, that it is on this principle the notion of baptismal regeneration is founded—a notion which is at this moment thoroughly infecting the creed of the southern Establishment; and it is to the influence of the same spirit that we are indebted for the rationalistic views that are at present so industriously propagated in our own country. The semi-Pelagianism of Scotland is but another phase of the Puseyism of England; for the object of both parties is to make the blessings of salvation less dependent on the sovereign will of God than on the efforts and the agency of man. That you may be enabled to perceive the unscriptural character of such views, we now proceed to open up the DOCTRINE OF REGENERATION as it is revealed in the Word; and may the quickening Spirit vouchsafe His presence, and "send forth His light with His truth." The passage which we have selected as the basis of our Discourse is one which brings the whole subject under our review. "Whosoever," says the Apostle, "believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God." Here we find I. A statement of the doctrine of Regeneration; and, II. A description of those who are in a regenerate condition. I. First of all, the Apostle declares of believers that they are "born of God." In order to place this point distinctly in your view, let us endeavour to bring out the essential ideas involved in the words, separating these as much as possible from the correlative matter generally mixed up with them; for we have no doubt that some at least are enticed into error, more from confusion of mind, on their own part and that of others, than from any less excusable cause. Hence the importance of that spirit of discrimination to which the Apostle Paul refers, in his beautiful prayer on behalf of the Philippians. He supplicates that their "love might abound more and more in knowledge, and in all judgment, that they might approve the things that were excellent:" or, as it may be rendered, that they might "distinguish between things that differed." And, to show how highly he valued this discriminating quality, he speaks of it again, in his Epistle to the Hebrews, as one of the characteristics of the matured Christian, that, unlike them who need to be taught again "which be the first principles of the oracles of God," he is one "of those who, by reason of use, have their senses exercised to discern between good and evil." Let it be our earnest prayer that God may bestow upon us this spirit, both as speaker and hearers, that we may be the better prepared for entering on the solemn and momentous investigation in which we are about to engage. We would then observe that the words "born of God" plainly imply 1. That there is imparted a principle of life. To be born is to be brought into being, and the bare idea of such an event necessarily involves the implantation and possession of life. It is needless to say, that it is neither to animal nor to intellectual life that the Apostle alludes; for, with regard to the first, it is to be presumed that no one here will be disposed to put such a carnal construction upon his language as to ask, with Nicodemus-" how can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb and be born." And if the Apostle cannot be supposed to allude to animal, neither can he be supposed to allude to intellectual life; for that man has by nature: and it would be absurd to |