"who are in their graves fhall hear the voice of "the Son of God, and fhall come forth, they that "have done good unto the refurrection of life, "and they that have done evil unto the refurrec "tion of damnation *." We may entertain no doubt that we muft all appear before the judg"ment-feat of Chrift, that every one may receive "the things done in his body, accoding to that he "hath done, whether it be good or bad t." We may have no diftruft whatever, that " he that be"lieveth and is baptized, fhall be faved; but he "that believeth not," in the manner pointed out in our laft difcourfe, "fhall be damned" that "whofoever is not thus found written in the book. "of life, will be caft into the lake of fire §:" that, when the Redeemed, they who have continued "faithful unto death," "enter into the joy of their "Lord;"" receiving the kingdom prepared for "them from the beginning of the world;" where "God fhall wipe away all tears from their eyes; "and there fhall be no more death, neither for

row, nor crying, neither fhall there be any more 66 pain" then " the fearful, and unbelieving, "and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and forcerers, and idolaters, and all "liars, fhall have their part in the lake that burn

66

eth with fire and brimftone a." But the conviction fpoken of in our text is vaftly beyond any fuch mere mental perfuafion. It is the condemnation

* John v. 28, 29. +2 Cor. v. 10. Mark xvi. 16.

a Rev. xxi, 8..

Rom. xiv. 10.

§ Rev. xx. 15. || Rev. xxi. 42.

of

of fin and wickedness,----the reign of holinefs,--a partaking of the power of Chrift's death and refurrection within our fouls*, by " a death unto "fin, and a new birth unto righteousness +."

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This ever accompanies the conviction of Chrift's righteoufnefs treated of in my laft difcourfe but I have purposely kept them thus diftinct and feparate, that you might not imagine you can be juftified by any thing except by the RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST ALONE. Hear the fentiments of our Reformers. "Good works, "which are the fruits of faith, and follow after "juftification, cannot put away our fins, or en"dure the feverity of God's judgment: yet are they pleafing and acceptable unto God, IN "CHRIST, and do spring out necessarily of a true "and lively faith, infomuch that, by them a lively faith may be as evidently known as a tree "difcerned by its fruit." In this view, then, let us proceed to confider the conviction of judg ment, by a death unto fin, and a new birth "unto righteoufnefs;" as "PLEASING AND AC"CEPTABLE TO GOD, IN CHRIST," fuch as he will of his own free grace and mercy, and for the fake of his dear Son, reward; and abfolutely neceffary to render us "meet to be partakers of the glorious inheritance prepared for the faints in "light."

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The conviction of judgment spoken of by our bleffed Saviour in our text may be reprefented, in

• Rem. vi. 5. Phil. iii. 10.

Article 12.

+ Catechifm.

few

few words, as a real and actual change produced in our nature, or in our affections, difpofitions, defires, and confequently in our habits of life, and whole conduct. It is fuch a changé as can be produced only by the Holy Spirit of God. It is defcribed by the ancient prophets as the circumcifion of the heart*, as having a new heart, and a new spirit; as taking away the heart of ftone, and giving an heart of flesh. It is repreprefented by our Redeemer, as our being "born "again, born of the Spirit §; our being con"verted to God, and becoming as little children |." The apostles of our Lord infift on it as a new creation (a), declaring that " if any man be in "Chrift, he is a new creature; old things are "paffed away, behold! all things are become "new (b)." They affert that " if any man have "not the Spirit of Chrift, he is none of his (c):" that it is the privilege of Christ's difciples to "know that Chrift abideth in them by the Spirit that he hath given them (d)." They call on mankind not merely to examine themselves whether they be in the faith, but to know that "Jefus Chrift is in them, except they be reprobates (e);" and they are fo far from confidering. this knowledge as peculiar to a few highly-favour ed believers, that they exclaim, as with astonish.

26, 27.

ment,

See Jer. ix. 26. + Ezek. Ezek. xi. 19.xxxvi. Mat. xviii. 3. See Luke (b) 2 Cor. v. 17, &c. (d) 1 John iii. 24.

*Deut. x. 16.——xxx. 6. xviii. 31. See Jer. xxiv. 7. § John iii. 3. 5. xxii. 32. (a) Gal. vi. 15. (c) Rom. vii. 9. See Gal. iv. 6.

iv. 18, See John xiv. 20. (e) 2 Cor. xiii. 5.

ment," Know ye not your ownfelves ?" They reprefent it as "the body being dead, "becaufe of fin, but the Spirit, life, because "of righteoufnefs * :" as having “ put off "the old man, which is corrupt according to the "deceitfu! lufts, and having put on the new

66

man, which, after God, is created in righteous "ness and true holiness :" as being "crucified "with Chrift" in their old man, and having "Chrift living in them: as being crucified" to the "world, and the world being crucified to them." They tell us plainly that it is the privilege of every perfon truly born of God, to avoid the commiffion of every fin ; and while the divine feed remaineth in them (a), while they "keep them

felves (b)," while they watch and pray, that they enter not into temptation, "the wicked one," Satan, the great author of all fin, "toucheth them "not." On the other hand, they pofitively affure us, "He that committeth fin is of the devil (c)." They are fo far from confidering this as neceffarily attendant on any outward ceremonies or profeffion, that after the example of their divine Master, they exprefsly make a diftinction between them. He had declared that "except a man be "born again (d)," not only of an outward ablution of water, but also of the correfpondent purifying influences of the Holy Spirit, it is not poffible that

"

he fhould enter into," or fo much as "fee the "kingdom of God:" he never fhall be able to comprehend, far lefs to enjoy, that fpiritual dominion cftablifhed within Chrift's true difciples, con ffling of righteoufnefs, peace, and joy in the "Holy Ghoft *." In like manner, his apoftles, when they infift on the wathing of regenera❝tion" as a mean of falvation, take care to enforce alfo "the renewing of the Holy Ghoftt." When they peak of baptifm as faving us, they carefully guard against a dangerous mistake: "not (fay they) the putting away the filth of the flesh, "but the answer of a good conscience toward "God, by the refurrection of Jesus Christ ‡:" the very conviction fpoken of in our text.

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Know ye not (they afk) that fo many of us as "were baptized into Jefus Chrift, were baptized "into his death? Therefore, we are buried with ❝him, by baptifin, into death; that, like as Christ "was raifed again from the dead by the glory of "the Father, even fo we alfo fhould walk in new"nefs of life."--Our Reformers continually af fert the fame important truth. "Such (fay they) "is the power of the Holy Ghoft to regenerate men, and, as it were, to bring them forth anew, "fo that they fhall be nothing like the men that "they were before. Neither doth he think it fuf"ficient inwardly to work the new birth of man, "unlefs he alfo dwell and abide in him.-----Oh! what

Rom. xiv. 17.

+ Tit. iii. 5. § Rom. vi. 3, 4

1 Pet. iii. 21.