both upon the same level, John iii. 3. Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God, and Mark, xvi. 16. He that believeth not shall be damned— so that you see as well the unregenerate, as the unbeliever, is excluded the kingdom of heaven. This, therefore, is a clear demonstration that regeneration is as necessary to salvation as justification by faith; and that we can no more be saved without being born of the Spirit, than without believing in Christ. As by our justification we live legally, i. e. are acquitted from all guilt, delivered from the curse of the law, and are entitled to eternal life; so by our regeneration we live spiritually, i. e. are made alive in soul and spirit: Heb. x. 38. Eph. ii. 1. And these two always go together. The scriptures are full of this doctrine, and so are the Homilies of the Church of. England. We descend immediately to the proof of it.

The Homily on Christs's Nativity says, " Accord

❝ing to his great mercy he saved us by the foun"tain of the New Birth, and by the renewing of the "Holy Ghost, which he poured upon us abundantly "through Jesus Christ our Saviour." Tit. iii. 5, and 6. is here referred to; and these words teach us that the new birth is necessary to our being saved, and that this renewing or regeneration is the work of the Holy Ghost; which is said to be poured upon us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour, because Christ procured for us so excellent and unspeakable a blessing.

The Homily on Whitsunday speaks thus, "If oth❝erwise he, (viz. Nicodemus,) had known the great "power of the Holy Ghost in this behalf, that it is he "which inwardly worketh the regeneration and new "birth of mankind, he never would have marvelled "at Christ's words." Here the work of regeneration is attributed to the great power of the Holy Ghost, who is God, eternal, infinite, and equal with the Father in every attribute, and, therefore, his act must be omnipotent. Accordingly the Homily for Rogation Week hath these words, "To justify a sinner, ❝to new create him from a wicked person to a right

eous man, is a greater act, (saîth St. Augustine,) "than to make such a new heaven and earth as is

already made." And is it an higher and greater act to new create a sinner, than to make a new heaven and a new earth? Can any power less than the Divine effect this work? Do men believe these Homilies? If they do, why are they startled when they hear our regeneration ascribed to a supernatural and divine energy? Do not they keep close to the Church of England who attribute it to an almighty Power? And do not they depart from her, who ascribe it to any less efficiency? Again, are men sensible of their spiritual death and utter indisposition to God and, goodness? And can they think that any power but that which raised Lazarus from the dead, (John, xi. 43, 44.) sufficient to quicken them to spiritual life? Yea, doth not the scripture attribute this marvellous work to the self-same omnipotency that raised Christ from the dead? Compare Eph. i. 20. with chap. ii.

ver. 1. and Col. ii. 12, 13. Agreeable hereto the Homily for Whitsunday admonisheth us to beseech God so to work in our hearts by his Holy Spirit, "that we being regenerate and newly born again in all "goodness, righteousness, sobriety, and truth, may, in

the end, be made partakers of everlasting life in "the heavenly kingdom." And the Homily for Rogation Week, speaking of glorified saints in heaven, says, "If they were asked again who should be "thanked for their regeneration, for their justification, "and for their salvation? whether their deserts, or "God's goodness only? although in this point every "one confess sufficiently the truth of this matter in "his own person: yet let them all answer by the "mouth of David at this time, who cannot choose "but say, Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to thy "Name give all the thanks, for thy loving mercy "and for thy truth's sake." From all this taken together we learn, that regeneration is the work of the Holy Spirit; that if we have it, we are to thank him for so unspeakable a blessing, and that the fruits thereof are goodness, righteousness, sobriety, and truth

In the Book of Common Prayer there is frequent mention of this divine and heavenly doctrine. In the Collect for Christmas-Day we pray, "Grant that we, being regenerate, and made thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit." In the first clause we ask for regene ration, strictly so called, i. e. the act of God's Spirit, in turning the soul from darkness to light in the last,

where mention is made of being daily renewed, we pray for sanctification; and so the apostle prays for the Thessalonians, that God would sanctify them wholly, that their whole spirit, and soul, and body might be preserved blameless, 1 Thess. v. 23. 2 Cor. iv. 16.

In the collect for Ash-Wednesday we beg of God to create and make in us new and contrite hearts." This new heart is the same which St. Paul calls the new creature, 2 Cor. v. 17. And a true heart, Heb. x. 22. This the regenerating grace of God creates in us; and hereupon follow contrition, lamentation, and unfeigned sorrow for sin, according to that of the prophet, after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upou my thigh, Jer. xxxi. 19.

At the beginning of the Office of Baptism it is said, "None can enter into the kingdom of God, except he be regenerate and born anew of water and of "the Holy Ghost:" accordingly the Church prays afterward, “Give thy Holy Spirit to this infant, that "he may be born again, and be made an heir of everlasting salvation." In these two places we are taught, that regeneration is necessary to our entering into the kingdom of God, or becoming heirs of everlasting salvation. And it is observable the Holy Ghost is nominated as the proper author and efficient of our regeneration.

From what has been said we may deduce the three following propositions:

I. That regeneration is necessary to our obtaining eternal life and happiness.

II. That this second birth is not the effect of man's own will or power, but of the Spirit of God. And,

III. That the fruits of regeneration are faith, love, &c.

Each of these I shall endeavour to prove from the holy scriptures. As to the first, our Saviour expressly declares to Nicodemus, that except a man be born of water and of the Haly Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God, John, iii. 5. Observe, first, Nicodemus being a pharisee, ver. 1. was undoubtedly an honest, sober, moral man, as the best of that sect were, Luke, xviii. 11, 12. yet our Saviour lets him know, that all his morality would never carry him to heaven, that he would never enter therein unless he was born again. This our Divine Prophet ushers in with a double asservation, Verily, verily, to express his earnest concern for Nicodemus, and to inculcate his words more deeply upon Nicodemus' heart. This teaches us, that our highest attainment ; in morality will never bring us to heaven unless we are born again. Secondly, Nicodemus was a ruler f the Jews, a master in Israel, ver. 1. 10. yet totally