to the Galatians may be studied with singular advantage for the purpose of gaining a clearer insight into the dangerous error of associating sacraments and the works of the moral law with the perfect righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, as the ground of our justification in the sight of God: so likewise may this epistle be studied with the same advantage, in order to investigate the bearing of those opinions which are now being disseminated with indefatigable zeal relative to the subject of baptismal regeneration, upon the equally important doctrine of sanctification.

It is of the utmost consequence that we should inquire whether those, who have in baptism been made the

not whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.—In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.- We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother, abideth in death. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us. 1 John, iii. 6, 10, 14, 24. Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.-No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. 1 John, iv. 7, 12, 13.— Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat, loveth him also that is begotten of him.-For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.-He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.-We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. 1 John, v. 1, 4, 12, 18.—If the reader will compare the preceding texts with St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans, chap. viii., from v. 1 to 14, and his Epistle to the Galatians, chap. v. from v. 16 to the end, he will find the same precise and unequivocal marks of the distinction between the regenerate and unregenerate character in the writings of St. Paul that he does in those of St. John.

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children of God, the members of Christ, and heirs of the kingdom of heaven, are leading the rest of their lives according to that beginning;—whether, as they advance towards maturity of reason and understanding, they afford any satisfactory evidence that they are actually living under the sanctifying influence of the Holy Spirit because if they have not their fruit unto holiness, their end will not be everlasting life. This is a most serious enquiry, upon the result of which there depends nothing less than the prospect of eternal happiness, or eternal misery to those who are the subjects of it. Let us, then, turn to 1 John, iii. 7, and we shall there find the question decided. Little children, says the Apostle, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. As if he had said,-let no man deceive you with the notion of your being in a regenerate state, if you can discern in the spirit of your mind,-in your habitual conduct,--in the language of your lips,—in the motives by which you are actuated, none of the signs or tokens of regeneration: for he alone who brings forth the fruit of righteousness is intrinsically a righteous man, endeavouring to copy that pattern of perfect and unblemished righteousness, which was exhibited in the life and conversation of his Saviour. On the other hand, the Apostle subjoins in the verse following-he that committeth sin is of the devil. Upon these words, Dean Tucker, as quoted in Bishop's Mant's Bible, very justly remarks, "that he who wilfully and habitually commits sin, whatever evidence of his new birth or justification, his

adoption or acceptance, he may fancy himself possessed of, is actually no other than the servant of sin, and the slave of the devil."

Again, in the ninth verse of the same chapter, we read that-whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. When it is affirmed that whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; the converse of the proposition is evidently implied, viz. that whosoever commits sin is not born of God :—whatever may have been the case with him before, while he is living in the deliberate and habitual practice of sin, he is not, he cannot be in a regenerate state. That the words must be understood with this limitation, is evident because, if they be interpreted as including all sin, even sins of infirmity, they would sanction the methodistical notion of sinless perfection, and would be inconsistent with the declaration of the same Apostle, that, if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

We may remark that both in the world of nature and of grace there is an invariable connexion between cause and effect, which has been established by that great and glorious Being, whose unerring wisdom and unlimited power are displayed alike in the physical and in the moral system of the universe. It is the businessof the philosopher and the man of science to investigate the former it is the office of the minister of the gospel to explain and to elucidate the latter. To enable * See Appendix x.

him to do this with success, he will often discover certain analogies between the two systems adduced by the inspired writers. He will indeed perceive that the tropical and parabolical language of scripture is usually founded upon such analogies. He will find that his Divine Master distinctly specifies some instances of such similitudes. It is upon this principle that our Blessed Lord puts the question,-Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles ?-Even so, every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. From these words we may infer that there will be the same connexion in the spiritual world between the principle of grace implanted in the soul, and the outward manifestation of it exhibited by a holy life; that there is in the physical world, between the good qualities of the tree and the excellence of the fruit which it produces. So that, exactly for the same reason that a good tree cannot, by the laws which the Supreme Creator has prescribed to the operations of nature, bring forth evil fruit; he that is born of God cannot commit sin. Amongst trees, indeed, the general quality of which is good, some will bring forth fruit in greater abundance, and in greater perfection, than others; just in the same manner as, of those who receive the good seed into an honest and good heart, some yield thirty-some sixtyand some an hundred fold. Still, however, as the good seed cannot, by the immutable laws of the creation,

produce tares; and as the good tree cannot, for the same cause, bear corrupt fruit, so the regenerate Christian cannot live in the practice of gross, wilful, and habitual sin. He has been convinced of the evil of sin by the enlightening influences of the Holy Spirit; and, therefore, he hates it: and he has been delivered from the dominion of sin by his sanctifying and renewing grace; and, therefore, he no longer yields his members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity. For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made him free from the law of sin and death.

But, on the other hand, what shall be predicated of those who are living in a course of systematic violation of their baptismal covenant? Are they made free from the law of sin and death, while they are fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind? Are they walking in the Spirit, when they are exhibiting none of the graces of the Spirit? It is manifest that such persons, continuing habitually in that state, either have never been the subjects of the regenerating agency of the Holy Spirit; or, if they have, they have resisted it,quenched it, done despite to it.-I fear, my Reverend Brethren, that if we take an accurate survey of our respective flocks, we shall find characters of this description very numerous, so numerous, indeed, as painfully to verify the declaration of our Blessed Lord, that many are called, but few are chosen; and that, wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat. Are we, then, to regard the condition of such persons as hope