Imatges de pàgina
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heaven, whereof they had heard before in the word of the truth of the Gospel," he immediately exchanges this latter phrase for an equivalent one which shows its definite meaning - "since the day ye heard it, and knew the grace of God in truth,” were made acquainted with that unadulterated message from on high, that God is gracious and compassionate through Christ. And when he desires that "the peace of God should rule in their hearts and they should be thankful" that they should maintain a grateful confidence in him as their Father,—he exhorts them in order to this as the proper nourishment of this to "let the word of Christ dwell in them richly in all wisdom,"* to get deeply imbued with that grand truth, in all its richness, which Christ has taught us, and which tells of Christ as our Reconciler with God. This truth is what St. Peter calls, in another place," the word of God;"+ and St. Paul "the word of God's grace,"‡ and "the word of Salvation," and "the word of faith," || and " the word of reconciliation," and "the good word of God." **

Which sense of the expression is evident, yet further from the effects declared to result from the reception of this "word." "Ye have purified your

*Col. iii. 15.
§ Acts xiii. 26.

+ Acts. xv. 7.

Romans x. 8. ** Hebrews vi. 5.

Acts xx. 32.

¶ 2 Cor. v. 19.

souls," says the Apostle, " in obeying the truth,"— that is, have cleansed them from the defilement of an evil conscience, afraid of God. Which is the same result that is elsewhere ascribed to the reception of the fundamental truth of Christianity, reconciliation with God by the blood of Christ. "If the blood of bulls and of goats, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ purge your conscience from dead works, to serve the living God." "Let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience." That which is the effect of sin is reciprocally the cause of sin,-namely, the consciousness of disagreement, and of distance, between us and God. And nothing therefore will effectually do away with sin, but that which does away with this cause of sin, and brings into its place the opposite consciousness of reconciliation and of nearness to God. Against this assurance no one can hold out. By the very proclamation of it the sinner is made to pause, and think, and relent. A man may doubt, indeed, the love of God to him he may hastily put from him an idea which aggravates his self-reproach — he may rudely rage against an influence which he feels to be unnerving his determination for evil; —but he cannot look this winning truth directly in the face- he cannot give it time to look him in the face in all the fullness of

its radiance, and yet hold on in obstinacy and rebellion. He begins to be affected by its secret fascination; he feels the power of its spell; he hesitates; he turns; his stubbornness is melting fast away; and, like that Roman general before his Mother's eye, "like a dull actor, he forgets his part" of proud impenitence," and he is out;"- he yields; he stoops; he throws down the arms of his rebellion; he "casts away his transgressions wherewith he has transgressed, and makes him a new heart and a new spirit;" he flings from him his jealousies, and cavils, and murmurs, and fears; and he casts himself before the throne of the Redeemer in entire surrender to the mighty gentleness of God. "The love of Christ constraineth him; and he judges that if one died for all, then they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him that died for them, and rose again." And therefore he becomes, in Christ, a new creature ; old things pass away, all things become new. God has reconciled him to himself by Jesus Christ.

Thus, then, does "the word of God," the glad tidings of reconciliation with Him by Jesus Christ ―become the seed of our Regeneration. We are "born again,"-not by the corruptible seed of selfish calculations of expediency, of bodily impulses and fervours, of artificially excited feelings, of philosophical argumentation, and dexterous persuasion, —

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all which motives are but temporary and perishable, touch only the understanding and passions, stir only the upper surface of the mind, reach not down to the deep under-current of the will, and therefore can produce but superficial, transient, incomplete, results"not by corruptible seed, but by incorruptible," — by that which has a never-dying vigour, which never becomes effete, -even "the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever." "Christ saith," writes Bishop Latimer the Martyr Latimer, "Except a man be born again from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God." " He must have Regeneration. And what is this regeneration? It is not to be christened in water, and nothing else. How is it to be expounded then? St. Peter showeth, that one place of Scripture declareth another. For, saith St. Peter, 'We be born again,' How? Not by a mortal seed, but by an immortal. What is this immortal seed? By the word of the living God,' by the word of God preached and opened. Thus cometh in our New birth."

Such, then, are the Nature, the Necessity, and the Means of Spiritual Regeneration. I cannot quit the subject without pressing on my Readers a

few words of Inquiry, of Direction, and of Encouragement.

Is not Inquiry, I would ask,-personal inquiry of ourselves pre-eminently necessary, after the consideration of a topic like this? It is not one of doubtful theory, or curious investigation it is one which concerns the very being of our piety and holiness. And can we then fail to turn round from it on ourselves, and ask with simple earnestness, -Have I this indispensable new birth? I do not bid you point to any given moment of Spiritual birth -I do not ask for the chronology of Conversion -I do not even demand that the awakening of a filial disposition towards God should have been, in every case, marked enough to form an epoch in the life though Dr. Paley hesitates not to say concerning those "who with the name of Christians have hitherto passed their lives without any internal Religion," that "no one can be saved without undergoing a conversion which he must necessarily both be sensible of at the time, and remember all his life afterward. It is too momentous an event ever to be forgot. A man might as easily forget his escape from a shipwreck." But this I do ask this I earnestly beseech you honestly to ask yourselves, Have you now, at this moment, whether its developement within you have

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