strengthen, settle us"^." We need only look to David for an illustration of this trvith. What man ever lived, on whom you might depend more fully than on him? He was " a man after God's own heart ; " disciplined in the school of adversity, and honoured with divine communications to as great an extent as the most favoured of the sons of men. Yet behold, how he fell ! Look at Solomon too. Who, that had seen him at the dedication of the temple, would have ever supposed that he should betray such weakness and folly as he did, during the greater part of his reign ? Alas ! " what is man," if left to himself ; if left only for a single instant ? If God be not with him to uphold him, he will become the sport of every tempta- tion, " driven to and fro with every wind," whether of sentiment or of feeling^ He must be assisted in every part of his duty, whether of " putting off the old man, or putting on the new." The same Almighty power which raised Christ from the dead must work mightily in him"\ to " renew him in the spirit of his mind"," till the whole work of God be perfected within him: and to the latest hour of his life his prayer must be, " Ma.y the very God of peace, who brought again from the dead the Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, make me perfect in every good work, to do his will ; working in me that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Christ Jesus " ! "]
Address,
1. Those who feel no need of such a change as is described in our text —
[By the generality, such a change is deemed no better than a wild enthusiastic conceit : and if a man have been baptized into the faith of Christ, and been enabled to maintain an honour- able and consistent walk through life, he is conceived to be in a state of perfect safety. But had not Nicodemus been admitted into covenant with God in the way prescribed by God himself, and in the only way in which any were or could be admitted under the Mosaic dispensation ? and was he not a person of most exemplary character? Yet to him did our I^ord say again and again, " Ye must be born again ;" and if a man be not born again, " he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven p." To get rid of this awful admonition, many will identify regeneration with the act of baptism, under an idea that the inward grace must of necessity accompany the outward sign. But if this be the case in one sacrament, it must be equally so in the other : whereas we are told, that a man may partake of the Lord's supper unworthily; and, instead of being saved by it, may only
^ 1 Pet. V. 10. 1 Eph. iv. 14. « Eph. i. 19, 20.
n Eph. iv. 23, 24. » Heb. xiii, 20, 21. p John iii. 3, 5, 7. VOL. v. E E