expectation of glory, as consummate pride and presumption. And who can alter their views ? Not an Apostle, nor even an angel from heaven. They might be silenced ; but nothing less than Omnipotence can so change their sentiments, as to make them in love with a spiritual and heavenly life. But the Child of God sees that such a life is the perfection of bliss, a very
heaven upon earth and herein also is a witness, that
the God whom he serves is the only true God.]
But the Children of God are also living witnesses of his power and Godhead,
II. In what he has done for them —
We acknowledge the creation to he an evidence that the Maker thereof is God : and so likewise is the work which God hath wrought in his saints.
1. He has created them anew —
[The change that takes place in conversion is not an out- ward and partial, but an inward and universal, change. It is " a new birth," a "renovation of the inward man after the
image of God" But where is the power that can effect
this ? Let philosophy try her powers ; let reason exert herself: " the old man," the corrupt principles of nature, will laugh at
them, and defy their utmost exertions — ■ But is not this
change actually wrought in thousands? We grant, that in many who have professed to have experienced it, it is but very imperfectly produced; yea, and that many who think it has been wrought in them only deceive their own souls : but all the Apostles were not like Judas ; nor are all professors of religion hypocrites. Take then the upright and consistent Christian, and tell me whether any power on earth can produce
such a character ? if not, he is a witness for God, that
he alone is worthy of our hope and dependence.]
2. He has elevated them ahove the world —
[There is among the professors of religion so great a diversity of attainment, and we are so little able to judge respecting the secret experience of their hearts, that we cannot with any certainty form our estimate of the Christian character from what we see around us : we must go to the inspired volume, and take that as the only standard of Christian expe- rience. Now we know that Christians are there represented as " not being of the world, any more than Christ himself was of the world : " and we see there examples of persons altogether " crucified to the world," to its cares, its pleasures, and to every thing that is in it. That there are but few Christians in the present day who have arrived at the Scripture standard, we confess with grief and shame ; and it will be well if many of