literally have destroyed the temple and built it again in three days ; and did actually raise to life again his own " crucified body ;" He, I say, can easily effect the renovation of our hearts : with him all things are possible : whatever difficulties we may have to surmount, " his grace is sufficient for us"
We need only look to his Apostles, " who were men
of like passions with us," and we may see what he can do for us. " It was by the grace of God that they were what they were :" and God is still the same as in the days of old ; " his arm is not shortened that it cannot save ; nor is his ear heavy
that it cannot hear " It is to carry on his work in our
hearts that Jesus is risen : " I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me." Let us then pray that we may know him in the " power of his resurrection," and " be sanctified wholly ;" and that " our whole spirit, soul, and body, may be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christe." " Faith- ful is He that hath called us, who also will do itf."]
e 1 Thess. v. 23. f 1 Thess. v. 24.
John iii. 3. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
AS there is an essential distinction between divine and human knowledge, so is there a very great dif- ference in the ways by which each of them is to be obtained ; the one being attainable only by rational investigation, the other only by faith. Reason indeed must judge whether such or such things be revealed ; but when that point is clearly ascertained, faith must receive the truth simply on the authority of God ; and that too, no less when it lies beyond the sphere of our reason, than when it may easily be compre- hended by it. The manner in which revealed truths are inculcated seems to imply this ; for the prophets enforced their declarations, not with arguments, but with, " Thus saith the Lord :" and our Saviour, with an authority which none but himself ever presumed to exercise, and which strongly marked his equality with the Father, disdained to use any other confirma- tion than that of his own assertion : this appears, as