gether with the issues of the same, which constitute the old man, with all his concomitant corruptions. Thus every imagination of man's heart is only evil, and that continually. It is not said, some imaginations and thoughts are of this sort, but this is the character of each and every one of them. No good operations of mind, no good principles, no holy tempers in men by nature; all is evil and wrong; there is none that doth good, no, not one Therefore, the apostolic counsels are of unchangeable verity. This guilty frame of heart, this base disposition of soul, this ungodly practice, must be relinquished and laid aside. "The old "man must be put off;" the old principles, the old tempers and biasses; the old enmity to God and his law; all these must be cast off as old and filthy garments. Other principles, frames, tempers, and practises must be assumed or put on, directly the reverse of the former. His conversation must be changed, his corruptions abandoned, and his lusts in all their tortuous deceivings, must be mortified and renounced. When this change takes place, he becomes a new creature.

Secondly, We observe upon this doctrine, that all the children of Adam must be regenerated, must be born again and converted, in order to be partakers of eternal felicity. Nothing that is unclean or defileth, can pass through the gates of the holy city, or enter into the new Jerusalem. Therefore, the old man, which is the unmixed mass of moral corruption, must be put off, and the new man put on, which is precisely the same idea with being converted and sanctified. Hence the whole of this alteration or renovation, is described in the verse succeeding our text, by "being renewed in the spirit of our minds." All who are thus altered in heart, conduct and conversation, are declared, "To "have put off the old man with his deeds, and to have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him, that created him."

This change is so great and remarkable in its origin and effects,

that it may certainly be known. To affirm that the precise time, particular place, and beginning of it can be ascertained by all, has long been discarded by the church, as proving many times delu sion and absurdity. Some intsances of this kind may take place, as in the conversion of St. Paul, the jailor, and a few others. Yet this is never laid down in the scriptures as a mark or evidence by which christians are to examine themselves, or try the reality of their experiences; therefore, never ought to be employed as a standard for private or public purposes. Notwithstanding, this change may be known, as the tree is, by its fruits. When the old man is dethroned, and the new man elevated to his place, new and different effects will proceed therefrom. Hence we are commanded, "To give all diligence to make our calling and elec ❝tion sure. Know you not your ownselves," says St. Paul to the Corinthians, "how that Christ Jesus is in you, except ye be "reprobates?"

Thirdly, We observe, that this subject ought to lead us into a serious examination of our hearts and lives. We should call our former and latter experiences with the habitual tenor of our conversation, to the test of divine truth. As by this we shall be judged, so by this we ought to try ourselves. Let us, in the presence of the heart searching God, ask ourselves, whether we have put off the old man, which coneerning the former conversation is corrupt, according to the deceitful lusts? Are we putting off the body of sin and death? Are we crucifying the flesh with the lusts and affections thereof? Have you put off the old enmity to God, his law, and government? discharged the old carnal mind, and forsaken your former conversation? Have we relinquished our former carelessness, indifference, coldness and backwardness to that which is good? Are we carrying on war against our deceitful lusts, corrupt affections, and perverse propensities? Are we putting on the new man, and striving after conformity to God? Is our path of righteousness, shining more and more. to our consolation? Do we behold more of the glories of God,

the excellencies of Christ Jesus, and the beauties of holiness? Is the practice of prayer, the public worship, and the private duties of devotion more pleasing and delightful to us? Are we growing in knowledge, holy tenderness, affection, and every virtue and grace?

Those who can answer to these things in the affirmative, what reason have you for joy, and praise, and gratitude? While you rejoice in the wonders of divine and glorious grace, mourn daily over your failings, infirmities and remaining corruptions; press forward after greater measures of holy purity; seek higher attainments in experimental religion; and proceed on in every duty, and hasten along the narrow way which leads to eternal life.

Allow me to close the subject in a brief address to those who know they have not put off the old man, but are still under the power and dominion of sin, walking in your former conversation, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts. How long, O ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? When will the blessed time come, that ye will awake from your delusive slumbers? O that God would sound the awakening alarm in your ears, so that your souls might be filled with the solicitous concern, to know what you shall do to be saved.

Remember, if you will not now hear, the day is fast approach ing when your fears will be aroused, and you will cry in torment. ing anxiety, to the rocks and to the mountains to fall on you, and crush you out of existence, or hide you from the face of the Lamb. God is calling, but ye are refusing; he is stretching out the hand of mercy, but ye are not regarding it. O sinners, be persuaded to hear before it be too late. Seek God while he may be found.. Let this text be written as with a point of a diamond upon your hearts. "Put ye off concerning the for "mer conversation, the old man which is corrupt, according te "the deceitful lusts."

SERMON XXVI.

EVANGELICAL REPENTANCE.

ACTS XVII. 30.

And the times of this ignorance God winked at, but now com mandeth all men every where to repent.

REPENTANCE is a doctrine abundantly taught in the sa cred oracles. It is ever exhibited as of the utmost importance. It is an absolutely necessary pre-requisite in every sinner, in order to his obtaining pardon and acceptance with God. Notwithstanding the atonement of Christ Jesus, the satisfaction he made by his obedience and sufferings to the law and justice of the great Supreme, by the constitution of the gospel, none can be saved, but in the way of repentance. The gospel offers no salvation for impenitent sinners more than the law. Two parties have been often affirming either implicitly or explicitly, that true penitents inay be saved without an atonement, and impenitents by it.Both these doctrines are unknown in the system of revelation, and irreconcileable with the nature of things. The former abhors a heavenly revelation, asserting that repentance is a proper and sufficient satisfaction for sin, and it would be unworthy of God to require or institute any thing besides. This is the fundamental principle of the best of all the deistic tribe. If penitents can arrive at happiness in this way, then the salvation of the gospel is

the fiction of priests; the humiliation and death of Christ, the absurdity of ignoraut ages; and all the learning of the christian world is foolishness. For the scriptures grant, if such a plan could have been obtained, it would certainly have been established. "If there could have been a law given which could have gl66 ven life, verily righteousness should have been by the law, but "the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by "the faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe." Christians and believers, deists and infidels, hold perfectly opposite creeds; the former is true-therefore, the latter, with its contrivers, sink into perdition.

Yet there is a great sect of christians, which is no small han dle to the deists, who affirm that impenitents will be saved by the atonement. These believe in eternal justification, that they were selected and saved by an eternal decree. All terms and conditions are by them secluded from divine prescience, and their conversion consists of an impression on their minds of their eternal election; and this is the great source of their comfort, hope and joy. For perhaps no party of christians have more joy than the antinomians; and surely none, (delusion and error excepted) can have less reason for it. They rejoice upon fancy-the orthodox christian, on evidence. Many good people, their feelings, hopes, and wishes have run into this system, rather than their experiences and understanding. Hence an apology ought to be made for a thousand names, which have arrived at salvation, while their erroneous doctrine have been the means of plunging tens of thousands into eternal ruin. The plain doctrine of the gospel is, that an impenitent cannot be saved at all, in any way whatsoever; and that there can be no penitents, nor salvation for penitents, only on the system of grace and divine influences in the gospel. Now, if there can be salvation for penitents. without an atonement, and salvation for impenitents by the atonement, both these schemes seem to set aside the system of divine revelation. I readily grant that the former does it openly and