any means of knowledge naturally belonging| to them in that human state. But this was not always necessary, nor continues to be necessary. Nor is there any sufficient reason to suppose, that this resemblance to our present bodies will be retained in our future bodies, or be at all wanted. Upon the whole, the con. clusions, which we seem authorised to draw from these intimations of Scripture, are,

First, that we shall have bodies.

Secondly, that they will be so far different from our present bodies, as to be suited, by that difference, to the state and life into which they are to enter, agreeably to that rule which prevails throughout universal nature; that the body of every being is suited to its state, and that, when it changes its state, it changes its body.

Thirdly, that it is a question by which we need not at all be disturbed, whether the bodies with which we shall arise be new bodies, or the same bodies under a new form; for,

SERMON VI.

ON PURITY OF THE HEART AND
AFFECTIONS.

Beloved, now are we the sons of God: and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.—1 Joun iii. 2, 3.

WHEN the text tells us, "that every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself," it must be understood as intending to describe the natural, proper, and genuine effects of this hope, rather, perhaps, than the actual effects, or at least as effects, which, in point of expe Fourthly, no alteration will hinder us from rience, universally follow from it. As hath remaining the same, provided we are sensible already been observed, the whole text relates and conscious that we are so; any more than to sincere Christians, and to these alone; the the changes which our visible person under- word we, in the preceding part of it, comprises goes even in this life, and which from infancy sincere Christians, and no others Therefore to manhood are undoubtedly very great, hin- the word every man, must be limited to the der us from being the same, to ourselves and same sort of men, of whom he was speaking in ourselves, and to all intents and purposes before. It is not probable, that in the same whatsoever. sentence he would change the persons and Lastly, that though, from the imperfection of characters concerning whom he discoursed. our faculties, we neither are, nor, without a So that if it had been objected to Saint John, constant miracle upon our minds, could be that, in point of fact, every man did not purimade able to conceive or comprehend the na- fy himself who had this hope in him, he would ture of our future bodies; yet we are assured have replied, I believe, that these were not that the change will be infinitely beneficial; the kind of persons he had in his view; that that our new bodies will be infinitely superior throughout the whole of the tex, he had in *o those which we carry about with us in our contemplation the religious condition and cha present state; in a word, that whereas our racter of sincere Christians, and no other bodies are now comparatively vile, (and are so When, in the former part of the text, he talkdenominated,) they will so far rise in glory, as ed of we being the sons of God, of we being to be made like unto his glorious body; that like Christ, he undoubtedly meant sincere whereas, through our pilgrimage here, we Christians alone; and it would be strange if have borne, that which we inherited, the image he meant any other in this latter part of the of the earthy, of our parent, the first Adam, text, which is in fact a continuation of the created for a life upon this earth; we shall, in same discourse, of the same subject, nay, a porour future state, bear another image, a new tion of the same sentence. resemblance, that of the heavenly inhabitant, the second man, the second nature, even that of the Lord from heaven

Ex

I have said thus much in order to obviate contrariety which there seems to be between Saint John's assertion and experience. perience, I acknowledge, proves the inefficacy, in numerous cases, of religious hope and reli gious motives: and it must be so; for if religious motives operated certainly and necessarily, if they produced their effect by an infallible power over the mind, we should only be machines necessarily actuated; and that certainly is not the thing which a moral agent, a religious agent, was intended to be. It was intended that we should have the power of doing right, and, consequently, of doing wrong; for he who cannot do wrong, cannot do right by choice; he is a mere tool and instrument, or rather a machine, whichever he does

Therefore all moral motives, and all religious | the reason given why these are the real proper motives, unless they went to deprive man of defilements of our nature is, that they proceed his liberty entirely, which they most certainly from within, out of the heart: these evil things were not meant to do, must depend for their come from within, and defile the man. The influence and success upon the man himself. seat, therefore, of moral defilement, according This success, therefore, is various; but when to our Saviour, is the heart; by which we it fails, it is owing to some vice and corrup-know, that he always meant the affections and tion in the mind itself. Some men are very the disposition. The seat, therefore, of moral ittle affected by religious exhortation of any purity must necessarily be the same; for pukind, either by hearing or reading. That is rity is the reverse of defilement : consequently a vice and corruption in the mind itself. Some to purify ourselves, is to cleanse our hearts men, though affected, are not affected suffici- from the presence and pollution of sin; of those ently to influence their lives. That is a vice sins particularly, which reside in, and contiand corruption in the mind, or rather in the nue in the heart. This is the purgation inheart; and so it will always be found. But tended in our text. This is the task of purI do not so much wonder at persons being un-gation enjoined upon us. affected by what others tell them, be those It is to be noticed, that it goes beyond the others who they may, preachers, or teachers, mere control of our actions. It adds a further or friends, or parents, as I wonder at seeing duty, the purifying of our thoughts and affecmen not affected by their own thoughts, their own meditations; yet it is so; and when it is so, it argues a deep corruption of mind indeed. We can think upon the most serious, the most solemn subjects, without any sort of consequence upon our lives. Shall we call this seared insensibility? shall we call it a fatal inefficiency of the rational principle within us? shall we confess, that the mind has lost its government over the man?

tions. Nothing can be more certain, than that it was the design of our Saviour, in the passage here referred to, to direct the attention of his disciples to the heart, to that which is within a man, in contradistinction to that which is external. Now he who only strivea to control his outward actions, but lets his thoughts and passions indulge themselves with out check or restraint, does not attend to that which is within him, in contradistinction to These are observations upon the state of that which is external. Secondly, the instan. morals and religion, as we see them in the ces which our Saviour has given, though, like world but whatever these observations be, all instances in Scripture, and to say the truth, it is still true, and this is Saint John's asser- in all ancient writings, they be specimens and tion, that the proper, natural, and genuine illustrations of his meaning, as to the kind and effect of religious hope is to cause us to strive nature of the duties or the vices which he had "to purify ourselves, even as he is pure." in view, rather than complete catalogues, inSaint John strongly fixes our attention, Icluding all such duties or vices by name, so mean, as he means, such of us as are sincere that no other but what are thus named and Christians, upon what we are to be hereafter. This, as to particulars, is veiled from us, as we have observed, by our present nature, but as to generals, as to what is of real importance and concern for us to know (I do not mean but that it might be highly gratifying and satisfactory to know more, but as to what is of the first importance and concern for us to know,) we have a glorious assurance, we have an assurance that we shall undergo a change in our nature infinitely for the better; that when he shall appear glorified as he is, we shall be like him. Then the point is, what we are to do, how we are to act, under this expectation, having this hope, with this prospect, placed before our eyes. Saint John tells we are to purify ourselves, even as he is pure."

us,

Now what is the Scriptural meaning of purifying ourselves can be made out thus. The contrary of purity is defilement, that is evident: but our Saviour himself hath told us what the things which defile a man are; and this is the enumeration; evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness; and

specified were intended: though this qualified way of understanding the enumerations be right, yet even this enumeration itself shows, that our Saviour's lesson went beyond the mere external action. Not only are adulteries and fornications mentioned, but evil thoughts and lasciviousness; not only murders, but an evil eye; not only thefts, but covetousness or covetings. Thus by laying the axe to the root; not by lopping off the branches, but by laying the axe to the root, our Saviour fixed the only rule which can ever produce good morals.

Merely controlling the actions, without governing the thoughts and affections, will not do. In point of fact it is never successful. It is certainly not a compliance with our Saviour's command, nor is it what St. John meant in the text by purifying ourselves.

"Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he," namely, Christ himself, "is pure." It is a doctrine and lesson of the New Testament, not once, but repeatedly, inculcated, that if we hope to resemble Christ in his glorified state, we must resemble him in his human state. And it is a part, and a most significant part, of this doctrine, that the resemblance must consist in

purity from sin, especially from those sins to their hearts, their affections, or their imawhich cleave and attach to the heart. It is by ginations, they set their endeavours more toSaint Paul usually put thus: "If we be dead wards beneficence than purity. You say we with Christ, we believe that we shall also live ought not to speak disparagingly of doing with him." "Dead with Christ;" what can good: by no means; but we affirm, that it is that mean? for the apostle speaks to those who not the whole of our duty, nor the most diffihad not yet undergone natural death. He ex. cult part of it; in particular, it is not that plains: "Reckon yourselves to be dead unto part of it which is insisted upon in the text, sin;" that, you hear is the death he means. and in those other Scriptures that have been "He that is dead, is freed from sin;" that is mentioned. The text, enjoining the imitation Saint Paul's own exposition of his own words; of Christ upon earth, in order that we may and then, keeping the sense of the words in become like him in heaven, does not say, do his thoughts, he adds; "if we be dead with good even as he went about doing good, but Christ, we believe that we shall also live with it says; "purify yourselves even as he is pure:" him." Again, still keeping the same sense in so saith Saint John. "Mortify the deeds of view, and no other sense: "If we have been the body, let not sin reign in you; die with planted together in the likeness of his death, Christ unto sin; be baptized unto Jesus Christ, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrec- that is, unto his death; be buried with him tion." Once more, but still observe in the by baptism unto death; be planted together same sense," We are buried with him by bap-in the likeness of his death; crucify the old tism unto death; our old man is crucified with him." The burden of the whole passage is, that if we hope to resemble what Christ is in heaven, we must resemble what he was upon earth; and that this resemblance must consist specifically in the radical casting off of our sins. The expressions of the apostle are very strong; "that the body of sin may be destroyed.

Let not sin reign in your mortal body; obey it not in the lusts thereof;" not only in its practices, but in its desires. "Sin shall not have dominion over you."

man, and destroy the body of sin; as death hath no more dominion over him, so let sin no more reign in your mortal bodies:" so Saint Paul. All these strong and significant metaphors are for the purpose of impressing more forcibly upon us this great lesson; that to participate with Christ in his glory, we must participate with him in his humiliation; and that this participation consists in divesting ourselves of those sins, of the heart especially, and affections, whether they break out into action or not, which are inconsistent with that purity, of which he left us an example; and to the attainment and preservation of which purity, we are most solemnly enjoined to direct our first, strongest, and our most sincere endea. vours.

In another epistle, that to the Colossians, Saint Paul speaks of an emancipation from sin, as a virtual rising from the dead, like as Christ rose from the dead. "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things that are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God: set your affections on things above, not on things of the earth; for ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." In this way is the comparison carried on. And what is the practical exhortation which it suggests? "Mortify, therefore, your members which are upon the earth, fornication, uncleanness, evil con- I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners cupiscence, and covetousness:" which is ar equivalent exhortation, and drawn from the same premises, as that of the text; 66 Purify yourselves, even as he is pure."

SERMON VII

OF THE DOCTRINE OF CONVERSION.

to repentance.MATTHEW ix. 13.

Ir appears from these words, that our Saviour in his preaching held in view the characThe Scriptures then teach, that we are to ter and spiritual situation of the persons whom make ourselves like Christ upon earth, that we he addressed; and the differences which exmay become like him in heaven, and this like-isted amongst men in these respects: and that ness is to consist in purity. he had a regard to these considerations, more

Now there are a class of Christians, and I especially in the preaching of repentance and am ready to allow, real Christians, to whom conversion. Now I think, that these considerathis admonition of the text is peculiarly neces-tions have been too much omitted by preach. ers of the Gospel since, particularly in this very article; and that the doctrine itself has suffered by such omission.

sary.

They are not those who set aside religion; they are not those who disregard the will of their Maker, but they are those who endea- It has been usual to divide all mankind invour to obey him partially, and in this way: to two classes, the converted and the unconnuding it an easier thing to do good than to verted; and, by so dividing them, to infer the expel their sins, especially those which cleave necessity of conversion to every person what

In opposition, however, to what is here said, there are who contend, that it is necessary for every man living to be converted before he can be saved. This opinion undoubtedly deserves serious consideration, because it founds itself upon Scripture, whether rightly or erroneously interpreted is the question. The portion of Scripture upon which they who maintain the opinion chiefly rely, is our Sa

ever. In proposing the subject under this form, we state the distinction, in my opinion, too absolutely, and draw from it a conclusion too universal: because there is a class and description of Christians, who, having been piously educated, and having persevered in those pious courses into which they were first brought, are not conscious to themselves of ever having been without the influence of religion, of ever having lost sight of its sanctions, of ever hav-viour's conversation with Nicodemus, recording renounced them; of ever, in the general course of their conduct, having gone against them. These cannot properly be reckoned either converted or unconverted. They are not converted, for they are not sensible of any such religious alteration having taken place with them, at any particular time, as can properly be called a conversion. They are not unconverted, because that implies a state of reprobation, and because, if we call upon them to be converted (which if they be unconverted we ought to do,) they will not well understand what it is we mean them to do; and, instead of being edified, they may be both much and unnecessarily disturbed, by being so called upon.

ed in the third chapter of St. John's Gospel. Our Saviour is there stated to have said to Nicodemus, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God; and afterwards, as a confirmation, and, in some sort, an exposition, of his assertion, to have added, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” It is inferred from this passage, that all persons whatever must undergo a conversion, before they be capable of salvation: and it cannot be said that this is a forced or strained inference: but the question before us at present is, is it a necessary inference? I am not unwilling to admit, that this short, but very remarkable conversation, is fairly interpreted of the gift There is, in the nature of things, a great of the Spirit, and that when this Spirit is given, variety of religious condition. It arises from there is a new birth, a regeneration; but I hence, that exhortations, and calls, and admo- say, that it is no where determined at what nitions, which are of great use and importance time of life, or under what circumstances, this in themselves, and very necessary to be insist- gift is imparted: nay, the contrary is intimat ed upon, are, nevertheless, not wanted by all, ed by comparing it to the blowing of the wind, are not equally applicable to all, and to some which, in its mode of action, is out of the are altogether inapplicable. This holds true reach of our rules and calculation: "the wind of most of the topics of persuasion or warning, bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the which a Christian teacher can adopt. When sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it we preach against presumption, for instance, cometh, and whither it goeth; so is every one it is not because we suppose that all are presump- that is born of the Spirit." The effect of this tuous; or that it is necessary for all, or every uncertainty is, that we are left at liberty to one, to become more humble, or diffident, or pray for spiritual assistance; and we do pray apprehensive than he now is: on the contrary, for it, in all stages, and under all circumstances there may, amongst our hearers, be low, and of our existence. We pray for it in baptism, timorous, and dejected spirits, who, if they for those who are baptized; we teach those take to themselves what we say, may increase who are catechised, to pray for it in their catea disposition which is already too much; or chism: parents pray for its aid and efficacy to be at a loss to know what it is herein that he give effect to their parental instructions, to would enjoin upon them. Yet the discourse preserve the objects of their love and care and the doctrine may, nevertheless, be very from sin and wickedness, and from every spigood; and for a great portion of our congre- ritual enemy: we pray for it, particularly in gation, very necessary. The like, I think, is the office of confirmation, for young persons the case with the doctrine of conversion. If just entering into the temptations of life. we were to omit the doctrine of conversion, Therefore spiritual assistance may be impartwe should omit a doctrine, which, to many, ed at any time, from the earliest to the latest must be the salvation of their souls. To them, period of our existence; and whenever it is all calls without this call, all preaching with-imparted, there is that being born of the out this doctrine, would be in vain; and it may be true, that a great part of our hearers are of this description. On the other hand, if we press and insist upon conversion, as indispensable to all for the purpose of being sav ed, we should mislead some, who would not apprehend how they could be required to turn, or be converted to religion, who were never, that they knew, either indifferent to it, or alienated from it.

Spirit to which our Saviour's words refer. And considering the subject as a matter of experience, if we cannot ordinarily distinguish the operations of the Spirit from those of our own minds, it seems to follow, that neither can we distinguish when they commence; so that spiritual assistance may be imparted, and the thing designated by our Lord's discourse satisfied, without such a sensible conversion, that a person can fix his memory upon some

great and general change wrought in him at | spiritual condition of those who hear us, or an assignable time. read what we write, is authorised by the exThe consciousness of a great and general ample of Scripture preaching, as set forth in change may be the fact with many. It may the New Testament. It is remarkable, that, be essentially necessary to many. I only al- in the four Gospels and the Acts of the Aposlege, that it is not so to all, so that every per-tles, we read incessantly of the preaching of son, who is not conscious of such a change, repentance, which I admit to mean conversion. must set himself down as devoted to perdi

tion.

Saint John the Baptist's preaching set out with it: our Lord's own preaching set out This, I repeat, is all I contend for; for I with it. It was the subject which he charged by no means intend to say that any one is upon his twelve apostles to preach. It was the without sin, and in that sense not to stand in subject which he sent forth his seventy discineed of conversion; still less, that any sin is ples to preach. It was the subject which the to be allowed, and not, on the contrary, stre- first missionaries of Christianity pronounced nuously and sincerely resisted and forsaken. and preached in every place which they came I only maintain, that there may be Christians to, in the course of their progress through difwho are, and have been, in such a religious ferent countries. Whereas, in the epistles state, that no such thorough and radical change written by the same persons, we hear propor as is usually meant by conversion, is or was tionably much less of repentance, and much necessary for them; and that they need not more of advance, proficiency, progress, and be made miserable by the want of conscious-improvement in holiness of life and of rules ness of such a change. and maxims for the leading of a holy and god

I do not, in the smallest degree, mean to ly life. These exhortations to continual imundervalue, or speak lightly of such changes, provement, to sincere, strenuous, and contiwhenever or in whomsoever they take place: nual endeavours after improvement, are denor to deny that they may be sudden, yet last-livered under a variety of expressions, but ing (nay, I am rather inclined to think that with a strength and earnestness, sufficient to it is in this manner that they frequently do show what the apostles thought of the importake place;) nor to dispute what is upon tance of what they were teaching. good testimony alleged concerning conversion Now the reason of the difference is, that brought about by affecting incidents of life; the preaching of Christ and his apostles, as by striking passages of Scripture; by impres-recorded in the Gospels, and in the Acts of sive discourses from the pulpit; by what we the Apostles, was addressed to Jews and Genmeet with in books; or even by single touch-tiles, whom they called upon to become dising sentences or expressions in such discourses ciples of the new religion. This call evidently or books. I am not disposed to question these relations unnecessarily, but rather to bless God for such instances, when I hear of them, and to regard them as merciful ordinations of his providence.

But it will be said, that conversion implies a revolution of opinion. Admitting this to be so, such a change or revolution cannot be necessary to all, because there is no system of religious opinions, in which some have not been brought up from the beginning. To change from error to truth in any great and important article of religious belief, deserves, I allow, the name of conversion; but all cannot be educated in error, on whatever side truth be supposed to lie,

implied repentance and conversion. But the epistles, which the apostles, and some of which the same apostles, wrote afterwards, were addressed to persons already become Christians ; and to some who, like Timothy, had been such from their earliest youth. Speaking to these, you find, they dwell upon improvement proficiency, continued endeavours after higher and greater degrees of holiness and purity, instead of saying so much about repentance and conversion. This conduct was highly rational, and was an adaptation of their instruction to the circumstances of the persons whom they addressed, and may be an example to us, in modelling our exhortations to the different spiritual conditions of our hearers.

Seeing, then, that two great topics of our preaching must always be conversion and improvement; it remains to be considered, who they are to whom we must preach conversion, and who they are to whom we must preach

To me, then, it appears, that although it cannot be stated with safety, or without leading to consequences which may confound and alarm many good men, that conversion is necessary to all, and under all circumstances; yet I think, that there are two topics of exhor-improvement. tation, which together comprise the whole Christian life, and one or other of which belongs to every man living, and these two topics are conversion and improvement; when conversion is not wanted, improvement is. of Christians, have hitherto passed their lives Now this respective preaching of conversion or improvement, according to the respective

First; Now of the persons in our congre gations, to whom we not only may, but must, preach the doctrine of conversion plainly and directly, are those who, with the name indeed

without any internal religion whatever; whe have not at all thought upon the subject; who,