person who bears no fruits, of faith, of repentance, of obedience or conformity to the will of God. But what then, we repeat it, are they, these regenerate ones, who walk not after the Spirit, but after the flesh? Are they saved, or not saved ? Are they justified or not justified ? Accepted, or not accepted ? Oh! you may not, you will not say these earthly ones are in a state of salvation now: you can only hope they will be. But then you know there is but one entrance gate ; they must become spiritual ; must be born again from above; regenerate according to your language, a second time; born a third time; before they can enter the kingdom of heaven. But suppose this never happens; and walking throughout according to the flesh, our baptized shall perisb in the flesh at last. How came they so, after being once regenerate in the Spirit? Have they too undergone a second change, and since their baptism been born a third time into the flesh again ? for of our Saviour's words we cannot rid ourselves : “ Born of the Spirit is spirit"_" born of the flesh is flesh.” I believe the serious Christian will answer, No: for it will then become manifest whether they ever were born of the Spirit unto life or not : baptism is invalid unless the conditions of it are fulfilled.' Yes : and we always supposed they meant this : they never really thought that every baptized one was alive in Jesus Christ-alive unto salvation-an heir of heaven whether he has repented and believed or not. For I speak not now to Papists or Tractarians, but to those who otherwise hold the truth as it is in Jesus; salvation by faith, through sanctification of the Spirit: a full and free redemption.

But why then tell us, and tell your children, what you really are not in your hearts persuaded of, that your baptized ones are-what you at last admit that possibly they are not, and may not know till the end of life whether they are or not? Is it not a dangerous and a venturesome fiction to say that baptism is regeneration ; when one is a fact, the other a contingency? when the one has been, the other may not bave been, and moreover never may be? A child may become regenerated at the time it was baptized : this, nobody, I suppose, denies, although it cannot be certified, by even the earliest demonstrations of piety ; because it may be assumed to have been regenerate before. If it be asserted that it must be so because God has promised every thing to believing prayer—which is the argument of many; then why not say that prayer is regeneration ? Did you never pray for the salvation of your child before it was baptized ? Have you never prayed since ? How do you know which of your prayers brought forth the blessing? • Because at the ceremony of baptism I prayed in faith.' In faith of what? Of God's precious promises in Jesus Christ; of his willingness to save; of his acceptance of your heart's desire for your offspring, that it might be saved ? Then I am sure you did not tell your heavenly Father when, or how, or where it should be done, without a reservation of His will and wisdom; because His utmost promises never told it you. Or was it in faith of the efficacy of the ceremony; of saving grace inseparable from it; or promises especially connected with it? Then I think it was the most faithless prayer you ever offered, and likely to be the least acceptable to God; and the least blessed to you : because, in the first respect, it was an idolatrous trust, ascribing efficacy to an outward form : in the next it was a dishonest trust ; for you do not really think the spiritual influence inseparable from the ceremony : and lastly, it was a presumptuous and a groundless trust, because it had no promises to rest upon : there is not in the whole Bible a promise of efficacious grace, or any other blessing to be dispensed especially in baptism. What faith then, what true scriptural faith, have we to exercise at that moment, that may not be in exercise at every other time? I have not spoken thus in reference to any particular views of evangelical truth. The attempt that has been made to reconcile the doctrine of baptismal regeneration with that of the final perseverance of the renewed, is to my mind so absolutely absurd, I scarcely can designate it by any name but nonsense ; but though less weak and anomalous in connection with what we call the Arminian doctrine of the possibility of falling away from a justified and living state in Christ, to final perdition; I think it is no less at variance with those views generally : because, while differing a little about the possible issue of the divine life, the Arminian and the Calvinist are agreed about the beginning ; the necessity of a new birth unto righteonsness; and neither would admit that the soul is in a state of salvation, until it gives signs of a vital change of heart. Unregenerate nature can no more fall from grace than it can persevere in grace, therefore in either creed the same evidence of a regenerate state is required before the claim to be a child of God can be admitted : and is in fact assumed ; in hope for an infant, in profession from an adult, before either is entitled to receive baptism. “ Can any forbid water that 'these should be baptized who have received the Holy Ghost ?” Why was it not written—that they may receive the Holy Ghost?

“ The wind bloweth where it listeth :” regeneration may be at any time, any where, -it must be sometime, or the soul cannot be saved : I was going to say it may be in any way, or by any means. This I know not. I think perhaps there is but one way—but one agency. I can perceive no distinction between conversion and regeneration, except it be that the one is the overt, the other the covert work: conversion being the external operation, as well as manifestation of the change; while regeneration is-I bardly know what to call it-so unseen, so untangible a thing it is, but say it is that change itself. We can find a similitude very often when we cannot find a word : “ Thou knowest not what is the way of the Spirit, nor how the bones do grow.” Or, if we can trace the means by which these “ day by day were fashioned, when as yet there were none of them,” and how the frame once animated, is sustained in life : yet who is present or who marks the time, where is the agency and what the means, when the soul is added to the moulded frame ? May it not be the direct, exclusive act of Deity to give life, while instrumentality is used in every thing previous and subsequent thereto? I observe that Scripture speaks continually of agency in conversion : " He that converteth a sinner; " " repent and be converted ;” we know that certainly means are used, preaching, and prayer, and reading of the word, and many other influences, to prepare the ground, and cast the seed abroad, and cultivate it, and nourish it when it shoots forth. But we do not find instrumentality connected with regeneration in inspired language; there is neither command to regenerate, nor exhortation to be born again. Paul claims to have begotten, and A pollos to have watered ; but they could no more mark the moment, the means, the occasion, when the soul took second life, than when it took it first. I apprehend it may be as incorrect to talk of means of regeneration, as of means of salvation ; Jehovah being the sole worker, as well as the author of them both ; whereas means of grace, and means of conversion, are expressions strictly in conformity with Scripture language, to designate the instruments that God makes use of for the manifestation and outworking of bis purpose.

" We cannot tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth,” how then are we to certify our longing, trembling souls, whether indeed we have been born anew, and become competent to enter into the heavenly kingdom ? By the effects, by the signs of life, by evidences of conversion. Is it because we cannot detect the inchoate being, that we do not know the living from the dead? Or, if there be uncertain and questionable signs, does there want any thing but time to make them certain ? Regeneration may possibly have taken place, while yet there are no sure evidences of conversion ; it must certainly bave taken place, whenever those sure evidences are to be found ; but while the converted man may rest assured that he is born again from above, the unconverted man has no more right to suppose he is regenerate, than to suppose a human body lives, while neither respiration nor pulsation can be perceived.

Many Christians know the instrument used in their conversion, and when the new principle first gave token of existence in their souls. If these tokens have been sudden and decided, the outburst of a vigorous and healthful life, it is likely to give a tope of confidence and assurance to our religion, which is often wanting where the development has been more gradual, though not less effectual. Many of God's most eminent and honoured servants have, like Saul of Tarsus, thus awoke, and found themselves new creatures, in full possession of a spiritual existence, which they neither sought, nor asked, nor desired, nor believed in, till they had it, and gave evidence to all who had understanding of the signs, that they were the new-begotten of the Lord. Other Christians have watched anxiously, and wearily have watched, or it may be through early years been watched by others, for the lingering, flickering, variable tokens : too often mistrusted in the former case, since the intent desire is itself a most precious sign : too much presumed upon sometimes in the latter case, because childhood is so easily acted upon from without, to what seems a divine impulse from within. While some blest souls there are, sons and daughters of some Lois or Eunice, who remember no life but the one they now live, by faith in the Son of God, under the fruitful influences of the life-giving spirit; it matters not how variable the development, the means, the method, and manifestations of conversion ; regeneration is the same in all; the power the same, the change the same, the necessity the same, the ultimate effects the same. “ If any man be in Christ Jesus, he is a new creature ; old things are passed away, all things are become new ;" without which we cannot see, and much less enter into the kingdom of God. We may see something else that we mistake for it: we may enter into

something that men call so; but we cannot see, and we cannot enter there, till this be done : we cannot do it for ourselves; men cannot, means cannot, churches, and ordinances, and formularies, cannot do it for us. What must we do, how can we help ourselves ? Ask, seek, watch, listen. This is no matter to remain in doubt upon. " Make your calling and election sure." I know no ground of assurance, but in the characters of a regenerate nature, no proof of life, but the functions of life; no evidence of a new birth, but a new being; neither circumcision nor uncircumcision, but a new nature.

The living child feels and moves; then sees and hears; then knows; then thinks; then loves; then walks and talks; we do not know exactly which it may do first; we do not wait till it does all, before we say it lives. Faith, and repentance exhibited in conviction, hatred, and resolved abandonment of sin, with believing dependence upon Christ, as the only atonement and satisfaction for it, are indispensable evidences of the new life : where these are not in any measure realized, I think we can have no evidence at all. All other fruits are perhaps to be taken rather as evidences of these, and can certainly prove nothing without them. Wherefore our church, directed by the word of God, requires of those who come to be baptized, only two things—repentance, whereby they forsake sin; and faith, whereby they believe the promises of God. We claim attention to this form from all who betake themselves to the authority of our church in defence of baptismal regeneration : · What is required of them who come to be baptized ?' mark into what confusion you thus bring the most sacred and vital truths; you make the Church to demand the evidences of regeneration before she confers it ; the fruits of the Spirit before she conveys it. Dost thou believe?' •Dost thou repent ?' This unregenerate nature never did since Adam fell; and if it should, there would be no need of regeneration ; nature would be sufficient to all that is necessary to salvation. Where such is the actual persuasion, I have already said, the creed is consistent with itself, though not with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We have consented that men should finish their own work, assured that the crucified Redeemer will be no party to it; having begun their own salvation by faith and repentance, let them procure for themselves the regenerating Spirit, which they as little want, as they want the atoning blood and righteousness of Christ. Do they believe in either ? “ But ye have not so learned Christ ;” and is it not apparent by the very questions put to those who come to be baptized, that the Church requires evidence of previous regeneration, before she sets her seal to the holy compact of devotedness on the one hand, and acceptance on the other? That when she pronounces the baptized to be regenerate, it is on the presumption, that the profession may be true that the neophyte has indeed been born again, brings within him to the font the living principle, whereby, if time be given, it will forsake sin, and believe the promises of God; and if it be not, is made presently meet for the inheritance of the saints in light? Talk of the sponsors' faith and repentance being accepted for the infant ! As a title to baptism so they may be ; but as a title to regeneration in baptism, they must do for our children what they never did for us. Were our faith and repentance the cause, or the means, or the title to the reception to the Spirit in ourselves; or had we them OCTOBER, 1842.

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not, till after He took up his abode within us? And now we proffer his own gracious fruits, in purchase of his life-giving influence on our children. Oh! it is fearful ground we trench upon in this confusion of the mind! Too near the dream of supererogatory merits; enough for ourselves, and to spare for imputation. I have heard a notion supported by analogy of human law; of qualification derivable from father to son. What does it mean? If it means a qualification for heaven without a change of heart, let them say so, and we shall understand them. If it means a qualification for the outward ceremony of baptism, we have no objection ; but if it means that faith and repentance, the fruit of the father's regeneration, qualifies the child to be regenerated, it is a superfluity : the qualification derived from our first father was enough for that; every sinful soul, and every lost soul, and every dead soul, is but too well qualified by nature to be renewed and made alive and saved, if it shall please God in his unmerited mercy, to shed the influence of his grace upon it. We come too close again upon a Popish doctrine—the merit of congruity. So hard, so very hard, is it for man to give up all to God, and content himself to be nothing in the work of his own salvation.

The state of a regenerate soul is capable of proof to himself, in the witness of a good conscience before God; though pot, perhaps, to the satisfying of an ignorant unbelieving world. St. Paul says, “ The works of the flesh are manifest :" with its affections and lusts, being mainly occupied with earth, are more cognizable and open to earthly observation ; while the fruits of the Spirit, having so much to do with things unseen, and to the carnal mind unknown, are externally mani. fested chiefly by renunciation of the former. The world esteems that this is all; and thinks with truth it is no great change to rely so much upon, except in the reformation of the grossly vicious. The renewed heart knows that this is least of all; and does not rely at all upon mere outward reformation : but on those changed affections, changed desires, changed purposes, opinions, and pursuits, which make every thing within us and around us new; by which the world seems as much changed to us, while just continuing what it was before, as we are really changed to it, albeit, the world perceives no difference in us : “ By whom the world is crucified to me, and I unto the world.” The fruits of the Spirit are said to be “ Love;" the carnal heart loves -but what? “ Joy:" the carnal heart rejoices—but in what? “ Peace;" the world seeks peace, and Satan promises it, but where ? “ Long-suffering, gentleness, goodness,” all these fruits, lovely and goodly as they are, are gathered sometimes, and for a brief season, in the world's own garden ; they may come of self-interest, natural temperament, or mere human influences, and they have their reward. They are things of time, and have a temporal value and a temporal recompense. But, forasmuch as the first fruits are not rendered to God, from whom all these, as well as other good things come; and, forasmuch as they are not of faith, wbich can alone make them acceptable to God, they are as truly different in the regenerate heart, as the fruits that grow only there ; and undergo as actual, though sometimes less visible change : change of motive, object, application, and direction, from earthly to heavenly, from moral to spiritual.