who is in heaven. The author of the SERM. epiftle to the Hebrews informs us, that, X. without holiness, no man fhall fee the Lord. Hebr. And, not to multiply paffages in fo plain xii. 14. a cafe: Know ye not, that the unrighteous fhall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived; neither fornicators, nor adulterers, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor effeminate, nor drunkards, nor extortioners, (nor any other notorious and habitual of fenders against the laws of reafon and Christianity) fhall inherit the kingdom of 1 Cor. vi. God.

If, therefore, it be the wisdom and interest of all, who believe a future reward for virtue, to be diligent and conftant in the univerfal practice of it; what a peculiar obligation are Christians under, to whom the heavenly blessedness is fo fully revealed, and with such a variety of affecting circumstances! Befides the clear difcovery of a future reward in general, about which philofophy was uncertain and dubious; we are affured of the refurrection of the body, an active, vigorous, incorruptible principle, fuited to the inlarged faculties of the perfect fpirit, (that the

whole

9. 10.

SERM. whole human nature may appear in comX. pleat dignity) and of an immortality of bleffedness, in the prefence and enjoyment of God: Concerning both which great points the decifions of reafon were dark and confused.

SEEING then, we look for these things, these great things, which eye bath not seen, neither can it enter into the heart of man fully to conceive -what manner of persons ought we to be, in all holy converfation and godliness! Patterns of integrity, peace, and love, of contentment, and resignation to Providence, and of a bright and exalted piety. Thus, by acting confiftently with our character, and high expectations, fhall we adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour. And then, to use the words of St. Paul, immediately following the text, we may, with a ferene and joyful confidence, look for the Saviour, the Lord Jefus Chrift; who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working, whereby he is able even to jubdue all things unto himself.

I

SERM.

SERMON XI.

The different CHARACTERS of
TRUE RELIGION, and EN-

THUSIASM.

JOHN iii. 8.

The wind bloweth where it lifteth, and thou heareft the found thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: So is every one, that is born of the Spirit.

T

HESE words are part of a SERM.
discourse, which our bleffed XI.
Saviour had with Nicodemus,
a man of distinguished rank

and figure among the Jews. This perfon

was

SERM. was convinced by the miracles, which XI. Jefus wrought at Jerusalem, that he was really a divine prophet; and, therefore, tho' he was reftrained, by the known bigotry and malice of his countrymen, from publishing the high opinion he had entertained of this facred inftructor, he went privately to him by night, to confer with him, upon subjects of religion. And he began with this judicious and argumentative introduction, Rabbi, we know, that thou art a teacher come from God: For no man can do thefe miracles, which thou doeft, except God be with him. In anfwer to which, our Lord, that he might not imagine, that a mere belief, and acknowledgement of the truth, was fufficient, to intitle him to the privileges and rewards of Chriftianity, fairly represented to him the one neceffary and indifpenfible qualification for obtaining the favour of God, and eternal life, in the third verse of this chapter: Except a man be born again, he cannot fee the kingdom of God. This was ftrange doctrine, and appeared, indeed, extravagant to Nicodemus; who, by an unaccountable mistake, overlooked

XI.

the figure, and understood the words of SERM. natural birth. And upon this foot, it was reasonable for him, and highly pertinent, to urge the incredibility of the thing, in it felf, and defire a more explicit and diftinct account of this wonderful doctrine. He therefore put this queftion, How can a man be born, when he is old? Can he enter the fecond time into his mother's womb, and be born? To this our Saviour replied, that the thing would not appear to be altogether fo mysterious, when rightly apprehended, as his prejudices induced him to think it was; but might, as to the poffibility of it, be illustrated by a wellknown, and very familiar inftance. Marvel not, fays he, that I faid unto thee, ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it lifteth, and thou hearest the found thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: So is every one, that is born of the Spirit.-Which words, have been thus, very judiciously paraphrased.

"That, even in the natural world, "there are many things, in themselves, "fo fubtle, that we cannot at all discern "them with our eyes, which yet are VOL. III.

S

very