parison with the excellency of those glories which the gospel reveals.

There are new purposes and resolutions. Or if there had been some similar resolutions before, they were not formed on the same rational and holy views; but more on a principle of fear; and chiefly on worldly motives; and therefore were weak, wavering and transient. These new resolutions arise from a view of the hateful nature, as well as fatal tendency of sin, and the real excellence and vast importance of religion; and therefore are strong and permanent. This is the language of the renewed soul, "I will not offend any more; that which I see not teach thou me; if I have done iniquity. I will do no more."-" Teach me the way of thy statutes, and I will keep it to the end. Give me understanding, and I will keep thy law; yea, I will observe it with my whole heart."

II. He who is renewed in the spirit of his mind, puts off, concerning the former conversation, the old man, which is corrupt, according to the deceitful lusts.

The new spirit is opposite to sin, and strives against it. As the motions of sin work in the corrupt heart to bring forth fruit unto death, so grace works in the renewed heart to bring forth fruit unto holiness.

The new creature immediately applies itself to subdue the lusts of the flesh, and the corrupt habits and dispositions of the mind. The Apostle says to the Corinthians. "In that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you? Yea, what vehement desire-what fear-what indignation-what revenge ?"

The Colossians, having put off the old man, are exhorted, "to mortify their members, which are on the earth, such as uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness which is idolatry.' These corruptions indeed, are not wholly extinguished in the renewed Christian; but the power of them is

broken, so that they no more have dominion over him. He carries on a warfare against them. He keeps his heart with diligence, brings his body into subjection, and abstains from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.

A special reason why he mortifies the affections and lusts of the flesh, is because he has found them deceit ful. They have promised those pleasures in the indulgence, which he has never found; and have produced those painful consequences, and tormenting reflections which he little expected. He feels the force of the Apostle's expostulation, "What fruit had ye then in those things, whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death."

As these deceitful lusts corrupt the conversation, so, when he mortifies these, he of course puts off his former conversation, which is here called the old man : and elsewhere, the old man with his deeds—the deeds of the body, and the members which are on the earth. He, in deliberate and hearty purpose, renounces all sin. He watches against it, and against the temptations which have often beset him, and prevailed over him. He abstains from the appearance of evil. And if he is drawn away of his lusts and enticed, he thinks on his ways with godly sorrow, and turns his feet into God's testimonies with new resolutions to keep himself, and fervent supplications for grace to help in time of need. III. The renewed Christian not only puts off the old man, but puts on the new man.

As the former signifies a corrupt temper and conversation, so the latter must intend a holy and virtuous disposition and character. The new man is renewed in righteousness and true holiness. The true convert not only ceases to do evil, but learns to do well.

Religion is not merely a negative thing, consisting in the absence of evil dispositions and works; it includes also positive goodness, a direct love of God, and a care to obey his commands. The Apostle makes a

distinction between a righteous, and a good man. "Scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die." By the former he intends one who leads merely a harmless life-who simply does no injuries, no wrongs? By the latter he means one who is useful to those around him-one who, governed by a disinterested benevolence, is careful to maintain those works which are good and profitable to men. The slothful servant was condemned, not because he had been mischievous, but because he had been unprofitable—not because he had destroyed his talent, or had employed it in an unjust and fraudulent manner, but because he had laid it by in a napkin, and returned it without improvement. Of Onesimus, after his conversion, Paul says to Philemon, "He in time past was unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and me." In the story of the Jew who fell among thieves, and was left wounded on the road, we see the priest and Levite passing by him with an unfeeling neglect; and the kind Samaritan assisting and relieving him in his helpless condition. The former are not charged with robbing or wounding him, but only with inattention and indiffer ence to his case; yet, they acted not the part of neighbors. It was the Samaritan only who was neighbor to him; for he it was who shewed mercy on him. In the description of the final judgment we hear the judge condemning the wicked, not for positive injuries, but for the neglect of positive duties. He does not say, ye have taken away my food and raiment, driven me from my dwelling, wounded, or imprisoned me; but he says, "I was hungry, and ye gave me no meat; thirsty, and ye gave me no drink; naked, and ye clothed me not; sick and in prison and ye did not

visit me.

If we would know, whether we have been the subjects of this great change, which qualifies for heaven, we must examine, not only what our disposition is

with respect to certain gross iniquities, but especially what our temper is toward God and righteousness; We must inquire, whether we habitually possess those positive virtues, and carefully maintain those good works, which constitute the new man; as well as whether we have renounced the old man with his deeds. IV. We are here farther taught, that the pattern according to which the new man is formed, is the image of God. He is created after God in righteousness and true holiness. He is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him. He is a partaker of the divine nature. Beholding the glory of the Lord, he is changed into the same image.

As the happiness of heaven consists in the enjoyment of God; the capacity for this happiness must consist in a renovation after the image of God. We must be like him, that we may see him as he is.

This likeness to God must, however be understood with some limitations.

There are some perfections in the divine nature, to which the image of God in us can bear no resemblance; such as immensity, immutability and inde. pendence. These are objects of our veneration, hope and reliance; not of our imitation. It is only his moral character, which can be impressed on our souls.

There are, on the other hand, some essential properties of the new man, to which there is nothing analogous in the Deity. Reverence, obedience, trust and resignation, are excellencies in rational creatures; but cannot be ascribed to the infinite and independent Creator. Faith, repentance, selfdistrust, and hope in divine mercy, are necessary exercises in us, when we put off the old man, and put on the new man, because we are sinful, fallen creatures; but to these there is nothing in the most holy God, which bears any resem. blance. Yea, there are many duties belonging to religion in this imperfect and probationary state, for which there will be no occasion, and no room, in the

world of glory; such as mortification, selfdenial, watchfulness and prayer.

And farther: In those moral perfections, in which the new man is made like to God, there is only a faint resemblance; not an equality. Holiness and good-ness are in their nature the same both in God and in men, but infinitely different in degree. Yea, the image of God, under its highest improvements in Christians, while they are in this world, falls far short of that beauty and glory, to which it will be raised in heaven. It doth not yet appear what we shall be. And after all the improvements that can be made by saints, and even by angels in glory, it will still remain a truth, that "none is holy as the Lord; the heavens are not clean in his sight.'

With these limitations the new man may be said to bear the image and likeness of God.

He is renewed in knowledge after the divine image. "God is light, and in him is no darkness." All his works are done in wisdom. Man was made to act as a rational being; not under the blind impulse of passion, but by the calm dictates of the understanding. This leading faculty of the soul is darkened by the apostacy. Sinners are represented as having their understanding darkened, and as walking in darkness. In the new man reason is restored to its dominion; the eyes of his understanding are opened to receive the light which shines and to discern the truth which is revealed; and he acts according to the dictates of this enlightened understanding. Hence he is said, to walk in the light, as God is in the light.

The new man is created after the image of God in righteousness. God is righteous in all his ways; and in this the children of God are manifest, every one that doth righteousness is born of him.

The new man resembles God in mercy and goodness. These are called the glory of the divine character. We are required to be followers of God as dear children, VOL. III.

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