and take not THY HOLY SPIRIT from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy FREE SPIRIT. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto Thee." (Ps. li. 11-13.)

Upon this point it is, further, only needful to remark, that this renewal of the heart and mind, by a Divine influence, is one of the blessings specially mentioned in the promises of the future glory of Israel; and it is a distinguishing and characteristic feature of that new and better Covenant, which the Lord will establish with his people in the latter days. This is apparent from some of the passages already quoted; which also should be compared with the following, "Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers, in the day that I took them by the hand, to bring them out of the land of Egypt; (which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD;) but this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people." "I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.' (Jer. xxxi. 31-33, xxxii. 39, 40.) The doctrine of this spiritual change and renovation stands, therefore, in intimate connexion with all your prospects of future redemption and glory. It ought, then, one would think, to come home to the heart of every child of Israel, as a matter of deep and peculiar interest,—to be considered diligently, and sought with earnest prayer.

Compare the foregoing passages from the Old Testament with the following declarations of the New. When a certain Pharisee, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, came to our Lord Jesus Christ, and acknowledged him to be a teacher come from God, this great Apostle and HighPriest of our profession, immediately addressed him in these terms; "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be

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born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." was a truth, entirely consonant with those Scriptures which Nicodemus ought to have well understood: but "Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?" He had come to enquire about spiritual things, but he took this expression in a gross and carnal sense. But à truth so important must needs be urged and insisted upon: "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit." It is, therefore, a heavenly and spiritual birth which is here intended to be born again after the gross and carnal manner supposed in the objection, could profit a man nothing, as (even if that should take place,) he would remain corrupt and carnal still. But the new nature and life, originated in the soul by the creative power of the Divine and most free Spirit, will partake of the holy and spiritual nature of its Author; and (however men may marvel and object) it is a matter of absolute necessity, that the soul should thus be born again. And, though we cannot tell when, or where, or how, it may please this sovereign Agent to exert his power, yet He is known by the effects which He produces; and the mighty change and wonderful renewal of the heart and mind of very one that is born of the Spirit, is a matter sufficiently lain and intelligible, and a clear proof of the operation of Him, whose office it is to give man a new heart, and to ut a new spirit within him. But, having lightly passed ver so many passages of his own Scriptures which spoke f such a change, "Nicodemus answered, and said unto im, How can these things be?" This disposition still to bject was a proof of sinful and lamentable ignorance in ne who (from his station) was, or ought to have been, a eacher of others. Therefore," Jesus answered, and said into him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not hese things?" (John iii. 3-10.) Whence it is evident,

that some doctrine clearly revealed in the Old Testament was alluded to; which Nicodemus, therefore, ought to have understood and we shall best understand it, by comparing the declarations of Jesus, respecting a new birth, with the passages above quoted, which speak of a change of heart, that, in David's eyes, was a new creation. This image is also used in the New Testament-for it is said expressly, "If any man be in Christ, he is A NEW CREATURE: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new," (2 Cor. v. 17,) which is further explained by the declaration, "We are his workmanship, CREATED in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them:" (Eph. ii. 10,) and, yet again, by the exhortation addressed to the same people, "If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:-Put off, concerning the former conversation, the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and put on the new man, which after God is CREATED in righteousness, and true holiness." (Eph. iv. 21—24.) In all which passages a mighty and inward change is spoken of, of which God is the author, and the consequence is a holy life and conversation, according to His will and commandments. Such a change the same apostle describes himself, and his fellow-Christians, to have undergone: for, after describing their former state of sin and pollution, he proceeds; "But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that, being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying; and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works." (Tit. iii. 4-8.) One other expression is used in the New Testament, to describe this spiritual change, which is also found in the Old, "Ye are CIRCUMCISED With THE CIRCUMCISION MADE WITHOUT HANDS, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh." (Col. ii. 11.) Compare this with the expressions of Moses, already quoted

from Deut. xxx. 6; and again with the brief, but comprehensive and characteristic, description given of those who had experienced this circumcision of the heart, “We are the circumcision, which worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh." (Phil. iii. 3.) Now, without further enlarging upon the interpretation of these passages, is it not evident, that the same inward and spiritual change, wrought by the influences of the same Divine and Holy Spirit, issuing in the works of love and obedience and devotedness to God, is spoken of both in the Old Testament and in the New?

Neither let it be objected, that influences and operations are ascribed to the Spirit in the New Testament, whose offices, or existence, (as some, perhaps, might say,) is not acknowledged in the Old. Some of the passages already quoted from your own Scriptures are sufficiently strong and clear upon this subject: but, to cut off all occasion of dispute, one or two more may be added. Observe how the Spirit of the Lord is described by Isaiah, "The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD." (Is. xi. 2, 3.) And what operations are ascribed to Him by Zechariah? "I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, THE SPIRIT of grace and of supplications; and they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him, as one that is in bitterness for his first-born." (Zech. xii. 10.) That this is a mourning for sin, is plain from the promise made to these mourners, which immediately succeeds; "In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness." (Zech. xiii. 1.) These operations are also ascribed to the Holy Spirit in the New Testament. "The

Comforter, which is THE HOLY GHOST, whom the Father will send in my Name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." "And when he is come, He will reprove

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the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement." "When He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth." (John xiv. 26, xvi. 8. 13.) These passages are quoted, as further illustrating the office of the Spirit, in producing the inward change of which we have been speaking. But the passages, in which great and important operations are ascribed to the Spirit of the Lord, are numberless; and His agency is as clearly insisted upon in the Old Testament as in the New.

Here also we might fitly institute a comparison between the principles and nature of that practical godliness, which results from the renewing influences of the Spirit, as declared in the Old Testament and the New. The principle of entire, devoted, thankful, and filial obedience to the Divine Wisdom and Authority is the same. And the law, which is written in the hearts and minds of the true and spiritual worshippers of God, is the same. It is a law of love, which may be summed up in two commandments: "Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God is one LORD. And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might," (Deut. vi. 4, 5,) and again, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.' (Lev. xix. 18.) These are quoted once and again by our Lord himself, (Matt. xxii. 37-39, Mark xii. 28-34, Luke x. 25-28,) with the emphatic declaration, "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (Mat xxii. 40.) And we might carry on these comparisons to a very great length; and show, very clearly, that, in respect of morality, the religion of the Old Testament and of the New, is truly and substantially the same. The same high standard and example is set before us in both, as the object of our endeavours and desires-even the spotless purity of God Himself, "Ye shall be holy for I the Lord your God am holy." (Lev. xix. 2, 1 Pet. i. 15, 16.) "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." (Mat. v. 48.) And this commandment was also especially addressed to your great forefather Abraham: "I am the Almighty God: walk before Me, and be thou perfect." (Gen. xvii. 1.)