of our own hearts, as is revealed by the Spirit of GOD only to his approved and

veteran servants.

"We can never rightly understand the nature of our temptations," observes the eloquent Philip Skelton',"till we know ourselves for it is from the corruption of our own hearts and affections that temptations draw their force. Were we not our own seducers and tempters, and were it not for the fleshly enemy within, the devil and the world could have no power over us. The same may be said of all the other passions and affections, that is said in the Book of Wisdom concerning fear, that each of them is "a betraying of the succours which reason offereth." It is true, a well-informed conscience protests against sin; but our

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They who are acquainted with the writings of this powerful and pious author, will perceive that several parts of this sermon are borrowed from one of his discourses on the same subject.

insatiable appetites, our unclean affections, our violent passions, bring a great majority of votes in favour of it. Hence it is that small temptations can lead us into a course of wickedness, whereas it requires all the force of reason, meditation, faith, and grace, to win us to a life of piety and virtue. If we examine why we, who are so light and moveable to vice, are so heavy and hard to be stirred towards virtue, we shall find it owing to this corrupt and sinful disposition of our nature. The enemy seizes us by our affections and lusts, and pulls downward, whereas GOD, laying hold of our consciences, draws upward. The enemy pulls with, and GoD against, the bent of all our natural corruptions; and happy it is for us, that, as His hand is almighty, He can pull with sufficient strength." (Skelton's Sermons).

In the mean while, till our Christian growth is matured, and our Christian strength and stature perfected, let us all

ever be mindful of the danger which awaits us in yielding voluntarily the smallest advantage to temptation. If we stay to parley with sin, we lose our terror of it; and its invidious influence steals into the soul and produces a vicious inclination; the Holy Spirit, meanwhile, offended by our dallying with the enemy, withdraws from our hearts, and our own unassisted reason makes a feeble and unavailing defence, and speedily changes sides, and employs itself in contriving excuses for transgression; the will then surrenders, and nothing but opportunity is wanting to complete our fall; and opportunity will not long be delayed to him who has consented to sin.

But one act of sin, (unless by God's grace and mercy it so alarms the conscience as to drive us, in all haste and fear, to seek pardon and peace,) one act of sin brings us so far into the power of evil, that, in the expressive language of our liturgy, we become "tied and bound

with the chain of our sins," enslaved by sinful custom, and unable to break from the bondage of those vices which we feel to be our misery and ruin.

And, doubtless, long habit so hardens the heart, and "sears the conscience with an hot iron," that the servant of sin becomes at last insensible of his wretched condition, and "glories in his shame," and hugs his chain, and is

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given over to a reprobate mind." And then follows death, death in everlasting torment of the soul, in the punishment assigned by almighty wrath to the "children of disobedience."

To this dreadful end we are led from small, and apparently trifling concessions, to the ensnaring seductions of sin! O let us, then, "be sober, be vigilant, because our adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom he may devour."

SERMON XV.

THE NEW BIRTH.

1 PET. I. 23, 24, 25.

Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of GOD which liveth and

abideth for ever.

the glory of man,

For all flesh is as grass, and all

as the flower of grass. The

grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away. But the Word of the Lord endureth for And this is the Word, which by the Gospel

ever.

is preached unto you.

"BEING born again." There is, perhaps, no phrase in the whole New Testament which has been so variously misunderstood, or which has given occasion to so many vain disputes, and erroneous, not