ly: For fo far, and fo long, as he does this, and puts forth acts of will, they are his own acts, and he is free; and enjoys and exercises all the freedom of which there can be any confiftent conception, or that is poffible in the nature of things. [See Part I. Chap. 4, page 220, &c.] Antecedent to regeneration man acts freely. With great ftrength of inclination and choice his heart opposes the law of God, and rejects the gofpel, feeking himfelf wholly. And when the inftantaneous, in medi. ate energy of the Holy Spirit renews his heart, he turns about, and loves and chooses what he hated before; and exercifes as real freedom in his choice and pursuit of that which he had opposed and rejected. 8. Regeneration is but the beginning of a divine operation which does not wholly renew the heart at once; but from this fmall beginning the operation continues and goes on to perfection, that is, till the heart is made perfectly clean and holy; which will not be accomplished till death. For God continues to work in the regenerate to will and to do, and they are dependant on divine influence for every after right exercise of will, as for the firft. And God who begins this good work in them will perform it, and go on with it, until the day of Jefus Chrift.* SECTION III. On Converfion. THE effect of the regenerating influence of the spirit of God, which confifts in converfion, is next to be more particularly considered. Regeneration, in the sense in which it has now been confidered, is the caufe of voluntary action in him who is the fubject of the operation, or iffues in it; which confifts in turning from fin to God, or in holy exercise, which is true love to God, and loving our neighbour as purselves; which implies a fight and belief of the truth; Phil i. 6. ii. 13. repentance, repentance, faith in Christ, and fubmiffion and devotednefs to him, his intereft and fervice, &c. As the law of God requires LOVE, and nothing but love, confidered as comprehending all the proper and genuine fruits and expreffions of it; fo the new creature, or that which is born of God, confifts wholly in love, as it is conformity to the law of God, which is all comprehended in these two commands, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy foul, and with all thy mind. And thou fhalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” Therefore St. John fays, "He that loveth is born of God. God is love, and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him." As God is love, and this comprehends the whole of his moral character; fo love, in creatures, is the moral image of God, and it confifts altogether in this. This love, of which God and the creature are the objects, is in the nature of it, one and the fame undivided affection, differing only as it is exercised towards different objects, on various occafions, and in diverfe circumftances. It confifts in UNIVERSAL BENEVOLENCE; or benevolence to being in general, capable of happiness, and all that affection and exercise of heart which is neceffarily included in this. Univerfal benevolence, or goodness, is neceffarily pleafed with good and happiness wherever it takes place; for it feeks the general good, and that to the greatest poffible degree; it must therefore be gratified, wherever happiness takes place, and that in proportion to the degree of it. And of confequence, it must be pleased with every benevolent being, who wishes the greateft general good, and promotes it, according to his capacity, and the opportunity he has to do it. Therefore benevevolence must have the greatest degree of pleasure in that being who has the greatest degree of benevolence, and does the moft good. And this is the love of complacence, and is neceffarily implied in benevolence, and really an exercise of it, and can take place no where but in the benevo lent 14 lent heart. Benevolence esteems benevolent affection, This holy affection, in which the new creature confifts, difcerns the being and perfections of God, as realities and glorious, as they were never seen before. And this holy love is fixed, in the first place, on this fum and fountain of all being, benevolence and perfection, as the fupreme object of benevolent affection. Here the benevolent heart finds an object, every way, and in all refpects, fuited to draw forth the ftrongeft exercises of benevolent, friendly affection, in rejoicing in his infinite, eternal, independent exiftence, felicity and glory; exercifing and enjoying fupreme delight, and complacential love in his infinite perfection and benevolence; and fweet gratitude to him, for the glorious exercife and difplay of his love; devoting himself to his fervice and honour, and exerting cordial and ftrong benevolence and frendship, in ardently defiring that God may be glorified to the highest degree forever; and wishing to be be the active inftrument of this, as the greatest happiness he can defire, or imagine. The new heart fees and approves of the divine law in the extent and spirituality of it, requiring perfect love to God and man ; and threatning difobedience with infinite evil; and it is agreeable to him that this law fhould be maintained and honoured forever. And in this light he fees his own total depravity, and the unfearchable wickednefs of his heart. He beholds the exceeding finfulness of fin, and its defert of infinite evil, as a proper punishment. He hence fees his own infinite odiousness and ill defert, and condemns and abhors himself for all his tranfgreffions, and contrariety to God, and his law: And confeffes his fins, repenting, as in duft and ashes. The new heart, is therefore a broken, contrite, humble, penetent heart. True repentance is neceffarily implied in real converfion; and therefore the whole of converfion, is often, in fcripture expreffed by it, and called repentance. And this continues and increases through the whole life of a real convert.* The new heart difcerns the character of Christ, and the way of falvation by him, with entire approbation, and great pleasure, and believes the gospel with all his heart; and flies to the Redeemer, as the only hope for finners; trufting in him alone for pardon, righteousness, ftrength and redemption. And his benevolent love to God and man, is in the highest degree pleased with the gofpel, which establishes, magnifies and honours the law, and brings honour to God in the pardon and falvation of finful, loft men, who believe on the faviour. Converfion The total depravity of man, and the infinite odiousness and criminality of all fin, are so implied in all the leading truths in the Bible, that a thorough converfion, and a cordial acknowledgment of them, in the light of the divine character and law, is effential to belief and hearty reception of the most important doctrines of the gospel. And it will doubtlefs be found, on proper examination, that all the grofs errors respecting the gospel, which are, or have been embraced, and propagated, have originated from igno. rance of the law of God, and the nature and ill defert of fin, and an exprefs or implicit denial of those. verfion is turning from a state of obftinacy and disobedience, to a cordial fubmiffion and obedience to Chrift. The real convert fays as Saul did when he was renewed, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do ?" This is ne ceffarily implied in repentance and faith. A new heart is an obedient heart; therefore obedience cannot be feparated from a new heart; and they are indeed one and the fame thing. Confequently they are put together as implying each other, and being really the fame in the words of inspiration." A new heart will I give you; and I will put my fpirit within you, and caule you to walk in my ftatutes, and ye fhall keep my judgments, and do them."* The new heart confifts in love, as has been shown, and all holy bedience confifts in this. It is love expreffed and acted out in all proper ways. This leads to observe farther, that this love, which is the new creation, or the new creature, has not only the Supreme Being for its object; but creatures also, who are capable of happiness. It wishes well to every fuch creature, so far as as their good and happiness is confift. ent with the greatest publick, general good, and no farther; for univerfal benevolence feeks the greatest good of the whole; and therefore is ready to give up, not to defire, but to renounce, the good and happiness of individuals, when, and as far as it is inconfiftent with the greatest good of the whole, all beings and all things taken into view. And as the good man is not capable of determining with any certainty that it is inconfiftent with the greatest good of the whole that any who are on the stage of life with him should be happy, his benevolence will extend to all, and will with them well, and pray for all men, even his enemies, if he have any. But his bcnevolence will be more particularly, and in a ftronger degree exercised towards thofe who are moft in his view, with whom he is moit acquainted, whofe wants, dangers and miferies, and whofe capacity of happiness, are moft Ezek. xxxvi. 26, 27. in |