DISCOURSE XVI. ROMANS, CHAP. vi. Part of VER. 4. "LIKE AS CHRIST WAS RAISED UP FROM THE DEAD BY THE GLORY "OF THE FATHER, EVEN SO WE AL "SO SHOULD WALK IN NEWNESS "OF LIFE." O those that have experienced the power of religion in their hearts, it frequently appears fo plain and fimple a thing, that they cannot but wonder, how it should escape the attention and regard of the generality of men, and how they themselves fhould have continued fo long ftrangers to its nature and X 4 and influence: It requires no extraor dinary acuteness of understanding, no painful or laborious researches, to penetrate into its adorable myfteries. It opens and manifefts itself to the inward fenfes of the human foul, in as real, diftinct, and lively a manner, as the furrounding objects of the material universe do to the outward fenfes of the human body. Nothing is wanting. to evidence this reality of religion, but the calling forth into exercife, and directing the inward fenfes to those inward objects, to which they correfpond. Every object of the world around, cannot equally and at all times engage our attention. Sometimes we are driven by the impetuofity of paffion to the pursuit of one object, fometimes to that of another. The will, which is a free felf-moving faculty of our nature, turns itfelf with the whole tide of of its affections, fometimes into one The channel, fometimes into another. present favourite object engroffes the whole of its strength, and leaves the reft of its defires idle and unfatisfied. But let not vain man, naturally prompt to take up his reft in outward things, and ever ready to plead, in excufe for his folly, the urgent calls of bodily appetite, let him not pretend, that the GOD who made him, hath left himself without a witness; that he is not perpetually speaking to him within and without, testifying, as well by the appearances and revolutions of outward nature, as by the inward operations of his own mind, that his fupreme happiness, the state for which he was originally intended, can only be obtained by dying to that whole body of fin, into which he is fallen, and rifing to that new and heavenly Life, into which he is redeemed by JESUS CHRIST. The The fun fets, and leaves the world in midnight darkness, that he may rise with new fplendour, and impart fresh life and vigour to the natural world. The spring rises with all her beauty, health, and fragrance, from the death of winter. The germe, or principle of vegetative life, breaks forth from the dead corrupted mafs that is fown in the earth, and rifes into a beautiful plant. The infect, that died to all outward appearance, and was fhut up in its pendant grave, comes forth into a new life, and clothed with its refurrection body, takes its flight into regions, to which in its former groveling state it could never have foared. The most fuperficial obferver of outward nature, can readily discover and acknowledge this wonderful analogy that manifests itself through all her works. Every thing teems with life: and yet life, in the present state of things, can only proceed |