the free use of every part. If the understanding, for instance, is wholly unenlightened and sunk in ignorance, you may suppose, if you please, the will to be perfect in itself, and to retain its own power of free motion; but what can be the use of such a power, where it is constantly in danger of being misled by its false views of every object? In this state it resembles a prisoner set at liberty in profound darkness, who is then indeed able to move freely, but the next step he takes may as well lead him to a precipice, as into the path he wants to pursue. The same holds with still greater force as to the affections. The affections are much stronger principles of action than the understanding, and operate with more violence. If therefore they are not under a due regulation, but are attached to low and unworthy objects, the will must necessarily receive a wrong bias from them, and be drawn blindly after them. If again the understanding and the affections are at variance with each other, the whole mind is then in a state of distraction and tumult. All its powers, instead of concurring in one general operation, act in opposition to each other, and thereby clog and retard each other's motions. The will makes some faint effort, some ineffectual struggles for liberty; but the event generally is, that the strongest power prevails at last: the passions grow impetuous, and bear down all before them; they cloud and absorb the light of the understanding, and drag the will after them in chains,

This effect of vice and corruption is thus beautifully pictured by Solomon. "His own iniquities shall take the wicked, and he shall "be holden with the cords of his sins*."

As the liberty of the will is lost by disorders arising in the other powers of the mind, so it can be no otherwise restored than by reducing those powers into order. And this is the effect which, as we have seen, faith produces on the mind. On the introduction of that heavenly principle, the ferment of the soul subsides, all its jarring powers are reconciled, and that union restored amongst them which is necessary to its liberty and perfection. The mind of man in its fallen state resembles an admirable ma chine out of order. Those finer springs and movements which were formed to obey the touch of virtue, were all injured and disturbed; so that it required some new regulating power, some additional impulse to put them in motion. Faith is that regulating power, which retouches this admirable machine, and gives it again its free and natural motion.

This whole doctrine is stated in the clearest manner by our blessed Lord himself, in a discourse which he held with some Jews that had believed on him*. The influence which the understanding hath in restoring the liberty of the will, is expressly pointed out by him in these words: "Ye shall know the truth, and "the truth shall make you free." The Jews,

*Prov. v. 22.

↑ John, chapter viii.

supposing him to speak of a release from civil bondage, answered with a warmth proceeding from a jealousy of their civil liberties, "We "be Abraham's seed: we were never in bon"dage to any man: how sayest thou then, ye "shall be made free?" Our Lord then explains his meaning clearly, and tells them that he spake of moral and spiritual liberty, which is lost by sin, and can only be restored in its highest perfection by the power of religion. "Whosoever committeth sin, saith he, is the "servant of sin; but if the Son shall make you free, then shall ye be free indeed."

Upon the whole, the natural operation of faith upon the mind, is to enlighten the understanding, to recal the affections into their proper channel, and to break those fetters by which the will was held in bondage. It insinuates itself into every part of the mind, circulates its healing virtues through the whole extent of the soul, and thereby restores health to its constitution.

I shall conclude this part of my subject by pointing out in a few words one strong character of distinction which meets us here, between our true religion, and that prevailing enthusiasm which is only an unhappy abuse of it.

Enthusiasm confines the action of faith upon the soul chiefly to one part of it, neither admitting in religion the use of the understanding, nor the exercise of the free will. By which scheme it both dishonors our holy faith, by

thus narrowing and contracting its influence, and instead of healing the natural disorders of the soul, fixes and confirms them. Instead of exalting the understanding, it degrades that heaven-born faculty, and chains it down to the earth, holding it unworthy of assisting in divine things. Instead of vindicating and restoring the liberty of the will, by reducing it to a passive subjection under certain irresistible feelings and impulses, it doth in reality load it with a double chain. Principles which are so far from reducing the mind into a state of composure and union, that they tend only to unhinge it still more than ever, and leave it in a state of the utmost distraction, by placing its powers in opposition to each other, and raising one in a most extraordinary and unnatural manner above the rest. I wish that this were speculation only, and that experience did not too manifestly confirm what hath been here advanced, concerning that distraction and disorder of mind to which these principles lead.

Enthusiasm indeed warms the affections, and kindles them often to an uncommon degree of fervour. But the heat of enthusiasm is the heat of disease, which inflames a part only, and thereby weakens and consumes the mind, instead of giving strength to it.

Observe then the superiority of that religion of the gospel, whose genuine operations upon the mind we have been attempting to describe, over this defective and partial plan. The ge

nial warmth of true religion diffuses itself equally through the whole frame of the mind, and imparts life and vigor wherever it is felt. This genial warmth not only glows in the affections, but awakens to new life every faculty of the soul, and calls them forth to unite all their powers in the service of him, whose wisdom first gave being to the harmonious composition of the human soul, and when it had unhappily fallen into disorder, whose mercy contrived the means of raising it again from its ruins, and exalting it to more than its first perfection. In a word, the religion of a true christian is "the religion of his reason, the re"ligion of his affections, and the religion of "his will."

SECTION VII.

Of Regeneration.*

IF we call to mind the powerful effects of faith upon the soul, where it is duly cultitivated and improved; how it enlightens the understanding, regulates the affections, and restores the freedom of the will: if we add to this the powerful influence of the Holy Spirit co-operating,

* Probably, with a view to preserve uniformity in the prosecution of his plan, the author of this essay treats of regeneratior. in connection with its source, tendency and effects. These are therefore not distinguished so accurately as may be expedient to give his readers in general a correct idea of the subject.