a

elected unto a second birth of regeneration of the free grace of God, and by repentance and faith in the second Adam. He in whom " dwelleth the fulness of the Godhead bodily" enters into their heart. "He that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in Him, and He in him." And thus into the rebellious soul of man is mysteriously "breathed the Breath of Lives,' the Divine Essence, the redeeming Word, the sanctifying Spirit," and thus are we renewed in the image of our Creator." Then with Him we sing rejoicingly of infinite love, and give thanks that we are not as other men are. The all-merciful gift of faith in a redeeming sacrifice has been bestowed upon us. Into our hearts has been poured forth abundantly the riches of the Holy Spirit. We are of the elect, and our feet no longer go astray.

a 1 John, iii. 24.

"This marvellous conjunction and incorporation with God is first begun and wrought by faith."- Bishop Jewell.

TYPE PREFIGURED IN ADAM.

IN Adam was indeed prefigured the type of man's regeneration; and thus far have we traced its fulfilment. But we must not here rest satisfied: still further must we seek resemblance. As Adam, coming from the hands of his Maker, was placed in the garden, that there, by resistance to temptation, he might grow in grace and approach nearer to perfection, so we, after we shall have "put off the old man, which is corrupt, and have put on the new man, which, after God, is created in righteousness and true holiness,"

so we then, after our second birth, shall go forth into the world with our loins girded, steadfast to withstand the wiles of our great Enemy. Adam was not infallible, nor was he in a state of unlimited happiness; for his thoughts were not sufficiently purified for the kingdom of heaven, and at his creation he was fitted only for this world of sense. "There was not a man to till

the ground.

And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden, to dress

it and to keep it." As he was permitted to see the beginning of the heavenly path, and was not qualified to enter the courts of heaven until, by the right exercise of free will and by resistance to temptation, he should have of his own strength commenced an advance towards the perfecting of his spirit, so neither can we be an acceptable people until, after justification by faith, we shall of our own strength and free choice have mortified the desires of the flesh, and put on the whole armour of righteousness. For, For, "What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man, say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. For as the body without

a Gen. ii. 5. 15.

the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also."

a

And now it is by obedience to the will of our Father which is in heaven that we are to make ourselves meet to become partakers of his everlasting kingdom. As yet we have but thrown off our old evil: it now remains that, by acts of love and charity, we qualify ourselves to enter into the mansions of the blessed. It is now our joy to take the first steps in that path which ever leads us nearer and more near to infinite perfection of holiness; a path the end of which, even in eternity, we can never reach, but one upon which the light of truth ever and evermore brightly shines. "The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day." Let us, then, walk in the ways of the Most High which He has set before us, not vainly, as do the hypocrites, but "according as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue: whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these ye might be partakers of the divine a James, ii. 14-18. 26.

b

b Prov. iv. 18.

nature. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance, and to temperance patience, and to patience godliness, and to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, you shall never fall."a

"Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant . . . there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another

a 2 Pet. i. 3—10.