for they are not sensible of any such religious alteration having taken place with them, at any particular time, as can properly be called a conversion. They are not unconverted, because that implies a state of reprobation, and because, if we call upon them to be converted (which, if they be unconverted, we ought to do,) they will not well understand what it is we mean them to do; and, instead of being edified, they may be both much and unnecessarily disturbed, by being so called upon.

There is, in the nature of things, a great variety of religious condition. It arises from hence, that exhortations, and calls, and admonitions, which are of great use and importance in themselves, and very necessary to be insisted upon, arc, nevertheless, not wanted by all, are not equally applicable to all, and to some are altogether inapplicable. This holds true of most of the topics of persuasion or warning, which a Christian teacher can adopt. When we preach against presumption, for instance, it is not because we suppose that all are presumptuous; that it is necessary for all, or every one, to become more humble, or diffident, or apprehensive, than he now is: on the contrary, there may amongst our hearers be low, and timorous, and dejected spirits, who, if they take to themselves what we say, may increase a disposition, which is already too much; or be at a loss to know what it is herein that we would enjoin upon them. Yet the discourse and the doctrine may, nevertheless, be very good; and for a great portion of our congregation very necessary. The like, I think, is the case with the doctrine of conversion. If we were to omit the doctrine of conversion, we should omit a doctrine, which, to many, must be the salvation of their souls. To them all calls without this call, all preachings without this doctrine, would be in vain: and it may be true, that a great part of our hearers are of this description. On the other hand, if we press, and insist upon conversion, as indispensable to all for the purpose of being saved, we should mislead

some, who would not apprehend how they could be required to turn, or be converted to religion, who were never, that they knew, either indiffe rent to it, or alienated from it.

In opposition, however, to what is here said, there are who contend, that it is necessary for every man living to be converted, before he can be saved. This opinion undoubtedly deserves serious consideration, because it founds itself upon Scripture, whether rightly or erroneously interpreted is the question. The portion of scripture upon which they, who maintain the opinion, chiefly rely, is our Saviour's conversation with Nicodemus, recorded in the third chapter of St. John's Gospel. Our Saviour is there stated to have said to Nicodemus, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God;" and afterward, as a confirmation, and in some sort an exposition of his assertion, to have added, "except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." It is inferred from this passage, that all persons whatever must undergo a conversion, before they be capable of salvation; and it cannot be said that this is a forced or strained inference; but the question before us at present is, is it a necessary inference? I am not unwilling to admit, that this short, but very remarkable conversation, is fairly interpreted of the gift of the Spirit, and that, when this Spirit is given, there is a new birth, a regeneration; but I say, that it is no where determined, at what time of life, or under what circumstances, this gift is imparted; nay, the contrary is intimated by comparing it to the blowing of the wind, which, in its mode of action, is out of the reach of our rules and calculations: "the wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth; so is every one that is born of the Spirit." The effect of this uncertainty is, that we are left at liberty to pray for spiritual assistance, and we do pray for it, in all stages, and under all circumstances,

of our existence. We pray for it in baptism for those who are baptized; we teach those, who are catechised, to pray for it in their catechism; parents pray for its aid and efficacy to give effect to their parental instructions; to preserve the objects of their love and care from sin and wickedness, and from every spiritual enemy. We pray for it, particularly in the office of confirmation, for young persons just entering into the temptations of life. Therefore spiritual assistance may be imparted at any time, from the earliest to the latest period of our existence; and, whenever it is imparted, there is that being born of the Spirit to which our Saviour's words refer. And, considering the subject as a matter of experience, if we cannot ordinarily distinguish the operations of the Spirit from those of our own minds, it seems to follow, that neither can we distinguish when they commence so that spiritual assistance may be imparted, and the thing, designated by our Lord's discourse, satisfied, without such a sensible conversion, that a person can fix his memory upon some great and general change, wrought in him at an assignable time. This consciousness of a great and general change may be the fact with many. It may be essentially necessary to many. I only allege, that it is not so to all; so that every person, who is not conscious of such a change, must set himself down as devoted to perdition.

This, I repeat, is all I contend for, for I by no means intend to say, than any one is without sin, and in that sense not to stand in need of conversion; still less, that any sin is to be allowed, and not, on the contrary, strenuously and sincerely resisted and forsaken. I only maintain, that there may be Christians, who are, and have been, in such a religious state, that no such thorough and radical change, as is usually meant by conversion, is or was necessary for them; and that they need not be made miserable by the want of consciousness of such a change.

I do not, in the smallest degree, mean to under

value, or speak lightly of such changes, whenever or in whomsoever they take place; nor to deny, that they may be sudden, yet lasting (nay, I am rather inclined to think that it is in this manner that they frequently do take place;) nor to dispute what is upon good testimony alleged concerning conversion brought about by affecting incidents of life; by striking passages of Scripture; by impressive discourses from the pulpit; by what we meet with in books, or even by single touching sentences or expressions in such discourses or books. I am not disposed to question these relations unnecessary, but rather to bless God for such instances, when I hear of them, and to regard them as merciful ordinations of his providence.

But it will be said, that conversion implies a revolution of opinion. Admitting this to be so, such a change or revolution cannot be necessary to all, because there is no system of religious opinions, in which some have not been brought up from the beginning. To change from error to truth, in any great and important article of religious belief, deserves, I allow, the name of conversion but all cannot be educated in error, on whatever side truth be supposed to lie.

To me, then, it appears, that, although it cannot be stated with safety, or without leading to consequences which may confound and alarm many good men, that conversion is necessary to all, and under all circumstances; yet I think, that there are two topics of exhortation, which together comprise the whole Christian life, and one or other of which belongs to every man living, and these two topics are conversion and improvement; when conversion is not wanted, improvement is.

Now this respective preaching of conversion or improvement, according to the respective spiritual condition of those, who hear us, or read what we write, is authorised by the example of Scripture preaching, as set forth in the New Testament. It is remarkable, that, in the four gospels and the

Acts of the Apostles, we read incessantly of the preaching of repentance, which I admit to mean conversion-St. John the Baptist's preaching set out with it. Our Lord's own preaching set out with it. It was the subject, which he charged upon his twelve apostles to preach. It was the subject, which he sent forth his seventy disciples to preach. It was the subject, which the first missionaries of Christianity pronounced and preached in every place, which they came to, in the course of their progress through different countries. Whereas, in the epistles, written by the same persons, we hear proportionably much less of repentance, and much more of advance, proficiency, progress and improvement in holiness of life; and of rules and maxims for the leading of a holy and godly life. These exhortations to continual improvement, to sincere, strenuous, and continual endeavours after improvement, are delivered under a variety of expressions, but with a strength and earnestness sufficient to shew what the apostles thought of the importance of what they were teaching.

Now the reason of the difference is, that the preaching of Christ and his apostles, as recorded in the gospels and in the Acts of the Apostles, was addressed to Jews and Gentiles, whom they called upon to become disciples of the new religion. This call evidently implied repentance and conversion. But the epistles, which the apostles, and some of which the same apostles wrote afterward, were addressed to persons already become Christians, and to some, who, like Timothy, had been such from their earliest youth. Speaking to these, you find they dwell upon improvement, proficiency, continued endeavours after higher and greater degrees of holiness and purity, instead of saying so much about repentance and conversion. This conduct was highly rational, and was an adaptation of their instruction to the circumstances of the persons, whom they addressed, and may be an example to us, in modelling our ex