imports also, Obedience and conformity upon approbation. So that, taking all these significations together, proving the will of God must mean discerning the divine authority and excellency of it, and intending and endeavouring to yield a strict and conscientious obedience to it. Now, that renewed persons only are disposed and qualified for this, needs no proof, so many and so express are the declarations of Scripture on this head. To instance only one: "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual, judgeth all things." (1 Cor. ii. 14.) However, let us a little illustrate the necessity of renovation, by considering distinctly the three properties of the will of God, as they are here set down.

1. The will of God is good.

I am speaking of the will of God as revealed in the Scriptures, which is the rule of our obedience: and that the will of God is good, is indisputable.---It is good as to the matter of it. It contains nothing but what is good: the precepts, promises, threatenings, and examples of it; they are all good.---It is good in its tendency. God is glorified in and by his word, and the revelation of his will to men. It sets forth his wisdom, power and goodness: "For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him amen, unto the glory of God by us. (2 Co. rinth. i. 20.) It promotes the good of mankind, by making them good, conforming them to God, in the work of regeneration; and also by bringing them to good, in a perfect likeness to and full en

joyment of God in heaven.---And yet, supremely and universally good as the will of God is, there was a time, Christians, when you did not think it so. You did not scruple to say that his statutes were not good, and that you could reckon up a great many, that were quite the reverse: those passages particularly which are so severe against sin; such as, "The soul that sinneth, it shall die:" "He that offends in one point, is guilty of all:" "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them :" "The thought of foolishness is sin." You could not see what goodness there was in all this: they appeared to you rigorous and unmerciful. There is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good and sinneth not. God knew that it was impossible to walk in all his commandments and ordinances blameless, and therefore he should not have been so very strict in his requirements; and when he was thundering out his anathemas against sin and sinners, he should have made some allowance for human frailty.' So you once thought: and it was natural enough; for how should you, being evil, speak good things? You were alienated from the life of God, through the ignorance that was in you, because of the blindness of your minds; and if in such circumstances, you called evil good, and good evil, what else could be expected?woful it is, but not wonderful. But, now that you are "transformed by the renewing of your minds"-now you can prove that the will of God is good. Now you can perceive goodness in every part of it. Now you can perceive the propriety of God's severity against sin; and that there is not merely equity, but

mercy, in it; and can say, from the bottom of your hearts, "Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it." Even when it wounds you with the deepest and most smarting convictions, you can say, "The law is holy; and the commandment holy, just, and good." Yea, and when it writes 'Death' upon some of your dearest earthly comforts, you can say, "Good is the word of the Lord." In short, you can see nothing in God's will but what is good, let him say or let him do what he pleases.-Can a carnal man see it to be so? Impossible: "for the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God: neither indeed can be."

2. The will of God is acceptable. Acceptable, to be sure, it ought to be. If we consider only the precepts of the word, as they teach us our duty, and mark out our path to heaven, they should be acceptable: but if we take in the gracious, glorious discoveries it contains(for example: that "God is in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself; not imputing to them their trespasses;"-that "the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanseth from all sin;"-that "He will never leave us, nor forsake us ;"-that "no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly;"---and, that "there remaineth a rest for the people of God"---I say, when all this, which is contained in the will of God as revealed in the Gospel, is duly considered, one would imagine it must needs be acceptable to the poor, blind, miserable, perishing children of men. But say, Christians, was it acceptable to you while you were conformed to this world, and were strangers to the

enlightening, sanctifying operations of God's Spirit? You might think it good, perhaps, even then--you durst not think it otherwise---but was it acceptable? had you any relish for such things? did not you take more delight in reading any, the most silly and profane, book, than the Bible? did not your full souls loath the honey-comb; and were not you glad when Sermons and Sabbaths were over, and you were released from hearing the same dull story about Christ and your souls and eternity? How could it be otherwise, while your understandings were darkened, and your affections carnal? But, now that ye are transformed by the renewing of your minds, nothing in the world is more acceptable, nothing is so acceptable, as the word and will of God. Now you can say, with David," O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day. . . The law of thy mouth is better to me than thousands of gold or silver. ... How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever; for they are the rejoicing of my heart." (Psal. cxix. 97, 72, 103, 111.) You can say this of all God's will, every part of it: when he commands, as well as when he promises; when he takes, as well as when he gives. When you see a rod in God's hand, and see it pointed at the dearest comfort you have, yet, when God's hand is lifted up, you can say,

Father, not as I will, but as thou wilt." You can, not barely submit, but rejoice in it, and feel an inexpressible satisfaction in the thought that God's will is done on earth even as it is done in heaven, without any opposition from you.---Not that any affliction, especially such an affliction, can

be joyous in itself: it may smart; it may draw tears, and sighs, and sobs, from nature: but grace rejoices in the midst of all; and persons truly transformed take a thousand times more pleasure in the most difficult and self-denying instances of obedience to God's will, than in the most absolute indulgence of their own. Do you know any thing of this? Can you produce no instances of this from your own experience ?-What !-transformed, and not resigned?-resigned, and not take pleasure in making your wills stoop to the will of God? How can these things be?-Reconcile them if you can; I will not attempt it, but go on to observe,

3. That the will of God is perfect.

It must be so, because it is the will of God. It is perfect in itself; complete in all its parts: nothing needs to be added to fill up its deficiencies. And it is perfect with respect to us: perfect as a rule, both as to faith and practice; as to holiness towards God, and righteousness towards men. And it is perfect also as a means, and powerful and efficacious in its operations, for conversion, sanctification, consolation, and edification, even unto glory. One proof may suffice: "All Scripture is given by inspiration from God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." (2 Tim. iii. 16.)-Thus perfect is the word and will of God: but before conversion did you think it so? Indeed, how should you, when you had not felt its efficacy? You had never found any more life and spirit in a text of Scripture, than in a passage from any common book; and what little joy you had, was drawn