ensations
of Divine grace, however, no proposals of any covenant designed to
confer life through their own obedience is made to them. It is on a
covenant, the conditions of which were fully satisfied by One infinitely
qualified for his work, that they are invited to take hold, and the
powers conferred upon them correspond to the exercise. Imperfection
marks the nature of the Christian, even throughout all his earthly
career; but the means to be employed by him in making covenant
engagements to the Lord, do not less accord to his new covenant relation
to him, than those made by him in innocence, did to his first covenant
state; and not less are his gracious powers and faculties suited to the
one, than the original gifts conferred upon him, were adapted to the
other.

Secondly. Inasmuch as the invitations to accede to the Covenant of Grace
are tendered to sinners, and through the operation of the Spirit are
accepted by those who are born again.

The offering of free favour to man must imply the possibility of him,
aided in some manner, accepting it. Had the rational nature of man been
destroyed by the fall, then a re-organization of him must have preceded
the reception on his part of the benefits offered. But regeneration, and
not re-organization, is experienced by him when he is enabled to lay
hold of God's Covenant. The former, not less wondrous, perhaps more
wondrous than the latter would have been, brings the sinful creature
from the state of one exposed to the curse of the law, as both a
covenant and a law, to that of one engaged to the duties of a permanent
covenant. By regeneration, the intellectual character of the human mind
is not changed, nor thereby are changed the conscience and affections
and capacity to will. By that the personal identity of the sinner is not
altered; for it is the same being that sinned who is saved. But by that
the tendencies of the moral nature are changed, and modifications most
important are produced upon the operation of the powers of the whole
man;--in one word, the heart in being brought under gracious influence
is renewed, and thus is made to possess the character of a new heart.
Thus, the understanding that was formerly darkened and misdirected is
enlightened; those affections that were sinful are sanctified; the
conscience is made tender; and the will which was opposed to God is made
to acquiesce in his; the enmity in the heart, like a foreign substance
which had not annihilate