cates no such thing. For instance, take the language of David, now before us. What change in nature does he pray for? Does he pray to get changed in nature? No. What does he pray for? He prays God to wash him. He says wash me, purge me, cleanse me. Now what does this language signify? No change in nature. Washing does not change the nature of the thing washed; it only makes that clean, which was before unclean. The nature of the thing is the same as it was before. The only difference is, that the filthiness is removed-the uncleanness is taken away by the process of washing. This is all David prays for. I will prove this position again, by going into the New Testament. The gospel represents the salvation of a sinner, in the words of our blessed Saviour himself, by such similes as follow. "Which of

you, having a hundred sheep, if he lose one, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost; and when he find it, takes it on his shoulder, rejoicing; and when he cometh home, calleth together his friends and neighbours, and bids them rejoice; for he has found the sheep which was lost." Here is the representation of the salvation of sinners. The sheep, before it went away, was, of course, a sheep. After it had gone away, it was the same creature. It was a sheep when it was found, and when carried home, it was a sheep. Did the sheep become a wolf or a tiger, by going away? No. It remained a sheep after it was gone; and, when it was found and returned, it was still a sheep, as before. My friends, what alteration of nature is there in all this process? The wanderer is brought back to the place from whence it went, and is restored to the flock; which is all the change there

All

was, and all that was necessary. There was no change whatever in the nature of the animal. The next parable on the same subject, is, "Or what woman, having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one, will not light a candle, and search her house diligently, until she find it, and when she has found it, calleth her friends and rejoiceth." That was silver before it was lost; it was silver when it was found; and it was silver, when it was restored to the other nine pieces. Possibly it might have dropped in the street, and filth might have adhered to it; there would be no difficulty in rendering it clean again, but there was no necessity for changing the metal: It was good before it was lost; it was good when it was lost it was good when it was found it was good when it was restored. the change that has taken place, is, a change of situation, or condition. There is no change in the nature. Immediately following this, is the memorable parable of the Prodigal. "A certain man had two sons: and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said," &c. It seems he had been wandering in a kind of delirium. "He came to himself;" and the moment he came to himself he re

membered how many hired servants his father had, "who had bread enough, and to spare, while he was perishing with hunger;" he, therefore, forms this resolution; "I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be thy son; make me as one of thy hired servants." No sooner was the resolution formed, than it was executed; it was formed on his coming to himself. He went towards his father's house; and his father saw him a great way off and knew him, had compassion on him, and run to meet him. He heard his confession, but he replied in no way to the confession. He gave command immediately, "Bring the best robe and put it on him, put shoes on his feet, and my ring upon his finger; kill the fatted calf, and let there be musick and dancing." Now what change of nature was there in this case? This was a son before he went away. Was he not a son before he went away? Yes. When he came to himself, was there any change in his nature? No. When he formed the resolution to go home there was a change of mind, view, thought or idea, but there was no change of nature; and as it is said that man lost the image of God by transgression, let me ask, is there any indication of it here? This son did not loose the image of his family by going abroad, for it seems the father knew him a great way off. He was then the image of the father, the same as when he went away. The father saw his son's eyes, heard his own voice, thought of his son, and had compassion on hin; he did every thing that was necessary for him; and when the father was complained of by the elder brother for receiving him in this kind and affectionate manner, his answer is most admirable.

"It

was meet that we should make merry and be glad, for this thy brother was dead and is alive, was lost, and is found." Is there any change of nature, my hearers, represented by this parable? None; nothing is represented but a change of condition, a change of situation, a change of circumstances. Now will you listen to the words of God by the prophet; speaking of the vilest of sinners, he says, "Wash you, make you clean." Does this change the nature? "Wash you, make you clean, put away the evil of your doings from before my eyes." "Cease to do evil, and learn to do well." This is learning, and the best of learning. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways, and sinners will be converted unto thee." Then will I pour clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean." The Apostle Paul makes use of an expression which ought to be remembered; "Husbands love your wives, even as Christ loved the Church, that he might sanctify and cleanse it, by washing of water with the word." Again what is recorded in the Revelations? "Unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood." My friends, washing, never signifies changing the nature of the thing washed, but it signifies cleansing the thing that is unclean.

Again: "And I will send the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in. But who may abide the day of his coming, for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fuller's soap." Now, what does a refiner's fire do? Does it change the nature of the metal? No. It separates the dross from the metal; and what does the fuller's soap do? Does it change the nature of the thing to which it is applied? No. Such language is the current language of divine inspiration. And in not one of these pas

sages is there a word said about changing the nature of the being; but only changing the condition and circumstances of it.

I ask your attention, my friends, in the third place, to the concluding words of the text; "and sinners shall be converted unto thee." Now, I ask you, what is meant here by "conversion?" What is generally believed, is what I have already noticed; that is, a change of nature-not a change of statenot merely information-not instruction, but a radical change of nature. I will bring you several passages where this word is used. At a certain time the disciples wished to know, "Who should be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus calls to him a little child, and sets this little child in the midst, and says, unless you be converted and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." Now little children are certainly in a state of simple nature; and if the disciples were converted and brought back into the state of simple nature, they would be fit to enter the kingdom of heaven. And our Saviour gives another testimony of this, for he says directly with respect to little children, "For of such are the kingdom of heaven." If little children were totally depraved, would it be necessary for older people to become converted into their state, that is, into a state of total depravity, to enter the kingdom of God? The meaning might be, that if the hearts of men were brought back to the state of little children, then they would be fit for the kingdom of heaven; and that meaning would be just right, just what every rational being would naturally suppose. Another place where the word "converted" is used, is where our blessed Saviour spoke to Peter; "When thou art converted, strengthen thy breth