Ambrose - Houston-Packer Collection BX5200 .A49 1674

.eh d 1 · ushlppindfeof rh; kingdom ofGhri!l:; whcreasonthecontrary, the n an g on~ (thlt hath had the experience of the power ofgodlindf-e upon his own ~egencrate ma h. h ( 1 d l'fh f th f · f 1 he can fee 3 nd judge of the Jig t of grace, c can ta ,e an ra 1 o c ru1ts o {ou ~ . ··r. and hence it is that many a !tlly one (man and woman) whom the worldly· ~~tee~[; by w.i_t\1 fcorn and contempt, are often in fpiritual affairs more wife and learned than the lcarncdfl: Doctors. . . . · · . . , 7 Secondly, the Will mull: be renewed; and th1s Wtll of rho regenerate contams two h' R · ·I tnefs and Readine!fe: It IS firll: rectified, when 1t ISconformed to the will ~'f~~~~~\. ~~~ondly, it is fo enfl'!med with-the !Qve of goodn~fs, that willingly he pur– fues it with alacrity of fpmt. If we confider the firfl: (the r·rchtnde of the ~vdl) we fee b r' encc the wdt ofthe unregenerate IS all out of courfc, he Wills nothmg bur that Yheclt-" ~vil· How fhould he, conficlering his want of Gods image, his blindndfe of • To ,,ill , ~ \ 'b ·s p;onencffe ro evil, together with the vchcmenc~ of his affdtions, which Chrill, or to d~~~ir'th~ will. after them, and trouble the judgement? But m the man that is regene- ~~~~~c~~~~~; e the ~~ill being moved, it afterwards moves It felf, Gods grace that concurs with that Chrif\ ~at q· ckcns it and revives it; fo that nowh.s will 1s nothmg but Gods rr<fl : if it may fhall he 0 ,,, tt, e~: that G~d bids him or forbids )liin to do this, or that, he choofeth above all to togedmwith app h' r b f h' hy th' .. the * h d hJS bcoefi,, follow his commands, w at,oever ecomes o 1m: \~ , ..IS IS very eart an may he ccnl'ow of regeneration you may be fure, the man tnat choofethabove all to pleafe firtent wirh ., 1 ~~d, is the oncly man o'f God,. and fhall be rewarderlby God. Or ifwe confider the untegcoeme fecond (the ,-cadinc({e of the wdl tq good) alas, the will of the unregenerate hath no <Hare ; hut to pleafure in goodnea'c, he underll:ands not the_ fweetneffe of 1t, and therefore nothing is ~i,l/;'[{~~~~re 1~ore t irktfome to him than the wayes of godlmeffe : whereas on the_ contra~y-, the wilt heartily of the regenero:te is willing, and th1s wt!lmgneffCI~deed Is the pcrfe0'1on.of tlfis 1vcll; yea flroogly 30 ,t · '(ifwe can fay more) it is the highell degree of h1s perfechon m th1s l1fe, to 'Be. willing prev.illngly, d then his pleato do goo • h' fl · fur<>, or tnfcThirdly, the memory mull: be rchewed; and t IS memory re eCl:s occafionally~m ;~double 1 iour good 1 objeq, on·God, a)ld tiJe th•ngs of God. F1rft, on God, by relllembrance of h1s J:refencc no wicked every wherc.Sccondly,on the thmgs of God,by calling them to mmde at ufeful tunes. If mon can rlu, We confider the firll: objeCt, God; the unregenerate hath no mm1e on God, God M not B.fl-c.rets e~..JErin all hisrho~<ghts, .like the hood-winkt fool, that feeing no body! thinks no body fees ~·)~~ 2';~; 1 , Jiim; fo hath he faid 10 h1s heart, How doth God"-.now l can he Jlldge through thedar/z.. cloud ? Thick_ dollds are a covm11g to hun that hefcuh not, and he walkethm the circuit of lieaum. But contrariwife, the regenerate Inan,_he. remcmbtrs his Creator in the dayes ofhi<youth. And though God, as bemg a Spmt, IS (m fome fort) abfent from his fenfes, yet by vertue of his fanctified memory (that makes thmgs abfentas prefent) his eye is on God, and he confiders God as an eye-witneffe of all his thoughts and words, and doings, and dealings; heknowsnothi.nS can b~ hid from that all-feeing eye,t hough fin PC.!. ro· iJ; tempt him with the fa1rell: opportumues of n1ght and darkneffe, yet ftill he remembers ifhis.eye fees nothing,all thofeeyes ofheaven (of God and of his Angels)are ever about him: and therefore he ar.fwcrs the Tempter, How dare I fin to his face, that'looks on on me what I am doing? If I dare not do this folly before men, how thre I do it before Job 22 ' '3·I41. thofe heaven-fpectatiors,Godand hi~ Angf/s l Or if we confider the fecond object (the !¥ord of God)the Uflregen-;r~te. never burdens his_ mcmorywith_fnch bldfed thoughts; rf fomet1mes ~e falls upon 1t ~t IS either by conftramt, or by acctdent, never with any Ecclcf, 12 • rf fetled, refolutwn to dwell on1t, or to follow 1t: but the foul that is regenerate, with Mary,_ k.feps all thefe things in hts heart: or with David gives it out, Thy word have 1 h,d mmy heart, Pf. I I 9· I r. Whatfocver leffons he learns, like fo many jewels in a casket, he !ayes them up fafe, and then as need fcrveth, he remembers his ICore, and makes all thegoodyfc ofthem he may. I will not deny, but any man (good or evil) ~ay retam good thmgs accordmg to that lCrength of retainment, which nature affords him; but the regenerate (whofe memoryonly is fanCl:ified) whatfocvcr he retains he hath It opportunely at hand; in tentation or affiicti<ln he remembers and applies, an'd fo remembnng to apply, and applymg that he remembers, he is theteby enabled to refill: ev1l, or to follow thofe good things which the Lord hath commanded. F?urthly, the confciencc mull: be renewe~,a.nd that two way~s,either by drawing the foul to goo~,o1 fron, e:vd:tirll:,togood,by enclmmg & enc~uragmg; Secondly from evil, ~y rll:ral~l)ngl and<bffirtdlhmg. If WC confider lts-firll: office (m that it drawes and leads the Mt~ ,'9.s;'~} ou. togoo con~e e. t e unregenerate i~ nottha: confcience, for the moll: patt his con~ fccence, hesdead mh1s bofome, or 1fIt ft1r fometrmcs, he labours ~11 he can to Gnothe it

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