8 f)ireftiom to the Unrenewed. l\}lolv lVIJat aftate of Sin and aftate ofGrace are. and b-eafiiality in the chains of Satan, before the joyful liberty of the Saints: And, though we m Cl not be fo uncivil as to tell you where you are, and what you are doing, you will then more undv·~ call your fclves, [exceedingly mad, and foolijh, difobedient) deceived, firvhtg divtrr luft.r and pleaf«r 1 J as one did that thought himfelf before as wife and good as any of you, Afts 26. r r. 'fit. 3 . 3 . {.!' not in a fleepy fl:ate of ignorance, if ever you would have faving grace. IVC: Dire[/. 2 • Direction 2. E Sfecially labuur firft to tmderftand the t~ut nature of a ftate of fin, and a ftatt of Grace. Preniunti optiY· I· It's like you will fay that AU are finnm ; and that Chrift dyed for finners, and that you were 1JJI'H~ ;ort1r~? Regener,Jte in your Bapti[m, and that for the fins that fince then you have committed, you have Re– mt~!atiO '~nfiiu. pentcd of them, and therefore you hope they are forgiven. (Jc. Phtl. 12 ' But tlay a little man; and underfiand the matter well as you go; for it is your falvation that lyeth at the flake: It's very true that All are ]inner 1 : But it is as true that fome are in a ftate offin ~nd ~orne in a }late of gr:zce; fome are converted fimreu, and fome unconverted finnerJ : fome livei~ fms ~ncouftflcnt n·itb Holinefi (which therefore may be called Mortal) others have none but infirmitiu which confifi with fpiritual !ife ( which in this fenfe may be called Venial :) fome hate their fin and long to be perfetfly delivered from it : and others fo love it, as they are lathe to.leaveit. And is there no difference think you between thefe? §. 2. It is as true alfo that Chrift dyed f" finners : ( Or elfe where were ollt hope ?) But it is B~J_'JHI.n Gr~t~~ true alfo t.hat he dyed ro fa'Ve hU people from their jin1, Matth. 1. 21. and to brin~ them from darlz.– mu~ts b~JmJnu nefl ttnt~ lzght, _and from the power of Satalt u.mo God, Ad:s 26. _18. and toredeem IH from all iniquity, ~~~~::: t~at;l~:"o/1 and. p1erijie tohzmfeif a peculiar p.:ople.zeaku: of g?od wor~, T1t. 2· I~· ~nd that except aman be born totirls 1111 iverji. agam, and_couverted, _and become a1 a lmle ch1ld (m humthty and begmnmg the world anew) he can– J\quin. 12 • not eutt: mto the Kmgdem of heaven, John 3· 3, 5• Matth. 18. 3· and that even he that dyed for fin– ~· 1 IJ. art. 9· ners, wtll at lafi condemn the worl<..eri of iniquity, and fay, Depart from me ye cur[ed into ever/a/ling fire, Matth. 25. I never k._new you, Matth. 7· 23· §. 3· It is very true that you were focr_amentaUy regenerate in Baptifin, and that he that believeth and is baptized, JhaUbe faved, and all that are the children of promife, and have that promife fealetl. to them byBaprifrn, are regenerate: The Ancients taught that Baptifm puts men into a fiate ofgrace; that is, that all that Gncerely renounce the world, the Devil and the fiefh, and are fincerely given up to God the Father, Son and Holy Ghofi according to the Coven:mt of Grace, and. p.-o£efs and feal this· by their Baptifin, fl1all be pardoned and made the heirs of life. But as it is true, that Baptijm tbu 1 :;J:;~~~~fo faveth, fo is it as true, thlt it is nor the outward JVajhing only the filth of theflejb that wiJI 1Uffice, hut ""'"iH~ offirthe anftJ!er of a good confciwce towardJ God, 1 Pet. 2· 2 1. And that no mtJn c~Jn enter into the Kingdom tM· dt bor.o ofGfJd, that is not bom of tbeSpirit, as weB as ofwater, John 3· 5• And that Simon MagM and ma... tbiatrto cc~di; ny another have bad the water of Bapti[m, that never had the Spirit) but fiill remain in thegaU of bit~ dlJatur: li'.J~:t tfrneji .and bondof iniquity, and bad. no p~rt 1101 lot in that bufinefi, their he~Jrt.r hting not right in the ;~:Odb:~PofJ{ri~ fi~ht o/ God. Acts ~· I 3 ·~ 1, ~3 · ~nd nothin~ is more fure, than that ~f any m.:n h~ve ~o~ the Spirit "'"'• om" vi,. of Chrij! ( for all hiS Baptrfm ) he ts nOJt< of hn, Rom. 8. 9· And that 1f you have hu Spmt, you ,.,all;. .ac:cptabile . not after the jlejh, but after the Spirit ~ and are not carnaUy but {pirituaUy minded, and are alive to God, ~~:z;s~ei~~~- and as dead to the world : Rom. 8. _1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10) 13, 14• Whether all that were baptized are fuch ibi c#ll{rf!io, as thefe, when they come to age) Judge you. ibi largita;, ibi /t~brictM, i/1i pauptrtas Jpiriuu, ibi compa/(io, &c. "PoLho Ptumicnf. de Demo Dei, li. 2. De regno Dei quod intra nos fjl m!ditamlff 'VanitatcJ & iil{rnias fatfas, dum inttrioribus anin~vittiJtibm, in quihNs rtg;1tz1m D:i co~t{J/lit, privati, ad exur1ora qu.edam fhdi:J ducimwr, & (jy.. C4 (orporatcs cxcrcitatio~tu, qtu: admodicum. utiks ~ffe vidtiltrrr, occupamur, {mflus !firitzls, qNi [zmt charitaJ 1 pa:r, gaudilrm, &c. intNJmiilimt poffidn!IIJJ, & exttrius q.wundam coli/u·:tudimim. obfirvantias jcflamz1r; in txncitiina;umn wporalib;ts tJIIIf ftmt jtjrmia, "Vigi/i.r) a!Jmitas fm "Vilitas '1..iflis) &c. regi!lam nobis "Vi"..cltdi quafi ptr{cflam jlaWtltUS. Idem 1bid. 1 1 ' ~. 4· It is true alfo, that if you tr~tly Repent you are forgivm. But it is as true, that true Repen– tance is the very Cooverfion of the foul from fin to God, and leaveth not any man in rhe power of fin : It is not for a man when he harh had all the pleafure that fin will yield him, to wilh then that he had not committed it,(which he may do then at an eafie rate) and yet to keep the refi that are fiill pleafant and profitable to his flefh. Like a man that cafis away the bottle which he hath drunk empty, but keeps that which ls full; Or as men fell off their barren Kinc, and buy milch ones in their !lead: This kind of Repentance is a mockery, and not a cure for the foul. If tho:< have trztt 1\.eptntance, it bath fo fsJr turned tby heart from fin, that thou wouldft 11ot commU it, if it were todo tlgain, 1b011gh tbou hadjt aU tbe fame temptation!; And it bath fo far turned thy heart to God andHoli~ lineji, that thou wouldjt live a bply life, ifit were aUto do again, though thou hadft the fame temptation! .as afore againft it. ( Becaufe thou hall not the fame heart. ) 'lbi< is the nature of trueIttpentance · fi.1ch a Repentance indeed is never too late to fav~: but I am fure it ncver;~comes too foon. 9· 5• Mark now I befeech you, what a jlatc •f fin, and what ajlate ofH~fincfs is. He that is in a ftate of fin, bath habitually and pred<tmina11tly a. greater love to folne pleafures, or pro– firs, or honours of this world, than he hath to God and to rh~ glory which he hath promifcd : He preferreth, and feekcth, and holdeth ( if he can) his fkQ1ly profperity in thiMvt><ld, before the fa– vour ofGod and the happinefs of the world to come~ ~ f:Iis he,!\rt is turned from God unto the cre~ture, and is principally fct on things on eanh. Thus his fi.rdli:the ~indnefs, and madncfs, and perfidwuf- . ;,~a\· mU,
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