q8 Book IV. JLoolttng unto 'Jjcfns. Chap '2 .Secr. 4 . is born to me? and that this fon is g1ven to me? what ground for that? out of rhefe wordsof the Prophet I !hall draw a double evidence, which may be inilead of all : our fidl: evidence from the former words, unto m a ch,/d., born; our fecond evidence from the latter words , ltnto m " (on i6 giwn . r. From the former words I lay down this pofirion, ~tnto uJ a child is born, if 1ve are mw bom; the furell way ro know our intereil: in the birth ofChriil , it is ro know Chriil born in us, or formed in Gal. 4·'9· u;, asrhe Apofile fpeaks. Thenewbirthis the effect ot Chriilsbirth, and a furelign that Chriil is born to us. Say then, 0 my foul, art thou born anew ? is there in rhce a new nature , .a n~w principle~ is the image of God and of Chri!t in thy foul ? fo 1Cor. , ;. 59 • the Apofile fttles It, the bearing of the image of the heavenly ; why then was Chrill incarnate for rhee; if thy new birth be nor clear enough, rhou may'll: try it fu rrher by thefe fol– lowing rules? r. Where this new birth is, there is new defires, new comforts , new conrenrmenrs. Sometimes wirh the prodigal thou wall: conrenr wi1h husks, but now nothing will fa. tisfie thee, but thy Fathers manfion , and thy Fathers fea!ls . fometimes thou mindell: only earthly things, but now rhe favour ofGod, the light of his co11ntemnce, fuciety with him, and enjoying of him, are thy chiefdefires; thisa good lign! David's hearr P'ai.S4· '· and lldh, and all breathed afret God; myfoullongeth, Y"' even fainteth for the Courts of the Lo;·tl, my hrartand my ftefh cryeth out for the living Goa. Men1ruely regenerate do not judge it fo happy to be wealthy, great, and honoured in the world , as ro have the light of Gods favour fl1ine upon them; 0 my foul doll thou fee the glory ofthe world, and thou fallefl down ro worfl1ip it? doft thou fay in the increafe of world :y comfort, it is good to be here I then fear thy felf; but ifrhefe things compared with Cl!rifl, are vain, and light, and of poor and mean efleem, then hope well, and be affured that thou art born again, and that Chrifl is formed in thee. l.Cl<>r. s •1· t>Cls 9· u. rCor~ 6. I 1o 2. \>Vhere this new birth is, there is new words, new Works, new aff<ctions , a new COflverfarion, old things are p.<JJed away, behold, all thing' are become new. Pa11l once a perfecuror, but behold now '" prayeth. And fuch were fame of you, b1tt now ye are wajhed, nowye arefanElijied, now ye.are iujlijied in. the Name of the Lord fefw, •nd by the Spirit ofour God; As every man rs, fo Is he atfected, fo he fpeaks, and fo he lii'es. ifthy life be fupernatural , fo is thy affections, fo is thy words, fo is thy converfarion; Paul lived alife once of a bloody perfecutor , he breathed our threitenings againil: all Gal,,; ~o. the Profe[ors of the Lord Jefus, but now it is otherwife, the!ife which I nowlive in the jlejh, Jlivebythefaith of the Son of God, wholov<dme, andgavehimfelfforme. Omy foul, hall: thou the old converfation, rbe old affections, the old difcourfe , the old paffions thou ufedfl to have I what, is thy heart aden of lulls, a cage of unclean ima– ginations? then fear thy felf, there cannot from a lweer fountain come forth bitter fireams; there cannot from a refined fpirir, as refined , come forth corrupted actions or imaginations • a thorn cannotfend forth GrajCJ, faith Gbrill:; fo neither can a Vine fend forrhthornes: faywe. I know there isinthebefl, fomerhingofRefh, as well as ofrhe fpirit; butifthou art new born,then thou canfl not bur fl,rive againll: ir,and wilt endeavour to conquer it. 3. Where this new birth is, there is a new nature, a new principle; Peter calls it the hidden man ofthe heart, the divine nature. Paul calls ittheinwArdman; the new creature, it is compared to aroot, to a fo~tntain, to a foundation, and for wam of this founda– tion,we fee now in rhefe fad rimes fo much inconilancy,and unferlednefs in fome profeffors themfelves, many have gotten new and il:range nori~ns,bur they have nor ne.w narures,new principles of grace I ifgrace were but rooted in rhm hearts, th~ugh rhewmds d1d blow, 1 Pet. 3· ~; 2. Ptt. r. 4• R.om. 7· ll. zCor. S.fJ· and ll:orms arife, r1ey would connnue firm and fiable , as bcwg fo~nded upon aro~k. Never tell me of profeffion, !hew, outward action, outwar~converfauon, outward dunes ofReligion ; all this may be, and yet no new' creature; you have fome bruits that cao act many things like men, but becaufe they have not an humane nature,rhey are firll bru– tilh; fo many things may be done m a way _ofhohnefs, winch yer come not from tbisw~ ward priqciple ofrenovation, and therefore It !s but copper, and nor gold ; n11ilake nor 0 my foul in this, which is rhy beft and fureil eVIdence : thou&h I caB 1he n<R' bmh anelV creature, my meaning is nor as if a new faculty were !nfufed mro h1m that IS new born, a .man when he is regenerate bath no m~re faculues 111 ~us fou.l than he had before Ius regene, rarion;only in the work ofregenerauon thofe ab!lmes which th~ man h_ad before, are now improved, and made fpirirua].; and fo they work now fp1mual:y, winch before wroughr naturally. As in the refurre<'\ion from the dead, our bodres !hall have no more, nor
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