Of EM/ion. tom, fprings and arifcs but fi·om rhe Principles that were in the Heart before,~ only are now elevated, hfred up, and ra~fed and raken up about new Divine Chap. 4• Objeds by a new lighr prefenred to rhem. ~ If you Objed, are rhey nor faid ro be partakers of. the Heavenly Gift Hd,,6.4? . The Anfwer is, There is indeed a Participation of a Gift from Heaven, but 'ris bur in refped of an influence from Heaven, without which rhey would never be drawn forth; and in rhar rhere is a word that comes lrom Hea– ven , which moveth and affederh them, by the infirumenraliry of which . there being a light todired: them to new Divine Objeds, above whar Na: ture or Reafon, ~c. would any way reveal, or fo far enlighten them in, thefe new Objcds are fet on with power, yet fo as the Priciples in the Heart are not radically or intrinfecally changed. 1, The Underfianding bath not a new Principle, a fpiritual Faculty to ca– pacitate it to take in thofe fpirirual things fpirirually, and as they are in their own Nature. And fo; though there !eems to be a great Change, becaufe both a new Light is let in, and new Objeds prefented that never were afore · yet, as a piece of Glafs remaining red or green , gives every beam of ligh~ let in, a rindure of that colour that is in it !<If ; fo that the Objeds that come to the eye through it, are died and tind:ed alfo, and fo difcoloured; whereas through a pure Chrifial Glafs, they appear in their own narive hue and excel– lency. Thus is it here,a new Chrifialline is put in to take in all fpirirual things in their own true native hue and glory; 2. Self-love, which in corrupt Nature that is not truly regenerated, is the fpring of motion unto all the wheels, the Affedions, which rife and fall no farther than as felf, that poffeffeth, informs and fpirirs all thefe, cloth find it felfconcerned; tbat Principle in the Heart meeting with fuel! things in the Word, as do fodeeply and neerly concern a Mans felf, and fuch things in the Word, are now fet upon the Soul with power (which are therefore fiiled the PowersoftheWorldto comt;)hence the Will, and all the Affedions that are feared and rooted in Self, are awakened, fiirred, ad:ed; and they receive the Word with joy, and foorher things in the Word, with other Affedions, according as the things revealed do concern Self, but no farther then as rhat is the fpring and mover, . And 31y, from thefe the Counterfeit of all Graces will foon arife and fpring up , and a zealous Profeffion for a time 2. And yer, fecondly, all thefe arc (as you may eafily difcern) in their Root and Principle, but flefh, though produced by an affifiance from above, and fo are accordingly to be reckoned but amongfi fruits of flei11 ; and that the befi, if you compare them with the fruits of the Earth, as Chrifi doth , bur as theflower of the Graji, as both .7ames, Verje 1 o. terms th~m, and Jfaiah alfo, Chap. 40. 6, 7· and Peter likewife, 1 Epifi. Chap. r. 23, 24. Being horn again, not of corruptible Sud, lmt of is1corruptihle, by the word of God, which livrth mid abidrth for rver: For all jlijh i4 a; grajs, m1d all the glory of mm1 M the f/owrr of grajs; the grafs withereth, a11d the flower thereof fatleth away. And what is there rermed flefh and grafs, ~c. by Peter, is not meant only of worldly Glory, as of Riches, Honours, ~r. (as, nor that of 1- {lliah) nor chiefly fo, but alfo and more principally of all Excellencies and Gifts that are fhort of true Regeneration, which he oppofeth to rhem, and which is wholly a right Seed, and in~orruptible, but all other are of a corrup– tible Seed or Principle, as hath been now explained, and as the Apofile !liles them there in difiindion Ji-om that incorruptible Principle and Original let down into the heart; and the knowledge of this diftindion· anfwers • great Objed:ion I !hall afterward have occafion to mention. This the comparing of verje 23. fhews, Being hom again, 11ot of corruptible feed, 6s1t ~c. And indeed, Chrifi him!elf in the Parable, fpeaks at fuch a kind of rate, of thefe bringings forth on the thorny and jlony Ground, of which .7ames, verfo 1 '• and 13, fpeaks, and how that indeed, and in reality, all their Oifis and Graces were 11ot Fruit, they deferved not fo much as rho name of Fruit, nor doth he thus vouchfafe fo to fiile them of the thorny ground (who were the higheft
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