Of HEAVEN. Chap. VIII. but 'tis ifwed? not fail on our part by_carelefnefs of our Ducy._ A Prefumer may feal fr~~a;,~v~0 f~Jf.{~~j,:~~~e~:,'J;~d,:~, ~~ram,%t ~aJr:~~~u~~rr~~fc fr~mnf:~~;;~t~ were neg!eaful of the CondtttOns to wluch tt tS promtfcd. De~~~::hr~~rb~~!t?;~~f :re;~a~!:k~e;~1~ t~ r/;en!1 ~b~ol~;e~~~~:re~~~i~d b~ ,';;~ Heirs are admitted to the polfellion of the Inheritance according to the Will of'the rich liberal, ~nd wife ~eftator. There can be no regular Title or Claim made out withou; performmg :-vhat ts reqmred.. A_nd thiS "the Wtll •f God and Chriji, our Sanc1ifwion, Without whtch we cannot enJOY tt. Now from hence we may fee the admirable Agreement between thefe two Notions that Heaven is a Gift, and a Reward. 'Tis ~Reward in .the order of giving it, not du~ to the Work, but from theBou~ty of the Gtver. God gtves Heaven to thofe that faith. fully fcrve him. But thetr Servtce was due to God, of no worth in refpea of Heaven. ~,;;~at ~j{i,e~f~~b!~ nt~ ~f;it;,~d f~~·br~c~:·~d ~~ci, ~;\he0p"a'rd~~e~fll~~~ Sins. I !],.11 now proceed to confider, what the Gofpel declares to be indifpenfibly requifite in order t_o our o?tai~ing Heaven: This is compriz'd in th~ I:oly Change of Man's Nature, wluch I wtll bneAy unfold, and fhew how necclfary tt tS to qualify us for Celellial Glory. t. This holy Change is exprefs'd in Scripture by the new Birth. o ·ur Saviour, with a fol~mn repeated Affeverauon, tells Ntcodem11s ; f/ert!J, verilj, except a Man be born A· gam, he cannot fie the l(jngdom of God, John J· J· Sin is natural to Man from his Conception and Birth, and infeCts with its Contagion alLhis Faculties. This is fomented and cheriilied by Temptations that eafily encompafs him. - TfJC Under· fianding is polluted with evil Principles, full of ftrong l'rejudices, and lofty Imagi- ~~ll~~s .'n~air!~h~e~cfr~i~f~~·~:.c~~~;:~:0°~ssal~~;~~:ble,'1~~ ~u~~pif:s I~~eo~an~: f~~ pertinent or unprofitable. The Will is depraved and pe;vcrfe, full of unruly and un. ' hallowed Affeawns. The Senfes are luxunous and rebellious. In iliort, Man is fo vicioufly and fenfually inclined, fo altenated from the Life of God, as if he had no diviner Part within him, that iliould afpire to a fpiritual Blelfednefs, that 01ould regulate and controul the excefsof the mfenor Appettt~. ThiS tS the unhappy Charaaer Satan imprefs'd on him in his Fall, and without Renovation upon an infinite. account he is unca. pable of feeing God. This Renovation confills not in the change of his Subfiance, as the Water was rmraculoufly turn'd ,into Wine at the Marriage in Cana of Galtlee: the fame Soul with its effential Powers, the fame Body with its natural Senfes, the Work of the Creator remains; but in the cleanfing of his fiain'd NaturC1 in the fanEt:ifying his Faculties that'are the Springs of his Aaions, the whole Man is quicltned into a Divine Life and enabled to aa in conformity to it. And of this the new Birth is a convenient Illur: tration. An aaive Principle of Holinefs is planted in him, that fprings up into vifible Aaions. The Apol1le particularly exprelfes it in his earneft Prayer for the Theffalonians, The very God of Peace fonflijy you wholly, and preferve your whole Sptrit, Soul and Body h!ameleji, till the coming of 1efos Chriji. Every Faculty is renewed, and every Grace infufed that conftitutes the Divine Image. The Mind is renewed by Spimual Light, to believe the Truth and Goodnefs of unfeen Things promifed, the reality and dreadfulnefs of Things threatned in the Word of God. It fees the trueft Beauty in Holinefs, tho higheft Honour in Obedience to God, the greateft Equity and Excellence in his Service. The Will is renewed by holy Love, a purifying Flame, and feels the attraaive virtue of our blelfed End before all defirable Things on Earth, and determines to purfue it in the vigorous ufe of proper means. The Body is made a holy Inllrument fit for the renewed Soul. In fimrt, the natural Man becomes Spiritual in his Perceptions, Refolutions and A8ions. .AIIthingsarebecomeNew. Thereisa firm affent, an inviolable adherence to !~~~eA~~~ fr~~~~~ ~~~~:;~:~~~e:~ thl~r~;~:%c~~ed\~;:~edfa':~;uifhg:tn~~~~: generating Grace, and formal Hypocrify in fome, and the proficiency of Nature and power of common Grace in others. A Hypocrite in Religion is aaed from without, by mercenary bafe refpeas; and his ~onfcience being_ cauteriz'd,_ handles facred Things withoutfe~Iing : a regenerate Perfon IS moved by an tnternal hvmg Prmctple, an~0J:;
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