\ 262 Yfe r Dab.; God the au- thor of our new creation. WholeTrinity ObjeEf. Afts a6. ig. Anfw. ICor. ;.f. 7. Yfe T. Dignity of Gods children. ,Ephefians, Chapan. V E R.10. True it is, that God doth not fo convert, as to deftroy the libertyof will ; but thus he faveth, not by leaving this creating vertue in the fway of mans pleafure, but by extending it fo effe6tually, that it ma- keth a manof unwilling, willing. r. Againft the Papifts , in point of free-will , merit of con- gruity, &c. 2. To let us fee , that all is of God : If he hath created, then we were as a maffe receiving ; it is he that bathmadeus, and not we our felves, Pfal.roo. He is the Potter, we the clay. His workmanfhipin Chrifl.] Here then mark, Who rc the author (four new creation ;Even God; it is not the power ofa man, but the crea- ting force of the Almighty is put forth in this bufineffe;it is a work of the infinite powerof God : TheScriptures are plentiful) toprove it; Job. 5.3. We are begotten, not of the luff ofthe flefh, nor the will ofman, nor ofblood; but of god, through the immortall feed. James r. 8. ofhu ownwill begot he m, by the wordof Truth. r Joh.3.9. He that isborn of Godfinneth not. This is a joynt workof the whole Trinity, the Fa- ther, Son, andholy Ghoft. Every goodgift cometh downfrom the Fa- ther of lights; he of his own good pleafore bathbegotten no, James 5.17. Of Chrift, you fhall hear afterwards: One Lord, of whom are a!1 things, andwe by him. Of the Spirit, Ynlefe a man be bornof the Spirit and water, Joh.3.6. And there is no power but of God, that could create us ; for there muff be a power greater and ftronger then the powers of darkfieffe : there muff bea quickning vertue, which can bring life out ofdeath,which nonecan dobut he that is effentially life, Again,ifthe creation of heaven and earth were an incommunicable work, how much more this, which is far more glorious But the Miniftersof the Gofpel are faid to enlighten the eyes, andto turn from darknefe to light,from Satan to the living God. Wedo without, that which God doth inwardly alone : we fay ¡rife, but it is God that quickneth. The Wordof it felf, is but a dead letter; but when Gods fpirit goeth with it by a quickningpower, thenit be- cometh an immortali feed in the heart, toconceive and form thenew creature.Nopower or vertue,no not theWord or Sacramentscan pro- duce fttch a bleffed effect, except God himfelfput to his own hand, and imploy his own infinite power, they can never beget in a man a new mmde and heart. Who is Paul, andwho is Ape/los ? What are all the Minifters intheworld available to make a Chriftian Alas, they are but men like our felves ; Paul may plant, andApollos water, but it is God that giveth the increafe. That yourfaith andhope (faithPaul) mayfland,not in the wifdomof man,but in thepower of Gad. This lettethus fee the ineftimable dignity of the Saints, that they are a mofidivine generation,a heavenlycompany: Even in thisregard the world counteth it (and defervedly)a great thing to be oftheblood Royal), or be nobly defcended. But all this new creature in thee, cometh from the immortal) feed of the Word, and from the'efficacie of God himfelf begetting thee. In which refpe&t, the meaneft of Gods
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