156 Tht Nature of Regenn·aticnt State Ul. -in the arms of the Jaw; but they are never !haken out of t·hemfelves and their own tighteoufnefs, nor brought for– ward tQ Jefus ChrifL Laflly, There may be a wonder– f\11 moviog of the affection$ in fouls that are not at -all touched with regenerating grace. Where ·there is ·n() grace, there may, notwi.thfianding, be a flood of tears_, a·s in Efau, who found m; place of repentance, tho' h~ .fought it care.fully with lean, Heb. xiii. 17· There may • alfo be great flafhes of joy ; as in the hearers of the word reprefen·ted in the parable by .the fiony ground, who anon rwith joy receive it, Mat • .xiii. 20. There may . alfo be great de{ire after good things, and great delight in them to.o; as in thefe hypocrites deicribed, Ifa. lviii. 2. Yet they feelc me daily, and delight to knr;•w rtry wa}'J:-7hey take delight in approa.chi.ng unto God. See how high· they may fometimes Hand, who yet fall a'".vay, Heb. vi. 4· 5, 6. – They may be enlighte·ne.d, tajle if the heavenly gift, ba pa1 takerJ of tJ~ holy Ghojl, tajle the good wo~d of God, and the po'!J.Jert of the •world t& come . Common op~rations of the divine Spirit, like a Jand--.flood, make a !l:ran .~e turn. ing of things upGde down; and when they ·afe over, all runs again in tbe ordinary channel. All thefe things may· be, where the fanctif~iog S.pirit of Chrifi never reH:s .upon the fouf, but the Hooy heart !l:ill remains.; and, in that caf~, thefe affections cannot but wither, becaufe they have n.o r~ot. But regen.eration is a rea) thorough change, whenby the man is made a new cnatzu·e, 2 Cor. v. 1 7. The Lord God makes the creature a new creature, as the gold– finitb mefts down the ve!fel of difhonour, and makes it a. ve!fe.l of honour. Man is, in refpect of his natural Llate., · altogether di~joioted by the falh; every facul·ty of the foul is, as it were, diilocate: in regeneration the Lor.d looft>th every joint, and fets it right again. . Now this change made in regeneration is, I. A change of qualities or difpoGtions : It is not a change of th~ fubfiance? but of the qualities of the fou!. Viciolls qualities are removed, and the contrary difpofi– tions are brought in, in their room. 'Tht old man is put oif, .Eph. iv. 2~. t,~e new man put on , ver. 24. Man Joft none of ~he rational facplties -or his iP,ul by fin : He had aa
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