Head I. The , Jlt·ce.ffity of Regeneration. Johni. r r, 12, t 3· Unre·geoerate m~n may prefllme~ but true fait~ they cannot have. Faith is a flower that grows ~ot in the field of nature. t.\s th~ tr_ee cannot growwithr .out a root, neither can a man b~heve without tb)e new na;. t ure, whereof the princi pie of qelieving is a p~ut. ( 2.) With.,. , out regeneration a man's works :)re dea,d wor.~J. · As is the principle, fo mufbhe effeCts be; it the lungs be rotten, the breath will be J..wfavoury; and he who a.t bell is dead it~ ' !in, his works at befl: will be.but dead works. Unto th:Jm tha_t are defiled a~d unhel~evi11g, iJ nothing}!lre~.being a~ bominabl~, rmc/. 4ifo.blu"'jaJt; ttnd unto evrry goodwork, rt~ · probate, Tit.i. 15, 16. Could we fay ofamanthatheis more blamelefs in his life than any o.ther in the world; that he ma~erates his body with f;~.ft.ing; and has made his kq~es as h.or~$ with continual praying; but he is not bD~rn ~t6~:i'n: that exception wouM mar all. As ifone f4ould fay, there is a well-proportioned body, b!lt the foul is gone, it is but a dead lump. This is <l melting conf1deration. _ Thou dofl: lllany things materially good: ~ut God faith, All thefe things avail not, · as long as I fee'"tlie old nature reigning ia the man; Gal. vi. 15. · For in J~fut- Chr~fl neither circum•· cijion a11ai!,th tl11J thing, nqr uncircumcijlm, but a new crea./ure. 1 . • .. If thou art l'lOt born again, ( r.) All ·tb.y reform:;J.tion' i$ naught in the fight of God. Thou hafl: fhut the door, but. the thief is tl:ill in the b,oqfe. lt m:ty be tho9 art oot whq.t once thou wafl:: yet thou art not what thou mufl be, if e– .ver thou fee heav,en ; for, excep~ a ,man oc horn again, h1 ~am~ot foe the lin_gdom af God, John i-ii. 3·. {2.) Thy 1 prayers arc an ahomjnatio11 to th,c Lord., Pwv-. xv. 8. lt may bet others admir~t thy ferioufnefs; tb..,u criell: as for thy life: but God :l~cou·nts of lqe opening of thy .mouth, as one would account of the opening of a grave full-t)f rotteonefs, Rom iii. t 3:· 7heir throat iJ an open fepulchr.~ . Other:; rat~ affected with thy prayers; which feem to them as if-they would; reud the heav,ens = but God accounts them but as the;. howling of adog: 'The.y have not crie4unfiJ m.ecr.uith theirheart, 'V.,;J~n they h9wledupo-n their bedJ, Hof. vii. 14. Uthers take thee for ~ \\'reHier and prevail.er with God; ; but he can take J'JO delight io thee. nor thy prayers neith~r, !fa. lxvi . j. H~ tha~ ki//~t.~ d11 ()X, i.t a~ if h~ j/:'J)J.(I man; hf that facri-. · ficet.h I, •
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