Ss c r. III!. Falfe Signs ofGrace. morethen to be a man, to live, to move, to fpeak, to eat is. Thus grace where is is, makes a wonderful! alteration, thoughnot in the effence, yet in the qualities and operationsof a man, fo that in a Theologicall fenfe he is wholly a neWman, he is nor the fame he was : and this isdifcovered as really and powerfully in him, aswhen atlas out of nothing was madea man : Take heed thenof being is the number of thole who account all the change wrought byCods Spirit ina man, to be onlya melancholy fancy, and attribute all to fach cloudy imaginations, or elfe 'Peakof it as aparticularconftitutiòn and temperament of the body : No, The Scripture would never callgrace by Inch real! powerful' names, if ithad notalfo as reali andpowerful' effeas : fo that regeneración is a reali, fupernatarall change in a man, as when of dead a man is made alive; of foolifh,wife ; not a relative change, as whená man ismade an Husbandor Magistrate, wherein his principles andheart are not altered. Thirdly, It's more thin as outward acceptation and acknowledgement of the weiesof Chrift. For though this feem to be a great convey ion,. dead men begin to live, yet our Saviour extendeth his fenfefurther a fo univerfali and generali as corruption hath been, fo extenfive mutt the reftauration of the foul, be. The Jews , called their Profelytes recensnate:, new- born ; but to be a Proselyte externally; not inwardly changedin our natures, is not this regeneration in the Text :: There- fore thisnew. birth is the greatest riddle inthe world, even to thole who.may out- wardly very readily fubnirtco the waits of Christ : why then do men reft fatisfied hi thiseiteruall profeffion, asif nothing elfe weremore required ? Maynot Chrift look upon thee ashe did on the fig-tree, fee leaves but nofruit, and fo eternally Ode thee? Thou,though turnedfrom Paganifm or Popery;yet art notnew-born; till GodRath changed that Tygerf natureof thine into a Lamb; fay then, OLord, Tdo nor only delirenew eyes, neW ears; neW hands, but anew heart, and a new nature. Fourthly, Visit Not that moral mat civil deportment of a mans ¡elf, which may be attained 6j hàfisane precepts and helps of Phifofophy. Although Heathens havecalled the newmoulding of our lives, a new-birth: and .Nobisad arbitrinns nofirnm nafci hect, Paid Seneca, wemay be born what we will ; yet this is farrq [hurt of that heavenly and fpirituall birch the Scripture difcovers, foOat as our Saviour of all fubje&s thought this moil necelfary to infili upon with Nieedemtee.: the likeought the Miniftersof GodsWord to do: for feeing all people generally arefo full of felf.righteoulnelte, pleafe thcmtelvea in a moral!, ingenious carri- age, chis ought again and again to found in their ears, Vnleffe aman beborn again, be canner enterinto the Kingdom ofBeavers. Now thoughthis be foconfclfedly new eefiary byScripture grounds, yet who fearcheth'deeper into his heart, and who looketh further intohis own foul,then a meer external! righteoufnette? if this were fo,regeneración might be found in Arifäotlesand Plato'sSchool, as well asGb'ritts; but its the property of Gods word only to begetthis new nature in us : Our Sa- *Mot meanethnot, unletfe a,prophane man only be born again, but alto un- lett a meet civill man, and outward vercuous man be born again, he cannot be fated. Fifthly, ZÑeither are thefe common gifts and graces whichfometimes are befiow- ed upon reprobates, this regeneration : gala was not born again though he had power towork miracles,andwas inabled to preachthe Gospel ofChrift.l c is not with man as trees; every leaf and bloffome argueth tome life in the tree; but not in man, every ability topreach, topray, though with great approbation,dorh nqt manifeft fupernaturall life. Mete indeed come from Chrift inabling us and aifift- ingus, but not dwelling in us : fuchas thefe arc abortives or moutiers, they are in a probable wayof beingbornagain, but prove ttnihapen, fometimes. by defici- ency, fometimes by redundancy, and fometimes theft havepains and pangs óf heart, their fouls are in travel!, asif Chrift would be formed in them, but at lait there is nothingbus Windeadd emptineífe, the ittueof them; Io that if you conti- Dd Y del 203 3.
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