106 Falfe Signs ofGrace. S E C r. II II S. 7. gueth thee CO be in,ihe flats ofbitterneffe Rill. Therecannot from a fweet fountain come only bitter )reams; foneither can therecome from a refined fpiric only cor- . rupted aftions. As the thorn cannotfend forthgrapes, fo neitherdo grapes fend forth thorns ; why then if thouart born of God, dolt thou difcovcr fo muchof the old man in thee ? why is the .Egyptian in Canaan ? this is as the Father faid, for eielnmplaeregehennam, inanother cafe : did grace and Chrilt dwell in thyfoul, were it pofïìblc that thy heart fhould be a denof luts, and a cageof unclean ima- ginations ? (hake off therefore all negligence and lukewarmnefe, obferve how , thou art changed, whether it be ocherwife with thee thenwhat thou haft by na- ture. Fifthly, A, theanion, of thle new-born man are new, fo are k, deftree,com#rts, contentinents : Whereas before he could with the Prodigall be content with husks, now nothing will fatisfie him but his fathers manfion, and his fathers feaRs. Take every natural) man, while unregenerated, as heknoweth noOthergood, fo he defireth noother then that ofthe creature , as Moles love the earth, and the Swine draught. Thus while we are corrupted in our effares, we minds only earthly things , but when this great change is made, then there coc. kelfhels are grown away ; then the favourof God, the light of his countenance, fotiety with him, and enjoyingof him, are the only defrresof his foul ; Thus Da- vidhis heart, his fle(h, and all breathe after the living God, P.84.2. Thou wilt not judge it foch anhappy thing to be wealthy, great and honoured in the world, but to have the light eif Gods favour (hive round about thee. Examine therefore thylelf. Dol°c thou fee theglory of the world, and thou fallen down to worfnip it ? Doll thou in the encreafeof worldly comforts fay, It tegood fir ns to be here: Thenfear thy fell,fay, When I was a childe, it's no wonder, I thoughr, fpake as a childe ; but when s man, other apprehenfions tame in : When thou waft unregene- rated thou fpakel like a natnrall man, thouthoughtel like him, but now God bath made thee a fpirituall man. Sixthly, B'eing:kite newberm, he is tarriedoat with afliallafeílion inhis obedi- enre to God : All his fervice isfweetned with a great deal of love, delight and joy. What he doth for God, hedoth it not Ravifhly, fervilely, as heretofore, enforced thereunto, but from an Evangelicall and kindely principle within. Thus thole that are new creatures are faid notto be under the Law, but under Grace. The Law is a rule to them, fo they are under it, but the Law is not only a hip and a Icourge to them, fo that they (hould pray, hear, do things out of contraint: yet this filiall confidence and love isalto accompanyed with a reverentiall fear, and holy awe ofGod, fo that from theone he is encouraged; from the other he walk- ethhumbly. Now from this fpirit of Adoption all our duties fhould ante. Praier is but a bitter crab, or a wilde grape, unleffe the Spirit of Adoption fvecten ir; and foof all otherduties; if then we be born of God, his prefence, his favour is dear tous, our approaches unto the Throne of grace are with holyafiurance, we call God Abba, Father, byingemination, to (hew partly the efficacy and inten- tionof this fpirit upon us, and partly the oppofitionthat is made bythe guilt and blackneffe which is upon our own fouls. Seventhly, Where there is this new-birth, there aman is not sal abovefin, to ef. skewandhate that, bat alfo above the world, andallimmoderate jabots thereunto, Eph.3. it'scalled the life of God, not onlybecaufe he works it, brit becaufe it imi- tates his life. Hence in the Scripture not only tranfgreWons ate made contraryto this life, but alto the Loveof tither, mother, or any thing that is dear unto as, Mar.50.39. fo that it is a poor thing for a manthus regenerated to fay, he lovech God more then fin, more then the lofts of the flc(h; he doth alto embrace him More then outWard comforts in the world ; Thoutherefore who hopeft thou arc a childe of rood, why is thyfoul thus bowed down to the creatures? why art thou fo difparaging anddebating that heavenly nature of thine ? thou art not made`a worm to crawl on the earth; [fiat a fetperit to lick the drift of the ground, but thou
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