411 2 1 o f Regeneration. S n o- r. I I I I *Att:vst Tt '4444 S E R MON XXX V. Sheaving how ignorant men ofgreat Learning and outward`N hteoufneß in the world,may be ofRiege. nerationa JO`H N 3. IÓ. vlrt thena Mafierof Ifrael, andknásvefl not thefe things ? a E have already defined the nature of Regeneration , and before wz ( come to the dïfeovery of thecounterfeits ehereof,thereare other obferr- üiYYY sable things in thiscoll oquie withNicademvu Ih thatouldProtbepret:r. mitted I (hall therefore in the next place, difcoutfe ofthe ignorance and Rapi- dityof Z icodemeta about thisgreat workof God, which our Saviour with much leverity doth reprove him for in my- Text. Nioodémtu Both feveral times inauifeih his grolle blindnelldin tltii+ point , ;While he difcourfeth with her Sa viartT, , Firft, He underftands our Saviour ofa naturalbirth again, by going the fecond timeinto the Mothers womb ; our Saviour therefore confirmeth his affxtion the fecond time, and withalexplicates the groundof this regeneration, becaufe all are naturally corrupted, yet for all this,Nicol:none ma,veliethatit. Laffly, Our Saviour doth bÿa familiar exampli: from the wind, (hew the work ofpegeneration, and for all this, Nicoderiztu is not fatisfied. . BueaThird time,verge 9. he cryeth out, Howcan theft things be? Whereupon our Saviour upbraideth himwith his ignorance , not by wayofcontumelious inful- radon, but tohumble this Pharifee , who being puft up with theopinion of his beaming and righteoufnetfe,could not at all difecto of this grace:now our Saviours reprehenlon is very emphatical, Art costa a .Ywufler? not a Difciple, not one of the vulgar fort , but a Mailer ? And as fume confider theArticle, Art thou the Ma- fter? Or that Mailer? As if this Nicodemu-s among all the Teachersin Ifrael had thegreatefi repute : Then, Art thou a Matter ofIfrael ? A people that were efpeci- ally called by God,and taught by him; the moft knowing people of the world in refpeEh of Gods Laus? Farther; a Mailer ofIfrael; all Ifrael was his fcholar : not a Matter of fome Dilciple, bat ofIfrael : And lafily, knoweti not theft things. He cloth trot fay,Not praftice it, norfeel the powerof it on thy own heart : bat then hail not fo much as the bare hifloricalknowledge of it t So that this fpeech of our Saviours is a fad rebuke, and reproach co all the carnal wifedom,and Pelf-righteeuf . nefs of men,which is like the Bat or Owl to the Sun, whenit cometh to thete tpi- ritual things. I have obferved that men in difcourfe, will meetly apply this to or- dinary matters : Art thou a Mailer in Ifrael, and knoweft not theft things ? They will lay fo ofany news, or caftoms difcourfed of : but the truth is, this Text thould be matterof fear and trembling ; for it dochdilcover thehorribleoppoGd- onand enmity that is in men, to anyheavenly work of God; As your bats and owls canGee well enough in the night but not in the day, fo natural men haveparts , a- . bilities,
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