214 ofRe3etteration. Sscr..III`,I_ have a good tree. Oh ifmen did drive the matter to thishead, happily they would cry out , Ouc,hitherto ina wrongway ? Wemuff begin all again ; we have prayed in vain , heard in vain, profeffed in vain : wewanted a true foundation ; we did not dig deep enough, and therefore our houfe will fall. You have Paulexcellently difcourfing upon thismatter, experimentally inhimfelf ; andwhat wonderfnll ul- cerations he then found,when once hebegan tounder(tand the fpirituallatitudeof theLaw, Rom.. Fourthly, Thereforedo not men believethts, becaufe they do not underfiandthe 'true natureof the Sacrament of Baptifm, which ifrigbtlyunderflood, would make e- very man feethe neceffityof regeneration. IfthePharifees had known theend and ale of the Sacrament of Circumcifion, that would have led them into the knowledge oftheirnatural defilement, and the neceffityof cutting it oft. Hence God promi- feth to cireumcife their hearts , Deut.3o. 6. and circumcifion was properly that of the fpirit in the inward man, Rom. a. But the Jews theyrelied wholly upon the ex- ternal fign, and never regarded the thing fignihed. Now Baptifm in the New Te- (lament, doth allo proclaim the neceffityofthis new birth, called therefore the la. ver ofwegenersition; Tit. 3.5. as force expound it. And although it be muchdifpu- ted, whether thatexpref ion ofour Saviour toNicodemut, Volefi amanbe bornof the water and the S firit, hecannot enter into the kingdomofheaven, bemeant of Bap- tifm,and the outward element in that Ordinance : yet the very water which is commanded co be tiled by us in that adminiftration,dothevidently lignifie thepol- lution ofour natures, and fo a necefficyof wafhing : Forchildren that have no a- cRual fins arewafhed, becaufe they have Original filthineffe, fo that regeneration is neceffa'y to a young infant.Who artthou,tbat becaufe thou keepelf free fromgroin fins , abiainei from the evils of the world,and therefore feat not tech a neceffity of regeneration? Forifthouwertascleanastheinfantnew born, If thou bada no more fins then that bath ; Yet this fpirit ofregeneration muli new mould thee, er'e thouCa nilbe a pollifhed (tone in that heavenly Jerufalem ? But asit waswith the Jews , Co it is with us Chriffians : we rely on Baptifm, reif on the Sacrament adminifired , never conftderingwhether we are madepartakers of that inwardna- turewafhing or not. 5. Fifthly, Thereforemen areflopid about thisdoílrine, becaufe they confider net gatgracios a promife Which ee madefor tbiagreatWork, Doth not the Prophet 7e- remeahand Ezekiel fpeakoftenofgiving a newheart, ofwriting hie law in our in.. ,Wardparts: Ezek. 18. 7er. 31? And donot other Scriptures fpeakof circumci- fingtheir hearts, and turning their hearts? It was therefore muchthat Nicodemtui who no doubt had read chofe places over and over again, did yet nobetter under- Rand it. But do nor men foRdi? Read thofe Chapters, yea, hear fermons that are made on purpofe about it, axe! forall this goaway, notknowing what it meaneth? Gods Evangelical promife is not to give new eyes, or newhandsonely, but anew heart allo : and truely herein is theomnipotencyofG,ds grace Peen, that it reach- eth to the fpirits ofmen. It makes them know, will, love, and delight in thole thingswhich theirhearts were oppofite unto; and hencemolt we fetchour ground towrefile withGod in prayer forit, OLord, is it not thypromife to give a new heart ? haft thou riot laid, Thou wilt takeaway thisheart of flone? Now, O Lord, my heart is too thong for me, I do but wafh a B lackamore,that makes him black- er;; byall my endeavour and natural firength, the moreIRrive, the falter I flick in this pit offin : O therefore this promife ofthine I own, I look tohave it fulfil. led : OLord, it reacheth to my life, tomake that clean, my converftion,tomake that unfpotted; but Oh, let it reach to the inward parts, to make theta pure. Sixthly, Anothergroundof merle ignorance ia corrupt errors inthejudgement, in; 6. femuchthat many mens profefed Doffrince and ceneri, whichtheyhold, doexpreßy deflroy the truthofregeneration.' Asthofe opinions' which deny Original fin; for if there be no fuch inward depravation,then'thereheedeth no lochinward renova- f clon:
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