SE c T. III I. of Regeneration. 217 Doe notthink this was one mans cafe tobe ignorant of it, and it might beeafr- ly in thofe times, but for us Chrillians we all are taught of God; for if he did not know it, how fhouldit thou come toknow it? + IwW J âr ii sl"' SERMON XXXVI. The ground of the nece[ity of Regeneration is the corruptionof mens J\i ture. Jonw 3.6. That which is bornof the flefh, is flefli. VVE have already obferved the natureof Regenerationoutof this famous Dialogue, as alto the ignorance and miflake that the wifeft have about it. the third thing obfervable in this Hiflory, is the ground and reafon of the neceffity of this newBirth, and that is contained in my Text. Nicodemua he dreamedof a carnali Birth a fecond time, whereas if he had been born an hundred times this way, it would not haveadvantaged him,yea he would havebeen an hun- dred times thereby the childofwratht OurSaviour therefore would inflruíi Ni- codemm by opening the fountain, and difcovering the toot of this neceffïty ; as if hehad Paid, The reafon why thou art fo grofly ignorant in this matter (ONico- demua)is , becaufe thou knoweft not what corruption doth cleave toevery man, how contrary this is to the Kingdome of Heaven ; if thou wert reftified in this, thou wouldit quickly tee the necelfìtyof theother. Know therefore,That what- foever a born of theftefh, is fiefh, and fo not capable ofeverlafling glory. The words thenare a Propoltion containing a Reafon, why there muff be a Re- generation before there canbe any entrance into the KingdomeofHeaven ; where- in you have the fubjeftdefcribed, Thatwhich it''bornof the ftefh. Flefh is füme-. times ufed in Scripture for the bodily part of a man, as corruptible, in which len/h it is laid, n4 11 p.mirgraffe; fometimc it is ufed for man as he is finfull and unregenerate, In in3 fir/hdwelleth nogood dhioog, faith Paul. The firflfenfedenoteth our fragility and meanenefs, the fecond our guilt and linfulnelfe; both aggravate our mifery and bafeneffe ; and this expyeffron is univerfall, That which áa born of the iefh, is fiefb. This extendeth to wifemen, to great men, noble men, Kings and Emperors; they are fleth of flefb. Secondly, there is the predicate, Is fteih, The expreffion is in theabltraft, to drew, how totally, deeply and univerfal I he is ftefiily. Thus theApatite, Rom. 8. calls being in theftefh,as furrounded and com- paffed about with it. So that ourSaviours reafon lyeth in this, Every thing expreffeth thenature of that kind in which it is ; That whichcomes of a Wolf hath a Wolvifh nature, that which comes of a Sheep hath a Sheepifhnature, and that which comes of a corrupt unclean kind muffalto be unclean : So that ourSaviours expreffion is like F f that
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