xna o f Regeneration. S a c T. I I I I. Why Corrup- The happinefeof heavenwchiefly in enjoying of God ; and having communion tion ofour na- with him : now how can man that is thus corruptand wretchedby nature, fuch an rum proves a g er of irreconcileable enemy to him, be brought to this fellowfhip with God,as the grea- generarion, tea ble(íedne(te2 Iffo beto Duties andOrdinances God requirethfuck fanftity and before we.can fanet fication in thofe that draw near, how much rather to the enjoymentof him - be Caved. (elf? If the pure eye that feeth the Sun , the at and Owl is offended at the glorI- t. ous beams thereof; God therefore andhisglorious prefence would be a burden and a torment to, a wicked man : They that bid God depart from them, becaufe of his holy Lawes,and hisholy Ordinances, how much ratherwould they bid God depart hem thembecaufeof his holy pretence. 2, secondly, Tke imployment and soorkthat Godcalls for in beaver, isaltogether in congent With 4Wickedandungodly heart. To pralleGod, and rejoyce in him for ever; to love him, and to delight in him, forgetting all Creatures, and be fwallowed up in him as the Oceania all happineffe; how can the heart of a naturali man be thus ahleted? We fee in this life how odious and rroublelomeholy duties :km the godly heart and therefore much- more heaven be an hell to an ungodly man. It is true, wicked men as 7lalaa may defire happinffe, but thin they look to it onety as it is a prefervation from evdi , and a preventing of torment ; they doe not confider the politive part in bappinelfe, which is to glorifie God, and to delight in him. It was much that the blinde Philofophers could humble on this, to conclude that bkffedneffe confifled invertuous aetions, that the grea- tzh delight and happinefte that could be was todoe jufily; to that an ungodly man could not have Ariflotles happinelfe , and doe we think he can have Paul, ? 3 Thirdly, There is a neceftyof the fouls regeneration, ereit canbe glorified, be- wife it would sot be for thehonour andglory of god tobellow happinef a uponfnfug men. As it's Gods glorytobe holy, holy ;fo it'shis Childrens glory tobe like him in holineffe : It is true, God needethnot our holineffe , neither dothhewant our righteoufnefte , neither doch our goodneffeextend tohim; yet the outward ma- nifehation of hisglory is teen in chafe that are holy : The place in the Temple that did reprefent Heaven was called the Holy of Holies ; and if no prophane or unclean thing might enter tha Temple, much kite into that more facred place. ThePapilla calumniate us, as ifwe were enemies to holinefle, becaufe we make it not meritoriousof heaven ; but we pleadthe necetlity of it, and God hath made an infeparable connexion betweenholineffeand happineffe. As therefore this bo- dyof ours cannot beglorified in heaven as longas it is thus vile and corruptible, it mull be railed out of the dull, and all the imperfeaions of it mutt be done away; fo the foul mutt alto have a refurreftion from, its fpirituall death and loathfom- neffe, ere it canbe made happy. Thefe things haply may be acknowledged as true by all, but who takes the right way to be happy ? Regeneration is the writing of Gods Law ; now is D,unk,nnefte, Prophancneffe, Pride, Worldlincffe, Gods Law ? Men might quickly fee they are out of the right way to glory, if they would meditate on tuefe things. Vfe. r. How vainand empty a thing it is, to glory inour naturali birth 1 Are we born great, noble, rich in inheritances ?yet remember, weare alto born chil- dren of wrath ; weare fiefb of fie/h, what debafement lhould here be for us 1 Look upon anyToad or Serpent, their naturali propagation is more happy than chine; Oh we -never lay our felves low in the fenfeof our poverty and Chaim, till we come to be affeeted with this naturals depravation. The Scripture ma- ny times would humble us, becaufe we are Duft and Allies, but this is only a naturali bafeneffe; we ought much rather to lydown in confufion, becaufe weare born fofull of tine ;, howlittle doe we believe theft things ? Why art thou puf- fed up in thy Pelf,, and. boafteh of external' riches or honours : To be a finfuil man as haulm and terror enough. The Heathen would have a Boy to (peak h in iiimimEMEMMEMI
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