Burgess - Houston-Packer Collection BT715 .B85 1652

Sac T. Ha. I I. of Regeneration, ceive he isgrowing,onelyhe findes a differencein hisnatureat lail. Thusit is here, only here is this difference, that the fpiritual motions and encreafe of grace are more imperceptible then thofeof thebody.Therefore aChriflian Ihonld not be in- ordinately dejeftedunder Temptations about its proficiency : Ohhe is affraid he never groweth, he frill moveth onthefame hinge : for if the rational workingsof the heart be fo hardly difcernable,to feel that a manunderfrands, and wills fachan objeft, much more the motionsof thefpirit : and as the growth it felf is hidden , (beliemanner of it; it encreafethby.oppofrtion,itgainethby loffes,it livesbydeath, itrifeth by falls,by fins,by (rumblings it gets ground. ore a. Of iafirullien, whywickedmen arecarriedouttocenfsre , and condemn godlinefe. It isbecaufe they know not whatiris; Hence alto they thiole itirrange, that they run not into the fame excels ofriot with them. Thewicked areama- zed to fee why they arenot asvoluptuous, as exceffivein all carnal delights, as well as they : and all is becaufe they know not this fpiritual life. All lifebath its proper motionsand actions, as allo delights whichkeep it up. Therefore this fupernatu- ral life bath its proper motions and joy : Therefore we may fay as the Kabala , Comeandtafthowgoodie if : Come and tall what this regeneration is : feel the pówerfüllife ofit in your own fouls, and then you will be other wife aff&ed then youare. The Pharifees fpáke evil ofChrill,becaufethey did not believe God was inhim, and withhim: Thus thoúhstllsly judgeff that for Melancholy,andhypo. en lie,which is the work ofGod , becaufe thóu believelr nofuch thing as a new birth. As it is a great fin to attribute that which cometh from the Divel , to the workof God, fo itis a great fin tomake that which is ofGod , to come from the flefhor Divel. Vfe a. How thankful they saghe to be unto gad, who have had this windeblowup- on them. Howmany have 'Nei and dyed in their natural Condition ?But God bath redeemed theeout of this !late ofdarknefs. The Pfalmifrmakes it a great mercy concerning the plague to a Godlyman That many thoafands fhould fall an the righthandandon theleft, yet it Jhall not touch him : but here is greater, many thou- fands fhall fall into hell on theright hand, and on the lefc,yet thou art preferved. Our Saviourfpeaksoftwo ina bed, one taken, andanother left : Oh how great is Gods goodnefs ? Two ina family, the one regenerated, theother not : two in a fear, the oneborn anew, theother not. How merciful' is the Lord to thee? How was Chrift affeCted in this difpenfation ? evenfa Father, forfa it pleafeth thee,and the Son revealeth the Father to whom he will,Mat, t r.Thereare many great men, many rich men, manywifemen, and it maybeGod palfechover them, and makes known this grace to thee. What ? fhall we fo biefs God for prefervation fromna- tural death, that herecovereth from thegrave, and not much rather from eternal' death? 239 V fe, a, ">V4itirli4Ase4,4,44ts`n444 4444,14 Gg3 SERMON

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