SEc D. III I. O fRegeneration. a3i they findethisexternal change wrought in them ; theydare not renne in the fame exceieofriot, as they havedone; theywiIlfetawatch before -their mouths, that theycurie and fwear no more ; for ifall this comenotfrom a principle oflove and delight within, in thatwhich is good, here is no new Birth. Secondly,Thofemay belaid tohavefome preparatory wnrk,who have fame refoluti '. When men àn$andpurpofet to take upChrills yol e,Who are not inflat oppofitionandc ntradiflien fer apon good tohie wayes,bxt /Isewranchgeneral Willingneffe to embrace hie way. Ofthis fort was éfro tionsani thatyoungwan, whomChrift is Paid to love, becaufehe was not farre from the their practices Kingdom of Heaven. And there are many whodeclare good affeftions, ihewa remaining hill willing compliancewith thofethings that are good, but they move alwaies up- the fame. onthis hinge. They never obtain any furtherdegreein thewaies ofGod ; Oh whatpity is it, thatfuchperlons, who come fonearthe haven thou Id yet fuller fhipwrack, that they fhould with Mofes asit werefee the Land of promife, and yetnot enter into it I We tell luck they are not farrefrom true Repentance,they are not farre from this new Birth. Thy good affeftions and compliances with- good menand good things, butgoing no further, make the Minifer of God hope well of thee, andyet tobeafraid of thee alfo. They hope well, trailing Godwill give thee more knowledge, work more inward power in thy- heart, to break thorow all temptations, and to fetupon the waies ofgod lineffe, whatfoe- ver it colt thee, andyet they are afraid alto, becaufewhere the fire of grace is, there itwill burnfometimes or other ; where this lifeof grace is, there it will be growing fometime or other. Thy goodaffeftions are more then leaves upon the tree, they arebuds, only they continue buds, they never blolfome ; we cannot fay thou art dead, andyet we cannot fay, thou art alive, we do riotperceive the breathof the lifeof grace breathing from thee. Oh therefore that this Sermon. might be likea fiery nail (asEcclefia/les (peaks) faftned by Chrift in the heart of fuck Ifthy affeftions and difpofitions be real for God, it's not enough to flay here, Come out of r&gypt, do not beas Ephraim is calledAcake halfbaktd. the upperpart towards heaven all dough, but the lowerpartbaked. If God and Heaven be to be fought for in the firfl place, if the Kingdom of Heaven mull be got by violence, know thy good inclinations and,fweet affeftions will not be enough. Thirdly, TheyareErnbryoes, Who by is, ,0f ruilion andgoodeducation of others, are ;Whenallrho trained in a way ofgodlineffe, and in theegnfant prallice ofduties,' but in time dif= good that ap- cover they never had the powerofthefe things. Thus we readof King halo, all the peareth is from while 3ehoiada the Prieft wasalive, 2 King. a 2.2. who had the tuition andeduca- the force of a -: tion of him, Hewalked in the wayes of God, but When he died, then he turned afde ducation. to do wickedly ; and many tech there arealto now adaies, who having godly pa- rentsare foaccuftomed unto the wayes of Religion, that they can pronounce, Shibboleth, I mean, (peak andexercife thewholeform of piety ; but this is not a new nature wrought in them by God ; it is theiroldnature paintedand varn.fh- edover withgood education. It is true tech inftrudionsare a mercy ; and the Wifemanfaith, The waya childe is trainedup in, he will at leave. Ason the con- trary it is a woful curie tobe born of wicked parents from whom the children learn only to curie, fwear, lie, and tobe prophane oppofers of God and godli- nelle ; but yet this excellent education is but theexternal moulding ofa man, not theinternal renovation of his heart. It's like the midwifes bowingor ordering the limbs, it's not giving the limbs themfelves. Be not therefore deceived in this great work, Hath God moulded thy heart as well as parents thy life? Thy Father and Mother they have taught thus, and thou faweft them live thus, but bath God alto taught thee the power of thefe things in thy own foul 4. when good Laftly, Thole maybe called Embryoes, Who havemany defsres and wilbesthat they dcfires are w might bein thishappyfiate of life, but thenthey'have fo many temptations, fó many vercome. by H h obflru- temptations.
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