S E e r. III!. Of Regeneration. 2 ki have judged the natural confequencetobe , Be yepatient as your heavenly Father is patient ; but becaufe goodnefseven to badmen, to enemies, isthe highen degree ofgraces , and as c were he perfeìon ofail, and without which 1r av í.beak Ixirk thetongueof Angels, andwork all kind of Miracles, yea be eminent in all matter ofGodlinefs ,yetbewithout this, heis not a perfeft Chtitian. Therefore underall the injuries,oppreflìons,and defperate perfecutions, although revenge; as the heathen laid, befweeter then bony itfelf: yet confider what God thy Father doth : Howdo wickedmen provoke him every day , yet far all that heBothnot make the earth prelently gape todevour them l Hebath notput our the glorious light of the Sun : Hedothoot diffolve the workof the creation , and blalt every thing intoduff. What an excellent pattern is this for thee towrite after ? Efpe> daily confidering vengeance is Gods, and dothproperly belong to him : and as youhave God, foChriltalfo foranadmirablepattern. Fatherforgivethcm,,they knave net what they do Though he could haveprayedfir legions of ,//ngele todeli- ver him, anddcitroy hisadverfaries,yet hefubmittech co Gods will. The Scripture givethmany figns ofGrace, yet none is foreanarkable and commended as this, Mat. y. And howfoever Come Papilla think, to love ourenemies is a inter coon. 411 forpettedmen , nora duty toall Chrillians, yet it is plain our Saviourpref- feth it upon all who would be the children of God; and howfoever this be not fomuch palled and preached , we Chriftians donot among other fymptomes of Grace lookafter this , yet it is plain theScripture makes this one ofthe chief. eft, and is a figs Grace bathgreat dominionover thee when chou art enabled to do this. Some maliciousheathens once met witha Chriltian, and beat him even unto death alman, askinghim whatgreat matterever Chri¡e did ? Even this great thing, replieththe Chriltian , ThatIcanforgiveyou, thdughyou ale me thatcruel ly. l confeffe many who yetlive in their fins, and dilcover no power of Grace , will yet proclaimtheir loie co their enemies, and that they forgive them with all their hearts but this is caliber laid then done; and although wereadof heathens whohave beenadmirable in this way , yet they not doing ofit by the fpirit of Chain, but from anhumane generofity,obtained thus muchonely, That they !hall be lets punifhed then malicious revengeful! perlons. Seventhig, The Sonsof god,bcing borisofhim, have amorenoble and heavenly 7. In being of tÿirir then menof the world. There are men foplunged into earthly affairs, that a noble & bra- youwould think that weretrue of their fouls, which the Scriptures faith of their verily fpsiic bodies , Duft thouart, and to duff thou fialt return. Thefe are worms (I donot fay and nomen) butno Eons ofGod. Thouwho art born ofGod, lhouldrt do things like God. Fortescreanttsrforribto , and thus that new birch of thine veal not onely liftthee up above fin , and all fuchbale defilements, but even above all earthly temptations. And thy body is notmade more upright towards heaven ; then thy foul is made that way by grace. Hencewe are laid , To firwithChrijiin heavenly places c and aspearls and precious floues, though for thematter of them they be ofinferiourfubflance, yet in their colour,luflre, andglory, they referable the heavens, from whom comes thegreaten influence to make them : Or as the Clouds, though generated from Vapours andexhalationsarifng from the earth, yet in their motions are wholly carried up and down according to the heavens ; fo chafemen though they haveearthly bodies, liveon the fame food breath in the fame airasothersdo, yet areformed into the glorious bkeneffeofGod ; and be- ing Cons ofGod,difdain to ignoble and debafe themfclvesby any filthy lulls:As 741. cobs fon, beanie he was loved had a coat ofdivers colours bellowed on him, fo Godbelloweth feveral graces upon his people. The Rem: daughter is incurious needle- work, and for her to go and tumble in the mire, is morebefeeming a fwine then a Queens daughter. Oh then that men whoby birth or education being a- Boveothers, judge it bafenefs todo fervilework, would much more abhor fin as the greaten vilenefs of all. It is fin onely makes a man like a beaft, or a Divel : when therefore thou artfollieited, or tempted toany fin, fay,Remember this is not I i becoming
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