to tbe EPHE S I AN S. 3S5 Here is i'n'dee'd a new gilding over of the old heart,wh:c~ a Goldfmith youknow~ can do,he ~ath an Artitice in thar~bur to turn th1s h~~rr mtoGold, (as I maY. fo J'ermolf cxprefs it,)This is 'the difficulry,the b!fe Metal remalneth under all rhar gmlt fi11I, XXVH. it is but fle{h fhll, Self-l?ve fiill,and wlule that remame't:h, th.e pr~dommanrpnn- ~ ciple in a man's hearts 11 not changed : But to put m, that whrch IS ~ore prec1~us than .Gold and Silver, the Love_of God,.mw a mans heart; th1s IS 't:l\at. Which tumerh bafe Metal into Gold, 11 1s not gtldwg of'' over. The old pnnc1ples d'o contribute to fuch a work as I have defcnbed. Take the old frame of the hearr,J 1 ang fame new weight upon it, as I .may exprefs it by a Clock, .and you may move it the clean contrary to what 11 went formerly: fo here ts but an Artifice in this, hang bur the confideratwn of Hell .and Heaven upon corrupt nature, and Self-love will movecontrary to what it d1d, Bur (niy Breth~en) \t i' adifferent thing for aman to be a workma11jbrp c'uatd utJto goodwo~'ks, to rake this old Ji·ame in p1cces, and put m a new workmanllup (crtated to good works) to move naturally a·nother way, as the word, Crtatrd, lmpheth. Thir other is a work of slu!J rather than a work of powtr, (though it is a work of great power too,) lot it dorh but apply fuch confideratiohs as lhall work upon the heart, but pUtteth in no ne;v prmciples. In a word, Such a work as this it is not wholly frpm IJ6ovt, as was the ex~ preflion .7mn. '•'7· lt is part!~ from b~nmh, ancl panly !rom .ab?ve; the jitjhly wi!Jof a man, (take Self-love as the predommam pnnc1ple m h1m) con– tribmeth to this work, and the Holy Ghofi only hangs a We1ght upon Self~love, and fo fiirreth it; but where there is a perfeCl: work, it i~ wholly from above, the Holy. Ghoft cometh and putteth in a new principle. Compare for this butthe r81h Verfe of that.firj/of James with the qthVerfeof the.fir[! ofJohn, rhat I may exprefs to you from the phrafes ufed in both thofe Scriptures thet d1fference in thefe two works. Evnyperfdlgift (fa11h James) is who!Jy from abovt, What is that gift that is thus wholly fr.om above? It is Regeneration; Of ha ownwiUbtgat he tu (and that by C~eatton) that wr Jhould h a kind of FJYj/-fruits of ha Crraturrs, the ~hoicefi of't(Je Creatures; fo it is in the Origi~ . nal,<,;1X"· Now compare wtth 1t .rohtrr.q. Where he fpeaks of true Regene- · ration, To 6rcomt the Sons o{ God that 6e!ievr ill ha nr1mt, which were 6orn f!Dt of 6/ood '· nor of the wi!J of the ./lr/b, nor of the wi!J of ma11, 6Jtt of God. What1s that [but of God] oppofed unto? It ts oppofed. umo three things. . · Firft, It is not by Blootl, thofe that are Noble or the Sons of Holy men, it goethnotbyBlood. Sqy not Wt haveAk.raham to our Fmhtr; that is, it is notthereforethatyouaregudb·, though God may draw EleCl:ion through the Loins of his Children. Nor is it Secondly, of the wi!J of man. Thou art a Holy man, and thou ha.fi manyChildren. Abr,Jham,he would have lfbmat_Jfaved; Oh,th.. tt Ijbmae~might lrve m thy fight! God wculd have l[aack; he IS not born of the will of man, A6rahamcould not have his will. But here is 3 Third thing; lt is not a work of the wi/J of the fttjh, What is Flelh? Profeifedly it is this; It is Sdf-lovt ir! the height of it, when a man hat h n.othing in him but love of himfelf, it is the bottom of Original fin, if you ·fludy 11 a thoNfand ~ears. Well, there cometh the Holy Ghofi upori a man1 s heart, and there ts tndeed a work partly from above, yet 11 fiirreih tiut th~ fldh; it is p:n-tly from the Holy Ghofi's fiitring ir, and partly fr"rrl the will cli the Flelh flirred too. In oppofition tb which; faithJumrs, Every prrjed gijtu from above, that is, whollyfrom above; butthefe iruperfeCl: work!; they work upon the wi!J of thejlt/h, they work upon .Self-love, and fo far as that will carry a man to good, fo far a man is carried. Wh•reas true Grace is not a work of the wi!J of thtjlejh, hut of the will of God; it is wholly from above, for it depofeth the will cif the Flelh, depofeth Self-love, and fetteth a mart bri work ftom a new principle. Se I have done with the lirfi Corpll"ry~ . .. Zi the
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