TheOld.maa and the ev-mall. 417 fs?termeo fdif in&ion betwixt our native corruption and tharóftheAngels, 4. which kept not their fiate(iate : ours is caned Flefb, theirs fpiritnadwicked- F 6ef.6aa, volek. Thus for the fenfe ofthe.word Flefh c Now tobeborne ofFlefh, is tobek EP borne asa man ofa man ; and whatfoeuer is foborne, is fuchas that whereout iris borne o The begetter and the bearer,alumpeofcorruption writhe Birth no whir at all better in it lelfe. Touching thewordSpirit, in thefirf place wee may either vnderftand thereby a fpirituall beginning, as, Fle(bwasexpouas dedtobetoken acorrupt andcarnal' roore; or elfe wee may concerne thereby theSpirit ofGod , wisofeproper and peculiar wacht thatofReeiietation is. By Spirit in the fecond place is notmeant a fpiriivallfubftaflce , (for in filch 4 fenfe there can beeno filch thing as one fpirit to beget another ) but therebyis intended a fpiritualldifpofition; fo that the fenfeofthewhole is thus s As of that birth which is from naturali man, there commethno better thing then meere corruption; fo ofthat which is wrought by the reaming of the holy Ghoft , there proceed fpirituall,diuine, and holy qualities. Corruptedman brings forth a creature corrupted like himfelfe, and nofuch can inherit the Kingdome ofGod. TheSpirit of Godmaketh whichare borneof him to become fpirituall, and fo they become capableof Eternity. This is the true interpretation of this place: And if this fenfehadbeen aright thus gene- rally conceiued, there needed not to haue been fucha bufsnelíenu wee read to haue been among Come of the Ancients, about anfwering an obie&ion, fuppofed to bee frameable outofthefewords,againit theTruth ofChrilts bo- dy , becaule he wasconceiuedby theholyGhoff; and thinwhich te borneofthe Spnit> ioSpirit, faith theText Heretotheir beft anfwerwas, that Chnítwas safe borneof fle(h,namely,the bells of theVirgin,and foerroniouflythey limit Chnfls beingof theholyGhofti only to hisCoule: Whereas if it beconfidered, that thewords Flfh andSpirit,doe not herebetokena (ubftance,butaquality; Oath, a corrupteftate;Spirit,a fpirituall condition thematter wereTooneclee- red : for thenall that couldbee concluded concerning Chrift. would be this; namely,that Chrift being concciued by the holy Ghoft,wasall Spirit, .hauiug in him the graces ofGods Spirit in anvnmeafurablemeafure, and wasneuer awhit Flefh,asnot having thefmalleft taínture ofcorruption f If the wordSpi- sot weretobe expounded ofa(ubllance, how (hould thisbeeverifiedinaman regenerate? Shall wee thinke fuch an one to beebecomea Spirit , all corporali and (Jefhly fubdancebeing cleave aboli'hed in him? whatcould bee more ab- furd. Well faith an old Writer; Wee brig domeeftheSpirit, aremade Spirit; aafrlhub,n, netinnlpei?ofany partakingofthe glorioue unItucompreben(ble f bfianreoftheHoly yonnu.aoptif Ghof, bat in regardofthefruitionofthofefpm:null grucetwhich Godheffoweththrough tao. Chri/?. Thus there forinterpretation. Inbride this isall : Ofa corrupted be- ginning, commeth noneother but a corruptedbirth: From a fpirituall, iffueth out afpiritnall off-fpring. Now to makeway tomatterof inftru&ion, thereare heretwo things prin- cipally confiderable. t.Thetrxef?atF sfanatrallman. 2. Theproper conditionefts regenerateman. Concerning the true (late ofanaturaliman,thisis theDo&rine: That minThy Doll. byPuttee ofbimfel feharbnothingiáhimhut corruption. It hath been already pro- vedcovs,that by Fiefh, here ismeant nothing but corruption; and tobe borne of the Flefb,isto beborne asa man;and whofoeuer is fo borne, thebelt which can bemadeofhim(faith one Sauiour) is,that heis Flefh, a very confutedheape of all corruption. The natterthus manifeidedby theText, isvery proueable bytheScripture. Danidfaithofhimfelfe, and its true ofeueryman , borne afterthe common courfe ; Jmuabornein iniquity , main ftbnèhath'niyeMorher falmismdMel.Sinne andIniquity,arehere taken in the largeft meallue,bothfor 04; Oo guilt
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