~~Q~--~T~~~~,--~~~~~~------ _4_J_8_ _ -_ he LVature and Necejji~ of Regeneration: Teceive the priviledges of his Children, we are made Sons by both. It is true God is the Author of all other things, as well as of the Grace of R~gcn~ration ; b}. him doth the whole frame of Nature ihbfift, and all Men owe thetr Bemgs to his Power a~d Goodnefs, but yet th~ endearing an~ fweet .I::-:1amc of Father he appropriates to h1mfel~; not becaufc he gtves natural Bem&s to hts Creatures, altho' in that refpect too he JS parms r~rum, the.Parent of _ali ~hmgs, . but .h:caufe alfo he gives fupernatural Grace to Jus own Children, which mdeed IS a g1vmg them of his own Nature· To give them natural Beings, is but to communicate to them the elfcCts of his Pow~ er and Providence, but to give them fupernatural Grace, is to communicate to them of his own Nature, and therefore more efpecially is he called their Father the Father of thofe that he doth regenerate; the refi: of his works arc but tile cffeits of his common Goodnefs and Bounty, but this is the effect of his fpecbl Grace, wherein God doth more /hew forth the effects of a Father than in the production of all the World. 3· Thirdly, 'The [tminal Vtrrue or Means by which thU New Birth h· ejftElcd, U the Word 'f:0~~';; of God. So you have it exprefiy in 'Jamc; 1. 18. Of hiJ own good will begat he tu with //, 1/vl\;:w the Word ofTr-urh. In Eu:k.. 37· you_read there the P!oph~t is cOmmanded_ to.prophc[ze Birth is over 4 heap ofdry bones; fuch an Almtghty Power was 10 hts Words, that It IS faid in tjj~fltd is V er. 7, 8. As he prophcjicd there w.u 4 great noi[t and ../halting among the bones, and Jineros t~t JJ~rJ ~1 and jlejiJ c~?.m e upon them: An Almighty Power indeed that could fpeak dry Bones into td· rs living Men. The fame that the Prophet did only in a Vifion, the Word of God am.t. ·preached cloth in a reality: We arc all of us dry Bones till this Almighty Word breathe life and quickning into us. The preaching of the Word is the great means Rom. 10 . God bath appointed for Regeneration in .R.om. Io. 17. F4!tk com_:s by hcm·i 1 ;g, and JJ. hearing by the Word of God. When God firfi: Created Man, It IS fiud, th:zt he breathed in to his Noftrils the breath of Life: But when God new Creates Man, he breathes into his Ears, this is that Word that raifeth the dead, calling them out of the Grave, this is that Word that opens the Eyes of the Blind, that turns the Hearts of the Difobedien t and Rebellious: And tho' wicked and prophane Men fcoffat Preaching, and count all Minifrers Words and God's Word too but fo much Wind, yet they arc fuch \:Vind, believe it, as is able to tear Rocks, and to rend Mountains, fuch Wind, as if ever they are faved, muft lhakc and overturn the Foundations ofall their carnal~Confidences and Prefi1ptions. Be exhorted therefoee more to prize, and more to frequent the preaching of the Word: How knowefr thou, 0 Jinm, but whilft thou art flothfully abfenting thy felf from the pubiick Ordinances, that Word is then fpoken that might a been thy Converfion? How knowefi: thou but that whilfi: thou art fleeping in the Congregation, that Word is . then fpoken that poffibly if thou hadft attended to, might have awakened thee from the dead flecp of fin and fecurity; filch an energy is there in the Word of God, when the Spirit of God cloaths it with Power, that it breaks in upon the Confcience rninates and demolith.eth the frame of finfi1l Nature, and in an inftant conveys fpi~ ritual Light, warmth and quickning into the Son I. 4· Fourthly, There are pang; and throw; that do accompany thU New Birth 44 well aJ the Thm lll't natunrl Birth:. and thcfe are Convictions and HumiliatiOns, when the Soul is bowed Pf'gs "' 11 'down under the infi.Jpportablc burthcn of its own Guilt, and the fenfe of God's ;h:~w:,_ \Vrath, when it lies grubbling in Prayer, rending it fclf, and Heaven too, with its tm~pan1 cries; in the midfi: ofall thcfe Aeonies Chrift Jcfus becomes formed in the Soul, and thi1 .v,w the work of Grace is accompl ifh.cd, which is the true ground of Joy and 'Comfort l'!!r~h ash for ever after. Indeed thefe travelling pangs are not alike ftrong in all Men; in :::ur"~1 1 e fome they are difl:rading Terrors, Terrors that break tl1eir Bones, and drink up Birth. their Spirits, and filch t1fuall y they are in old and cufi:omary Sinners, that will not be won by more gentle and mild courfes j with fuch knotty pieces as thefc are, the Spirit of God dea ls terribly, and in their New Birth cuts them out of the Womb, and faves them after fi1ch a manner, that to their prefent apprehcnlions he could not deal more dreadfully with them if he had deftroyed them: But thofe that are Converted in their Youth, before cufi:ornarinefs in Sin and hardnefs of Heart had JTI:ldc them impenetrable to the ord inary works of the Spirit of God, with thcfe God dea ls more mildly, and melts them down by foft and fwcet rclentings of Soul, and delivers them into the glorious liberty of the Children of God, without thofe violent Pangs and Convulfions that others do undergo; yet in all that arc fanctified and regenerated., after they arr.ive at the ufe of Reafon, i~ holds tr~e in the New Birth as w~!l .as m the natural Btrth, they do all of them brwg forth m farrow. - . na
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