7'he Nature and NecejjityofRegeneration: Firft, By laying down fome particular Attainments of Carnal Men that poffibly they may miftake for Evidence of their Regeneration. Secondly, By laying down fome Particulars that the Scripture bath made infallible Marks and Tefts of a Regenerate Perfon. As to the firJt of thefe, the ufual miftakcs of fuch whofe ConviCHons eVer awakened them to a Self-cxatnination, are in that they rely upon works preparatory to Re... generation f~r the .work .~f Regeneration it felf; fo~ as in n~tural Generation there is fome previous d1fpofition of Matter before there ts the Extftencc of a Form. fo MJ!,..ku in Regeneratiorl, commonly, thou~ .not always, there are fame prcparatio~s of ~~:;~;,~:~ Son{ by the common wor~s of the ~ptn~ before the New Creature is formed in it. ~Jjw.m·:d. Why now by Regeneration there IS a Fivefold Change wrought. 1 • Firft, Vpon the Vndcrftanding or 'Judgment, by Enlightning of it. 2. Secondly, Vpon the Confcicnce, by Awakening and Pacifying it. 3• Thirdly, Vpon the AjfeEtions, by Spiritualiz..ing them. 4' Fourthly, Vpon the Will, by Convert£n%t·t. S· Laftly, Vpon the Life and Omver[ation, by Reforming of it. VVhy now ~rom each of .thefe Particulars c~rnal Men may co~leCt miftaking Evidences for thetr Regeneration; and thefe I fhall endeavour to d1fcover to you. 1. Firft, Touthing the Mind or Vnderflanding that may be greatly irradiated with a clear 1>~ tlu UK• and fparkli~g knowledge of Spiritual Obje£ts, wheJ! yet the Soul is not truly Regenerated. It is dtrf.aml· true, as m the Cre.:ttlon of the World, light was numbred amongft the firrt of !;!• ::~:God's \:Vorks; fo in thi.s Ne.w Creation, the fir!f: work of the Spirit of God is t_o ligl:mcd Jhed abroad a. heavenly l1~ht mto the U~der!tandmg. And therefore we have th1s 1n witktd firft in order ll1 the Conmuilion that Chnft f}Ves unto St. Paul, Afts 16. t8. I fend 11,d tarMI rl;ee to tbc Gentiles to open their Eyes, and to turn them fom darlmefs to light, and then it Men· follows, {i·om the power of Satan unto God. But yet notwithftanding there is an illumi1\stls ~ 6· nation a6out fpiritual t~1ings that may gild and beautifie the Underftandings of un1 · regenerate Men, who ltke the Toad may be full of Poyfon, though fue hath a preci~ , ous Stone in her Head. The .Apoftie lays down this as one of the fir.ft Attainments lieb. 6. 'l· that unregenerate Men may have, and yet be Apoftates. Fleb. 6. 4· For it io impoffible for tho{e who were once enlightned, if they fall away to renew them again by Repentance. They may not only have a deep knowledge of Gofpel Myll:eries, fo as to fee the whole Cornpages and Concatenation of the DoCtrine of Chrift, and be able to unfold them alfo unto others; but alfo have particular Difcoveries of the glory and beauty Num ,4· that is in thofe things. See it in Balaam'-s Extafie, Numb. 24. 6. How amiable are thy 6. Tents, 0 Jacob, and thy Tabernacles, 0 Ifracl! Where belides that Propheticall/lumination which was darted into him immediately by the Spirit of God, he had alfo a glorious difcovery made to him of the beauty and excellency of the fpiritual ftate of the Church; it was not only a view of the Order and Difcipline of the l{raelitifh Camp, that made him break forth into high Admirations, but alfo a feeing them ranged under Jefus Chrift the Captain of their Salvation, which was an extraordinify Illumination to fuch an unregenerate wretched Man as Balaam was. Such dif.. coveries of the moft fpiritual Objeas carnal Hearts may have made unto them; they may fee their loft Eftatc by Nature, the way of Recovery by Grace, the Snitablenefs of Chrift to their Souls, the Riches of his Grace, the Freenefs of his Love, the Rcadinefs of his Heart to fave them, the Delireablcnefs of Happinefs, and the The roumi· Beauties of HolinefS; and yet for all this remain ftill in a carnal and unregenerate 11•rim of ftate. Now fuch Illumination of carnal Men falls lhort of being a good evidence of t~m" 1 ~101Regeneration in two Particulars .. s%;:;i~~ge· Firft, Becaufe it U a barren light. That Illumination that is faving is not only ,, light but influence alfo. As the li~ht of the Sun doth not only ferve to paint the Enu~(ei: World, and varnilh over the vanety and beauty of the feveral Creatures that are i~ a barren in it, but by the graceful heat that its influences infinuates and fooks into them 1 '&ht, dotll alfo refrelh them; and as its light difcovers their Beauty, fo its influences en· creafeth them. SO faving Illumination not only illuftrates the Soul by it_s light, ~ut by its congealing influences nouriiheth it, draws Sap into it, and Frmt from 1~; bUt the illumination of wicked Men is but a barren light, and bath no influences m it to make the Soul to grow and bring furth the Fruits of Holincfs. , SecoDdiy;
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