.Or, The New <.Birth.. '· 5'' filppofition, that every mortal fin~~· aS they call-them, makes :ia .interccffion. of juJl:ify ing Grace, and doth as it were; annihilate tpe new Creature; other~ interpret iL thus, in quantum fumm Dei Filii, we cannot fin under that r~fp,e[t and not1onas w·e arc the Children ofGod, but even fofaras we are the befi: of us m ~he moft part unrcncwed: Though this is a certain truth, y~t i~ is but a dilute and waterifh Expofition of this place, and it amounts to ~o .!Uore than this,. tha~ a ~cgencrate Ma_n ~ns not as he is Regenerate, that the Pnnaple of Crace m bun IS not that Pnnnplc from whence finfnl Ati::ions proceed: ,And certa,inly nq 1'4an that confiders the weight of this Scripture exptcj{iQn, will thin~ t hat t he Ap()ft_le by fi1ch an infl:ance and ingemina. tion would prcfs fo thin a meaning as this is. The Interpretation thereof that I judge to be the moft natural and lli;tforced in thiS: He that is Born of God finncth not, that is he" doth not fin in .that \.malignant manner as the Children of the Devil do, he doth not ru:tke a trade of fl)l, nor live in the conftant and allowed prattice of it; neither can IJc rlH:-s ji1J becaufe hio feed remaineth ip him; that is, either the Energy of the Word of God whereby he'is begotten again to a·fpiritual Life, or the cqmplexi. on of the Graces of the Spirit that are as it were thC Seminary and Seed-plot of Glory: Nor he cmmM{i•t beca~fe hMfced remaineehjp foim: This Seed remaineth and .keeps him that he cannot fin, e1thcr as .Apoflates do, who totally for fake the ways of God, or as propbane Perfons do, who never embiaced them. There is a great difference bc~wixt Regenerate and Unregenerate Perf0ns in the very fins that they commit; all indeed fin, bnt a ChilP of God .cannot fin.. ; that .is, though he doth fin, yet llC cannot fin after fnch a manner as w1cked and unregenerate Men do ; there is a vafi: difference betwixt them even in that ~herein they do moft of all agree; fee that · place in Deflf· 32. 3· Their [pot io not the {p-ot -of hjs ChiLdren. Even deformities them- De ~ g fclves are Charac.l:.criftiol, and a true Chriftia_n may come to kaow by his fins th.lt 1 • ut. .) • he is not a fi.nner; and a~ they differ in the cornmitt~ng of fin, fo much more in the oppofing of it. Lcr ~1s therefore examine Ol!r felves what evidences we have in refpea of the keeping of our felves fr9rn fin, that we are Regenerated and Born again. . · · · , ·· . ;, , . . , Firft therefore, It is a gpod cvide~ce o{the ~r~ ,if Grace whm our oppofition aga£n.fl fin I. is univerfal. \V" hen we do, as Da1.1td fpeaks offwnfelf, hP.te ervery fatft way. The re- A h"t•wl fervation, indulgence or allowance granted to any ~ne known Luft is utterly incon. of ali fo• 11 fiftent with a il:ate of Grace. One Loft that hath obtained your Pafs to go to and /Jgn of fro unmolefted, and to Traffick with the Heart undifturbed, whatever oppofition Gum. you m:1y make againft other fins, is a ccrtaill fign of a cQrrupt Heart; one Luft will fervc as a Spy to hold Intelligence with the Devil . .A Cion can never be incorporrtcd into the Stock while there is the Ieaft Skin or F ilm bet.wixt them:, no more can we ever be incorporated into Jcfus Ghrift i f there be but the fcparation of any of the le:1ft allowed fin to inteqX)fe betwixt him and us. Our Oppolition therefore muft be afql inft all fin: It is true, in ou.r Bodies there are fuch parts, that if we were wounded in them there needs no other Wounds to difpatch us, but the Wound is inftantly Mornl; as if a..Man be wounded in the Heart you need not ftrike him on the Head : But in the bod:Y ofSin and Pea~!;tth7re is no fuch wound; it is not filfficient to deftroy the old·¥an, that we wound hun in any one part, but he nmft be made as our natural ftate is defcribed to be b,ythe Prophet, Frorh the crown of the head fo rhefoleofrhe [oor, a/lfp/lo('1voWJd.Jand bruife'S'.. Let us now try ourfelves. by this, is there no Luft that your Eye fpares, nor 1that your Heart pities? Doth the Sword ofMortification draw the Mcart-blood of every fin? When they fly for Ihelter into your Bofom can you rend them from thence, and flay them before the Lord? When they plead profit or pleafurc, can you w1oh a·holy difdain deftroy them with fi1ch Arguments in their Mou~Qs? Canft thou then cut off a right Hand when i t is lifted up to pleacl for Mercy ?Ieau you, then pluck out a right Eye when it Iheds Tears to move you to compaffion to it? If fo, this is a good evidence ofRegenerat ing Grace, whofc proper e.ff~a it is to beget an .Alztipathy and Hatred in the Heart againft all!fin. 13ut lf t.here be any one fin that you allow and Indulge in your fe lf, whatever other fins you may abftain from, allUre your felf that the greateft change that is wrought upon you i"s on ly fame external change of the Life, but no change of the Heart or State; frill you are ia your fins if you allow your fel f but in one of t hem. One allowed fin is vent enough for the old Man to take breath at; and while it hath a breathing place allowed it,· It is in vain to think that you .have mortific~ and de... llroycd it. Scrondly,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=