The Nature and Necij]ity of Regeneration: I· Firfr; Endtav~ur that the Graces ofthe Spirit be fruitful in goodWorks: YourCorrupti~ Th<y tbat ons are always VIgorous and operative, and why fhould not your Graces be fa much '::uft?;Au more? G~cc i_s in you that n~li~g and. prevali~g Principle, why Jhould it not alfo fru t(ul in be mofl.a(hvc .m you? Yet fo tt ts, as It was with Sa~ah an? 1-Iagllr, .Sartth the FrccSHJW~rks. born Miil:refs IS barren, but Hagar the Bond-woman IS frmtfi.1l; fo IS it even in the ~hildrcn of God th~mfclvcs, the noble, fpirituai, _and free~born part that u!ilall lS barye_n and unfr~Htful_, \~hen the Carnal an? fervlle part IS too too fruitful, ftih concelVmg, and fbll bn.ngmg forth. What s t~e rCafon 1that Corruption that is. conquered fh?uld have .a more nume~ou~ Off-fprJJ~g !ltl!l Gr~ce ~hat is triumphant? Your Gr:JCC ISno Ougglfh unactcd Pnnc1ple, no, "tt ISEthenal, Jt carries a Divine and Hc~venly.Firc in_it,, and tends as naturally to what is good, _as the Corrupt part cloth to what IS finful; It hath a natu.raJ propenfion to breathe Jt felf forth into ha~ -Iy Thoughts, holy Affi::Cl:ionsand Dcfites., ·do not you then be wa.nting to it but fl:in1p the Grace of Go~ that is in you; 1think ho\f becoming a thing it is when'God !1ath framed you according to his Image and Likenefs, that you alfo fhould frame holy ,Th011ghts, ant! heavenly Affections, according to God's Likenefs, and have a numcrous.P(ogcny like unto him: But alas the Children of God arc much wanting to thamfc\ves in this particular: If the Spirit at any time is imprcg:.nant upon their 1-fcarts with holy motions; how do. they neglect and friftc them fa that there are but ,very few of them but prove meer Abortives? Our-Hearts at lafi: will be found to l1ave been the Gmves and Sepulchres of Thoufands of holy Thoughts and Motions which we have ftarv.cd in their very Infancy. ' 2 , Secondly, Opp"[t indwelling Grace at_ainft tke prcvalency 1111d -p"wer "( indwtOing Sin. r,drvtlling Grace it is an Immortal Seed that wtll certamly fpt.:out up and flourifh into Gfory · G""e it is a LiviJ~g FountJiifl: that will. certainly fp~ing up unto Eternal Life, a Ray 0 [ 11 :•ght 111 be he:tvcnly L1ght that w11l wax bnghter and bnghter to a heavenly Day; it is Immor~ cpp_orpd.~- tal in its-Seed, Vitl:o,r~O\lS in a S,park, Triumphant in its Dawn; yea, take it when ~':~~~~" · it i$ \VC,akefl:, when this Dawn IS clouded, when this Spark twinkles, when this Sin. Seed is unf~irited, yet even the!l is i_t .m_ighty through ~od, and is frill an ovcr.r match ·fot' Sill; to fet Vrac:e aga10ft S!n, IS to fet God agamft Sottan, Heaven againft Hell, · the Spirit again it the FlcJh, and ' what odds can any Chriftian defire more] Have ~c a principle of Grace _in us.which will.go forth Conque_ring. unto Conquer, and wrll afluredly Crown us With VtC!ory, and Jhall we not bnng 1t to the Trial? Yea, ,let me tell y~u, you In:Uft detain Grace iJ_I u~ight~oufi1efs, and deprefs, and keep lt.undcr by vtolenc~; 1f y<;m do not preva1l wtth It, 1fyou do_ n~t fi:rive againft your S_10s, yon muft frnve ag.:unft yout G_ra~es; and thcrcf?rc lt JS the greateft fhame m the World for you that have -a Prmc1ple .of Grace In you, that Principle that fhall never totally be overcome, bafcly to y1eld to any Temptation or LuQ: whatfoevcr. 3. .Thirdly, Bt t."':IJfJrted alfo, fince )'"" are bom "f Gd, tfJ live as becfJme; the Children of 'Ihojt t!w God, aild tp cxprtfs your heavmly Parentage by ytn~r heavenly Converfation. I have for- ,re Born of merly in the handlmg of this Subject told you that we are the Children of God two ~od mufl ways, by Regeneration, and by Adoption; Adoption gives ~Is the Inheritance of ~%~a.u th{Children, and Regenerat ion gives us the Nature ofour Heavenly Father: As we then G~. Ym 6 bare the Relat ion ofChildren, fo let us have the AffeCtions of Children. Dtl~itl 1'{· Firft, Let us rffifs our Htarts with a.Filial Fear and Reverence ()f G()d. God calls foF f.JIIirtd of this in Mat. I. 6. If I be a Father, where is mine homur! And lo the Apofrlc, r Pet. :~h/ha: r. 17. l ('Y_ou call GQd Father, pafs the time fJ[ your fojfJurning here with fear. This holy childrmofawc and fear of God Will be a great check ~1pon us when we are apt to grow wanton Go.-1. A1, and extravagant. Ch ildren whatfoevcr they do at other t imes, yet they wil l ftrive to 1. deport thcmfelves refpeB:fully in the prefence of their Father. Why confider, you arc Tbt~t thty always in the prefence of yom· Heavenly Fa.ther who is Omnipotent, he is with you ftn/Go~ where-ever you are, his Eye is upon you whatever you are doing; Oh, therefore Mll · 1 • • behave your fclvcs with that holy Reverence and Compofednefs as becomes fo awful a prefen:::e as his is : Thou who wouldft abfl:ain from any lewd and unbecoming Action before the Reverent Face of thy earthly Parents, wilt thon not much more reverence the all-controuling looks of thy heavenly Father? T_hcre is not a thoug~t in thy Heart, nor a word upon thy Tongue) but God knows It altogether; and 1f tlris be not a moft powerful reftraint to keep thee from evil, know this, that the ller y immodcfl:y of thy finning is a clear proof that thou art no Chijd. When ']ofoph's Brethren committed that horrid Fact of felling of him, they contrh•c l1ow they may hide
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