- upontheEpiflleof JAM E s. V! R S.IS. 137. by a crofs and affiietion ;,others by a mercy: Soma .are c.:zught by ~en holy gui•le,- (as the Apoil:le faith of the Corinthiaos,) orhers are brought in more fenGbly, · and with greater conO:ernation : ·Upon fome the Spirit cometh like agentle blafl, grace jnfinuatetb it fdf; upon others like a might] rufhing wind, with greater terror and enforcement: · So for the time, fome are longer in the bir-th, and wait at the .pool for many years; othc:rs ·are furprized,and gained of a fudden, Ca·nt. 6.12. Ere 1 -was aw.tre, my Soul mP~dnneltf?.! the Charets of Aminadab : Therefore we lhould not limit God to any one infl:ance, budlill wait upon him in the ufe of means, for his good pleafure to our Souls. . · ~ . • 2. That the ca_llin~ of a Soul to God, is,as it were,a new beg~t-· Obflrv..rt.~ 1ng and regeneratton : He begat m; there mufl: be a new frammg - -· and making, for all is out of order, and there is n_o atl:ive influence and concummce of our will; therefore grace is called, 2 Cor. 5. 17. "~vn x.11o-Ir, a newCreation ; all was aChaos and vafl: ·emptinefs: before : So elfewhere 'cis exprefr by being born again, John 3· ) • and fo Believers ar.e calledChrifts Seed, Ifai.53·to. The Point ~eing.obvioas,I lhall eh~ lefs fiay on it: 'Tis ufeful t. To thew us the horri~le defilement and depravation of our nature ; mending and repairing would not ferve the turn,, but God muft new make, and new createns, and beget us again ;..1ike the boufe infc:'ded with leprofie, fcraping win not ferve the turn, it mufl: be pulled down, and built up again : They mince the matter that fay .()f nature as thofe of the Damofel, She io not de11d, but flecpeth; as if it wer6 a /angou-1' or a fwotme into which Adam and his pofierity fell; no,_ ..cwas a de.r~tb; and therefore are thofe two nQtions of Creation and Refurreflion folemnly confecrated by the Spirit of God, to eKprefs our ltegeneration, or new birth. 2. To thew us, that we are meerly .paffive in our converfion; 'cis a begetting, and we (as the infant ih the womb) contribute nothing to our own forming; Pj11l, J:oo. 4• It i& he that bath made m, and not we our felvc,s; . we.had no hand in.it. 3. It lheweth us two properties ofconverfJOn. I ; There will be life; the effeCl of generation is life; natural men ate [aid, Ephef. 4· 18. to be alienated fr~m the life of qod, they are altogether firangers to the motions and operations of the ~pirit: ,But now when the So~l_is begotten, there will be atling, and moving, and fpiritual feeling, the Soul will not be fo dead towards Go~ .i, P~tulfaith, q~/.1.20. NfJt I live, but Chriflli~cth - - -- T · · in
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