CORRIIPTION OR DEPRAVATION OF THE MIND BY SIN. CHAP. IlI. (I.) Contempt and corruption ofthe doctrine ofregeneration. (2.) All men in the worldregenerate or unregener- ate. (3.) General description ofcorrupted nature. (h, 5.) Depravation ofthe mind. (6.) Darkness upon it. (7.) The nature ofspiritual darkness. (8, 9.) Reduced into two heads, of darkness objective. (60.) How removed. (1 1, 12, 13, 14.) Ofdarkness subjective, its nature and power. (15, 16.) Proved.--(17.) Ephes. iv. 17, 18. Opened. (18.) Applied.(19.) -The mind alienatedfrom the life of God. (20, 21, 22.) The life ofGod what it is. (28.) The power of the mind, with respect Unto spiritual things, examined. (24, 25.) 1 Cor. ii. 1t. Opened. hvinesársgvv,s, or the natural man, who.(26.) Spiritual things what they are. (27.) How the natural man cannot know or receive spiritual things. (28.) Difference between understanding doctrines, and receivingof things. (29, 30.) A twofold power and abilityofmind, with respect unto spiritual things, explained.(31.) Reasons why a natural man cannot discernspiritual things. (32, 33,'34, 85, 36, 37.) How and whereforespiritual things arefoolishness to natural men. (38.) Why natural men cannot receive the things of-God. (39, 40, 41.) A double impotency¡ in the mind of man by nature.(42.) 1 Cor. ii. 14. farther`, vindicated.(43.) Power of dariness in persons unregenerate. (44.) The mindfilled with wills or lusts, and enmity thereby.(45.) Thé power and efficacy ofspiritual darkness at large declared. WE have, I hope, made our way plain for the due consideration of the great work of the Spirit in the re-' generation of the souls' of God's elect. This is that whereby he forms the members of the mystical body of. Christ, and'prepares living stones for the building of a temple, whereinthe living God will dwell. Now, that we may not only declare the truth in this matter, but also vindicate it from those corruptions wherewith some have endeavoured to debauch it, I shall premise a des- cription lately givenof it, with confidence enough, and it may be not without toomuch authority. And it is in these words; " What is it to be born -again, and to as have a new spiritual life in Christ, but to become " sincere proselytes to the gospel; to renounce all vi- " cious customs-and practices, and to give an upright " and uniform obedience to all the laws of Christ? and, "therefore, ifthey are all but precepts of moral virtue; " to be born again, and to have a new spiritual life, is a only to become a new moral man. But their u- s, count" (speaking of nonconformist ministers) " of cz this article, is so wild and fantastic, that had I " nothing else to make good my charge against them, a that alone would be more than enough to expose the " prodigious folly of their spiritual divinity." p. 343, 344. I confess these are thewords of one who seems notmuch to consider whathe says, so as that it mayserve his present turn, in reviling and reproaching other -men: for he. considers not, that, by this description of it, he utterly excludes the baptismal regeneration of in- fants, whirls is so plainly professed by the church wherein he is dignified. Butthis is publicly declared, avowed, and vended, as allowed doctrine amongst us, and therefore deserves to be noticed, though the person that gives itout be at irreconcilable feuds with himself and his church. Of morality and grace, .an account shall begiven elsewhere. At present thework of regeneration is that whichis under our consideration. And concerning this, those so severely treated, teach no other doctrine, but what, for the substance of it, is received in all the reformed churches in Europe, and which so many learned divines of the church of En- land confirmed with there suffrage at the synod of Dort. Whether this deserves all the scorn which this haughty person pours upon it by his swelling . words of vanity, will, to indifferent persons, be made appear in the ensuingdiscourse; as also, what is to be thought of the description ofit given by that author, which, wheth- er it savour more of ignorance and folly, or of pride
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