OF REGENERATION. 193 scripture giveth us another descriptionof this work of declared before. The sum is, that it is not able to dis- cern spiritual things in a spiritual manner; for it is pos- sessed with spiritual blindness or darkness, and is filled with enmity against God and his law, esteeming the things of the gospel to be foolishness, because it is ali- enated from the life of God, through the ignorance that is in it. We must therefore inquire what is the work of the Holy Spirit on our minds in turning of us to God, whereby this depravation is removed, and this vicious state cured; whereby we come to see and discern spiritual things in a spiritual manner; that we may rav- ingly know God and his mind as revealed in and by Jesus Christ, And this is several ways declared in the scripture. Sect. 52. (1.) He is said to give us an understand- ing, I Jahn v. 20. The Son of God is come, and bath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, which hedoth by his Spirit. Man, by sin, is be- come like the beasts that perish, which have no under. standing, Psal. xlix. 12, 20. Men have not lost their natural intellective faculty or reason absolutely; it iscon- tinued unto themwith the free thottgb impaireduse of it, in things natural and civil. And it bath an advance in sin. Men are wise to do evil, r But it is lost as to the especial use of it in the saving knowledge of God and his will; to do good they have no knowledge, Jer. iv. 22. For, naturally, there is none that understandeth, that seeketh after God, Rom. iii. 17. It is corrupted, not so much in the root and principle of its actings, as with re- spect unto their proper object, term, and end. Where- fore, although this givingof an understanding, be not the creating in us a-new of thatnatural faculty; yet it is that gracious work in it, without which that faculty in us, as depraved, will no more enable us to know God ravingly, than if we had none at all, The grace there- fore here asserted, in the giving of an understanding, is the causing of our naturalunderstandings to understand ravingly, This David prays for, Psal. cxix. 34. Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law. The whole work is expressed by the apostle, Eph. i. 16, 17, 18, " That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father " of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and + Prorsas si Dei adjutorium deruesi,, nihilboni agere patens; agis guldens illo non adjurante libera voluntate, sed male; ad hoc idonea est. Volume, tua quse oeatur libera, et male agenda fitdamnabilis ancilia August, Serra, 15. de Verb. Apostot, regeneration; for it consists in the renovation ofthe image of God in us, Eph, iv. 23, 24. Be tr renewed in the spi- n rit of your mind, and put on that newman, which n after God is created in righteousness and true holi- " ness." That Adam, in innocency, had a superna- tural ability of living unto God, habitually residing in him, is generally acknowledged. And although it were easy for us to prove, that whereas he was made for a supernatural end, namely, to live to God, and to come tothe enjoyment of him, it was utterly impossible that he should answer it, or comply with it, by the mere strength of his natural faculties, had they not been en- dued with a supernatural ability, which, with respect unto that end, was created with them, and in them. Yet we will not contend about terms. Let it be grant- ed, that he was created in the image of God, and that he had an ability to fulfil all God's commands, and that in himself, and no more shall be desired. This was lost by the fall. When this is by any denied it shall be proved. In our regeneration there is a renovation of this imageof God in us; renewed in the spirit of our minds. And it is renewed in us by a creating act of almighty power, which after God, or according to his likeness, is created in righteousness and true holiness. There is therefore in it an implantation of a new princi- ple of spiritual life, of a life unto God in repentance, faith, and obedience, or universal holiness, according to gospel- truth, or the truth which came by Jesus Christ, John i. 18. And theeffect of this work is called Spirit, John viii. 5. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit. It is the Spirit of God of whom we are born; that is, our new life is wrought in us by his efficiency. And that which in us is so born of him, inspirit; not the natural faculties of our souls, they are once created, once born, and no more; but a new principle of spirit- ual obedience, whereby we live unto God. And this is the product of the internal immediate efficiency of grace. Sect. 51.This will the better appear, if we consider the faculties of the soul distinctly, and what is the espe- cial work of the Holy Spirit upon them in our regene- ration or conversion to God: (I.) The leading conduct- ing faculty of the soul is the mind or understanding. Now, this is corrupted and vitiated by the fall, and how it continues depraved in the state of nature, bath been
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