i36 i Chap.,}. ACoraraust4rie vpo,o rie fettles to frame Chrilt in the hearts ofall bcleeuers: There- fore the fcuerall rules and orders ofMonica and Friars in the Ci ch cfRome,are metre fuperftitions. Futthermore,Paul here makes two degrees of Gods chil- dremone is,whcn theyarc begotten ofGod,and Chrift is for- med in thetn.The fecond is, when theyare begotten of God, S yet fo,as they areas yet vnfermed . Such were the Apoftles when they confefhed Chrifi to be the fonne ofthe huing God, Math. t 5.for then theyknewe not the article of Chrifis death, refurreEtion,afcention,at that time,nor the manner of his king. to dome. Of this fort was Rahab, when thee receiued the (pies, Heb. i t .for then (hee was not informed in the religion of the Iewes,but only acknowledged the God ofIfrael to be the true God,andhad a refolntion to Coyne her felfe to the people of God.Ofthis fort were the Corinthians at the firft . For they It S were carnal! more then fpirituall,euen babes in Chrift, r . Cora i3.3 .This muff teach vs,where we fee anygood thing in men, tocherilh it.For though as yet they be not Chriftians formed, yet they may be Chriftians in forming. When Paul faith,vntill Chrff,beforme!, he thews that the 20 eonuerfaon of a finner is not wrought in one moment, but by little and little,inprocefte oftime.In thegeneration ofinfants, firtt the brame , heart, and liner are framed: then the bones, veines,arterics,nerues,membranes:and after this,ffcfh isadded. And the infant firtt begins to hue the life ofa plant,bygrow. 25 ing and nourifhing: then it hues the life ofabeati, by fente and motion:and thirdly,the life ofaman, by the vfeofreafon. Eucn faGod outwardly preuents vs with his word,and inwardly he puts into vs knowledgeofhis wil, with the beginnings or feeds offaith and repentance , as it were a brame and a heart : from 30 there beginnings of faithand repentance,arifeheauenly delires: from thefe delires follows asking, Peeking, knocking:and thus thebeginnings of faith, are increafed , and men goe on frcm grace to grace, till they be tall men in Chrift . And for this 'caufe,wemutt with conftancy vfe the good means,in hearing, 3S readin»,praying. Laftly,we arc all hereput in minde to !ludic, and to vfe all goodmeanes,that we may be like to Chrift,fpecially in the di- fpofition ofthe inward man.Thcre is a fpirituall madneffe iiv the mindes ofmany men:they thinkeofnothingbut of the fa- i ion A.
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