3-io Of theNature of Regeneratlon,and its Neceffity, &c. Vol. I. When our Lord fends Paul to preach the Gofpel to the Gentiles, he tells him what a change it would make in them, by opening their eyes, and turning them from darknefs to light, and from the power of Satan unto God. And St. Peter ex- preffes the change which Chriftianity makes in Men, by their being call'd out of darknefs into amarvellous light, t Pet. 2. 9. And fo St. Paul, Eph. g. 8. re were fometimes darknefs, but now areye light in the Lord. And indeed, - wherever the Do&rine of Chrift hath its full effe&, and perfe& work, it makes a mighty change both in their inward Principles, and outward PraHice; it darts a new light into their' Minds, fo that they fee things otherwife than they did before, and form a different judgment of things from what they did before; it endues them with a new Principle, and new Refolutions, gives them another Spirit, and another Temper, a quite different fenfe and guff of things from what they formerly had. And this inward change of their Minds neceffarily produceth a proportionable change in their Lives and Convérfations, fo that the Man freersquite another courfe, ads after another rate, and drives on quite other defign from what he did before. And this is remarkably Peen in thofe who are reclaimed from Impiety and Pro- phanenefs to Religion, and from a vicious to a virtuous courfe of Life. The Change isgreat and real in all ; but not fo fenfible and vifible in force, as others; in thofe who are made good by the infenfible Reps of a pious and virtuous Edu- cation ; as in thofe who are trañflated out of a quite contrary state, and turn'd from the power ofSatan unto God, and tranflatedout of the KingdomofDarknefs, in- to the Kingdom ofChrill; whichwas the cafe of the Heathen World, in their firft Converfion to Chriftianity. Secondly, This Change is effe&ed and wrought by aDivine Power, of the fame kind with that, whichCreated the World, and raifed up Chrift Jefus from the Dead ; two great and glorious Inuances of the Divine Power ; and to thefe the Scripture frequently alludes, when it fpeaks of this New Creation. God, who commanded the light to ¡bine out of darknefs, bath fhined into our hearts. Like as Chrifi was raifed from the dead by thegloryof the Father,fowe alfo are raifed to newnefs ofLife, faithSt. Paul, Rom. 6.4. And to the fame purpofe the fame Apoftle fpeaks, Ephef. t. 19,'2o. And that ye may knowwhat is the exceeding greatnefs of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the operation of his mighty power, which he wrought inChrifi, when he raifed him from the dead. So that our Renovation, and being made new Creatures, is an inftance of the fame glorious Power, which exerted it felf in the fitft Creationof things, and in the Refurre&ion of our Lord Jefus Chrift from the Dead; but not altogether after the farne manner, as I (hall Phew under the next Head. . I fhould -now in the fecond place proceed toChow, that this Metaphor of a new Creation doth not import what force Men would extend it to, foas to found Do- &rines of great confequenceupon the tingle ftrength of this and other like Meta- phors ofScripture, without any manner of countenance and confirmation from plain Texts. But this I referve to another Difcourfe. SER
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