372 Of the Nature of Regeneration, and its Necefty, Vol. I. folely argued from the Metaphorical expreffions of Scripture concerning Conver- fion ; fuch as being called out ofdarknefs into light, alludingto that powerful word ofGod, which in the rid} Creation commanded the light to fine out of darknefr being quicken'd and rais'd to a new Life ; and from this Metaphor here in the Text, of a new Creation. -Butfurely it is a dangerous thing in Divinity, to build Do&rines upon Meta- phors, efpecially if we (train them to all the fimilitudes which a quick and lively imaginationcan findout ; whereas fome one obvious thing is commonly intended in the Metaphor, and the meaning is abfolv'd and acquitted in-that, and it is fol- ly to purfue it into all thofe fimilitudes, which a good fancy may foggefl.- When our Saviour Pays, that he willcome as aThiefin the night, it is plain what he means; that the Day ofJudgment will furprize the carelefs World, when they leaft look for it, that he will come at an hour when they are not aware ; and tho' he refemble his coming to that of aThief in the night, yet here is nothing of Robbery in the cafe. Sohere when thechange which Chrillianity makes in Men, is called a new Creation, this only imports thegreatnefs of the Change, which by the power of God's Grace ismade upon the hearts and lives of Men ; and the Metaphor is fuffi. ciently abfolv'd in this plain fenfe and meaning of it, agreeable to the literal e. preffonsof Scripture concerning this thing, and there is noneed that this Change Ihould in all other refpefts anfwer the work of Creation ; and confequently there is no neceffity that it fhould be affe&ed in an irrefflible manner, or that we Ihould be altogether pave in this Change, and that we fttould no ways concur to it by any alt of our own, or that this work (hould be done in an inflant, and admit of no Reps and degrees. It is not neceffary that this Change (hould be effe&ed in an irrefrfable manner. God may do fo, when he pleafeth, without any injury to his Creatures; for it is certainly no wrong to any Man to bemade good and happy againft his will ; and 1 do not deny, but that God fometimes does fo. The Call of the Difciples to followChrift Teems to have been a very fudden and forcible impreffion upon their Minds, without any appearing reafon for it ; for it is not reafonable for any Man to leave his Calling, and follow every one that bids him do fo. The Con- verfion of Saul from a Perfecutor of Chriftianity, to a Zealous Preacher of it, was certainly effe&ed, ifnot in an irrefiflible, yet in a very forcible and violent manner. The Converfion of three thoufand at one Sermon, when the Holy Ghoft defcended in a viable manner upon the Apoftles, was certainly the effe& ofa mighty and over-powering degree of God's Grace. And the like may be faid of the fudden Converfion of fo many Perlons fromHeathenifm, and great wick - ednefs and impiety of Life, to the fincere profeffion of Chriftianity, by the preaching of the Apofilesafterwards. But that this is not of abfolute neceflity, nor the ordinary method of God's Grace,, to work upon the minds of Men in fo overpowering, much lets in an irre- f liblemanner, is as plain as any thing of that Nature can be, both from Experi- ence, and the Reafonof the thing, and the confiant tenour of the Scripture. We find that many (perhaps the greateft part) of thofe that are good are made fo by the infenfible fiepsand degrees ofa Religious Education, and having been never vicious, can give no great account of any fenfible Change, only that when they came to years of underftanding, they confider'd things more, and the Princi- ples that were inftill'd into them in their younger years, did put forth themfelves more vigorou(ly at that time, as Seeds fprout out ofthe Ground, after they have a good while been buried, and lain hid in theEarth. And it is contrary,to Reafon, to make an irrefftible ad of Divine Power necef- fary to our Repentance, and Converfion ; becaufe this neceffarily involves in it two things which feem very unreafonable. Fixfl, That no Man Repents upon Confiderarion and Choice, but upon meer force and violent neceffity, which quite takes away the Virtue of Repentance, whatever virtue there may be in the confequent alb of a Regenerate State, Secondly,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=