390 Of theNature of Regeneration, and its Nece icy, Vol. I. the utmoft degeneracy and depravation which Men ever arrived at by the greateft abufeof themfelves, and the moft vile and wicked pratlices, the Standard of an unregenerate (late, and of the common Condition of all Men by Nature. And latly, that we do not make fome particular intances in Scripture, of the Rrange and hidden Converfion of Come Perfons (as namely, of St. Paul and the Jaylot in the Ails) the common rule and meafure of every Man's Converfion ; fo that unlefs a Man be as it were truck down by a Light and Power from Heaven, and taken with a fit of trembling, and frighted almoft out of his wits, or find in himfelf fomething equal to this, he can have no affurance of his Converfion ; whereas a much forer Judgment may be made of the fincerity of a Man's Conver- fion, by the realeffefks of this Change, than by the Manner of it. This our Sa- viour hath taught us, by that apt refemblance of the operation of God's Spirit to the blowing of thewind, of the Original Caufe whereof, and of the reafonof its ceafing or continuance, and why it blows tronger or gentler, thisway or that way, we are altogether ignorant but that it Sc, we are fenfible from the found of it, John 3. 8. The wind bloweth where it Beth, and thou hearefi the found of it, bet cant Ant tell whence it cometh, nor whither it goeth : So is every one that is born of the Spirit. The effeEls of God's Holy Spirit in the Regeneration of Men are fenfible, tho' the manner and degrees of his operation upon the Souls of Men are fo various, that we can give no account of them i by which, one wóu'd think our Saviour had fufciently caution'd us, nor to reduce the Operations of God's Grace and Holy Spirit in the Regeneration ofMen, to any certain Rule'or Standard, but chiefly to regard the tenable effefts of this fecret work upon the Hearts and Livesof Men. And after all, it is in vain to contend by any Arguments againft clear and cer- tain experience. If we plainly fee that many are infenfibly changed, and made good by pious Education, in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord, and that fome who have long lived in a prophane negleéf and contempt of Religion, are by the fecret power of God's Word and Holy Spirit, upon calm confideration, without any great terrours and amazement, viably changed and brought to a bet - ter Mind and Courfe ; it is in vain in thefe Cafes to pretend that this Change is not real, becaufe the Manner of it is not anfwerable to fome Inftances which are Recorded in Scripture, or which we have obferv'd inour Experience, and becaufe thefe Perlons cannot give fuch an account of the time and manner of their Con- verfion, as is agreeable to thefe inftantes ; which is jut as if I fhould meet a Manbeyond Sea, whom I had known in England, and would not believe that he had croft the Seas, becaufe he Paid he had a fmooth and eafie paffage ; and was wafted over by a gentle Wind, . and could tell no Stories of Storms and Tempefts. And thus I have fully and faithfully endeavour'd to open to you the juR im- portance of this Phrafeor Expreffion in the Text, of thenew Creature, or the new Creation. I proceed to the Second Particular I propounded, namely, that the real Renovation of our Hearts and Lives, is according to the terms of the Gofpel, and the Chriftian from Religion, the great Condition of our juftification and acceptance with God, and that this is thefame in fenfe and fubtance with thofe Phrafes in the parallel Texts to this, of FaithperfelJed by Charity, and of keeping the Commandments of God. That according to the terms of the Gofpel, the great Condition of our Jufti- fication and acceptance with God, is the real Renovation of our Hearts and Lives, is plain, not only from this Text, which affirms, that in the Chriftian Re- ligion nothing will avail us but the new Creature ; but likewife from many other clear Texts of Scripture ; and this, whether by Juftification be meant our firt Juftificationupon our Faith and Repentance, or ourcontinuance in this Rate, or our final Juftification by our folemn Acquittal and Abfolution at the Great Day, which in Scripture is called Salvation, and Eternal Life. That this is the Condition of our fiat Juftification, that is, of the Forgivenefs or our Sins, and our being received into the Grace and favour of God is plain from
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