394- Of the Nature ofRegeneration, and its Necef fity, &C. Vol. Ia vexation to us, yet if we be inwardly Difeafed, we may have pain and anguith enough, we may be as it were upon the rack, and feel as great torment from the inward diforder of our humours, as if we were tortnrd from without. So it is with the Soul, Sin and Vice are internal Difeafes, which do naturally create trou- ble and difcontent, andnothing but diverfion, and the variety of Objects and Pleafures which entertainMen in this World, hinders awicked Man from being out of his wits, whenever he refle&s upon himfelf5 for all the irregular Appe- tites and Pafllons, Luft, and Malice, and Revenge, are fo many Furies within us, and tho' there were noDevil totorment us, yet the diforder of our own Minds; and thehorrours of a guilty Confcience would be a Hell to us, and make us ex- treamly miferable in the veryRegions of Happinefs. So that it is ueceffary that our Faith thould bemade perfet by Charity, and that we thould becomenew Crea- tures; not only from the Arbitrary conf itution and appointment of God, but from the Nature and Keafon of the thing ; becaufe nothing but this can difpofe us for that Bleffednefs, which God hath promis'd to us, and prepared for us: Faith confider'd abttra&ly from the Fruits of Holinefs and Obedience, of Good- nefs and Charity, will bring no Man into the favour of God. All theexcellency ofFaith is, that it is the Principle of a good Life, and furnitheth us with thebelt Motives and Arguments thereto, the Promifes and Threatnings of the,Gofpel ; and therefore in Heaven, whenwe come to fight and enjoyment, faith and hope (hall ceafe, but charity never faileth ; for if it should, Heaven would ceafe to be Heaven to us, becaufe it is the very frame and temper of Happinefs; and if this difpofition be not wrought in us in thisWorld, we (ball be altogether incapable of the felicity of the other. You fee then what it is that mutt recommend us to the favour of God ; the real Renovation of our Hearts and Lives, after the Image of him that Created us. This mutt be repaired in us, before ever we can hope to be reflored to the grace and favour God, or to be capable of the Reward of Eternal Life. And what could God have done more Reafonable, than tomake thefe very things the terms of our Salvation, which are the neceffary Caufes and Means of it ? How could he have dealt more mercifullyand kindly with us, than to appoint that to be the Condition of our Happinefs, which is theonly qualification that can make us ca- pable of it ? I will conclude all with that excellent affage in the Wifdomof Solomon, Chap. 6. 17, 18. The very true beginning of Wifdom is thedefsre of difcipline, and the care ofdifcipline is love, and love is the keeping of her laws, and taking heed to her laws is the afferauce of incorruption. TheSum of what I have faid upon this Argument amounts to this, that upon the termsof the Gofpel we can have no hope of the forgivenefsof our Sins, and Eternal Salvation, unlefs our Nature be renewed, and the Image of God, which is defaced by Sin, be repaired in us, and we be Created in Chrifl unto goodworks ; That no Faith will avail to our Juftification and ac- ceptancewith God, but that which is made perfell by Charity, that is, by fulfilling of the Law, and keeping the Commandments of God ; by fincere Obedience and Ho- linefs of Life, which notwithttanding the inavoidable imperfe&ion of it in this Rate, will neverthelefs be accepted with God, through the Merits of our Bleifed Saviour, who bath loved us, and mafht us from our fins in his own blood. Towhom be Gloryfor ever. Amen. SER-
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