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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	holy_a	read_v	scripture_n	8,342	5	5.9261	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A39929	Eternal glorification begun in regeneration, or, A discourse of regeneration intended for the profit of all, both regenerate and unregenerate persons / by Stephen Ford.	Ford, Stephen, d. 1694.	1675 (1675)	Wing F1508; ESTC R27370	134,202	259

sole and only Author of it without the help or assistance of men God needs none of their help neither can they afford him any at all towards their Renovation and therefore it is God alone For first men are all dead in sins and Trespasses Eph. 2.1 5. and therefore cannot move themselves to produce new habits or principles of that they have not nor can they set forward the great work of Regeneration in themselves for want of Life to act withall 2. Blind They are in gross darkness Isa 60.2 They cannot so much as see where nor what they are nor where they are going Joh. 12 35. They are born blind and continue such They see not the Light that shines round about them Joh. 1.5 much less can they direct themselves in procuring or forwarding their own Regeneration 3. There is nothing in them to make use of towards the production of it but very much to impede and hinder the work They will it not neither will they suffer God to do it until he hath mightily perswaded and bowed them to yield Phil. 2.13 Psal 110.3 therefore it is not in them to work it in themselves As they will not come to Christ that they may have Life Joh. 5.40 so they will not have him to come and create his Life in them Therefore it must be of God alone without the concurrance of second causes in men And I say 't is the work of God and not of one of the glorious persons only although the work be especially attributed to the holy Ghost but God the father hath his Almighty hand imployed in the work Eph. 1.19 20. 1 Pet. 1.3 and so hath Jesus Christ his son too Joh. 5.21 Joh. 10.10 so it is also the holy Spirits work Joh. 3.5 Tit. 3.5 The Reasons why the Scripture tells us all the persons in the God-head have their hand in the work of Regeneration are First to shew and impress a deep sense of the exceeding greatness and excellency of the work on the hearts of Regenerate persons that they might be induced thereby to admire and value it and to have it in high esteem as a most excellent and glorious work indeed which had so many hands of infinite wisdom power and love exercised and imployed about the effecting of it 2. That they might be directed and provoked thereby to ascribe all the glory unto all the three persons and not to the holy Ghost only 'T is true that men unregenerate ought to use Gods means in order to Regeneration they are to hear the Gospel preached read the Scriptures and good Books and to pray to God to Regenerate them because God hath commanded them so to do Ezek. 36.25 26 27 37. Luk. 11.13 and also because they are the ways and means of Gods own appointing for their Regeneration whereby he will work it Jam. 1.18 Rom. 10. Joh. 15.3 But yet your using the means and waiting in them cannot Regenerate you until God put forth his Almighty power in them and form a new Creature in you God tells us again and again that it is his work alone and that there is none to help him Eph. 2.8 9 10. Tit. 3.5 to take off all boasting from men and that he that glories might glory in the Lord 1 Cor. 1.31 'T is said to be a special powerful and saving work of God to distinguish it from those common and ordinary works or workings of God on many which never arises to or Issues in real Regeneration on their Souls First it is a special work it differs not only in the degree or measure of it but in the kind There is a specifical difference between what God works in and bestows upon such as he Regenerates and others who are never Regenerated although he bestows many Spiritual gifts on them 1. In the root and spring of his gifts and favours Namely his Love in Christ That is the Fountain and efficient cause of their Regeneration or of the grace and power whereby they are Regenerated Eph. 2.4 5. Deut. 7.6.7 c. God had loved and chosen them in the Lord Jesus to be a peculiar people unto himself and therefore Regenerates and makes them such by his grace But God doth not so love others neither hath he chosen them in Christ and Sanctified them to his use to be his peculiars and therefore he never effectually Regenerates them Rom. 9.21 22 23 24 25. And yet no one person is denied Regenerating grace but such as by their own wickedness do procure it unto themselves and therefore none shall have cause to complain of partial unjust or cruel dealing from the God of Truth with whom is no unrighteousness 2. There is a difference in the grace its self although it is hard to express and clear it to your Apprehensions yet a wide difference there is between the grace and gifts of the Spirit on men some are awakened enlightened and reformed by the holy Ghost which never are indeed Regenerated I shall not discourse of the differences here but only shall tell you that special grace hath virtue in it to enliven as well as to enlighten to quicken dead Souls and revive dead hearts as well as to enlighten the head Common grace may put Light into the head but never quickens and enlivens the heart but special grace doth both and that from its own nature and tendancy for it is given for that end Namely to cause the dead to live and the blind to see Spiritual things Spiritually 1 Cor. 2. There is a generative and renewing nature and virtue in the one that is not in the other But more of this elsewhere 3. There is also a specifical difference in the ends special grace is given by the God of Love and from the Love of God to some to conform them to and mould them for the Lords special use and service to make them lovely and aimable pleasing and delightful to him that he may delight in them and they in him and be made capable of Communion with himself 1 Cor. 1.9 Joh. 14.21 23. 1 Joh. 1.3 That they may be vessels of honour fitted for his use live to him and not unto themselves 2 Tim. 2.20 21. 2 Cor. 5.14 15. and also that they may live in the fruition and presence of God for ever in another world But now common graces are not given for these ends because they cannot effect them They leave men in as bad a state as they found them in Their hearts are not changed neither made new Creatures by them but remain under the reign and power of their lusts and are Lovers and obeyers of them under their common grace 2. It is the powerful work of God that is Regenerating grace is Irresistable It carries all before it and prevails It is mighty in opposing resisting and conquering all its Enemies to prosecute and obtain its ends which the common works of God are not as experience shews where Regenerating grace comes it dislodges Satan and

in a Regenerate state they are high noble and honourable They were wont to make the Lusts of the flesh of the eye and the pride of life the mark they shot at and the point scope and end of all their projects contrivements and endeavours but Regeneration hath sublimated and heightned their spirits caused them to see and carry on more worthy and glorious designs and ends their hearts are in measure suited to the Commands of God and the end of Christ his Death This the Apostle notably declares 2 Cor. 5.15 and that he died for all that they that live that is that are Regenerated and begotten again to a lively hope should not henceforth live unto themselves but to whom then why to him who died for them and rose again They are now partakers of the Divine Nature and are of a heavenly descent they are the spiritually natural and adopted Sons and Daughters of God the Off-spring and Royal Issue of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and therefore they must needs have aims ends and designs in their eyes and hearts according to their new Nature and Royal Spirits Now their Hearts and Souls are bent and set to live in the Court in the presence of the King to wait on and do homage to him to honour serve and please him to keep his favour and smiles of his countenance to know his pleasure and yield him free and chearful obedience thereunto to inrich themselves with his graces and Spirit and prepare themselves for full and everlasting Communion with himself Now they desire to hold up his Interest and Concerns in the world to inlarge and augment his Kingdom and to have their light so to shine in the world before men as that they may see their good works and be induced to glorifie God Matth. 5.16 These and such like glorious ends and designs are in the New Creatures eye but to live project and contrive to get and keep worldly riches honours pleasures beauty and a great name are things far beneath the Noble and excellent nature and spirit of the New Creature it is of a Christ-like Spirit and Nature and therefore it must of necessity have and design the same ends he doth Their old ends are passed away and new take place 5 New Rules or Laws Regeneration brings into a man and puts him under new Laws Orders and Rules All things are become new Before Regeneration they were ruled and governed by the will of the Flesh the counsels of the Flesh the suggestions of Satan and examples of carnal men and accordingly they walked and steered their course blest themselves in so doing promising peace and felicity to themselves in those ways of their own hearts Isa 66.3 1 Thes 5.3 But Regeneration puts into them and brings them under the Laws and Orders of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom into which they are translated Col. 1.3 The Laws written in the Gospel are by Regeneration written with the Finger of the Holy Ghost in their hearts so that now they have as it were two Bibles or Books of Laws the one in their hand the other in their hearts Jer. 31.33 Jer. 32.40 Heb. 8.10 11. Heb. 10.16 By these Laws and Rules they desire chuse and endeavour to walk under them to live and be subject to them and to none else The New Creature knows no other Lord Laws or Law-giver over it's Soul and Conscience but Christ it freely yields up its self to all chearful obedience to all his Laws and accounts it his happiness to walk by his Rules he honours them and is thankful for them These are his Laws upon choice and his obedience to them he esteems as a great priviledge and honour Deut. 4.8 He would not vary from them but have them continually before him in his eye heart and hand he makes them his delights and Councellours and they are the joy and rejoycing of his heart as David and Jeremy experienced When they vary from them or in any thing transgress them they are afflicted and when they conform to them they rejoyce Q. You said before that Regeneration signifies a change of state or a second state pray shew what is meant by a second or new state that Regeneration puts men into Answ I have shewed you already that Regeneration puts men into a new state of life it translates and raises them from spiritual death to spiritual life from darkness to light c. by the infusion of the Spirit Light and Life of Christ And several things have already been discoursed on which may not here be mentioned but shall refer you to what hath been said before Here I shall add secondly that Regeneration transplants men out of the old Adam into the new it takes them from the old stock and grafts them into the new out of the Earthy man and puts them into the Heavenly 1 Cor. 15. By Regeneration they are actually put into Christ and Christ into them they are taken out of the Kingdom of Satan and put into the Kingdom of Christ as these Scriptures shew Rom. 8.9 10. 2 Cor. 5.17 2 Cor. 13.5 Col. 1.13 Acts 26.18 Joh. 18.36 Men are first put into Christ by Election they are said to be chosen in Christ Eph. 1.4 and that before the Foundation of the World and they were united to Christ in his Incarnation when he took up our Nature into a Personal Union with the Divine but in Regeneration we are fully and compleatly actually and personally united to Christ with our own choise and free consent so that here is a great change indeed Regenerate persons are set into a new and living stock which will yield sufficient sap and nourishment to such grafts I am the Vine says Christ ye are the Branches Joh. 15.5 And hence it is that they bear much fruit unto Eternal Life after Regeneration Joh. 15.5 Joh. 4.36 By Regeneration we are made Subjects of his Kingdom and living Members of his Body 1 Cor. 6.15 Eph. 1. ult Eph. 5.30 They are now of another Kingdom and Corporation of another Root Stock and Body of another Family and Houshold Eph. 2.19 20. Thirdly Regeneration puts men into a state of liberty and freedom In their unregenerate state they are in bondage in prison and slavery to their Lusts Rom. 6.17 to Satan 2 Tim. 2. ult Eph. 2.2 They are also in bondage under the Law and enjoyned to keep every tittle of it on pain of Eternal Death Gal. 3.10 Rom. 6.14 They are also by Nature Children of wrath as they are sinners and transgressors of the Law Eph. 2.3 And they are as sinners under the damning Sentence of the Law Joh. 3.18 Moreover the Scripture tells us that all men while in their unregenerate states are Prisoners Isa 61.1 and Prisoners in the Pit Zach. 9.11 This and much more is their misery and bondage thraldom and slavery while in their state of sin but now Regeneration sets them at liberty and freedom Gal. 5.1.13 Christ hath by his