I shall now shew you how God thus appearing to us in hearing the Word does open the heart enlighten the mind and throughly perswade the will to a through closure with Christ upon Gospel Terms Naturally our hearts are shut up against the Gospel our Minds are blinded 2 Cor. 4. 4. till God shines into our hearts to give the light of the Knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ ver 6. Enlightning the eyes of our Understandings Eph. 1. 17 18. Quest. What is this Light of Faith and how does it differ from the Light of Reason Answ. The Light of Reason lies in the evidence of the thing it self as it falls under a Humane Understanding arguing from the cause to the effect drawing certain conclusions from undeniable premises granted and acknowledged by all men to be Truths in Nature Upon such Concessions they build all their acquired Knowledge and do put the stamp of Truth upon all fair inferences from thence which they judge agreeable to those first principles and notions of Truth that pass for currant under that name among credulous men who do but think they know and do rather ghess than judge so great is the uncertainty of all humane Knowledge we have little cause to glory in it The light of Faith lies in the infallible certainty of Divine Testimony faith sees not the causes of things in the things themselves but in God alone to whom all things are possible faith excells all other knowledge in as much as it sees and knows all things in their first Cause God and takes hold of them by the very root from whence they first spring arguing from the Veracity of God to the Truth of all his sayings we know that God has spoken thus and thus as Ioh. 9. 29. we know the Doctrine is of God Ioh. 7. 17. and that no prophesie of the Scripture is of private Interpretation 2 Pet. 1. 20 21. under this conviction we cannot but yield the obedience of faith to every word of God I do not deny but experience may and does give Believers some Evidence of the things themselves but this belongs rather to their after Edification then to the first act of Faith in their Conversion by which they close in with Christ upon the credit of a bare word of promise from him who cannot lie Object Since these sublime supernatural Misteries of the Gospel are so much above and so seemingly contrary to humane Reason how comes it to pass that any man should own them for Truths and be brought under the power of them Answ. 'T is by a Divine Faith I call it Divine because 't is the work of God that we believe his Testimony Ioh. 6. 29. Quest. Does not this Operation of God upon the Hearts of men in working faith in us offer violence to mans Nature and force the Will to consent to that which is above the Understanding Or how can the efficacy of Gods Grace in determining Mans Will to such a Spiritual Act of Faith in Christ Jesus be consistent with the liberty of the Will. Answ. Many intricate disputes there are about this Point managed by subtil heads not without some shew and appearance of Reason who to secure the liberty of Mans Will have denied the efficacy of Gods Grace placing the power of believing in man himself to avoid the force that otherwise they think must be offered to his Will. But to clear the efficacy of Gods Grace from this imputation I need say no more but this viz. That the Grace of God enters the Soul of man as a New Nature and therefore cannot put any force upon him Nature works kindly in all by Inclination not by Violence as Nature is from Generation so the new Nature is from Regeneration one is the birth of the Flesh the other of the Spirit as we are born Men by our first birth so we are born Christians by our second birth Artificial Christians are all name without any living Nature answerable to it being not truly born of God and thereby made partakers of his Divine Nature The breathing in of this new Nature into the Soul of man by the Spirit of God is that new Creation spoken of in the Gospel 't is the first Act of God in our Conversion 't is solely the Act of God without any concurrence of ours we have only a passive obediential power to receive the impression 'T is God that makes it upon this supernatural Principle are grounded all after proceedings in bringing the Soul forward to an actual closure with Christ all the natural powers and faculties of the Soul are gathered into this supernatural Principle do act under it are moved by it and directed in all their free motions to a supernatural end which they could not of themselves tend unto and let it not seem incredible to us that God should do this he can do no evil from the perfection of his Nature and for the same reason all good must needs be in the power of his hand the greatest good that can be done to fallen Man is thus to restore him In this new Nature are wrapped up the seeds of all Grace which by the efficacy of the Spirit are drawn out into act with the free consent of Mans Will Should God determine the Will of Man to a good act whilst it is in a bad state and under a corrupt nature this would imply force and violence but to lead out a man according to his new Nature is not to put a force upon him If Sin had that efficacy upon Man in his perfect state to encline his Will to Evil why should not Grace have the like efficacy upon Man fallen to encline his Will to good Though an inclination to Evil in Man standing was possible from the liberty of his Will in which he was created yet such an actual inclination was inconsistent with his perfect state and left such an inherent crookedness in his perverted Nature that nothing but Grace can rectifie and make streight again What is a principle of Grace but liberty to Good restored to fallen man from whence an actual inclination to choose what is good do's follow of course when God calls and excites him thereunto here is no force put upon mans Will it acts freely in the choice of good and it cannot be otherwise since Grace enters as a new Nature ingenerating a powerful Principle of Holiness in the Soul that do's incline a man freely to comply which the efficacious grace of God exciting him to those acts of Holiness so agreeable to the Nature of the new Creature as Sin reigns unto Death so Grace will reign through Righteousness unto Eternal Life Rom. 5. 21. Shall not he that raises the dead be able to quicken a dead Soul but we are more sensible of that power that God puts forth upon the bodies of Men then of that which he puts forth upon their Souls that you may know that the Son of man
acted either according to the natural capacity of the subject or the efficacious assistance of the Spirit for let our rational faculties be never so quick and strong they cannot carry out a Child of God much less others to the least act of Faith without the help of the Spirit 2dly In respect of their Temptations Those who have been exercised with strong Temptations born down by the power of strong Corruptions when converting Grace comes it comes with an actual strength proportionable to the actual resistance that 't is like to meet with so pulling down the strongest holds of Satan Habitual Grace infused at our first Conversion is the seed of God. The Spirit sets home the Word and causes a spiritual conception in the heart raises up the living Image of the living God in the Soul of a dead Sinner This Immortal Seed or Eternal Principle of Grace has the strength of Christ in it and is able to cope with original corruption But when it opposes strong acts of sin in those who have been accustomed to do evil and by their frequent practise do sin with a stronger hand than ordinary in this Case a principle of Grace must be drawn out into acts of a proportionable strength to these mighty acts of sin to put a stop to them for the future and to turn the sinner from them God said to Paul My grace is sufficient for thee my strength is made perfect in weakness the power of Christ did rest upon him That degree of Grace may prevail over one sinner that may not so soon prevail over another I speak in respect of acquired habits or acts of sin which hardens the heart the more besides the Devil does not always make the like furious assaults upon all God knows how to suit the dispensations of his Grace to the present necessities of the Soul A Disease the further it spreads the deeper root it has taken in the Body requires stronger Physick and more effectual Remedies to remove it So 't is with the Soul and Christ the great Physician applies himself accordingly with a sufficiency of actual effectual Grace As he took notice how many years the Daughter of Abraham was bowed down and bound by Satan So he observes what power the Devil has got over such or such a Soul if his name be Legion Christ will cast him out being able to save to the uttermost Christ is more put to it to save some sinners than others in comparison There is in this respect a greater difficulty in saving some than others How hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It signifies one who has a nauseating stomach a 〈◊〉 swallow he kecks at every thing nothing will go down with him you may as soon draw a Camel through the eye of a Needle as bring a rich Man to Heaven But with God all things are possible God is here brought in acting according to the utmost possibility of his power in saving a Rich Man This may be another Reason why some are regenerated into a higher degree of Grace and spiritual strength than may be found in some others All have the same habit of Grace in the principle all have a sufficiency of actual Grace but all have not the same measure neither is it needful they should and so comparatively one Saint may be stronger or weaker than another in the first moment of Regeneration 3dly In respect of their Employments and Callings which may render them capable of higher service for God in the World than others may be called unto I instanced in Paul before so I may in Magistrates and Ministers now God in Conversion gives in Grace suitable to their Stations and Callings in the World. Saul when anointed King was turned into another Man tho that was but a civil Conversion yet it holds true in saving Conversion Also the Spirit of God divides to every man severally as he will and sets the Members every one of them in their proper place in the body under their proper peculiar gifts and qualifications that may render them useful to each other The Head cannot say to the Feet I have no need of you yet the Head is the most honourable part of the Body And you should covet earnestly the best Gifts There is a gradual difference in the Gifts and Graces of the Saints according to the several Offices they bare in the Body of Christ as Eyes Hands Feet and according to the several opportunities that Providence puts into their hands of serving the interest of Christ in their Generation Thus much of the Manner of Regeneration in a more general way I shall now speak to the Manner of Regeneration with a peculiar respect to the Gospel Notion and Nature of Regeneration as it consists in the Souls ingrafture into Christ by a vital Union to him through Faith Christ being the proper Fountain of that New Life which we derive from him in Regeneration and which is ever after maintained by him in all his true Members abiding under the quickning Influences of Christ their Living Head. The particular Manner of Regeneration in this Gospel-Notion of it will further appear in the right stating of this following Question viz. Quest. Whether the first step in Regeneration be from Sin to Holiness or from a sinful state and nature to Christ that we may be made holy by him I affirm the latter There can be no Change made in our Nature by the Spirit of Christ in our Sanctification but upon a Change of State from our closing in with the Blood of Christ for Justification The Spirit of Christ doth always follow the Blood of Christ 't is the Purchase of that Blood so that the sanctifying Spirit of Christ extends himself in all his saving Operations no further than the Body of Christ none but Members vitally joined to Christ their Head can be quickned by him therefore no man or woman can be savingly wrought upon by the Spirit of Christ who continue in a state of separation from him I grant many changes may be wrought in a mere natural man which amount to no more than a Moral Reformation and do all lye within the verge of an unregenerate state Were there no more in Regeneration or Conversion than a turning from Sin to Holiness than a change of Life and Manners arising as some would have it from that General Sufficient Grace purchased for all and which we may make effectual when we please this puts Regeneration and Conversion into Man's Power But Regeneration implies more than all this amounts to not only a Change of Life and Manners but of Nature and Principle we must first fix the Principle before we talk of doing we may as well do the Actions of a living Man without Life as act like Christians without Christ Christ is our Life a quickning Spirit in all his Members Therefore I state the Question
against the full Power of reigning sin breaks in upon corrupt Nature whether it will or no sows immortal seed where never good fruit grew before the Predominancy of sin lies in a total exclusion of Grace but the Predominancy of Grace lies in its gradual entrance into the Soul because it opposes the whole body of sin or indwelling corruption in making this forcible entrance forcible in respect of corruption that would keep it out free in respect of the renewed will through which it passes by consent God in opening the heart makes the heart to open it self Believing is our act but the power of doing it is God's They who are endued with this Divine Power cannot do the evil they would do and are inclined to by nature Gal. 5. 17. They are no more servants of sin Rom. 6. 17. But have ceased from it 1 Pet. 4. 7. They cannot sin there is something in them called here the seed of God that cannot sin 1 Iohn 3. 9. They are born of God but he that committeth sin is of the Devil ver 8. a Child of the Devil To clear up this further There are two different Natures two contrary Principles in the Saints Flesh and Spirit the Scripture speaks of them sometimes according to one Principle sometimes according to the other and sometimes according to both as Flesh so no good thing dwells in us we all sin he is a liar that says he has no sin as Spirit so we don't commit sin we can't sin are inclined only to good by that Divine supernatural Principle as Flesh and Spirit so not a just man upon Earth but sins tho he be just and holy truly sanctified in his Regenerate part yet he is unjust unholy unsanctified in his unregenerate part there he fights against God the law of the Members wars against the law of the Mind the sense of this remaining enmity against the Law of God makes the Saints complain of their wretchedness O wretched man that I am Rom. 7. 24. What carefulness what clearing of themselves what Indignation and Revenge 2 Cor. 7. 11. Tho God has forgiven them they cannot they will not forgive themselves they cut off their right hands and pluck out their right eyes The Scripture speaking of a Saint according to one or other of these two Principles speaks of him personally as two Men each distinct from the other as if a Saint when acted by a carnal Principle were not the same Man with himself when acted by a spiritual Principle Physically and substantially he is the same Man under both Principles but spiritually considered under those Divine Qualifications belonging to him as a new Creature he is not the same Person in God's account nor by his own reckoning not I but Sin that dwells in me Could we keep up this distinction under a prevailing Temptation clearing our selves and laying Sin at its own door not I but Sin 't would afford much comfort to us and quicken us up to a speedy Repentance An unregenerate Man when he sins he can't say 't is not I he lies if he says so he sees nothing in himself that opposes Sin as Sin no 't is his own proper doing his own act his whole Will is in it he can't say the Evil I do I would not do Can we in any sense say That we do not commit Sin that we cannot Sin do no iniquity Is there such a Principle within us that we can say from our Consciences we would not Sin even when we do Sin That 't is against our Inclinanation 't is a force upon the new Creature we are in Pain and cry out under that Act of Violence committed upon us 't is an unwilling Captivity that we are led into I have done with the Negative part what a regenerate Person does not He does not commit Sin. I come to the Positive part He doth righteousness Negative holiness in abstaining from such and such Sins will never prove a Man to be born of God we cannot conclude safely and strongly from this negative Mark That we are born of God unless it be from the universality of it if we can truly say We hate every evil way do fly all appearance of Evil cannot suffer Sin in our selves or others without a holy Indignation against it this indeed has something in it is very significant we may infer from hence that we are born of God that which makes this Mark so conclusive and significant is not only the universality of it but chiefly this that where-ever this negative Mark is there is also the positive Mark to be found he that escheweth Evil does Good. The force of one Mark is best understood in Conjunction with some other one single Mark is but a slender evidence of a state of Grace unless it run into some other which is the inseparable consequence of it The Positive part is He doth Righteousness what do ye more than others Opèratio sequitur esse all things have their active qualities especially where there is Life there must be active Faculties and an active Principle life it self is an act the life of a Christian is a life of the highest activity from Principles truly Divine and Heavenly that have their energy virtue and efficacy from God himself who is a most Pure Simple Eternal Act the Fountain of all Action and Motion to his Creatures as he pleases more or less to communicate himself unto them Since we are made partakers of the Divine Nature surely 't is in order to a godly life that it may appear whose off-spring we are whose image we bear being born of the Will of God we must do the Will of God which is the only rule and measure of all Righteousness in doing which we must respect the matter what God commands and the manner of doing what is commanded What is materially good is obvious to all who know but the Moral part of Religion all the difficulty lies in the manner of performing it the spirituality of the action lies here that it be done from a Gospel principle and to a Gospel end it must be done in Faith and in a constant dependance upon Christ for strength doing what we do as unto the Lord out of a Religious respect to his Holy will whatever we do we must do to his Glory 't is below a Christian to seek himself to live to himself God hath set a part the man that is Godly for himself These are sure marks of Regeneration Hold the glass of the word close to your Consciences look again and again upon these Scriptures examin your selves strictly by them Can you prove your Regeneration by these marks as they are proper and peculiar only to the Regenerate 'T is not every forbearance of sin nor every outward act of righteousness that will come up to this mark these Scriptures speak something to the experience of every one who is born of God that no Unregeneman in the world understands The ear
' tries words as the mouth tastes meat the word has a peculiar rellish and savour in it to a Spiritual pallate The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him the word reveals it it opens the heart of God to man and laies open a man to himself discerns the thoughts and intents of his heart 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a discerner a critical judge of the frame of a mans heart and of the state of his Soul shews a Child of God how and wherein he differs from an unregenerate person and by this discerning Word we must judge of our selves He that is born of God commits not sin cannot sin but does righteousness you who are born of God do know what God means by these words I am sure you know it there is a strong spirit in these words they are critical words discerning distinguishing words and if there be any true life in you they will more or less affect you you cannot but be concerned at the hearing of them Hold the highest Spirits to the Nose of a dead Man rub him all over with them yet no heat no motion no lively colour because he has not a natural principle of life to mingle with them to feed upon them I would commend my self to your Consciences this day I hope you feel me as well as hear me When you drink any strong spirits they heat within the vital spirits do take them in feed upon them are raised by them so when spiritual truths are held close to the Conscience if there be any life there the Spirit of God within thee will close with the Spirit of God without thee in the Word there will be an inward burning in the heart the Leaven works strongly and under these inward workings of spirit I desire to leave you debating the matter between God and your own Souls till you have brought it to an issue and can say by the light of these Scriptures that you are or are not born again 2. He doth righteousness Every one that doth righteousness is born of him and Whosoever doth not righteousness is not of God. The more we resemble Christ in righteousness and true holiness the more evident it is both to our selves and others that we are born of him descended from him and therefore cannot but take after him a true Christian is and will be a follower of Christ this genius or disposition to all practical righteousness flows from our new Birth rises out of the new Nature which the Apostle ascribes to the Death and Resurrection of Christ as the procuring cause of all newness of life in us which is but our likeness to his Resurrection we die with Christ that we may live with him being freed from sin not serving it any more but yielding our selves unto God as those that are alive from the dead and our members as instruments of righteousness unto God. This plainly proves every regenerate person as such to be a doer of righteousness inclined to all holiness by virtue of his Regeneration which casts in a new leven makes us a new lump as original Sin infected the whole man so Regeneration sanctifies the whole man in Body Soul and Spirit The fruit of the spirit is in all goodness righteousness and truth Regeneration inclines us to follow Christ the filth of the Soul is carried off by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost hence we are said to be born of water and of the Spirit There is a natural inclination in a regenerate man to do good he does it willingly not by constraint Grace is got into his nature the Law is written in his heart therefore his heart inclines him to keep the Law. As Sin entred so Grace enters Sin entred into all the powers and faculties of the Soul weakning the whole man so Grace diffuses it self through every part of the Soul strengthning the whole man in every part In Regeneration we are renewed after the Image of Christ growing up into his likeness like in judgment and affection not that our natural Faculties are altered but only brought under the power of a supernatural principle we don't cease to be men only we become new men men of other minds spirits and dispositions than before taking after the second Adam not after the first being by Faith implanted into Christ we are made partakers of his Divine Nature this is called a second Birth or a new Creation though out of the same physical materials of Flesh and Blood the change is only spiritual as the Wild Olive when engrafted into the True as to its materials remains still the same 't was wood before so 't is still only there is a new sap secretly convey'd through the pores of it which make it bring forth more kindly and pleasant Fruit so the Sinner as to his physical substance was Flesh and Blood before conversion and so he is still yet there is an inward spiritual change wrought in him by his implantation into Christ who infuses his Nature Spirit and Grace through the Man so making him a new Creature not taking away his Manhood but sanctifying his Nature God is the Fountain of all Holiness 't is essential to him it goes along with his Nature is entail'd upon all who are born of God being partakers of the Divine Nature they must needs be holy as God is holy God appropriates goodness and righteousness to himself in the abstract and is the original Spring of all righteousness in the Saints Let us exert and put forth our new birth and live a life of faith The life which I now live in the flesh I live c. We are created in Christ unto good works that we should walk in them Let us then abide in Christ that we may bring forth much fruit for without him we can do nothing Corruption indeed is always active in a Saint because it acts naturally without any cessation but Grace does not always act at least so sensibly in a Saint because it must be first acted by the Spirit who is a free Agent should Grace always be as active in us as Corruption we should mistake it for Nature and ascribe all to our selves the Spirit of God is always in Believers but does not always work so effectually so sensibly the operations of it are not so manifest to us as sometimes they are This righteousness that is said to be done lies not so much in the perfection of the Deed as in the perfection of the Doer he aims well though he cannot always hit the mark he cannot do the good he would yet he wills it and that is doing in God's account who accepts the will for the deed The inclination or tendency of a new-born Soul to holiness appears three ways First Before the Temptation i. e. not before the being or existence of a Temptation for there is no such season we are always compassed about
hath power to forgive sins Take up thy bed and walk Mat. 9. 6. This you all see but the actings of my saving power upon the souls of men that power that works within Eph. 3. 20. you see not let this that you see convince you of that which you see not and never dispute my power more to forgive sin I can heal the diseases of the Soul as well as those of the Body the power that God has to forgive sin is the great prerogative of God belonging to the soveraignty of his grace God walks invisibly thorow the World doing his mighty works of Grace he touches some mens hearts not others he draws some and not others by the sweet yet irresistable force of his Grace we see nothing but man mans Will mans Choice mans Act and therefore conclude all is by mans own power because we see not the wheel within the wheel the Spirit of God setting the whole soul in motion towards Christ This arcanum Iehovae this secret of the Lord is with them that fear him Psal. 25. 14. The way of the Spirit of God in the hearts of men is discerned by few 't is a very hard matter to understand how God works in us to will and to do because we find it to be our own act to believe repent and turn to God we ascribe all to our selves as if our own arm had saved us The truth is God in all the efficacious operations of his grace upon the hearts of men loves to conceal himself he will not be seen by others to do what he do's in and for his Saints no noise in the streets Matth. 12. 19. The kingdom of God comes not with observation Luke 17. 20 21. All is done within secretly and silently non are privy to this heart-work but they that feel it this is the hiding of his power from the observation of those whom he never intends to work upon and for the hardening of their hearts that they may still retain an opinion of their own ability to do that which they see others so freely and willingly addicting themselves unto Though this be a cause of stumbling to many who boast of a supposed power and freedom of will to believe and repent when they please yet such in whose hearts God has wrought these mighty works of his grace they see and feel the weight of his Arm revealed upon their souls they know it is Gods doing that a divine power has touched their hearts and carried them out to all these acts of Faith that they put forth they openly acknowledge this 1 Cor. 15. 10. Phil. 4. 13. 2 Cor. 3. 5. Gal. 2. 20. Not I but Christ. When they feel themselves most strengthned by Christ they are then most sensible of their own self-insufficiency and weakness I can do all things through Christ yet not sufficient of our selves to think a good thought when I am weak then am I strong 2 Cor. 12. 10. They would not say so if they did not find a power more then humane exerting it self within them and strengthning them with might in their inward man I live yet not I but Christ lives in me till we can thus distinguish between Nature and Grace and see God influencing our Wills in all their free motions to that which is good we shall vainly assume to our selves a power that never yet reduced it self to the least real act of Faith in any man whatever 't is easie talking of a power to believe before we come to believe in good earnest then our strength fails us if God do not support us and help our unbelief I believe help my unbelief q. d. I can't hold it my faith will fail if God do not put his Everlasting Arms underneath if we consider what difficulties what strong Objections unanswerable by Reason Faith Acts against in keeping up a lively hope of Pardon in the Conscience of a convinced sinner we must needs say 't is the work of God that we believe we may wonder at our selves as men when we consider what we believe as Christians I have spoken all this to shew that God is the Author and Finisher of our Faith 't is he only can open the heart and dispose it to give Credit to the Word of his Grace Application By way of Discovery viz. How we may know when Faith comes by Hearing even at the time of Hearing and whether it be yet come into your hearts by all you have heard hitherto Faith is a secret and a sudden work when it comes it gives some sense of it self to an observing Christian that quickly convinces us of a change in our selves a heart truly turned to God is not the same it was before not in the same posture not in the same disposition and frame there is something new appears in every new Creature that do's not belong to the Old Man but rises up in opposition to him this newness do's not lye in some one corner of the heart but every where 't is universal in every faculty all things are become new though the old leaven be not totally cast out any where but left as an occasional provocation and challenge to the Grace of God to act in more opposition to those motions of sin that put a force upon the New Creature are directly contrary to the bent and genius of our renewed Nature till Faith comes we are never sensible of any such inward Conflicts between the flesh and the Spirit but then the fight begins the good fight of Faith 'T is Faith strikes the first stroke makes the first assault upon our reigning sin and corruptions and will never cease contending with them till it has got a full Victory over them and throughly mortified them But how shall we know in the very time of hearing when Faith comes When the word Works effectually after hearing it usually gives some powerful touch upon the heart at the time of hearing so 1 Cor. 14. 24 25. he speaks there of the occasional Conversion of an Unbeliever who came into the Assembly where there was Prophesying and Preaching 't is probable some such are come in hither to day Oh that God would meet with them that they might be convinced and fall down upon their Faces worshipping God acknowledging that he is among us of a truth so Acts 2. 37. their Hearts were prick'd they cry out in the midst of the Sermon Men and Brethren what shall we do We want such publick Conversions had we more of these New Births in our Congregations we should have more of these out-cries which would be very awakening to us all if God would honour his Ordinances with such visible signs of his presence as in the Primitive Times the Word was preached with that power that it wrought a great consternation and astonishment in the whole Assembly there was a great impression upon their minds which had various effects some blasphemed and some believed but all were moved and stirred struck inwardly