The First PROPOSITION.

There is a REGENERATION, or New Birth, which the Elect of God, before their Death, must have Experience of. This is one of the Links, in that which has of old been called, The Golden Chain of Salvation; Rom. 8.30. Whom He did Predestinate, them He also Called; that is, he makes them Effectually to hear- that voice of his, whereby they are Born A [...]gain. Predestination and Regeneration are the things which God hath Joyned: it will be to the mans own Everlasting Ruine if any man go to Put them asunder. We may be sure that, As many as are Ordained to Eternal Life, will by a Spiritual Birth be made capable for the Fru­ition of it. But what means that? How can a man be Born when He is Old?

I Confess that as in Glorification, so in Re­generation, [Page 7] there are, Unutterable Things: 'tis Consisting of, and Surrounded with Invisi­bles. That Unaccountable Thing which is in Regeneration bestow'd upon us, is called, in 1 Pet. 3.4. The Hidden Man of the Heart. What the Wise man says, about Generation, may be said about Regeneration too, We know not the way of the Spirit in us! Concerning both, it was the Language of the Psalmist, and it may be ours, We are fearfully and won­derfully made! Rude Pagans, 'tis true, have had their dark Notion, about, a, Renascentia, or a New-Birth, in their Philosophy: but how short were their Conceptions as to the Regeneration, and the New-Birth in Christiani­ty? That may be said of the New-Birth, which has been said of the New Name, in Rev. 2.17. No man knows it, except he that Receiveth it. And yet it is hard, even for such a man to Say, what he does Know about, such a marvellous work of God. However, Let this be offered as a small Description of it. REGENERATION, is a Real and Tho­rough Change, wrought by the Holy Spirit, in a Fallen Man, through the Infusion of a Gracious Principle into him, which Restores in him, the Lost Image of God, and therewithal Inclines him to comply with the Calls of the Gospel.

Behold, what Conclusions we are to make.

I. There is a Real & a Thorough CHANGE [Page 8] wrought in every Regenerate Man. Indeed the Substance of one Soul is not Removed or Dissolved in Regeneration, and the Substance of an other Introduced, as the Jews fondly fancy'd. The Being of our Soul is not scat­tered, but the Crookedness and Wickedness there­of is Rectify'd, in Regeneration; the Metal of the Soul re [...]ns Old for the Sort of it, but becomes New for the Stamp of it; nor is a New Faculty added unto the Soul, but a New Quality unto the Faculty. Thus in Ezek. 36.26. a New Heart, and a New Spirit, is as­cribed unto the New-born Man; but how? As we Read of New Tongues, and New M [...]ons, which mean only a New Speech, and a Ne [...] Light ado [...]ning of the old: But yet, a Mighty Cha [...]ge is undergone by the Regene­rate Man; he is born again, that is, he is one come into another world, and has ano­ther way of Living in that world, than before; he is, as we find him called, in Eph. 4.23. A Renewed Man.

First, It is a REAL Change, that the Re­generate Man has pass'd upon him. 'Tis not meerly a Relative Change; and so the Change in Regeneration differs from that in Justificati­on. In one there is a Change of Estate, in t'other a change of Temper. In that, the Guilt of Sin is Blotted out; in this, the the Filth of Sin is wash'd away. That is a Sentence on the Sinner; like that in 2 Sam. [Page 9] 12.13. The Lord hath put away thy sin, thou shalt not dy. This is a Filling of the Sinner; as we may read, Eph. 2.1. You hath he filled, who were Dead in Trespasses and Sins. Nor is it meerly a Nominal or a Notional Change: 'tis no Brain-sick Imagination. We have one picture of this Change drawn from Inanimate Things; in Isa. 55.13. Instead of the Thorn, shall come up the Fir tree, and instead of the Briar, shall come up the Myrtle-tree. We have another shadow of this Change, fetch'd from Animate Things; in Isa. 11.6. The Wolf shall dwell with the Lamb, and the Leopard shall lye down with the Kid. In Re­generation thus it is; the man varies from what once he was, as much as a Fir from a Thorn, as much as a Lamb from a Wolf! Thus, One of the Primitive Christians, after his Conver­sion, being met by an Idolater of his old Acquaintance, had that Salutation from him, Ego Sum, Sir, 'tis I? whereupon he Re­ply'd, At Ego non sum Ego; But Sir, 'Tis not I; I am not the man I was. We may therefore add,

Secondly, It is a THOROUGH Change that passes upon the Regenerate Man. Of and by such a man, 'tis said in 2 Cor. 5.17. Old things are past away, behold, all things are become New; as the Conflagration at th [...] Last Day, will bring a New Face upon the Great World; so does a Regeneration at this [Page 10] Day upon the Small. As the Light fills all the Air, as the Leaven spreads all the Lump, or, in a word, as Original Sin reaches to the whole man; so Regeneration has its Influences upon every part of the m [...]n, that becomes the Subject of i [...]; altho' the Influence wi [...] [...]e but in part, until we do in Glo [...]y Arrive [...]o, The Stature of a perfect man.

Particularly; A Regenerate Man has New ABILITIES conferred on him. While he was Ungodly, he was, Without Strength ▪ but now he may joyfully say, Lord, th [...]u hast strengthened me with strength in my so [...]l [...] thing that may be s [...]oken by a Regene [...]e man is that in Joh. 9.23. Whereas I w [...]s Blind, now I SEE. There is an Illumination in Regeneration. The man comes to see an Infinite Glory in GOD; though once he had [...]ai [...], Wh [...] [...]s the Lord, that I should Serve Him? He [...] to see a singular Beauty in CHRI [...]; though once he had said, There is no [...] in Him, for wh [...]ch I should De­sire Him. He comes to see a wonderful Evil in SIN; though once he had said, Sto­ [...]n Waters are sweet. He now sees an Un­gainsayable Equity in RELIGION; tho' formerly he had said, I desire not the know­ledge of the Ways of the Almighty! He sees now an unspeakable Honor in HELL, tho' heretofore he counted the Darts of God but Stubble. He see [...] now an inef [...]ble pleasure [Page 17] in HEAVEN, tho' heretofore he Despised that good land of promise. And he now sees Dreadful miseries upon HIMSELF; tho' here­tofore he still said, I have need of Nothing! Another thing that may be spoken by a rege­nerate man is that in Phil. 4.13. I Can DO all things through Christ who strengthens me. Tis by Regeneration that a man who look'd upon Exercises of Piety and Charity, as Intolerable, Insuperable, Impracticable, now comes to say, Lord, thy Commandments are not grievous! Altho' he be more sensible of his own weakness than ever he was; yet he more finds, The Grace of God sufficient for him. There are those which Once he Counted, Hard Sayings, in the Lawes of God; but now with Gods help he can Do the things required in Gods word. Has God commanded him, To Do JUSTICE and Love MERCY, and Walk HUMBLY? He Does it. Has God commanded him, to Live Soberly, and Righteously, and Godlily? he Does it. Yea, Has God bidden him, to pluck out a Right Eye, and cut off a Right Hand? He Does it, by the Assistance of him that has Bidden it; He that was once a creeple, now not only WALKS in the way that is called Holy, but even RUNS with patience the Race that is set before him,

Again, A Regenerate man has New APPE­TITES breathing in him. Once indeed he Drank in Iniquity Like water; but there is now another sort of Rellish in the Soul of him. [Page 12] The WILL of a Regenerate man, comes to make that choice, in Psal. 73.25. Whom have I in Heaven, but thee, O Lord! and there is none upon Earth, that I desire besides thee. Formerly, it he had been asked, What will satisfie th [...]e? he would have itched upon a Long Life in this World, [...] with all the Pleasures and Pr [...]its and [...] of it. But now he is no more so Selfish, so Idolatrous and Athe­istical. The chief [...]ND, which he now chooses, is, That the Eternal God may by and from him have Eternal Ac [...]n [...]wl [...]dgments. And the MEANS, which he chooses for this End, are, An Acquaintance with, and Obedience to, the Lord Jesus Christ, in all the Methods directed by the Scriptures of Truth. When the God of Heaven propounds unto this man, as he did unto Solomon, Ask, what I shall give thee: 'tis nothing short of Heaven, that will content him: and he cordially takes and likes that Appropriation of God upon him, This man have I formed for my self, he shall shew forth my praise. Those little Designs, and sorry De­lights, which the most of men do basely take up wi [...]hal, become very contemptible to the Soul of such a man; and he heartily clo­ses with it as his main business in the world, By Repenting and Believing, to make sure of Ever­lasting Happiness, and in the continual Exercise of Religion, to bear Testimonies unto the Truths and Ways of our Maker. We may add, That the [Page 13] AFFECTIONS of a Regenerate Man are such as Enable him to comply with that Rule, in Rom. 12.9. Abhor that which is evil, cleave to that which is good. His LOVE once was of those Abominable Things, which the Soul of the Lord Hateth. But now he says, I Love thee, O Lord my Strength! now he says, Oh! how I Love thy Law! now he says, I have Loved the Habitation of thy House, and unto this he joyns, The L [...]w of the Brethren! His HOPE, once was only of Goods laid up for many years; and all that while he was indeed, Without Hope. But now his Hope is, For thy Salvation, O Lord! And his Fear is, Lest I fall short of Entring into Rest. His JOY, was once only in the, Increase of Corn and Wine: but now 'tis, In the Light of Gods Counte­nance. And his Grief is broached, by that Reflection, My Iniquities have separated between me and my God; and that, My Trespasses have pierced my Saviour; and that, By my Sins I have wronged my own Soul. And what are his Desires now, but an, Hunger and Thirst after Righteousness?

Furthermore, a Regenerate man has New EMPLOYMENTS followed by him. It might indeed be said unto him. You were the Servant of Sin: but he is now vigo­rously Engag'd in the Service of another Lord: his Character is that in Psal. 119.38. Lord, Thy Servant, Devoted unto thy Fear. [Page 14] As to the SPIRIT of the Regenerate man, that is otherwise Employ'd than once it was. The Thoughts that formerly swarmed in him, were [...]arthly, Sensual, Devillish; but now he can say, How precious are thy Thoughts unto me, O Lord! His Meditations upon God, and the Words and Works, of that Great God, are sweet unto him. And his Con­trivances are, What shall I do to b [...] Saved? and, How may I bring forth much of that Fruit, whereby my Heavenly Father may be Glorified? The BODY of a Regenerate man, that al­so is Employ'd more Nobly, more Holily, more Divinely, than heretofore, when its Members were, The [...] of Unrighteousness. May we a little Anatomize this New Living Man! His EYES, were once wan­dring after, The [...]us [...] of the Eye: but now he has made a, Covenant with his Eyes; now he has his Eyes unto the Lord; now, Rivers of Waters run down his Eyes, because the Law of God is violated. His EARS, were once open unto, Rotten Communication; but now those Ears have the Sayings of Je­sus Christ s [...]aking down into them; now his Ears will Hear what God the Lord will speak; now he has his Ears bored unto the Service of God. His TONGUE once was a thing Set on Fire of Hell; but now it becomes like choice Silver for the Truth and Worth of the Words proceeding from it; now it [Page 15] will utter Psalms instead of Ballads, and Prayers instead of Swearing and Cursing and Frothy Foolish Ribaldry: Yea, 'tis as the Pen of a Ready Writer, when speaking about the King and Kingdom of the Saints. What are his HANDS? not The Fists of Wickedness; but Lifted up in the Name of God. What are his FEET? not, Swift to do Evil; but Turned unto the Testimonies of the Lord. In fine, the whole Body of this man, becomes a Temple to the Holy Spirit of God. And thus is the Regenerate man, all over New! But, O make a pause here, and let thy Heart smi [...]e thee, if thou art a stranger to such a Renovation. Wee'll then pass to, a Second Conclusion

II. The Change wrought in a Regenerate man, proceeds from a Gracious PRINCI­PLE, infused from on high into him. Thus we are told, for so I would now Read it, in 2 Cor. 5.17. If any man be in Christ, there is a New Creature in him. Besides, and beyond all the External Alterations under­gone by a Regenerate man, there is, Ali­quid intus Existens, a certain something within him, which once he was without; a certain Godly Principle, or, A Principle of Respect unto God, which the Scripture puts various Names upon. There is the NEW MAN, that is, a new posture of Spirit, in the [Page 16] Regenerate man, opposed unto the Old man, that is, the old Habit of Sin, and Vice, which he was Born withal. The Regene­rate man, has the Branches of good Opi­nions, and good Practices, to be observed in him: but he has in him also a gracious Principl [...] ▪ called by Job, in Chap. 19.28. The ROOT of the Matter, for them to grow upon. The Regenerate man has the Fruits, of which the Spirit of God is the Author; even the peaceable Fruits of Righteousness; but he hath also a gracious Principle, called by John, in 1 Ep. 3.9. The SEED of God, from whence they do proceed. The Re­generate man has the Streams of much Goodness in his Conversation, whereby is made Glad the City of God, which he be­longs unto; but the Source of them is a gracious Principle, which our Lord calls in Joh. 4.14. A WELL of Water springing up to Everlasting Life. The Regenerate man has the Light of those Good Works, which do so shine before men, as that the Heavenly Father is thereby Glorify'd: but the continual supply thereof is from the gracious Principle which our Saviour calls, in Mat. 25.4. OYL in the Vessel. There is in the Regenerate man, that which is called, in 2 Pet. 1.4. THE DIVINE NATURE; that is, a principle which is Divine for the Original of it, and by means whereof all Godly O­perations [Page 17] become Natural, or Free, Fre­quent, Fervent and constant with him that has it. It is not a Guilded but a Quick­ned Soul, that is in the Regenerate man; his Motion and Action arises from a Life within; and that Life is the Result of his Union with the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our Life. Poor Soul, see now whether the Spirit of Life in the Lord Jesus Christ, have thus Animated thee. Yea, or No? But a Third Conclusion is then to take hold on the Heel of the foregoing.

III. Thro' the gracious Principle Infused into the Regenerate man, the [...]o [...]t IMAGE of God is Restored in him. For this cause we are informed in Col. 3.10. The New Man is Renewed after the Image of Him which Created it. In this Lay the Primitive Happiness of man at his Creation; 'tis the Account, which, In the Head of Gods Book, is given of it, God Created Man in his own Image. But what was that Image [...]f God? Briefly, An Universal RECTITUDE in the Soul, was the chief Thing, wherein that I­mage lay. Hence we are now told, in Eph. 4.24. The new man after God, is Cre­ated in Righteousness and true Holiness. A­las, Man by Sin, has lost this glorious I­mage; yea, the Image of Satan, instead thereof hath possessed him, and pol­luted [Page 18] him. As a man that is bitten by a Mad Dog, horribly Barks, and Howls, and Laps, just like the Creature which Enven­om'd him; so has the Infection convey'd unto us, by the Breath and Sting of our Tempter, The Great Red Old Dragon, fear­fu [...]ly assimilated us unto himself. But now Regeneration happily Recovers in us, the thus Impaired Image of God; by defacing the Impressions of Hell that had been made upon us. There is a marvellous A­greement now between God and Man; wherein though not the Essence, nor the Greatness of God, yet a Resemblance of His HOLINESS is in a blessed measure Communicated unto the man thus, Born again. It may be said of him, He is a man after Gods own Heart; he Likes, he Loves, he Lives after such a manner as to de­scribe unto all serious Beholders, a little of that Holiness, which is Infinite in the Holy One of Israel. Hence, a Regenerate man studies a most exact Conformity to the Example of the Lord Jesus Christ, and Attains very much of what he studies. As a Renowned Minister could say, When I am to Preach a Sermon, I set my self to think, How would Jesus Christ Preach, were He to Handle my Subject! So a Regenerate man sometimes thinks, How did the Blessed Jesus do such a Duty? or, How did the bles­sed [Page 19] Jesus bear such a Trial? and then he endeavours to go and do Likewise. A Re­generate man, is a CHRISTIAN in reality; that is, A Christ-like man; and it may be said of such ones, As thou art, so are they▪ each one Resembling the Children of a King. What shall I say? The view of the Imi­table Vertue and Carriage in our Lord Jesus, even Transforms the Regenerate man, till he be, Changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory. Unto this we will annex but one Conclusion more: and O that you might Feel, what you are now to Hear.

IV. The Gracious Principle, which Re­stores the Image of God, in a Regenerate man, inclines him to comply with the CALLS of God, in the GOSPEL. Unto all the Evangelical Proposals, the Return of the Regenerate man is not that, As for the Word spoken in the Name of the Lord, I will not hearken thereunto; no, but it is that, Lo, I come, I delight to do thy Will, O my God. There are especially two things wherein the Calls of the Gospel are sum­med up unto us; namely, those two, in Acts 20.21. Repentance towards God, and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ: but the Regenerate have the Repentance, and the Faith, so called for. Such is the REPEN­TANCE [Page 20] of a Regenerate man; that he looks on his manifold sinfulness both by Nature and Practice, with a thorough Con­viction of it; and he cries out, Lord, I am vile: He then mourns for that exceeding sinfulness, and Loathes himself with the Contrition, of a Rent, a Pierc'd, a Broken Heart, within him. He therewithal comes to an Ingenuous Confession thereof; and Sin becomes as a Cup of Trembling, or Poison in his Bowels, which he does Cast up, with penitent Acknowledgments, before such as have seen [...]im take in the Deadly Poyson. Hereupon, with a just Recession from it, he cries out, I have do [...] Iniqui­ty, but I will do so no more! he sets him­self to Mortify every Lust, and gives an Everlasting Divorce [...] all his former Cour­ses of Ungodliness. Instead thereof, he Devotes himself to God for ever: to the Flesh, he says, I will no more Humour thee! to the World, he says, I will no more fol­low thee! to the Devil, he says, I will no longer gratifie thee, as formerly! but unto the most High God, he says, Lord, I will be for thee, and not for another. Such is the FAITH of a Regenerate man, that when the Lord Jesus Christ Invites him, Look unto me, and be Saved! and, Come unto me and I will give you Rest; with a Conquered Soul he answers, Lord, I Look, Lord, I come, [Page 21] Lord, Let me by thy Mediation be Saved, and have Rest for ever! He has been so Awakened, as to see himself perishing in all Spiritual and Eternal Calamities; Wretch­ed, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked; and he has been in most uneasy Agonies of Mind, until God hath directed His Thoughts unto the Lord Jesus Christ, as unto that Prince and Saviour, who gives Repentance and Remission of Sins. He cries out, In the Lord let me have Righteousness and Strength! because he finds himself mi­serably destitute of both. He brings no­thing but Sins and Plagues to recommend him unto the Lord Jesus Christ; but at the Encouragement of the Free Grace which has made the proffers thereof unto him, he Relies upon the Lord Jesus Christ, for Wisdom, Righteousness, and Sanctification, and Redemption. He does with a Distressed Soul behold all the Offices of the Lord Je­sus Christ, whereupon he implores, Let me come to have Peace with God by the Atone­ment of that Priest! and, Let me be under the Instruction of that Prophet! and, Let me be under the Government of that King! His prejudice against the Benefits of the Lord Jesus Christ, has been taken away in the, Day of Power, when God made him willing! and his Comfortable Expectations from the no less Compassionate than All suffici­ent [Page 22] Jesus, now are, To be forgiven all sin [...] and, To be cleansed from all Unrighteovs­ness.

In Fine, 'Tis by Regeneration that a man comes to consent unto the COVENANT of GRACE, in all the parts, and in all the terms of it. When we are First-Born, we are under the First Covenant, and under the curse which the First Adam has accor­ding to that Covenant Entail'd upon us. But when we are Born again, we come under the Wings of the New-Covenant, by Resigning ourselves unto the Second Adam, as unto our Head, Our Lord, Our Mediator. I beseech you to mind what I am going to say: Set your hearts unto these things, for they are your Life; and if while I am speaking these things, your hearts become really Moulded thereinto, we shall together praise God forever, that ever he gave us this opportunity! Yea, I shall surely and shortly meet you with joy at the Right Hand of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I say then, we are now advised of a Co­venant wherein, The Glorious JESUS is en­trusted for His people, not only with Life to be bestowed upon them at the Last; but also with Grace to enable them unto the Doing of all that must be done to prepare them for it. A Co­venant wherein, The Blessed Jesus will Confer all saving mercies upon us, if we are but willing to Receive those mercies: and all the Qualifica­tion [Page 23] that he demands in order to our being Ju­stified, and so Sanctify'd and Glorified, is our Hearty Acceptance of all those Blessednesses. A Covenant wherein, Our having an Heart, even so much as to Will any good thing, must be ascribed unto the Supernatural and Undeserv­ed Assistences of a God Soveraign as well as Gracious. A Covenant wherein, All the Cal­led of the Lord Jesus, must be willing to Ex­press their Gratitude unto Him for Delivering them from Spiritual and Eternal Miseries, by sincere Endeavours to walk before Him in Ho­liness and Righteousness all their Days. A Covenant, Lastly, wherein, The Imperfecti­on of all our Duties, is Compensated by the perfect Obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ; and our Inclination to Do as well as we can with Gods Help, does an Effect proves its Cause, prove our Participation in that Obedience. Well, when Almighty God makes this Demand of us, Art thou willing to Converse with me, and have and own me for thy God, in the way of such a Coveaant? the Regenerate Soul an­swers, Lord, I am willing! And I add, that when once a man comes to Approve this way of Salvation by Jesus Christ, and Re­pose and Venture all his Everlasting Interests upon it, there is a work of Regeneration in the Soul of such a man. Consent! O Im­mortal Soul; Consent! before we pass any further: say Amen, to this Covenant; and [Page 24] the God of Heaven will immediately pro­nounce upon thee, This is a dear Son, this is a pleasant Child, I will surely have mercy upon him! To set an Edge upon these things let us now think on, what may be,

The Second PROPOSITION.

The KINGDOM of God, cannot be Enjoy'd without the Experience of this REGENERATION. Behold, a flaming Sword in the Mouth of the Lord Jesus, guarding of Paradise from the Intrusions of all that are not Born again! Moreover, What are the Unregenerate, but the Unrigh­teous? Now of them 'tis said, in 1 Cor. 6.9. Know ye not, that the Unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God? Again, what are the Unregenerate, but the Unconverted? But of such 'tis said, in Mat. 18.3. Verily, I say unto you, except ye be Converted, ye shall not Enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. I free­ly say to you, if I speak any thing without Book, believe me not, but now you see this Word established by the mouth of two or three Witnesses! It then only needs to be Enquired,

What is that KINGDOME OF GOD, which without Regeneration, cannot be Enjoy'd?

[Page 25]Know therefore, that it means, The Blessed state, whereinto God brings his chosen by the Lord Jesus Christ.

A state wherein God Himself is the King of His people, and wherein the People of God, will as [...], have a Dominion over all their Interiour adversaries. The Lord said unto hi [...] Israel, in Exod. 19.6. Ye shall be unto me a Ki [...]gdome of Priests and an holy Nation. And alluding thereunto, it is said of all the Faithful in 1. Pet 2 9 Ye are a Royal Priest­hood, an Holy Nation, a Peculiar People. Now there are singular priviledges belonging to this Peculiar People ▪ all of which no man without Regeneration can be admitted unto. In our Birth from si [...]ul Parents, we are Born Slaves; Yea, the servants of servants. We are children indeed; but of what? Children of Wrath, and the Heirs of death. But by a­nother Birth, from the Spirit of God making New Creatures of us, we are Born Kings; there are many Crowns that belong unto us. Particularly.

I. Without Regeneration a man cannot en­joy a GOSPEL-ESTATE in this world. It is true, an Unregenerate man may get into a Visible Church-state, which is called, The Kingdome of God. There are Black Tares in that field, there are a Bad [...] in that Net, there are Foolish Virgins at that Feast; but still, they are not proper Enjoyers of the [Page 28] Good in the State. There may be Traitors in the Kingdome, and Ishmaels and Judases in the Families, of the Church; but unto what purpose? It cannot be said of them, They have seen the Kingdome of God come with power, all this while. Unregenerate Soul, Hear thy Circumstances, and be A­mazed!

First, Gospel Mysteries, cannot be Discern­ed by an Ungenerate Man. He is, Born Blind, and so he continues, till the New-birth has once Enlightened him. There are Thick scales upon the Eyes, which Regene­ration has not opened. The Methods and Rewards used by God, in Governing of the Unseen World, are most of all Unseen by the Unregenerate: It is said, in 1 Cor. 2.14. The Natural man cannot know them, because they are Spiritually Discerned. Without Rege­neration a man cannot come to understand, How man is to be Saved, or, How God is to be Served, or, How things depend upon one another, in the Great Mystery of Godliness. 'Tis with him, as in Luc. 14.34. The Eye is Evil, and the Body is full of Darkness! and his Conceptions about the Things of God, are like those which a Beggar in his Ho­vel, or an Indian his Wigwam, has about the Magnificence of a mighty Kingdom. Lamentable man! Sampson with his Eyes extinguished, grinding for the Philistines, was [Page 29] not in a Condition so deplorable [...] [...]

Secondly, Gospel Services cannot be at­tended by an Unregenerate Man. We are told, That the Kingdom of God, is Righteous­ness, and Peace, and Joy in the Holy Ghost; but without Regeneration there is no Attain­ing of them. There is a certain Homage which we are to pay unto our Great King; but the Unregenerate Man being of, The Bruitish among the People, does labour under an utter and a mortal Incapacit [...] to render that, Reasonable Service. Thus 'tis said, in Rom. 8.8. They that are in the Flesh cannot please God. The man is told, and warn'd, and charg'd from time to time about, The Thing that Good is; but he can Do nothing! He can yield unto God, no Worship that is Right for the Matter ▪ the Manner, and the Motive of it. He cannot Serve God Spiritually ▪ for he is all Flesh; and his very Soul within him, is as One of the Ancients has it, after a sort Incarnated: he may too truly say, The Law is Spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under Sin! When he pretends to wait upon God, it is with an Application of his whole Soul: every Sacrifice that he brings has the Ill Omen of being, without an Heart; he may say, I Lift up my Eyes, my Hands, my Voice! but he cannot say with the Psalmist, Lord, I Lift my Soul unto thee; nor, Serve the Lord, O my Soul, and all that is within me! [Page 30] Nor can he Serve God Sincerely; for he was conceived with what i [...] contrary to, Tr [...]th in the Inward Parts; and it is nothing but Fear of some Temporal Inconvenience, or Pride of being Applauded among men, that makes him do what he does. 'Tis on­ly Self, that Clay [...]ol, Self, which puts this Pharisee upon Shows of Piety or Charity; and God is not before him. It was said, in Joh. 4.24. They that Worship God must Worship him in Spirit and in Truth. But what a vain Worship then, is that of the Unrege­nerate! Useless Wretch, what is he good for?

Thirdly, Gospel Priviledges may not be ex­pected by a man that is Unregenerate. What the Psalmist said about the City, we may say about the Kingdom, of God, Glorious Things are spoken of thee! But until by Re­generation Men are Naturalized, in this Kingdom, they cannot lay claim to those Glo­rious Things. 'Tis Regeneration that helps us to that Wedding Garment, without which, if we come to the Gospel Table, the Great King will say unto us, How camest thou hither?

But particularly, The Unregenerate Man can have no Union with the Lord Jesus Christ: No, He is yet in the First Adam. A man cannot be United unto the Heavenly Adam, without the Heavenly Image. 'Tis in Regeneration, that we come to be Grafted [Page 31] upon the only Living and Lifegiving Olive Tree. The Apostle counts it a filthy Ab­surdity, in 1 Cor. 6.15. Shall I take the Members of Christ, and make them the Members of an Harlot? God forbid. Even so, can a Mind be United unto the Lord Jesus Christ, while it is yet. Enmity against God? Can an Heart be United unto the Lord Jesus Christ, while it is yet, A Cage of Unclean Lusts▪ Can the Lord Jesus take a Tongue into an Union with Himself, and Leave the Poison of Asps Lurking and wor­king under it? Shall the Mystical Body of our Lord be like Nebuchadnezzars Image, the Head Gold, and the Members Clay? God forbid?

Again, The Unregenerate Man, can have no Title to the Saving [...]enefits of the Lord Jesus Christ. I have now Three Wo-Trum­pets, to Sound in the Ears of such a man; so that it may be very truly said, a Dread­ful Sound is in his Ears! Let the Sinner, first, hear that Account of his wretchedness, in Prov. 9.12. He shall be Holden with the Cords of his Sins. An Unregenerate Man, is an Unjustify'd man. Since it may be said of him, Thy Heart is not Right in the sight of God, it may be also said of him▪ Thy Iniquities keep thee in a Condition more Bitter than any Gall, bound over to Suffer Eternal Punishments! O Dreadful Condition! If Unregenerate, then Unpardoned. The [Page 32] Sins of such a man are Follow'd by him, and so long they can't be Forgiven to him. All the many Thousands of Sins wherewith he has Rebell'd against the God that made him, are still fresh and full upon the score against him, as if they had been but this very morning perpetrated; and the Loud Cry of them, Heaven, Pay us our Wages! Pay us our Wages! Let the Death of the Sinner, which is our Wages, be pay'd immediately; this Cry is going up to Heaven against him eve­ry Day. Thy Iniquity is marked before Me, saith the Lord! Let the Sinner take a further Account of his Wretchedness, from Prov. 15.8. The Sacrifice of the Wicked, is an Abomi­nation to the Lord. The Unregenerate man is an Unaccepted man. The Delight of God is only in Himself, and in what of Himself is in the Creature; but here is One, With­out God in the World. It is an Established Thing, Without Faith it is impossible to please God; but the Unregenerate is also an Unbe­liever. [...] the poor man do never so many Religio [...]s, [...] Charitable and Serviceable Things, they are but so many Splendid Sins, in the Account of God. All the Obla­tions of such a man, are no better than Swines Blood; and the Blessed God, says, I like them not ▪ because they cannot be duly Qualify'd. His Good Works, are but so many Cyph [...]es▪ wanting that Figure that should give a value [Page 33] to them all: He is one who, Turns away his Ear from hearing the Law, and therefore his very Prayers are an Abomination. But then Let it be entred as a Third Instance of the Sinners wretchedness, what we have, in Heb. 12.8. Ye are Bastards and not Sons. If with­out Castigation, much more without Regenera­tion, a man has no pretence unto an Adoption by the Lord. The Honour and the Image of Gods Children must ever go together. 'Tis only the New-Born that have, The pow­er to be called, the Sons of God: nor may any one else hope for, The Inheritance of the Saints in Light. As none but, They that are Led by the Spirit are the Sons of God, so, are none but they that are Born of that Spirit. Until persons come out from among the Unregenerate, the Almighty God says not unto them, I will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my Sons and Daugh­ters. No, 'tis another Family, that the Un­regenerate belongs unto; what is the Name of him? only The seed of the Serpent; and, A Generation of Vipers, and, Ye are of your Father the Devil! That, there is all [...] Style that belongs to Wretched Unrege­nerates.

Once more, Thirdly, those Holy Things, the Sealing Ordinances of the Lord Jesus Christ, belong not unto an unregenerate man. There is a Seal but unto a blank, if we ad­minister [Page 34] those Seals unto such as have no Re­generation in them. A man must be visibly Regenerate before he may lawfully claim the Baptism of the Lord, for himself and his house. There is as well Purgation of Soul, as Remission of Sin, Sealed in that Ordinance: which who has but the Regenerate! It was of Old required, Repent and be Baptised: It was again required, If thou believest with all thine heart, then mayest be Baptised; Now who do's that, but the Regenerate of the Lord? Until a man be hopefully washed in, The Laver of Regeneration, he will but pollute, The Laver of Baptism, if he be brought unto it. A John, would not Baptise, such as did not Confess their sins, and give cause to think that they did Forsake, what they did Confess. Unto Baptism, there is requisite, as we read, in 1. Pet. 3.21. The answer of a good Con­science. The most High demands of us, Wilt thou be my servant & souldier according to my Co­venant for ever? but an unregenerate man do's not with a good Conscience make that Answer thereunto, Lord I will! and therefore the Waters of Baptism▪ are but, stollen Waters, to such a man. Again, A man may not be received unto the Supper of the Lord, until he make a probable, and credible Profession of his being Regenerate. In that Ordinance is our Communion with the Lord Jesus Christ, and our Participation in all the good [Page 35] effects of his Death, seal'd unto us; but ex­cept a man be Regenerate, how can he look for such things as these? It is only in Evang [...] ­lical Churches that there is this Table to be spread; and these are to be, Churches of Saints, and, Holy Brethren, and such as are, Washed, Sanctify'd, Justify'd,; a main design of these Churches is to Represent unto the world, who they are, that shall Ascend onto the Hill of the Lord, and stand in His Holy Place for ever ▪ but such as are not Regenerate, are not of those. Dead Souls are not fitt guests, for the Supper of our Living Lord; it belongs to none but Penitents; others are to be Rebuked; Censured, and Bound on Earth, from the liber­ties of such a Fellowship. A man taking the Sacramental Bread and Wine, therein says, I have chosen the Lord Jesus Christ, thus Ex­hibited, for my Lord Redeemer; but without Re­generation, a man utters but a great Lye in saying so. It is enjoined on a Communi­cant, in 1. Cor 11.28: let the man examine himself. Of what: One thing is, whe [...]e [...] [...] be not an unregenerate man: or whether [...]e have, the good Mind and, the pure Heart, and, the vertuous Life, after which the Primitive Churches enquired, in their Communicants: lest otherwise he may more fatally than ever the Emperour did, swallow his Poison in the Eucharist. Behold O Immortal Souls, what a dismal thing tis, to be unregenerate! But here [Page 36] is nor all the Lamentation and Mourning and wo, which I am to fill my little Uolumn with. We must add.

II. Nor can a man enjoy a GLORIOUS ESTATE in an other world, without Regene­ration ▪ We are told in 1. Pet. 1 24. God hath be­gotten us again, to a Lively hope; to an Inheri­tance Reserved in Heaven for us. Why, with­out being Begotten again, we can have no Hope o [...] ever coming to that Inheritance. The very Pillars of Heaven, and the foundations of the Earth, are not more Immoveble, than this purpose of our God, Without Holiness no man shall see the Lord; now tis by Regenera­tion that we are partakers of that Holiness. There is a Kingdome which God has promi­sed; but only they that Love Him, are the Heirs of that Kingdome; now of an unrege­nerate man it may be said, How dwells the Love of God in such a man! Wherefore

First, The unregenerate man, shall be exclu­ded from the Glorious Kingdome of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Lower World, at the day of judgment. The Day is at the Do [...]r, [ Lord Hasten it!] When the Papal and the Turk­ish Power being extinguished, and the Divel also having no further power to Deceive the Nations, is will be Proclaimed, The King­doms of this world are become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of [...]is Christ, and He shall Reign [Page 37] for ever and ever. THEN comes, the Time of the Dead, that they should be Judged; THEN will our Lord assume His Davidical Kingdom, and Reign before His Ancient People Gloriously: THEN will be that Appearing and Kingdome of our Lord, wherein He Will Judg the Quick and Dead. Our Lord, speaking of that King­dome, calls it, in Mat. 19 28. the REGENER­ATION, When the Son of Man, shall Sitt on the Throne of His Glory. Well, and Without Regeneration a man shall then have no com­fortable share in the Glory of that Kingdome. Both the New-Heaven, when our Lord with His Raised ones, will occupy the Room now possessed by the Prince of the Power of the Air, and the New-Earth where will be the Nations of the saved from the conflagration; in both of these, there will, Dwell Righteousness; and surely then there must be Regeneration in them. None but the Regenerate may Sing that Song, in Rev. 5.10. We shall Reign over the Earth. None but Saints of the Most High, shall then have the Kingdome given unto them. None but Overcomers are then to have Power over the Nations. There wil be no Lots in the Hea­venly Canaan for any but the Daniels of the Lord. They are only the Holy ones, who now Rise from a Death of sin, that shall have a part in that First Resurrection; tis only the Upright, who shall then have the Dominion. Unless men be Regenerate, the Lord Jesus [Page 83] Christ will not at the great Day acknowledg them with a, Come ye blessed, Inherit the King­dome: nor shall they then meet with any thing but, Shame and contempt. The New Jeru­salem will not be Defiled with any Unregenerate; but they shall be hissed out of that Holy City, with a, Depart ye cursed into everlasting Fire, with the Devil and his Angels: and all their Wickedness will therewithal be shew'd before the whole Congregation.

Secondly, The Unregenerate man shall be Banished from the Glorious Kingdom of the Lord Jesus, in the Upper World, through­out the Days of Eternity. A Saul must have Another Heart, before he were fit for [...] Kingdom; and so must a Sinner, before he can be fit for this Kingdom. Between Glorification and Regeneration, the Connexion is Inseparable. No Unclean man might En­ter into the Temple of old; nor shall any Unregenerate One Enter into the Heaven oft the Blessed. As the Serpent himself shall no more come into the Paradise of God, so the Seed of that Serpent shall be Exiled from thence, with what we have in Math. 7.22. Depart, I know you not, ye workers of Iniquity! We may as well suppose that a piece of Rot­ten Flesh may become a Glittering Star, in the Firmament of God, as that there should be one Unregenerate man, in that Retinue of many Thousands, which our Lord Jesus [Page 39] Christ, as a Standard Bearer ▪ in the Head of them, will conduct into the Caelestial Regi­ons, when He shall Deliver up the Kingdom unto the Father. Yea, it may be said of the Unregenerate, not only that he SHALL NOT, but also, that he CANNOT have a part in that Kingdom. For, it is, first, impossible, that the Exercises of Heaven should be per­formed by an Unregenerate man. As for the Love of God, which is to Remain, in Heaven; unless God Circumcise our Hearts ▪ we cannot Love the Lord our God with all our Hearts? As for the Praise of God, which for ever Employs the Hallelujahs of the Glorify'd; how can the Blessing of God, come out of the bitter mouth, which is full of Deadly Poison? And, secondly, 'tis im­possible that the Recompences of Heaven, should be Relished by such a man. They must be Inlaid into the very Frame of our Souls, if ever we have them; yea, Regene­ration, is the Inchoation of them. Were an Unregenerate man, on the Mountain of Transfiguration, he could not say, 'Tis good for to be here! O fearful Case! Th [...] man that often said of a Sabbath here, What a Weariness is it? would also be, Weary of the Rest which Remains for the People of GOD ▪ What Resentments can a Dead Carcase have of a Robe or Crown put upon it? That Heaven would be rather a Torment, [Page 40] than a Content unto an Unrenewed Soul. What can a Contemplation of God, signify to one that says unto the Almighty, De­part? What can a Conformity to Christ, be with one, who Loaths the Hidden Manna? THIS, This 'tis to be Unregenerate.

AND now there is a most Importunate EXHORTATION & EXCITATION to be given unto those that are yet perishing in their Unregeneracy. 'Tis thus much; Mi­serable Souls, make sure of Regeneration be­fore it be too late: Give all Diligence to make your Vocation and Election sure. Or, take it in the words of the Prophet, Ezek. 18.31. Cast away from you all your Transgres­sions, and make you a New Heart, and a New Spirit; for why will you Dy? Sinners, you ne­ver were Addressed, upon a Matter of more Importance for you: We must be in Earnest with you; and there are two things to be Ask'd of you▪ yea, to be Charg'd on you, in the Name of the God that made you.

I. In the first place then, Be very sensible of your own Inability to accomplish your own Regeneration. Ly humbly under the Awe of that Assertion, in Phil. 2.13. It is God, who Works in you, both to Will and to Do, of His own Good Pleasure. It is God, who not only gives us the Power of Turn­ing [Page 41] to Himself, but every Act of Turning also, must be of His production. Without such an Humiliation in your Souls, the Regene­ration of your Souls, is utterly to be despair­ed. How apt will men be to put off all cares about their own Regeneration, if they imagine that they can always have within their own reach, The Things that accompany Salvation, or that they have a Key in their own Hands with which they can Unlock Heaven at their own Arbitrary Leisure? How unlikely will the Soveraign God also be, to bestow Regeneration upon those who do not own that Soveraignty, or do not feel that we are, Saved by Grace, thro' Faith; and this not of our selves, 'tis the Gift of God? Indeed, the Natural and Essential Freedome of our Will, remains unto us; it wills freely, wherever it Wills at all: but alas, 'tis no better than, Free among the Dead: only Dead Works are grateful to the Will of the Unregenerate: his Will, as well as the rest of his whole Soul, is corrupted in him. Tis very true, that God Commands us to Return unto Himself; yea, there is both Infinite Justice and Infinite Wis­dom, in his giving of that Command: there is Justice in it, because we Owe unto God our Maker all manner of Obedience, and tho' we in the Apostasy of our First Father, justly Imputed unto us, have sinned away our Ability to yield that Obedience, yet [Page 42] Gods Right is not impair'd by our Crime; there is Wisdom in it, because God Requires nothing of us, but what our Natural [...]acul­ties were Originally suited unto; because [...] have new such an occasion to be convin­ced of our own Impotency, as may fitly engage us to acknowledge the Help of God; and because the Calls which God gives us to Do what we Can't, are made proper Vehicles for his Divine Assistances to be therein con­vey'd unto them whose Names are in the Book of Life. But still, 'tis as true that we are of our selves utterly Unable to Return unto our God: and that He will not Look in mercy upon us, till He make us to be Sensible of our being thus unable. In truth, while a man is Unregenerate, he can do nothing in Faith, and so nothing but Sin, in all that he does; it may be said of him, That e­very Imagination of the thoughts of his heart is only evil continually; it may be said of him, He is Reprobate unto every Good Work: to miscarry in every thing, is tho' Voluntary yet Necessary, with him; and it becomes us to make our bitter moans accordingly. When God commands us to become Rege­nerate, Own that you are justly Damned, if you do it not; and yet sadly mourn before the Lord, O I am Dead, in Trespasses and Sins; Complain, Lord, my obstinate will cannot be [...]ee to a Spiritual Good, until Thou make [Page 43] it free! Declare, Lord, I cannot come unto the Son of God, except the Father draw me! Look upon Regeneration, as an efficacious, & supernatural operation of God, wherein he does not only lay Moral Perswasions before men, but also infuse a new Frame into the Will, and Spiritually Heal, Quicken, and Reform, the formerly Rebellious Wills, of that Select number which he did from all e­ternity set apart for the Sheep of the Lord Jesus Christ- Say, that you are far from a capacity of Regenerating yourselves, yea, that you cannot so far Dispose and Prepare yourselves for, your own Regeneration, that God should be obliged by your well [...]impro­ving of his Common-Grace, to work it in you; Say, Tis not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mer­cy. Tis an Article Asserted by the Church of England, (the Tenth of the famous Thir­ty Nine) The Condition of man, is such after the Fall, that he cannot turn, nor prepare himself by his own natural strength, to Faith, and calling upon God; wherefore we have no power to do good works pleasant and acceptable to God, with­out the Grace of God preventing us, that we may have a good Will, and working with us, wh [...] we have that good Will. And it is an Ar­ticle that calls for the hearty Assent and Consent of all that by Regeneration come into the Sheep fold of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

[Page 44]II. And yet, in the Second place, O do what you can, and as much as Ever you can, about your own Regeneration. Though you have no promise, that if you do what you can, you shall certainly speed in what you do; yet you will be the more inexcusable, if you have not so done, in the Day of Gods pleading with you; and besides, in so doing there is an, It may be, there is an, Who can tell! tis not unlikely, that the most High may so touch your souls, that ere you are aware, you shall be, a willing People.

Particularly;

First, Can you not avoid the Society of those, by whom your own Regeneration may be discouraged! O then avoid it. What should hinder you that you should not be able to say, as in Psal. 26.3. I have not sat with vain person [...]! There are ungodly ones that would prejudice your hearts against the pow­er of Godliness, and that would entangle you in the snares of sin and hell: concer­ning those let me vehemently cry unto you in words like those of Moses, Depart I pray you, from these wicked ones, Lest you pe­rish with them. O that you may be deter'd from the Fascinations of evil company, by that admonition of wisdome, in Prov. 13.20. A [...]co [...]panion of fools shall be destroyed. If you see a Person profane, vitious, extrava­gant, I say, My Son if that sinner entice thee [Page 45] consent thou not; shun him, fly him, he may be the cut-throat of thy Soul. Tell him, you cannot walk with him; except hee'll take, The way that is called holy.

Secondly, Can you not present some kind of Supplication before the Lord, for your own Regeneration? O then present it. There was a man, to whom, altho' it had been said, Thy Heart is not Right, yet there was that Advice given, in Acts 8.22. Pray to God! If the Life of your Bodies lay at stake, would you not be in Earnest for Delive­rance? Behold, O Dying Sinner, Thy SOUL, Thy Soul is in the very Belly of Hell; and why then dost thou not like the Psalmist, Call upon the Name of the Lord, and say, I bese [...]ch thee to Deliver my Soul! Fall down upon thy Knees before the God of Heaven, and pray, and say, as in Jer. 31.18. O Turn thou me, and I shall be Turned. Beg of Him, Lord, fulfil in me the good pleasure of thy Goodness, and the work of Faith with power! Plead with Him, Lord, thou hast said, that there are some to whom thou wilt give a New Heart and a New Spirit; and if thou wilt, thou canst make such a Wretch as I am, the partaker of such a Bles­sedness! An Old Nature, is like an Old De­vil; it goes not out, without much Pray­er to God. Cavil not, My Prayers are an Abomination: it will be a greater Abomina­tion [Page 46] to Neglect them, than to Perform them; at least, you may see whether He that re­gards the Cries of the Needy Ravens and Lions, may not have His Ear open unto thine; and if it may be said of thee, Be­hold he Prays! 'tis hopeful, thou art upon such a Turn, that it may be further said, This poor man Cryed, and the Lord Heard and Saved!

Thirdly, Can you not Attend the Mini­stry of that Word whereby Regeneration is Effected? O then Attend it. It is said, in 1 Pet. 1.23. We are, Born again by the Word of God, which Liveth and Abideth for ever. Wherefore, place your selves as much as you can, under the Dispensations of that New Creating Word! Were you daily con­versing with the Word of God, you would therein [...]ie at the Pool, in the House of Mercy: who knows, but God may there meet you, with a Cure of all your Ma­ladies? Can you not Read a Bible, as well as a Gazet, or a Romance? Can you not as easily go to a Sermon, as a Tavern? O be continually waiting, upon Wisdoms Lively Oracles, that so you may, Hear and Live! Said the Apostle, in 1 Cor. 4.15. In Christ Jesus, I have Begotten you, thro' the Gospel: so then, if the Gospel were always in your Eyes or Ears, 'tis Likely that you might be, Begot­ten of Christ Jesus. The Breath of Satan was that which did corrupt you, and the [Page 47] Breath of Jesus may now Amend you. 'Tis said, Where the word of a King is, there is Power: If then, you seriously set your selves before and under the Word of the Eternal King, it may have such a power on you, as to bring you home unto God. When two or three Scriptures were Quo­ted unto Peters Hearers, they were soon; Pierc'd in Heart; and by the use of the Scriptures may you come to be as well, Chang'd in Heart. When Austin was call'd upon, Take up and Read, then the close of the Thirteenth Chapter to the Romans whereto he was directed, proved the means of his Conversion. I say then, Take up and Read.

Fourthly, You can CONSIDER; and Oh that you would! It is said, in Ezek. 18.28. Because he Considers, and he Turns, he shall surely Live. It seems that Conside­ration is the frequent Introduction of Re­generation: A Prodigal will be likely to Come unto a Right Mind, if once he begin to Bethink himself. We have been told of a wicked young man, who being obliged by his Dying Father, to spend a quarter of an Hour every Day, only in Consider­ing, even on any thing, what he pleased; at length he began to Consider, what might be the Cause of his Fathers giving him such a Charge: This fill'd him with serious [Page 48] Thoughts, and his Considerations were so blest, as to issue in his being brought home to God. O that you would make this Experiment! Can you not ever now and then, [...] from [...] Nones, [...] and Enchantments of the World, and Con­sider with your selves, What is the present, and what is like to be the future condition of my Soul? 'Tis no Extraordinary Difficul­ty, that is now Imposed upon you; I may urge, My Neighbour, If I had asked you to do some great thing for the Conversion and Salvation of your Soul; would you not have done it? A SOUL, certainly 'tis well worth all that can be done for it. How much more when you are only ask'd, that you would a lit­tle CONSIDER the things of your Everlasting Peace? I say then, CONSIDER; and hope, none of you will Reply, That an Eternal Kingdom, is not worth our taking so much pains, as that of a little Conside­ration for it.

But there are seven or eight matters o [...] most Awful CONSIDERATION, that have now to lay before you: and because of a singular Efficacy not only in the As­sertions, but in the very Expressions of the Scripture, I shall Arrest your Thoughts, with so many Sentences taken out from the Word of God; thus it is with a, Thus saith the Lord, That I require you to Con­sider. And,

[Page 49]I. The first Consideration proper for you is that, in 2 Pet. 1.4. There are given to us, exceeding great and precious Promises, that by these you might be made partakers of the Divine Nature. CONSIDER, That all the great and precious Promises of God, will be­come your Portion, when once you are Born A­gain. As the Lord shew'd unto our Father Abraham, the Land of Promise, and said, Lift up now thine Eyes, and Look; for all the Land that thou seest, unto thee, will I give it; even so, Let us by Regeneration once become the Children of Abraham, and then, whatever good Things are contained in all the Promises of God, He will say, All that thou seest, and infinitely more than thou canst Think, will I give unto thee: Whatever Promise we can find in any part of the Bible, we may with an Appropri­ating Joy of Soul, say, Like one of the Ancients, thereupon, This word is mine! Here's a Promise that I am owner of! Let us become Regenerate, and from that Mo­ment, the Almighty GOD, will by His Promise, give no Less than Himself unto us: we shall have an Interest in that Pro­mise, Jer. 31.33. I will be their God. The Essence of God will then be for us, and according to the Promise, Our Maker will be our Husband. The Great God now promises, My power shall be thine to supply [Page 50] thee, and, My Wisdom shall be thine to Direct thee, and, My Goodness thine to Relieve thee. The Subsistence of God will then also be by Promise Engaged for us: God the Father now promises, I will be thy Father: God the Son says, I will be thy Saviour: and God the [...] says, I will be thy Strengthener. Behold, enough to satisfie the vast Cravings of the most Enlarged Soul! And yet, there is more for us; Let us become Regenerate, and there are Innumerable sure Mercies, which the Promise will make sure [...] us, as the consequent hereupon. We shall have an Interest in that Promise, Psal. 84.11. The Lord God is a Sun and a Shield, the Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will he withold from them that walk uprightly: Yea, and Help to Walk uprightly too. We now have that Godliness, which has, The promise both of the Life which now is, and of that which is to come. We may now Lay hold of that Promise, They that seek the Lord shall not want any good Thing; that Promise, All things shall work together for Good unto them that Love God; and that Promise, Thou shalt Guide me with thy Counsel, and after­wards Receive me to Glory. All Temporal Blessings for which we may have occasion, will now be made over to us; but espe­ciall [...] all Spiritual Ones; The chief Things of [...] Ancient Mountains, and the precious [...] Everlasting Hills. Obdurate [Page 51] Sinner, Thy Heart is more Impenetrable than the Nether Milstone, if this Conside­ration do not move thee, melt thee, break thee! Abraham could readily forego a Son, for a Promise; and wilt not thou forego a Sin for all the Promises? What a profane Esau art thou, to Despise all of this Invalu­able Blessedness? But

II. A second Consideration useful for you, may be that in Isa. 1.2. Hear, O Heavens, and Give ear, O Earth; for the Lord hath spo­ken; I have Nourished and brought up Children, and they have Rebelled against me. CONSI­DER, That until you are Born again, all the more than Fatherly Mercies of God are both Ill bestowed, and Ill Requited. The God of Heaven has dealt like a Father with you, all your Days hitherunto: and you speak but Reasonably, when you say unto Him, Our Father! It is He that has produced you from Nothing, into Being, and it is He that has preserved you in Being from Threatning and Invading Mischief. They are Gods Creatures which Comfort you, and Cherish you; 'tis His Air you breath, 'tis His Ground you tread, they are His Cloaths that Cover you. It is He that e­very Hour defends you from a Million Deaths; and supplies you with multitudes of Conveniencies both for Inward and Out­ward Man. And what is the Language of [Page 52] all this Kindness? 'Tis that in Rom. 2.4. The Goodness of God, Leads thee to Repen­tance. By Regeneration we should now come to behave ourselves like Children unto a Father so favourable, so compassionate! The voice of all the Divine Benignity unto us, is that, O live unto that God, from whom, and on whom it is that thou livest at all! The Israelites could say to such a Benefactor as Gideon, in Judg. 8.22. Rule thou o [...]er us, both thou and thy son, for thou hast delivered us. How much more ought wee to become Regenerate, by resigning ourselves unto the Government of that God, who has been our Deliverer all this while, and who has Redeemed us from all Adversity? Be sure, till you are Born again, all the Bounties of God are utterly lost upon you; Gods Corn and Gods Wine is given unto Baal; and you are continually Fighting against God with Weapons of His own. As Da­vid said of an Unthankful Nabal, In vain have I kept all that this Fellow hath; so may the Lord say of an Unholy Sinner; All my Mercies to this Wretch, are meerly thrown away: He makes me no suitable Re­turns for all my Benefits. Never was any Ingratitude so monstrous, as that of Unre­generacy! To continue in REBELLION a­gainst God, amongst His most wicked and cursed Enemies, after all that He has done [Page 53] for you! tis the Worst Instance, of, Requi­ting evil for Good, that ever was afforded. Af­ter all the Goodness and Mercy wherewith God has follow'd you all your days▪ His de­mand is but that, in Deut. 10.12. And now what doth the Lord thy God Require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love Him? And O thou sinful Unre­generate! What a Vile Disingenuity is it for thee to be, as thou art continually A [...] ­fronting and Reproaching of God thy Savi­our? It seems that he has, but as the Pro­verb speaks, Brought up the Whelps of Wolves, in all the Cost that He has laid out upon thee. And Oh! How will all thy past enjoyments come in, as confounding Witnesses against thee, in the day wherein, thou shalt find thy self to be Accountable. Particularly, Many a Life, has been spent & Lost in the Service of thy Life; & all the Creatures will with Loud Clamours plead against thee, saying, Lord, our Lives went, that so this Wretch might have lived unto Thy Glory! We were all abused inasmuch as he did it not!

O Think on the kindnesses of the Ever-Gracious God: And let thy Heart relent, as did the heart of Saul, when he saw David spa­ring of him; say, Lord I cannot go on to wrong Thee any more!

[Page 54]III. A Third Consideration, That may be needful for you, is that▪ in Psal 90.3. Thou turnest man to destruction, and saiest, Re­turn ye Children of Men. CONSIDER, That the Judgments of God, upon yourselves and o­thers, are vehement calls upon you to be Born a­gain. Have you not felt many Afflictions upon yourselves▪ Why, Hear the Rod; there is a Cry in that which makes you to Cry: it saies thus much, O that you were Born again. It is said, The Lord scourgeth every Son whom He Receiveth; but He Scourges you that so you may become willing to be Sons. The Cry of Sickness is, O that by Regeneration you may be Born twice, before you dy once thro Mor­tality: your outward Man is decaying, see then that your Inward may be renewed! The Cry of Reproach is, You that have a Bad Name, Look after a New Name; you that have your Names Trampled in the Mire of the Earth, see that your Names be Written in Heaven; and whatever else you may be called, make sure that you be called, The Children of God! The Cry of Bondage is, Look after the Redemption of your souls; Ask the Son of God that you may be free indeed; Get out of the Bond of Iniquity! The Cry of Po­verty is, Lay up a Treasure in Heaven. Do you want food! Be concerned about the Meat which Endures to everlasting Life. Do you want Clothes? Be concerned about the Fine Linnen, which is the Righteousness of the Saints. Do you want a dwel­ling! [Page 55] Be sollicitous for a Room in the Fathers House, where there are many Mansions! And if you have any Friends taken from you, That is the Cry of it, Close now with the Lord Jesus Christ, who is better than Ten Sons, Let God be­come your God, who is an Alsufficient one! It is the Direction of Heaven in Job 34.31.32. Surely, it is meet to be said unto God, I have born chastisiment, I will not offend any more. That which I see not, Teach thou me; if I have done Iniquity, I will do no more. A Theef on a Cross, Blaspheming the Lord, was indeed a very rueful sight; but every afflicted person remaining Unregenerate, is indeed such a sight. Again, have you not seen many Miseries upon Others also? Why, there is a Lesson given us by all those calamities, like that which the Historian tells us, was upon the Statue of Se­nacherib, Let the spectator become a Godly person; that is, One Born again. When you see o­thers made the Monuments of Gods Anger, it cries to you; and there is thus much in the Cry, O that by Regeneration, you would secure yourselves, from the like indignation! It is the Use that Our Lord has directed us to make of all Desolations, in Luc. 13.3, 5. I tell you Nay, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. And its by so Repenting, that you are to become Regenerate!

IV. A Fou [...]th Consideration to Encourage [Page 56] you, may be that in Luc. 15.10 I say unto you, there is Joy in the presence of the Angels of God, over one sinner that Repenteth. CONSI­DER, That, by your being born again, you will fill not Earth only, but Heaven too, with Joy. All the Good men on Earth to whom the Notice of your Regeneration, shall arrive, will be Ra­vished at the News of it. Perhaps there are some ungodly Fools, that may flout and scoff, at your turning unto God, and say, VVhat? you are turning a Saint; are you? But they not being Saints, are much worse than Bruits; and in the mean time for those that are truly wise, and that are best able to Judge what Wisdom is, Of them you shall be had in Honour. The Saints are, The Excellent in the Earth, and, More Excellent than their Neighbours; Their Good word is of Ten thousand times more account, than all the commenda­tion of them that are, The men of this world: and whenever you become Regenerate, all those your Excellent bretheren, will immediately Glorify God in you and for you: as when a Sa [...] was becoming a Paul, tis reported, in Act. 9.21. All [...]at heard it, were amazed: so upon your Change among the people of God, All that see it, will be affected! However, you will set all Heaven on rejoicing, when-ever you shall be brought home to God.

Would you this day give up yourselves to God in Christ sincerely and entirely, the Ti­dings [Page 57] would immediately be carried into Hea­ven it self, and the very Angels of the High­est, would in the Highest, Rejoyce with Joy Unspeakable and full of Glory! As at the First Creation of the World, so at a New Creation in thy Soul, The Morning-stars would sing toge­ther, and the Sons of God shout for joy: O Deny not such a Satisfaction to those Charitable Spirits, by thy Holding fast of thy Unregene­racy, and thy Refusing to Return! As poor and mean a Wretch as thou art, yet upon thy Regeneration, there would be unspeakable Triumphs among the Angels of God; the Gladsome Rumour would be spread thro' the Ethereal Regions, Behold, there is another Sinner Converted from the Errour of his way; and there is another Soul to be Saved from Death! Behold, there is come in another Heir of Salvation, for us, to Minister unto! Behold, there is another Branch of Humane Race, come in, to fill up the vacant Room, that the Apostate Legions have left among us! O Let us now praise God for such as are coming to praise God with us for ever. And if any of your Dead Relations may be now Lodg'd among those Glorious Angels, I know not why They also may not be admitted unto a Participation in that Caelestial Gladness: tho' our Prayers to Them would be a Detestable Idolatry, yet their Praises for us may be with­out any Harm imagined? Why may not▪ They Rejoyce and say, Blessed be God, that the Pray­ers [Page 58] which we made for the Conversion of our Friends below, are now Answered; Blessed be God, that they are like to come hither after us! But it is very certain, That there is a most Ineffable Joy in the Heart of the Infinite God Himself, whenever you become Rege­nerate, and begin to Choose the Things that please Him. You will be the Joy of the whole Trinity; God the Holy Ghost will Rejoyce and say, Behold, another Temple for me to have the possession of! God the Son, will Rejoyce and say, Behold, another Member, help­ing towards the Fulness of my Mystical Body! And the Eternal Father will now Rejoyce over the Returning Prodigal, as in Luc. 15.32. See, One that was Dead, and is alive again; One that was Lost, and is found! It was a sur­prizing passage that fell from the dying Lips of one in our Neighbourhood, who after fifty years of Impiety and Impenitence, becoming Regenerate, a few weeks before he Dy'd, after he had Lain for a while speech­less and senseless in his Death-pangs, he to the amazement of the Spectators, Recove­red so far, as to utter these Rapturous EX­PRESSIONS, O my Friends, Heaven Rings all over at this; They wonder at This; A Great and an Old Sinner coming to Heaven: O Glorifie Free Grace for evermore. And so he gave up the Ghost. Why, this is what I have said; Become Regenerate, and all [Page 59] Heaven will Ring with it. Hard-hearted sin­ner! How canst thou Resist Perswasives, thus full of Argument?

V. A fifth Consideration to Alarum you, may be that in Luc. 10.42. One Thing is Needful. CONSIDER, That without being Born again, there is nothing that will, nothing that can, secure the Wellfare of your Immortal Souls. Regeneration is indeed a thing, which leaves no Room for Deliberation, inasmuch as it is most absolutely Necessary for us all. Never say, Shall I! Shall I! be Born again; for, Necessity is laid upon you, and Wo unto you, if you have it not! What provision have you made for your poor Souls, ye misera­ble Unregenerates? After all the Riches, and all the Honours, and all the Learning which you can here attain unto, how mi­serably still are your poor Souls all this while provided for? O that you would once at least Think to purpose upon that Word of our Lord Jesus, which a Great King was advised every day to Think up­on; in Mat. 16.26. What is a man profited if be gain the whole World, and Loose his own Soul? But it may be that you have con­ceived some Hopes of your Everlasting Bles­sedness, upon some other feeble Accounts; and yet these also, without Regeneration, will be found but so many Cobwebs, before the Fiery Besom of Destruction, at the last. [Page 60] As now, 'tis not enough to say, I have many Spiritual Priviledges, which may stand my Soul in stead. What though you have been partakers of the Sacraments? The Is­raelites were so, and yet it is said, God was not well-pleased with them. What tho' you are Descended of Parents that were the Favourites of Heaven? The Jews bragg'd, We have Abraham for our Father! but our Lord could Reply upon them, You are of your Father the Devil. In a word, whate­ver External Prerogative thou hast, in the Church of God, thou mayst be a woful Citizen of Capernaum at the last.

Again, Tis not enough to say, My Gifts and Parts are considerable; the Furniture of my Mind is too rich to be [...] of Heaven. Drown­ing Soul! All the [...]e things may be but as a Bag of Gold about thee, to sink thee so much the deeper in Perdition. I pray, what was the Death, what was the Last End that Balaam had? May not one, Speak with the Tongues of Men, and of Angels, and yet be destitute of a Saving Charity! Alas, a man, may be no less than an Able Minister of the Gospel▪ and yet fare no better than One of Noahs Carpenters after all.

Further, 'Tis not enough to say, I am Civil, Honest, Harmless; none of my Neigh­bours are the worse for me. Was there not a Pharisee, who could boast, I am not as [Page 61] other men, Extortioners, Unjust, Adulterers: and yet he was not Justify'd? Was there not a Young Man, who could boast, All the Commandments of the second Table, I have kept from my Youth: and yet [...], Lacked One Thing? What Signify'd it unto Paul, that he was, Touching the Righteousness which is in the Law blameless?

Moreover, 'Tis not enough to say, My Religious Exercises are not a few; I Pray, I Hear, I Fast, and use much Devotion ▪ The Jews have a saying, If only two men in the World were to be Saved, the One of them would be a Scrib [...]e, the other a Pharisee. 'Twas They, who could pretend, I fast twice a Week, and give Tithes of all that I possess.. And yet, what said [...] who is Truth it self! Except your Righ­teous [...] shall exceed that of the Scribes and I [...] shall in no case enter into the kingdom of Heaven.

Furthermore, 'tis not enough to say, I have had many good affections moving in me; I have had my heart mightily [...] in the Ordinances of God; and many a [...] have I [...] fall upon the matters of Eternity Many an Ahab has been Terrified by the Judgments, or Threatning, of God. Many an H [...]r [...]l, [...] himself gladded under an Evangelical Ministry. Ma­ny a Balaam has had slothful desires, after the Felicity of the Righteous. But what of all that?

[Page 62]Once more, 'Tis not enough to say, Good men Judge nothing but good of me, I have a room in the heart of such as are eminent for God­liness; yea, I am of their party, and have suffered with them. There was a time when David thought as well of Achitophel. And among all the Disciples, who suspected Judas? A Simon Magus may for a while be regarded by the most Eminent Apostles of Our Lord. An A­nanias, and a Sapphira, may get into the Church. And impious Alexanders, have been fa­mous Confessors, for the Cause of God.

Add hereunto; 'Tis not enough to say, God hath smiled many ways upon me; He hath answered my Prayers, prevented my Fears, and shown himself concerned for me. What if all your Preservations be but Reservations! Was there not an Ham spared, when Millions of people perished about him? What if your petitions are heard in the Court of Heaven, but in the course of Common Providence! Did not a Pharaoh receive what he as­ked?

All these things will be but so many, Re­fuges of Lies, if you go to shelter yourselves without Regeneration in them. God will no more spare you for these things, than Samuel did Agag, for the Ornaments that were upon him.

[Page 63]VI. A Sixth Consideration to awaken you, shall be that in Psal. 7.11· The mighty God is angry with the wicked every day. CONSI­DER, That The wrath and curse of the Great God abideth on you, till you are Born again. We read in Zech. 5.4. Concerning, A flying ROLL of Curses, Twenty Cubits Long, and Ten Broad. But indeed such a ROLL were too little to hold all the Curses which an Unre­generate man lies open unto. Either become Regenerate, or else look for, all The Plagues written in Gods Book, ye souls desolate and for­saken! That which was a Mistake in Job of old, may be too truly, but never too sadly, concluded by all that are yet in their Sins, God counts me for his enemy! And accordingly in all that He speaks to you, there are the Woes, in all that he does to you, there are the Wounds, of an Enemy. It is said in Prov. 3.33. The Curse of the Lord, is in the house of the Wicked. There are perhaps these and those fine enjoy­ments in thy House, but the Curse of God like a Leprosy, cleaves unto them all. Thy very Blessings themselves are Cursed, and thy Table becomes a Snare. The Curse of God is the Sauce in every Dish, the Spice in every Cup, with which thou meddlest; and that Curse is the Coverlid which thou still sleepest under. The Curse accompanies thee, like thy very shadow; every thing do's but help to poison thee, to undoe thee, to destroy thee: thou [Page 64] hast the wrath of God, with all thy Quails. The most [...]reful, Di [...]eful Plagues of God, are therewithal sent upon thy forlo [...] Soul. That Soul, is given over, as a Captive to the Devils and a [...]re [...] to the Terrible ones. Never is, The Light of Gods Countenance, uplifted u­pon that w [...]ful Soul; Tis a Soul altogether left in Ignorance, Confu [...]ion, and Frozen-Midnights: a Soul abandoned by Grace, and Pi­ning away in its Iniquities. Soul to be Lamen­ted! How canst thou be quiett in this Un­regeneracy? Why, thou art in a Prison; which Prison is also on a Light Fire over thine head! If thou art contented that God should Abhor thee, Ban thee, Damn thee; what is thy heart but Adamant! What are thy Heart-Strings but Sinews of Iron?

VII, A Seventh Consideration, to be as a Go [...] unto you, must be that in Ezek. 18.31, 32. Why will you Dy? Turn yourselves, and Live ye. [...], That if you are not Born again, you are to Dy for evermore. You have no [...]ng to live in this world; but I must plainly [...] you, that if you are not New-Born before you Dy, it had been good for you, that you never had been Born at all. If you go Unregenerate out of this World, there will be No Remedy nor es [...]ping, but you must be Miserable in another; you must unavoidably Go down! even, Go down! where, The Fire [Page 65] shall never be quenched. If you consult the Old-Testament, there you are told in, Psal. 9.17. The wicked shall be turned into Hell, and all the Nations that forget God. If you consult the New-Testament, there you are told, in Math. 25.46. The wicked shall go away into e­verlasting Punishment. So then, if your Depar­ting Souls a little while hence, are found with­out the marks of Regeneration upon them, the [...]iends of Darkness will presently snat [...]h them, seiz them, and hold those Naked Sou [...] in Chains of Darkness, until the dreadful Day of God. At the Arrival of which Notable and Amazing Day, when the Son of God shall cause the Mountains to quake at the Sound of His Descending Chariots, and the Hills to melt at the presence of His Majesty, and your Souls again to animate these Conta­minated Bodies, you must with fiery Thunders be sentenced unto, The Vengeance of Eternal Fire. When Corah and his company went down in­to the Pit, all the people, tis said, fled At the cry of them, saying, lest the earth swallow us up al­so! Were the Hideous and Horrible Pit of Hell set open before your eyes, you might see Millions of Unregenerates there tortured by the rebukes, with which, as with Flashes of Hot Lightning, the Eternal Spirit of God, is for ever smiting of them: there they ly, they vex, they roar, I am tormented in this flame: and will not you now fly at this formidable cry, [Page 66] saying, Lest Hell swallow me up also, in my un­regeneracy! Take that warning, O thou Soul in Peril; even that warning in Hebr. 10.32. Tis a fearful thing to fall into the Hands of the Living God. And know, that without Rege­neration, there is no Avoiding of those terri­ble Hands. But, Vain man, wilt thou make light of those Omnipotent Hands; the Hands that break the stoutest Rocks to pieces, and make the very Pillars of Heaven to Tremble! If thou hast not the Heart of the Leviathan, the Monster that is, made without Fear, surely thou canst not but be afraid of those Iron Hands! Methinks, thou shouldest with an a­king heart, hear the almighty God asking of thee, as in Evek. 22.14. Can thine heart en­dure, or can thy hands be strong, in the day that I shall deal with thee? Methinks, when thou be, beholdest the Thousands of Thousands that are Lingring in the Anguishes of the Vault below, thou shouldest cry out as Moses, when he behe'd the Careases falling in the Wilder­ness, in Psal. 90, 11. Who knows the Power [...] thine Anger! And one would think, thou shouldest now be willing to be Regenerate, be­ing Warned thus to Flee from the Wrath to come: Even from a Wrath, so to come, that there will be still, more to come, after tis already come, and, more to come, after it has been in­flicted for more than as many Millions of Ages, as the Sky hath Stars, or the Shoar [Page 67] hath Sands, or as the Ocean has Drops of VVater in it.

VIII. And now there is one Consideration more to quicken you; 'tis that in 2 Cor. 6.2. Behold, Now is the Agreeable Time! Be­hold, Now is the Day of Salvation! CONSI­DER, That NOW, NOW is your Time to be Born again. Let me lay my Hand upon you, as the Angel upon Lot, of old, that I may hasten and hurry you out from the Sodom, of your Unregeneracy. You are to be spur'd as Paul was, Arise, why Tarriest thou? You are to be Rowz'd like David, Save thy Self to night, for To morrow thou mayst be SLAIN. Regeneration is the Kings Business; and I may say thereof, It Requires Hast! You have Now a Time to be Born again; but O Think, what a Time it is.

You have a Time, and it is a Sure Time. After all your Iniquities, and all your Back. slidings, it is not yet after all, Too Late, for you to become Regenerate. Behold, After so Long a Time, To Day if you will Hear the voice of God! You are not onely still informed, It is Good for you to Draw near unto God, but also the GOLDEN Scep­ter is held out; you may Draw Near! Altho' you have wasted many and many a year, in the Tents of Wickedness, there is a Proclamation issued forth from the Lord, Yet Return unto me, and I will not cause my [Page 68] Anger to fall upon you. Hear this, ye Inve­terate Unregenerates, and Let your Hearts Relent; The King of Heaven is a Merciful King.

Again, You have a Time, and it is a Fit Time. I may say to you, Arise, the Master calleth thee; and then I am sure, 'tis very unfit, that you should refuse or defer to come in at His Call! Shall that Lord of Lords, whom all the Angels in Heaven attend upon, wait the Leisure of a Despicable, a Refractory, a sinful Worm! In your own Distress, you cry, O Lord Hear, Defer not! Why then do you Defer, when you Hear of your Duty? I am to tell you, Old Age, and Sickness, are no Convenient Season, for a Regeneration to be put off unto; tho' of That you Dream, when you pro­crastinate until, A more convenient Season.

Yet again, You have a Time, and it is Short Time. Talk you of, To morrow? But Wisdom says, Boast not of To morrow, for thou knowest not, what a Day may bring forth. If you become not Regenerate in This Life, you will never be so at all; but what is This Life? 'Tis a Vapour; aye, and a Vapour is enough to carry it away. The Salvation work now pressed upon you, is that whereof it may be, and has been said, O Do it with thy Might, for there is none of this work to be done in the Grave, whither thou art Going. Going did we say? [Page 69] Yea, Running, yea, Flying, every minute. ETERNITY, Eternity is just going to fa­sten its Iron Teeth upon you; it won't, it can't be long, before all the Opportuni­ties of Regeneration will be at an end.

And yet again; You have a Time, but it is an Only Time. God has not Entrust­ed you, with so much as one Moment; if you do not now this Moment become Re­generate, it is possible that you may not have another; it is less probable that you will in another. Stay but a little more, Delay a little more, Dally a little more, cry, A little more Slumber! and you'll be gone where, O Lord, They cannot Hope for thy Truth! But if once you are gone down, into the Floods of ardent Sulphur, then, ye Foolish Ones, 'twill avail nothing to cry, Lord, Lord, Open yet the Door of Regenerati­on for us! To cry, Lord, Lord, One Sermon more! To cry, Lord, Lord, One Sabbath more! To beg with Tears of Blood, Lord, One Season of Grace more! will be of no Avail at all.

Come then, Bring this matter to an Is­sue; Do not any longer keep Wounding of your selves, among the Monuments of the Dead. 'Tis thus that the matter lies: Thou hast been horribly depraved by that Origi­nal Sin, which is derived unto thee from thy First Father; but thy Ti [...] in this [Page 70] World is allow'd thee, that thou mayst obtain a Deliverance from that Image of the Devil, by such an Union, as will be attended with and productive of a Like­ness, to the Lord Jesus Christ. If when thy State of probation here shall come un­to its end, thou art found utterly Uncured of those Disorders which thou wast Born withal, and utterly Destitute of a Principle which may Dispose thee to The Life of God; those Characters of Hell upon thy Soul, will become Eternally Indelible. And it is Naturally impossible, that these Ever­lasting Impressions of Sin upon thy Soul, should be unaccompany'd with Intollerable Griefs, and Fears, and Horrors; and Infi­nite Regretts must become after a sort Essential to that lamentable Soul. But, if thy Soul might now have a New Frame, a Frame Gracious and Heavenly given there­unto, thou wilt shortly see that an Eter­nal Glory, is The self same thing for which Almighty God is working of thee. Sav then, Are you willing to be New-Born, or No? If you are now but made willing, I hope, that the God who has thus far perswaded you, will yet more powerfully and effe­ctually perswade you to be more than Al­most Regenerate: And O the Crown of Re­joycing, that we shall then be to each o­ther, In the Presence of our Lord Jesus Christ [Page 71] at His Coming! Well then, make a Trial. Reader, I shall set before thee an Instru­ment, whereto if thou canst heartily, sin­cerely, resolvedly, Subscribe, thou hast felt a saving work of REGENERATION up­on thy Soul. Perhaps thou hast been like the man that had a Withered Hand; yet it being said unto thee, Stretch out thy Hand! Now Try, Whether that Withered Hand is not so quickned from above, that it can with a most cordial Approbation, set it self unto these Acknowledgments.

O Eternal God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!

Unto thy most Merciful Demands, Whether I am willing to Renounce the Cor­rupt Interests of the Flesh, the World, and the Devil, with Godly Sorrow for my sinful Regards thereunto; and Have THEE for MY GOD, so that for me to Know Thee, Serve Thee, Resemble Thee, Enjoy thy Good-will, and Pro­mote thy Honour, shall be my only Blessedness?

Whether I am willing, that the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the God man, and the only Medi­ator between God and Man, should [...]ustate me in thy Favour, by the vertue of his most Accep­table Obedience and Intercession; and that He should by His Gracious Influences Assist me, as one United unto Himself, to Glorifie my Ever [Page 72] Glorious God; and by His own Divine Methods both Instruct me in all my Duty, and Incline me to it all?

And, whether I am willing to give back my whole self unto Thee in a way of Thankfulness to thee for all thy Benefits, and especially for those of my Redemption; Confessing my self under Everlasting Obligations to be for Thee and not for Another?

My SOUL Answers; Lord, I am willing! And it is thy Soveraign Grace that has made me so. May I now be kept by the Mighty Power of that Grace, through Faith unto Salvation!

Proposition I.

'Tis Peculiarly and Remarkably the Work of the Holy Spirit, whereby Sinners are Converted unto God. There are Three Persons in the Adorable God head; Three Relative Properties, which we fitly call, the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit. We cannot indeed Fathom it, but yet we must Receive it, that there are those Three Sub­sistences in the Divine Essence; and indeed even the very first Line of the Bible point­eth at it. This is a Thing, which not the Light of Nature, but the Light of Scrip­ture, has Reveal'd unto us. If any ask, How we come to know this Trinity in God? I will answer, as Athanasius of old; Go to Jordan, and thou shalt see a Trinity. In Mat. 3.16, 17. On the Banks of Jordan, [Page 142] there at once discovered themselves. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Tho' indeed a Trinity of persons in the God­head, might from the Old Testament also be Evinced, unto the fullest confutation of the Blind Jews, who now deny the Mystery. Now, there is the Glorious Co-o­peration of all these Three Persons in every Act of God, of which the Creature is the Object; yet there is a distinct manner of wor­king to be ascribed unto each of them. Thus in the Salvation of a Sinner, the Work of Contriving that Salvation, belongs to God the Father; the Work of Effecting it, be­longs to God the Son; But the Work of Applying it, belongs to God the Holy Spirit. And thence the Conversion of Sinners is that in which the Holy Spirit has a special In­terest. When men are Converted unto God, how is it wrought? We are told, Tit. 3.5. 'Tis by the Renewing of the Holy Ghost. The Regeneration of Men, What cause has it? We find in Joh. 3.5. They that are Born again are Born of the Spirit. The Sanctificati­on of men, what is the Rise of it? It was said of them in 1 Cor. 6.11. Ye are Sancti­fied by the Spirit of our God. It is the Spirit of God that reduces men from their Slave­ries to the Enemies of their Souls; It is the Spirit of God, that produces a [...]lessed Agree­ment betwixt God and men; It is the Spirit [Page 143] of God, which Turns the Disobedient unto the Wisdom of the Just; which causes the Wick­ed Man to forsake his Way, and the Unrigh­teous man his Thoughts, and to Turn unto the Lord. If any man ever come to Know, to Love, to Serve the Blessed God, it is the Spirit of that God, who causes them to do so.

Proposition II.

There are many Methods by which the Conversion of Sinners is pursued by the Holy Spirit of God. We read in Gen. 6.3. about the Strivings of the Spirit, There are mul­tiplyed Strivings or Labours, with which the Spirit of God is at work about the Souls of men. These Methods are with some Effectual, and the Souls of men are thereby brought home to God. The Me­thods are with some Ineffectual, yet such as to leave the vile men inexcus [...]ble before the Lord. But we should enquire what these Methods are?

First, There are External Endeavours used by the Spirit of God for the Conversion of men. As now; in the Ordinances of God, there are Endeavours of the Holy Spirit for our Spiritual Good. The Spirit breaths and mov [...]s in the Appointments of the Gospel. As it was said in Neh. 9.3. Thou testifiedst against [Page 144] them by thy Spirit in thy Prophets; The Spirit of God sends Prophets, Ministers, Messengers, with which he takes pains about the Con­version of ungodly men. The Prophet Isai­as could say, in Isa: 48.16. The Lord God, and His Spirit hath sent me ▪ Why, when the Embassadors of God, are beeseeching of men to be Reconciled unto him, the Spirit of the Lord God himself, accompanys them, in their Embassages and in those Beseechings. Again by the Providences of God there are Endeavours of the Holy Spirit for our Eter­nal Good. The Mercies of God, those are the things with which the Holy Spirit is drawing us to Christ; it is in them, that the Spirit of God may say, as in Jer. 31.3. With Loving Kindness have I drawn thee. The Lan­guage of the Spirit in every mercy is, O Fear the Lord and His Goodness! and, O let the Goodness of God Lead thee to Repentance! The Judgments of God, these are the Things, with which the Holy Spirit is driving us from Sin; for Them we may acknowledge to the Spirit of God, as in Job 10.2. Thou con­tendest with me. As the Rod has a voice, thus there is in every Judgment that voice of the Spirit, O Learn Righteousness! and, O see what an Evil and a Bitter Thing it is to Forsake thy God! In the Hand of the Spirit, Mercies do oblige, Judgments do demand our Conver­sion to the Lord.

[Page 145]Secondly, There are Internal Endeavours used also by the Spirit of God for the Conversion of Men. And these are of two sorts.

First, the Holy Spirit attempts the Conver­sion of men by Informing of them. He En­lightens them, and by their Illumination, they are made Partakers of the Holy Ghost. We are told, 1 Cor. 12.3. No man can say, that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. The Holy Spirit perswades many a man, That the Lord Jesus is the Wonderful Med [...]a­tor, without whom, There is no Name given, whereby we may be Saved; The Holy Spirit Enables many a man to Understand and En­tertain the Fundamental Articles of Religi­on, and thereby He makes their Conversi­on appear to be, as it is indeed, an Impor­tant Thing before them. 'Tis said of the Holy Spirit, Joh. 16.18. He shall convince the World. He convinces them, that they have grievously sinned, and plunged them­selves into innumerable Wants and Woes, by doing so; He convinces them, that a precious Christ, embraced by a penitent Faith, is the One Thing Needful; How of­ten does He Convince men, That there is a God, in whose Favour is Life,; that there is a Jesus, who delivers from the Wrath to come; that they must Rely upon the Lord Christ for Wisdom and Righteousness, and [Page 146] Sanctification and Redemption, if they would be made partakers of true Blessedness? And this is that he may Convert the World.

Secondly The Holy Spirit attempts the Conversion of men by Affecting of them. And there are three things, which the Spirit of God affects many men into, when He is making Essays towards the Converting of them.

First, There are dismal Terrours which the Spirit of God often causes in unconver­ted men. He terrifies them with hideous Visions of their own Wretchedness and Misery: and aff [...]ightens them with a just Apprehensi­on, that if they continue as they are, He that made them will not have mercy on them, and he that formed them will show them no fa­vour. We read in Rom. 8.15. about the Spirit of bondage unto fear. The Spirit of God makes many a man see himself bound over to endure the Fearful and Fiery Wrath of God for ever; He enkindles in them a Fear, that He is angry with them every day, and that He will break them sore in the place of Dragons at the Last Day. Thus the Spirit made Faelix to tremble, in the Fore-bodings of a Judgment to come.

Secondly, There are serious Desires, which the Spirit of God often causes in unconver­ted men. He inflames warm desires in them after the Things of their Peace: and raises [Page 147] in them some Longings after Spiritual Bles­sings in heavenly matters in Christ Jesus. 'Tis the Spirit of God, that made the Jews cry out, Joh. 6.35. Lord, give us evermore the Bread of Life. The Spirit of God makes many a man desirous, O that my sin were pardoned! and, O that my heart were mollified! and, O that my Soul were bound up in the Bun­ [...] of Life! Thus the Spirit made Balaam wi [...]h, O that I might dy the Death of the Righ­teous.

Thirdly, There are Devout Resolves, which the Spirit of God often causes in Unconverted men. He fills them with Re­solves, to break off their sins by Righteousness: and with many purposes and intentions, that they will walk at Peradventures with God no more. 'Twas the Spirit of God that procured such an Inclination as that in them of old, Jer. 2.10. Thou sayest I will not transgress. The Spirit of God puts many upon such Resolutions, I have done Iniquity, but I will do so no more. The Vows men make, when a Dreadful Eternity is before their eyes▪ their Sick-bed Vows, and Sea-storm Vows and the Vows which they make when Di­stress and Anguish is upon them, these are often excited by the Spirit of God. Thus the Spirit of God was concerned with Is­ [...]el, when▪ they flattered God with their mouth. These are the Methods of the Holy Spirit, [Page 148] while he strives for the conversion of lost un­done fallen men.

Proposition, III.

Multitudes of wretched sinners Resist the Methods used by the Holy Spirit for the Conversion of their Souls; and in so doing they Resist the Holy Ghost. But how is this done? The Greek word here to Resist signifies To throw something in the way, to hinder the Passage or Journey of a­nother. The Spirit of God is in the way of Converting many a man, but the mad sinner will throw, something or other in the way of the Holy Spirit, so that He makes a stop, a stand, He goes no further in it; This 'tis to Resist the Holy Ghost. Particularly;

First, Unconverted Sinners, Resist the Spi­rit of God by Diversion; when the Spirit of God would be Renewing of them, they throw some Diversion in his Way. Perhaps this Holy Spirit cannot come at them, because of their Business. When the Spirit would have been Recovering of wicked Cain from his forlorn estate, we find in Gen. 4.17. He went away to building of Cities. Men so get and keep in the clattering noise of the world [Page 149] they always find something to do, and cre­ate a Thousand Hurries for themselves: Hence the Spirit of God never finds them at leisure enough, to do any thing upon them. Or, the Holy Spirit cannot come at them, be­cause of their Company. 'Tis said of bad Companions, in Prov. 5.9, Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of Life, their ways are mo­veable. Even so, least the Spirit of God should make men begin [...]o Ponder, and Practise too, as they ought to do, the moveable and muta­ble Humours of their Society prove a fatal entangl [...]ment unto them; they hear so much and so loud their Boon Companions, that the Spirit of God can have no Admissi­on to speak unto them.

Secondly, Unconverted men Resist the Spirit of God by Denial. When the Spirit of God would be Renewing of them, they do throw a Positive Denial in his way, and so they send him away sorrowful. Their Impiety, is that in Job 21:14: They say to God depart from us, for we desire not the knowledg of thy ways. They say unto the Spirit of God Be gone, we desire not the happiness, which thou dost offer to us! They say unto him, Be gone, we desire not the Holiness, which thou dost a [...]vize us to. It was a lamentable entercourse betwixt God and them, in Jer: 44.16: As for the [Page 150] word thou hast spoken to us, we will not hearken to thee. Thus the Spirit of God saies, Pray in thy Family, Pray in thy Retirement: but lewd men say, No, we will not! The Spirt of God saies, Bind thy self by an Holy Cove­nant vnto the service of the Lord; but wild men say, No, we will not! The Spirit of God entreats, O do not the Abominable things which I hate! But there are extravagant men that say, We will do them every day! The Spirit of God now goes away grieved at this Cursed Obstinacy.

Thirdly, Unconverted men Resist the Spirit of God by affronting, and abusing those in whom it is. Compare our Text with what follows, and you find things thus expressed. Mens Resisting of the Holy Ghost, is explained by their Persecuting of the Pro­phets: truly, to Persecute the Ministers of the Gospel, who are Ministers of the Spirit; this is to Resist the Spirit Himself. To scoff, or starve, or slay those men, whom the Holy Spirit hath made His Trumpets or His Temples, 'tis to Resist Him: So likewise to despise or oppose and suppress the Means of Grace, in which are the Demonstration [...] of the Holy Spirit, this is to Resist Him. Tis to throw Malignity in His way.

Proposition IV.

This Resisting of the Holy Spirit, is that which confirms men in their impenitent unbelief. And this there is too doleful Rea­son for.

The Reason of it is, in short thus much; The Resisting of the Holy Spirit proves the withdrawing of that Spirit: He saies in Gen: 6:3. My Spirit shall not always strive; And if the Spirit shall cease to strive, the Sinner will never begin to turn. The Rule, the Old Rule, about the Evil Spirit, is too sadly verified in the motions of the Holy Spirit, if you Resist him he will Flee from you. The Dove will not care to tarr [...], where no good entertainment is ever like to be afforded Him. Indeed the Power of the Holy Spirit, gives no bar to his converting of them, who may be Resisting of Him; He can if he will proceed and conquer the most obdurate Re­sistance in the World; He can cause the most obdurate Resistance to give way before Almighty Arm. But it is the Justice of the Holy Spirit that Countenances this order of things; when Men Resist the Spirit of God it is but just with him to desert them. It is but just if men resist him, that he should re­solve concerning them, I will ease me of those [Page 152] my Enemies, and avenge me of those my Ad­versaries! It was their woful experience long ago, in Isa: 63:10. They rebelled and vexed his Holy Spirit, therefore He was turned to be their Enemy. The Holy Spirit becomes a terri [...]le Enemy to them that will always resist him; and alas, now their Conversion is to be despaired of. Without the Efficacy of the Holy Spirit, no Conversion is to be hoped for; but when He is long Resisted, he with­holds that Efficacy, and instead of Conversion there now ensues a nothing but a deplorable and Everlasting Confusion in the Soul.

Particularly,

First, The External Methods of the Holy Spirit for our Conversion will cease upon our long Resisting of Him. To Resist Him, will soon bring us to this, That His Word will no more sound in our ears, and we shall know no more the joyful sound. [...] was a most Awful threatning in Amos: 8.11. I will send a Famine of hearing the Word of the Lord. Persons, that sat once under a Pow­erful Ministry, some [...]imes for this, come to be where the Cloud [...] will rain no more upon them; where there is no H [...]use of God, no Fear of God, no Bread of [...]ife. Whole Churches & Na [...]ions of men that once enjoyed the word of Life, a [...]e for this now perishing without any Vision. And it will soon bring us to [Page 153] this also, that his Providence will no more be concerned for us. Many a man, once had the Light of God shining upon his Tabernacle, but now every thing brings a Cross with it, and he may say, All things are against me. 'Tis because the Spirit of God speaking to him in his Prosperity hath been resisted; even for that cause now it is with him as in Ez: 7.26. Mischief shall come upon Mischief. On the other side, many a man had his way so hedged up with thorns, that he could not sin so easily, as else he would have done; but how God has done afflicting and restraining of him. Why? He Resisted the Spirit of God speaking to him in his Adversity; and now the Lord saies as in Hos. 7.14: He is joined to Idols, Let him alone: One of the Ancients upon that Scripture says, Vis Indignantis Dei terribilem vo­cem audire? Tis the terriblest Thunder of a Provoked and Revenging God!

Secondly, The Internal Methods of the Holy Spirit for our Conversion will also cease upon our long Resisting of Him. It was said of Saul, wretched Saul, in 1 Sam. 16.14. The Spirit of the Lord, departed from him. It was again s [...]id to Saul, bloody▪ Saul, in 1 Sam. 28.16. The Lord is departed from thee, and is become thine Enemie. This was after and because that wretched bloody man, had been long Fighting against that [Page 154] Blessed Spirit of the Lord. A long Resistance of the Holy Spirit will bring a man to this woful plight, The Spirit of the Lord will [...]ly forsake that forlorn man; The Spi­rit of the Lord will take no loving, no sa­ving, no converting Notice of him.

Yet more particularly,

First, A Resisting of the Holy Spirit, will provoke Him to leave us unto a Penal Blindness of Mind. It was the heavy ven­geance of God, upon some in Isa. 44.18. He hath shut their eyes, they cannot see. The Spirit of God may so leave us, upon Resist­ance, that no Heresy, no Blasphemy shall come amiss unto us, but we shall swallow down very damnable Delusions as the Oracles of God. Perhaps all the Monsters of Quakerism or of Popery, or any other Disguised Paga­nism, shall Recommend themselves unto us, as the most beautiful Mysteries of Godliness.

Secondly, A Resisting of the Holy Spirit, will provoke Him to leave us unto a Paenal Hardness of Heart. As it was of old said in Exod. 10.27. The Lord hardened the Heart of Pharoah; Upon Resistance the Spirit of God will so leave us, that nothing shall melt us, nothing shall fright us, no calls, no crys, no counsels will cause us to turn from our Evil Ways; our hearts will be like the Nether [Page 155] Milstone before the Lord; we shall now lay nothing to Heart, and there will be a seared Conscience in us: a Conscience that shall seldome, if ever sting us, for our sinful Omis­sions, or Commissions, or for any of our Doings against the Lord. Once more,

Thirdly, A Resisting of the Holy Spirit, will so exasperate Him, That He will give us up to commit all manner of abominati­ons without Remorse. 'Twas said of some Rom. 1.26. God gave them up to vile af­fections. Such an Horrendous Desolation, comes at last upon the Souls, that have long stood it out, against all the exhortations of the Eternal Spirit. That Spirit of God will so abandon us, that we shall be Devils In­carnate, and yet never tremble as the Spiri­tual Devils do; we shall come to swear Pro­fanely, and violate Sabbaths, & Curse, & be Drunkards, and Wantons, and Cheat, and Ly, and be all that is Earthly, Sensual, Divel­ish, without any Horrour of Soul upon it; We shall make light of the most Roaring Ini­quities, and being past feeling, work out all un­cleaness with greediness; this tis for men to be confirmed in their impenitent unbelief. But something must now be said for the Improve­ment of these things, and let it be in this