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upon the Earth, endeavours to fubdue his Paffions, and to get above his Body, and above the World. He is now governed by Reason, and not by Senfe; he walks by Faith, and not by Sight; and the World is crucified to him, and he to the World. He calculates all his Actions for Eternity, and is not fo much concerned what befals him here, as what fhall become of him hereafter. In a Word, he is new moulded, and fashioned, formed over again, and created, as it were, anew, by being furnished with a new Principle of Life and Action, engaged in new Courses, and put upon new Defigns and Undertakings. He has new Objects of his Hopes and Fears, of his Love and Hatred, new Thoughts and Sentiments of Things, and new Rules for the Conduct of his Life and Actions. Old Things are paft away, and all Things are become new to him nay, he is even new to himself, as well as others; and therefore very properly in Scripture-Language is he called a new Creature, or a new Creation.

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At the first Creation of the World, the Spirit of God, as we are told, moved upon the Face of the Waters, and was concerned in the Formation of Man: And, in the fecond Creation, or Redemption of the World, the fame Spirit moves in Mens Hearts, and inclines them to comply with those gracious Terms of Reconciliation, which are of fered to the World. And, for this Reason, St John, fpeaking of thofe that believed in our Saviour, gives us to know, that they were born, not of Blood, nor of the Will of the Flesh, nor of the Will of Man, but of God, i. e. it was not by any Strength of their own, that they had this Power of becoming the Sons of God, by believing in our Saviour, but by the Power of Divine Grace, proceeding from the Spirit of God. The fame Power, which first formed Man out of the Duft of the Earth,

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Earth, and, when he is returned to Duft, will raise him out of it again, does create us again unto good Works, and fashion us after the Image of him, who firft created us in Righteoufnefs and true Holiness: For, if the Spirit of him, that raised Jefus from the Dead, dwell in us; he, that raised up Chrift from the Dead, shall quicken our mortal Bodies, i. e. from dead Works now, and hereafter from Death itself, by his Spirit, that dwelleth in us.

We must not however imagine, that, because the Author of our Regeneration is an Almighty Agent, the Effects of his Operations upon our Minds are either inftantaneous or irresistible; that ourfelves are purely paffive under them, can con tribute nothing towards them, and are wholly ig norant of the Steps and Measures, that are taken in them. For, befides that these Notions are a manifeft Defeat of all the Exhortations and Threatenings recorded in Scripture, and a great Difcouragement to all virtuous Endeavours; they are a plain Contradiction to Reason and common Experience, both of which do abundantly testify, that the Grace of God, and thofe good Motions, which are stirred up in us, may be, and frequently are, neglected and refifted; that Men muft do fomething themselves, in order to conquer their vicious Inclinations, and acquire settled Habits of Piety and Virtue; and that this is a Work, which cannot be done in an Inftant, but requires Time, as well as Pains, to bring it to Perfection.

From what hath been faid on this Subject, thus far purfued, we may plainly perceive, that Rege, neration is that Change and Alteration in a Man, whereby his Nature, which is corrupted by Sin, is fanctified and purified; whereby his Iniquities are purged away; and he, by God's Spirit, endued with true Knowledge, Righteoufnefs, and Holiness:

Holinefs: And we come now to fhew the abfolute Neceffity of it, in order to our future Happiness.

St Paul, fpeaking of fome, who defired to make a fair Shew in the Flesh, and constrained others to be circumcifed, tells us exprefsly, that in Chrift Fefus neither Circumcifion availeth any Thing, nor Uncircumcifion, but a new Creature. Circumcifion, we know, was an Ordinance of God's own Inftitution, the Seal of the Covenant between him and his People, a Mark of Diftinction between them and other Nations, and a Symbol of inward Purity, or Sanctity of Mind; and yet the Apostle tells thofe, that held themselves obliged to the Obfervation of it, that all its fuppofed Privileges and Prerogatives, without a Renovation of their Nature, availed nothing And, by Parity of Reafon, he must be interpreted to fay to us, that our Sacramental Washing in Baptifm, our fpiritual Gifts and Endowments, our profound Knowledge and Learning, our Observation of the Ordinances of Christ, and our outward Acts of religious Worship, will all avail us nothing, unless we have a new Principle implanted in us, fuch as influences our Lives, and produces Evangelical Obedience. For it is not faying to our Saviour, Lord, Lord! not all the fair Speeches, and Profeffions in the World, that will recommend us to the Favour of God, who hath eternally decreed, that without Holiness no Man fhall fee him; and that into the heavenly Jerufalem there fhall, in no wife, enter any Thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh Abomination, or maketh a Lye.

What all the Particulars of that City of God may comprize, it does not yet appear; but this we know in general, that the Company, the Employment, and the Happiness of it, are of a pure and fpiritual Nature, very different from any Thing here below, and directly contrary to all the finful Pleasures,

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Pleasures, and fenfual Enjoyments of the Men of this World. And therefore, if we would be Partakers of the Refurrection of the Juft; if we would be numbered among the Saints, and bear a Part in the Bufinefs and Employment, in the Joys and Pleasures of a future State; we must qualify and prepare ourselves for it, by cleanfing our Hearts from all inordinate Paffions, fubduing our Lufts, and conquering the vicious Inclinations of our corrupt Nature; by acquiring good and virtuous Habits and Difpofitions of Mind, an holy Frame and Temper of Soul, and renewing ourfelves, Day by Day, after the Image of him, that created us, and the Likeness of him, that redeemed us. For this is the Will of God, even your Sanctification, that ye put off, concerning the former Converfation, the Old Man, which is corrupt, according to the deceitful Lufts; and be renewed in the Spirit of your Mind; and that ye put on the New Man, which, after God, is created in Righteousness and true Holiness.

If fuch then be the Ordination and Appointment of God, that, without being regenerate, there is no entering into the Kingdom of Heaven; it feems to be a Matter of no fmall Concernment to us, to be fatisfied, unto what Clafs of Men it is that we belong. As long as we continue in this State of Infirmity, we cannot but be liable to Sin, nor is every Tranfgreffion an immediate Forfeiture of our Birth-Right: But then the Difference between the Regenerate and Unregenerate is this that the one fins out of Incogitancy, or Want of Confideration; the other out of prepenfe Malice and Defign; the one ufes Means for the Difcovery and Conviction of his Sin, the other negligently overlooks, and thinks no more of it; the one laments and bemoans it feverely, the other makes a Mock of it perhaps, or pleases his Imagi

nation with frequent Reflections on it; the one, from his Failings, improves his future Vigilance, the other hardens himself in finning, and comes every Time to his Iniquity with more and more Greediness. The Senfe, in fhort, and Conviction of Sin, the Confeffion of it, and the Remorfe and Repentance for it, which the Regenerate exprefs, proceed from their real Hatred of it, as it is the greatest Evil in its own Nature, and as it is dif pleafing to God. Their Wishes and Resolutions, and Promifes, come from their Hearts, and therefore' prove effectual. Their Belief of the Doctrines of the Gofpel is well grounded, which makes it permanent and lafting. Their religious Exercises and Performances are Acts of the inward Man, of the Soul and Spirit, and spring from a deep Senfe of the Majefty of him, to whom they are addreffed. Their Obedience to the Divine Commands is impartial, and univerfal, and without Referve. It flows from a lively and active Faith, from a Love of God, and their Duty, and from Sincerity of Heart; and, laftly, they strive to do all this in a right Manner, and for a right End, the Glory of God, and of their Redeemer, Jefus Christ.

These are fome of the Signs, whereby ye may perceive, whether or no ye belong to the Number of the Regenerate: If, upon Examination, ye find ye do not, neither should your Eyes fleep, nor your Eye-lids Лlumber, nor the Temples of your Head Lake any Reft, until you refolve upon a Change. This is the one Thing neceffary; and therefore let all your Cares and Projects, all your Aims and Defigns give way to this. Without this, ye must perifh everlastingly; and what is a Man profited, if he fhall gain the whole World, and lose his own Soul? If, on the contrary, ye experimentally find, that the Grace of God's Holy Spirit has begun the Work of Regeneration in your Souls, has re

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