Nature has its own unsanctified strictness in religion. The Pharisees had so much of it, that they looked on Christ as little better than a mere libertine. A man whose conscience hath been awakened, and who lives under the felt influence of the covenant of works, what will he not do, that is within the compass of natural abilities? It was a truth, though it came out of a hellish mouth, that "skin for skin, all that a man hath, will he give for his life," Job ii. 4. (6.) One may have sharp soul-exercises and pangs, and yet die in the birth. Many have been in pain, that have but, as it were, brought forth wind. There may be sore pangs and throes of conscience, which turn to nothing at last. Pharaoh and Simon Magus had such convictions, as made them desire the prayers of others for them. Judas repented himself; and under terrors of conscience, gave back his ill-gotten pieces of silver. All is not gold that glistens. Trees may blossom fairly in the spring, on which no fruit is to be found in the harvest; and some have sharp soul-exercises, which are nothing but fore-tastes of hell.

The new birth, however in appearance hopefully begun, may be marred two ways. First, Some, like Zarah, Gen. xxxviii. 28, 29. are brought to the birth, but go back again. They have sharp convictions for a while; but these go off, and they turn as careless about their salvation, as profane as ever; and usually worse than ever; their last state is worse than their first, Mat. xii. 45. They get awakening grace, but not converting grace; and that goes off by degrees, as the light of the declining day, till it issue in midnight darkness. Secondly, Some, like Ishmael, come forth too soon; they are born before the time of the promise, Gen. xvi. 1, 2. compare Gal. iv. 22. and downward. They take up with a mere law-work, and stay not till the time of the promise of the gospel. They snatch at consolation, not waiting till it be given them; and foolishly draw their comfort from the law that wounded them. They apply the healing plaister to themselves, before their wound be sufficiently searched. The law, that rigorous husband, severely beats them, and throws in curses and vengeance upon their souls; then they fall a-reforming, praying, mourning, promising, and vowing, till this ghost be laid; which done, they fall asleep again in the arms of the law; but they are never shaken out of themselves and their own

righteousness, norbrought forward to Jesus Christ. Lastly, There may be a wonderful moving of the affections, in souls that are not at all touched with regenerating grace. Where there is no grace, there may notwithstanding be a flood of tears, as in Esau, who found no place of repertance, though he sought it carefully with tears, Heb. xii. 17. There may be great flashes of joy; as in the hearers of the word, represented in the parable of the stony ground, who anon with joy receive it, Matth. xiii. 20. There may be also great desire after good things, and great delight in them too; as in these hypocrites described, Isa. Iviii. 2. "Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways. They take delight in approaching unto God." See how high they may sometimes stand, who yet fall away, Heb. vi. 4, 5, 6. They may be enlightened, taste of the heavenly gift, be partakers of the Holy Ghost, taste the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come. Common operations of the divine Spirit, like a land-flood, make a strange turning of things upside down. And when they are over, all runs again in the ordinary channel. All these things may be where the sanctifying Sprit of Christ never rests upon the soul, but the stony heart still remains; and in that case, these affections cannot but wither, because they have no root.

But regeneration is a real thorough change, whereby the man is made a new creature, 2 Cor. v. 17. The Lord God makes the creature a new creature, as the goldsmith melts down the vessel of dishonour, and makes it a vessel of honour. Man is, in respect of his natural state, altogether disjointed by the fall; every faculty of the soul is, as it were, dislocate; in regeneration the Lord looseth every joint, and sets it right again. Now this change made in regeneration is,

1. A change of qualities or dispositions: It is not a change of the substance, but of the qualities of the soul. Vicious qualities are removed, and the contrary dispositions are brought in their room. "The old man is put off," Eph. iv. 22. "the new man is put on," ver. 24. Man lost none of the rational faculties of his soul by sin; he had an understanding still, but it was darkened; he had still a will, but it was contrary to the will of God. So in regeneration there is not a new substance created, but new P

qualities are infused; light instead of darkness, righteousness instead of unrighteousness.

2. It is a supernatural change; he that is born again is born of the Spirit, John iii. 5. Great changes may be made by the power of nature, especially when assisted by external revelation. And nature may be so elevated by the common influences of the Spirit, that one may thereby be turned into another man, (as Saul was, 1 Sam. x. 6.) who yet never becomes a new man. But in regeneration nature itself is changed, and we become partakers of the divine nature; and this must needs be a supernatural change. How can we, that are dead in trespasses and sins, renew ourselves, more than a dead man can raise himself out of his grave? Who, but the sanctifying Spirit of Christ, can form Christ in a soul, changing it into the same image? Who, but the Spirit of sanctification can give the new heart? Well may we say, when we see a man thus changed, This is the finger of God.

3. It is a change into the likeness of God, 2 Cor. iii. 18. "We-beholding as in a glass, the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image." Every thing that generates, generates its like; the child bears the image of the parent; and they that are born of God bear God's image. Man aspiring to be as God, made himself like the devil. In his natural state he resembles the devil, as a child doth the father, John viii. 44. "Ye are of your father the devil." But when this happy change comes, the image of Satan is defaced, and the image of God restored. Christ himself, who is the brightness of his Father's glory, is the pattern after which the new creature is made, Rom. viii. 29. "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son." Hence he is said to be conformed in the regene rate, Gal. iv. 19.

4. It is an universal change; all things become new, 2 Cor. v. 17. It is a blessed leaven, that leavens the whole lump, the whole spirit, and soul and body. Origi nal sin infects the whole man; and regenerating grace, which is the salve, goes as far as the sore. This fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness; goodness of the mind, goodness of the will, goodness of the affections, goodness of the whole man. One gets not only a new head to know re

ligion, or a new tongue to talk of it; but a new heart to love and embrace it, in the whole of his conversation. When the Lord opens the sluice of grace on the soul's new birth day, the waters run through the whole man, to purify and make him fruitful. In these natural changes spoken of before, there are, as it were, pieces of new cloth put into an old garment; a new life sewed to an old heart; but the gracious change is a thorough change, a change both of heart and life.

5. Yet it is but an imperfect change. Though every part of the man is renewed, there is no part of him perfectly renewed. As an infant has all the parts of a man, but none of them are come to their perfect growth; so regeneration brings a perfection of parts, to be brought forward in the gradual advances of sanctification, 1 Pet. ii. 2. "As new-born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.". Although in regeneration there is a heavenly light let into the mind, yet there is still some darkness there; though the will is renewed, it is not perfectly renewed; there is still some of the old inclination to sin remaining; and thus it will be, till that which is in part be done away, and the light of glory come. Adam was created at his full stature, but they that are born must have their time to grow up; so these that are born again do come forth into the new world of grace but imperfectly holy; though Adam being created upright was at the same time perfectly righteous, without the least mixture of sinful imperfection.

Lastly, Nevertheless it is a lasting change, which never goes off. The seed is incorruptible, saith the text; and so is the creature that is formed of it. The life given in regeneration, whatever decays it may fall under, can never be utterly lost: His seed remaineth in him, who is born of God, 1 John iii. 9. Though the branches should be cut down, the root shall abide in the earth; and being watered with the dew of heaven, shall sprout again; for, "The root of the righteous shall not be moved," Prov. xii. 3. But to come to particulars:

First, In regeneration the mind is savingly enlightened: There is a new light let into the understanding, so that they who were sometimes darkness, are now light in the Lord, Eph. v. 8. The beams of the light of life make their way into the dark dungeon of the heart; then night

is over, and the morning light is come, which will shine more and more unto the perfect day. Now the man is illuminated,

1. In the knowledge of God. He has far other thoughts of God than ever he had before, Hos. ii. 20. " I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness, and thou shalt know the Lord." The Spirit of the Lord brings him back to that question, What is God? And catechiseth him anew upon that grand point, so as he is made to say, "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear; but now mine eyes seeth thee," Job xlii. 5. The spotless purity of God, his exact justice, his all-sufficiency, and other glorious perfections revealed in his word, are, by this new light, discovered to the soul, with a plainness and certainty that doth as far exceed the knowledge it had of these things before, as ocular demonstration exceeds common fame: For now he sees what he only heard of before.

2. He is enlightened in the knowledge of sin. He hath other thoughts of it than he was wont to have. Formerly his sight could not pierce through the cover Satan laid over it; but now the Spirit of God strips it before him, wipes off the paint and fairding; and he sees it in its native colours, as the worst of evils; exceeding sinful, Rom. vii. 12. O what deformed monsters do formerly beloved lusts appear! Were they right eyes, he would pluck them out; were they right hands, he would consent to their cutting off. He sees how offensive sin is to God, how destructive it is to the scul; and calls himself fool, for fighting so long against the Lord, and harbouring that destroyer as a bosom friend.

3. He is instructed in the knowledge of himself. Regenerating grace causeth the prodigal to come to himself, Luke xv. 17. and makes men full of eyes within, knowing every one the plague of his own heart. The mind being savingly enlightened, the man sees how desperately comut his nature is; what enmity against God and his holy law has long lodged there; so that his soul lothes itself. No open sepulchre, no puddle, so vile and loathsome in his eyes as himself, Ezek. xxxvi. 31. "Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall lothe yourselves in your own sight." He is no worse than he was before; but the sun is shining; and so these pollutions are seen, which he could not discern,