Prolessor of Divinity in the Universities of F RANCFORT, 7 3

2 Extradted from his System of Divinity, called T => Ologia theoretico- practica; and faithfully tra 2B 15 © lated into English ; With. an APPENDI. Vontaining Extiacts from many celebrates -_ "vines of the reformed Church,

AHE reader will —_ be "Iliad to > ln — this Doct. Van Mastricht is, and what the particu · Jar reasons are, for publishing the following Treatise at his time. The Publisher will endeavour, ' in brief to fatisfy the reader in both. Peter Van Mastricht, author of the following Treatises, was born in the year 1630, in the city of Cologn, in Germany, of honorable parentage, many of whele ancestors had been considerable sufferers in the protestant cause. He was educated in the university of recht; was sevaral years a preacher, in various parts of Germany and Denmark; was invited to settle in Copenhagen, capital of the

latter: But was prevailed upon by the Elefor of Bran- - denburg, (grand: father, or great-grand-father to the pre- "sent King of Prussia) to accept the place of professor of Hebrew and practical divinity, in his new established university at Francfort. He afterwards served in the same station at Duispurg, near his native place; and the last thirty years of his life, he sustained the same office in the famous university of Utrecht, the place of his education. He was, greatly esteem'd as a most accurate, judicious, learned and pious divine. He died in this office near eighty years of age. His system: of divinity, | from whence the following Treatise | is extracted, is the

product of a long life, spent in the study, practice and 0 F 22 — of divinity. _ |

The realpn for translating and publisning the follow- Eing Treatise at this time, is principally à hope, that it may have a tendency to put a stop to the controvetsy, nen to be Stowing among us, relative to rgeveraton. 4

{5.8 ion > Whether it En be. Har fluences of the divine Spirit, or by light as the means? and happily to unite us in the truth. The translator is 3 thus to hope, from the (lowing.

ons,

7. He hath frequently heard gentlemen, who maintain opposite fides of this question, manifest their entire approbation of, and concurrence with Van Mastricht \;

which induces him to think, that with many, the controverly is more about terms than any thing else ; and

2. As our Author cannot be looked upon as partil

an favour of any particular system of doctrines prevailing amongst us; "tis hoped and expected that all wil

2 him without prejudice or partiality.,

3. The great character which our author sustaing, For hich we have the ample testimeny of Dr. Cotton Mather, -(whole' name hath always been much respected in the churches of New-England) in the following words, 4 There is nothing that 1 can with so much pleropho-

„ rie recommend unto you, as a Mastricht, his 7.

4 tbeoretico- prattica. That a minister of the gospel may be thoroughly furnished unto every good work, and “ in one or two quarto volumas enjoy a well furnished library; I Know not that the sun has ever shone up- 4 on an human composure that is equal to it; and I on: can heartily subscribe unto the commendation which

given of it. De hoc opere confidenter affirmo, quod es ordine fit digestum, tanto rerum pondere praegnans et tumidum, tanta et tam varia erudilione refertum; ut nescis an in li * > n e exfiet £25 0s magis accuratum et da-

FEES 4,

4 d + Y hope hope you will, nd kind 'Y << * {criptores, make a Maftricht the storchouse to which

n you may resort continually. Bur above all things re-

* member the dy ing words of this true Divine; which “ he urtered aiim voce (with à loud voice, and 1 wish all that ftudy divinity might Hear it !) Se null” lots ei „ numero babere veritannd deftusimitm, qua m fincera pictas vitae santiitas,"indfviduo nu non cmuerur,” 4 The character, I say, of our Author, and his professedly de- Iivering upon this point the general sentiment of the whole reformed church-abroad, it is hoped, will weigh so much, in the mind of every one, as to obtain a car ie, examination of his sentiments, before they rejet᷑t them,,

4: Our Author's arguments are excecding plain, seriptural, and convictive. There is nothing Hable 8 the impuration of metaphyfical nicety and fubcil

per Place: 5 but of dethroning it thro? pretence of reli. Tis therefore to be hoped, that many who' have

* Fom 4 notion of their being metaphysical subtilties, will

e, seniptural arguments, be convinced of the carl them.

e which oor Author endeavours to eftabsish in the following "Treatise, from a notion th at it is yew,and. 9 of in the Cm Church.

* In English bas. Of this work f. - his 8 is divinity) 1 . matter, and is filled with such a copious variety of learning, ow not whether the world can afford any * of the ind

T Riudicd, and more accurate than this.

2 „ That he hath ne epivion of any defence of the trath, which fzccre piety and holivets of life doth not insererably ACCOMPRAy..

t | far from it that his Conremporaries, who oppo 14 85 bis | dectrines, accused him of not allowing 4 its propbfed the sentiments which our Author maintains, 3

The .

any, tis to be frared, are prejudiced 20aioft the 5

confidently affirm, that it is disposed in that order, abounds in sack © |

Treatise, it is hoped en 5 |

These considerations induce the Translator strongly!

to hope, that this publication may be of happy service, at the present day. Should it in any measure contribute, to the promoting and maintaining, of truth, the Transs,

lator will think himself amply rewarded for his trouble. The Translator begs the candour of the Reader, with regard to the many inelegancies of stile, which, he is apptehensive, the critical reader will discover in the fallowing pages. Our Author's manner of writing is laconie, with very little decoration of ornament, - A translation, in any measure litera], must resemble the genius

et the original: And many Idioms of the original language will be apt insensibly to slide into the translation Che Translator had rather forego any ornaments of stile, which the work might receive from a more free translation, than thereby endanger himself to misrepresent the | sense of our Author. He hopes the Translation justly. Tepresents the Author's sentiments, which he looks upon

the principal thing; and therefore persuades himself, that any little inaccuracies of expression, will be kindly overlooked by the benevolent reader,

ut if this little Treatise should not prove so success!

Lon e A e hi the. fr 4 of application, in which the hol

Init offers to those who are ta be saved, for their re- 5 22 geptiog, the Redecrher and Redemption. L come np; to en upon the second, in which he Bento „ them that 205 which they ate enebled to 185 the offer benefi ts; Wk is Jon babe. the neceflity of which ohr Saviour ds forth in ti.

Taz th "It, Loch

| words contain a 18 W 00. tion of our Saviour, concerning |

Mi Nr, In which we may note, N 3 +. The person afferting. I say. unto vou; 7 ith ny now you saluted 'by the title of Rabbi, or Master, e. W God, ol which you ny been fl

yinceed

ebe God of rroth 3 NN Wark Brent 2 Ae nat either deceive or be deceived ; * Fim obet

Heb. 6. 18. Ot — may fate] bels, do Asert teftify and. A John 8. 14. voto you, nd nd onen, e

in | WICK. cede JO

The RE 277 is of Hebrew derivation, from the root; 4mas (to be stable-or-firm) which is-retainedyn |

the Greek, Syriac, Arabic, and ul "the Latm derfions ; and also in the vulgar languages: It is an

adverb of aferting: that is werily, certainly, or the thing is so, or this is the ruth. Aquila renders it, by faith fully; the Seventy by, se be it, but sometimes retain the word amen. It ir bed rider i tonfirm what hath

2 28. been already spoken, * or to affirm what is now to be

th Cor.14.16. fidr+Fhe first· use is-ajeft(frequent in the old rests ment, the latter in the nem. E is a particle used for confirmation, and is lendered either by verih or ho be it: in the first sense it is used in confirmation of Dy thing armed, in the latter, im confirmation of some- = r ek, wished or dg ed. It the sentence alt ferm. DJ ve assertion, the word means verily. or ty; but if o-- "my wks Han or intreative, the meitiing is, %% le 1k The article nai cm prehends both sigaifications';* as ft is 8 eg, sometimes expressive of vehement ace 12 PH the N. ai (yea, ). for 4- TH 25 he 2postle Paul conbects them to Ether, = * "anda x heh that one Rift <a} hdticalsy explain 55 other. Our Saviour re — ths word amen (verily) $in different ele e so that the e may bgnity * 1 10 himself, "The: Sn, the God of wrath; „it is faid he 277 may ignify the truth of the thing 3 that the.1 meaning of the expression may be this, 1

Se God OW! Helene the crab utito ou. 1 E

*

*

n * also be def gved to confirm and strengthen the trock of his n absolute. necessity of neration, more *powerfully- to tin

bes a belief of the — 1 4 p sent from God, verily say unto. you, and that repeated ly. There are some who think the. repetition” of. che word denotes, not 2 imple affirmation; but an oath, and that ĩt is the same in sense witch the expression, as Ive saith the Lord, in the old testament, as the Chalin dee version, for this expression, hath, as I am constant, stable, firm, or as I am the amen, the God of truth. But | it doth not appear to me consistent, that one w-ĩHo so * severely censures a rash oath, should fo frequently | Mat: 3. 3 swear himself for it is said that this exptession is $4-*- -©8 wicd fifty times by our Saviour. However, we mar at least consider it as a forcible manner of expression, LS or as the Hebrews say, 1 wordt, admirably suited to this pargtion of the-absslute n 2 TH or ty of regeneration. © + i

23. The thing ae with regard to mhich we map nate, n ee ee e, bn yo

(1) The . regeneration, or the wb, rcept man be born, the same thing in ver. 27 is by beim doun . or fram above. - , > signifies samecimes, #- gain, or the serond time; . Nicodemus feems to have understood it: in which sense it occurs; Gal. = Ver. 4 4. 9 And thus Sr and ms render it in this =D

place. The apostle Peter. useth the word do be born again. In other places the worth fa — 590 from above, or from haben. & Mhieh it seems out 98 1 ify our designed to intimate; by, explaining the 45. — 1

id wen used in verse 3. hy the expression of uten an abe spirit, in verse 33, or to be born spiritually asd

x. from above, that is from heaven. What if we 22 , I - <onneft'theserwo senses r, qs one is subo

dienste the univer sal. amendment or renovation of man

—— as it doth in many other places 3 41. $5- since neither water, nor spirit are the matter out of

ED t in various places of the new testament ; to these,

On Regeneratrev. N

be vor hu, bove, that is spiritually and - — aven; and again, or the second time? that being org which: is from above, or of the Split. is a second birth, as it follows the first. and natural birch, which is aftef the flesh. Ercept a man be born again, our Saviour calleth it a birth or being born, 10

thereby: he intimates the 1 of a renovation, not of this or that particular part or faculty, but a total renovation of the Whole man, which is 2 new or second birth, whereby he becomes a new man, a new,

(2) The origin of generation, 5 the iir. . The particle et rendered of, as is plain from the subject, denotes in this place, not the material, but

| which a spiritual regeneration is effected. Mater and. Fpirit, some consider as two different things.; so that by water they understand the: and by spiru, the principal caule, because (as they suppose) the fpirit, by water, effects regeneration. But who

nate of this opinion are divided; some hy water understand the Jewish baptiims or washings; with which the Jews, more especially the Pharisees, were wont te. wafh their proselytes, before their admission into tl MY "Jewish church; 'hkewise' their own hands, clothes, -meit and even their bodies, of which mention is made

our Nieodemgias, as he was aPharisee, must have been - accustomed. ' Others by water here, understand the sacramental water of deptism, by which they 22 the Spirit effects regeneration. And here

| suppose the baptismal water to be direiy — most of the Fathers; en. oo 2 way of allusion.

1 Ken

SET a8 — TEAS al

F Ebe kingdew of God bere lente boch the king dome _ — | Zr earth, orten church, “ that the

God, faith and

-by dais the water of nigga winks 7 SHR tual water, or rather the Spirit having the propertiee of water, which like water cleanseth in regeneration. * } For our Saviour doth not mean to lead Nicodemus to receive the sacrament of baptism, (which at that time was hot instituted, at least as an ordinary, universal sacrament ;) but to seek the regeneration of the Holy _. N 2 le saved us by the washing of regenerati- * Tit. 3. $2 ”” wherefore in the continuation of this discourse, | — - Sdviaur makes no further mention of water, but | only of the Sirit. I need not observe that n 6, * hain, is to be understood the third person in the sacred - | Trinity, with relation to the: werk of spiritual purification, which. is effected by re ion and. renovation." Tu. 4:8.5 (3 The necessiiy * generation, with regard | to which, may be. observed, ' 110 Thy cen in which both the necessity, and 19 universalicy of i it are expresied, **except a man be bern. A man; that is, every man, pe ear the necessity. to all. and. every one, so that not one individual can be excepted from this necessity. However less is. expressed by this form of speech, than is intended. lt means not only that ue one.ean be saved. without this but that al the shall be sayved; Not that regeneration (at leaft in it's limited sense) is the only thing required unto salvation; fince besides . sanQikication, &c, are neceflary, in which the power, bestowed. in.regeneration, may be draun forth into the actual exercises of faith ror A pentance : but that all and every one, who is rege+. | nerated, will also be brought to cenvemsian, sanRifica- 1 + 4 55M rat. and fo. to salvation, 17105 "ol + [2] The use, or the to which regeneration! bs” 2 NY nt, viz, <* into the kingaom of Gad.

| , 7 aaa; "On Ry Lon. 2 a Wake 65 14 15. . and also the kingdom of glory in heavenigh h * Luke 3:10. Vith all things which pertain to both these kingdomsʒ. i. e. all spiritual blessin ne. The possession and enjoyment of this kingdom. 1 cannot enter thercinto. Ver. 3. ie "cannot set the dr kingdom of Cad. Here: regeneration is extended to the i power, he cannot, the tenson of which'is in thetic following verse, (That, >whith it Born of the flesb; that A. is by natural generation, is flesb, or carnal, defiled wirhllaf OS. 7 fin; and that, which is hn of the spirit; is /pirit; ors; oy ' spiritual and saving. For regeneration, strictly so cal. of un 2. 5. ed, finds man spiritually deus, into whom it idlaserh pl; the first act, or principle of the spiritual Zfe; by which Bas + * hath a power or ability to 7 spiritual exex-· Ii 8 _— Therefore, without this, he can neither / ' theffith kingdom of God, that is wentally,' as he is blind, He C perceiveth not the 1

things of tht spirit of O: for they areslee Joolishness umo him, neither can he know: them, because tl 1 Cor. 2 14. are spiritually discerned.” Nor if he could see, could he enter into the kingdom of God, as he is not jubjeti ogg TH Rom. 8. 7* the law of God, neither indeed can be; Who also e Ny 1 Cor. 3. f. himself is not sufficient to think any thing spiritually gooc Who therefore stands in absolute need of illuminatia by regeneration, in ordor to his secing the kingdom off x4 and of a'rendvation of his. will, in order to his willing to enter into it. Which power is afterwards excited in the exercises of faith and repentance ia conversion and sanctification, whereby he sees th kingdom of God, and at the same time nn * 2 "NE." ET” | 11; 1 Tur Derag a 355.561 de external III. It is not sufficient to — of 1% . alte demption, or a participation therein, that 'the R jecessary to deemer and the redemprien purchased by him, be by 5 be apflicati-Fered, by the external call of the gospel, to those wh e ate to is saved, for their reception, unless that pox:

= IT be bestoned apon ther — beige: co, * 2 F 3

—

be enabled e. ue dene the oft benefits; y denies that any ne, without regenetation, can either ses spiricual obn fleas, or approach them, by entering into the king- | el dom of God. Hence faith, by which: alone Christ is he applicd to us, and we made e of his redernphe tion, is ascribed- only to those who are born of God. + *Johax, 12,13. al And the apostle is even more express than this, Wb. thBafter that he had taught that the Tide of God our OrffESaviour bad appeared unto men, viz. By the external call al of the golpel, adds, that he saved them, thax is ap 7 plied to them the kindne/ or redemption of the Savi. 0 iehsor, by the washing of regeneration, and the renewing F.. 1 er- ebe Holy Ghost. * The same thing is held: Tonk th in all —_ — thesschose texts of scriptute, which aseribe our partaking of 1 Deut. 30. 6. He Christ's redemprion, or our salvation, (1) In express Ro 5 2. 29. are terms to regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy £2 EY PORGHhoft: (2). To circumiision Ae bent: (3) to the 00d 1. oy 1 ing way of the heart of stone, 7 the putting withr jer. 3 2. 3 $0 us a heatr of flesh,-the giving of a nc heart and a 31 32 xp 4 * ew. spirit. (4) To the creation of a pure heart. * 2. * 1 5 ss) Tofpiritual bj, unless you would choose ot * refer that to the prave/ef eonverfion. ” (6) Ta the! Cangelfg; Piumination of the mind, and renewing of the will. Jhaf 7): Ton spiritual ryarrefion und qditkenihg. All 7177 * __ exprethons. 55 with- regeneration, e Ken. 0 as 81 the same thing in different term. > IP 25. "IV; The. foundation of this necemty Heth is the And by reaersul, spiritual diorb of all che chect, by Which they, gr h. u well as reprobates, are by natere did in fin 30 WAVE 4 v. 1 2 an heart of fene; an antircumti 1% heuft 3 are blind th 15.24. Mat. 8 heir minds; have theĩt wc alienatet from God; from 22E237-2,% he fe of God, and from ll teal” and saving 72g, 7 f. Pod y* and are therefore utterly fafüffezem to think; 9 ren the least thbuglit; and con th alfo Eph. 4 17, 1 TE by 2 living faith; the Reaeemer offered to Bol big 8,1 =>" pt mu falva- C..

Banzenes tian;

—

al. may * For the Redeemer himself |

Von; vides, by regeneratioo, 3 e bestowed ag "on them in a new spiritusl lie hy the: Holy Ghost; However a man spiritually dead can bear spiritual truths, he can also, gremmaticely at least, under fiend What he hears; he can moreover apptove i in ye ment, at least speculatively, what he understands, and luastly be ean in a general manner have some kind of affeBtion towards what he es, Nor oth the holy Spirit in the werk of regeneration and spiritual quick · ning, treat with the elect; as. with focks or brutes 3 but as rational creatures, to.whose reception, the Redeemer, with the terms of sal vation, have been alrea; * offered by the external call; to the reception off3 ' * which, the Spirit hat h invited them by the most prel+ss;,, ' fig motives; . Yea it is possible that persons, as yetfser spiritually dead, may, it not by the powers which they wi 3 naturally possessed of; yet by the affistanee of com · sus Ws x mon grace, arrive to certain attainments, not acconi3hy;,

_—y Nerds

| Heb. $44 5 Pavyiag salvation; or that are not inseperably - ont: 4 . 1 8 there with. 80 that we are not to think, then Iãs nothing to be done with the unregenerate. Ho

55 ever, while they perform all these things, they do 2575

b Cor "ry + ou at all, which i is spiritual, or besure waking in 4

ritual manner. :

bemenning V. That we ma! bwin in d Mos cledrdnderftaod

2 2 ing of the nature of this regeneration, Io necefliry te

* falvation ; we must carefully observe with regard ti

- the word, that both the scriptures, and also divi

ue it, sometimes io a /erger sense, to denote the who!

operation of the Holy Ghost. upon the fouls of thof

who are to be Taved; whereby he are ht inte

. N grace; so that, besides the external call, i ol

on: la which sense practical divides lay down se

2 motives, and means of regeneration: Somesat

„ and from sanRification: So that. 5 5 ternal call signifies ooly. the. offer of redemption or our. reception: Regeneration conveys that power into the soul, by which the perfon, who is to be saved, is nableũ to receive the offer: Converfion puts forth the power received into PI exercise, + that the soub

doth adually receive the offered benefits: Sanctificati - RL on brings torth the fruits of conversion, or of faith and 55 repefitance,' in à carefulness to maintain good works z,

yet not so immediately, but that an union with, Christ

and justification come between conversion, and sanctification, atleast in the order of nature, it not ef time.

Ic is in this fitter sense of the word, we shall confider.

Ide doctrine of regeneration at pr ent. la which; Exprefiions * sense it means the same with phos lion of the heart, ee. with taking ay the heart of fone, and putting within ud 1585008 Rus a heart of feb, with a new creation, with drawing, . "1 eich illumination, with turning the will, and especially: : wich a spiricual reurreZion and quickening, of which ue.

already spoken in se; III. The terms used in 1 ek for regeneration are, anakaingfs,” agiasmas puru- 1 Tim. 4.4% tet, *Rainee kiifs, * paligg en-/fia, * anagenecfis, *. Thus:> 2Thel 4. 13

*

N-4 Fegeneration, in the proper senie f the word, is only a 283 Yecond and spiritual generation, in which the setreceives' ge 123

ts spiritual Bye, as the body receives it's me life from y tothe first generation. The. father in this case is Gady, d tifence we are said to be born of God; and the retze- f Jobn 1. 134 | rate are called the sem of God. * The mother in whose 31 Job. 5. 1 voromb as it were we are conceived and nobtished,, is,

ol by church. The seed, the word'of God, which llveth amd Gal. 4. 26. int heb forever; * received by the external call of the 11 Pet. 1. 735 U, i oel. From all-which considerations, since a divine catliTH.zzzre is communicated to the regene rate, similat in the les kind to the boliness of the Deicy, it is with suffici - Lat propriety called 4 generation, as that is Only a D 1 wich a relemblance to the Fa F

Rang

*

105 the VI. As to the thin intended by regeneration; it is 3 + Wh 898 7% "1 | - 2 g f

„ only that phhysical f operation” of the Holy Ghost,

ended b = N whereby he be med

_. The ward, phyficel, which in requently usedby oor antho?, is affeplre, to some gentlemen, . who secm cot fo ceject ibe thing in aded'by it: their diflike thereto seems to arise from an apprehen- 6'thet n implies the besto ment of new natural faculty, tuch as the noderfiending,will,or zfc&ions* but this ils evident is not our natho! ty" and. . not the „ ex use

the term, They do nat suppose the regenerate to exercise any n 10787 ap en the 2 ha 8 40 el. They sc the 2 imply ia op sition td. Now a moral operation is the effecting f.jomeibig by moral sazsfioo oi by the laying of arguments and indpcements before; the; mind: but these, however great and | eps. attended-with never so much light in the ugderfendieg. #6thot sypposes, will not eff:U regeneration: but suppeles there, £0 309 7 IG Bipothive; immeditte #@ of the Givine spirit opon the soul, inu 0006 7? a op principle of spirits} od divine life; whereby the "4-27 <1 foal is enabled, or qualified to exercise its natoral powers and fa- - 291.1 eusties in 6 spi-itdal manner, Some have chosen to exprefs themselves hereopon in tHis form, viz. That God in regeneration 2 aller the, of 2 physical cause, as Dr. Ames, Rutherford, &e.” apdthe same thigg, Frake'it, is intended by our 'Evglih Divines' hey, ther, di chas pperaripp; whigh, regenerate; neee. £54 ertoiply use, this word. in opposition; o m4 of an) cperg-

-

gets in men: ho are elected, redee

yp Mora} fubfion,or, i argoments and molives be-

6 dgly, Willard, %e: in the p-

„1 mind. See\extracts from I „ © *pengix+-e4Lodecd, till of dtn. searce' #ny, but Pelagiant, denied Feen

1 . generally been. made use of the some. have 10.

— 2 Tes 28. eee oper wan ny wwe mas

d the physical operation of the spirit in regeneration to the be ed ths Wed 2d ent bt ihe e der \whohave held 10 repgberation by 3 Hlamidsdion of the vader ede dies ben feem i have been (influenced to this refiriftion, pb Et thio' fear, least, if they extended the ph1/5cal;operation;to the afl, 1 tiid freedom of man's will could net be maintained.. But, tho' thei kD: + era of the resbrmed call the regenerstisg act of God'a ph > .1 | ; Dcaljoperatian); yer I en where fad, that they cull the\ change, * that is wroughrin man thereby, a phyfre/ change. The immediate, term or effe&} of regeneration according to Van Maftricht is, ( . xl. Aff.) grate, *Ipiritgal ne, Kc. which is a moral change in the B mr2h;/or # change of the moral flate of his mind tho" wrought / 3 = physiesboperAh,ẽm Nor js there auy thing ablord in this,” dhe * ” , the aperasion should be phyfca/; avd yet the effect m sor wane - , would soppole it beyond the power of God, (if he is plogled ep e b TOP j 3 — | a2. * i lai

#

— 2 499 56 4 : | | . 1.253. gain, 7 55 Regederationt 1 e to the Son, [85 .thell = +5 meritorious cause 3 who for this reason i is led a quicks — eng spirit, aud che life, which we live, we are 1 100 | by the faich of the don of God. And ( ) To

with Phil. 1. to Ab

21. Col. 3. „the Holy Ghost; hence he is stiled the spirit of life ;;*

1 because the Holy Spirit by his operation OY |

Tit. 3 5. 28. eff-&s' regeneration: and the spiritual life is 3

Romans 8:2.19. Culiar —— afcribed to the spirit of. lise.

2 Bob. 2-5-5- mgving cause is merely God's great love, *' bis abunds

er. . 3. mercy z his gracious | pleasure.* Nor is there, espe;

2 Fi cially before regeneration, (while | we ate the children

£0 Eph. 2 2 Hef: of wrath, dead in sinꝰ) any thing in us which can in

the least merit fuch a favour. The infrument of rege:

. I 5 heration, ( but that merely of a nora kind) is the word

f God, previously offered and received in the ex-

8 1 Pet, 1-23- ternal-call of the gospel, as we have already oblerved.

VIII. Second! „ we may consider the subjecbs of rege:

_— padertanging and will, to whom, .agreeably to theii

| 7 ations] nature, the. Spirit hath previously” offered te:

demption for their reception; with whom therefor

he is pleased to treat, not as with flocks or brutes, 28

1 3. We haye already observed. (2), They are the ela;

+ chap. 2. 9. for regeneration is not a common gift; hut a gift pro:

ceeding from the most distinguisbing or special grace,

+ Bpb. 3. 5. it tows from God's great love, from his abinds

iet. 1. 2,3. Wege. f (3) They are redeemed; hence Peter speak

of regeneration, as peculiar to those; who are sprinkled

Fi Pet. 1 223- abi ib blood of Cbrist. *-Apain, (4) They are "ry

Fob, 3.1. 5.6 who; are as yer dead in in: * for unless A man be c

he cannot be made alive by regeneration. | add; (

a 23. The tubole man throughout, * is the subject of regene:

ration ; the understanding, will, affsctions, sensiris

: faculties, &c, that all may be qujckened and renewed

* Cor. 3. 7: thereby. A Aby natural generation, ell the parts of 1

. , _— quickened-or made alive; and 75 Y sin, ch

The aft of |

2 Un." Ne < ripen as IX. Third, we may consider eration i or the n 4d. Whio e 1.not! a 2275 19 act, exercised in offering an iavitiog. as is the case i with the external call. But it 152. act „Power- 2 ne fully infusing 5. life into the soul: Which js. ++ + ® proved, not only, ( (1) By the gonstant phraseosogy Karan the seriptures, When they speak. of the exceeding greatness | of bis 1015 towards these who 1. 5 wap Hob to the

s #81 by power, or t e energy ot the power of his un bt; yea, 5 A's Pewer. which was exerted in taising 2 15 from the dead, * _ Which. expressions * Eph, 1. 194 certainly * not bespeak a moral agency. Also whers **- rhe {eripenres speak of spiritual cir cumeifion, of taking 1 away the heart. of stone, of putting within us a heart of flesh, of creating a new heart, of drawing, of work- # iog in us to will and to do, of. a resurtection from ts dead, of which we have spoken i in sect. III. Do the expressions in the least favour an operation merely, moral? But, (2) It may allo be proved. by the very nature of the thing, in as much as regeneration is an operation upon men spiritually dead, infusing life into them; but what moral operation, in teaching offer- Ephesians 2:1. 5. ing, persuading, can be e OR. 1 e man that is dead? _—_. X. The tem fo 857 and immediate ex ol

ee is excite

Hai >the powet be Hark" "_ " *

620 Byg ae e nderstand the eli of hl Pier |

OR. _ 94. freely iven, 4 gratia gratis data) or interna

Rom. 12. 6. grace, W in Tet ptures.is called charisma, * (the

10er. 1. 11. free gift.) Nor, (3 e e-understahd'by g grace here

* berg et ol We indness, Hiace all the good. which

creature enjoy 85 and even the Ne creation, |

is from thegract 0d. and in this sease universal grace.

may be allowed: Bur we understand chat 1 6 Which 2

is contradistinguished to narure, and as it exists ia man,

1 = tts the natural hy. of free will.” 4: Jeithet, (4) I

F we understand he every effect 0 ce, by Which

dne man in his Kihd excel!s" anothe Brac 155 gift

Ed. 475 ef Mechanical eil, P or wildem in or gavernment,

5 * may be ca Mled'crinhn grace, by the ofh{tpace 72

kyjp EG motafoature, a ma may: im

Joteriag,) or that have not a nece Jary 9 |

8 FISVariah + But, ( 5} By brace, we. here

under stand N57 of God's ches or the char

| .; Miz Wev's i By by Which gel man bath power to

Fe 3.2 48 if "exercises, while another bath it

* Rot ; 78: fuch ekefcifes, indeed to which God

ans at hd. promised eternal, lalvation; 927 to © *

Heb. 6. 9. foterias.*) Finally in in this sense, 25 t WEL ou

3 "stowed in re generation, | we understaod that TOME

| be i Which a 15 cnabl to,comply 4 he. n of th cy boy. PL grace,...

_with * rehend-the*Rederme r Ye A ee faith, to to the terms of” edge 1 of OY 10

Add "Mediator fup te. ja ies WET? Wort or e ate ee f E

/ nie 5 t 5 bre, 777 leg ad nde; : or A HB wor 855 hy (phronema 1 ie

© oy "of rates), hs perceive the things cf, lie sprit and spiritaath* 3 Census Feen them. ” By the word ipirit here. we, understand — k oc the Spirit gibing; but the spirit grven, that is the 3

pirit, which the Holy Ghost bestows in regeneration,

Tee presence of which makes the soul /2jritualhyalivey much as the presence of the animal spirit makes the body naturally aliye. Hence this spirit is said to quick- . of make alive, therefofe it is stiledd- the spirit, of.. Erek. 3.5. fe, © because the presence. of this spitit, which is an-;4&s 20. 10. Wanted in the sopl, constitutes the, /pirittal life, and pn 6 02 apacitares and inclines the man to piritual exercises, Rom. B 2. ust as the natural spirit doth. to EN exercises. This: pirit, bestowed by the Holy Ghost in regeneration, F.: according to it's various exercises, stiled somętimes 77" 8 | he spirit 125 3 es the, /dirit of + I. n t of grace, sometimes the, spirit of e, HttZach.12.10: prrit of faith,” &c. agreeably ta, that virtue and ope+-*2Cor. 4. 13. ation which it produces in the regenerate... So that Fompared 3 y, the spiric here. we, understand, only. that, spiritug[y' Lin ower, y which we are enabled to-perform spiritual; © * xercises in a spiritual, manner. B. spiritual exercises; r spiritual things we mean, the lame ag, che apostle by, — be things of the spirit, © and our Saviour, by, the business," Co". 214-1 rthe' things of his Falber. . , ke 248. XII. 7hirdhy, the tertn, or immediate effect of re- 3. Life. eneration, is more clearly, called spiritual %, in its „ec (or priociple,) from which God is faid.toguick-s - „ together with Christ, those who are. dad, in in, „ Erh 250 at we may be raised together witch him im a spiritual.. anner. From. the want of which spiritual. lisep the; 55 55005 nregenerate are said to be deed ip sin, alienated, from); © J. 14 eee and from the -prelence of which, en Ex i; i) ze other hand, we are said 40 live io Cad, to the will Gal. 2. 20 God, and according 20 God. This spiritual life con- 1 Pf 2 seth in a reunion, of the divine image, or original 2 ghteousness with our souls, by which ourficst parents, - a state of innocence, were enabled to live to God.

ad were dispoled to all spiritual exercises.- For as

-

4 4 2 . natural life consisteth in the anion of the foo: wich = E the body; so the spiritual life consisteth in the unionss*© of original righteousness with the soul. And as a man Fr hath power to perform all natural actions trom thels dit natural life. so trom the Ipititual life the regenerate have r to perform all spiritual exercijes, And lastly, as in the natural life, are virtually contained al {4 man's natural potvers, which afterwards, by organi -. + \pfoperly disposed, come forth into action: so in this 2 + Jpiritual fle 2 are virtually contained all those spiritual = ** © gfaces, Which, by. the influence of converting grace,s-: are in due time drawn forth. by degtees into e XIII. Heute fourthhy, the immediate effect of rege neration is also called the feed ot God. i Becausein the "grace, in the spirit, and in the spuitoal life, which are. © wed upon the elect in regeneration, ate contained |

6 — seeds of all those graces, which are necessary te salvation: Which. undder ptopet circumstances, 555 by the heavenly deus of converting grace, gradually, _ | 2 21885 with absolute certainty, in due time, au forth 7 © > 1 $ooir blossoms and fruit in 'afaal exercise ; like as the

” seeds of vegetables buried in ihe earth, when watered by genial showers, shoot forth inte the stalk; flowers and fruit. © And, Ffibly, this immediate effect is called 4 neto creature, from! which the regenerate are stileds +.Cor. . the workmanship of God, created in Chrj ist Jesus unto gool D. yr 4 works, that they* might walk in them." Allo, /ixihly; it 15 F yak 36,35; called a new beart and a zew spirit, © because thereby

the whole regenerate man, and all that is his, /#itit of

72 understanding, "beart or will, all are renewed, * from — $- 27 which there is born a new man. Thus far concerning

* 345. the general term, or the first and immediate effect f tion, which is the spiritual life in its first act (or

nr, Which is also ad by other names, ue, spirit, the fp of _ c new creat, . F

On Regeneration... © * ls 7 XIV. This spiritual life, as wake 3 1 A the whole regenerate man, and all the several parts and val c e faculties of him, hach different names according 0 those led fine different faculties. As it takes place in the understand- tion. ing it is called a ur spirit, and spiritual light, * and Ep. Thy e bestowment of it by regeneration is called illumina 5 E x Won, P and thale who are illuminated are called chilaren Eph. m 18. pf the light d are said to walk in the light. ol the Lord,” 2 Cor. 4. 6. Mich light begecs in them the knowledge of the glory of {Luke 16:18 | in the face of Christ Jesus our ar also. the Tris Ning knowledge of God, and the Mediator. This * Ifa. 2. . $ | 4 1 light. of the regenerate effects, (1) The simple * 5 Ton 4. 6 undenst anding or perception, by which they know li. Co 9 - 3- © Fitual objects, not only. speculatively as true, but prac- Th 3 . ically as good. (2) Ic affecta the Judgment, so that the 1 | Cor. 2.14 Segenergte judge concerning, the goodness of spiritual - hings, not oaly. as io the general position (in tbel, 5 what is good in a general vie y; but also under all The particular circumstances and connections of that ruth (is bypotheh,) what is good and proficable for them ch chis very time, all circumstances — ta In the, af Pneantime, this saving illumination inregeneration, is to * 8 cautiously distinguished from the illumination, which _ given in the external call, in which spiritual light * Heb. 6. 4. $ rather held upto view, than conveyed * into the soulz. 4 r if some degree ot light be, bestowed by an imggnal Ji. . ork, that however is either merely speculiuus ex- Nam. 24.3; orting ” only an acknowledgement and profession of 2 *Mai.7.21..2 he truth, or if it be practical also, is so on (in tlesi — 5 2.17 dr representing only, in a general manner, the goods; *. Weng els of the truth acknowledged by him: But not 6.4. 2 K in bypotbest) under all the circumstances ol it, so as 2. 19. Gel. o excite a love to the truth, or engage us in obedi- + Seng nce thereto, so as to walk in it; bat is rather bald. 7 ng the truth in unrighteousness. . 5 2 XV. As this- spi- itual life, a. in reg- Reta, * os, is seated in 8 will, it is stiled 4 neue of che will.

pal. 51.12. heart, , heart of fuss, or a heart easily affected, ! a WE Ezekiel 35:25. on which God hath written bis fear, * by which the ree 39: generate walk in bis lauren. For the Holy Ghost im- Eck. 11. 5 plants in the heart or will, by ation, a new ind. - +. > chnction or propensity towards spiritual good. For --_* altho? the will hath naturally à kind of propensity to- Romans 2:14. Ward moral good | in general,“ and toward external re- F. Lake 18. ligious duties, whereby, in duties, with tobich salvation | Nl. 12- ts not connected, an unregenerate person may sometimes ec. perform things really wonderful:.. Yer, thei eK e. Perform things really wonderfu et, their p 5, 21. Heb. fity towards spiritual and good, mankind have %. utterly lost by fin; hence they are said to he dead in Ephs. 1.5. fin,” Ind insufficient to think even the least thought 2 Cor, 3.5 spiritually good. * Wherefore it is absolutely necessary, that a new propensity toward spiritual good, be restored Romans 7:22. to the will, * For altho' the will doth naturally folle > Thel-3- 5. the laf dictate of the practical under standing, so tha were the anderstanding but sufficiently illuminated, ar [> | — renovation of the will might seem unneces- © Ffary; yet this is to he admitted for truth, only when the underftanding, in its last dictate, judgeth agree ably to the inclinetion of the will. For that is good, . with reference to the will, which is agreeable to its _ + propensity. So- that, if we should make the absurc. -_ - supposition of che ander standing s being most clearly enlightened, and yet the wi not renewed, the wil — not follow the practical, judgment, because ii that case the understanding would not dictate agree ably to it's propensity. v. g. If David's understand to hy: ing dictated, that chastity at this very time, all cir cC̃umstances considered; ought to be chosen by him | rather than adultery; yet whilst his understanding dictateth not agreeably to the present propensity of hi will, which inclineth to adultery, the will would by no means follow the last dictate of the understanding It is therefore in this spiritual propensity of ea wil

= that he seeds oi all chose graces, which are.

"On Regeneration, - == rt ¶ to falvation are contained: Hence the seed of the re- 4 generate is said to remain in them, by realon of which, *- 7} they cannot abandon themselves to sin. 2 Jobn 3. . XVI. Nor is-the spiritual life, in regeneration, be- Regeneration stowed only upon the superior faculties ot the soul, the in or ds. underftanding and will: But also upon the iferior or — sensifive faculties; the affections, senses, and even the members of the body. Hence the apostle expresly ff ascribes sanctification not only to zhe spirit, by which n-f he seems to understand the spiritual faculties, such as agree to spirits only, as the understanding and will: but also to the soul, (Psuche, properly the animal foul, ... srom which we are called psuchikei, natural or sensual, as it is rendered,) which denotes the inferior faculties such as are common to brutes; yea, he extends sanc- * | tification even to the body and members of the body, * * 1 Thes 5. 25 For as by fin a spiritual death and irregularity are bro't upon these faculties, whereby they five against the spirit: Which irregularity is expresly represented as Gal 5. 27. Jeriminal by the Holy Spirit, (1) As it takes place in the affeHions or passions of the soul, * (2) In the /enftive faculties v. g. /ceing and bearing, * (3) In the bodiita ly members, * &c; Therefore a spiritual life, by rege- 1 * 7 | urd8 neration, must be restored to these faculties, to enable Rom. 1. 26 chem rightly to discharge their respective services. © ' *®**- 2- 14 i This life in the inferiar faculties-is a dispasition to obedi- 3 * ence, whereby they become fitted not to oppose the and 3. 13.1 spirit, or understandi ing and will; but tobe i in subjection Is, 6. nd to, or to be led by the ge. * As at first, in a state f.. 6-10 of i integrity, by our original righteousness, which con- pain 322 ; sisted in che divine image, thole inferior faculties were 14. 17. Jai most beautifully arranged under the government ws 1. 20, the mind. oY | XVII. The spiritual life 1 15 at by 7 nera- 1 Aion. only. in the fr as (or principle) not in the se- conters | i cond add (or operation, ) understood either as habits or D 21 18 For as, by natural 'Fearration, A man receives oniy. 1 | neithet |

8 Regeneration.

neither the habits or acts of reasoning, speaking; or 5

Writing, but only the power, which under proper cir- Bp;

cumstances, i in due time, comes forth into act: Sa

Also, in regeneration, there is not bestowed upon the

elect, any faith, hope, love, repentance, &c. either ay

to habit or act ; but the pot only of performing

these exercises, is bestowed ; by which, the regenerate

person doth not as yet actually believe, or repent 4

but only is capatitated thereto : Wherefore the unregenerate are emphatically said, to be unable, either 4a

- fee; as referring to the understanding, or to enter, referde 4. 3. ring (6 the will, into the kingdom of God. * Which

43 u in conversion; which succeeds regeneration,

roper circumstances being supposed, is, in due time,

gnaerate may, both as to habit and act, be for a time 5 an uabeliever, destitute of ropentance and walking in

| fin. As appears, more clear than the light of the sun,

ais the instances of these, who are regenerated in their | Jeremiah 7:5. mothers wombs, or at their baprtitm;'as Jeremiah,

, zie. ws John the baptist, # and Timothy, who nevertheless

c. 75: did not, till they arrived to the years of diseretion

133 ee the actual exercises. of faith or repentance. U

So that tion, in which the spiritual life is be

' stowed in the firft act or principle only, differs fro

br conversion, by which this principle of life is brought

sometimes also in order of time. However we mea

vot ro deny here, that it may be, and osten is the.case

that a sanctisication of the spirit, in'a general sense

snanctification properly so called, is effected at one anc

the same time: Which seems to have been the cal

438 -with the thief on the cross, converted by Chrift ir Lake23 46. his last moments. We only mean that they may |

Er be did any thing toward begetting life in himself; * John 1. 43. Ine must be already alive, since 2 dead petson cannot 3, 6. act; and if already alive, then surely life is got be:

:;Bootren in him.

XVIII. Since therefore regener

eration conveys the The affeQi- | spiritual life, in the firb act or principle 3 it may be 99% of eget asily determined. 1. That in regenetation à man is mas is enmerely passiue. as in the first receprion- of a natural rely paslive

ite, the subject of it can be only merely passive.*.. For therein.

with Eph. 3.

etermine what ought to be 2. Hor, fas held as to a preparation for regeneration: For there f an may two kinds of preparation come under considera- prepuminng tion here; one, which is supposed to proceed from tge person to be regeneraied, whereby, he prepares himself

to receive regeneration; or by the power of his own

free will he becomes more disposed and prepared for regeneration than others. This, without the plainest contradiction, can by no means be admitted; since regeneration is an operation upon a man spiritually

gead, into whom the first act or principle of spititual 3 life is infused: Now, if he prepared himself theretoo. he doubtlessly must do it by a previous principle ss

XIX. 2. We may d

ite, and so must be supposed alive, before life is implanted in him. The other kind of preparation is sup -

posed to proceed from God, the author of regeneration.

And again, this preparation, which. is the wark.of ©

God, may respe& regeneration, either as taken in a

act or principle of spiritual life. Nor, in

larger sense, as denoting converfion. also, and the term or immediate end of it, viz. Faith and actual repentance, in which conversion terminates: That God useth many preparatory means to regeneration, taken

in this sense, by the help of which one may attain to

this faith and repentance, we shall endeavour to shew,

by divine assistance, in a futwe disceurse : Or this preparation: may respect regeneration in a more limit- _ ted sense, as denoting only the introduction of the first: this sense, | 3 fa, - ol

| enn any preparation, truly and rly so called, be A2dmitted, any more than took Place i in the resurrecti. on of Lazarus to a natural life.! If, however, you

chuse to admit here some kind of p tion in those, who are to be made the subjects of this spiritual life, > . such, for inftance, as in drying wood, which is to be 43. set on fire, such also as God old in the work of.creation, when he created on the first day a shapeless mass, Which he formed and modified in ths following days, and such as he peculiarly used in the creation of man, i

forming first the body of clay, or the rib, into which f. 7. he afterwards breathed tbe breath of life." | lay, it in Wi this sense you chuse, with many orthodox Divines, to admit some preparation, which is the work of God, 1 © Have uo great objection "thereto: And then this 7 paration may consist in the previous external call, so far as God, by the offers of grace, enlightens the mind sre of the person, who is to be regenerated, concerning the nature of redemption, and the terms of enn

and invites him to embrace the same. | +

0 Aude XX. z. We may hence determine, chat regeners- Sion f jr. tion is irresstabli, and in what sense this is to be uns gfiftivle. derstood. For it you consider what the person, whe ARs 7. $1. is to be regenerated is, a child of wrath, dead in sin; he . >. hath certainly depravity enough to refist: Burit you „ 27. 2 consider, that it is God, who regenerates and quickens, 2. 39, 40. the subject of regeneration can no more reit God, npareGal. than Lazarus of old could have resisted Christ, when 2 = raising him to à natural life.? Nor hath he @ will te ith v. 10 · & resist, for, by the spiritual life instantaneously produc- 6.9, 10. 14, ed, all inclination or desire of nn, is e

ich ver. 19. taken 3

44 bad XXI. 4. That the grace of regeneration, can ne

cion is in- be 1st, 7 the grounds upon which this Tnamisfbilit 5 misible. is founded.“ In this indeed, it differs from the uf pokes. 9: spiritual life, effected in creation, by the bestowment

by ti our first Parents became spiritually dead; since * pk. 2. 1. 8. | he spiritual life bestowed by regeneration is never A tirely lost. However, the unfailing permanency of,- his life is by no means to be ascribed to the Srmmess. nd constancy. of the regenerate, or the Rrength ans fection of the spiritual life; for there is, and always dwells, in the regenerate, so much corruption, that hey are as likely, by their on conduct, to destroy = his life, as our firft parents were; and indeed more d. because they, before the loss of their spiritual life, were perfefly righteous and holy.* But the —_ ' Keel. 7. 00 dilicy of loosing the grace of regeneration depends, 2 TR = 1) On the grace of election and of the divine putposle, 1 Pet. we My —_ the gifts and calling of God are- without W John 10. 28 And, (2) Upon preserving grace. __. © 29+ 8 XXII 5. That this spiritual life, as conve yed i in 1 bat regeneration, is but very impersed, it being 7 the — f ay a& or principle of spiritual life) and _ the seeds — spiritual graces, which gradually like the eeds | Pf vegetables, grow up into the stalk, blossoms and „ pet, 2 fruit. Hence the regenerate, merely as such, are:stiled = 1 Cor. 3.1 bern babes,” babes in Chrift,* who still have need to * Heb. 5. 1 be nursed; and indeed 3 food suited to the infantile 2 fas is aid: f John the cit;* that is, in order that I the rf act or principle of life, conveyed in ner tion, might, by conversion, be drawn forth into actual faith · and repentance, which are the second acts or operations, and, it I may so say, the branches of this life: | And at length by sanctisication, produce all these good, Gal. 5. & works, which are the fruits of the spirit.* This spi- 8 ritual life is indeed so small, that it cannot be „„ nown and distinguished, but by its growth and exer cises a babits cannot indeed be otherwise Rome, 4

*

*

ent 5 Tux ARGUMENTATIVE AIRTS). "_— ich XXIII. The molt of the controversies on this Gabe 52 —

I ys) without much eee be determined from of

| On Regeneration. 5h, | our Alisa“ | propositions. © Tne sirst question upon! = fubje& is, 8 regeneration consisteth in a + reformation ot manners? The rank Pelagians, at they deny original sin, the: lofs of original righteousness, and our being in a state of spiricual — and hold; only to external grace, which prescribes to man hi duty, and excites by arguments to the performance of it: So they allow no regeneration. but hat consisteth in a reformation of manners, effected by the externdl =. 3 88 God. The Socinians, those, 5 Pelagi ass, tread in their steps; and afficm the same wich them. 5 The Reformed consider a reformation, of manners, af 0 99s 143 ning, not to regeneration, in its strict and 'propetic siense, bur to converfion and sanctification; while they 8 32 regeneration solely in the relormation of theft inner man, the understanding, will, and other facul-i ties, as we have shewn.under the defrinal part. Which | HE support by the following reasons, (1) Man, by breaking the covenant of works, bath, lost his originallf Wy „Abtei in which the spiritual lite of the soul conf "FRE 5 wy - Giteth, (and by the help of which alone our first pas rents were enabled to — spirituul good, as we „ have considered in a former discourse,) — so by sin 3 © hath contracted Jpiritual death. (2) The scriptures ex · 5 extend regeneration, to the renewing of the ins ner parts of the soul, to 2 gero heart, a new spitit, tt the writing of the law upon the mind, and upon the heart; as in the dorinal part. (3 A real retormation of mannirs, canhot tesult from any thing, but i previous principle of life, and a rene wing of the mini cz. 5. 6. and hearr.** Nor have our adversaries any thing te Cor. 2. 14- urge in support of the contrary, but their own ihcen pom $-7- fistent suppositions, such as, (1) That the image ee, of God did: not contain original righteousness, which we on have confuted in a fermer discourse. (1) That mat. was not deprived of the i of God; so far as iff 1 in Rep — for ien 15

qt 'On Regeneration.

(Nl law as paradise. Which we have already confuted;. (3) Thar man did not by the loss he Cultained, con- I tract spiritual death and universal impotence to spiri= _ , ... tual — saving good, (which hath been already conuted.) And therefore, (4) That there is nothing needs reformation in man but his manners or moral : conduct. The falsity of which naturally n from 3 by what hath cee observed. all XXIV. Quest. Second. Doth regeneration Row Qz Whethe

Grace the free will of man, or from God alone? The 4s —_ oy

rank Pelagians, with whom the Socinians exactly on the free agree, as they suppose that the nature and free will will of man of man wefe not impaired by the first fin, - so they -— A alcribe their regeneration, which they make to consitt * e in a reformation of manners, to free will alone, exeept · sentiments. | ing that they allow grace externally directing and in- Abencing in a way of moral suasion 3 yet such gras may be reed by the free will of man. The Se. mi- Felagians, with whom the Jesuits and Atminians 7 agree, admit indeed, that the human nature was imm a Ppaired by fin; that blindre/s was thereby brought on welllthe understanding, and a certain debility (teper) upon finflthe will: Therefore they hold to some kind of internal grace, which may be excited, even as to the will by © © * ia Nexternal grace in a way of moral suasion; but such 22 {4 to may nevertheleis be rejefted by the free will of man. the The Synergist®, among the Lutherans, with whom © | uti Macrelius, in his ecclesiastical history, reckons Victot Arinus Strigelius; hold that the poroer, which man na. indpurally hath, may contribute something towards their | x teregene cation. The Lutherans in general hold, that a olan can, by the power of his free will, at Jealtrefrain _ _ e rom policively refbing the Holy Spirit in the work, +} wept regeneration, i. e. by the use of external means, he 2 mai nay as it were open the door to the spirit, when he is i bout to introduce the spiritual life. The Reformed, | chespitho' ar. 3 that * en quickening is _ „ee

„

5 effefted by regeneration,”.a man may, in converlion, Z co-operate with God unto the exercising of faith and Cant. 1. 4 . repentance :* Yet, in regeneration strictly so called, er. 31. iS. they deny that a man can de any thing aively,; but —_— affirm chin he is merely passrve. Becayse, (1) Before re- 33 or generation is effected, man is spiritually dead: therefore cannot, either in whole, or in part, contribute any thing towards begetting life in himself : for this contributing of something would suppose life. Because, (2) In regeneration there is bestowed a new heart, a mne spirit, on which is written the law of God; which - - 33 is to be ascribed to God alone. (3) There is 4 IO h regeneration a crealion, and a new oeeature, which Cor 4 17. Can be attributed only to God.“ (4) Of curselves we Ifa. 45. 7- are infufficient to think even the least thought, with 2 Cor. 3-5- which salvation is connected.“ (5) God is said to work Phil. 2. 14: in us, 1e will according to his” good pleasure.* (6) | The scriptures expresly declare, that it is not of hi | that willeth, or of him that rummtb; but of Ged that. Romans 9:16. sheweth miercy.* (7) If man were, either in whole, or S in part, the author of his own regeneration ; he would, | make himselt to difer, contrary to the apostles asser- . Cor-1- 7. tion.? Nor doth what our adversaries allege, favoyr — theit᷑ opinion in the least ; as, (1) That we are some- I= y at. 10. 16. times commanded to circumcise the foreskin of our hearts, er. 4-4: to make to ourselves a new heart, and a new spirit," to bt Eck. 13-31. renewed in the spirit of our minds,* and to turn ourselvtliy .. TP 0 3. © God.“ To this I answer, (1) It is no ways incon- ”” sistent, that God should both commend and freely beftou the same thing, accordirig te the well known expres

er? fion of Austin; da, quod jubes (freely give. A. tho! © Mat. 22.37- commandest)—thus God commandeth love;* yet it f t Rom. 5- 5- be, that shedeth it abroad in our hearts.“ (2 ) Thok Io + places of scripture, which are alleged, speak not o 1 regeneration, strictly so called, by which God infuse the first principle of life; but of conversion, whereil N ee forth the life, 8 9 into ac A ry

=

On Regeneration.

uual exercise. They object, (2) That if a man doth * Cant. . nothing towards his own regeneration, but is purely Take 51-08 passive, he is regenerated. as a /fock, or stone. To be. ; which I answer, this by no means follows, since the subje& of regeneration hath been previously taught by If the external call of the gospel, and by moral fuafion. They object, 3. That to suppese a perion doth not exercise a free self determining power as to his regeneration, would deftroy the freedom of the will. To ”B which I answer, (1) A mans free will is no more conn Ncerned in bis spiritual regeneration, than in his natural generation. (2) Regeneration is not an a#tion of the man, that it should be determined by his free will; but a mere passion, in which he only admits (or is the object of) the action of God, being capable (as a rational creature) of having such an action performed upon him. 0 „ _—_ 3 * XXV. Quest. Third. Is the action of God, which Q. S beth regenerateth a man, moral, or pbysical? The rank Pe- 2 action 6 . bs | od, whie Jagians with the Socinians, as they place the nature iegenerates, of free will in indifference, and suppose also that the free be moral | ill of man is unimpaiced by fin, and therefore that a pbyfical. > man, by his own power, can do whatsoever God re- Different! quireth of him; allow netking, but a moral aFion or senümente. I gency of God in regeneration, in which, he teacbetb | rhat is to be done, and by motives persuadeth to the doing of it. The Semi-Pelagians, together with the · Jesuits and Arminians, as they acknowledge some inernal depravity as the effect of sin; so they likewise low some physical agency of God im regeneration, ich removes that depravity: But, as they restrain hol ne depravity, arifing from sin, to the inferior facultics ur pf the soul, or at most, to the underftanding; so they host | Plow the physical agency of God, only with respect gh h these faculties: while, as to the will or free will of use an, they hold only to a moral agency; yea, they cr THppole, that this phyfce! action of God mass be e-. ww | jetted =

*

[oh onstou

On Regeneration.

e power of the will. The Reforined, althe# f

" They. a moral agency of God in the external call of the gespel, which is previous to regene- 1

_ , Tation;; and tho? they allow both a pbysical and moral!

43 agency together i in conversion, which follows regenera- c | Arguwents tion: Yet in regeneration strictly so called, they admit e of the ortho- Only a mere absolute physical agency. Because, (1) a do Regeneration is the frft implantation of the spiritualsis a % life. before which, the person regenerated. was spiritu- I r [+ Eph. 2. 5. ally dead. Now moral sua/ffon is no more sufficient, x | : Deut. 30 2. or even conducive, to the begeting of the spiritual 2 2 95 Sa than it is, of the natural life. Because, (2) That {pi 1 FB kEzek. 36. TO al circumcision —new creation — laing away the beari f 26, 26, 27. . of tone. putting within us a heart of fle writing ib a er. 537, lay thereupon" —and drawing," by which terms regene{ r 1 4 ration is exprefsed, is not a moral, but a purely physica £ 1 operation. Because, (3) That superabundant greaine wo of divine porter, which was exerted -in the raising o I IF 129, Christ frem the dead, was not myra!, but physical in 1 f o. highest sense : And the apostle reftifics,” that the sam t 1 eterodex power is exerted i in our regeneration. The principa E ppbjeAions. things. which can be urged upon the contrary fidefTH 7 agare, (1) That we read of God's bringing about rege I neration by commanding it, (which, without doubt bespeaks a moral way of Operation) as *circumcise thy f

weste 6. ' foresen of your hearts,” make to yourselves a new heart. baer "oF work out your wn salvation. To which I answer. I t & Phil. 2. 13. these commands God speaks to his church, to his peoffTH r | de ut. 20.15; ple, who had long been his delight;* therefore the © must have beew already regenerate; fince; without re} ©

= generation, ne one ean lee, or enter into the kingdonfs 1

[ Jos 33+ 5+ of God.“ Therefore, by these : commands, God dot x not mean to bring about regeneration, as it denotes tf .

- fb infusion of the f. ritual life; but the drawin ©

forth of that life, which 'is infused by regeneratio ints the second acts or consequent exercises, (Which 7: N Dent go. 14 Fxpeesty mentioned in the passage," irom whence © I.

*

off first of these commands is quoted, ).which- i is hed in

XN conversi jon, that follows upon regeneration, in which L e- man being drawn runs after God; being turned, be ac. Cant 1. ral tively converts and turns himielf to God by the power

a- of his grace. It is Objected, (2) If regeneration is * Jer. 31-1 effected by the physical agency of God alone, without „ 1 any co-operation, of the man, then man is regenerated nal as 2 fork or a stone. To which I answer, 1. Regene- 4 u- ration according to the scriptures, respects man as pi nt. ritually dead, as posst ssed of a heart of flone,” unfit for * 25. 2. $ ah any spiritual exercises: But is a man, (hat is spiritual- Mg 36 pig. ly dead, having an heart of stone, and being unquali- 2 2 Cor. art fied for vil operations, in any proper sense, the fame |. bas a stock or a stone? 2. Regeneration is wrought in ne. man, after he hath been externally called, to whom ca Face hath been offered in a way of moral suasion, and e invited to the reception of it; thus, so tar at leaf, he is regenerated, not as a stock or a stone, but aa a2 thi wan: It is objected, 3. That, by a phy/ical regeneraami tion, the fiberry of the will would be impaired and ipassf even destroyed. To which I answer: Since by regeneration foiricoal life is bestewed upon the will of man, which was before dead, it is so far from being destroyed, that i it is restored co its proper life, and * 7 fection. XXVI. Quest. Fourth, Doth che physical opera- ( Q. 4. W tion of regeneration affect the will 5mmediately? The ther the pb rank Pelagians, with the cinians, allow ns. physical sical opera operation of God at all in regeneration 5 be hold on ef reg

only to a moral and external operation. The Semi 2 :

| Pelagians, with the Jesuits and Arminians, allow some mediately,

physical efficiency in regeneration; but such as affects not the will, or free will; but only the other faculties | of the soul. Some of the Roles, v. g. John Cameron, and many others allow indeed a Phy bea ope- 4 ration upon the will; but that only by the medizm of the a which God; ip Jo so

powerfully"

& powerful evlig htens, and cenvinces, that the will cannot but follow it's last practical dictate. The synod of Dort, with most of the Reformed, extend the phy sical operation of regeneration to the will, and that in- _ mediately, as it begets in the will a new propensity to- | wards spiritual good, which, in my judgment, is most keasons for agreeable to truth. Because, (1) The scriptures do, afirma- in express terms, ascribe the physical agency of rege. neration to the will,“ it is God that worketh in us both 10 * will, &c. Because, (2) In terms of the same meaning, the scriptures extend it to the Bart, by which is Irn. 51. 12, always meant the will in scripture:* That God creates ek. 36. 25. a new heart, and taking away the heart of stone, puts 5 7. this new heart within us, and wrztes his law upon it: most certainly this is done by a phy/ica/ operation. (3 The will is itself depraved by fin, as well as the under- 14 ftanding, and inferior faculties;* hence we frequently. '5* read of a hard heart, by reason of which, man is not Rom. 8. 7, abet to the law of God, neither indeed can be be. t (4) That corruption, which i is seated in the ill, would; not be taken away by an illumination of the understanding: nor doth the will follow the last diftate ol. 3 the practical understanding, unless it dictates agreeably to the propensity of the will: v. g. if the will hath a propensity to carnal things, and the understanding should judge, in the fullest manner, that spititual chings ad this very time, all cireumstances considered, were to be proferred; yet che will would not follow:. be- _ cause the. will accounts chat only as good, which is aprecadle to its propensity. Nor have thev, who are of the coatrary opinion, any thing to object here, ex- U dtess 7 in cept, (1) That upon this supposition the jreedom of the our of the will would be taken away. Which objection we have tie. removed in solving the preceding question. (2) That the wilt always follows the laft dictate of the practical understanding; therefore, were the understanding but eh ealghcenes, so as to Judge that spine 8 thing

tive.

On Regeneration. ee hings were better for them, than any sensual enjoyents; the will must necessarily follow: And thereore an immediate operation of God upon the will eems unnecessary, were the understanding but suffi - tently enlightened. To which I answer, (1) That aft adual diftate of the practical understanding doth not ake away that habitual corruption, which is in the il. (2) That, upon the whole, is good to the will, hich is agreeable to its inc/ination; wherefore, if the practical judgment determine agreeably to this ineliation of the will, the will always follows; but if ontrary thereto, however powerful the dictates of the nderstanding may be; yet the will doth not obey: It is therefore necessary, that in regeneration, a new N opensity be infused into the will towards spiritual

good, that the practical understanding may dictate

y agrecably thereto. ® . | | 2 i | 55 XXVII. . © President Edwards in his enquiry into the freedom of the will, d page 12. Bofton edition, observes thus, with regard to the- will's

r- always follewing the last diftate of the underflanding. 1 It appears om these things, that in some sense, ihe will al- L, follows the lass didtate of the undeflanding. But then the under -

* Randing must be taken in a large sense, as including the whole 7 A Nfaculty of perception or apprehension, and not merely what is called reases or judgement. Ii by the diflate of the underfiandiog is meant what reason declares to be beft or most for the perion's happiness, taking in the whole of his daration, it is not true that the will always follews the last dictate of the underflandirg. Suck a diftate of reason is quite a different matter from things appearing now most egrecable ; all things being put together, which pertain to the minds present perceptions, apprehenfions or ideas, in apy respect. Altho' that dictate of reason, when it takes place, is one thing that is put inte the scales, and is to be confidered az 2 thing that kas concern in the compound influence which mieves

in eflimatiog the degree of that appearance of good which the will always follows, either as having its influence added to other things, er subduRed from them. When it coocurs with other things, then it's weight iz added te them, as put into the lame scale; bat when it ig /against them, it is as a weight in the opposite scale; where it

resists the influence of other things: yet it's refiftance is often - vercome by their greater weight, and se the act of the will is deand induces the will, ; and is one thing that is to be considered!

ES. Wie- XXVII. Quest. Fifth, Is regeneratiou irresistible gar or not? The rank Pelagians and Socinians, as they ration be ir- | 5 3 : Earle or Allow only a moral operation of God in regeneration, not. and suppose the free will of man to be equally indif-W 4 Diferevt ferent, either to receive, or to reject the divine influpERUMEnt®. ence; hold it to be r-//tible: The Semi-Pelagians, with the Jesuits and Arminians, as they hold the re- \ generating eperation to be phy/ical, in part, as it respects the understanding and interior faculties; and only | moral in part, as it respects the will; they maintain that it is in the peryer of the free will, so to resist the divine operation, that regeneration would by no means be effected. Some among the Reformed do not like the term irre/itible, tho? they admit the term insuperable, We have allowed, in the defrina/ part, that the moral suasion of the external call, and allo conversion, so far as it is effected by moral suasion, is resisible: But re- Ireoments generation we affirm o be absolutely irresistible; fo we ortho the following reasans, (1) Regeneration is effected by ue 1g the will of God, which the apostle Paul expresly al- | 1 serts to be irręsistible. (2) God worketh in us both Phil. 2. 13. to toill and to do,“ and therein taketh away all inclioha 10.29. nation to reset. (3) By regeneration, the Father, who — John 6. 44” js greater then all. draweth those who are regenerated. ; # And, (4) Draweth them by he sam? exceeding greatness 4 b pb. 1. rg. . peer; by which be raised Jesus from the dead." (S Nhe > * He so draueib in regeneration, that they, whe are 7

_ drawn, do infallibly come. (6) By regeneration be;

taketh away the heart of fone, by which we make

. On Regeneranon.

nature,“ he would continually do it.* (10) If he'could * Rem. 7.1 | resist, and yer did not actually resist; be wevuld have _— 3 of himself, the glory of not resisting, and of his own a, 5 . | | „* 7. 51. regeneration; and so would make bim/elf to differ, con · 9 rary to the apostle Paul's assertion.“ (11) It any one * 1 Cor. 4. 7.

euld at his pleasure rest the divine agency in regene | # ration, then all could, and so it might be the, case, that not one would be regenerated, and thus the whole glorious design of redemption might be frusfrated, _} ontrary to the apostle Paul's assertion,” and the gol 2 Tim. 2.190 den chain of predestination be broken.* What oug * Rom. 8. 30. dversaties object here is of no weight at all, v; g. (1) 3 They allege the words of Stephen, Ze always refit the odox. oy Gbot,* To which I answer: They resisted the * Aa. Holy. Ghost, not, when, regenerating, but externally / alling, and that not iadeed immediately; but by. men, in a moral way, as plainly appears from the following I verse, Whom of the prophets have not your fathers per ces. jed? 2. Fhey allege these words of our Saviour, ow often would I have gathered thy children together, &c,

—

th and Je would not l which I answer: By the ex- Math. 23. 37 i. pression, I would have gathered you, our Saviour doth

Inot mean, by the exertion of a regenerating power, but

15 by calling them in a way of moral suasion, as the probeit did, who wete se . unto them for thi purpose, ;

whom they stoned. 3. They object these words from the Psalms, O that my people had bearkened unto me, and | Jirae] had walked in my ways." To which I anfwer: Pf. $1. 14 The text plainly speaks of resistance made not to re-

Igeneratioa; but to the aiernal call: as appears from v. g. to 12. They object, 4. What is {aid in

- Isaiah, bat could I haue done more ts my vineyard, that 3 , 11 bave not done in ii? To which Lanswer: The prophet 4d ICS e TER n 1 ne Prop Isa. 5. 4 is speaking, (1) of the benefits, purchased by Christ

for the church in general, not of that special benefit. F which. is purchased for each of the elect in particular. (2) He is speaking of ex/ernal means, not of the grace

That, upon this supposition, no one can be regenerated, but those who actually are so. To which I an-

- swer : With respe& to man, it is true, no one cas bel

| regenerated, but he who actually is so ; because all

* are dead in fin : but, with respect to God, all thingy

* Mat. 19-26; are possible. They object, 6. That upon this scheme,

| they who resist do hs will of God. To which * anfwer: They resist the preceptive will of God, which

| __ only prescribes to rational creatures their duty; but

F | they do not relist the decretive will of God, which go ·

* verns the event,

Q. 6. Whe- XXVIII. Quest. Sixth. Doth regeneration admit

ther there be Of any preparation? The Pelagians and Semi-Pelagivw prepara- ans, with all their followers, the Socinians, Jesuits and

Hon to _rege= Arminians, maintain the affirmative ; because they

* khold that the efficacy of converting grace dependissti

| upon the. fret will of man; and suppose that one is by

| nature more for converting grace than am

* ther I or that he can thus re himfelf by his owr

| The Reformed admit indeed of preparations

EP in eee taken in a large sense; to siguify the

F. fame as conversion; thus Perkins in his Cases of Con-

| science, Sect. I. Ch. v. vi; xi, Dr. Ames in his Caf,

Con. Lib. II; Ch. iv. How far preparations may be

admitted, and how iar not, we have explained in the

dofirinal part, $ XIX. viz. That regeneration, understood to signify only the t implantation of the spiritual life, admits of no preparations, excepting what

ariseth from the offers 'and moral invitations of the

external call of the gospel ; it you chuse to call that

ration; because the first implantation of the spi

_ - ritual life is effected in a moment, just as a resurrectioꝛ

co a natural life is; nor can there be any middle state

between spiritual life and spiritual death. |

| Quest. Seventh. Can regeneration once

abies On Regeneration. | he favourers of Pelagianism, maintain the affirmative; because they strenuously hold to such a free will in an, as can either divest itself of grace received, or eceive it at pleasure, (with whom, in this point at least, the Lutherans agree; as they hold that one ruly regenerate may totally fall from grace.) The Reformed hold it can never be wholly lost; but this they suppose to depend, not upon the power of the re- : generate, but upon God's immutable decree of efian, Reasons of | and his almighty upholding power: ,which is evident the one det from the following reafons, (1) The sced of the rege- _ berate is said to abide in them.“ (2) It is said of the! Ieh 3 egenerate, in consequence of their being endowed 0 with a heart of slesb, that they shall walk in God's sta-- = tutes,* suall keep his judgments and do them. (3) It sEzek. 36. is evident from the i/eperable connection there is he- 26, 27. | tween predestination and glorisication.“ (4) The foun- Rom. 8 30 lation of God flandeth ure, having this seal, The Lrd _ . | noweth thein that are his.” (5) The truth ot God stands 1 rg 2. eng for the perseverence of the regenetate. Nor — doth it help our adyersaries. to object, (1) That a | Irighteous man may turn from his righteousness,” Fer Ezek. 3. 2 be aniwer: The prophet is speaking here, [I] of a a thel natural power (de potontia cause,) by which, even the sbe betete truly righteous considered in themselves, can fall from don. I grace 3 but, not ef what will actually take place (de _ etentia effect] as tho” they, who are upheld by God, could fall away into total apeftacy. | 2) The prophet tpeaks cond:tionally, it the righteous man should turn. he would die z and not a5/o/wely, that a truly righteion ous person can aftually fall away. But, The pro- Fpher doth not speak. of the truly righteous, or those who are internally lo by. regeneration, conversion. and J anctification, who never can fall away; but of those = pr. zy. who were righteous in appearance only, or in their a 18. 20. 24j estimatien. (2) Our adversaries insist upon there be- 127 1. 2

ing instances of those who have finally fallen away ; n

* iets 17.12. 45 Judas, Demas, Hymeneus Sn Alexander:“ T

' br 2 which I answer, It remains to be proved that th

ty I * 9. gainst it;* ¶ bosoever is born of God doth not commit n | "for his seed remaineth in him, and be cannot fin; because by

is born of Ged. They object (3) That there are cer - tainly instances of the truly regenerate, who have fal

adultety and murther of David, Peter's denying Lord, &c. To which I anfwer, They omitted, or ra rather neglected some second acts or exercises of the spi. 1 but they never wholly lost the first act e r. gr; 13. principle, which was bestowed i in regeneration. * The 1 a Objeck, (4) If the regenerate cannot lose the grace "regeneration, they would cease to be free agents. I. "which { answer, The consequence by no means fol 13 Tows; fince the constant presence of the spiritual lit bees in the wilt rather confirms the liberty of it. Ta TT. XXX. Quest. Eigbib. Whether enerarian Bel —— — versal, or whether all men are regenerated? All th be * 8 pists, as well the Dominicans, as the Jesuits, (4 | _ , ©** © they suppose sufficient grace given to every man, where de "by can be 1220 do, in effect, hold regeneration | | Sentiments: be universal, (fince according to the scriptures,” in re generation properly so called, there is conferred en "a power to perform spiritual good, as we have them! under the doBZrinal part.) Hoytver, in the 5 — of this sufficient grace; they greatly differ, Inicans indeed 0 ppose that /ufficient glace is by 5 oy dall; but yet fuch'as cannot put forth itself in Y Lexertite, Without effcaciags. grate 'preceeding But 4 e Jesuits hold to sufficient grace, whase 25 ; "depends upon the free will of eyery man. "The ras Wl fans and Socinsans, as they make regeneration _ *confit m a reformation of manners, suppose finners hay * 5 Y nature, that power, whereby hes can re 7eneral Wenke 0 or Ne their moral conduct: Hor the

were ever truly regenerated; this n is exprelsly x

len from grace, in the drunkenness of Noah, the}

L do not suppose that an aual reformation of manners takes place in every one; but only in those, ho wall to reform their moral conduct. They exprefly exmy clude regeneration from infants, both on account ol their having no ioherent fin, and also on account of their incapaciry, from the want of reason, to reform their moral conduct. Among the Reformed who hold to universal grace, there are some who suppose, that by the grace of God power is restorad to all, and every man, hereby they can be saved, if they will; altho? there is given to the elef Alone that power, by which they are actually made willing. The renowned Cocceius, altho* he doth not deny that regeneration took place under the old testament; yet in the emphatical I sense of it, he confines it to new testament times. The The geners general opinion of che Reformed is, that the grace of ren regeneration is in the highest sense peculiar to all the ich eie ele2 ; and they suppose. also that even infax7s are some - reasons. times the subjects of it, which they support hy the fol- 21 Pet. . lowing reasogs, (1) The scriptures, as often as the en 260 make mention of regeneration, extend it, not to 4 John 3:34 ' promiscuously; but to the ele only, and that,.(2) * Jobn 6; 4 Te the 2xcluhon of all others.” (3) The scfiptures ex 44” 64+ 65 of} prefly declare, there are fome._who have not this owly jet. 13. sal which is conferced in regeneration.” Tea, (4 © + Jer. To eve scriptures do extend regeneration particular y to

1. Luke 1. fants.* Nor. can any place of setiptute be pradgced Tim. 3. by our adversaries to the Contrary, which testifieth, either that regeneration, the spirityal life, a power of CEPT REF | r 's SHOT ER : e& 44 performing spiritual good, or lufficient grace is grant-"& *c-5 ed to all ind gen one. 1 f. Quest. | Ninth. Whether regeneration he „e necessarily com bed with baptism? The Socigians right- tber rege ly deny it ; but upon a wrong hypothesis, that the ration be baptism of water is but an indifferent rite, (Mes 5/7 cessarily c by the apostles, without the command of Christ, hay- wr .

ing no use or efficacy. The Anabaptistz 15 |

. deny it, who Allow no use or efficacy of bages, but that of fignifying the church covenant, and distinguishing those whe are in that covenant, frem those who are hogs, On the other hand, the Papists, in order to maintain that the sacraments of the new testament beget grace ex opere operate, or of their own prope virtue; hold that the baptism of water effects reg neration, hence they ere use baptism and reg neration to signify the same thing. The Lutheran

Ao not indeed atribute any regenerating efficacy to the \_ baptismal water; however they so confine the rege 2 influences of the spirit to baptism, that the) se no one can ordinarily be regenerated without 1 5 The Reformed, tho they unanimously. hold that 10 tere is no; Physical regenerating efficacy in baptism but only a more! efficacy, which consists in its being. and seal of regeneration; and also that the gract. * of regeneration is not confined to any sacrament; an

of regeneration, to thase who receive it agreeably to it bediene. and allo to the elell infants. of believers'; bs wk as to the manner and time of it's becoming effec 3 Tos they somewhat differ. Indeed as to the baptism ol adults, that, if rightly administered, doth, by the cogsent of all the e certainly presuppose rege neration as already effected; because it expresly re 4 .quires faith ef the lubjeck of baptism, and such faitl 10.8 36, 37. indeed as proceeds from the whole heart;* z* which can ' not take place without a previous regeneration: .fo SS ' whaticever is born of the flesh, is flesh;, and. whatsc Woka'g,” 6. ever is born of the spirit is spiric.* But as to the bap| | ism of infants, here the orthodox are divided; sora Ele _ deny that” regeneration can. precede baptism, which 1 — „ therefore, as they suppose, only seals regeneration E 2+ future, when the elect infant shall arrive to years d

Thus the celebrated Amyraldus. But he inaccurately onfounds regeneration, which bestows the spiritual life —_ n the firft act or principle, (by which the infant is efectually enabled, when he arrives to the exercise of ꝛason, to believe and t,) with conversion; which _ ncludes the au exercifes of faith and repentance;

hich cannot take place before the years of discretion. - der Pthers, from modesty declining to determine the point, hink it depends on the sovereign will of God, whe- 1 her to bestow regeneration before baptism, at the time uf its administration, or afterwards; thus Zanchy in

ShisCommen. upon Eph. v. in a digression concerning paptism; and Ames in his Bellarminus enervatus om. III. XIV. Quest. III. Spanheim the father in us Dub. Evang. Part III. Dub. XXVII. Others Fhuse to think that regeneration is effected at the very ime of baptism, ordinarily at least: Thus Lewis Le 1 Blanc, with the Papists and Lutherans, who suppose achis always to be the case, thus the celebrated Peter The. _ urieu, Beza, and others. The common opinion of opinien of he Reformed is, that the baptism of infants (at leaff the reformed f the ele) presupposes regeneration. as already effec- with their

ed; because that which is not, cannot be scaled by n, Paptism. And this opinion appears to me most agree —

; vie truth. Befure baptism itself doth not e re. D tion, as the Papists suppose; Nor are the regeerating influences of the Holy Spirit confined to exteral baptism, as the Lutherans would have it. Beause, (1) The efficacy of baptism consists in it's sealing, agreeably to the nature of all facraments so far as they are seals;* which presupposes regeneration, as the prin- Rom. 4. 2 Pie of faith. Beeause, (2) The pollution of the toul 41

is not purged away by the baptism of water, “ therefore * 1 Pet. 3. f Fegeneration is not confined thereto. And, (3) If ' © his was the case, all the baptized would be regenerate, ; and that, at the very time of their baptism: Against * 3

hich the scriptures speak,* and also experience shews, * As 8. 1g

that many baptized persons live most abandoned live,

as, 8. 36. and, are not hoally saved, We read also of persor

© regenerated before their baptism, as the Eunuch,* the.

Centurion and his family zt yea, of those who w

never baptized at all, as the thief upon the crosa; act

cording. to the common observation, bat it is not il.

want of baptism, but the contempt of it that is damningkh

(4) Regeneration is limited to no sacrament, not tc

Rem. 2. 25 Circumcision, not to the passaver,* not to the Lord's jug

127,28. per, nor to any legal washings, therefore not to bap.

2 1 10. 3. tism, since tis expresly said, that even a baptized per-.

25. "Heb. 9. 100, if he believes nor, shall be damned.“ I will only

Ho ch 10 4. add, (5) That the Holy Ghost is said to regenerate

Mark 16:16, fccording to his sovercign pleasure; as the wind blom. b

TH John z. 8. eh where it lilletb, sort every one born of the Spirit. Tuc

Ĩ bat Christ hath inseperably connected regeneration

Mohn 3. 3.5. with water and tbe spirit.” To which I answer: He

daͤoth not mean the external water, of baptism, which

at that time was not instituted as an ordinary and uni Ich

versal sacrament of the new-testament ; but by anlff;;

- Hendiadis, he means the water of the Spirit, or the Spirit,

rit cleansing, like water, in the work of regeneration,

F In like manner it is said, be will baptize you with'the

Mat. 3. 11. Holy Ghost and with fire,” i. e. with the Spirit, having

z the purifying quality of fire; which our Saviour sut

ficiently shews to be his meaning, when he ascribes re-

Joha 3.6.8. generation to the Spirit alone: Compare herewitt

N what hath been said upon this point in the explanatory

art. Tis alleged, (2) That the washing away 6

n, regeneration, © and salvation are ascribed tc

baptism ;+ therefore baptism either wocks regeneratiot

by it's own virtue, or at least the Holy Spirit hath

inleperably connected his regenerating influences there

; with. To which I answer: Neither of these is the

dae; but only that the Holy Spirit, by baprisn

lealeth regencration to the elect; as we have already,

*

Dn Wegeneration.

bferved.” ( 3) They argue on'the orher side from fs ext, Know ye not, that so many of ü 6s were baptized 4 o Fesus Christ, were Based i into bis death?* To which * 6. 15 ] aniwer: 2 This text.means_only that all the elect, _. being true believers, baptized according to institurion, Yhave communion. and participation in the death o Christ, which is sealed to them by baprism/: But it is not said that this communion is felted particuls/] y baptism, much less, that this communion is absdly connected with baptism... *Tis argued, (4) A; any as are baptized into Christ, put on Cbrift, conse- 4 Nuently are regenerated.* . To which I answer: The © Gal, 3. fi text doth fi bot 14 ay that they Put. on 9 by baptilm 5 bur that they, who are baptized, bad. Before put on + hrist. Since therefore communion, With, Christ Which is lignified by the term of p tin an Christ; Rath bees already effected in bab ee d tis effected by baptilm 3 but being. alre; dy. el ccc, sealed by this lacramepf GIs ary ued by tholeof the contrary. opinion, on thests | is b. an <5 ul nion of the fathers, an also of eminent meg Pech „„ the Reformed themselve 4 0 and Prosper among the F athers,, of SEP Bene ard an For 57 among the Reformed... To, 1 which b I. poser; 5 The athers, whenever they, peck ot. bapy [m, are wont.to. ule very strong expresho us; verthe 1s, they rer ery e often suppose regeneration. 10 f ns AS F; vitlto bap tism: Thus Justin Mare, repre eofing the 4 proce of che primitive church, sai N boever have ' een Fersuaded and bave believed ae cy) ES; e received Power 5 to live—are then brought by us to the water. and are REGENERATED, aster the same mode. of regeneration, in. 1

,

#)i che

OS which we ourselves hade been regenerated,”; The F. athers + "7 ere therefore can by no means. he recongi led with eac 7 A nh other, Without a distinction of regeneration inte real,

which precedes baptism, apd sacraments! which conlists * CET: in a folenin profellion, declaration and _ of that, 3 > 724. . Wn an hie, 1

45 which? N 10 which Gn the Reforniad divines | also bold that regeneration is effected by baptism, | # In PRACTICAL. PART. ;.._ ben ess hiest * XXXII. Tou will now perkaps, reader. promi "y Kroction. vourself a very large application of this important. subject, since practical writers have so much exerted themselves upon it. But, if I shall not fully aniwer his our expectations, you will consider these two things. 8 | 3 Those practical writers treat the subject of rege. nmaueratiod jn a larger lense, as comprehending the who, * Internal operatiog of the ' Holy Spirit upon the fe. deemed, in” which are contained vocation, spiritual 9 oh quickening, conversion and sanctification; whilst we 4 FE have taken it in. x *Brifter- sense, as denolig only the bHbestowment @f the frf a2 or principle of if Mritual Nie: a th 125 15 d * Hence they bring under regeneration, those. things 3 5 which prop ry 5 to conversion and sanQification, buy I. tte reader Is. pleased to consider. this subject in the. | _ Ame latitude with them ; he may, without much dif?

*

of I ficulty, 2 y here, what i 18 said; by way of i improve BY. 3 f mezt, . The! heads of converfion and sanctification, use 5 0 lt is tc bereganderech bete, that the frf act offi”

pfected; only in 'order to the; second acts, as - - - Habics Ah te oply i arder\to their second acts or exer; | "I Lies; 5. cap it be known or discerned, but by the e xerciseb of it? ahd allo that an unregenerate perlog ELeangot strive ib beg et life in himself, or cannot dilpols 1 - himself thereto, ne he is merely passive in the recep don of the spititual life: Wherefore you will not Wonder; It we we not labour. io much upon the prac: + rical part of this subjeR. .. "However the fu. re- Pen RY Fs teacherh us, | rut ab-. XXXIII. Huf. H great Fon isto recove fl reaches the finger to, lite; so that reason, not without cause b great a enquires. with Nicodemus, How can a man be born agaii ork it is 1 oben he is And justly were the apostles astonish⸗ ble

ecover the

orn. ed, upon 8 Giilar topic, when they cred Benth 5 £

—

en can _ saved? For if you consider the sobjed, 2 Mat.19. 25 ' cho is to be made alive; be is spiritually. dead, — "Ephesians 2:1. $4 A

n sin;* who seeing _ nit see, and bearing doth not 1. 1 5 e, or „ If you consider the work, Hsuf,xJobp 3. 3.5% Inis is effected only by a second generation, a creation,“ 3 12. Ictening, taking. away the heart of lone, Putting within., 2 2

a heart of fish, writing the law 0 God upon the heart, (t Hack. 36 r by a renovation of the whole man.“ If you consider 26. 26. | e nanner of operation, this requireth in the author of bg; * 5 17. (1) Infinite power, a superabundant greamess of power," e e great, and, if possible, even greater, than was exhelrcised in creation: Bebduse there was not only no Jecessity, in order to creation, of the death of the Sonn If God, as there is in the restoring of a sinner to life jut there was no contrary disposition. of the objece, ch as an heart of stone, which knows not how to beeve, fuperable by nothing short of infinite strength: : . $ great a power also is necessary, as was required to vise the dead. (2) It requires in the author of rege- 1 Eph. . eration, infinite or exhaustless goodness and mercy,** Eph.2. 4. 5. I which, that we may not all perifth eternally by the 20d — . be ene ration, he is pleased to add a /econd: And lest, 3 e first life, we contract eternal death, he is pleased 1 . 34 the second: And that our fouls may not be _ +-_ ed in Lvuing bodies, he is pleased to restore to them

e spiritual lie lost by sia. It requires, - (2) Jofioice, .-- 3444 the most absolute sovereignty, hereby, passing by 'Rom.g. v5; Ihom he will, he bestows the spiritual life qu whom 15. 18. — 4 2 pleases: passing by for the most part, the more no; Je, and as it were the more worthy, he bestows it on 1 e more mean and contemptible,” and of materials in = 1 i Cor. 1. oY

e emselves so unsuitable, he is pleased to rear an edi- 22 pai e so magnificent, * As appears in the case os Zacheus" \Lokk 19, 2.

of Paul *—of the harlots in preference to the repu- 85 'T;

ble Pharisees.” Regeneration inculcates the great- 13.1 ; im. . 3 ss of the work of restoring a sinner to lie, for these? 1 21 * | ds, 0 ) That we might more n acknow- :- ;

ish⸗ Vhg

8 Regeneration.

%

he hath regenerated and brought us into a w— of life,

while so many thousands are passed by, and that we

might shew ourselves more ready to make grateful te.

ED 13. turns. (2) That, on account of the infinite power,

| goodness and benevolence, which God hath exhibited

ih in our regeneration,” we might be the more careful ti

| *1 Pet. 1-3 live to his glory.” (3) That with regard to our futur

z "happiness we might more humbly depend upon hit

* _ ___- "grate, and work out our salvation with fear and tren

W- bling ; because it is God alone, who worketh in us boi

Phil. 2. 15 „ 0 will and 10 do. (4) That we might nor, from ou

late's being better than that of others, exalt ourselve

; Leke i811 Above them ; that we might not boast," since it is Got

th* Eph, 2 5. alone, who, by regeneration, makes us to differ fro

4 the worst of mankind ; and whatever good we ha!

7 1 Cor. 4 7. above them, we dere it wholly from him.“ (

Ĩhbat we might not wonder if the most powerful a

guments to conversion, used by men, have not alwa)

Answerable success.; since it is not or Paul, that plant

I ct, nor Apollos, tha? watereth, but of God, that ęiveib il

f 4 1Cor.3 67. increase 3. for the Spirit, in his regenerating influenc

e Tohn z. 8. #loweth where be hfteth.; ;* and the natural man is nat

* Epb. 2. 1. 5. rally dead in in; and the Father graweth not all pr

e John 6. 44. miscuousfy. (6) That we might not readily despa

64. 65. of the conversion of any one, however great his opp!

42 Tim 2.25. sition thereto may be; for the Spirit is able to reg

„ nerate and quicken him, when! i seemerh good in |

ES Gght: |

2. It recom- „ EXTIV. Secondly. This subj jet e to

| E _ wa, the happy condition of those, 5 v4 with-so much d

An of the ficulty, have been brought, by regeneration, to a i

I xlgenerute. ritual le: Blessed be God —who hath begotten us to 4 bi

2 Pet. 1. 3. bope *—PFor, (1) they are born not of flesb, nor of the *

. ef man, but of God." (2) They are made alive from |

| TD 1. Pl. dead. (3 They are by way of eminence the 1%

100. 3. comaced with Bo

ledge, what great obligations we are under to God, that

__ e j " * N ä | 4 hes. - 8 * 7 4 "=. by * Y L I” e 4 * + 4 v4 1 = y \ 1 * 7 T4 | N 0 N. | 1 en 2 4 A TH © n * > ' On Regeneration.” EO ol * * Oo 1 — * 8 * 7 | Hales „„ "0 5 * ; . * N 7 * 2 * , & 2 TA, 2 1

him.! (4) They are new creatures, in many respects:

more excellent than any other creature. For whilst 15 "I | every other creature flows from the common goodnels. pl of the Creator; this new creature flows from his in. E gular grace and promise.“ Whilst every other creature pertorms the work of common providence;, this new * Acts 37:21 creature performs the work of gracious predestinarion,® 28; | Whilst every other rejoices, only in the natural beneto them, which is their peculiar prerogative, h. e. ori- Fi << Ig ginal righteousness.* And what is more, ($8) They are Eph. 4. 2 made partakers of a divine nature. Yea, by regene- 4: Colossians 3:1 ration, fince they are born of God,” they become the, . 3 children of God; not only by adoption, or declaration, & I Job. 3. as Jacob the patriarch adopted Ephraim and Manaseth;* but also by a spiritual generation. Ho are the * Gen. 4 regenerate enabled hereby! How glorious is their in- 1 John beritance!* How great is the /iberty of the sons of nah a

”

* God !? How free their. access to God in every difficul- Rem 8 ty !* How great their security under the paternal and N. $2 | domestic care of their-heavenly Father!“ (9) They 049 are by this spiritual generation endowed with eyes, by Ph. 2. which they can see the kingdom of God,* and spiritually *Jobn 3

discern the spiritual objects of it;* and moreover with 1 Cor-g a heart, by which they are both able and willing 155ñ½˙f enter into the kingdom of God.“ If now you cast up: Joha g the sum of all these blessings, good God! how great doth the Zlessedness of the truly regenerate appear to be - 84 How caretul then should we be to represent it arihht? That such. may congratulate themselves upon this un- ' * i speakable gift of God: That they may be filled with PC. 11 $'olituge to God; That they. may hem to others the 1 Pet,

2 Regeneration.

* 200 longings after it.“ r pre- 5 XXXV. 2 other band; the unspeakable misery of those, who are of 120k -destirute of the grace of regeneration. Because, (1)

; ir Patti.

„ he very threshold of eternal salvation. (2) So long z. as they are not born of God, they are born of their b. 848. 44 father the devil, and fo are the children of the devil,“

2 f. 1 hearts of stone are obstinate in wickedness,” and are

ts 7. 51, inmoveable to that which is good.“ They are alfo ek. 36-25. Aupid, insenfible,* impenetrable by any moral operations +

3 23585 of che Holy Spirit.“ Tea, they are friving against the om. 8. 7. indeed can they be.“ So that you might looner bparcd. squeeze water from a fone, than excite repentance in 4 8 Cor. them. They are like stones, cold, destitute of all

25 57 or the salvation of their own souls :* They are with- 1131. out natural affection (aslorgoi; ) and from all these

things, surely without the covenant of grace; for God 4 OT is not a God of the dead. (4) So long as they remain Lo wunregenerate, it were better for them n to have been

_ born, which our Saviour expresiy deckte concerning

14 21. . udas 3* and the unregenerate, in hell hereafter, will

red © curse the day of their birtb. (5) So long as they are

F =: 3- not the workmanship of God by the grace of regenera-

5 2 To. ate. by God, besure not to have been made men; but

Father the lowest and most despicable reptiles: because

1 from the immortality of their souls, immortal, 25 | 12 5-41. rens misery awaits them; whilst these reptiles wil

BED I _—_— blessing, to excite their eager deter This sobjeg represents; 1 upon the

un They cannot even see the kingdom of God, much less. „enter therein; hence they are utterly excluded from

RR”: * entaugled in his snares. (3) They are spiritually dad 1 in fins,” they see not the things of the spirit +—have

© > Conant. CE OMG . es & Wa re

2 7. 81. spirit :* They are not subje? to the law of God, neither

© warmth, of all /piritua! love towards 'Ged, his grace,

®: tion,* it were better for them never to have been cre- |

n be forever insensible. (6) So long as they Ks not, by | 1 brou ght Sa to > God, they s are r

immen egulph, as it were, fixed between them

are cast out with Cain from the presence of ME 35 255 without God in the world zi are atar off from the #nows"

ledge of God, and of 74 things,“ see kin alter God, = from Christ, from the commonwealth of. Israel, from We covenants of promise. and from all ho 1 salvation,” ? er A 1 To paint in the most lively manner this great misery. * +3 of the unregenerate is of great service, (4) To -ours ===

—_— — from. bfe _ God, : ar 2 if from Coden IM as it were by feeling after him in the dark, f afar if of also from the love and /aving grace of - God 3; phe) also 1 2 selves, that we may hence conceive a greater horror of ration. is / | that Rate, and groan out with David, Create in mea be made.

5 clean heart, O God, and rene a right spirit within oy P a Sis o that we might work out our 0wn Jalvation with fear and as rremblig: Her it is God which worketh-in us, both ta will

and to de: And that we might rejoice, with: trembling,” 1 Phil 2 in that we have received the grace of tegengration. (a) PH. wil Te way be of seryite. io aller be are Orin n way 47 regenerate state,.that, hy divine asitance,. they might |, .. Br 1 awake { or recover " themselves) from the br eek the devi sss by which. "the axe led capliv we 4 e a XXXVI, "Peurthly. This bed. us,, 2 | thar we, should. evoid more han, we would the mast en jn* Bl venpmous animal,. the resting, in the business of our thing wii 72 sal vation, i in am thing however specious, short i is. not 45 N And that Jor the following reasons, — wi a) t appears from the most solemg repeated asserti- 1. are 5 dus of our Saviour, that it is impossible, withour 16 + 4 generation, either to /ee or unter into, the kingdom af re God.“ (2) Whatever is born of the flesh, h. e. proceeds, 1% To from a carne! unregenerate, Man, is only tarnal.” (3) A Thousands, by taking. things natur al for things fpirt- - . 1 4 tualy nature for. grace, a good. natural. disposition 7. we regeneration, have miserably i Jeceived themselves, ang nder this deception have perished Bs 5 2255 . 7

*

_”” our e tliat Publieans und ee Ia 4 a ot Enter into the kingdom of God before the Pfiarisees.“ Ig r ”Particularly we should avoid, in the businels of our g 1. FA = * resting, (1) In a more virt4ons, natural diswe, Position: By which chro' a certain native goodness of per as tho* they were formed of pure clay, {ume beg be *Heathen have been more luclined thay +4 - orhiers, to mildacss, humansty, civility, clemency, E- D 2 (he? A and the like; opon, which account "the more Ac | - moral Pharife gives thanks to God, that he was not ze other men; pafticutarhy tlie Publican, Wh was * r. 11 l. sanding near him.“ Nor, (2) Mould we rest in any —_ ws nattrat Fits which may be acquired; wherein one Z. enkelleth another among the Uemdlel, ang like wis Lam — among pretended Chriftians. v. g. In learning; the 4.2 dom, phy tdence, skill in mechanicks or philosophy, v rs. süch as Ahithophel, 7 Bezaleel and Aholiab“ Werd por 2 me + sessed of. Not, (3) im moral virtues, from which the az Gentifes ars fald ch have the le of God, written upon” Bit 12. 24. Thtir bears, yen they are sisc to do, by nature: the thing; [Row.2. 13. ene e d, ig Chen vittues; 9. 8. Figl 10 N Ter: Cato, Seipio, Cicero, Atifisdes; Sane 2807 W An to- 4 4 1% Dini, A thoufand degrees exceeded Ostasine, Casigol

= fuse

} h | 21.22. Nero, Hehogabalus, ald others. Yea 'the Gentile Gor. 149: have herein fame times out-Qone' God's prosessing peo- . Ple. v. g. Tyre and Sidon excelled the inhabitarits gl C th Cot. 1 18. Beth fad aud Feiert, The Sodomffes, the jhha: Adee bitants of Cäperdaum;“ A0 the queen e A al the South Gal. 5. 6 the Jes.“ Nor, 0 hay we rest in aty ecclefralits 2 14. 2 bt erer iter of f Sion; i such as the abe Een. em of 4 the eon of it,! 4 wing tor it, 1 i fed nt abttrdavce' en holy exercises," the use by Cor. 1j. 3. the sderamen * bestow ins of alms „ fasting 4 \ufferi W721 * martyrdom for the tru \* Preachin, Ee. word, o ins * we AY n profession,” Not. (5) may werest in any id r. 2 20. of exterhaf Fipbreousness,* a conversation that i is tnorall

eri. ct, or a Fee 41 to their ee : | Jaw

Nee

law.“ Nor, (6) may Kren in the gifts of eme, 2 = grace; luch as, (1) the common illumination of the Num. 200M Holy Spirit;“ in consequence of which, we may c- 1 g nowledge the saving truth, receive it with joy, proess it courageously, and preach it with zeal: (2) The. 4 F owerful restraiuing influences of the spirit.* (g) Some. on 20; a ind-of deleftation and avoidance of enormous crimes: TH * (4) A kind of repentance for gross fins, "wherein 8 . acknowledge them, are sorry for them, confess cem, = ok nd in a degree reform our lives, as Judas did d ( Mb. . An external observance of the law and precepts of 44:5-- ==

*

nod - In all these things therefore, and many others; ; L ne la man must never ref, in the great business of his 19; 3. | al vation, if he means not to be deceived;, forall'thelse \ thing may be found in persons destitute of the spitit,

g {or his regenerating influences, arising merely from eshss * 1s oC principles, therefore they may be only of a carnal na- foky 3% ++.Miture:* Altho' in the truly regenerate tkeie things may take their origin from the: spirit or the spiritual. ©

life infused. Wherefore it is absolutely necessary, that in all these things, we accurately distinguish the nam of them from the grace of regeneration. and mare 4 their defects, from which we may cleartysknbw, that they flow not from the /pirit, or the spiritual life ss regeneration; but from the Fe; that is from unre - generate nature. Those mara! duties therefore differ Ho moral from spiritual ones. 1. As to their gin; forwbilft dige, ts spiritual things originate from the spirit, and are the spiritul. e ruit of the spirit,“ and proceed from the law of God, 'Jobn 3. 574 „„ vritten by the spirit upon the heart; these moral Gal.

duties are effected merely by industry, study andprac- a

* Yate therefore only the works! of nature, not of ther, 0 ., They differ as to the rule: whilt ixitual duties © 50.1408 conform themselves to the rule of the erhtbte: . 6 i Yand they, that are spiritual walk after the spirit,” ang * 2 BY cording” to the will of God ; * the moraitty of the 2 | PL, benennt,

rice, and are excited by the powers of 'free will, and

1 unregenerate is rele by a kind of mediocrity „which reason and the- een of wise men have _ Bxed. Therefore this morality is not obedience performed unte Cod, bu: to reason and wile men. 3. ITbey differ as to the end: whilft the regenerate, in the performance of spiritual duties, aim at the glory of Fx Cor. 16.31, God, and after union and communion with him, in +8 1 29. which their greatest happiness consisteth: The unte- 4 3 K generate in their moral duties seek chiefly their own glory „ne and interest, as was evidently the case with the Pha- 2 6.3.5. rilees : * or if something higher excites them to the 7 of virtue, at molt tis ; only the beauty of virtue, at being agre to reason. 4. They differ as to the I irnmettiate cause : - whilst foiritual duties flow from tom. 1. 17: faith, which accounts as sin wRatsoever is not of itself, Romans 14:2 2* however specious it may appear: These moral duties + hf ö know. nothing of faith, they grew from the seedy of nature; and are watered by exercife, without any ear- | de secking of divine assistance. 5. They differ as to WM tte saundaon: whilst all /pirilRal, duties have their E _ . existence, and are performed in Chriff, witheut whom bobs 15. 5. we can do: nothing,” and by whom we can do all tbings ;* Exil 4. 135 nor, are thaey acceptable to God, except in Christ the , . 6 beloved s, by his righteousness he covers, and makes amends for, all the defeRy of these duties, and VEN wen. {7 presents them to his father: The morality of the 4 2 uoregenetate hath nothing of Christ in it, and is thereore but the {ares of nature, their own righteousness, . le 20 wire a mensiruous garment, abominable in the sight 1 * Wn fag UNE as to the IN bumili-

*

n Negenerati 3

*

XXXVII. Fiftbly. This subject

any habit or virtue: Ir is however very conspicuous got? in its operations, which it puts forth in conversion t n and altho' a person, besure one of good moral conversa. tion, cannot easily be certain that he is net re generate because the lite of regeneration may sometimes, lie seed in the earth, lie hid for a time: hqwever he that is truly regenerated and converted can, from the fruits of ehe spirit, * be absolutely certain of his regeneration 1 Gal. . 22 and conversion: Besure he, that brings ut forth Matthew 7:16. fruits, meet for repentance, may justly denbt of his T regeneration, so. as to be sensible that he stands in Es need of if. By what evidences then shall 1 certainly; By Rd | know that I am regenerated? I answer by these which dences a mg follow, 1. Whoever experiences within himself a ge- de cerain ne ral ranovation, by which, from a carnal, worldly man, pres *

ä 2. | ? | generate. he becomes spiritual and heavenly, he without doubt f_ Tit. 3. is regenerate: for regeneration is the renovation of the * 2 Cor.5;ul Holy Spirit, ? and a regenerate person is a ar creature, ; Exek. 35.4 who hath received à dc heart, 2 new spirit,“ and is Los | transformed into the image of God, so that it is no longer f Eph. 1. * he thai liveth, but Christ in bim. 2. Whoever, instead & 5: 8. 100 of his former blinduess, experiences new Abi, by which C. 15% he can know and discover spiritual objects ig a spiritual an; 2; manner, he is moft certainly regenerate. 3. Who- = Phil: 3:74 ever, in his hear t and will, experiences a new propen/ity Pal. 417 towards spiritual objects, he without doubt is au ege- and 16 56 erate person.* 4. Whoever in the ofeftions or pas- 13 2 2 sions of his soul, in love and hatred, desire aud avers i. on, joy and sorrow; likewise anger, fear and cobrage, Gal: 5 experiences a more spiritual constitution than before; 3 12 he is most certainly regenerate." 5. Whoever serious- 25. 2,0 dy strive after growth in spiritual things, that they ma

<

r 02 Regeneration...

by Pet: 2 > nevense more and more in the things which Serwis to

4 54 _ the kingdom of God, and be changed for the better

ie Ads they without douht are regenetate. 6. Whoever att

6. Ro. 1. inclined to every good work, are most certainly re gene

7. 22. { rated for we ate in Christ Jesus, by regeneration,

af * * created unto good works,” On the other hand, the follos reasons lowing 9 have just reason to doubt of their

keasons for regeneration, (1) As many as live not after the spirit,

Soubting of but alter the flesp; for whatsoever is born of the flesb, is oe nag, cont 4 who ate under the dominion of fin, led captive Joh. 3.6. by ths {aares of satan. (2) All they, who de/i/e and Tim 25.26 account as of no value the means of grace and salvatis Epb. 2.7. 25 bs on.“ (3) Whoever ref ina civilly honest and pharisaical a payee lie.“ (4) Whoever stop in the external profe/sions of 5.6. Loh = piety, and labour not tor the internal exetcises of it. . 2 Tim. 2. (5) As many, as were never deepy concerned about

26. Mat 5 their salvation, or the spiritual state of their souls.“ © Lu. 18 17

b. 3.4.36 XXXVIII. Sibi. This subject inculeates upon

Rom. 2. 1). us, to strive earnestly for the regeneration of others: This sub

rw areal which is especially incumbent on the ministers of God's I us to word. For since the unregenetate can do nothing Vive earnest- towards regenerating Themselves, * tis neceflary, every {for the te · one should strive therefor; they especially whose" bujpnerarion of ness God hath made it ex officio (from their office,) . Motives And for their encoufagement herein, it may be well {abereto. seriously to consider, (1) That they are called hereto Tim. 3. 5 by Gad. *{2) That, herein chey act as fellow labourers, 172 with God., (3) That, on this account, they are called Lek. 1 1- Fathers, becaule they beget spiritual children. d.2(4) E.1Cor.13.3 How. important a thing the human soul is. (5) Ho Jer. 31. 19. glorious it is to u louls to Christz® So that Austit a. 2s. 7; 37- not improperly declared, that the conversion ofa foul b:2Cor.s. 7 exceeded any miracle. (6) Ho. glorious it will be for & 2Tim, 2. them hereafter, in the last day, to have begotten many 26. 27. to a spiritual life. (7): On the other hand,” how if-| | e 9. graceful, how horrible it will be, to be found guilty o IM the weer pr 1 cms But in what manner shall-they

to 1455 fore the regeneration of others? Anl. 1. 57 T The way id teaching and inftrufting them concerning the nature = 225 * ate of regeneration as Christ did Nicodemus. 2. By in- gr the ve culcating the absolute necessity of regeneration, without neration ob which they can neither see, nor enter into the kingdom _ 4 of God.“ 3. By laying open the unspeakable misery 1 of those who die without regeneration, as in F,XXXV. Mm 7. 2%

4. By powerfully representing the happy condition of 2 inns 2.264 those who are truly regenerate, as in g xxxiv. 5: By L. — 3

pointing out the means, (adminicula) whereby we _ .

become partakers of regenerating grace; such as, v I (1) To avoid with Nicodemus * Intimacy with the Un 1 John 3 2 22 regenerate, and seek, as he did, the company and in- *A&s2.38. 48 struction of thase, who can point out to us the life of regeneration,” (2) To conceive the seed ol regeneration! the word of God. (3) To urge the promise of the 10. Cor. 4 J ' 1] covenant of grace.“ (4) To groan out with David, Epk. Fe” be don Create within nie à clean heart, O God, and renew 4 right I Per. 1:2 rs i {prrit within me, &c." 6. By removing prejudices, pre- 1 Cor. 4. 1 J's cences and impediments, by which the unregenerate 2 +36 ing are wont to block up their way to regeneration; such 9 — J ery as v. g. (1) That they shail thereby be obliged to 32, 3. bu⸗ coded themselves, and openly expose all their past II. z e, ¶ lie with the greatest disgrace to themselves. To which |

vel this answer may be given, Whatever small- diseto] grace it may be, we must chearfully submit to it, if 4 er we would avoid eternal disgrace. The very best * Dan. 12 jed of men never were ashamed te confess their fins and (condema their wicked lives:? and by the consent of, pf e, all christians; this is absolutely necessary to salvation. Mc 51. ind stint { 3] Tis even an honor to a man, ingenuously to re- Prov. 26. bul tract whatever he hath done amiss,” and recount his © 2 Cor: 3 for} past crimes to the glory of divine grace.“ Obj. 2. Ti. . any That in this way, they must begin every thing ane w, 1Cor.6.16 dis- and -pull down-all that they have been building up 7, 3 before; Ans. What hath been badly built, should be E ors down, lest i it fall of ax > 28 is is phy the case

Vith

u — whole: eee are rotten a

* 75 26. poor. Obj. 3. That by bringing into doubt all their

| eh former conduct, they shall be brought into a state of

.. despair. Ans. (1) It is better to despair here, where

= 3 there is hope, than hereafter to be in bopele/s despair

j; forever. (2) This salutary despair of their past wrong

ways, is really, a substantial hope, yea, an undoubtedi

means of bringing them back into the way of eterrial

x v0, - falyation. Obj. 4. That they can't. come up to that

Prifiness of life, hich belongs to regeneration and thei

mne creature. Ans. (1) Tis thro* traits and difficulw 1 ties that we arrive to any thing glorious. * (2) The

way is not difficult, but pleasant, to the truly regeneun. 11 2. rate,” Obj. 5. That hereby they shall become expos-

- Rom, 7. ed, to the 3 595 ch and persecutions of the

hk * world. Ans. This is che common lot of Christi;

oy ans; and happy is he, i in the opinion of Christ, who

Mar. 11.6. is not. offended hereby. In these very affliions con-

3 12. sisteth one of the christian beatitudes, * 7. We should

Mat. . 11 seek the regeneration of sinners, by praying for them,

Pet, 4. 14. that God would give success to his On institutions,

4 Cor: 3. 5. that he would quicken, laminate, and renew the un-

15, 1. 16. regenerate, and deliver, from their hearts of stone,

18. Rom. those who need regeneration, &c.* Nor need any ful-

B. 13. be that in all this, they talk only to the deaf, Of

xs ock at the doors of the dead; Grice, (1) By doing

Wert belongs to them, leaving the success, to God,

they perform their bounden-duty and will deliver their

ek 3. 17. own fouls. (2) Altho*. it may so happen that they

ate treating with those, Who are spiritual. dead; yet

they are treating with, tho!e who are naturally alive,

3 5 who are endowed with understanding and will, and

lr. 3 . can understand things in their grammatical. and his⸗

om. ic. 155 torical sense, (3) — God, in the use of sock

3 Cor.3 5. means, is vont to bestow the grace. 1 e

"On Regeneration, nnn, RE XXXIX An This subject may serve to ex- 7 This is —

ort the regenerate, diligently to apply to the duties by. 4 meet for regeneration, viz..(1.) That they acknow- regenerate, 4 e edge the unspeakable grace of God, beslowed on them that they ag

n regeneration, by his mere good ' pleasure, © while so py „ Gig many thousands ate passed by; and that they rejoice; ie meer fond "8Fcherein.* (2.) That sensible of this unspeakable bene- regeneration? . fic, they are abundant in ingenuous thanksgiving. to What they 7 God. (3.) That they wholly depend on God, as the ne, 1 original fountain of their spiritual life; * who worketh 16. E Eph. 2 "1 Win us, both to will, and to do.“ (4.) That in the ule 6. cs monte -

ff appointed means, they ftrive for a centindal increase with Lake | I 1.3.40

of the spiritual life, communicated to them by rege- 7 We

berate with God, in fervent prayer.” (6.) Especially

" should they endeayour with all engagedness to brings Phil. 2. 156 forth into the second acts (or exercises) the fff #27 *

FPC 51. 12 spiritual life which they received by re generation; AS G2 280 A

5 they, who ve by the spirit, should: Ws al in ati, Rom. 8. 14 : | ey

"rug 3*.and therefore, (z.) Being drawn, they th > being delivered from the heart of stone, X shout make to themselves s new heart, and a new bi- | rit being circumcifed, they ould circumcise themselves * 'Fzek. 18 31 to the Lard, and take away more and mort the forestin of _ . el their beart. k h. e. Being now made 1 rezenera — tion, they should put off, by comer fon and repentances © concerning their former conversation, the old man, and be. = renewed in the spirit of their mind; and that "they might. put on the new man which after Ged is created in righbteous- | ness and true holiness.” And that they bear in mind that; they are, by regeneration, the wor kmanship of God, cre- Ie 6. 4-4 ated in Chrift Jesus unto good works, that they might tk! mm them.” But these f delong to converhion and = y Eph, 27 senZification, which are the end of regeneration, as the q second acts (or. are 12 end of the uf ator N. „ e ee 5 APPENDIX. 1 3 3

"Cant ;

* ach

| 8 and savingly to understand the 1 of 3 * unto them an heart of flesh ; rene wing their wills, and 3 by his almighty Potoer determining them to that which

. 3 . good; and effectually drawing them to Jesus Christ; oy 1 55 10 as BY come most a being made villjn

8 absed to answer this. call, and to embrace the grace -_ and vpnveyed in ir

explain efficacious grace to be an Operation of God

* - ala, that is immediately and really. working, in ug

4 ad by Cmoral)h suasion ; but he acts also by 4 ee

NOODLE)

*

RON the Weslminster contessc Jon of EY chap,

10. of effectual calling. All those whom God

predestingted unto life, and those only, he is

Pleased i in his appointed and accepted time; effectuasi

to call by his word and Spirit, out of that state of fin

And death, in which they are by nature, to grace and

- falvation by Jesus Christ ; enlightening their minds

taking away their heart of stone, and givin

is gra 1. 4 This elfetual call i is of God's free and speci "a Alone, not from any thing at all foreseen in man, boi is altogether passive therein, until being quickd and renewed by the Holy Spirit, he is thereby en-

Dr. Twig Prolocutor of the assembly of divines at Westminster in his Vindiciae Gratiae, Ke. page 15+ of the preface, thus defines efficacious grace. We

ecting the will of man, which is not moral but

* do whatsoever good we perform, determining the will to action, but yet so as that it acts freely.” Part III. Pave 124. **We do not deny Thos God

| Mie Ry and need ase

'ZEPEND E 60”

the will and that by an irtesistible agency: For as to. | ",

moral suasien, it is plain the agent acts only in the way

of placing objects before the mind; (which neither acta

upon the will immediately, nor at all after the manner 4

of an efficient cause; but merely after the manner of @Gfinal cause. This divine concurrenee is of that kind

that neither men nor angels can resist. We say this ac

18 tion of God canaot be resisted, for this reason, that ir

Ii doth not consist in moral suasion, so as to be in its aature resistible ; but in an immediate change of the will,

which cannot properly be called either rsistible or irre-

Gstible with respect to the will upon which'i it acts: For 9

that, properly speaking, is irresistible, which a persenn

can not resist tho' he wills to. But supposing #manshould”

will otherwise, than God worketh ia him to will, he not”

only. could resist, but herein actually would resist: But

upon this supposition it would follow, that God did not

work in him by changing his will; for if he changed

his will, — 1.4 of unwilling he would make him wil-⸗

ling. But if we suppose a man to will any thing from ö

the operation of God, it cannot be that he should not

will & it or will the contrary. For God himself cannot

make a thing to be and not to be at the same time.“

Dr. Ridgley, in his exposition of the larger catechismi

under the answer, which treats ot effectual calling, Vol

es 2. P. 20. gives his sentiments upon the deckende or reration in the following words. n

The first step that he (i. e: God) is leased: to Bae

* | this work, (i. e. the work of effectual calling) i in

his implanting à principle of spititual life ws grace,

1 is absolutely necessaty for our attaining to, or re

eeiving advantage by the external call of che gospel z

this is generally stiled regeneration, or the new birth 3

* 4. in the seripture hut now referred to, (viz; Ezek.

26.) 4 new t. If it be enquired, What we are

—— ner by this principle? We answer, That since

neee * known by N bey produce, | I springs

TH, 1 glory, or bis giving an eys 0 see, and an ear

* ol his power ; and 25 it respects the affections,

doubtedly true, that the principle of reasoning is infused

__ of acting, by the actions themselves, we most be content with this description; that it is something wrought in the heart of man, whereby he is habitually and prevailingly biassed and inclined to what is good: So that by virtue hereof, he freely, readily, and willingly chooses those things which tend to the glory of God and — and flees from what is contrary there. vnto; and, as this more immediately affects the understanding, whereby it is enabled to discern the things which God reveals in the gospeb in a fpiritual way, it is ftiled, his foining in ibe beart, to give us the light of the

10 bear, As it respects the will, it contains in it a power, whereby it is disposed, and enabled to yield the obedt-' ence of faith, to what ever God is pleased to reveal to us as a rule of duty, so that we are made willing in the day they are all disposed to run in a right channel, to desire, delight and rejoice-in every thing that is pleasing to God, and flee from ever thing that is provoking to him. This is that whereby a dead sinner is made alive, and so cnable@'

to put forth living ations. 4

Concerning this principle of grace, tet it be odlerved;? f cquired. The first principle,

5 | that it is infused, and not a or 'spring of good actions, may, with equal reason, be supposed to be infused into us as Christians, as it is uninto us as men: None ever supposed that the natural power of reasoning may be acquired, tho* 'a greater fa- . Cility, or degree thereof is gradually attained ;"so'that+ IF power, whereby we are 2 to put forth supernaturat | acts of grace, which we call a principle of grace, must ” be CG, 2 be 2 us; which, Nas it acgquired, we co enen speak! be oy born of Gd. 5 peaking 2.0." Prom hence | am obligedito infer, char the 1 . = aa or implaning thi an * which wy

,

=

*

at least, in order of nature, antecedent to any act of

=

*

_ Jed ham

kobe Bonne Ee bo &- ho.

Try

grace, put forth by us, is the immediate effect of the power of God, which none, who speak of regeneration as 2 divine work, pretend to deny; and therefore I can - not but conclude, that it is wrought in us without the nftrumentality of the word, or any of. the ordinary means of

grace: My reason for it is this; because it is necessary

(from the nature of the thing) to our receiving, improviog or reaping any saving advantage by the word, that the spirit should produce the principle of faith; and to say, that this is done by the word, is, in effect, to assert that the word produces the principle, and the principle gives efficacy to the word; which seems to me little lefs than arguing in a circle. The word cannot profit unlesfss it be mixed with faith ; and faith cannot be-put forth, unless it proceeds from a principle of grace implanted; © therefore this principle of grace is not- produced by it: We may as. well suppole, that the presenting a beautiful picture before a man that is blind, can enable him to see; or the violent motion of a withered hand, produce strength. for action, as we. can suppose that the presenting the word, in an objective way, is the instrument whereby, God produces that internal principle, by which

we are enabled to embrace it. Neither would this so vell agree with the idea of its being a new creature, ot pur being created unie good works; for then it ought raher to be said, we are created by faith, which is 'a good work: This is, in effect, to say that the principle of grace is produced by the instrumentality of that which upposes its being implanted, and is the result and con-

I am sorry that I am obliged in this assertion, to appear, at least, to oppose what has been maintained by many divines of great worth ; who have in all other espects, explained the doctrine of regeneration, 'agreea-' ly ro dhe mind and will of God, and the analogy: of

*

- ; explication, and cheir's is, that they speak of eden ce

in a large sense, as including in it, not barely the it

planring the principle, but the exciting it, and do

Aufficiently distinguisn between the principle as implant;

ed and —— into act; for, I — own, that the

latter is, by the instrumentality of the word, though

cannot think the former so; or, it may be, they consid

the principle as excited; whereas I confider it as created,

or wrought in us:; and therefore can no more conclude

; that the new creation is wrought by an instrument, „

4 can, that the first creation ot all things was.

And I am ready to conjecture, that that which lead

many divines; into this way of thinking, is the _ in

which they understand the words of the apostle:

born again, not of corruptible seed, but * lible, 15 1

word if God tobicb — and abideth — 4 And else-

"where, Of his own will, begat be us with the word of truth

that wwe (beuld be a kind" of forst-fruits of his creature

Whereas this doth not so much respect the implanting

the rinciple of grace, as it does our enabled t9

act. from that principle; and tis as. tho he should fay,

he hath made us betievers, or induced us to love and

cbcy him by the word of truth, which supposes: a prin-

= of grace to havt been implanted ; \otherwile thi

nd of truth would never have produced these effect:

Regeneration may be taken, not only sor our being mad

alive to God, or created unto good works, but for out

putting forth living actions, ;proceeding from that prin:

ciple which is implanted in the foul. I am far from de-

- Dying, that faith, and all other graces are wrought in vs

by the instrumentality of the — z and it is in this

sense that some, ho treat on this subject, explain theit

sentiments, when they speak of being born again by th

word: Therefore I persuade myself, that 1 differ from

them only in the acceptation of words, and not in the

pay substance of the doctrine they maintain.“

VDoct. eee ** Charnock with, approbatjon

mY COMA nuok

"YEN DYTY a concerniitg the distinction between tegeneration and conversion, in the followipg words. Regeneration i 8 spiritual] change; conversion is a spiritual motion 3 1

eration there is 4 power conferred ; conversion is

the exercise of this power ; in regeneration there ir gech FG us a principle to turn; conversion is our actual turning; 49 the covenant, the new heart, and God's putting the Ipirit into them, is distinguished from their walkipg in

his statutes, from the first step we take in the way f God, and is set dewn as the cause of our motion: Tenewinig us God gives us a power; in converting 4 he excites that power, Men ate naturally dead, and |, have à stone upon them; regeneration is a rolling away the stone from the heart, and a raising to newness of life and then conversion is as natural to a regenerate mag, as motion is to a living body: A principle of adtivitywill produce action. be first reviving us is_woolly the act of God, without any concurrence of the creature z but, after we are revived, we do actively and voluntarily, live in his fight. Regeneration is the motion of God in the creature; conversion is the motion of the creature to God, by virtue of that first principle; from this principle all the acts of believing, repenting, mor-

*

tifying, quickening do spring. In all these a man is active; in the other he is merely passive? 2285 * n; 5 , Thus 1 Mr. Charnock: 8 Doct. Ridgley further oblerves, (vol. 2. p. 23) relative to our passivity in regeneration. I cannot but take notice of à question which frequently occurs under this head, viz. Whether man in the first moment ere: of, viz; in regeneration, be merely passive, tho active in every thing that follows after it p This we caundt but affirm, not only against the Pelagians, but others, whole method of treating the doctrine of divine grace,

not only from the impotency of corrupt nature, 25 iq what is good, but it's utter aversenesi thereto, and from

* the

seems to agree with theirs. This is sufficiently evident.

time.

2. There is something done Hualh, by che man in che m

the work's being truly and properly divine; or (as haz been before observed) the effect of almighty power. This ts not a controversy of late date; but has been either. _ defended or opposed, ever since Augustine's and Pelagius'ofif

With respect to preparatory works, Doct. Ridgly fe seems well to agree with Van Mastricht. Upon tha point he quots Mr. Charnock, in the following words. e Man cannot prepare himself for the new birth: Hef hath indeed a subjective capacity for grace, above any | "Other creature in the inferior world; and this is a kind of natural preparation, which other creatures have not; Aa Capacity, in regard of the powers of the soul, tho” not An respect of the present disposition of them. He hath an understanding to know, and when it is enlightened to know God's law; a will to move and run, and when. enlarged by grace, to run in the ways of God's com: mandments; so that he stands in an immediate capar city to receive the life of grace, upon the breath and Touch of God, which a stone doth not; for in this it 1 necessary, that rational faculties should he pur as a foundation ot spiritual motions. Tho the soul be thus ca; i pable, as 2 subjeR, to receive the grace of God, yet it is not therefore capable as an agent, to prepare itself fer 1| or produce it. It is capable to receive the truths o God; but as the heart is stony, it {is incapable to receive the impressions oe erb... Cuharnock on regeneratiog. Vol. 2. p. 147, 148. Mr. Willard, one of the most noted New- England divines, in his Exposition upon the lesser catechism, under the answer which respects effectual calling, p. 433. „ Ronan ee EE 1. There is something habitually wrought in the If. man, whereby he is capacitated and disposed to believe in Christ. And this is usually called passive conver/ion.

power so created in him, in which he $

applies those graces or powers in him, to their objects, and exerciseth them; and particularly his faith, in closing with, and embracing of Jesus Christ exhibited i in the promise; and is in the gospel called belieying.— Again, > e says, T he al of faith doth necessarily suppose the habt of it, or the power. of believing. "All acts require a. oo wer suitable and sufficient for them; nor can any aent go beyond its ability: No effect can exceed the ertue of its cause: so that a man must have faith, in order to his exerting it.

Again. There is no cg. operation of the man with the pirit in the producing of the habit of faith in him. He a fubject but not an agent. He contributes nothing dt all — it, but it is wholly put into him by another 94 en nd. It is a creating work, and that belongs to God one. Eph, 2. 10. It is a resurrection, and that belongs tirely ty the divine Omnipotency. Eph. 2. 19. It is a. generation, and none ever helped to beget himlelf, yea, ing a spiritual regtneration, none but the spirit can effect it. The means themselves have no efficacy in the produttion of is Habit by moral suakon. Not but that the spirit useth e means in order to his bringing about this work in us.

kiel was to prophesy in order to the dry bones living. zek. 27. g, 10. The means are properly accommoda-.

d ro work on man as a moral agent, rationally, by evj--

nce or demonstration, hy convictions, awakenings,

couragements, and the spirit comes with them as.he..

meet, and gives them such an operation: But either

eir. operation is common, and that can at most be but

eparatory; or it is saving, and then it supposeth this

33 bit in them. Moral suasion can do only on a subject

che able. Come to the grave of a dead man, and make

er so grave an oration' to him, tell him what a mise- ;

en, le condition a state of death is, and what benefits ace

Impany the living, and so beg of him to rise and live 1 ;

d what will this do? There must be faith, to receive. ' + - 7 ist, e er the mers i Lee men _ produce. —_—

.

T2 ARBENDIE | Fe gf the act o believin on him, and ibis is an ation _ than merely ethical 4 moral. Fg "Page 435. All the orthodox consent, that there must be A 25 power put into the man in order to his believing in Christ.” That a man can no more of himselt come up to the terms of the new covenant, than keep the law of the first covenant. They that deny this are unacquaigted wich the efficacy of the apostacy, or energy of g i in man. Philosophy tells us that live actions require 7 5 in che agent. And spiritual actions must Knee 5 ＋ life; gracious actions must flow from grace.

: 3 0 on = is” an habit or 4 virtue, br a principle; it must

ability to do these things, which it had dot naty-

1 but mul be given it. 323

ght out of darknsss, raise the dead, can. do th need 75 Spirit of God in these works find onl icy. id ghe fubje& but no refistence; whereas hen $ i b „ot oy a total debility i in the Crearurt to Join with him in it, but also à malignant o Pee 1 there” being nothing Which Me heart of man i | more "aver to, than coming to Christ and believing] him“ V Sinn 1,2: N us P 442. Ai to the necell Fa legal) conviftions e he thas eee "ur r hat ud Caufal nflience unte passive conversion. AA 1 necessity that can be urged on that account, is only. of thvtomtlang;” The 8 Spirit of God hath done chis def 4s were not capable bf cohvsction under and by t means. *Tudiciovs divines judge that Jerimab a and Fl _ the'Baptiff were converted Gefoks they were born. Al it is to be believed that ele infants | Jing, in their ift

*

Ke Abi power br abfliry. can be produced by vo other uh L = but the Spirit of God. 404 7 wm it requires Om. 75 3 btenk y, io the producing of it; and there is none al: | + mh ity bat be: None but he that could make a world

=

.C 8 new cfearure formed i in them, without 15 9 | yak {be faved. 1 2 3: N

ml 2 the; ent man b born again, b

_ live, before we are aware of it, who have given evt- Idence of theit seriousnels from their infaney, However, he man can no more convert himself upon ' these cofl- GA igions, thati he could before, nor is it easier for tlie in. pirit to do it nom Whenever i it is done, it must bela * 25 77 power, in which God usech 0 instrument, but 4 fate.” ly. ; | * T4 4 _ |

Page 45%; ; | Thete mu be eb change wrought in the will, in order to its being enabled to clofe with rift. Could we suppose”never so much light let into he undetftandiog, Busta it to discern, all the precioufess of Chrift as he is revealed ia the gospel; her if the vill remain. in the fame posture it is, in” the man's nural eftace, it would be impossible for it to chuse Chriff, ind to love him. There must thetefote be'a renovation dn it. When therefore the apostle had -spoken of our being renewed in the image of our mind, Eph. 4. 4. 23. He xemplifles it with respe & to the will, Verf. 2

Bal ze put on the do nn which re Meousnels,* and true bolinefs. © "> new undetftatiding, ithout à new, heart, will never amount to a thorough. oaversion. As long as che will remains poss ssed of cor - upt 8 and „erh no Power i in it, it can never embrace hri

This ae change is ae: Eh trtating 4 neu principle of saving grace in the will and affefions.”- It is ertain that if ever the man believe, he must have power o believe. This power is that which we call heh habie

th all the 0 e n the soul by the Spir is is that which is cal

he giving of 2 new heart,” and the putting in of a new. spirit, &c. Exck. 36. 0 Wdbich cannot intend new faculties, bur 4 3 faving impression of grace on the taculties af ths foul is the man. 5 1303. a

which are aka

AA the king - God. And possibly this work is done for others

ge, Sad it treated m

2 f faith; Which habit is not infused by itself Newt, as Ag

„

* 2 should gras Ee priori in Has

; Mr, Plavel allerts the priority of the work * eo aa "ration to faith in Chrift, in the following werds,' . For look as the blood of Chrilt is the Toten all merit, so the Spirit of Christ is the fountain of a so.Fitual life, And until he quicken us, 0. e.) infuse prineiple of divine life into our souls, y we can put Toni.no hand, or'vital act of faith, to lay held. upon Jesh Chrilt.- — This his quickening work, 1s therefore the fr in order of nature to our union with Christ,” and Fund menial to all other acts of 'grace wk and performed th (V3, from our first clofing with Christ throughout "whole course of our obectence,” Method of grace, [er. if Mr. Flavel's first head in the same 24 nie is, **Brielf to tepresent the necessary anteczdency of this quickenin work of the Spitit, to our Ae closin 1 N Faith. ing oak ary 8 0

ring 1 pon Jeney of a ration "a as be fn gue 400 i

Agaiost this position. | He 'we cannot believe till ve

quickened with spi iritual life, as you say, and cannot |

gustified till we-believe, asall lay, hes | it will fol low, thi

A regetierate soul may be in state of condemnstion for

ume and contequently perish, if death ang befall ly

uncture..

N To this kee, That en me. 62 an of ” of this qui work of the ile $0 our 200 eving, we Nader ftand it of priority 27

Sure, than of time, the nature and order of the w

-Jurring it to be 12 ; 2-vital principle must, in order

nature be infused, 2082 20 2 vital act can pl Wipe Fi

make the tfee and then the fruit good

EKF x”

ne e before actual faith; yet the absur Picy — Jaya would be no way consequent upon this in onesssion: For as the vital act of faith quickly follows he regenerating Geer, so the soul is abundantly le- Fured against the d 17 objeted; God neyer beginning ny special work of grace upon the soul, and then leaving | Sc, and the soul with it, in A but preserves both - o the finishing and campleating of his e delign, WPhil. 1. 6.“ id. The same author abundantly asserts, that regeneration 9 wal effect, produced by the exertion of 44. uy Power, and thac m therein wholly passrve, Hig

yery doctrine in the above mentioned discourse is this 3 nin ery. those souls, which have union with Christ, are

pirit of God in er Ft? FA 8 —_— it the two witne, Rey. xi.

. W Fus l/ rd as civi sense, three days and an af, that che spirit of lite from. God entered into them s it 18 here in a spiritual sense, the spirit of life from

fo 4 enters into the dead, carnal hea: FA

MW supernatural infufion.” Bid. f Again. In the next place, according ts the merkod *- fe proposed, . I am obliged to shew you, that this 1 a

of gg work is wholly supernatural; it is the sole sole | tu vork of the spirit ol Gad. So. Christ alf os * we 10. tert, ic, W, 8. That which i ln of ihe

i i fab, and that 0 is born of the spirit, is spirit: 8 LY bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest its; sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, nor Ibither! it gocth, so is every one that is born of the nh

Trit. . Believers are the birth, or offspring of the spir

* rde 2 the, new creature in them ip an unjat

e manger even to themselves. So far is it above

f — own ability 10 produce, that it is above their capacity 1 68 ©2 understand the way of its. production. We can c

15 e [mean fc, x to the production of t

70 1 5 2 * N | principle” of life. We may” indeed be said to Gilkey Fasiveh, with the spitit in it; that is, there Is found in us a capacity, aptness or recepliventss of this ptinciple of hie. Our nature is endowed with such faculties. and pers 2s are meet subjects to receive, and instruments 40 act this spiritual life: God only quickens the E nal nature with spiritual life.“

lt is true allo, that in the propresi of san&ificaticy; 2 man doth actively concur with the spirit; but in the produZion of this principle he can de nothing; he can ingeed perform those external duties that Wr a remote tendency to it, but he cannot by the power of nature. perform any saving act, or contribute any thing mon than a passive capacity to the implantation of a new priaeiple: as will appear by the” following ar uments. . Arg. 1. He that ' concurs to his own peration, makes himself to differ; but this is denied to all regenerate men, 1 Cor. iv. 7. Who maketh thee to d, fer from anotber f bone Popes. thou, that thou A4, wm ective?”* 3 oj b | + dos: % +254

Arg. 2. Ther to which the seripture aleribes bo Impoteney and enmity with respect to grace, _ at tively, and of itfelt concur'to the production of it: but the {criprure ascribes both im 8 and enmity to nature, a th respect to grace. It denies to it a power 10 fo any thing of itself, John xv. Hp And which is less, il "denies to st a power to speak a 00d. word, Mat. xii. 34 "And which is teaft of all, it denies ir power to think i Fead thought. 2 Cor. in. 6g. This imporency; if there wen no more, cuts off all pretence of our ive concurrence. Hut then, if we consider that it ascribes enmity 10 ou natures, as well as i ncy, how clear is the case l Sa Rom. vill. 7. The carnal mind is xnuiTY qi Go And Col. i. 21. And you that were zu in your mind % wicked works.” 80 then nature is so far productive 1

e Arg. 3. That which is of natural production mu

needs be subject to natural dissolution. That which 1

born of the flesh, is flesh ;- a perishing thing; for every thing is as its principle is, and there can he no more in

the effect than there is in the cause.” But this prigciple of spiritual life is not subject to dissolution. It iu the water which springs up into everlasting life, John. iv. 14. The seed of God which remaineth in the rege-" nerate, 1 John iii. g. And all because it is born not of corruptible, but incorruptible seed, 1 Pet. 1. 23 Arg. 4. If our new birth be our resurrection, a new” _ creation, yea a victory of our nature, then we cannot alliveh contribute to its production. But under all these notions it is represented to us in the scriptures. It is

our resurrection from the dead, Eph. v. 14. And you know the body is wholly passive. in its resurreRion. ' But tho” it concurs not, yet it gives pre- existent matter. Therefore the metaphor is defignedly varied, Eph. iv.

24. Where it is called a creation; in which there is nei-;

ther active concurrence nor pre-existent matter. But tho

eceation-cxcludes pre. existent matter, yet in producing somerhing out of nothing, there is no reluftancy or opposition, Therefore to show how purely supernatural = this principle of life is, it is cloathed and represented to

us in the notion of à vi#ory, 2 Cor. x 23. And fo leaves wh 8 , F * XS

all to grace.

Arg. 5. If nature could produce, or alive concur ts the preduttion of this supernatural life, then the best natyres would be soonest quickened with it; and the werst natures not at all, or ac last, and least of all. But contrarily, we find the worst natures often regenerated, and the best left in the tate of spiritual death. With how many sweet boniletical virtues was the young man adorned?- Mark x. 21. yet graceless; and what a fink of fin was Mary Magdalen, Luke vii. 35. Yet sanQified;

uuf Thus beautiful Rachel is barren, while Leah bears chil |

_ 4 2 3 4 tax >” 2 F'. 9 £3 4 \ 4 * 4 < 4 ”— LES 4a wy wo 2 * * Nang e N kr 5 a. £ * 4 : & EY "= 2 . X | : | * 3 al * * * — * * + 3 : J ” * nd. 5 . A |

=

_

7. "4: B, TH, B. N D kk melts the hearts of Christians more, than this comparative consideration dach, when they consider vessels of Gold cast away, and leaden ones chosen for such noble uses, So that it is plain enough 10 all wise and humble souls, 2 fg this new life is wholly of Jupernatural, ro- Again. Hut though ve cannot pry into these secrets by by 1 40 of 1 27 yet God hath revealed this to ug that it is ap ge by his own elmighty AE 2 2 3 this work to t

*

r of Cad. . And this A.

it Ih ae by 4 new creation > (i, e.) a ving being 75 10 out of nothing, Eph. 2. 10. fi Mach the effects of human power; for al. ways work upon some pre- existent matter, ea ah there is no such matter. All that is in man, the ele of this work, ts only a pasfroe capacity, or receptivity, but | riothing 1 is found in him to co e towards this wor This supernatural lite 15 bier nor can be educed o Natural Pfineinles. Tbis wholly vents the 9 — 4 ; #1, natural power,” bid. 4 = The testimony of. this author is also. very expresy 3 that regeneration is effected indantaneously... His words \ re thele, <* This, iofusion of spiritual lite i is done inflan; A anzoufly, as all crealion · work is. Hence it is resembled $9 that plalic power, which in a moment made, the light to shing out of darkoels 1 jut lp God. shir = atv our ris, .& Cor. iy. 6 8 8 It is true, e may be ry Jong, ime un oder the Preparatory " he splrit; he may be under conyictions and ee purpos es Li ane 1 loog Be, Ape, For m ne. A when the spjrit comes ta quicken |, its is. doos | in 6. moment > even as ir is jn th be infolion of the ration 1 "yl 2 body is e re it A \ Propped and moule. hen once,prepa ind it RY wit 5 en Ws W and

Aan E

+

LOS Eu.

APPENDYY t%

$ Dos. Wits or Wicks, 2 noted Duteh divine of the

ft tt age , sometime colleague with Fan Mere in rhe

,

J with Chiite, v unless it roy et 10 the inter nal,

$ which is 5 not only b) . and cmand, but. by the powerful operation of the Spirit.

4 "There i is a certain 4 1 God, whereby he makes the

chings, he calls, to exist, by chat very” call. By such a

LS. thn 1

'call, be calleth those things which be not, as though they were. Rom. 4. 17. For, when he said, let there. be li ht, 0; mediately there was light, Gen. 1. 3. Not unlike th thts that inferval call of he spirit, of which he apo postle [rg

2 Cor. 4. 6. 6. Gud why conmandel the 3 to fin Arnet, bath in our hearts. = Here God exe terts his ini finite p by V lc " =

'verts the 151 6c no. less bene than sweetly, © "writes his law on their heart, Jer. 3 31. 4. Puts the WL;refice-of himlelf there, Ezck. 12. 26. Aud not only calls "them from darkness to his marvellous. Hehe but also, by the call, draus them, not to stand stisl in the doubisul deliberation, but to un ofter Bim, Cant. 1. 7 152 on 73 * them in an equal poise, but turns the Jer. 31. 18, Not only advises, but. persuades,” and, e it Trove and 1 85 Jer. 20. 7. Nor does he sollicit, bot

translate, Col, 1. 13. Not by an ordinary, but by that mighty f power, 1 ng he Faised Chrit from'the dead. Ep a. 20.“ . .

Vader the bead of regeneration, p. x 476, he gives, this -Jeflnicion of it, RzG TNERATION is = of Gd, whereby & new" and divine lift is infused auto tht wi Pan, spiritually dead, and that from thy vicorruptible Jad of 8-4: . err 4 * foie e.

4s race *

—

*

H.? He i tres upon the spiritual death of | LK that they, are spiritually insensible of all spirityal; things, and destitute of all true feeling;—nor have -

they, any relish for divine grace, because it has not yet been conferred upon them; nor any longing after heavenly things, being ignorant of their worth. They are *wholly incapable of every att of true lite. The understanding is overspread with dismal darkness. | The will has no tendency to things unknown: and thus all the things of God are despised by it as mean.” Page 478. * By regeneration a new life is put into the elect, resulting from a gracious union with God and his Spirit, For, what the foul is to the body, that God is to the "Foul. Moreover, this fpiritual life. may be considered,

either by way of facully, and in the fr f ad, in the usual language of the schools; or by way of operation, and in x the ep 48. In the former respect, it is that imward

constitution of the foul, whereby it is fitted to exert those actions, which are acceptable to God in Christ, by the power of the spirit uniting. it to God: whether such ac. tions immediately flow from that principle, or whether they lie concealed for some time, as fruits in their seed, In the latter respeR, it is that activity of the living soul, by which it acts agreeably to the command of God, and [the example of Christ, a If we consider this first principle of life, there is not the, least doubt, but regeneration is accomplished in a moment. For there is no delay in the transition from death to life. No intermediate state between the,rege- . nerate and unregenerate can be imagined so much as in

9 f hy Ode Dot. Ve, probably intends the fame kind of inflrumentality _ © ef the word as Det. Yau Mofritht, when — it 0 @ aver al is

""frawent of | is nde fest to thats authors, 4 *

*Jaftcwacat)es

a TH one 1s 7 5 dead or alive: : either rhe child aK 8 >

10 of the devil ; either in the way to salvation or dana There neither is, nor can ba any medium here.

* Hence it appears, there are no preparations. ater / T Jcedent to the first beginning of regeneration. z, because F previous to that, nothing but mere death in the highest de- 1 gree is to be found in the person to be regenerated. hen 5 we tere DEAD IN SINS, he hath quickened us toge-

J wer with Chrift, Eph. 2. f. And "deed. the icripture -

. Nrepresents man's conversion by such similitudes, as shows chat all preparations. are entirely excluded; sometimes h calling it a ne regeneration to which certainly, none can contribute any thing of himlelf: But yet, as natural generation presupposes some dispo Bros in the, matter; so, that we may not imagine any Agen N o he in ourselves but from God, we have this held forth by the Gmilicude of a resurrefion 4 in which a body is restored, rom matter, prepared by no qualifications. : : yet because here, certainly, i is matter, but in the resurrection of the soul there js nothing, at all, therefore. we have added 4 the figure of 9 Ps. 51, 10. Eph 2. 2 which we are taught, that a new creature exists spam aspiritwah a nothing, which, is sia; but as there way not something in vothing, to assist and sustain creation. so there was hothing to oppose and resist; but sia is so far from, submitting to what God does, that it. is teluctant thereto, and in an hoftile ANNE at enmity with him: accordingly the other i did not fully complete the idea iy ie admirable * till at — it is called the | ory. of God: Video, I fay, over the devil ho man- — his palace, Luke 11:21, and effectually worketh ' in the children of difobedience, Eph. 2, 2, wy these operations of God tend to exclude, as much as possible, *

e the beginning of our regenexationthen. goes ect e Semi pelagians of Merscilles, *<. who insisted that a man comes io the grate - | whereby we are e in Chest, 0 2 e 0 .

/ | which have been admitted by some of the reformed as Det, who have assigned in persons to be regenerated,

_ " evulty; as by asking, seeking, knocking, and that, in some at least, before they are born again, there is a kind of te. pentance going before, together with a sorrow for sin, and 2 change of lite for the better, and a beginning of faith, and an initial love of God, and desite of grace. And tho* they did not look on these endeavours.to be of such im ce, as that it could be said, we were thereby rendered werthy of the grace of the Holy Spirit; as Pelagius and Julian professed: Yet they imagined, they were an occasion by which Gad was moved, to bestow his grace.” And likewise the remonfirents, who write, that ** some work of man goes before bis vivification; name) 10 acknowledge and dewsil his death, to will, and defire dell. verance from it; is bunger, thirft and seek after life.” He observes © there is little accuracy in the reasonings of these men. For, rt. Since our nature is become like an | evil tree, it can e, no fruit truly good and accept- Able to God, and do nothing, by which it can prepare icself for the grace of regeneration. 2dly. It hat been found, that they, who, in appearance were, in the best manner disposed for regeneration, were yet at the greatest distance from it, as the inftance of that young man, Mark 19. 21, 22, very plainly shews. 3dly. And on the w_ hand, they, who had not os the lest op any preparation, 2s the publicans and. hars — went into a kingdom of God: before those who were civilly righteous and externally religious. 4thly. God testifies, that in the firft approach of his grace, 5 r found of them, that sought bim not, and afted not for him. Ia. 65. x. Fulgentius says extremely well: Ve bau ig not certainly received grace, becagje we are willing, but gract I ir

V ts given us, while we are fill unwilling,” © F Hie then observes, p. 483, upon the preparations F 0

Perkins, Ames, and the British Divines at the Synod. of

ast A

—

sity of the will. 2. A serious consideration: of the law. . A consideration of their own sins and offences against God. 4. A legal fear of punishment, and a dread of hell, and consequently a Cespairing of their salvation, with respect co any thing in themselves.” These, he acknowledges, differ from the favourers of Pelagiani/m in the fi lowing manner, ist. That they are not for having these things to proceed from nature, but profess - them to be the effects of the spirit of bondage, preparing 4 way to himself, for their actual regeneration. '2dly; That they are not for God's bestowing the grace of regeneration from a regard to, and moved by occasion of, these preparations, much less by any merit in them; but they imagine that God, in this manner, levels a way, al for himself, fills up vallies, depresses mountains and hills, *in order the better to smooth the way for his entrance into that soul.” Upon which he observes, **We really think they argue more accurately, who make these and the like 5 in the elect, to be preparations to the further and more perfect operations of a more noble and plentitul spirit, and so not preparations for regeneration, but the fruits and effects of the 8 neration: Fot as these things suppose some life of the soul, which spiritually attends to spiritual things, and are, operations ef the spirit of God; when going about to sanctify the elect; we cannot but refer them to the spirit of grace

{

and regeneration.”

=

e r 3 P. 485. If this, matter be more closely considered, we shall find, that the orthodox differ more in words, and in the manner of explaining, than in sense and reality. For, the term, regeneration, is of ambiguous signification; sometimes it is blended with sanctification, and by regeneration is understood that action of God, whereby man, who is now become the friend of God, and endowed with spiritual life, acts in a righteous and holy manner, from infused habits. And then it is certain, .thers

Ie some effets of the spirit, by which be usually e:.

„ <LPEENDIN pares them for the aQtings of complete faith and boli. neis; for, * Knowledge of divine trurhs, à sense of misery, sorrow for sin; hope of pardon, &c. any one can fiducially lay had on * Chir, a ly himself to the practicꝭ of true godlinefs. But sometimes regeneration denotes the first translation of x man ftom a state of death, to a ftate of spiritual life in which sense we take it; And in thar'senfe e none of the ortliadox, if he will speak consistently with his own. principles, can 1 preparatory works 0. the grace. of regenergtion 5 489. „ After a principle of spiritual life is infused | into the elect soul by regeneration, divine grace doe got- always proceed therein, in the sume method and order. It is possibse that for some time, the spirit of the Atte of Christ may lie, as it yete dot mant in some (almost in the same manner, as vegktative life in the feed of a ti or sensitive life in tht fred of an animal, or 4 poscal genius in one 2 75 poet) so as that no vital ope- Farions can yet proceed therefrom, tho* favingly united 0 Christ, the fountain of true life by the spitit. "his is the case with respect to A rege enetate infants, Fholc is the king > sa of God therefore are reckoned" 4mong betievers. and ns, this 15 play 6" age, actually to believe and practis if goo! godliness.” Doct. Le Blanc, 4 not divine of che Reformed church in France in the laff century, tho perhaps not entirely friendly himself to the lentimentt which Vat | Mastricht Weed upo pon the ful 771 of regeneration _ ant} effieseibus grace; yet allows the general fenriments of the reformed nl e to be such 5 are conformable ta his; as the following exttacts she w,. In the Thefs coneetning the distinction between sufficient and efficacibus grace àmong ptqtestants: After giving thesentiment. of the Lutherans and Remonftrancs: 4 observing that 1 generally reaobnce the distinction, he thus explains 122 sentimcats Ws divine grace.

„rde e

is Page 1 3. It is the common opinion of all the Rei- formed who adhere to the synod of Dort, that the grace

of God, to which is to be ascribed the conversion o man 1- © and all the good works which follow thereupon, is effec-

*

tual of iself ; nor doth its | pend upon the co-operation or consent, of the will of mans; finge it is the infallible cause of that consent

co-operation. And this is agreeable. to the decrees of

who teach the! God, in the work of regeneration, doth nat put forth bis almighty power, whereby be potwerfully and in- | fallibly determineth the will to faith and converfion: but that, uppoling all the operations of grace, which God ujeth in con verfion, man can so resist God and the Spirit, when deftgning and willing. to regenerate lim, and oft times at}ually doth re/it, as utterly to hinder bis regeneration; and that theretare

dee will are joint causes ex urring togetber in the beginning of conver /ion, and that grace in the order of nature doth. not

efficactously aid the will of man o converhon, before the will of man move/b and determineth itself. And how God efsecteth a real conversion in the elect, the same Synod thus explaineth. He not only cawjeth the gospel to be externally preached unto them and powerfully illuminateth their minds by the Hel Ghost, so 6s rightly id understand, and discern. the things of the Spirit of Cod; but by the efficacy of the same Spirit, in his regenerating influences, He penetrateth the imm

er bzarts aircumcisetb their uncircumcised hearts; infuserh n- u qualites into the will; and of dead, maketh it alive; of us evil, maketh it good; of ymwilling, maketh it willing; el dig U obedient, obedient; and leadeth S it 3 Jo that ig at TH enabled, like a good tree, lo bring forth fruit in good aftions, vs Y And in the ne | ce, is entirely sup!

-

efficacy in any measure dethe Synod of Dort. For that Synod condemn those, =

it remains in the peer of man, whether ta be regenerated ar of. They also condemn those who teach, ibat grace and

rectde the efficiency of the will: chat is, that. God doth not ©

xt article they add, this operation of God

tural, also most powerful and pleasang, 2

*

recesses of the soul ; opencth their closed Barts; softeneth their — - ,

5 5 mil consenteth and aer eee with 9 =

wonderful, secret, and ineffable; - not less than, ortifes rior to, che power exetted in creation, or the resurrecti. on of the dead; so that all they, in whose hearts God worketh in this woaderfal manner, are certainly, infallibly, and effeftually regenerated and converted.” Page 15. .** Altho* the divines of the Reformed Church: pres in this, that grace worketh effectually, not only upon the underftanding, but also upon the will of man, and that the will is powerfully and infallibly turted and determined thereby to that which is good; yet there is some difference among them, about the wianner in which grace affecteth the will; fo that in consequence thefeof it should turn to God, and consent to that which

I Fa OF hes speaks of several,” as Tefard, Anyrald ; and ce

Cameron, who Tuppose the will 5 to follow the laft jt of the erde and that the will is changed and rene wed by a powerful | illumination of the underftanding, Fah to what is observed by Van Mal. Licht concerning Cameron and others, F xxvi. But (faith he) other divine of the Reformed Church hold," that the immediate operation of grace affeRterh, not only the on, derstanding. b ape ung of it; and iofuling' ne lighe into st; But allo the will, in whith ic really 1 2 workerh that consent which it yields t to the divide commands. Ibis opinion Doct. Ames. Jay $ down and' penn his Bellarminus enervatus, lib,” i it“ de gratis yen V bold, faith he, that togetber with mord ere joined a reel effi th of God, by. which a ne ro 275 ob tua! Fife is effeBually 1orought in the heart of es at the sun time exalted to put forth the afts of

ibir tie.” In the op Place he fully approves and acknowledges as his, the sentiment, of Didacus Alvares, which is hk God by the assistance of his grace. doth IS e or after * manger of a phy sical cause, effectuly-predetermine the will of the creature, so that he

ling and i invitiog him. And afterwards using the 8 of Alvares, he saith, that physically to CE ABA the will is nothing else than truly,. efficiently or. really to - make the will pany to co-operate with God.” 2 This same author further observes, Pr, * That there is a seeming contradiction in the sentiments of the teformed; who universally hold that man freely puts forth the first act of conversion, and yet that he is merely Mive in the work of regeneration and conversion, ;. for bow can the will of man freely put forth the act of conversion, and yet at the same time be merely 1 in conversion 1 Can the will be merely passive, when 1 it 2 fu sed to operate freely? he British divines (he observes) f in the acts of 1 nod of Dort, solve this difficulty, by observing that conversion is to be taken in a two-fold sense; 1 Av t denoteth the immediate work of God in regeneration s, Adly. As it denoteth the action of the man in turn | - God, by saving faith and repentance. In the ming of regeneration or conversion, taken in the first sense, according to them, man is "merely passive, nor is it in be power of the will of man to hipger Sod thus im- Mately converting and regenerating: But in converion, taken. in the other lease, the wil being influenced, by God, is active, and putteth forth those, ations, in hich. our conversion to God confisteth, - Bur con ver ion, As it denoteth the immediate work of God, they ay, is that whereby he regenerateth, and as it were ce · teth ane w, by an internal and wonderful operation the ouls of his cleft, who have. been before, exercised, * prepared hy various workings of his grace 3 infuing o them k ickening spirit, and endowing all the haculs, ies of the foul with new qualities.“ 3 Much to the same purpose ('tis, obleryed) was the on, pinion of the Hessian divines, af the same 13ped, bk ich, ge gives us in the following words, Te wu 1

11e Feeeption of _— qualities Li sdrulties walk nous,

DTK

*

and also in tbe reception of new inclinations, is merth passive So that the arion of the Holy 7 into the will, & turning & inclining the will efseftlually &

—

nan or any faith, love, bope, Sc. and all good exercises, a man is not mereh

mode by the previous grace of God, and affisted by his [ubsequent grace, be is alive in the exercises of faith, love, boge an other virtue. VVV

Doct. Ames, professor of divinity in the univetsity of ff

Franaker, in his work entituled Medulla Theologie in the chapter concerning effectual calling, from sect. 26,.to

23, thus. observes, © The reception of Christ, with te:

spect to man, is either passive or active, Phil. - 3, 12 That I may apprehend that for which also I am apprebend of Chris. The passive reception of Christ is that, 'by

which a spiritual principle of grace is begotten id the will of man. Eph. 2. 5. He bath quickened us, For this grace is the foundation of that relation, wherein we art united to Chrift. Joha 3. 3. Except 4 men be born again, be cannot see the kingdom of God. The will is the most proper and primary subject of this grace, because the

conversion of the will is the effectual principle of the

converfien of the whole man, Phil. 2. 13, For it i Gul

lat worketh in you both 10 will and to do of his good plan

An illumination ef the mind is not sufficient to product this effect, because it doth not take away that corruptia which is seated in the will, nor doth it communicatt thereto, any new supernatural principle, whereby it ca convert itself, The will however, with respect to thi

. firfft reception, is not to be considered either as free!

active, nor as irrationally passive; but as a subject 4 -pable of obeying the divine impression, 2 Cor. 4 6. N

'*Gad who commended the light to soine out of darkness, hai

Spirit in that supernatural

Powerfully to faith & conversion, doth not depend upon the wil co-operation or consent of it. But to the a of

Mr. Rutherford, a notel Scotch divine Tf the laft — centu ry, in his Exercitationes apolopelicae pro gratis diuindl, of gives his sentiments relative to the will's following the bat dictate of the understanding (which are agreeable che sentiments of Van Maftricht) in the following Lords, p. 366. | & Tf the last judgment of the understanding - necessarily and of itself. determined the will, grace would become mere suasion, nor would any internal grace be necessary to cure the will; to remove the darkness of the mind and instruct it in what it is ignorant of would be sufficient, wbich is the grace of Pelagians. And thus he mind of a reprobate person, by an acquired habit of

aught (as appears to me possible in the present case) as to discern in a proposed act of gbedience, 1. The facili- J. 2. The pleasure. 3. The utility; and that the will 1ould'not in the present case (as it might do) turn the ind to consider, either the difficulty of it, or any other hing, wherein it might appear as disagreeable, and that the will should not turn the mind, from the contemplaion of this act, to earthly confiderations: 1 n this case a person might believe, without his will's ever being healed, and perform a supernatural act; nor would there e any need of taking away the heart of stone and putting within us a heart of flesh: Nor do those places of res rows] which are commonly objected here, prove the rary, as Pl. 9. 16. And they that new thy name will put their trust in thee. * If this knowledge (say they) did not determine the will, it might be 4 they that know he name of God would not truft in the Logy. And also John 4. 10. If thou new the "gift of God, and who its that saith unte thee, give me to drink;, thou | wild ave asted of bim, and be would bave given thee lruiga8ah

ask living water of Chrif, then the woman might have ©. rooms the e gift of Gun, apts yet not have asked living.

A

faith, and by clear objective evidence, might be sa

ow if this knowledge would not determine the N F | .

that a speculative knowledge of che object would be

immediately affected; but always follews the last diftate

implicitly followeth the signal held up by the under; standing.

some sense, cleave more ftrongly to the will, or mort

the will cannot be excited, or move itself, accordi

| 6-28 be, over and above the illumination of. the undergift of God, as a

win therein, its being a phy/ical and nota moral N

water of ©: 3 T so the 9 "of Chrift would not bave been true. Ans. In such like propalitions; there is always understood the physical agency of God, otherwise if it be taken exactly literal, it would follow

sufficient for the act of faith, without the infukon of 2 new power; which no one will pretend.“ Doct. Burman, professor of divinity, in the university of Utrecht thus observes, relative to the insufficiency of illumination to renew the will, p. 227, of his Thealo) synophs, *Savftification immediately effects the will, which the very learned Cameron wrongly denied, asserting that the other faculties of the soul were reftified and perfected by the light of the understanding, that the will is not

of the underftanding. Which are wrongly connected together; since the order and connection of these faculties, or the power and dominion which the understanding exerciseth over the will, is not such, that the wil

Hence it — that corruption doth, in deeply affects it, than it doch the understanding; h_ the li ght of the understanding alone. That the *

mination ot the understanding is not sufficient, we have full proof daily from those who are reprobate. There

standiag, an attention in the will: Which being sups posed the inclination of the will followeth the clear pet. ception of the understanding. But this attention is the ppears in the case of Lydia. Acts 16. 14 Both Nuther e and Byrman are full in asserting the Priority of regeneration to any gracious exercise, our pu

- tian, its irresistibility, &c.

* Braunius Faster . f divine at Grininges alter < Wo E =

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„ eonfuting many false notions of divine grace held by the Papists, Remonstrants, &c. such as that it confifts in moral suasion, in an external illumination, &e. he

observes, © That the grace of God ought to be conceived of as a new creation.” That hereby God dispeleth the darkness of the mind, enkindleth ahh light of truth, softeneth and bendeth the will; yea as it were createth it anew, reproduceth it, and raiscth it from the dead, and powertully, and sweetly determineth it to good, so that it most freely wills and embraces it.” — ** Therefore the will of man is merely passive in the firft moment of the divine operation; is passive in being fashioned by God according to his good pleasure.” — Hence the apostle well observes, that the will of man with respe& to the grace of God is as clay in the hands of the potter, from whom it wholly receives it's form.“ Doctrina Fiderum. p. 528. 529, 530.

With respect to an illumination of the onderstanding” = being sufficient for sanRification, he thus observes, _ * They are wrong, who teach that sanQtification conisteth only in the understanding; since it confisteth in he underftanding and will together. The understandng can exercise no dominion over the will; but is merey paslive.ia the reception of objects, as they offer themelves: But the will chuseth what it judgeth to be best, The understanding therefore ought to be enlightened, hat it may rightly receive objecti and propose them to he will. The will must be renewed, that it may chuse he greatest g od. Nor doth it follow; from the will's ollowing = last practica judgment, that the underanding only needs to be sanctissed, and not the will; Ince. this last practical judgment is the work of the will; or the will judgeth; not the understanding.”

"Tis plain our author meacs by the understinting ihe mple na perception; and when he excludes judgment from the ungertande ig, he means the practical judgment, or thit which respefts' our - ice, and got things merely speculative. | In wiien sense perhaps

dis opinion, which a; fick view n üngular, may be no * dom — — —

EEE

"To these l will add a 6 words os Mr Brine, a late ingenious writer in England. Page 126, of his book, entituled, A treatise upon various su liens. Regeneration preceeds and may be considered, the foundation and spring of conversion and sanctisic

ciple of spiritual life. Naturally men are dead in + pasles and fins, and, therefore, in order to their aCting in a holy and spiritual manner, a living holy princyp must be communicated to them. Hence the saints a said to be quickened, that is to say, they are inspire with life. And this is a new life, and is a spring d new actions. It is called a new heart, and àa new spirit and à heart of flesh; grace is not our old nature mad better, and excited unto spiritual acts; but it is a nature produced in our minds, by the infinite poue and grace of God. For which 3 we are said to bf new creatures. Something now exists in us, which ha no being in our minds before. Nothing shore of thi comes up to the scriptural account of this matter. N > excitations, no impulses, no aids, however forcible and great they are supposed to be, reach the intention of t holy Spirit, zu thofe phrases, which he uses on this ful

tion. For that is the principle from which both aH

Grace as a ppinciple of spiritual acts, is first communi p

cated, and from that proceed all acts of a holy spiritual |

nature, both internal and external. Neither of the latte o

can be, until the ficst is wrought. And when that e.

effected, both the latter certainly follow. In the first wy

are merely passive, in conyversion and lanctifcation os cl

| are active. SR. SA + . 0 ration is the zofusion of a new piii! P

OT. ct Be sides our corrupt nature is not a fit subject face 2 gheavenly excitations, nor is it possible to bring it in sub FJection to the obedience of Christ. The carnal mim

\ 1 7 1 — {can never become subject to the law of Christ, A bitt 1 . {fobntain will as soon send forth sweet streams, which D 8 is im une 5 — doth not conki

in als, bot in the on of 4 prineiple 2 0 actions holy and well pleasing unto God by 70 — F wrought on the mind at once SETS A

By conversion I understand, what may be called the _ primary actings of the regenerate prineiple. - Before 1 proceed in discoursing on which, I would premise two things. One is, the human mind, as it seems to me, ia

one rational principle of operation. The schools have taught us, that there are three distinct powers of the human soul, viz. The understanding: The will; and the affections. They have done this for the sake ss accuracy, in speaking of the distin actions of our mind. I much question whether this is according to truth in phileiophy, and I can't but apprehend, that it hath not been Geviceably to the cause of truth in divinity, particBlarlyy in treating on the subject now under conlide- | os CS eee

It seems to me, that our intelligent nature is one poer, and not the subject of different and distin powers, hut capable of exerting itself, in various modes. In perception, willing, nilling, loving, hating, Sc. The other thing I would premise is this: That grace is one Ipiritual principle of operation in the soul, and not, properly speaking, various and distinct habits-leated in our mind; but able to exert itself after diverse ways. As, in spiritual perception, hely chusing andrefusing, loving and delighting in spiritual things, in a spiritual manner, which are commonly spoken of as acts of so many dit. ferent and distinct habits of Grace in our minds; but! think, that they all proceed from one principle, as their” = © common root and spring, If this is true, those contre” which have arisen and been litigated between. men, concerning grace as having one power of the #- 4 only for its subject, and eoncerning the improprieij̃ _ supposing, that the grace of faith is seated in tu. 5 "> of the sou], viz. the understanding and the wild. = £8

tions of 38