he is never wholly deftitute of faith, and love, which is in CHRIST JESUS.

5. The fifth Scripture mark of regeneration is, doing righteousness: For he that doth not righteousnefs, is not of GOD. By this fruit therefore, the children of GOD are made manifeft; as it is written, know ye that every one that doth righteousness is born of him t. To the fame purpose, the Pfalmift faith, depart from evil, and do the thing that is good; and dwell for evermore. -A man may fay

that he hath faith and love in his heart; but bew me, faith the Scripture, thy faith by thy works.Now a man muft do good, or do evil: He that doth evil bath not feen God, neither known him, for GOD is love; and love worketh no ill to his neighbour: But be that doth good is of God; therefore every one that doth good, or worketh righteoufnefs, is a righteous perfon, and born of GoD. As a tree is known by its fruit, whether it be good or bad; even fo is a man known by his works.

Indeed there is a baftard kind of righteousness, practifed by Pharifees and Papifts, which hath a fhew of humility, and good works, but they are not fo in reality: For they feek not God's glory, but their own; they truft not in CHRIST for righ

+ John ii. 29.

teousness,

‡ 3 John 11.

teousness, but in themselves; neither do they any good works to their neighbours, except it be from felfifh and vain-glorious motives: But he that doth righteoufnefs acording to truth, feeks God's glory, not his own; rejoiceth alone in CHRIST JESUS; and difinterestedly aims to do his neighbour good,

But fome Chriftians, altho' they follow after righteousness, yet often complain of their unfruitfulnefs, that they cannot do the good that they would; and verily it is to be lamented, that Chriftians are not more zealous for God's glory, and more fruitful in good works: But, for the encouragement of the feeble minded, know this; that, if there be a willing mind, and it is in your hearts to glorify Gop in all things; doubtless the will is accepted with God for the very act and deed. David had it in his heart to build GOD an houfe: But faith GOD, thou shalt not build me an houfe; but Solomon, thy fon, he fhall build me an houfe; nevertheless thou didst well, in that it was in thine heart .

-Thus GOD looketh on the heart, and accepteth the will for the deed; when there is not ability, or opportunity to perform it: And perhaps he hath appointed the performance of fuch and such things for others of his fervants. Some are perfect in their measure, when they bring forth but thirty

2 Chron. vi. 8.

fold;

fold; while others are not perfect except they bring forth an hundred fold. It is certain that the defire of finners to commit fin, is fin; the inclination of the heart towards it, is the fame in God's account as if they actually did it; for he faith, whofoever looketh upon a woman, to luft after her, bath committed adultery with her already in his heart: And why alfo is not the defire of doing the will of GOD righteousness in his fight? Yea, there cannot be the defire of doing righteoufnefs, without the heart's being righteous: For the heart is the fource, and fountain of all the defires. The defire is the fruit in God's fight, who looketh on the heart: The outward act is the fruit in the fight of man, that GOD may be glorified thereby in the earth, and our neighbour edifyed.

I speak thus of the defire of righteousness, which is the hungering of the new born foul; only to encourage, and comfort those that are weak in faith, and cannot do the good that they would: For, if any man pretend to defire righteousness, without endeavouring practically to follow after it, he deceiveth himself.Balaam did not defire to live the life, but only to die the death of the righteous: But every one that is born of GoD defires to live the life of the righteous; and, in his meafure, he doth it: Wherefore he faith; bleffed are they which

bunger

bunger and thirst after righteousness, for they fhall be filled.

6. Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world*. This is another mark of regeneration.-The world is the enemy of GOD; and is therefore continually fighting, by its alluring pleasures and promises; by its terrifying frowns, and threatenings, against the children of GOD: but, altho' it often wounds, alarms, and perplexes the fouls of believers, (becaufe, being yet in the body, they cannot flee from it, as they otherwise would ;) yet the foul continues to hold fast the truth; refifting unto blood, ftriving against fint: And gradually, by faith, he overcomes the world, because he is born of GOD. But they that are entangled therein, and overcome, turning afide to crooked paths, plainly fhew that they are not born of GOD; as do alfo all thofe that abide not in CHRIST, confeffing his name, and enduring unto the end: For, if any man draw back, my foul fhall have no pleasure in him; but we, who are born of GOD, are not of them who draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe unto the faving of the foul‡.

7. The laft Scripture mark of a foul's being born of GoD, which I fhall mention is this, he

loves, and defires the pure word of God: whereby his foul is fed and nourished, as the body by its ordinary food: Wherefore he faith, As new-born babes defire the fincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby; if fo be ye have tafted that the Lord is gracious. By being born of the Spirit, they are capable of tafting, or favouring the things of GOD; and hence, having tasted, they defire after them.

-Now, to defire after the word of God's grace, because its truth is fweet, and its nature, thro' faith in CHRIST, is healing, nourishing and ftrengthening to the foul, in the way of righteousness unto holinefs; is a proof of our being regenerate. Thy word, faith David, is good, and thy fervant loveth it.The foul of a believer not only relishes the word of God, but also defires to- live, and grow ftrong thereby; that it may bring forth more fruit unto God; and therefore it is the pure, unadulterated word of God, that it covets and efteems: Thus every one that doth truth cometh to the light; that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in GoD, and that he may know himself, and prove to others that he is of GOD.And I exhort thee, Christian Reader, by hearing, and meditating on God's pure word, with continual prayer to God in the name of our Lord JɛSUS CHRIST, for the fupply of his Holy Spirit, to teach and strengthen thy foul in believing;