Imagens das páginas
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death: But in the inftant he begins to live, he is generate born again. Wherefore no intermediate ftate be- in the first tween the regenerate and unregenerate can be imagined fo much as in thought, if we mean regeneration in the firft act: for one is either dead or alive; has either the Spirit of the flesh and the world, or the Spirit of God actuating him; is either in the state of grace, or in the ftate of malediction; either the child of God, or of the devil; either in the way to falvation, or damnation. There neither is, nor can be any medium here. The holy fcripture divides all mankind into two claffes, fheep and goats, Mat. 25. 2, 3; and compares their goings to two ways; whereof the one, which is broad, leads to diftruction; the other, which is narrow, to life, Mat. 7. 13, 14; and there is none, who does not tread in one or other of thefe ways. And what if he, whom fome imagine to be in an intermediate ftate, fhould depart this animal life, before he be fully brought to the fpiritual life, would fuch a one be received into heaven? But heaven is open only to the actually regenerate, Jobn 33; or thrust into hell? But hell is allotted only for the goats, and for thofe who, all their life long, have walked in the broad way or perhaps fuch will be received into fome intermediate place, where, being free from the pains of hell, and deprived of the joys of heaven, they will delight themfelves in I know not what degree of natural happiness; as fome Popith doctors, difcourfing in the council of Trent,, of infants dying without baptifm, pleafed themselves with thefe fond fportings of their imagination; which the author of the hiftory of that council, Lib. 2. p. 157, has not difmiffed without a good deal of acrimony and fharpness. Or, you will fay, perhaps, it is a cafe which never happens, that any one fhould die in that intermediate ftate. But produce me the vouchers of fuch an affertion, whereby fecurity is given thofe, in this

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intermediate claffes, of fpinning out their lives, till they shall have declared, of what clafs they choose to be. I don't remember to have read any thing, on that head, in fcripture. And if that intermediate ftate has fuch an indifolvable connection with falvation, it will be no longer intermediate, but a ftate of grace. For, it is grace alone, to which the attainment of glory is infallibly affigned. I own,' there are various degrees of regenerátion in the fecond act; and that the feed of it fometimes lies hid under the earth, or, at most, exerts fome flender and initial, and, as it were, infantile operations, differing very much with respect to perfection, fromr thofe, which a more advanced fpirit of fanctification produces: yet fecing the former alfo have their rife from the fountain of the new life, it is plain, that they who exert them, are to be ranked among the regenerate. For, we muft fay one of these two things; either, that these operations afcribed to the intermediate ftate, proceed from the powers of nature and common grace; and thus there is nothing in them, which may not be found in the reprobate, and thofe entirely unregenerate: or, that they proceed from the indwelling Spirit of grace, and fo are effects of regeneration, to which the beginnings of the new life are owing.

IX. Hence it appears, there are no preparations there any antecedent to the firft beginning of regeneration; preparato- because previous to that, nothing but mere death in

ry work to the highest degree is to be found in the perfon to be

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regenerated. When we were DEAD IN SINS, he bath quickened us together with Chrift, Eph. 2. 5. And indeed, the fcripture reprefents man's converfion by fuch fimilitudes, as fhow, that all preparations are entirely excluded; fometimes calling it a new generation to which, certainly, none can contribute any thing of himself: but yet, as natural generation prefuppofes fome difpofitions in the matter; fo, that we may not imagine any fuch thing to be in

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felves but from God, we have this held forth by the fimilitude of a refurrection; in which a body is restored from matter, prepared by no qualifications: yet because here, certainly, is matter, but in the refurrection of the foul there is nothing at all, therefore we have added the figure of a creation, PT. 51. 10, Eph. 2. 10; by which we are taught, that a new creature exifts from a spiritual nothing, which Is fin but as there was not fomething in nothing, to affift and fuftain creation; fo there was nothing to oppose and refift; but fin is fo far from fubmitting to what God does, that it is reluctant thereto, and in a hoftile manner at enmity, with him; accordingly, the other images did not fully compleat the idea of this admirable action, till at length it is called the victory of God: victory, I fay, over the devil, whơ maintains his palace, Luke 11. 21, and effectually worketh in the children of disobedience, Epb. 2. 2. All thefe operations of God, which Alexander More has, in an elegant order, ranged one after another, de vittoria Gratia, Diff. t. Theff. 1o, tend to exclude, as far as poffible, all preparations from the beginning of our regeneration.

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X. The Semi-pelagans therefore of Marseilles were The opi mistaken, who infifted, that a man comes to the Pilagius grace, whereby we are regenerated in Chrift, by a refuted. natural faculty; as by afking, feeking, knocking; and that, in fome at leaft, before they are born again, there is a kind of repentance going before, together with a forrow for fin, and a change of the life for the better, and a beginning of faith, and an initial love of God, and a defire of grace: it is true, they did not look on thefe endeavours, to be of fuch importance, as that it could be faid, we were thereby rendred worthy of the grace of the Holy Spirit; as Pelagius and Julian profeffed: but yet they imagined, they were an occafion by which God was. moved, to bestow his grace; for they faid, that the mercy of God is fuch, that he recompenfes this very * VOL. II. E

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fmall beginning of good with this illuftrious reward; as Vofius bift. pelag. lib. 4, p. 1. Theff. 1, has refined this their opinion. The Remonftrants are likewise mistaken, in Collatione Hagienfi, editionis Brandiane, p. 302, when they write, fome work of man therefore goes before bis vivification; namely, to acknowledge and bewail his death, to will, and defire deliverance from it; to bunger, thirst, and feek after life: all which, and a great deal befides, is required by Chrift in thofe, whom be will make alive. But there is little accuracy in the reafonings of thefe men. For, 1ft,, Since our nature is become like an evil tree, after having eaten of the forbidden fruit, it can produce no fruit truly good and acceptable to God, and do nothing, by which it can prepare itfelf for the grace of regeneration; unless a perfon can be thought to prepare himfelf for grace by fin, 2dly, It has been found, that they, who, in appearance were, in the beft manner, difpofed for regeneration, were yet at the greatest diftance from it, as the inftance of that young man, Mark, 19. 21, 22, very plainly fhews. He appeared. to be full of good intentions, and inflamed with a defire after heaven, and a blamelefs life before men, to a degree, that Jefus himself beholding him loved him; but notwithstanding all these difpofitions, he, parted with our Lord forrowful. 3dly, And on the other hand, they, who had not even the leaft appearance of any preparation, as the publicans and lots, went into the kingdom of God, before thofe who were civilly righteous and externally religious; for thefe last believed not John, declaring the way of righteoufnefs; but the publicans and the barlets truly, believed, Mat. 21. 31, 32. 4thly and laftly, God teftifies, that in the firft approach of his grace, he is found of them, that fought him not, and asked not for bim, Ifa, 65. 1. Fulgentious lib. 1. de veritat prædeft. p. 62, fays extremely well: We have not certainly received grace, because we are willing, but grace is given us, while we are still unwilling.

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XI. There have been likewife fome among our- Preparafelves, who have spoken of preparations to regeneration, or converfion; but in a quite different fenfe fome of from the favourers of Pelagianifm. In perfons to be the orthoregenerated, they have affigned, ift, A breaking of dox, but the natural obftinacy, and a flexibility of the will. in a dif2, A ferious confideration of the law. 3, A confi- fenfe. deration of their own fins and offences against God. 4, A legal fear of punishment, and a dread of hell, and confequently a defpairing of their falvation, with refpect to any thing in themfelves. For, in this order Perkins, Caf. Confcient. c. 5. quæft. i. fect. 1. reckons up thefe preparations; and Ames in the fame manner, Caf. Confcient. lib. 2. c. 4. And the British, divines explained themfelves almoft to the fame purpofe in the fynod of Dort. p. 139, of the Utrecht edition, 1620 fol. 1ft, There are fome external works, ordinarily required of men, before they are brought to a State of regeneration, or converfion, which are wont fometimes to be freely done, fometimes freely omitted by them: as going to church, hearing the word preached and the like. 2dly, There are some internal effects, previous to converfion, or regeneration, excited by the power of the word and Spirit in the hearts of those, who are not yet juftified as the knowledge of the will of God, fenfe of fin, dread of punishment, anxiety about deliverance, Jome hope of pardon. But they differ from the favourers of Pelagianifm in this manner. ift, That they are not for having these things to proceed from nature, but profefs them to be the effects of the fpirit of bondage, preparing a 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 occafion of, thefe preparations, much lefs by any merit in them; but they imagine, that God, in this manner, levels a way for himself, fills up vallies, depreffes mountains and hills, in order the better to fmooth the way for his entrance E 2

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