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The word of God, the feed of

regeneration,

come forth out of the waters of Judah, and Pf. 68. 26, from the fountain of Ifrael; and then the meaning will be: befides that birth, whereby we are born men, there is ftill another requifite, whereby we are born the fons of God: which appears both fimple and agreeable to fcripture language. There is another, who understands by water, Chrift's obedience; we doubt not but that is the meritorious caufe of our regeneration; but we queftion, whether, it is ever called water in fcripture. . For, no fuch thing appears from the fcriptures, they bring to prove it, fuch as Heb to. 22; 1 John, 5. 6, 8; Ezek. 36. 25. By water, in thefe places, we are more properly to understand the Holy Spirit with his operations. And it is evident, our Lord himself explains the paffage in Ezekiel in this manner. The common explication therefore is to be prefered, that one and the fame thing is meant by water and the fpirit, as it is, by the fpirit and fire, Mat. 3. II. For, nothing is more common in the facred writings, than to reprefent the Holy Spirit under the emblem of water. See among other paffages Ifa. 44. 3, I wil pour WATER upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground; I will pour my SPIRIT upon thy feed: where the former figurative expreffion is explained by the fubfequent one, that is plain.

XXV. The feed of regeneration is the word of God. God. For thus, 1 Peter 1, 23, born again not of corruptible feed, but of incorruptible, dià Xoye Culog se, nal μένοντος εις τον αιώνα, Mérorless toy diva, which may be tranflated, by the word of God, who liveth and abideth for ever; or, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. But this feed does not operate always in the fame manner for adult perfons are born again by the word of God, laying before them the deformity, horror and mifery of their natural life, or rather of their living death; and at the fame time, the excellence of that fpiritual life, of which Chrift is the author,

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fountain and pattern; preffing them alfo by the most powerful exhortations, that, denying all carnal lufts and appetites, they may give themfelves up to be new moulded and formed by the spirit of God. And in this manner, the word is to them a moral instrument of regeneration, by teaching and perfuafion. But the cafe is otherwife with elect infants, being incapable of teaching and perfuafion. If they also be thought to be regenerated of the feed of the word, it is to be understood, not of the word externally propounded, which they understand not but of the truths contained in the word, the efficacy of which is imprinted by the Holy Spirit upon their minds, which they will come to the actual knowledge of, when they grow up, but the word operates effectually in none, unless when impregnated by the efficacy of the Spirit. To the external word muft be added the internal, which is no lefs effectual than that word of God, whereby he commanded light to fhine out of darkness. Demo

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XXVI. It is therefore incumbent on every perfon, Which is who would not profanely dispise his falvation, to be carediligently to read, hear and meditate on the word of fully read God, and conftantly attend on the publick worhip and affemblies of his people. For tho', before his regeneration, he cannot favingly hear, read or meditate on the word of God; yet how does he know, which may be the happy hour of his gracious vifitation; what part of holy fcripture, what fermon and by whom, the Lord is to render effectual for his regeneration, by the supernatural efficacy of his fpirit? Experience teaches this, that men are born again there where the word of God is preached; a thing which is not the cafe in those parts of the world, which God favours not with the preaching of the gospel. And tho' we dare not affure any one, that if he continues in hearing the word, he fhall certainly be born again; yet we justly infift upon this, that there is a brighter hope of the wifhed-for converfion

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converfion for thofe, who, in the best manner they can, use the means, which God has prescribed, than for fuch as frowardly neglect them. While Ezekiel was prophefying to the dry bones behold, A SHAKING was observed among them, and the breath (spirit) came and they lived, Ex. 37. 7, 10.

XXVII. Let none think it abfurd, that we now manner fpeak of means for regeneration, when, but a litle the means before, we rejected all preparations for it. We have above fufficiently proved, that none can contribute prescribed for rege. any thing to his own regeneration: yet God comneration. mands, every one, to make himself a new heart, and a new fpirit, Ezek. 18. 31: to awake from fleep and arife from the dead, Eph. 5. 14; and to flee from the wrath to come, Mat. 3. 7. And what then? Shall we infignificant mortals, pretend to reply to God, as if by our fophiftry, we could catch and entangle the almighty; fhall we fay, to what purpose are we enjoin'd to what none of us can comply with? Shalf we exclaim against the counsel of God, and cry out "fince we can contribute nothing to our regeneration " is it not the best courfe we can take to put our "hands in our bofom, and fecurely wait, till he "himself regenerate us?" But would not this be, with our vain and carnal reafonings to argue with God, whofe foolishness will be ever found wifer than our most exalted wiidoin? How much better is it, when one hears these commands of God, and, at the fame time, is fenfible of his own incapacity, that he learn a holy defpair of himfelf, and in forrow, anxiety and a longing defire of foul and in the ufe of the means, patiently wait for the coming of the grace of God?

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XXVIII. Moreover, when a perfon, touched fects of with an unfeigned fenfe of his mifery, and a wing the fincere defire after his falvation, cries out with the jailor, what must I do to be faved? Als 16. 30% even then fome pious emotions begin to arife, which proceed from an inward, but a very tender principle

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of new life, and which are folicitoufly to be che rifhed. For which purpofe it is expedient, ift. That he frequently, and in as affecting a manner, as poffible, fet before his eyes the moft wretched con dition of all unregenerate perfons, and how him elf alfo, while he continues in the ftate of nature, has nothing to expect but eternal deftruction, a deprivation of the divine glory, and intolerable torments both of foul and of body, and all this unavoidable, unlefs he be born again in the image of God. zdly. That, affected by this confideration, he cry, pray to, be earnest with God, and not give over crying, till he has obtained his grace. Let him often reprefent himself to himfelf, as now ftanding on the very brink of the infernal lake, with the devil ftanding by him, who, fhould the fupreme being permit, would inftantly hurry him head long into hell and in this anguish of his diftreffed foul, importune God, and, as it were, extort pardon, by the warmeft prayers, fighs and tears 3dly. Let him, however, go on to hear, read and meditate on the word of God, expecting the farther motions of the fpirit, as the difeafed waited for the angel to move the waters of Bethesda 4thly. Let him join himself in fociety With the godly, and, in the exercife of piety, endeavour to catch the flame of devotion from their instruction, example, and prayers.

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E now proceed to explain the nature of Savingtrue FAITH in God by Chrift, which is faith very the principal act of that fpiritual life, implanted in compre

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the elect by regeneration, and the fource of all alads fubsequent vital operations. But it is not any one 10 particular act, or habit, nor muft it be reftricted to any one particular faculty of the foul, for it is a ada to is certain complex thing, confifting of various, acts, which, without confufion, pervade, and, by a 9. Ivot fweet and happy, conjunction, mutually promote and affift one another, it imports a change of the whole le man, is the fpring of the whole fpiritual life, and in fine, the holy energy and activity of the whole foul towards God, in Chrift. And therefore full extent can scarcely be diftinctly comprehended under any one fingle idea.

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Juft like II. And we need not wonder, that under the fife; as name of one Christian virtue, fo many others, are being the fource of at once comprehended. For as, when any perfon fpiritual fpeaks of life, he fignifies by that term fomething that, diffufing itself thro' the whole foul, and all its faculties, is alfo communicated to the body, and extends itself to all the actions of the living perfon fo when we speak of faith, which is the moft fruitful fpring of the whole fpiritual life, we under wh ftand by it that, which pervades all the faculties, and is well adapted to unite them with Chrift and fo to enliven, fanctify and render them blef fed... garbasiksban

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III. There are many things both in naturals and reftrained morals, which are aoul, by general confent allowed to any one to extend to the whole without being reftricted faculty, any more to any one faculty. In naturals, free-will, which as than free will is referred to the understanding, as free, rather to will and the wilk fo that as Bernard fomewhere fpeaks, let original righteouf- man be his own freeman on account of his will, bis own judge on account of his reafon. In morals, the image of God, and original righteoufnefs; which are to be placed neither in the understanding alone, nor in the will alone, but may juftly belong to both thefe faculties.

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