get so much as your seed again; ye use means for the recovery of your health, though ye are not sure they will succeed. In these cases probability determines you; and why not in this also? Importunity, we see, does very much with men: therefore pray, meditate, desire help of God; be much at the throne of grace, supplicating for grace; and do not faint. Though God regard not you, who, in your present state, are universally depraved, and vitiated in all the powers of your soul, yet he may regard his own ordinance. Though he regards not your prayers, your meditations, &c. yet he may regard prayer, meditation, and the like means of his own appointment, and so bless them to you. Wherefore, if ye will not do what ye can, ye are not only dead, but you declare yourselves unworthy of eternal life.

To conclude: Let the saints admire the freedom and power of grace, which came to them in their helpless condition, made their chains fall off, raised the fallen creatures, and brought them out of the state of sin and wrath, wherein they would have lain and perished had they not been mercifully visited. Let the natural man be sensible of his utter inability to recover himself. Know thou art without strength, and canst not come to Christ till thou be drawn; thou art lost, and canst not help thyself. This may shake the foundation of thy hopes, who never sawest thy absolute need of Christ and his grace; but thinkest to shift for thyself by thy civility, morality, drowsy wishes and duties; and by thy faith and repentance, which have sprung out of thy natural powers, without the power and efficacy of the grace of Christ. O be convinced of thy absolute need of Christ and

his overcoming grace: believe thy utter inability to recover thyself; that so thou mayest be humbled, shaken out of thy self-confidence, and lie down in dust and ashes, groaning out thy miserable case before the Lord. A kindly sense of thy natural impotency, the impotency of depraved human nature, would be a step towards a delivery.

STATE III.

THE STATE OF GRACE, OR BEGUN RECOVERY.

HEAD I.

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REGENERATION.

1 PETER i. 23.

Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever."

WE proceed now to the state of grace, the state of begun recovery of human nature; into which all that shall partake of eternal happiness are translated, while in this world. It is the result of a gracious change, made upon those who shall inherit eternal life, which change may be taken up in these two: (1.) In opposition to their real natural state, the state of corruption, there is a change made upon them in regeneration, whereby their nature is changed. (2.) In opposition to their natural relative state, the state of wrath, there is a change made upon them in their union with the Lord Jesus Christ; by which they are set beyond the reach of condemnation. These therefore, namely, regeneration and union with Christ, I design to handle, as the great and comprehensive changes on a sinner, constituting him in the state of grace.

The first of these we have in the text, together with the outward and ordinary means by which it is

brought about. The apostle here, to excite the saints to the study of holiness, and particularly of brotherly love, puts them in mind of their spiritual original. He tells them they were born again, and that of an incorruptible seed, the word of God. This speaks them to be brethren, partakers of the same new nature; which is the root from which holiness, and particularly brotherly love doth spring. We are once born sinners; we must be born again, that we may be saints. The simple word signifies "to be begotten," and so it may be read, Matt. xi. 11.— "to be conceived," Matt. i. 20.-and "to be born," Matt. ii. 1. Accordingly, the compound word used in the text may be taken in its full latitude, the last notion presupposing the two former: and so regeneration is a supernatural real change on the whole man, fitly compared to natural generation. The ordinary means of regeneration, called the seed, whereof the new creature is formed, is not corruptible seed. Of such, indeed, our bodies are generated but the spiritual seed, of which the new creature is generated, is incorruptible; namely, "the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." The sound of the word of God passeth even as other sounds do; but the word lasteth, liveth, and abideth, in respect of its everlasting effects, on all upon whom it operates. This word, which by the gospel is preached unto you, (ver. 25.) impregnated by the Spirit of God, is the means of regeneration; and by it are dead sinners raised to life.

DOCTRINE, All men in the state of grace are born again. All gracious persons, namely, such as

are in a state of favour with God, and endowed with gracious qualities and dispositions, are regenerate persons. In discoursing this subject, I shall show what regeneration is-next, why it is so called-and then apply the doctrine.

Of the Nature of Regeneration.

I. For the better understanding of the nature of regeneration, take this along with you in the first place, That as there are false conceptions in nature, so there are also in grace; and by these many are deluded, mistaking some partial changes made upon them for this great and thorough change. To remove such mistakes, let these few things be considered (1.) Many call the church their mother, whom God will not own to be his children: "My mother's children (that is, false brethren) were angry with me." All that are baptized are not born again. Simon was baptized, yet still " in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity." Where Christianity is the religion of the country, many will be called by the name of Christ who have no more of him but the name: and no wonder, seeing the devil had his goats among Christ's sheep in those places where but few professed the Christian religion: They went out from us, but they were not of us." (2.) Good education is not regeneration. Education may chain up men's lusts, but cannot change their hearts. A wolf is still a ravenous beast though it be in chains. Joash was very devout during the life of his good tutor Jehoiada; but afterwards he quickly showed what spirit he was of, by his sudden apostacy. Good example is of mighty influence to change the

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