in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing Ver. 19. The Good that I would do I do not but the Evil which I would not do that I do Ver. 22. I delight in the Law of God after the Inward man Ver. 23. But I see another Law in my Members warring against the Law of my Mind and bringing me into captivity to the Law of Sin Nor need we here dispute the point whether St. Paul speak this of himself as in his Regenerate condition or in his Unregenerate For either way it serves our purpose well enough That there is in man at least before his Regeneration such Habitual Corruption as makes him thus Prone to Sin and Averse to Good How much of it remains afterward because that we are Sanctified but in part is to our present purpose not necessary But that there is too much of it even those that are the most Sanctified find cause to bewail This Depravation of Nature or as our Church calls it Infection of Nature she hath so well described in her 9 th Article that I will not take upon me to mend it She calls it there Original Sin and declares it to be The Fault and Corruption of the Nature of every man that naturally is engendred of the Off-spring of Adam Whereby man is far gone from Original Righteousness and is of his own Nature Inclined to Evil So that the Flesh lusteth alwaies against the Spirit And therefore in every person born into this world it deserveth God's Wrath and Damnation With more to the same purpose I do not intend here to enter into a nice discourse of Original Sin What it is or By what means it comes to be derived upon us It is enough for our present purpose which our Church saith explicitely That such a thing there is That by this we are Inclined to Evil That it is Universal to all naturally descended from Adam That it sticks so close to us as to be called Our own Nature and That it deserves God's Wrath and Damnation Now this being our Nature as we proceed from Adam there will be need of another Nature before we can be accepted of God Which I do not mean of a Physical change as to the Essentials of Humane Nature But of a Moral change as to the Propensions and Inclinations of it And this Change of Nature is that which the Text means by being Born again For though our English-Tongue do not so much favour it Nova Natura and de novo Nasci are all one A new Nativity is a new Nature And it is the Hebrews common form of Speech which the Greek in the New Testament doth use to follow to call men the Sons of such whose Natures they imitate Upon a common presumption that Animals are of the same nature with those from which they descend Thus A Generation of Vipers A seed of Evil doers Children of Belial Ye are of your Father the Devil and the like imply as much as a Viperous Wicked and Devilish Nature And contrariwise to be Born of God on the Child of God is to be like God to be made partaker of a Divine Nature And Christ to the Pharisees Joh. 8.39 If ye were the Children of Abraham ye would do the works of Abraham v. 44. But ye are of your Father the Devil and the Lusts of your Father ye will do That is If you had Abraham's Nature you would Act like Abraham But being of a Devilish Nature you Act accordingly And thus much for the Ground or Reason of this Necessity It is the Corruption of our own Nature that makes it necessary to have a new Nature before we can see the Kingdome of God where no unclean thing may enter Eph. 4.22 We must put off the Old man which is Corrupt according to the deceitfull lusts v. 23. And be Renewed in the spirit of our Minds v. 24. And put on the New man which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holyness We are next to consider By what Power it is that this Change of Nature must be wrought And this Christ tells Joh. 3.5 must be by the Spirit Except a man be born of Water and of the Spirit 'T is not enough that a man be washed with Water such as were many of the Jewish Cleansings and Initiations but insufficient to wash away Sin He must be born of the Spirit also and by that be cleansed from the pollutions of Nature if ever he see the Kingdome of God Ver. 6. For that which is born of the Flesh is but Flesh 't is that which is born of the Spirit that is Spirit To be born of the Flesh is enough to give us a Fleshly Nature that of a Reasonable creature or a Sinfull creature And to be washed with Water may take away the Filth of the Body But it must be a Spiritual birth that gives us a Spiritual nature and it must be the Laver of Regeneration and the Renewing of the holy Ghost Tit. 3.5 that washeth away the Filth of Sin No man comes to me saith Christ Joh. 6.44 except the Father who sent me draw him 'T is according to his Divine Power saith Peter 2 Pet. 1.3 that we are made partakers of the Divine Nature v. 4. 'T is by the spirit of his Son saith St. Paul Gal. 4.6 which God sends into our hearts whereby we are inabled to cry Abba Father Those to whom there is no condemnation Rom. 8.1 are they who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit Those who have another principle of Life and Action by Spiritual Regeneration than that of the Flesh by Carnal Generation Ver. 5. For they that are after the Flesh do mind the thiâ—gs of the Flesh but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit Ver. 6. For to be carnally minded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Death but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be Spiritually minded is Life and Peace v. 7. Because the carnal mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be Ver. 8. So then they that are in the Flesh cannot Please God V. 9. But ye are not in the Flesh but in the Spirit if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you Now if any have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Ver. 13. For if ye live after the Flesh ye shall dye but if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the Body ye shall Live Ver. 14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God With much more there to the same purpose I know very well that the name of the Spirit in this loose age is made matter of Burlesk and Drollery But so are all the sacred things of God His Being and Providence Heaven and Hell and the day of Judgment Yet we must not therefore be Drolled out of our Religion The Truths of God will still
in our hearts that we shall not depart from him Jer. 32.40 We may well rest satisfied that he who hath said it can doe it without cavilling or nice inquiring How can these things be And the like when God threatens to harden Pharaoh's heart Exod. 4.21 and 7.3 or to make the heart of the people fat that hearing they may hear but not understand Isai. 6.9 10. and seeing they may see but not perceive Mat. 13.14 15. To wit by leaving them to their natural hardness and blindness without correcting it by his Spirit Now that which hereby we prove is this Not that God forces us to will against our wills for that in sensu composito as to the Elicite Act is impossible as implying a contradiction in the terms for as to what we will we are so far willing But that by the Spirit we are born again that is that God by his Spirit works in us a new Nativity a new Nature that is a new Habit of Grace whereby we are inclined to Love and Delight in Good as by the habitual Corruption of our Nature we are inclined to Evil. And this is the concurrent doctrine of the Schools Who I think do generally allow that our Souls are capable of Infused Habits as well as acquired And if by derivation from our first parents we be capable of habitual Corruption I see not why we should doubt but that we are alike capable of habitual Grace And of this for ought I know as early as of that For like as there may be habitual Corruption before we be in a capacity for want of the use of Reason to commit Actual Sin So may God as early put into our hearts the Seeds of Grace which may afterwards when occasion shall serve bring forth the Fruits of good living He may I say when he please not that he alwaies so doth We reade of Isaiah that he was called from the womb Isai. 49.1 and of Jeremiah Jer. 1.5 Before thou camest out of the womb I Sanctified thee and of John the Baptist that he should be filled with the holy Ghost even from his mothers womb Luk. 1.15 And our Church presumes of Infants that they be at least some of them Regenerate when Baptized And therefore For as much as all men are conceived and born in Sin and that our Saviour Jesus Christ says None can enter into the Kingdome of God except he be Regenerate and Born anew of Water and of the holy Ghost doth direct us to call upon God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ that of his bounteous mercy he will grant to this Child that thing which by Nature he cannot have And doth pray accordingly that God will Wash him and Sanctifie him with the holy Ghost And that he may receive remission of Sins by Spiritual Regeneration Nor is the Holy Ghost less able to work effectually afterwards Else why are we taught to pray to God to grant us true repentance and his holy Spirit that the things may please him which we doe at present and that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure and holy That all our doings may be ordered by his Government to doe alwaies that which is righteous in his sight And for the King's Majesty That God will replenish him with the grace of his Spirit that he may alwaies incline to God's will and walk in his waies and to endue him plenteously with heavenly Gifts And for the Royal Family That God will endue them with his holy Spirit and enrich them with his heavenly Grace And for the Clergy That God will send upon our Bishops and Curates and all Congregations committed to their charge the healthfull Spirit of his Grace And for our selves That being Regenerate and made his Children by Adoption and Grace we may be daily renewed by his holy Spirit That as by his special Grace Preventing us he puts into our minds good Desires so by his continual Help we may bring the same to good Effect That by his holy Inspiration we may Think those things that be good and by his mercifull Guiding we may Perform the same That God who did teach the hearts of his faithfull people by sending them the light of his holy Spirit will grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things That because by the weakness of our mortal nature we can doe no good thing without him he will grant us the help of his Grace that in keeping his commandments we may please him both in Will and Deed. That God who is the Author and Giver of all good things will graft in our heart the Love of his Name That he will Grant us the Spirit to Think and Doe alwaies such things as be rightfull that we who cannot doe any thing without him may by him be enabled to live according to his will That because the frailty of Man without him cannot but fall he will keep us ever by his help That his Grace may alwaies Prevent and Follow us and make us continually to be given to all good works That Almighty God will cleanse the Thoughts of our Hearts by the inspiration of his holy Spirit that we may perfectly love him and worthily magnify his holy Name With much more in the Prayers of our Church to the same purpose All which implies that there is a power in God to work in our Souls by his Spirit such a gracious frame and temper of Heart inclining it to Good as before it was to Evil as without it would not have been And truly if we do allow that the Wisdome of man by moral Arguments and rational Discourse may without doing violence to his Will perswade another to Think otherwise than before he did and to Doe what otherwise he would not have done which yet when he doth he doth Freely Nay more if a Glass of Wine though taken moderately and without excess may give a man that Life Vigour and Alacrity as to make him almost another man to Speak Think and Doe what else he would not or at least not in such a Manner and to such a Degree Surely we may allow the Wisdome of God and the Efficacy of his Spirit without intrenching upon our Freedome to doe as much or more than so And either without or in concurrence with such moral Swasions to put that Warmth into our hearts as to act beyond what without it we should have done Nor is there any reason to fear that such Inclination to Good from the Spirit of God should prejudice the Freedome of our Will any more if so much as the Inclination to Evil from our own Corruption or the Temptations of Sathan Especially since that the Blessed Angels and the Glorified Saints in Heaven where Sorrow and Sin shall be no more shall as Freely Love God and Praise him as we on Earth can do Notwithstanding that they shall be
to inherit the Kingdome of God there must be a New Nature wrought in us and those Propensions changed for better a new Principle must be instilled which shall render us inclinable to Righteousness as before we were to Sin And this is that which the Text calls A being born again Nor is this so harsh a Trope or uncouth Form of Speech as at first view it may seem to be But very usual with some little alteration in all Languages For denuo nasci or de novo nasci to be born again or born anew is all one as to have novam naturam a new nature Natura being but a Verbal of Nascor Like as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And we know 't is very usual to speak of Good natures Better natures New natures c. when we intend only different Qualities or habitual Propensions and Inclinations though without an Essential diversity 'T is not indeed so obvious to observe that Equivalency in our own Language because the Noun and Verb are not Conjugates as in the Greek and Latine The word Nature coming by a French Extraction from Nascor But to Bear and to be Born by a Saxon from Pario But both are words of the same import For Nascor doth but supply the Passive voice of Pario And they are so rendered in English Pario to Bear and Nascor to be Born So that to be born again or born anew is the same as to have another nature a new nature to become as we use to say another Kind of Man for kind or kin is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nascor to become a better natur'd Man And to be born of God is but what we say in another Phrase to be made partakers of the Divine Nature which the Greeks would not scruple to express by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So to be born of the Spirit is to have a spiritual Nature Born of the Flesh a fleshly Nature All the difference is this That what according to the common Idioms is expressed by Natura is according to the Idiom of the Hebrews expressed by Natus a Son a Child or being Born which Idiom the Writers of the New Testament do frequently follow as being much conversant with the Jews and accustomed to their forms of Speech Thus John 8.39 If ye were the Children of Abraham ye would doe the works of Abraham is as much as to say If ye had Abraham's nature ye would doe Abraham's works And again ver 42 45. If God were your Father ye would love me because I came from God But ye are of your Father the Devil and the lusts of your Father ye will doe That is If ye were of a Godly nature ye would love him that comes from God But because your nature is Devilish your designs are so too Thus Mat. 12.34 Sons of Belial a generation of Vipers Isa. 1.4 A seed of Evil-doers 1 Sam. 20.30 Thou Son of the Perverse Woman Ezek. 16.3 Thy Father was an Amorite and thy Mother an Hittite with the like expressions import such a Nature such a Disposition as that of those whose Children they are said to be And all upon that general Notion That the Off-spring or Progeny are frequently observed to Imitate those from whom they proceed Whence that of St. Paul Ephes. 5.1 Be ye followers of God as dear Children But for the better understanding of this Phrase We are to consider further That we are in Scripture called the Children of God or Sons of God in at least a twofold acceptation Sons of God by Adoption And Sons of God by Regeneration Which though they both belong to the same Persons yet in a very different Notion The one imports a Relative change The other a Real That relates to the business of Justification This to that of Sanctification Adoption is a Forensick word and implies an act of Grace or Favour by which those that by nature are not Sons come to be so Reputed and are put into a like condition as if they were Sons and are thereby intituled to the Inheritance It implies therefore a change of State not a change of Nature a Relative not a Real change It doth without conferring a new Nature create at least a new Relation But a Son by Birth receives from his Parent not a Relation only but his very Nature and Being And the Scripture in calling us the Sons of God hath respect to both these notions That of Adoption we have in Gal. 4.4 5 7. In the fulness of time God sent his Son made of a Woman made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the Adoption of Sons wherefore thou art no more a servant but a Son And if a Son then an Heir c. And Ephes. 1.5 Having proedestinated us to the adoption of Children And if Children then heirs heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ as in Rom. 8.17 And this I take it is the same which by some Divines is called Positive Justification relating to what they call Christ's Active Obedience Which they do contradistinguish to what they call Negative Justification which they refer to the Passive Obedience of Christ. What Christ hath done and suffered for us considered as a satisfaction to Divine Justice which they call his Passive Obedience doth Ransome us from the Curse of the Law done to us for Sin and puts us in a condition of Not guilty which they call Negative Justification or Absolution And by this we are excused from Hell But what he hath done or suffered by way of Purchase Meriting a Reward for us which they call his Active Obedience gives us a title to Heaven or as it is called Eph. 1.14 the Inheritance of that Purchased Possession And this they call Possitive Justification and is in Scripture language called Adoption Which yet need not be so understood as if some parts of Christ's Obedience were only Satisfactory and not Meritorious others Meritorious only and not Satisfactory But the same obedience may sustain both Considerations Considered as Satisfactory it Frees us from Hell Considered as Meritorious it Entitles us to Heaven Now 't is one thing for a Prince to Acquit a Traitor of all Crimes as well of Omission as of Commission which Absolves him from Punishment Another thing to Adopt him moreover as a Prince and entitle him to a Crown And though both be coincident on the same Person yet under a different notion The one as an act of Pardon the other of Bounty And if a third person by what he doth or suffereth procure Both for him 'T is as to the one a Satisfaction as to the other a Purchase Now Whether we call That Negative Justification and This Possitive Justification Or call That Justification and This Adoption Is but a difference of Words the Notions are still the same But neither of these whether that of