untraceable, then most of all the workings of his grace are conducted in a secret unperceivable way in this new birth: he gives this spiritual being as the dew which is silently and insensibly formed, and this generation of the Sons of God is compared to it by the psalmist. They have this original from Heaven as the dew. Except a man be born from above, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. And it is the peculiar work of the Spirit of God, as he himself speaks of the dew to Job", Hath the rain a father, or who hath begotten the drops of the dew? The sharpest wits are to seek in the knowledge and discovery of it, as Job speaketh of a way that no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture's eye hath not seen'.

To contest much, how in this regeneration he works upon the will, and renews it, is to little purpose, provided this be granted, that it is in his power to regenerate, and renew a man at his pleasure: and how is it possible not to grant this, unless we will → run into that error to think, that God hath made a creature too hard for himself to rule, or hath willingly exempted it? And shall the works of the Almighty, especially this work, wherein most of all others he glories, fail in his hand, and remain imperfect? Shall there be any abortive births whereof God is the Father? Shall I bring to the birth (says he) and not cause to bring forth? No, no sinner so dead, but there is virtue in his hand to revive out of the very stones. Though the most impenitent hearts are as stones within them, yet he can make of them children to Abraham'. He can dig out the heart of stone, and put a heart of flesh", in its place, otherwise he would not have made such a promise". Not of flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. If his sovereign will is not a sufficient principle of this regeneration, why then says the Apostle St. James, Of his own will begat he us, and

f Psal. cx. 3.
Job. xxviii. 7.

g Joh. iii. 3.
k Isa. lxvi. 9.

m Ezek. xxxvi. 26.

h Job xxxviii. 28.
Luke iii. S.

» Joh. i. 13.

he adds the subordinate cause, by the word of truth°, which is here called the immortal seed of this new birth.

Therefore it is that the Lord hath appointed the continuance of the ministry of this word, to the end that his church may be still fruitful bringing forth sons unto him. That the assemblies of his people may be like Flocks of sheep coming up from the washing, none barren amongst them3.

Though the ministers of this word, by reason of their employment in dispensing it, have by the scriptures the relation of parents imparted to them, which is an exceeding great dignity for them as they are called co-workers with God. And the same Apostle that writes so, calls the Galatians his little children of whom he travelled in birth again till Christ were formed in them; and the ministers of God have often very much pain in this travel, yet the privilege of the Father of Spirits remains untouched, which is effectually to beget again these same Spirits which he creates, and to make that seed of the word fruitful that way, where, and when he will. The preacher of the word, be he never so powerful, can cast this seed only into the ear, his hand reaches no further, and the hearer, by his attention, may convey it into his head; but it is the supreme Father and teacher above that carries it into the heart, the only soil wherein it proves lively and fruitful. One man cannot reach the heart of another, how should he then renew its fruitfulness? If natural births have been always acknowledged to belong to God's prerogative, Lo children are an heritage of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is his reward. And so Jacob answered wisely to his wife's foolish passion, Am I in God's steadTM? How much more is this new birth wholly dependent on his hand?

But though this word cannot beget without him, yet it is by this word that he begets, and ordinarily

• Ja. i. 18.

P Cant. iv. 2.

I Gen. xxx, 2.

9 Psal. cxxvii. 3.

not without it. It is true that the substantial eternal word is to us (as we said) the spring of this new birth and life, the head from whom the Spirits of this supernatural life flow; but that by the word here is meant the Gospel, the Apostle puts out of doubt, verse last, And this is the word which by the Gospel is preached unto you. Therefore thus is this word really the seed of this new birth, because it contains and declares that other word, the Son of God as our life. The word is spoken in common, and so is the same to all hearers; but then all hearts being naturally shut against it, God doth by his own hand open some to receive it, and mixes it with faith, and those it renews, and restoreth in them the image of God, draws the traces of it anew, and makes them the Sons of God. My doctrine shall drop as the dew, says Moses, the word as a heavenly dew not falling beside, but dropt into the heart by the hand of God's own Spirit, makes it all become spiritual and heavenly, and turns it into one of those drops of dew that the children of God are compared to. Thou hast the dew of thy youth.

The natural estate of the soul is darkness, and the word as a divine light shining into it, transforms the soul into its own nature; so that as the word is called light, so is the soul that is renewed by it, Ye were darkness, but now are ye, not only enlightened, but light in the Lord". All the evils of the natural mind are often comprised under the name of darkness and error, and therefore is the whole work of conversion likewise signified by light and truth, he begat us by the word of truth, alluding to the first fiat lux, or let there be light, in the creation: the word brought within the soul by the Spirit lets it see its own necessity and Christ's sufficiency, convinceth it thoroughly and causeth it to cast over itself upon him for life; and this is the very begetting of it again to eternal life.

So that this efficacy of the word to prove suc

• Deut. xxxii. 2.

t Psal. cx. 3.
* Ja. i. 18. So 2 Cor. iv. 6.

u

1Eph. v. 8.

cessful seed, doth not hang upon the different abilities of preachers, their having more or less rhetorick or learning. It is true, eloquence hath a great advantage in civil and moral things to persuade, and to draw the hearers by the ears, almost which way it will: but in this spiritual work to revive a soul, to beget it anew, the influence of Heaven is the main thing requisite; there is no way so common and plain (being warranted by God in the delivery of saving truth) but the Spirit of God can revive the soul by it; and the most skilful and authoritative way, yea, being withal very spiritual, yet may effect nothing, because left alone to itself: one word of holy scripture, or of truth conform to it, may be the principle of regeneration, to him that hath heard multitudes of excellent Sermons, and hath often read the whole Bible, and hath still continued unchanged. If the Spirit of God preach that one, or any such word to the soul, God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever should believe in him should not perish, but have everlasting life, it will be cast down with the fear of perishing, and driven out of itself by that, and raised up and drawn to Jesus Christ by the hope of everlasting life; it will believe on him that it may have life, and be inflamed with the love of God, and give itself to him, that so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son to purchase us that everlasting life. Thus may that word prove this immortal seed, which though very often read and heard before, was but a dead letter. A drop of those liquors, that are called Spirits, operates more than large draughts of other waters; one word spoke by the Lord to the heart, is all Spirit, and doth that which whole streams of man's eloquence could never effect.

In hearing of the word, men look usually too much upon men, and forget from what spring the word hath its power; they observe too narrowly the different hand of the sowers, and too little depend

y Joh. iii. 15.

on his hand, who is great Lord of both seed-time and harvest be it sown by a weak hand, or a stronger, the immortal seed is still the same; yea, suppose the worst, that it be a foul hand that sows it, that the preacher himself be not so sanctified, and of so edifying a life as you would wish, yet the seed itself being good, contracts no defilement, and may be effectual to regeneration in some, and strengthening of others; although he that is not renewed by it himself, cannot have much hope of such success, nor reap much comfort by it, and usually doth not seek nor regard it much; but all instruments are alike in an Almighty hand.

Hence learn, 1. That true conversion is not so slight a work, as we commonly account it. It is not the outward change of some bad customs, which gains the name of a reformed man, in the ordinary dialect; it is a new birth and being, and elsewhere called a new creation. Though it be but a change in qualities, yet it is such a one, and the qualities so far distant from what they before were, that it bears the name of the most substantial productions, from children of disobedience, and that which is linked with it, Heirs of wrath, to be Sons of God, and heirs of glory: they have a new Spirit given, a free princely noble Spirit, as the word is, and this Spirit acts in their life and actions.

2. Consider this dignity, and be kindled with an ambition worthy of it. How doth a christian pity that poor vanity that men make so much noise about, of their kindred, and extraction? This is worth glorying in indeed, to be of the highest bloodroyal, Sons of the King of Kings by this new birth, and in the nearest relation to him; this adds matchless honour to that birth which is so honourable in the esteem of the world.

But we all pretend to be of this number. Would we not study to cozen ourselves, the discovery whether we are, or not, would not be so hard.

In many their false confidence is too evident;

* Psal. li. 10.