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their mind, they would blot many things out of it, which God has put in; and put in many things which God has kept out. But the renewed heart is entirely satisfied with the covenant, 2 Sam. xxiii. 5. "He hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure; this is all my salvation, and all my desire." Though the covenant could not be brought down to their depraved will, their will is, by grace, brought up to the covenant; they are well pleased with it; there is nothing in it they would have out, nor is any thing left out of it which they would have in. (2.) The will is disposed to receive Christ Jesus the Lord. The soul is content to submit to him. Regenerating grace undermines, and brings down the towering imaginations of the heart, raised up against its rightful Lord; it breaks the iron sinew, which kept the sinner from bowing to him, and disposed him to be no more stiff neck. ed, but to yield to himself. He is willing to take on the yoke of Christ's commands, to take up the cross and to follow him. He is content to take Christ on any terms, Psal. cx. 3. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power."

Now, the mind being savingly enlightened and the will renewed, the sinner is thereby determined and enabled to answer the gospel call. Sothe main work inregenerationis done; the fort of the heart is taken; there is room made for the Lord Jesus Christ, in the innermost parts of the soul; the outer door of the will being now opened to him, as well as the inner door of the understanding. In one word, Christ is passively received into the heart; he is come into the soul by his quickening Spirit, whereby spiritual life is given to the man, who in himself was dead to sin. And his first vital act we may conceive to be an active receiving of Jesus Christ, discerned in his glorious excellencies; that is, a believing on him, a closing with him, as discerned, offered, and exhibited in the word of his grace, the glorious gospel; the immediate effect of which is union with him, John i. 12, 13. "To as many as received him, to them gave he power (or privilege) to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name, which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." Eph. iii. 17.That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith."

Christ having taken the heart by storm, and triumphantly entered into it, in regeneration, the soul by faith yields itself to him, as it is expressed, 2 Chron. xxx. 8. Thus this glorious King, who came into the heart by his Spirit, dwells in it by faith. The soul being drawn, runs; and, being effectually called, comes.

Thirdly, In regeneration there is a happy change made on the affections; they are both rectified and regulated. I. This change rectifies the affections, placing them on suitable objects, 2 Thess. iii. 5. “The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God." The regenerate man's desires are rectified; they are set on God himself, and the things above. He who before cried with the world, “ Who will shew us any good?" he changes his note, and says, "Lord lift up the light of thy countenance upon us,' Psal. iv. 6. Sometimes he saw no beauty in Christ, for which he was to be desired; but now he is all desires, he is altogether lovely, Cant. v. 16. The main stream of his desires is turned to run towards God; for there is the one thing he desireth, Psal. xxvii. 4. He desires to be holy, as well as to be happy; and rather to be gracious than great. His hopes, which before were low and staked down to things on earth, are now raised, and set on the glory which is to be revealed. He entertains the hope of eternal life, founded on the word of promise, Tit. i. 2. Which hope he has, as an anchor of the soul, fixing the heart under trials, Heb. vi. 18. And it puts him upon purifying himself, even as God is pure, John iii. 3. For he is begotten again unto a lively hope, 1 Pet. i. 3. His love is raised and set on God himself, Psal. xxviii. 1. on his holy law, Psal. cxix. 97. Though it strike against his most beloved lust, he says, "The law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good," Rom. vii. 12.

He loves the

ordinances of God, Psal. lxxxiv. 1. How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of Hosts?" Being passed from death unto life, he loves the brethren, (1 John iii. 14.) the people of God, as they are called, 1 Pet. i. 10. He loves God

for himself, and what is God's, for his sake. Yea, as being a child of God, he loves his own enemies. His heavenly Father is compassionate and benevolent; he maketh the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just, and on the unjust; and, therefore, he is in the

like manner disposed, Matth. v. 44, 45. His hatred is turned against sin in himself and others, Psal. ci. 3. "I hate the work of them that turn aside, it shall not cleave to me." He groans under the remains of it, and longs for deliverance, Rom. vii. 24. "O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" His joys and delights are in God the Lord, in the light of his countenance, in his law, and in his people; because they are like him. Sin is what he chiefly fears; it is a fountain of sorrow to him now, though formerly a spring of pleasure.

2. It regulates the affections placed on suitable objects. Our affections, when placed on the creature, are naturally exorbitant; when we joy in it, we are apt to over-joy; and when we sorrow, we are ready to sorrow over-much: But grace bridles these affections, clips their wings, and keeps them within bounds, that they overflow not at all their banks. It makes a man hate his father and mother, and wife, and children, yea, and his own life also, comparatively; that is, to love them less than he loves God, Luke -xiv. 26. It also sanctifies lawful affections; bringing them forth from right principles to right ends. There may be unholy desires after Christ and his grace; as when men de sire Christ, not from any love to him, but merely out of love to themselves. Give us of your oil, said the foolish virgins, for our lamps are gone out, Matth. xxv. 8. There may be an unsanctified sorrow for sin; as when one sorroweth for it, not because it is displeasing to God, but only because of the wrath annexed to it, as did Pharaoh, Judas, and others. So a man may love his father and mother, from mere natural principles, without any respect to the command of God binding him thereto. But grace sanctifies the affections in such cases, making them to run in a new channel of love to God, respect to his commands, and regard to his glory. Again, grace screws up the affections where they are too low. It gives the chief seat in them to God; and pulls down all other rivals, whether persons or things, making them lie at his feet, Psalm Ìxxiii. 25. "Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee." He is loved for himself; and other persons or things, for his sake. What is lovely in them, to the renewed heart, is some ray of the

divine goodness appearing in them; for, unto gracious souls they shine only by borrowed light. This accounts for the saints loving all men, and yet hating those that hate God, and contemning the wicked as vile persons. They hate and contemn them for their wickedness; there is nothing of God in that; and, therefore, nothing lovely nor honourable in it; but they love them for their commendable qualities, or perfections, whether natural or moral; because, in whomsoever these are, they are from God, and can be traced to him as their fountain. Finally, Regenerating grace sets the affections so firmly on God, that the man is disposed, at God's command, to quit his hold of every thing else, in order to keep his hold of Christ; to hate father and mother, in comparison with Christ, Luke xiv. 26. It makes even lawful enjoyments, like Joseph's mantle, to hang loose about a man; that he may quit them when he is in hazard to be ensnared by holding them.

If the stream of our affections was never thus turned, we are doubtless going down the stream into the pit. If the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life, have the throne in our hearts, which should be possessed by the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; if we never had so much love to God as to ourselves; if sin has been somewhat bitter to us, but never so bitter as suffering, never so bitter as the pain of being weaned from it; truly we are strangers to this saving change. For grace turns the affections up-side down, whenever it comes into the heart.

Fourthly, The conscience is renewed. Now, that a new light is set up in the soul in regeneration, conscience is enlightened, instructed, and informed. That candle of the Lord, Prov. xx. 27. is now snuffed and brightened; so as it shines, and sends forth its light into the most retired corners of the heart, discovering sins which the soul was not aware of before; and in a special manner discovering the corruption or depravity of nature, that seed and spawn whence all actual sins proceed. This produces the new complaint, Rom. vii. 24. "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" That conscience, which lay sleeping in the man's bosom before, is now awakened, and makes its voice to be heard through the whole soul; and, therefore, there is no more rest for him in the sluggard's bed; he must get up and be doing, arise, haste and escape for his life. It powerfully

incites to obedience, even in the most spiritual acts, which lay not within the view of the natural conscience; and powerfully restrains from sin, even from those sins which do not lie open to the observation of the world. It urgeth the sovereign authority of God, to which the heart is now reconciled, and which it willingly acknowledges; and so it engageth the man to his duty, whatever be the hazard from the world; for it fills the heart so with the fear of God, that the force of the fear of man is broken. This hath engaged many to put their life in their hand, and follow the cause of religion they once contemned, and resolutely walk in the path they formerly abhorred, Gal. i. 23. "He which persecuted us in time past, now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed." Guilt now makes the conscience to smart. It hath bitter remorse for sins past, which fills the soul with anxiety, sorrow, and self-lothing. And every new reflection on these sins is apt to affect, and make its wounds bleed afresh with regret. It is made tender, in point of sin and duty, for the time to come; being once burnt, it dreads the fire, and fears to break the hedge, where it was formerly bit by the serpent. Finally, The renewed conscience drives the sinner to Jesus Christ, as the only physician that can draw out the sting of guilt; and whose blood alone can purge the conscience from dead works, Heb. ix. 14. refusing all ease offered to it from any other hand. And this is an evidence, that the conscience is not only fired, as it may be in an unregenerate state, but reconciled also with regenerating grace.

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Fifthly, As the memory wanted not its share of depravi ty, it is also bettered by regenerating grace. The memory is weakened with respect to those things that are not worth their room therein; and men are taught to forget injuries, and drop their resentments, Matth. v. 44, 45. "Do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despiteful. ly use you. That ye may be (i. e. appear to be) the children of your Father which is in heaven." It is strengthened for spiritual things. We have Solomon's receipt for an ill memory, Prov. iii. 1. My son, saith he, forget not my law. But how shall it be kept in mind? Let thine heart keep my commandments. Grace makes aheart memory, even where there is no good head memory, Psal. cxix. 11. Thy word have I hidin mine heart. The heart,truly touched with the powerful sweetness of truth, will help the memory to re

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