measure and in feveral refpects, will anfwer, in Comparifon, to the natural Birth, or to a natural Creation. A Regenerate Man hath a Senfe and Apprehenfion of Spiritual Things, which he had not in his unregenerate State: Juft as a new born Infant has a Senfe and Apprehenfion of natural Things, which it had not whilft it was imprifor ed in the Womb. And with respect to the most valuable and defirable End of Life, our future Felicity; the Intereft we have in Chrift by becoming his Difciples, and forming our Minds and our Manners according to his divine Precepts, brings us, as it were, from a State of Non-existence to a State of Being. For in this refpect, without Chrif we are nothing. We have no Right, no Title, no Claim or Pretenfion to the Hcavenly Reward, but by our Relation to Chrifl who hath purchafed this Inheritance for us. Furthermore, As we are born and created by the Hand of God, so are we regenerated by the Power of his SPIRIT, as our Saviour intimates to us, John iii. 5. Except a Man be born of →→→→ the SPIRIT, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. Which Expreflion fhews at once the Neceflity, both of the New Birth to qualify us for eternal Happinefs, and, of the Aids of God's Grace, to work in us that Change, which is fignified by our being born again. But this is likewife proved from all thofe Paffages in Scripture (of which there is a great Variety) where the Life of a good Chriftian, from the Beginning to the Conclufion of it, is referred to the Grace of God working in us both to will and to do. For if it is owing to God's Grace, that we love him and keep his Commandments; that we believe in Chrift, and fhew forth the Fruits of our Faith in our Lives and Converfations; and if this be the thing that is meant by our being born again, and being New Creatures, as I have now fhewn: It must needs be that he who is born of God, is born of the Spirit alfo.

You fee now what it is to be born again. And by what has been thus briefly faid, every Chriftian may judge whether he is a new Creature. Is his Faith a lively Faith working by Love? Doth he add to his Faits Virtue, and to Virtue Knowledge, and to Knowledge

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Temperance, and to Temperance Patience, and to Patience Godliness, and to Godliness brotherly Kindness, and to brotherly Kindness Charity? If he doth; he has the Affu. rance of God's Word that he is neither barren nor unfruitful in the Knowledge of our Lord Jefus Chrift, 2 Pet. i. 5-8. What is that Fruit good for which ripeneth not unto the Harveft-But the Apoftle tells us, a few Verfes after, that if we do thefe Things, an Entrance fhall be minifred unto us into the everlafling Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift. Yet our Saviour tells us, that except a Man be born again he cannot fee the Kingdom of God. To be born again therefore can imply no more than the doing thefe Things.

Some, not content with this plain and eafy Notion of the new Birth, fill themselves and others with fantaftical Conceits. They fuppofe the new Birth to be the Work of God's Spirit, and fo far they are right. But they will have it to be a fenfible Operation; an Operation which may be felt and diftinguished as the Hand of God upon them; overpowering, as it were, the Soul: And unless Men are able to give Account of their having at fome time or other experienced some such sudden Change within themselves; they will not allow him to be regenerate, nor therefore in a favable State. There is this ftrong Presumption against this Notion at first View: That it agrees not with the ordinary Methods of God's Providence in other Cafes, nor with the State of Man confidered as a State of Trial. The Apostle tells us that we walk by Faith, not by Sight, 2 Cor. v. 7. And of this we have the Experience: For God doth not make himself known to us by fenfible Manifeftations of his Prefence. We do not fee his Shape, nor hear his Voice; but he leaves us to find him out by the Works of his Providence. This is our proper Trial. As little Caufe is there to think that (ordinarily) God makes himfelf known to us by fenfible Operations of his Spirit upon our Minds. For any fenfible Interpofition of Providence to direct us in the Government of ourselves, whether externally or internally offered, comes to the fame thing. The proper Trial of Faith is when we yield Obedience

to God upon the Notices of his Word or the Dictates of our Reafons, under the Conduct and Influence of our natural Powers: Nor will this exclude the Concurrence of the Divine Grace helping our Infirmities, whilst the Work of the Spirit is confidered only as a fecret, imperceptible Operation. It is the Hand of GoD as vifibly or fenfibly diftinguishable from common Caufes that turns Faith into Sight. What appears not to be the Work of God, is to all Intents and Purposes of Faith the fame as if it was not fo. In fuch a Cafe it must be by Faith that we know it to be God's Work, if we know it at all.

There are Cafes where it is neceffary for God to make himself fenfibly known to the Minds of Men; as when he means to make new Discoveries of his Will.. But thefe Cafes are out of the Quetion. For fuch No. tices are not intended for the Benefit of thofe to whom they are immediately communicated, but for the common Good. Faith muft have fome Ground to stand upon, and must refolve itself into the extraordinary Manifeftations of God's Will made known to particular Perfons; in which Cafes there is always the proper Evi. dence to convince others that they deferve their Attention. So it was with the Apoftles of Chrift. They had the Manifestation of the Spirit within themfelves, declaring unto them the whole Counfel of God, as it concerned the Salvation of Mankind by his Son; and the Miracles which they wrought to fhew that what they fpake was from GOD, were the Evidence of it. But thefe Men have no Proof to offer for their inward Manifestations, unless their own confident Affertions may be admitted as fuch.

But if it were granted that God's leading Men to Repentance by fenfible Manifeftations of himself in the Soul, is confiftent with the ordinary Ways of his Providence; this will only prove that it may be fo; and the Point will ftill be how do we know that it is fo? To this fome one will answer, I feel it; I have the Experience of it; and, fo far as I can perceive, there will be no difputing this Point with him: For you can no more confute a confident

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fident Man who tells you that he feels the Spirit, than you could if he should tell you he felt a Pain in his Toe or in his Finger. If you should ask, How he diftinguishes what he calls the Mations of the Spirit, from the natural Operations of the Soul; you are never the nearer. He will answer you that he knows them him. Jelf: But that he can no more explain the Difference to you, than he is able to give a blind Man a Notion of Colours, or a deaf Man of Sounds. There would be Reafon in this, if this was all. If I experience any thing it is this, that I am free to act, or to forbear; to lift up. my Hand, or to let it fall: But I cannot make another Man understand this, if he should deny that he hath any fuch Experience in himself. Such Enquiries therefore will come to nothing. But the Questions you may very properly ask are thefe: "What are your Expe"riences to me? You fay that you feel the Spirit; but "do you fay that I muit feel it too, or else I am not, regenerate, or elfe I cannot be faved? How do you prove this? The Scripture fays I must be born of the "Spirit, but does it fay the New Birth is and must be a "fenfible Operation of the Spirit? If it does, fhew me where it fays fo; if you cannot do this, why will you, pretend to be wifer than God? Why do you lay that upon me, which the Scripture has not declared ne. ceffary to my Salvation? You fay that you have the "Spirit; what has the Spirit done for you? Are you "led to Repentance ? fo am I by the Grace of GoD, "tho' I know nothing of fuch inward Feelings as you "talk of. Why then is not my Repentance as good as "yours? Why am I not regenerate as well as you ?” Thefe Questions are not to be anfwered For in the first Place it is certain that the Scripture no where fays, that the New Birth must be a fenfible Operation of the Spirit. Our Saviour's Words look the other Way; The Wind bloweth where it fieth, and thou heareft the Sound thereof, but can not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth: So is every one that is born of the Spirit, John iii. 8. We bear the Wind, and we feel it too, because its natural Effect is to ftrike upon our bodily Organs.

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We know that we are under the Guidance of God's Spirit the fame Way, that is, by its Effects; by being difpofed to do the Will of our heavenly Father: But whence this good Difpofition cometh, by the Manner in which it affects and moves us, we cannot tell; nor therefore can we tell by any thing we feel within ourselves that it cometh from GOD. Accordingly we may obferve that the Scripture never refers Men to their inward Feelings, or Experiences, to know whether they are born of God, but to the Fruits of the Spirit in their Lives and Converfations. So St. John, Whatfover is born of God overcometh the World; and this is the Victory that overcometh the World, even our Faith, 1 Ep. v. 4. To the fame Purpose, Chap. iii. ver. 9. Whosoever is born: of God, doth not commit Sin. And Chap. iii. ver. 29. If we know that he (God) is righteous, every one that does Righteousness, is born of him. When you find in yourfelves therefore fuch good Fruits as thefe; a Faith working by Love, and leading to Repentance; fhould you be told that you are not born of God or of the Spirit; anfwer boldly upon the Credit of God's Word, that you are. Of your own Virtues you are confcious, and may give the proper Proofs; and you know by God's Word that it is by his Grace that you are thus difposed. This is all the Experience you want; and if there are: any who boast of other Experiences than this, you may very well leave fuch Boafters to be wife by themselves.

Without troubling yourfelves therefore to know, whether another Man feels the Spirit, or whether he feels it not, you have this Certainty to trust to; that if you hold the Faith in a pure Conftience, you have every thing that is neceffary for you. Reft here the whole Matter. If they can prove from Scripture, that every Believer who keeps God's Commandments is not in a favable State, or that a Man may be a good Chriftian and yet be damned; you may liften to what they have to say about their inward Experiences, and their Spiritual Feelings, if after this any thing can be faid about Religion that is worth the listening to. But if they cannot prove this, (which it is impoffible they