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ANd thus I have opened in some poor measure an upright heart. By all which (dearly Beloved) you may see the Absolute necessity of Regeneration: I mean, the through change of the heart, from the state of nature to the state of grace. For certainly mans heart by nature is false, and far from this uprightness described. How can the soul receive Christ Jesus as he is offered in his Gospel, or resign it
self to him without Regeneration; how can the heart of a sinful child of Adam, be either single, or sound, or pure, or perfect, or plain without Regeneration? what man will study, or practise Inward, Universal and constant Religion till he be Regenerated? Who will walk Before God, With God, After God, Like God, before his heart be changed? Alas these things are neither conceived by the mind, nor received by the will of a na∣tural man: He is ignorant in them and an enemy to them. O Sirs, you must be new creatures, else all our treatie stands for nothing: we must still begin here, and can parly no further with you, un∣less you yield in this. Will ye be renewed in the Spirit of your mind? Would you give all the world for a new Heart? till then you are but rotten at the heart, you walk in a vain shew: for all your talk a∣gainst hypocrites, you are errand hypo∣crites, and shall be condemned as such, when those you have so reproach'd, shall be your judges and openly honoured be∣fore Angels and men. Those poor Mor∣decaies shall be royally arrayed, and you like proud Haman shall see it to the brea∣king of your hearts.
To prevent this, O learn this one Les∣son, Sound Conversion, which is but re∣storing that image you lost in Adam. Your bones were all put out of joynt by that fall, this is the painful pluck that puts them in joynt again. Would not any man abide a painful pluck to set one bone in joynt? O Sirs, abide one pluck to bring all your soul into frame again: you must be new men, else you cannot be upright men; you must be in Christ be∣fore you can walk like him. Your Reli∣gion is but skin deep till the Holy Ghost hath made an holy change.
And therefore, for the Lords sake, and for your souls sake, study this point into practise. Give no sound sleep to your eyes while you are such near neighbours to Hell; your temperate, just, and honest behaviour may make your fall the softer, but without holiness you must never see the Lord; and a carnal heart can never be ho∣ly and upright without Regeneration. And so far concerning the first part of upright∣ness, which respects God, uprightness of heart.
§. 10. An Infe∣•…•…ence con∣•…•…erning Regenera∣•…•…on.