Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

power," Pfal. cx. 3. There is heavenly oratory in the Mediator's lips, to perfuade finners, Pfal. xlv 2." Grace is poured into thy lips." There are cords of a man, and bands of love in his hands, to draw them after him, Hof. xi. 4. Love makes a net for elect fouls, which will infallibly catch them, and hale them to land. The cords of Chrift's love are strong *cords and they need to be fo; for every finner is heavier than a mountain of brafs; and Satan, together with the heart itself, draws the contrary way. But love is ftrong as death; and the Lord's love to the foul he died for, is ftrongeft love; which acts fo powerfully, that it must come off victorious.

I. The Will is cured of its uiter inability to will what is good. While the opening of the prifon to them that are bound, is proclaimed in the gofpel: The Spirit of God comes to the prifon door, opens it, goes to the prifoner, and, by the power of his grace, makes his chains fall off; breaks the bond of iniquity, wherewith he was held in fin, fo as he could neither will nor do any thing truly good; brings him forth into a large place, Working in him both to will and to do, of his good pleafure," Philip. ii. 13. Then it is, that the foul that was Exed to the earth, can move heavenward; the withered hand is reftored, and can be stretched our.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

2. There is wrought in the Will a fixed averfion to evil. In regeneration, a man gets a new fpirit put within him," Ezek. xxxvi 26. and that " fpirit lufteth against the flesh," Gal. v. 17. The tweet morfel of fin, fo greedily fwallowed down, he now lothes, and would fain be rid of it; even as willingly as one that had drunk a cup of poifon, would throw it up again. When the fpring is ftopt, the mud lies in the well unmoved but when once the fpring is cleared, the waters fpringing up, will work the mud away by degrees. Even fo, while a man continues in an unregenerate flate, fin lies at ease " in the heart but as foon as the Lord ftrikes the rocky heart, with the rod of his ftrength, in the day of converfion, grace is in him, "a well of water fpringing up into everlafting life," John iv. 14. working away natural correption, and gradually. purifying the heart, Acts xv. 9. The renewed Will rifeth up againft fin, ftrikes at the root thereof, and the branches too... Lufts are now grievous, and the foul endeavours to farve them:: the corrupt nature is the fource of all evil, and therefore the foul will be often laying it before the great Physician.. O what forrow, fhame, and felf-lothing fill the heart, in the day that Prase makes its triumphant entrance into it! For now the mad

nadman is come to himfelf, and the remembrance of his follies cannot but cut him to the heart.

LASTLY, The Will is endued with an inclination, bent, and propenfity to good. In its depraved ftate, it lay quite another way; being prone and bent to evil only: but now, by a pull of the omnipotent all conquering arm, it is drawn from evil to good, and gets another fet. And as the former fet was natural, fo this is natural too, in refpect of the new nature given in regeneration, which has its own holy luftings, Gal. v. 17. The Will, as renewed, inclines and points towards God and godliness. When God made man, his Will, in refpect of its intention, was directed towards God, as his chief end: in refpe & of its choice, it pointed towards that which God willed. When man unmade himfelf, his Will was framed into the very reverse heïeof: he made himself his chief end, and his own Will his law. But when man is new made, in regeneration, grace reftifies this diforder in fome meafure, tho' not perfectly indeed; because we are but renewed in part, while in this world.. It brings bick the finner, out of himfelf, to Gol as his chief end, truly, though not perf &ly, Pfal. Ixxiii. 25. "Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I defire befides thee." Philip. f. 21." For to me to live, is Christ." It makes him to deny himself; and whatever way he turns, to point habitually towards God, who is the center of the gracious foul, its home, its dwelling- place in all generations, Pfal. xc. 1. By regenerating grace, the Will is framed into a conformity. to the Will of God. It is conformed to this preceptive Will, Being endued with holy inclinations, agreeable to every one of his Commands. The whole Law is impreffed on the gracious foul: every part of it is written over on the renewed heart. And altho' remaining corruption makes fuch blots in the writing, that oft-times the man himself cannot read it; yet he who wrote it, can read it at all times it is never quite blotted out, nor can be. What he has written he has written, it hall ftand; For this is the Covenant, will put my into their mind, and write them in their hearts," Heb. viii, 10, And it is a Covenant of falt, a prepe ual Covenant. It is also conformed to his providential Will; fo that the man will no more be mafter of his own procefs; nor carve out his lot for himself. He learns to fay from his heart," The Will of the Lord be done, he fall. chufe our inheritance for us," Pfal.. xlvii. 4. Thus the Will is difpofed to fall in with thofe things which, in its depraved, itate, it could never be reconciled to..

1

laws

[ocr errors]

in;

Particularly, (1.) The Lord is reconciled to the Covenant of Peace. The Lord God promifeth a Covenant of Peace to finners; a Covenant which he hath himfelf framed, and regiftrated in the Bible; but they are not pleafed with it: Nay, an unrenewed heart cannot be pleased with it. Were it put into their hands, to frame it according to their mind's, they would blot many things out of it which God has put and put in many things, God has kept out. But the renewed heart is entirely fatisfied with the Covenant, 2 Sam. xxiii. 5." He hath made with me an everlafting Covenant, ordered in all things, and fure; this is all my falvation, and all my defire," Tho the Covenant could not be brought down to their depraved Will: their Will is, by grace, brought up to the Covenant ; they are well pleafed 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 difpofed to receive Chrift Jefus the LordThe foul is content to fubmit to him. Regenerating grace: undermines and brings down the towering imaginations of the heart, railed up against its rightful Lord: it breaks the iron Anew which kept the finner from bowing to him, and difpofeth him to be no more ftiff necked but to yield to himself. He is willing to take on the yoke of Chrift's commands; to take up the Crofs, and to follow him. He is content to take Christ oa ' any terms, CX. 3. Thy people thall be willing in the day of thy power."

1

112

Pfal.

66.

Now, the Mind being favingly enlightened, and the Will renewed; the finner is thereby determined and enabled to answer the Gofpel-call. So the main work in reg neration is done; the fort of the heart is taken; there is room made for the Lord Jefus Chrift, in the innermoft parts of the foul: the outer-door. of the Will being now opened to him, as well as the inner door of the Understanding. In one word, Chrift is paffively received the heart he is come into the foul by his quickning spirit,. whereby fpiritual life is given to the man, who in himfelf was dead to fin. And his firft vital act we may conceive to be an active receiving of Jefus Chrift, difcerned in his glorious excel-lencies; that is, a believing on him, a clefing with him, as difcerned, offered, and exhibited in the word of his grace, the glorious gofpel: 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 priviledge) to become the fons of God even to them that believe on his Name; which were botn not of Wood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but

[ocr errors]

OF GOD," Eph. iii. 17. "That Chrift may dwell in your hearts by faith." Chrift having taken the heart by storm, and triumphantly entered into it, in regeneration, the foul by faith, yields itfelf 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 foul 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.

[ocr errors]

1. This change rectifies the Affections placing them on fuitable objects, 2 Theff. iii. 5. "The Lord direct your hearts into the Love of God." The regenerate man's defires are rectified: they are fet on God himself, and the things above. He who, before, cried with the world, "Who will fhew us any good?" he charges his note, and fays, "Lord lift up the light of thy countenance upon us," Pfal. iv. 6. Sometimes he faw no beauty in Chrift, for which he was to be defired; but now he is all defires, "he is altogether lovely," Cant. v. 16. The main ftream of his defires is turned to run towards God: for there is the one thing he defireth," Pfal. xxvii. 4. He defires 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 promife, Tit. i. 2. "Which hope he has, as an anchor of the foul," 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," Pet. i. 3 His love is raifed, and fet on God himself, Pfal. xxviii. 1. On his holy Law, Pfal. cxix. 97. Tho' it ftrike against his most beloved luft, he fays, "The Law is holy, and the commandment holy, and juft, and good," Rom. He loves the Ordinances of God, Pfal. lxxxiv. 1. "How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hofts!" Being paffed from death unto life, he loves the brethren, (1 John ii. 14.) the people of God, as they are called, 1 Pet. i. 1o. He loves God for himfelf, and what is God's for his fake. Yea, as being a child of God, he loves his own enemies. His heavenly Father is compaffionate and benevolent: "he maketh his fun to rife on the evil and the good: and fendeth rain on the juft, and on the unjuft:" and therefore he is in the like manner difpofed, Matth. v. 44. 45. His hatred is turned against fin in himself and others, Pial. ci. 3. "I hate the work

vii. 12.

of

of them that turn afide: it fhall 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 fhall 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 introw to him now, tho, formerly a fpring of pleasure.

2. It regulates the Affections placed on fuitable 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 forrow, we are ready to forrow over much: But grace bridles these Affections, clips their wings, and keeps them within bounds, that they overflow not all their banks. It makes a man hate his father and mother, and wife and children, yea, and his own life alfo, comparatively; that is, to love them lefs than he loves God, Luke xiv. 26. It alfo fanétifies lawful Affections; bringing them forth from right principles, and directing them to right en 's. There may be unholy defires after Chrift and his grace as when men defire Chrift, not from any love to him, but merely out of love to themfelves. "Give us of your oil," faid the foolish virgins, " for our lamps are gone out," Matth. xxv. 8. There may be an unfanctified forrow for fin as when one forroweth for it, not because it is dif pleafing 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 refpect to the command of God binding him thereto. But grace fanctifies the Affections in fuch cafes, making them to run in a new channel of love to God, refpect to his commands, and regard to his glory. Again, grace fcrews up the Affections where they are too low. It gives the chief feat in them to God: and pulls down all other rivals, whether perfons or things, making them ly at his feet. Pfal. lxxiii. 25. Whom have Lin heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that I defire befide thee." He is loved for himself: and other perfons or things, for his fake. What is lovely in them to the renewed heart, is fome ray of the divine goodness appearing in them; for auto gracious fouls they fhine only by borrowed light. This accounts for the faints loving all men, and yet hating those that hate God, and contemning the wicked as vile perfons. They hate and contemn them for their wickednefs: there is nothing of God in that, and therefore nothing lovely nor honourable in

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
« AnteriorContinuar »