BOOK III.
I. — Work of the Holy Spirit in the New Creation by Regeneration — The new creation completed — Regeneration the especial work of tlie Holy Spirit — Wrought under tlie Old Testament, but clearly revealed ui the New ; and is of the same kind in all that are regenerate, the causes and way of it being the same in all — It consisteth not in baptism alone, nor in a moral reformation of life ; but a new creature is formed in it, whose nature is declared and farther explained— Denial of the original depra- vation of nature the cause of many noxious opinions — Regeneration con- sisteth not in enthusiastic raptures ; their nature and danger — The whole doctrine necessary, despised, corrupted, vindicated, . . . 207
Vr CONTENTS.
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II. — WoEKS OF THE HoLT SpiRiT PEEPAEATor.Y [INTO Regeneeation. — Sundry tilings prepai'atoiy to the work of conversion — Material and formal dis- pnsitioaa, with their difference — Things in the power of our natural abi- Uties required of us in a way of duty — Internal, spiritual elfccts wrought in the souls of men by the word — Illumination — Conviction of sin — Con- sequents thereof— These things variously taught— Power of the word and energy of the Spirit distinct— Subject of this work ; mind, affections, and conscience— Nature of this whole work, and difference from saving conversion farther declared, ...... 223
III. — CoRBUPTiON OR Depeavation OF THE MiND BY SiN. — Contempt and cor- ruption of the doctrine of regeneration — All men in the world regenerate or unregenerate — Ueneral description of corrupted nature — Depravation ot the mind— Darkness upon it— The nature of spiritual darkness— Re- duced unto two heads— Of darkness objective; how removed — Of dark- ness subjective; its nature and power proved— Eph. iv. 17, 18, opened and applied- The mind " alienated from the life of God" — The '" life of God," what it is — The power of the mind with respect unto .spiritual things examined — 1 Cor. ii. 14 opened — ■^'u^'^ss ocvO/icu^tds, or the " natural man," who— Spiritual things, what they a;e--iIow the natural man can- not know or receive spiritual things— Diffei'ence between understanding doctrines and receiving of things— A twofold power and ability of mind with respect unto spiritual things explained — Reasons why a natu- ral man cannot discern spiritual things — How and wherefore spiritual things are foolishness to natural men — Why natural men cannot re- ceive the things of God — A double impotency in the mind of man by nature— 1 Cor. ii. 14 farther vindicated — Power of darkness in pei-sons unregenerate — The mind filled with wills or lusts, and enmity thereby — The power and efficacy of spiritual darkness at large declared, . 212
IV. — Life and Death, Natural and Spiritual, Compared. — Of death in sin — All unregenerate men spiritually dead— Spiritual death twofold : legal; metaphorical — Life natural, what it is, and wherein it consist^— Death, natural, with its necessary consequents— The supernatural life of Adam in innocency, in its principle, acts, and power — Differences between it and our spiritual life in Christ — Death spiritual a privation of the life we had in Adam; a negation of the life of Christ — Privation of a pi'in- ciple of all life to God — Spiritual impotency therein — Differences be- tween death natural and spiritual — The use of precepts, promises, and threateniugs— No man perisheth merely for want of power— No vital acts in a state of death — The way of the communication of spiritual life — Of what nature are the best works of persons unregenerate— No dispo- sition unto spiritual life under the power of spiritual death, . . 282
V. — The Nature, Causes, and Means of Regeneration. — Description of the state of nature necessary unto a right understanding of the work of the Spirit in regeneration — No possibility of salvation unto persons living and dying in a state of sin — Deliverance from it by regeneration only — The Holy Ghost the peculiar author of this work — Differences about the manner and nature of it — Way of the ancients in explaining the doc- trine of grace —The present method proposed — Conversion not wrought by moral suasion only— The nature and elficacy of moral suasion, wherein they consist — Illumination preparatory unto conversion — The nature of grace morally effective onlj', opened; not sutfiuient for conversion — The first argument, disproving the working of grace in conversion to be by moral suasion only — The second— The third — The fourth — Wherein the work of the Spirit in regeneration positively doth consist — The use and ei^d of outward means — Real internal efficiency of the Spirit in this work — Grace victorious and irresistible — The nature of it explained; proved — The manner of God's working by grace on our wills farther explained — Testimonies concerning the actual collation of faith by the power of God — Victorious efficacy of internal grace proved by sundry testimonies of Scripture— From the natui'e of the work wrought by it, in vivification and regeneration — Regeneration considered with i-espect unto the dis- tinct faculties of the soul ; the mind; the will; the affections, . 297