Thus much, then, we have learned of the mind of Mr Goodwin by his digression: — 1. That no children are regenerate; 2. That they are all accepted with God, through Christ, upon the account of the good qualifications that are m them; 3. That regeneration is a man's returning to the state wherein he was born. And having taken out this lesson, which we shall never learn by heart whilst we live, we may now proceed.
I shall only add to the main of the business in hand, that so long as a man is a child of God, he cannot, he need not to repeat his regeneration. But that one who hath been the child of God should cease to be the child of God is somewhat strange. How can that be done amongst men, that he should cease to be such a man's son who was his son? Those things that stand in relation upon any thing that is past, and therefore irrevocable, cannot have their beings con- tinued and their relation dissolved. It is impossible but that cause and effect must be related one to another. Such is the relation be- tween father and son; the foundation of it is an act past and irre- vocable, and therefore the relation itself is indissoluble. Is it not so with God and his children? When they once stand in that relation, it cannot be dissolved. But of these things hitherto.
To proceed with that place of Scripture which I laid as the foun- dation of this discourse: The general way of lust's dealing with the soul in the bringing forth of sin, whereof there are two acts, expressed James i. 14, the one of drawing away, the other enticing, is to be insisted on. Upon the first, the person tempted is e^eXKofisvog, " drawn oft"," or " drawn away ;" and upon the second, he is 8iXeaZ,ofiivog, " en- ticed," or " entangled."
The first stiiTing of sin is to draw aivay the soul from what it ought to be fixed upon, by its rising up irregularly to some delightful object.
556 DOCiTJNE OF THE SAINTS' PEKSEVEEANCE. [CHAP.
For a man to be " drawn away" by his lust, is to have his lust drawn out to some object suited to it, wherein it delighteth. Now, this drawing away denoteth two things: —
1. The turning of the soul from the actual rectitude of its frame towards God. Though the soul cannot always be in actual exercise of grace towards God, yet it ought always to be in an immediate readiness to any spiritual duty, upon the account whereof, when oc- casion is administered, it doth as naturally go forth to God as a vessel full of water floweth forth when vent is given unto it. Hence we are commanded " always to pray." Our Saviour giveth a parable to instruct his disciples that they ought to pray 'KatroTz, Luke xviii. 1 ; and we are commanded to pray adiuXsi'TrTug, " without ceasing" or " intermission," 1 Thess. v. 17; which the same apostle in another place calleth praying sv -ttuvt} roVw, " in every place," namely, as occasion is administered. It is not the perpetual exercise of this duty (as the Jews, some of them, have ridiculously interpreted the first psalm, of " reading the law day and night"), which would shut out and cut off all other duties, not only of men's callings and em- ployments as to this life, but all other duties of the ways and worship of God whatever; but it is only the readiness and promptitude of the heart in its constant frame to that necessary duty, that is required. Now, he who is l^tXxofiivog by lust is drawn off from this frame; that is, he is interrupted in it by his lust diverting unto some sinful ob- ject. And as to this particular, there is a great difference betwixt the sinning of believers, and those who arise not beyond that height which the power of conviction beareth them oftentimes up unto; for the mam of a true believer's watching, in his whole life, and in the course of his walking with God, is directed against this off-draw- ing from that habitual frame of his heart by lust and sin. His great business is, as the apostle telleth us, to " take the whole armour of God to him," that sm, if it be possible, may make no approach to his soul, Eph, vi. 13, It is to keep up his spirits to a " hate of every evil way, and to delight in God continually." And because they cannot attain in this life unto perfection, they cry out of the power of sin leading them captive to the law thereof. They would have their wills dead to sin, wholly dead, and have trouble that they are not so as to the general frame of their spirits, how oft soever they be drawn off. For other persons, they have truly no such frame at all, whatever they may be cut into the likeness of by the sharpness of scriptural convictions that come upon them; and therefore they watch not as to the keeping of it. The deeper you dive into them, the more near you come to their hearts, the worse they are; their very inward part is wickedness. I speak now of the ordinary frame of the one and other.