“The sickness, pain and corruption of our bodies, is brought upon us by ourselves, in the same manner as the dark, hideous forms of the devils are brought upon them. * How absurd, and even blasphemous would it be, to say, with the scripture and the church, that we are by _nature, children of wrath, and born in sin_, if we had that nature which God at first gave us? What a reproach upon God to say, that this world is a _valley of misery_, a shadow of death, an habitation of _disorders_, _snares_, _evils_, and _temptations_, if this was an original creation, or that state of things in which God created us? Is it not as consistent with the goodness of God, to speak of the _misery_ and _disorder_ that holy angels find above, and of the vanity, emptiness and sorrow of the _heavenly state_, as to speak of the misery of _men_, and the sorrows of _this world_, if man and the world were in that order, in which God at first had placed them?
“20. But by the mercy of God in Christ, this prison of an earthly life, is turned into a state of purification. It is made a time and place of putting off our _filthy_ garments, and of _staying_ and _sacrificing_ that man of sin that is hid under them. And God suffers the sun to shine upon us, and the elements to afford us nourishment, for no other end, but that we may all have time and opportunity to hear the call of the Son of God, to be _born again_, to be renewed by the _Holy Spirit_, and be made capable of that kingdom, from which _Lucifer_ and his angels fell.”
♦ Paragraph numbers 21‒23 skipped
24. Look at our Saviour’s sermon on the _mount_, and indeed at all his instructions, and you will find them pointing at nothing else on our _side_, but a _denial_ of ourselves, and a _renunciation_ of the world. And indeed how could it be otherwise! For if we want a Redeemer, only because we have _wandered_ out of paradise, and could not get back to it ourselves; if we are overcome by this world, only because our first father _sought_ after it, what wonder is it that he who is to replace us in paradise, should call us to a _renunciation_ of the world?
25. * Vain man, taken with the _sound_ of heavenly things, and _prospects_ of future glory, yet at the same time a _fast friend_ to the interests of flesh and blood, would fain compound matters between God and mammon. He is very willing to acknowledge a _Saviour_, that died on the cross to save him. He is ready to receive outward _ordinances_ and _forms_ of worship, and to contend with zeal for the observance of them. He likes heaven, and future glory on these conditions. He is also ready to put on _outward morality_, to let religion polish his manners, that he may have the credit and ornament of a _prudential piety_, and a _decency_ of life. This does no hurt. But to lay the axe to the _whole root_ of our disease, to cut all those _silken cords_ asunder, which tie us to the world, and the world to us, to deny every temper and passion that cannot be made holy, wise and heavenly; to die to every gratification which keeps up, and strengthens the folly, vanity, pride, and blindness of our _fallen nature_; to leave no little morsels of sensuality, avarice and ambition for the _old man_ to feed upon, however well-covered under his mantle; this, tho’ it be the very essence of religion, is what he flies from with as much aversion as from _heresy_ and _schism_. Here he makes learned appeals to reason and common sense to judge betwixt him, and the gospel; which is just as wise, as to ask the learned _Greek_, and the worldly _Jew_, whether the _cross_ of Christ be not foolishness, and a just rock of offence: or to appeal to flesh and blood about the narrow way to that kingdom of heaven, into which itself cannot possibly have an entrance.
26. * To seek for any thing in religion, but a _new nature_ fitted for a new world, is knowing neither it, nor ourselves. _To be born again_, is to be fit for Paradise in whatever part of the universe we live. _Not to be born again_, is continuing where the sin and death of _Adam_ left us, whatever church, or sect of religion we have fellowship with. All ways and opinions, all forms and modes of worship, stand on the outside of religion. They certainly are helps to the kingdom of God, when we consider them only as the _gate_ to that _inward life_, which we want. But this is unquestionably true, that our _salvation_ consists wholly in our inward renewal by the Holy Ghost. When this begins, our salvation begins; as this goes on, our salvation goes on; when this is finished, our salvation is finished. This alone saves the soul, because this alone restores the first paradisaical, divine nature, which is the true image of God, and which alone can enter into the kingdom of heaven.