are called, 1 Pet. i. 10. He loves God for himself, and what is God's, for his fake. Yea, as being a child of God, he loves his own enemies. His heavenly Father is compaflionate and benevolent: he maketh his fun to rife on the evil and the good, and fendeth rain on the just, and on the unjust and therefore he is in the like manner difpofed, Matth. V. 44, 45. His hatred is turned against fin in himself and others, Pfal. ci. 3. I hate the work of them that turn afide, it shall 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 shall 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 forrow 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 thefe affections, clips their wings, and keeps them within bounds, that they overflow not at 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 less than he loves God, Luke xiv. 26. It also fanctifies lawful affections; bringing them forth from right principles, and directing them to right ends. 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 theinfelves. Give us of your oil, faid the foolish virgins, for 'or 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 difpleafing to God, but, only because of the wrath annexed to it, as did Pharach, 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. Ixxiii. 25. Whom have I in 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 goodnefs appearing in them: for unto 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 ontemin them for their wickedness: there is nothing of God in that, and therefore nothing lovely or honourable in it: but they love them for their commendable qualities, or perfections, whether natural or moral; because, in whomsoever these are, they are from God, and : can can be traced to him as their fountain. Finally, Regenerating grace fets the affections fo firmly on God, that the man is difpofed, at God's command, to quit his hold of every thing elfe, in order to keep his hold of Chrift; to hate father and mother, in comparison with Christ, Luke xiv 26. It makes even lawful enjoyments like Jofeph's mantle, to hang loose about a man; that he may quit them when he is in hazard to be enfnared by holding them. If the stream of our affections was never thus turned; we are, doubtlefs, going down the ftream into he pit. If the luft of the eye, the luft of the flesh, and the pride of life, have the throne in our hearts, which thould be poffeffed by the Father, Son, and holy Ghost; if we never had fo much love to God, as to ourselves; if fin has been fomewhat bitter to us, but never fo bitter as fuffering, never fo bitter as the pain of being weaned from it: truly we are strangers to this faving change. For grace turns the affections upfide-down, whenever it comes into the heart. Fourthly, The confcience is renewed. Now, that a new light is fet, up in the foul in regeneration; confcience is enlightned, inttructed, and informed That candle of the Loid, (Prov. xx. 27 ) is now snuffed and brightned; fo as it fhines, and fends forth its light into the most retired corners of the heart; difcovering fins which the foul was not aware of before: and, in a fpecial manner, difcovering the corruption or depravity of nature, that feed and fpawn whence all actual fins proceed. This produces the new complaint, Rom. vii. 24. O wretched man that I am! who fhall deliver me from the body of this death? That confcience, which lay fleeping in the man's bofon before, is now awakened, and makes its voice to be heard through the whole foul: and therefore there is no more reit for him in the fluggard's bed; he muft get up and be doing, arise, haste and escape for his life. It powerfully incites to obedience; even in the moft fpiritual acts, which lay not within the view of the natural confcience; and powerfully restrains from fin, even from these fins which do not ly open to the obfervation of the world. It urgeth the fovereign authority of God, to, which the heart is now reconciled, and which it willingly acknow ledges and fo it engageth the man to his duty, whatever be the hazard from the world; for it fills the heart fo with the fear of God, that the force of the fear of man is broken. This hath engaged many to put their life in their hand, and follow the caufe of religion they once. contemned, and refolutely walk in the path they formerly abhorred, Gal. i. 23. He which perfecuted us in times paft, now preacheth the faith which once he deftroyed. Guilt now makes the confcience to fmart. It hath bitter remorfe for fins paft, which fills the foul with anxiety, forrow and felf-loathing. And every new reflexion on thefe fins, is apt to affect, and make its wounds bleed afresh with regret. It is made tender, in point of fin and duty, for the time to come; being once burnt, it dreads the fire; and fears to break the hedge, where it was formerly bit by the ferpent. Finally, The renewed confcience 1 can draw drives the finner to Jefus Chrift, as the only physician that Fifthly, As the Memory wanted not its share of depravity, it is also bettered by regenerating grace. The memory is weakned with refpect to those things that are not worth their room therein; and inen are taught to forget injuries, and drop their refentments,Mat. v.44,45. Do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which defpitefully ufe you,-That ye may be (i.e. appear to be) the children of your Father which is in heaven. It is ftrengthned for spiritual things. We have Solomon's receipt for an ill memory, Prov. iii. 1. My fon, faith he, forget not my law. But how thall it be kept in mind? Let thine heart keep my commandments. Grace makes a heart-memory, even where there is no good head-memory, Pfal. cxix. 11. Thy word have I hid in mine heart. The heart truly touched with the powerful sweetness of truth, will help the memory to retain what is fo relithed. 'Did divine truths make deeper impreffions on our hearts, they would thereby imprefs themselves with more force on our memories, Pfal. cxix. 93. I will never forget thy precepts, for with them thou hast quickned me. Grace fanctifies the memory. Many have large, but unfanctified memories; which ferve only to gather knowledge, whereby to aggravate their condemnation; but the renewed memory ferves to remember his commandments to do them, Pfal. ciii. 18. It is a facred ftorehouse, from whence a Christian is furnished in his way to Zion: for faith and hope are often fupplied out of it, in a dark hour. It is the ftore-house of former experiences; and these are the believer's waymarks, by noticing of which he comes to know where he is, even in a dark time, Pfal. xlii. 6. O my God, my foul is caft down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, &c. It also helps the foul to godly forrow and felf-loathing, prefenting old guilt anew before the confcience: and making it bleed afreth, tho' the fin be already pardoned, Pfal. xxv. 7. Remember not the fins of my youth. And where unpardoned guilt is lying on the fleeping confcience, it is often employed to bring in a word, which in a moment fets the whole foul aftir: as when Peter remembered the words of Jefus,-be went out and wept bitterly, Matth. xxvi. 75. The word of God laid up in a fanctified memory, ferves a man to refift temptations, puts the fword in his hand against the fpiritual enemies, and is a light to direct his fteps in the way of religion and righteousness. Sixthly, There is a change made on the Body, and the members thereof, in refpect of their ufe: they are confecrated to the Lord. Even the Body is for the Lord, 1 Cor. vi. 13. It is the temple of the holy Ghoft, ver. 19. The members thereof, that were formerly inftruments of unrighteousness unto fin, become inftruments of righte suf. oufnefs unto God, Rom. vi. 13. Servants to righteoufnels unto holinefs, ver. 19. The eye that conveyed finful imaginations into the heart, is under, a covenant, Job xxxi. to do so no more; but to ferve the foul in viewing the works, and reading the word of God. The ear that had often been death's porter to let in fin, is turned to be the gate of life, by which the word of life enters the foul. The tongue that fet on fire the whole courfe of nature, is restored to the office it was defigned for by the Creator; namely, to be an inftrument of glorifying him, and fetting forth his praife. In a word, the whole man is for God, in foul and body, which by this bleffed change are made his. . Laftly, This gracious change fhines forth in the converfation: Even the outward man is renewed. A new heart makes.newness of life. When the King's daughter is all glorious within, her cloathing is, of wrought gold, Pfal. xlv. 13. The fingle eye makes the whole body full of light, Matth. vi. 22. This change will appear in every part of one's conversation, particularly in thefe following things. I. In the change of his company. "Tho' fometime he defpifed the company of the faints, now they are the excellent in whom is al his delight, Pfal. xvi. 3. I am a companion of all that fear thee, faith the royal Pfalmift, Pfal. cxix. 63. A renewed man joins himself with the faints: for he and they are like minded, in that which is their main work and bufinefs; they have all one new nature; they are travelling to Immanuel's land, and converse together in the language of Canaan. In vain do men pretend to religion, while ungodly company is their ehoice; for a companions of fools fhall be destroyed, Prov. xiii. 20. Religion' will make a man fhy of throwing himself into an ungodly family, or any unneceffary familiarity with wicked men; as one that is clean, will beware of going into an infected house. 2. In his relative capacity, he will be a new man. Grace makes men gracious in their several relations, and natively leads them to the confcientious performance of relative duties. It does not only make good men, and good women; but makes good fubjects, good hufbands, good wives, children, fervants, and in a word, good relatives in the church, common-wealth, and family. It is a juft exception made against the religion of many; namely, that they are bad relatives, they are ill hufbands, wives, mafters, fervants, &c. How will we prove ourselves to be new creatures, if we be still just fuch as we were before, in our feveral relations, 2 Cor. v. 17. Therefore if any man be in Chrift, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new. Real godlinefs will gain a teftimony to a man, from the confciences of his nearest relations, tho' they know more of his finful infirmities, than others do; as we fee in that cafe, 2 Kings iv. 2. Thy fervant, my husband, is dead, and thou knowest that thy fervant did fear the Lord. 3. In the way of his following his worldly bufinefs, there is a great change. It appears to be no more his all, as fome time it was. Tho State III. faints apply themselves to worldly bufinefs, as well as others; yet their hearts are not fwallowed up in it. It is evident they are carrying on a trade with heaven, as well as a trade with earth, Philip.iii 20. For our converfation is in heaven. And they go about their employment in the world as a duty laid upon them by the Lord of all; doing their lawful business, as the will of God, Eph. vi. 7. working, becaufe he has faid; Thou shalt not steal. 4. They have a fpecial concern for the advancement of the kingdom of Chriit in the world: they efpoufe the interefts of religion, and prefer Jerufalem above their chief joy, Pfal, cxxxvii. 6. How privately foever they live, grace makes them of a public fpirit, which will concern itfelf in the ark and work of God; in the gospel of God; and in the people of God; even thefe of them whom they never faw in the face. As children of God, they naturally care for thefe things. They have a new and unwonted concern for the fpiritual good of others. And no fooner do they taste of the power of grace themfelves, but they are inclined to fet up to be agents for Chrift and holiness, in this world; as appears in the cafe of the woman of Samaria, who, when Chrift had manifefted himself to her, went her way into the city, and faith unto the men, Come, fee a man which told me all things that ever I did! Is not this the Chrift? John iv. 28, 29. They have feen and felt the evil of fin, and therefore pity the world lying in wickednefs. They would fain pluck the brands out of the fire, remembring that they themselves were plucked out of it. They will labour to commend religion to others, both by word and example; and rather deny themselves their liberty in indifferent things, than by the uncharitable ufe of it, deftroy others, 1 Cor. viii. 13 Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world ftandeth, left I make my brother to offend 5. In their use of lawful comforts, there is a great change They reft not in them, as their end; but ufe them, as means to help them in their way. They draw their fatisfaction from the higher fprings, even while the lower fprings are running. Thus Hannah having obtained a fon, rejoiced not fo much in the gift, as in the giver, 1 Sam. ii. 1 And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the Lord. Yea, when the comforts of life are gone, they can fubfift without them, and rejoice in the Lord, altho' the fig-tree do not bloffem, Hab. iii. 17, 18. Grace teacheth to use the conveniences of a prefent life paffingly; and to fhew a holy moderation in all things. The heart, which formerly immerfed itfelf in these things without fear, is now fhy of being over-much pleafed with them; and being apprehenfive of danger, ufes them warily as the dogs of Egypt run while they lap their water out of the river Nile, for fear of the crocodiles that are in it. Laftly, This change thines forth in the man's performance of religious duties. He who lived in the neglect of them, will do fo no more, if once the grace of God enter into his heart. If a man be new-born, he will defire the fincere milk of the word, 1 Pet. ii. 2. When |