IN a man there must be considered three things, the substance of the body and soul, whereof a man is said to consist, the faculties placed in the soul and exercised in the body, as understanding, will, affections: the integrity and purity of the faculties, whereby they are conformable to the will of God, and bear his Image. And since the fall of Adam, man is not deprived of his substance or of the powers and faculties of his soul, but only of the third, which is the purity of nature, and therefore the conversion of a sinner, whereof the conclusion speaketh, is not the change of the substance of man, or the faculties of the soul: but a renewing and restoring of that purity and holiness which was lost by mans fall, with the abolishment of that natural corruption that is in all the powers of the soul. This is the work of God, and of God alone, and that on this manner. First of all, when it pleaseth God to work a change in any, he doth it not first in one part, then in an other, as he that repairs a decayed house by piece-meal: but the work, both for the beginning, continuance, and accomplishment, is the whole man, ⟨p. 1047⟩and every part at once, specially in the mind and conscience, will and affection: as on the contrary, when Adam lost the image of God, he lost it in every part. Secondly, the conversion of a sinner is not wrought all at one instant, but in continuance of time, and that by certain measures and degrees. And a man is in the first degree of his conversion, when the holy ghost by the means of the word, inspires him with some spiritual motions, and begins to regenerate and renew the inward powers of the soul. And he may in this case very fitly be compared to the night in the first dawning of the day, in which though the darkness remain and be more in quantity then the light, yet the Sun hath already cast some beams of light into the air, whereupon we term it the breaking of the day. Now then, the very point which I touch, is, that a man at this instant and in this very state (God as yet having but laid certain beginnings of true conversion in his heart) is the very child of God, and that not only in the eternal purpose of God (as all the elect are) but indeed by actual adoption: and this is plain by a manifest reason.
IN a man there must be considered three things, the substance of the bodie and soule, whereof a man is said to consist, the faculties placed in the soule and exercised in the bodie, as vnderstanding, will, affections: the integritie and puritie of the faculties, wherby they are conformable to the will of God, and beare his Image. And since the fall of Adam, man is not depriued of his substance or of the powers and faculties of his soule, but onely of the third, which is the puritie of nature, and therefore the conuersion of a sinner, whereof the conclusion speaketh, is not the change of the substance of man, or the faculties of the soule: but a renewing and restoring of that puritie and holinesse which was lost by mans fall, with the abolishment of that naturall corruption that is in all the powers of the soule. This is the worke of God, and of God alone, and that on this manner. First of all, when it pleaseth God to worke a chaunge in any, he doth it not first in one part, then in an other, as hee that repaires a decaied house by peece-meale: but the worke, both for the beginning, continuance, and accomplishment, is the whole man, ⟨p. 1047⟩and euery part at once, specially in the minde and conscience, will and affection: as on the contrary, when Adam lost the image of God, he lost it in euery part. Secondly, the conuersion of a sinner is not wrought all at one instant, but in continuance of time, and that by certaine measures and degrees. And a man is in the first degree of his conuersiō, when the holy ghost by the means of the word, inspires him with some spirituall motions, and begins to regenerate and renewe the inward powers of the soule. And he may in this case very fitly be cōpared to the night in the first dawning of the day, in which though the darknesse remaine and be more in quantitie then the light, yet the Sunne hath alreadie cast some beames of light into the aire, whereupon we tearme it the breaking of the daie. Nowe then, the very point which I touch, is, that a man at this instant and in this very state (God as yet hauing but laid certaine beginnings of true conuersion in his heart) is the very child of God, and that not onely in the eternall purpose of God (as all the elect are) but indeede by actuall adoption: and this is plaine by a manifest reason.
