The new birthThe nevv birth

Read the stories of holy writ, and search and see, if the examples of men by only reading regenerated, be not few, rare, seldom; nay scarce any where at all to be found: but on the other side, the examples of men by preaching made new, common, frequent, and usual. Therefore be it again concluded, that he doth far undervalue the gift of spiritual life; which satisfying himself in the less usual, and less available means of working it, because it is most easy; pretermitteth the more available, and more usual, because he is not willing to undergo the pains, labour, or cost that it will require. And thus you have the efficient causes of regeneration. Gods spirit as the chief, the word principally preached, as his instrument. The material cause is holiness, that is the thing, in the working of which regeneration is conversant: Holiness (I say) the most admirable of all things in all the world: as far surpassing wit, and learning, and riches, and other earthly vanities; as learning surpasseth ignorance, and wealth beggary. This is (as it were) the character of Christ Jesus, the image of God, the beauty, the riches, the strength, the life, the soul, of the soul & of the whole man: It is a very beam of the divine light, called therefore by the Apostle, The divine nature; it is the most excellent and worthy thing under heaven, or (of things incident to creatures) in heaven. It is that, that distinguisheth Angels from devils; the Saints, from the damned Ghosts. Take away from a blessed Angel ⟨p. 20⟩his holiness, he will become a black fiend of hell. It is (in a word) the best of all things that a creature can have; without which nothing is worth the having; and with which the meanest condition is able to afford a man happiness enough. This admirable thing, that can by no words be sufficiently commended, is given by regeneration; and therefore we call it the matter of regeneration. Now holiness is nothing else but this, a supernatural power of withdrawing the faculties of the whole man from sinful and earthly objects, and exercising the same upon God, and the things of God. This Adam had in his first creation, and that in such perfection as God required at his hand. This should he have propagated to his son; and his son, to his son, had he continued in his innocency:

Reade the stories of holy writ, and search and see, if the examples of men by onely reading regenerated, bee not few, rare, seldome; nay scarce any where at all to be found: but on the other side, the examples of men by preaching made new, common, frequent, and vsuall. Therefore be it againe concluded, that he doth farre vnderualue the gift of spiritual life; which satisfying himself in the lesse vsuall, and lesse auaileable meanes of working it, because it is most easie; pretermitteth the more auailable, and more vsuall, because he is not willing to vndergoe the paines, labour, or cost that it will require. And thus you haue the efficient causes of regeneration. Gods spirit as the chiefe, the word principally preached, as his instrument. The materiall cause is holinesse, that is the thing, in the working of which regeneration is conuersant: Holinesse (I say) the most admirable of all things in all the world: as farre surpassing wit, and learning, and riches, and other earthly vanities; as learning surpasseth ignorance, and wealth beggery. This is (as it were) the character of Christ Iesus, the image of God, the beauty, the riches, the strength, the life, the soule, of the soule & of the whole man: It is a very beame of the diuine light, called therefore by the Apostle, The diuine nature; it is the most excellent and worthy thing vnder heauen, or (of things incident to creatures) in heauen. It is that, that distinguisheth Angels from diuels; the Saints, from the damned Ghosts. Take away from a blessed Angell