The new birthThe nevv birth

he perceives himself throughly, and throughly polluted with it: and cries out bitterly, Ah what shall I do! not only, nor so much, because I shall be damned; but because I am so wicked, so sinful, so contrary to God, so rebellious against him, so very a traitor unto him, and so utterly unable to mend these woeful disorders of my soul. These be his groans, these be his plaints, and his cryings out are of his wickedness and iniquity, wherein he was conceived, wherein he was borne, wherein he hath lived; and whereof now he perceiveth not so much as one part of his heart, or of his life, to be clean, and unspotted. This acknowledgement and sense of our sinfulness, is the very first beginning of holiness. The unregenerate often sees and feels his damnation; the regenerate alone his sinfulness, the miserable depravation of his nature; the utter, total, odious, pollution of his whole man; being so loathsome, that he sees God cannot choose in justice but detest him, and for any thing that is in himself, for ever reject him. This apprehension of sinfulness is mixed always at first (at least often) with the fear of Gods wrath and vengeance: but it doth so temper and allay that fear, as the bitterness thereof, carries not the soul furiously to contend against God, as else he could not choose but do. For his hatred is not stirred now against God, whom in truth (by virtue of a secret, unfelt, and undiscerned hope, that the spirit of ⟨p. 30⟩God hath created, and doth uphold in him) he loveth, and honoureth, though he be more then half in doubt, lest he may destroy him: but alone against himself, his wretched hateful self, that is so intolerably wicked and naught, that he can see no cause, but that the Lord should glorify his equity and justice, in damning him. And so much for this first work of regeneration: the second follows it close at the heels, and is nothing else,¹ but an earnest desire of attaining holiness and virtue, together with remission of sins, and the favour of God in Christ Jesus. For you must conceive the party that is now in regenerating, to have a general knowledge of the doctrine of the Gospel, and a general assent also to the truth of it: this doctrine being (as I said before) an instrumental cause of regeneration.

hee perceiues himselfe throughly, and throughly polluted with it: and cries out bitterly, Ah what shal I doe! not only, nor so much, because I shall be damned; but because I am so wicked, so sinfull, so contrary to God, so rebellious against him, so very a traytor vnto him, and so vtterly vnable to mend these woful disorders of my soule. These be his groanes, these be his plaints, and his cryings out are of his wickednesse and iniquitie, wherein hee was conceiued, wherein hee was borne, wherein hee hath liued; and whereof now he perceiueth not so much as one part of his heart, or of his life, to be cleane, and vnspotted. This acknowledgement and sense of our sinfulnes, is the very first beginning of holinesse. The vnregenerate often sees and feeles his damnation; the regenerate alone his sinfulnes, the miserable deprauation of his nature; the vtter, totall, odious, pollution of his whole man; being so loathsome, that hee sees God cannot chuse in iustice but detest him, and for any thing that is in himselfe, for euer reiect him. This apprehension of sinfulnes is mixed alwaies at first (at least often) with the feare of Gods wrath and vengeance: but it doth so temper and allay that feare, as the bitternes thereof, carries not the soule furiously to contend against God, as else he could not chuse but doe. For his hatred is not stirred now against God, whom in truth (by vertue of a secret, vnfelt, and vndiscerned hope, that the spirit of