The new birthThe nevv birth

But now the general knowledge begins to be made special, and the man touched with a sense of sin, is moved also with a most vehement longing after grace and mercy; not alone to pardon his sin, but also to heal his soul of it, as of a desperate wound, which he feeleth to be most smarting and mortal. So he cries out, who shall deliver me from this body of death? No hungry man did ever, with a more eager appetite, wish for meat; nor thirsty man for drink; nor covetous man for money; nor ambitious man, for advancement, then he now longeth to be reconciled unto God in Christ; to have his foul nature made clean, his woeful sins forgiven, his abominable corruptions removed, and killed, and holiness planted in their room. Oh how fain he would be holy! O how fain would he be humble, faithful, obedient! how fain he would believe in, love, fear, serve God! but, ah wretch that he is, he cannot: Woe, woe, unto him, ⟨p. 31⟩he cannot. O, how shall he be able to prevail against these vile disorders of his heart, and life? how shall he do to be less sinful, and more righteous? These be his thoughts, these his wishes, these his groans: he finds so great a miss of nothing, as of the pardon of his sin, and the graces of the Spirit of God; and if he had that bestowed upon him, were he a beggar, a prisoner, a slave, any thing; yet he should seem to himself an happy man: and, ah Lord, (thinks he) that thou wouldest be pleased, for Christ his sake, to forgive my wickedness, and to heal my nature. Now the thirst that he had after the things of this world, is wonderfully cooled; and, (as a man in a burning fit of an ague, makes no reckoning of his fine clothes) he doth almost put off all those desires, and poor or not poor, esteemed or not esteemed, it is no great matter; but that he might be accepted into the favour of God, and have his sins pardoned and subdued, and his unholy nature made holy, that is all in all within him. There is to be seen in unsanctified men, in case of terrors of conscience, (which sometimes do lie long upon them) a great desire to be free from the insufferable evils they see coming upon them. For, who can make question, but that Judas would fain not have been damned? or, that the damned in hell have not a wonderful desire get out of their torments?

But now the generall knowledge begins to bee made speciall, and the man touched with a sense of sinne, is moued also with a most vehement longing after grace and mercie; not alone to pardon his sinne, but also to heale his soule of it, as of a desperat wound, which he feeleth to be most smarting and mortall. So hee cries out, who shall deliuer me from this body of death? No hungrie man did euer, with a more eager appetite, wish for meate; nor thirstie man for drinke; nor couetous man for money; nor ambitious man, for aduancement, then hee now longeth to be reconciled vnto God in Christ; to haue his foule nature made cleane, his wofull sinnes forgiuen, his abominable corruptions remoued, and killed, and holinesse planted in their roome. Oh how faine he would be holy! O how faine would hee be humble, faithfull, obedient! how faine he would beleeue in, loue, feare, serue God! but, ah wretch that he is, he cannot: Woe, woe, vnto him,