The new birthThe nevv birth

that so it may be manifestly seen, there is a contrariety betwixt his very soul and all sins, that he knoweth to be sins. And for those that are not known to him; he is not ignorant of them, because he will not know them, with neglect of the means of knowing, or with a wilful resistance of them: but alone because he cannot know them, either for want of means to know, or capacity to conceive of, or light to see the truth offered. He doth not wink with his eyes, he doth not set himself to find out shifts, to bury the light that beginneth to appear, and to hold down the truth in unrighteousness; striving not to know sin, because he would not leave it, and out of a purpose to practise it, for the profit or pleasure of it; still labouring to have somewhat to say in its defence, and to elude and shift off whatsoever may be said against it: but he is willing to know, desirous and ready to yield, and when the light begins to shine within, he quickly opens his eyes to behold ⟨p. 56⟩the same; and if he suspect it, he looks more narrowly into it, with a sincere purpose of being convinced, if the truth appear unto him. And this is the first part of a good life. The second, and as necessary as the first, is doing of good, wherein he is careful to exercise himself; and though all be not alike fruitful, yet every regenerate man is fruitful in some degree. The life of grace hath its gracious effects, as well as the life of nature its natural: and he that hath the former, is as kindly and freely carried to the one, as he that hath the life of nature, to the other. By the supernatural life of God that is in the sanctified man, it is natural to him, to speak to God in prayer, to hear from God in the Word, to confer with God in holy meditations. Wherefore these things he finds himself inwardly moved unto, and he cannot choose but be constant in them. If at any time his wicked flesh hinder him from them (as sickness makes a man sometimes that he cannot eat his meat), then doth he feel, as sensible a miss of them, even as of his meals; and he could be as well without food, as without these exercises: for in truth they are the food of his soul, and he relisheth them as food, though sometimes less then at other times, as the diseases of his soul grow more or less within him.

that so it may be manifestly seene, there is a contrariety betwixt his very soule and all sins, that hee knoweth to be sins. And for those that are not knowne to him; hee is not ignorant of them, because he will not know them, with neglect of the meanes of knowing, or with a wilfull resistance of them: but alone because he cannot know them, either for want of meanes to know, or capacitie to conceiue of, or light to see the truth offered. Hee doth not winke with his eyes, he doth not set himselfe to finde out shifts, to bury the light that beginneth to appeare, and to hold downe the truth in vnrighteousnes; striuing not to know sinne, because he would not leaue it, and out of a purpose to practise it, for the profit or pleasure of it; still labouring to haue somewhat to say in its defence, and to elude and shift off whatsoeuer may be said against it: but he is willing to know, desirous and ready to yeeld, and when the light begins to shine within, he quickly opens his eyes to behold