The new birthThe nevv birth

And further, though he be like a young Artificer, that useth his tools somewhat unskilfully, and doth his business somewhat bunglingly; yet the Scriptures, the Word of God, they be his line and his level, and according to the direction, either special, or general, which he receiveth from them, he striveth to frame his life and actions. So is the true Convert godly in life; gross sins usually he commits not; the smallest known sins he ever dis-alloweth, condemneth, confesseth before God in secret; and suspected sins he labours to know, and for fear avoideth; and unknown sins he is ready and willing to know. Al and all manner of good duties (though some he finds more hard and difficult, and himself more backward unto them; yet I say, all, and all manner of good duties) he resolveth to do, and striveth to do; and either doth them, or is afterwards very angry with himself, for not having done them; so that his life is to his own feeling, but a very death, if he find it to have bin unprofitable: & which is much to be marked, he is heartily glad to see, that others can do the good that he cannot, or can do it better then himself.¹ So you have the second effect of regeneration: the third follows, and that is a knowledge of this his good estate. The man regenerate, understands himself to be regenerate, as the man that liveth & walketh, that he liveth and walketh. So S. John tells us plainly,² We know that we are translated from death to life. Lo, I say, an assured word of knowing, used by the Apostle. But how knows he it? even by a most infallible knowledge, grounded upon the perceiving of the effects of a spiritual life: as he knows, that he is a living man, and not a carcass, by feeling in himself the manifest effects of this common life. For in very truth, spiritual life can ⟨p. 59⟩no more be hidden, then natural. Can that admirable change, that cumbersome combat, that so far from former times differing, life be found in a man, and he not know of it? Can a blind man become seeing, and he not know it? Can a deaf man hear, a lame man go, a sick man become whole, a dead man live, and not know of these alterations in themselves? It is utterly impossible, that such things should be hidden from him in whom they be:

And further, though he be like a young Artificer, that vseth his tooles somwhat vnskilfully, and doth his businesse somewhat bunglingly; yet the Scriptures, the Word of God, they bee his line and his leuell, and according to the direction, either special, or general, which he receiueth from them, he striueth to frame his life and actions. So is the true Conuert godly in life; grosse sinnes vsually he commits not; the smallest knowne sins he euer dis-alloweth, condemneth, confesseth before God in secret; and suspected sins he labors to know, and for feare auoideth; and vnknowne sins he is ready and willing to know. Al and all maner of good duties (though some he finds more hard and difficult, and himselfe more backward vnto them; yet I say, all, and all manner of good duties) he resolueth to do, and striueth to do; and either doth them, or is afterwards very angry with himself, for not hauing done them; so that his life is to his own feeling, but a very death, if he find it to haue bin vnprofitable: & which is much to be marked, he is heartily glad to see, that others can do the good that he cannot, or can do it better then himself.