The new birthThe nevv birth

& the taking away of blindness, deafness, dumbness, lameness, death, from the soul, is to him in whom it is, no less manifest and evident, then the removing of these bodily infirmities. And therefore S. John saith,¹ I write unto you babes, because you have known the Father, meaning with a knowledge of acquaintance, whereby they conceive him to be their father; such as little children (to whom he alludeth) have of their fathers and mothers that they be theirs. In truth the Christian man finds in himself, something within him, sealing him up to life: he hath an earnest penny that makes the bargain sure betwixt the Lord and his soul. He cannot but call God Father, and often (though not always) in calling him so, he even feels him so also. He hath an inward & a sure certificate of his reconciliation with his displeased Lord. And if doubts do arise (as I told you before that they would, and that right often, and very troublesomely: for the devil will cast them in, thick and threefold, and with great violence), these his very doubtings drive him to his father to be resolved of his doubts; by which means it comes to pass, that as a truth is much cleared, by making & answering objections, so his assurance is confirmed by these doubts. Indeed an infant at first, hath not so much knowledge, or use of reason, as to conceive of his own life: but when some days are past, and himself ⟨p. 60⟩becomes stronger, then doth he well enough know that he liveth: so in the infancy of regeneration, the regenerate can scarce tell that he is regenerate, but having a little grown forward in a good life, he findeth his case plain enough, and wants not this assurance, though he be encumbered with many doubtings. Yea, when he stands at the weakest, and doth most complain for want of this assurance, yet even at that time, he neither accounts it impossible, nor yet needless to have it; but desireth it with the strongest of his desires, and is troubled for want of it, more then for want of any other thing: and the feeling that he hath it not, serveth but to quicken his care of seeking it, and to make him seek soundly, that he may not be deceived with false imaginations about it. Sometimes also it falls out, that a fit of Melancholy possesseth a grown man so strongly, that he imagines himself no better then a dead man:

& the taking away of blindnes, deafenes, dumbnes, lamenes, death, from the soule, is to him in whom it is, no lesse manifest and euident, then the remouing of these bodily infirmities. And therfore S. Iohn saith,