The new birthThe nevv birth

In very truth, the unwillingness to enter into this inquisition, giveth occasion of vehement suspicion that one is not regenerated. It is a sore presumption, that a man hath not that grace, whereof he is not willing with any seriousness and diligence, to examine himself, if he ⟨p. 89⟩have it yea or no. And let that man, that is willing to put of this matter slightly; & to please himself in idle imaginations, saying, I hope I have been regenerated, though he have never bestowed pains to inquire into the grounds of this hope: let that man I say, be even all most assured, that he is not as yet regenerated. A sound and well grounded scholar fears not be examined in grounds of learning; a sufficient workman in any trade is never unwilling to come into trial and question about his skill: only bunglers, only dunces abhor from all search and trial of their sufficiencies. A secret guiltiness of wants, causeth an unwillingness of being hard pressed to show what one hath; doubtless it is so in the matters of the soul also. The regenerate is willing to search out his estate, because the goodness thereof doth more clearly appear, by how much it is more often searched; but he that cannot away to stand asking and demanding of himself, and call for infallible proofs of his being regenerate, is therefore alone unwilling to put himself to the trouble of proving it, because he is destitute of sufficient proofs. I say therefore unto thee, thou must follow this inquiry close: thou must not believe every thought of thine heart: thou must have good assurance, and good grounds of good assurance, afore thou be bold to call thy self a regenerate man. The hart of men (brethren) is a very Sea of guile: Every son of Adam hath a marvellous self-deceiving spirit. Self-love, I say, self-love, and a desire of all good to our selves, makes us too too credulous of our own condition for the most part: because nature worketh in us a desire of being happy, we are all too too willing to believe that we have those things (I mean it of spiritual things), ⟨p. 90⟩without which we cannot be happy. In truth for things temporal, because our senses (strong confut•rs) do refel all conceits of having that, which indeed we have not, we are not here so apt to beguile our own selves:

In very truth, the vnwillingnes to enter into this inquisition, giueth occasion of vehement suspition that one is not regenerated. It is a sore presumption, that a man hath not that grace, whereof he is not willing with any seriousnes and diligence, to examine himselfe, if hee