The sovereign and final happiness of man with the effectual means to obtain itThe soveraign and final happiness of man with the effectual means to obtain it

This holy Change is wrought by Divine Power. Our Saviour tells Nicodemus, Except a Man be born of Water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. The Analogy of a new Birth signifies, that 'tis entirely the work of the sanctifying Spirit, that conveys a Principle of Life in order to the Functions of it. 'Tis the living impression of God, the sole Efficient and Exemplar of it, the Fruit and Image of the Divine Virtues. 'Tis expressed by the new Creature. The production of it is attributed to God's power displaying it self in a peculiar ⟨p. 82⟩excellent way, even in that precise manner, as in making the World. For as in the first Creation all things were made originally of nothing, so in the second, the habit of Grace is infused into the Soul that was utterly void of it, and in which there was as little preparation for true Holiness, as of nothing to produce this great and regular World. And although there is not only an absolute privation of Grace, but a fierce resistance against it, yet creating invincible Power does as infallibly and certainly produce its effect in forming the new Creature, as in making the World. From hence it appears that preventing renewing Grace is so entirely the Work of God; as his forming the human Body from the Dust of Earth at first. But with this difference, the first Creation was done without any sense in the Subject, of the efficiency of the Divine Power in producing it: but in the new Creation, Man feels the vital influence of the Spirit, applying it self to all his Faculties, reforming and enabling them to act according to the quality of their nature.

This holy Change is wrought by Divine Power. Our Saviour tells Nicodemus, Except a Man be born of Water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. The Analogy of a new Birth signifies, that 'tis intirely the work of the sanctifying Spirit, that conveys a Principle of Life in order to the Functions of it. 'Tis the living impression of God, the sole Efficient and Exemplar of it, the Fruit and Image of the Divine Vertues. 'Tis exprest by the new Creature. The production of it is attributed to God's power displaying it self in a peculiar ⟨p. 82⟩excellent way, even in that precise manner, as in making the World. For as in the first Creation all things were made originally of nothing, so in the second, the habit of Grace is infused into the Soul that was utterly void of it, and in which there was as little preparation for true Holiness, as of nothing to produce this great and regular World. And although there is not only an absolute privation of Grace, but a fierce resistance against it, yet creating invincible Power does as infallibly and certainly produce its effect in forming the new Creature, as in making the World. From hence it appears that preventing renewing Grace is so intirely the Work of God; as his forming the human Body from the Dust of Earth at first. But with this difference, the first Creation was done without any sence in the Subject, of the efficiency of the Divine Power in produceing it: but in the new Creation, Man feels the vital influence of the Spirit, applying it self to all his Faculties, reforming and enabling them to act according to the quality of their nature.