The real Christian, or, A treatise of effectual calling wherein the work of God…

The blessed Spirit doth not work upon one faculty, or especially a leading faculty, as the understanding is, alone; it doth not one week work upon the understanding savingly, the next week, month, or year, work on the will. ⟨p. 35⟩It was not long since I heard a Minister, and one of the best, handling the new Creature: He showed us first what it was not, and there cut off all those things or works which are found in Hypocrites; then he showed us in what it did consist: This was first in the illumination of the mind to discern the transcendency of spiritual objects. Secondly, In the wills embracing of, and closing with those objects: This is the great work, and long it is, saith he, before those who are enlightened come to this; it must be a day of Christs power, (Psal. 110.) when the Soul comes to this. Now though there was no danger in this as to the hearers, yet for the Divinity I cannot believe it, that the Spirit regenerateth one faculty so long before another, that a man hath the head of a new Creature so long before he hath the heart of a new Creature. He that hath heard and learned of the Father (the intellectual work) cometh to me, John 6.45. an infallible Connection between the Fathers teaching, our learning, and coming to Christ. I know it is a question moved by the Learned, Whether the will be regenerated mediately or immediately? Some say, God in regeneration doth irradiate the mind with divine Light, and by this Light doth infuse virtues, and new habits into the will; as that celestial and lively heat, by which all things below live and thrive, is transfused by Light: ¹[No grace that any man hath, but it passeth in through the understanding, saith Doctor Preston.] Others say, Gods work in regeneration is as immediate upon the will, as upon the understanding; nor is the will regenerated by the mediate light of the understanding, but the will in it self is equally affected and renewed by God, as the understanding is affected and illuminated by him: this Opinion they think to be the soundest, especially if the understanding and the will be not faculties really distinct; which, saith Mr. Jackson, ²he that hath but Philosophy enough to serve from hand to mouth, will never swallow down, that they are: