The blessedness of the righteous discoursed from Psal. 17, 15 /The blessednesse of the righteous discoursed from Psal. 17, 15 /

I professedly wave controversies, and 'tis pity so practical a business, as this I am now upon, and upon which Salvation so much depends, should ever have been encumbered with any controversy. And therefore (though I shall ⟨p. 207⟩not digress so far as to undertake a particular and distinct handling, here, of this work of God upon the soul, yet) I shall propound something in general, touching the change necessarily previous to this blessedness, (wherein that necessity is evidenceable from the nature of this blessedness, which is the business I have in hand) that, I hope, will pass among Christians for acknowledged truth, not liable to dispute, though the Lord knows it be little considered. My design being rather to awaken souls to the consideration of known and agreed things, than to perplex them about unknown. Consider therefore.

I professedly wave controversies, and 'tis pity so practical a business, as this I am now upon, and upon which Salvation so much depends, should ever have been incumbred with any controversie. And therefore (though I shall ⟨p. 207⟩not degress so far as to undertake a particular and distinct handling, here, of this work of God upon the soul, yet) I shall propound something in general, touching the change necessarily previous to this blessedness, (wherein that necessity is evidenceable from the nature of this blessedness, which is the business I have in hand) that, I hope, will pass among Christians for acknowledged truth, not liable to dispute, though the Lord knows it be little considered. My design being rather to awaken souls to the consideration of known and agreed things, than to perplex them about unknown. Consider therefore.

First; that the holy Scriptures, in the forementioned §1and other like passages, do plainly hold forth the necessity of a real change, to be made in the inward temper, and dispositions of the soul; and not a relative only, respecting its state. This cannot be doubted by any, that acknowledge a real, inherent depravation, propagated in the nature of man. No, nor denied by them that grant such a corruption to be general, and continued among men; whether by imitation only, or what way soever. And willing I am, to meet men upon their own principles, and concessions, however erroneous, or short of the truth they may be, while they are yet improvable to their own advantage. Admit that regeneration, or the new birth includes a change of our relation and state God-ward; doth it therefore exclude an intrinsic subjective change of the inclinations and tendencies of the Soul? And if it did yet other terms, are more peculiarly,