An answer to the discourse of Mr. William Sherlock, touching the knowledge of Christ,…

But after all this, ¹it would be worth while to know, how to distinguish a regenerate from an unregenerate man; and that he tells us may be done thus: An unregenerate man; let him go never so far, do never so much, yet he lives in some one sin or other: This now is very strange: What? go never so far? and do never so much? and yet live in some one sin or other; what live a blameless, innocent, honest, smooth life, and yet live in some one sin or other? Yet suppose he did, a regenerate man may be, in captivity to the Law of sin: And pray what's ⟨p. 561⟩the difference? But then an ungenerate man cannot be poor in spirit; and so carried out of all Duties to Christ; That is, if an unregenerate man do good, he is conscious to himself that he doth it: If he have a good heart, he feels a good heart in himself, and in all he doth, and therefore feels not a want of all good, which is true poverty of spirit: So that according to this discourse, the surest mark of a regenerate man is either to have no good in himself: or, if he have any to be mistaken, and think he hath none; either of which, I think, is a very odd sign of Grace: But then an unregenerate man comes to Christ; but he never gets into Christ, never takes up his eternal rest and lodging in Jesus Christ only; I thought coming had been believing, and that believing would have done the business; And if so, God forbid, that any man should be damned for want of that other Metaphor of taking up his eternal rest and lodging in Christ: Men in distress of conscience, (that […] unregenerate men under such distress) If they have comfort from Christ, they are contented: If Salvation from Hell by Christ, they are contented, (and I think they have some reason then to be ⟨p. 562⟩contented) But Christ himself; that is, without Comfort, and without Salvation, contents them not. Now to be contented with Christ without comfort and salvation; is so far from being the mark of an unregenerate man, that I am not yet satisfied, that it is the mark of an unreasonable man.

But after all this, ¹it would be worth while to know, how to distingush a regenerate from an unregenerate man; and that he tells us may be done thus: An unregenerate man; let him go never so far, do never so much, yet he lives in some one sin or other: This now is very strange: What? go never so far? and do never so much? and yet live in some one sin or other; what live a blameless, innocent, honest, smooth life, and yet live in some one sin or other? Yet suppose he did, a regenerate man may be, in captivity to the Law of sin: And pray what's