Regeneration makes a wonderful change and alteration; now great alterations of State are not without observation. Doth a Kingdom change its Governor, a cruel arbitrary Tyrant, that fleeced them, and slew them at pleasure, for a mild merciful peaceable Prince, that ruleth them with a righteous sceptre, and not take notice of it? Can a creature change his master, sin and flesh, for Christ and his Spirit; his work of serving divers lusts and pleasures, Tit. 3.3. for serving the Lord with singleness of heart, and not observe it? When the man is new made, Christ cometh into his heart with his Spirit, Graces, Gospel: great Guests when they come into an house, have many eyes upon them; the King of Glory doth not come with such a train and retinue in secret; the gradual change from grace to grace is not so visible; but a specific change from nature ⟨p. 146⟩to grace is undoubtedly sensible: when the ground that before brought forth nothing but weeds and thistles, comes to bring forth wheat; an ordinary person may perceive the difference, though how this wheat groweth is not so perceptible. Every new creature doth not know the time, nor manner, nor means of his conversion, but every one may know that he is converted: The mother doth not know how she comes to be quick, but she knoweth that she is quick, for the feeleth the child to stir in her womb: how the shadow moveth on the dial we cannot see, but that it moveth we see plainly, in that its opposite at night to the place where it was at noon. Though conversion be not ever sensible in the act, yet it is sensible enough by its effects; and the reason why it is not in all alike visible, is because it is not in all alike violent. God converteth some by Boanerges, sons of thunder; others by a Barnabas, a son of consolation; to some he comes, as on Mount Sinai, Exod. 19. with thunderings, lightnings, and a great noise; to others, as to Elijah, with a still small voice, 2 Kings 19.12. The Spirit falls down on some, as on the Apostles, like a mighty rushing wind, or like fire shaking and scorching them, Acts 2.2, 3. on others, as on Jesus Christ, in the shape of a Dove, dealing mildly and meekly with them: The Jailer is brought home by an earthquake, and an heartquake, Acts 16.29. when the ⟨p. 147⟩door of Lydia's heart is opened softly, and Jesus Christ entereth in without any noise, Acts 16.14.
Regeneration makes a wonderful change and alteration; now great alterations of State are not without observation. Doth a Kingdom change its Governor, a cruel arbitrary Tyrant, that fleeced them, and slew them at pleasure, for a mild merciful peaceable Prince, that ruleth them with a righteous scepter, and not take notice of it? Can a creature change his master, sin and flesh, for Christ and his Spirit; his work of serving divers lusts and pleasures, Tit. 3.3. for serving the Lord with singleness of heart, and not observe it? When the man is new made, Christ cometh into his heart with his Spirit, Graces, Gospel: great Guests when they come into an house, have many eyes upon them; the King of Glory doth not come with such a train and retinue in secret; the gradual change from grace to grace is not so visible; but a specifical change from nature ⟨p. 146⟩to grace is undoubtedly sensible: when the ground that before brought forth nothing but weeds and thistles, comes to bring forth wheat; an ordinary person may perceive the difference, though how this wheat groweth is not so perceptible. Every new creature doth not know the time, nor manner, nor means of his conversion, but every one may know that he is converted: The mother doth not know how she comes to be quick, but she knoweth that she is quick, for the feeleth the childe to stir in her womb: how the shadow moveth on the dial we cannot see, but that it moveth we see plainly, in that its opposite at night to the place where it was at noon. Though conversion be not ever sensible in the act, yet it is sensible enough by its effects; and the reason why it is not in all alike visible, is because it is not in all alike violent. God converteth some by Boanerges, sons of thunder; others by a Barnabas, a son of consolation; to some he comes, as on Mount Sinai, Exod. 19. with thundrings, lightnings, and a great noise; to others, as to Elijah, with a still small voice, 2 Kings 19.12. The Spirit falls down on some, as on the Apostles, like a mighty rushing winde, or like fire shaking and scorching them, Acts 2.2, 3. on others, as on Jesus Christ, in the shape of a Dove, dealing mildly and meekly with them: The Jaylor is brought home by an earthquake, and an heartquake, Acts 16.29. when the ⟨p. 147⟩door of Lydia's heart is opened softly, and Jesus Christ entereth in without any noise,
