Secondly, I say Whereby God out of his mere good pleasure, here is the impulsive or moving cause of Regeneration; Of his own will begat he us again by the word of truth, Jam. 1.18 Gods good will is the highest moving cause of this gracious work; 'twas not any fore-sight of Faith or good works, not any thing without him that turned the scale of his thoughts for thy purity and peace, but only his own good pleasure and pity, Ezek. 36.21, 22. therefore he is said to give a new heart, verse 26, 27. because he bestoweth it freely, not for mans merit, but from his own mercy: The gift of grace is merely of grace; For we our selves, saith the Apostle, were sometimes disobedient, foolish, serving divers lusts and pleasures; But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared; Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the holy Ghost, Titus 3.3, 4, 5. so Ephes. 2.1, to 6. verse. If you would know the grand reason why some are taken (by the net of the Word, let down in the sea of the world) when others are left; why some like wax are melted before this fire of Scripture, when others like clay are hardened; why some have the light side of this glorious pillar towards them, when others have the dark side of it; why the same path of the red sea is salvation to some, when it is destruction to others; why the mysteries of the kingdom ⟨p. 15⟩of heaven are revealed to babes, when they are hid from the wise and prudent: I must give you the same reason which Christ himself doth, Even so Father, because it seemeth good in thy sight, Matth. 11.27. his will and mercy are the cause of all our felicity, Rom: 9.18. 1 Pet: 1.3. Deut: 7.7, 8. Grace chooseth thee, Rom: 11.5. There is a remnant according to the election of Grace; so Ephes: 1.5. Grace calleth, 2 Tim: 1.9 Who hath called us according to his purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ before the world began; so Gal: 1.15. Grace distinguisheth and differenceth thee from others, By the grace of God I am what I am; 1 Cor. 15.10. Grace justifieth, Rom: 3.24. being justified freely by his Grace; Grace glorifieth, Ephes: 2.8. For by grace are ye saved; Grace doth lay both the foundation and the top-stone of glory: that deserveth the thanks and praise of our beginning, progress, and perfection in holiness.
Secondly, I say Whereby God out of his meer good pleasure, here is the impulsive or moving cause of Regeneration; Of his own will begat he us again by the word of truth, Jam. 1.18 Gods good will is the highest moving cause of this gracious work; 'twas not any fore-sight of Faith or good works, not any thing without him that turned the scale of his thoughts for thy purity and peace, but only his own good pleasure and pity, Ezek. 36.21, 22. therefore he is said to give a new heart, verse 26, 27. because he bestoweth it freely, not for mans merit, but from his own mercy: The gift of grace is meerly of grace; For we our selves, saith the Apostle, were sometimes disobedient, foolish, serving divers lusts and pleasures; But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared; Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the holy Ghost, Titus 3.3, 4, 5. so Ephes. 2.1, to 6. verse. If you would know the grand reason why some are taken (by the net of the Word, let down in the sea of the world) when others are left; why some like wax are melted before this fire of Scripture, when others like clay are hardned; why some have the light side of this glorious pillar towards them, when others have the dark side of it; why the same path of the red sea is salvation to some, when it is destruction to others; why the mysteries of the kingdom ⟨p. 15⟩of heaven are revealed to babes, when they are hid from the wise and prudent: I must give you the same reason which Christ himself doth, Even so Father, because it seemeth good in thy sight, Matth. 11.27. his will and mercy are the cause of all our felicity, Rom: 9.18. 1 Pet: 1.3. Deut: 7.7, 8. Grace chuseth thee, Rom: 11.5. There is a remnant according to the election of Grace; so Ephes: 1.5. Grace calleth, 2 Tim: 1.9 Who hath called us according to his purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ before the world began; so Gal: 1.15. Grace distinguisheth and differenceth thee from others, By the grace of God I am what I am; 1 Cor. 15.10. Grace justifieth, Rom: 3.24. being justified fre•ly by his Grace; Grace glorifieth, Ephes: 2.8. For by grace are ye saved; Grace doth lay both the foundation and the top-stone of glory: that deserveth the thanks and praise of our beginning, progress, and perfection in holiness.
