BOOK VIII: That there are three parts of our regeneration. 1. Humiliation for sin, and the necessit
eminently called 'the truth') which is now common in the notion of it to carnal men, so God makes a further trial, and experiments the utmost how far corrupt nature may yet be wrought upon by the truths thereof, without his infusing or their attaining true faith and holiness; and answerably gives a further Spirit, Heb. 6:4, called the 'Spirit of grace,' Heb. 10:29, that is, of the gospel, called grace, Tit.
2:11, whereby they are partakers of further tastes than of outward blessings, and the comforts of an excusing conscience, even of 'the powers of the world to come,' which was not subject to the angels who gave the law (Heb. 2:2, and 5 compared), and are 'partakers of an heavenly gift;' yea, they may receive a work on their hearts some way answerable to all the truth of the gospel; for as Junius and others have observed, and by comparing those six principles mentioned, ver. 1, 2 of Heb. 6 (the sum of the rest), and those works on them mentioned, ver. 4, 5, they one answer to the other, and yet these attain not to true holiness or any true qualifications or works truly such; not to true love to the saints, and works thence issuing for Christ's sake, which is put by way of distinction, as better, ver. 9, than all that work upon them. And the work there mentioned I account the highest instance can be given of any temporaries. For which dealing of God with men I must refer the wonderment to the 'deepness of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God: how unsearchable are his ways, and his judgments past finding out!
BOOK VIII
That there are three parts of our regeneration: 1. Humiliation for sin, and the necessity thereof in order to faith; 2. Faith in Christ for justification; 3. Turning from sin unto God, or holiness of heart and life, proved, from the work which our Lord Jesus Christ ascribes to the Holy Ghost, John 16:7–11, from the instances of conversion in the time when Job lived; and of the conversion of the apostle Paul.—
Of the subservience of humiliation unto faith.—Objections answered.
—Of our turning from sin unto God, or of holiness in heart and life.