feelingly confess it that I have been over-spread with corruption ever siâ—ce I saw the light Nay which is more no sooner was the substances whereof I was framed and made warm in my Mothers womb but I was stained and tainted with originall corruption Therefore vâ—ry necessary and needfull is a new and another Birth to cover the stains and pollutions of the first of the old A second birth to sanctâ—fie our first a birth from above to make holy our naturall birth Regeneration to bless our Generation as necessary and needfull as light is unto darkness as heaven to the immunity and freedom from hell as reparation to a ruinous and rotten building as the soul to give life unto the body Nay so necessary and needfull that without it we cannot see the Kingdome of God Verily verily I say unto you that I had two births my self one by an eternall Joh. 3. 3. generation which no man can declare Another in the fulness of time being made of a woman c. You must have two births too Gal. 4. 4. one from Heaven or your earthly and carnall birth can doe you no good The Italians have a prudent proverb it is good to be bornâ— wise or twice wise no man can be borne Neâ—â— nascitur summus or sanctus No man is borne a Saint but made so virtus non est ex traduce goodnesse is not by generation it must be therefore by regeneration Better a thousand times not be borne at all than not borne againe we shall very bitterly curse the day of our first Birth if we have not a second Many solemnize keep festival their Birth-day which they have little reason to doe if they looke upon their Birth-sinne If their naturall condition be considered they have little cause to rejoyce or be merry upon their Birth-day it calls rather to Lamentation or Teares The new borne Babe seems to cry down that joy and exaltation who comes crying into a troublâ—somâ— Aust world Nâ—ndum nascitur sed prophâ—tat It is the day and blessed time of our New Birth wherein we should rejoyce and be glad which we should keep holy to the Lord wherein as in our Baptisme the Laver and Seale and Signe of regeneration as in our earthly Registers our names are written in the book of life wherein we are borne to live for ever whereas in our Birth we are damnati antequam nati damned before we be borne being filii terrae we are filii irae we must therefore be renati if we would not be damnati renewed and converted if we will not be condemned Doct. From which consideration take this observation and comfortable Doctrine He that is borne twice shall dye but once but he that is but once borne shall dye twice The second Birth shall free us from the second Death the first and none but that shall make us liable both to the first and to the second death But what doe I say that the regenerate person the Beleever shall dye no he shall not dye at all Quicunque sermones mâ—â—s custodiverint c. Whosoever keeps my sayings he shall not taste he shall not see death Death may buz and keepe a noise about his eares like an angry Wasp but he hath lost his sting the sting was left in Christ Jesus body he doth victoriously triumph over it O Death where is thy sting O Grave c. He may exult and rejoyce over Death O Death my Saviour hath been thy death and thâ—u canst not be mine My Saviour dyed for me I cannot dye by thee Christ hath killed thee and thou canst not kill me if kill me not hurt me I have made my peace with my Judge and I feare not the Baily my Redeemer hath made my peace with my God and being justified by Faith I have my Quiâ—tus est I have peace with God and therefore neither Death nor Hell nor he that hath the power of both can hurt me and therefore to every regenerate person I may pronounce that blessing which Saint John doth to them that have part in the first resurrection which is nothing else but regeneration Blessed and Rev. 20 6. holy is he that hath his part in the first resurrection for on such the second Death shall have no power but they shall be as Kings and Priests unto God Of this supernaturall and Heavenly Bâ—rth doth this birth treat and of all the 4. causes thereof 1. The Formall 2. The Efficient 3. The Instrumentall and 4. the Final cause 1. The formal cause that is God progenuit Dâ—â—â— God begets us 2. The Efficient that is his will he begets us of his will for why he saves one and not another why he softens this wax upon which he will instampâ— his Image and why he hardens that clay which he will cast away there is no reason can be given hereof but the good pleasure of his will Rom. 9. 18. He will have mercy c. 3. The Instrumentall cause is verbum veritatis the word of truth called so for 4. Reasons 1. Because it hath God the God of Truth for its Author 2. Because it hath Christ the Truth it selfe for its Witnesse 3. Because it hath the Spirit of Truth for its composer and 4. Because it teacheth all truth and leads into all truth I will pray to the Father and he shall send the spirit of truth which shall lead or guide you into all truth This word of Truth is the seed of our New Birth By the grace of God saith Paul I have begotten you by the Gospell where you have againe the instrument the meanes and the Author the Instrument I Paul for though you have ten thousand instructors I am your Father in Christ â— The meanes the Gospel or Word the Author Christ Jesus whose word it is and who himselfe is the supreame worke in our regeneration Then fourthly here is the finall cause why we are regenerate and borne againe to bâ— holy and sanctified to be as the first fruits of his Creatures i. e. that as amongst the Jews in the Law the first fruits were consecrate and set apart for God so regenerate persons and believers amongst and above all others are sequestred and set apart for the services and purposes of God and this end and effect of Regeneration shews the Honour and Dignity the priviledge and prerogatives of the sonnes of God as you shall here anon otherwise as in other Births so in this you may please to observe 4. things more 1. Partus 2. Vterus 3. Semen And 4. Fructus The Birth the Womb the Seed and the Fruit. 1. Partus The Birth and that is a holy Birth progâ—nuit Deus God begets us The Spirit of the Almighty over-shadowing the Soul as it did the Body of the Virgin Mary sanctifies it and begets a new Creature for as Christ was conceived by the holy Ghost so must every Christian be 2. Vterus The Womb and that is
Israel is hâ—linesse to the Lord. They are his treasure the people that he onely looketh at and after upon whom he sets his love his eyes are always upon them for good The eye of the Lord is over the righteous and his eares are open to their prayers The World are his goods thâ— Earth is the Lords and all that therein is the round world c. But they are his treasure and as where a mans treasure is there his heart will be so is Gods heart upon his treasure upon his secret ones upon his peculiar He writes them upon the palm of his hand he sâ—ales them upon his heart they are as deare and near unto him as the Apple of his Eye A book of remembrance is written for them that feare the Lord Mal. 3. 16. God will certainly remember the services of his children and not forget the labour of their love nor the good they doe Heb. 6. 10. Saint Peter as you you have heard gives the Jewes an eminent and transcendent Title having honoured them with these Denominations a chosen generation a royall Priesthood a holy Nation he adds what the Apostle here intimates a peculiar people populus acquisitionis a peculiar people And two reasons may be given of this appellation 1. They are a peculiar people because God hath every way fashioned them for himself 2. Because as I told you they are a peculiar people or the first fruits of his creatures set apart and consecrate for his service and worship They are his treasure his onely treasure all he hath the righteous comprehend all Gods gettâ—ngs All other men are Gods creatures but these are the first fruâ—ts of his creatures and as they are consecrate to him so they often consecrate and blesse them and I am sure if they be not bettered by their conversation they are blessed by their protection 3. Which is a bold assertion it is a dignity above the Angels to be the sons of God by regeneration and to be redeemed by Christ For 1. The Angels fell he lets them lie in their fall he reservâ—s and keeps them in chaines of darknesse till the judgement Man fell and God presently sends him nay gives him by word of mouth a promise of a Redeemer That the seed of the woman c. So that God did more in our restauration and redemption in our regeneration than he did for the Angels of Heaven 2. To which of the Angels said he Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee He that is Christ took not the seed of Angels but the seed of Abraham And again He was made of the seed of David Rom. 1. 3. He in no sort took the seed of Abraham Heb. 2. Christ to fit himself for Mans salvation took upon him an humane body the nature of Man and in this kind dignified and honoured Mans nâ—ture above the Angels And this I dare say seemeth to be a greater preheminence and dignity of the children of God above the Angels in regard there is a neerer conjuâ—ct on between Christ and us than between Christ and the Angels I meane in nature and person not in place In place indeed the Angels are neerer unto God than Man being in Heaven and seeing the face of God his glorious face but in nature the children of God are nearer than they are for you have it expresly said That Christ was made of the seed of David 3. Adde hereunto that he took upon him this seed in the womb of the blessed Virgin in his Incarnation so that by his Conception and Incarnation he was made one with us and we wâ—th him And why did he take our nature upon him and not ouâ— nature onely but the contumelies of our nature so base and meane that they are not to be named why did he this but to redeeme us that were lost when our fall in Adam made us liable to eternall death and left every mothers child of us in the merit and guilt of condemnation When he took upon him to deliver Man he did not abhor the Virgins womb Surely the Virgins womb was not so puâ—e or cleane a placâ— but the glorious and great God might have abhorred and despised it but when he took upon him to deliver Man he did not Blessed be his Name therefore who was borne that we might not die who was made the Son of Man that we might be made the sons of God Ideâ— Filius Dei factus â—st homo ut homines faceret filios Dei Adde hereunto that the Angels of Heaven desiâ—e earnestly to look into this mysterie of our Redemption and doe attend it 1 Pet. 1. 11. it doth them good at the heart to see their places filled and supplyed by men from which the evill Angels by their Apostasie and pride fell Lastly to honour the Regenerate yet farther the Angels are charged and commanded to attend and wait upon them He hath given his Angels charge over thee c. Psal 91. 11. They are not onely Fellow-servants with the Angels as Iohn the Divine calls them but they are servants to the children of God for it is said They are ministring spirits sent forth to minister to them that are heires of salvation Heb. 1. last Thus have you seen the dignity of the Regenerate the superlative honour of the children of God in some kind above the Angels For 1. Christ took not the seed or nature of Angels but the sâ—ed of Abraham and David men subject to infirmities 2. He was conceived in the womb of a Virgin and in the fulnesse of time made of a woman and made under the Law c. So that by his blessed Incarnation he is made one with us and we with him he sits at the right hand of his Father glorified and blessed in our nature Vexit in coelum carnâ—m nostram c. He took our flesh into Heaven with him as the pledge and token of his love and favour and hath sent downe his Spirit unto us as the pledge and seale of his love Now Gloria capitis est spâ—â— corporis The glory of the Head is the Members hope and if the Head be crowned the whole Body is honoured 3. The glorious Angels and them blessed Spirits in heaven desire to look into the mysteriâ— of our Redemption and indeed they themselves receive some benefit by it for they are thereby confirmed that they cannot fall 4. The Angels are commanded to be our Guardians and Protectours Never had any King or Prince such Protectours as the sons of God have For the heavenly Angels pitch their tentâ— about them Psal 34 11. and they have charge given them of their Father which is in heaven to bear them up in their hands that they dash not their feet against a stone Oh how fearfull should we be to offend having such eyes over us and such hands under us and such glorious spirits about us Who cannot but admire the great love and mercy of God in the words of Daâ—id
THE NEW BIRTH OR BIRTH FROM ABOVE Presented in Foure Sermons in Margarets Westminster December 25. and January 15. 1653. and June 11. 1654. By EDVVARD THARPE Minister of the Word at Street in Somerset-shire Ideo Filius Dei factus est homo ut homines faceret Filius Dei Non nascimur sed renascimur Christiani 2 COR. 5. 17. If any man be in Christ he is a new Creature JOHN 3. 3. Verily verily I say unto you except a man be borne from above he cannot see the Kingdome of God LONDON Printed for Nath Webbe and Will Grantham at the black Bear in S. Paul's Church-yard neer the little North door 1655. TO HIS HIGHNESSE OLIVER Lord Protector of England Scotland and Ireland and the Dominions thereunto belonging MY LORD NOt long since attending upon your Highnâ—sse and the sick bed of your Deare and Noble Mother who hath lived to see you as high in the world as ever you were in her tender careful thoughts with a Heart and a Tongue full of duty and thankfulness as for your first favours in my childhood wherein I tasted deeply of your goodnesse so for your last timely favour now in my Age wherein I tasted in part of your goodnesse and greatnesse together And taking a solemne and submissive leave of your Highnesse I entred into some serious consideration being thereunto moved by your free noble and benevolent expressions which indeed my Lord did silently command me to speak again how I might expresse to your Highnesse and manifest to the world some apparent testimony as of my gratitude to you now sitting at the sterne so of my improvement under you in the University And therefore immediately after my departure from you in December last my pains being desired in Margarets Westm and willingly and readily accepted and as well approved as accepted by some worthy and judicious Auditors I was seriously importuned and solicited for the Notes Which opportunity with some difficulty I waved fearing if communicated they might steale to the Presse and so being but mean and inconsiderable in themselves unworthy of such account being likewise imperfect and unperused they might by the hasty printing of them be made worse And being perswaded that your Lordship might heare something of them I am bold most Noble Lord having viewed and digested them between hope fear Humillima cordis corporis inclinatione to dedicate them to your Highnesse and to set them forth in your Lordships name 2. It was by your Lordships means or your much honoured Mothers my worthy and noble Friend and Lady that I was ever made capable of any Churchpromotion or entred into this sacred and holy Function being sent by her your most worthy Father that well deserving and esteemed Patriot long since with the Lord to wait upon your Highnesse in Cambridge where and at whose feet I did imbibe such principles as have in a meane and moderate way inabled me to carry some of that light which shone gloriously there and in some splendour in Sidney Sussex Colledge where your Highnesse was a Fellow-Commoner and Student under a godly learned and reverend Master into the world So that next to God I owe my selfe and the best of my selfe my Labours unto you my Lord Ingenuum est fateri per quâ—s prâ—fecimus and I am in very good hope your Highnesse will please to taste of the fruit of that tree which was of your owne planting though the fruit be not so exquisite and pleasant as that which had a warmer and longer influence and noâ— suffer it to wither or be pull'd up by the roots 3. They were framed under your Highnesse protection and therefore by another right they justly claime your tuition and if there be any good at all in them it is to be ascribed next unto Him who is the Giver of every good and perfect gift to your Highnesse goodnesse which procured me those quiet peaceable and silent houres in the which they were composed Such therefore as these rude Meditations are I most humbly present and dedicate to your Highness earnestly beseeching you to credit them me with your gracious favour and benevolent aspect under whose countenance they will certainly finde easie acceptance and may doe some good abroad Thus with my fervent frequent and constant prayers for your Highnesse that you may doe as you doe and have promised to doe make it your work to honour him who hath so highly advanced you and abundantly satisfie the expections of many thousands of people especially ours of the Clergy whose eyes are upon you for good our calling being once honourable and so we hope by your meanes it may be againe and we may live to see Trajan's dayes in whose time they say a good man never wanted nor a learned man beg'd For surely they will honour Learning whose actions require and deserve a learned pen though it be now abased and abused by many ignorants faring herein like the Master of the calling who in such eyes had neither forme nor beauty It was a Jeroboam my Lord you know that made Priests of the lowest of the people which makes him carry that infamous brand and train nineteene times after him in Scripture Jeroboam the son of Nebat c. by committing and imposing the trust of Gods sacred Oracles into such uncleane and unholy hands and now the lowest of the people make themselves Priests This brasse coyne as Ignatius cals them bearing their owne stampe and impression And it is not unknowne to your Highnesse that the despising of the Ephod was the rot of Sauls Kingdome That Israel was without God when it was without a Priest to teach That faithfull Pastours and teachers are the guard the safe-guard the life-guard of a Church and State confessed so by a King and enemy to Sion That it was great Constantine's word to his Clergy Adjuvate me precibus ego vos gladio Help me with your prayers I will help you with my power That pious and devout Lord in this Land and Common-wealth accounted the prayers of faithful Ministers the walls of his house Let it be the shame and indelible blot of the Romish Synagogue the Malignant Church to have Golden Chalices and Wooden Priests Mendicant and begging Priests or their Priests beggars It is the honour and dignity of a Christian Magistracy Common-wealth when and where they that labour in the Word Doctrine are accounted worthy of double honour and have both countenance and maintenance regard and reward I most humbly kisse your hand for an Epistle as Seneca saith should not fill the hand craving pardon for my prolixity presumption which I hope good my Lord having had some early experience of your Highnesse candour and condescention you will easily grant accounting it my great happinesse that ever I had any dependance upon you and my honour and credit to have been and to be My Lord Your most humble Oratour and at your Highnesse command and service Edward
Tharpe TO THE READER Courteous Reader I May be by some wondred at for sending such rude and unpolished lines to the Presse which even groanes under the burden of multitude of bookes of the greater part whereof we may say with Socrates The Paper is more worth than the matter For there are scarce any that Preach that Print not insomuch as the Presse may say to the Pulpit in the words of Esau to his brother Keep that thou hast I have enough my brother And secondly it may be objected that I make too much use of other mens sentences and sense and so seeme to boast in other mens lines made ready to my hands To whom I answer no otherwise than As the Spiders fine web is never the better it may be the sooner swept away because it is spun out of her owne bowels So the Bees honey is never the lesse it may be the more sweet because it is extracted and gathered out of many flowers Thirdly I hope the subject will make an easie way for the acceptance treating of a through change and reformation And it is to be hoped and desired nay expected that amongst so many changes and mutations which have been abroad in the great world Man himselfe that little world will not still remaine quite unchanged For where Gods judgements are out in the world the Prophet gives it as granted Gods people will learne righteousnesse Againe howsoever art may move affection it is the plain Word in the evidence and power thereof which must remove corruption Fourthly I could adde they were preached in a very populous orthodox and judicious Auditory and desired earnestly of men of judgment and note of worth and parts whose respects I have rather satisfied in the printing of them than mine owne desires Besides I have not read any that have so fully treated or discoursed of this materiall and necessary subject and therefore I request every Reader in the words of Isocrates to Nicocles Aut hisce praeceptis utere aut tu ipse inveni meliora Either make use of these wholsome Doctrines and Exhortations with me or else publish better thy selfe if thou art able to publish better in the future yet it will profit thee to make use of these for the present I am bold therefore for the reasons aforesaid to send that to the eye which was at first presented to the â—are hoping that some way or other they may get to the heart and with Naamans poore servants send some to that Jordan which may cure them of their native leprosie Which that these distracted Meditations may help to do I leave and commend thee in my prayers and devotions to God and to the word of his grace which c. Act. 19. 32. So prayes Thy servant in Jesus Christ EDWARD THARPE HORAT Si quid novisti rectius ist is Candidus imperti si non his utere mecum Reader if better things be knowne to thee Impart them or make use of these with me THE HEAVENLY BIRTH OR BIRTH from ABOVE JAM 1. 18. Of his own will begat he us by the word of truth that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures THis General Epistle of St. James so called not because it is more general or authentick than other of the Epistles all being of equal authority and holiness but in regard of the dedication it being directed and dedicated to the twelve dispersed Tribes ver 1. is full of very usefull and practicall doctrin especially this first Chapter which treates of divers Graces and Virtues and presses many heavenly precepts 1. It perswades to comfort in afflictions nay even to joy in tribulation and that by a sweet loving and insinuating compellation My brethren James was the Brother of our Lord and for his virtues and holiness called James the just yet out of Apostolical kindness and humility that his exhortations might be the more prevalent and perswasive being seasoned with meekness and love he calls them Brethren My brethren Ver. 2. count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations That is esteem it matter of chief joy and exultation to tread in their Mat. 5. 12. Masters steps Rejoyce and be glad for c. This lesson Paul and Sylas learnt out of the School of the Cross who went away Acts 5. 41. rejoycing that they were counted worthy c. The birds of Paradise sing sweetest in a cage knowing that to them it is given as a great blessing not onely to beleeve but to suffer for Christs sake and that through many tribulations we must enter into Philip. 1. 29. the kingdom of God The more we suffer the liker Christ and the longer the greater will be our reward Secondly In the two next verses it exhorts to Faith and Patience the two Legs of Christianity the two supporters under the cross the onely cordials in heavy and calamitous times such as those were For Faith beleeves the promises and Patience attends and waits for the accomplishment and indeed as the Apostle saith We have need of patience that when we have done the will of God in doing whereof we shall find great Heb 10. 27. opposition wee may receive the promise Faith holds up a Christians head but Patience and Perseverance crowns it He that beleeves makes not hast for he knows that in good time he shall reap if he faint not Knowing that the tryall of your Ver. 3 4. faith c. And let patience have her perfect work The nature of Afflictions is they are probations and tryals The effect of them they work Patience they bring the quiet Heb. 12. 11. fruit of righteousness to them that are exercised therein The finest Gold is put into the hottest furnace witness the three children Peter's faith was tryed by Sathans winnowing and Paul's by his buffeting but Christs prayer was sufficient for the one and his grace for the other And the Son of God walks with his children even in the hoâ—tâ—st fire and restrains the heat and flames Therefore whatsoever our sufferings are we ought to kiss Gods rod and to embrace his chastisements upon our knees like the Camel to take our load stooping and not to make those afflictions which are bitter enough of them selves to be far more bitter by our impatience 3. In the 5 6 7 and 8 verses the Apostle directs us how we should direct our prayers to God that we may speed in our suits and not be sent empty away If any man want wisdom that is the wisdom to behave himself quietly and Christianly under Gods correcting hand which requires great wisdom and prudence A Christian being so much a Christian as he is in temptations and tryals let him ask of God who gives to all men liberally and upbraids not c. But let him look to the manner of his asking which God regards more then the matter looking not so much at the thing and duty done as at the mind and affection with