as should be saved Act. 4 last Thus you see that God himselfe is the Authour and cause of our new Birth it is the proper and peculiar worke of God to beget voluntariè nos genuit of his will he begâ—te us And yet you may please to observe that as this act of regeneration is attributed to God the Father as it is in this place So sometimes it is attributed to God the Sonne as Esai 53. 10. Beleevers are called his seed that he might see his seed he made his soule a sacrifice for sinne Sometimes to the spirit of God as in Jo. 3 6. That which is borne of the flesh is flâ—sh and the winde bloweth it so is every one that is borne of the spirit It is God the Fathers will he begets us of his will Christ the Sonnes merit Gal. 4 4. When the fulnesse c. to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the Adoption of the Sonne God the Holy Ghosts efficacy and power by the Spirit of Gods sanctifying and over-shadowing the Soule the new Man is quickned and made sometimes it is attributed to all the three persons in Trinity together as in that notable place Tit. 3 7. By his mercy he saved us by the renewing of the Holy Ghost which he abundantly shed in our hearts through Christ Jesus There we have the three persons together in two verses and here all the cause of our regeneration in one a parallel whereunto you shâ—ll hardly finde in the whole New Testament But God as I said he is the principall author and cause His Ministers but instrumentall yet as his Ministers they are and may very well be called Fathers And this near relation should warme the hearts of Ministers with an indulgent and paternall care and affection to beare great good will towards them and as Moses is commanded to carry them in his bosome And as Aaron when he went up to pray or to sacrifice he went up with the names of the twelve Tribes written upon his breast plate So the Ministers of the New Testament the Pastors of Christs Church according to that Typâ— ought to put up in all his devotion the prayers and supplications the wants of his people with his owne As Saint Paul calls his people his Epistle written in his hâ—art so shall the people be in their Pastours Aâ— S. Pauls â—â—â—â—ts desire and prayer to Israel waâ— c. Indeed the New Testament is nothing else but Jesus Christs Letter and Epistle writ from Heaven unto his Church the mind of God expressed to Man by Christ who sitâ— at the right hand of the Father making those Prayers and Petitions of ours which are imperfect in themselves to be more perfect by his mediation And as these instruments of Regeneration are called Fathers both in the Old Testament My Father my Father c. cryes Elisha to Elias Jehoram to him a wicked man yet hâ—s had more grace than some have now to call the Prophet his Father Worse names now must be digested So Saint Paul calls them Nurses or Mothers too 1 Thes 2. 7. There he putâ— upon himselfe the indulgence of a Mother as afterward the affection of a Father vâ—r 11. shâ—wing that as he did not occasionally forget to use the gravity of a Father in his exhortations and instructions so other whiles he puts upon him the meeknessâ— and softnesse and tendernessâ— of a Mother or of an affectionate Nurse Mothers and Nurses having a sympathy and fellow-feeling of their Childrens estates the Mother knowing by naturall instinct when the child is sick and diseased when it is distempered and pained and will accordingly apply her selfe to give it ease and not alwayes give it its humour nor what it cryes for So Gods Ministers should be willing to free their people from distemper and disorder from thâ— corruption and error of the times feeding them with wholsome and sound doctrine with the sincere milk of the Word that they may grow thereby not with fancies and humours and their owne inventions and imaginations for with griefe be it spoken we are falne from the worshipping of Images to the worshipping of Imaginations which as it breeds sicknesses in young children to let them eaâ—â— what they will so it breeds factions and divisions and â—xtreame distemperatures in States when they are suffered to bâ— carryed about with every wind of doctrine and every windy doctrine as the Israeliâ—es by Aarons permission and sufferance worshipped the Cllfe of their owne making And it teacheth the people againe since they stand in so nâ—â—r a relation to their Ministers as Children to Parents to carry a filiall and dutifull affâ—ction towards their Pastours as they carry a loving carefull and paternall heart and eye towards them and their good The want of which reciprocall loving kindnesse and affection when Father and Children Mâ—nister and People Master and Servant have had a greater desire to have their humours fed than their soules edified have not onely caused great râ—nts and divâ—sions which with Râ—â—bens caused great grâ—efe and sorrow of heart but I dare say hath grâ—â—ved the blessed and holy Spirit of God the sole worker of our Regeneration and by whom we are sealed unto the day of Redemption the Spirit of God witnessing to our spirits that we are the sons of God Rom. 8. Thirdly this calls upon the great Fathers of the Common-wealth who are called Gods being next to him and Patres Patriae thâ— Fathers of this Country nay of the Common-wealth and State to see with what meat their Children their Subjects are fed for as I said they are Pastours and Fathers too Isaiah calls them Nursing fathers and Nursing mothers and prophesies that in the great Reformation Kings should be nursing fathers and Queens nursing mothers That is God would raise up the great Potentates and Princes of the â—arth to provide that the people should be fed with wholsome food that living waters should flow abundantly from the threshold of the Sanctuary and that all people should know the Lord from the greatest to the least Hence it followes necessarily that the Supreame Magistrate â—e seasoned with Religion and what a sweet perfume followes such Princes see in the â—xamples of Moses Joshua David Solomon Asa Josiah Hâ—zâ—kiah c. and not irreligious or Popishly affected but soundly and firmly grounded for which we may blesse God that he be a sincere worshipper and server of God the feare of God being the beginning of wisdome and a man being never truly intelligent untill he be obedient The best Plot is to save a soule For if that be true which they say in nature is true and certaine That what disease or infection the Nurse hath the sucking child will partake of and as the Parent is affected so for the most part is the Childs inclination and disposition Surely and without all question it will fare so in this If God please to give us a Magistrate which is godly and
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
a holy Womb too the Womb of the Morne as David calls it the dew of thy Birth is c. or Psal 110 3. thy Birth from the Womb is as the morning dew a holy transposition of the words which enlivens and exhilerates all things Dr. Andr. refreshes and renews them 3. Semen Here is Semen the Sâ—ed and that is a holy seed too We are borne saith the Apostle not of mortall but immortall not of corruptible but incorruptible seed even of the word c. 1 Pet. 1. 23. A seed which Saint Paul calls living both because it quickâ—ns them that are dead in sinnes and trespasses and because it makes us heires of eternall life Note A seed cleane contrary to humane seed for as that begets sinfull man this kills him 4. Fructus Lastly here is Fructus the fruit and that is a holy and heavenly fruit too for being regenerate and borne againe unto God We have as the Apostle saith our fruit unto holinesse and the end is everlasting life Rom. 6. 21. Thus we see in part the nature manner causes â—ffâ—ct and end of our New Birth or Birth from above This unto flesh and blood seems very strange tell the natuâ—al man of his regeneration and new Birth that he must of necessity be borne againe and you speake to him a parable and mistery You can never fasten any thing upon him but what is made evident by demonstration He will not believe that he sees not and therefore certainly he shall never see that which he cannot or will not believe As Nicâ—dâ—â—us before his conveâ—sion hearing Christ speak of the necessity of Regeneration he makes it a matter of impossibility How can a man be borne when he is old can he enter into his Mothers wombe and be borne againâ— A strange nay an impossible thing he thinks it is to be borne againe by the word or spirit of God Words thinks he may beget words as they doe too often but not creatures And that Posthumus should be Primitiae the last creature made the first fruits this seems altogether impossible But Faith is not captivated to sence it exceeds reasons limits it is not the Naturall but the Spirituall man Nor the Naturall but Spirituall eye which discernes how God is our Father Indeed many wayes doth the Lord challenge unto himselfe this loving attribute of Paternity and Fatherhood but principally three 1. By Creation 2. By Regeneration and 3. Adoption Between which there are these differences in our Creation 1. We were filii facti made Sons In our regeneration we are filii geniti begotten Sonnes 2. Our Creation that was out of Gods councell Faciamus hominem let us make man after our Image Our regeneration that is out of his will voluntariè nos genuit 3. In our Creation Dixit Dens formati sumus God spake the word and we were formed and made in our Regeneration Operatur Spiritus Sanctus reformati sumus Gods spirit works and we are reformed re-made 4. In our Creation he gave us our selves in our regeneration he gave himselfe for us his life for us He gave his soule a sacrifice for sinne that he might see his seed Esay 53. 10. Our Creation as I hinted cost him but a few words he spake and we were made he commanded and it was effected But our Redemption through his blood cost him many words and blows many wounds and sufferings that he might see his seed he made his soule an offernig for sinne He took upon him our sinnes that we might be taken for Sonnes We were lost in Adam by our generation in Adam we all dye but in Christ we are all made alive We fell in Adam and his fall hath wounded and bruised us but Christi livâ—râ— sanati sumus by Christs stripes we are healed A strange way to be healed by wounding To kill the Physitian to recover the Patient That God should dye to preserve man from death To tame a Lyon they say they beate a Dogge but here the Lyon is beaten for the Dog the Lord for the Servant he humbled himself and took our nature upon him to sanctifie nay to glorifie our Nature in which nature he suffered for this onely end to make us accepted Ideo filius Dei factus est homo ut homines faceret filios Dei Therefore was the Son of God made the son of Man that the Sons of Men might be made the sons of God Behold then and admire what love the Father hath shewed unto us that we should be thus made and called the Sons of God 1 Joh. 3. 1. 1. Cause the Formal cause But to proceed in order I will begin with the first cause of our Regeneration The formal cause God Progenuit Deus God begets us And the word the Apostle useth here to beget is worth your serious observation it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 peperit a word which the Learned give to the soul as well as unto the body to the spirit as well as to the flesh of man For we must understand that the soul and spirit of man hath its birth and children as well as the flesh and body As for example Memory that is the birth of the Braine thoughts they are the birth of the Heart and Grace that is the child of the Spirit I and there are dolours and pangs tribulations and sorrows throbs and throws gripes and convulsions in this our second Birth as many if not more and as great nay greater than in our first Note The mourning weed the melting eye the pale countenance the voice of lamentation the broken heart the contrite spirit Mary Magdalen's tears Jerusalem's sighs and groans who wept continually in the night with David who washed his bed and watered his couch with his tears Jacob's wrestling Paul's combat and complaint Miserable man that I am who c. It being as painfull for a man to be delivered of his sinne as ever it was for a poor wracked mother to bee delivered of her burden that judgement being laid upon our Spiritual conception which was upon our Natural I will greatly multiply the sorrows of thy conception in labour and sorrow c. All these doth the Lord cause and raise in a man before this new man can be conceived in him or born of him When the eyes are red with tears and the heart doth ake with groans when the soul and body like the Virgin Marie's is ready to be divided as with a sword when with David we roar and cry for the very disquietness of our hearts with Rebecca feeling the old man and the new â—s she did Jacob and Esau strugling in her womb we cry out Why am I thus when with the woman in the Rev. 12. we cry out and are pained ready to be delivered the great red Dragon striving to hinder our conversion as he did her conception Then then doth this New man begin to conceive and quickend For as no birth of