once calcare terram colere tread on the earth with his feet and adore it with his heart So Socrates who by bringing in morality was a great refiner and pruner of barren Philosophy absolutely denying the Grecian Gods and thence called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is yet brought in by Aristophanes worshipping the clouds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. and by a more friendly Historian described addressing a sacrifice to Aesculapius being at the point of death So that in brief the Philosophers disliking the vulgar superstition went to School faith Clem. to the Persian Magi and of them learnt a more Scholastick Atheism The worship of those venerable Elements which because they were the beginnings out of which natural bodies were composed were by these naturalists admired and worshipped instead of the God of nature From which a man may plainly judg of the beginning and ground of the general Atheism of Philosophers that it was a superficial knowledge of Philosophy the sight of second causes and dwelling on them and being unable to go any higher For men by nature being inclined to acknowledge a Deity take that to be their God which is the highest in their sphere of knowledge or the supremum cognitum which they have attained to whereas if they had been studious or able by the dependence of causes to have proceeded beyond these Elements they might possibly nay certainly would have been reduced to piety and religion which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the knowledge and worship of God but there were many hindrances which kept them groveling on the earth not able to ascend this ladder 1. They wanted that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Aphrod on the Topicks speaks of that kindly familiar good temper or disposition of the soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which the mind is able to find out and judge of truth they wanted that either natural harmony or spiritual concord of the powers of the soul by which it is able to reach those things which now in corrupt nature are only spiritually discerned For it is Clem. his Christian judgment of them that the Gentiles being but bastards not true born sons of God but Aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel were therefore not able to look up toward the Light as 't is observed of the bastard-brood of Eagles or consequently to discern that inaccessible light till they were received into the Covenant and made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 true proper Children of light A 2d hindrance was the grossness and earthyness of their fancy which was not able to conceive God to be any thing but a corporeous substance as Philoponus observes in Schol. on the books de animâ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. When we have a mind to betake our selves to divine speculation our fancy comes in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 raises such a tempest in us so many earthly meteors to clog and over-cloud the soul that it cannot but conceive the Deity under some bodily shape and this disorder of the fancy doth perpetually attend the soul even in the fairest weather in its greatest calm and serenity of affections 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. saith Plato even when the soul is free from its ordinary distractions and hath provided it self most accurately for contemplation Philoponus in this place finding this inconvenience fetches a remedy out of Plotinus for this rarifying and purifying of the fancy and it is the study of the Mathematicks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Let young men be brought up in the study of the Mathematicks to some acquaintance with an incorporeous nature but how unprofitable a remedy this study of the Mathematicks was to the purpose of preparing the soul to a right conceit of God I doubt not but he himself afterwards found when he turned Christian and saw how far their Mathematical and Metaphysical abstractions fell below those purest Theological conceits of which only grace could make him capable So that in brief their understanding being fed by their fancies and both together fatned with corporeous phantasms as they encreased in natural knowledge grew more hardned in spiritual ignorance and as Clem saith of them were like birds cram'd in a Coop fed in darkness and nourished for death their gross conceits groping on in obscurity and furnishing them only with such opinions of God as should encrease both their ignorance and damnation That I be not too large and confused in this discourse let us pitch upon Aristotle one of the latest of the ancient Philosophers not above 340 years before Christ who therefore seeing the vanities and making use of the helps of all the Grecian learning may probably be judged to have as much knowledge of God as any Heathen and indeed the Colen Divines had such an opinion of his skill and expressions that way that in their Tract of Aristotle's Salvation they define him to be Christs Praecursor in Naturalibus as John Baptist was in gratuitis But in brief if we examine him we shall find him much otherwise as stupid in the affairs of 1. God 2. The soul 3. Happiness as any of his fellow Gentiles If the book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were his own legitimate work a man might guess that he saw something though he denied the particular providence of the Deity and that he acknowledged his omnipotence though he would not be so bold with him as to let him be busied in the producing of every particular sublunary effect The man might seem somewhat tender of God as if being but newly come acquainted with him he were afraid to put him to too much pains as judging it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. neither comely nor befitting the Majesty of a God to interest himself in every action upon earth It might seem a reverence and awe which made him provide the same course for God which he saw used in the Courts of Susa and Ecbatana where the King saith he lived invisible in his Palace and yet by his Officers as through prospectives and Otacousticks saw and heard all that was done in his Dominions But this book being not of the same complexion with the rest of his Philosophy is shrewdly guest to be a spurious issue of latter times entitled to Aristotle and translated by Apuleius but not owned by its brethren the rest of his books of Philosophy for even in the Metaphysicks where he is at his wisest he censures Zenophanes for a Clown for looking up to Heaven and affirming that there was one God there the cause of all things and rather then he will credit him he commends Parmenides for a subtle fellow who said nothing at all or I am sure to no purpose Concerning his knowledge of the soul 't is Philoponus his observation of him that he perswades only the more understanding laborious judicious sort to be his Auditors in that subject 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. But dehorts men of meaner vulgar parts less
the manner of Eastern Nations as a counterpart of Gods to that which Abraham had sealed to before in his Blood at his Circumcision 2. The Benefits made over in that Covenant were given up in numerato with a kind of Livery and Seisin at his Exaltation which is the importance of that place Ephes iv 8. out of the lxviii Psalm Thou hast ascended on high There is the date of it upon Christ's inauguration to his Regal Office Thou hast led captivity captive There is the evidence of conveyance unto him as a reward of his victory and part of his triumph Thou hast given gifts or as the Psalm received Gifts for men Both importing the same thing in divers relations received from his Father All power is given to me that he might give dispense convey and steward it out to men and so literally still 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the hand of a Mediator And then that which is thus made over to us is not only the gift of Grace the habit by which we are regenerate But above that account daily bublings out of the same Spring minutely rayes of this Sun of Righteousness which differ from that gift of Grace as the propagation of life from the first act of Conception conservation from Creation that which was there done in a minute is here done every minute and so the Christian is still in fieri not in facto esse or as a line which is an aggregate of infinite points from a point in suo indivisibili the first called by the Schools Auxilium gratiae per modum principii the other Per modum concursus And this is noted by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 givings Jam. i. 17. neither 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Heathen called their vertues as habits of their own acquiring nor again so properly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gifts because that proves a kind of tenure after the receit Data eo tempore quo dantur fiunt accipientis saith the Law But properly and critically 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 givings Christ always a giving confirming minutely not our title but his own gift or else that as minutely ready again to return to the crown All our right and title to strength and power is only from Gods minutely donation And the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Present tense implies all depending on the perpetual presence and assistance of his strength Hence is it that Christ is called the Father of Eternity Isai ix 6. i. e. of the life to come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say the LXX the age to come the state of Christians under the Gospel and all that belongs to it The Father which doth not only beget the Child but educate provide for put in a course to live and thrive and deserves far more for that he doth after the birth than for the being it self and therefore it is Proclus his observation of Plato that he calls God in respect of all Creatures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Maker but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Father in respect of Man And this the peculiar title of Christ in respect of his Offices not to be the Maker only the Architect of that age to come of grace and glory but peculiarly the Father which continues his Paternal Relation for ever yea and the exercises of Paternal Offices by the pedagogy of the Spirit all the time of non-age minutely adding and improving and building him up to the measure and pitch of his own stature and fulness And so again that soveraign Title of his Jesus i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matt. i. 21. This title and office of Physician is peculiar to the second person to repair the daily decays and ruines of the Soul and not only to implant a Principle of health but to maintain it by a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and confirm it minutely into an exact habit of Soul and therefore That Sun of righteousness is said to have his healing in his wings i. e. in those rayes which it minutely sends out by which as on wings this fountain of all inherent and imputed righteousness of sanctifying and justifying Grace takes its flight and rests upon the Christian Soul and this still peculiarly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not in God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Christ In Christ that strengtheneth The not observing or not acknowledging of which difference between the gifts of God and the gifts of Christ the endowments of that first and this second foundation the hand of God and the hand of a Mediator is I conceive the ground of all those perplexing controversies about the strength of nature and patrimony of grace Pelagius very jealous and unwilling to part with his natural power left any thing in the business of his Salvation should be accounted due unto God they are his own words if Jerom may be credited Mihi nullus auferre poterit liberi arbitrii potestatem ne si in operibus meis Deus adjutor extiterit non mihi debeatur merces sed ei qui in me operatus Socinus again denying all merit and satisfaction of Christ making all that but a Chimaera and so evacuating or antiquating that old tenure by which we hold all our Spiritual Estate The Romanists again at least some of them bestowing upon the blessed Virgin after Conception such Jurisdiction in the temporal procession of the Holy Ghost that no grace is to be had but by her dispensing that she the Mother gives him that sends the Holy Ghost and therefore gives all gifts quibus vult quomodo quando per manus That she is the neck to Christ the Head cant vii 4. and Sublato Virginis patrocinio perinde ac halitu intercluso peccator vivere diutiùs non potest and store enough of such emasculate Theology as this And yet others that maintain the quite contradictory to all these acknowledging a necessity of supernatural strength to the attaining of our supernatural end and then ask and receive this only as from the hands and merits of Christ without the mediation or jurisdiction of anyother are yet had in jealousie and suspicion as back-friends to the cause of God and enemies to Grace because they leave man any portion of that natural strength which was bestowed on him at his Creation Whereas the limits of both these being distinctly set there may safely be acknowledged first a natural power or if you will call it natural grace the Fathers will bear you out in the phrase Illius est gratiae quòd creatus est S. Jerom Gratia Dei quâ fecit nos S. Austin and Crearis gratia S. Bernard and that properly styled the strength of God but not of Christ enabling us for the works of nature And then above this is regularly superstructed the strength of Christ special supernatural strength made over unto us not at our first but second birth without which though
up into an ear the Spring improved to Autumn when the tongue discourses the hands act the feet run the way of Gods Commandments So I say the soul is the mother and the operations of soul and body the nurse of this Spirit in us and then who can hold in his Spirit without stifling from breaking out into that joyful acclamation Blessed is the womb that bears this incarnate Spirit and the paps that give him suck Now this inward principle this grace of regeneration though it be seated in the whole soul as it is an habit yet as it is an operative habit producing or rather enabling the man to produce several gracious works so it is peculiarly in every part and accordingly receives divers names according to several exercises of its power in those several parts As the soul of man sees in the eye hears in the ear understands in the brain chooses and desires in the heart and being but one soul yet works in every room every shop of the body in a several trade as it were and is accordingly called a seeing a hearing a willing or understanding soul thus doth the habit of grace seated in the whole express and evidence it self peculiarly in every act of it and is called by as several names as the reasonable soul hath distinct acts or objects In the understanding 't is first spiritual wisdom and discretion in holy things opposite to which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. i. 28. an unapproving as well as unapproved or reprobate mind and frequently in Scripture spiritual blindness Then as a branch of this it is belief or assent to the truth of the promises and the like in the practical judgment 't is spiritual prudence in ordering all our holy knowledge to holy practice in the will 't is a regular choice of whatsoever may prove available to salvation a holy love of the end and embracing of the means with courage and zeal Lastly in the outward man 't is an ordering of all our actions to a blessed conformity with a sanctified soul In brief 't is one principle within us doth every thing that is holy believes repents hopes loves obeys and what not And consequently is effectually in every part of body and soul sanctifying it to work spiritually as an holy instrument of a divine invisible cause that is the Holy Ghost that is in us and throughout us For the third question when this new principle enters first you are to know that comes into the heart in a three-fold condition 1. as an harbinger 2. as a private secret guest 3. as an inhabitant or house-keeper As 't is an harbinger so it comes to fit and prepare us for it self trims up and sweeps and sweetens the soul that it may be readier to entertain him when he comes to reside and that he doth as the ancient gladiators had their arma praelusoria by skirmishing with our corruptions before he comes to give them a pitch-battel he brandishes a flaming sword about our ears and as by a flash of lightning gives us a sense of a dismal hideous state and so somewhat restrains us from excess and fury first by a momentary remorse then by a more lasting yet not purifying flame the Spirit of bondage In sum every check of conscience every sigh for sin every fear of judgment every desire of grace every motion or inclination toward spiritual good he it never so short-winded is praeludium spiritus a kind of John Baptist to Christ something that God sent before to prepare the wayes of the Lord. And thus the Spirit comes very often in every affliction every disease which is part of Gods discipline to keep us in some order in brief at every Sermon that works upon us at the hearing then I say the lightning flashes in our eyes we have a glimpse of his Spirit but cannot come to a full sight of it and thus he appears to many whom he will never dwell with Unhappy men that they cannot lay hold on him when he comes so near them and yet somewhat more happy then they that never came within ken of him stopt their ears when he spake to them even at this distance Every man in the Christian Church hath frequently in his life a power to partake of Gods ordinary preparing graces and 't is some degree of obedience though no work of regeneration to make good use of them and if he without the Inhabitance of the Spirit cannot make such use as he should yet to make the best he can and thus I say the Spirit appears to the unregenerate almost every day of our lives 2. When this Spirit comes a guest to lodge with us then is he said to enter but till by actions and frequent obliging works he makes himself known to his neighbours as long as he keeps his chamber till he declare himself to be there so long he remains a private secret guest and that 's called the introduction of the form that makes a man to be truly regenerate when the seed is sown in his heart when the habit is infused and that is done sometimes discernibly sometimes not discernibly but seldom as when Saul was called in the midst of his madness Acts ix he was certainly able to tell a man the very minute of his change of his being made a new creature Thus they which have long lived in an enormous Antichristian course do many times find themselves strucken on a sudden and are able to date their regeneration and tell you punctually how old they are in the Spirit Yet because there be many preparations to this Spirit which are not this Spirit many presumptions in our hearts false-grounded many tremblings and jealousies in those that have it great affinity between faith natural and spiritual seeing 't is a Spirit that thus enters and not as it did light on the Disciples in a bodily shape 't is not an easie matter for any one to define the time of his conversion Some may guess somewhat nearer then others as remembring a sensible change in themselves but in a word the surest discerning of it is in its working not at its entring I may know that now I have the Spirit better then at what time I came to it Undiscernibly Gods supernatural agency interposes sometimes in the mothers womb as in John Baptist springing in Elizabeth at Maryes salutation Luke i. 41. and perhaps in Jeremy Jer. i. 5. Before thou camest out of the womb I Sanctified thee and in Isaiah Isa xlix 5. The Lord that formed me from the womb to be his servant But this divine address attends most ordinarily till the time of our Baptism when the Spirit accompanying the outward sign infuses it self into their hearts and there seats and plants it self and grows up with the reasonable soul keeping even their most luxuriant years within bounds and as they come to an use of their reason to a more and more multiplying this habit of