tyred with a burning fit of an ague then he with these fits Rest comfort quiet he can get none Indeed the diuell and the world in some cases doe as friends vse to doe in case of sicknesse They bring likely conserued Plums or Marmelade or some such like sweete meate which the poore sicke man takes indeede because they will haue it so that are about him but alas they doe but clamme his mouth and hee findes their very sweetnesse bitter and troublesome So the diuell and the world and the flesh offer to the Christian soule the pleasures and profits of this world as it were sweet meats he willing to find ease in any thing seekes if there it may bee had but alas he finds it not he cannot relish these pleasures he hath smal comfort in these profits this credit is a drie credit vnto him his heart will not relish such things as these but still he tosseth and tumbleth finding no rest in his estate nor perhaps power to get out of it for it may bee hee cannot bring himselfe to pray at all Psal 32.3 as Dauid could not for he saith of himselfe that he held his peace or if he doe it 's too coldly and faintly to remoue so mortall a sicknesse But still as the same Dauid also confesseth of himselfe he roareth and crieth out all the day long I cannot but be fully perswaded that there he describes his estate in the interim betwixt his sinne and his earnest repentance for some feeble offers to repentance perhaps he might haue before and so now his case is a very restlesse and diseasefull case Solomon the man that of all Gods sicke children I thinke by surfetting caught the so rest sicknesse shall witnesse this He wanted no sweete meates but they cloied him in stead of comforting him he professeth of them al that he found them meere vanity and vexation of Spirit So when a Christian lies vnder these spirituall diseases all his outward comforts are but euen vexation of spirit vnto him When he hath thus almost wounded and killed himselfe Oh how hee smarts and bleedes and is troubled Indeed he still perhaps is carried after the vanities of the world sinne hauing now so very much preuailed against him that he wants power to with-draw himselfe and to goe backe but yet full many a time hee sighes and groanes and lookes towards God and towards the spirituall rest of his former life and hee finds a very bitter bitter heart He is in very great extremity and it is euen a pang of death for him to remember how the case stood with him once and how it is now And in very truth were hee let alone in this case his soule would perish the life of grace would die and hee would proue his disease mortall But Ah hee hath a good Father who is also a good Physition who finding his disease grow mortall and that the admonitions of the Word in publike will not reforme him and that the voyce of the spirit behind him is now too weake to be heard by him though still it cease not to checke him and to call vpon him and to make him sometimes purpose to returne againe from this out-straying doth now like a good and wise practitioner administer some such phisicke as shall serue the turne Some potion of a bitter crosse which the spirit shall worke withall to make it effectuall is put into his hand to drinke it or some sore tentation of Satan or some horrible feare of heart which opens these stoppages purgeth out these humours reuiueth his soule and then wofully most wofully he cries out of himselfe laments his exceeding folly goes to God hartily confessing his sinnes and with all rigor passing sentence vpon himselfe for the same and so continues to mourne and cry and beg mercy till he finde it and then striues to make amends for his former not growing by growing so much the faster for it now So hee is recouered and continues to the end for totally or finally fall away by sinne he cannot because the annoynting of the spirit preserueth him till he be raised vp at the last day Christ will not cease keeping him yea to saluation is he kept by the power of that great God that hath adopted him to himselfe for a sonne and this spirituall life giuen in regeneration indeed becomes an eternall life sicke he may be dye he cannot CHAP. VI. Shewing the principall graces which by Regeneration are begotten in the soule ANd so much for the fourth effect of regeneration and for three of those things I promised to speake of I goe on now to the fourth and last point 4. The principall graces in regeneration bestowed on the regenerate viz. to make knowne vnto you the principall graces that shew themselues in the regenerate man and by hauing of which seeing by nature hee had them not he deserueth to be intitled a new creature These are in all the powers of his soule For as I said at first holinesse is infused into his whole man First 1. In his principall faculties in the principall faculties vnderstanding conscience and will Secondly in the inferiour powers thinking-power memory and affections of which let vs speake in order but briefly First then the vnderstanding of the regenerate is perfected with two most excellent and beautifull graces 1. In his vnderstanding knowledge and faith Knowledge I say first of God then of himselfe out of which springeth humility as a proper effect of both He perceiueth a new light shining within him inabling him to conceiue with a very stedfast apprehension not with a wauering wandring doubtful confused fancy as that was which he had before that there is a God an eternall and infinite essence his maker the maker of all things most wise most mighty most true most righteous most mercifull most holy hating sin with a perfect hatred and fully bent to punish the impenitent sinner with vnutterable punishments fully resolued with all louing kindnes to accept of the penitent And in one word euery way inconceiueably excellent as being indeed the fountaine of all goodnesse the creator preseruer gouernour of all things the Father the Son the holy Ghost as he hath reuealed himself to his Church The brightnesse of this light discouereth it selfe vpon his soule so effectually that now hee stands vndoubtedly perswaded of these things which is also a principall cause of all other the good things that are begun in him and so is fulfilled in him the word of God Heb. 8.11 saying They shall all know me from the least to the most Ioh. 17. last and againe righteous Father the world hath not knowne thee but these haue knowne that thou hast sent me and I haue made knowne thy name vnto them and wil make it knowne Iob. 17.3 So it begins to be to them life eternall to know the onely true God and him whom hee hath sent Iesus Christ Further as it
THE NEW BIRTH OR A TREATISE OF REGENERATION DELIVERED IN CERTAINE Sermons and now published by WILLIAM WHATELY PREACHER and Minister of Banbury in Oxfordshiere 1. COR. 5.17 If any man be in Christ hee is a new creature old things are passed away behold all things are become new LONDON Imprinted by Felix Kingston for Thomas Man and are to be sold at his shop in Pater-Noster-Row at the signe of the Talbot 1618. THE METHOD OF THE TREATISE The Doctrine concerning the necessity of Regeneration is 1. Propounded and proued by Testimonies of Scripture 2. Confirmed by foure manifest Reasons taken from the 1. Sinfulnesse of Mans corrupt Nature 2. Puritie of Gods Nature 3. Tenour of the Couenant of Grace 4. End of Christs sufferings 3. Explicated 1. By a Description of Regeneration from the Causes Efficient Principall the Holy Ghost Instrumentall the Word of God chiefly preached Materiall Holinesse Formall Infusion Finall Gods glory in the persons saluation Subiect which is the whole Man 2. By a Declaration of the degrees and order of working it which are foure 1. By discouering to a man his naturall sinfulnesse 2. By stirring vp in him a setled desire of pardon and of holinesse 3. By dropping into him the spirit of Prayer inabling him solemnely to beg the two forenamed things at the hand of God 4. By sealing him with the Spirit of Promise which certifying him of acceptance with God imprints in his will a firme purpose of liuing to him hereafter and so he is a new creature 3. By a declaration of the effects that follow which are foure 1. A Spirituall Combate with the Diuell the World and the Flesh where the combate of flesh and spirit is distinguished from the combate of the light of Conscience and the corruption of the will in fiue points 1. In the things that are at variance 2. In the things about which they fight 3. In the motiues inducing them to fight 4. In the weapons by which they fight 5. In the successe of the combate 2. In a good conuersation in both parts of it 1. Leauing all euill Knowne Grosser so as not ordinarily to commit it Lesse grosse so as not to allow excuse defend it Suspected so as to seeke and be willing to know it and to leaue it 2. Doing good For extent Of all sorts Manner Out of conscience to God According to the direction of the Word 3. A knowledge of his owne being regenerate vnlesse in cases of 1. Infancie and new comming on 2. Strong tentations 3. Spirituall sownes of sinne 4. Growth in Grace whereof the Kinds are either in Quantitie Qualitie Manner is though not without diuers it may be long stops as in sicknes yet by recouering out of all 4. A Declaration of the principall graces of the new man in the 1. Chiefe faculties 1. Vnderstanding 1. Knowledge 2. Faith in God The Word of God 2. Conscience 1. Peaceablenesse 2. Wakefulnesse 3. Will 1. Being carried after God 2. Subiection to the will of God 2. The inferiour powers 1. Memorie 2. Imagination 3. Affections 4. Applied by making vses 1. Generall to all to trie themselues 2. Speciall to the Vnregenerate to Terrifie them To exhort them to be regenerate by 1. Desiring and begging for the spirit of regeneration 2. Hiding the Doctrine of the Law and Gospell in their hearts 3. Constant hearing the word of God preached and meditating of it after hearing Regenerate 1. To comfort them in the sight of their happinesse 2. To exhort them to two things 1. To cherish Grace in themselues 1. By auoiding ill company and keeping good 2. By auoiding things sinfull in resisting the first motions 3. By shunning excesse in things indifferent 4. By being constant in religious exercises 2. To propagate it to others which concernes the Flock and euery priuat man that in regard both of All with whom he shall conuerse and that by good Life Conference Especially those of his owne family both them of Age by 1. Worshipping God amongst them 2. Catechising them 3. Bringing them to Church 4. Praying for their regeneration 2. That are infants by bringing them to Baptisme with faithfull and feruent prayer Ministers by constant and plaine preaching of the Word of God to them Maior Aldermen and Burgesses and the rest of the Inhabitants of the Towne and Parish of Banburie the Author dedicateth the following Treatise and wisheth all happines WOrshipfull and welbeloued I haue not long since preached amongst you some things concerning the nature of the New Birth I am glad to vnderstand that in handling of them I gaue to some of you some good content I am willing you see to renew your content by offering the same things now to your eyes that formerly to your eares that the serious and I hope often reading of what you but once heard may instruct you better and ground you further in this necessarie doctrine And Oh that the Lord of Heauen would please so effectually to co-operate with his Word that many of you may become partakers of this happy and sauing worke of grace My greatest couetousnesse is that your soules may be thus inriched my greatest ambition that they may be thus aduanced To this end haue I bent mine endeauours amongst you in the constant imployment of the talent lent me by God which how heartily doe I wish and pray that it may be auaileable for your renouation For in truth the whole world is not worthy to stand in comparison with this life of holines I say it againe All the greatest aduancements profits pleasures which this prick of earth this almost nothing which we tread vpon is able to afford are in no sort to be esteemed desirable if they be laid in the ballance against those heauenly preferments those infinite treasures those vnutterable comforts whereto this estate of grace doth bring those that are brought vnto it euen in this present world in some good measure but most fully in the vpper region of this world the stately pallace of heauen the fairest roome of this large house and the Presence Chamber of the King of Kings Why then is any man especially why is any of you to whom these things haue been frequently deliuered on whom they haue been earnestly pressed on whom they are constantly inculcated why I say is any of you so worse then childish yea then brutish as to be carelesse of seeking that vnspeakable felicity from which nothing can hinder you but your owne slothfull negligence or wilfull carelesnesse in not vouchsafing to seeke it This small Treatise I am now bold to dedicate vnto you both that it may witnesse to your owne consciences and all that reade it that none of you doth want grace for want of meanes to get it either on Christs part the King of your soules or on my part his vnworthy Ambassadour and also that it may be present with you at all times to prouoke you to get that holinesse without which you haue learned that you
see the kingdome of God CHAP. III. Containing a description of Regeneration SO haue we demonstrated the truth of this necessary principle of Christian religion Now wee goe forward to explicate the same The explication of the doctrine by shewing foure things and will endeuour to lay it open so cleerely that euery man may be able if hee be willing to bestow the labour of trying to discerne of his own estate in this behalfe and to say whether himselfe be regenerated yea or no. So will there be a ready way made to that application of the doctrine which hereafter we intend Now that this matter may be soundly conceiued of by you it shall be requisite for me to enter into a discourse consisting of foure heads First to giue a description of regeneration Secondly to shew in what order and in what degrees as I may terme them it is wrought in the sons of men Thirdly to declare what effects doe follow vpon it there where it is wrought Fourthly to set downe the most eminent of those graces that are to be found in regenerate men Of which foure I pray you reuiue your attention to heare in order For the first point Regeneration 1. A description of regeneration called also sanctification and renouation and conuersion and repentance hauing the three former names giuen it in as much as it is Gods worke in vs the two latter in as much as we also being moued by God doe worke together with him for the accomplishing and fulfilling thereof and fitly called a re-begetting because in it we are restored to that image of God wherein we were at the first created but now by meanes of our corruption through the fall are altogether destitute of it in our first birth This regeneration I say seemes to me conueniently described in these or the like termes It is a worke of the spirit of God by meanes of the word of God infusing holinesse into the whole man for the glory of God in his saluation I call it a worke because it is so called of God himselfe for wee are said to bee his workmanship Ephes 2.10 created in Christ vnto good workes and because to beget is to doe to bee begotten to suffer in the plainest discourse of naturall reason Now this worke is in this description set out by all the causes and by the subiect thereof The causes are foure all briefly named in the description The efficient formall materiall and finall The efficient is double principall and instrumentall The principall the sole author in whom remaineth all the power of working and to whom all the praise appertaineth is the Spirit of God the Holy Ghost the third Person in Trinitie The same Spirit by whom our Sauiour Christs Man-hood was conceiued in his Mothers wombe is the sole worker of this conception of grace in the heart of Christians So doth our Lord himselfe instruct Nicodemus in the words following saying vers 6. That that is borne of the spirit is spirit and before Saint Iohn had told vs that beleeuers were borne not of blood cap. 1. vers 13. nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man that is not by any natural power vertue or strength which is naturally inherent in them but of God that is of the Spirit of God wherefore in the New Couenant the promise is made on this wise Ezek. 36.16 I will put my spirit in your hearts and in another place I will poure forth my spirit vpon all flesh The spirit of God that rests vpon our Sauiour Christ doth descend frō him vnto those that shall bee his members at the same time implanting them into him and imprinting his image vpon them No Angell can change mans heart no Angell can quicken the dead soule no creature can breath into vs the diuine nature but we are the workmanship of God by his spirit created vnto good workes This is the annointing oyle that being poured vpon vs doth consecrate vs vnto God The holy Ghost himselfe in a wonderfull and vndiscernable fashion as the winde that bloweth where it lusteth doth conueigh and insinuate himselfe into the man whom hee will beget againe to a new life and becommeth purifying water to cleanse him and an holy fier comming downe from heauen to consume his corruptions and refine him for the Lords vse And yet the Spirit of God that could work of himself and without meanes pleaseth not so to doe in this great worke but of his owne free-will makes choice for himselfe of a fit and blessed instrument for that purpose euen the Law of God the whole doctrine of the Scriptures which hee hath for that end made knowne to the sonnes of men by his holy Prophets and which hath receiued this high commendation from the Diuine testimonie left in writing by Dauids pen that it is perfect Psalm 19. and conuerteth the soule This doctrin hath two maine heads the Law and the Gospel The former vsed by Gods Spirit as a necessarie preparatiue the other as a proper essential instrumēt in this busines Wherfore the Word is called the incorruptible seede which being sowne in the heart 1. Pet. 1.23 doth by little and little grow vp to a new creature and Peter tels vs that by the pretious promises 2. Pet. 1.4 we are made partakers of the diuine nature and to his Apostles our Sauiour vttereth as much saying Now are you cleane by the word that I haue spoken vnto you John 15.3 There may be a question made whither the Word of God read onely may become effectuall to regenerate or whither it must want this efficacie vnlesse it bee preached as well as read To which question mee thinketh that this should be a true answere that the instrumentall power of regenerating cannot be denied to the Scriptures barely read though preaching bee not ioyned withall For why seeing the doctrine of the Gospell is called 2. Cor. 3.8 the ministration of the Spirit and it is the doctrine of the Gospell when it is offered to the vnderstanding by bare reading therfore it must follow that in such case also it may become the power of God to saluation and the instrument of the spirit to regeneration The same precepts promises and threats are by reading deliuered to the mind of the man that readeth or heareth the Word read and why then should we thinke that the Holy Ghost either cannot or will not worke together with them Yea doubtlesse he can doe it when hee will and will doe it then whensoeuer he doth not as often he doth not affoord to men a possibilitie of enioying any other helpe then reading Vnlesse the not being preached could make the Word not to be the Law of God I see no reason that it should bee thought vnable to conuert soules without being preached But withall wee must adde this that the Word of God is made effectuall by the Spirit more often more vsually more ordinarily to
beget a new life in the preaching that is to say the interpreting and applying of it by the mouth of a man inabled and assigned to that worke then in the bare reading for the Lord hath appointed in his Church Pastors and Teachers to be his Workemen his Laborers Dispensers of his heauenly mysteries and Fellow-workemen together with him that by becomming his instruments to conueigh grace into mens hearts they might become spirituall Fathers vnto them and by attendance not to reading alone 1. Tim. 4 13. but also to doctrine or teaching they might saue themselues and their hearers And when Christ himselfe was pleased to raise vp the dead world of the Gentiles vnto the new life of godlinesse and so to fulfill that which himselfe had foretold saying Iohn 5.25 The dead shall heare the voice of the Sonne of God and they that heare it shall liue Hee commanded his Disciples to goe and preach vnto all Nations will any man make himselfe so simple as to say Matth. 28.19 he meant thus Take the volume of the Law in your pockets and draw it out and reade a Chapter or two at a time vnto them Nay doubtlesse hee willed his Disciples to do that which they had so often seene and heard him doing whose custome was as wee may collect out of the fourth of Luke where one instance is recorded to make vs conceiue his ordinarie practice when he had read to interpret the Scripture by him read as there he did saying This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your eares and after to apply it to the hearers as in the same place he falles into the reproofe of their quarrelsomnesse against him that would vpbraide him with the Prouerb of Physitian heale thy selfe Prouerb amplifying his reproofe with allegation of the examples of the Widdow of Zarepta and the Syrian Naaman So the Apostles could not mistake his meaning when himselfe had by constant practice gone before you in doing what he bad them doe And therefore it will not at all follow that because the word read is able to beget faith either the ministers may content themselues vsually to reade it without preaching or the people vsually content themselues to heare it so and not be carefull to seeke for the preaching of it For of such absolute necessity and of such excellent worth is regeneration that it is needfull to seeke it and sinfull not to seeke it not onely in some one of the most easie meanes that may sometimes procure it but also in all the meanes though neuer so painfull that God hath appointed for it Euery man may reade himselfe yea must reade if he can This is a duty that might haue beene performed without establishing of any ministery in the Church But the Minister is not onely to reade but also to diuide the word of truth aright to exhort improue rebuke to speake to mens edification exhortation comfort that he may be truly called a fellow-labourer with God in the work of mens saluatiō Shal we rest our selues satisfied in one thing that may conuert shall we thinke it enough to bee constant in one exercise that may worke grace Doubtlesse if wee doe so our owne worldly wisdome and diligence shal rise vp in iudgement and condemne our spirituall folly and negligence Yea brethren in things temporall men stand thus affected that as they will neglect nothing that may promise them any furtherance to their good successe so they will shew most care and most earnestnesse in that which they haue cause to thinke will be most auaileable for their purpose Now without question the word preached is more vsually and more powerfully effectuall to regeneration then the word read The holy Ghost doth more often and more mightily worke by the word interpreted and applied then by it barely repeated out of the booke I thinke him not worthy to bee reasoned withall that will stand in deniall of this matter Reade the stories of holy writ and search and see if the examples of men by onely reading regenerated bee not few rare seldome nay scarce any where at all to be found but on the other side the examples of men by preaching made new common frequent and vsuall Therefore be it againe concluded that he doth farre vnderualue the gift of spiritual life which satisfying himself in the lesse vsuall and lesse auaileable meanes of working it because it is most easie pretermitteth the more auailable and more vsuall because he is not willing to vndergoe the paines labour or cost that it will require And thus you haue the efficient causes of regeneration Gods spirit as the chiefe the word principally preached as his instrument The materiall cause is holinesse that is the thing in the working of which regeneration is conuersant Holinesse I say the most admirable of all things in all the world as farre surpassing wit and learning and riches and other earthly vanities as learning surpasseth ignorance and wealth beggery This is as it were the character of Christ Iesus the image of God the beauty the riches the strength the life the soule of the soule of the whole man It is a very beame of the diuine light called therefore by the Apostle The diuine nature it is the most excellent and worthy thing vnder heauen or of things incident to creatures in heauen It is that that distinguisheth Angels from diuels the Saints from the damned Ghosts Take away from a blessed Angell his holinesse he will become a blacke fiend of hell It is in a word the best of all things that a creature can haue without which nothing is worth the hauing and with which the meanest condition is able to affoord a man happinesse enough This admirable thing that can by no words be sufficiently commended is giuen by regeneration and therefore wee call it the matter of regeneration Now holinesse is nothing else but this a supernaturall power of withdrawing the faculties of the whole man from sinfull and earthly obiects and exercising the same vpon God and the things of God This Adam had in his first creation and that in such perfection as God required at his hand This should hee haue propagated to his sonne and his sonne to his sonne had he continued in his innocency so that to him the same thing was naturall and to his innocent posterity should haue been which now to vs is aboue the power and course of nature to attaine and therefore need wee to get it by a second birth because wee cannot get it in our first birth For the naturall man doth not conceiue in his mind and consequently neither apply his will and affections to receiue the things of God 1. Cor. 2.14 as the Apostle speaketh yea his minde is alwayes bowing and bending after either bare earthly or very hellish obiects but because these things must be spiritually discerned therefore the holy Ghost endues him with a new power of raising himselfe vp from these base and filthy
this his happie and powerfull working And such is the formall cause of regeneration The finall cause or the end of it is the glorie of God in the saluation of the partie regenerate For to speake truth it were a shame and reproch to the God of heauen to let a sinner that is to say his professed enemie come into heauen for this would vpbraide him with falsehood in regard of his word and with want of holinesse and iustice in his nature Now the Lord cannot be so weake as to doe any thing that should giue him iust cause to speake as of God wee must needes speake after the manner of men of being ashamed thereof Wherefore that he may with glory and honour and praise and the content of his owne most holy nature take thither so many of the corrupted sonnes of Adam as hee pleaseth to make vessels of honour it is his will and care thus to change their nature and to renew them by his spirit and so he obtaineth the fullest fulnesse of glorie that may be in their happinesse being for euer praised by all his holy creatures and which more is infinitly satisfying himselfe in the beholding of the excellencie of that great work of their blessednes and the most pure and holy and admirable meanes that hee hath ordained to bring them vnto it And these are the causes of regeneration The next thing mentioned in the description is the subiect of it which is the whole man in all the powers of the soule and of the body according as the Apostle prayeth for the Thessalonians 1. Thes 5.23 that they might bee sanctified throughout and that their whole soule and body might be kept blamelesse And by this note it is differenced from all other changes that may carrie any resemblance to it they being all but partiall changes either of the outside alone and not the inside or of some one power alone not of all the powers because indeed they are not fruites of holinesse but either of hollownesse and selfe-loue or at best of a bare and weake worke of illumination And thus haue I performed the first thing intended in describing regeneration of which if any man demaund what it is wee say it is a change that is a bringing of a new and here too of a contrary qualitie in stead of the old that was before if who makes the change the holy Ghost if by what meanes by the word if in what manner by infusion that is by the working of a proper and immediate vertue deriued from himselfe If from what and to what this change is from the sinfulnesse of a man which he receiueth from Adam successiuely to holinesse If wherein in the whole man soule and body and all the powers of both If to what end to the glory of the worker and saluation of him in whom it is wrought O happy worke of an happy workman by an happy instrument and thrice happy that man in whom this blessed worker shall vouchsafe to accomplish this his most worthy and excellent and onely blessed worke to so worthy and blessed a purpose CHAP. IIII. Shewing the order of working Regeneration 2. The order of regenerating in foure acts NOw I proceede to declare in what order the Spirit of God pleaseth to performe this most admirable change which is done in these foure actions which I shall lay downe First the spirit of God working in and with the Law but tempered with the Gospell becomes a spirit of contrition causing a man to see and feele his extreame sinfulnes 1. Shewing a man his naturall sinfulnesse and wretchednes in so much that hee is euen wounded at the very heart therwith and his sinfull and vnhappy estate becomes a wofull bondage captiuitie vnto him The Lord doth not alone raise vp miserable terrors of conscience in him in regard of some one or more grosse offēces that he hath actually committed although often hee maketh these very terrors a meanes of making himselfe a passage to enter in at but hee opens the eyes of the minde to see the very mud and filth of the soule that lay at the bottome before vnseene and vndiscerned The Spirit conuinceth him of sinne It shewes him that generall wickednes and sinfulnes of his nature whereof we spake before Now he feeles his vnbeliefe pride ignorance hypocrisie and other heart-corruptions Hee iudgeth himselfe worthy to be destroyed not alone hauing a sight of his own inability to escape damnation but likewise of the iustice of God in damning him so that hee doth euen stoupe and yeeld himselfe thereto Whereas before hee was aliue without the Law not hauing the true knowledg of it now the Law comming in the sound power and working of it through the strength of the holy Ghost causeth that he becomes dead in his owne sense and apprehension but sinne becomes aliue to his sense and feeling and hee perceiuing the strength force violence and mischieuousnes of it more then euer before now cryes out with the Apostle O miserable man that I am and now confesseth that he is carnall and sold vnder sinne as the same Apostle did in the same sense of his naturall wretchednesse which the comming of the life of grace had brought with it Thus the death of sinne begins to be changed into life in that it is felt and discerned For the very first working of this new life must needs be a feeling of the old death in sinnes and trespasses Not I say alone of his death in hell in regard of his deseruing the torments thereof but of his death in sinnes and trespasses of his vtter inabilitie to do any good thing of his vtter emptines of all heauenly graces of his extreame slauerie to vngodlines and vnrighteousnes and all the lusts of the flesh and of his perpetuall and vehement pronenes to all abomination and wickednes There is often I confesse a work and a very terrible work of the Law the naturall conscience together procuring most extreame and hideously-bitter pangs and hellish agonies in the soule of man where the spirit of regeneration neither is nor euer shall be this being alone a fruite of the spirit of bondage not of the spirit of grace And oftentimes againe the spirit of sanctification comes into the soule together with this spirit of bondage making a violent entrie and by maine force breaking open the heart formerly locked and barred against it and so beginning this sauing worke of holinesse But terrors of conscience which may be in all vnregenerate men because they are already in all the damned into whom no part nor peece of regeneration can enter is farre different from this first degree of the worke of a new birth The sanctifying spirit laies the filthinesse not alone the danger of sinne before the eyes of the mind It causeth a man not alone to be in extreame anguish because he feares he must be damned but euen to loathe and abhorre himselfe and to be very
O therefore that the children of God could sufficiently vnderstand their owne blisse that with heartie reioycing within themselues and vnfained thankefulnesse vnto God they might passe on forward towards the fruition of it Hope of great things in the world doth fill the soule with ioy and men before the attaining of good things made sure and certaine vnto them doe comfortably foresee and expect the attainement Let vs doe so for things spirituall consider with thy selfe to what inheritance the Lord of heauen hath pleased to adopt thee Represent vnto thy selfe the vnutterable ioyes which are laid vp for thee and which thou canst no more bee depriued of then God himselfe can faile of truth and al-sufficiencie for hee that hath promised is faithfull and will performe his promise The children of God whilest they frame their affections according to their present estate in the world doe walke heauily and discouragedly at once wronging both God that hath giuen them such excellent things to take comfort in and themselues that haue receiued so certaine assurance of such things Doth it become thee to whom God hath made ouer the royall inheritance of heauen purchased with the bloud of his owne Sonne to weare out thine heart with discontentment and to marre thy face with carnall teares Is not the fulnesse of celestiall glory and riches able to counteruaile thy meane and afflicted estate here Cannot eternitie outweigh this inch of time and infinite blissefulnesse the present sleighthy afflictions surely the ballances are too too vnequall wherein things of so great value are not of sufficient weight to pull downe such trifles It is nothing in the world but our being led by sense rather then by faith which makes our hearts heauy and our liues vncomfortable Let vs but cleare vp our eyes dimmed with excessiue and causelesse teares and we shall find matter enough for glorious and vnspeakable ioyes euen in these tribulations which feele most burdensome vnto vs. Bee thou neuer so poore neuer so despised wronged troubled yet being regenerate God is thy Father Christ thine elder brother heauen thine house and habitation and the glory thereof thine inheritance Can hee be poore that hath such riches despised that hath such honour deiected that hath such comforts belonging vnto him To euery soule amongst you that is able to approue his regeneration vnto himselfe I am to speake in the name of the Lord and to say vnto him in this wise That he is not to lay the fault of his troublesome and discontented life vpon his estate but alone vpon his vnbeleefe and inconsideratenes for God hath giuen cause and meanes enough of being full of heartie comfort and ioy in despight of all that the diuell and the world can doe vnto him Dost thou not see how frolicke the foolish worldling is if hee haue gotten a few thousand pounds together if he haue built him a faire house and purchased a good liuing or two lying neere about it and yet in such termes standeth his soule with God that if hee should as hee may decease to night hee were sure to bee roring in Hell before morning But thou to whom Heauen is ascertained by the most plaine euidence and strong assurance that God can tell how to make vnto his creature of a future thing if thou haue an ill childe a froward yoke-fellow a sicklie bodie a penurious and friendlesse estate doest spend thy time in sullen discontentment weeping and wailing and takeing on with little lesse immoderatenesse of griefe then Rahel weeping for her children which would not bee comforted because they were not I tell thee the truth in the name of the Lord this is a great sinne of thine and a soule shame for thee Is it not a sinne to vnderprize heauen is it not a sinne to imbase Gods richest gifts is it not a sinne to dis-esteeme these benefits that passe all the estimation of all men and what is this but a dis-esteeming imbasing vnderprising of heauen it selfe to carry thy selfe as if the comfort and felicity thereof were not of worth enough to keepe thee from sinking vnder the burthen of sorrow about earthly matters Againe tell me if thou shouldest heare of a man that had at the same time made two bargaines by the one of which hee should loose some foure or fiue shillings or pounds say and by the other hee should gaine so many hundreth thousand pounds and vpon the former trifling losse should sit weeping and sighing and wringing his hands and crying out that he were vndone though hee knew well enough what a rich amends his second bargaine had made him If I say thou shouldest heare of such a person what wouldest thou say to him wouldest thou not cease pitying him and euen breake into laughter at his so ridiculous and absurd folly that would needs torment himselfe without all cause and would not enioy the good that God had offered him In truth few men would find in their hearts so much as to take compassion of such a wilfully-miserable man Hearken now then what I say Thou art this man forespoken of and thy carriage is iust his carriage so that what accusations of folly and absurdnesse thou wouldest cast vpon him the same doe in the truest application of things appertaine to thy selfe Thou hast two liues and two estates a temporary and an euerlasting For the temporary thou hast indeed let it be confessed made but a sorie match Thy children are not so dutifull thy yoke-fellow not so louing thy state not so plentifull thy friends not so faithfull as were to be wished But for the euerlasting thou hast made a bargain aboue all imaginations gainfull For God is to thee a most faithfull friend and Father Christ Iesus a most deare surety and brother heauen a rich inheritance all Saints fellow-citizens and all Angels willing seruants and after this minute of time spent in affliction thou shalt passe to a state of blisse that neuer shall haue an end In truth the gaining of ten hundred thousand pounds doth not more exceed the losse of two single pence then these thy spirituall benefits exceede thy naturall crosses and therfore I say it is most ignorantly and simply done of thee to passe away thy dayes in heauinesse and sighing which thou hast so good and sufficient cause to spend in all holy cheerfulnesse and reioycing Wouldest thou then bee acquainted with the true cause of thine vnquiet and vncomfortable liuing It is not the multitude nor greatnesse of thy crosses it is not the heauinesse of those afflictions that lie vpon thee more hard then vpon other men as thou art ready to imagine so seeking to excuse thine owne fault but it is thy carnalnesse of mind thy being led all by sense thy looking only to things visible here before thine eyes and not to things inuisible prepared for thee aboue the clouds and kept for thee by a strong and able friend Christ Iesus that hath also bought it and paid deare for it The