manner of the bringing to passe of this most excellent and wonderfull worke of a new begetting by the most excellent and wonderfull begetter the Spirit of truth and by that excellent and wonderfull seede of life the word of truth 3. The effects of regeneration which are foure Now I will declare vnto you that which is the third thing I promised the effects that follow hereupon Not euery particular for who can name them the life of grace abounding in multiplicitie of actions and operations as it were eating drinking breathing grieuing striuing smarting of the soule as the life of nature but alone some principall and most eminent by the seeing of which in it selfe the soule of the new borne babe of Christ shall haue cause to receiue much comfort The principall effects therefore of regeneration are these foure First a spirituall combat Secondly a good life for all this combat Thirdly a knowledge of that good estate whereinto the regenerate is translated Fourthly Spirituall growth in those graces that at first were but weake and feeble in the regenerate For alack an infant is a very tender thing and so are Gods infants For the first of these 1. The spirituall combat with No sooner doth a Christian begin to draw the breath of this new life but he findes himselfe called to fighting euen in the very cradle as I may so speake and as they fabled of that renowned heathen man He stands in a pitched field of enemies so soone as he can goe vpon the feete of his soule and there hee must neuer cease giuing and taking blowes till hee cease to be in this lower world Although indeed there be some intermission and relaxation of the strength and furie of the encounter as it pleaseth the Lord that knowes all things to temper them to his strength and direct them to his good 1. The Diuell First the diuell begins to play his part with him and finding him gained out of his hands and pulled from vnder his tyrannie musters vp an armie of tentations wherewith at least to annoy him if hee cannot as hee cannot preuaile to bring him backe againe to his seruitude and thraldome For when the strong man armed kept his house all things were at quiet vnder him but when he feeles himselfe bound and cast out and his house rifled by a stronger then himselfe then it must needs follow that hee will bestirre himselfe and lay about him with all the power that he can make So now the poore Christian though perhaps but an infant in grace is violently assailed by Satan according to his nature with extreame rage and subtiltie And if it haue so falne out that the Spirit of God was faine to batter downe the height of his heart and make passage for himselfe with horrible feares and terrors then Satan labours often to reuiue those terrors and by infinit cauils and obiections to make him euen despaire of his saluation There is none end almost of the diuels striuing in this case but hee will labour continually with new doubts and obiections to call his saluation into question and to make him thinke that hee shall neuer enioy the quiet possession of his heauenly inheritance Yet against all these the Spirit of God so strengthens him that by vertue of the gratious promises of God and by the power of constant prayers and supplications he supports himselfe and still continues to rest himselfe vpon the free goodnesse of God in Christ notwithstanding all these obiections and shakings Neither yet will Satan rest here but is further troublesome vnto him by stirring vp innumerable vile suggestions to draw him to the committing of some most notorious sinnes perhaps worse then euer in all his life before and for his old corruptions he ceaseth not to prouoke and incense them with all vehemency that he may driue him into lewd and hatefull practises of sinne But against these suggestions also he fighteth resolutely much indeede vexed and disquieted with them but still reiecting abhorring thē and beating them back by the word of God which is his sword by constant supplications whereby still he settles his soule firme and fast in his holy purposes of obedience I confesse that the diuell is a common enemie to all mankinde both sanctified and vnsanctified and therfore the vnregenerate also are much molested with him oftentimes when hee growes exorbitant and seeketh to pull them by the strength of vtter despaire as it were quicke into hell and to make them kill themselues or doe some other most grosse and vnnaturall crime But Satan is not willing to deale so roughly with them if he could chuse for he stands euer in most danger of losing them when hee carries himselfe towards them in so hard a fashion Wherefore he rather flatters and faunes endeuouring to rocke them asleepe still if hee can in the cradle of securitie and presumption Neither will he storme thus but when he sees his aduantage in regard of some bodily crosse or distemper or that he sees the Lord will needes awaken their sleepie consciences But for the poore Christian hee would not giue him rest no not for a day or two from the most horrible feares and from the foulest tentations whereto his corruption giues any passage or from others more hideous especially if hee see him weake scrupulous and iniudicious then hee makes vse of such ignorance and weaknesse and will neuer finde time to make an end of vexing him but that the Lord himselfe doth please to sound a retraite Indeede the Lord by this meanes to keepe downe his pride and ouer-master his strong corruptions doth giue much way to Satans rage but so still that he forgets not to refresh him with seasonable aide of his spirit of prayer and with the strength and comfort of his holie word and promises And in these termes stands hee with Satan euer almost assailed and incumbred by him And besides this the flesh also 2. Of the flesh as a more dangerous enemie though not so violent steps foorth to incounter him For though by grace it be wounded and mortified yet is it not quite and cleane taken away and remoued Wherefore the corruptions of his heart also grow violent in him lusting against the spirit and with a kinde of insinuating and secret inclination carrying him forward to all the former lusts of his ignorance and perhaps to some that are more loathsome and abominable Now vnbeliefe passion lust reuenge wantonnes worldlines and all the old distempers will be mouing in his soule and hee shall finde himselfe euer and anon little lesse then ready to yeeld vnto them and to be quite ouercome by them But the spirit in this case reuiueth it selfe also and lusts against the flesh stirring vp good motions against the bad and holy desires against the vnholy and vertuous wishes against the vitious and heartie prayers and requests to God against the sinfull inclinations of the euill heart so that at length his
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
matters vnto his Creator the eternall fountaine and first cause of being and of blisse euen vnto the God of heauen in comparison of whom all things are lesse and worse then nothing and likewise vnto the things of God remission of sinnes the fauour of God communion with Christ Iesus encrease of holinesse and the like to these which are by an excellency called the things of God because they are the chiefest of all those things that he bestowes vpon the sonnes of men and to the seeking whereof hee directs them in his holy word whereas else they would neuer haue sought them This is the materiall cause of regeneration The formall is infusion as witnesseth the Lord himselfe saying I will poure vpon the house of Dauid Zach. 12.10 the spirit of grace And in another place I will poure flouds vpon the dry ground And Paul saith 2. Tim. 1.7 God hath giuen vs the spirit of a right mind For whereas some qualities are implanted in men by nature some attained vnto by their owne industry and by vertue of certaine actions for that purpose performed and some againe are wrought in thē by a supernaturall work of God this gift of holinesse is neither naturally descended vnto them as it should haue been had their parents been innocent nor yet attained by their diligence and paines or by force and power of any action done by them but is put into them by the spirit of God working aboue and beyond either their power or the power of the acts that they shall doe for the attaining of it Let vs make the matter more plainly vnderstood by comparisons The power of seeing is naturally bestowed vpon all men in their very birth and by the course of nature working in their mothers wombe This power or vse of this facultie is altogether denied vnto some men and they are borne starke blinde as was hee of whom we reade in the Gospell Christ with spettle made cley and hauing anoynted his eyes bade him to wash and he returned seeing We say now that into this man the power or act of seeing was infused for why by nature he could not see The spettle cley water had no such naturall force in them as to worke the power of seeing in an eye that through naturall indisposition wanted it Wherefore it must needes be infused that is wrought in that person by a supernaturall worke of God So againe Health is a qualitie sicknesse for example a burning ague taketh away this qualitie of health A man being so sicke of such a disease consulteth with Physitians receiueth potions from them and recouereth his health this qualitie now was acquired or gotten by paines and industrie For by vertue of some inherent qualitie in the medicines receiued was this qualitie of health restored vnto the body But a man that was sick of an ague in the time of Peter sending to him receiueth a napkin from him and by the receiuing of it is healed This health was an infused health for not any power inherent in the cloth or deriued from the body of Peter but a supernaturall worke of God did procure that health at the presence of such outward actions In like sort Holinesse was to Adam a naturall power or abilitie created in him and with him and immediatly accompanying his nature or issuing from it But the diuell robbed him of it by taking that from him and poysoning him with the contrary naturall impotencie of sinne for I suppose we may well call sinne I meane originall sinne a naturall impotencie or a mischieuous and corrupt disorder in all the faculties Wherefore it is requisite that he recouer it againe if hee shall be saued Now the Lord of heauen pleaseth by meanes of the word as it were by the spettle of his mouth making cley to anoynt his eyes to re-beget or recreate this qualitie of holinesse in him not that the word hath any natural inherent ability of working holinesse no more then a napkin of curing an ague but alone because the Lord sees it fit in and with that doctrine to worke this worke by a power immediatly and solely deriued from himselfe So may a man by long study obtaine the science of naturall Philosophie which is a qualitie and an habit but the Lord did please by his owne immediate power to deriue this science into the minde of Salomon and therefore his knowledge was an infused knowledge and more excellent for measure and degree then euer any man did or could attaine by studie So the power of speaking and vnderstanding any language is a quality which by study or custome of hearing and speaking a man may worke in himselfe and he that by much labour and reading gets for example his Latin tongue hath wrought this qualitie in himselfe but the Apostles had the knowledge of speaking all and by name the Latin tongue put into them suddenly by the immediate operation of the holy Ghost and by vertue of a diuine worke in an vnconceiueable manner working in their imaginations So we call holinesse an infused qualitie because the holy Ghost by vertue of his owne hand and by power immediatly deriued from himselfe not by vertue of any power naturally dwelling either in man or in the Word doth please in and with the word to worke it in man The spirit of life doth breathe it into those in whom it is and they haue it by the meere efficacie of his diuine power not of the meanes in themselues considered Neither yet must we neglect those exercises and ordinances in and by which it pleaseth him to co-operate and to conueigh vnto vs this grace but rather must with all diligence apply our selues vnto them that by making our selues subiect vnto his blessed will we may likewise bee capable of this excellent worke of his Though cley made of spettle and the water of Siloah had no such vertue in them as to make a blinde eye see and to turne the naturall impotencie backe againe into the power of seeing yet the man that was borne blinde was to vse that washing and that cley for else his disobedience to Christ would haue depriued him of the diuine vertue of Christ which vpon his obedience shewed it selfe in healing him So regeneration is not attaineable by vertue of any act or acts that wee or any creature can doe but it commeth from aboue and is effected by an inconceiueable power of Gods spirit for it must needes farre surpasse the strength of a creature to change the soule and to cause a returne from so miserable a priuation or naturall impotencie as sinne is vnto so glorious blessed and excellent an habit or supernaturall abilitie as that holinesse is into which we are transformed But for all this he that would haue the holy Ghost shew his infinite power in making such a change in him must willingly submit himselfe to the doing of any actions whatsoeuer wherewithall the spirit of God shall manifest that it is his pleasure to ioyne
vile in his owne eyes because he knowes hee hath deserued to be damned and that so foule a thing as sinne wherewith his Maker hath due cause to be so much displeased doth not alone abide but raigne and command in him Wherefore hee doth euen lie downe at the foote of the throne of Gods iustice and in a most ardent abhorring of himselfe doth subscribe to the righteousnes of God in his owne feared destruction hauing nothing in the world to say for himselfe as of himselfe why he should not be destroyed and not so much as a tittle of a word to obiect against the perfect and exact equitie of the liuing God if that he should destroy him Sinne I say sinne not alone the punishment of sin but sin it selfe is discouered vnto him hee sees its loathsomnes and vilenes he sees its strength and violence he sees his owne totall defilement hee perceiues himselfe throughly and throughly polluted with it and cries out bitterly Ah what shal I doe not only nor so much because I shall be damned but because I am so wicked so sinfull so contrary to God so rebellious against him so very a traytor vnto him and so vtterly vnable to mend these woful disorders of my soule These be his groanes these be his plaints and his cryings out are of his wickednesse and iniquitie wherein hee was conceiued wherein hee was borne wherein hee hath liued and whereof now he perceiueth not so much as one part of his heart or of his life to be cleane and vnspotted This acknowledgement and sense of our sinfulnes is the very first beginning of holinesse The vnregenerate often sees and feeles his damnation the regenerate alone his sinfulnes the miserable deprauation of his nature the vtter totall odious pollution of his whole man being so loathsome that hee sees God cannot chuse in iustice but detest him and for any thing that is in himselfe for euer reiect him This apprehension of sinfulnes is mixed alwaies at first at least often with the feare of Gods wrath and vengeance but it doth so temper and allay that feare as the bitternes thereof carries not the soule furiously to contend against God as else he could not chuse but doe For his hatred is not stirred now against God whom in truth by vertue of a secret vnfelt and vndiscerned hope that the spirit of God hath created and doth vphold in him he loueth and honoureth though he be more then half in doubt lest hee may destroy him but alone against himselfe his wretched hatefull selfe that is so intollerably wicked and naught that he can see no cause but that the Lord should glorifie his equitie and iustice in damning him And so much for this first worke of regeneration the second followes it close at the heeles and is nothing else 2. An earnest deâ—â—â—e of â—â—â—â—nesse with remâ—â—â—ion of siâ—nes but an earnest desire of attaining holines and vertue together with remission of sinnes and the fauour of God in Christ Iesus For you must conceiue the partie that is now in regenerating to haue a generall knowledge of the doctrine of the Gospell and a generall assent also to the truth of it this doctrine being as I said before an instrumentall cause of regeneration But now the generall knowledge begins to bee made speciall and the man touched with a sense of sinne is moued also with a most vehement longing after grace and mercie not alone to pardon his sinne but also to heale his soule of it as of a desperat wound which he feeleth to be most smarting and mortall So hee cries out who shall deliuer me from this body of death No hungrie man did euer with a more eager appetite wish for meate nor thirstie man for drinke nor couetous man for money nor ambitious man for aduancement then hee now longeth to be reconciled vnto God in Christ to haue his foule nature made cleane his wofull sinnes forgiuen his abominable corruptions remoued and killed and holinesse planted in their roome Oh how faine he would be holy O how faine would hee be humble faithfull obedient how faine he would beleeue in loue feare serue God! but ah wretch that he is he cannot Woe woe vnto him he cannot O how shall hee be able to preuaile against these vile disorders of his heart and life how shall hee doe to be lesse sinfull and more righteous These be his thoughts these his wishes these his groanes hee findes so great a misse of nothing as of the pardon of his sinne and the graces of the Spirit of God and if he had that bestowed vpon him were he a beggar a prisoner a slaue any thing yet he should seeme to himselfe an happy man and ah Lord thinkes he that thou wouldest be pleased for Christ his sake to forgiue my wickednes and to heale my nature Now the thirst that hee had after the things of this world is wonderfully cooled and as a man in a burning fit of an ague makes no reckoning of his fine cloathes hee doth almost put off all those desires and poore or not poore esteemed or not esteemed it is no great matter but that he might be accepted into the fauour of God and haue his sinnes pardoned and subdued and his vnholy nature made holy that is all in all within him There is to be seene in vnsanctified men in case of terrors of conscience which sometimes do lie long vpon them a great desire to be free from the insufferable euils they see comming vpon them For who can make question but that Iudas would faine not haue been damned or that the damned in hell haue not a wonderfull desire get out of their torments this being one maine aggrauation of their pangs that they cannot but desire to be deliuered out of those euils which they cannot escape But they not hauing the supportation of the Spirit of God to vnderprop them with hope doe vanish in these desires and lose the fruit of them for lack of a kindly working of them towards the Lord for they be not lifted vp to heauen-ward But the man that is now in framing a new being sustained with the fore-mentioned secret hope hath vehement and setled wishes fixed and fastened in him whereby hee thirsteth after the grace of God not alone to saue but also to amend him So the desires of the sanctified arising from the spirit are differenced from the desires of the vnsanctified that are meere fruits of nature which would faine be wel eased of an heauie burthen by these two things First that they are directed vnto God whereas the other are rouing and confused desires Secondly by their being set alwaies as well often as much somtimes more vpon holinesse as vpon freedome from punishment vpon the getting of vertue and goodnesse as vpon the getting of an heauenly kingdome wheras the heart of the vnsanctified is so taken vp when he must needs feele it with the sense of his misery and punishment that hee cannot