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
godly purposes grow strong and hee remaineth resolute not to worke wickednes for all his earnest pronenesse thereunto Thus the regenerate findes himselfe strangely diuided within and against himselfe Sometimes hee would be sinfull and commit such and such wickednes and yet againe hauing better thought of the matter hee would not At other times hee would cast away all sinne and faine performe all good duties with all constancie but hee findes something within resisting and rebelling and hee would not be so good But still in conclusion either sooner or later the sanctified part gets the better of the vnsanctified the desires and purposes of goodnesse preuaile against the desires and purposes of euil and hee is setled in the holy determinations that the spirit of God doth leade him vnto His heart is euen a pitcht field of contrary desires the bad often grow very strong and vehement and able almost to ouerthrow and chase away the good But the good gather head againe and beate backe the bad and by the spirit hee mortifies the flesh and by the word of God and prayer subdueth and crucifies those carnall affections of his I confesse there is a miserable stirre a troublesome discord in the soule of an vnsanctified man betwixt the light of the conscience and the corruption of the will this haling him forward to diuers wickednesses and that drawing backe but the difference betwixt the naturall combat and the spirituall is so manifest that no good man which hath felt them both can chuse but see how to distinguish them one from the other The d fference betwixt the cōbat of the fl sh and spirit and the opposition of the conscience the corrupted will in the vnregenerate Indeed they are euidently distinguished in fiue things 1. In the faculties that oppose each other 2. In the things about which they quarrell 3. In the motiues of the opposition 4. In the meanes of resistance And fifthly in the issue thereof First in the vnregenerate the will is wholly carried after sin alone the conscience makes a clamorous gainsaying and suffers not the will to goe on in its euill courses vncontrolled He would with all his heart commit wickednes but hee dares not not so the regenerate In him not the conscience alone stands out against sinne but the will it selfe is diuided in part hanging one way in part another Hee would not doe euill not alone hee dares not and the act of the will setting against its owne corruption by its owne holinesse is farre different from the act of the conscience opposing the will that remaineth wholly corrupted See it in a comparison An hungry dogge hath a strong appetite to be deuouring some meate that stands before him but at the same time he sees a man standing by with a cudgel to strike him if he touch it Now his appetite is altogether to the meate but he is feared and ouer-awed by the sight of the man that is ready to strike him So is it with the vnsanctified man sinne is his foode his will is wholly carried to it but the conscience holds as it were a cudgell ouer him threatning to strike if he taste Wherefore what with a full desire he would do he forbeareth in act to performe affrighted by those clamours But now a man diseased sees some foode to which his appetite inclineth but he knowes it hurtfull for his body and therefore though his will drawne by his senses sometimes moue him to be tasting yet the same will informed by reason doth preuaile in him to be vnwilling and out of such vnwillingnes to forbeare So is it with the godly man His will stands to sinne for the pleasure or profits sake in some part but being better taught by Gods spirit of the sinfulnes thereof his owne will checks it selfe and hee sets vp his resolution not to meddle with it So is this point of difference made plaine not to be willing to doe is another thing then not to dare In the former the will bridleth and holdeth-vnder it s owne inward motions and not alone the outward act in the latter the motions of the will haue a free scope but alone the outward act is restrained Further in the things whereabout the stirre is they differ very much For the conscience of the vnsanctified makes resistance to their will alone vnlesse in case they be vnder terrors of conscience in some more grosse notorious palpable and vnaccustomed sinnes which are commonly ioyned with shame and reproch in the world and are not likely committed but by those that are infamous amongst men as in periurie murther adulterie theft false witnesse bearing and such like For smaller euils and such as the world little accounts of though knowne and confessed to be sinnes the naturall conscience is content to dispense and dawbe and daily and giue easie way to the doing of them vpon a thousand fond shifts and pretences but now the regenerate mans wil so far as it is regenerate is in combat against its owne vnsanctifiednes about euery knowne euill the little as well as the great that that is allowed in the common practise of the world as well as that that is disallowed For of him it is truly said that hee worketh none iniquitie Thirdly the naturall conscience vseth the motiues or restraints rather of feare of shame of danger amongst men at the best and most of destruction and damnation from God and by threatning these things sometimes somewhat terribly it ouer-aweth the motions of the will from consenting to act though not to desire But in the regenerate will the arguments of resistance are fetcht from God and from Christ from the loue of God from the death of Christ from th◠scandall of religion from the dishonour of the name of God from the Lords being displeased with sinne and not onely barely or chiefly from the punishment of sinne Fourthly the conscience of the vnsanctified driues him not to prayer to the word to spirituall meditations as weapons whereby to mortifie euill lusts and to restraine the will from consenting only it followes him with its owne vehement checks and reluctations in diuers troublesome and confused thoughts But the sanctification of the will opposeth its corruption by prayers by the word by the blood of Christ Iesus and by the hopes of eternitie For hauing this hope hee purgeth himselfe as Christ is pure So the vnsanctified man when he would doe euill and dares not is tossed and tumbled from place to place now thinking of one thing now of another wishing to follow his owne inclinations but wanting boldnesse and if hee doe any thing to help himselfe it is to get him into some company that perhaps may ease him a while But the sanctified when he findes this distraction of his will vsually seekes out some secret place tels himselfe of Gods commandement of Gods loue of Christs suffering for him asketh himselfe if he can finde in his heart so much to offend so good
the light that beginneth to appeare and to hold downe the truth in vnrighteousnes striuing not to know sinne because he would not leaue it and out of a purpose to practise it for the profit or pleasure of it still labouring to haue somewhat to say in its defence and to elude and shift off whatsoeuer may be said against it but he is willing to know desirous and ready to yeeld and when the light begins to shine within he quickly opens his eyes to behold the same and if he suspect it he lookes more narrowly into it with a sincere purpose of being conuinced if the truth appeare vnto him And this is the first part of a good life The second and as necessary as the first is doing of good wherein hee is carefull to exercise himselfe and though all be not alike fruitful yet euery regenerate man is fruitfull in some degree The life of grace hath its gratious effects as well as the life of nature its naturall and hee that hath the former is as kindly and freely carried to the one as he that hath the life of nature to the other By the supernaturall life of God that is in the sanctified man it is naturall to him to speake to God in prayer to heare from God in the Word to conferre with God in holy meditations Wherefore these things hee findes himselfe inwardly moued vnto and hee cannot chuse but be constant in them If at any time his wicked flesh hinder him from them as sicknesse makes a man sometimes that hee cannot eate his meate then doth hee feele as sensible a misse of them euen as of his meales and he could be as well without foode as without these exercises for in truth they are the foode of his soule and he relisheth them as foode though sometimes lesse then at other times as the diseases of his soule grow more or lesse within him Further mercie iustice liberalitie truth diligence and other vertues are now natural vnto him as well as religion He takes comfort in doing the duties thereof and makes conscience of doing them as he hath occasion Indeed sometimes he findes a great loathnesse and backwardnesse as a man that is lame limps and goes softly and with paine but yet he goes and hee must needs goe and for all the loathnesse hee cannot be well vnlesse he addresse himselfe vnto them Often he hath little mind to pray and doe other religious duties but then alacke he finds himselfe as wee say for the body not well at case and hee hath something within him that puts him forward that presseth and vrgeth him and causeth that he must doe them though with much weaknes and resistance of his fleshly hart for in part it is stil fleshly If he haue neglected a work of mercy he is not wel after it and he is inwardly grieued for it and resolues to take the opportunitie better next time If he haue not followed his calling diligently he is vexed at heart to thinke of it and that day is a day of little comfort that night a night of little rest vnto him So if he haue omitted admonitions exhortations good conference or any other part of good life Not alone one but all good duties both of the first and second Table so farre as his knowledge extendeth begin to bee to him naturall and familiar Hee takes a secret and a sweet delight in doing them he finds himselfe exceedingly discontented with himself if he doe them not and therefore commonly though he come farre short of what he would and should yet there is no day without a line some or other good worke he doth daily herein indeede exceeding al that himselfe was able to doe before or that vnsanctified men can attaine to that what he doth he doth it because God would haue him doe it and his heart doth often actually incline it selfe to the will of God and moue it selfe to the duties with minding it selfe of the good pleasure of God It is not companie it is not applause nor credit nor gaine which sweyes him if all these things were away yea if all these things were against him yet he would doe good for he knowes that Gods wil is his guide and that is the thing he desireth to accomplish in his very soule And further though he be like a young Artificer that vseth his tooles somwhat vnskilfully and doth his businesse somewhat bunglingly yet the Scriptures the Word of God they bee his line and his leuell and according to the direction either special or general which he receiueth from them he striueth to frame his life and actions So is the true Conuert godly in life grosse sinnes vsually he commits not the smallest knowne sins he euer dis-alloweth condemneth confesseth before God in secret and suspected sins he labors to know and for feare auoideth and vnknowne sins he is ready and willing to know Al and all maner of good duties though some he finds more hard and difficult and himselfe more backward vnto them yet I say all and all manner of good duties he resolueth to do and striueth to do and either doth them or is afterwards very angry with himself for not hauing done them so that his life is to his own feeling but a very death if he find it to haue bin vnprofitable which is much to be marked he is heartily glad to see that others can do the good that he cannot or can do it better then himself 3. Knowledge of this good estate So you haue the second effect of regeneration the third followes and that is a knowledge of this his good estate The man regenerate vnderstands himself to be regenerate as the man that liueth walketh that he liueth and walketh So S. Iohn tels vs plainly 1. Iohn 3.14 We know that we are translated from death to life Loe I say an assured word of knowing vsed by the Apostle But how knowes he it euen by a most infallible knowledge grounded vpon the perceiuing of the effects of a spiritual life as hee knowes that he is a liuing man and not a carcasse by feeling in himself the manifest effects of this common life For in very truth spirituall life can no more be hidden then naturall Can that admirable change that cumbersome combat that so far from former times differing life be found in a man and he not know of it Can a blind man become seeing and he not know it Can a deafe man heare a lame man go a sicke man become whole a dead man liue and not know of these alterations in themselues It is vtterly impossible that such things should be hidden from him in whom they be the taking away of blindnes deafenes dumbnes lamenes death from the soule is to him in whom it is no lesse manifest and euident then the remouing of these bodily infirmities And therfore S. Iohn saith 1. Iohn 2.13 I write vnto you babes because you haue knowne the Father meaning
barely read I cannot esteeme it quite deuoide of all power to regenerate where God doth not giue vnto men a possibilitie of vsing other helpe I see not that he should be thought either vnable or vnwilling to worke by this but where preaching with paines or cost may be gotten there he that to saue his labour or to spare his purse will neglect it shall neuer be borne againe Wherefore beloued you must make high account of this ordinance you must follow it you must be constant in frequenting it that the Lord by the mouthes of his faithful seruants may breathe the breath of life into you I confesse that there is a kind of fine neate daintie preaching consisting in wel-sounding words and streines of wit and humane learning to set out the skill and art of the speaker and make the hearer applaud and commend him which a man may well doubt whither God wil euer blesse to the winning of soules These selfe-preaching men that make preaching little else but an ostentation of wit and reading doe put this sword of the Spirit into a veluet scabbard that it cannot pricke and wound the heart it cannot worke life by working death first it cannot quicken by killing before it quicken But the plaine and downe-right preaching of the Word by laying it open in plaine termes to the eyes of the mind and laying it hard to the very consciences by exhortations rebukes and comforts for which it is profitable euen this foolish preaching is that that must make you wise to saluation Wherefore how much were it to be desired that all we Ministers would follow that whereby with fetching lesse circuits and taking lesse vnprofitable and selfe-intended labour wee might doe more good to men and bring more glory to God and Oh how much are you to be called vpon to loue the Word of God preached to be glad to haue it plainely deliuered vnto you and with earnestnesse pressed vpon you without all quirkes of wit and guilded shewes of mans wisdome and of gay words In one word therefore I doe you all to wit that this preaching is the instrument of God I meane the chiefe and principall instrument by which he is pleased to regenerate mens soules Wherefore I command you all in the name of the Lord to loue it honor it frequent it submit your selues to it as you loue your soules-health But let me adde one necessary obseruation more in this point They bee but vncleane beasts that doe not chew the cud If you will haue the Word which you heare effectuall to make you the sonnes of God you must not be carelesse and forgetfull hearers you must not let it slip from you as soone as it is heard but you must ioyne meditation with it and after you haue heard consider with your selues what you haue heard and ponder vpon it as vpon a thing that much concernes you and lay the precepts reproofes threats promises and exhortations thereof vnto your soules saying each to himselfe I see this is a dutie haue not I omitted it O yes I haue and so fall a begging pardon for former omissions and strength for more carefull performance hereafter and so in all the other parts of the Word that may be deliuered vnto you And brethren the Word thus heard in the Church and thus ruminated digested and concocted at home will be a Word of power vnto you to conuert you to God from the power of Satan Thus I haue shewed you the meanes of being made the sonnes and daughters of the liuing God Be they not plaine be they not possible be they not easie If any of you misse of a new birth is it not because he cares not for it and in very truth because he is not willing to accept it I cal your owne soules to witnesse and that God in whose name and those Angels in whose presence I haue spoken these things vnto you that God desireth not your death hee would haue you saued hee offers saluation hee would haue you renewed and hee offers the spirit of renouation and if you want it it is only meerely wholly because you regard it not and because you will not take his directions in seeking it O thou therfore that art vnregenerate see thine vnregeneracie desire to be regenerate call vpon God for his Spirit of grace to regenerate thee ponder vpon his Law and his Gospell the seede of regeneration Hearken to his voyce speaking in his messengers and meditate on what thou shalt heare from them and thou shalt bee regenerate But if thou wilt needs stand in thine owne light and out of a conceit of being already in a good estate keepe thy selfe irrecouerably in an euill estate or out of sloathfull negligence or prophane carelesnesse omit to follow the sound directions which haue been giuen thee be thou euer then the child of the Diuell be thou euer the sonne of perdition worke out thine owne destruction and thy blood bee vpon thine owne head the Lord is free wee are free and of thine owne hand alone it shall be required CHAP. X. Comforting the Regenerate ANd so much bee spoken to them that are not borne againe 3. Vse to those that are regenerate Now from the same point also wee haue something to say to those that through the grace of God haue been blessed with this greatest of al blessings and that both for comfort and exhortation First then 1. Câ—ns let vs lay open before the sanctified man the riches of consolation of which the words of our Sauiour doe put him in possession This worke of the Spirit of God doth him more good then al the wealth strength health wit learning beauty credit fauour and grace that could befall him in the world For all these things fore-named a man may haue in as great abundance as this earth could yeeld and yet bee no whit nearer to heauenly felicitie yea bee quite out of all present possibilitie of attaining it But so soone as euer the Spirit of God from aboue hath visited the soule of a man and hath begotten in him the image of Christ Iesus so soone is he interessed into the glorious Kingdome of God and hath that riches and honour of heauen appertaining vnto him as an inheritance that cannot fal besides him Euery true Christian therefore be he of neuer so meane repute parts in the esteeme of others or of himself is yet a great and a rich heire and hath a mighty and large kingdome by vertue of this birth-right appertaining vnto him for the excluding of all that are not borne againe from out of heauen is a plaine admittance of all them into heauen to whom this benefit of a new birth hath befalne The one cannot but be saued as well as the other cannot possibly bee saued Seeing if the cause that hindreth our entrance into Gods Kingdome bee remoued we neede make no question but that our passage afterwards shall be found both certaine and easie enough
foode of his soule prayer preaching the sacraments holy meditations of the Word and works of God These are as requisite for the soules increase in grace as meate and drinke and cloth for the bodies proceeding in strength Now as it often falleth out in the body that there growes vpon it a certaine kind of crazinesse and stomacklesnesse which makes a man to haue no mind of his victuals and then the longer hee abstaineth the lesse mind he hath to eate the lesse abilitie to digest so it commeth to passe likewise in the inward man the soule begins to take little content in prayer in reading the Scriptures in hearing the word preached in the receiuing of the holy sacrament These things are not desired nor delighted in with halfe so much ardour feruour as in former time When the case stands thus with the soule and likely the comming in of gaine and preferment by diuerting the thoughts and affections from things heauenly to things earthly doe bring the soule to this case then it growes weaker and weaker and often falleth grossely and palpably Yea it commeth to passe sometimes that afflictions lying hard vpon a man doe euen put his soule out of tast through the sowernesse and bitternesse of carnall sorrow that hee findeth no appetite to holy exercises which are the repasts of the soule nor any cōtentment in them then grace is in the wane also then all vertues wither and languish and the soule fareth like vnto him that cannot eate is victuals whose very cheekes shew it so the outward behauiour and carriage of such a man being farre short of that heauenlinesse and fruitfulnesse that once will discouer this languishing of his soule Wherefore he that would bee strong in Christ Iesus and in the power of his might must stirre vp in himselfe the Spirit of God which he hath receiued by constancy in holy meditations of God of his Kingdome of his workes of his attributes of himselfe his mortalitie his sinfulnesse the shortnesse of life the vanitie of earthly things the vncertaintie of friends and wealth and that last houre of his life and that great day of iudgement He must also reuiue the same grace of God in him by being feruent in prayer and by prouoking himselfe with all heartinesse of desire to beg good things at Gods hand especially the increase of al heauenly vertues He must also labour to make his hart hot with earnest and vnfained thankesgiuing for all temporall and spirituall benefits especially for the death of Christ and the kingdome of heauen by that deere price purchased for him He must gaine all opportunities of hearing the Word preached and not suffer any idle obiection and foolish impediment to hinder him from frequenting it He must digest it by meditation when he comes home He must carefully prepare for the Lords supper by renewing his repentance and his faith before he come thither And thus he must feede of all the delicates that God hath prouided for him No so true signe of bodily health nor so sure meanes of outward strength as a good stomack with good digestion No so sure token and certaine meanes of spirituall strength and health as a longing desire to all holy exercises publike as well as priuate and priuate as well as publike By these Christ Iesus communicates his graces to vs. The Word that begat vs will nourish vs. The spirit of prayer that obtained good things will obtaine also increase of them and so the soule must needs be well liking Brethren you all are taught by nature the neede of corporall food know also the neede of spirituall and if thou desire to haue thy soule thriue in strength and stature forslake not thy meales cut not off religious exercises short dispatch not Gods worship cursorily turne not holy duties into matters of fashion and formalitie but doe them and doe them constantly and doe them heartily and content not thy selfe in doing them vnlesse thou find some life and courage in doing them And that thou maiest thus maintaine in thee an hungry appetite after the exercises of pietie dip thy morsels often in the sharpe sauce and sower herbes of humiliation Looke back so often as thou findest a kind of fulnesse of stomacke and spirituall satiety growing vpon thee looke backe vnto the former sinnes of thine ignorance consider thy naturall misery and wretchednesse consider of thy most beloued corruption and addresse thy selfe to worke some sensible apprehension of griefe for these things and cease not striuing though at first thou seeme to striue in vaine It is certaine that labouring with ones owne heart to find out his corruptions that lie hidden and to lament them being found out will quicken the soules appetite and restore a man to some liuelinesse in holy duties at least will so farre forth preuaile that if he recouer not his appetite he shall remaine sensible of this spirituall stomacklesnesse and humbled vnder it and full of sighs and groanes because of it which at length will cure him without inconuenience Now brethren let this word of exhortation sinke into your soules If regeneration be necessary to saluation then the growing in the power of regeneration is also necessary Weake things are often so obscured with their contraries that it remaineth vncertaine whither they be or no but that that is strong will stirre and shew it selfe Grace may be doubted of so long as it remaineth feeble and infant-like adde vnto it growth and bignes and it will be out of question No man can be assured of his saluation without edifying his inward man more then be saued without hauing the new man If you would enioy your new birth confirme it if you would attaine the comfort of it grow in it Neglect not the grace of God that is giuen vnto you now that you are in Christ be strong men in Christ and seeing the Lord hath vouchsafed you the worke of his Spirit giue me leaue to make vse of the sweete exhortation of Paul to his Thessalonians to entreate you brethren to encrease yet more and more CHAP. XII Exhorting to propagate grace to others BVt our exhortation if you remember had an other member 1. To propagate it to others it is not enough for a good man to get more grace to himselfe vnlesse hee doe his best also to helpe his neighbours vnto grace They that are begotten of God must doe their vtmost endeauours to beget others vnto God All things in nature haue an inclination to deriue their owne qualities vnto other things and to assimilate or worke like vnto themselues that that comes neere vnto them Fier makes al things hot and water all things moist and in nature nothing is more ingrafted then the propagation of the kind Surely this new and diuine nature must not be idle in this behalfe but they vpon whom the Lord hath pleased to bestow it must labour to be his instruments of conueying it to others And in truth what more comfortable