sin against God or wrong their own Souls God hath promised to cause men to fear him not so much for his Judgments as for his Mercy and Coâ—dness Hos 3.5 and this fear he put into the Body of Regeneration without which it will be imperfect Seventhly Humility Meekness These Graces if they are two are parts of the New Creature they are the Beauty and Ornament of the New Creature without which it would not be so amiable and lovely as now it is We are by Nature exceeding proud rugged haughty sowre and pievish Creatures but God loves a meek and humble spirit and therefore he Regenerates some with Humility and Meekness and the more men have of these the more lovely they are to God and men the more conformable to Christ who was meek and lowly in heart Matth. 11.29 Christ will have all his Members like himself the Body must be like the Head and Christ becoming their Head in Regeneration he bestows on them his Humility and Meekness which is a part of that fulness of Grace he hath received for his Members Meekness is one of the glorious fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 and one of the Graces of Christ Jam. 4.6 By Humility and Meekness Christ prepares and capacitates men for his service and communion with himself to bow and bend them to his holy will and make them obedient unto him in all things for only the Humble and Meek are such persons and walkers Eighthly Zeal Regeneration makes men zealous against sin and for God and godliness Before Regeneration men may have a zeal for God but not the Zeal it is not according to knowledge Rom. 10.2 True Gospel-zeal is a glorious Grace of Christ infused into men in Regeneration and that in pursuance of one of the great ends of Christ his death Tit. 2.14 He gave himself to redeem us from all iniquity and to make us a peculiar people zealous of good works Before men are Regenerated they are zealous for their own gain honour pleasure and superstition but Regeneration makes them zealous for God with the Zeal of God As soon as Paul was converted he shewed himself a true and great Zealot indeed for Christ Grace Holiness and the Souls of men It is holy Gospel-zeal that makes men active for God and puts them forward to follow their Light Light in the Head without Zeal in the Heart may fill men with notions of duty but never make them Practitioners of duty they may know the Will of God but they will not they cannot be perswaded to do it 't is true that Zeal without knowledge is not good and as true that knowledge without zeal is unprofitable Christ hath a fulness of zeal for men and in Regeneration he imparts it to them Ninthly Prayer In Regeneration Christ infuses the Grace and Spirit of Prayer as soon as Paul was Regenerated behold he prayeth Acts 9.11 He had often prayed before for he was a zealous Pharisee and concerning the Law he was blameless Phil. 3.6 but he never prayed aright until he was Regenerated for then Christ gave him the grace of Prayer he could then pray with Grace in his heart and then not till then behold he prayeth There are none can pray spiritually but New Creatures for the voice of Nature is the voice of the flesh and what is of the flesh is flesh Joh. 3.6 and that voice God is not pleased with and heareth not but it is the voice of the New Creature which is formed and made up of the Grace and Spirit of Christ that God heareth and delighteth in Pro. 15.8 Therefore God promiseth to give unto men in Regeneration the Spirit of Grace and Supplication Zach. 12.10 that they may thereby be enabled to pray unto God holily and acceptably 1 Pet. 2.5 Rom. 8.26 27. God is a Spirit and will be worshipped in spirit and truth Joh. 4.23 24. and therefore he spirits them in Regeneration so to do Men may speak great and good words and make plausible and seemingly good prayers from light in their heads and other common spiritual gifts without Regeneration but they are but fleshly cold dead and loathsome prayers because they proceed not from a Divine Root and Spring they are dead their hearts are dead and therefore their prayers must needs be dead prayers which the Living God abhors Isa 1. But now Regeneration opens their hearts and tongues enlivens and quickens them puts a heavenly Principle into them so that now they can speak to God with new tongues and hearts now they can pray in Faith and Hope with spiritual and lively affections and in obedience to the Will of God Tenthly Self-denial Men are by Nature altogether selfish they are wholly devoted to the service of the flesh and set upon fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind Eph. 2.3 Rom. 8.5 Phil. 3.19 But God lays in Self-denying grace on their hearts in Regeneration so that now they can deny themselves of their ease pleasures profits opinions relations peace and all their once beloved Interests whatsoever for God Holiness Truth and the welfare of their own Souls They can and that upon choice displease themselves to please God they can willingly be nothing that Christ may be all in all things Col. 3.11 yea they would be the Footstool of Christ to exalt him and set him on the Throne Regeneration makes them account their all too little for him as before they accounted a little too much for Christ This is the great term on which we receive and believe in the Lord Jesus Mark 8.34 Matth. 16.24 Luk. 9.23 and by Regeneration he gives them power and will to do it Psal 110.3 Phil. 2.13 Joh. 6.44 45. This Regeneration wrought in Paul Gal. 1.16 I consulted not with flesh and blood says he that is as soon as he was Regenerated Christ sent him to preach the Faith which before he had zealously destroyed vers 23. and that amongst the barbarous Heathens where was much danger and in the doing of which he should meet with many difficulties as he did yet he immediately yielded up himself to the Will of Christ and laid his own in the dust So when Christ called Peter and Andrew they straightway left all and followed him Matth. 4.18 19 20. and after ward Matthew did the like he presently left his gainful Trade at the Custom-House and followed Christ Matth. 9.9 So the Disciples tell Christ Luke 18. that they had left all and followed him and the grace of Self-denial is given to all Regenerate persons in the very moment of their Regeneration Eleventhly Sincerity This is the general grace or that which is the Salt that seasons and makes as it were all other grace good and singular Gospel-sincerity is the holy spiritual Leven that runs through the whole Lump or Body of the graces of Christ given in Regeneration it is not properly one single grace but it is rather the grace of all other graces 't is that which makes
sweetest and most pleasant of all things to the Tast yea altogether sweet if his fruit be so much more is he himself But his fruit the dropping of his Grace is so Cant. 2.3 How much more sweet must himself be unto Believers who is the Root and fountain of all those drops or friuts Zach. 13.1 Revel 22.16 Christ is the desire of all these new senses as he is said to be of all Nations Habak 2.7 And he is most desirable to the Tast He is the bread of Life that came down from Heaven Which is meat indeed for he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever Joh. 6.48.50.51.55 Christ is the most pretious desirable sweet bread that ever any did eat It hath such a pleasant relish savour and comforting quality it doth so refresh and cherish the Soul of a Child of God as that he greatly disires it longs after it Covets to get and keep it and as it were impatiently seeks and waits for it It is so good as that it will never surfeit him all other things how good and pleasant soever they be are nothing to him without this This is the great dish that makes the Word Ordinances and all other dishes a feast indeed 'T is that which relishes and makes all other food sweet nourishing excellent and delightful Hence they cry out in the fullnesse of all other things if they find not Christ there Oh! where is Christ let him come into my Garden my Soul the best and only dish that should feast us and satisfy us is not here till he come I cannot eat nor be Satisfyed Cant. 4. ult Saith a gracious heart Let Christ be my bread and I shall be fully satisfyed he is my all in all things Coll. 3.11 and without him I cannot may not will not be satisfyed Oh! give me Christ in all or I dye for my Soul will Wither and famish whatever else I have whatever else I feed upon But Christ alone if it so please him will satisfy me though he give me nothing else 5. Experiences are sweet and pleasant to the Taste They are invaluable mercies when new Creatures can bring forth out of their Treasures new and old experiences and say this and that I have found This Assistance I have found in such a duty and that comfort I have found in that duty In such a strait I found such and such seasonable helps supports and deliverances When I was sad I found God comforting me In doubt of my state I found God saying to me be of good chear thy Sins are forgiven thee When my heart was hardened by Sin he melted it and when much straitened and shut up he enlarged it when the guilt of my Sins lay heavy on my Conscience he applyed the blood of the everlasting Covenant Heb. 13.20 and so relieved and eased me and when I thought he was angry with me and had shut out my Prayers he answered them Oh how sweet are these and such like experiences to the Tast of new creatures I could give you an account of many more had I time This spiritual sense hath a thirsting appetite It is always with accompanied a hungering and thirsting Appetite after all Spiritual and Heavenly things that he knows or thinks may be good for him he hungers and thirsts after Christ his Blood Grace Righteousness Ordinances Word Experiences Heaven and the presence of Christ and when he findes them Oh how sweet comfortable and pleasing are they Then he saith now is my Soul satisfyed as with marrow and fatness my Soul shall praise thee with joyful Lips Psal 63.5 2. As he Tasts and hath a hungring and thirsting appetite after Spiritual things so it loaths and nausiates the Sins vanities and follies that he once delighted in and fed himself withal he can neither tast nor digest them they are no waies toothsome to him but odious hateful and abominable They are now as filthy poyson to him As meat wherwith a man hath surfeited himself is to him so are these Sins and vanities unto a new Creature They are all like nasty stinking Carrion to him he abhorrs the sight smell and taste of them and cannot endure they should be nigh him The very thoughts of them are grievous to him Psal 119. Roâ— 7. They shall be no more his food but loathing They were never so sweet as now they are bitter to him 1 Jer. 2.19 They were once his pleasant Bread but now his bitter Poyson They were his Suger and Honey wherewith he was delighted but now they are Gall and Wormwood to him His stomack raises up against them and he can no more endure them nor be reconciled to them Thirdly Feeling Feeling is another Sense of the new Creature For as the natural man hath the Sense of feeling what doth touch or burden it so hath the new Creature the like Sense too The new creatures feeling sense is sensible of and burdened with many evils weights and oppressions that he is afflicted withal But first not with the Yoke and Service of Christ The Old man indeed is greatly burdened with it and complaines sadly of the tediousness and wearisomness of it Mal. 1.13 and when will the Sabboth be gone Amos 8.5 But the new Creature is not afflicted with nor weary of it but findes it and accounts it as the Scripture reports it to be namely an Easy and light Yoke Math. 11. ult And her way are ways of pleasantness Pro. 3.17 And his commandments are not grievous 1 Joh. 5.3 Yea they find that in keeping of them or the right observing of them is great reward Psal 19. 2. Neither is the Chastising and afflicting will of God as such their burden or the real burden of the new Creature For that is swallowed up in the will of God and that over-ballances all because it is the will of God who loves him and he loves God It is matter of joy to him that the will of God is done although he suffer under it And the new creature knows that it is but a Fatherly chastisement The fruit of great love Care wisdom and Faithfulness not to hurt him but profit him not to wound but to heal the man not to destroy but to save him Rom. 8.28 Heb. 12. Isa 27. 2. But in the second place the new Creature is sensible of afflicted burdened and oppressed with other matters As 1. his Lusts and Sins These are the heavy burdens that presse him down and makes him cry out with Paul and David O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death Rom. 7.24 And with David There is no rest in my Bones by reason of my Sin Psal 38. and who can understand his errors Cleans thou me from my Sins Psal 19. and Psal 51. There are many of them of his unbelief earthly-mindedness covetousness desires after worldly things hypocrisy formality and too often indifferency and lukewarmness of Spirit in the worship of God His deadness and carelesness
charg their hearts with it and lay bonds on themselves to do it Psal 18.1 Psal 116.1 Cant. 1.4 They use Gods means to help and enable them to do it They read hear and Contemplate they meditate on consider and apply to themselves the great love of God to them and his exceeding great Lovelinesse to stir up and inflame their love to him againe They pray importunately and frequently to him to shed abroad more of his love into their hearts and to reveal himself in his Love and Grace unto their Souls that they may thereby be quickened moved and enabled to love him more Cordially and ardently They are so set upon it and so greedy after it and they do so desire and covet it as that they are never satisfied with the degree and excercise of their love to God But are unregenerate men imployed so in this work no not in the least For they have not the love of God in their hearts Joh. 5.42 Their hearts are not circumcised to love God because they are not Regenerated neither do they love or desire to have it so for when God proffers them his Spirit to do it they refuse and reject him and will not have him to concern himself with them in that matter Pro. 1.23.24 Isa 63. Gen. 6. Well then try your selves by this what can you say to it Is this special work of Regenerate men your work or is it not Be you sure of it that if you be Regenerated or born again it is your work and business But if it be not you are yet in your old and unregenerate states 2. They are exercised and imployed about the good work of searching out their own iniquities and to find out the Plagues Errours and deceits of their own hearts and ways that they may repent of their sins and mend what they find amiss To reform what ought to be reformed and to remove whatever is hurtful to their Souls or displeasing to God that they may see more cause of Self-abasement and be excited and provoked to walk more circumspectly and humbly with their God Micah 6.8 Eph. 5.15 This is not the work that Regenerate men are exercised about no but on the contrary they labour to hide their sins Pro. 28.13 Joh. 3.20 and to live in continual ignorance of their hearts states and ways that so they may live in peace and quietness at home and not be troubled at the sight of them They love and delight in their iniquities and they work and practise what they love Psal 62.4 Isa 66.3 They let their own sins alone they neither desire nor endeavour to know them but they are especially some of them great enquirers after and searchers into others transgressions which clearly demonstrates that whatever they do profess to be yet they are hypocrites Psal 64.6 Mark 32. Luke 6.7 Luke 20.20 Greater and more certain sign of a Hypocrite cannot be found than this namely for a man that professes godliness to be willingly ignorant of his own state and sins and to be a Pryer and Searcher into other mens without a clear Call from God so to do This the Hypocrites deal with Christ and Paul that they might find occasion to Charge Censure and Judge them as the aforesaid Scriptures shew and in 2 Cor. 11.12 But it is otherwise with Regenerate men they hate and abhor that filthy odious wickedness of others and make it one part of their business to know themselves and the evils of their own hearts and ways Job 13.23 Psal 77.6 1 Sam. 21.1 They cry and pray they call and wait on God to shew them all their lusts and sins such is the desire and fervency of their hearts in this matter Job 34.32 This is their work and this they do conscientiously seriously fervently heartily and frequently and that as their duty work and business in all states tryals and conditions whatsoever For they are jealous and suspitious not of others but of their own deceitful hearts Thus they do and when they have made any new discovery of their sins they bless God for their success and then they fall to another work 3. To subdue and mortifie such unmortified Lusts as they find in their hearts to purifie themselves and rectifie such errours and mistakes as upon search do appear and come to light This they are injoyned to do as their duty and this they do exercise and imploy themselves in in obedience to the Will of God because it is his Holy Will Col. 3.5 Mortifie therefore your members 2 Cor. 7.1 Let us cleanse our selves of all filthiness of flesh and spirit And the Gospel assures us that this is the work and business of the Children of God In 1 Joh. 3 1-3 Behold saith the Apostle what manner of love is this that we should be called the Children of God This is a great and high priviledge indeed Well but what are they imployed about and exercised in Is it in making provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof as unregenerate men do Rom. 13. ult no but the clean contrary namely to purifie themselves 1 John 3.3 Every man that hath this hope in him purifies himself even as he is pure The like we have mentioned Gal. 5.24 And they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts That is they have not fully done and effected it but they are seriously diligently and sincerely imploying and exercising themselves in and about that work and great concern of theirs This is another of their peculiar and special works and this they do and prosecute with servent prayer to God Psal 51.7 O purge and wash me that I may be clean And O wretched man that I am says Paul who shall deliver me from the body of this death Rom. 7.24 And as they pray for it frequently and fervently so they do meditate on and apply the Blood and Death of Christ to themselves for the effecting of it and that as Gods Ordinance and appointment for that end Tit. 2.14 Who gave himself to redeem us from all iniquity and to purifie unto himself a peculiar people They apply themselves unto and use all Gods means for the accomplishment of it as Fasting the Lords Supper and hearing the Gospel preached which God hath appointed to mortifie their lusts and to purifie and clean their hearts Eph. 5.25 26. John 15.3 John 17.17 Every word of God is pure and the sincere preaching and hearing of it is a powerful means to kill our lusts and purifie our hearts when heard and received in Faith for that end as Gods Ordinance Acts 15.9 Heb. 4.2 This they know and therefore they use them or for that end and purpose as well as for light and comfort But what is the work and business of unregenerate men or what do they in this matter Truly nothing at all They do neither understand or like it but are perfect strangers and enemies to it there is no principle in them to do it withal
Pardon of all your Sins for time to come Exod. 34.6 7. Isa 55.7 Jer. 31.34 hence the Lord Jesus commands and directs them Namely you that are Gods Children to Pray Our Father forgive us our Trespasses Math. 6.12 And Paul tells us from Christ that there is now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.1 and if there be indeed no condemnation then no Sin unpardoned To the same purpose Christ speaks in Joh. 5.24 He that is passed from Death to Life as all Regenerate Persons are shall not come into Condemnation Therefore encourage your selves in true holiness hereby 2. You have the Promises of Cleansing and Healing you or of Gods sanctifying and purifying your hearts Hosea 14.4 For which end and purpose among other Christ gave himself Tit. 2.14 Eph. 5.25.26 And sets open the Fountain to flow in upon us Zach. 13.1 And Ezek. 36.25.26.27 I will sprinkle clean Water on them and they shall be clean and from all their filthiness and from all their Idols will I cleanse them 3. You have promises of perseverance in Godlyness unto the end of your race until you have finished your course here you shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 And my sheep follow me and I give to them eternal Life and they shall never Perish neither shall any take them out of my hand Joh. 10.27.28.29 Moreover God tells us that for our more certain and full assurance of our safety and security he will keep us water us every moment yea and keep us Night and Day Isa 27.2.3 And engages himself that whatever enemies beset us round about and seek to devour us that he will watch us and be our defence by being a wall of Fire round about us Zach. 2.5 God hath promised that he will put his fear into their hearts and they shall not depart from him Jer. 32.40 and that his Children shall call him my Father and shall not turn away from him Jer. 3.19 They have underneath them the Everlasting Armes and they are held in his hand They are safe within the walls of their Fathers house and are guarded with the holy Angells Their victory over all their enemies is sure because they are ever under the Conduct of their great Captain Christ and fight under his Banner in his cause and quarrel with his Armor of proof who hath all their enemies under his feet Their Lusts the world and Devil are all in subjection unto your great King and Captain And because the Victory is sure on our side as fighting under him he is stiled the Captain of our salvation And therefore you may be sure you shall not Perish For you have all possible security from him and his Father to strengthen and encourage to fence and arme you against all your own fears weakness and temptations whatsoever Even the Gates of Hell shall not be able to prevaile against you But if you are in a state of Grace you shall most certainly run your Race win the Prize and wear the Crown of Righteousness For you have their bonds for your security who are both able faithful to perform and make them good to you and to all who shall trust and rely on them for the doing of it 4. You have promises of Peace This is one of your husbands Legacies to you Joh. 14.27 Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you not as the world giveth give I unto you And in Joh. 16. ult In the world saith Christ ye shall have tribulation but in me ye shall have peace And Glory honour and peace to every man that worketh Righteousness Rom. 2.10 and as many as walk according to this Rule peace be to them Gal. 6.16 So in Phil. 4.7 And the peace of God shall keep your hearts and minds This Spiritual peace is a fruit of Gods Love and the mediation of Christ of our Justification and Sincerity of heart towards God and men For he is our peace Eph. 2.14 and being Justifyed by faith we have peace with God Rom. 5.1 Those that know and have experienced the great and sore Affliction and trouble of a wounded Conscience which none can bear Pro. 18.14 and the load and weight of guilt and fear on the Soul can give a better account of the worth and Excellency of this peace of God For indeed it is so great that it passeth all understanding Phill. 4.7 5. Satisfaction You have the promisses of being satisfied with good The meaning is not so to be satisfied with what we have as not to desire and seek for more of that and other mercies no but to be satisfied with and in the will and disposements of God and the measure of our present Enjoyments untill God shall augment them Joh. 4.14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst Isa 58.10 Jer. 31.14.25 It is a great mercy to have a satisfied and contented Spirit with Gods Allowance and at the same time to endeavour after more An unsatisfied Spirit is very sinful grievous vexatious to a mans own Soul He enjoys not what he hath that is not satisfied in the will of God â—â—ith his portion and measure God dispences â—is favours according to his sovereign wisdom Will and Grace he gives two Talents to one servant and to another five Math. 25. to declare and make known to men his soveraignty and dominion over them and that he doth in Heaven and Earth whatsoever pleaseth him That he will not dispose of his favors according to our wills but his one 6. You have promises of Assistance in your duties or of a supply of the Spirit of Grace and the Grace of the Spirit to enable you to performe them according to the will of God even to acceptation in Heaven Phill. 4.19 And my God shall supply all your wants Psal 84.11 The Lord God is a Sun and shield he will give Grace and Glory and no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly as all Regenerate men may do The holy Spirit is promised to help our Infirmities and enable us to do the will of God acceptably Rom. 8.26 27. Zach. 12.10 And fear not Jacob my Servant although thou art a worm a poor weak Creature yet seeing thou art a New Creature I will help thee yea I will strengthen thee yea I will uphold thee with the Right hand of my Righteousness Isa 41.10 13 14. He giveth power to the Saint and to them that have no might he encreaseth strength That they that wait on him may encrease their strength to run and not be weary Isa 40.29 31. so that whatever God calls you to and sets you upon be sure that he will fully enable you to do it how weak soever you are in and of your selves For God is strong and faithful who hath promised it 7. Joy and Consolation God hath priviledged you with promises of rejoycing your hearts and of causing