neuer throughly vnderstand it O what a benefit had Salomon lost if he had lost his wisdom which God gaue him euen as great a benefit doest thou loose if thou loose the knowledge of Gods will Wilt thou know what this renuing is It is the repairing of the Image of God vntill wee be like Adam when hee dwelt in Paradice As there is a whole old man so there must bee a whole new man The old man must change properties with the new man that is wisdome for wisdome loue for loue feare for feare his worldly wisdome for heauenly wisdome his carnall loue for spirituall loue hsi seruile feare for Christian feare his idle thoughts for holy thoughts his vaine words for wholsome words his fleshly workes for sanctified workes Thus much of our regeneration and new birth which may bee called the Christian mans practise because it concerneth euery Christian to seeke for that foode which belongeth to the renued man according to the saying of Saint Peter 1.2.2 As new borne babes desire the sincere Milke of the word that yee may grow thereby The nourishment and food for there generate man 9. NOw followeth to bee obserued for the benefit and duty of the renued man that hee may proceed and grow on and dayly increase more and more in faith and feare of Iesus Christ whereby wee receiue all our growth and increase in God And therefore hee hath giuen vs speciall meanes that is the meditation and liuely preaching of the word of truth Therefore the Apostle by a figuratiue and borrowed speach earnestly presseth them to thrist and to long for the word of God euen for the foood of their soules for there are two births mentioned in the Scriptures the one fleshly and naturally by propagation from the first Adam whereby original and our birth sinne as it were a Serpents poyson passeth and transfuseth it selfe into vs the other is heauenly and spirituall by renouation from the second Adam which is Christ whereby grace and holinesse is deriued and brought vnto vs. In this latter and better birth God is our father to beget vs the Church his spouse our Mother to conceiue vs the seed whereby wee are bred and borne againe is the word of God the Nurse to feed and cherish vs are the Ministers of the Gospell and the food whereby wee are nourished and held in life is the Milke of the word Therefore in as much as children which are new borne cannot increase in growth and stature but must needs dye and come to dissolution vnlesse they bee continually fed and nourished with wholsome food It behooueth therfore all the faithfull and godly who are quickned and reuiued in the life of God as new borne babes to desire the sincere Milke of the word that they may grow by it Let vs now therefore come to the perticuler parts which issue and spring from the seuerall branches of this scripture First here is noted a preparation if wee will be bettered and increase by the word we must be as new borne babes Secondly our affection and duty when we are new borne we must desire Thirdly the matter and obiect of our desire is the Milke of the word Fourthly the quality of the milke that must be sincere lastly the vse and end for which we desire it that wee may grow thereby Now for the first poynt we must be as new borne babes for Children we know are principally commended for simplicity and harmlesnes And therefore all those which will profit in the schoole of Christ and receiue light and comfort by the preaching and meditation of the word are heere taught to become as babes to lay aside all maliciousnes and to bring holy and sanctified heartes to the hearing of it For we are neuer fit to heare and learne of Christ til we be reformed and newly renewed and changed againe for the secrets of the Lord as Dauid sayth is with them that feare him Psal 25.14 God wil not admit no sinfull soules into his secrets for wisedome wil not rest in the defiled soule nor in a body that is subiect to sin Therefore if we wil haue the Lord to blesse our hearing and reading we must wash and rence out the dregges of sinne that are frozen in vs that is wee must purge the leuen of maliciousnes that soureth our soules we must cast vp our couetousnesse and pride and our flothfulnes and for this is the cause why there are so many sinfull and non proficient hearers of the word because there are so many sinful hearers Wherfore to shut vp this poynt we must be as babes because Christ reueileth knowledge and wisedome to none but to babes And yet we must not be babes only but new borne babes which haue new soules a new life new members new affections imparted vnto them for we must be changed and new fashioned in euery part And therefore they which are implanted into Christ are called new Creatures because neither the old heart nor the old man nor the old eare nor the old eye wil serue the turne but all must be changed and new framed againe for whatsoeuer is borne of the flesh is flesh If we wil haue it spirit that is fit for Gods worship who is a spirit and wil be worshipped in spirit and truth we must be borne againe of the spirit the sence heereof made the prophet Dauid crye out create in me a cleane heart O God and renew a right spirit in me So let vs neuer rest seasoning our soules til all bee sanctified for then we are fit to vnderstand euery part of Gods will when wee bee in euery part new borne againe Wee may see the Apostle maketh no other accompt of the vnregenerat then of a dead man and therefore that they must be quickned and new borne againe before they can practise or performe any vitall action in the life of God Christ is resembled to a vine and wee to the branckes for that al iuyce and sap whereby the branches spring and liue issueth ariseth from the roote of the vine So all graces and goodnes that is in vs droppeth and distilleth from the riches of the person of Iesus Christ so vntil God blesse our hearts they be wicked and fruitlesse Therfore as an vncleane fountaine cannot send forth sweet water nor a bad tree bring forth good fruit no more can the corrupt and wicked heart of the vnregenerate bud and bring forth any good and vertuous actions Thus much of our condition and preparation whereby wee haue learned with how holy and with how sanctified affections we ought to repayre the hearing of the word of God Now it followeth our duty and affections when we are new borne we must not be children in wauering and inconstancie because the Apostle sayth that God hath furnished his church with pastors and teachers that we be noe more children wauering and carried about with euery wind of doctrine nor we must not bee children in vnderstanding and knowledge because
man be able to giue a reason of his faith is this a reason of our faith to say I beleeue so because Rome beleeueth so or not rather because the word of God doth teach me so it will not answere for them that die in heresie to say the Papists taught vs so for God saith bee not deeeiued neither by Serpent nor by Prophet nor by Angels God doth giue vnto his children the spirit of discretion and of iudgment to be wise and know what is that good and acceptable will of God be not therfore deceiued with words of mens wisdome let not the basenesse or simplicitie of any cause you resuse the message which he brings and carry not your selues to liking of al that what so euer shal be told you of such as beare a great shew and countenance this was it that deceiued the people of God they gaue eare to false teachers which led them to worship the workes of their owne hands The Scribes and Pharises seemed so graue and wise that the people thought nothing good but what they allowed they were altogether aplyable to beleeue to doe to speake and to thinke whatsoeuer the Pharises willed them Christ saith bewane of false Prophets which come to you in sheepes clothing but inwardly they are rauening wolues Mathew 7. Saint Iohn therefore saith Deerely beloued beleeue not euery spirit but trie the spirits whether they are of God for many false Prophets are gone out into the world Iohn 11.4 and further declareth vnto vs how wee should trie them herein shall yee know the spirit of God euery spirit that confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is of GOD. Againe heereby you may trie them whosoeuer transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God hee that continueth in the doctrine of Christ he hath both the father and the sonne if there come any vnto you bringing not this doctrine receiue him not into your houses neither bid him God speed hereby Saint Paul requireth the Galathians to trie betweene him and their false Apostles if any man saith hee preach vnto you otherwise then that you haue receiued let him be accursed Gala. 1. Paul putteth Tymothie in minde wherefore he left him at Ephesus that is to command some that they teach no other doctrine and to warne both the teachers and the hearers that they giue no heed to fables and genealogies which are endlesse which breed questions rather then godly edifying which is by faith Thus are the people of God called to trie the truth to iudge betweene light and darkenesse God hath made them the promise of the spirit and hath left vnto them his word they of Borea when they heard the preaching of Saint Paul searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so as hee taught them and many of them beloeued so doe you giue heed to instructions and yet receiue not all things without proofe and triall that they bee not contrary to the wholsome doctrine of the word of God Keepe that which is good VVHen you haue tried and found the truth be constant and setled in it A wauering minded-man is vnstable in all his waies follow the truth and bee not carried about with euery wind of doctrine The diuell will come in the name of God and change himselfe into an Angel of light let him not take away the loue of the truth from you let him not remoue you from faith a good conscience Returne not like Swine vnto your mire God hath purged your hearts and made them cleane and except they be preserued and kept occupied the vncleane spirit will returne and enter in and dwell in you so the last estate of you shal be worse then the first Wee haue great cause to hearken diligentlie to the Apostle to keepe that is good for wee see dailie great confusion in all places Sathan would faine intangle vs againe with the error of the wicked and seeketh to draw vs from our stead-fastnesse Now is the time wherein God maketh some trial of his seruants now iniquity seekes to haue the vpper hand they seduce people and say heere is Christ there is Christ heere is the Church there is the Church GOD giue vs his holy spirit to guide vs in iudgement that wee may discerne the truth from falshood and know the blessed and gracious will of GOD that wee may walke in his waies and serue him in reuerence and feare al the daies of our liues for as their are many seeke Christ with an vnfained heart so their are many that seeke Antichrist and as their bee many true professors of the truth of God so are their many dispisers of the same this may wee see heere at home within this Realme wee may see it and mourne for it in our hearts Their practises are opened they haue broken out into open rebellion to the breach of the peace both of God and man they say with their lippes GOD saue King IAMES yet they hold vp their swords against him alas what hath hee deserued at their hands hath hee not dealt mercifully without crueltie without shedding of bloud GOD preserue him that hee may long reigne ouer vs and bring all his enemies to confusion What pretence make they for this their doing that heereby they seeke to haue religion reformed thankes bee to God religion is reformed far better then euer our fathers knew of these many hundred yeeres for if those that liued before vs might haue seene and heard as wee see and heare they would haue reioyced and thought themselues happy But they would haue the Masse what finde they or see they in it wherefore they should so desire it Trie all things saith Paul therefore examine and trie the Masse what wee doe learne by it what doctrine what godlinesse in life what comfort of saluation it is dumbe and deadly seruice it is the very key of their religion the people are bound to bee present at it yet they neither receiue any thing nor eate nor heare nor vnderstand any thing you are wise you haue reason you are the children of God be you Iudges herein and iudge vprightly for it is Gods cause wil they call this the Lords supper Is this the Sacrament of our redemption is this that which Paul receiued of the Lord and deliuered vnto the Church is this the shewing forth of the Lords death till hee come They paint their banner with the Crosse and fiue wounds why bring they these Armes against vs Doe not wee beleeue the Crosse of Christ doe not we reioyce and comfort our heartes by the remembrance of his woundes do not we read and shew forth to the people the story of the passion God knoweth it and the world can witnesse it and they themselues cannot denye it but that we make this worke of our redemption wrought by the passion of our sauiour Christ the cheefe and principall rock and foundation of our faith therefore say we with the Apostle God forbid
of a true Christiā which the Apostle S. Paul giueth vnto the Thessalonians the first the 5.16.17.18 saying Reioyce euermore pray continually In all things giue thankes from these are to bee gathered many profitable instructions For the first to reioyce euermore It is not an indifferent thing to reioyce and not to reioyce but we are commanded to reioyce to shew that wee breake a commandement if we reioyce not but here God commandeth to reioyce as though some men did not reioyce enough therefore you must vnderstand to whom he speaketh thus in the Psal 149.5 It is said let the Saints bee ioyfull with glory not let the wicked reioyce and in Esay the 40.1 Comfort my people not comfort my enemies shewing to whom this Commandement of Paul is sent Reioyce euermore it is not in this as Christ saith That which I say vnto you I say vnto all but that which I say vnto you I say vnto all Salomon saith fiue times that this is the portion of man vnder the sunne to receiue in the gifts of GOD with thankfulnesse and to reioyce in them Hee which would haue vs holy as Hee is holy would haue vs ioyfull as Hee is ioyfull Hee which would haue vs doe his will vpon earth as the Angels doe in heauen would haue vs reioyce vpon earth as the Angels reioyce in heauen Hee which hath ordained vs the Kingdome of Saints would haue vs reioyce that wee haue such a Kingdome to receiue Therefore he saith to his disciples reioyce that your names are written in the booke of life the spirit of God is called the comforter because wee should haue ioy in it I will send you the Comforter saith Christ to shew that they which haue the spirit haue comfort too and they which resist comfort resist the spirit therefore the sonne of God is called the consolation of Israell and that ioy is where Christ is as the light is where the sunne is therefore the cheifest ioy is called the ioy of the holy ghost to shew that they haue the chiefest ioy that haue the holy ghost and the greatest peace is called the peace of a good conscience to shew that they haue the greatest peace which haue a good conscience therefore the faithfull are to bee annointed with the oile of ioy Esay 61.3 As though ioy were their countenance therefore they are said to be clothed with the garment of gladnesse as though gladnesse did compasse them like a garment Saint Paul in all his Epistles doth ioyne grace and peace together to shew that the peace of God doth follow them which haue the grace of God It is said in Deut. 30.9 That God reioyceth to doe vs good and in the 28. Deut. the Iewes are reprooued because they reioyced not in the seruice of God As the Lord loueth a cheerfull giuer so he loueth a cheerefull seruer and a cheerefull preacher and a cheerefull hearer and a cheerefull worshipper as Dauid saith Let vs sing heartily vnto the Lord shewing as it were a tune which delighteth Gods eares that is you must giue heartily you must loue heartily you must obey heartily and when you doe all these things heartily then you shall doe all things cheerefuly Therefore now I may say vnto those which resist comfort and nourish griefe as the Prophet saith who hath required these things of you God doth require no sorow but the sorow for sinne no feare but the feare to sinne no care but the care to please God nay he hath forbidden all care else and therefore Saint Paul saith Cast your care vpon him although God did not alow vs to care he sent his Apostles with this charge to cast their care vpon him as we doe cast our sinnes vpon Christ for God hath commanded vs to labour and not to care but care hindreth our labours As we are taught to discerne of spirits and doctrines so we must discerne of care and sorrowes when we sorrow for any thing but sin our sorrow is murmuring for the sorrow of the heart saith Salomon is the consuming of the bones that is it will pull downe the strongest man that is therefore let no man drinke of sorrow before hee tast it for the charge is not to get thy lyuing with care of the minde but with the sweat of thy browes Now as Saint Iames saith Resist the diuell and he will flie from you so resist sorrow and it will flie from you This is all the care and all the feare and all the repentance which euer could be found in the Scriptures therefore let vs pray to God euery day to turne all our ioy into the ioy of the holy Ghost and al our peace into the peace of conscience and all our sorrow into the sorrow for sinne and all our feare into the feare to sinne and so wee may reioyce and sorrow together feare and hope together that is haue one eye to the law to keep vs from presumption and another eye to the Gospell to keepe vs from dispaire and then this comfort is sent to vs Reioyce euermore or else wee haue nothing to doe with it It followeth the next duty to pray continually AFter reioyce continually hee biddeth vs pray continually shewing that it must be such reioycing continually that we may pray continually too or else he doth not alow vs to reioyce how can these two ioyne together pray and reioyce some if they should pray cannot reioyce for their hearts nay their heartes are sick vntill their prayer be done this is the difference betweene the reioycing of the wicked and the godly The comfort of the wicked is like a compounded medicine made of many mixtures for there must be piping and dancing and piping feasting and dallying at the game or else they cannot be merry but the comfort of the godly is like a light in the ayre which shineth when no matter is seene so the godly reioyce when no cause is seene if they doe but thinke vpon God they reioyce straight-way if there be but a prayer and a thankfulnesse and a meditation these are instruments enough for them and they can be as merry as Birds in May the reason of it is this As Christ sayd I haue another meat which you know not of so the godly haue another ioy which the world knoweth not of of this ioy a man may reioyce continually And therefore Salomon sayth a good conscience is a continuall feast Pro. 15.15 that is a continuallioy Thus Saint Paul ioyneth reioyce continually with prayer continually as if he should say by this you shal know whether you reioyce well if you can pray to that is if thy reioycing mooue thee to pray as the ioy of the Angels maketh them praise God and sing holy holy holy alwaies vnto him All this doth conclude that as we should doe Gods will on earth as it it is done in heauen so wee should reioyce in earth as they reioyce in heauen and then this ioy is a signe of another ioye