was a receaued opinion among the Iewes before the time of the gospel it appeareth plainly both by that coÌ„futation of it which the apostle maketh RoÌ„ 2. by the open profession of that natioÌ„ in all ages since the time of the Gospel Likewise that it is maintained of infinit multitudes of christians at this day it is so manifest that it needeth no proofe The coÌ„mon beliefe confession of â—earned and ignorant meÌ„ is this that they hope to be saued by their good meaning and good workes but they neuer think or speake of any such regeneration as the scripture teacheth many of those who do according to the worde of God ascribe mans sanctification regeneration to the grace of god meane the naturall operation of mans will enclining it selfe to good the which in some sense they do truly think call the grace gift of god Of this opinion was Nicodemus a great Rabbi in Israel who was amased wheÌ„ he heard Christ teach this doctrine of regeneration as hauing neuer heard of any such matter before And therfore when Christ taught that vnlesse a man were born again he could not possibly enter into the kingdom of heauen he maketh this carnall reply must meÌ„ return into their mothers wombes and so be borne againe This ignorance of regeneration is the most common hinderance why men doo not seeke after it for how can they desire much lesse seeke that which they do not know neither is it any great maruaile that so many are ignorant of it considering first that the selfe-loue which is in man by nature maketh him to thinke farre better of himselfe of his owne nature strength and faculties then he should do And secondly that the naturall reason of man wil hardly admitte any supernaturall or miraculous worke resting it selfe in it selfe that is in the inherent vertue and ordinary course of naturall causes But we are to thinke far otherwise of these things and renouncing these greeuous and damnable errours to learne and hold out of the word of God that it is no lesse impossible to make the corrupt nature and natural faculties of man cleane and pure his sinfull life and actions good and holy or his person being guilty of sinne and eternall death iust and righteous by any meanes which either man or any creature can vse then it is to make an Ethiopian white by washing him with water Yea further that no seruice of God though neuer so solemne and deuout no good workes though neuer so many and excellent no good meaning though neuer so simple and innocent no vprightnesse and integritie of life and conuersation though neuer so great no worldly prerogatiue whatsoeuer can make a man acceptable to God much lesse partaker of eternall glorie both which belong onely to those whose natures mindes willes and affections it pleaseth him according to his eternal will and counsel to change and renewe by the mightie power and miraculous operation of his spirit To conclude we are to looke for saluation by no other meanes but onely by regeneration and to seeke for regeneration not in our selues for that were to seeke heauen in earth or rather in hell or by any vertue power or qualitie in our selues but only at the hands of God to whom onely the glory both of the first and of the second creation is to be giuen and to beware least that wee be deceiued with this common errour esteeming sinne and holines to be nothing but as morall vertues and vices spirituall regeneration nothing but good education or philosophicall institution godlinesse nothing but honest behauiour christianitie nothing but ciuilitie the which differ as much as do the shadow and the substance of any thing Otherwise we shall seek God where he is not to be found and so without all question loose our labour Sect. 3. THe second hinderance whereby men may be and are kept backe from seeking for regeneration is another false opinion and conceite of it whereby men despaire of attayning vnto it considering either themselues to bee so wholly dead rotten in sinne that they cannot imagine how they should euer bee restored to the spirituall life of holinesse or else this doctrine of the supernaturalnesse of regeneration as being a diuine and a miraculous worke This hinderance is contrary to the former in the one man thinketh better but in the other he thinketh worse of his nâ—turall estate then it is indeed in the one he presumeth of his owne strength in the other he despaireth of the goodnesse and power of God in the one hee thinketh regeneration more easie in the other hee thinketh it a more difficult matter then it is This hinderance is not so common as the other for there are very few that doe either know or acknowledge the doctrine of supernaturall regeneration Yet it will easily follow of that doctrine for men will soone bee put backe from seeking and despaire of attayning to that which they hear to be miraculous contrary to nature For so we read Ioh. 6 66. that whereas Christ taught That no man could come vnto him be iâ— truth his Disciple vnlesse it were giuen vnto him of the father And as he saith v. 44. except the Father draw him that many of his disciples went back walked no more with him But the truth of this whole doctrine we haue plainly set downe Math. 19.23.24.25.26 Where Christ hauing sayd that it is hard â—ea impossible for a rich man and so for all sortes of men although the rich who abound in worldly pleasures are further off to enter into the kingdome of heauen driueth his Disciples to this desperate conclusion who then can be saued or to what purpose then should any man goe about to be saued wherunto Christ maketh this answer Indeed with man it is impossible but not with God That is although it be impossible for any man to regenerate either himselfe or any other yet to God it is not only possible but also easie therefore no man ought to be discoraged from seeeking or despaire of attaining it but account it an easie thing as the Apostle doth Rom. 10. where he preferreth the Gospel before the Law in this respect for that it teacheth a most readie and easie way of attaining to saluation namely the beleefe of the heart and the confession of the mouth whereas the Lawe requireth perfect obedience which no man liuing is able to performe The which dissimilitude is not in the conditions themselues for they are both alike hard both being altogether impossible it being as easie a thing for a carnall man to fulfill the morall lawe as it is for him to worke in himselfe true faith and confession the which two are all one in effect but in this that God accompanieth and asisteth the ministery of the Gospell with the miraculous operation of his spirit whereof the ministerie of the Lawe being destitute is but a dead letter vnable to saue the hearer So then regeneration
for the present but ioyfull in the ende to ransacke the secret corners of thy sinfull soule and to search euen to the bottome the festered sores thereof yea to lay open before God and thy owne conscience the story chronicle day booke of thy life past by calling to minde the course of life which thou hast followed and to examine it without flattery or partialitie by the straight line of the law and word of God In the which examination there must great care be had that we bee not blinded by any meanes and so made corrupt iudges as namely by an opinion and conceit of our own good parts of nature our vertues gotten by good education and industrie our good works which we haue done to God and to our bretheren how many waies and with how great charges we haue maintained learning set forward religion serued God and releeued the poore These conceits if they runne in our heades they will blinde our eyes and so ouershadow all our sinnes that wee shal iudge and pronounce our selues not sinfull but holy iust and innocent And then especially this commeth to passe when as we compare our selues with those who are more sinfull and in some respect notoriously wicked then the opinion of our owne holinesse which before was doubtfull is put out of all controuersie and wee not onely exempted from the ranke and state of sinfull men but euen canonized Saints in our owne conceits This delusion of the diuell and vanitie of our mindes we haue notably painted out vnto vs in the example of the Pharisee Luke 18.11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus O God I thanke thee that I am not as other men are extortioners vniust adulterers or as this Publican There is the second delusion nowe followeth the first of good works I faste twise in the weeke I giue tithe of all that I possesse But this mischieuous errour by the which many mens repentance is nipt in the head broken off in the beginning must be remoued by knowing and considering that other mens sins will condemne themselues but cannot iustifie vs that in sinfulnes we are as far further beyond others then we are short of them and that our good deeds though neuer so many glorious comming from the corrupt fountain of an irrepentant and vnbeleeuing heart are accounted sinnes before God as the scripture teacheth vs Rom. 14.23 yea as defiled and filthie clouts loathsome and abhominable in his sight And further that they comming as our owne consciences knowfull well and as others haue sufficient ground to suspect not from any manner of loue either to God or man but from selfe-loue pride and vaine glorie we intending desiring nothing but onely to purchase vnto our selues credit cōmendation in the world deserue not to be commended but to be abhorred euen of men This fight of sin consisteth in knowing two things First our selues to be so sinfull as we are indeed secōdly that in regard of our sin we are vnrighteous in the sight of God Mans sinfulnes is this that wheras he ought by the lawe of God to be holy and pure in nature soule and bodie hee is in all these respects wholly corrupted defiled with sin His natural sinfulnes consisteth in this that he is of himself by nature without any outward tentation allurement or perswasion inclined to euill altogether vnable to do good The inward sinfulnesse of the soule is in that all the secret motions of it which should be onely toward God and the doing of that which is agreeable to his law are altogether from Godward and toward sin and disobedience These howsoeuer some thinke teach them to be no sins yet God doth account otherwise of them so must this our repentant do For why as god is a spirit so he wil be worshipped and serued not onely outwardly in bodily actions but also inwardly in the spirit and soule and abhorreth the secret filthinesse of the soule as much as the outward and apparant filthinesse of the bodie the one being as apparant manifest to him as the other Thus we must esteem the corrupt thoughts lusts and concupiscences of the soule as sins that so we may see acknowledge the multitude of our sins to be greater thē the haires of our heades And lastly for our outward actions that we be not deceiued with any opinion of our good works the perfitnesse number excellencie and merite of them but rather thinke know that as sauory water cannot come from a stinking puddle or sweete fruit from a sower roote no more can any one good worke come from an vnregenerate man from a corrupt and sinfull soule who although he giue his bodie to the fire for the profession and maintenance of the truth and all his goods to the poore in a tender compassion of their miserie yet hee being destitute of faith loue the rest of the parts of regeneration dooth not by these workes please God or fulfill his lawe For that where they are fewe and seldome performed they should bee continuall where they should be done onely for Gods glory they are done onely in vaine glory and in desire of the applause of men or which is worse in a presumpteous opinion of meriting saluation at the hands of God if not in hypocrisie or in some euill and wicked intent How much lesse then can we think that our vnlawfull actions forbidden and condemned by the law and word of God are any way veniall or iustifiable The other part of the sight of sinne is to know that by it we are made vniust and vnrighteous not onely by a sinfull and wicked life but euen by one sinfull action not onely by great and grieuous crimes but euen by the least offences which wee commit not onely by outward sinful actions but euen by the most secret motions of our corrupt minde and will not onely by these actuall sinnes but euen by our naturall inclination and pronenesse to sinne which the yongest infant hath and bringeth out of his mothers wombe For hee that breaketh any one of the commandements by any meanes breaketh the whole law and is as guiltie of sin as he who breaketh all the commandements So that to cōclude this point this our Nicodemus desiring to repent and so to be sanctified and saued must in the first place learne vvhat sinne is how many kinds differences and degrees are of it yea all the doctrine belonging to this head and secondly so applie it to himselfe and his owne estate as that hee make it as a glasse wherein to see and know himselfe to be sinfull Sect. 3. Thus wee hauing brought this repentant to the sight of his sin which is the first part of the knowledge of his estate we are in the next place to bring him to the sense of sinne which is the second part of it By the sense of sinne wee meane the knowledge of that punishment which is due vnto him for his sin For
which in respect of the strength of man is altogether impossible is easie in respect of GOD who is no lesse able to restore the soules of men to their first puritie then hee was in the beginning to create both bodie and soule But all the doubt is in the wil of God whether that as he is able so he be willing to worke regeneration in euery one that seeketh it If hee bee willing then surely either euery one may attaine to regeneration which is vndoubtedly false or else very fewe doo seeke after it the which may be greatly wondered at that most men should be so carelesse of their owne saluation as not to thinke it worthy the seeking If hee be not willing to grant it to all that seek it then regeneration remaineth as impossible a thing for man to attaine as if it were impossible to God to worke it in man and men haue cause to abstaine from that which neither themselues are able nor God willing to bring to passe Wee answere first that it is not so easie and ordinarie a matter as it may bee supposed for a carnall man to seeke for regeneration and grace the which is contrarie to his nature Secondly if as it commeth sometimes to passe he do in some sort desire it and set himselfe to seeke it yet he doth not perseuer in this minde and desire as he ought but faintly in well doing and so returning to his olde bias ceaseth from seeking and looseth his labour But let vs suppose that which although it bee very rare and scarse to bee founde in a whole age yet it is not impossible to witte that a carnall man doth set him selfe with a resolute purpose of heart to seeke for regeneration and that in the carefull and painefull vsing of all the meanes of attayning it he spend and end his dayes whither is he sure to obtaine his desire or may happily loose all his labour we answer that although God haue appointed that the carefull seeking of regeneration should bee the ordinary meanes of obtayning it yet he hath not so tyed him selfe to the meanes that it should alwayes of necessity bring forth the effect but hath left it free to him selfe whither to giue good successe and a happy issue or no. Whereby it may come to passe that a man may desire and seeke for regeneration and yet die a carnall man out of the state of grace and life Yet wee are both in our selues and also in others to hope the best And in that hope both to beginne without despaire and to continue without faynting in the carefull seeking of grace leauing the euent to the will and good pleasure of the almightie God Yea further we are to take heede that no wrong opinion arise hereof in our mindes as it commeth vsually to passe in men carnally minded who in this case will not sticke to say that God dealeth both vnfaithfully in withholding grace hauing made this solemne promise in his word VVhosoeuer seeketh shall finde and whosoeuer knocketh shal haue the dore of grace sette open vnto him and also vniustly both in punishing him for the want of it whom hee knoweth to haue done what so euer is in the power of man for the aâ—tayning of it and also in not recompencing his painefull endeuours by graunting his requests and giuing grace We aunswer that God in withholding his regenerating spirite the worker of grace from men doth them no manner of wrong for his graces being his owne it is lawfull for him to doe with them what he list He was not bound in the beginning to create man in naturall life and holinesse how much lesse then is he now bound to restore those blessings vnto him hauing so vnthaÌ„kfully wilfully rebelliously depriued him selfe of them As for Gods promise the which we confesse is to be perfourmed to those who are vnworthy of fauor for otherwise mans vnthankfulnes should make God vnfaithfull howsoeuer they are propouÌ„ded in general terms yet they beâ—oÌ„g to the elect only to whoÌ„ God doth perform theÌ„ to the full As for the reward due vnto the painefull seeking of grace man when he hath taken the greatest pains in this behalfe hath done but dutie nay he hath not in any measure done his dutie for one regenerate much lesse a carnall man cannot seeke for grace so as he ought and therfore when he hath done all that he can he is but an vnprofitable seruant But besides all this so endles is the mercie goodnesse and equitie of God yea so great is his desire to make him selfe manifest to all men in these respects that it pittieth him to see any thing made frustrate of the expectation in any good endeuours that rather then he will not do good hee will do it to those who are euill and that rather then he will seeme vniust in not rewarding that which men doo falsly thinke to be good and to deserue good he will in some sort not in truth for it is lawfull for him to bestow his blessings on whoÌ„ he will euen on the wicked be vniust in rewarding men for that which hee knoweth to be sinfull Thus this carnall man in seeking grace doth not either loose his labour or lacke his reward for by this meanes he doth not onely purchase vnto himselfe temporall blessings at the hand of God but also escapeth those fearefull plagues which are powred on wilfull and obstinate sinners in this life as wee reade 1. King 21.28.29 that Achab. did by his hypocriticall humilation yea that grieuous damnation which abideth them in the life to come As for the guilt of eternall death it is madnes to imagin that it should by this meanes be auoided seeing it is procured by these and the best actions of a carnall man the which comming from a corrupt fountain cannot but be sinfull and impure Sect. 4. ANother hinderance of seeking regenetion is another erroneous opinion coÌ„ceaued of it to wit presumption of the power goodnes of God It is to be seene in all those who thinke that God will in his good time worke grace in theÌ„ although they themselues take neither care nor pains about any such matter yea although they go a cleane contrary way liuing in all maner of sinne and altogither carelesse of the meanes of their regeneration and saluation To this we answer first coÌ„fessing that god as he alwaies can so somtimes doth worke â—â—â—eâ—eration without any meanes euen in â—lâ—â—se whâ—neuer thinke nor dreame of any such matter and haue not so much as either the knowledge or yet a desire either of grace or of saluation being as we read Râ— 10.20 found of those who did not seeke him and made manifest vnto those who did not so much as once aske for him as we may see plainly in the said Apostle who found God grace when as he did not only not seeke or follow them but also flie as farre off from them as hee coulde Thus regeneration is compared
wholsome hearbes and soueraigne medicines may be had And therefore a Christian although he ought not to bee a stranger in anie part of the booke of God yet he ought to be most conuersant in this and such other as that hee scarce euer lay them out of his hands Yea in these bookes some sayings and sentences are more excellent then others and therfore more specially to be regarded and remembred Sec. VI. THus our Christian is to reade the scripture but what auaileth it to reade that that is not vnderstood or how can we suppose that euery Christian can vnderstand the scripture which is so hard that euen they who giue themselues wholly vnto the studie of it cannot with any paines or means which can be vsed sound the depth of it We answere that as it is not possible so it is not needfull for any man to attain the true sense of the scripture in euerie place and againe that it is both possible and easie for any Christian to vnderstand so much of it as will serue for his spirituall edification in all respects Yea it hath pleased God in great mercy and wisedome so to prouide for the saluation of his elect as to make those things which are most effectuall to edification most easie to be vnderstood and so to meete with the carnall curiositie of men as to make vnnecessary questions and quiddities most intricate and euen as labyrinthes into the which it is easie to enter but impossible to get foorth And therefore no man ought to be kept backe from reading the scripture by considering the difficultie of theÌ„ but rather to be persuaded that by prayer to God who can open the eies of the blind to behold the wonderful things of his law by acquainting himselfe with the phrase maner of speech which the holy Ghost vseth by conferring one place with another and lastly by vsing the helpe of those who haue laboured painfully and faithfully in searching out the true meaning of the scripture hee shall vnderstand so much of it as shall be aboundantly sufficient for his edification and saluation Thus the scripture being painefully read and truely vnderstood will yeelde vnto vs plentifull foode for the confirmation of our knowledge faith loue patience temperance and of all spirituall graces Wee shall enter into these fertile fieldes and pleasant gardens in ignorance doubting distrust impatience and sorrow but shall come out of them full of faith and of the holy Ghost and replenished with all spirituall ioy With this reading of the scripture we must ioyne the reading of the writings of those who haue gathered the doctrines exhortations coÌ„tained therin to their proper heads in forme of catechismes sermons commentaries treatises disputations common places and praier and so haue prepared spirituall foode for others who haue not the like oportunitie of doing it The benefite and profite which the Chuch reapeth by this meanes is verie great For by this meanes many poyntes of singular vse are gotten and as it were digged out of the scripture which otherwise would lie in theÌ„ as in the bowels of the earth hiddeÌ„ and vnknowne especially they who are not endued with so great a measure of knowledge and iudgement as that they are able of themselues to vnderstand the scripture therout to gather whatsoeuer is needfull for them And therfore they are to be red both thankfully in respect of god the giuer and authour of them and also carefully in regard of our own profit edification yet not with that reuerence estimation and confidence which is to be vsed in reading the scripture For that which man saith may bee false but whatsoeuer God speaketh is vndoubtedly true For the which cause we are not to relie and depend wholy vpon the writings authoritie of any man of what learning account soeuer he be as it is the custom of many who not content to acknowledge admire the excellency of gods gifts in men do so addict themselues to al their sayings opinions and fashions that they take for vndoubted truth without any further inquiring of it or examining it by the word of god whatsoeuer proceedeth froÌ„ them wherof many incoÌ„ueniences folow For first as no man is without his errors wants infirmities so by this meâ—ns it coÌ„meth often to passe that in stead of sound and wholsom food they receiue into their soules corrupt errours infecting theÌ„ Yea as for those sound doctrines which they haue froÌ„ them they do not examin them by the rule of gods word but take them hande ouer head vpon their words and so haue no firme setled perswasion and resolution of them in their minds Thirdly by this partiall conceit which men haue of some one teacher or writer they are brought to coÌ„temne al other men with their gifts and and labors and so depriue themselues of that great fruit edification which they might reap by theÌ„ Sect. 7. BEside the scripture which is as Paradise the Garden of God whereâ—n growe all maner of trees bearing fruit for the sustentation of the soule of man wee haue other pastures wherin we are to feed to wit the creatures and the actions of god The creatures serue for the vse susteÌ„tatioÌ„ as of the body so also of the soule the which may clearly see in them the goodnesse power and wisedome of God and so bee stirred vppe to loue and prayse GOD. Hee shall see the wonderfull power of god by the which the heauens and the earth were created the one in continuall motion the other vnmoueble he shall see the wisedome of God in framing euery creature so curiously in regard of the workemanship in contriuing euerie part so fitly in regard of the naturall vse of it as no witte or imagination of man can come neare or almost imitate With these Meditations the holie men of God haue continuallye fedde their soules Psalm 8.4 VVhen I beholde the heauens the worke of thy hands the Sunne and the Moone which thou hast created VVhat is man that thou shouldest vouchsafe him this honour to be the Lord of these to haue the fish in the Sea the beastes of the fielde at his commaundement Hitherto the Scripture dooth often sende vs to learne the doctrine of Gods prouidence who if hee decke the Lillies of the field if hee feede the Rauens Luke 12.24 yea the yong Rauens not able to shift for themselues howe much more will hee giue to his seruaunts all needfull and good things yea diligence and care in prouiding for our selues Pro. 6.6 Sluggard go to the Emmet yea whatsoeuer beside is needfull to be knowne and practised by vs. For so wee are to account the whole worlde and all the creatures therein contayned to bee euen as a storehouse of soode wherein as carnall men do fill and fatte their bellyes with that infinite varietie of creatures which GOD hath made so the spirituall man may haue euen for the taking vp all manner of spirituall instruction consolation and