her and how he shall deal with her or else she will not have him but now Christ by his spirit hath prevailed with the soul and 't is heartily willing to take him for better for worse to resign up all to Christ to part with all for Christ to take all from Christ to be disposed in all by Christ in a word it promiseth with the whole heart to be a loving faithful and obedient wife and now the match is made nay the Saviour and the soul are actually married together And O what an happy joyful day is this If Aaron when he met Moses was glad at his heart how glad is this poor soul now he meets with the Messias The Father accepts him for his child the Son accepts him for his spouse the Spirit hath given earnest already to have the Christians heart for his everlasting habitation the Devils in hell are vexing the Angels in heaven are singing the Saints on earth are shouting for it is meet that they should be merry for this son was dead and is alive was lost and is found was a cursed sinner and is become a blessed Saint So I have dispatched the first branch of this second help to regeneration namely an observation of those several steps whereby the wandring sheep is brought home I come now to the second branch of this help which is a pliable submission to the workings and motions of the Spirit when the Spirit at any time maketh his addresses to thy soul Reader I must earnestly beseech thee if thou hast the least spark of love to thy soul and endless good in the other world that thou be more tender of the motions of the Spirit then of the apple of thine eye When the Holy Ghost cometh to thy soul by its motions to good thy kinde entertainment of it may be as much as thine eternal happiness is worth and probably invite the Spirit to stay with thee perfect the work and abide in thee for ever whereas if thou shouldst grieve or quench the Spirit and affront this Ambassador which is sent to treat with thee about terms of peace between God and thy soul he may be called home and thou never hear of him more We read in Genesis 2.2 Incubabat aquis Iun. Gen. That the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters Several read the words The Spirit of God was sitting or hatching upon the waters It is a Metaphor taken from birds or hens they sit and move upon their eggs to hatch them and bring them forth and when they are hatched they still sit and move upon them to cherish and bring them to perfection So the Spirit of God sat or moved upon that face of the deep that by his motion or incubation he might hatch and bring forth out of that vast Chaos the several kindes of creatures Thus the Spirit moveth upon thy heart he sitteth upon he broodeth on thee that he may hatch and bring thee forth a new creature Therefore consider what thou dost and how thou carriest thy self towards him fowls when they have been much disturbed have left their eggs and never hatched them they have come to nothing shouldst thou resist the Spirit in his operations or quench him in his motions when he is brooding on thy soul he may take its eternal flight from thee When the Spirit cometh to thy soul by its motions disswading thee from sin or stirring thee up to holiness Jesus Christ then knocks at the door of thy heart every motion is a knock from the hand of Christ if thou hearkenest and openest he will come in and sup with thee but if notwithstanding his knocking thou wilt not hear though he cometh upon an errand so infinitely for thine advantage he will depart away in a distast as neighbors when they are so uncivilly used and thou mayst never hear of him more Thou art apt to complain that thou wantest help to turn from sin and to turn unto God I tell thee when the Spirit moveth and worketh within thee to minde thy soul and thine eternal estate he offereth thee his help and assistance and if thou hearkenest to and obeyest his motions thou shalt have his help As he was teaching the power of God was present to heal them Luke 5.17 Whilst the Son of man was teaching at that niâ—k of time the power of God was present to heal mens bodies so when the Spirit is moving at that very time the power of God is present to help thy soul now if thou takest that time thou mayst be an happy man for ever If when the windes blow fairly for mens voyage they then hoise up their sails and be going they may through the help of the winde be at their Haven in convenient time but if they neglect the opportunity and will not lanch out whilst the winde offereth its help they may be dead before they have another winde and so never go that voyage Thus if when the gales of the Spirit blow and offer thee their assistance for Regeneration and Salvation thou then presently lanchest out and compliest with its motions through its help thou shouldst be seasonably and safely landed in Christ and at the Haven of Heaven but if thou then liest still and neglectest this oportunity God knoweth but thou mayst be dead before the Spirit blow so favorably for thee again Solomon telleth us that there is a time for every purpose under Heaven and a time to be born Eccles 3.1 2. There is time for every purpose that is an opportunity when the work may be done best and with most advantage yea when it must be done or shall not be done at all now such a time such an opportunity there is for the new birth there is an accepted time 2 Coâ— 6â— Psal 3.6 and 55.6 a time when God may be found when he is near a day of Salvation this is when the Spirit moveth and stirreth and offereth thee his help if thou passest by that time and dost not then strike in thou mayst come as Esau too late for the blessing thou mayst as some idle persons that are tippling and drinking in an Ale-house when they should be in the market let slip thy opportunity and finde it too late to buy the wine and milk in the Gospel It is one great misery of men and women that they observe not neither improve their opportunities The turtle and the stork Ier. 8.7 and the crane and the swallow they all know their opportunity and their time but the generation of mankinde neglect theirs O that thou hadst known in this thy day the things which concern thy peace Opportunity is a transient thing it is quickly gone but it bringeth a lasting treasure along with it which if neglected can never be recovered time is all the while a man liveth on earth but opportunity is onely when the Spirit moveth Me ye have not alwayes saith Christ Friend thou wilt make hay while the Sun shineth
Affections by sanctification and his Life by reformation he can never obtain Salvation He cannot see that is enjoy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Drusâ—animad lib. 2. cap 2. he cannot have his portion in it or ever attain the enjoyment of it Videre est frui Vision in Scripture is frequently put for fruition as Psa 27.13 Heb. 12.14 Isa â—3 11 Psa 34.12 Matth. 5.8 The Kingdom of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods Kingdom is twofold 1. The Kingdom of Grace here Rom. 14.17 The kingdom of God is not meat aâ—â— drink but righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Matth. 6.33 2 The Kingdom of Glory hereafter 1 Thess 2.12 Now except a man be born again he can have no right to the priviledges of the Kingdom of Grace nor to the possession of the Kingdom of Glory The Text being thus briefly explained I shall glean some few ears by the way before I come to the full sheaf which will afford through the blessing of God much spiritual food to our souls 1. Observe That Christ is very willing to instruct them that come to him notwithstanding their many weaknesses Nicodemus was short in his confession of Christ and faulty in his coming to him only by night yet the meek Master overlooketh this and presently falls upon teaching his untoward Schollar The tender Father doth not turn his weak childe out of doors but lends him his helping hand wherby he might be enabled to go As when a soul is in him he doth not refuse its gold because it wanteth some grains nor its honey though it be mingled with wax Cant 5.1 so when a soul is in the way to him he doth not reject it for its imperfections nor twit it with its corruptions as those flies that love to feed on sores but as the loving parent beholdeth the Prodigal while he is afar off runneth more then half way to meet him and as the true Turtle chirpeth sweetly that he may cluck sinners nearer to himself 2. Observe A man may be a noble knowing person and yet ignorant of and a stranger to regeneration Nicodemus was a Ruler of the Jews either one of the Sanhedrim or great Council or one of the Rulers of their Synagogue one that taught others and yet was himself untaught in this rudiment this A B C of Christianity how childishly doth he talk of this weighty truth vers 4. How can a man be born when he is old can he enter the second time into his mothers womb and be born How deep may a man dive into the mysteries of Nature how sharp-sighted may he be there and yet as blind at a Mole in the things of Grace Nature may in some men be dung'd with industry art education and example and thereby shew fair spread far and overtop others but yet manured to the utmost it is but Nature still Its grapes will be the grapes of Sodom and its clusters the clusters of Gomorrah The natural man like Zacheus is too low of stature to see Jesus he discerneth not the things of God neither indeed can he for they are spiritually discerned Cor. 2.14 The wisest Philosophers that could cunningly pick the lock of Natures Cabinet and behold much of her riches and treasure were meer Ideots and fools in the things of the Spirit and understood no more of these mysteries of Divinity then a Cowherd doth of the darkest precepts of Astonomy Water riseth no higher then its fountain the light within us or Nature is but a rush candle and cannot enable us to see the Sun of Righteousness the light without us or Scripture is the star to the wise men leading us to the place where the Babe of Bethlehem lieth As the eye without the optick vertue is but a dead member so all humane wisdom without divine inspiration is but learned folly and elaborate wickedness 3 Observe That regeneration is one principal thing which Pastors ought to instruct their people in Jesus Christ though the wind of Nicodemus words verse 2 seemed to blow towards some other coast yet he waves all other discourse and speaks directly and home to this as the one doctrine necessary for his unregenerate Disciple to learn Regeneration and Salvation by Christ are the two substantial dishes which the faithful Stewards of God set constantly before the Families committed to their charges Those that preach notions instead of such doctrines do cursedly cozen their guests with flowers instead of meat which may fill the eye of the wanton but not the heart of the hungry soul Oh what a blessed pattern have we here for our practices when our Parishoners come to us or we go to them what more weighty subject can we treat of then their Conversion without which they must be punished with everlasting destruction Alas how boundless and endless is that wrath to which they are liable though their hearts are insensible therefore though their mouths do not call yet their miserie doth cry aloud to us to instruct them in Regeneration as ever we desire they should escape Damnation BUt the Doctrine which I principally intend is this Doctrine That without Regeneration men and women can never obtain Salvation Verily Verily I say unto thee Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God He or she that is not experimentally acquainted with the Second Birth cannot possibly escape the Second Death Make you a new heart and a new spirit for why will ye dye O house of Israel Ezek. 18.31 The old heart will unquestionably carry thee to hell the place of the old Serpent He must have a new spirit that will go to the new Jerusalem Except ye be converted and become as little children ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of God Matth. 18.3 There must be a change from Nature to Grace before there can be a change from Grace to Glory Heaven is the Fathers house Joh. 14.2 provided for none but his children such as are born of him a man must be taken out of the wilderness of Nature and planted in Eden the Garden of the Lord before he can be transplanted into the true Paradise For the illustration of this truth I shall shew first what this Regeneration or New Birth is and then give you the Reasons why none can avoid the Second Death unless they are acquainted with the Second Birth For the first Regeneration is a work of Gods Spirit whereby he doth out of his meer good pleasure for his own glory and the salvation of his Elect at first renew the whole man after his own image by the Ministry of the Word I shall explain this definition by taking it in piece and observing in it the several causes of Regeneration When Arras hangings are opened and unfolded their richness will appear First I call it a work of Gods Spirit here is the efficient principal cause of it The Babe of Grace in this respect calleth none on earth Father It is by the Spirits overshadowing
thine house one by whom thou expectest to be promoted highly and inriched greatly or one whose heir thou lookest to be how welcome wouldst thou make such a man especially the first time that he commeth to visit thee and upon those very accounts I mean for thy advantage he must have the best room the best fare the most pleasing language the most respectful carriage all things must be done as much as possibly can be according to his mind and nothing must be done which is known to be offensive to him and all lest he should be provoked to forsake thee to cast thee off and to do nothing at all for thee Reader is there not far more reason that when the infinite Spirit of the blessed God cometh to thine heart who onely is able to promote thee to become the child of God an heir of heaven and to inrich thee with the image of God in Regeneration that when he cometh first to thee and for these very ends thou shouldst give him all the respects imaginable that thou shouldst follow his counsel forbeare what thou knowest grieves him do what thou knowest will please him lest he depart away from thee and do none of these things for thee Saul by disobeying the counsel of Samuel from God concerning the slaughter of the Amalekites did so grieve his spirit that Samuel tels him plainly That God had rejected him from being King 1 Sam. 15 â—3 ult And the text saith expresly That Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death that is never nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul Truly now the Spirit of God delivereth thee counsel to destroy those notorious fins which if thou wilt thou canst forbear should thou spare those fat those King corruptions though the Spirit of God may mourn for thee that thou shouldst be such a wilful soul-murderer and reject the counsel of God against thy self yet he may utterly reject thee from being any of the heirs of the heavenly Kingdom and thou mayst see him no more to the day of thy death If thou livest under the Gospel I question not but the Holy Spirit doth move thee to forsake thine ungodly comrades thy scandalous crimes and to set upon prayer in secret in private Scripture and meditation which I must tel thee that if thou haft will at home as we say thou hast power enough in thine hands to do again and again I pray thee to cherish and obey such motions the Spirit makes short work with some least he bid thee adieu and clap such a curse upon thee that thou never clawest off while thou livest no not whilst thou hast a being It may be this skilful Physitian proceedeth further he doth not onely shew thee thy disease and tell thee what things are bad what things are good for it but also gives thee Physick in order to thy cure and such Physick as works to purpose and makes thee heart sick indeed I mean the Spirit of God proceedeth from illumination to humiliation it doth not onely convince thee of thy wounds and putrified sores but also lanceth and cutteth them applieth a stinging corrosive to eat up thy proud flesh and putteth thee to great pain the Spirit sheweth thee sin and wrath in their colours making thee see the former more frightful then a devil and feel the latter more painful at thy heart then a dagger possibly he takes thee and holds thee as it were over Hell making thee see the smoak of that bottomless pit smell the brimstone and feel the scorchings of that eternal fire that thou beginnest to sink under the weight of thy wickedness and to cry out Mine iniquities are gone over my head Psal 38.1 and they are a burthen too heavy for me to bear Those sins which were as sweet as honey in thy mouth are now taken down into thy belly and they are there more bitter then gall The Law chargeth thee home with its great guns that thou fearest and tremblest and knowest not whither to flie for succor If thou art come thus much of thy journey I would bid thee welcom so far and would tell thee for thy encouragement that these pangs and throws seem to foretell the new birth to be coming if thou sufferest not the Devil and thy corrupt heart to be at thy labour to try their experiments and tamper about thee for questionless they would destroy both thee and the babe of Grace in thy womb but sufferest the Spirit of God to be the midwife and followest his directions I durst be the man that should prophesie an happy and fafe delivery But thou knowest that the condition of one in travel is very ticklish a little miscarriage may then undo both mother and child therefore it behoveth thee now to be extraordinary careful what thou dost and how thou carriest thy self it is as much as thy life is worth For thy direction I shall tell thee what thou shouldst not do and what thou shouldst do Be sure that thou do not run to creatures for comfort Foolish people when sometimes an able Chirurgion hath laid some sharp medicine to their festered wounds which puts them to much pain though unless by such means the rottenness of them be eaten up and the corruption in them forced out they can never be cured yet they are ordinarily so impatient that they will not endure it but as this good woman and that neighbour if they do not know a milder medicine for such a sore surely say they this medicine which the Doctor useth will never do it we finde the member or part very angry and extreamly raging and then some one or other acquainteth them with gentler means which they presently apply and thereby skin over their sores before they are half searched that afterwards the wound either breaks out again and puts them to more pain if ever they be healed or else it keeps still in overspreads the body and kills them Thus thus do too many with the Physitian of their souls and thereby do often undo themselves The Spirit of God applyeth the terrors and consternations the Law to make way and prepare them for the dainties and consolations of the Gospel the good Samaritan poureth wine into the wound to search it before he poureth oil to heal it now foolish men are impatient not able to bear such sad melancholy thoughts as they call them and therefore they often break away from the Spirit of God before they are throughly humbled and run to their earthly enjoyments whereby they get some present ease but here or hereafter far greater pain It is reported of the Italians that in a great thunder they ring their bells and shoot off their canons that the noise of them might drown the voice of the thunder Thus do some with the voice of their awakened and terrified consciences they seek to drown it by the noise of worldly businesses recreations or it may be ungodly delights But surely damning a soul is not
the way to save a soul Reader didst thou never know of any that were in a journey and coming to some deep dirty pochy lane they thought to avoid it and broke over the hedge into the field but when they had rod round and round they could finde no way out but were forced to go out where they got in and then notwithstanding their unwillingness to go through that mirie lane or else not to go that journey Truly so it is in thy journey to Heaven thou art now come to this deep lane of humiliation through which all must go that will reach that City whose builder and maker is God do not think to avoid it no not the least part of it for this is the narrow way and strait gate that leadeth to life Suppose thou shouldst run to the world or any thing here below now thou beginnest to be sensible of thy sickness and pain and so in an hopeful way of recovery First 't is impossible that any of those things can cure thee Miserable comforters are they all and Physitians of no value Can a silver Slipper cure the gout or a golden Crown the head-ach or the greatest Empire in the world the pain of thy teeth much less can these things cure the diseases of thy soul All the wrapping of thy foot that hath a thorn in it though with never such fine scarlet cloth will be altogether ineffectual to ease thee of thy pain for the thorn must be pulled out so must sin be pluck'd out its guilt removed before thou canst possibly be eased But my great reason is which I desire thee to consider seriously shouldst thou throw off this medicine of thy spiritual Physitian because it is somewhat sharp and run to the Empericks and Mountebanks of the world thou wilt provoke thy tender able Physitian to leave thee for what man will bear such affronts and where art thou then what will become of thee for ever Those that work in Coal-mines finde by experience that the earth sendeth up damps which quench and put out their candles and what then becomes of the men that are there they are often slain Shouldst thou like Jonah run from the presence of the Lord to more pleasing employments then the work of a thorow humiliation either he will bring thee back again to the same business by storms and tempests or else such damps will arise from thine earthly interruptions as will quench Gods Spirit and eternally ruine thy spirit The evil spirit I know will be busie to perswade thee to smother and put out the sparkes which the good Spirit hath kindled within thee by heaps of worldly rubbish and dirt but take heed what thou dost for thy soul is at stake if those sparks should die thou art like to live in hell fire for ever Observe how it fared with unhappy Felix He was a Prisoner to his Prisoner and in a ready way to have been one of Christs freemen but now hells jaylor was like to lose one of his captives for I question not but Satan for fear of losing him trembled more then he what therefore through the Divels advice must Felix do He must needs cure himself of his convulsion by an abruptdiversion When the Spirit struck in with the word and caused him to tremble he sendeth Paul away till another season and we never read when that time came Had Felix struck in with the Spirit when the iron of his heart was hot he might have been happy indeed but he quencheth those motions which were so likely to recover his soul and thereby in all probability misseth salvation Some say that Samsons mother was forbidden wine and strong drink all the while she was with child of him partly because that wine and strong drink are naught for the child in the womb I am confident that carnal diversions that To put back thy pangs by earthly affaires much more by wine and strong drink is infiniely prejudicial to the babe of grace and many to one but it may cause thine eternal miscarriage Friend that which in this case I would advise thee to do is to betake thy self to thy closet or chamber and there to fall down before the most high God and to accuse indict and condemne thy self for thy sins poure out thy soul before the Lord in acknowledging the pollution of thy nature the transgressions of thy life with all their bloody aggravations confessing the righteousness of the law and thy obnoxiousness thereby to the infinite and eternal wrath of the Lord. O now is the onely time to repent with that repeniance which is never to be repented of if ever thou wouldst draw water and pour it out before the Lord it must be now the spirit hath thawed the tap neglect this season and it may freeze again speedily When Nathan came from God to David after his fall when he had lain in his impenitency many months and told him of his sins and convinced him that he was worthy to die what doth David do doth he run to his crown or honour or power in the world No. Doth he hastily snatch at the promises No but he goeth to God as appeares by the title and body of the 51. Psalm bewaileth his original and actual sins condemneth himself justifieth God offereth up the sacrifice of a broken heart beggeth hard for pardon and holiness O do thou follow this blessed pattern if thy body were sick of a violent feaver and nature were so far thy friend as when thou wast in thy bed to put thee into a fine sweat and thereby give thee hope of evacuating the ill humours which cause thy disease through the pores what wouldst thou do in this case wouldst thou rise presently and run into the cold aire or wouldst thou not rather abide still in thy bed and if need were call for more cloaths to increase thy sweat whereby thy body might be perfectly cured Thus it is in the state of thy soul thou art sick unto death the Spirit of God is so much thy friend as to help thee to sweat out thy distemper by humiliation and godly sorrow t were a madness in thee now to run to the open air of the world or to do any thing which might hinder this sweating thy onely way is to encourage and increase it by betaking thy self to thy chamber and there to look into thy heart and consider how full it is of unholiness to look back upon thy life and consider how contrary it hath been to the Divinâ—law to look up to God and consider the Majesty holiness and mercy which are in him whom thou hast provoked this is the way to continue and increase thy humiliation and thereby for the spirit delighteth to proceed in assisting those that thus cherish his motions to be perfectly healed Duties now are the Spirits pleasant garden in which he will delight to walk with thee they are like bellows to blow up the heavenly fire into a flame or as
The DOOR of SALVATION OPENED By the Key of REGENERATION OR A TREATISE CONTAINING The Nature Necessity Marks and Means of Regeneration As also the Duty of the Regenerate By GEORGE SWINNOCKE M.A. and Pastor of Rickmersworth in Hertfordshire Matth. 18.3 Verily I say unto you Except ye be converted and become as little children ye shall not enter into the kingdom of Heaven Non est via ad regnum sine primitiis regm nec sperare porest coeleste regnum cui neque super propriam regnare concupiscentian adhuc datur Bernard LONDON Printed by John Best for THO. PARKHURST at the Three Crowns in the lower end of Cheapside over against the great Conduit 1660. To the right worshipful Sir Charles Herboard Knight To the Worshipful Richard Franklin Esq John Beresford Esq Edward Ironside Esq Richard Beresford Esq And to the Gentlemen Yeomen and the rest of the inhabitants of the parish of Rickmersworth IT is the custom of our Country and if I mistake not a Statute Law of the Nation that children should be kept and maintained by those places in which they were born This book which treateth of the Babe of grace was conceived in your Parish brought forth in your Pulpit and now presenteth it self to you not for your protection and patronage but for your perusall and practice I confess that I am bound to many of you in courtesie to all in duty and I know not better how to express my thankfulness to some and my faithfulness to all then by dealing uprightly with you in the concernments of your souls Rom. 1.9 God is my witness whom I desire to serve with my spirit in the Gospel of his Son that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers And can through the strength of Christ much more rejoyce in one of your conversions then in all your possessions Ye know what a large Epistle I have already written to you I beseech you to read it often To the Reader in Hell and Heaven epitomized and O that the Lord would write it within you We live in days that are full of division but all that have any face of religion or form of godliness will acknowledge the things which I have written to you to be the commandments of God My cheif work is and hath been to preach unto you Repentance towards God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ which are of such infinite weight in order to your unchangeable welfares And could I prevaile with you heartily to embrace those essentials of Gods word I should have confidence of your joyful appearance in the other world T is a sign of a very foul stomach to loath such solid food as those vitals of Christianity are and to pick at Kickshaws or Sallads I mean either the new-fangled opinions of some upstart way or the vaine flourishes of humane wit O how gladly would I stand forth to your comfort at the judgment feat of Christ which that I may I earnestly request you again and again in obedience to your blessed Saviour and for the sake of your precious souls to ponder and practice these three particulars Consider that they are not onely commended to you by your weak and dying Minister but commanded you by your Maker who will within a short time reckon with you for the performance of them First Make conscience of be diligent about the means of grace neglect not secret private or publick ordinances Your bodies may as probably live without diet as your souls without duties This is Gods way by which he infuseth grace where it is wanting and increaseth grace where it is As the head by the nerves and sinews as organs conveyeth animal spirits to the whole body So doth the Churches head Christ Jesus by ordinances convey his Spirit and grace to his members Doth not experience teach you that your hearts are like water though heated a little while over the fire of the means of grace yet are no sooner taken off but they are returning to their former coldness Mariners that swim against wind and tide must row hard and continue at it if they intermit but a little while how far and how forcibly are they carried backwards It is not unknown to you if ye have any knowledge in spiritual affaires how busily and unweariedly the Devil world and flesh are drawing you to hell it highly concerneth you to be always by duties fetching in supplies from above if ever ye would arrive at heaven I do not wonder that many in our perillous times who live above duties are given up to sensuality or blasphemies The Papists say that if they can get the Protestants out of their strong holds of Scripture into the open fields of Councils and Fathers they should quickly be able to foil them If Satan can prevaile with men but to throw away the Word of God which is the sword of the Spirit and the prayer of faith which engageth Christ himself in the combat he will never doubt the conquest While men wall in the Kings high way between Sun and Sun they have the protection of the Law if otherwise it is at their own peril If you keep the way of God he will be your guard but if you wander and leave him no wonder if he leave you And certainly wo will be to you when God departeth from you A dreadful night of darkness must needs be expected when this Sun is departed The ministry of the word is called the salt of the earth Mat. 5. Saints are called Doves Who are those that fly as doves to their windows Now the property of Doves is to be exceedingly in love with a salt-stone Kites and Rooks care little for it but Doves are mightily incited to it Graceless persons neglect and despise the means of grace but they that ever enjoyed God in them cannot but set a due price upon them The beggar the poor in spirit will know that door again at which he hath received a good dole I will never forget thy precepts for by them thou hast quickned me Secondly Mind the religious education of your children Bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. It was the wish of Crates that he were upon the top of the highest hill in the world that from thence he might cry out against monstrous parents that toile to leave their children great estates but take no care what maner of persons they should be which should enjoy those estates I doubt not but ye are careful to breed your Sons Gentlemen or to bring them up to trades that they may know how to live a few days in this world but alas how few of you are solicitous to breed them new creatures and to bring them up to Christianity that they may know how to live for ever in the other world I remember that Augustine speaks mournfully Some praise my father for being at such cost even beyond his estate in my nurture but alas his care
thee for these ends Thou wilt disrelish all spiritual prayers and conference especially when they discover and condemne thy unsanctifyed carnal state And thou wilt secretly or openly have a malignant distaste or opposition against the Regenerate that live by that renewing sanctifying Spirit to which thou art a stranger and wilt look on them as a people that condemne thee by their lives unless thou canst cheat thy self into a perswasion that they are but a company of singular proud selfconceited people and really no otherwise regenerate then thy self And all the Religion and wisdome and good â—arriage which thou hast without this spiritual change may easily be thy delusion but will never serve for thy Salvation yea heaven it self would be to thee no heaven if it were set open to thee and thou hadst not the heavenly nature to suit to the heavenly employment and felicity This is the business of a converting and confirming Ministery and of the spirit and grace that works by them and this is the business that above other business lyeth upon thee in this present world even to work now in thy soul that holy love to the most blessed God who is love it self which may cause thee here to thirst after his presence and to seek his favour and to do his will and may fit thee delightfully for ever to enjoy him and everlastingly to be solaced in the beholding of his glory in the feeling of his love and in his heavenly praises and the fulfilling of his will An unregenerate unholy soul is as unfit for this as thy mortal enemy to lye in thy bosome or as toads and serpents to be the familiar companions of men or as thy Ox or Ass is to feed with thee at thy table and lye with thee in thy bed Employments and Enjoyments must have a suitable nature if the Spirit fit thee not here for heaven in this life which is given thee purposely for that end its pernitious folly to hope for a heaven for which thy unsanctifyed nature is unfit and to promise thy self a felicity of which thou art uncapable and which indeed thy very heart doth hate Thou lovest not holiness here nor the very imperfect Saints that have it how much less couldst thou love the infinite holiness of God who hateth thy sins ten thousand times more then the most severe and sharp reprover hates them If thy eyes cannot look upon the smallest candle without offence how then would they endure to look upon the Sun and that in the nearest access unto its glory And if here thy enmity to the holy will of God be such that thou pleasest not him and he and his waies are displeasing unto thee how uncapable art thou of Heaven which is a state of mutual full delight where the Saints do perfectly please the Lord and are perfectly pleased in him and his pleasure Rom. 8.5 6 7 8. They that are after the flesh do mind or savour the things of the flesh but they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit To be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace Because the carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God And that which is born of the flesh is but flesh As that which is born of the spirit is spirit Joh. 3.6 It is therefore undenyable that till you are born of the spirit and so made spiritual all your Religion and civility leaveth you but enemies to God and in a state of Rebellion against his will and consequently in a state of death Baptism which is the Sacrament of Regeneration doth signifie this change and containe your profession and engagement to the Lord. But if you have not the Regeneration of the Spirit as well as of the water and the answer of a good conscience as well as the washing of the flesh you differ from Heathens and Infidels but as covenant-breakers differ from them that never entered into covenant with Christ at all But I must not stand too long instructing you at the door when my business is to call you in and to tell you that here is a Message to you from the Lord A Treatise of Regeneration the most necessary Subject in a stile so clean and close in words so pertinent plain powerful and pressing that undoubtedly by a serious impartial perusal joyned with sober consideration and prayer thy soul may receive unspeakable commodity Though I know not the Author I am so far acquainted with the spirit appearing in this Discourse that I dare assure thee he had very much help from heaven and dare encourage thee to study this savoury Treatise as that which containeth most certain sound and necessary doctrine directly tending to the saving of thy soul without any tendency to Heresie Schism or uncharitable cenforiousness A Doctrine necessary for the learned or unlearned the rich and the poor the honorable and the base and for men of all degrees and ranks which if it had been more heartily studied and inculcated in publick and in private by all Preachers of the Gospel instead of the humane inventions and Canons and Opinions and interests of their several Sects the Church and the consciences of the Pastors and their Flocks had been now much wholer and sounder then they are Believe it whatever thou art thou shalt never be saved for being a Lord or a Knight a Gentleman or a rich man a learned man or a well-spoken eloquent man nor yet for being a Calvinist or a Lutheran an Arminian an Anabaptist a Prelatist a Presbyterian an Independent or a Protestant formally and meerly as such much less for being a Papist or of any such grosly deluded Sect but as a Regenerate Christian it is that thou must be saved or thou canst have no hope If once this renewing Spirit have taken possession of thy soul and thou art made partaker of the Divine and Heavenly nature and art become a living Member of Christ thou shalt be saved though thou know not whether Diocesan Bishops Metropolitans Primates and Patriarks or onely Parochial Bishops be most agreeable to the minde of God and though thou know not whether any other Book than the Bible should contain the Liturgy of the Church and though thou know not in a hundred controversies of the times about Orders and Forms and Ceremonies and smaller points of doctrine which party it is that is in the right Holiness will save thee without the formalities of this party or of that but formalities will not save thee without holiness To you that are Regenerate I shall say but this keep very honourable and thankful thoughts of your spiritual birth Live now as the sons of the Eternal God and as the heirs of everlasting life Set your faces now towards Heaven as those that see the grave at hand and the vanities of this world all vanishing into
is wanting as severall things will be are added So when this new building of Regeneration is erected the Spirit of God makes use of the old substantial materials the soul and its faculties the body and its members which were in man before onely polisheth and purifieth them and squareth them according to the rule of Gods word it hews off what is unsound and sinfull and bestoweth that grace and holiness which is needfull He taketh not away our beings but the wickedness and crookedness of our beings and addeth a new gracious beauty which we had not before We put off the rags of the old man and put on the Robes of the new man and continue in regard of substance the same men Again I call it a renewing partly because of the great change which is wrought in a man converted New things differ much from old for the better O how wonderfully doth the new born soul differ from his former self As Saul when he received the spirit of courage became another man 1 Sam. 10.6 so doth the Christian when he receiveth the spirit of grace He is not in some sense the same man he was before he liveth a new life he walketh in a new way he steereth his course by a new compass and towards a new coast His Principle is new his Pattern is new his Practices are new his Projects are new all is new He ravels out all he had wove before and employeth himself wholly about another work What a change is there when the blind see the deaf hear the dumb speak the lame walk the dead live when the Lion is turned into a Lamb darkness into light sickness into health why all this and more is done in Regeneration when a sinner is changed into a Saint It is therefore most fitly called Conversion Acts 15.3 which is a term borrowed from travellers who being out of their way turn about and so get into it leaving the way in which they were and taking another if need be quite contrary to it The sinner is born with his heart and face towards the flesh the world and hell and with his back towards God holiness and heaven and so he goeth on a many years possibly till God convert him and turn him about then his back is towards the former his face and heart towards the latter his whole life before was a departure every action being a step from God his whole life now is a drawing nigh every duty being a nearer approach to God A man and a beast differ much in their lives but a natural and regenerate person differ far more even as so far as the Spirit of God which is the principle of a Christian life differeth from the rational spirit of a man Extraordinary and strange things are called new Acts 17.19 Jer. 31.22 Well may the Convert be called a new creature the work of Conversion making such a wonderful alteration that carnall men admire it They think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excesse of riot 1 Pet. 4.3 4. nay those that are thus renewed wonder at themselves Being called out of darknesse into his marvellous light 1 Pet. 2.9 Wofull darknesse makes it wonderfull light As a man that hath been all his dayes kept in a dark prison and never beheld the Sun when he cometh to be set at liberty and see the light he stands amazed wondering at it 2 The Subject I call it a renewing of the whole man As in our fist birth not one part or member is born but every one so in our second birth the whole man is new born By our first birth the whole man is polluted and therefore by our second birth the whole man must be purified Original sin defileth the whole man from the crown of the head to the soles of the feet and Regeneration refineth the whole man soul body and spirit Rom. 3.13 14. 1 Thes 5.23 The plaister must be as broad as the sore the leaven of grace doth season the whole lump Old things passe away and behold all things are become new 2 Cor. 5.17 The water of life within is not like a Spring which ariseth in some parcel of ground and terminateth in the same but like the Ocean which compasseth about the whole little world of man As when Gods laws were written in Tables of stone The Tables wâ—re written on both their sides on the one side on the other were they written Exod. 32.15 the Tables were written all over they were full of the Law so the spiritual Tables have the Law the image of God written on every side body and soul every part of each an inward conformity in the heart an outward correspondency in the life In the new creature though every part be not throughout sanctified yet he is sanctified in every part throughout he hath a perfection of parts though not of degrees Regeneration like the Sun goeth through the twelve signs of the Zodiack there is nothing hid from the heat thereof it moveth in and worketh upon every faculty of the soul and every member of the body but the image of God is principally in the soul or the inner man Heb. 8.10 Rom. 7.22 Eph. 4.23 As the heart being the forge of the spirits is the chief seat of a natural so also of a spiritual life The Kings Daughter is most glorious within though her cloathing without be likewise of wrought gold there Satan before had his Throne it was as a childs pocket full of trash or as a ditch full of mud and dirt but now Christ will make â—hat place the sâ—at of his Empire and fill it like a Cabinet with precious jewels and indeed the soul being spiritual is principally â—apable of his image who is a spirit I shall shew how the soul in its faculties and the body in its members are both renewed In the soul I shall cousider 1 The Understanding to which the spirit of God makes its approach in the first place inlightning it in the knowledge of sin and the Saviour Eph. 4.23 The understanding to a man is as a window to an house which before being continually shut and little light appearing 't was no wonder that the heart lay so sluttishly and was so full of the deeds of darknesse but now God reneweth the soul in knowledge after the image of him that created him Col. 3.10 before the god of this world had blinded the mind that it could see neither the emptinesse of the world nor the preciousnesse of the word nor the lothsomness of sin nor the loveliness of the Saviour nor the vanity of the creature nor the excellency of the Divine nature but whereas the man was blind before now he seeth being made spiritual he judgeth all things 1 Cor. 2.14.15 He judgeth the things of heaven to be far better then the things of earth the concernments of his soul much more worth then the concernments of his body and the affairs of eternity far more
the commanding power of sin Tit. 2.14 He gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works so Luk. 1.71 72 74 75. Ephes 5.25 26. He gave himself for his Church observe the end that he might sanctifie and cleanse it He died for sin that all his might dye to sin Joh. 17.19 he poured out his heart blood that God might power down his holy Spirit His name is called Jesus because he saveth his people from their sins Matth. 1.21 not only from the punishment but also from the power of their sins Now canst thou think O Atheist to make Christ an half Saviour as the Papists do a Purchaser of pardon but not of purity then questionless thou canst be but half saved and have the greatest part of thy misery still upon thee to wit thy slavery to sin But surely thou canst not think that when Justification and Sanctification are joyn'd together in the purpose of the Father and the purchase of the Son it shall be in thy power to part them asunder A third gate through which all must go that get to heaven is the gate of Scripture The Promises are the gracious deeds and evidences which Saints have to shew for their right to that glorious inheritance And it is cursed presumption to expect heaven without a promise Now God hath in many places excluded thee but in no place promised heaven to thee Look from the beginning to the end of the Bible and thou shalt not finde one good word spoken to thee there are woes and curses threatnings and judgements which thou mayst challenge as thy part and portion but no promise or saving blessing All the promises of salvation are conditional Matth. 5.8 11.28 John 3.16 yea including and expressing this very condition of conversion He that believeth shall be saved saith God Mark 16.16 And repent that your sins may be blotted out Act. 3.19 the body and soul do specifically constitute the whole new man and upon those two hinges of Faith and Repentance do all the saving promises in the Bible hang therefore thy expectance of the benefit of the promise without the performance of the condition is soul-damning delusion Thou mayest like a dog snatch at the children bread the Promises but assure thy self thou hast no part nor lot in these matters This Reader is the difference betwixt presuming and believing he that believeth finding in his own soul the conditions mentioned in the promises of eternal life as namely that he walks after the spirit mortifieth the deeds of the flesh hath his conversation in Heaven Rom. 8.1 Phil. 3.19 and the like relieth on Christ for pardon and life upon the warrant and security of his word and promise Psal 119.114.145 He that presumeth looketh that God should perform his part of the promise in giving salvation but never mindeth whether he perform his part of the promise in observing the condition Let thy conscience be judge whether thou art not such a presumtuous person and therefore doest in vain look for the fruit of the promise 4. All that get to heaven must go through the gate of mediate communion heaven must be nigh thee before thou canst be in heaven it is fellowship with God in this world which fitteth for fellowship with God in the other world without holiness none shall see God Heb. 12.14 because without holiness none can see God an unholy mind cannot behold him an unholy will cannot enjoy him unholy affections cannot delight in him an unholy man in heaven could not finde it a place of happiness for 't is not a Turkish Paradice but a place of holy pleasures 't is mediate communion which doth capacitate the soul for immediate communion and as the weaker eyes may behold the Sun in its beams then in its glorious body at the highest in a clear day so a smaller degree of holiness will enable the soul to see God in the glass of his ordinances then to see him face to face Now thou canst not enjoy him in this imperfect degree much less in a state of perfection If thou sayest that thou hast fellowship with him and walkest in darkness thou liest 1 Joh. 1.6 Mark If thou sayest that thou enjoyest fellowship with God and leadest a sinfull life thou tellest a broad lye all that enjoy the Ordinances of God do not enjoy the God of Ordinances all that go to Church do not meet with Christ What cummunion hath light with darkness or Christ with Belial truly no more hath God with thy soul Princes are not so prodigal of their intimate friendship and favour as to throw them away upon their foes Thy carnal minde is emnity against God God is a profest enemy to thee and therefore can they ever walk together till they be agreed now there is a necessity of walking with him before thou canst be translated to him Gen. 5.21 or else thou hast found out a nearer way to heaven then the children of God went in Besides the Scripture speaketh plainly that he who hath a true hope of heaven doth purifie himself as God is pure 1 John 3.3 True hope begetteth and increaseth holiness now doth thy hope cause thee to purifie thy self when like an infant thou pollutest thy self liest contentedly in thy filth and never mindest cleansing Now tell me Reader whether thou doest not sadly cozen thy self in dreaming of salvation without regeneration when God predestinated all to be conformable to the image of his Son in purity whom he predestinated to be conformable to the image of his Son in glory Rom. 8.29 when Jesus Christ suffered not onely to procure pardon but for all his freedom from the power of sin when the promises of the Gospel do express regeneration as the indispensable qualification of all that shall be saved Acts 3.19 and when thou art so far from being capable of immediate communion hereafter that it is impossible that thou shouldest in thy carnal estate have mediate communion with him here canst thou continue in thy thoughts that heaven shall be open to thee when the hand of Almighty God hath shut it against thee and blocked up every way which leads to it to keep the out and how deceitfull and desperately wicked is thy heart to promise thee if thou wilt serve sin and the world the beautifull Rachel of heaven when after all thy slavery to thy lusts thou shalt be put off with the blear-eyed Leah of Hell Believe not O Reader The wicked one if thou lovest the life of thy soul he may by his lying spirit in thy heart as sometimes in the mouth of Ahabs false prophets perswade thee to go on in thy sinfull courses and promise thee as he did Ahab that thou shalt prosper but if thou doest not perish if thou followest such counsel the Lord hath not spoken in his Word I tell thee man God hath no birthrights for such prophane Esaus nor inheritances for such
through the streets of London with twenty mules laden to show his pomp but as the triumph passed through Cheapside the beasts stumbled brake their collars cast their coffers and then the lids flying open discovered his riches to be nothing but old shooes and boots torn stockings old iron and totter'd rags I tell thee Reader though now thou mayst be wonder'd at for thy spiritual wealth yet as soon as thou stumblest into the other world 't will be tried 't will be known whether they be real or imaginary riches Paul told his Corinthians 1 Cor. 4.19 I will come to you shortly and will know not the speech of them that are puffed up but the power for the Kingdom of God is not in word but in power What will ye shall I come to you with a rod or in love O Friend not Paul but Jesus Christ himself will come to thee by death shortly and will know not thy speech in being puffed up with a shadow of profession but the power and try whether thou hast the substance of Religion Now man what wilt thou shall he come to thee with a rod or in love shall he send good Angels to guard thee to Heaven or evil Angels to drag thee to Hell When David was going to encounter with Goliah he told Saul that he could not go with the armor which Saul had put on him because he had not proved it 1 Sam. 17.39 And darest thou enter the list against a far greater enemy even death with that armor which was never proved be confident if thou fightest without armor of proof death will foil thee The day of Judgement will try thee then naked breasts will be in fashion and God will rip thee open before the world nay if thou wilt not now examine thy self to thy conversion he will examine thee then to thy confusion When the Judge shall be a consuming fire and the whole world be in a flame and thou be tried by a fiery Law Hebr. 12.28 2 Peter 3.10 Deut. 33.2 'T was a sharp kind of examination by which Paul was examined Acts 22.14 The chief Captain commanded that he should be examined by scourging 'T is a sad kinde of examination by which many Countreys examine Malefactors upon the wrack putting them to exquisite pains Reader Remember that if thou dost not examine thy self at this day God will examine thee at the last day and 't will be an examination upon the wrack an examination with scourging it will be a word and a wound every blow will fetch blood every interrogation will be a stabbing stinging killing question When Christ shall say to thee Sinner how didst thou dare thus to cozen and undo thy soul what madness possessed thee thus to dally about matters of infinite and endless moment Hadst thou examined thy self according to my word and found thy self lost there had then been some hopes of life but I tell thee now 't is too late Well I le rip thee open before Angels and men and cause thy conscience with its gnawing worm and stinging gripes to examine thee eternally The fire of hell shall try what mettal thou art that will prove thee to purpose O friend think of this seriously and speedily for that day of Christ will declare thee and Alas alas who shall abide the day of his trial or who shall stand when he appeareth for he is like refiners fire and as fullers sope All things are naked and open to the eyes of him with whom thou shalt then have to do If thou art afraid to venture a trial in the low Court of Conscience where his Word shall be thy Judge with what fear and trembling wilt thou appear at his bar when he that searcheth thine heart trieth thy reins and will reward thee according to thy works shall sit upon the Bench Therefore cast up thy accounts before God and thy soul whilst there is hope of making all even lest thou do as some Tradesmen who neglect so long to cast up their books till at last their books cast them up Thirdly consider it is possible to know whether thou art new born or no. I do not set thee to beat the air or to work at the labour in vain A Christian may be assured of his regeneration and thereby of his salvation They which have the law of God written in their hearts may be able to read it David when his deeds and evidences were not blotted with his foul offences could discern them clearly Thy law is within my heart Psalm 40.8 When the Sun ariseth he bringeth his naturall light with him whereby he is discovered to the world A diamond set in a gold-ring bringeth such an orient sparkling with it that it causeth men to discern it truly so the Sun of righteousness when he ariseth in the soul bringeth a spiritual light along with him which helpeth the new creature to behold him and the Diamond of Grace casteth such a sparkling lustre in the heart of a Christian that it thereby becomes visible Regeneration makes a wonderful change and alteration now great alterations of State are not without observation Doth a Kingdom change its Governor a cruel arbitrary Tyrant that fleeced them and slew them at pleasure for a mild merciful peaceable Prince that ruleth them with a righteous scepter and not take notice of it Can a creature change his master sin and flesh for Christ and his Spirit his work of serving divers lusts and pleasures Tit. 3.3 for serving the Lord with singleness of heart and not observe it When the man is new made Christ cometh into his heart with his Spirit Graces Gospel great Guests when they come into an house have many eyes upon them the King of Glory doth not come with such a train and retinue in secret the gradual change from grace to grace is not so visible but a specifical change from nature to grace is undoubtedly sensible when the ground that before brought forth nothing but weeds and thistles comes to bring forth wheat an ordinary person may perceive the difference though how this wheat groweth is not so perceptible Every new creature doth not know the time nor manner nor means of his conversion but every one may know that he is converted The mother doth not know how she comes to be quick but she knoweth that she is quick for the feeleth the childe to stir in her womb how the shadow moveth on the dial we cannot see but that it moveth we see plainly in that its opposite at night to the place where it was at noon Though conversion be not ever sensible in the act yet it is sensible enough by its effects and the reason why it is not in all alike visible is because it is not in all alike violent God converteth some by Boanerges sons of thunder others by a Barnabas a son of consolation to some he comes as on Mount Sinai Exod. 19. with thundrings lightnings and a great noise to others as to
brains dasht out his great care is every day to conquer his corruptions The body of sin and death to which he is tied is as noisom to his soul as a dead body to his senses Lust is as burthensom to him as a withered arm which hangs on a man like a lump of lead Never did prisoner more ardently desire to be rid of his fetters then this Saint to be freed from subjection to his sins The distressed Jews did not groan so much under their Egyptian slavery as this true Israelite for spiritual liberty O wretched man that I am saith he who shall deliver me from this body of sin and death Rom. 7.29 His great end and endeavor in every providence and every Ordinance is not the repression but the ruine of this evil of sin If the Sun of mercy shine warm upon him he makes use of it to put out the kitchin fire of wickedness When God folaceth his spirit with extraordinary kindness the sacrifice of thanksgiving that he offereth up is the beast of some sin which he layeth on the Altar and poureth forth its blood before the Lord When the storm of affliction ariseth he enquireth for the Jonah which raised the tempest and endeavoureth that he may be cast over-board and drowned And as he makes use of divine Providences so likewise of divine Ordinances for the weakening his corruptions In prayer like the sick childe he pointeth at the place of his pain he indicteth accuseth and condemneth sin and intreateth that it may be executed his prayers and tears are his daily weapons wherewith he fighteth against his most inward and secret wickedness When he perceiveth lust like Adonijah usurping the throne of his heart he goeth in to God as Bathsheba to David sighing and saying Did not my Lord promise his servant that the true Solomon should reign in my soul that Jesus Christ the Prince of Peace should sway the scepter in my spirit And now behold his foes which thou hast sworn to make his footstool have trayterously aspired to the Crown and forcibly made me subject to their commands As Esther he is very desirous of these Hamans destruction and watcheth continually for a fit opportunity to present his Petition to the King of Kings for that end and when in any duty he seeth the God of glory to hold out the golden Scepter of mercy towards him O then he beggeth for justice If I have found favour in thy sight O King and if it please the King let the life of my soul be given me at my Petition and the death of my sins at my request Did thy dear Son die for sin and shall thy poor servant live in sin shall not these thine enemies which would not have thee to reign over me be slain before thy face Order my steps by thy word and let not any iniquity have dominion over me Psal 119.133 Thus by prayer as by one main piece of his spiritual armour he becomes prevalent The Romans overcame their enemies sitting that is the Senate by their prudent counsels but the Christian kneeling by his holy valour he wrestleth with God and through the power of Christ gets the victory 2 Cor. 12.6 And because the devil of some lusts will not be cast out without fasting and prayer therefore he joyneth fasting to supplication and trieth to starve his corruptions Before-hand he fitteth himself for that day of purging out his ill humors by the preparatory potion of meditation The consideration of his sins how bloody and hainous in their nature how crying and crimson in their circumstances makes his physick work the better He thinketh before The day of mourning for offending my father is coming and then I will slay my brother Jacob my dearest and nearest sin This man bringeth under his natural body which he may lawfully cherish that he may abate the strength of the body of death as men sometimes in a feaver open a vain and let out their blood though it be not bad that they may weaken their enemy In reading and hearing the Law of God he setteth his lusts naked before that sword of the Spirit that they may be hewn by the Prophets and slain by the words of Gods mouth He desires that it may pierce deep to the dividing of soul and spirit of the joynts and marrow and to the discovering of the thoughts and intents of his heart His voice to the Minister is like the Prophets to his neighbour Smite me I pray thee and likes him best that in smiting wounds his sin most he approves of that Chirurgion that searcheth his wounds throughly though he put him to pain he rejoyceth that the Preacher revealeth to him his errors that he may follow them with Hue and cry till they are taken and punished and so Gods pursuit of him may be prevented If the Minister give him a bitter pill of reproof he doth not like a queasie stomach favour his malady and loath his medicine but takes it down willingly knowing that though such things be not toothsom yet they are wholesom and that they must be bitter things that breaks the bag of worms in his stomach sweet things will nourish and cherish them He is glad that the word is fire that thereby his dross may be consumed that it is water because his heart thereby may be washed and purified He hideth the word in his heart that he may not sin against God Psal 119.11 He goeth to the Lords Supper that the blood of his sins may be shed by the blood of the Saviour The Cross of Christ is the souls armour and sins terror there is life in it for the death of sin Pliny saith that the fasting spittle of a man will kill Serpents Sure I am the blood of Christ applied by faith will mortifie sin and therefore the Saint frequenteth the Sacrament He goeth to it as Naaman to Jordan to be cured of his spiritual leprosie when he approacheth the table of the Lord and seeth in the bread broken and the wine poured out by faith Jesus Christ crucified before his eyes O how his heart burneth within him in hatred and indignation against his sins and in desires after and delight in his Redeemer He beholdeth there the knives of his pride unbelief hypocrisie malice and the like all redded in the blood of the Mediator and now his eyes sparkle with fire and fury and his soul swelleth with wrath and revenge against them were but his hand answerable to his heart I mean his power to his will he would put sin to as much pain make it suffer as much shame cause it to undergo as cursed a death as ever Jesus Christ did Now this frame of spirit exceedingly pleasing to the King of Saints he bespeaks the soul at the Sacrament as Herod did the damsel Ask of me what thou wilt and I will give it thee to the half nay to the whole of my Kingdom The soul having before consulted with his regenerate part for this
while thou livest As a burnt child thou shouldest ever dread that fire thy broken hone being once well set would be stronger then before Compare 2 Sam. 11.4 and 15. with 1 Câ—ron 11.18 19. Mark 14.29 with Iohn 21.15 16 17. thou shouldst after thy falls walk more dependingly on Christ more compassionately towards others and more watchfully over thine own heart What ever thy condition were it should tend to thine eternal consolation Every wind that blew whether the nipping North-winde of adversity or the cherishing South-winde of prosperity should neither of them wrong thee for Christ would give them a charge concerning thee as David his Captains concerning Absolom Do this young Convert no harm no discourtesie but deal gently with him for my sake yea they should both blow a blessing to thy soul though the providences of God might be sometimes painful to thine outward yet they should be alwayes profitable to thine inward man Infinite love would send all infinite wisdom would temper all and infinite power would dispose all for thy benefit the rod would ever be in the hand of a loving Father and therefore never used to ruine or harm thee but ever to reform and heal thee As in the revolution of the Heavens every Planet moveth in its proper orb their motions are various nay opposite yet by the wheeling round of the primum mobile they are all brought about to one determinate point And as the wheels of a watch though they move contrary wayes yet all serve to carry on the end of the workman to tell us the time of the day So though the providences and dealings of God be never so cross seemingly yet they should all tend to thine advantage really and finally and to carry on Gods design which is thy spiritual and eternal felicity In a word if afflictions did wait upon thee if temptations watch against thee if mercies did flow in or by iniquity thou didst fall down whether the dayes of thy pilgrimage were cloudy or clear shining or showring whatever weather thou travellest in towards thy Father House All things should work together for thy good if thou didst once love God and wert called according to his purpose Rom. 8.28 As all Gods providences should be profitable to thee so also in all thy performances thou shouldst be acceptable to God When thou shouldst approach the Lord of Glory he would give thee a meeting in the means of Grace he would bid thee welcom into his presence and warm thine heart with his spiritual influences thou mightest hear him speaking to the solace and wonder of thy soul O my Dove shew me thy face let me hear thy voice for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance is comely Cant. 2.14 The Spirit of God would assist thee in all thy performances enabling thee to offer up to God what came first from God and O how exceedingly would the Father be taken with and delight in his own childe The fruits of his Spirit would be pleasant fruits indeed Rom. 8.26 Cant. 4. ult Thou shouldst in every sacrifice give God thine heart which he could not but take kindly at thy hands Thy prayer would be his delight Sozomen said of Apollonius 〈◊〉 at he â—ever as â—ed that thing of God which was denied Prov. 15.8 Thy sweet breath would abundantly please him no musick could be so melodious to thee as thy prayers to him thou shouldst never ask any thing but he would grant it either in specie or pondere in money or money-worth The King of Heaven is not he that could do any thing against thee as that earthly King said Jer. 38.5 Thy prayer should come before him like incense and the lifting up of thine hands as morning and evening sacrifices which his soul would smell a sweet savour in His eyes would be alwayes open upon thy person with acceptance and therefore his ears would be open to thy prayers with audience Gen. 4.4 Thou like Esther shouldst be arrayed in thy best raiment the robes of thy Saviours righteousness and so appearing in the presence of the King shouldst finde such favour in his eyes that thy Petition should be granted and thy request performed though it were to the half to the whole of his Kingdom Thy duties should be performed with sutable graces At a Sacrament or in a Prayer thou shouldst draw nigh to him by faith Hebr. 10.22 Know thy distance from him by godly fear Hebr. 12.28 be made one with him by love John 17.23 which would enlarge thy heart in desires after him and ravish thy soul with delight in him Psal 73.25 Job 22.26 and thou shouldst walk with him throughout the duty with one foot of hope and the other of humility Thus graciously shouldst thou look up to him and he would graciously look down upon thee little dost thou think what powerful loadstones these Graces would be to draw forth his love Observe and admire Thou hast * Taken away my heart or behearted me Hebr. ravished my heart my sister my spouse thou hast ravished mine heart with one of thine eyes with one chain of thy neck How fair is thy love my sister my spouse how much better is thy love then wine and the smell of thine oinments then all spices Cantic 4.9 10 11. to the end Besides all thy performances would be perfumed by the Mediator There would indeed still be imperfection in thy graces which are poured by the Spirit into thy soul as pure liquor into a foul vessel Spring waters as they pass thorow the veins of the earth will taste of the minerals which they there salute so would thy gracious actions have their faults and defects because thou wouldst have stil an unregenerate part therefore duties as they came from thee would not have a good savour but Christ the Angel would stand at the Altar with sweet incense intercepting thy sacrifices and prayers in their passage to heaven purge away the iniquities of thy holy things with his own blood perfume thy duties with his infinite merits and so present them to his Father in his own name without the least defilement and then O then how pleasing and acceptable must they needs be to him Revel 8.3 4. As when a Servant is with a Master upon liking he doth his business so coldly and carelesly and is so indifferent about it that his Master takes little notice either of him or his work and all that time is lost But when he is once bound and the Indentures sealed and his father engaged for his faithfulness the Apprentice falls to his work with another manner of spirit and the Master now esteems it as service carrieth himself towards him as a Master resolves to teach him his trade and his time every day goes on So whilst a man is unregenerate he serveth God so coldly hypocritically and carnally that God accepts it not nay loaths it his performances they are as the cutting off of a dogs neck or the offering up of swines
flesh it is lost service but when In dentures are sealed in Regeneration that the man is bound to God by an hearty dedication of himself to his service and Christ hath given a considerable sum with him and undertaken for his faithfulness then the foul fals to Gods business with hand and heart and God esteems it as service and resolves to teach him the trade of pleasing God on earth that he may be fit to do it in heaven All the Ordinances of God should be for thy good If thou wert but born again and alive spiritually thou shouldst find the Word Prayer Singing Sacraments Sabbaths communion of Saints to be both refreshing and nourishing food to thy soul though now thou canst relish them no more then the white of an egg and receive no more good from them then from a dry chip then they would be as pipes to convey the water of life to chear and satisfie thy thirsty spirit If thou wert a child weak in grace Ordinances would be milk to thee if a strong man they would be strong meat though thy spiritual strength were never so small thou shouldest find they would increase it The father of eternity would take care so to nurse and feed thee that thou shouldst thrive 1 Pet. 2.2 As the head doth by the organs of sinews or nerves convey the animal spirits into the whole body and with them both sence and motion so thy head Christ Jesus would by those organs of Ordinances convey spiritual life sense and motion to thee his member Thou mightest hear the Word with much spiritual hunger and that being thy sauce would make thee both fall to and relish thy food When thou shouldst hear Christ speaking to thee and opening the Scriptures thine heart would burn within thee and as mettal melted be ready for any mould which God would cast thee into The Precepts of the word would be a light to thy feet and a lanthorn to thy paths thou wouldst love them for their purity find them to be exceeding pleasant and turn thy feet into those ways of peace Thine heart would in part answer Gods holy Law as the Counterpain the original Deed and thou shouldst so behold the face of the Lord in the glass of his Word that thou shouldst be changed into his image from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.18 The threatnings of the word though they portend and speak dreadful thing as Nebuchadnezzars dream yet those fearful faithful dreams would belong to thine enemies and the interpretation of them to them that hate thee Those doleful threatnings of Gods wrath the delivering up of souls to go on in sin and the eternal torments of Hell like drones would buz about thine ears to keep thee wakeful but could not sting thee to make thee woful wert thou but alive in Christ thou shouldst be dead to the Law and all its curses Rom. 7.4 The promises would be precious also to thee if thou wert converted thou wouldst have the mouth of Faith with which thou shouldst suck much warm heart-cheering milk from those brests of consolation Isa 66.11 To thee the Promises would be encouragements to service the threatnings affrightments from sin the precepts directions to sanctity if thy heart were sorrowful the promises would enliven it if secure the threatnings would awaken it if full of doubts the precepts would counsel and advise it Of the Promises more in the next Head At a Sacrament Christ would sweetly feast thy soul bring thee into his Banqueting house and cause his Banner over thee to be love when others feed onely upon Elements thou shouldest feed on the Sacrament and finde his flesh to be meat indeed and his blood to be drink indeed when others stood at the door and are put off with some poor scraps as much as they came for thou shouldst be called in sit at his own table feasted with the fat things of his house drink of the rivers of his own pleasures continue under his shadow with great delight and know his fruit sweet unto thy taste when thou sawest with the eye of faith the board spred and richly furnished with variety of dainties all the Cordials and sweet-meats of the Gospel among the rest with that love which is better then wine thou shouldst hear a voice from the Spirit within thee Eat O Freind drink abundantly O Beloved which how ravishing it would be to thine ears and how refreshing to thine heart no tongue can tell O Reader hadst thou ever found at a Sacrament what it is to sup with Christ and Christ with thee thou wouldst scorn the life of an Emperor for the life of a new Creature In Prayer God and thy soul would sweetly converse together Thy petitions would ascend up to him and his righthand-kindnesses would descend on thee In this duty thou wouldst call turning his precepts into prayers and he would answer by turning his promises into performances Many many a blessing shouldst thou obtain kneeling This vessel would never return though somtimes it might seem to tarry long but richly laden The crop of Gods answer would be far greater then the seed of thy prayer out of which it grew The Prodigal desired but the liberty of a servant but the Father bestowed on him the dignity of a son the King asked life and thou gavest it him yea a length of days for ever and ever his glory is great in thy Salvation honour and majesty hast thou put upon him Ps 21.4 5. As a merchant in a morning will get Five hundred or a Thousand pound by a bargain truly thou shouldst by a duty in a morning or evening get thousands nay millions at a clap increase of grace a supply of thy spiritual wants the subduing of thy secret wickedness peace of conscience communion with God joy in the spirit which are more worth then the whole earth In brief Christ would be thy Shepherd feed thee in green pastures lead thee by the still waters and take care that thou be fat and flourishing As the root sendeth up its sap through the bark to all its living branches whereby they continue living and bring forth fruit so if thou wert but regenerated and a living branch thou shouldst derive the sap of grace through ordinances from Christ thy root whereby thou shouldst persevere in spiritual life and glorify God by bringing forth much fruit All the promises of God should be thy portion Reader thou art not able to conceive the unsearchable riches which are laid up in the promises Well may the Apostle call them exceeding great and precious promises 2 Pet. 1.4 The promises are the great Charter containing all the priviledges which were purchased by Christ like an apothecaries shop they are full of various salves for every sore of precious remedies for every malady of choice cordials to enliven thee with spiritual consolation in the saddest condition One promise is of unspeakable worth As every precious stone so every
wanting but it may be made up by this blessing If thou dost hearken unto the voyce of the Lord thy God blessed shalt thou be in the city and in the field blessed shall be the fruit of thy body and the fruit of thy ground and the fruit of thy cattel Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out and blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in Deut. 28.1 to 14. verse Thou wouldst be a blessing to thy neighbours as a conduite yield clear water for others comfort If they were prophane they might be brought to mind piety by thy precepts and pattern If they were good they would rejoyce at thy conversion to God and like Abraham make a feast at the weaning of thee a child of the promise from the breasts of the creatures Thou shouldst be blessed in thy name The memory of the just is blessed Prov. 10.7 Thy name would be heir to thy life as soon as ever thy nature were religious thy name would be reverend and when thou diest thou wouldst go out of this world like some sweet perfume leaving a fragrant savour behind thee O Reader how many sheets might I write in relating thy felicity How honourable shouldst thou be having blood royal running in thy veins and being heir apparent to a Kingdom of glory How rich having a key to Gods treasury and being interested in the covenant of grace which hath more wealth in it then heaven and earth How comfortable having the promises for thy cordials and being garrisond within with that peace of God which passeth all understanding How beautiful having the robes of the righteousness of God to adorn thee which is infinitely more comly then the unspotted innocency either of Adam or Angels The infinite God would be thy God blessed Angels thy guardians beautiful Saints thy companions durable riches thy portion the flesh of Christ thy food his own robes thy raiment and his own mansion house thine everlasting home Thou couldst not cast an eye but it would see matter of mirth nor send forth a thought but it would return with a report of mercy Whether thou lookest up to thy father in heaven and his glorious attendants there or lookest down to his creatures on earth and the signs of his manifold wisdom and mighty power here or whether thou lookest into conscience or Scriptures every thing all things would yeild thee cause of comfort and give thee occasion of inward exaltation In all conditions be they never so sad thy soul would be safe and thine everlasting estate secure The vails are incertain but the standing wages are certain What ballast is to a ship that regeneration would be to thy spirit If the vessel be sound and well ballasted though it may be tossed and rocked with windes and waves yet it shall not be ruined So if thine heart were stablished with grace thou shouldst be steady in the greatest storm nay though thou wert naked in deep waters in the mighty Sea yet Christ thine head being ever above water thou couldst not possibly sink When thou shouldst come to die and to throw thy last cast for Eternity thou mightest walk in the valley of the shadow of death and fear none ill for God would be with thee Psal 23. When pale-faced death knocks at the door of thine house of clay by the hand of some mortal sickness thou needst not be daunted at his grim looks but mightest boldly open to him and bid that Messenger heartily welcom as knowing that he comes from a God in Covenant to give thee a passage into fulness of joy and everlasting pleasures It s reported of Godfry Duke of Bulloign in his expedition to the Holy-Land that when his Army came within view of Jerusalem beholding the high Turrets and fair Fronts which were the skelitons of far more glorious bodies they were so transported with joy that they gave such a shout that the very earth was said to ring again How might thine heart leap with joy when thou upon thy death-bed shouldst with the eye of faith behold the stately Turrets and pearly gates of the New and Eternal Jerusalem Thou mightest contentedly leave thine earthly habitation for the Fathers house and joyfully bid adieu to thy corruptible silver and airy honors for an enduring substance and an eternal weight of glory How cheerfully mightest thou forsake thy meat and drink and all thy carnal comforts to eat bread in the Kingdom of Heaven and to bathe thy soul in angelical delights With what courage mightest thou bid farewel to thy stately dwelling dearest wife most lovely children all thy kindred and acquaintance to go to mount Sion and to the City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels to the general Assembly and Church of the first-born which are written in Heaven and to God the Judge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect to Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant Hebr. 12.22 23 24. Thou shouldst comfortably think of thy bodies being laid in the grave to sleep there till the morning of the Resurrection for that bed would be sweet to thee being perfumed with the precious body of thy Saviour for thee And with what joy mightest thou think of the day of Judgement when thy body should be awaken out of its sleep united to thy soul fashioned like unto the glorious body of Christ and both soul and body made perfectly blessed in the full enjoyment of God to all eternity O the felicity of the regenerate How blessed are they whom God chooseth and causeth by Regeneration to approach unto him Friend Friend Can the world do half this for thee Why then dost thou spend thy strength for what is not bread and thy labour for what will not satisfie Will not God do all this and much much more for thee Why then dost thou forsake the fountain of living waters and hew unto thy self broken cisterns that can hold no waters Ah didst thou but know the gift of God and who it is that offereth these things to thee thou wouldest ask of him and he would give thee living waters John 4.10 Reader what sayest thou to these things Is there not infinite reason why thou shouldst speedily give a Bill of divorce to thy most beloved lusts and strike an hearty Covenant with the Lord Jesus Art not thou fully convinced of the matchless gain of godliness Let conscience speak one would think such powerful arguments could not be denied that so many and such costly Loadstones should draw thee towards Heaven though thine heart were as hard as iron or steel If thou art for profit man here is profit indeed and to purpose Thus whilst thou continuest in this world thou shouldst be a blessed soul The Felicity of the Regenerate in the other World THough in what I have already offered in the Name of the blessed God I have unspeakably out-bid Devil World and Flesh yet to manifest
blood and confirmed by the death of the Testator Hebr. 9.16 17 18 19. The Lords Supper is precious because it sheweth forth the Lords blood and death 1 Cor. 11.26 pardon of sin peace of conscience the affection of the Father the sanctification of the Spirit are all precious because they are the fruits and effects of this precious blood 1 John 1. and 7. Rom. 5.1 Hebr. 9.14 Ephes 2.13 All our comforts run in this channel the blood of Christ is the stream which bears them up and brings them to us yea Heaven it self and the Crown of Glory have weight and worth from this precious sparkling stone Heaven is the purchased possession Ephes 1.14 'T is the blood of Jesus which giveth boldness to enter into that holy place Hebr. 10.19 The precious price paid for it will speak it and make it a glorious place If thou wert once regenerated Christ would be so precious to thee at this day that all things would be dung and dross in comparison of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus thy Lord to them that believe Christ is precious 1 Pet. 2.7 O the price which true Christians set upon Christ The wise Merchant sold all for this Pearl I have read that the Duke of Burgundy had a Jewel which was afterwards sold for twenty thousand duckets But Christ to a Saint is better then silver and more desirable then choice gold more precious then rubies yea then many millions of worlds When the Athenian Ladies were boasting to Phocion's wife of their Jewels she told them My jewels are my husband Phocion When Alexander was asked where his treasure was he shewed them his friends Such a Jewel such a Treasure is Jesus Christ in the esteem of his Spouse his Friends Christ is all in all The pious soul is of the same minde with John of Alexandria sirnamed the Almoner when at the years end he had given all he had left to the poor and made even with his Revenues he looks up to Heaven and thanked God that he had nothing left but his Lord and Master Jesus Christ to whom he longed to flye with unlimed and untangled wings The face of none is so comely to the Saints eye the voice of none so lovely to his ears the taste of nothing so pleasant in his mouth as Jesus Christ But the Christian hath a choice room in his soul for the blood of his Saviour He prizeth the shameful cross of Christ above the most glorious crown of the greatest earthly Potentate Gal. 6.14 Thus Friend it would be with thee here if thou wert conveted thou wouldst determine to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified O the honey which thou wouldst suck out of the Carkass the death of this Lion of the Tribe of Judah When thou shouldest consider that this blood of Jesus Christ is that alone which hath satissied Gods justice Rom. 3.25 Rom. 5.9 Col. 1.20 Heb. 9.14 Rev. 1.5 6. pacified his anger justified thy person sanctified thy nature removed the curse of the Law from thee and thee from the eternal wrath of God and unquenchable torments of Hell would it not be precious blood in thine esteem think of it what a price thou wouldst set upon it but when thou shouldst in Heaven for ever behold the blessed body of Christ shining with incomprehensible beauty far above the brightest Cherub and consider that every vein of that body bled to bring thee to glory when thou shouldst see thousands and millions in matchless and endless burnings from which thou wert delivered and behold thy body made far more glorious then the Sun in his high noon attire and thy soul filled brim-full with unspeakable joy nay every part of thy body and soul enlarged to the utmost and fully fatisfied with unconceiveable delight and thou shouldst be confident and assured to enjoy this for ever and know clearly all this to be the travel of Christs soul and the fruit of his blood Friend friend what thoughts then wilt thou have of the blood of Christ Surely 't will be precious blood indeed thou wouldst have other manner of thoughts of him that came by water and blood then thou ever hadst here below The work of our redemption will be the matter of the Saints communion and the great subject of their eternal admiration Their delivery from sin Satan wrath and hell into a state of liberty love grace and salvation by the blood of Jesus will fill their eyes and hearts with wonder love and joy for ever All the voices there shall sing this song and all the vials there shall be set to this tune Thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof for thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and nation and hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests And I beheld and I heard the voice of many Angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands saying with a loud voice Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and glory and blessing Rev. 5.9.10 11 12 to end If the Queen of Sheba when she beheld the wisdom and magnificence of Solomon was so transported that there remained no more spirit in her how will thine heart be transported to see the love and glory of the true Solomon who wept and bled and lived and died to bring thee to heaven Fourthly Thou shouldst know what God is and truly this would be no smal part of thy felicity Knowledge is the excellency of a man and differenceth him from a bruit divine knowledge is the excellency of a Christian and differenceth him from a Heathen The knowledge of humane things hath been so highly esteemed by some of the Heathen that they have profest they would give their whole estates to enjoy their books without interruption what then is the knowledge of divine things worth Aristotle saith That a little knowledge of heavenly things though but conjectural is better then much certain knowledge of earthly things what then is the knowledge of the God of heaven worth The excellency of the object doth much dignifie the act In this world thou canst see but little of him thy sight is so weak but there thou shouldst see him as he is 1 Joh. 3.3 Now the Christian rather seeth and knoweth God as he is not then as he is we describe him for indeed he is infinitely above all definitions by way of negation to be a Spirit Infinite Unchangeable and the like which particulars tell us what God is not He is a Spirit that is a being without a body for God is not a Spirit as the souls of men and as Angels are I mean not of such a substance The Spirit of God in that expression God is a Spirit Joh. 4. condescendeth to our capacities because we are not able to conceive
Martyrs he was earnest to know what it was which carried them through with so much courage One of them there being two and twenty at that time under the tormentors hands answered Eye hath not seen ear hath not heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive what God hath prepared for them that love him 1 Cor. 2.9 Upon the hearing of which words Adrian was converted and sealed the truth with his blood Thou hast heard much more concerning the happiness of the Saints in the other world then one verse of Scripture how art thou taken with it Doth the joy there nothing affect thine heart nor enlarge it in salleys out after it O that that joy that glory that house that eternal heaven were mine Doth it nothing resolve thee against sin and for Christ answer God in thy conscience Some write that forty one of Alexanders friends drunk themselves dead for a crown of gold of One hundred and eighty pound weight which the King had provided for them which drank most God offereth thee a crown of glory not corruptible as silver and gold are but eternal art not thou ashamed that those swaggerers should cursedly lose their lives and souls for a fading crown when thou wilt not leave thy lusts thy sins for an ever-flourishing crown of glory O man bethink thy self whilst thou hast time and do not as prophane Esau prefer thy mess of pottage before these spiritual priviledges and the eternal purchase Cleopatra the Egyptian Princess told Marcus Antonius when she saw him-spending his time vainly and meanly much below the quality of a Prince It is not for you to fish for Gudgeons or Trouts but for Towns and Cities and Castles and Kingdoms So say I to thee It is not for the to lie spending thy time and strength and beating thine head and heart for an hoard of dust or an heap of earth which shall shortly take its eternal leave of thee but for spiritual riches for durable riches and righteousness it 's not for thee to busie thy self about toyes and trifles but about the image of God the blood of Christ the Covenant of Grace the Kingdom 〈◊〉 Heaven the eternal weight of Glory O these are worthy of all thy thoughts and words and actions of all thy time and strength and health of all thy name and estate and interest whatsoever If thou att a rational creature Swinham Court of Wards and Liv. let reason prevail with thee and shew thy self a man of understanding It was the custom formerly in England to try one that was beg'd for a fool in this manner an apple or a counter with a piece of gold was set before him if he take the apple or the counter he is cast for a fool in the judgement of the Court as one that knoweth not the true value of things or how to make choyce of what was best for him Truly thus it is with thee God setteth before thee the counters and carnal comforts of this world the true gold and unutterable happiness of the other world nay he layeth before thee the eternal pains of hell and the eternal pleasures of Heaven to try which thou wilt take now if thou wilt take a poor portion below and leave the purchased possession above if thou wilt to abide in thy sensual lusts chuse the torments of hell and refuse by not submitting to the rule of Christ the joys of heaven art thou not a fool in grain surely the Devil will beg thee for a fool for ever therefore shew thy self wise by chusing that which is of greatest worth I call heaven and earth to record this day against thee that I have set before thee life and death blessing and cursing therefore chuse life that both thou and thy seed may live Deut. 30.19 The third Subject of Consideration The Excellency of Regeneration THirdly Consider the excellency of that which the Lord requireth of thee for the avoiding of that easeless endless misery of the damned and the attaining the unspeakable and unchangeable felicity of the saved Reader I pray thee speak to God in thine heart and tell him what is the reason thou art so willing to go to Hell and so unwilling to go to Heaven Sure I am as thou art a living creature much more as a rational man thou hast a natural inclination and propensity towards thine own good and felicity and therefore thou canst not love Hell directly as it is torturing and wracking of thy soul and body though thou dost love it eventually as 't is the end of thy fleshly ungodly life Well I le undertake for once to dive into thine heart and tell thee the reason of thy backwardness towards heaven and thy forwardness for hell The reason is this thou lookest on the power of godliness as distasteful to thy flesh or disgraceful to thy name the yoke of Christ is too strict t is not the end that displeaseth thee thou couldst contentedly be happy but t is the narrowness of the way and the straitness of the gate with which thou art dis-satisfied 't will not afford thee room enough for thy beloved lusts is it not so let conscience speak Well I hope by the help of God to make thee of another minde when thou hast throughly read this Head which I am now writing of It is the saying of Plato That if moral Philosphy could be seen with moral eyes it would draw all mens hearts after it Sure sure I am that if Regeneration or the Divine nature were seen with divine eyes 't would draw mens hearts and heads and hands and all after it All that ever struck at it did it in the dark They spake evil of things which they knew not Reader what is that which God requireth of thee Is it not to leave thy slavery to Satan thy bondage to sin and to accept and enjoy the glorious liberty of the Sons of God Is it not that thou shouldst be divorced from sin that mishapen monster and spawn of the Devil whose person is deformed whose company is defiling and whose portion is damnation and that thou shouldst be married to Jesus Christ the fairest of ten thousands the heir of all things who would adorn thee with the jewels of his graces beautifie thee with the Imbroydery of his Spirit wash thee with his own blood array thee with his own righteousness and present thee to his father without spot to be blessed in his full immediate enjoyment for ever Is it not that thou shouldst cease thy drudgery to Hells-Jaylor live above the perishing profits bruitish pleasures empty honors of the world and flesh and that thou shouldst walk after the Spirit walk with God warm thine heart at the flame of his love bathe thy soul in angelical delights have thy conversation in Heaven here and thy habitation there hereafter Is not this Man the sum and substance of what the Lord requireth of thee and art thou not shroudly hurt would not these
things exceedingly injure thee Is not God a hard Master to desire such things of thee Ah didst thou but know the worth of them hadst thou ever beheld their excellency or tasted the comforts which is in them thou wouldst scorn this lower world with all its pomp and pride and pleasures for them and befool thy self to purpose for ever refusing or neglecting them I shall endeavour in some few particulars to shew thee the worth and excellency of that to which thou art so unwilling and possibly thou mayest thereby be convinced of thy madness and folly in sticking at that which would be thine honour and felicity Pliny saith that an exact face can never be drawn but with much disadvantage Without doubt Regeneration or the new Creation can neither be admired nor declared by any no nor by all the Saints on earth according to its worth It is the beauty glory and wonder of Saints and Angels in Heaven First Regeneration is the image of God who is an infinite and most perfect good Vide p. 36 37. Here friend at first flight I soar high One would think if I should speak no more in commendation of it here is enough to ravish thine heart with admiring it for ever it is the picture of Gods own perfections Put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness Eph 4.24 As it is the same light that shineth forth in the morning which shineth in the body of the Sun in its Meridian so it s the same holiness that shineth in its degrees in the Christian which shineth in perfection in God Regeneration would make thee pure as God is pure Gods will is the rule and his nature the pattern of the Saints holiness Heb. 1.3 Rom. 8. The coin hath the image and impressions of the King Christ is the express image of his fathers person and the Saints are conformable to the image of his Son The Church is Christ unfolded Christ is not a monster Mr Ball of faith p. 285. the head and members are homogeneal like to each other By Reason man excelleth beasts by holiness he excelleth himself inferiour onely to the Angels in degree and made like unto the Lord as far as a creature may be to his creatour Now how excellent is the image of God! the picture of a King is esteemed and valued at an high rate but what is the picture of a God! Some say that the naked body of man was so glorious in his estate of innocency that all the beasts of the field admired it and thereupon did homage to him O how beautiful and glorious is his soul become by Regeneration the image of God that both Saints Angels and Jesus Christ are taken with it and wonder at it He that would not hear when the disciples were speaking and wondring at the buildings of the material temple but contemned it did both hear see and admire at one piece of this spiritual temple when Jesus heard the Centurions words he marvelled and said to them that followed him I have not found so great faith no not in Israel Mat. 8.10 15 and 28. Nay Christ is so taken with it that his heart is ravished and lost with it he he is behearted with it Cant. 4.9 10. It is observable that the blessed God after every days work in the creation of the world Gen. 1. takes a view of what he had made he saw it was good but when he had made man the sixth day after his own image and then took a review of his works and saw every thing that he had made behold it was very good or extream good So good that it caused delight and complacency in God and called for wonder and contemplation from man Behold it was very good no doubt but the making of man so noble and holy did above all the visible creatures so affect the heart of God that he liked the house much the better because of so rare an inhabitant which he had made to dwell in it Therefore when he had made man he made no more man being so fair a peice such curious workmanship that the infinite God resolved to rest and delight in him So when he createth a soul in Christ Jesus unto good works Eph. 2.10 he rejoyceth over his new workmanship with exceeding joy and resteth in his love Eph. 3.17 But when he shall finish his new creation for he will print mans holiness in the second edition in a larger letter and fairer character then it was at first and bring it forth in the other world t will infinitely surpass the stately fabrick of heaven and earth And O how how will it take not onely perfect spirits but even the God of the spirits of all flesh Friend can that be less then eminently excellent which doth thus ravish the heart of God himself with admiration at it and affection to it Would this tend to thy dishonour or disadvantage to be made like unto him who is the foundation and ocean of all excellencies and perfections Secondly Contraria â—uxta se pâ—sita magis cluces cunt Regeneration is the destruction of sin the greatest evil therefore it must needs be excellent Contraries put together will illustrate one another the baseness and loathsomness of sin will be a good foil to set off the beauty and loveliness of Grace For which cause I shall speak the more to the filthiness of sin For as the better any good is the more excellent it is to be full of it So the worse any evil is the more excellent it is to be free from it Besides dying to sin being one essential part of Regeneration I shall not at all digress Now Sin is the greatest evil in the world there was none like it before it nor ever shall be after it This Brat of the Devil is so vile and abominable that it is very hard to finde out a name futable to its ugly nature Those terms by which it is called of leprofie spot plague vomit mire scum ulcers issues dead carkass exhalation from a grave the vessel into which nature emptieth it self filthiness superfluity of naughtiness the pollution of a new born Infant and many more these all come far short of shewing the poysonous evil which is in sin Therefore the Apostle when he christens this child of disobedience calls it by its sirname That sin by the commandment might appear exceeding sinful Rom. 7.13 The Apostle there doth discharge the Law and charge all upon his own lust which by the commandment takes occasion as water at a bridge that stops and hinders it to rage the more or possibly as a foul face by a glass so sin by the commandment appeared to be exceeding sinful Mark the Apostle doth not say that sin by the glass of the Law appeared to be exceeding foul and filthy or exceeding deformed and ugly or exceeding hellish or devilish but exceeding sinful this includes all them and much more
all that would partake of Gospel-priviledges It is necessary in regard of the purpose of God Elect according to the fore knowledge of God through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.2 Though God did not choose men because they were holy yet he chose men to be holy though he appointed not men to be saved because they were Saints yet he appointed men to be Saints and then to be saved It is necessary in regard of the passion of Christ he died for sin that men might die to sin he laid down his life that men might lay down their lusts his passion is a City of Refuge to the Penitent not a sactuary to the presumptuous God intended it to help men out of not to hold them in the mire of sin He is the Author of eternal salvation to them that obey him Hebr. 5.9 He died because men were sinners but he died that men might be Saints He suffered the just for the unjust to bring us to God 1 Pet. 3.18 Now man and God can never be brought together till the emnity which is in the heart of man against God be removed If ever thou have Christ for thy Priest to satisfie Gods Justice for thy sins it is absolutely necessary that thou accept him for thy Prince to subdue thee to his service Had Christ come to procure man a pardon Gur. Arm. â—par â—17 and not to restore his lost holiness he had been a minister of sin and instead of bringing glory to God he had set sin in the throne and onely obtained a liberty for the creature to dishonour God without controle Again saith the same accurate writer In vain do men think to shroud themselves under Christs wings from the hue and cry of their accusing consciences while wickedness finds a sanctuary in them Christ was sent from God not to secure men in but to save men from their sins It is necessary in regard of the promises of God Thus saith the Lord of hosts turn to me saith the Lord of hosts and I will turn to you saith the Lord of hosts Zach. 1.3 Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you Jam. 4.8 If ever God draw nigh to thee in mercy thou must draw nigh to him in duty He that shall have the reward must do the work The precepts of God must be written on the heart otherwise the promises of God shall never fall down on thine head Isa 1.16 17 and 55.7 1 King 8.35 Prov. 28.13 Blessed are the pure in spirit for they shall see God Matth. 5.8 'T is the pure heart alone that hath the assurance of the pure heaven Thou seest now I hope clearly the absolute necessity of Regeneration what therefore canst thou think to do without it O ponder this again and again that there is no escape no evasion God will not vary from his Law Thy dying to sin is necessary sin must die or thy soul cannot live If ye live after the the flesh ye shall die but if ye through the spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Rom. 8.13 6. Gal. 6.6 7. Surely thou canst not think that Heaven will be a stye for swine or a kennel for dogs that feed on filth and carrion Believe it if any iniquity be let go thy life must go for its life The Jaylors paid dear for letting Peter escape Act. 12. Herod commanded them to be put to death Truly so dear must thou pay for the escape of sin 't wil bring the second death even eternal death upon thee be thy sin as near and as dear as Isaac it must be sacrificed be it never so small it must not be spared Cesar was stab'd with bodkins I have somewhere read that a man and a Crocodile never meet but one dieth 'T is certain sin and the soul never meet but one dieth if sin live the soul dieth if sin die the soul liveth there is no parting stakes or retreating upon equal terms Maurice of Newport told his Souldiers when he had sent away his boates that there was no flying the Spaniards being before them and the Sea behinde them Either ye must eat up and destroy those Spaniards or drink up this ocean Friend such is thy case either thou must destroy thy sins or drink up the bottomless ocean of the Lords wrath Answer me seriously thou wilt say thou dost not love such a man so well as to be hangd for him Dost thou love sin so well as to be damned for it Dost thou love thy Drunkenness and Swearing and Uncleanness and scoffing at Godliness so well as to burn eternally in hell for them Dost thou love thy pride and worldliness and lustful thoughts and Atheisme and carnall mindedness so well as to be tormented day and night for ever and ever for them A very Coward will fight when he must either kill or be killed Willt not thou fight manfully when sin will kill thee if it be not killed by thee Ahab out of foolish pitie gave Benhadad his life when he ought to have slain him but the requital which Benhadad made was to kill Ahab 1 King cap. ult v. 31 34. such a requital sin will make thee if thou favour it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the masculine article sheweâ—h that it s to be referred to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mr. Manton on â—ude p. 38. Follow after peace and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12.14 Observe how peremptory God is in that place that without holiness no man shall see God It is not said that without peace no man shall see God but without holiness no man shall see God Peace may be broken in the quarrel of truth and holiness and yet for all that a man may see God Jeremiah was a man of contention and yet a man for the beatifical vision but they that are not holy cannot see God A pure eye onely can see a pure God As the eye which hath dust in it without or thick vapours stopping the nerves within cannot see except it be cleansed from the one and purged from the other So a man the eye of whose mind is clouded with the mist of sin cannot behold God till he be cleansed The Christians happiness in heaven consisteth in such a vision of God as shall make him like God 1 John 3.2 but a dusky glass cannot represent an image When the Sun of righteousness shall shine upon a pure Christal glass a clean unspotted soul t will cause a glorious reflection indeed To wind up this fourth subject of consideration Reader Affaires of absolute indispensable necessity should like weighty things make a deep impression upon thy spirit Urge thy soul often with this that of all things in the world regeneration is the one thing necessary Let conscience press it on thee I must be converted or condemned here is the word of the living God for it and such a word
creature hath his understanding darkened he walketh in the way of the flesh and the world and believeth that to be the right way to happiness but when the spirit of God enlightneth the mind the man seeth that he was exceedingly mistaken begins to wonder at his own folly and wickedness to abhor himself and change his course I will bring the blind by a way which they knew not Isa 42.16 17. I will lead them in paths that they have not known I will make darkness light before them then what followeth they shall be turned back they shall be greatly ashamed Till the understanding of a man be enlightened to see the deformity of sin and the beauty of holiness he will never heartily loath and grief for the former love and long for the latter As it is in some hot climates though the Sun shine very hot there yet when there is no entrance for it into mens houses t will not scorch or heat the inhabitants sin is of a scorching nature but when the understanding which is the window into the house is kept shut that it can have no entrance into the heart no wonder if the sinner feel no pain God hath made the same organ for seeing and weeping T is the eye of knowledg which affects the heart Zach. 12.10 They shall see him whom they have pierced and mourn sight of sin doth precede sorrow for sin as soon as ever the infant cometh into the light it cryeth though all the time it was in the dark prison of the mothers womb it was quiet Secondly Ioh. 16.9 10. the second step which the spirit takes is conviction to convince the sinner The sun which did before enlighten his mind doth now slide down with its heating and scorching beams into the conscience That knowledge which the sinner had of his sins before was speculative but now becomes practical making sin like a lump of lead upon tender flesh that the conscience is exceeding press'd and oppress'd with it Conviction is the application of the nature of sin and danger of sinners to himself in particular which before he knew in the general as in the twilight before the Sun ariseth a man may see abroad but he cannot see in his own house but when the Sun ariseth a man can see both abroad and at home within his own doors So before the Spirit approacheth the soul in a way of conviction the sinner could see abroad he knew that the soul that sinneth must die that they which do such and such things cannot inherit the Kingdom of God he knew these things in the general but he could not see in his own house in his own heart that he himself was a great sinner a dead a damned creature for though he would in his prayers acknowledge that he had broken the Law and was thereby liable to the wrath of the Lord yet he did it but customarily and formally not beleeving what he spake for should another man come to him and tell him O Friend you daily provoke God and are every hour in danger of hell he would flye in his face and tell others that he was a very uncharitable man and all because the sinner could not see in his own house but when the Sun of righteousness ariseth the sinner can see within as well as without doors he seeth the hainous nature of his own sins and the grievous danger of his own soul The Spirit of God convinceth the sinner of four things First the Spirit convinceth him of his great and innumerable corruptions The man before knew in the general that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God and would confess himself a sinner formally and slightly but now he feels himself a sinner and finds experimentally that he is a polluted poisoned creature The Spirit of God holdeth the glass of the law before the eyes of his soul and makes him whether he will or no see what dirt and deformity is in the face of his heart and life Without the law there is no transgression and without the knowledge of the law there will be no conviction As one of the persecutors in the days of Queen Mary searching an house for a Protestant askd an old woman in the house Where is the Heretick she points to a Chest of linnen upon which stood a looking-glass and bid him look there and he should see him he lookt there and still asked Where is he She meant that he himself was the Heretick and in the glass he might see himself So before the Holy Ghost came to convince this sinner if the minister at any time had preached against pride unbelief carnal-mindedness hypocrisie and the like his voice was Where are these men Surely the Minister meets with such and such in his Sermon but now the spirit in his conscience speaketh to him what Nathan did to David Thou art the man Thou art the proud carnal hypocritical cursed sinner which the word of God meaneth the man cannot deny it The Holy Ghost puls off his rags and plaisters and makes him see all his nakedness and sores it lanceth his wounds before his eyes and now he beholdeth the venemous matter and corruption which is in them that he little thought of before Formerly he esteemd himself to be sound comparing himself with them that were worse or not minding the inward meaning and extent of the law of God but now by the law the spirit brings him to the knowledg of sin Rom. 7.7 It sheweth him the depravation of his nature how full it is of pollution even as full as ever toad was of poison how empty it is of all good nay what an enemy it is to God and godliness it sheweth him the abominations of his heart how the imaginat on s and thoughts of his heart have been evil onely evil and that continually the provocations of his life how full that hath been of lusts and sins even as the firmament of stars it sheweth him the evil of his thoughts of his words of his deeds his omissions in his closet in his family his commissions abroad at home it sheweth him his idolatry in setting up Self as his God in bowing down to it and worshiping it his adultery in going a whoring after the creatures loving fearing and trusting them more then the creatour who is blessed for ever It sheweth him how he hath dishonoured the name of God grieved the spirit of God undervalued the Son of God violated every command of God how he hath sinned against the first command in not worshipping and glorifying God as the only true God and as his God and in giving that honour to others which is due to him alone against the second in not worshiping God according to the word but according to the traditions of others or his own inventions against the third in not reverencing the name word and works of God against the fourth in not sanctifying the Sabbath to Gods service but
then they needed to do of his justifying himself in his transgressions and taking part with Satan against his own soul he crieth Guilty Guilty when such Bills of indictment are read against him but every word in them is a deep wound to him the wolf in the brest and worms in the belly do not cause half that pain which his wickedness doth by gnawing in his conscience Tell him of the Gospel how infinitely merciful God is and how inconceivably meritorious Christ is and how freely the glad tidings of the Gospel are offered to all O this toucheth him to the quick the sword of the Gospel cuts him more to the heart then the sword of the Law O saith he This this is my death were it not for this I should have some hopes of life but alas I have abused mercy which is the only friend I have left I have despised Christ and neglected the great salvation which was tendred to me in the Gospel Vile creature that I am Mercy Love and Grace came many a time woing me how did Jesus Christ himself with pardon and life come beseeching me begging of me to open my heart and let him in and yet cursed wretch that I was I denied him when the world could lie warm in my bosom all night and sin get a good room in my soul yet my Saviour must stand without and not be thought worthy to be let in I have most unworthily spurned against his bowels of compassion scorned his sweetest and most affectionate perswasions most desperately refused the only means of my recovery and therefore I what shall I do whether shall I go If one man sin against another the judge shall judge him 1 Sam. 2.25 but if a man sin against the Lord who shall entreat for him If I had sinned only against my Creator my Redeemer might have satisfied for me but I wretched I have sinned against my Redeemer and therefore who shall intreat for me O the frights and fears the horrors and terrors which this poor creature suffereth under the sight and sence of his sins and guilt but the fore-thoughts of an everlasting miscarriage in the other world sinks him quite down that he is able to hold up no longer Thus the Spirit first plougheth up the fallow-ground of the heart before he casteth into it the seed of grace he first captivates the sinner and brings him into a spiritual dungeon under chains of guilt and horror that the very irons enter into his soul before he proclaimeth liberty to the captive Isa 61.1 2. and the opening of the prison to them that are bound Some indeed are brought lower then others with legal terror but surely not a few have sailed to Heaven by the very gates of Hell God is resolved that men shall feel sin either here or hereafter Thirdly The Spirit convinceth him of the impotency and weakness of all the things in the world to help him that in the whole garden of Nature there is never an herb which can make a salve to heal his wounded conscience Now the sinner is scorched with the heat of Gods wrath he is like a man in a burning feaver full of pain and he tumbleth and tosseth from one side of the bed to the other trying and hoping for ease he goeth to this carnal comfort or that humane help to have his pain abated and his sores cured but none of them will do as fast as he claps on those carnal plaisters the Spirit causeth his conscience to rub them off It may be first the man useth forreign drugs he being troubled in conscience goeth with Cain to the building of Cities to earthly imployments that the noise of the hammers might drown the voice of conscience that his minde and body being occupied about other things conscience might have no time nor leasure to proceed in preaching its cutting Lectures or else like Saul he runneth to his musick to carnal contentments to merry meetings jovial companions his preferment or pleasures in the world or some carnal diversion if it be possible to turn the water of his thoughts into another channel and so to keep that mill from going which makes such a clacking dreadful noise in his ears and threatneth to grind him to powder Thus sinfully foolish is man as soon as ever a fire is kindled in his soul which would aspire to heaven he runneth with his buckets to earthly springs and fetcheth water thence to quench it the throws of the new birth do no sooner come upon him but he like some simple women takes cooling things which cause his labour to go back again But the Holy Ghost for I am now speaking of one in whom the Spirit goeth through with the work makes all these things empty to him the vertue of those poor cordials is soon spent and now the man is as sick as before Conscience for all these interruptions still followeth him with its Hue and Cry by a warrant from Heaven for the breach of Gods Statutes that the sinner can house nowhere in any of these worldly comforts but conscience is at his heels raising the Town upon him and giveth him no rest the man finds this physick but like hot water to one in a cold fit of an ague which warms a little at present but makes his hot fit the more violent When the sinner findes that his exotical drugs will not cure him he will try in the next place Kitchin physick he will be his own both Doctor and Apothecary he hopeth that his praying and grieving and trouble of minde and resolution to be better will satisfie Gods justice and pacifie his own conscience and heal it throughly O how the man endeavors to lick himself whole man is a proud creature unwilling to beg or borrow of his neighbors very solicitous rather to make a poor shift with what he hath of his own The Mariners will row hard in a storm to get to shore by their own power before they will awake Jesus with Save us Master or we perish But the Spirit convinceth him of the insufficiency of all his prayers and tears and duties to appease God or satisfie his Law the Spirit sheweth him the narrowness and shortness of all his rags how they cannot possibly cover his nakedness conscience telleth him that by his very duties he is so far from paying his old score that he runneth further in debt Alas saith Conscience thy very duties may damn thee He who is of purer eyes then to behold iniquity seeth a thousand holes in thy best coat the holy God seeth sins enough in them to send thee into Hell for them Canst thou poor begger with thy counterfeit farthings think to pay an infinite sum Can thy poor finite performances satisfie infinite Justice for the violation of his righteous precepts And for thy resolutions of better obedience canst thou think that future obedience can satisfie for former disobedience No though thou couldst offer thousands of rams and ten
thousands of rivers of oil nay though the first-born of thy body all these could no be a propitiation for one of the least sins of thy soul no no the redemption of a soul is more precious for all these it must cease for ever Thus God ferrits the sinner out of all his Borows and causeth the poor Prodigal while he is wandring from his Father to finde a famine in all the creatures As a General that besiegeth a City doth not onely play in upon it with his Cannons and Granadoes but also secure the several passages stop all provision that no relief can come to it then they will yeild upon his terms So when the Spirit besiegeth the soul it often plyeth it hard with the batteries of the Law and alwayes stoppeth relief from coming in either from the world or a mans own righteousness and then and not till then will the creature yeild upon the terms of the Gospel Fourthly The Spirit convinceth him of the willingness sutableness and al-sufficiency of Jesus Christ to help and heal him The sinner now in his burning fit is very thirsty like Hagar he sits weeping for his bottels are empty and his creature comforts are found by experience to be broken cisterns which can hold no water he knoweth not what to do how can I see the death of my soul thinks he When the sinner is brought to this strait the spirit of God openeth his eyes to see a well of salvation even Jesus who delivereth from the wrath to come The spirit discovereth to the sinner that though his wound be dangerous because the God whom he hath provoked is resolved either to have his law satisfied or his eternal wrath endured yet that it is not desperate for there is Balm in Gilead and a Physitian in Israel that can heal his soul It convinceth him that Christ is a sutable help bread to the hungry water to the thirsty rest to the weary and heavy-laden that he hath a precious salve made of his own blood which is a proper and pecular remedy for his sores It convinceth him that Christ is an alsufficient help that he can supply all the souls wants be they never so many and bear all the souls iniquities be they never so weighty that he is able to save to the uttermost those that come unto God by him Heb. 7.25 It presenteth to the soul his fitness and fulness in regard of his natures and offices and the impossibility of his being unfaithful to this great work of saving poor sinners for which he came into the world It sheweth the sinner the infiniteness of Christs merits and his omnipotency to help because he is God the examples of other wounded diseased persons who surrendred themselves to the care of this Physitian and were cured He shall convince the world of righteousness because I go to the father and ye see me no more John 16.9 10. That is the world shall be convinced that there is righteousness enough in me to satisfy both the law and law-giver in that I shall appeare in my fathers presence and that with acceptance he would not send an Angel as his officer to roll away the stone and release the surety out of prison the grave and bring him before the Judge with so much credit and countenance if the law were not satisfied and the debt fully discharged Heaven could never have held me ye would have seen me upon earth again if I had not done that work perfectly which the Father gave me to do He shall convince the world of righteousness because I go to the father It convinceth him that Jesus Christ is exceeding willing to save poor sinners that he is joyful that any will accept him for their Saviour that he came from heaven to earth was born meanly lived miserably and died shamefully meerly upon this errand that he might seek and save them that are lost that he inviteth him to come to him and promiseth that he shall be welcom that he calleth them that go from him but casteth away none that come to him Thus when the prodigal is in a far country and cannot fill his belly so much as with husks that he is ready to perish for hunger he is shewd and convinced that there is bread enough in his Fathers house When the sinner is like the Israelite in the wilderness beholding the curse of the law like the Egyptian behind him and pursuing him hard the red sea of divine wrath before him into which he is hastening his crimson and bloody sins like mountains on each side of him incompassing him round that he knoweth not what to do then the spirit biddeth him look up to Jesus and he shall see the salvation of God The third step which the spirit takes is anhelation to cause the soul of the convinced sinner to breath and pant after Jesus Christ breath is the first effect of life Conviction hath emptied his stomach of creature confidence and self righteousness made him poor in spirit and O how hungry he is after the righteousness of Jesus Christ the bread which came down from heaven As the thirsty ground cleaves and opens for drops as the heart panteth after the water brooks so panteth his soul after Jesus Christ God blessed for ever thinks he O when shall I come and appear before him His voice is like Rachel Give me children or I die Give me the holy child Jesus or I die or like Abraham Lord what wilt thou give me if I go childless Ioh. 12.21 O what wilt thou give me if I go Christiess or like the Jews to Philip Sir we would fain see Jesus Mat. 28.5 If the Angel should meet him he might bespeake the soul as he did the woman I know what thou seekest thou seekest Jesus which was crucified O the ardent desires the vehement longings the unutterable groans which this poor creature hath after his Saviour as David he cryeth out Who will give me to drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem Where is that blessed guide that can leade me and help me to drink of the water of life Methinks I see how Jesus Christ presents himself to the eye of the dejected souls understanding in all his glory and gallantry in his sutableness unto the sinners indigencies and sufficiency for all his necessities with the freeness of his mercy the fullness of his merits and the sweetness of his love how he appeares before the soul with all his retinue and train of graces comforts his blood his spirit the favour of God freedom from sin wrath hell on the one hand of him there stand his gracious promises of pardon peace adoption sanctification heart-chearing love and everlasting life On the other hand of him there stands his precious precepts of self denyal crucifying the flesh walking after the Spirit despising the sensual pleasures honours and profits of this world and delighting in God walking with him having the conversation in heaven and rejoycing
I mean improve opportunities for the good of thine outward estate when the heavens offer thee their help then thou wilt cut thy corn or hay and make it and carry it in For thy soul sake do not neglect the Spirit when he offereth thee his help for a spiritual harvest when the Holy Ghost moveth like the Angel upon the waters then at that nick of time if thou steppest down art pliable to its motions thou mayst be healed The Spirit of God is a tender thing saith one grieve it once and you may drive it away for ever Grieve not the Spirit Ephes 4.30 much less quench it least of all resist it Masters of a calling will not be check'd 1 Thes 5.19 Acts 7.51 The Client by losing a term hath lost his Suit Saul by losing his opportunity lost a Kingdom 1 Sam. 10.9 13. Reader the way to lose the Kingdom of Heaven is to neglect and slight the motions of the Spirit the onely opportunity for thy Salvation For thine help herein I shall direct thee how to demean thy self towards the Spirit when he maketh his addresses unto thy soul for thy regeneration and quickening in which I shall take thee as indeed thou art in thine unregenerate estate for a patient dangerously sick yea unto death eternal though thou thinkest thy self whole and the Spirit of God as he is for a skilful able and compassionate Physitian First I supose that this tender Physitian beholding thee very sick notwithstanding thy conceit that thou art well enough and daily increasing thy distemper doth come to thee and acquaint thee that thou art a diseased person and that unless thou forbearest such and such sins such and such things which feed thy disease thou wilt make thy condition which is already dangerous to be desperate and incurable I mean the Holy Ghost enlighteneth thy mind to lee and convinceth thy conscience of thy sins and misery that whereas before thou thoughtst that thou wast rich and increased with goods and hadst need of nothing yet now thou seest that thou art wretched Rev. 3 1â— and miserable and poor and blind and naked and that such and such courses which thou takest will unavoidably tend to thy ruine Possibly thou art one accustomed to wicked company to the Ale-house to deal unrighteously in thy particular calling to lay aside praying hearing reading and the like duties now the Spirit of God in thy conscience moveth thee to lay down these ungodly customs which thou hast taken up and to take up these duties and performances which thou hast laid down and convinceth thee by the word that this is the will of God O now Friend look to thy self that thou dost not sin against this light nor play by that candle which the Spirit of God sets up for thee to work by If thou hadst a guest of any quality in thine house and shouldst burn things of an ill savour in his chamber which thou knewest he hated or shouldst fill the room wherein he lodgeth with filth and uncleanness wouldst thou not provoke him to speed away in a distast and to resolve against ever coming at thine house again I must tell thee that shouldst thou go on in the commission of those iniquities and neglect of those duties which the Spirit convinceth thee of it would be far more distastful to the Spirit of God then all the forementioned uncivil usage could be to an Emperour The Holy Ghost is compared to fire Act. 2. as the word quenching implyeth Now how is fire quenched and put out both by throwing water on it and by taking away the wood from it Shouldst thou notwithstanding its checks and convictions continue in any way of open wickedness thou throwest water upon it and shouldst thou omit those holy duties thou withdrawest fuel from it and therefore be confident the fire will be quencht and go out By sinning against these convictions and light thou art a profest defier and darer of him and maist confidently expect that he should give thee up to judiciary inward darkness which is but the forerunner of utter darkness Rom. 1.20 21 22. Jam. 3. ult Pro. 5.11 12 13. John 9.41 If thou improvest that little stock of help which the Holy Ghost affordeth thee well thou may hope that thy master will trust thee with more every act of obedience fitteth for greater obedience but if thou squanderest that away prodigally by sinning against it thou mayst look for no more Dear friend be tender of the first motions of the Spirit thou sittest cold and frozen in thy natural estate now as ever thou wouldst have a good fire to melt thee kindly to thaw thee throughly to warm thy heart eternally make much of those sparks As thou desirest a spiritual flame which may ascend to heaven take heed lest by presumptuous sins thou blowest out those sparks As the best way to quench the fiery darts of the Devil that evil spirit is to reject them to disobey them in the first motions when the Devil first kindleth them then throw water on them then detest them and that fire of Hell will be quencht So the readiest way to quench the fiery darts of the good spirit is to slight the first motions of it if thou strive against these first motions of him he may never strive with thee more Gen 6.3 It may be thou art a drunken wretch an unclean person a scoffer at godliness a swearer a lyar a cheater by false weights or measures or the like and the Spirit of God whispereth thee in the eare Man dost thou know what thou dost thou art in a lost estate in a damnable condition Turn at my reproof saith God and I will pour my Spirit upon thee Pro. 1.23 Forbear such sins and I will assist thee for the recovery of thy soul O now look to thy self venture by no means upon the forbidden fruit I have read of one that being troubled with sore eyes asked a Physitians advice The Physitian told him that if he did not forbear his drunken intemperate courses he would lose his sight Vale lumen amiâ—um He makes no more of it but presently crieth out Farwell sweet sight farwell sweet sight He was resolved to lose his sight rather then leave his sin Thou art diseased the tender Physitian cometh to thee without sending for and giveth thee his blessed counsel without asking and t is this that thou must forbear thy lewd sinful ways or else thou wilt lose thy soul thy Saviour thy God thine happiness for ever Now wilt thou by continuing in such courses and rejecting his first counsel say Farewel pretious soul Farwel dearest Saviour Farwel blessed God Farwel glorious Angels Farwel perfect Spirits Farwel fulness of joy Rivers of pleasures Farwel to you all I and farwel for ever Take heed what thou dost with these first motions of the Spirit lest he take of thee his last leave and bid thee farwel for ever When a noble person should come to
thy self under the rotten house of thy own righteousness for be confident 't will fall about thine ears and thou like Zimri will perish in it The Law of man denieth allowance from the Parish to them that have any thing of their own to subsist by and the Gospel of God denieth allowance from the righteousness of Christ to all them that have of their own for their maintenance Do not think to piece thy rags up with Christs robes for it will not be allowed go to Jesus Christ stark naked for his glorious raiment altogether poor for his precious riches there is a necessity of being found wholly in him or wholly out of him there is no medium The Hare which being pursued trusteth to her own legs is torn in pieces by the Dogs when the Coney that runneth to the holes of the rock is safe The man that pursued by the Law leaneth on his own sanctity loseth his own soul when he that fleeth to the wounds of a crucified Christ is sure to be saved Behold saith God I lay in Sion for a foundation a stone a tried stone Isa 28.16 1 Pet. 2.6 a precious corner-stone a sure foundation He that believeth on him shall not be confounded As I would have thee careful that thou carry nothing to Christ so also that thou keep nothing from Christ When Israel went out of Egypt to serve God there was not a hoof to be left behinde There must be no reservation no exception but an absolute hearty dedication of thy self and all thou hast unto Jesus Christ if thou halfest or haltest now thou art an undone man As Samuel asked Jesse Are all thy sons here and denied to sit down and feast with him till all were present so truly Christ will deny to close with thy soul to sit down and sup with thee unless all thou hast be present and unfeignedly devoted to his service But in a special manner be careful that no sin be kept from the stroke of Christ As when Paul came to Ephesus the whole City was in an uproar so now the Lord Jesus is coming into thine heart there will be old stir among thy corruptions how strongly will they plead if not for their formes open allowance yet at least for a secret inward connivance little dost thou think how busie Satan will be for a writ of partition that since he cannot prevail for all thy heart that yet he may be admitted an equal sharer with Christ he will tell thee but remember that he was a Liar from the beginning that thou mayst keep thy sins and thy Saviour too that Christ is not so strict but that for a fair agreement he will allow somewhat to the flesh But I beseech thee not to think of any League with the least of thy lusts Surely if thou seest any loveliness in Christ thou canst not but judge every sin loathsom besides he were a poor Saviour if he could not make thee amends for thy parting with the most pleasureable or profitable sin Who would think that thou like David shouldst plead for Absolom for sin when it seeks to bereave thee of thy crown and life Truly shouldst thou gratify Satan so far as to hide any wedg of gold or Babylonish garment any one lust I must tell thee that one be it never so small would like a little boy put in at a casement open the door of thine heart for many theevish lusts and great ones too to enter in If thou allow the old Serpent but room for his head he will quickly wind in his whole body Sir Francis Drake being in a dangerous storm upon the Thames was heard to say Must I who have escaped the rage of the Ocean be drowned in a ditch Surely thou mayst so far comply with Christ as to take thy leave of scandalous enormities yet if thou reservest favourable thoughts towards any secret iniquity thou destroyest thy self And it will be all one whether thou art slain by a small Pistol or by a great Cannon Corruption may close with religion a great way saith a Divine and hear gladly and do many things Dr. Reynolds on Hos 14. ser 7. but there is a particular point of strictness in every unregenerate mans case which when it is set on close to him causeth him to be offended and stumble as in the young man and Herod This is the difference between hypocritical and sincere conversion That goeth far and parts with much and proceeds to almost but when it comes to the turning point and ultimate act of regenerate he then plays the part of an unwise son and stays in the place of the breaking forth of children as a foolish Merchant that in a rich bargain of a thousand pound breaks off upon a difference of twenty shillings but the other is content to part with all and to suffer the loss of all to carry on the treaty to a full and final conclusion to have all the armour of the strong man taken from him that Christ may divide the spoiles Reader thou knowest upon what terms thou mayst contract a bargain with Christ for the saving of thy soul that thou must not think to have him for thy Saviour unless thou wilt accept him for thy Lord also As Boaz told his kinsman that if he would enjoy the inheritance of Ebimelech he must have Ruth the Moabitess to be his wife so say I to thee if thou wilt have the inheritance the portion of Jesus Christ thou must have his person for thy husband and resign thy self to be ruled by his precepts The Jews that stayed themselves upon the God of Israel and yet continued rebellious were more bold then welcom Isa 48.1 2. Now thou art come thus far do not go back and to save a pin lose a Kingdom Thou mayst be confident that nothing can ever be enjoined thee by Christ but what is reasonable and honourable tending to thy real and eternal good as well as his own glory therefore now the Master is come and calleth for thee do thou answer Lo I come to do thy will O my God thy law is in the midst of my heart Friend if the Spirit of God hath been so favourable to thee as to kindle such motions as I have mentioned within thee for the Lords sake cherish them obey them lest thy quenching the Spirit bring thee to that fire which can never be quencht To day if thou wilt hear his voice harden not thine heart lest he swear in his wrath that thou shalt never enter into his rest The third help to Regeneration A serious constant use of all the means of grace which God hath appointed for the renewing of souls with an expectation of a blessing from God THirdly if thou wouldst be Regenerated Be serious and constant in the use of all the means of grace which God hath appointed for the begetting souls unto Christ with looking unto God for a blessing Reader Observe five particulars in this third help to
Regeneration First Vse and attend on the means of grace The ordinances of God are the Marts and Faires whereat Christians must trade for grace At them thou mayst buy spiritual commodities without money and without price The ever blessed God hath upon a twofold account enjoyned the use of his ordinances partly out of soveraignty over us that we might thereby acknowledg that homage and fealty which we owe to his Majesty Partly out of mercy to us that we might therein receive of his Spirit and grace By our attendance on ordinances as by a pepper-corn for all that we can do is very little we acknowledg of whom we hold and to whom we are bound and also they are the door at which God giveth his gracious doles The manna of the spirit doth usually fall down in the dews of ordinances Thou hast Gods command for thy warrant Mat. 7.7 8. Isa 55.1 2 3 5. and his promise for thy motive In all places where I record my name there I will come and will bless thee Exod. 20.24 And if thou wouldst know what blessing what alms God giveth at those places There the Lord commandeth his blessing even life for evermore Psal 133.3 God giveth not such blessings anywhere as there there are the mercies of the Throne pardon love peace conversion increase of grace joy in the Holy Ghost the kidneys of the wheat the finest of the flowre and the honey out of the rock of mercy It is said of Constantine that he impoverished all his Empire to enrich Constantinople God doth pass by other parts of the world as waste ground or as a wilderness but the place where he records his Name is his garden that he will dung and dig and dress and take care that it bring forth good fruit there he commands his blessing It is an allusion possibly to great persons to a General or an Emperor Where the word of a King is there is power The Centurion said I say to one Souldier Go and he goeth to another Come and he commeth to a third Do this and he doth it So God commandeth one ordinance Go and build up such a Saint and it goeth he saith to another ordinance Come and call home such a sinner and it doth it Gods word and work goe together Men cannot enable others or give them power to obey them they may bid a lame man walk or a blinde man see but they cannot enable them to walk or see God with his word giveth strength to do the thing commanded as in the old so in the new creation He spake and it was done he commanded and it stood fast Psal 33.9 But there the Lord commands his blessing even life for evermore The stream of Regeneration or a spiritual life which shall never cease but still go forward and increase till it swell to and be swallowed up in the Ocean of eternal life even life for evermore Thou hearest Reader where thy wants may be supplied through what pipes the water of life is conveyed do thou like the impotent man wait at the porch of Solomons Temple begging and expecting some alms God may do more for thee as for him Acts 3.2 8. then thou dost ask or think It was as easie for Boaz and it might have been done with as little charge to have given Ruth as much corn at first as would have yeilded an Epah of barley and so have sent her away without any more ado but he will have her glean it and then break it So God could infuse Grace immediately but he will have men hear read and pray attend on Ordinances though not as masters yet as means of Grace He giveth earthly riches to them that are diligent in their particular callings so he giveth heavenly riches to them that are diligent about their general calling Secondly Observe in this third help a serious constant use of all the means of Grace appointed for this end David in meditation findeth the Spirit kindling that fire which at last broke out into an holy flame Psal 39.3 While I was musing the fire burned The two disciples at godly conference found Jesus Christ to make a third while they were discoursing of him he presents himself to them causeth their hearts to burn within them and openeth their eyes to know him Dead coals are kindled by live ones O 't is good for thee to be among the Saints Thomas by missing one meeting did his soul unspeakable dis-service Cornelius at prayer in his house Acts 10. initiâ— had a messenger from heaven directing him whither to send for one to instruct him in the way of Salvation Prayer hath been a prevalent Orator at the Throne of Grace Many that have gone thither with prayers and petitions have come away with praises and thanksgivings Jacob added tears to his prayes and as a Prince prevailed with God He wept and made supplication and prevailed Hosea 12.4 Musick sounds best upon the waters such water of a sinner mingled with the blood of a Saviour hath melted the very heart of God A broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise Psal 51.17 When Daniel was fasting his body an angel is sent to feast his soul Dan. 9.21 While some have been casting themselves down God hath been raising them up Papists on their fasting dayes deny themselves flesh but have dainty fare costly sweet-meats Thou mayst Reader if thou humblest thy self under the mighty hand of God expect that he should in his own time lift thee up These duties have helped to increase and also to beget holiness The Eunuch was reading the Scripture when Philip was commanded by commission from the Holy Ghost to joyn himself to his Chariot and to instuct him in the knowledge of Christ Act. 8.33 Junius by reading Joh. 1. Augustine by reading Romans 13. were converted The three thousand Act. 3. by hearing came to love and truly many thousands have found the Gospel of Christ preached to become the power of God unto Salvation Cyprian confesseth that he was converted from idolatry and negromancy by hearing the history of the Prophet Jonas read and expounded by Cecilius whom therefore he calleth the father of his new life Faith and repentance are both wrought by hearing Rom. 10.14 Acts 3.37 The wandring sinner is most frequently reduced by the Scripture either read or heard God cals to him when he is running away saying Return Return O Shulamite Return Return In all Gods great works there is ordinarily a word accompanying it as in the creation God said Let there be light when Christ raised Lazarus Lazarus come forth when he converted Paul Saul Saul why persecutest thou me At the great day Arise ye dead and come to judgment The Devil got in at first into mans heart by his eare The Dragon bites the Elephants eare and thence sucks his blood knowing that to be the onely place which he cannot reach with his trunk to defend The Spirit of God comes in with the word 2
him and the Son of man that thou dost thus visit him Psa 8. Surely thou when thou considerest the work of grace and holiness which God hath wrought within thee and the place of glory and happiness which he hath prepared for thee mayst wel fal down on thy knees and looking up to heaven say What is man that thou art so mindful of him and what am I a poor son of man that thou dost thus visit me thou hast made me but a little lower then the angels and hast crowned me with glory and honour with grace and holiness Who am I O Lord and what is my house that thou hast brought me hitherto And this was yet a smal thing in thy sight O Lord God but thou hast spoken of thy servants house for a great while to come And is this the manner of men O Lord God 2 Sam. 7.18 19. Friend let free grace have the honour and glory of all the good bestowed on thee or expected by thee Alas who made thee to differ from others wa st not thou in the same lump of clay with them that perish now that the potter should make thee a vessel of honour to be set upon the high shelf of heaven as the martyrs phrase is when others are vessels of dishonour and firebrands of hell hast not thou unspeakable cause to wonder at his mercy and good-will towards thee That thy person should be justified when others are under the guilt of all their transgressions is meerly from mercy Rom. 3.24 Rom. 5.18 19. The free gift came upon all to justification of life That thy nature should be sanctified when others are left in their filth and pollution is altogether from his grace and favour Among whom we all had our conversation in time past in the lusts of our flesh fullfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind and were by nature the children of wrath even as others But God who is RICH IN MERCY for his GREAT LOVE wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickened us together with Christ That in the ages to come he might shew the EXCEEDING RICHES OF HIS GRACE in his kindness towards us in Christ Jesus Eph 2.1 to 10. That thou shalt be saved with a great and glorious salvation when others shall be damned with a greivous and endless destruction that thou shall enjoy Rivers of pleasures when others must be tormented day and night with intolerable pain is onely from Gods good pleasure Titus 3.3 4. The jewel which inricheth thee is a guift Joh. 4.10 * Faith justifieth not as manus laborantis which earns a peony but as manus mendicantis that receiveth an alms or jeâ—el by which the soul is justified and enriched The hand which receiveth it is a guift Phil. 1.29 It is worthy thy observation how full the Spirit of God is in excluding thee and every thing in thee from having any hand in meriting thine acceptance here or inheritance hereafter Not by works Rom 9.11 Not of works Rom. 11.6 Not according to works 2 Tim. 1.9 without works Rom. 4.6 Now if mercy doth all for thee should not mercy have the honour of all from thee What did God see in thee more then in others that he chose thee to glory What did he foresee in thee more then in others that he called thee by his grace thou wast not onely empty of but contrary to all saving good many a motion of the Spirit didst thou neglect many an invitation from Christ didst thou reject how long did he strive with thine untoward heart before he conquered it how many a time did he call when thou wouldst not hear and knock when thou wast so far from opening that thou didst bolt and bar the door against him How justly might he have sent thee as well as thousands of others to hell what mercies didst thou abuse what means of grace didst thou misimprove Yet who did he wait upon thee by his unwearyed patience woo thee by many a good providence and at last win thee to himself notwithstanding all thy resistance I tell thee It is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy Rom. 9.16 O therefore admire mercy say in thine heart I was a blasphemer I was a persecuter and injurious but I obtained mercy I thank God through Jesus Christ my Lord. 1 Tim. 1.12 13.17 Now to the King immortal invisible eternal be honour and glory blessed be God who hath begotten me again to a lively hope of an inheritance that fades not away 1 Pet. 1.3 Wonder at Gods distinguishing mercy Lord how is it that thou revealest thy self to us and not to the world said the disciple John 14.22 Shouldst not thou think Lord how is it that I unworthy I should be chosen when others are rejected that I should be called when others are neglected that I who came into the world with the same rage against God and godliness and did many a day run with others to the same excess of riot should turn about be in love with holiness and run the wayes of thy commandments when many many others still wallow in their wickedness and are every hour hastning unto hell Lord how is it that thou hast revealed thy self to me and not to the world Plutarch wonders how the fig-tree having that extream bitterness in its leaves branches and stock should yet bring forth sweet fruit Hast thou not more cause to wonder how thou so extreamly polluted being in the very gall of bitterness by nature and having a fountain of poyson in thee shouldst ever come to bear good fruit and send forth pleasant streams truly thou mayst have the same Motto with the Olive which groweth in the craggy clifts without moisture or rooting A Coelo From Heaven Thou couldst never do it unless it were given thee from above therefore as thy piety came down from Heaven so let thy praise go up to Heaven Elizabeth wondred that the mother of the Lord should come unto her house O do thou stand amazed that the Lord of that mother should come into thine heart Give thanks night and day to the Father who hath made thee meet to be partaker of the inheritance of the Saints in light 1 Col. 12.13 Secondly Give thanks to God in thy life by an holy conversation As thou shouldst see thy dignity and take comfort in it so also consider thy duty and take care about it God hath done singular things for thee what singular thing wilt thou do for him The life of thankfulness consisteth in the thankfulness of thy life O the bonds the infinite obligations by which thou art tied to thy Saviour great things are bestowed on thee and great things are expected from thee thy life should be answerable to thy birth and breeding Thou art born of God hast blood-royal running in thy veins art brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord do not therefore stain
the House of which thou descendest nor disgrace the Family of Faith to which thou belongest Should such a man as I flie said Nehemiah Think with thy self Should such a man as I that am inrollâ—d in the Book of life regenerated by the Spirit of God redeemed from my vain conversation with the precious blood of Christ should such a man as I dishonor my Father grieve my Comforter by frothy language unseemly carriage or being guilty of any thing in my practices that is unsutable to my great and honorable priviledge The Father hath chosen me to be a vessel of honor shall I defile my self with the filth of sin The Son hath bought me with a vast sum shall not I yield my self up wholy to his service The Spirit hath made my heart its habitation and shall I suffer in it the least unholiness I can never pay God for his boundless love but I will endeavor to praise him by a spotless life O Friend walk worthy of the calling wherewith thou art called Ephes 4.1 There is a comliness peculiar to thine effectual calling If a Scholler hath another manner of carriage then a Scullion and a Courtier then a Carter surely a Christian must lead a different life from them that are dead in sins and trespasses Thy calling is high Phil. 3.14 and therefore thou shouldst walk above the men of the world Men that are called to high Offices will carry themselves answerable to their places Princes do not live like Peasants Thou art called to be a Son of God a coheir with Christ a Citizen of Sion The Son of a King must like Absolom be without blemish from top to toe That ye may be blameless and harmless the sons of God without rebuke Phil. 2.15 Adoption is a translation out of one Family into another and doth disoblige thee from the Laws of Satan and his Family and oblige thee to the rules and orders of Christ and his House into which thou art taken Thou art called to be a King Rev. 1.5 It is not for Kings to drink wine nor Princes strong drink Pro. 31. that is immoderately such a sin is very bad in a Subject but much worse in a Soveraign as a spot in scarlet is worse then in sackcloth The transgressions of others have much rebellion and obstinacy in them but thy sins have more of unkindness and treachery as being against the Covenant Thou art called to reign with Christ in Heaven O walk worthy of him that hath called thee unto his Kingdom and glory 1 Thes 2.12 Thou that hast hopes to be like Christ in glory shouldst labour as for life to be like him in grace 1 John 3.3 Plutarch in vit Iul. Caes Caesar when he heard that Brutus conspired against him would not believe it but said He looks for this skin meaning he expecteth to be my heir to succeed me in the Empire and therefore he will not be so unworthy as to plot against me Reader hath not Christ more cause to expect that thy present deportment should be answerable to thy future preferment Thy calling is holy 2 Tim. 1.9 and therefore thy carriage should be holy other callings may put glory upon a man but cannot infuse grace into a man other callings may change thy condition but this hath changed thy disposition Thou art called to be a Saint shouldst thou not then live as a Saint 1 Cor. 1.2 Alexander would often bid a Captain of his name Recordare nominis Alexander Remember that thou art called Alexander that the Captain remembring his name might do nothing unworthy of it Truly so say I to thee Remember that thou art called to be a Saint to be a Christian and do not by the unexemplariness of thy life cause that worthy name by which thou art called to be blasphemed Thy calling is heavenly Hebr. 3.1 and therefore thy conversation should be in Heaven it is from God and therefore must lead thee to God O how stately is the deportment of wordlings when they are called to high employments how little should all the things on earth be in thine eyes who art fixed in heaven Themistocles walking with one by the Sea-side and seeing a precious treasure on the earth said to his fellow-traveller Do thou take it up fer thou art not Themistocles If the men of the world whose portions are in this life have their affections set on things below and their conversations on earth remember that thy treasure is in heaven and thine heart must be there also live as one that belongs to another Country In a word study strive labour endeavour watch pray hear read meditate that thou mayst in private in publick upon all occasions in all companies in all manner of conversation shew forth the praises of him who hath called thee out of darkness into his marvellous light 1 Pet. 2.9 10. Secondly As thou shouldst be thankful to God so also faithful to men Thou art converted thy self do thine utmost to convert others The Lepers coming into the Syrian Camp and finding food enough to relieve themselves and many others ready to perish with hunger they first feasted themselves and afterwards say one to another We do not well this day is a day of good tydings and we hold our peace if we tarry till the morning light some mischief will befall us now therefore come that we may go and tell the Kings houshold 2. Kings 7.9 The time was when thou like the Lepers wast famishing thy soul with the huskes of the world now God hath fed thee with the fat things of his house dost thou well to hold thy peace Consider them that are pinched with hunger and call them to Gods Courts tell them what large provision he maketh how the table is spread his oxen his fatlings are killed all things ready he wanteth onely comers and company thou dost well to take hold for thy self but thou dost ill if thou with-holdst from others Israel was commanded to pity strangers because they were once strangers in the Land of Egypt Shouldst not thou compassionate them that are strangers from the Covenant of Promise aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel carried captive by the Devil at his will considering that thou wast in that house of bondage in as great slavery to Satan and subjection to sin as others and it was nothing but Grace and Mercy that redeemed thee Put them in minde saith the Apostle to be gentle shewing all meekness unto all men Why upon what consideration For we ourselves also were sometimes foollish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures but after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost 3 Tit. 1. to 8. Wicked men are like those that are drowning they catch hold on others and if it be possible make them sink with