the love of the Creature if thou lovest thy ease too well or any thing in the world too well thou art drunk with it thy heart is giddy thou art no more able to Pray or do any thing that 's good then a drunken man is Fifthly If thou wilt Watch then set the Lord alwayes before thy eyes Set the watchman of Israel before thy face God is called a watcher Dan. 4.23 Now if thou wilt watch over thy self set God before thy face as David did Psal 16.8 I have set God before mine eyes so alwayes set the Lord before thine eyes Now I come to the last thing which is an Vse of Exhortation To exhort us to be careful of this Duty and there is great need of it First We all desire to do well Now how can we do well at last unless we watch well all our life time VVhat is the reason that many are without comfort not like the Servants of God full of horrour and fear and quaking It is because they do not watch as it was with the Five wise Virgins they were something wise not like the foolish but they slumbred too Now when the bridegroom came there was a cry they made an out-cry and a skrieking and an howling they were undone the bridegroom was come one would have thought they should have rejoyced that the bridegroom was come What godly Christians and Religious People when the bridegroom comes to fall a howling and a crying This was because they slumbred whereas if a man be watchful over his life and careful to keep an humble heart and to honour God and study how to die comfortably at last he may rejoyce at the coming of the bridegroom but because they were in a slumber there was a cry therefore as the Apostle Peter saith 1 Pet. 4.7 The end of all things is at hand therefore be sober and watch unto prayer the Apostle brings this as an Argument so I may say the end of all things is at hand therefore be sober and watch as a Traveller when the day is almost spent and he hath a great way to go he puts spurs to his Horse and rides the faster so the end of all things is at hand therefore we had need to be the more diligent and watchful that we may have all things ready the end comes upon us We have had the Gospel a long time and God knows how soon we shall have an end thereof therefore how ought we to be careful as a man that is to write a Letter may be at first he is something carelesse and writes his lines something broad but when he comes near to the end and hath a great deal to write he writes his lines close and crowds them together So now when we are coming towards an end we cannot look that God should alvvayes strive with us we should now therefore labour to write close and to make our Duties thick and to be enquiring after Grace wheresoever we come we think the time is long but we may justly fear it is shorter then we imagine as when an hour-glass is almost out a man that sits below will think there is a great deal to run but the sand is hollow and is run out before a man is aware so the Lord so carries himself towards people that they may think there is a great deal of Patience more and a great deal of Mercy more to be extended towards them but when all comes to all they shall find it lyes hollow and will be out before they are aware Secondly Consider how sickly and diseased our Souls are how apt they are to fall into sin Sickly men are most careful Now our Souls are sick of sin sick of Pride sick of Covetousnesse and Earthly-mindednesse easily carried away with the sins of the times they are sick of pronenesse to do evil and indisposednesse to that which is good therefore we had need to watch over our souls we had need be our own Porters Matth. 13.34 our Saviour Christ doth compare every Christian to a Porter The Lord of the house takes a great journey and commands the Porter to watch We should all be Porters and keep the gates of our Souls for we are alwayes in danger Thirdly Consider that God hath awakened many of us already and therefore it is a miserable thing for us to sleep again wicked and ungodly men that were never converted and healed and awakened and wrought upon they go to Hell and damnation in a sleepy security but when a man hath been once awakened and hath shaken off sleep and God hath made him look about him to see how he might be saved if this man fall asleep again it is a most miserable thing the latter end of that man will be worse then his beginning Fourthly Consider the badnesse of the Times and Places and Families we live in they are all secure and therefore we had need be so much the more vvatchful and you knovv it is a very hard thing for a man not to do as others do therefore the Apostle 1 Thess 5.6 vvould not have them sleep as others do as vvho should say Others do so and therefore you have so much the more need to look to your selves that you may not do as others do THE NEVV BIRTH Jon. 3.6 That vvhich is born of the Flesh is Flesh but that vvhich is born of the Spirit is Spirit MY Purpose is to speak of the several VVorks of Gods holy Spirit in the hearts and minds of his chosen they are Gods peculiar people and therefore he vvill vvork greater Mercies for them then for any else Novv the First grand distinguishing vvork of the Holy Ghost in the Elect is Regeneration he is the Author of Spiritual life in them they are born of him though by nature they are born of the flesh and so are flesh and in that estate can never enter into the kingdom of God yet vvhen the Spirit of God comes to regenerate them they come to be Spirit they come to have a nevv life and the Spirit of God gives it them it is true that Christ is the Author of this life he procured it by his death he quickens whom he will as he told his Disciples Joh. 14.19 Because I live ye shall live also Life is derived by Christ to all the Members of Christ for as all in Adam died Adam is the general root of all in his loins and by him they come to be dead in sin so Christ is the Second Adam and all that are in his loins all that are in him he is a quickning Spirit to them 1 Cor. 15.45 The first man Adam was made a living Soul the second Adam was made a quickning Spirit Christ is the second Adam and is a quickning Spirit to all that are in him God the Father hath appointed him to be the Prince of Life as Peter tells his Hearers Act. 3.15 The Lord Jesus Christ he is the
Prince of life to all the people of God and therefore Saint John saith He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life 1 Joh. 5.12 He is the Father of this new Birth and he is the daily and continual Father of it He is not a Father for one or two or divers years but Isa 9.6 he is called An everlasting Father to regenerate a people to God and he doth it by his Resurrection 1 Pet. 1.3 This must needs be granted That Christ must be the Author of this new Life Now you will say Then why is it attributed to the Spirit The Text gives it to the Spirit of God the Holy Ghost now if Christ be the Author of this new Birth and the giver of this new Life and God the Father hath appointed him to be so Why is it then here said That the Spirit doth it I Answer It is given to the Spirit for Three Reasons First Because Christ doth it by the Spirit Whatsoever Christ doth without he doth it by the Spirit when he cast out Divels here upon Earth he did it by his Spirit all the outward VVorks that he wrought he wrought them by his Spirit and therefore the Spirit is called the Finger of God Luk. 11.20 Now if Christ do this VVork by his Spirit if he do Regenerate all his people by his own Spirit there is Reason why they should be said to be born of the Spirit Secondly Another Reason is Because though this life be all from Christ it is he that begets it it is he that is the soul of every Believer as I may so speak yet it is the Spirit that is the Bond of Vnion it is the Spirit that joyns Christ and them together it is the Spirit that tyeth the knot it is the Spirit that unites and puts them together into one though Christ be life and eternal life yet notwithstanding they are all Aliens from Christ they are all out of Christ that the Spirit doth not joyn together with Christ they that have not the Spirit of Christâ—â—â— they are none of his they are all out of Christ they are like dead branches out of the Vine it is the Spirit that is the bond of Vnion between Christ and those that are Christs Thirdly Another Reason is Because the Spirit quickens the Word whereby this is done The people of God the thing that they are born of again it is the immortal seed of the VVord 1 Pet. 1.23 You are born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible Now this seed is sowen in all mens hearts scattered among all the Congregation but yet it doth not Regenerate all the Congregation The Reason is where the Spirit comes that makes it fruitful and that makes it to quicken the heart and thus you see the meaning of the words That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit Now here are Two Points First That the Spirit of God or the Holy Ghost Regenerates all the people of God whosoever is born again is born of the Spirit The Second Point is this That all that are Regenerate all that are born of the Spirit they are Spirit that is they are spiritual they are like the Spirit The First is That it is the Spirit of God the Holy Ghost that doth Regenerate all the people of God this is that which makes them to be new Creatures to be new men to be altogether different from that they were before this is that which doth distinguish them from themselves even as much as white from black this is that which doth alienate them from the courses of the world this is that which doth make them to be singular and odde fellows as if they were of another world this makes them lead a different kind of life and follow a different kind of way from all their neighbors because the Spirit of God works in them as Ishmael and Isaac though Ishmael was born after the flesh yet Isaac was born after the Spirit as the Apostle alludes Gal. 4.23 that is one took one kind of course the other another one was born one way the other another way the Spirit begat one the Flesh the other and this made Ishmael to persecute Isaac because Isaac could not abide his courses they were of different Natures and Dispositions one was born after the Spirit the other after the Flesh Now here be Six Things I would shew unto you First What Regeneration is Secondly Why it is so called Thirdly Wherein it consists Fourthly The Reasons why the Spirit of God only works this work Fifthly How he works it And Lastly The Vses First What Regeneration is And it is thus much namely The renewing of the whole man and by degrees completed after the Image of God in Jesus Christ This is Regeneration and there be Five Things to be opened in it First That it is the renewing of a man It is not every change there may be abundance of changes and alterations and yet a man for the main may be the same man he is a man may be changed from a Drunkard to be sober from an Adulterer to be chaste yet still he was the same man he was before though there be changes wrought in him but Regeneration is the renewing of a man the making of a man another man as the Apostle speaks 2 Cor. 5.17 Old things are passed away and all things are become new The Lord doth take away the old frame and the old affections and the old inclinations the old acquaintance the old course and conversation all these things passe away and the Lord puts in new things in the room thereof till all things become new thus it is in this work as the Apostle speaks Tit. 3.5 According to his mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost the Lord removeth the old rubbish and puts a new fabrick in the room as a Goldsmith he takes a vessel of dishonour and melts it and makes it a vessel of honour God doth undo the old workmanship and makes a new as David saith Create in me O Lord a clean heart c. Psal 51.10 David thought he had lost all therefore he prayeth to God that he may be new cast that he may be taken all to pieces as a VVatch-maker takes a VVatch that is out of order he takes it all to pieces and sets it together anew again so he prayes God to deal with him he had lost all in sense and feeling and would have God make him a new workmanship it is called the renewing of a man Ezek. 11.19 there is an excellent place I will give them a new heart c. The Lord puts out and he puts in even just as a Suister doth when she works cut-works she puts out the cloths own threds and puts in needle-work so the Lord puts out the old heart and puts in a new heart he takes out
the word and keep their sins still but a child of God hath an unction and when the word doth discoveâ— his sins to him he cannot hold up his hand against God but he must fall down and bow before him Secondly There shall ever remain in a childe of God lusting against every known sin there will be ever in a childe of God both before and after the committing of known sins lusting against the flesh the sanctified part will lust against the unsanctified he shall never sin with an whole will and full consent as the Apostle speaks Gal. 5.17 The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh c. There is a spiritual will in a child of God that will ever lust against the carnal will so that a man cannot commit sin with his whole will as a wicked man doth as Paul saith Rom. 7.25 He did not sin with all his soule with all his heart his mind was for God the spiritual part of his will was against his sin I find another law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde c. He did not sin with all his will for he had another law in his heart rebelling against the law of sin and death therefore the Apostle saith 1 John 5.18 Whatsoever is borne of God sinneth not that is he cannot sin with his free will with his whole consent I will make this appear by five things that a child of God can never sin with his whole will First Because he never sins but it is against his standing purpose and resolution and determination in himselfe a childe of God hath a purpose never to sin against God by using all manner of wayes by striving praying labouring endeavouring comming to all Gods Ordinances and taking all courses to resist sin he hath this purpose a wicked man now hath no purpose not to sin but he hath a secret purpose to sin a Drunkard hath a purpose when he meets with his companions to goe to the Alehouse and drink with them and a covetous man hath a secret purpose to be worldly so let a man be a vain and an evill companion he will not give over his company-keeping they are his friends and he will converse with them tell him he must converse with the Saints of God he will not he hath a secret purpose to the contrary but if a childe of God sin it is against his purpose he hath a standing purpose not to sin Psalm 119.27 Psal 39.1 Psal 101.3 So I will never forget thy precepts I will consider thy testimonies and I will turn my feet unto thy wayes There are abundance of places of Scripture that shew that a childe of God ever takes up an absolute purpose concerning holinesse and godlinesse of life and conversation Now if a child of God be born down at any time it is against the purpose of his heart which is a signe that he doth not sin with his whole will for if a mans will were absolutely set upon wicked courses then he would have a purpose and resolution to live in them but a childe of God hath alwayes a purpose to doe the contrary and to walk in Gods wayes Secondly Because a child of God never sins but it is against the study and composure of his heart it is against his course against the frame he composeth to himselfe which is that he may not sin against God but that he is borne down with sin Psal 119.112 I have inclined my heart to keep thy statutes alwayes even to the end He had a study and composure in his soule to keep Gods statutes and to keep them alwayes even to the end therefore whensoever David sinned it was not with his whole will for he sinned against the study and composure of his heart Thirdly A childe of God never sins but there is something or other that breaks the fulnesse of the voluntariness of it as for example if a childe of God sins sometimes it is out of ignorance he doth not know that he offends God if he did he would not doe it for a world Now ignorance doth lessen the voluntarinesse of a thing a man in ignorance may doe a thing which he would not have done if he had known it therefore when a childe of God sinnes in ignorance his will is not with it Again If he sin against knowledge at any time then it is through inconsideratenesse it is in his haste you know inconsideratenesse doth lessen the will mightily a man may in haste doe a thing which when he comes to think of he would rather have cut off his right arm then have done it therefore this is an argument that all his will was not in the committing of the sin because he did not consider of it he did not doe it deliberately Psal 116.11 In my haste I said all men are lyars in my haste I said I am cut off from thy presence Again If he he doe it with more deliberation yet there is something still that doth lessen the will there be grievous and violent passions Now violent passions doe exceedingly take away the will a man in passion will doe things that his will is absolutely against a man will stab his dearest friend in fury and passion as when David murdered Vriah it was meerly out of passion the passion of shame lest his sin should come out to the dishonour of God and the shame of his Kingdome and Crown he was overwhelmed with shame and fear of the disgrace of his sins and in fear he did doe it So Peter was in fear when he denied his Master in fear that he should be put to death when at the same time I dare say many qualms came over his heart O that I were not here O that I were not put to this So when Jonah ran away from God it was in a passion Again Suppose that passion be down yet something or other there will be still that will lessen the will as violent temptations and impulsions to sin when a man himself at the same time hath a great act of his will to resist these temptations and impulsions to sin when a man at the same time hath a great act of his will to resist these temptations but the temptations are greater and so he is born down but here is not all the will for he would not do it a wicked man may have reluctancy and resistance against sin in his conscience but a godly man his will is against it Fourthly A child of God can never be brought so low as to make a trade of sin He that committeth sin is of the Divel 1 Job 3.8 that is he that committeth sin by way of trade now this cannot be in a child of God he is of the Divel that makes a trade of sin a child of God his course is to the contrary it is his trade to cleanse himself and purifie his heart by faith from day to day if he be
similitude and makes them like to himself Fifthly This is the Image of God in Jesus Christ who is the express image of his Father he is the pattern after which this frame is made nay God did order it should be so from eternity Rom. 8.29 Whom he did fore know he did predestinate that they should be conformed to the image of his Son 'T is true this similitude is not presently made out it is but by halves as it were it is but a poor first draught and never perfect in this life but it shall be made perfect 1 Joh. 3.2 3. We know when he appears we shall be like him and shall see him as he is then we shall be perfectly like him and see him as he is and know him as he is as Paul saith Col. 3.2 3. You are dead and your life is hid in Christ c. Here the work is hardly come to its glory there is a great deal of basenesse and old rubbish still but it shall be glorious before God hath done it shall come to be perfect then in the mean time it is but by degrees but the work of regeneration puts a man to go to Christ and believe in Christ You that follow me in Regeneration c. saith our Saviour Matth. 19.28 When a man is regenerate regeneration puts a frame into a mans heart to be like unto Christ and to follow his steps and his example that as he hath done so he may do more and more this is the work of regeneration That the Spirit of God works in Gods people conforming them to the Image of Christ Yea Regeneration doth more than repair a man more than reduce a man to that estate wherein he was in Adam's loins before the Fall it is the ingrafting of a man into Christ and the estating a man into the Merits and Priviledges of the Lord Jesus Christ it is a greater matter then the bare restoring of a man to that which he lost it is the restoring of a man to a better estate this differences it from Sanctification Thus we see what Regeneration is Now the Second Thing is Why it is so called Why this same blessed work of the renewing of the whole man after the Image of God in Christ Jesus is called Regeneration There be Two Reasons of it First To shew us how marvellously we are corrupt by Nature Until the Spirit of God take us in hand a man is quite rotten there is no soundnesse left there is nothing in him will serve it is not a little melting will serve the turn it is not a little plaistering or patching or piecing will do the deed though there be a thousand changes in a man yet if a man be not another man if he be not a new creature it is to no effect it will never bring a man into the kingdom of God what saith Christ Joh. 3.3 Verily verily I say unto thee Except a man be born again he cannot enter into the kingdom of God As who should say Verily verily I say unto thee a man is all to shatters all to pieces all rotten and unlesse he be born again and made a new creature it is impossible he should enter into the kingdom of God though a man be never so much altered he is not in the estate of Grace till he be a new man till the Lord hath given him a new frame and a new inclination except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God he cannot see the kingdom of Grace that is the first dowry of the kingdom of Grace to give a man a new Being that he never had before a natural man is just like an old rotten house that hath not one piece that will serve the turn but a man that will make it an habitable house must take it all down to the ground and build it up from the ground so it is here there is not one piece will serve the turn though ye see admirable things in men though they seem excellent in the eyes of men yet they will not serve the turn they are rotten and stark naught there is an absence of all Good Rom. 7.18 Nay besides there is an universal indisposition in a man like to a thing that is all rotten and marred and can never be made up again except it be made spick and span new and so it is with a man he is altogether corrupt as the Prophet speaks Isa 1. from the sole of the foot to the crown of the head nothing but bruises and putrified soars take a man that is never so civil and of fair carriage so long as he is not a new creature this is nothing for the entring into the kingdom of God and being amiable in his sight Nay Gen. 6.5 the Text saith The thoughts of the heart of man are only evil continually there is nothing sound in a man though he daily think of Grace and think of God his thoughts cannot be said to be good for the mind whereby he thinks of these things is rotten and unsavory though he speaks of never so good things the same things the Saints of God speak of though he doth the same actions the people of God do though he hears the same VVord and receives the same Sacraments he cannot do them aright they are abomination in Gods sight therefore when God regenerates a man he must make him another man then he was before This speaks natures corruption Secondly Because the things of Regeneration are admirably set out by way of this similitude Natural Generation is generally sweetly answered in this VVork of Regeneration First As a man cannot come into the World without Parents but he must have a Father to beget him so it is in this new Birth as in the other there was an earthly Father so here is an heavenly Father as the Author to the Hebrews speaks Heb. 12.9 How much rather shall we be subjected to the Father of Spirits There are two Fathers an earthly Father the Father of the natural and corrupt man and God the Father of our Spirits that is the Father of our spiritual Nature as many excellent Divines do expound it though it may be expounded the Father of our Souls yet this is more likely because here is an opposition between the Father of the Flesh and the Father of the Spirits God himself is the Father of this new work Secondly Here is a Mother too That Jerusalem which is from above is the Mother of them all they are all Zions Children here is the Womb that these new creatures lye in Christs Spouse the Lambs wife is their Mother though the world hate them and her too yet they love her nay though the woman be thrown out into the wilderness yet their hearts run after her the Regenerate only are the true born this is their Mother Thirdly As it is in the Natural Birth There is a shaping in the Womb before
2. Not as though we should set up a conceited distinction of works in the Trinity 2. What is this voice Not distinct from the word preached Consists 1. In the opening a a mans senses 2. In taking away a mans lameness Called a voice 1. Because it is joyned to the word 2. Because it hath a similitude of a voice Quest How may we know whether that soul hath heard this voice Answ 1. There is a power goes along with this Word 2. This voice makes one hear more then any creature can speak 3. It is the irrefragable propounding of the promise 2. Confidence in natural man 1. In the power of God 2. Unrooted in the will 3. Presumptuous 2. Confidence in the godly 1. Special perswasion of Gods love 2. A constant expectation Confidence in Christ for life and salvation is true justifying faith Arg. 1. From the several expressions of faith in Scripture 1. Trusting 2. Relying on God 3. Staying upon God 4. Rolling ones self on God 5. Adhering unto God 6. Beleeving on God Arg. 2. From the offer of Christ Arg. 2. From the offer of Christ Arg. 3. Because faith is a coming to Christ Arg. 4. Because the object of justifying faith is no proposition but Christ himself Arg. 5. Because true faith is a faith of union Use 1. Then no absurdity to say faith is in the heart as well as in the minde Object Use 2. A believer may not be sure in regard of sense Arg. 1. The event is not the object of justifying faith 2. The event is conditional till a man believes Argument 3. Arg. 4. The event is known another way Arg. 5 Not the truth but strength of faith aprehends the event Doct. It is faith that makes a man obey the call of God Reas 1 Because faith seeth Gods purity and mercy to be inseparable attributes 2. Because faith looks on Christ not only as a Saviour but as a Lord. 3. Because faith gleweth the heart to the Commandements as well as to the promises 4. Because faith looks to a fitnesse for heaven as well as a title to heaven 5. Because faith is eminently all that a man is to do John 2. 2. By carrying a man to God 3. By making a man improve all his abilities 4. By making a man relie on Christ Quest How doth faith fetch power from Christ Answ 1. As an instrument 2. In a moral way Use 2. See what little faith is in the world Use 3. For examination Evidences of true obedience 1. Willing and hearty 2. Works resignation to God 3. It puts forth all a mans strength to God The Division of the Text. Obser The latter part of the Text Opened Obser Luke 16. Quest Answ Vse 1 King 21. Acts 5. What it is to watch Literally Ordinary Extraordinary For a civil end For a Spiritual end Spiritually It implies proneness to be drowzy Endeavour to stir up our selves It is an intentive Consideration in all Cases What we must watch Our Selves Our thoughts Heart Words Senses Eyes Ears Whole selves Duties of Religion Before Duty In Duty Time Present time Time of Gods wrath Time of Grace Death Judgment Reasons Our proneness to be drowzy Christians life is a Warfare The world an Eenemy The Divel The certain advantage of Watchfulness We cannot else expect help or â—â—râ—on Object Answ Gods appointment None can Watch for us Object Answ Vse Condemning the general neglect of Watchfulnesse Reproving the godly's too great neglect Directing how to watch Account watchfulness our life Watching in all things Proportioning it to what we are about Avoiding hinderances Vain company Spiritual drunkennesse Setting God before our eyes Vse Exhorting to watchfulnesse Motives Because otherwise it will be ill with us at last Because our souls are sickly We are already awakened Badness of the times and carelessness of the most Regeneration attributed to the spirit Because Christ doth it by the spirit Spirit is the bond of union between us and Christ Because the spirit quickens the word whereby we are born again That the spirit of God doth regenerate all the Saints What Regeneration is A Renewing A Renewing of the whole man By degrees perfected According to Gods Image In Jesus Christ Why called Regeneration To shew the great Corruption of Nature The work well expressed by the Name Father both in Natural and Spiritual Generation A Mother in both First Conception and then Birth Pain accompanies both Births Both come to a Being they had not New Kindred follows both Wherein Regeneration consisteth Passive receiving Christ An active power to become a child of God Reasons why the Spirit worketh Regeneration It is the good pleasure of God No other agent can do it Man is totally against it of himself How the Spirit worketh Regeneration By the Word of Life By a secret and supernatural power Vse 1. Of Confutation of Pelagians c. Information Of our continual need of the Spirit Exhortation 1. Not to grieve the Spirit 2. To do any thing for God 3. To the Unregenerate to pray for the Spirit Of Examination whether regenerated or no. First Signe When doing good is natural The heart 's a good soil for Grace He cannot live in Sin It is pleasant to do the will of God Grace gets the upper hand He loves the people of God He loves Spiritually to profit others VVhat this Body is The invisible Church of God Gathered out of all Nations Predestinated unto life Begotten again by the VVord VVhat putting into this Body is A part of our ingrafting into Christ VVrought by Faith Making us have â—ommon life with other Members It makes of one consent with all the people of God For mutual care and help That this is the Spirits work Reasons why the Spirit of God doth thus unite to the Body of Christ None but the Spirit is able None but the Spirit is fit to do it How the Spirit doth Unite to Christ's Body By being one and the same spirit in all Members By tying a knot between all the Members Vses The want of the Spirit is the cause of difference Let none put asunder what the Spirit joyns To try our acquaintance hereby To stir up a sâ—mpathy amongst the Saints How to work maintain and express this sympathy By informing our selves concerning one another By visiting our fellow-Members By laying to heart their afflictions Proposit 1. A set time for worship Propos 2. Some set time for worship every day Propos 3. Every day in some sort a Sabbath Luk. 1.74 75. Propos 4. A particular special day for Gods worship Propos 5. One day of Seven to be set apart for Gods worship Propos 6. That day of the seven to be kept holy on which God rested Propos 7. All that is in the Fourth Commandment is not essential to it Quest Answ Propos 8. The 4 th Commandment continual alwayes to abide in the Church Gal. 5.2 Exod. 35.3 Propos 9. The first day of the week was the Lords day and so to continue to the end of the world ver 22 23
and so full of zeal for him though all men forsake thee yet will not I he thought he was so affected that he could compare with all the Apostles and Disciples of Jesus Christ and go beyond them all but afterwards when Christ asked him Peter lovest thou me see his answer Joh. 21.15 his answer was nakedly Lord thou knowest that I love thee he would make no more comparisons though Christ put him upon it there yet he would not be brought to compare any more Now was he less affected towards Christ no but he was less presumptuous Fifthly Activeness of natural disposition may make a man seem to be more affected then indeed he is for a man the more active his nature is and the more spirits he hath the more stirring he hath a man that hath such a disposition will go further then another of a slower spirit there is a great deal more grace required to make an heavy dull natured man to speak a word for God then to make a cholerick man strike a blow for God mens natures differ some men are more active naturally may be one man is full of activity and stirring another man is of a dull disposition will you say this man is deader then he no this man may have more life of grace then he it is as if one man should swim with the stream and another against the stream he that swims with the stream will more easily swim a mile then he that swims against the stream will swim half a mile will you say that this man cannot swim so well as the other no he may be a better swimmer of the twain for this is the thing we are not to judge of the life of our grace by what we do but by what labour we take in doing as the Apostle saith remembring without ceasing your work of faith and labour of love 1 Thes 1.3 may be another man is of a more loving nature then this man but the man that is more unkinde naturally and harsh-natured he labours a thousand times more abundantly then the other who hath most grace of love now the other hath most natural love but this man hath more grace of love as Paul proves he had the life of grace in him because he laboured more abundantly then they all it is not what thou doest but what thou laborest to do he that swims down the stream doth not labour if he should do nothing but stir his hands and feet without any labour the stream will carry him so when a man hath nature to help him he need not labour much but when a man must fetch all out of the hard flint how is he fain to labour there thou mayst try the life of thy affections not by what thou prayest but by what thou labourest in prayer not by what thou remembrest at a Sermon but though thou hast a blockish memory how dost thou labour to remember so it is not the not doing of sin but the labouring against sin hereby thou mayst know whither they zeal and affection be abated in thee So again for a mans self may be he was more active heretofore had a more nimble spirit and temper of body now he is grown more sad and melancholy his head is distempered and grown more weak his memory fails and his understanding decayes that quick disposition of his body is taken down and he cannot do as he did before is the man therefore not so quickned as he was before is he grown more dead may be the man complains certainly he hath cause to suspect himself and he doth not think he is right formerly he could remember a Sermon be fixed in meditation be attentive at the word be fervent in prayer and put forth himself in this fashion now he cannot he was so lively before now he hath not the same activity and therefore begins to call all into question certainly all is not right I answer this doth not follow it is true in many a man it is the deadness of his heart and the decayedness of his spiritual estate that causeth this but it doth not follow that it is so with thee but the cause is this may be thou hast worn out thy tools therefore no marvel thou canst not work so well as formerly take a skilful Musitian whose instrument is crackt and marred he cannot make so good musick upon this instrument as he could when it was sound doth it follow he hath lost his skill no give this man a sound instrument as he had before and he will play as well as ever all our operations not only external but also internal do much depend upon the disposition of the body as for meditation may be when the body was lively and active a man could fix his meditations upon a thing now it is weakned he cannot may be he hath the same desire and delight as he had before but he cannot do it so may be he hath as great a desire as ever to remember the word but his memory is gone so may be he hath as great a desire to put forth himself in any ordinance of God as ever in all his life but his body will not bear it I say the spirits depend much upon the body you may see this in natural operations let a mans eyes fail will any man say that the soul of that man is less able to see then it was no the soul is as able to see in a blind man as in a seeing man in an old man whose eyes fail him as in a young man that hath the quickest sight if this man had an excellent eye given him he would see as well as any body else the soul is able to do it but it wants a tool so many Saints of God cannot do many duties as they were wont not for want of love and zeal and affections but for want of tools it is said 2 Sam. 21.16 that when David waxed old they would not let him go out into the field did they look upon David now as less worthy then before no they looked upon him as more worthy then before the text saith they looked upon him as the very light of Israel though he could not fight for Israel so well as he did before so you shall see many a godly man and reverend father upon his death bed shews no great matter in his dying what because he is dead and is not the man he was no but because he hath worn out his tools he is not the man in regard of operation though he hath the same affections he had formerly Sixthly Extraordinary assistance may make a man seem to be more lively and quickned then indeed he is for God doth assist his people extraordinarily in their beginning 't is true some of his people he doth extraordinarily assist all their life long but he doth not usually do it he doth choose rather extraordinarily to strive and help his people at the first and afterwards
thee any lively fear of his name any hatred of evil any love to goodness any longing and thirsting after righteousness any endeavour after eternal life any faith thou shouldst labour to strengthen these things that they may abound in thee and that they may be confirmed and established in thee that thou mayst be made unblameable against the coming of the Lord Jesus but this is not the meaning neither Secondly therefore There is a weakness of declining when a man hath been stronger and now hath abated of his strength and is grown weaker a strong man may grow into a consumption which may spend him away till he comes to be an Anatomy and so is grown weak so many Christians that have been stronger they are now grown weak they are grown into a consumption of graces they are grown to be an Anatomy to be nothing but even skin and bone they were wont to have more faith to apprehend a promise but now they have more doubting they could pray strongly but now they are faint and weak they were powerfull in every good duty but now they are down the wind they are like a Jack that wants wanding up they had need be wound up again they are grown more cholerick and peevish and pettish and have less strength over their corruptions and are made more ready to be drawn away Now such persons are exhorted to strengthen these things and the rather because they are but remainders you have had more grace and have let it die and decay therefore strengthen that which remains and is ready to die so that there are two parts of this Doctrine First That every man should be earnest and use all manner of holy meanes to strengthen himselfe 'T is true First it is every Ministers duty to labour to get strength into his people to strengthen their understanding and knowledge and judgement to strengthen them in the promises to hold forth Jesus Christ nakedly unto them to expound the free grace of God that they may be strong in faith So if a Minister sees they are weak to bear afflictions he should labour to support and bear them up and poure some spirit into them and enable them to bear So if he finde they are unable to bear temptations he should use all arguments to piece them up that they may stand against the wiles of the Devill a Minister hath his own strength given him of purpose to strengthen his brethren Isa 35.3 the Lord saith Strengthen the weak hands c. He would have Ministers call upon people to get strength and to use all means by preaching and teaching and exhortations to get some strength into his people it is a Ministers duty not only to gather Saints but to perfect the Saints whither should the people come but to the Minister to get strength in grace Secondly It is every neighbours duty to strengthen his neighbour Christians should strengthen one another in all manner of good duties as coals of fire doe warm and heat one another when they are together but if they are severed they will be dead so Christians when they meet together should labour to warm and heat and quicken one another Saint Paul writes to the Thessalonians to mark all the weak and feeble people among them and to strengthen the feeble-minded 1 Thes 5.14 But then thirdly Every man should doe this duty to himself to strengthen the good things that are in him we see all the world labours to be strong in outward things some to be strong in riches and wealth some to be strong at the Court and others to strengthen themselves in their friends and alliance as Abner laboured to be strong for the house of Saul for he knew he should be no body if that went down if a man have a case to defend he will make himselfe as strong as he can to defend himselfe if a man be to fight a battel he will make himselfe as strong as he can nay people will strengthen themselves in their wickedness Now if it be so then how much more should we labour to be strong in the grace of God If we have any good things given us of God we should strengthen them as Paul saith to the Corinthians when he saw they were babes still and were weak and never came to strength he calls upon them at last to strengthen themselves 1 Cor. 16.13 Reas 1 Because we can have no comfortable argument to our souls that we are true Christians except we get strength every true Christian is a very able man as Paul saith Phil. 4.13 I can doe all things through Christ that strengthneth me He was a strong man and able to doe great things what man of a thousand can be rich and not be proud and vain and let his heart follow after pleasures and the things of the world yet a true Christian can be rich and yet not be thus so what man almost can be poor and not be discontented and repine against God and take unlawfull courses yet a true Christian is able to be poor and yet not deny God nor distrust God nor fall a carking and caring so likewise a true Christian can have a peevish nature and yet not be peevish he can have as crabbed a disposition as any body else and yet not be crabbed he can have as vile a cursed nature as any man under heaven and yet have a good disposition he is able to doe all things as Job saith Job 9.19 If you talk of strength God is strong So it is with a childe of God that hath the image of God in him if you talk of strength he is strong a man cannot have any true argument to his soul that he is a true Christian unless he be strengthened to doe the things of God unless he be lifted up of God to doe supernaturall things a true Christian is no weakling a man saith I cannot doe thus and thus it is my weakness then thou canst not say thou art a true Christian for a true Christian is an able man a mighty man nay all the graces of Gods spirit are strong that if a man hath any degree of them he may doe wonders with them 1 John 5.4 This is our victory that over cometh the world even our faith He doth not say great faith but our faith a little faith though but as a grain of mustard seed is able to overcome the world a true Christian can overcome sin and the world and the Devil and whatsoever is contray to him a natural man may believe in some sense but he can nothing with his faith it is not of the right stamp but a true Christian he can doe wonders with his faith he can draw neer to God and cry Abba Father he is able to purifie his own heart all things are possible to him that believeth it is a powerful thing Jacob had power with God saith the Text he is able to set himself against every lust and goe
4 Fourthly To exhort that we would consider of this the Gospel doth call for works as well and as strongly yea and more strongly then the Law and there be necessary uses of holiness and obedience and all manner of pious works under the Gospel as the Apostle saith Tit. 3.4 let us mainâ—ain good works for necessary uses c. We are barren trees whatsoever we are we are barren and dead Christians and have no life of God in us if we bring not forth good works for good works are necessary for many uses Motive 1 First They are for signs to shew us what estate and condition we are in we may know what estate and condition we are in by our carriage and conversation whither it be earthly or heavenly holy or prophane so is our condition either happy or damned First They are signs of a mans election 2 Tim. 1.20 this is a sign and a badge and a token whereby we may know that we are vessels of honour if we be sanctified and made meet for our masters use and furnished and prepared for every good work if we do not deny all ungodly lusts and live righteously and soberly in this present world we have rather badges and tokens of reprobation then election we cannot say that God hath appointed us to attain salvation by Jesus Christ but have rather marks of hell and destruction upon us and what is the reason that men that profess Christ do so much question their election no wonder when we are so scanty in our holiness and obedience to God and so backward to do good there is no nickling of Gods everlasting favour breaking out whereas if we were plentiful in good works it would break forth as the Sun out of a cloud Secondly They are signs of effectual calling Jude 1. if a man be called of God he is sanctified also and kept in an holy course preserved in Christ 2 Pet. 1.3 you are an holy Nation a peculiar people to shew forth the vertues of him that hath called you 1 Pet. 2.9 so that we may be sure that we yet abide in darkness and are under the power of sin and Satan if we have not given over our sinful courses and conformed our selves to the Gospel of God we were never called according to Gods purpose but lie under the wrath of Heaven to this day it is holiness and righteousness that is a sign of our effectuall calling Thirdly They are signs of justification also as the Apostle sheweth but you are washed c. 1 Cor. 6.11 you see if we be justified we are also sanctified so 1 Joh. 1.7 if we walk in the light as he is in the light c. We have not one drop of the blood of Christ sprinkled upon our souls by Gods eternal spirit through faith unless we walk in the light and bring forth the works of the light Fourthly They are signs of adoption John 8.39 If you were Abrahams children you would bring forth the works of Abraham so if we were Gods children we would do the works of God the will of God The Apostle having spoken of the adoption of Saints behold what love the Father hath shewed to us c. presently he tells us that holiness and righteousness follows from hence he that hath this hope purifieth himself as he is pure So Rom 8.14 As many are led by the spirit of God are the sons of God this is an infallible sign if we be the sons of God we are led by the spirit of God so that we have no mark that we are the children of God but rather of the Divel unlesse we walk in purenesse of conversation from day to day Fifthly They are the marks of our love to God as Christ saith if you love me keep my commandements John 14.15 we love not God except we keep his commandments as ever you would be able to say in truth you love me keep my commandments look that you yield not to the corruptions of the world look that you renounce the Divel and all his works I will conclude you love me not at all if you keep not my commandments and he that loves not Christ let him be Anathema Maranatha saith the Apostle Secondly Consider this that the reason why we cannot pray better is Motive 2 because we are no more abundant in good works not only because we want faith but because we want good works for certainly this is a great help to prayer a great support to the soul a great encouragement to go to the Throne of grace and a great sign that God means to hear a man when God hath given him an heart to fear him and love him and make conscience of his wayes as the Apostle saith 1 John 3.22 Whatsoever we aske we receive of him because we keep his commandments and do the things pleasing in his sight As who should say when we go to God and intreat him to be merciful to us and intreat such and such favours that we stand in need of we know that we shall receive them because we keep his commandments These are admirable supports to hold up the hands to the Throne of grace and to make us importunate in prayer and confident because we know God hath poured forth his gracious good will and pleasure into our hearts and hath given us a mark he loves us and beares us good will indeed Why can we pray no better our hands are weake and our knees feeble there is no power in our supplications to the Almighty the spirit of grace is departed from us why the spirit of holiness is gone there is the reason of it when people are loose and do not mortifie their lusts when they are not abundant in following God in fearing God and serving God and obeying the commandments of God they cannot have confidence at the Throne of grace Thirdly Consider this would be a great chearing and rejoycing in the Motive 3 evil day whatsoever afflictions come upon us in this world if we can carry letters testimonial in our own conscience that we do serve God with a pure conscience in this world as Paul saith 2 Cor. 1.12 God knows what evil may befal us before we are a little older what temptations may await us what distresses and calamities may fall upon us happy are we if we have the testimony of a good conscience that we walk in the wayes of God and fear him and love those things that are beloved of God if we love his children his Ordinances his glory and are tender of it a good conscience tender of the commandments of God and his wayes is the best comfort a man can have in the world setting aside his faith in God and this is an evidence of his faith too how can we tell what may be may be the best of us may come to Davids pass you know how he was put to it once in the time of his misery and affliction he was fain to look if he
objected then how is it that those that are effectually called are very doubtful and have many questions and are uncertaine whether they are called or no if it be so how come these doubts and troubles and perplexities that are in the minds of good people that are effectually called of God and we find by experience that they were effectually called I answer first we must know that though the knowledge of a mans calling may be had yet it is had by degrees it is a gradual knowledge a man cannot know it all at first dash God doth not manifest his favour and love all at once to his people and when he gives it he doth not presently tell a man what he gives him though there be wayes for him to know it and find it out yet the Lord doth not open himself to his people all at the first nay he doth not so to his own Son Christ Jesus in respect of his humanity as he grew in stature and wisdom so he grew in favour with God Luk. 2.52 The divine nature manifested it self more and more to his humane so God doth manifest his favour and love and openeth himself to his people more and more according as they grow in goodness they grow in this knowledge as they are more and more pure in heart the more do they see God and Gods goodness to them and what God hath done for them this knowledge though it be to be had yet it is to be had by degrees and the people of God have it not all in one degree some have it in a higher degree and some in a lower but every man hath some of this knowledge that he is called of God it is impossible that a man should be effectually called and be wholly and totally ignorant of it Secondly As this knowledge is gradual so it is experimental a man knows that he is called by experience chiefly and mainly as when a man knows by experience that he comes to God and draws near to God and that he doth abstract himself from the world and worldly wayes and practises and layes aside more and more the carnal wayes of men and doth approach nearer and nearer unto the things of God in Christ if a man hath experience of these things he comes now to say God hath effectually called me and hath been pleased to do me good when he finds this by experience that these things are wrought in him then he can conclude this at the first he was like a man in a vision he could hardly believe that God had effectually called him as it was with Peter when the Angel delivered him out of prison he was as one that had seen a vision he had not thought it had been a real thing he could not tell what to make of it Act. 12.11 but when he came to himself now saith he I know of a surety that the Lord hath sent his Angel and delivered me out of prison At first he could not tell what to make of it but afterwards when he saw he was in the streets and that the iron gate opened to him of its own accord now saith he I know of a surety that the Lord hath sent his Angel and delivered me So it is with the people of God at first when they hear something from the Father they know not what to make of this call at the first but afterwards when they come to see this lust and that lust fall off and these and these heavenly works in their souls they now know of a surety that God hath sent his Spirit into their souls and delivered them from sins and Satan and hell and damnation c. At first they were like dreamers they were not able to say whether they were called or no as the children of Israel when they were delivered out of captivity they could hardly believe it at first Psal 126.1 When the Lord turned away the captivity of Zion we were as those that dreamed we could hardly perswade our selves that God had delivered us out of captivity with such a mercy so great a favour so unlikely so improbable it could never enter into their hearts almost we were like those that dreamed but when they saw they were in Jerusalem and were helped and assisted and heard the Gentiles talke of it and all the people runne up and down when they saw it was so and had experience of it then they saw God had done it indeed and did believe it so when a man is first effectually called to come out of his sins the Lord knocks off his bolts and plucks him out of the jaile of hell and sets him as it were in Jerusalem he is at first as a man that dreams he can hardly believe it is so as it was with David when God called him to be King he could hardly believe it it could hardly enter into his heart that he should be King over Israel especially being dayly persecuteed by Saul and calamities heaping up themselves against him he could not conclude it but when the Lord had set him in his Kingdome and given him victory over his enemies now saith he I know that the Lord saveth his anointed now he could speak it and found it by experience that the Lord had made him his anointed and saved and delivered him from all his enemies before he was ready to deny it and say Samuel was a lyar he had anointed him to be King but I said in my hast all men are lyars but when he had experience of it now saith he I know that the Lord hath saved his anointed Thirdly As the knowledge of effectual calling is gradual and experimental so likewise it is very spiritual it is a marvellous spiritual work and therefore no marvel though it be something insensible indeed there be things in it which are very sencible and conspicuous as may be a reprobate may be galled at a Sermon he may have his eyes broad open to see his sins and iniquities and may be wonderfully wrought upon and may have the sencible work of vocation by the very Spirit of God but the very specificalness of it whereby this effectual calling doth differ from all other callings this is a marvelous Spiritual thing and therefore no wonder that it is insencible sometimes and many of the people of God feare they have it not these things may be done in the soul of a man and a man not know it and yet it may seem strange that the eyes of the blind should be opened and the feet of the lame should walk and the dead should be raised and the devils should be cast out it is strange I say that these things should be done in a mans soul and yet the man in whose soul they are done should be ignorant of them it is a strange thing but the works of the Spirit are wonderful secret the actions of the Spirit are very invisible when a man humbles himself and prayes
and mournes these are sencible he knows what they are many talke of hunger and thirst and reformation c. But to see the saving sanctifying gracious work of God in these things that is a marvelous hard thing to find this and it is very spiritual as Solomon saith Eccl. 11.5 As thou knowest not the way of the Spirit nor how the bones grow in the womb of a woman that is with child even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all if it be so in natural things that we know not how the bones of the child grow in the womb much lesse these things of the Spirit so our Saviour Christ saith Joh. 3.8 The wind bloweth where it listeth and thou knowest not whence it cometh nor whither it goeth even so is every one that is borne of the Spirit that is every one that is effectually called of God for regeneration is a part of this effectual calling to be effectually called of God it is the blowing of the wind a man knows not whence it cometh nor whither it goeth there is a world of ignorance about the wind so there is about the workings of Gods holy and heavenly Spirit when our Saviour was a working of regeneration in Nicodemus his heart was at the same time saying how can these things be Christ was working these things in his heart and the very same time when he was questioning how can these things be So Gideon at the very same time when God said unto him the Lord is with thee thou mighty man of valour Judg. 6.14 15. Gideon was doubting that the Lord was not with him and that he had no might nor strength as our Saviour said of the seed that was sown in the ground Mark 4.26 As if a man should cast seed into the ground and sleep night and day and the seed springeth up and grows he knows not how so saith he is the Kingdome of God and as our Saviour saith so it shall be at the last day when Christ shall say come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you for I was hungry and ye fed me c. But marke at the very same time the righteous that did all this and our Sauiour Christ did witness to their faces that they had done it the righteous shall answer when saw we thee hungry and fed thee c. They hardly knew they had done these things the actions themselves they could not but know of they knew they had fed and cloathed the poore children of God but that they did it to Christ for Christs sake they could hardly see this when did we see thee thus and thus and did so and so that they looked at Christ in this they had hardly so good eyes hardly so good a heart so I might instance in more I say the works of God they are marvelous spiritual and of a wonderful subtil substance they may be wrought in the soul of a man and yet a man may be something doubting and questioning whether they be wrought in him yea or no nay a man may be afraid they are not Fourthly Another reason is because the knowledge of a mans effectual calling may be very much hindered for a time paâ—â—ly in regard of loathness of heart to leave some lust though a mans heart may be subdued and humbled for the maine yet there may be a great deal of holding back though a man cannot stand out in sin as the wicked do yet there may be a great deal of backwardness and unmortifiedness in the children of God and conscience may see it now when conscience seeth it conscience will hide effectual calling from a man and object how can you say you are effectually called when you are so borne down with such a lust and hanker so much after it now if our own hearts condemn us God is greater then our hearts and shall condemn us much more it is a pitiful thing when a man 's own heart shall condemn him and his own conscience shall be questioning whether he be right or no sometimes it falls out thus even those that are called yet in regard of unmortifiedness there is such a deale of matter that the conscience hath to object that a man cannot believe indeed and soundly that he is effectually called for at first when Christ comes into the soul before it hath gotten the mastery and victory the Spirit doth work exceedingly in the dark as when it works poverty of spirit sorrow for sin endeavour to leave all sin hatred and detestation of a mans own wayeâ— loathing of a mans own self shame confusion before Gods footstoole there is such a smoak in the soul where the Spirit doth these that a man cannot see them as if a man be working in a smoaky house though he work excellent things a man can hardly perceive what he doth so there is such a deal of smoak in the heart such a deal of corruption stirring that it hides the sight of the work of God from a man yet the work of God goeth along as suppose two armies in a field and the battel be doubtful the guns fly off and the swords clatter and the dust ariseth and there is such a confusion that neither themselves nor others know which way the battel will go but sometimes some fall on one side and sometimes some on the other side and if a man should stand on an hill and see this battle he cannot tell on which side it will be sometimes he thinks it will be on this side and by and by it is turned on the other side and so while it is doubtful it cannot be determined and concluded on which side the victory will fall So it is with the war between the flesh and the spirit the war is very doubtful before the odds begin for there is a great deal of evenness at first nay the Spirit seems to be the weaker side and the flesh to be the stronger and there are many falls and foiles given to the soul and the flesh is too strong afterwards it begins to be something equal and the battel to be poyzed now while the battel is so doubtful a man cannot tell on which side the victory will be whether on the spirits side or on the fleshes side whether on graces side or on sinnes side but when the warfare is accomplished I do not mean perfectly for that will never be in this life a man may then see on which side the victory will go a man may see ten thousand corruptions lie dead with their throats cut and the Spirit standing triumphing and conquering more and more we may now see which way the victory will go the Spirit reigns and grace reigns and humility reigns and heavenly mindedness reigns and all the graces of Gods Spirit have dominion over the whole man Another reason why the knowledge of effectual calling is hindered is because of ignorance a child is a man though he doth
Rom. 8.15 You have not received againe the Spirit of bondage to feare you did receive it once but you have not received it againe but now you have received the Spirit of adoption whereby you cry Abba Father Now to deny this doctrine is to deny the maine office of the Spirit which is dangerous for every man naturally is a bedlam now how are bedlams tamed they are beaten and whipt and kept under till they come to themselves so the Lord deals with a man as with a bedlam he comes with the Spirit of bondage flinging in slavish terrours and fears and what a miserable creature he is this sin and the other sinne and the wrath of God is come out against him the Spirit takes a man down from day to day and undermines him and breaks his stomack and then afterwards when he hath wrought that work he comes to be the Spirit of adoption to teach him to cry Abba Father Thirdly Because the Gospels turne is not come till the Law hath done his part this was the method that Christ was anointed to observe in his Ministery he would first have a man bruised and broken and captivated and blind and poore and in misery and then he preacheth the Gospel to him as you may see Luk. 4.19 The Spirit of the Lord hath anointed me to this order saith he it is an excellent place for this purpose to stop the mouthes of those that hope there is an easier way he will preach the Gospel and liberty and comfort and enlargement but he will have a broken heart first and a tender Spirit first Fourthly You may see an expresse place of our Saviour Christ that he came to save that which was lost first a man shall be in a lost estate and he shall be in a wilderness and he shall have his sinnes discovered and his misery and then the Lord comes to those that he hath a minde to do good unto Mat. 9.12 13. saith he They that are whole need not the Physitian but they that are sick he means to deale with a man as a Physitian a man must be sick before he comes to him the Physitian gives Physick to none till they be sick now till a man is sick of his sinnes till they are the diseases of his soul till he is in torments and misery the Lord Jesus saith he will not be his Physician Fifthly Because God doth see it fitting to deale thus with his converted ones when they fall into some foule sinne and grosse iniquity the Lord is pleased to go this way to work even towards his own converted ones when they sinne not onely through invincible infirmities and through temptation but when they grow stubborn when they fall into some horrible iniquity the Lord doth use to go even legally to work with them though they lie under grace therefore much more towards those that never yet were under grace that never had any free Spirit that never had any part of an ingenious nature that were never yet wrought to be led by the faire means of grace if God work so with those that he hath given in some measure his grace and given in some measure a portion of his free Spirit unto if when they sinne and sinne foully it is not all the promise of the Gospel all the covenant of Grace that will raise them up againe and make them walk before God with holiness and zeale and fervency then much more will he deale thus with those that never had any grace at all Thus David cryeth out thy fears have got hold upon me and Psal 28.4 his sinnes were as an heavy burthen unto him too heavy for him to beare he did not onely set his sinnes before him they were not onely the objects before his eyes so they are to a man that walks in the comforts of the Spirit they are before his eyes every man that walks in obedience he hath his sinnes before him at times to humble him and keep him low and make him still hang upon Christ and depend upon him and esteem Christ precious to you that believe Christ is precious 2 Pet. 4.5 But now he sets them before them not only as objects but layeth them as loads upon their backs that their sins shall not only be seen but felt by them now this is a legal work when any part of a mans sinnes and misery lyes upon his soul and conscience 't is true God never shews sinne to the utmost to his people he never layeth all the load if God should stirre up all the stink of uncleanness that is in his people if God should discover to them all the ugly looks of their sinnes they were not able to beare it As a good man said when I see my self saith he it is an intollerable horror to me it makes my very flesh to shiver and my soul to quake to think what I am in my self Nay if God should lay all the burden of sinne upon the soul the children of God their Spirits would faile they were not able to subsist under it but thus farre the Lord reveals their sinnes and layeth load upon them to break their hearts and rend the kall of their spirits to tame and pull them to him to bring them under and to make them beare his yoake Lastly Because wheresoever the Scripture doth speak at large and professedly of any mans conversation we do not read of any conversation but it was after this manner by revealing their misery in themselves and charging their sinnes upon their souls Thus the Lord dealt with Manasses he did mightily afflict him he opened his eyes by outward afflictions and then charged his misery upon his soul Thus the Lord dealt with Ephraim as with an untamed heifer and then he cryed out Convert me O Lord and I shall be converted Jer. 31.18 And thus the Lord dealt with the woman in the Gospel that washed his feet with her tears you must think it was not ordinary sorrow that could make her tears trickle down in such plentiful manner as to wash his feet thus it was with her before she had the pardon of her sinnes and thus it was with Peters hearers he told them that they were the murtherers of the Lord Jesus and then they were pricked in the hearts before he did preach the Gospel and bid them repent evangelically Thus did John the Baptist deale first he comes with the axe and hews at them and layes at the root of the tree and then he tells them of Christ there comes one after me that is more worthy then I c. First he did lay about him to detect their misery and reveale to their wretched estate and then at the last he preached the Gospel and poured in oyle So it was with Paul the Lord made it appeare that he fought against heaven and persecuted the Lord Jesus Christ and he laid him flat upon his face nay he smote him with blindness and sent
that it dares not but obey God as it doth discerne his grace and mercy to make him perfectly to trust in God so it seeth another thing in God that God is of that nature that he must be served and worshipped and obeyed Therefore you shall see Noah though the building of the Ark were an endlesse work and a costly and chargeable work in the eyes of men it would cost him many yeares to build and he could not look after his calling and after the world but it would take him up for an hundred and twenty yeares and set all the world a talking of him and mocking at him for it yet when God commanded him to do it faith made him do it and how did faith make him do it Heb. 11.7 By faith Noah being forewarned of God of things not seen as yet moved by feare prepared an Ark fear moved him faith made him do it but how did faith make him do it It moved him with feare and so made him do it it made him see God was an holy and righteous God that would not be dallied withal and this moved him with feare and he durst not but do it whatsoever it put him to he durst not omit it faith makes a man that he dares not be bold with God it takes away the impudency of the heart and the venterousnesse of the soul as long as a man doth not believe he dares make bold with such Commandements of God as he likes not he will omit them for all him but when faith comes it reveales God to the soul and shewes who he is and what nature he is of and that he is such a one as will not be dallied with but his Commandements must be done and his will must be obeyed or else woe to that man it shewes to a man the infinite Majestie of God and sets it before a mans face that he dares not go on in any thing contrary to Gods will but obey God in whatsoever he commands him and abstaine from whatsoever God forbids as Paul saith We dare not make our selves of the number or compare our selves with some that commend themselves 2 Cor. 10.12 He knew God had forbidden it and he durst not but obey So 1 Cor. 6.1 Dare any of you having a matter go to Law before unbeleevers As who should say you are not beleevers if you do it faith would shew you what God is and what an inglorious and what a bitter thing it is for you to do it how dare you do it Secondly Faith doth not onely look upon Christ as a Saviour and a Redeemer but also as a Lord and King when Christ comes to a man when faith comes into the soul Christ is called our Lord Jesus Christ as he is a Jesus so he is a Lord and faith doth not only receive him as a Jesus but submits to him as to a Sovereigne Faith takes them both together faith will not let a man live Lordlesse it knowes he must take Christ as a Lord as well as a Redeemer as faith takes off the guilt of sinne so it puts the yoake of Christ on Is Christ divided saith the Apostle 1 Corinthians 1.13 So I may say is Christ divided Can he be disjoynted himselfe from himselfe Can people mangle Christ in pieces and divide him asunder May be thou wilt have him as a Jesus but thou wilt not have him as a Lord then thou canst not have him at all as Peter saith Acts 2.36 Be it known to all that God hath made the same Jesus whom ye have crucified both Lord and Christ As he hath made him a Christ by anointing him to be a Saviour to bring men from sinne and to bring them to Gods Kingdome and save them from wrath so he hath made him a Lord he hath set him up as a King upon his Holy Hill of Zion look as it was with Jephtah when the Gileadites would have him to save them from the Ammonites shall I be your head then saith he and he made them to sweare before the Lord that they would make him their Head or else he would not deliver them so if thou wilt have Christ to deliver thee out of the hands of thine enemies sinne is an enemy and the Law is an enemy and the Devill is an enemy and the world and thine own flesh is an enemy if thou wilt have Christ to deliver thee from these enemies shall he be thy Head He hath sworne an Oath That we being delivered from the hands of our enemies should serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of our lives Luke 1.73 He hath sworne with an Oath that that man whom he delivers from his enemies shall serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse and shall not live as he lift he shall not live Lawlesse he shall take Christs Lawes as well as his Merits as well Christs Government as the imputation of his truth and righteousnesse he shall take the one as well as the other Now it is an easie thing for a man to believe by a presumptuous faith that Christ is a Jesus but here is the difficulty to take him as a Lord No man can call Christ a Lord but by the Holy Ghost saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 12.3 He doth not say no man can say Christ is a Jesus the Devill and presumption can make a man say so and every man hopes and beares himself upon this that Christ is a Jesus but no man can truly confesse him to be a Lord but by the Holy Ghost unlesse the Holy Ghost enable him as our Saviour saith David by the Spirit called him Lord he speakes of himselfe Matth. 22.43 It is a great matter to submit to Christ as a Sovereigne as well as to take Christ for a Saviour now faith seeth both must be done it must take Christ under both relations as he must take him under the relation of a Redeemer so under the relation of a Lord as to be saved by him so to be guided and swayed by him in all his wayes and to be at his disposing in all his courses thus faith seeth Christ is propounded in the Gospell and thus Christ embraceth him it cannot have him in one respect but it must also have him in the other and so faith brings in obedience Thirdly Faith seeth another couple that cannot be disjoynted and severed one from another and that is this as faith tyeth the heart to the promises so it glueth the heart to the Commandements these go together and when faith reacheth forth the hand to the one it reacheth forth the hand to the other they are tyed with bonds of adamant that cannot be severed Psalme 119.56 When faith will go to God in vertue of a promise to do this or that for him he reacheth forth the hand to the Commandements too I am the Lord thy God thou shalt have no other Gods but me As who should say if you will look upon me as your God by
infirmities and frailties of his people and communicates to them a sutable grace are they troubled with afflictions then he measures out patience to beare them are they persecuted then he makes them able to stand for his Name are they to pray to deny themselves to fight against Satan he measures them out a sutable proportion of his grace and Spirit to him and now when a man hath his Gloves and all provision on he may go about hedging or ditching or any businesse so when a man hath put on Christ and is armed with grace and strength from him what is it but a man may do In that very moment wherein a man casts himself upon God in Christ and doth lay hold upon Christ by a true and lively faith this grace is made over to him the same moment may be the grace of victory he must stay for a while but there comes a grace of sincerity from God that very moment that he believes in Christ though may be there comes not that power from Christ he would have yet that power that he shall be sincere and will never let corruption make him a slave he shall never walk after the flesh never be stubborne and worldly never do as the wicked do never depart from God as unbelievers use to do he shall depend upon God and waite upon him and adhere and cleave unto him and continue a faithfull Souldier to Christ fighting against sinne and corruption to the death a man shall have power from Christ to do this if he have a true and a lively faith By faith saith the text Hebrewes 11.5 Enoch walked with God how is it possible could he walk with God what a strange kinde of life is this How averse is the heart of man from it People cannot abide such strictnesse to have commerce and society and communion with God to keep close to God and not go away from him how could he do this Why By faith he walketh with God So Abraham God bade him leave his Countrey and all he had you must think a thousand things were objected to him you must think he had abundance of reasonings to and fro in his minde I am in yeares unâ—t for travell and I shall now travell God knowes whither and I am now where I was bred and brought up and I have bear meanes and maintenance and friends and know how to live and for me to go into a strange Countrey where I know no body and I know not what may become of me and for me to leave certainties for uncertainties all the world will count me a foole how did he do this By faith he obeyed saith the text c. Faith helped him with power to look up unto God and cast himselfe upon God that helped him against all difficulties that helped him against all the backwardnesse and dulnesse of his nature he committed himself to God and would do it he packt up himself never once standing upon the matter but away be goeth By faith he obeyed c. So By faith Abel offered up a more acceptable sacrifice then Cain Hebrewes 11.4 How is that possible Was he not made of the same mettall Cain was was he not borne out of the same womb digged out of the same pit As apt and prone to serve God after an earthly manner as Cain How was he able to offer up a more acceptable sacrifice He had no better sheep then Cain Why it was done by faith he had faith in God he renounced himself and was divided from himselfe he was united to God by faith and resolved to hang upon him and so leaned upon him for every thing he had promised and so got acceptance with God So Rahab by faith entertained the spies Hebrewes 11.31 It was a hard piece of service a marvelous difficult piece of businesse you must think she thus reasoned with her selfe shall I entertaine Traytors Shall I betray my owne Countrey The Town will see it it will come to the Kings eare and I shall become a Traytor to my Countrey and Prince and a thousand to one but I shall lose my life if I suffer them to be here but how did she overcome this By faith by faith she entertained the spies for all it was so hard for all death was at the doore yet by faith she was able to do it What shall we say to Gideon Baruch c. Who by faith subdued Kingdomes c. Hebrewes 11.37 Out of weak they were made strong How did they work righteousnesse They were as weak as others but faith made them of weak strong faith strengthened their wills to that which was good faith corroborated their resolutions and purposes towards the pleasing of God and resisting corruptions faith made them strongly resolve that they would not be led by their owne wills they believed in God and so were able to do it What shall I say of Moses Hebrewes 11.24 This is a wonderful thing that he should refuse to be called the sonne of Pharoahs daughter a meane man born and yet refuse to be called King Pharoahs Grand-childe who would refuse such excellent hopes of honours and preferments may be he might be King afterwards Nay when he was come to yeares to do it if he had refused it when he was a childe before he had come to yeares it had been no such wonder it might have been attributed to his childishnesse Nay but he was come to yeares and was a learned and understanding man what man would have done this Indeed rare are such persons that are able to renounce themselves in this fashion but you see what faith can do Quest Thus you see how faith doth work obedience and now if you would know how faith doth fetch power from Christ to do these things I answer it is by two wayes First Faith is an instrument whereby God doth by the acting and placing of it aright upon him let out that power which is in Christ to a poore soul that that power which is in Christ is to him and that goodnesse which is in Christ is to him that he shall have grace for grace an answerable grace for every grace in Christ Ephes 1.19 The exceeding greatnesse of his power to us-ward that believe When we believe the exceeding greatnesse of his power is to us-ward it is not only a power in God but it is for us and we may take that power and fetch it from God and obtaine of him to put it forth You know that Christ hath promised to take away the stony heart c. He hath made such promises as these to pull down strong holds to overcome Satan and all the enemies of our soules to poure out his Spirit upon his people as water upon the thirsty ground now as soone as ever faith comes into the soul it goeth to these promises and takes hold of them Lord here is such a promise Lord make me a new heart make me obey this Commandment and overcome
change but a real change to a man If you would know the meaning of the phrase A relative change is this when there is a change in a man from that he was before but the change doth not lye in a man as the change of Justification before he was not Justified now he is Justified the man is changed but he is not changed in himself but it stands only in Gods imputation he is not just in himself but by imputation just Now the real change is When God doth purifie and make up the defects in a man more and more that is a real change so that I say Regeneration is not only a relative change whereby God accounts a man as a child but it breeds a real change in a man it gives a man a spiritual Being for the Spirit of God when it comes to work this work is a fruitful principle of all good in that man more and more Therefore the Apostle saith The fruits of the Spirit are joy peace long-suffering c. Gal. 5.22 'T is true the Spirit doth not bring forth these Graces till after a man is regenerate but by working that Regeneration which makes the soul to bring forth these fruits and making the heart an honest heart and so a good ground to bring forth these seeds the Spirit is a fruitful principle of all good in that man Thus you see the Third Thing viz. Wherein Regeneration consists Now the Fourth Thing is the Reasons of this Point Why the Spirit of God doth work this work of Regeneration The First Reason is Because it is meerly according to the Will of God Man hath no power at all man hath no activity it is meerly at the pleasure of God whether he will do it or no Jam. 1.18 Of his own Will begat he us he only had an hand in it he only did it and it was meerly at his good Will and Pleasure he might have chosen whether he would have done it or no it is no fruit of our liberty it is no brood of our breeding it is meerly the free act of God in a man Joh. â— 44 No man cometh to me except the Father draweth him There Christ sheweth it this bringing of a man to be in Christ it cannot be from any man except the Father draw him except he send forth his heavenly Spirit he can never come to Christ all our sufficiency is from God we cannot so much as think a good thought we cannot renew our thoughts we cannot renew our inclinations or our wills or our affections we can do nothing of our selves it is only his work therefore seeing it is such a special work it must be only the Spirit of God that must work it it is a glorious work a supernatural work this new Birth is such a Birth as comes from above Psal 110.3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power c. saith the text that is all that are born of God they are brought forth in the day of Gods power in the day wherein God is pleased to put forth his power in them therefore they are called the seed of Christ Isa 53.10 They are his seed but unless he begets them by his Spirit they can never be so Therefore if we consider the greatness of the work it sheweth plainly it must needs be the effect of the Will of God and his good Pleasure towards man and therefore must be wrought by the Spirit Secondly Another Reason is Because it is not a work of this world It is a work of another world it is none of the creatures of this life it is beyond the sphere of the activity of any natural agent they cannot reach it Joh. 1.13 Which were born not of the will of the flesh nor of bloud c. It is not of mans Will he cannot so much as Will it or Desire it effectually he cannot wish it truly nay his heart had rather have the world nay saith he It is not of the Will of the Flesh that is a man may go and beget another Child in the world because it is of the Will of the Flesh it is in the power of the Will of the Flesh Gods power going along with him but this is not so whatsoever a man be though he hath never so many excellent parts it is not in the Will of the Flesh to do it Then again it is not of Bloud it is no terrene or earthly thing this new creature is otherwise made than any new creature in the world besides therefore he concludes it is only born of God it is God only that is the great Author of this great work it descends down meerly from above Thirdly Because it is so far from being wrought by any power in man or any counsel in man or any endeavours in man it is so far from that as that a man is totally against it A man is an enemy unto it a man hath reluctancy and repugnancy against it he would not be regenerate when a man doth think he desires heaven and to be regenerated of God he doth apprehend Regeneration in a wrong way and heaven in a wrong way so as he apprehends it he doth Will it he thinks of heaven as of a fine place and a place full of pleasure and therefore desires it but that he should alwayes be with God that he should alwayes be praysing and thinking of God and minding of God and have his heart weaned from all other things and set it on God this is heaven but he hates these things and so hates heaven so he Wills that which he apprehends to be Regeneration but Regeneration is when a man hath a new heart and when he is a new man he was wordly before but he is now brought to be spiritual he was proud before but he is now come to be humble but the heart cannot abide this therefore let the Lord fling in abundance of throws into a natural mans heart to begin some preparatory work this way to make a man begin to look out towards heaven he flings all away he is weary of them quickly as a man at a Sermon perhaps may have throws concerning the new Birth but the corruption of his heart will throw all way he cannot endure them they are contrary to the corruption of a mans nature nay when God comes to work upon his own people what a deal of pleading is there with the world the flesh and the Divel that they may not be cast out Therefore when Peter saw that through the grace and power of God this work was wrought in those he wrote unto 1 Pet. 1.3 Mark how he speaks Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again to a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead He lifts up his hands to heaven and blesseth God that ever this work was wrought he saw so much
adoe and such a stir and such a deal of opposition this is a plain sign that it is not of man it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God which sheweth mercy Rom. 9.16 Neither can man Will neither can he run neither go nor stir towards it nay though God make him go how apt is he to laggar in the way and draw back again So you see the Fourth Thing Why it must needs be the Spirits Work The Fifth Thing is How the Spirit of God works this Work It is after an unspeakable manner Who can declare the noble acts of the Lord The works of God in Nature are marvellous David himself when he looked upon his natural Birth the Conception of him in the Womb of his Mother he wondered at it Psal 139.14 That was a wonderful work how much more is this unspeakable and unutterable As it is said of our Saviour Christ Who can declare his generations So may I say in a lower sense of this Work Who can declare this Regeneration of his people But yet thus far the Scripture doth authorize and warrant us to go First That he doth it by the word of Life By the Gospel of Salvation by the Preaching of it or otherwise according as he pleaseth that is the immortal seed 1 Pet. 1.23 Being born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the word of God c. And as Paul saith to the Corinthians Though you have ten thousand instructers yet you have not many Fathers for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel 1 Cor. 4.15 As who should say You are begotten and born again and you are born again by the Word and I was an instrument under God of your new Birth by the Word which I have Preached among you and therefore 1 Tim. 1.2 he calls Timothy His own Son So Tit. 1.4 he calls him His Son in the Faith that is he was an instrumental Father under God by the Doctrine of Faith to bring him to be a Child of God So that I say it is done by the Word Of his own Will hath he begotten us by the Word of truth Jam. 1.18 The Spirit of the Lord sanctifies the Word when he is pleased to convert a man the Word shall shew him what a miserable creature he is by nature it sheweth him that flesh and bloud cannot enter into the kingdom of God it sheweth him that he is utterly forlorn in himself and past all recovery and shews him where life is to be had namely in Jesus Christ discovering his worth and excellency and necessity and that all Grace and good is in him and shews him the freedom of this gracious offer Thus the Spirit of God when he propounds the Word to the soul holds it before the eyes and conscience and sanctifies it and puts a power into it to enter deep into the soul that it may Conceive in the soul Secondly The Lord doth it by an unspeakable working There is a Divine work which the Lord worketh The spirit comes into the soul after the manner of water as Christ saith Joh. 3. Except a man be born again of water and the holy Ghost c. that is unless he be born of the Spirit which worketh in the spirit of a man as water doth in working upon a foul thing Now what this working is we cannot tell but we can tell you the effects of it whereas the soul was rotten and naught before and impotent to all good now it begins to have a better disposition and a new power And whereas it did savour of the things of this life before now it savours of the things that are above but this is a secret kind of working in the soul therefore it is called the washing and the laver of it And the Apostle speaking of the Corinthians what miserable creatures they were before Regeneration he nameth Drunkards Idolaters Adulterers c. and all manner of filthy persons Such were some of you saith he before your Regeneration but now you are washed and justified and sanctified in the Name of Christ 1 Cor. 6.11 That same washing there he means by that you are Regenerated so that Regeneration it is a supernatural an unspeakable kind of washing of the soul by the holy Ghost whereby the soul hath its Corruption washed from it in part and made clean in part and way made for all the Graces of Gods Spirit to come in now and all the fruits of the spirit to be brought forth Thus the Spirit of God works this work he works it in an ineffable manner by the word of Life and by a secret kind of washing I come now to the Application of this Point And first of all If the Spirit of God be the Regenerater of Gods people â—hen we may here see the errour of the Papists Pelagians and others That set up the Will of man and put any activity in the Reason and Judgement and Wisdom and Election of man This Doctrine of theirs is unsound and contrary to the working of Gods holy spirit If it be such a work as God sends his own Spirit to do it What man can do it It is called Regeneration and this shews it is not of man who is able to beget himself and shape himself in the womb and dispose of his own body in the belly Nay more Can any man beget himself again The very name of Again shews that it is a work only of God none but he can do it and we see it plainly it is wrought no where but where God himself doth it and they that have it are able to speak it that they did not chuse God but God chose them I was found of them that sought me not all the souls of his people will subscribe That it was not in them that willed or in them that ran but in God that shewed mercy It is God only that is the Author of this thing and none but he Secondly Again This should teach us to consider that we have alwayes need of the Spirit of God If the Spirit of God hath begotten us again then we have alwayes need of him it is not in this as in the first Birth when the Child is born though the Father be gone the Child may subsist but it is not so here but the Spirit of God as he begets a man so he is fain alwayes to stand by him and bear him up and give him supplies of Grace from day to day As it is with the Air the Sun doth not only enlighten it but it doth every moment give light to it for suppose the Sun should shine four or five hours in the day yet if the Sun should with-hold its light the Air would be dark presently it is not as it is with Fire let a man heat the water though he take away the Fire the water will keep its heat a while after but do but with-hold the
a man loves God that begets he must needs love them that are begotten of God Lastly If a man be born again then a man labours to do good and to spread the Knowledge of Jesus Christ to the glory of God He loves to be communicating that he hath he that hath this Spirit loves to be breathing upon others and would fain scatter his sweet things up and down where he goeth and would fain leave a sweet savour of himself wheresoever he comes this is the nature of him that is born again and regenerate to beget others That man is unworthy to be born by whom another is not born as we say when a man is born again he labours to beget others to God to be generative and fruitful and abundant in doing good up and down he labours to beget his Children and Family to God and to draw his neighbours and acquaintance unto God he would fain have people know Christ and obey him and submit unto him Thus you see the signs whereby we may know Whether we be born again or no CHRISTIANS Ingrafting into CHRIST 1 Cor. 12.13 For by one Spirit are we all Baptized into one Body whether we be Jews or Grecians whether we be Bond or Free and have been all made to drink into one Spirit WEE have spoken of Regeneration which is a work of the Spirit and the first implanting of a man into Christ Now we come to speak of a new work of the Spirit The implanting of a man into the Church the Body of Christ when the Spirit makes a man to be a Member of the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ and this is done all under one for being once ingrafted in Christ we come to be fellow-Members with all those that are Christs and this we have here in the Text By one Spirit we are all Baptized into one Body c. The Apostles meaning is this All we that are the people of God we are all one Body and be efficient cause of this is the Spirit of God it is by the Spirit that we are made thus and the instrumental cause though it be not here expressed yet it is implyed and that is Faith and the means of confirming this Faith are the Two Sacraments First The Sacrament of Baptisme we are baptized into the same Body Secondly The Sacrament of the Lords Supper intimated in one part of it namely the Cup which is put for the whole and are made all to drink of the same Cup we are all of one and the self same Body as many as are in Christ are endued with the same Spirit not one endued with one Spirit and another endued with another Spirit but by one Spirit we are Baptized into one Body our Baptisme is one and our Food one it is altogether one though our condition in the world be never so different bond or free though our Countrey and Nation and Parish be never so various one to another one of one and another of another Jews and Gentiles we are all baptized into one Body and this is done by one and the self-same Spirit Now to speak of the putting of a man into the Body of Christ We will shew you these Five things First What this Body of Christ is Secondly What this putting of a man into it is Thirdly That this is done by the Spirit of God Fourthly How the Spirit of God doth it How a man is made part of the Body of Christ Fifthly The Application of the Point For the First What is this Body of Christ which the Spirit of God doth ingraft his people into In a word It is the invisible Church of God which is a peculiar company of men and women out of all Nations under heaven predestinated to eternal life gathered together by the Word and made all one in Christ This is the Body of Jesus Christ so that here are Five Things that are to be opened First It is the Church of God as the Apostle saith Col. 1.18 He is the Head of the Body the Church So that the Church is the Body of Christ that same peculiar company of men and women as Saint Peter calls them You are a chosen generation a peculiar people a royal priesthood 1 Pet. 2.9 The Author to the Hebrews calls them The Assembly of the first born Heb. 12.23 And Christ himself calls them A little flock in regard of the multitude of other people that is in the world and are not of this brother-hood Now I call this invisible for though their persons and courses and manner of life be seen and known and they may be known who they are yet all of them were never known nor ever will be there may be more then we can tell and fewer then we think of The foundation of God is sure having this seal The Lord knoweth who are his 2 Tim. 2.19 The Lord had seven thousand in Israel that had not bent their knees to Baal when Eliah could see never a one So that this is the First Thing it is the invisible Church of God Secondly It 's such a company as is gathered out of all Nations under heaven As Saint John speaks Rev. 7.9 After this behold and loe I saw a great multitude of all Nations and Countryes and Tongues c. Though it be a little Flock in respect of the Reprobate yet it is a great multitude considered in it self and they stood before the throne and before the Lambe with long white Robes and with Palms in their hands This white Robe is the Righteousnesse of Christ Jesus imputed which begets another Righteousnesse which is inherent in some measure and the Palms in their hands is the sign of Victory over Sin Death and Hell and this is a great multitude and it was out of all Cities and Nations and Kindreds of the world and therefore our Saviour Christ speaking of his own taking of this company home unto himself at the last day see what he speaks Mat. 24.31 He shall send his Angels with a great sound of a trumpet and they shall gather his Elect from the four Winds from the one end of the Earth to the other The Lord gathers here one and there another as a man would gather a Posie in a Garden here a flower and there a flower This is Another Thing in the Body of Christ it is a Company gathered out of all Nations and People and Places at one time or other Thirdly This same godly Company are a Company of Predestinated men unto Eternal life For there are none but the chosen of God that are the true Body of Christ this is a company only of Elect men and women and babes therefore they are called Elect Rom. 8.33 They are such a company as are written in the Lamb's Book of life Rev. 21.27 Therefore all those that seem to be of God and go a great way with the people of God and yet turn back as Orphah from Naomi Ruth 1. They were