but being ioyned with the Spirit it offereth grace and effecteth that in the harts of the elect in some measure which it doth require As we reade concerning Thomas Ioh. 20. 27. 28. Christs word cōmanded Thomas not to be infidelious but beleeuing and the same word wrought faith in him to beleeue so that he immediatly fell downe at Iesus feets and said vnto him Thou art my God and my Lord. Concerning the second question which is whether a man haue free will because it is said Why will ye die To this I answer a man or woman may haue a free choise in things ciuill and indifferent thus if any one be inuited to a feast he is at his own choise whether he will go or no and if he go he is at his owne choise of what dishes he wil taste or eate according to that in 1. Cor. 10. 27. If any one that beleeueth not bid thee to a feast and if thou wilt go c. But to make choise or to refuse to go to a feast or to make choise to feed moderately for conscience sake or for Gods glorie this is immediatly frō God the fountaine of all holinesse For we are not sufficient to thinke any thing as of our selues but our sufficiencie is of God Again that a Christian hath in some measure a freed will after conuersion though not an absolute free will we do not gainsay for Christ came to proclaime libertie to the captiues and the opening of the prison to them that are bound And where the Spirit of the Lord is there is libertie But to say that a man hath absolute freedome and that he hath power of himselfe without the Spirit to will that which is good and to nill that which is euil to affirme this we cannot For it is God which giueth both to will and to do of his good pleasure We haue not free will before conuersion For euery imagination of the thoughts of our hearts are onely euill continually And in vs that is in our flesh abideth nothing which is good Neither haue we free will after conuersion For without Christ can we do nothing And As the branch cannot beare fruite of it selfe except it abide in the vine no more can we except we abide in Christ And therefore we Christians haue iust cause to reiect the doctrine of Poperie as in other points fundamentall as namely in the doctrine of iustificaton by a mans owne merits and in the doctrine of praying or giuing diuine worship vnto Saints and Angels and in the doctrine of Purgatorie and in the doctrine of the Popes authoritie to dispense with sin or to forgiue sin in the doctrine of Transsubstantiation in the doctrine of the Popes power to dethrone Christian Kings c. As we haue I say iust cause to reiect these vaine inuentions with innumerable other Antichristian traditions so likewise we haue iust cause to dissent from the Papists and new vpstart Arminians in the doctrine of Free will And the doctrine of Free will in that sence as it is maintained by Papists and Arminians is so much the more to be abhorred first because it denieth the doctrine of the erernall truth of God concerning election and reprobation maintaining that one person is not elected more then another except it be for foreseene faith or foreseene workes Contrary vnto that in Rom. 9. 11. For the children being not yet borne neither hauing done any good or euill that the purpose of God according to election might stand not of workes but of him that calleth it was said vnto her The elder shall serue the yonger as it is written Iacob haue I loued and Esau haue I hated Secondly the doctrine of freewill is so much the more to be reiected because it derogates from the glorie of God and maketh a man his owne sauiour for if a man haue absolute power of himselfe by his owne will to be saued or damned then if he be saued he may thanke himselfe and not God Thirdly if the doctrine of freewill were receiued then we must also grant that there is no assurance of saluation in this life contrary to that in 2. Pet. 1. 10. Make your calling and election sure Yea we must grant also that a Christian might fall finally and totally from sauing grace contrary to that in Math. 16. 18. The gates of hell shall not preuaile c. and thus one grosse absurdity being granted a thousand would follow The reason therefore that God expostulates thus with his Church Why will ye die is not to implie any free-will in vs but rather to intimate a great frowardnesse in vs vnto that which is good and a desperate forwardnesse and pronenesse vnto that which is euill Why will ye die that is why will ye desperately resist the Spirit when he offers grace vnto you and why will ye wilfully rush into sinne as the horse into the battell and so incurre the danger of damnation when ye are sufficiently forewarned Thus much for the meaning of the words and matter Cast away from you all your transgressions I purpose not to collect all the doctrines which I might out of this text because the time would be too short for so large a discourse I will therefore if God will insist onely vpon such points as stand best with the scope of the holy Ghost in this text or portion of Scripture and which I think to be the most necessary doctrines concerning the time and place Cast away from you all your transgressions Where note that it is not said lay by all your transgressions for a time but cast them away Againe it is not said cast away some of your transgressions or such transgressions which you can best spare but cast away all euen to your very infirmities Whence obserue we That a true penitent sinner must not not fauour or allow himselfe in any sinne or transgression whatsoeuer but he must be content to part with all yea with his best-beloued sinnes he must cast away all his transgressions whereby he hath transgressed For the proofe of which point I commend vnto you these places of Scripture following Ezechiel 18. 30. Repent and turne your selues from all your transgressions so iniquitie shall not be your ruine Math. 18. 8. 9. Wherefore if thy hand or thy foote offend thee cut them off and cast them from thee it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed rather then hauing two hands or two feete to be cast into euerlasting fire And if thine eye offend thee plucke it out and cast it from thee it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye rather then hauing two eyes to be cast into hell fire 2. Cor. 7. 1. Hauing therefore these promises dearely beloued let vs cleanse our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the feare of God Heb. 12. 1. Wherefore seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of
THE NEW CREATVRE A SERMON PREACHED AT PAVLS CROSSE IANVARY 17. 1619. By Stephen Denison Minister of Gods word at Katherine Kree Church in the Citie of London 2. COR. 5. 17. Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature GAL. 6. 15. For in Christ Iesus neither circumcision auaileth any thing nor vncircumcision but a new creature LONDON Printed by Richard Field dwelling in great Woodstreete 1619. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE SIR SEBASTIAN HARVEY Knight Lord Maior of the honorable Citie of London STEPHEN DENISON wisheth increase of all sauing grace in this world and eternall glorie and happinesse in the world to come Right Honorable THE doctrine of Repentance and of the new Creature is very necessarie in all places and for all assemblies This doctrine is fit for all persons it is fit for men of high degree to cause them to bethinke thēselues It is fit for men of low degree to cause them to know thēselues It is fit for the true iudicious hearer to cause him to adde practise to his knowledge And it is fit for the itching care or curious hearer to teach him the true vse of hearing Sermons which is not to haue his vncircumcised eare carnally pleased but rather to haue his poore soule regenerated edified and refreshed With this doctrine was Ioel sent vnto the old men and to all the inhabitants of the land With this doctrine was Ionas sent vnto Nineue Fortie dayes and Nineue shall be destroyed With this doctrine was Christ himselfe sent vnto the lost sheepe of the house of Israel Except a man be borne againe he cannot see the kingdome of God And with this doctrine is this weake messenger or smal Treatise sent into the world at this time I desire that it might do much good vnto the soules of Gods elect which if it do I do vnfainedly confesse it is not in respect of any worth or sufficiency that is in the author but meerly by Gods free blessing following my poore and weake endeuours The reasons which haue moued me to make this doctrine and Sermon publicke are these viz. First the consideration of the necessitie of it for what is more necessarie then to vnderstand the mysterie of regeneration without which no flesh can be saued Secondly the consideration of the generall extent of this doctrine for it concerneth not onely them which heard the Sermon but also all others for God exhorteth all men to repent Thirdly the desire of diuers holy Christians whose earnest and godly request I desire to fulfill to my power And in that I do commend vnto your Honour these my poore endeuours contained in this booke it is First because your Honour was an eare-witnesse of this Sermon enduring the coldnesse of the season to heare it with much attention Secondly because your Honour hath purchased to your selfe a good report among men by your inst and vpright cariage in that worthy place and calling whereunto you are called Thirdly because your Honour hath had and I hope will haue vnto the end a singular care of Gods Sabbath that it may not be profaned by the leudnesse of men which are more set vpon their own gaine and pleasure then in any sort vpon Gods glorie which desire not onely to sinne themselues but also to make Christian magistrates partakers of their sinnes by giuing licence and libertie vnto them Fourthly that I might hereby testifie my loue vnfained vnto this famous Citie for the which I will alwayes pray that God would turne his iudgements from it and preuent it with his liberall blessings especially in heauenly things in Christ I beseech your Honour to accept this Treatise which I offer as the widowes mite to be cast into Gods treasurie And so I will pray the very God of peace to sanctifie you wholly and that your whole spirit and soule and bodie may be preserued blamelesse vnto the coming of our Lord Iesus Christ Amen Your Honours in all things in the Lord Stephen Denison THE NEW CREATVRE EZEKIEL 18. 31. Cast away from you all your transgressions whereby ye haue transgressed and make you a new heart and a new spirit for why will ye die ô house of Israel AT the fiue and twentieth verse of this present Chapter the Prophet Ezekiel tells vs that the house of Israel had complained against the Lord that his wayes were not equall Vnto the which impudent sawcie and blasphemous complaint the Lord in his owne most iust defence giueth a double answer first in the 26 and 27 verses in these words If a righteous man for saketh his righteousnesse and committeth iniquitie and dieth in them for the iniquitie that he hath done shall he die Againe when the wicked man turneth away from his wickednesse that he hath committed and doth that which is equall and right he shall saue his soule aliue As though the Lord should say He that condemneth the impenitent though formerly neuer so righteous in shew and he that iustifieth the penitent though formerly neuer so wretched in deed his wayes must needs be equall But God doth all this Therefore his wayes must needs be equall The second answer which the Lord giueth to the former vniust complaint is contained in the words of my text Cast away from you all your transgressions whereby ye haue transgressed c. As though it were said He which offereth you life and saluation vpon condition of repentance and amendment for the time to come his wayes must needs be equall But God offereth you this offer Therfore his wayes must needs be equall Cast away all your transgressions c. The parts of this text are two to wit an exhortation and an expostulatiō or a counsell and a reason In the exhortation or counsell the Church of God is taught first what to auoid in these words Cast away all your transgressions whereby ye haue transgressed Secondly what to labour fot in the words following And make you a new heart and a new spirit And the expostulation or reason is taken from the danger that will ensue if the counsell be reiected in these words For why will ye die ô house of Israel Cast away frō you all your transgressions Cast away by this is meant a finall forsaking of sin yea such a forsaking is here vnderstood as is with an holy detestation or indignation much like vnto that speech of the Prophet Isaiah Ye shall defile also the couering of thy grauen images of siluer and the ornament of thy moulten images of gold thou 〈…〉 a st them away as a polluted cloth thou shalt say vnto it Get thee bence All your transgressions The word in the originall signifieth properly slips or failings or lesser sins Whereby is not meant that the Church must onely cast away or forsake her smaller sinnes and retaine her greater for that were with the Pharises to straine out a gnat and to swallow a Camell but by transgressions in this text by a Synecdoche part being
put for the whole we are to vnderstand all sinne from the greatest to the least from grosse crying reigning sinne euen to our very infirmities The like figure is to be obserued in the words of the third commandement Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine for the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse c. Where it is not meant that we should onely make conscience of taking Gods name in vaine by light vse in common talke and in the meane time make no conscience of periury before a magistrate but the true meaning and scope of the cōmandement is to teach vs to make conscience of all profanation of Gods name euen from the very sinnes of periury and blasphemy to the least oath Euen so in my text by transgressions we are to vnderstand all sinnes both great and small For we must not fauour or abet our selues in our very infirmities And make you a new heart and a new spirit By heart and spirit here is meant the whole inner man For by the heart is meant the memory the will the affections and the conscience and by the spirit is meant the spirit of the mind or the vnderstanding So that that which God requireth here to be renewed is the whole inner man according to that holy Prouerb My son giue me thine heart But here a questiō may be demāded Will God therefore be content with the bare renewing of the inner man or is he indifferent whether the outward man be renewed or no Not so For we are bought with a price therefore we must glorifie God both in our bodies and in our spirits for they are Gods But the Lord nameth the inner man because the true renouation begins there namely at the heart and in the mind Secondly because God knew full well that if once the inner man were throughly renewed the outward man would quickly be reformed According to that speech of our blessed Sauiour to the Pharisee Thou blind Pharisee cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter that the outside of them may be cleane also Why will ye die There is a threefold death mentioned in the holy Scriptures First naturall and that is nothing else but a separation for a time of the soule from the body Secondly spirituall and that is a separation of the soule from the life of God Thirdly eternall and that is a finall separation both of body and soule from the comfortable presence of God Of the first kind of death is spoken in Heb. 9. 27. It is appointed vnto men to die once Of the second is spoken in Luke 15. 32. This thy brother was dead is aliue again Of the third is made mentiō in Reu. 21. 8. The fearfull and vnbeleeuing abhominable murderers and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters and all lyers shall haue their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death My text is meant of the third kind of death why will ye die that is why will ye incurre the danger of the second death which is eternall damnation both of soule and bodie to be tormented with the Diuell and his Angels for euer O house of Israel By the house of Israel in this place is meant the Church of God both among the Iewes and among the Gentiles For the name Israel is giuen to both peoples in Gal. 6. 16. And I am sure the matter of the exhortation concernes vs Gentiles as much as euer it did the Iewes For I appeale to euery mans conscience haue not we as great need to be exhorted to cast away all our transgressions as euer had the Iewes Haue not we as much need to be stirred vp to become new creatures as euer had the Iewes Iudge we in our selues Furthermore this name Israel is taken from the Patriarch Iacob who was named Israel by the Angell which wrastled with him because as a Prince he had preuailed with God And it is a very fit name for all Gods people because they are a generation that can wrastle with God in prayer and also preuaile Thus much of the literall meaning of the words Cast away all your transgressions Before I come to the points of doctrine which I principally aime at two questions are first to be answered First whether repentance be in a mans owne power or no because the Church is here exhorted as by her owne action to cast away her transgressions and to make her selfe a new heart and a new spirit And the second question is whether a man haue free will or no because it is said here Why will ye die ô house of Israel As seeming to imply that it was in the free choise of Israel her selfe whether she would be saued or damned Concerning the first question I answer that true repentance or that repentance which is neuer to be repented of it is not in mans power but it is the especiall gift of God according to that in 2. Tim. 2. 25. In meeknesse instructing them that oppose thēselues prouing if God peraduenture will giue them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth And furthermore euery vnregenerate person man or woman is a very blacke More yea a Leopard and therefore as the blacke More cannot change his skin nor the Leopard his spots no more can any vnregenerate person do good which is accustomed to do euill We do not denie but natural men and women may attaine some degree of sorrow as Iudas did some degree of outward humiliation as Ahab did and some degree of confession as Pharao did and some degree of the restraining spirit as Abimelech did and some degree of satisfaction vnto men for iniuries done as the same Iudas did But to the sauing sight of sinne or to the contrite spirit which God wil not despise or sound inward mortification vnto sin which is by the Spirit or to true conscience of sin and louing endeuour after righteousnesse hereunto a meere naturall person can neuer attaine by his owne naturall strength For it is spiritually and not naturally attained it is the worke of God and not of man And therefore Ephraim is heard bemoning himselfe to God in these termes Turne thou me and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God Wherein he doth secretly acknowledge that he had not repentance in his owne power but that it was the gift of God But here remaineth still another difficultie For it may be obiected further If repentance be not in a mans owne power then why doth God exhort vs here to cast off all our iniquities and to make our selues new hearts and new spirits God doth not this because he presupposeth an ability in vs to perform that which he requireth but because he himself is ready to do that for vs which he requires at our hands For the word of God is not as the word of man to wit a bare sound or voice
and plotting For the wicked deuiseth mischiefe vpon his bed he setteth himself vpon a way that is not good c. Psal 36. 4. Secondly a sinne of infirmitie is done vnwillingly with much striuing against the flesh yea with the very hatred of the sinne committed as we see in the example of blessed Paul Rom. 7. 15. That which I do I allow not for what I would that I do not but what I hate that do I. Whereas on the contrary a sinne of presumption is committed willingly with the whole heart with great delight yea euen with greedinesse Ephes 4. 19. Who being past feeling haue giuen themselues ouer vnto lasciuiousnesse to worke all vncleanenesse with greedinesse Thirdly a sinne of infirmitie is commonly committed in things of a lower nature For few of the children of God after conuersion as I suppose do fall so grosly as did Dauid and Peter The child of God after regeneration may be assailed with euill thoughts and may be subject to like passions as others are yea idle words may sometimes slip from them at vnawares and some failings there may be in their actions and dealings and they may also come short in the well performing of holy duties and the like But a sinne of presumption is vsually committed with an high hand in grosse matters Rom. 3. 13. Their throate is an open sepulcher with their tongues they haue vsed deceit the poyson of aspes is vnder their lips whose mouth is full of cursing and bitternesse their feete are swift to shed bloud c. Fourthly a sinne of infirmitie is commonly of ignorance as was the sinne of Peter when rashly he desired that three Tabernacles might be made one for Christ one for Moses and one for Elias not knowing what he said whereas a sinne of presumption is alwayes against the light of knowledge For the wicked knowing the iudgement of God that they which do such things are worthy of death not onely do the same but haue pleasure in them that do them Rom. 1. 32. Fiftly a sinne of infirmitie when it is knowne it is presently repented of and is more carefully shunned and bewar'd of for the time to come as we see in the example of holy Iob in his fortieth chapter and fourth and fifth verses who perceiuing that he had bene too bold with God presently vpon the sight of his sinne breaketh out into these termes of repentance Behold I am vile what shall I answer thee I will lay my hand vpon my mouth once haue I spoken but I will not answer againe yea twise but I will proceed no further Whereas on the contrary a sinne of presumption is commonly made a trade of and continued in yea many times defended and boasted of The children of Israel made a trade of prouoking God vnto anger in the wildernesse and continued therein fortie yeares Psal 95. 10. The wicked idolaters offer to defend their offering of cakes to the Queene of heauen Ier. 44. 17. And the vngodly boasteth of his hearts desire Psal 10. 3. Now therefore considering what great difference there is betwixt sins of infirmitie and sinnes of presumption let no man deceiue himselfe in being encouraged to liue in his grosse sinnes of presumption because the true children of God sore against their wils are subiect to many slips and imperfections I am conuinced in my conscience may some say that I ought to liue better then I do and that I ought to breake off my best-beloued sinnes but may I not do this hereafter what necessitie is there of present amendment To this I answer It is not for thee my poore brother to put off thy repentance from day to day and that for diuerse weightie reasons First because God himselfe calleth vpon thee for present repentance To day if ye will heare his voyce harden not your hearts as in the prouocation and in the day of temptation in the wildernesse Secondly because through procrastination thine heart may be made hard and impenitent as is implied in Heb. 3. 13. Exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sinne Thirdly because thy life is fraile and vncertaine thou knowest not what a day may bring forth thou mayest be aliue and in health to day and dead and buried by to morrow therefore it behoueth thee to repent whilest thou hast yet time Fourthly there be no doubt multitudes at this instant in hell fire for deferring their repentance notwithstanding that they purposed as thou doest to repent hereafter And therefore lest thou be like such foolish virgins and lest thou also come to that place of torment thou must not onely repent and cast away all thy transgressions whereby thou hast transgressed but this thou must do to day without any minutes procrastination I am content will some haply say to part with whatsoeuer I am conuinced of to be a sinne but how shall I be conuinced of sinne or by what meanes may I come to find out my beloued sinne I answer if thou knowest not my Christian brother thy beloued sinne which euery man doth more easily know then forsake take these few directions for the finding out of thy sinne First pray vnto God but pray feruently and in the name of Christ that he would vouchsafe to discouer vnto thee thy sins For it is the Spirit of God which conuinceth the world of sinne and he is that eye-salue which must cause thee to see Secondly thou must be very conuersant in Gods word but especially in the reading of the Law of God for by the Law cometh the knowledge of sin And the Law is that true cristall glasse wherein thou mayest discerne and see thy vgly deformities Thirdly thou must carefully obserue the checkes of thy conscience For if thou hast not feared thy conscience with an hote iron it will at one time or other checke thee for thy beloued sinne and thine owne heart will smite thee as Dauids heart smote him when he had cut off the lap of Sauls garment Fourthly thou must be content to suffer the word of exhortation from thy Minister from thy friend yea from thy very enemy if thou desirest to come to the sight of thy sin Many times others see more in vs then we can see in our selues How came Dauid to the sight of his sin but by Nathan the Prophet his ministery Now hauing proued vnto you at large the truth of the doctrine namely that a true conuert must turne not from some but from all his sins the vse of the point is first to condemne the practise of grosse hypocrites vnto whom sin is sweet and they hide it vnder their tongues which with Saul spare their fat sinnes of pleasure and profit and learne of Naaman to say Lord be merciful vnto vs in these sins when in the meane time they neuer meane to forsake them But I leaue such to their iust condemnation