holinesse if I could attaine it But what doe I stand wishing I haue beene told that the spirit of God is he who regenerateth his people Wherefore I wil beg at his hand that mighty and sauing worke of his spirit and boldly I may doe it for Christ Iesus hath promised to all that thirst that if they come Isa 55.1 he will make them drinke of the waters of life Yea he hath told me that if we men who are euil can yet giue naturall good things to our children that aske them God will much more giue his spirit to them that aske it For his promise is to poure waters vpon the dry ground and flouds vpon the thirsty ground and to poure out of his spirit vpon all flesh Well I am assured the word of God is true and these promises shall be performed to euery one that asketh that he may receiue and to euery one that seeketh that he may finde for the Lord is rich in grace and giues to all that aske hits no man in the teeth And therefore I will take courage to call vpon him for that most desireable gift of God euen the spirit of regeneration Thus hauing enkindled thy desires bow thou the knees of thy body and of thy soule too vnto the king of heauen and poure out thy requests in the most submissiue earnest manner thou canst saying either in these words or to this purpose O Lord I am a lost sheep I am a child of wrath by nature I am most miserable most sinful I see that in me there dwelleth no good thing and if I be not renewed I must perish I beseech thee haue mercy vpon me that I perish not Send thy blessed spirit into mine heart to regenerate me for so is thy promise plainly made in thy word Thou knowest that I cannot make my selfe new O let thy spirit come vpon me and make me to haue a new heart and a new spirit Lord Iesus Christ send thy spirit into mee which may restore mee from this death of sinne which now at last thou hast made me to feele vnto the life of holinesse Thou toldest the woman of Samaria 〈◊〉 4. that if she would aske of thee thou wouldest giue her the water of life Now Lord I come and aske of thee that water that liuing that pretious water of the holy spirit O giue it vnto mee that I may neuer thirst but that it may spring forth in my belly and become a riuer of water O Lord I beg not money I beg not honour I beg not health I beg not naturall wisedome but I beg that which I haue more need to receiue and shall haue more benefit by receiuing and which thou hast more promised to giue and shalt haue more honour by giuing then by any such temporary or externall thing O giue me therefore thy holy spirit to regenerate me and make mee to feele by experience the truth of thy gratious promises My brethren I haue put these prayers into your mouthes learne you to poure them forth before the throne of grace in secret forget not in some such manner of words to cry for this best of all gifts and beg earnestly and if thou canst not amplifie yet multiply if thou canst not vse variety of words yet repeate the same request often and againe and againe if thine inuention serues not to say more let thy desire force thee to dwell vpon this 20. times rather then faile twice 20. times O Lord giue vnto me a miserable sinner thy spirit of life grace to regenerate me for so hast thou promised to them that aske I aske Lord resolue to continue asking I certifie you all frō God and by this authority of Christ Iesus committed to his Ministers do verily assure you that he who so seeketh regeneration shall as certainly be regenerate as God is true of his word and that is more certaine then the Sunnes shining in the heauens and the earths keeping his owne place I know that Satan will step forth to hinder you from following this counsell he will striue to make you carelesse of it all together as if there were no neede of begging so hard but I assure thee that he doth but beguile thee Neuer any man was regenerate nor shall be after yeeres of ability to pray vnlesse he doe pray for it for the gift of the spirit is promised to you that aske and to none else and by telling thy selfe of thy misery in wanting regeneration thou shalt easily shake thy selfe out of this carelesnes and bring thy selfe to a care of seeking that which but by seeking thou canst not get and but by getting thou canst not be saued Then will the Diuell assaile thee with more tentations and cast obiections and doubts in thy way as if it were in vaine to pray for sure thou shalt not be heard but beleeue him not hee is a lyar in going about to make thee make God a lyar for is not the promise so vniuersall as no man is excluded that doth not exclude himselfe doth it not runne thus euery one that asketh receiueth euery one that seeketh findeth and therefore say thou to thine owne heart if euery one why not I sure I will aske then and will not spare to speede by sparing to speake to God And that thou maiest yet more imbolden thy selfe know that God hath tyed thee by a kind of vow to seeke to him for the spirit of regeneration and himselfe to giue it vnto thee when thou so seekest For tell me art thou not a man professing to be of the Christian religion Wast thou not baptized in the name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost To what end was this washing but to assure thee of the spirit of God working like water to thy regeneration Wherefore vrge thou the Lord with his owne seale and say O Lord what better euidence can I wish Thou hast giuen me the seale of regeneration O make it to appeare not to haue beene an empty signe Lord baptise me with the Spirit and with Water euen wash me and cleanse me by that pure Water of thy holy Spirit which may sanctifie me throughout and make me a new creature If any doubt arise in thine heart looke thus to the seale of the couenant and confirme thy faith and assure thy selfe that God will neuer falsifie his bond and seale he will wash thee according to his couenant sealed vp vnto thee by Baptisme In very deed brethren it is an absurdity to imagine that all that are baptized with water are also infallibly regenerated but yet it is sure that all such might be regenerated if considering what this seale importeth they would duly and earnestly seeke vnto the Lord for performance thereof This is that I call vpon you now to do if already any haue not done it Let the remembrance of thy Baptisme with water cause thee to seeke to him that can giue the Baptisme of the spirit
as much as a great rich man will scorne to cry for the losse of a shilling Wherefore if you be not regenerate your selues according to the former exhortation to become so if you be and know it not as yet certainly settle your selues to search into your hearts and liues and to consider of the things formerly deliuered whether you haue found them in your soules yea or no and so bring your selues to certainty in this point and if you bee once certaine of it then apply your selues mangre earth and hell to liue with glad hearts and cheerfull countenances For once the word of Dauid is a most true word It becommeth vpright men to reioyce And my brethren that you may the better reioyce know that you are to be frequent in practising the duty of thanks-giuing to God for this mercy of all mercies I meane to appeare before him in your secret closets and there all alone with hearts exalted to as much ioy as can be and inlarged to as full an acknowledgement of indebtednesse as is possible to report before him the wonderfulnesse of his goodnesse towards you and to recount the vncountable number of his mercies in that he hath done more for you then if hee had made you of base slaues absolute Monarches of the world The Lord my brethren is exceedingly well pleased with the sacrifices of thankes-giuing no offering is better welcome vnto him then the hearty offering vp of the calues of our lips speaking good of his name It doth the Lord good to speake after the manner of men to heare his owne praises related by them that are deere vnto him and haue best cause to know his inconceiueable treasures of grace because they haue been plentifully partakers therof Now the benefits of this present life are so meane worthlesse contemptible in comparison of those of a better life and by name of this foundation of all the rest so it is in regard of possession and enioyment a new birth as that they which want it can but speake hollowly to God when they begin to speake of his mercies and can be but very faint in thankes how earnest soeuer they may be in requests But the child of God that hath a right vnto heauen giuen him at the same time that hee became Gods child hee may most feelingly expresse his apprehensions of Gods goodnesse and vpon occasion of this one mercy magnifie the name of the Lord his God for all the rest which become truly and indeede mercies by meanes of this and with this Wherefore I doe againe propound this matter vnto you as one of the most pleasing and acceptable seruices which in this present life you are able any of you to performe vnto the Lord euen to withdraw your selues from company and worldly businesses and with bended knees and hands and eyes reared vp to heauen-ward in the most solemne manner to confesse before the Lord his louing kindnesse and to amplifie as much as your hearts and heads will serue the exceeding greatnesse of that his vndeserued grace which he hath shewed in making you new creatures in making you his owne children by adoption This is better then all riches better then all nobility better then all learning and better then all health And the receiuing of this one mercy alone though one should for all other things bee as afflicted as the world can make him or imagine him deserueth more and more feruent praises then all the nobility wealth wit in the world without it Hath God made thee his child hee hath done more for thee then if hee had set thee in Salomons Throne without making thee his child and therefore discharge the paiment of praise for so incomparable a mercy and that fully and without delayes Especially brethren you are to doe this considering that it is to which end wee began to mention it a principall meanes of helping you to the enioyment of the comfort which we are about to distribute vnto you For the benefits of God then are made truly comfortable to vs wheÌ„ we do turne theÌ„ to the praise of God but when wee forget to returne him his deserued thankes then doth he iustly punish vs by taking away the pleasant relish of his benefits out of our mouthes by leauing the palate of our soules to such an vntastfulnesse that we shall not be able to finde the sweetnesse of them As a mouth that is out of taste feeles no content in the most sauourie meate that is Wherefore put together the honour of God and your owne comfort and that you may haue your soules so truly rauished with the sense of his goodnesse that aboue all carnall reason and almost against it you may be glad and cheerfull set your selues as I was about to say in the most solemne and hearty manner to tender vnto the Lord this welcome present of thankes-giuing Say vnto him O Lord God of heauen the King of men and Angels and ruler of all creatures and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ infinite are the benefits wherby thou hast obliged my most vnworthy soule vnto thee For all that I haue I haue from thee and all that I shall haue I must haue from thee thou art the onely indefinite fountaine of goodnesse from whence issue forth all good things to all that enioy good It is thy wonderfull goodnesse that I was borne a man with vse of my vnderstanding and seâ—ses but yet Lord far far aboue all other things that in this life I haue receiued or can receiue doth this benefit of causing me to be borne againe of water and of the holy Ghost exceede I was the sonne of death thou hast made me the sonne of life I was an heire of perdition thou hast made mee an heire of saluation I was a slaue to sin thou hast made me a free-man from sins seruitude and a voluntary seruant to holinesse I was vnder the power of Satan led by his tentations according to his will I am now vnder the dominion of Christ Iesus led by his spirit to doe his will I was the child of the diuell and thou hast made me thy child O blessed change O happy alteration I owe to thee my soule by many bonds it is thine Lord many wayes thou madest it thou hast redeemed it thou hast regenerated it and now Lord accept it as an offering of a sweet sauour and accept with it all the hearty praises and vnfained thanks that a poore vnworthy creature can breathe forth vnto thee O Lord this mercy can but bee abased by words thou hast made me thine owne child by adoption thy Sonne O Lord euen thy Sonne who art the most rich the most high the most renouned the most puissant Prince and King in comparison of whom all Princes are worse and lesse then very nothing What shall I render vnto thee for all thy goodnesse thou requirest thankes thou deseruest thanks and thou acceptest thankes and Lord be thou blessed and praised with all
matters vnto his Creator the eternall fountaine and first cause of being and of blisse euen vnto the God of heauen in comparison of whom all things are lesse and worse then nothing and likewise vnto the things of God remission of sinnes the fauour of God communion with Christ Iesus encrease of holinesse and the like to these which are by an excellency called the things of God because they are the chiefest of all those things that he bestowes vpon the sonnes of men and to the seeking whereof hee directs them in his holy word whereas else they would neuer haue sought them This is the materiall cause of regeneration The formall is infusion as witnesseth the Lord himselfe saying I will poure vpon the house of Dauid Zach. 12.10 the spirit of grace And in another place I will poure flouds vpon the dry ground And Paul saith 2. Tim. 1.7 God hath giuen vs the spirit of a right mind For whereas some qualities are implanted in men by nature some attained vnto by their owne industry and by vertue of certaine actions for that purpose performed and some againe are wrought in thē by a supernaturall work of God this gift of holinesse is neither naturally descended vnto them as it should haue been had their parents been innocent nor yet attained by their diligence and paines or by force and power of any action done by them but is put into them by the spirit of God working aboue and beyond either their power or the power of the acts that they shall doe for the attaining of it Let vs make the matter more plainly vnderstood by comparisons The power of seeing is naturally bestowed vpon all men in their very birth and by the course of nature working in their mothers wombe This power or vse of this facultie is altogether denied vnto some men and they are borne starke blinde as was hee of whom we reade in the Gospell Christ with spettle made cley and hauing anoynted his eyes bade him to wash and he returned seeing We say now that into this man the power or act of seeing was infused for why by nature he could not see The spettle cley water had no such naturall force in them as to worke the power of seeing in an eye that through naturall indisposition wanted it Wherefore it must needes be infused that is wrought in that person by a supernaturall worke of God So againe Health is a qualitie sicknesse for example a burning ague taketh away this qualitie of health A man being so sicke of such a disease consulteth with Physitians receiueth potions from them and recouereth his health this qualitie now was acquired or gotten by paines and industrie For by vertue of some inherent qualitie in the medicines receiued was this qualitie of health restored vnto the body But a man that was sick of an ague in the time of Peter sending to him receiueth a napkin from him and by the receiuing of it is healed This health was an infused health for not any power inherent in the cloth or deriued from the body of Peter but a supernaturall worke of God did procure that health at the presence of such outward actions In like sort Holinesse was to Adam a naturall power or abilitie created in him and with him and immediatly accompanying his nature or issuing from it But the diuell robbed him of it by taking that from him and poysoning him with the contrary naturall impotencie of sinne for I suppose we may well call sinne I meane originall sinne a naturall impotencie or a mischieuous and corrupt disorder in all the faculties Wherefore it is requisite that he recouer it againe if hee shall be saued Now the Lord of heauen pleaseth by meanes of the word as it were by the spettle of his mouth making cley to anoynt his eyes to re-beget or recreate this qualitie of holinesse in him not that the word hath any natural inherent ability of working holinesse no more then a napkin of curing an ague but alone because the Lord sees it fit in and with that doctrine to worke this worke by a power immediatly and solely deriued from himselfe So may a man by long study obtaine the science of naturall Philosophie which is a qualitie and an habit but the Lord did please by his owne immediate power to deriue this science into the minde of Salomon and therefore his knowledge was an infused knowledge and more excellent for measure and degree then euer any man did or could attaine by studie So the power of speaking and vnderstanding any language is a quality which by study or custome of hearing and speaking a man may worke in himselfe and he that by much labour and reading gets for example his Latin tongue hath wrought this qualitie in himselfe but the Apostles had the knowledge of speaking all and by name the Latin tongue put into them suddenly by the immediate operation of the holy Ghost and by vertue of a diuine worke in an vnconceiueable manner working in their imaginations So we call holinesse an infused qualitie because the holy Ghost by vertue of his owne hand and by power immediatly deriued from himselfe not by vertue of any power naturally dwelling either in man or in the Word doth please in and with the word to worke it in man The spirit of life doth breathe it into those in whom it is and they haue it by the meere efficacie of his diuine power not of the meanes in themselues considered Neither yet must we neglect those exercises and ordinances in and by which it pleaseth him to co-operate and to conueigh vnto vs this grace but rather must with all diligence apply our selues vnto them that by making our selues subiect vnto his blessed will we may likewise bee capable of this excellent worke of his Though cley made of spettle and the water of Siloah had no such vertue in them as to make a blinde eye see and to turne the naturall impotencie backe againe into the power of seeing yet the man that was borne blinde was to vse that washing and that cley for else his disobedience to Christ would haue depriued him of the diuine vertue of Christ which vpon his obedience shewed it selfe in healing him So regeneration is not attaineable by vertue of any act or acts that wee or any creature can doe but it commeth from aboue and is effected by an inconceiueable power of Gods spirit for it must needes farre surpasse the strength of a creature to change the soule and to cause a returne from so miserable a priuation or naturall impotencie as sinne is vnto so glorious blessed and excellent an habit or supernaturall abilitie as that holinesse is into which we are transformed But for all this he that would haue the holy Ghost shew his infinite power in making such a change in him must willingly submit himselfe to the doing of any actions whatsoeuer wherewithall the spirit of God shall manifest that it is his pleasure to ioyne
this his happie and powerfull working And such is the formall cause of regeneration The finall cause or the end of it is the glorie of God in the saluation of the partie regenerate For to speake truth it were a shame and reproch to the God of heauen to let a sinner that is to say his professed enemie come into heauen for this would vpbraide him with falsehood in regard of his word and with want of holinesse and iustice in his nature Now the Lord cannot be so weake as to doe any thing that should giue him iust cause to speake as of God wee must needes speake after the manner of men of being ashamed thereof Wherefore that he may with glory and honour and praise and the content of his owne most holy nature take thither so many of the corrupted sonnes of Adam as hee pleaseth to make vessels of honour it is his will and care thus to change their nature and to renew them by his spirit and so he obtaineth the fullest fulnesse of glorie that may be in their happinesse being for euer praised by all his holy creatures and which more is infinitly satisfying himselfe in the beholding of the excellencie of that great work of their blessednes and the most pure and holy and admirable meanes that hee hath ordained to bring them vnto it And these are the causes of regeneration The next thing mentioned in the description is the subiect of it which is the whole man in all the powers of the soule and of the body according as the Apostle prayeth for the Thessalonians 1. Thes 5.23 that they might bee sanctified throughout and that their whole soule and body might be kept blamelesse And by this note it is differenced from all other changes that may carrie any resemblance to it they being all but partiall changes either of the outside alone and not the inside or of some one power alone not of all the powers because indeed they are not fruites of holinesse but either of hollownesse and selfe-loue or at best of a bare and weake worke of illumination And thus haue I performed the first thing intended in describing regeneration of which if any man demaund what it is wee say it is a change that is a bringing of a new and here too of a contrary qualitie in stead of the old that was before if who makes the change the holy Ghost if by what meanes by the word if in what manner by infusion that is by the working of a proper and immediate vertue deriued from himselfe If from what and to what this change is from the sinfulnesse of a man which he receiueth from Adam successiuely to holinesse If wherein in the whole man soule and body and all the powers of both If to what end to the glory of the worker and saluation of him in whom it is wrought O happy worke of an happy workman by an happy instrument and thrice happy that man in whom this blessed worker shall vouchsafe to accomplish this his most worthy and excellent and onely blessed worke to so worthy and blessed a purpose CHAP. IIII. Shewing the order of working Regeneration 2. The order of regenerating in foure acts NOw I proceede to declare in what order the Spirit of God pleaseth to performe this most admirable change which is done in these foure actions which I shall lay downe First the spirit of God working in and with the Law but tempered with the Gospell becomes a spirit of contrition causing a man to see and feele his extreame sinfulnes 1. Shewing a man his naturall sinfulnesse and wretchednes in so much that hee is euen wounded at the very heart therwith and his sinfull and vnhappy estate becomes a wofull bondage captiuitie vnto him The Lord doth not alone raise vp miserable terrors of conscience in him in regard of some one or more grosse offēces that he hath actually committed although often hee maketh these very terrors a meanes of making himselfe a passage to enter in at but hee opens the eyes of the minde to see the very mud and filth of the soule that lay at the bottome before vnseene and vndiscerned The Spirit conuinceth him of sinne It shewes him that generall wickednes and sinfulnes of his nature whereof we spake before Now he feeles his vnbeliefe pride ignorance hypocrisie and other heart-corruptions Hee iudgeth himselfe worthy to be destroyed not alone hauing a sight of his own inability to escape damnation but likewise of the iustice of God in damning him so that hee doth euen stoupe and yeeld himselfe thereto Whereas before hee was aliue without the Law not hauing the true knowledg of it now the Law comming in the sound power and working of it through the strength of the holy Ghost causeth that he becomes dead in his owne sense and apprehension but sinne becomes aliue to his sense and feeling and hee perceiuing the strength force violence and mischieuousnes of it more then euer before now cryes out with the Apostle O miserable man that I am and now confesseth that he is carnall and sold vnder sinne as the same Apostle did in the same sense of his naturall wretchednesse which the comming of the life of grace had brought with it Thus the death of sinne begins to be changed into life in that it is felt and discerned For the very first working of this new life must needs be a feeling of the old death in sinnes and trespasses Not I say alone of his death in hell in regard of his deseruing the torments thereof but of his death in sinnes and trespasses of his vtter inabilitie to do any good thing of his vtter emptines of all heauenly graces of his extreame slauerie to vngodlines and vnrighteousnes and all the lusts of the flesh and of his perpetuall and vehement pronenes to all abomination and wickednes There is often I confesse a work and a very terrible work of the Law the naturall conscience together procuring most extreame and hideously-bitter pangs and hellish agonies in the soule of man where the spirit of regeneration neither is nor euer shall be this being alone a fruite of the spirit of bondage not of the spirit of grace And oftentimes againe the spirit of sanctification comes into the soule together with this spirit of bondage making a violent entrie and by maine force breaking open the heart formerly locked and barred against it and so beginning this sauing worke of holinesse But terrors of conscience which may be in all vnregenerate men because they are already in all the damned into whom no part nor peece of regeneration can enter is farre different from this first degree of the worke of a new birth The sanctifying spirit laies the filthinesse not alone the danger of sinne before the eyes of the mind It causeth a man not alone to be in extreame anguish because he feares he must be damned but euen to loathe and abhorre himselfe and to be very
see the kingdome of God CHAP. III. Containing a description of Regeneration SO haue we demonstrated the truth of this necessary principle of Christian religion Now wee goe forward to explicate the same The explication of the doctrine by shewing foure things and will endeuour to lay it open so cleerely that euery man may be able if hee be willing to bestow the labour of trying to discerne of his own estate in this behalfe and to say whether himselfe be regenerated yea or no. So will there be a ready way made to that application of the doctrine which hereafter we intend Now that this matter may be soundly conceiued of by you it shall be requisite for me to enter into a discourse consisting of foure heads First to giue a description of regeneration Secondly to shew in what order and in what degrees as I may terme them it is wrought in the sons of men Thirdly to declare what effects doe follow vpon it there where it is wrought Fourthly to set downe the most eminent of those graces that are to be found in regenerate men Of which foure I pray you reuiue your attention to heare in order For the first point Regeneration 1. A description of regeneration called also sanctification and renouation and conuersion and repentance hauing the three former names giuen it in as much as it is Gods worke in vs the two latter in as much as we also being moued by God doe worke together with him for the accomplishing and fulfilling thereof and fitly called a re-begetting because in it we are restored to that image of God wherein we were at the first created but now by meanes of our corruption through the fall are altogether destitute of it in our first birth This regeneration I say seemes to me conueniently described in these or the like termes It is a worke of the spirit of God by meanes of the word of God infusing holinesse into the whole man for the glory of God in his saluation I call it a worke because it is so called of God himselfe for wee are said to bee his workmanship Ephes 2.10 created in Christ vnto good workes and because to beget is to doe to bee begotten to suffer in the plainest discourse of naturall reason Now this worke is in this description set out by all the causes and by the subiect thereof The causes are foure all briefly named in the description The efficient formall materiall and finall The efficient is double principall and instrumentall The principall the sole author in whom remaineth all the power of working and to whom all the praise appertaineth is the Spirit of God the Holy Ghost the third Person in Trinitie The same Spirit by whom our Sauiour Christs Man-hood was conceiued in his Mothers wombe is the sole worker of this conception of grace in the heart of Christians So doth our Lord himselfe instruct Nicodemus in the words following saying vers 6. That that is borne of the spirit is spirit and before Saint Iohn had told vs that beleeuers were borne not of blood cap. 1. vers 13. nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man that is not by any natural power vertue or strength which is naturally inherent in them but of God that is of the Spirit of God wherefore in the New Couenant the promise is made on this wise Ezek. 36.16 I will put my spirit in your hearts and in another place I will poure forth my spirit vpon all flesh The spirit of God that rests vpon our Sauiour Christ doth descend frō him vnto those that shall bee his members at the same time implanting them into him and imprinting his image vpon them No Angell can change mans heart no Angell can quicken the dead soule no creature can breath into vs the diuine nature but we are the workmanship of God by his spirit created vnto good workes This is the annointing oyle that being poured vpon vs doth consecrate vs vnto God The holy Ghost himselfe in a wonderfull and vndiscernable fashion as the winde that bloweth where it lusteth doth conueigh and insinuate himselfe into the man whom hee will beget againe to a new life and becommeth purifying water to cleanse him and an holy fier comming downe from heauen to consume his corruptions and refine him for the Lords vse And yet the Spirit of God that could work of himself and without meanes pleaseth not so to doe in this great worke but of his owne free-will makes choice for himselfe of a fit and blessed instrument for that purpose euen the Law of God the whole doctrine of the Scriptures which hee hath for that end made knowne to the sonnes of men by his holy Prophets and which hath receiued this high commendation from the Diuine testimonie left in writing by Dauids pen that it is perfect Psalm 19. and conuerteth the soule This doctrin hath two maine heads the Law and the Gospel The former vsed by Gods Spirit as a necessarie preparatiue the other as a proper essential instrumēt in this busines Wherfore the Word is called the incorruptible seede which being sowne in the heart 1. Pet. 1.23 doth by little and little grow vp to a new creature and Peter tels vs that by the pretious promises 2. Pet. 1.4 we are made partakers of the diuine nature and to his Apostles our Sauiour vttereth as much saying Now are you cleane by the word that I haue spoken vnto you John 15.3 There may be a question made whither the Word of God read onely may become effectuall to regenerate or whither it must want this efficacie vnlesse it bee preached as well as read To which question mee thinketh that this should be a true answere that the instrumentall power of regenerating cannot be denied to the Scriptures barely read though preaching bee not ioyned withall For why seeing the doctrine of the Gospell is called 2. Cor. 3.8 the ministration of the Spirit and it is the doctrine of the Gospell when it is offered to the vnderstanding by bare reading therfore it must follow that in such case also it may become the power of God to saluation and the instrument of the spirit to regeneration The same precepts promises and threats are by reading deliuered to the mind of the man that readeth or heareth the Word read and why then should we thinke that the Holy Ghost either cannot or will not worke together with them Yea doubtlesse he can doe it when hee will and will doe it then whensoeuer he doth not as often he doth not affoord to men a possibilitie of enioying any other helpe then reading Vnlesse the not being preached could make the Word not to be the Law of God I see no reason that it should bee thought vnable to conuert soules without being preached But withall wee must adde this that the Word of God is made effectuall by the Spirit more often more vsually more ordinarily to
haue while to settle any part of his longings vpon the renewing of his soule by grace and so farre is the worke of a new birth well proceeded The poore dead man being so far awakened out of his senselesse death in sinne that with great disquietment he feeles it and with heartiest workings of his soule doth couet to come out of it which last I take to bee the hungring and thirsting after righteousnesse noted by our Sauiour as a blessed note of blessednesse 3. The spirit of Prayer In the third place there is dropped into him the spirit of grace and supplications by which hee is at length imboldened to goe vnto God and in some solemne and expresse manner to vtter his confessions and petitions which before perhaps for some good space of time he could not dare to doe For the former two workes of grace doe often a great while together shew themselues in sighes and grones and sudden strong eiaculations secret vndissembled boylings vp of desire in deep wishes longings afore the poore sinner can take so much hart to himselfe as to make a formed and setled prayer vnto God But after the working of these motions some while he puts vpon himselfe the resolution of the King of Nineueh and saith within himselfe Ionab 3. Let me cry mightily vnto the Lord of heauen earth his mercies are infinite who can tel but that be may haue mercy vpon me that I perish not so is his secret sustaining hope now formed and fashioned into the right proportion of a sauing grace and shewes it selfe manifestly within him hee saith to himselfe there is hope concerning this thing and therefore I will cry and continue crying and let the Lord doe what hee pleaseth vnto me Then downe vpon his knees he fals and with his hands and eyes lifted vp to the throne of grace yet almost afraid and ashamed to looke thither and therefore ready often to rise vp and start backe againe he dares at last to poure forth his lamentable confessions into Gods bosome whom now hee hopes hee may haue leaue to call Father though alacke hee haue been too too vngracious a child Thus he proceeds to arraigne and accuse himselfe acknowledging for which hee hates himselfe because it is so plaine that he cannot but know it that he hath sinned in such and such and such and such particulars and that he hath a most filthy heart as full of wicked inclinations and thoughts he thinkes verily as the sea it selfe is full of water Wherefore hee passeth a very sharpe sentence vpon himselfe and that also very sharpely plainly saying with an inward assenting of his very soule that hee is fully worthy of all those plagues and punishments which the Lord hath threatened in his word and will execute in hell and that it should not be in the least degree iniurious if God would not be mercifull vnto him for ah how vnfit is he to receiue mercy But yet withall he takes heart in the most humble abasement of himselfe most earnestly to call and cry and beg for mercy and forgiuenesse and for the worke of grace to change his nature from that loathsome disposition which troubles him now it may be by the working of hope hauing his heart so much softened that teares before stopped vp by that binding force that strong and secret sorrowes shew themselues to haue in mans heart doe euen begin to flow forth from him to adde if it might bee a greater feruor vnto his prayers And if at first second third fourth and it may be many more times he seeme to haue cried in vaine because none answere commeth but heauen it selfe seemes strongly stopped vp against him yet hee goes againe still to the same throne of grace againe reckoning vp the same and if he can also new sinnes againe bewailing them bitterly and heartily imploring both pardon and help againe This is to come vnto Christ Iesus heauie laden as our Sauiour comfortably inuiteth vs this is to seeke God while hee may bee found and to call vpon him while hee is neere as the Prophet exhorteth vs. Which hauing done he knowes not what to doe more and therefore euen casts himselfe vpon Gods goodnesse through Iesus Christ and knowing that in him the Son the Father is well pleased he striues to rest in him continuing to knocke continuing to seeke because his heart giues him that at last he shal not faile to find acceptance And this spirit of prayer seemeth to me so proper to the regenerate that it cānot any way befal the vnregenerate who when he feeleth not his misery doth but multiply idle words in seeming to pray when he feeleth it is so wholly drowned and swallowed vp thereby that he cannot runne vnto heauen for helpe But with the regenerate prayers and supplications are alwaies found and a continuing therein also how many bitter repulses soeuer he suffers at Gods hand as often he doth very many the Lord either deferring or making more speed to answere as hee sees most behoofefull for the profit of each of his seruants and proportioning the fruit of his grace this way to his knowledge of their ability and fitnesse to receiue an answere or to brooke delayes It must not be denied but that the man that neuer shall be regenerate in the griping and twinges of his accusing conscience through the working of the law and the bare illumination of the spirit may come so farre as to roare out his Lord haue mercy vpon me very often yea hee may by perswasion and entreatie of friends be brought to reade some good prayers out of a prayer-booke yea to be glad to haue an other pray for him in his owne hearing and in some sense also to ioyne with him yea more by frequent perswading vrging teaching of some godly man he may be drawne to pray for himselfe but yet still the spirit of prayer is absent in that he doth not finde himselfe by an inward moouing of his owne heart inclined in the middest of his griefes and feares to betake himselfe to God for helpe by calling vpon his name And which is a maine obseruation in this matter if he pray he prayes almost altogether for pardon and for fauour little for grace and holinesse whereas the Christian man by a secret drawing of his own inward soule wrought by this regenerating spirit comes vnto the Lord with his requests begging grace and holines with no lesse earnestnesse then remission and saluation Yea and hauing once begun this course he finds so much refreshing thereby that he cannot but continue to doe it euen sometimes with much strugling against of his own hart through feares and doubtings thereof So it is one thing to bee perswaded to pray by men and to doe it for ease sake another thing to be inclined vnto it by the priuate and secret working of the Spirit One thing to beg for pardon not much minding amendment another thing to crie for the helpe
of God to reforme ones heart and soule as well as his free fauour to pardon former offences An vnsanctified man by benefit of Christian acquaintance in long and heauie terrours may come to the one of these to the other alone the Spirit of sanctification can leade one To which passe when the heart is once brought at length 4. A perswasion of mercie bringing a resolution of obedience the fourth act of the Holy Ghost doth plainely shew it selfe for it becomes a spirit of adoption within him the very earnest penny of saluation sealing vp vnto him the fauour of God the pardon of sinne the attaining of life and by a new and in truth considering the difference of former times a strange worke perswading him that God is reconciled vnto him and hath accepted him for his childe As it made him able to take vnto him words and goe vnto the Lord crauing to bee accepted graciously so it brings him word againe from God that he shal be yea that he is accepted gratiously and answering him euen as one would say with a sensible answer in the middest of his prayers oft-times so strongly and vndoubtedlie â—â—â—ures him of his being heard that hee makes for the time no more question of it then whither he liues yea or no. From which assurance of spirit hauing tasted the sweetnesse of Gods Grace and felt how good the consolations of his Word and Spirit are he growes resolute in his very soule for the time to come in all things to please God and finds a new kind of disposition inabling him to auoide euill and doe good so hauing put his necke vnder the gentle and easie yoke of Christ Iesus hee finds rest vnto his soule and thus is Christ formed in him and he transformed into a new creature For this firme purpose of will to please God in all things is so manifest and euident and sensible a worke of grace that now we may say this act of regeneration is growne to some good ripenesse and euen now perfected in him before he was in making a new man but now he is made new now he is begotten againe and become a sonne of God and heire of his kingdome and fellow-heire of Christ I know that it may befall an hypocrite lying vnder the burthen of a terrified conscience which may be totally and perpetually separated from regeneration and regeneration from it by the diligent inculcating of the comforts of the Gospell and the earnest labour of some Christian and godly men that in such case would faine speake peace to bee brought because they are told there is none other way of comfort to a purpose of neuer committing such and such grosse sinnes as they are accused of in their owne soules and to some promise of amendment of life but this is rather a resolution forced vpon them by striuing of others hereupon promising comfort then a thing growing in themselues out of the sense of the louing kindnesse of the Lord their God Whereas a Christian finds somewhat within him inclining him and making him to say within himselfe and euen little lesse then to sweare and vow with Dauid that hee will surely keepe the righteous iudgements of the Lord and that in all things and for euer to his dying day And thus is the worke of regeneratioÌ„ brought to some perfectioÌ„ thus doth the holy Ghost mould the soule of a man into a new fashion thus doth hee stampe vpon him a new image and as you would say the very lineaments and proportion of God his Father whom in a sweete likenesse that makes him amiable to God and Angels he begins to resemble Onely my brethren vnderstand you one thing for the better conceiuing of all that hath been spoken There are two sorts of regenerate men in the world Some it pleaseth God to call to himselfe euen very betimes dropping pietie and grace into them almost together with their mothers milke by benefit of that great fauour of God holy and Christian education and that euen in certaine insensible degrees so that they cannot so easily name the beginning and progression of this worke In these all the forenamed things are most manifestly found for in truth the working of them doth not cease till life cease and that so as sometimes the one of these workes of grace is more strong then the other Sometimes they find a more sensible abasement of themselues within their owne hearts out of the apprehension of their sinfulnesse sometimes desires and prayers are more vehement sometimes a comfortable resolution of pleasing God doth more mightily stirre in them yet because of the early working and that they were wrought in a still manner by very small degrees the worke did almost goe beyond obseruation and they cannot so distinctly tell when they began to be abased when to be raised vp But there is another sort of men regenerate who did liue a long time in vnregeneracie yea perhaps also in profanenes and notable and notorious wickednesse for oft it falleth out that the Pharisies and Scribes make lesse haste to the kingdome of heauen then the Publicans and sinners I meane that the grosse offenders are sooner regenerated then the ciuill liuers Now for such men it pleaseth the holy Ghost many times yea most times to worke these foure fore-rehearsed workes very distinctly making as it were some euident pause betwixt each of them and grace goes forward in them euen step after step in the manner that hath been described Most times if not alwaies the difference of their former life when they were but dead making the matter euident enough they can name when and where and by what meanes the Lord began first to lay them low to pull them downe and as they say in nature corruption and generation goe together to kil their old man by terrors till being so slaine he had in a calmer manner shewed them the filthinesse and lothsomnesse of it They can tell what longings they felt before they durst pray and what adoe they had to bring themselues to pray and then how long they continued praying before they were answered and lastly wheÌ„ that sweet tidings came that rauished their soule with ioy and made them so inamoured of Gods goodnesse that they euen made a strong couenant with him to walke in his waies and keepe his iudgements All these things I say they can tell well and nothing doth them more good then to recount with themselues this mightie act of the most high whereby their foules with as great a miracle as once Lazarus his body were raised vp from the rotten graue of sinne wherein they lay wrapt vp in the winding sheet of hardnesse of heart and blindnesse of mind stinking and putrifying as a carcasse crawleth with wormes swarming with those noysome lusts that are able to poyson vp an honest heart CHAP. V. Shewing the effects of Regeneration ANd so haue you brethren the order and so farre as may be collected out of scripture the
manner of the bringing to passe of this most excellent and wonderfull worke of a new begetting by the most excellent and wonderfull begetter the Spirit of truth and by that excellent and wonderfull seede of life the word of truth 3. The effects of regeneration which are foure Now I will declare vnto you that which is the third thing I promised the effects that follow hereupon Not euery particular for who can name them the life of grace abounding in multiplicitie of actions and operations as it were eating drinking breathing grieuing striuing smarting of the soule as the life of nature but alone some principall and most eminent by the seeing of which in it selfe the soule of the new borne babe of Christ shall haue cause to receiue much comfort The principall effects therefore of regeneration are these foure First a spirituall combat Secondly a good life for all this combat Thirdly a knowledge of that good estate whereinto the regenerate is translated Fourthly Spirituall growth in those graces that at first were but weake and feeble in the regenerate For alack an infant is a very tender thing and so are Gods infants For the first of these 1. The spirituall combat with No sooner doth a Christian begin to draw the breath of this new life but he findes himselfe called to fighting euen in the very cradle as I may so speake and as they fabled of that renowned heathen man He stands in a pitched field of enemies so soone as he can goe vpon the feete of his soule and there hee must neuer cease giuing and taking blowes till hee cease to be in this lower world Although indeed there be some intermission and relaxation of the strength and furie of the encounter as it pleaseth the Lord that knowes all things to temper them to his strength and direct them to his good 1. The Diuell First the diuell begins to play his part with him and finding him gained out of his hands and pulled from vnder his tyrannie musters vp an armie of tentations wherewith at least to annoy him if hee cannot as hee cannot preuaile to bring him backe againe to his seruitude and thraldome For when the strong man armed kept his house all things were at quiet vnder him but when he feeles himselfe bound and cast out and his house rifled by a stronger then himselfe then it must needs follow that hee will bestirre himselfe and lay about him with all the power that he can make So now the poore Christian though perhaps but an infant in grace is violently assailed by Satan according to his nature with extreame rage and subtiltie And if it haue so falne out that the Spirit of God was faine to batter downe the height of his heart and make passage for himselfe with horrible feares and terrors then Satan labours often to reuiue those terrors and by infinit cauils and obiections to make him euen despaire of his saluation There is none end almost of the diuels striuing in this case but hee will labour continually with new doubts and obiections to call his saluation into question and to make him thinke that hee shall neuer enioy the quiet possession of his heauenly inheritance Yet against all these the Spirit of God so strengthens him that by vertue of the gratious promises of God and by the power of constant prayers and supplications he supports himselfe and still continues to rest himselfe vpon the free goodnesse of God in Christ notwithstanding all these obiections and shakings Neither yet will Satan rest here but is further troublesome vnto him by stirring vp innumerable vile suggestions to draw him to the committing of some most notorious sinnes perhaps worse then euer in all his life before and for his old corruptions he ceaseth not to prouoke and incense them with all vehemency that he may driue him into lewd and hatefull practises of sinne But against these suggestions also he fighteth resolutely much indeede vexed and disquieted with them but still reiecting abhorring thē and beating them back by the word of God which is his sword by constant supplications whereby still he settles his soule firme and fast in his holy purposes of obedience I confesse that the diuell is a common enemie to all mankinde both sanctified and vnsanctified and therfore the vnregenerate also are much molested with him oftentimes when hee growes exorbitant and seeketh to pull them by the strength of vtter despaire as it were quicke into hell and to make them kill themselues or doe some other most grosse and vnnaturall crime But Satan is not willing to deale so roughly with them if he could chuse for he stands euer in most danger of losing them when hee carries himselfe towards them in so hard a fashion Wherefore he rather flatters and faunes endeuouring to rocke them asleepe still if hee can in the cradle of securitie and presumption Neither will he storme thus but when he sees his aduantage in regard of some bodily crosse or distemper or that he sees the Lord will needes awaken their sleepie consciences But for the poore Christian hee would not giue him rest no not for a day or two from the most horrible feares and from the foulest tentations whereto his corruption giues any passage or from others more hideous especially if hee see him weake scrupulous and iniudicious then hee makes vse of such ignorance and weaknesse and will neuer finde time to make an end of vexing him but that the Lord himselfe doth please to sound a retraite Indeede the Lord by this meanes to keepe downe his pride and ouer-master his strong corruptions doth giue much way to Satans rage but so still that he forgets not to refresh him with seasonable aide of his spirit of prayer and with the strength and comfort of his holie word and promises And in these termes stands hee with Satan euer almost assailed and incumbred by him And besides this the flesh also 2. Of the flesh as a more dangerous enemie though not so violent steps foorth to incounter him For though by grace it be wounded and mortified yet is it not quite and cleane taken away and remoued Wherefore the corruptions of his heart also grow violent in him lusting against the spirit and with a kinde of insinuating and secret inclination carrying him forward to all the former lusts of his ignorance and perhaps to some that are more loathsome and abominable Now vnbeliefe passion lust reuenge wantonnes worldlines and all the old distempers will be mouing in his soule and hee shall finde himselfe euer and anon little lesse then ready to yeeld vnto them and to be quite ouercome by them But the spirit in this case reuiueth it selfe also and lusts against the flesh stirring vp good motions against the bad and holy desires against the vnholy and vertuous wishes against the vitious and heartie prayers and requests to God against the sinfull inclinations of the euill heart so that at length his
godly purposes grow strong and hee remaineth resolute not to worke wickednes for all his earnest pronenesse thereunto Thus the regenerate findes himselfe strangely diuided within and against himselfe Sometimes hee would be sinfull and commit such and such wickednes and yet againe hauing better thought of the matter hee would not At other times hee would cast away all sinne and faine performe all good duties with all constancie but hee findes something within resisting and rebelling and hee would not be so good But still in conclusion either sooner or later the sanctified part gets the better of the vnsanctified the desires and purposes of goodnesse preuaile against the desires and purposes of euil and hee is setled in the holy determinations that the spirit of God doth leade him vnto His heart is euen a pitcht field of contrary desires the bad often grow very strong and vehement and able almost to ouerthrow and chase away the good But the good gather head againe and beate backe the bad and by the spirit hee mortifies the flesh and by the word of God and prayer subdueth and crucifies those carnall affections of his I confesse there is a miserable stirre a troublesome discord in the soule of an vnsanctified man betwixt the light of the conscience and the corruption of the will this haling him forward to diuers wickednesses and that drawing backe but the difference betwixt the naturall combat and the spirituall is so manifest that no good man which hath felt them both can chuse but see how to distinguish them one from the other The d fference betwixt the cōbat of the fl sh and spirit and the opposition of the conscience the corrupted will in the vnregenerate Indeed they are euidently distinguished in fiue things 1. In the faculties that oppose each other 2. In the things about which they quarrell 3. In the motiues of the opposition 4. In the meanes of resistance And fifthly in the issue thereof First in the vnregenerate the will is wholly carried after sin alone the conscience makes a clamorous gainsaying and suffers not the will to goe on in its euill courses vncontrolled He would with all his heart commit wickednes but hee dares not not so the regenerate In him not the conscience alone stands out against sinne but the will it selfe is diuided in part hanging one way in part another Hee would not doe euill not alone hee dares not and the act of the will setting against its owne corruption by its owne holinesse is farre different from the act of the conscience opposing the will that remaineth wholly corrupted See it in a comparison An hungry dogge hath a strong appetite to be deuouring some meate that stands before him but at the same time he sees a man standing by with a cudgel to strike him if he touch it Now his appetite is altogether to the meate but he is feared and ouer-awed by the sight of the man that is ready to strike him So is it with the vnsanctified man sinne is his foode his will is wholly carried to it but the conscience holds as it were a cudgell ouer him threatning to strike if he taste Wherefore what with a full desire he would do he forbeareth in act to performe affrighted by those clamours But now a man diseased sees some foode to which his appetite inclineth but he knowes it hurtfull for his body and therefore though his will drawne by his senses sometimes moue him to be tasting yet the same will informed by reason doth preuaile in him to be vnwilling and out of such vnwillingnes to forbeare So is it with the godly man His will stands to sinne for the pleasure or profits sake in some part but being better taught by Gods spirit of the sinfulnes thereof his owne will checks it selfe and hee sets vp his resolution not to meddle with it So is this point of difference made plaine not to be willing to doe is another thing then not to dare In the former the will bridleth and holdeth-vnder it s owne inward motions and not alone the outward act in the latter the motions of the will haue a free scope but alone the outward act is restrained Further in the things whereabout the stirre is they differ very much For the conscience of the vnsanctified makes resistance to their will alone vnlesse in case they be vnder terrors of conscience in some more grosse notorious palpable and vnaccustomed sinnes which are commonly ioyned with shame and reproch in the world and are not likely committed but by those that are infamous amongst men as in periurie murther adulterie theft false witnesse bearing and such like For smaller euils and such as the world little accounts of though knowne and confessed to be sinnes the naturall conscience is content to dispense and dawbe and daily and giue easie way to the doing of them vpon a thousand fond shifts and pretences but now the regenerate mans wil so far as it is regenerate is in combat against its owne vnsanctifiednes about euery knowne euill the little as well as the great that that is allowed in the common practise of the world as well as that that is disallowed For of him it is truly said that hee worketh none iniquitie Thirdly the naturall conscience vseth the motiues or restraints rather of feare of shame of danger amongst men at the best and most of destruction and damnation from God and by threatning these things sometimes somewhat terribly it ouer-aweth the motions of the will from consenting to act though not to desire But in the regenerate will the arguments of resistance are fetcht from God and from Christ from the loue of God from the death of Christ from th◠scandall of religion from the dishonour of the name of God from the Lords being displeased with sinne and not onely barely or chiefly from the punishment of sinne Fourthly the conscience of the vnsanctified driues him not to prayer to the word to spirituall meditations as weapons whereby to mortifie euill lusts and to restraine the will from consenting only it followes him with its owne vehement checks and reluctations in diuers troublesome and confused thoughts But the sanctification of the will opposeth its corruption by prayers by the word by the blood of Christ Iesus and by the hopes of eternitie For hauing this hope hee purgeth himselfe as Christ is pure So the vnsanctified man when he would doe euill and dares not is tossed and tumbled from place to place now thinking of one thing now of another wishing to follow his owne inclinations but wanting boldnesse and if hee doe any thing to help himselfe it is to get him into some company that perhaps may ease him a while But the sanctified when he findes this distraction of his will vsually seekes out some secret place tels himselfe of Gods commandement of Gods loue of Christs suffering for him asketh himselfe if he can finde in his heart so much to offend so good
4. Growing in grace so likewise a spiritual by degrees encreaseth waxeth stronger stronger approching neerer to perfection that with a proportionable sutable encrease of euery part and member as I may call it of the new man For though in some parts he may be weaker then in others yet in those weaker parts also considering the weaknesse there is a growth correspondent to the growing of other parts Ioh. 15.2 All the branches that bring forth fruit in Christ the vine the Father the good husbandman purgeth that they may bring forth more fruit and in Christ all the body hauing nourishment ministred and knit together Colos 2.19 encreaseth with the encrease of God and that also according to the effectuall working of euery part A liuing branch in a liuing tree will draw sap and get growth A liuing member of a liuing body cannot by the course of nature but attract fit nouriture and procure to it selfe a going forward in stature till the stature bee full and perfect Doubtlesse Christ is a liuing tree his mysticall body a liuing body wherefore the regenerate must needs be growing But this matter of growth doth stand in need of a sound explanation Vnderstand therefore that there is a double growth one in greatnesse the other in goodnesse one in quantity the other in quality So you may see a man from his birth to 24. or 25. yeeres grow bigger and bigger he is higher and thicker hath larger lims and stronger ioynts but from these yeeres vpward he growes wiser sager more stable more sober and better setled also in his bodily might So an apple from Spring to Midsommer or after growes larger and larger in bignesse from thence to the time of its pulling it growes pleasanter and pleasanter in taste and better and better relished Thus it is with a Christian man For a good space of time hee doth sensibly encrease in knowing and leauing more sinnes and in knowing and doing more duties this is to grow in bignesse but after a good time spent in Christs schoole and that there bee but few new lessons not aboue his forme as it were to be learnt hee cons ouer the old lessons againe and gets them more perfectly by heart and better vnderstood Those sins he leaueth he leaueth with more sincerity with more rectified zeale with more loue to God with more detestation of sinne Those duties likewise which he performeth he performeth more aduisedly more resolutely more humbly more soundly and with a more entire bending of his soule to the glory of God in them then before This is his growing in goodnesse and in ripenesse And alwaies in this latter kinde of growth a Christian man stands so affected that hee doth most of all quarrell with himselfe for not growing when he growes most of all Yea his slippes into some grosse faults and it may bee also sometimes too too thicke doe further this his growth ordinarily so that he neuer growes faster and better then after the time that some falles have discouered vnto him his badnesse for then he growes in humility in hatred of himselfe in suspicion of his owne frailty whereby he is made capable of a profitable growing in all vertues till at length this become his excellency that the better he is the meaner he is in his owne eyes and the further he proceedeth the more he is acquainted with his owne defects and becomes more sorrowfull and ashamed for the slownesse of his proceedings But now it must be further conceiued that this growth hath his stops stayes hindrances intermissions and those also somtimes euen some long space of time together euen for moneths and yeeres as is to be seene in Dauid Salomon Asa Vzziah and others For as in naturall life the child may grow till it be twentie or more yeeres old and then fall into a dangerous fit of sicknesse as an ague or the like which shall cast him vpon his bed and make his cheekes pale and wan his legges quaking and feeble his stomacke naught and quite turned away from almost all food his whole body faint and powerlesse so that he can neither stand nor goe nor scarce speake or moue himselfe but euen lie at point of death Euen so also in the life of grace there be Agues there bee diseases there bee sicknesses into which a Christian man euen now it may be come to so much ripenes as this life wil beare doth suddenly somtimes but most times by degrees fall headlong and almost dies though quite to die it bee impossible Now if you speake of his growing hee doth but grow backward euen as a sicke man growes weaker and weaker after sicknesse hath ceized vpon him These diseases grow for the most part from the comming in of promotion and wealth and the pleasures and vanities that most commonly come in with them that we may see how dangerous the goods and greatnesse of this world be to a Christian soule that cannot soundly digest and concoct them Or else they arise from the poysonfull infection of some euill companion or other to whom a man hath by some occasion foolishly linked himselfe in familiaritie In truth most times surfeting breeds spirituall sicknesse From the excessiue loue and liking and vsing and enioying of earthly things and from a conceit of ones owne being better and safer for their abundance a man comes to bee lesse satisfied in God and in holy duties and to haue lesse minde to thinke and muse of heauen and the graces of Gods Spirit the practising of which is the way to come to heauen So there is a stoppage and obstruction in the soule and hence so sensible a decay of spiritual strength til a man fall to heape more then one or two grosse sinnes and sometimes presumptuous one vpon the necke of another and sometimes to lie long in them before hee can see to reforme them or soundly renew his repentance for them the one hardning his heart and blinding his minde so that the other following can scarce be seene or felt Thus there is wrought a strange decay of the power of godlinesse euen in a true regenerate man by the encrease of his outward estate for he was a sanctified man Prou. 30.9 that prayed God not to giue him riches lest himselfe being full should denie God and say Who is the Lord And sometimes also on the contrarie euen hard and sharpe afflictions doe bring a decay of sanctification The anguish of a crosse may breede impatiencie distrust lying vsing of base shifts and twenty disorders in a regenerate mans life in so much that hee may be drawne to very grosse and sinfull practises But when the poore Christian soule is either of these waies diseased or any other like to them O then he fareth like to a sicke man indeed he feeles his disease with exceeding great paine It makes him groane and crie out many a time hee is weary full weary of such an estate No man is more
tyred with a burning fit of an ague then he with these fits Rest comfort quiet he can get none Indeed the diuell and the world in some cases doe as friends vse to doe in case of sicknesse They bring likely conserued Plums or Marmelade or some such like sweete meate which the poore sicke man takes indeede because they will haue it so that are about him but alas they doe but clamme his mouth and hee findes their very sweetnesse bitter and troublesome So the diuell and the world and the flesh offer to the Christian soule the pleasures and profits of this world as it were sweet meats he willing to find ease in any thing seekes if there it may bee had but alas he finds it not he cannot relish these pleasures he hath smal comfort in these profits this credit is a drie credit vnto him his heart will not relish such things as these but still he tosseth and tumbleth finding no rest in his estate nor perhaps power to get out of it for it may bee hee cannot bring himselfe to pray at all Psal 32.3 as Dauid could not for he saith of himselfe that he held his peace or if he doe it 's too coldly and faintly to remoue so mortall a sicknesse But still as the same Dauid also confesseth of himselfe he roareth and crieth out all the day long I cannot but be fully perswaded that there he describes his estate in the interim betwixt his sinne and his earnest repentance for some feeble offers to repentance perhaps he might haue before and so now his case is a very restlesse and diseasefull case Solomon the man that of all Gods sicke children I thinke by surfetting caught the so rest sicknesse shall witnesse this He wanted no sweete meates but they cloied him in stead of comforting him he professeth of them al that he found them meere vanity and vexation of Spirit So when a Christian lies vnder these spirituall diseases all his outward comforts are but euen vexation of spirit vnto him When he hath thus almost wounded and killed himselfe Oh how hee smarts and bleedes and is troubled Indeed he still perhaps is carried after the vanities of the world sinne hauing now so very much preuailed against him that he wants power to with-draw himselfe and to goe backe but yet full many a time hee sighes and groanes and lookes towards God and towards the spirituall rest of his former life and hee finds a very bitter bitter heart He is in very great extremity and it is euen a pang of death for him to remember how the case stood with him once and how it is now And in very truth were hee let alone in this case his soule would perish the life of grace would die and hee would proue his disease mortall But Ah hee hath a good Father who is also a good Physition who finding his disease grow mortall and that the admonitions of the Word in publike will not reforme him and that the voyce of the spirit behind him is now too weake to be heard by him though still it cease not to checke him and to call vpon him and to make him sometimes purpose to returne againe from this out-straying doth now like a good and wise practitioner administer some such phisicke as shall serue the turne Some potion of a bitter crosse which the spirit shall worke withall to make it effectuall is put into his hand to drinke it or some sore tentation of Satan or some horrible feare of heart which opens these stoppages purgeth out these humours reuiueth his soule and then wofully most wofully he cries out of himselfe laments his exceeding folly goes to God hartily confessing his sinnes and with all rigor passing sentence vpon himselfe for the same and so continues to mourne and cry and beg mercy till he finde it and then striues to make amends for his former not growing by growing so much the faster for it now So hee is recouered and continues to the end for totally or finally fall away by sinne he cannot because the annoynting of the spirit preserueth him till he be raised vp at the last day Christ will not cease keeping him yea to saluation is he kept by the power of that great God that hath adopted him to himselfe for a sonne and this spirituall life giuen in regeneration indeed becomes an eternall life sicke he may be dye he cannot CHAP. VI. Shewing the principall graces which by Regeneration are begotten in the soule ANd so much for the fourth effect of regeneration and for three of those things I promised to speake of I goe on now to the fourth and last point 4. The principall graces in regeneration bestowed on the regenerate viz. to make knowne vnto you the principall graces that shew themselues in the regenerate man and by hauing of which seeing by nature hee had them not he deserueth to be intitled a new creature These are in all the powers of his soule For as I said at first holinesse is infused into his whole man First 1. In his principall faculties in the principall faculties vnderstanding conscience and will Secondly in the inferiour powers thinking-power memory and affections of which let vs speake in order but briefly First then the vnderstanding of the regenerate is perfected with two most excellent and beautifull graces 1. In his vnderstanding knowledge and faith Knowledge I say first of God then of himselfe out of which springeth humility as a proper effect of both He perceiueth a new light shining within him inabling him to conceiue with a very stedfast apprehension not with a wauering wandring doubtful confused fancy as that was which he had before that there is a God an eternall and infinite essence his maker the maker of all things most wise most mighty most true most righteous most mercifull most holy hating sin with a perfect hatred and fully bent to punish the impenitent sinner with vnutterable punishments fully resolued with all louing kindnes to accept of the penitent And in one word euery way inconceiueably excellent as being indeed the fountaine of all goodnesse the creator preseruer gouernour of all things the Father the Son the holy Ghost as he hath reuealed himself to his Church The brightnesse of this light discouereth it selfe vpon his soule so effectually that now hee stands vndoubtedly perswaded of these things which is also a principall cause of all other the good things that are begun in him and so is fulfilled in him the word of God Heb. 8.11 saying They shall all know me from the least to the most Ioh. 17. last and againe righteous Father the world hath not knowne thee but these haue knowne that thou hast sent me and I haue made knowne thy name vnto them and wil make it knowne Iob. 17.3 So it begins to be to them life eternall to know the onely true God and him whom hee hath sent Iesus Christ Further as it
seruāt And though the conscience being too much put to it by the seruants of God in their folly do wax somwhat sharp yet still it keepeth this note of difference from the vnpurged conscience that it drawes them vnto God So a good conscience is both quiet for it promiseth forgiuenes and withall wakefull for it cals for duty incessantly steppeth out against euery confessed euill yea against suspected ones too 3. In his will In the third place the will of the sanctified man shewes it selfe to be holy by two graces also planted in it First it is carried vp to Godward It longeth thirsteth after the liuing God so that it findeth nothing in heauen nor in earth comparable vnto him It doth embrace him and draw vnto him as vnto the chiefe in a maner the only Good The being happines and felicity of God is the thing that aboue all things yea aboue his owne happines he desireth the fauour loue and grace of God next to that aboue all other things Let him enioy the light of Gods countenance and let corne and wine goe which way they will he is happy enough in that God is happy and is his Father So Dauid once Psal 73 25. Whom haue I in heauen besides thee and whom in earth with thee and in an other place All my bones shall cry Lord who is like vnto thee Now he hath learned to place his felicity in the liuing God Now apprehending him as goodnesse it selfe he vniteth himselfe vnto him by a feruent act of his wil euen panting after him Secondly his will becommeth very flexible to the wil of God It begins to be made one with Gods will and to be as it were carried therein like a star in its proper orbe or euen as a man in the chariot wherein hee hath seated himselfe His will begins to bee euen swallowed vp in the will of God and to bee nothing but as God will haue it which is the principall and a most inconceiueable happines which he findeth in this world If it may appeare vnto him that God would haue such a thing done he resolues to doe it say profit pleasure credit what they can to the contrary Contrarily if that hee perceiues the Lord of his life would not haue him to doe such a thing his determination is that he will not doe it though he be solicited with all the allurements of delight commodity aduancement In truth this free and firme disposition of the will to doe the good and auoid the euill which God enioyneth him for Gods sake is the very heart and marrow of regeneration and therefore there is nothing which a Christian man more misseth then the worke of his will this way if it be hindred and nothing in himselfe which he doth enioy more whilest the motions of it are vninterrupted An hearty and vnfained desire to please God in all things is the characteristicall note as I may tearme it of the sanctified It is the most apparāt euidēt sensible distinction betwixt him the falsly-seeming sanctified the hypocrite Wherfore it is of much importance to finde this grace in ones selfe And so are the superiour powers of the soule framed to the blessed Image of God 2 In the inferiou◠powers The inferiour powers must needs follow the temper of the superiour and in them there resteth the spirit of grace and glory which adorneth them with the brightnesse of excellent graces First the thinking power or imagination is raised vp to God and the things of God 1. The thinking power The Christian man findes that as hee is apt by nature to thinke of the King or of his parents or friends or such like thing so by vertue of his new nature he is of himselfe moued to be taking occasion very many times to entertaine thoughts of God and alwaies thoughts tending to magnifie him within his soule Hee is often stirring vp in his owne heart motions tending to discouer vnto himselfe the beauty and sweetnesse of God his wisedome his power his truth his iustice and other attributes and withall also the admirable and inconceiueable excellency of heauen the surpassing glory and felicity of an other life There is some familiarity and louing acquaintance betwixt God and the kingdome of God and his imagination and it is a great pleasure content to him to cōuerse as it were with these things in the cogitations of his mind to haue thē dwell within him Before God was not in all his thoughts as the Psalmist speaketh Psal 10.4 but now contrarily as the same Psalmist affirmeth of himselfe his meditation of God is sweete euery thing almost that he sees serueth but to beget in him new formes of apprehending Gods excellencie which in truth shineth forth most brightly in all these his workes A man that knowes a rare secret and hidden treasure cannot but euer and a none haue the cogitation of it reuiuing it selfe within him and the Christian hauing the eie of his minde opened to know God and to beleeue in him sees such rich treasures of wisedome and goodnes in him that his minde must needs be entertaining him within by the imagination of these things Wherefore not in solitarines alone but in company the motions of his minde are aduaunced towards heauen and other things serue but as ladders to raise his soule thitherward He is often euen in the middest of other businesses digesting in his minde the excellencies of God and thinking with himselfe how good how great how wise is the Lord God who hath done this and this and this how excellent is his name through all the earth how happy is he in the highest heauens where hee hath founded the throne of his glory yea how blessed a Crowne hath he laid vp for thē that feare him how plentifull a reward is reserued for them when he walketh abroad and sees Gods workes and when he is imploied in other occasions he holdeth his inward comfortable conference with himselfe about his God and often hath his soule prouoked to speake vnto God and to take him into part of this diuine conference telling him as it were with a reuerent boldnes and wife-like familiarity how much good hee knowes by him and how excellent hee must needes conceiue him to bee by such and such workes of his In one word hee mindeth not onely not chiefely the things that are belowe as once he did but the things that are aboue where Iesus Christ our sauiour sitteth at the right hand of glory His meditation is of God and his law and Kingdome continually In like sort his memory is hallowed to the remembring of God 2. Memorie and the things that pertaine to God He frequently mindeth himselfe of that all-seeing eie which in all places attendeth him and though the Lord as being a spirit be in a sort absent from his senses yet by vertue of this sanctified memory which makes absent things present he
content himselfe with such simple euidences in the matter of his lands or liuing or his temporall estate how much more doest thou deserue the same name that dalliest with thy selfe so fondly in matters whereupon thine eternall estate dependeth but if thine hopes be well grounded shew vs the grounds of them and bring them forth now in so due an houre before God and thine owne conscience Where is thine holinesse where is the Image of God wrought in thee shew how the spirit and the word of God haue wrought together to change thee into a new man when diddest thou see and feele I doe not say hell open before thee ready to receiue thee for that Iudas saw and felt and yet was neuer regenerated but the filthinesse of thy nature thine abominablenesse sinfulnesse and wickednesse what feruent and strong desires hast thou found of being renewed and sanctified by the spirit of God Where be thy cries thy groanes thy teares begging reconciliation at Gods hand and earnestly seeking vnto him to reforme thy leaud nature Where is the firme purpose of thy soule out of the apprehension of his grace to please him in all things Where is thy godly conuersation thy departing from all wickednesse and exercising thy selfe constantly in that that is good What combates hast thou made with sinne and Satan and with the vnsanctified world Where is thy growth and proceeding in all godlinesse Shew mee the vertues of the inward man formerly declared Shew mee thy loue and feare of God shew me thine hatred of sinne and sorrow for it shew me thy mindfulnesse of God thy thinking of him thy beleeuing and reioycing in him and in his word Are these things to be found in thee Canst thou approoue before the liuing God and thine owne soule that these matters are in thee then stand to thine answere then confirme thy selfe in thy perswasion and be thou more and more assured that the spirit and word of God haue begotten thee againe indeed but if these things be absent from thee or if thou please thy selfe in certaine shadowes and resemblances and conceits of them I say vnto thee thy conceits are vaine thine answere false and thou art so much the further off from being the child of God by how much thou dost more peremptorily boast of thy being such Brethren what should I say more you see the necessity of this searching into your selues I haue endeauoured to goe before you in it continue you now constantly and neuer giue your selues any rest till by looking narrowly into your hearts you haue attained a true and sure knowledge of your estates and bee able to say and shew that you are regenerated yea or not CHAP. VIII Containing an vse of terrour to them that are vnregenerate ANd in the second place let me turne my speech to all them which are without doubt the greater number that if they will answere truly 2. To the vnregenerate 1. Terrour because of their hard estate must answere negatiuely to this question must confesse if they will not lie that in very deed they are not regenerate To which kind of men I haue two things to speake the one to shew them their wretchednesse out of Christs owne words the other to beseech them that they would be carefull and willing to come out of it Come hither all yee vnregenerate men and see your hard condition you know you must not liue in this world alwaies you see so many dye before you that you cannot but see though you refuse to consider of it that death must ceaze vpon your persons also afore long And you haue been wont to flatter your selues with hopes of being saued when you die But now I pronounce against you that all these your hopes are lying hopes and like a broken reed will but runne into your armes if you rest vpon them Either out Lord Iesus Christ did egregiously falsifie when he did so vehemently assure Nicodemus that a man cannot see the kingdome of God vnlesse he be borne againe or else you haue most egregiously deluded your owne soules with vanitie lies when being vnregenerate you haue been bold to make your selues beleeue that you should be saued Now for our Sauiour wee are sure he affirmeth nothing but what hee knoweth his words be all pure words tryed in the furnace seuen times he that is the author of saluation can well enough tell to whō he will grant it you therfore euen all you that haue maintained cōtrary hopes in your selues haue lied to your selues haue trusted in vanity haue bin beguiled by sin and Satan haue flattered your selues foolishly and shall surely be disappointed of your goodly hopes vnlesse you take a better course then heretofore I say vnto thee that art vnregenerate Though thou liuest an honest and ciuil life though thou cariest thy selfe iustly and truly towards thy neighbours in thy dealings though thou giue much almes to the poore though thou come to Church and heare the Word and receiue the Sacraments though thou hast been baptized and professest to beleeue in Christ though thou reade the Scriptures and pray with thy family yea though thou haue some fits of sorrow for some sinnes yea though thou confessest and leauest many sinnes and seemest to take much pleasure in the companie of good men and beest forward to the externall exercises of religion and pietie though thou doest all these things as al these things may be done and yet beest not regenerat thou canst not for al that haue any admittance into the kingdome of God How miserable therefore is thy condition that loosest all thy paines and cost that thou bestowest in some good things and canst not bee saued by all that thou doest Doubtlesse euen so stands it with all your soules that are vnregenerate your best works are but guilded sins and that that in you seemeth faire and louely to your selues and to your neighbours to God that searcheth the heart and iudgeth of all things by the heart appeareth exceeding loathsome and abominable Acknowledge thy wretchednesse therefore thou that art not regenerate for to speake all in one word Do what thou canst so long as thou remainest in this estate there is an vtter impossibilitie of thy comming to heauen But you may perhaps say vnto me Who be the men whom I dare charge to bee vnregenerate and in that name barre vp the Kingdome of God against them I answere Too too great a multitude and more by farre then wee doe desire euen all those that boast of their owne vertues and will needs make themselues beleeue that they loue God aboue all and with all their hearts and their neighbour as themselues that is in a word That they doe more then euer any of all the Prophets and Apostles or any besides Christ in the present World since the first sinne of Adam All these that find in themselues so great store of the loue and feare of God as that they conceiue that they loue him with all
he knoweth not how to deny himselfe nor his couenant But perhaps still the Diuell may be busie with thee and cast some quiddity and subtill cauill in thy way as sometimes he hath done telling thee that if thou beest not as thou findest thy selfe not to be regenerate thy prayers cannot be heard because they be not of faith Thou maiest answere him that that worke of God in his word which moueth thee so to pray is a beginning of regeneration which shall vndoubtedly be perfected if thou continue to pray and therefore that thou wilt not be hindred by such cauils For thou beleeuest that God hath said true when he said Ho euery one that thirsteth and seeing out of a perswasion of the truth of this generall promise thou addressest thy selfe to performe the duty whereto the promise is made thy prayer must needs be of faith though of a weake faith and be no sinne but an acceptable seruice vnto God Now therefore brethren be not discouraged for praying for the spirit of life to breathe vpon you by any cauils or obiections of Satan be not made carelesse of seeking so necessary a thing by any fond imaginations that he will put into your minds be not diuerted from doing this duty by any worldly businesse that may come betwixt but what euer thou doest now in thine heart and when thou commest home in thy closet and in the solemnest manner bow thy selfe to God and cry vnto him for the holy Ghost to regenerate thee And O thou blessed spirit that art like the wind and breathest euen where thou lusteâ—â— breathe into the hearts of some of these that heare me this day and cause some of them to be inflamed with a desire of regeneration and to be incouraged to the begging of it whereas yet it hath not been wrought And so much for the first meanes to be vsed 2. An hiding of the word of God in the heart The second meanes is a diligent hiding of the word of God in the heart For seeing that is the seede of immortality if it be closely laid vp in the ground of our soules it will fructifie to life This law is pure and it will purifie It is perfect and it wil conuert the soule if like a plaister it be laid vnto it Let it be ingraffed into you like a science and it will change the wild sap of your nature and make you able to bring forth fruits of holinesse A man then buries the seed of the word in his hart when he doth ponder and muse vpon it when he sets himselfe seriously to consider the truth of it and to apply it vnto his owne soule taking that that is generally deliuered as pertaining to himselfe in speciall Now the whole word must be thus whetted vpon the heart not the Law alone for that of it selfe will breed nothing but miserable terrours not the Gospel alone for that finding the heart vnprepared to receiue it in such ill ground will bring forth nothing but the stinking weedes of presumption but both the Law and the Gospell it so being tempered together and obtaining a ioynt worke in the soule by their mutual forces they may both produce the grace of sanctification So then if one would be regenerate he must take to himself the whole Word of God He must set himself al alone to muse of it saying to himself These coÌ„mandements the Law giueth to al mankind among the rest to me these curses it denounceth against the transgressers of it of which seeing I cannot deny my selfe to bee one the curses thereof belong vnto me and I alasse I lie vnder them But the Word of God hath shewed me the way of escaping the curse for Christ Iesus the Sonne of God was in our stead accursed that wee might be free from the curse and bee partakers of that blessing which was long since promised in him saying In thy seede shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed Also the Word of God doth plainely declare concerning al the sonnes of men Psalm 14. that they haue done a corrupt and abominable deede and that none of them doe good no not one It shuts them all vnder sinne and pronounceth them al the sonnes of wrath But Iesus Christ is become the Sauiour of mankind and in him his Father is well pleased and none that beleeue in him shall perish Yea in him is preached remission of sinnes and life euerlasting to all that beleeue in him and rest vpon his merits as vpon a perfect satisfaction and hee doth ratifie all the sweete promises of the Law to all that beleeue in him and striue to obey him so that for his sake they shall obtaine all the good things which the Law promiseth but because we are all sinfull it cannot bestow them on vs. I am a sinfull wretch I am a cursed creature I am vnder Gods anger in my selfe but Christ Iesus hath satisfied for my sinnes he hath performed a perfect righteousnesse for me I will goe out of my selfe I will renounce mine owne righteousnesse and rest onely in him euen vpon him onely in whom O my soule assure thou thy selfe to find full remission and perfect saluation onely so be it thou turne not the grace of God into wantonnesse but out of loue to him set thy self to keep his holy coÌ„mandements and take vpon thy neck that sweet gentle yoke of his the bearing of which is the most comfortable liberty in the World Certainly men and brethren he that will often renew these meditations in his soule and see the foulenes of sin in the glasse of the Law and the sweetnes and brightnes of Gods free grace shining forth in the doctrine of the Gospel shal surely be translated into the image of God from glory to glory Therefore now resolue with your selues that you wil find time constantly to meditate on the Word of God and it shal not faile to giue light vnto your eyes and life vnto your soules So haue you the second meanes of attaining regeneratioÌ„ Tâ—irâ— constant 〈◊〉 tâ—e Worâ— pâ—eached The third and last is to attend at the gates of Wisdome to waite on her posts I meane to be constant hearers of the Word of God preached This is the ordinance of God which he will worke by most effectually and most vsually The mouth of the Minister is the Conduit pipe wherby the Lord doth please to deriue the sweet wholsome waters of life into the soules of men 1. Cor. 1.20 It hath pleased God by the foolishnes of preaching to saue theÌ„ that belieue The Lord hath appointed his Ministers to be spirituall fathers by their labours in publishing his Word to beget men vnto him and whosoeuer will not seeke regeneration and saluation here where God hath taken order that he may meete with them he for his carelesnes or ignorance of Gods ordinance shall neuer bee able else-where to attaine them I told you mine opinion before of the Word
barely read I cannot esteeme it quite deuoide of all power to regenerate where God doth not giue vnto men a possibilitie of vsing other helpe I see not that he should be thought either vnable or vnwilling to worke by this but where preaching with paines or cost may be gotten there he that to saue his labour or to spare his purse will neglect it shall neuer be borne againe Wherefore beloued you must make high account of this ordinance you must follow it you must be constant in frequenting it that the Lord by the mouthes of his faithful seruants may breathe the breath of life into you I confesse that there is a kind of fine neate daintie preaching consisting in wel-sounding words and streines of wit and humane learning to set out the skill and art of the speaker and make the hearer applaud and commend him which a man may well doubt whither God wil euer blesse to the winning of soules These selfe-preaching men that make preaching little else but an ostentation of wit and reading doe put this sword of the Spirit into a veluet scabbard that it cannot pricke and wound the heart it cannot worke life by working death first it cannot quicken by killing before it quicken But the plaine and downe-right preaching of the Word by laying it open in plaine termes to the eyes of the mind and laying it hard to the very consciences by exhortations rebukes and comforts for which it is profitable euen this foolish preaching is that that must make you wise to saluation Wherefore how much were it to be desired that all we Ministers would follow that whereby with fetching lesse circuits and taking lesse vnprofitable and selfe-intended labour wee might doe more good to men and bring more glory to God and Oh how much are you to be called vpon to loue the Word of God preached to be glad to haue it plainely deliuered vnto you and with earnestnesse pressed vpon you without all quirkes of wit and guilded shewes of mans wisdome and of gay words In one word therefore I doe you all to wit that this preaching is the instrument of God I meane the chiefe and principall instrument by which he is pleased to regenerate mens soules Wherefore I command you all in the name of the Lord to loue it honor it frequent it submit your selues to it as you loue your soules-health But let me adde one necessary obseruation more in this point They bee but vncleane beasts that doe not chew the cud If you will haue the Word which you heare effectuall to make you the sonnes of God you must not be carelesse and forgetfull hearers you must not let it slip from you as soone as it is heard but you must ioyne meditation with it and after you haue heard consider with your selues what you haue heard and ponder vpon it as vpon a thing that much concernes you and lay the precepts reproofes threats promises and exhortations thereof vnto your soules saying each to himselfe I see this is a dutie haue not I omitted it O yes I haue and so fall a begging pardon for former omissions and strength for more carefull performance hereafter and so in all the other parts of the Word that may be deliuered vnto you And brethren the Word thus heard in the Church and thus ruminated digested and concocted at home will be a Word of power vnto you to conuert you to God from the power of Satan Thus I haue shewed you the meanes of being made the sonnes and daughters of the liuing God Be they not plaine be they not possible be they not easie If any of you misse of a new birth is it not because he cares not for it and in very truth because he is not willing to accept it I cal your owne soules to witnesse and that God in whose name and those Angels in whose presence I haue spoken these things vnto you that God desireth not your death hee would haue you saued hee offers saluation hee would haue you renewed and hee offers the spirit of renouation and if you want it it is only meerely wholly because you regard it not and because you will not take his directions in seeking it O thou therfore that art vnregenerate see thine vnregeneracie desire to be regenerate call vpon God for his Spirit of grace to regenerate thee ponder vpon his Law and his Gospell the seede of regeneration Hearken to his voyce speaking in his messengers and meditate on what thou shalt heare from them and thou shalt bee regenerate But if thou wilt needs stand in thine owne light and out of a conceit of being already in a good estate keepe thy selfe irrecouerably in an euill estate or out of sloathfull negligence or prophane carelesnesse omit to follow the sound directions which haue been giuen thee be thou euer then the child of the Diuell be thou euer the sonne of perdition worke out thine owne destruction and thy blood bee vpon thine owne head the Lord is free wee are free and of thine owne hand alone it shall be required CHAP. X. Comforting the Regenerate ANd so much bee spoken to them that are not borne againe 3. Vse to those that are regenerate Now from the same point also wee haue something to say to those that through the grace of God haue been blessed with this greatest of al blessings and that both for comfort and exhortation First then 1. Câ—ns let vs lay open before the sanctified man the riches of consolation of which the words of our Sauiour doe put him in possession This worke of the Spirit of God doth him more good then al the wealth strength health wit learning beauty credit fauour and grace that could befall him in the world For all these things fore-named a man may haue in as great abundance as this earth could yeeld and yet bee no whit nearer to heauenly felicitie yea bee quite out of all present possibilitie of attaining it But so soone as euer the Spirit of God from aboue hath visited the soule of a man and hath begotten in him the image of Christ Iesus so soone is he interessed into the glorious Kingdome of God and hath that riches and honour of heauen appertaining vnto him as an inheritance that cannot fal besides him Euery true Christian therefore be he of neuer so meane repute parts in the esteeme of others or of himself is yet a great and a rich heire and hath a mighty and large kingdome by vertue of this birth-right appertaining vnto him for the excluding of all that are not borne againe from out of heauen is a plaine admittance of all them into heauen to whom this benefit of a new birth hath befalne The one cannot but be saued as well as the other cannot possibly bee saued Seeing if the cause that hindreth our entrance into Gods Kingdome bee remoued we neede make no question but that our passage afterwards shall be found both certaine and easie enough
possible thankes O thou art good thou art gracious thou art full of compassion mercy pleaseth thee I feele I feele that thy mercy is ouer all thy workes and I haue cause to say by experience that thy mercy endureth for euer for thou hast made mee thine owne child by adoption which by nature was the child of wrath O blessed be thy great and glorious name for euermore Brethren open your mouths wide in thankes-giuing and God will fill them full of comfort and know that thou canst not haue a more sensible assurance of thy new birth then if thou canst feele thy selfe heartily moued to giue praise to God for it It shall witnesse to thee that thou art a new creature if thou canst giue many thankes to him that made thee so for hauing so made thee Reioyce therefore in thy blessednesse that art borne againe and bee frequently and heartily thankefull to him by whose word and spirit thou wast borne againe that so thou maist comfortably enioy this greatest of al blessings thy being borne againe CHAP. XI Exhorting the Regenerate to grow in Grace ANd this is the consolation of God wee haue to giue you O all yee his sonnes and daughters 2. Exhortation twofold hearken a little further I pray you to the exhortation that must ensue Seeing the Lord of Heauen hath created a new life in you learne you two things for the necessitie thereof to saluation First 1. To nourish this life of grace in themselues to cherish it in your selues secondly so much as is possible to propagate it vnto others First I say make much of this life of grace this new man created in you according to God in righteousnesse and true holinesse make much of it striue to confirme it strengthen it and increase it so soone as the life of nature is seene in a man he is made you know desirous of nourishment that augmentation may follow generation So be you also for your soules that you may at one time both shew your new birth and confirme it In truth this I must tell you assuredly for I know it to bee as true as the Lord himself is to be trusted of his word he that once hath this life shall neuer see death But I told you before that he may feele sicknesse and that if it were not for the sick-making phisicke which the Lord will giue him for his recouerie he might feele death Now therfore I am to entreate you all to saue the labour of taking physicke and that by seeking to preuent diseases and to grow in soundnesse of spirituall strength You all know right well what bee the chiefe things which impaire naturall strength and procure diseases of body namely poyson surfetting and staruing It is euen so likewise with the soule 1. By auoiding ill company and câ—oosing gâ—od 2. By auoiding things sinfull in resisting the first motions to ill first by poyson it inuenometh it selfe secondly by surfetting it distempereth it selfe and lastly by staruing it infeebleth it selfe Beware of ranke poyson Sinne I say sinne things vnlawfull and condemned these are very starke poyson to the soule Ratts-bane and Hen-bane and Mercury and Opium yea the very inward moisture of a Toade or Serpent are no more dangerous to the flesh then this is to the spirit And when a Christian man begins to yeeld so much to the naughtinesse of his owne hart that hee takes leaue to allow some sinne in himselfe in some small degrees then it ceaseth not to worke wofully in his soule till at last it haue caused him to breake forth into the grosse and foule practice of it and then is he poysoned indeede and if the Lord should not come with his physick he could not but bee damned but howsoeuer hee languisheth and is sicke he leeseth the sense of Gods fauour the desire of Gods seruice the comforts of Gods Word and the loue of the comming of Christ Iesus Lust reuenge deceit loue of money loue of credit loue of pleasure and all other corrupt affections lodging within if they once so farre preuaile that a man is willing to follow them in thoughts and words agreeable to their wicked nature doe by little and little euen grieue the Spirit of God and quench the graces of the holy Ghost till after a while a man falleth into some wicked act of some of these kinds and Oh then the burning and shooting and swelling of the body after the drinking of Ratts-bane is not more manifest in the bodie then the miserable effects of these sinnes are euident in the soule The conscience begins to accuse God is alienated the hart is hardned the mind blinded and sometimes a man lies long as it were in a sowne before he can recouer himselfe by repentance Wherefore the godly mans care must be to oppose the first motions of sinne to flie the occasions of euill doing to be careful of restraining himselfe from the very smallest degrees of wickednesse for a little sinne allowed will bring in a greater till that come accompanied with the greatest of all and that make a man little lesse then dead the second time We must therefore cast away the superfluitie of maliciousnesse that is this allowing of sinne and pleasing our selues in the occasions first degrees of it if euer we desire the spirituall health and wel-fare of our inner man Dauids conceitednesse begate idlenesse idlenesse begat adulterie adultery murder and all a long lying and deepe sleepe in sinne It is wofull to consider the miserable ruines that haue been made in the soules of many of Gods seruants by their carelesnes this way how weake they haue growne how their acquaintance with God their delight in his Word their comfort in prayer their desire of being dissolued and their ioy in a godly life hath been interrupted and how they haue come to that passe as scarce to shew to others or find in themselues any signe of liuing Perhaps this may be the very case of some amongst you that heare mee at this time O if it be get thee a preseruatiue take thee a large quantitie of godly sorrow feede vpon the bitter but wholesome hearbs of humiliation and griefe go and meditate on the threatnings of the Law on the death of Christ on the lamentable effects that others of Gods people haue found vpon their growing so naught and recouer thy selfe againe by hearty confession and humble begging of pardon and of strength And now all you that be as yet free from such wofull sicknesses be admonished by the miseries of others and let not the deceitfulnesse of sinne so farre preuaile against you that you should giue any allowance vnto it take any pleasure in the motions or occasions of it or giue your hearts leaue so much as to thinke or speake of it but with detestation Poyson is often sweete but a wise man had rather deny to his taste the delight of sweetnesse then fill his stomack with deadly pangs and gripings Sinne
is honey in the mouth but grauell in the belly Hidden bread is pleasant and stolne waters are sweete but O the miserable agonies which must ensue before the soule can bee clearely purged againe from the remainders of such poyson It is a pleasing thing to dally to reuenge to deceiue to play the glutton and the drunkard but it must cost a man so much toile so many sorrowfull confessions so many heauie passages before hee can recouer againe the quiet of his conscience and his enioyment of the assurance of Gods fauor that at last it shall appeare a deare-bought contentment and an euill penny-worth of delight No wise man will drinke Wine and Sugar if it haue been first impoysoned with some deadly thing neither let any Christian so farre forget the rules of Christian wisdome as for any paltry pleasure or profit or credit which lying swearing whoredome drunkennes idolatrie or any like grosse sin may yeeld vnto him to venture the committing of them Doubtlesse if he do his complaint shall bee at last as those sonnes of the Prophets once said O man of God death is in the pot But to surfet is little lesse dangerous 3 Taking heed of excesse in things indifferent and accustoming to sparing and moderation then to feede on poyson to labour ouer-much and ouer-hard to the inflaming of the bloud to drinke when a man is hot to eate and drinke excessiuely these things doe so exceedingly disquiet and ouer-charge the body that many a man dies of them So in the soule it is likewise found that the excessiuenesse of things lawfull and the vnseasonablenesse of indifferent actions doth sometimes little lesse annoy the soules welfare then the committing of things sinfull Especially if a man doe mistake and account that thing lawfull or indifferent which is wicked and sinfull and hereupon out of his erroneous iudgement lay the reynes vpon the necke of his carnall desires grosse knowne confessed sinnes doe no more infeeble the soule and ouerthrow the quiet and strength of the inward man then such licentiousnesse The abuse I say of things in themselues lawfull through the vntimely and immoderate doing of them is exceeding perillous vnto the soule and often death is little lesse then ready to enter in at this window The ouer-eager following of worldly businesse when a man not out of obedience to Gods commandements and out of a desire to humble himselfe by iust painefulnesse in his calling but out of a loue of wealth and a desire to grow rich and great in the world doth set his thoughts and hands a worke about the affaires of this life so that hee can scarce thinke or speak with any life or comfort of any other thing then this earth this greedy and continuall pursuing of worldly businesses though in themselues lawfull honest and commendable doth vexe the spirit choak the word dis-hallow the soule offend God and wound the conscience no lesse then the committing of fornication would doe for this is to commit spirituall whoredome with that grand harlot the wicked world Also the perpetuall and vnsatiable vse of pleasures and pastimes in themselues it may be no way sinfull nor condemnable yet still pursued with an ouer-vehement affection to them with an ouer-strong delight in them when they bee not vsed as meanes of maintaining our health or fitting our selues for the workes of our calling and indeede according as the name of recreations beareth for the refreshing of the mind and making it more liuely and chearefull in better things but are followed for their owne sakes out of a loue of pastime which is a childish and too base a thing for a wise heart to bee in loue with and when there is no conscionable regard had of that rich and pretious iewel of time which no treasure caÌ„ redeeme I say the most honest and lawfull recreations in the world so inordinately followed without regard of the due end thereof and without the practice of Christian moderation in them is no lesse harmefull to the soule then it is to the body to bee ouer-watched or ouer-laboured It dulleth the heart it clogs the conscience it stoppeth the mouth from praying it interrupteth all good meditations and by little and little doth steale away the hart from God and godlines till at the length grosse sinnes and presumptuous doe come in the neck of lawfull liberties abused The same be spoken of the vse of daintie fare and soft raiment and all other naturall comforts when the heart begins to bee ingaged to them when we onely seeke our owne satisfaction in them when we forget to demonstrate in our manner of vsing them a deniall of the world and a crucifying of our selues to the world and the world to vs then they are dangerous to our soules and doe euen little lesse then kill vp the new man in vs. O I would that the experience of many a Christian did not verifie this Learne therefore to temper your selues in things indifferent to be moderate in following your calling moderate in vsing recreations moderate in meate and drinke and attire and alwaies rather to be ouer-sparing to your selues in these things then ouer-large rather abridge thy selfe of somewhat thou mightest haue then by venturing as farre as euer thou art able to make thy selfe beleeue it is lawfull to bring thy selfe in danger of going a step or two further and falling into a fâ—at sinfull abuse Shew forth the vertues of Christ Iesus let it appeare that thou doest not loue the world nor the things therof by being content alwaies to come a little too short of thine allowance then any whit at all excâ—eding it The most wholsome diet is that that is most sparing and it is profitable for the body somewhat to deny the appetite and abridge the stomacke Euen so it is also for the soule and no man shall euer bee other then a dwarffe and weakeling in godlinesse that will not be drawne to denie himselfe somewhat of his lawfull liberty for so slippery is our standing so weake are our feete that if we venture to doe all we think lawfull in these kinds wee shall surely doe it vnlawfully I haue told you brethreÌ„ belieue it as a sure truth which your experience shal iustifie though your tongues may deny You shall not be confirmed in the inward man if you doe not keepe your selues somewhat short in outward liberties of the body about profit pleasure foode attire and the rest of these bodily and sensuall matters O preferre thy soule before thy bodie and make more account of inward strength then of outward wealth credit or merriment But lastly if a man doe starue himselfe for want of victuall 4. By being constant in religious exercises and pine his body by neglecting his due meales it is without all doubt that he shall haue a weake and feeble body So it is also for the soule The Lord that hath ordained bread to make mans heart strong hath ordained also the spirituall
foode of his soule prayer preaching the sacraments holy meditations of the Word and works of God These are as requisite for the soules increase in grace as meate and drinke and cloth for the bodies proceeding in strength Now as it often falleth out in the body that there growes vpon it a certaine kind of crazinesse and stomacklesnesse which makes a man to haue no mind of his victuals and then the longer hee abstaineth the lesse mind he hath to eate the lesse abilitie to digest so it commeth to passe likewise in the inward man the soule begins to take little content in prayer in reading the Scriptures in hearing the word preached in the receiuing of the holy sacrament These things are not desired nor delighted in with halfe so much ardour feruour as in former time When the case stands thus with the soule and likely the comming in of gaine and preferment by diuerting the thoughts and affections from things heauenly to things earthly doe bring the soule to this case then it growes weaker and weaker and often falleth grossely and palpably Yea it commeth to passe sometimes that afflictions lying hard vpon a man doe euen put his soule out of tast through the sowernesse and bitternesse of carnall sorrow that hee findeth no appetite to holy exercises which are the repasts of the soule nor any cōtentment in them then grace is in the wane also then all vertues wither and languish and the soule fareth like vnto him that cannot eate is victuals whose very cheekes shew it so the outward behauiour and carriage of such a man being farre short of that heauenlinesse and fruitfulnesse that once will discouer this languishing of his soule Wherefore he that would bee strong in Christ Iesus and in the power of his might must stirre vp in himselfe the Spirit of God which he hath receiued by constancy in holy meditations of God of his Kingdome of his workes of his attributes of himselfe his mortalitie his sinfulnesse the shortnesse of life the vanitie of earthly things the vncertaintie of friends and wealth and that last houre of his life and that great day of iudgement He must also reuiue the same grace of God in him by being feruent in prayer and by prouoking himselfe with all heartinesse of desire to beg good things at Gods hand especially the increase of al heauenly vertues He must also labour to make his hart hot with earnest and vnfained thankesgiuing for all temporall and spirituall benefits especially for the death of Christ and the kingdome of heauen by that deere price purchased for him He must gaine all opportunities of hearing the Word preached and not suffer any idle obiection and foolish impediment to hinder him from frequenting it He must digest it by meditation when he comes home He must carefully prepare for the Lords supper by renewing his repentance and his faith before he come thither And thus he must feede of all the delicates that God hath prouided for him No so true signe of bodily health nor so sure meanes of outward strength as a good stomack with good digestion No so sure token and certaine meanes of spirituall strength and health as a longing desire to all holy exercises publike as well as priuate and priuate as well as publike By these Christ Iesus communicates his graces to vs. The Word that begat vs will nourish vs. The spirit of prayer that obtained good things will obtaine also increase of them and so the soule must needs be well liking Brethren you all are taught by nature the neede of corporall food know also the neede of spirituall and if thou desire to haue thy soule thriue in strength and stature forslake not thy meales cut not off religious exercises short dispatch not Gods worship cursorily turne not holy duties into matters of fashion and formalitie but doe them and doe them constantly and doe them heartily and content not thy selfe in doing them vnlesse thou find some life and courage in doing them And that thou maiest thus maintaine in thee an hungry appetite after the exercises of pietie dip thy morsels often in the sharpe sauce and sower herbes of humiliation Looke back so often as thou findest a kind of fulnesse of stomacke and spirituall satiety growing vpon thee looke backe vnto the former sinnes of thine ignorance consider thy naturall misery and wretchednesse consider of thy most beloued corruption and addresse thy selfe to worke some sensible apprehension of griefe for these things and cease not striuing though at first thou seeme to striue in vaine It is certaine that labouring with ones owne heart to find out his corruptions that lie hidden and to lament them being found out will quicken the soules appetite and restore a man to some liuelinesse in holy duties at least will so farre forth preuaile that if he recouer not his appetite he shall remaine sensible of this spirituall stomacklesnesse and humbled vnder it and full of sighs and groanes because of it which at length will cure him without inconuenience Now brethren let this word of exhortation sinke into your soules If regeneration be necessary to saluation then the growing in the power of regeneration is also necessary Weake things are often so obscured with their contraries that it remaineth vncertaine whither they be or no but that that is strong will stirre and shew it selfe Grace may be doubted of so long as it remaineth feeble and infant-like adde vnto it growth and bignes and it will be out of question No man can be assured of his saluation without edifying his inward man more then be saued without hauing the new man If you would enioy your new birth confirme it if you would attaine the comfort of it grow in it Neglect not the grace of God that is giuen vnto you now that you are in Christ be strong men in Christ and seeing the Lord hath vouchsafed you the worke of his Spirit giue me leaue to make vse of the sweete exhortation of Paul to his Thessalonians to entreate you brethren to encrease yet more and more CHAP. XII Exhorting to propagate grace to others BVt our exhortation if you remember had an other member 1. To propagate it to others it is not enough for a good man to get more grace to himselfe vnlesse hee doe his best also to helpe his neighbours vnto grace They that are begotten of God must doe their vtmost endeauours to beget others vnto God All things in nature haue an inclination to deriue their owne qualities vnto other things and to assimilate or worke like vnto themselues that that comes neere vnto them Fier makes al things hot and water all things moist and in nature nothing is more ingrafted then the propagation of the kind Surely this new and diuine nature must not be idle in this behalfe but they vpon whom the Lord hath pleased to bestow it must labour to be his instruments of conueying it to others And in truth what more comfortable