and the practise of godlinesse fewe are exercised in them which shewes a carelesse minde but hee that is desirous to keepe a good conscience will enquire how they may doe it If men would doe as the Disciples of Mat. 13. our Sauiour Christ did and as good men did Num. 6. 9. 1. Cor. 7. 1. Acts. 2. obserue their doubts and write them either in their mindes or in their tables and propound them in conuenient place and company they might be wiser then they be and doe their duties better then they doe and auoide many sinnes that they fall into as the prouerbe is the blinde eates many a Flie yea many a Spider Iesus answered Verily I say to thee except Verse 5. a man be borne of water and of the spirite he cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen Because Nichodemus asked how a man could be borne againe that was olde our Sauiour Christ telles him how and because he vnderstood Christs former words carnally he telles him they must be vnderstoode spiritually The Papistes take these wordes to bee spoken of baptisme and say except a man be baptised he cannot be saued putting a necessity in baptisme vnto saluation it is true indeed that baptisme is necessary and that to saluation as all the meanes of saluation which God hath appointed are necessary and cannot be contemned without peril of condemnation but baptisme is not necessary to saluation in their sence as if none could be saued except they be baptised for the thiefe that was crucified with Luk. 23. 1 Christ who was conuerted after baptisme was instituted was saued and yet he was not baptised so if any should die without baptisme when they would cannot haue it it hinders not their saluation if infants die before they be brought to baptisme though negligence herein may be a sinne in the parents yet is it no preiudice to the childe no more then it was to those children that died without circumsition when they might not apply it before the eight day for if the want of baptisme should be shutte from saluation then it were possible to ouerthrow the election of God which Mat. 24. Christ denies But although baptisme bee called the 〈◊〉 and sacrament of regeneration because it doth signifie and outwardly represent to our eyes that clensing and renewing which the holy Gost dooth worke inwardly in our harts yet it is not our Sauiour Christes purpose in this place to speake of baptisme at all but to teach Nichodemus that in his former speach he ment not a carnall but a spirituall birth the reason why he names water is because often in the Scripture the spirit is set foorth by water to Iohn 7 38. shew the working of the spirit in those that are borne againe as water dooth wash away the filthinesse of the bodie and make the same more cleane so the spirit dooth clense and purifie the soule therefore it 1. Cor. 6. 11. is called the spirite of sanctification so that in these wordes it is as our Sauiour Christ should say I doe not meane that a man should be borne againe carnally but that he should be borne againe spiritually as yee are borne first like your earthlye father who is flesh so you must be borne againe like your heauenlye Father who is spirite and bee made pertaker as Peter speakes of his deuine nature not in substance 2. Pet. 1. 4 but in qualities as hee saith Bâ—â— Leui. 11. 4. 4. Mat. 5. yee holy as I am holy And as Christ saith Be yee mercifull as your heauenly father is mercifull And in that Christ saith heere A maâ— must be borne againe of the spirit it shewe 〈…〉 that regeneration consists not in a ciuill reformation such as the lawes of the countrie the companie that men keepe and the respect of their credit and outward safety may drawe them vnto but hee meanes that Christian reformation which the spirite thorowe the knowledge and faith of the worde of God dooth frame men vnto begetting a knowing in or iudgement a hating in affection and forsaking in conuersation of those things which are euill in them by their first birth that are contrarie to the worde and that tende to condemnation and on the contrarie begetting in them a knowing in iudgement a loue in affection and following in conuersation of those things which be good that they haue by a new birth that are agreeable to the worde and that tende to saluation Except yee be borne againe of the spirite thus saith our Sauiour Christ yee cannot enter into the kingdome of God To the same effect spake â—ohn Baptist to some of the other Pharisies who Luke 3. 8 came to him to be baptised which was an entrance into the Church Bring forth saith he first fruites worthie amendment of life as if hee should say What should you doe in the Church or what should you doe with the badge or name of Christianitie when you are still corrupt and naughtie men So our Sauiour Christ saith to Nichodemus heere What shouldest thou or any such as thou art doe in the new state of the Church where God is a King rules by his word and grace and where men and women are subiâ—ct to him in minde and manners whent hou art still an olde man in the strength of thy ignorance and naturall corruption for the Church is the doore of the kingdome of God and none are to be leâ— into the kingdome of God in this world so farre as men can iudge that shall haue no place in the kingdome of God in thâ— world to come for if the Apostle woulâ— haue knowne and grosse sinners to be 〈…〉 thrust out of the Church when they be in 1. Cor. 5. then he would haue them to be kept ouâ— that they come not in and in that Phi 〈…〉 did admit Sin on Magus it was because h 〈…〉 Acts. 8. did dissemble that which was not in him and pretended faith regeneration whe 〈…〉 he had it not but though he deceiued P 〈…〉 lip he could not deceiue Peter who perce 〈…〉 ued that he was an hipocrâ—â—e in the ga 〈…〉 of bitternesse we now receiue children 〈◊〉 baptisme and enter them into the Church because the parents beeing faithfull the 〈…〉 â—eede is holy in the account of the seruan 〈…〉 of God as the Apostle saith but we mu 〈…〉 1. Cor. 7. 14. see some testimonies of grace in themselue 〈…〉 before we receiue them to the other sacr 〈…〉 ment if any one will obiect â—udas he w 〈…〉 then no open offender and also it was th 〈…〉 the Scripture might be fulfilled And those that haue by baptisme beenâ— enticed into the Church must know th 〈…〉 if when they come to yeares of vnderstanding they doe not answer to that they professed in Baptisme to renounce the deuill and his workes and to beleeue and obey Gods word though they haue a place in the Church and be
maruelous consideratition that subiects had sinned and the Lord must be beaten that seruantes had offended and the maister must die that the guilty should be spared the innocent punished and yet Gods iustice not impeached On the other side if he had not beene God almighty how could he haue encountred and conquered the deuill hell sinne death and all the great enemies of our saluation that were too strong for mā to battell with all if he had not beene euerlasting God how could he by temporall suffering haue discharged vs of eternall torment and how should the merite of his suffering haue reached to those that liued long before long after his death if he had not beene infinite God how should the father haue accepted so many sinners in him and him for so many sinners which he was angry withall and how should he be present with his people throughout the world therefore it was necessary he shuld be both God and man that being man he might be sufficient to suffer whatsoeuer was due from God do whatsoeuer was being God he might be all sufficient to make that acceptable and effectuall which was suffered and done for vs. Therfore this is a great mistery that God was manifested in the flesh 1 Hereof comes that neere coniunction that is betweene Christ and his Church set forth in the Scripture by many similitudes he is called the head and we the body not Col. 1. his naturall body but his misticall body as all true Christians are the body of Christ so euery one is a member of his body not hipocrites for they are no more true members 1. Cor. 12 of Christes body then a brasen noase or a woden leg is a member of a mans body but true christians that are by faith and the spirit of regeneration vnited to Christ for though Christ be in heauen and we in earth yet as the foote which is a great way distant from the head is by certaine sinues and vaines springing from the head ioyned to the head so Christians are by certaine spiritual vaines as faith hope loue c. ioyned vnto Christ he is also called the husband the Church is called his wife therfore as the wife looses her owne name and beares the name of her husband so we loose our owne name and beare the name of Christ and are called christians and as a Acts. 14. wife is indowed with the goods of her husband so are we with the riches of Christ He is called the vine we the branches Iohn 15. from whom we receiue spiritual iuce and vertue to bring forth fruite acceptable to God profitable to men for as Adam did not only make vs guilty but also corrupt vs so Christ doth not onely make vs innocent but also sanctifieth vs. 2 Hereof comes that misticall and spirituall aliance and kindred that is betweene Christ and his people therefore he calles those that doe his fathers will his mother Mat. 12. his brother and sister how poore or base soeuer they be in the world yet if they be of the right streine of christianity they be of the most royall blood and more honorable then they which come of the houses of Valoys of Austria or any earthly discent because they haue God for their father the Church for their mother Christ for their elder brother and are made kings and Queenes of heauen as one saith Those that be noble by their first birth in the worlde doe become vnnoble by vices so those that be vnnoble by their first birth may become noble by a new birth and by vertues therefore Peter calles the faithfull a chosen generation a royall Priesthood a holy nation a peculiar people 1. Pet. 2. 3 Hereof comes that mutuall exchange that is betweene Christ and vs hee was made with vs the sonne of man that wee might be made with him the sonnes of God he by imputation and communication tooke on him our sinnes and miseries that they might be imputed to vs his vertues and merites as the Apostle saith he 2. Cor. 5. was made sinne for vs that we might be made the righteousnesse of God by him This is a great mistery that his pouerty should be our fitches that his bondage 2. Cor. 8. 9. should be our liberty that his condemnation before Pilate should be our iustificatibefore God that his stripes should be the Rom. 8. 2. cure of our woundes that he should bee Esa 53. 5. ioyned with theeues and robbers that we might be ioyned with Saints and Angels Luk. 23 Gal. 3. 13 that his curse should be our blessing that he should ouercome death by dying and that his death should be our life that hee He. 2. 14. should discend into hell that is into hellish tormentes that he might lift vs vp to Mat. 26. heauen and happinesse Therefore we are saide to be crucified with him to be buried Gal. 2. 19 Rom. 6. 4 Col. 3. 1. Ephe. 2. 6 with him to be quickned with him Eph. 2. 5. to be raysed vp with him Col. 3. 1. to be ascended into heauen with him for at the first Adam was not a priuate but a publike person in whome all mankinde was included so Christ the second Adam was not a priuate but a publike person in whom the whole Church is to bee considered therefore in Christes death and satisfaction in Christes resurrection and iustification in Christes ascention and glorification we must see the death resurrection and ascention of the whole Church for as he hath done and suffered all these things for the Church so the Church hath done and suffered all those things in him and shal at the last receiue the fruite of those things by with him this is a great mistery that God is manyfested in the flesh therefore he is called our Sauiour which is set foorth in his Mat. 1. 21 1. Tim. 2. 5. name Iesus he is called our mediatour to make intercession for vs where by the way noate that the Popish booke called the Ladies Psalter made by Bonauenter is blasphemous because it appoints other mediators besides him he is called our Lord to 1. Cor. 8. 6. Ioh. 10. 9 defend gouerne vs he is called our dore and way to bring vs to the father he is called our Phisition to cure our spirituall diseases Mat. 9. 12 and to restore vs to health he is called Iohn 10. 11. Iohn 6. our shepheard to gather vs into the Church he is called the bread of life to norish vs to life euerlasting he is called our Ephe. 2. peace to pacific our conscience he is called Tim. our hope because he is all in all vnto vs. Therefore it is said we are complet in him Col. 2. 16 and therefore Paule saith I desire to know Cor. nothing but Iesus Christ and him crucified Phil. 3. 8. I count all things dung that I may winne
Christian brothers and sisters Psal 16. 3 a naturall man loues them not but rather hates them as Iohn shewes in his first Epistle A regenerate man doth see and feele the remnants of corruption and complaines Rom. 7. 23. of it the naturall man doth not but iustifies himselfe as the Pharisie did Luk. 18. 11. The regenerate man would not doe the euill Rom. 7. 19. that some time he dooth and he would doe the good that he dooth not and that good that he doth he would doe it better the naturall man dooth the euill that hee would hee dooth no good nor hath no minde to it neither dooth hee truely desire to be any better then he is The regenerate man prayes and cries Rom. 8. 20. Abba father by the spirite groanes vnto God for fauour for helpe against temptation for strength against sinne for grace to thinke speake and doe better the naturall man spendes no praiers about these things if he do it is but in few colde and fashionable wordes without affection of heart the regenerate man doth truely and earnestly striue against the corruption of nature that Gal. 5. 1â— yet remaines in him more and more ouercome it as Saloman saith In all labour there is profit the naturall man doth not so hauing nothing in him but flesh There is in a regenerate man as it were two men as Rebecca had two natioÌ„s in her wombe so a Christian hath as it were two natures in his wombe the members of the olde man and the new man of the flesâ— and of the spirite as Paule saith the flesh resistes the spirit and Gal. 5. 17. the spirite resistes the flesh therefore saith Peter abstaine from fleshly lusts that fight against the â—oule the striuing against corruption is the greatest excercise of a Christian outward troubles and enemies are nothing like it when the flesh or corruption preuailes in the childe of God thereof growes sorrow and griefe as Dauid when hee had sinned saith I goe mourning all the day but when the spirit preuailes against the flesh thereof growes ioy and comfort But a naturall man further then the feare of mans law or the shame of the worlde dooth enforce him hath no sorrow for his â—innes except some few examples such as were Esau and Iudas whome God dooth touch with hellish tormentes that in them other great sinners might see as it were a toarch of hell fire burning before their eâ—es and as a naturall man hath no sorrow for sin further then feare of man or shame doth force him so he hath no ioy in good things further then pride or vainglory doth pricke him so that to vse the common similitude of the scripture as we may know a good tree from a bad tree by the difference of their fruites so we may know a spirituall man from a carnall man by the difference of their mindes and manners A regenerate man that is borne of the spirite though he be not perfectly sanctified in this life yet hee is wholely sanctified for as there is a naturall birth of the whole man so there is a spirituall birth of the whole man that is as all the partes both of his soule and bodie are vitiated and corrupted by the first birth so all the partes of his soule and bodye his iudgement affection his will his conscience his memory his eyes his tongue handes feete c. are sanctified by his second and new birth and there is no part of a regenerate man so corrupt as it was before I speake not of some extraordynarye fault that some good man may fall into by strong temptation which peraduenture hee committed not nor the like before his conuersion but I speake of that ordinarye estate that Gods children are brought vnto by regeneration Therefore we are in the Scripture not onely exhorted generally to put on the new man to be renewed to amend out liues to be holy as God is holy but wee are exhorted to the perticuler vertues and partes of the new man as to knowledge loue pacience temperance humility and diuers other partes of sanctification there is no naturall man but doth something that is good in it selfe though it bee not so to him but a regenerate man is good many wayes within and without in wordes and indeedes Againe hee that is borne againe of the spirit doth grow in grace and the guiftes of the spirite that is not onely to adde one grace to another as Peter saith â—oyne to 2. Pet. 1. 5 your faith vertue to vertue patience to patience temperance to temperance c. But euery grace and spirituall gift dooth grow greater stronger as the disciples saide to Christ Lord increase our faith so we must saye Lorde increase ours and our loue our pacience our zeale c. For as there is growing of the first birth from children to men as growing in the corruption of the first birth as the Apostle saith Euill men and deceiuers waxe worse and worse so there is a growing in the second and new birth from little to much The meanes here of is the word of God as Peter speakes as new borne babes desire the 1. Per. 2. 2 sincere milke of the word that yee may grow thereby and prayer As our Sauiour said ouâ— heauenly father will giue the holy Ghost that is the giuftes of the holy Ghost to those that aske him Now seeing it is so necessary that a man should bee borne againe without the which he cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen let euery man and woman examine themselues whether he can finde a new creature in him or no which he shall know by the former properties of a regenerate man let him examine whether hee haue a new minde and new manners in generall then let him examine the perticulers first 1 If he loues God with the affection of a childe to his father 2 If he loues the children of God with the affection of a brother or sister 3 If he delightes in the lawe of God because of the excellent wisedome holinesse and righteousnesse that is in vs. 4 If hee sees his owne corruption of nature and condemnes it and himselfe for it 5 If in his affection hee would not doe that which is euill and contrary to the law but would doe that which is good and agreeable to the law 6 If he praies to God with an vnfained hart not only for pardon of sinne but for power against sinne 7 If he doe truely and earnestly striue against sinne and for vertue not only without but within himselfe 8 If he hath remorse and sorrowe for sinne though they be little in comparison and secret that the world knowes not and ioy in goodnesse 9 If he desire and vse the meanes of the word of God that may make him growe in the new birthe and become better If a man finde these things in himselfe he is regenerate and borne againe if not he is not borne of
Spanish inquisition then came in the French massaker and other diabolicall practises so long as men liue ignorantlye eyther wickedlye or ciuillye without religion the diuell will not disquiet them because they are his peaceable subiectes but when they set their hartes to religion and shake of his subiection then he will vse all hostility against theÌ„ and wrastle with them And as the diuell doth wrastle with vs so saith the Apostle we do must wrastle with him For as we hould it not sure to haue peace with the Spaniardes because we cannot haue it without dangerous conditions so it is neuer sure to haue peace with the diuell for then we must needes haue warre with God The Church is called millitant in this world because it is alwayes fighting with Sathan sinne and spirituall enemies which doth distinguish it from the Church in heauen which is called ryumphant because it hath wonne the fielde and gotten the conquest of the enemies Now as it is with the whole millitant Church so it is with euery member therof for which cause our life is called a warfare therefore the Apostle saith We wrastle c. Not shewing what euery Christian must doe but what euery man doth if he be a Christian And among many other markes of Christianity there is none more certain nor sensible theÌ„ this to shew our selues enemies to the diuel by withstanding his assaults and temptations for although by nature we haue neither wiâ—l nor power so to doe yet by grace being furnished with the armour of God we haue both He calles these enemies principalities powers hee giues diuers of these titles to the good Angels in the first to the Collosians But they are good these are euill they are our friendes these are our enimies they fight for vs these fight against vs therefore this is the dâ—scription of the diuel that he hath spoken of before hee calles him a Prince of the world that is of the Ephe. 2. wicked world not of the Church for he is in the Church not as a gouernour and commander but as a tempter onely He is called the Prince of the darkenes of this world not of the light his dominion is by ignorance error sinne and wickednes he is an enemy to the light and seekes to put it out therefore hath taught Antichrist to perswade the people that ignorance is the mother of deuotion and that they should not haue the exercise of the scripture Therefore in the time of Popery when the people were nusled in ignorance what apparitions speeches and practises of Sathan were there that the light hath scatred therfore when God sent foorth Paul to preach the Gospell he tels him he shall turne the people from darkenesse to light and from the power of Sathan Acts. 26. to God Yea he saith not onely wee wrastle with a Prince but with Principalities shewing that many of these princes do band themselues against vs for although we commonly speake of the diuell in the singular number yet wee must vnderstand there be many diuils of the nature force that the Apostle speakes of here it is said a Mat. 5. legion possessed a man they al are not only enemies of the Church but of euery member of the church Now we know when one person is to encounter with many such enemies he had need to be well armed Powers They bee not onely princes but powers earthly princes are called powers not in respect of themselues for Rom. they are weake as other men but in respect of diuers helpes and assistanâ—es that they haue to commaund and take their part but the diuels are called powers in respect of the force and strength they haue in themselues by nature the deuils power may be perceiued by gathering togeather the Iob. â— windes and the fire and an host of men to destroy Iobs cattel his seruants children Mat. 8. sea with violence by causing those that he possessed in our Sauiour Christes time to breake the fetters and chaines wherewith they were tied maister Perkins writes of a man neare Genâ—ua blasphemed God so that all which hard him trembled who said if there be any diuell let him take me and carry me where I shal be for euer and presently he was taken into the aire and neuer seene more Some wheÌ„ they see such corporal examples say Lord how strong the diuil is thinking none are any way possessed of the diuell but those that be mad or straught but his chiefe power is exercised is to be coÌ„sidered spiritualy in drawing men to sin and thereby to distruction we may see it in tempting our first parents and preuailing against them who were perfect indowed with asmuch knowledge as the nature of man was capable of and wee may see it in tempting Caine and carrying him to kill his brother contrarye to nature and contrarye to his conscience wee may see it easily in tempting and carrying men to dyuers monstrous sinnes idolatry adultery drunkennesse and houlding them in them as with spirituall snares and bandes that no counsell doctrine nor sight of other mens harmes can drawe him from them he was strong before time but he is more strong now because he rages toward his ende for anger is the whetstone of strength spirituall and these bee no corporall enemies but spirits that cannot bee seene with bodily eves therefore are the more dangerous There bee dyuers Athistes at this day like the Saduces in our Sauiour Christes time that thinke there be no spirits because they cannot bee seene but shall we beleeue them or the Apostle there be many things that cannot be seene as the wind a voyce a sauour c. which yet are aâ— wee haue a corporall sight and sence of some things as we haue bodies so we haue a spirituall sight and sence of some other things as wee haue soules Some haue painted the diuell in a bodily shape with hornes tayle such like but it is fond seeing he is an inuisible spirit cannot be proportioned therefore the apparitions of Sathan that haue bin so much spoken of are not to be feared but his spirituall delusions and temptations must be taken heede of Now as he is a spirite so hee hath the properties of a spirite hee hath great knowledge for though he hath not so much knowledge as the good Angels seeing he hath lost by his fall that way aswell as man hath done yet hee hath much more knowledge then man hath naturally because he is a sole spirite besides that hee hath increased his knowledge by long experience practise he hath vnderstanding of all languages of the state of all countries of the condition and complexion of all persons he knowes to what sinnes men are most inclined to and by what meanes he hath preuailed against them and others that haue beene like them Some because the diuell hath more knowledge then men haue taken occasion to seeke to him to vnderstand of things