then not only Inclined to but Confirmed in Good and not in a capacity to Sin Not for want of Freedome but as having no Inclination to Evil. All which is not said to incourage any man in Sloth or Idleness in doing what is his Duty upon pretence of waiting on the Spirit of God to doe all for him But rather to a diligent use of all the Means of Grace in hope of his concurrence and to Implore withall the Divine Goodness to Assist us mercifully To Prevent us in all our doings with his most gracious Favour and further us with his continual help that in all our Works Begun Continued and Ended in him we may have his blessing on them According to Solomon's advice in a like case Eccl. 11.6 In the Morning sow thy Seed and in Evening withold not thy hand For thou knowest not whether shall prosper either this or that or whether they shall both be alike Good And St. Paul makes the like Inference from the same Premises Phil. 2.12 13. Work out your own salvation with Fear and Trembling For it is God that worketh in you both to Will and to Doe of his good pleasure And if we be not failing on our part we have great incouragement to believe that God though a Free Agent will not be wanting to give his holy Spirit to those that ask him Luk. 11.13 Now for Application this Doctrine concerning the Necessity of Regeneration in those who shall see the Kingdome of God doth vindicate our Church whose Doctrine it is from the Reproach and Calumny cast upon her Doctrine As if when she says that we are Justified by Faith only she taught a Loose and Easy way of coming to Heaven without Regeneration Sanctification or Good Works the Effect of both 'T is very true she saith in her 11 th Article We are accounted Righteous before God only for the Merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by Faith and not for our own Good Works or Deservings Wherefore That we are Justified by Faith only is a most Wholesome Doctrine and very Comfortable And more to the same purpose in the Homily to which that Article refers But though she say We are Justified by Faith only she doth not say there is nothing more requisite to Salvation For we must be Sanctified as well as Justified if ever we be Saved And therefore that we may not possibly mistake her Doctrine unless wilfully she adds in the Next words which are her Twelfth Article Albeit that Good Works which are the fruits of Faith and follow after Justification cannot put away our Sins and indure the severity of God's Judgment Yet are they pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ and do spring out necessarily of a true and lively Faith In so much as by them a lively Faith may be evidently known as a Tree discerned by the Fruit. But which is her Tirteenth Article Works done before the Grace of Christ and the Inspiration of his Spirit are not pleasant to God Forasmuch as they spring not from Faith in Jesus Christ. Neither do they make man Meet to receive Grace or as the School Authors say Deserve Grace of Congruity Our Church therefore in teaching Justification by Faith only doth not teach us That we need no more to carry us to Heaven but only a Sanguine Belief that we shall come there and may thenceforth live as we list without Holiness or a Godly Righteous and sober Life For she makes this Necessary to bring us to Heaven as well as Faith or Justification it self And a pretence of Faith without this she doth not own for Faith but Presumption She owns none for a true and lively Faith but what is attended herewith as the Necessary Fruit thereof only she doth distinguish what of this belongs to Justification and what to Sanctification Which others labour studiously to Confound If any please to Cavil That if we be Justified by Faith only then there need no more to Save us because God Saves all that he Justifies I say This Cavil might seem to have some weight in it if God did Justify any whom he doth not Sanctify also A Prince I confess may sometimes Pardon a Male-factour and so Justify him or put him inâ—o a Condition of Not-guilty without making him an Honest Man But God never Justifies any whom he doth not also Sanctify And therefore 't is here the same thing to infer That a man may be Sanctified without Holiness as That he may be Saved without it if Justified by Faith only But if any indeed there be I confess I know none except the Papist that hold a man may be Justified and Saved without being Sanctified I have nothing to say in the defence of such Nor is this the Doctrine of our Church when she says We are Justified by Faith only And for any to load her Doctrine with such Consequences is great Ignorance or somewhat Worse But I proceed The two great Enemies to the Doctrine before us the necessity of Regeneration and Sanctification in order to Salvation and consequently of Good Works the effect thereof are the Atheist and the Papist With whom we may join those who Symbolise with either so far as they so do With the Atheist who thinks there is no God I join the Profane Debauched Person who so lives as if there were none Such as Profess that they know God but in Works Deny him being Abominable and Disobedient and to every good Work Reprobate Tit. 1 16. These men have as little veneration for Heaven and Holiness as the Papists have for the Word of God Which they can make use of as a Nose of Wax as they Phrase it to serve a present turn so far as it makes for them but as to much of it they had rather it were not at all And therefore care not how little it be known And when it is they would have it Truckle under their Churches Interpretation as if Insignificant without it And in like manner the Profane Atheist as to a Holy Life and a Future State He could wish perhaps with Balaam to Dye the Death of the Righteous and that his latter end might be like his Num. 32.10 But finding so little Hopes of that doth rather Wish there were no such thing And Thinks it his great Unhappiness That he is not a Beast That since he Lives like a Beast he cannot Dye like a Beast too without Hopes or Fears of Heaven or Hell For since he so Lives as to have Little hopes of Heaven he heartily Wisheth there were no fear of Hell With such as these if any man presseth for Regeneration Sanctification and a holy Life He was to pass heretofore for a Puritan then a Roundhead and now for a Damn'd Fanatick Nor shall he scape this Censure though never so great a Church-man and do exactly Conform to the Church as now Established For 't is Holiness they hate more than Non-conformity To these men I shall say
Justification or that of Adoption do properly import in the Object a Real Change but only a Relative For the Traitor thus Pardoned and thus Advanced may yet remain a Wicked Person and as very an Enemy to his Soveraign as he was before if there be not a change wrought in his Mind as well as in his Relative state Nor is this the Sonship which the Text speaks of But beside this Sonship by Adoption there is also a Sonship by Regeneration which the Text mentions as Necessary to those who shall See the Kingdome of God And this implies as was said before not so much a Relative change of the State as a Real change of the Person Except a man be born again and thereby have a New Nature as well as a New Relation he cannot See the Kingdome of God 'T is vain to think of being the Sons of God by Adoption unless we be his Sons by Regeneration also The one never goes without the other For like as 't is a Vain thing to talk of Saving Faith which is not as occasion serves attended with Good Works And a Vain thing to talk of being Justified without being Sanctified also So 't is a Vain thing to talk of Adoption without Regeneration For though the Notions be Different the Things alwaies go together And are commonly so mentioned in Scripture Thus 1 Joh. 12 13. To as many as Received him that is to as many as believed on his name as it is there explained he gave Power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Right or Privilege as the Margin renders it to be the Sons of God to wit by Adoption But it then follows which were Born to wit by Regeneration not of the will of Man but of God Those that are the Sons of God by Adoption must be Born again by Regeneration So Gal. 4 5 6. When he had said God sent his Son c. that we might receive the Adoption of Sons he adds And because ye are Sons God hath sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father That is the Spirit of Regeneration the same Spirit by which the Text says we must be Born again Except a man be born of Water and of the Spirit ver 5. he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God And again Rom. 8.15 16. We have not received the spirit of Bondage again to Fear but we have received the spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father The Spirit it self bearing witness with our Spirits that we are the Sons of God But how doth he thus bear witness to our Adoption He tells us ver 14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God By being a Spirit of Regeneration it bears witness of our Adoption For like as no man can know that he is Elected till he know that he is Justified and Sanctified So neither can we know that we are Adopted till we first know that we are Regenerate Whom he did Fore-know saith St. Paul Rom. 8.28 he did also Predestinate to be conformed to the Image of his Son that is whom he designed to be Happy he designed to be Holy And whom he did thus Predestinate them he Called them he Justified and them he Glorified But till we find by the Effect we were designed to be Holy we can never know that we are designed to be Happy And in like manner Till we find that we are led by the Spirit of Regeneration we can never know that we are the Sons of God by Adoption And our Text says the same though in other words Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdome of God that is Except he be born again by Regeneration he cannot pretend a title to the Kingdome of God by Adoption Till they be born again they cannot be Children of the Kingdome as the Phrase is Mat. 13.38 Adoption and Regeneration alwaies go together Now as being the Sons of God by Adoption is the Completing of our Justification So To become the Sons of God by Regeneration is the Beginning of our Sanctification For what in the Origine or Beginning we call Regeneration or a New Birth that in the Progress we call Sanctification or a New Life And 't is called in Scripture by many other Names to the same purpose 'T is called A dying to Sin and being alive to God Rom. 6.4 11. that we may thenceforth Walk in newness of Life 'T is called Conversion or a turning from darkness to light from the power of Sathan unto God Act. 26.18 That they may receive forgiveness of Sins and Inheritance among those that are Sanctified Where you see Conversion attended with Justification or the Forgiveness of Sins and Adoption to the Inheritanc◠but 't is amongst those that are sanctified And again Mat. 18.3 Except ye be Converted and become as little children ye shall not enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Where being Converted is the same with what the Text calls being Born again 'T is becoming a new Creature Gal. 5.17 If any man be in Christ he is a new Creature Old things are passed away and all things are become new 2 Cor. 5.17 A new Heart a new Spirit Ezek. 36.26 that is A new Frame and Temper of Mind new Principles new Propensions and Inclinations To be renewed in the spirit of our Minds Eph. 4.23 To be created in Christ Jesus unto good works Eph. 2.10 which God hath before ordained that we should walk therein that is according to our present Idiom wherein God hath before appointed that we should walk 'T is a repairing of God's Image in us which by the Fall was Obliterated and Defaced A putting off the Old man with his deeds and putting on the New man which is renewed after the Image of him that created him Col. 3.9 10. A putting off the Old man which is corrupt according to the deceitfull Lusts and putting on the New man which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness Eph. 4.22 24. With many other Expressions of like import For in expressing Spiritual things by Metaphors taken from things Sensible 't is frequent in Scripture because no one can adequately reach it to make use of many some-way to Resemble the thing intended The Result of all tends to this That there must be a Change of Nature wrought in those who are to Inherit the Kingdome of God Not as to the Essentials of humane Nature but as to the perverse inclinations of corrupt Nature Whence those who by Nature as now Corrupted are prone to Evil may from a new Principle become in Love with God And that in order thereunto we must have not only a Principle of Reason from our First Birth to act as Men but a Principle of Grace also from our new Birth to act as Good Men. For an Evil Tree Heb. 12.15 or a Root of Bitterness will never Mat. 7.17 bring forth good Fruit But the Tree must be made good Mat. 12.33 that the
man that doth them shall Live in them 't is meant only of Temporal Life If the Promises be but of things Temporal how come the Threatnings to be of things Eternal But they are indeed Both of them of things Eternal as well as Temporal And the Services required are Spiritual as well as Bodily And that of the Spirit principally and in the first place Yet it is not of the Heart only but Secondly of the Life also that God requires 'T is in vain to talk of a Good Heart towards God with a Wicked Life in the face of the World Mat. 7.17 If the Tree be Good the Fruit will be so too A Wicked Life is a certain sign of a Naughty Heart And this Obedience must be Uniform and Universal Psal. 119.6 Then shall I not be ashamed saith David when I have respect to all thy Commandments We are not to Pick and Choose what to Obey and what not As if a double Diligence in some One particular wherein our own Interest prompts us would Expiate for a supine Negligence in all the rest It was suspicious in Jehu who was very Zealous against the Worship and Priests of Baal set up by Ahab and Jezabel the better to secure his Interest against the House of Ahab and the Adherents thereof Ver. 29. But adhered to the sins of Jeroboam the Son of Nebat and the Golden Calves which he set up in Dan and Bethel And otherwise as 't is expresly noted ver 31. took no heed to walk in the Law of the Lord God of Israel with all his Heart And Christ taxes the Pharisees who quarrelled with his Disciples for transgressing the Tradition of the Elders in Eating with Vnwashen Hands while themselves made void the Law of God by their Traditions As men Zealous in small Punctilio's of Tithing Mint Annise and Cummin while they Neglected the Weightier matters of the Law Mat. 23.23 And straining at a Gnat while they swallow a Camel Ver. 24. And making clean the Outside of the Cup and Platter while their Inward part was full of Wickedness Luk. 11.39 And while they made New Sins which God never made were very Remiss as to those that were Notorious and Undeniably so But if we would indeed approve our selves to God we must take heed to Duties of all sorts Of a Chast Temperate and Sober life as to Our selves Of Loyalty Obedience and due Submission to our Superiours in Church and State Of Charity Equity and Just dealing to Inferiours Equals and all Men Of Religion Piety and Devotion to God And all this Out of a Pure Heart and of a Good Conscience and of Faith Vnfeigned 1 Tim. 1.5 For all which because we are of our selves Insufficient without the Assistance of God's Spirit we are to call in That to our Aid As the Text directs us And the Collect for the Day with which I will conclude O God Forasmuch as Without Thee we are not able to Please Thee Mercifully grant That thy Holy Spirit may in all things Direct and Rule our Hearts through Jesus Christ our Lord. To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be Honour and Praise Now and for Ever Amen FINIS Errata PAge 4. l. penult press p. 6. l. 27. to things of sense p. 9. l. 8. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 15. l. ult for done r. due p. 20 l. 22. for God r. Good p. 24. l. 19. for Those r. That l. 29. so to see l. ult dele or his first birth p. 32. l. 6. these words p. 40. l. 17. needs August Publike Baptism of Infants Absolution Third Collect. Prayer for the King Royal Family Clergy Christmas Easter day 5. Sunday after Easter Whitsunday 1. Sunday after Trinity 7. Sunday 9. Sunday 15. Sunday 17. Sunday Before the Commandments Communion Collects Albertus Pighius Lev. 18.5 Ezek. 20.11 Rom. 10.5 Gal. 3.12 2 King 10.25 28. Mat. 15.2 3 6. Mar. 7.5 8 9 13. 19. Sunday after Trinity