thee as to worke thee to a reformation of thine open lewdnesse and profanenesse 2. The ciuill persons selfe-conceit confuted And now ridding my hands of the profane person I come to encounter with the ciuill whom I feare I shall finde as strongly wedded to his owne fancy as the former The Goliah of whose selfe conceit of hauing grace if I may but beate to the ground with this stone this doctrine I should think my self happy in my slinging and prosperous in confuting And the more happy too because I know that it is easier to conuince a profane and notorious rebell against the God of heauen then to remooue a ciuill Iusticiarian from an high opinion of himselfe if he be once settled vpon the lees of his owne supposed righteousnesse Well then in hope of some successe from the Lord I will heaue at this mountayne of his conceit as the Lord shall giue me helpe and the poynt yeelde me leaue Heare him thus vanting of himselfe I pay tithe of all that I doe possesse I neuer beguiled any man the value of a groate I haue euer beene faithfull in my promises iust in my proceedings with men a louer of my Church no drunkeard no swearer no whoremaister no thiefe c. so that if the proud e Lu. 18.11 Pharisie and he were standing together in the temple you could not tell which were the greatest boaster and what conclusion draweth hee from hence thinke you that Grace must needes be his inheritance the Spirit must needes bee his portion as though Father Sonne and holy Ghost were all pinned to his sleeue and whosoeuer should say that hee were not bad and that the subtile serpent the diuell and thine owne cousening heart doe nothing else but play the sophisticating impostors and deceiuers with thee when they would make thee beleeue that thou art spiritually graced with inward sanctity because thou art restrayningly endued with outward ciuility Shall I close a little with thee and like S. Iames in the case of faith deale with thee in this case of grace f Iac. 2.18 Shew me thy faith by thy workes sayth he So say I shew me the breathing of sound grace in thee by the sense and feeling it effecteth in the faculties of the soule For where the Spirit of grace is there is a feeling of the worke of it sometimes afflicting thy heart with a sorrow for thy falls sometimes affecting thy spirituall appetite with a vehement longing after the merits of Christ Iesus sometimes affecting thy taste with the sweetnes of Gods goodnesse sometimes working thee to tremble as Habakkuk g Haba 3.16 did When the Lawe through the eare of the vnderstanding conueieth the terrible sounds of iudgement to the affections sometimes causing thee to reioice when the Gospel bringeth the sweete Songs of saluation to the soule sometimes feelingly stirring thee vp to be zealous in the wayes of godlinesse to be iealous of the baites to wickednesse that are layd in thy way when the word of spirituall exhortation admonition and counsell doth conuey the sound of Gods Precepts and Commaundements to thy vnderstanding eyther by meanes of those Sermons which thou hearest those bookes which thou readest or that conference which thou hast with the seruants of GOD This kind of sense and feeling shouldst thou haue besides the hard and sharp conflicts with doubting coldnesse worldlinesse which I haue spoken of before if euer the Spirit hath effectually breathed vpon thee Chap. 3. pag. 39. Now answer me hast thou this sense and feeling Thou hast not neither canst haue so long as thou art but meerly ciuill For howsoeuer with profane ones thou mayest haue good motions now and then and with hypocrites mayest haue certaine flashes the vanity wherof I shall discouer by and by yet with true Christians thou hast no portion of true sauing sense and feeling and if no spirituall sense no grace For where grace is there is life as hath beene shewed and if life then sense as well as motion and action But if thou wilt not be born downe but that thou hast spirituall life and sense then I must entreat thee to proue that those fruits of righteousnesse which thou so much braggest of are grounded vpon a sound knowledge of the needefulnes of them and vpon an hearty desire of honoring God by them and that they are ioyned also with a conscionable care of yielding obedience to that which the Lord requireth in the Lawes of the first Table as well as in those of the second Table because that GOD which commaundeth the one doth enioyne the other also but this I am sure thou canst not prooue Thou art a good Church-keeper because thou wouldest keepe out of the Court though neyther Court nor Counsell can preuaile with some thou keepst thy word because thou wouldst keepe thy credit thou liuest quietly with thy neighbours because thou thinkest it is good sleeping in a safe skinne and otherwise thou mightest be hated and counted a troublesome fellow thou fliest Stewes Tauernes and the like places more to saue thy body from diseases thy estate from consuming thy name from stinking then for any thing else these by-respects and sinister considerations rather sway thee in thy courses then the things which should sway thee Thou liuest ciuilly and not so notoriously as the lewder sort doe for these carnall respects rather then because thou feelest the Spirit of God preparing thy will to yielde obedience vnto Gods Commaundement sounding in the Word against open rebellion and calling for outward reformation Stop vp thy mouth then thou ciuill person and blush thou to say that thou art truely gracious doe not thinke that thou hast receiued any more of the spirit then an vnregenerate person may possibly haue For for all thy ciuill honesty thou art with h Act. 8.23 Symon Magus in the bond of iniquity vntill in some degree or other thou comest to feele grace worke in thee through the good meanes which thou enioyest either to thy sound humiliation solide consolation zealous reformation for conscience sake abstayning from euill and carefull confirmation for conscience sake inuring thy selfe to that which is good obeying heartily readily cheerefully sincerely that which is commanded by God as well in the first Table in hearing reading meditation conference prayer with thy family houshold instruction c. as in the second Table in liuing quietly dealing equally carrying thy self ciuilly towards thy neighbour By this time I might haue done confuting 3. Hypocrites deceiue thēselues but that hypocrites and hollow-hearted professours stand in our way whom I am now to grapple withall and why grapple with them because they do not onely intrude themselues into the cōpany of true Saints but also lay claime without any right to that very same possession of sauing grace which is onely peculiar to the Saints For because hauing a promptnesse of capacity a steady memory to conceiue and to keepe the things which they heare or
is not heard by all alike that doe heare it why wilt thou measure another mans hearing by thine owne eare another mans graces by thine owne feeling Is there not diuersitie of gifts and are there not different degrees in feeling If thou bee a Christian thou darest not deny it If then that grace or those graces which thou hast be wrought in thy brother whether the measure of his feeling bee the same with thine yea or no take heed that thou doest not entertayne such hard vncharitable conceits of him If the fruits of the Spirit speake for him doe not thou speake against him though the sense which doth accompany the worke of mortification and goeth So is euery one that is borne of the Spirit The words apart interpreted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The meaning of the words must first bee enquired into But canst not tell In the Originall this phrase is thus set down Thou knowest not Now to bring-in the diuers acceptions and sundry significations that this word Know hath in the Scriptures were but needelesly to spend Time and fill Paper in this Text. This negatiue Thou knowest not or Canst not tell is asmuch as the affirmatiue Thou art ignorant Whence it commeth there is some little difficulty in this little word IT whether it be to be referred to Winde Quest Answ or Sound And it may easily be answered that it hath relation vnto Winde rather then Sound and the reason is this because Nicodemus could not but know euen by meere hearing whence the sound of the Winde came viz. from the Winde though by meere hearing hee could not tell what corner the Winde it selfe comes from So that this phrase Whence IT commeth may be turned thus Whence that Winde cometh yea Obiect but will some obiect and say The cause of the Winde may bee knowne and a man may easily vnderstand whence it commeth both in respect of the supernaturall cause of it and naturall Is not the supernaturall cause of it God himselfe The sayings of Moses declare as much h Exd. 11.13 The LORD brought an East winde vpon the Land all that day and all that night and in the nineteenth verse of the same chapter IEHOVAH turned a mighty strong west winde which tooke away the locusts and cast them into the red Sea And in another place he saith i Num. 11 13. There went forth a winde from the LORD and brought Quailes from the Sea And by the Prophet Amos k Amos 4.17 GOD is called the Creator of the windes Secondly as for the naturall cause of the winde it is knowne to be a cold cloud meeting in the middle region of the aire with such vapours as arise from the earth according to that of the Psalmist l Psal 135 7. He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth hee bringeth the winde out of his treasuries that is out of the Caues and hidden places of the earth where the Lord holdeth the windes as in a storehouse to bring them forth thence according to his pleasure So that thus I say it may be knowne whence the winde commeth True Why then doeth Christ heere charge Nicodemus with such ignorance that hee did not know whence the winde came Was he a Doctor in Israel and had hee neither Philosophie to know the naturall cause of the winde nor Diuinitie to know the supernaturall To this I answer Answer to this obiection that the words are not to be vnderstood of Nicodemus his ignorance in the cause of the winde and whence it ariseth as from the supernaturall and naturall originall of it but of his ignorance about the particular place angle and corner whence this winde or that winde commeth implying that hee could not know whether it came from East or West or North or South onely by hearing the sound of it and so are the words to bee vnderstood Nor whither it goeth that is Nor into what corner it will turne how strongly or how long it will blowe what a measure of sound it wil rise to ere it ceaseth So is euery one that is borne of the Spirit This at the first sight seems to be a strange speech being so to be applyed as it is I meane to the immediate fore-going sentence Canst not tell whence it commeth and whither it goeth For what Doubt can wee not know whence the Spirit of regeneration commeth or what it worketh Doth not the Scripture tell vs that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father the Sonne and that m Iac. 1.17 euery good and perfect gift cometh downe from the Father of Lights and that the fruits of the Spirit and the effects which it produceth are n Galat. 5 22.23 loue ioy peace long-suffering gentlenes goodnes faith meekenes c. Yes why then is it said heere that it is with the operation of the Spirit in the regenerate as it is with the winde in the ayre not to be knowne whence it cometh and whither it goeth I answer Solution This phrase is heere vsed not to signifie vnto vs that the wayes of spirituall men are vnknowne to those that where it will cease or how it will cease how strong it will be how long it will blowe before it will fall So is it with the blowings of grace in the regenerate sometimes thogh they feele the Spirit working in them they cannot distinctly and directly tell whether the Spirit be the Author of it yea or no and when they doe know whence it cometh and can tell that the Spirit is the originall of it they can not tell what measure of it they shall receiue From the words thus cōmented vppon two poynts of Doctrine do arise .i. that the Spirit is somtimes felt working and yet is not discerned to bee the Spirit secondly That the measure of a Christians graces is incomprehensible CHAP. XIII The first proposition handled out of the last part of the Text. Sect. 1. Doctr. 9. THe former of these wanteth not proofe For that the Spirit is somtimes felt working by the regenerate in themselues and yet is no more knowne by them whence that worke commeth then the winde by the bare sound of it can be knowne from what particular corner whether East or West c. it cometh is as cleare a case in Diuinitie as can be It was the Spirit no doubt that mooued Nicodemus to come to Christ and it is very likely that hee heard a certayne secret sound within him telling him that Christ was an extraordinary teacher sent from God and that bade him come to Christ for instruction yet Nicodemus did not know that this motion came from the Spirit of God For if he had he would neuer haue wondered so much as hee did at the speech of Christ when hee discoursed with him of the working of the Spirit in the hearts of the regenerate Paul also whose Story Saint Luke mentioneth o Acts 9. Compare the 3 4
8.2.3.4 There was a willingnes in them aboue their power The people that contributed towards the building of the Temple that Dauid set vp k 1 Chro. 9.6 offred willingly and their hearts were to it as the Text sheweth And whence was it that there was this alacrity in them to further so commendable an action but from this that The holy Ghost had taken vp his lodging in the temple of their hearts When these gusts of grace blowe vpon the heart of a Minister they will make him so nimble in his Embassady that hee will preach the word of God l 2 Cor. 8 17 willingly When they breathe vpon the heart of a Magistrate hee will m Ier. 9.3 haue courage for the truth vpon the heart of an hearer he will be swift in n Iam 1.19 hearing the word of God This winde did driue Dauid forward so fast that o Ps 119 32 hee ranne the way of Gods commandements and Paul so swiftly that he did p Phil. 3.14 follow hard or press towards the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus What shall we say then of those that goe so murmuringly and vncheerfully about any good and godly exercise being as hardly drawne to it as a Beare to the stake so hard to be brought to a sermon especially if it bee vpon any other day but the Sabbath when the lawes of the Land awe them so hard to be perswaded to entertaine a good conceit of to afford a good word or to stand vp for the faithfull ministers and seruants of Christ Iesus so hard to be drawn to maintain the worship of God in the places where they liue to releeue the wants of the needy to breake the bread of life diligently to their people if they bee Ministers to administer the rules of justice duely if they bee Magistrates and to execute the duties which belong to their places What I say can bee thought of such certainly they giue shrewd suspicion that heauens blasts in the work of regeneration haue not as yet breathed vpon them for if they had ther would be more spirituall agility more heauenly alacrity and readiness to do good in them then there is The oyled door will open and shut without creaking and the heart that is oyled with grace will bee enlarged to what good is without grudging Doth a boat that hath a fair winde and a full streame stand in need of an haling line and doth the winde of heauen thinkest thou blowe vpon thee whē thou must haue so many haling lines to draw thee or else no good can bee wrung from thee Wilt thou not worship God but when the Sabbath cometh not giue to the poore but when the rate cometh nor bring forth better fruits of amendment but when death cometh or some extraordinary visitation when thou thinkest there is no remedy but thou needs must or else some inconuenience may ouertake thee and whatsoeuer thou dost is done vnwillingly and yet imagine that thou art endued with the Spirit How darest thou thus controule the truth of Gods word which cannot ly I confesse indeed A caution that the best of Gods seruants into whom the Lord hath breathed the greatest measure of grace doe sometimes feel themselues more lumpish drowsie and vncheerfull in holy seruices then they were wont to be as no doubt Dauid did after his fall but yet it is but at some times it is not alwaies so with them And I knowe also that the worke of grace hath need to be helped forward by the vse of means in those that excel in vertue in this vale of imperfection by reason of the remainder of corruption as the boat though hauing a fair winde by the help of oares in regard of som heauy burden that it may carry yet go forward they do by the vse of those holy means and they bewail their vntowardnes also But that man that hath no heart at any time vnto that which is good that laboureth not to ouercome his backwardnes that laments it not that striueth not that voweth not that praieth not against it vpon whom the preaching of the word the perswasion of friends cannot preuail to make him doe anie more then that which perforce is extorted and haled from him either by the rigour of mans law or the winde of vain glory it cannot be truly said that the treasures of sauing grace are bestowed vpon him for those that are borne of the Spirit will not onely bring forth the fruits of the Spirit but also with cheerfulnes and alacrity accounting it their felicity to be imploied in the seruices of their heauenly Master Again 4. Signe of regeneration The spirituall conflict the winde doth not onely driue forward but also it resists those things that stop the speedy passage of it so the Spirit of grace doth ordinarily resist whatsoeuer is contrary to its owne working in the soule which it regenerateth Which thing the Apostle euidently laieth down when hee saith q Gal. The spirit lusteth against the flesh Insomuch that by this wee see that another euidēce for the work of grace must bee fetched from the spirituall combate betwixt the flesh and the spirit For it beeing so that in the most regenerate there is corruption as well as grace there must needs be an holy strife in that person A Simile Wee see in the whirl-winde where there are but circular blasts that are indirectly contrary and laterally opposite to one another what a stirring of the dust what a whirring of the stubble or what euer else lieth where those blasts meet there is as if we should see two champions grappling and wrastling in that place How much more is it true that there must be a strange bickering and striuing in that soule where two such spirits doo meet as are not indirectly opposite but directly contrary to one another viz. the Spirit of God comming from heauen working grace and the spirit of Satan coming from hell hindering grace Vpon none of all the Apostles did this holy Spirit breathe more then vpon Paul whether wee consider the measure of his humiliation at his first conuersion or the measure of his zeal after his conuersion and yet he had this spirituall conflict in himself as may bee gathered from his owne complaint r Ro. 7.24 I see a law in my members warring against the law in my minde and leading me into captiuity to the law of sinne And what dry bouts Dauid a man after Gods owne minde had sometimes with distrust of Gods prouidence sometimes with despair of Gods assistance sometimes with carnall confidence sometimes with fretting at the prosperity of the wicked and the like the Book of the Psalms is a plentifull witnes What breathings of grace then trowe wee haue they attained vnto that neither euer were nor yet are at warre with their owne corruptions but in their own deluded opinion all is wel with them at peace with
power can there be in man toward the worke of his owne conuersion Can the paper fix letters vpon it selfe without the hand and penne of a writer Can the ayre giue light vnto it selfe without the beams of the Sunne Can we write the Lawe of God vppon our owne hearts without the finger of the Spirit Can wee receiue the light of grace without the spirituall sunne-shine of the Spirit it is not possible it is God that worketh in vs the will and the deede Away then with that freedome of will to regenerate our selues which our Aduersaries doe groundlesly holde and maintaine Whereas they obiect Obiect that same speech of our Sauiour Iohn 5.6 to the sicke man that lay at the poole of Bethesda Wilt thou be made whole and conclude from thence that that man had a will to haue his disease cured before his healing So consequently a sinner may haue a will to the curing of his sicke sinfull soule euen while the disease of sinne lieth vpon him and while he remaines vnregenerate Who is of so weake vnderstanding as not plainely to see the weakenes of this argument Answer 1 For what though it be granted that the man which lay sicke at the poole of Bethesda of a bodily infirmity had a will as no doubt he had to be cured of his malady euen while the disease did raigne vpon him shall wee therefore conclude that we haue a power to will the healing of our spirituall wounds before grace be breathed into vs from heauen God forbid The poore Creeple that lay at the poole of Bethesda though he lay vppon a bed and could not stirre himself so nimbly and liuely as others that were in better health then himselfe yet he had life in him and a feeling of his disease and therefore well might hee desire and haue a will to be healed But a man that lieth in the poole of Beth-auen in the gulph of iniquitie so long as the disease of his soule lieth vpon him vncured hee is starke dead hee hath no more spirituall life in him then a blocke or a stone hath naturall life he is vtterly voyde of any sense or feeling of his disease and how can hee then will the cure of it and wish the healing of it Answer 2. Besides when Christ beginneth to deale with the sinner about the cure of his diseased soule as hee did with that sicke man about the healing of his diseased body And when hee asketh the sinner by a secret voyce and by his reuealed will in the Word Wilt thou be healed of thy spirituall malady It must be his Spirit must teach vs to answer Yea. And when hee asketh that question effectually indeede hee doth encline the heart to desire saluation Which desire therefore cannot be attributed to mans will willing it but to the inspiration of the holy ghost breathing this godly desire into the poore soule And therefore a dangerous and damnable opinion it is for any man to ascribe that supernaturall worke of regeneration to the will of man which proceedeth onely and freely from the will of God who with his Spirit breatheth and bloweth where he pleaseth Truely if this opinion should be giuen way vnto The danger of this errour this mischiefe would ensue hereupon A man might be bold to goe on in sinne as farre as he listeth and continue in sinne as long as he listeth and easily conuert and turne him tied then to pouerty in estate No neither For as there are few of the richer sort who are religious but haue their soules as full of sin as their chests are of siluer so many of the meaner sort are irreligious beeing as miserable in their soules as beggerly in their estates So that I say no person place conditton can compell the Lord to sanctifie his creatures his free pleasure is the ground of all and out of euery nation age sex condition hee draweth some to himself to fear his Name to call vpon him to do him worship seruice according to his owne blessed will And therefore let no man boast himself in the multitude of his riches in the number of his friends in the depth of his humane policy in the greatnes of his earthly pedigree in the height of his dignity nor in the seat of his authority For that God who makes the winde to blowe vpon a poor cotage when he lets a Kings palace alone can bestowe grace vpon the poor begger Stat pro ratione voluntat when he denieth it to the great potentate And no maruell his will is his reason and no outward priuiledges can constrain him to work but where he pleaseth himself Shall not hee that is Lord of all haue the disposing of all at his owne pleasure When therefore thou shalt beginne to question in thy selfe with the Lord Lord why hast thou receiued such a poor one and rejected such a great one sanctified such a simple and despised one and left such a wise man such a politician conuerted such a young stripling and not wrought vpon such an ancient father why dost thou impart thy gifts thus why doost thou distribute thy graces thus When I say thou shalt fall thus in admiration of Gods wisdome to make such an inquiry as this is let this doctrin be at hand in thy meditations to answer thy self by The God of heauen with his gales of grace bloweth and breatheth where he pleaseth Sect. 4. Vse 3. Exhortation to two sorts Thirdly heere is matter of counsell perswasion to be deriued from this doctrine and that both to the regenerate and vnregenerate 1 To the regenerate in a two-fold duty The regenerate are to be perswaded to a twofould duty one to be practised for themselues the other to be performed on the behalf of others 1 Thankfulnes for grace receiued That duty which concerneth themselues is thankfulnesse to GOD for breathing grace so freely and liberally into them for the more free the gift is to the creature the more praise ought to be returned from him to the Creatour who is the bestower of the same A fit Simile Should a King bestowe some Lordship or yeerly pension vpon one of his subjects of base estate and badde desert if that subject should not bee thankfull vnto his Soueraign for the same he were worthy to be cri'd shame vpon especially too sithens the freedome of the Kings pleasure without any worth in himself is the ground of the same And shall the King of heauen of his owne free will for his own blessed pleasure conferre not onely an annuall pension of earthly treasure for term of life but an incorruptible possession of heauenly graces vpon the sinfull sonnes and daughters of Adam whose richest estate was sinne and corruption whose best desert was hel and damnation and shall they that haue their share in this portion be vnmindfull of this loue vnthankfull for this fauour God forbid If there had been any thing in themselues to
vntill it hath prepared the heart by breaking and humbling it and taking away the flintinesse of it Thou therefore whose heart is stony whose conscience is crusty bewaile thy securitie lament thine impenitencie and take thou no quiet vntill more remorse bee wrought in thee and euery check that thy conscience giueth thee for any good which thou hast neglected for any euill which thou hast committed quench it not choake it not repell it not For if thou resistest when conscience doth its office thou indisposest thy selfe to any remorse and thou occasionest the powers of thy soule to be so hide-bound that no spirituall moisture of sorrow for the lacke of grace can bedeaw thee and how then can the winde of grace blowe vpon thee Wherefore vntill the word of Grace hath thus farre wrought vpon thee to bring thee to a soft and broken heart think thou it hath don thee little or no good for whom the Lord doth freely worke vpon to sanctification hee doth also bring to mortification the second step wherunto is a soft and tender spirit Lastly The fourth helpe to sanctification prayer vnto the Lord for grace is a notable meanes to obtaine it For as the Lord f Psal 105. bringeth the wind out of his treasures so he sendeth downe his Spirit and euery good gift of the same from heauenly places not by any locall mutation as though the third person in the Trinitie did come from his throne of maiestie but by a supernatural operation and working in the hearts of the Elect the will of the Father in this worke goeth first the wil of the Sonne followeth that and the will of the Spirit proceedeth from both Non tempore sed or dine and therefore seeing grace doth thus come downe from heauen as the winde from the cloudes wee must by Petitions send vp to heauen for it Vnto this our Sauiour Christ doth encourage vs when-as hee sayth g Luk 11.13 Your heauenly father wil giue his Spirit to them that aske him But will some obiect and say Obiect How can wee pray for the Spirit while we want it when as wee cannot pray aright for any thing vntill Answer 1 wee haue the Spirit Whereunto I answer First it must bee considered vnto whom I speake to wit to such whom the Word hath preuailed withall to bring them to a knowledge of the want of grace and to remorse of conscience because of this want now they that are brought thus farre they are disposed to pray for it and therefore to such as these are very well may I speake as the Apostle doth concerning Wisedom h Iac. 1.5 If any man lacke that is feeles the lacke of wisedome and so consequently of grace let him aske it of God Yea and desire God to giue him grace to call for it aright and entreate others to begge the same thing for him Againe howsoeuer we cannot Answer 2 pray for the Spirit vntill we haue the Spirit yet we must pray for it that we may ascertaine our selues that we are in the way to attaine it for one of the first steppes to grace is an earnest desire to bee made a partner of grace yea such a desire as will not be satisfied vntill it hath it And neuer let that man looke to bee breathed vpon spiritually that hath not an heart to send vp sighs and sutes earnestly to the God of heauen for his holy Spirit As Mariners therefore when they would haue a prosperous gale to driue them to the hauen are wont to say Blowe winde blowe winde so pray thou Blowe Lord breathe Spirit oh breathe some heauenly blastes some spirituall motions some holy inspirations into my gracelesse barren and empty heart And let that be thy prayer which was the prayer of a Christian father and constant Martyr Cypr. de S. sancto folio 32. Adesto sancte spiritus sanctifica templum corporis nostri consecram habitaculum tuum dignam te habitatore domum compone adorna thalamum tuum quietis tuae reclinatorium circundae varietatibus virtutum sterne pauimenta pigmentis nite at mansio tua carbunculis flammeis gemmarū splendorib c. Come thou holy Spirit sanctifie the temple of my body and soule consecrate it as an habitation for thy selfe make it an house fit for so worthy a guest to lodge in beautifie it as thy chamber beset it as the Cabin of thy rest round about with the variety of all vertues let it glister as thy mansion with spirituall carbuncles and with the splendor of heauenly Pearles cause the odours of thy gracious oyntments to perfume it within and so regenerate and renue my heart that it may be established in grace for euer If in some such wise as this thou wilt but feruently faithfully and feelingly make knowne thy requests vnto the Lord thou shalt finde that that Spirit which descended vpon Christ in the similitude of a i Mat. 3.16 Doue and vpon the Apostles in the likenesse of clouen and fiery tongues k Act. 2.3 at the feast of Pentecost will come downe vpon thee in the likenesse of a mighty wind to purge and purifie thee to renue and sanctifie thee and to infuse into thee innocencie wisedome zeale faith fear loue and all graces in measure needful for thy saluation And thus Christian Reader haue I pointed out vnto thee the helpes which may further thee towards the attainment of sauing grace The Word must be attended to that it may teach thee humilitie humilitie must be attained vnto that out of an acknowledgement of thine own vnworthinesse and vnholinesse thy heart may be softned and a soft heart must be endeuoured for that out of a broken contrite spirit thou maiest earnestly call vpon God for the gales and graces of his holy Spirit who vpon thy praying vnto him aright hath made a gracious promise freely and liberally to vouchsafe them vnto thee without reproaching thee And that thou maiest be perswaded the more willingly to follow this direction Motiues to stir vp to the carefull vse of these meanes Motiue 1. and be the more eagre thus in the pursuite of holinesse doo but in the first place consider the consolation that these graces will afford a man in the time of affliction and triall For endeuourest to be sanctified Thinke we now vpon these two things seriously meditate wee vpon them carefully and let them be as two goades in our sides to make vs industrious in vsing meanes to be gracious Would wee haue a comforter in the times of heauinesse would we be partakers of euerlasting happinesse then let vs as we haue beene exhorted follow the rules that haue beene prescribed vs to attaine to holinesse that the blastes of heauen may inspire grace into vs. Which grace the Lord grant vs for his mercies sake Sect. 5. Vse 4. Admonition And so from my third Vse which was for exhortation I proceede to a fourth which is the last
and knowest not this Which words saith that Author are not spoken by Christ so much to vpbraid him for his ignorance as to pitty his blindenesse Now did the Lord Christ thus Let the same minde be in vs that was in Christ Iesus and that such a number should walke in the valley of darkenesse and should be so ignorant in this great mystery in these Halcyon dayes of Light and Grace when the point of regeneration is so opened and insisted vpon and should be so vnacquainted with it as if they had neuer heard it discoursed vpon all their liues that they who are able to talk of it should be no better practicioners of the fruits of it nay bee wholly to seeke in the power of it notwithstanding their historicall knowledge of it let it mooue our hearts pearce our soules and stirre vp in vs a pittying affection to their ignorant condition and the rather too because such simple soules hauing nothing else but the corrupted eye of carnall reason to looke vpon spirituall things withall abuse holy treasures are in a miserable case and neither see it nor bewayle it Sect. 3. Vse 2. Admonition Secondly is the worke of Sanctification and the doctrine thereof inuisible to the naturall man let this serue as a caueat vnto vs to take heede that we do not fadome the counsels of God made known in his word by the measure of our owne wisedome and that we measure not that which is spoken of the Spirits working by the rule of our carnall reason For if wee doe it will proue a rule that will mis-leade vs it will be an eye that will deceiue vs. If wee search into the nature of the breathings of Grace with such a light as that is wee shall but seeke in the darke and like the Sodomites at Lots doore groape and not finde Let our reason therefore stoope to Gods rule and our wisedome submit it selfe to his word euen against reason that so being content to deny our owne reason in the point of Regeneration wee may both speculatiuely vnderstand it in the doctrine and experimentally see it in the working But alas alas this lesson lacketh Schollers this admonition is not hearkened vnto and yet neuer more neede of vrging it then in these dayes the visible Church of Christ it selfe being so full of such persons as wil bring all Diuinity to their owne scantling and with incredulous l Iohn 20. Thomas wil beleeue no more then they see and wil yield to no more then they can haue reason for and if anything be told them or taught them which natural iudgement doth not like of it must be cashiered by them as false doctrine Tell them of spirituall purification of sound humiliation of forsaking all sinne of embracing all vertue in the worke of Regeneration it is more then needes say they I will beleeue my selfe I will yielde to neuer a babbling Preacher of them all Wilt thou beleeue thy selfe doe so if thou thinkest good but in the meane while I must tell thee the mischiefe of it If the blinde leade the blinde both fall into the ditch If thy blinde reason leadeth thee blindfolded from the truth of the Scriptures because they are repugnant to the wisedome of the flesh thou shalt be taken in thine owne craftinesse and bee in the pit ere thou art aware and if thou wilt needes beleeue thine owne light before Gods light thou art worthy to reape the fruits of thy foolishnesse Touching the mystery of Regeneration thou hast many Treatises extant thou hearest many sermons preached The breathings of grace in the worke of Sanctification thou seest is the subiect of this Treatise something concerning it haue I already spoken and CHAP. IX The second Doctrine handled from the second part of the Text. Sect. 1. Doctr. 6. To the regenerate the worke of grace is not insensible HAuing in the former Chapter handled the first poynt In this I come to deale with the next which is the most coessentiall with the Text aboue all the rest and thus it standeth That howsoeuer to the eye of Reason the worke of Grace be inuisible yet in the soule of a regenerate man there is a sense and feeling of it Our Sauiour Christ telleth Nicodemus heere that it is with the breathing of grace in the heart as it is with the blowing of the winde in the ayre and though the substance of it cannot be seene with the eye yet the sound of it is heard with the eare euen so though mans wisedome as it is carnall can not conceiue the mysterie of Regeneration yet the worke it selfe is perceiued and felt by the regenerate person by the effects it produceth and the spirituall sound it maketh in the soule In the handling of this point I will follow this methode first I wil proue it from Scripture and Reason secondly I will shew what this sense and feeling is thirdly I will shew how it is wrought and lastly make some Vses of it 1. The doctrine proued For the first thing the poynt is easily confirmed from examples in the Word In how many places of the Psalmes doth Dauid speake of the ioy and gladnesse of the satisfaction and fulnes that God did put into his hart as Psal 4.7 Thou hast put gladnesse in my heart more then in the time that their corne and their wine increased And Psa 17.15 I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likenesse Now can a man haue ioy of heart and satisfaction with the brightnesse of Gods gracious countenance and haue no feeling of it And what saith the same Prophet in an other place n Psal 25.23 where speaking of the righteous man that feareth the Lord he saith His soule shall dwel at ease or as the Originall hath it Shall lodge in goodnesse Now can a man lodge in a sent to and obey those heauenly motions 3 Working grace is an actuall renewing and changing of the minde will and affections from the power and dominion of sinne vnbeliefe ignorance hardnesse of heart crookednesse of will c. to the rule and command of grace in obtayning sound sorrow for sinne past true faith Christian zeale holy loue and the like 4 Coworking grace is that same continued aide and strength which the Lord giueth vs to work out and make an end of our saluation with feare and trembling 5 And perfecting grace is that will which the Lord giues vs to sticke constantly vnto him and to perseuere in our regenerate estate and condition This ground being thus layed wee must now vnderstand that sutable to these seuerall graces is the feeling a Christian hath First therefore when preuenting preparing grace breathe together for many haue the preuenting grace good motions to forsake such a sinne c. which neuer haue the preparing grace but quench those motions and altogether resist them when I say therefore they breathe together the soule hath a two-folde sense and feeling first of the
righteous Lawes of this gracious Father who hath done so great things for the poore sinner And thus thou seest also how this same sense and feeling of grace is wrought in the soule by the Law and Gospel To come to the Vses Sect. 4. Vse 1. Confutation In the first place this Doctrine serueth to discouer and discountenance the vanitie of their conceit who deem themselues to be such as haue receiued the breath of grace and yet neuer had a spirituall eare to heare the spirituall sound that it maketh nor an heart to perceiue the inward sense which it worketh in the powers of the soule And thus three sorts of people doe beguile themselues profane liuers ciuill gospellers hypocriticall professours First 1. The opinion that profane persons haue of themselues cōfuted as touching profane persons notwithstanding their courses be so vile and notorious that the heauens blush at their lewdnesse that the earth can scarce brooke their wickednesse notwithstanding some that haue no more but Nature in them take notice of and cry out against their outrageousnesse notwithstanding drunkennes whoredome profanation of the Lords holy Saboths lying stealing deceiuing monstrous pride abhominable crueltie horrible couetousnes and all fruits of vnholinesse before God and vnrighteousnesse to men be their trade yea sport and pastime yet because their consciences are seared and their hearts hardned they will not be beaten downe but that they haue grace in them and like saucy and proude boasters they will not sticke to aduance themselues into the Comparatiue degree with the best Christians making themselues equall with them nay place themselues in the Superlatiue degree aboue them accounting better of themselues then of these Saints thinking scorne that it should be sayd or thought that any person doth goe beyond them These Professours say they what are they more then their neighbours They are called Men of the spirit and wee are told that none haue the spirit of grace but such as they are but I would be sory if I had not more grace in mee then the most of them and as much as the best of them all Wouldest thou so Well see thou beest as good as thy word be sorry then for it is a most certaine thing that thou hast not as much of the Spirit as the meanest of them I tell thee thou comest behinde ciuill persons in the portion of restraining grace and therefore much more behinde sound Professors in the measure of sauing grace If thou demandest mercifulnesse to the poore close-fistednesse in good vses to bee loathsome when the motion is to forsake couetousnesse doest thou conceiue swearing to be vgly Saboth-breaking vgly vncleannesse idlenesse c. vgly when the motion is to leaue dishonoring Gods Name dis-hallowing Gods Saboths defiling thy body mis-spending thy precious time And when the Lawe of God doth lay open before thee those heauy iudgements which the Lord hath threatned against these and the like sinnes doth thy vnderstanding apprehend these terrible sounds and send them to thy affections to stirre vp feare and sorrow in thee and to make thee quake and tremble Againe doest thou see the excellency of grace and goodnesse to be such that for it thou couldst finde in thy heart either to forgoe or vndergoe any thing that the Lord shall eyther take from thee or lay vpon thee according to his pleasure Seest thou such beauty in sobriety that for it thou wilt be content to forsake both the hellish society and base familiaritie of thy pot-companions and rather endure to be hated reuiled poynted at iested vpon by them then still to associate them in that foule enormious iniquitie Seest thou such beauty in the vertue of Chastity that thou wilt euery way indeuour to haue the loosenesse of the flesh bridled and curbed whatsoeuer it costeth thee Such beautie in the right hallowing of Gods Saboths that thou hadst rather part with thy profit shake hands with thy pleasure then accustome thy selfe to those wanton courses of gaming and idlenesse to those worldly courses of trauailing working and worldlinesse vppon the Lords day which formerly thou wert addicted vnto Perceiuest thou compassion to the needy iust dealing with thy brethren the like to bee so beautifull so needefull that with Matthew thou wilt rather come from the Seate of Custome with Zaccheus offer foure-fold restitution then still to continue hard-hearted to the poore then still to oppresse defraud extort put to vnlawfull vse for vnlawfull gaine cheat thy neighbor in contracts couenants and bargains which hath bin a trade thou hast bin much giuen vnto The like demands might I make in other instances Doth the vrging of the necessitie and the laying open of the excellencie of these fruits of sauing grace out of the Word make a noyse at the doore of thy vnderstanding and by the meanes of thy vnderstanding are they so conueyed to thy affections that they doe stirre vp in thee an earnest desire to partake of the graces and a resolute purpose to practise the dutie though it be with the vndergoing of outward inconueniences hazzards and hardships Speake in the name of GOD speake thou profane man standeth the case thus with thee Is such a kind of sense and sight wrought in thee as doth prohuce these notable effects affirme it if thou canst say yea to it if thou canst If thou shouldst thy lewd courses still liued in would giue thee the lie Thou art a swaggerer still and hast no purpose to be more temperate thou art a breaker of Gods Saboths and hast no purpose to keep them better an vsurer still and purposest to be no other an idle vnthrift and hast no purpose to be more painful proud and hast no purpose to learne humilitie a swearer and hast no desire to feare an oath The Diuell perswades thee they are profitable pleasurable and thou dost and wilt still liue in the same hast thou this sense then which I now speake of No no. If thou hadst but a sense and feeling of the burthen and deformitie of thine enormious euills thou wouldest striue to forsake them whatsoeuer it cost thee If thou hadst but a sight and taste of the goodnesse of those graces and vertues whereof thou hast beene so long emptie thou wouldest follow after them with the hardest tearmes to flesh and bloud So long therefore as thou walkest on thus in thy lewd proud profane vncleane malicious couetous courses thou giuest manifest euidence against thy selfe that thou art altogether voyde of the true sense of grace and wanting the sense of grace thou art without the worke of grace Cease thy bragging then of thine own goodnesse Make no comparisons with the Saints of God such comparisons are odious thou hast no more part of the sauing Spirit of grace then the Diuel himselfe hath and for all the good motions which thou talkest of thou hast not one sparke of the true feeling of the Spirits working because those motions are not so farre cherished in
reade out of the Word they haue gotten a few smacks of knowledge and haue attained to an ability to discourse of the poynts of Religion and because with Iudas for gaine with Iehu for glory with the Pharises for praise they do some dueties which true Christians doe pray peraduenture sometimes with their family giue almes of their substance to the poore affoord perhappes some countenance to the Ministers of the Word and Professors of the Gospel because I say for by-respects they do these things therefore they argue that they must needes be sound Christians But how much they deceiue themselues God knoweth and this poynt sheweth For alas what are hast perhappes a knowledge of the doctrine of faith and therin of the obiect of faith Christ Iesus but where is thy experience of the power of this faith first in leading thee to Christ for reconciliation secondly in accheering thy heart vpon the finding of the Messiah thirdly in purifying thy heart from the filthinesse of the flesh and fourthly in prouoking thee to lament as the Church did in the Canticles when thou hast lost the sight of him Againe thou hast it may be by attendance vpon the ordinance of God gotten some skill to discourse of the point of loue to God and his Children of hatred of sinne c. but doest thou feele thy heart set on fire with a desire of being obedient to God in all his Commandements resoluing to m 1 Kin 15.5 turne from nothing that hee enioyneth thee all the dayes of thy life and purposing with Iob n Iob 9.4 to be content to receiue euill at Gods hands as well as good Art thou enflamed with a loue to all good things as well as one and to all the Saints as well as one though I deny not that the neernes or the worthines of the person loued may occasion differing degrees in thy loue nay findest thou a readinesse to forgiue and loue thine enemies feelest thou in thy selfe a dislike of sinne in all persons as well as in those that are neere vnto thee as in neighbours that haue no alliance with thee Are thy affections thus moued Is thy inner man thus affected No no thou hypocrite wilt thou dare then to encroach vpon the prerogatiue of Gods beloued ones and lay challenge to the portion of sauing grace take heed what thou dost The Diuell is subtile thine owne heart is deceitfull Either get some sure testimony to proue the sense of grace in some sound maner to affect thy heart or else I must tell thee as I told the profane and ciuill person before thee that thou hast no grounds that the gales of Grace haue sauingly blowne vppon thee when-as this must needes bee granted for a trueth that in the Soule of the regenerate there is a feeling of the spirits working as well as in the eare of a man a sound of the wind when it bloweth in the ayre And thus Christian Reader haue I had a cast at this vaine conceit of hauing grace altogether without the sense of grace which is all one as if the Sunne and light life and feeling fire and heate should be separated and I haue to my power bent the edge of this doctrine against it And if in that which I haue spoken I haue seemed too harsh I must craue pardon for pitty to the soules of such deluded creatures hath stirred mee vp thereunto And to speake trueth neuer had Dion more cause of offering sacrifice to the gods after the paganish manner of the Heathens when hee freed the Syracusians from the tyranny of Dionysius Diod. Sic. libr. 16. then I shall haue of praising the God of heauen if through the meanes of this vse of confutation but one profane ciuil or hypocriticall person may be freed and deliuered from the bondage and slauery of so vaine and erroneous an opinion Sect. 5. Vse 2. Comfort to the tender-hearted Now lest the children of the Bride-chamber should through the malice of Satan abuse themselues so much as to place themselues in the ranke of such selfe-deceiuers so cast downe themselues without cause by that which hath beene spoken I must bring in as wel I may from the point in hand a word of comfort for them Is it so then that where the holy Ghost infuseth grace there is a spirituall sense in the powers of that soule then what singular cause of reioycing hath that Christian that hath this sense and feeling for hee hath euen the witnesse in himselfe that Christ is his grace is his and the Spirit of the Almightie dwelleth in him When therefore the word of GOD doth reueale vnto thee the minde of God either in the sounds of Iudgement or the Songs of Mercie out of the Lawe and the Gospel feelest thou thy heart affected accordingly sometimes with reuerence feare and trembling somtimes with rauishment comfort and reioycing Art thou sensible of those impure thoughts that swarme in thy heart of idle speeches that oft issue foorth thy mouth and Text yet I dare say it is not violently forced against the minde of the holie Ghost For seeing it hath pleased our Sauiour to compare the sense of the Spirits working to the sound of the winds blowing I may safely inferre thus much heerupon If the sound of the winde be not alwayes alike in the eare of the same man but sometimes louder sometimes lower then the feeling which grace effecteth in a Christian must needs be sometimes more sometimes lesse and not at all times alike Very euidently doeth that same o Psal 51.12 prayer of Dauid make this poynt good Restore vnto me the ioy of thy saluation as intimating vnto vs that the spirituall ioy which hee was wont to feele was in a manner quite gone yea so gone that hee craues the restoring of it againe Doe wee thinke that the feeling of the burthen of his two sins Murther and Adultery was so great and vehement before Nathan came vnto him as it was after he had beene with him Certainely no the Booke of the Psalmes is plentifull in proofes of this kinde Had Peter thinke we who was a beloued Disciple of Christ alwayes the same feeling of the Spirits working When he stood vpon his owne p Mat. 16. ver 33.35 strength and denied his Master when hee vanted before Christ Though all men forsake thee I will not hee had not that feeling of his owne weakenesse which hee had when hee went out and r Mat. 26.75 wept bitterly after his fall neither did his soule heare the Lawe telling him how feeble he was in himselfe at the one time so strongly as he heard it at the other He had not such a taste of the loue of Christ towards his soule when hee was Å¿ Mat. 26.72.73 denying of him as he had when he made that good confession of his faith We know thou hast the words of eternall life t Mat. 16.16 Lu 9 20. thou art the Christ the Sonne
their first entring into worldly dealings striue by all manner of waies to increase in wealth and riches but because they will set no bounds to their estate no period which they resolue not to passe neyther will they learne to know any measure beyond which they purpose not to goe And shall not men of the Spirit from the first time of their conuersion seeke to thriue in those spirituall riches no limits whereunto the Lord hath set vntill their earthly tabernacle bee dissolued and death maketh a separation betwixt the soule and the body How doe they looke for the Garland except they runne forward What hope can they haue of the Crowne of life except they bee faithfull vnto the death If I had but a perswading faculty I would vehemently vrge this spiritual growth in the practice of piety in the life of Christianitie in these declining times in this decaying barren age of the world But Peter shall speake in stead of me z 2. Pet 3.18 Grow in grace And so shall Saint Paul a Ephes 4 15. In all things grow vp into him which is the head that is Christ c. Whose counsell I would entreate thee to follow to hold fast and to encrease what thou hast already receiued Quest But will some say It is easier to say Grow then to shew how to grow bare exhortation berall Arts that there was neuer a day passed ouer his head wherein he did not either reade something or write something or declaime and out of doubt hee was no loser by it So if men and women would be more diligent students in the Oracles of God the book of the Scriptures they should be great gainers in the trade of godlinesse and their dayly incomes of heauens blasts would be larger then now they are Vnto God therefore my brethren I commend you e Acts 20.32 and to the word of his grace which is able to build you vp and to giue you an inheritance amongst all them that are sanctified f Phil. 1.9 praying that you may more and more abound in knowledge and in all iudgement Helpe 2 Secondly prayer vnto God that hee would leade vs forward by his holy spirit wil be a means to raise higher the gales and gusts of this spirituall winde In this practice we haue the Apostles to goe before vs who prayed and said g Lu. 17.5 Lord encrease our faith And if their faith then all the other graces which are ioyned with faith and attend vpon her Thus prayed Paul on the behalfe of the Philippians that h Phil. 1.9 their loue might abound Thus prayed hee also for the Ephesians when he sayd i Ephes 3.14.16 For this cause doe I bow my knees vnto the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ that hee would graunt you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man And thus must thou pray also that art a partner in the possessions of grace and then thou shalt find that that God which hath begunne the good worke will perfect it for the more frequent and feruent thy sutes are for the augmentations of Grace the better thou art sure to thriue in thy spirituall and holy courses Thirdly to loue the communion Helpe 3 and frequent the company of the Saints is a way to bee gayners and a meane to encrease the stocke of true holinesse The more vapours are together the longer and stronger are the windes like to bee and the moe holy hearts are vnited together by the bond of holy societie the more occasion their times about things that tend not to edification neglecting faith repentance such necessary neuer to be knowne-enough principles they com at length to call their mother whoore like impudent children though they first receiued the graces they make profession to haue in her yet they will not sticke to slaunder her as a limme of the Romish Synagogue And therfore I say I perswade not to such meetings but I perswade to that which the Apostle doth Hebr. 10.24 25 Brethren forsake not the assembling your selues together as some doe that ye may consider one another to prouoke vnto loue and good workes and to exhort one another in asmuch as yee see the day approching Children season themselues in profanenesse by their playing together Profane men strengthen themselues in wickednesse by conuersing together in Ale-houses Tauerns Brothell-houses Theatres c. Papists in heresies by mutuall society and shall Christians depriue themselues of this means to thriue and grow vp in grace by neglecting the society and communion of one another God forbid If they doe that which the Prophet speaketh of the materiall temple may bee verified of them k Hag. 2.3 Who is left amongst you that sawe this house in her first glory And how do you see it now Is it not now in comparison of it that is of what it was before as nothing Fourthly it must bee our care not Helpe 4 onely to walke wisely and circumspectly redeeming the time as the Apostle aduiseth l Ephes 5.15.16 but also to bee daily weeding our corruptions out of the ground of our hearts with the weeding-hooks of Examination and renued Repentance searching diligently what thistles grow at the bottome what euills are most prone to please our selues in that wee may daily grow into hatred with them and cleanse our selues from all filthines of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the feare of God as the Apostle his counsell is m 2. Cor. 7.1 For if day by day passe ouer our heads and we seldome or neuer search out our hidden sinnes and summon our selues for them before Gods Tribunall wee may bee so ouer-growne with security lacke of care that our growth in sanctitie will be hindered our gifts of grace to our sense at least much impaired euen as land when it is sowne corne when it is sprung vp for want of looking to and weeding may bee ouer-growne with noysome weedes and vnprofitable plants to the great hinderance and grieuance of the poore husbandman Helpe 5 Lastly it will much auaile vs in this spirituall growth to keepe our graces in exercise and to put them to vse One good way for a Merchant or Trades-man to thriue in the world Simile is if his markets be good the winds serue to be continually in trading and still to haue the maine stocke going Whereas he which alwayes spends of the stocke and tradeth not withall may goe downe the winde and soone prooue a bankrupt So for a man to haue good gifts good graces and not occupy with them nor keepe them in exercise shall be so farre from encreasing his spirituall store that hee shall rather diminish and wrong it Vse limbes and haue limbes saith the olde Adage Vse knowledge and haue knowledge vse faith and haue faith vse loue and haue loue vse humilitie and haue humilitie c. 1. Hast thou the grace
there is a purified soule for doe wee thinke that so pure a guest as the blessed Spirit is will come and take vp the lodging in a man or woman and not cast out the vncleane and impure spirits that he findes there at his comming It is not possible where that commeth and abideth the blinde diuell must out the proude deuill must out the impenitent out malicious out couetous out and all the Lucifers and Beelzebubs must auoyde the roome which he enters into and giue way vnto his purifying blasts Can the mists of ignorance the puddle of concupiscence and that foule legion of lusts which fight against the soule remaine vndispelled vndried vp vndriuen away where this winde bloweth No no when grace commeth light commeth and it cannot but giue light purity commeth and it cannot but cleanse fire commeth and it cannot but consume and burne vp our corruptions It pittieth my heart to think how people liue in their old sins and wallow in that same polluted bloud which they drew from their fathers which were Amorites from their mothers which were Hittites I meane from persons stayned with the guilt of Adams treason whom they imitate and follow also in the trade of transgression without the least part of mortification voyde of the meanest measure of Sanctification and yet thinke themselues to haue a share in the worke of Regeneration whose eyes I pray God open to see this delusion A needful caueat I do not speake of such a purging as is euery way perfect in this life as if none were breathed vpon by the Spirit but those that are purged fully from al reliques of ignorance rebellion corruption for then none should bee Saints but those that are in heauen For howsoeuer this worke be perfect in regard of the workeman the Spirit neuer doing any thing imperfectly yet in regard of the persons in whom it is wrought it is imperfect because mingled with corruption neither dare I say that those are in no degree purified that are not in the same degree purified with others but this I dare boldly affirme that that person who hath attained to no measure of this purging yea not to so much of it as doth cause him to long for and striue after the perfection of it the Spirit of grace hath not breathed vppon his soule Though the best exercised wits can but know in part the most faithfull heart but beleeue in part the most penitent soule but repent in part the most mortified and sanctified person but loue God godly men godlinesse in part desire Gods glory in part and but imperfectly set his heart vpon the best things yet he that hath no part of sauing knowledge no measure of sound faith no degrees of godly sorrow spirituall loue heauenly ioy holy desires he hath receiued no part of the Spirit and though happely he may haue some of the common gifts of the Spirit yet no portion hath hee of the regenerating breath of grace vntill the scales of ignorance the crustinesse of conscience the mire of concupiscence be driuen away and dried vp in some measure or other to the making of him a purified creature take this for the first note Secondly Signe 2. it is the property of the Winde to make the earth fruitfull for we see by experience when it cometh from the South it doth ordinarily bring raine with it which watreth the ground and causeth the grasse plants and graine to spring vp and bring forth fruit in their kinde euen so the Spirit of grace is very fructiferous and wheresoeuer it breatheth much fruit of holines righteousnes is brought forth neither indeed can the man who is endued with it be altogether barren of good workes inasmuch as wheresoeuer the Spirit is there is faith and faith sheweth it selfe by workes Hang a wet peece of linnen abroade in the ayre and the faster the winde dryeth it the whiter it will appeare and the more the Spirit drieth vp the spirituall moisture of filthinesse in the soule the more white and shining will the life be in holy fruits and in a blamelesse and vnrebukeable walking The y Ge. 5.22 vprightnesse of Enoch the z 2. Sam. 15.28 holinesse of Dauid the a Iob 1 21 patience of Iob the b Exo. 15.24.25 meeknesse of Moses the c Lu. 19.8 iustice of Zaccheus the d Act. 10.2 almes and deuotions of Cornelius the e Cap. 9.36 good workes of Dorcas and the diligence of the Apostles what doe all these shew but that when Grace is sowne in the heart holy and righteous fruits wil sprout vp and spread foorth in the life Wherefore wheresoeuer the fruites are like the vintage of Sodome vnsauoury vngodly and the workes the vnprofitable workes of darkenesse the heart must needes be empty of sauing grace And if any one be so vaine as to think a gracious heart and an vngodly life can stand together I referre him to the iudgement of that graue and diuine Apostle Galat. 5. where hee putteth a f Galat. 5.19.20.21.22.23 BVT a note of opposition betwixt adultery fornication lasciuiousnesse idolatry witchcraft variance drunkennesse reuellings c. which he calleth Workes of the flesh and betwixt Gentlenesse goodnesse fidelitie meeknesse peaceablenesse temperance c. which are workes of the Spirit Neuer flatter thy selfe then If thy conuersation be irreligious and thy carriage vnrighteous thou proclaimest a totall vacancie and absence of the regenerating Spirit the property whereof is to fructifie in an holy kinde wheresoeuer he bloweth that of Christ must needs be true g Iohn 15.5 Hee that abideth in me and I in him as euery regenerate one doth the same bringeth forth much fruit Thirdly 3 Sign of grace it is the property of the winde to driue forward Let a shippe saile with the winde vpon the sea it speedeth the faster Let a bird in the aire flee with the winde her course is the swifter Let a man vpon the ground walke that way which the winde driueth and hee can tell what an help to hasten him forward it is so when the bark of our liues is sayling towards heauen with the sail of good workes which is the place whither the spirit driueth this same winde of heauen will speed this barke of ours forward swiftly it will put life into our actions insomuch that whatsoeuer good duty we take in hand wee shall go about the same cheerfully and willingly being ready to euery good work of piety towards God of charity towards our brethren Hence it is that the Psalmist adjoyneth this Epithet h Ps 51.12 Vphould me with thy free spirit free to the spirit of God and wee vse to say in our vulgar Prouerb of him that is nimble actiue and full of metall He is all spirit When this winde of grace had breath'd vpon the Macedonians it made them so forward to minister to the poor Saints that as the Apostle testifieth of them i 2 Cor.
God with the diuell the world their owne consciences and all They they say are neuer troubled nor disquieted they finde nothing to burthen them nor molest them they thank God for it What grace haue they It is to bee feared none at all And poor soules the spirit of Satan still breathes in them and corruption hath them still in chaines and they are ready euery houre to bee cut off and popt ouer into the pit of destruction and yet ah wofull case they see it not but applaude themselues and solace themselues as if they were in no danger and no aliants to the regenerate condition Sayest thou thou hast nothing within thee to trouble thee nothing to molest thee nor euer haddest thou thankest God for it Wilt thou take a word from me and marke what I shall say I assure thee whosoeuer thou bee I would not be in thine estate for a thousand worlds if there were so many Thou art without grace and wilt not beleeue it The God of heauen perswade thee of it for if that be true which our Sauiour speaketh s Lu. 11.21 While the strong man armed that is the Diuell keepeth the house all things are in peace Then if all things be thus at peace in thee to harden thy heart and seare thy conscience that euil one still holdeth thee in bonds thou art still bound in the fetters of sin and art in fearefull thraldome thereunto and vntill a stronger then all these commeth I meane the Lord Iesus and set thy owne corruptions and the holy Ghost together at variance in thy soule miserable and lamentable must thy condition needes be I tel thee if the Spirit of grace were in thee there would bee a spirituall whirlewinde in thy soule two contrary blasts meeting grappling with one another like the twinnes in t Gen. 25.22 Rebeccahs wombe and they would make thee cry out as she did Why am I thus why am I thus worldly why am I thus lazie in my profession why am I thus dead harted in the seruice of my God thus proud thus full of selfe-loue thus passionate and tuchy c. and thou shouldest finde the Spirit of Faith resisting the spirit of vnbeleefe distrust doubting the Spirit of truth resisting the spirit of errour the Spirit of loue resisting the spirit of enuy malice frowardnesse the spirit of humility the spirit of pride the spirit of zeale the spirit of key-coldnesse luke-warmenesse carnall feare c. Thus it would be with thee if thou wert regenerate Albeit this conflict of Contraries be not alwayes alike because grace sometimes getteth the foyle sometimes the conquest though neuer the fall yet the experienced Christian knoweth with S. Paul that whensoeuer hee intendeth any good euill is present with him and in his best actions corruption troubleth him whi h he many times findeth much adoe to keep vnder And therefore I conclude It is a vaine thing for any man or woman to imagine that they are sanctified Wherefore let those that refuse to pray in the Temple as Anabaptisticall and Papisticall Recusants do suspect themselues to be swolne rather with the blasts of heresie the winde of vaine-glory then blowne vppon with the gales of Sanctitie Let those that care not to pray any where but in the temple neglecting this duety with their charges in their houses as carnall and common Protestants do suspect themselues to be carried rather with the winde of custome and fashion then of grace and heauenly inspiration Let those that vse it in their families and make no conscience of it apart by themselues whenas there are so many secret corruptions to be acknowledged and bewailed in the best which are to be kept from the dearest friends in the family feare themselues to bee guided rather by the spirit of hypocrisie then possessed with the Spirit of grace But such as care neither for praying in the Temple nor in the family nor secretly let them not only suspect but also know themselues to be such as are altogether voyde of the spirituall operation of Gods Spirit in the work of Regeneration For where that worke is there is the Spirit of adoption and where the Spirit of adoption is there is a crying Abba Father such wil haue so familiar frequent communion with the Lord that the Church the family the streetes the high-wayes the walkes the chamber the bed the closet the shop yea the prison it selfe c. shall be made witnesses of those heauenly ejaculations which their hearts and lips dart vp into the eares of the Almighty that great hearer of prayers Secondly as the spirituall man is heard of God sending vp praiers to the high Court of Parliament in Heauen so men shal heare the sound of his sanctified tongue in holy and religious communication I delight sayth Dauid to be talking of thy righteous iudgements a Ps 39.2 While I held my peace from good my sorrow was stirred yea my heart waxed hot within me b Acts 22 1. c Paul must needes be telling and talking of his conuersion before his very enemies shewing what notable things the Lord had wrought in him and done for him Whence was it that c Acts Aquila and Priscilla did instruct Apollos in the way of God more perfectly that d 2. Tim. 1.5 compar'd with chap. 3.14 6. Eunica did teach Timothy but because the Spirit had so breathed in their hearts that they could not holde their tongues but they must be speaking of the wayes of God to strangers they neuer saw before and to their domesticall inferiors and home-dwellers When grace hath seasoned the heart it will so salt and pouder the speech that it will both eat out putrified and rotten communication and also make the tongue a fit instrument to minister grace to the hearers Take triall of thy selfe by this particular also What is thy speech Speakest thou the language of Ashdod or the dialect of Canaan Dost thou with Dauid e Ps 39.1 take such heed to thy ways that thou maiest not offend with thy tong keeping thy mouth as with a bridle Nay dost thou with the same Prophet f Psal 34.11 call thy children vnto thee and teach them the feare of the Lord and vppon all fitting occasions the praises of God and the statutes of God continually in thy mouth If they be it is a good signe that thou hast a good stocke of grace in thy heart but if thy tongue g Iac. 3.6 be set on fire with hell as Saint Iames speaketh breathing out stinking blasphemous filthy frothy false slaunderous venemous vnsauoury speeches it is a very strong euidence against thee that the breath of Heauen hath not blowne vppon thee For I neuer reade in all the Scripture that a regenerate heart and a reuiling tongue an holy heart and a ribald tongue a gracious heart and a blasphemous periurious tongue a spirituall heart and a dissembling backebiting and scoffing tongue haue stoode together
and his fingers to fight to giue him therepulse though sometimes more weakly sometimes more strongly and to answer him as Naboth did Ahab when he requested his Vineyard o 1 Ki. 21.2 God forbid that I should part with the inheritance of my father God forbid I should let goe my anchor-hold in Christ and by hearkening to thee Satan throw away the euidences that I haue for those heauenly prerogatiues and that inheritance which my Father hath bequeathed me in the name of his Sonne 1 His godly life is defended Againe when either the Diuell world or flesh shall lay any siege against his godly conuersation either by golden and hony arguments alluring him to some euils or by opposing and discouraging reasons to deterre him from some good hee can answer him though not alwayes alike as Elisha did King Ioram p 2 Kin. 3.13 What haue I to doe with thee Or as Ioseph his mistris q Gen. 39.9 How can I do this great wickednes and sin against my God Or as the man of God did Ieroboam r 1 Ki. 13 8.9 If thou wilt giue me halfe thine house I will not yeeld to thee for it is otherwise charged mee by the Lord. And whatsoeuer the sinne be which he is suggested vnto this blessed winde bloweth a weapon and bringeth a sword to his hand to smite against it withall As against pride it giueth this sword ſ Iames. God resisteth the proud against lust this t Heb. 13.2 whoremongers and adulterers God wil iudge against couetousnes this u Eph. 5.5 no couetous person which is an idolater shall enter into the kingdome of heauen against apostasie and backe-sliding this w 2 Pet. 2 21 It had been better neuer to haue knowne the way of righteousnesse then after they haue knowne it to turne from the holy commande rises troubled with Christ the z Act. 17.6 heathens with Paul and Sylas a 1 Kings 18.17 Ahab with Elias b 2 Sam. 6 16.20 Michol with Dauid the c Acts 7. vncircumcised Iewes with Steuen and the Infidells with the Christians vnder the tenne Persecutions And why so Onely because the Spirit of God had regenerated them the spirit of zeale was vpon them and they were filled with the holy Ghost Not that the holy Ghost doth of himself produce such an effect as the hating of Gods Children and the opposing of religion amongst any for can God who is vnitie it selfe be against himselfe but this comes to passe accidentally by occasion of the spirits working in the regenerate from the corruption of the vnregenerate who are alwayes like the troubled roaring waters and therefore can be no more still when the godly refuse to runne to the same excesse of riot with them or speake against or dislike of their enormious courses then the sea can be still when the winde bloweth vpon it If thou therefore that art a Christian dooest meete with opposition for thy holie profession account it no strange thing as if thou wert alone in that condition and maruell not at it For will the Mariner wonder to see the waues rise the waters swell the Sea rage when windy stormes beate vpon it The Scribes wil quarel with Christ for his innocencie and the wicked will quarrell with his followers for their integrity and for a man to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit is enough to breed deadly enmity in the hearts of the vngodly against him For the working of the Spirit is resembled to the Winde and the Winde is a fit metaphor to expresse the same CHAP. IIII. The logicall analysis of the Text and the opening of the first part of it Sect. 1. HAuing now done with the summe of the words order requireth that wee should anatomize the Text and part it into seuerall members In this comparison two branches are occurrent first the comparison or similitude it selfe in these words The Winde bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth Secondly the application of the similitude in the words following So is euery one that is borne of the Spirit Each of these two members subdiuide and spread themselues into 3. branches apeece which meeting together throughout the Text doe constitute and make three substantiall parts for me to handle The first treats of the free liberty vnresistable efficacie of the working of the holy Ghost the second containes a discourse of the sense and feeling of that holy worke in the regenerate the third comprehendeth the incomprehensiblenesse of the measure of that worke The first layde downe thus The Winde bloweth where it listeth So is euery one that is borne of the Spirit The second thus and thou hearest the sound thereof so is euery one that is borne of the Spirit The third thus but canst not tell whence it commeth and whither it goeth So is euery one that is borne of the Spirit Still this clause euery one that is borne of the Spirit being applied to euerie branch in the similitude Sect. 2. Part. 1. The first of these must first be handled The Winde bloweth where it listeth So is euery one that is borne of the Spirit The words expounded First to interpret the wordes The Winde d August as Chemnitius quoteth Some here by Winde do vnderstand the person of the holy Ghost or the third person in the Trinitie for which opinion I confesse there seemeth to be some colour in the e Being rather translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greek Text which I dare not absolutely reiect lest I should be thought to offer wrong to so worthy a Father as is the Author of it yet in modestie let me say thus much In asmuch as the originall word is of some generall extent being deriued of a f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word which signifieth to breathe or blow I can not see any reason why that tearme which in our Translations is englished wind should for the Greekes sake so properly signifie the third person in the Trinitie especially too sithence the epithet holy is heere wanting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which vsually we finde ioyned with the word Spirit when it noteth out the person of the holy Ghost wherefore with others of the g Chrysost Chimnit Caluin Pisc Beza c. learned I take to be meant the naturall winde which many times maketh a dinne and noyse in the aire About which wind the curious brains of differing Philosophers haue weaued many knots and framed many intricate and needelesse questions the loosing and discussing whereof it is not my purpose to meddle withall being neither materiall to the Text nor profitable to the Reader neither mind I to stuffe these Papers with the diuers descriptions which diuers h As Seneca one Nat. quaest lib. 5. cap. 1 Aristot an other Meteor lib. 2.
cap. 5. Peter de la Primand 2 third Franc. Acad part 3 pag. 196. Writers giue of the winde To shew what it is in one definition is as much as the Text requireth i What the winde is The wind therefore is an exhalation more drie then moist bred of those cold and k A vapor is moist of it self but drie by reason of the Sun drie vapours of the earth which the Sunne draweth vp into the middle region of the ayre in which region this exhalation meeting with a cold cloude is of hot made cold and by the force of that cloude beaten downe into the lower part of the ayre where by reason of the subtile nature it hath in it selfe it spreadeth it selfe laterally or broadwise flowing sometimes to one corner of the heauens sometimes to another sometime Eastward sometime Southward c. This wind I say thus defined is heere to be vnderstoode Bloweth where it listeth this phrase where it listeth doth not betoken any such will in the Winde as there is in the soule of man for the wind being an in animall substance and a creature without soule how can there be any such power of the soule in it as the will is but it noteth out the free and vnresistable agitation of the winde beating the aire and other flexible bodies sometimes one way sometimes another as the great Iehouah pleaseth So is euery one that is borne of the Spirit .i. so is it with euery elect person in regard of the regenerating work of the Spirit that Spirit breathing somtimes in one sometimes in an other as he pleaseth freely and vnresistably CHAP. V. The first Doctrine from the first part of the Text concerning the free libertie of the Spirit his working Sect. 1. FRom this fountaine so opened as it is in the former Chapter two streames of positiue Diuinitie do flow to water the garden of God The first is this Doctr. 3. The Spirit of grace inspireth grace when hee pleaseth where he pleaseth That the worke of Regeneration proceedeth from the will and pleasure of God to be effected and wrought in what persons hee pleaseth at what time he pleaseth The winde hath this libertie from the Creator freely to spreade it selfe sometimes in one part of the aire somtimes in another And taketh not the Lord this prerogatiue royall to himselfe to infuse the breath of his owne grace sometimes in one sometimes in another as himselfe pleaseth We should attribute lesse libertie to the Lord then to the Winde if we should not yield to this In the old Testament did the Lord breathe thus For that l Ge. 5.24 Enoch m and 6.9 Noah n and 15.6 Abraham o Gen. 26. Isaac p c. 32.24 Iacob q Gen. 39 Ioseph and the rest of the Patriarkes in their ages and generations were culled out from the rest of mankinde to receiue the stamps of grace and to be made new Creatures whence was it but onely from the will of the Almightie Did not the Spirit blowe thus in the New Testament freely working sometimes vppon a r Mat 9.9 Mathew sometimes vppon a ſ Lu. 19.9 Zaccheus a t Lu 7.48 Mary Magdalen a u Ioh 1.41 42 Mat. 4.19 Peter an Andrew and a few beleeuing Iewes amongst such a multitude of Scribes and Pharises Publicans and sinners that liued in the dayes of our Sauiour And that hee did blowe vpon the heart of w Acts 9. Paul amongst so many persecutours whom hee might haue conuerted as well as him that he x Act. 16.14 opened the heart of Lydia amongst so many women whom hee might haue sanctified as well as shee that hee breathed grace into the soule of the y Acts 16 34. Iaylour amongst so many cruell tyrants whom hee might haue regenerated as well as he if his will had been such what doth all this note out vnto vs but the liberty which the great Creator Sauiour and Sanctifier of the Church hath to inspire grace in whom he listeth and pleaseth Very pregnāt to this purpose is that of Paul which he writes to his Corinths For speaking of the diuers gifts operations of the spirit he saith z 1 Cor. 12.11 Al these doth one the self-same Spirit worke diuiding to euery man as a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Reason he willeth or pleaseh The ground of all which is this because Gods will towards his creatures is otherwise then his will toward himselfe The things which he willeth concerning himselfe doth he wil of necessity vt he doth wil his owne being glory necessarily though not with a constrained Quae Deus de seipso vult necessario vult necessitate naturae non coactionis Zanch. de Nat. Dei yet with a natural necessity his nature necessarily requiring that he should wil his owne essence glory but as for the things he willeth towards the creatures his will is not necessary but free .i. it is in his own pleasure either to will them or not to will them whether the gift be election justification or sanctification Now then the Lords will in willing the good of his creaturs being free either to wil or not to wil the same Regeneration or the gales of grace being one of those good things aswell as election justification redemption which he hath liberty thus to will it must needes be a truth that the wind of grace is at the Lords disposing to blowe with it sauingly vpon what sonnes and daughters of Adam he pleaseth Sect. 2. Vse 1. The consideration of which truth serueth first of all to lay flat on the ground all opinion of proper power and strength in any man to worke any grace in himselfe or so much as of him selfe to incline thereunto For if the Spirit breatheth where he listeth and the Lord onely sanctifieth whom hee pleaseth then no man be he neuer so mighty wise wealthy can haue the breath of grace in himselfe or breath after grace for himselfe or breathe grace into himselfe without the inspiration and operation of the holy-Ghost Alas how can that man moue spiritually to any thing that good is from any thing that euill is who is held hard vnder the bands and tyed fast with the cords of spirituall death which cannot be loosed vntill the Spirit doth spiritually enliue him How can hee see spiritually the secrets of the Lord whose vnderstanding is wholly darkned and before the eyes of whose minde there are such thicke scales of ignorance drawne as can not be remoued vntill the Spirit doth enlighten him How can he elect and chuse the paths of life to walk in of his own free pleasure whose will is so spiritually peruerted that it cannot be reformed againe vntil the holy Ghost vndertaketh to rectifie it Now if neyther the minde of man can bring the least measure of illumination vnto it selfe nor the will of man the least part of reformation to it selfe what
vpon all elect flesh that hee would bee pleased as freely to worke graciously in him if it be his will as he did in thy selfe at thy first conuersision This is that which the Lord would haue thee doe neyther is hee any niggard of his grace vnto those whom-to he hath purposed it from all eternitie Hee is not like man men when they haue done something for others they can not endure that the receiuers should become beggers of the like kindnesse for others but they would haue them satisfied with that which they themselues haue receiued and let crauing for others alone But it is farre otherwise with the Lord it is his delight when they that haue beene blowne vppon freely with his grace will become petitioners to the throne of grace for others as wel as for themselues and chiefly for those whom they haue neerest relation vnto It is that which he is pleased withall when the sanctified husband prayeth for the vnsanctified wife when the beleeuing wife sueth for the vnsanctified husband holy parents for vnholy childrē holy children for vnholy parents sanctified maister for vngodly seruants c. Thou therefore that hast any whit of heauens breath in thee do not onlie craue the encrease of grace in thy selfe which is thy duty too but also begge hard for the beginnings of grace in thy gracelesse brethren and seeing Gods grace is as free from himselfe to other elect vessels of mercy as to thee beseech thou the Lord to open the eyes of thine ignorant wife to soften the hart of thine impenitent husband to conuert the soule of thine vngracious childe to infuse grace into thy vnregenerate father mother brethren friends neighbours maister seruant whose hearts are as yet swolne with the breath of Satan and corruption And as the Apostle his hearts o Ro. 10.1 desire and prayer to God was that Israel might be saued So let it be thy hearts desire and prayer to God that they may bee sanctified and that with his spirituall p Cant. 4.16 North and South winde he would blowe vppon such dead Gardens and that hee would open the bottells and spout-pots of his holy Spirit to water such dry and barren grounds that those floures may spring vp there which haue their roote in Election and that the sweete spices of grace may flow out as freely from the holy Ghost to them as to thy selfe And these bee the two duties which the Saints haue to learne from hence First to prayse God for the graces which they themselues haue and to pray to God for the like graces on the behalfe of them that want them * The second branch of the vse of exhortation to the vnregenerate Secondly heere is a lesson for the vnregenerate who are altogether destitute of sound grace to learne and that is to giue all diligence to be effectually breathed vppon with this winde from heauen and with holy Dauid to q Psa 132 4.5 giue no sleepe to their eyes nor slumber to their eye-liddes vntill their hearts be a place for the God of Iacob to breathe in and their soules an habitation for the Ark of the Lords strength and the worke of the Lords Spirit to rest and dwel in For if Gods wil be the ground of his worke of sanctification in any creature then they that are still vnsanctified are bound to an incessant vse of those means which the Lord hath appoynted to serue this free will of his in the effecting of grace in their hearts and though we cannot effect any part of that blessed wotke in our selues nor so much as naturally wish or will it yet in asmuch as the Lord hath made no promise to regenerate but by the vse of meanes wee must vse that meanes if wee would be spiritually breathed vppon For that God who doth reueale his will of election by the worke of Iustification his will of iustification by the worke of Sanctification doeth also declare his wil of sanctification by the prescribing of helpes to bring vs to holinesse which helpes wee must diligently and carefully vse or else if the spirit neuer come to breathe vppon vs the fault will be our owne and our condemnation of our selues Howsoeuer still I say the worke of grace be the Lords so then I say the libertie which the Lord hath to infuse grace where he willeth vrgeth a necessity of following those rules which hee hath set vp for his Church to attaine vnto grace by which rules and helps what they are I will shew in order The first is a diligent attendance vnto the word of grace 1 Help to get grace hence it is that the word is called the r 2 Cor. 3 8. ministration of the Spirit We know that they which are left Executours to other mens wills they must take vp Letters of Administration by vertue of which they must enter vpon the goods of the deceased so they that would take vp that Legacie of Graces which Christ bequeathed to his Church in the promise of sending his Spirit must come to Gods Courts and there take vp the Letters of Administration by the meanes whereof they may take vp that portion of inheritance or grace which Christ hath left for them ſ Acts 1.2 When the Apostles were in an house at Ierusalem where they heard a sound like the rushing of a mighty winde then did the holy Ghost sit vpon them So when wee are in the house of God to heare the found of his mighty voyce in the preaching of the Word may wee expect the breathing of his Spirit It was at the preaching of Peter that the holy Ghost fell vpon Cornelius and his houshold t Act. 10.44 It was at a Sermon of Paules when the Spirit opened the hart of Lydia u Acts 16 14 When Ananias instructed Paul the seales fell from his eyes and hee receiued spirituall sight w Acts 9.17 By the preaching of our Sauiour many of the Iewes came to beleeue on him with his word did hee cleanse the x Mark 1.42 Leper y Ma k 5.42 raise the dead z Mar. 10 52. open the eyes of the blinde a Mar 9.26 Chap. 5.8 cast diuels out of the possessed with them in the daies of his flesh and by the means of his holy word now published by his messengers doth hee cleanse with the water of grace our leprous soules quickening with the life of grace our dead hearts open with the light of grace our blinde minds and chase out with the blasts of grace those same euill spirits that doe haunt and possesse our soules Their case therefore cannot be sufficiently lamented nor enough bewailed who make no more reckoning of the Word then of a trifle or toy and who regard the sound of the Lords voyce in a powerfull Ministery no more then the creaking of a lifelesse doore the estate of such persons I say can not be pittied too much for alas poore soules by this
of men and their gracious and holesome speeches But this cannot be the meaning because as hath beene shewed before by Winde cannot bee vnderstood the person of the holy Ghost and so the comparison can not bee betwixt the Spirit and those that are borne of the Spirit but betwixt the Winde and those that are borne of the Spirit Following therefore still the Metaphor of Winde I fall to expound the wordes thus And thou that is thou Nicodemus thou that art so ignorant in the mystery of regeneration hearest the sound thereof that is the noyse or sound of the winde when it bloweth in the aire This sound thou hearest with thy eares though thou canst not see it with thine eyes and so commest to know there is winde So is euerie one that is borne of the Spirit .i. So standeth the case with them that are regenerate in regard of the worke of the Spirit in them though it can not be seene and comprehended with the eye of carnall reason yet the spirituall sound that it maketh and sense that it worketh inwardly in the soule of the regenerate doth giue testimony of the breathing of it Sect. 2. The reason of the interpretation That this is the meaning it is plain because it agreeth with the scope of this dialogue betwixt Christ and Nicodemus For Nicodemus maruelling how it could possibly be true That a man should be borne againe our Sauiour bids him leaue wondering at it for though by his fleshly reason hee could not see a possibilitie of the new birth yet such a birth there is perceiued too by the effect of the Spirit inwardly working in those that haue it euen as the winde is knowne to bee by the sound it maketh in our eares though the substance of it cannot be seen with our eyes The wordes thus explained are a foundation for foure principles of positiue Diuinitie 1. That to the eye of Reason the worke of the Spirit and the doctrine of the new birth is inuisible 2. Where the Spirit breatheth and regenerateth there is a sense and feeling of it is I say no matter of corruption in it in respect of its owne nature wherefore it being so pure in it selfe it cannot bee comprehended by a capacitie and vnderstanding so grosse as the carnall mans is Reason 2. Secondly the winde can not bee seene because it is not capable of colour For colour being the obiect of sight things onely are seene by their colours so the winde of grace cannot be seene by a carnall man the doctrine of the breath of it seemeth strange to him because to his reason there is no pleasant nor beautifull colour in it he beholdeth more lustre and splendour more beauty more cause of contentment in riches honours preferments parentage yea in his bestial and Belial-like lusts then in the things of the Spirit of God and hence it comes to passe that hee is so blinde in the matters of heauen Reason 3. To these two I may adde a third that light which should help the iudgement to apprehend the things of God was extinguished by the fall of our first parents vntill which bee restored againe there can be no conceiuing the mystery of Regeneration But so long as a man is naturall that light is not restored and therefore no maruell if the point of Regeneration bee a darke sentence and riddle vnto him For a man to the end hee may see things must not onely haue the power or vertue of seeing in the sensitiue soule and eies as fit organs and instruments for that seeing sense to vse in the apprehension of colours but there must be light in the aire either by means of the Sun or a candle or fire Which light if it be wanting all things are inuisible to the creature though it hath both the sense of seeing and eies to see withall so in like manner though there be as there is in the vnregenerate person a faculty and power to vnderstand because he hath a reasonable soule and differeth from brute creatures and eyes to execute that facultie that is the act of vnderstanding because he hath a mind in that soule yet the light of Gods Image is wanting which Adam lost by the meanes whereof hee must see into heauenly mysteries and so long as that is wanting he must needes be vnable altogether to diue into matters of that nature Sect. 2. Vse 1. The meditation of this truth ought first of all to be a Motiue vnto the regenerate to pitty the miserable and wretched estate of all carnall and vnregenerate persons For alas blinde creatures the Doctrine of the winde of grace the manner of the worke of grace is a riddle vnto them their mind is so blinded their vnderstanding is so darkened that such Principles as these are Greeke and Hebrew vnto them Yea let the confluence of naturall morall and artificiall gifts meet together in them to conspire their perfection let the motions of the celestial sphears the course of the Sunne and Moone the influence of the Starres the nature of beasts the property of birds the qualitie of trees the vertue of hearbs and plants of the earth be neuer so visible vnto them neuer so well knowne of them by their study and industrie in searching into the secrets of Nature Yea let them haue a speculatiue sight of many things which the Scripture openeth and reuealeth yet so long as they are but carnall the Doctrine of the winde of Grace will be strange to them yea though they can talke and preach of it and the efficacie of the work of grace altogether mystical and aenigmaticall vnto them no more by the wisedome which they haue to bee perceiued then the winde which is so thin a substance so vncolourable a creature to be visibly looked vpon apparent to the eye of the body And is not this a pittifull thing a thing to be lamented a case to be pittied Oh Christians pitty them you that haue any knowledge of the Lord Iesus mourne for them Out of question it went to the heart of Christ Iesus to consider the grosse blindnesse of Nicodemus that a Maister in Israel a man of note and reckoning amongest the people that such an one as Nicodemus was who had read or should haue read what the Scripture sheweth in the writings of g Psa 51.7 Dauid h Ezek. 11 19. Chap. 36.25 Ezekiel i Zac. 13.1 Zacharie the rest of the Prophets concerning the force of corruption the fruit of conuersion the power of sanctification that such an one I say as had Moses and the Prophets to informe him in these matters should be so ignorant so vnlearned in the poynt of Regeneration that he could not see a possibility of being born againe This no doubt moued our Sauiour much to compassionate his condition for so much k Chemn in Harm 357. one affirmes of Christ in expounding the tenth verse of this Chapter Art thou a maister in Israel
burthen of sin wherewithall it findeth it self loaden secondly of the want and excellency of grace whereof it seeth it selfe destitute and void for wherefore should the will and desires encline to those spirituall motions to leaue that which is euill and to cleaue to that which is good but because it hath a sense of the vglinesse and burthen of the one of the want and beauty of the other The former feeling Dauid had r Ps 38.4 My sins haue taken such hold vpon me that I am not able to looke vp and are as an heauie burthen too heauie for mee The later the woman of Samaria had when she sayd Å¿ Ioh. 4.15 Lord giue me of this water this is excellent water indeede I neuer dranke of such water Secondly when working grace breatheth an actuall change in the soule the soule feeleth how miserable a thing it is to be out of Christ how sweet a thing it is to be in Christ how hard a thing it is to learne the way of obedience and how good a thing to haue an heart enlarged to keepe Gods Commandements how weake a man is of himselfe to shake off vnbeliefe distrust security to resist euill and what a blessed thing it is to be set free from the slauery of his lusts and from the bondage of those slauish terrors of hell and torment which hee was wont to be troubled withall Some such feeling as this is doth I say accompany working grace Thirdly when coworking grace breatheth there is a sense and experience of Gods hand holding him vp in the time of temptation preseruing him mightily against dangerous falls strengthening him graciously to exercise the fruits of mortification and sanctification raysing him vp when temptation hath foyled him whereupon he feeleth in the second place his loue to be encreased his zeale to be enflamed his edge to goe on in a righteous course to be sharpned as knowing the Lord is euer at hand ready to helpe and assist him and whatsoeuer it be that is a quench-cole to his zeale a cooler to his loue a blunting to his edge he is very sensible of it The Apostle Paul would neuer haue broken out into this speech and left it vpon record in his owne writings Through Christ I am able to doe all things and t 2. Tim. 4 17 the Lord strengthened mee if hee had not had a gracious sense and experience of Gods co-operating and corroborating grace strengthening him in the performance of the generall duties of Christianity and the weighty work of his Ministery Lastly when perfecting grace doth its office hee hath a taste and sight of the vnchangeablenesse of Gods loue assuring his conscience that the Lord will perfect the good worke which hee hath begunne in him Neither is hee vnsensible of those rubbes which hinder perseuerance and hee feeleth many bitter conflicts with temptations telling him that he shall not perseuere which when he ouercometh he reioyceth heartily and perswadeth himselfe assuredly that nothing shall plucke him from his Sauiour Christ Iesus For thus he reasoneth and this sound doth the winde of grace make in his soule Because the Lord hath giuen me a constant will and an earnest desire to stand in the grace whereunto by iustifying faith I had accesse Rom. 5.1 therefore Gods loue will neuer faile mee Such a sound and sense no doubt the Apostle heard and had when he broke out into this speech u Rom 8.38.39 I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. And thus it is cleere what this sense and feeling is which the holy Ghost effecteth in the regenerate soule when it bloweth and worketh effectually in the same Sect. 3. How this sense is wrought The third circumstance in the Doctrine cometh now to be considered of viz. how or by what meanes this sense and sound is wrought and made This will be as manifest as the former if we doe but consider how the sound and noise of the winde commeth to be heard and compare our present matter in hand with that How the sound of the winde comes to be heard by man The winde bloweth in the ayre and maketh a noyse there the aire bringeth the noyse so made in it selfe to the eare the eare hauing by the curious skill of the great Workemaister an Hammer and an Anuile as it were in it selfe conueyeth that sound vnto the brayne where the originall and seate of the sense of hearing is and by this meanes the sound is heard by the creature The comparison Euen so the Spirit of grace breatheth the minde and voyce of God into the writings of the Old and New Testaments for al Scripture is giuen by inspiration w 2 Tim. 3.16 The holy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost x 2 Pet. 2.21 The Scriptures being truely opened and wisely applyed by Gods Embassadours and Ministers bring this minde and voice of God to the eare of the vnderstanding the vnderstanding by the operation she durst be bold to challenge Christ with his promise of easing loaden sinners and of satisfying Desires hunger longing after righteousnes After this there is a certaine whispering noyse heard as it were afarre off that there is a possibilitie of pardon for thee as well as for an other which sound at the first seemeth very doubtfull Therfore faith still hearkning to the sound that the Spirit bringeth to the vnderstanding through the ayre of the gospel commeth by degrees after many sharpe conflicts which it findeth in it selfe to heare a voyce much like that of our Sauiours to the man sicke of the palsey a Mat. 9.2 Sonne be of good cheere thy sinnes are forgiuen thee Or to the womans that cam to him in the Phases house b Lu. 7.50 Thy faith hath saued thee Vpon which the Gospel still doing its office in informing the iudgement The Spirit of God witnesseth with our spirit that we are the children of God c Ro. 8.16 Vppon this also ioy beginnneth to haue a kinde of spirituall life and feeling in it selfe and there is a great rauishment in the soule and an admiration at the vnspeakeable goodnesse of God to so wretched a creature as I was and it can not containe it selfe but it must burst it selfe foorth with the Song of the Church d Cant. 1.2 Thy loues are better then wine With this ioy next in order loue which is another of the affections apprehends that same sweete sound and she falls to bethink how or which way shee may shew herselfe thankefull for so great kindnesse then the soule burneth with the fire of zeale and wrastleth the Gospel and word of grace stil directing it with euery thing that may bee an hinderance of obedience to the
haue compell'd the Lord to deal thus with them will hee nill hee then though they should bee vngratefull they were the more to bee borne withall but seeing the Lords free will was the chiefest motiue and his meer loue the mainest reason to induce him thus to breathe vpon them now to cut him short of his praises not to render or at least endeauour to render due thanks vnto his Majesty it is a very hainous and intolerable offense not to be suffred not to be endured Wherefore thou that hast thy minde enlightened with the grace of illumination thy heart softened with godly contrition thy will brought into an Euangelicall subjection through the grace of mortification thy affections into a spirituall temper and frame through the work of sanctification thou that bringest forth the fruits of obedience plentifully cheerfully grieuing for and praying against the many slips thou takest and the spirituall sloth which is somtimes in thee thou that canst stop thy ear against the voice of temptation that canst speake to God by praier and supplication that canst speake to men in religious discourse refraining thy tongue from euill for conscience sake which is one fruit of pure religion thou I say that hast these euidences of the breathing of grace which I spake of before h chap. 3 Sect. 3. striue thou to haue thy heart lips and life enlarged opened and replenished with the praises of his holy Name And the more thou consider'st how freely these heauenly benefits come from himselfe without any merit yea notwithstanding so many demerits of thine own the more forward be thou to be telling of his louing kindnes from day to day the more zealous for his glory in his cause and the more rauished with the serious meditation of his singular bounty And oh consider he might haue left thee like a liue-lesse breathlesse creature as he hath many thousands but that his will and his loue did prouoke him to commiserate thy wofull condition If twenty or thirtie malefactours should be in one and the self same dungeon where they could neither haue the light of the Sunne to accheer them nor the benefit of the sweet air to refresh them and one or two of them amongst all the rest by the meanes of a friend a stranger to them should bee redeemed from that bondage set at liberty and brought forth to partake both of the light of the glistering Sun and the breath of the refreshing winde Oh how thankfull would these poor wretches bee to him that had procured them this liberty what orations narrations would they make of his kindnes and no seruice would they sticke at to doo him when-as hee should require it at their hands And the more readily also would they do this because they know it was his meer pleasure to redeeme them rather then any of the other whom he might haue made choice of as well as they and left them in the dungeon still Now thou that hast receiued grace wert once a prisoner to the diuell as well as the rest of Adams posterity and wert chained with spirituall fetters in the dungeon of sinne where thou hadst neither the Sunne of Righteousnesse to shine vpon thee nor the winde of grace to breathe into thee The Father of his owne free will sent his Sonne the Sonne came willingly himselfe with the holy Ghost to dissolue the workes of the diuell in thee to loosen the boltes of sinne for thee to bring thee out of that same hideous and stinking dungeon into the fresh aire with the sun-shine of grace to giue light to thee with the gales of grace to blow on thee when he might haue taken others and left thee a prisoner still Now was his loue so great to thee was his will such towards thee rather then towards others when as thou wert in the same condemnation with others Oh let this strike into thy heart and make so deep an impression in thy soule that it may neuer be forgotten that it may euer be remembred let it driue thee into such an extasie that vppon thy awaking thou mayest with holy Dauid and patient Iob who had experience of the like mercie breake out and say i Psal 8.4 What is man that thou art mindfull of him and the Sonne of man that thou dost thus visit him k Iob 7.17 What is man that thou shouldest magnifie him and that thou shouldest set thy heart vppon him Lord what am I that thou shouldest thus set thine heart vpon me to visite mee with the blasts of thine heauenly graces and make my heart which was formerly a slie for vncleane diuells a lodging and temple for the holy Ghost to dwell in Lord this is loue without paralell this is mercie without comparison what seemed it good in thine eyes heauenly Father to turne me and blow mee towards the Kingdome of Heauen when being blowne forward with the blasts of that wicked spirit I was going running posting flying to the kingdome of darkenesse Needs must I lose my selfe in the admiration of this loue and with the Psalmist say l Psal 18.49 Because thou hast thus deliuered me from the hand of the violent therefore will I giue thanks vnto thee O Lord and sing praises vnto thy holy name Thus I say let the praises of God bee in thy mouth when the worke of his Spirit is in thy heart And this is the duety which thou that art a new creature in Christ art dayly to practise on thine owne behalfe 2 Carenes to beg grace for those that went it Againe as thou must thus be thankfull for what thou thy selfe hast thus freely receiued so thou must be a suter vnto Gods maiesty for the like mercie on the behalfe of those that want it for thou knowest that they are no more able to work this grace in themselues then thou thy selfe wert when thou wert in the same state with them and thou vnderstandest by this doctrine that it commeth from God alone and the Philosophers axiome is true m Aristot de causis res recipiunt bonitatem in fluxam a prima causa Things receiue their goodnes from the first cause of that goodnesse And the soule that is empty of grace must receiue her preordained fulnesse of grace from the Lord the first cause and fountaine of grace and from that fountaine must thy prayers bee as a pitcher to fetch grace for thy brother so farre foorth as precedent election maketh a possibility of speeding A caution Mis-take mee not I speake not this as though I were of opinion that the merit of thy prayers could deserue grace at Gods hands for thy elect brother but I only shew thee what the consideration of the freedome of Gods pleasure in breathing grace into his Church ought to stirre thee vp vnto and what loue and pitty to thy vnregenerate brothers poore soule ought to moue thee vnto viz. to beseech God who n Act. 2.17 poureth his Spirit