be the Truths of God notwithstanding the Follies of men Those Admonitions of Quench not the Spirit 1 Thes. 4.19 Grieve not the Spirit Eph. 4.30 Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the Flesh Gal. 5.16 were intended for serious Advice And why should we Grieve that Spirit which is to be our Comforter Joh. 14.26 and 15.26 by whom we are sealed to the day of Redemption Eph. 1.13 and 4.30 And David prays in good earnest Psal. 51.10 Create in me a clean Heart O God and renew a right Spirit within me v. 11. Take not thy holy Spirit from me v. 12. Vphold me with thy free Spirit Nor did God mock us when he promised to pour his Spirit upon all flesh Joel 2.28 Nor Christ when he says His Father will give his holy Spirit to them that ask Luke 11.13 And the Threatnings of God are very severe against those that do despite to the Spirit of Grace Heb. 10.29 and who Blaspheme or speak against the holy Spirit Mat. 12.31 32. Nor will the Follies of some who may pretend to what they have not Excuse the Malice of others who make a Mock of Holy things But to return This Change of Nature must I say be wrought by the Spirit of God Not but that we must be Active also in a diligent use of the Means of Grace whereby God's Spirit doth ordinarily work Grace in us as Praying Hearing and Reading the Word of God keeping his Sabbaths and other of his Ordinances For God hath appointed them for that very end that the Spirit of God may by them work Grace in us But we are so to use them as yet to look beyond them and wait for a work of God by his Spirit upon our hearts in concurrence with them to make them effectual to us I have Planted saith Paul 1 Cor. 3.6 and Apollo Watered but God gave the Increase Ver. 7. So then neither is he that Planteth any thing neither he that Watereth that is nothing in comparison But God that giveth the Increase Hence it is that under the same Means of Grace and the same Arguments used to perswade us one is taken and another left Mat. 24.40 41. as Christ speaks in a like case one converted and another remains obdurate And to the same person there be some Mollia tempora fandi those Arguments at one time prevail which at another time do not And when they do it is not without a special concurrence of God with them and not meerly from other Circumstantials or a power of our own without it And our Church saith the same in her Tenth Article in the words The Condition of Man after the Fall of Adam is such that he cannot turn or prepare himself by his own natural strength and good works to Faith and Calling upon God Wherefore we have no power to do good works pleasant and acceptable to God without the Grace of God by Christ Preventing us that we may have a good will and Working with us when we have that good will If any shall yet inquire as Nicodemus here How can these things be Joh. 3.10 How is it that God or his Spirit can thus work upon our hearts Man being a free Agent or How this is consistent with the Freedome of Man's will or the like I do not know that we are obliged to trouble our selves with those nice Inquiries Sure it is that when we act we act Freely not against our wills Certum est nos velle cum volumus sed Deus facit ut velimus is a known saying in the case When we will 't is voluntary but 't is God makes us thus to will And St. Paul long before It is God which worketh in us both to Will and to Do of his good pleasure Phil. 2.13 As to the Manner of it If we say God works we know not how it doth not therefore follow that he doth not work If we do not know How the bones grow in the womb of her that is with child Eccles. 11.5 which yet we know do grow we may as likely be ignorant How God works in the New-birth We have in Job 38. a great many hard Questions concerning Natural things which God himself puts to Job to check his curiosity in higher matters which would trouble any of us to answer as to the particular manner and yet in general that the things be so we cannot deny St. Paul Rom. 9.19 to such captious Questions Why doth he yet complain for who hath resisted his will makes this grave Reply v. 20. Nay but O Man who art thou that disputest against God 'T is hard for us to set bounds to the Almighty to say what he doth or what he may doe Modesty becomes us herein Vain man saith Zophar in Job Job 11.12 would needs be wise though man be born like a wild Asses Colt Nor is it for us to give Law to the Almighty or say unto him What doest thou And here if ever that counsel of Solomon is seasonble Eccl. 5.2 Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thy heart be hasty to utter any thing before God for God is in heaven and thou upon earth therefore let thy words be few And our Saviour here to Nicodemus from our Ignorance in Earthly things pleads for a modest Submission in things of a higher nature Joh. 3.8 The Wind bloweth where it listeth thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth So is every one that is born of the Spirit Ver. 12. And if in Earthly things we are at a loss how much more in Heavenly And Solomon to the same purpose in the place before cited Eccl. 11.5 As thou knowest not what is the way of the Spirit nor how the bones grow in the womb of her that is with child Even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all 'T is commonly either from a vain Curiosity or proud Arrogance that makes men over Confident in such things I find the Church of God in the first Ages of the World did for a long time for ought we see rest satisfied with that first general promise That the Seed of the Woman should break the Serpents head Gen. 3.25 That God would by some born of a Woman find a way they knew not how to deliver us from that wretched condition which by the Serpents malice and subtilty was brought upon us Without being over inquisitive When or How or By whom it should be brought about Till God saw fit in his own time upon the coming of our Saviour to declare it more plainly and fully And in like manner when God promises to circumcise our heart Deut. 6.30 to give us a new heart and put a new spirit within us Ezek. 36.26 to take away the heart of stone and give us a heart of flesh Ezek. 11.19 to put his Law in our inward parts and write it in our hearts Jer. 31.33 to put his fear
man that doth them shall Live in them 't is meant only of Temporal Life If the Promises be but of things Temporal how come the Threatnings to be of things Eternal But they are indeed Both of them of things Eternal as well as Temporal And the Services required are Spiritual as well as Bodily And that of the Spirit principally and in the first place Yet it is not of the Heart only but Secondly of the Life also that God requires 'T is in vain to talk of a Good Heart towards God with a Wicked Life in the face of the World Mat. 7.17 If the Tree be Good the Fruit will be so too A Wicked Life is a certain sign of a Naughty Heart And this Obedience must be Uniform and Universal Psal. 119.6 Then shall I not be ashamed saith David when I have respect to all thy Commandments We are not to Pick and Choose what to Obey and what not As if a double Diligence in some One particular wherein our own Interest prompts us would Expiate for a supine Negligence in all the rest It was suspicious in Jehu who was very Zealous against the Worship and Priests of Baal set up by Ahab and Jezabel the better to secure his Interest against the House of Ahab and the Adherents thereof Ver. 29. But adhered to the sins of Jeroboam the Son of Nebat and the Golden Calves which he set up in Dan and Bethel And otherwise as 't is expresly noted ver 31. took no heed to walk in the Law of the Lord God of Israel with all his Heart And Christ taxes the Pharisees who quarrelled with his Disciples for transgressing the Tradition of the Elders in Eating with Vnwashen Hands while themselves made void the Law of God by their Traditions As men Zealous in small Punctilio's of Tithing Mint Annise and Cummin while they Neglected the Weightier matters of the Law Mat. 23.23 And straining at a Gnat while they swallow a Camel Ver. 24. And making clean the Outside of the Cup and Platter while their Inward part was full of Wickedness Luk. 11.39 And while they made New Sins which God never made were very Remiss as to those that were Notorious and Undeniably so But if we would indeed approve our selves to God we must take heed to Duties of all sorts Of a Chast Temperate and Sober life as to Our selves Of Loyalty Obedience and due Submission to our Superiours in Church and State Of Charity Equity and Just dealing to Inferiours Equals and all Men Of Religion Piety and Devotion to God And all this Out of a Pure Heart and of a Good Conscience and of Faith Vnfeigned 1 Tim. 1.5 For all which because we are of our selves Insufficient without the Assistance of God's Spirit we are to call in That to our Aid As the Text directs us And the Collect for the Day with which I will conclude O God Forasmuch as Without Thee we are not able to Please Thee Mercifully grant That thy Holy Spirit may in all things Direct and Rule our Hearts through Jesus Christ our Lord. To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be Honour and Praise Now and for Ever Amen FINIS Errata PAge 4. l. penult press p. 6. l. 27. to things of sense p. 9. l. 8. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 15. l. ult for done r. due p. 20 l. 22. for God r. Good p. 24. l. 19. for Those r. That l. 29. so to see l. ult dele or his first birth p. 32. l. 6. these words p. 40. l. 17. needs August Publike Baptism of Infants Absolution Third Collect. Prayer for the King Royal Family Clergy Christmas Easter day 5. Sunday after Easter Whitsunday 1. Sunday after Trinity 7. Sunday 9. Sunday 15. Sunday 17. Sunday Before the Commandments Communion Collects Albertus Pighius Lev. 18.5 Ezek. 20.11 Rom. 10.5 Gal. 3.12 2 King 10.25 28. Mat. 15.2 3 6. Mar. 7.5 8 9 13. 19. Sunday after Trinity
Justification or that of Adoption do properly import in the Object a Real Change but only a Relative For the Traitor thus Pardoned and thus Advanced may yet remain a Wicked Person and as very an Enemy to his Soveraign as he was before if there be not a change wrought in his Mind as well as in his Relative state Nor is this the Sonship which the Text speaks of But beside this Sonship by Adoption there is also a Sonship by Regeneration which the Text mentions as Necessary to those who shall See the Kingdome of God And this implies as was said before not so much a Relative change of the State as a Real change of the Person Except a man be born again and thereby have a New Nature as well as a New Relation he cannot See the Kingdome of God 'T is vain to think of being the Sons of God by Adoption unless we be his Sons by Regeneration also The one never goes without the other For like as 't is a Vain thing to talk of Saving Faith which is not as occasion serves attended with Good Works And a Vain thing to talk of being Justified without being Sanctified also So 't is a Vain thing to talk of Adoption without Regeneration For though the Notions be Different the Things alwaies go together And are commonly so mentioned in Scripture Thus 1 Joh. 12 13. To as many as Received him that is to as many as believed on his name as it is there explained he gave Power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Right or Privilege as the Margin renders it to be the Sons of God to wit by Adoption But it then follows which were Born to wit by Regeneration not of the will of Man but of God Those that are the Sons of God by Adoption must be Born again by Regeneration So Gal. 4 5 6. When he had said God sent his Son c. that we might receive the Adoption of Sons he adds And because ye are Sons God hath sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father That is the Spirit of Regeneration the same Spirit by which the Text says we must be Born again Except a man be born of Water and of the Spirit ver 5. he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God And again Rom. 8.15 16. We have not received the spirit of Bondage again to Fear but we have received the spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father The Spirit it self bearing witness with our Spirits that we are the Sons of God But how doth he thus bear witness to our Adoption He tells us ver 14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God By being a Spirit of Regeneration it bears witness of our Adoption For like as no man can know that he is Elected till he know that he is Justified and Sanctified So neither can we know that we are Adopted till we first know that we are Regenerate Whom he did Fore-know saith St. Paul Rom. 8.28 he did also Predestinate to be conformed to the Image of his Son that is whom he designed to be Happy he designed to be Holy And whom he did thus Predestinate them he Called them he Justified and them he Glorified But till we find by the Effect we were designed to be Holy we can never know that we are designed to be Happy And in like manner Till we find that we are led by the Spirit of Regeneration we can never know that we are the Sons of God by Adoption And our Text says the same though in other words Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdome of God that is Except he be born again by Regeneration he cannot pretend a title to the Kingdome of God by Adoption Till they be born again they cannot be Children of the Kingdome as the Phrase is Mat. 13.38 Adoption and Regeneration alwaies go together Now as being the Sons of God by Adoption is the Completing of our Justification So To become the Sons of God by Regeneration is the Beginning of our Sanctification For what in the Origine or Beginning we call Regeneration or a New Birth that in the Progress we call Sanctification or a New Life And 't is called in Scripture by many other Names to the same purpose 'T is called A dying to Sin and being alive to God Rom. 6.4 11. that we may thenceforth Walk in newness of Life 'T is called Conversion or a turning from darkness to light from the power of Sathan unto God Act. 26.18 That they may receive forgiveness of Sins and Inheritance among those that are Sanctified Where you see Conversion attended with Justification or the Forgiveness of Sins and Adoption to the Inheritanc◠but 't is amongst those that are sanctified And again Mat. 18.3 Except ye be Converted and become as little children ye shall not enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Where being Converted is the same with what the Text calls being Born again 'T is becoming a new Creature Gal. 5.17 If any man be in Christ he is a new Creature Old things are passed away and all things are become new 2 Cor. 5.17 A new Heart a new Spirit Ezek. 36.26 that is A new Frame and Temper of Mind new Principles new Propensions and Inclinations To be renewed in the spirit of our Minds Eph. 4.23 To be created in Christ Jesus unto good works Eph. 2.10 which God hath before ordained that we should walk therein that is according to our present Idiom wherein God hath before appointed that we should walk 'T is a repairing of God's Image in us which by the Fall was Obliterated and Defaced A putting off the Old man with his deeds and putting on the New man which is renewed after the Image of him that created him Col. 3.9 10. A putting off the Old man which is corrupt according to the deceitfull Lusts and putting on the New man which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness Eph. 4.22 24. With many other Expressions of like import For in expressing Spiritual things by Metaphors taken from things Sensible 't is frequent in Scripture because no one can adequately reach it to make use of many some-way to Resemble the thing intended The Result of all tends to this That there must be a Change of Nature wrought in those who are to Inherit the Kingdome of God Not as to the Essentials of humane Nature but as to the perverse inclinations of corrupt Nature Whence those who by Nature as now Corrupted are prone to Evil may from a new Principle become in Love with God And that in order thereunto we must have not only a Principle of Reason from our First Birth to act as Men but a Principle of Grace also from our new Birth to act as Good Men. For an Evil Tree Heb. 12.15 or a Root of Bitterness will never Mat. 7.17 bring forth good Fruit But the Tree must be made good Mat. 12.33 that the
in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing Ver. 19. The Good that I would do I do not but the Evil which I would not do that I do Ver. 22. I delight in the Law of God after the Inward man Ver. 23. But I see another Law in my Members warring against the Law of my Mind and bringing me into captivity to the Law of Sin Nor need we here dispute the point whether St. Paul speak this of himself as in his Regenerate condition or in his Unregenerate For either way it serves our purpose well enough That there is in man at least before his Regeneration such Habitual Corruption as makes him thus Prone to Sin and Averse to Good How much of it remains afterward because that we are Sanctified but in part is to our present purpose not necessary But that there is too much of it even those that are the most Sanctified find cause to bewail This Depravation of Nature or as our Church calls it Infection of Nature she hath so well described in her 9 th Article that I will not take upon me to mend it She calls it there Original Sin and declares it to be The Fault and Corruption of the Nature of every man that naturally is engendred of the Off-spring of Adam Whereby man is far gone from Original Righteousness and is of his own Nature Inclined to Evil So that the Flesh lusteth alwaies against the Spirit And therefore in every person born into this world it deserveth God's Wrath and Damnation With more to the same purpose I do not intend here to enter into a nice discourse of Original Sin What it is or By what means it comes to be derived upon us It is enough for our present purpose which our Church saith explicitely That such a thing there is That by this we are Inclined to Evil That it is Universal to all naturally descended from Adam That it sticks so close to us as to be called Our own Nature and That it deserves God's Wrath and Damnation Now this being our Nature as we proceed from Adam there will be need of another Nature before we can be accepted of God Which I do not mean of a Physical change as to the Essentials of Humane Nature But of a Moral change as to the Propensions and Inclinations of it And this Change of Nature is that which the Text means by being Born again For though our English-Tongue do not so much favour it Nova Natura and de novo Nasci are all one A new Nativity is a new Nature And it is the Hebrews common form of Speech which the Greek in the New Testament doth use to follow to call men the Sons of such whose Natures they imitate Upon a common presumption that Animals are of the same nature with those from which they descend Thus A Generation of Vipers A seed of Evil doers Children of Belial Ye are of your Father the Devil and the like imply as much as a Viperous Wicked and Devilish Nature And contrariwise to be Born of God on the Child of God is to be like God to be made partaker of a Divine Nature And Christ to the Pharisees Joh. 8.39 If ye were the Children of Abraham ye would do the works of Abraham v. 44. But ye are of your Father the Devil and the Lusts of your Father ye will do That is If you had Abraham's Nature you would Act like Abraham But being of a Devilish Nature you Act accordingly And thus much for the Ground or Reason of this Necessity It is the Corruption of our own Nature that makes it necessary to have a new Nature before we can see the Kingdome of God where no unclean thing may enter Eph. 4.22 We must put off the Old man which is Corrupt according to the deceitfull lusts v. 23. And be Renewed in the spirit of our Minds v. 24. And put on the New man which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holyness We are next to consider By what Power it is that this Change of Nature must be wrought And this Christ tells Joh. 3.5 must be by the Spirit Except a man be born of Water and of the Spirit 'T is not enough that a man be washed with Water such as were many of the Jewish Cleansings and Initiations but insufficient to wash away Sin He must be born of the Spirit also and by that be cleansed from the pollutions of Nature if ever he see the Kingdome of God Ver. 6. For that which is born of the Flesh is but Flesh 't is that which is born of the Spirit that is Spirit To be born of the Flesh is enough to give us a Fleshly Nature that of a Reasonable creature or a Sinfull creature And to be washed with Water may take away the Filth of the Body But it must be a Spiritual birth that gives us a Spiritual nature and it must be the Laver of Regeneration and the Renewing of the holy Ghost Tit. 3.5 that washeth away the Filth of Sin No man comes to me saith Christ Joh. 6.44 except the Father who sent me draw him 'T is according to his Divine Power saith Peter 2 Pet. 1.3 that we are made partakers of the Divine Nature v. 4. 'T is by the spirit of his Son saith St. Paul Gal. 4.6 which God sends into our hearts whereby we are inabled to cry Abba Father Those to whom there is no condemnation Rom. 8.1 are they who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit Those who have another principle of Life and Action by Spiritual Regeneration than that of the Flesh by Carnal Generation Ver. 5. For they that are after the Flesh do mind the thiâ—gs of the Flesh but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit Ver. 6. For to be carnally minded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Death but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be Spiritually minded is Life and Peace v. 7. Because the carnal mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be Ver. 8. So then they that are in the Flesh cannot Please God V. 9. But ye are not in the Flesh but in the Spirit if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you Now if any have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Ver. 13. For if ye live after the Flesh ye shall dye but if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the Body ye shall Live Ver. 14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God With much more there to the same purpose I know very well that the name of the Spirit in this loose age is made matter of Burlesk and Drollery But so are all the sacred things of God His Being and Providence Heaven and Hell and the day of Judgment Yet we must not therefore be Drolled out of our Religion The Truths of God will still
in our hearts that we shall not depart from him Jer. 32.40 We may well rest satisfied that he who hath said it can doe it without cavilling or nice inquiring How can these things be And the like when God threatens to harden Pharaoh's heart Exod. 4.21 and 7.3 or to make the heart of the people fat that hearing they may hear but not understand Isai. 6.9 10. and seeing they may see but not perceive Mat. 13.14 15. To wit by leaving them to their natural hardness and blindness without correcting it by his Spirit Now that which hereby we prove is this Not that God forces us to will against our wills for that in sensu composito as to the Elicite Act is impossible as implying a contradiction in the terms for as to what we will we are so far willing But that by the Spirit we are born again that is that God by his Spirit works in us a new Nativity a new Nature that is a new Habit of Grace whereby we are inclined to Love and Delight in Good as by the habitual Corruption of our Nature we are inclined to Evil. And this is the concurrent doctrine of the Schools Who I think do generally allow that our Souls are capable of Infused Habits as well as acquired And if by derivation from our first parents we be capable of habitual Corruption I see not why we should doubt but that we are alike capable of habitual Grace And of this for ought I know as early as of that For like as there may be habitual Corruption before we be in a capacity for want of the use of Reason to commit Actual Sin So may God as early put into our hearts the Seeds of Grace which may afterwards when occasion shall serve bring forth the Fruits of good living He may I say when he please not that he alwaies so doth We reade of Isaiah that he was called from the womb Isai. 49.1 and of Jeremiah Jer. 1.5 Before thou camest out of the womb I Sanctified thee and of John the Baptist that he should be filled with the holy Ghost even from his mothers womb Luk. 1.15 And our Church presumes of Infants that they be at least some of them Regenerate when Baptized And therefore For as much as all men are conceived and born in Sin and that our Saviour Jesus Christ says None can enter into the Kingdome of God except he be Regenerate and Born anew of Water and of the holy Ghost doth direct us to call upon God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ that of his bounteous mercy he will grant to this Child that thing which by Nature he cannot have And doth pray accordingly that God will Wash him and Sanctifie him with the holy Ghost And that he may receive remission of Sins by Spiritual Regeneration Nor is the Holy Ghost less able to work effectually afterwards Else why are we taught to pray to God to grant us true repentance and his holy Spirit that the things may please him which we doe at present and that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure and holy That all our doings may be ordered by his Government to doe alwaies that which is righteous in his sight And for the King's Majesty That God will replenish him with the grace of his Spirit that he may alwaies incline to God's will and walk in his waies and to endue him plenteously with heavenly Gifts And for the Royal Family That God will endue them with his holy Spirit and enrich them with his heavenly Grace And for the Clergy That God will send upon our Bishops and Curates and all Congregations committed to their charge the healthfull Spirit of his Grace And for our selves That being Regenerate and made his Children by Adoption and Grace we may be daily renewed by his holy Spirit That as by his special Grace Preventing us he puts into our minds good Desires so by his continual Help we may bring the same to good Effect That by his holy Inspiration we may Think those things that be good and by his mercifull Guiding we may Perform the same That God who did teach the hearts of his faithfull people by sending them the light of his holy Spirit will grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things That because by the weakness of our mortal nature we can doe no good thing without him he will grant us the help of his Grace that in keeping his commandments we may please him both in Will and Deed. That God who is the Author and Giver of all good things will graft in our heart the Love of his Name That he will Grant us the Spirit to Think and Doe alwaies such things as be rightfull that we who cannot doe any thing without him may by him be enabled to live according to his will That because the frailty of Man without him cannot but fall he will keep us ever by his help That his Grace may alwaies Prevent and Follow us and make us continually to be given to all good works That Almighty God will cleanse the Thoughts of our Hearts by the inspiration of his holy Spirit that we may perfectly love him and worthily magnify his holy Name With much more in the Prayers of our Church to the same purpose All which implies that there is a power in God to work in our Souls by his Spirit such a gracious frame and temper of Heart inclining it to Good as before it was to Evil as without it would not have been And truly if we do allow that the Wisdome of man by moral Arguments and rational Discourse may without doing violence to his Will perswade another to Think otherwise than before he did and to Doe what otherwise he would not have done which yet when he doth he doth Freely Nay more if a Glass of Wine though taken moderately and without excess may give a man that Life Vigour and Alacrity as to make him almost another man to Speak Think and Doe what else he would not or at least not in such a Manner and to such a Degree Surely we may allow the Wisdome of God and the Efficacy of his Spirit without intrenching upon our Freedome to doe as much or more than so And either without or in concurrence with such moral Swasions to put that Warmth into our hearts as to act beyond what without it we should have done Nor is there any reason to fear that such Inclination to Good from the Spirit of God should prejudice the Freedome of our Will any more if so much as the Inclination to Evil from our own Corruption or the Temptations of Sathan Especially since that the Blessed Angels and the Glorified Saints in Heaven where Sorrow and Sin shall be no more shall as Freely Love God and Praise him as we on Earth can do Notwithstanding that they shall be