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
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
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
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
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
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