the word and keep their sins still but a child of God hath an unction and when the word doth discoveâ— his sins to him he cannot hold up his hand against God but he must fall down and bow before him Secondly There shall ever remain in a childe of God lusting against every known sin there will be ever in a childe of God both before and after the committing of known sins lusting against the flesh the sanctified part will lust against the unsanctified he shall never sin with an whole will and full consent as the Apostle speaks Gal. 5.17 The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh c. There is a spiritual will in a child of God that will ever lust against the carnal will so that a man cannot commit sin with his whole will as a wicked man doth as Paul saith Rom. 7.25 He did not sin with all his soule with all his heart his mind was for God the spiritual part of his will was against his sin I find another law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde c. He did not sin with all his will for he had another law in his heart rebelling against the law of sin and death therefore the Apostle saith 1 John 5.18 Whatsoever is borne of God sinneth not that is he cannot sin with his free will with his whole consent I will make this appear by five things that a child of God can never sin with his whole will First Because he never sins but it is against his standing purpose and resolution and determination in himselfe a childe of God hath a purpose never to sin against God by using all manner of wayes by striving praying labouring endeavouring comming to all Gods Ordinances and taking all courses to resist sin he hath this purpose a wicked man now hath no purpose not to sin but he hath a secret purpose to sin a Drunkard hath a purpose when he meets with his companions to goe to the Alehouse and drink with them and a covetous man hath a secret purpose to be worldly so let a man be a vain and an evill companion he will not give over his company-keeping they are his friends and he will converse with them tell him he must converse with the Saints of God he will not he hath a secret purpose to the contrary but if a childe of God sin it is against his purpose he hath a standing purpose not to sin Psalm 119.27 Psal 39.1 Psal 101.3 So I will never forget thy precepts I will consider thy testimonies and I will turn my feet unto thy wayes There are abundance of places of Scripture that shew that a childe of God ever takes up an absolute purpose concerning holinesse and godlinesse of life and conversation Now if a child of God be born down at any time it is against the purpose of his heart which is a signe that he doth not sin with his whole will for if a mans will were absolutely set upon wicked courses then he would have a purpose and resolution to live in them but a childe of God hath alwayes a purpose to doe the contrary and to walk in Gods wayes Secondly Because a child of God never sins but it is against the study and composure of his heart it is against his course against the frame he composeth to himselfe which is that he may not sin against God but that he is borne down with sin Psal 119.112 I have inclined my heart to keep thy statutes alwayes even to the end He had a study and composure in his soule to keep Gods statutes and to keep them alwayes even to the end therefore whensoever David sinned it was not with his whole will for he sinned against the study and composure of his heart Thirdly A childe of God never sins but there is something or other that breaks the fulnesse of the voluntariness of it as for example if a childe of God sins sometimes it is out of ignorance he doth not know that he offends God if he did he would not doe it for a world Now ignorance doth lessen the voluntarinesse of a thing a man in ignorance may doe a thing which he would not have done if he had known it therefore when a childe of God sinnes in ignorance his will is not with it Again If he sin against knowledge at any time then it is through inconsideratenesse it is in his haste you know inconsideratenesse doth lessen the will mightily a man may in haste doe a thing which when he comes to think of he would rather have cut off his right arm then have done it therefore this is an argument that all his will was not in the committing of the sin because he did not consider of it he did not doe it deliberately Psal 116.11 In my haste I said all men are lyars in my haste I said I am cut off from thy presence Again If he he doe it with more deliberation yet there is something still that doth lessen the will there be grievous and violent passions Now violent passions doe exceedingly take away the will a man in passion will doe things that his will is absolutely against a man will stab his dearest friend in fury and passion as when David murdered Vriah it was meerly out of passion the passion of shame lest his sin should come out to the dishonour of God and the shame of his Kingdome and Crown he was overwhelmed with shame and fear of the disgrace of his sins and in fear he did doe it So Peter was in fear when he denied his Master in fear that he should be put to death when at the same time I dare say many qualms came over his heart O that I were not here O that I were not put to this So when Jonah ran away from God it was in a passion Again Suppose that passion be down yet something or other there will be still that will lessen the will as violent temptations and impulsions to sin when a man himself at the same time hath a great act of his will to resist these temptations and impulsions to sin when a man at the same time hath a great act of his will to resist these temptations but the temptations are greater and so he is born down but here is not all the will for he would not do it a wicked man may have reluctancy and resistance against sin in his conscience but a godly man his will is against it Fourthly A child of God can never be brought so low as to make a trade of sin He that committeth sin is of the Divel 1 Job 3.8 that is he that committeth sin by way of trade now this cannot be in a child of God he is of the Divel that makes a trade of sin a child of God his course is to the contrary it is his trade to cleanse himself and purifie his heart by faith from day to day if he be
Rom. 8.15 You have not received againe the Spirit of bondage to feare you did receive it once but you have not received it againe but now you have received the Spirit of adoption whereby you cry Abba Father Now to deny this doctrine is to deny the maine office of the Spirit which is dangerous for every man naturally is a bedlam now how are bedlams tamed they are beaten and whipt and kept under till they come to themselves so the Lord deals with a man as with a bedlam he comes with the Spirit of bondage flinging in slavish terrours and fears and what a miserable creature he is this sin and the other sinne and the wrath of God is come out against him the Spirit takes a man down from day to day and undermines him and breaks his stomack and then afterwards when he hath wrought that work he comes to be the Spirit of adoption to teach him to cry Abba Father Thirdly Because the Gospels turne is not come till the Law hath done his part this was the method that Christ was anointed to observe in his Ministery he would first have a man bruised and broken and captivated and blind and poore and in misery and then he preacheth the Gospel to him as you may see Luk. 4.19 The Spirit of the Lord hath anointed me to this order saith he it is an excellent place for this purpose to stop the mouthes of those that hope there is an easier way he will preach the Gospel and liberty and comfort and enlargement but he will have a broken heart first and a tender Spirit first Fourthly You may see an expresse place of our Saviour Christ that he came to save that which was lost first a man shall be in a lost estate and he shall be in a wilderness and he shall have his sinnes discovered and his misery and then the Lord comes to those that he hath a minde to do good unto Mat. 9.12 13. saith he They that are whole need not the Physitian but they that are sick he means to deale with a man as a Physitian a man must be sick before he comes to him the Physitian gives Physick to none till they be sick now till a man is sick of his sinnes till they are the diseases of his soul till he is in torments and misery the Lord Jesus saith he will not be his Physician Fifthly Because God doth see it fitting to deale thus with his converted ones when they fall into some foule sinne and grosse iniquity the Lord is pleased to go this way to work even towards his own converted ones when they sinne not onely through invincible infirmities and through temptation but when they grow stubborn when they fall into some horrible iniquity the Lord doth use to go even legally to work with them though they lie under grace therefore much more towards those that never yet were under grace that never had any free Spirit that never had any part of an ingenious nature that were never yet wrought to be led by the faire means of grace if God work so with those that he hath given in some measure his grace and given in some measure a portion of his free Spirit unto if when they sinne and sinne foully it is not all the promise of the Gospel all the covenant of Grace that will raise them up againe and make them walk before God with holiness and zeale and fervency then much more will he deale thus with those that never had any grace at all Thus David cryeth out thy fears have got hold upon me and Psal 28.4 his sinnes were as an heavy burthen unto him too heavy for him to beare he did not onely set his sinnes before him they were not onely the objects before his eyes so they are to a man that walks in the comforts of the Spirit they are before his eyes every man that walks in obedience he hath his sinnes before him at times to humble him and keep him low and make him still hang upon Christ and depend upon him and esteem Christ precious to you that believe Christ is precious 2 Pet. 4.5 But now he sets them before them not only as objects but layeth them as loads upon their backs that their sins shall not only be seen but felt by them now this is a legal work when any part of a mans sinnes and misery lyes upon his soul and conscience 't is true God never shews sinne to the utmost to his people he never layeth all the load if God should stirre up all the stink of uncleanness that is in his people if God should discover to them all the ugly looks of their sinnes they were not able to beare it As a good man said when I see my self saith he it is an intollerable horror to me it makes my very flesh to shiver and my soul to quake to think what I am in my self Nay if God should lay all the burden of sinne upon the soul the children of God their Spirits would faile they were not able to subsist under it but thus farre the Lord reveals their sinnes and layeth load upon them to break their hearts and rend the kall of their spirits to tame and pull them to him to bring them under and to make them beare his yoake Lastly Because wheresoever the Scripture doth speak at large and professedly of any mans conversation we do not read of any conversation but it was after this manner by revealing their misery in themselves and charging their sinnes upon their souls Thus the Lord dealt with Manasses he did mightily afflict him he opened his eyes by outward afflictions and then charged his misery upon his soul Thus the Lord dealt with Ephraim as with an untamed heifer and then he cryed out Convert me O Lord and I shall be converted Jer. 31.18 And thus the Lord dealt with the woman in the Gospel that washed his feet with her tears you must think it was not ordinary sorrow that could make her tears trickle down in such plentiful manner as to wash his feet thus it was with her before she had the pardon of her sinnes and thus it was with Peters hearers he told them that they were the murtherers of the Lord Jesus and then they were pricked in the hearts before he did preach the Gospel and bid them repent evangelically Thus did John the Baptist deale first he comes with the axe and hews at them and layes at the root of the tree and then he tells them of Christ there comes one after me that is more worthy then I c. First he did lay about him to detect their misery and reveale to their wretched estate and then at the last he preached the Gospel and poured in oyle So it was with Paul the Lord made it appeare that he fought against heaven and persecuted the Lord Jesus Christ and he laid him flat upon his face nay he smote him with blindness and sent
corruption after another manner then any other man so he looks upon Gods holiness and righteousness and graciousness he looks upon these so as no natural man doth if a man do but talk with him he will see that he hath anointing at the lowest ebbe he will not talk of the wayes of God as a natural man he will discover that he hath something of God something of this oyntment left in him still Fourthly There is a little strength in his heart as the Lord saith Rev. 3.8 A child of God take him at the lowest ebbe yet he hath a little strength I speak not here of actual grace for a child of God may have no actual grace stirring it may be quite in a swound as David I hardly think there was any grace stirring in his heart when he lay with Bathsheba but I speak of the frame of a child of God when he is grown dead in his general bent frame and inclination he hath yet a little strength he doth a little fear God though it be much born down he hath some good desires though but weak and in a great measure ineffectual he hath a little endeavour to please God though the pleasing of his flesh and corruptions be so much that his grace doth scarcely appear The first use is this Is it so that a child of God may thus far grow dead let us know this is not to encourage any man in sin that any man should conclude well then it is no great matter though I sin now and then and lie and swear now and then in many things we offend all and we are all sinners the Minister told us to day how dead a man may be and yet be a child of God for all this this is a damned use of this doctrine there is no doctrine no example recorded in all the whole Bible to encourage men to sin therefore when we look into the lives of Noah of Abraham of Lot c. and read of their great falls this is not to encourage any man to sin but rather to stir up a man so much the more to labour against sin for if the children of God that have his favour and have got into his covenant and have got power in grace and have traded in Religion and have waded far in mortification and newness of life and have gone many degrees towards Gods Kingdom if these men give way never so little may be dead if sin may get dominion over these how should others quake and tremble and reason thus Did David and Peter fall how then shall I stand how careful should I be David had a thousand times more grace then I and was more mortified then I and had a better heart then I if he were so weak to overcome sin when he had given way to it if he could not preserve his affections from being deaded and if he could not preserve his soul from being a block in Gods service if he had so many advantages beyond me and yet giving way to idleness and drowsiness were born down in that fashion oh how should I take heed then Use 2 Secondly If a child of God may be thus dead then let the best of Gods Saints and children that are now most zealous and lively take heed let them follow hard after the mark let them stand upon their guard let them fight against idleness and drowsiness of spirit let them not be carnally confident to trust in their own hearts take heed thou knowest not how thy heavenly father may deal with thee for this is certain no child of God can get up again though he had the most grace that ever man had besides the Lord Jesus Christ if he give way to sin except the Lord help him we are like to a little babe if it falls there it lies till the parent help it up so when a child of God falls there he lieth in woful distress all this while and cannot get up for his life and if he had a thousand souls and they were all to be damned he could not save one of them unless God assist him Lam. 5.21 turn us O Lord and we shall be turned therefore art thou never so full of life take heed despise not prophesying despise not preaching despise not prayer despise not any ordinance of God despise none of these things never grow secure if thou dost woe unto thee may be God will help thee up again but who can tell the covenant of grace is certain for nothing but for eternal life if a man take heed and stand upon his watch he may the better build upon God that he shall not fall Pro. 28.4 therefore take heed that you pass the time of your so journing here in fear 1 Pet. 1.17 and having these promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit c. 2 Cor. 7.1 as who should say let us labour to have this holy fear in our heart ever to consider how weak and impotent we are if we grow drowsie and careless at any time we give advantage to the Divel we let him in and God knows when we shall get him out again therefore let this work fear and trembling Use 3 Thirdly This may be for comfort to those people of God that have been foolish and have deceived their own souls and have given way to Satan and let in this cruel and damned enemy that hath done a world of mischief that they are now come to despair almost they are afraid they shall never get up again never were any of Gods servants so dead and dull as I am Gods children can never be thus I say is there such a one among you let this doctrine be a thred let down from heaven to help him up again as the Apostle saith all things are written for our learning Rom. 15.4 so these Scriptures that speak of the falls of Gods Saints are written for such peoples learning that they may take comfort in the Scriptures that they may not be altogether out of heart but have something to lay hold on as Paul speaks of his sins of being a persecutor and a blasphemer he saith it is recorded that I afterwards may be an help to them that shall believe and as the sins of Gods elect before conversion are recorded that this may be a means to perswade Gods elected not yet converted that they may find grace though they be never so vile sinners for God hath left a pattern and pledge he hath been merciful to hainous sinners so the fall of Gods Saints and children after conversion are recorded to this end and I can tell you in time of temptation when conscience shall be awakned and the wrath of God shall stick in a mans soul a man cannot spare any one sweet proposition in Scripture nor any one example in Scripture nor any tittle of comfort it will be little enough to bear up the soul from despair â—nd from being overwhelmed all will
any thing himselfe if he hath gotten a little knowledge a little zeal a little faith a little humility a little ability to please God he is apt to think it such a deal and he is apt to cry down every one that is not as he is You are so proud and so thus and thus and to take off his heart from doing those duties which he owes towards him a man is apt to be very insolent in the Church of God many are thus till God doth take them down therefore the Lord by this means doth teach his people gentlenesse and meeknesse indeed God teacheth people many wayes besides this if they will take warning by his Word or some other course they save him a labour but if that will not doe God takes this course with a man to make him see his pride and conceitednesse and his want of mercy and unlikenesse to Christ in bowels and pity and compassion towards his brethren Fifthly The Lord leaves his own children to themselves sometimes to fall so foulely that he may humble them and bring them down low that he may make them see yet further into the corruptions of their own hearts that so he may make them capable of more grace for he gives grace to the humble Now when he would give more grace to a man may be he lets him fall into some horrible sinne that he may be the more humbled and see the naughtinesse of his own heart that he may be driven to God and may be deeper in mortification may be he thought he could goe no furthrer he did please himself in his prayers as I have heard of one that said when he had prayed he could hardly see any sinne in his prayer Now when the Lord is pleased to bestow upon them more grace he doth shew them the corruptions You know how often God let his people fall in the Wildernesse and that horribly by murmuring and repining and infidelity though they were his own chosen yet he let them fall at the waters of strife and at the red Sea he let them fall he let them fall concerning Manna why was this the text saith The Lord thy God he proved thee he led thee up and down in all this barren wildernesse where were Scorpions and fiery Serpents that he might humble thee and doe thee good in thy latter end Deut. 8.15 16. Meaning the Lord let them fall into those horrible evils that he might humble them that they might see the wickednesse of their own hearts and the infinite need they had of grace and the fear of God and standing upon their guard this did he to humble them and do them good in the latter end The first Use may seem to condemn those speeches that commonly go up down in Christians mouths let me tell you they are wicked speeches O say they grace will not let a man have such pride and vanity in him grace will not let a man do thus and thus I say these speeches are not good they favour of a world of ignorance of the grace of God Indeed in three cases these are admirable speeches First Certainly grace will bring a man home to God that belongs to him it will put him into Jesus Christ it will certainly make him a new creature and bring him out of the estate of sinne he shall not live in the estate of sin grace will do that and God in the covenant of grace doth set down that it is a fundamental promise he will do this for every one as the Apostle saith Eph. 4.7 this grace will surely undertake that a man shall be a believer if he belong to God and he shall be justified and sanctified in some measure he shall hate sin and love goodness in some measure and delight in Gods ordinances in some measure he shall be in the estate of grace and not in the estate of sin grace will do this this we may boldly say if a man have grace he must do this for God will teach him to do it Secondly Grace will undertake that a man shall not fall finally away that is certain that we may boldly say if a man be of God grace will teach him that he shall not fall away finally grace will uphold a man and maintain him when we see a man fall away finally we may conclude he had no true grace Gods children shall never fall finally away God will preserve and keep them whom he loves he loves to the end of all those that my Juâ—tiâ—â—â—ath given me I have lost none saith Christ Joh. 17. neither life nor death things present nor things to come shall ever be able to separate us from thâ— love of God in Christ Jesus saith Paul Rom. 8. ult that is most certain blessed and happy is he that hath his part in the first resurrection for over such the second death hath no power Rev. 2 26. that is such a man can never come to be damned he can never fall finally away or perish everlastingly there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ that walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Rom. 8.1 v. 30. whom God hath predestinated them he hath also called c. there is an individual necture of all the links of the chain of predestination in all the several buckles of it there is an indivisible connexion if a man be called he shall be justified and if he be justified he shall be sanctified and if he be sanctified he shall be glorified so that grace will undertake this that a man shall not fall finally away Thirdly We may say that grace will not suffer any man that is of God to fall totally away as not finally for ever so not totally he shall not be altogether without grace from that moment he began to have it for ever and ever he that drinketh of this water shall never thirst c. Joh. 4.14 that is he shall never thirst with total indigency again he shall never thirst with total want he shall ever have some grace and some of the image of God and some of the fear of God and some of the love of his truth and some desire to his name and some hatred of sin though in a poor degree yet he shall have something of God in him there shall be the seed of God remaining in him at all times 1 Joh. 3.9 my feet were almost gone saith David Psal 73.2 they were but almost gone they were not quite gone as it is said of the Church of Philadelphia she had a little strength so let a child of God be at the lowest ebbe yet there shall be a little water of life it shall not be quite exhaust though he fall he shall not be utterly cast down for the Lord will uphold him Psal 37.24 so that all this you may boldly say for in these things it is not conditionally Gods covenant but absolutely for God will give thee strength and power and
take heed of this Lastly Other sins though God threatens hell and damnation against them yet more specially against deadness did you ever hear of a more special threatning then that 2 Thess 2.10 11 12. when men â—oe not receive the truth in the love of it He doth not say When they do not receive it but When they do not receive it with affection with all their hearts You may see there how terribly God threatens when we do not receive the truth in the love of it we do not love Gods Word we do not love prayer and his ordinances we do not love the communion of Saints we do not love obedience to Gods truth this is a most woful thing though we doe receive it yet if we do not receive it in the love of it see there what he saith For this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a lye that they might all be damned c. So when Ephesus lest her first love God threatned to remove the candlestick Rev. 2.4 5. When Laodicea was gâ—own cold and careless and of a middle temper Gods threatens to spuâ— her out of his mouth Rev. 3.16 When Eli was grown cold and remiss and wanted zeal and life to stand for him see how terribly God threatens him I will doe a thin that whosoever heares it both his eares shall tingle 1 Sam 3.11 Nay saith he I will judge his house for ever for this thing v. 13. What remains then but that we should with all our might and all care and diligence even set to both our shoulders for the casting off this sin of deadness that if it be possible we may come to be quickned and serve God as we ought to do and follow his heavenly Kingdome with eagerness that none of these things we have spoken may befall us Consider first we have life and why may not God have it He hath breathed into our souls the breath of life in him we live move and have our being he hath given unto us all life and breath and if we have life why may not God have it if he hath given us affections why should they not be given to him again if he hath given us thoughts why should we not bestow them upon him if he hath given us dispositions and inclinations why should they not be set upon him The Rivers that come from the sea return to the sea again It is said of the Macedonians that they did yield themselves to the Lord 2 Cor. 8.5 So we should yield our selves to the Lord if God did ask any thing that were not in us it were another matter if we had no thoughts and affections if we had no heart and inclinations then no wonder thought we did not give him them but when we have them why should not he have them all things are of him therefore let all things be to him shall our lusts have our thoughts and not God shall the world carry away our minds and not God that is against reason Secondly Consider that all the world is alive in their own courses let Christians be alive in theirs as the Prophet speaks Mâ—cah 4.5 Every man walks in the name of his god let us walk in the name of our God So I say every man follows his god those that have their belly for their god all their minde and affections run that way those that have their pleasure for their god and their profit for their god how eager are they after these things as one saith the world is like the Ant poor little creatures they goe carrying of straws after their manner and are so busie so it is with the world what a deal of drudging up and down and going this way and that way is there in the world one for one thing another for another one for his Mammon another for the lusts of his flesh and the pride of life men are busy and stirring every one is setting forward why should not we be as forward in our way if we be Christians and the servants of God why should not we bestir our selves for him the Devil himselfe is a spirit and is working and busie as himself saith Job 2.2 Then let us walk up and down and bestir our selves this way and that way and every way for God and be as active and agile for him let us consider how the poor prisoners in Ludgate beg for a token what eagerness they use that though a man had no minde yet their importunity will make him give them something and shall not we beg earnestly of God to pardon our sins and quicken us and humble us for our deadness and for the time to come to make us earnest for the Kingdom to come if men be so earnest for bables how earnest should we be for these precious jewels Thirdly Consider the worth of these things the worth of the Kingdome of Heaven the worth of eternal life the worth of the Gospel the worth of prayer and all Gods holy Ordinances are they such poor beggarly trifles that we follow them with such a slender pursuit are they such beggarly commodities that they are not worth the looking after Certainly Heaven may justly challenge our best desires our best affections our best pains and endeavours and the best and flower of all our parts and learning as the Church saith Cant. 7.9 My beloved is sweet so our beloved is sweet sweet things goe down pleasantly so how should the word be and prayer be how sweet should all the things of our beloved be they should goe sweeâ—ly down nothing should delight us more When Solomon set up his Throne it is said that he laid out the best gold upon it so if we would have the crown of life we must lay out our best parts and affections and endeavours upon it how sweet should the calling upon God and the going to Gods house be what a shame is it that when such heavenly things such precious jewels are to be had people will not come to them whereas these things should be the sweetest things in the world if we were carefull of the good of our soules and were affected with Heaven and heavenly things as we ought to be we should be tender of this how should we take heed of pride and covetousness and any thing that should hinder us of so great salvation Fourthly Conâ—ider if we be quickned nothing will be hard all the difficulty of Religion is over if a man be quickned for nothing is hard to a willing minde when a mans heart and soule is set upon it nothing is hard as the Apostle saith to him that loves God His commandements are not grievous all the difficulty that we cannot pray and hold our hearts to the Word and overcome our corruptions all lieth in the deadnesse of our hearts if we would have mastery over our corruptions if our hearts be dead we must look for the more toyle as Solomon saith If the iron
came down to see the Tower and the City that was built not as if he came down so as taking this phrase unto himselfe but to shew what our duty and Magistrates duty is to search before they pass sentence and to see whether reports given out be true or no. Fifthly Mans searching is for himselfe that things may appear to himselfe but when God searcheth it is not that it may appear unto him but to the world that it may be manifest abroad that a mans selfe and other may see it it is spoken onely in regard of the nature of the thing some things are manifest and some secret Now God is said to search when he makes other things that in their own nature are hidden to men when God brings them abroad and unveils them and unmasks them and openly reveals them 1 Cor. 4.5 Judge not before the time till the Lord comes who will bring to light the hidden things of darkness He searcheth them not for himselfe but to make them manifest he saw them before but they were not manifest abroad they were under the hatches no body could tell whether they were so or no Now God is said to search to bring them abroad Now God is said to search five manner of wayes First By his own Spirit 1 Cor. 2.10 So saith David Whither shall I fly from thy Spirit if I goe up into heaven thou art there c. If thou shouldst goe into the Alehouse or any bad place God is there a spectator though the Devil onely and such as are his Imps are there keeping company with thee yet God is there beholding thee though we should dig never so deep God can trace us and finde us out though we should be never so closely and cleverly wicked God can dive into us what we are Come in thou wife of Jeroboam saith the Prophet why dissemblest thou thy selfe to be another The Spirit of God revealed it When Gehesai wiped his lips O thy servant went no whither Did not my spirit goe with thee saith Elisha when the man returned He shewes how the Spirit of God which he calls his spirit because it dwelt in him did reveal his wretchedness Secondly As the Lord searcheth by his own Spirit so also by the spirit of man as for example by the spirit of the Magistrate he doth search out sly offenders when Solomon had said The King doth scatter the wicked Prov. 20.27 in the next words he answers an Objection How shall he finde out whether such a man be wicked or no A man may be brought before a Magistrate and yet have all the hands in the Parish for his good behaviour Now how shall the Magistrate finde it out saith he The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord that is as Tremelius expounds it the Lord helps the Magistrate to finde out these fellows though they be never so subtle and how doth he help him by the Magistrates own wit and wisedome it is the candle of the Lord the Lord gives him light to sift things and bring things to light and though wicked and ungodly men hang together though they swear and combine themselves hand in hand together yet if a Magistrate be an able man and gifted of the Lord the Lord hath set a candle in that mans minde to light him how to discover them As when the two Harlots came before Solomon the spirit of Solomon was the candle of the Lord that lighted him to discover which was the mother of the childe Thirdly God doth search a man by the conscience in a man himselfe sometimes you shall have a childe of God much afraid that he is not sincere and calls all into question anon the Lord discovers he is sincere and reveals he is upright how doth he doe it by his own conscience as the case was Davids one time he concluded all was naught and he had nothing of God in him and God was gone quite away and had shut up his mercy for evermore at last God revealed David to himselfe and that by his own conscience My own spirit searched saith he Psal 77.6 and then he saw that it was but his infirmity his own spirit and conscience the Lord stirred it up to make diligent search and David perceived himselfe to be as he was so on the contrary a wicked man may seem to have good hopes to be godly and to have an honest sincere heart and be a good Christian and he professeth himselfe to be so and if any one should charge him with the contrary he would say they were uncharitable Now this is a secret Now the Lord searcheth him out by his own conscience thus it was with Pharaoh he thought he did well in not letting the children of Israel goe nay he thought Moses was unreasonable to demand such a thing what to let six hundred thousand of his servants to goe out of his Kingdome at once there was no equity he should let them goe Now the Lord discovered this was nothing but the wretchednesse of his own heart and made his conscience cry out The Lord is righteous and I and my people are wicked Rightly doth he call for it at my hands and rightly doth he punish me for not doing of it and I am a wicked man and have done it out of the wickedness of my heart Fourthly The Lord searcheth men out by his Word he doth thereby discover men to be what they are Heb. 4.12 The Word of God is quick and powerful sharper then a two-edged sword c. and is a searcher and discerner of the thoughts and intentions of the hearts the Word of God doth search and discover men though they be never so secretly covered yet notwithstanding the Word of the Lord finds them out as you may see it discovered the woman of Samaria it made her give over all her wrangling and disputing the case with Christ it made her cry out at the last O come and see a man that hath told me all that ever I have done John 4.29 So the Apostle when he would exhort the Corinthians to expound the word in a known tongue he gives this reason O saith he if you doe thus it will discover people if a man should come in he will be judged by you and the thoughts of his heart will be made manifest 1 Cor. 14.24 The Word of God is a divine thing and it is a plain sign that it is the word of an all-searching God for it can meet with mens thoughts and mens secrets When King Ahasuerus said What shall be done to the man whom the King delighteth to honour what man living could tell what Haman thought at that time yet the Word of God revealed the thought of his heart Hest 6.6 When David was dancing before the Ark and Michal looked out at the window what man could tell what she thought in her heart yet the Word of God sets it down She despised him in her heart 2 Sam. 6.16 When
and mournes these are sencible he knows what they are many talke of hunger and thirst and reformation c. But to see the saving sanctifying gracious work of God in these things that is a marvelous hard thing to find this and it is very spiritual as Solomon saith Eccl. 11.5 As thou knowest not the way of the Spirit nor how the bones grow in the womb of a woman that is with child even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all if it be so in natural things that we know not how the bones of the child grow in the womb much lesse these things of the Spirit so our Saviour Christ saith Joh. 3.8 The wind bloweth where it listeth and thou knowest not whence it cometh nor whither it goeth even so is every one that is borne of the Spirit that is every one that is effectually called of God for regeneration is a part of this effectual calling to be effectually called of God it is the blowing of the wind a man knows not whence it cometh nor whither it goeth there is a world of ignorance about the wind so there is about the workings of Gods holy and heavenly Spirit when our Saviour was a working of regeneration in Nicodemus his heart was at the same time saying how can these things be Christ was working these things in his heart and the very same time when he was questioning how can these things be So Gideon at the very same time when God said unto him the Lord is with thee thou mighty man of valour Judg. 6.14 15. Gideon was doubting that the Lord was not with him and that he had no might nor strength as our Saviour said of the seed that was sown in the ground Mark 4.26 As if a man should cast seed into the ground and sleep night and day and the seed springeth up and grows he knows not how so saith he is the Kingdome of God and as our Saviour saith so it shall be at the last day when Christ shall say come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you for I was hungry and ye fed me c. But marke at the very same time the righteous that did all this and our Sauiour Christ did witness to their faces that they had done it the righteous shall answer when saw we thee hungry and fed thee c. They hardly knew they had done these things the actions themselves they could not but know of they knew they had fed and cloathed the poore children of God but that they did it to Christ for Christs sake they could hardly see this when did we see thee thus and thus and did so and so that they looked at Christ in this they had hardly so good eyes hardly so good a heart so I might instance in more I say the works of God they are marvelous spiritual and of a wonderful subtil substance they may be wrought in the soul of a man and yet a man may be something doubting and questioning whether they be wrought in him yea or no nay a man may be afraid they are not Fourthly Another reason is because the knowledge of a mans effectual calling may be very much hindered for a time paâ—â—ly in regard of loathness of heart to leave some lust though a mans heart may be subdued and humbled for the maine yet there may be a great deal of holding back though a man cannot stand out in sin as the wicked do yet there may be a great deal of backwardness and unmortifiedness in the children of God and conscience may see it now when conscience seeth it conscience will hide effectual calling from a man and object how can you say you are effectually called when you are so borne down with such a lust and hanker so much after it now if our own hearts condemn us God is greater then our hearts and shall condemn us much more it is a pitiful thing when a man 's own heart shall condemn him and his own conscience shall be questioning whether he be right or no sometimes it falls out thus even those that are called yet in regard of unmortifiedness there is such a deale of matter that the conscience hath to object that a man cannot believe indeed and soundly that he is effectually called for at first when Christ comes into the soul before it hath gotten the mastery and victory the Spirit doth work exceedingly in the dark as when it works poverty of spirit sorrow for sin endeavour to leave all sin hatred and detestation of a mans own wayeâ— loathing of a mans own self shame confusion before Gods footstoole there is such a smoak in the soul where the Spirit doth these that a man cannot see them as if a man be working in a smoaky house though he work excellent things a man can hardly perceive what he doth so there is such a deal of smoak in the heart such a deal of corruption stirring that it hides the sight of the work of God from a man yet the work of God goeth along as suppose two armies in a field and the battel be doubtful the guns fly off and the swords clatter and the dust ariseth and there is such a confusion that neither themselves nor others know which way the battel will go but sometimes some fall on one side and sometimes some on the other side and if a man should stand on an hill and see this battle he cannot tell on which side it will be sometimes he thinks it will be on this side and by and by it is turned on the other side and so while it is doubtful it cannot be determined and concluded on which side the victory will fall So it is with the war between the flesh and the spirit the war is very doubtful before the odds begin for there is a great deal of evenness at first nay the Spirit seems to be the weaker side and the flesh to be the stronger and there are many falls and foiles given to the soul and the flesh is too strong afterwards it begins to be something equal and the battel to be poyzed now while the battel is so doubtful a man cannot tell on which side the victory will be whether on the spirits side or on the fleshes side whether on graces side or on sinnes side but when the warfare is accomplished I do not mean perfectly for that will never be in this life a man may then see on which side the victory will go a man may see ten thousand corruptions lie dead with their throats cut and the Spirit standing triumphing and conquering more and more we may now see which way the victory will go the Spirit reigns and grace reigns and humility reigns and heavenly mindedness reigns and all the graces of Gods Spirit have dominion over the whole man Another reason why the knowledge of effectual calling is hindered is because of ignorance a child is a man though he doth
another heard as well as he and went away as brisk as before but this mans spirit is deaded and his heart taken down what ayls the man now why the law of God hath done it See therefore the marvellous power of the law I told you formerly That when the Law comes home to a mans soule and is charged upon his Conscience it casts the heart into all those woful privâ—tions we read of in Scripture a man before he is thus deaded by the law thinks himselfe to be possessed of abundance of comforts but now he seeth himselfe to be an out-cast and utterly lost to be a captive and poor and miserable and blind and naked he lies under all these privations And as the Philosopher saith That Privation is one of the Principles of Nature Every body saith he hath Three Principles Matter Form and Privation No natural thing can have this or that From put into it but it must be deprived of all other Forms as if fire be turned into air first the form of fire must be taken away before it can be turned into air so it is in Grace Privation is one of the Principles of Religion before the life of Christ can be brought into a man there must first be a Privation of all other contrary lives the life of the flesh that cursed livelinesse of the flesh the life of sin and the life of the world whereby a man lives unto the world and the things of the world A man must be deprived of all other lives of all other forms he must have a Privation of all other forms before the life of Christ can be formed in him As for example Take a man that is worldly wise put him upon civil Affairs he is wise enough to order all his businesse in eating and drinking he is wise enough not to distemper himself wise enough to keep a good diet Put him upon matters of Religion he is wise there too he will not be so precise as some are that are more nice then wise he will be moderate and wise in the Service of God Tell him that he is one that doth not please God that he walks to hell-ward that he hath no care of his Salvation he thinks that he is wiser then so Would you make this man a wise man indeed you can never make him truly a wise man till you bring a Privation upon him till he be first deprived of all that worldly wisdom that is in him If any man among you seem to be wise saith the Apostle let him become a fool that he may be wise 1 Cor. 3.18 Let him have first a Privation of all the seeming wisdom he hath of all the wisdom of the flesh and carnal reason he must first be a fool or else true wisdom is not able to enter into him So if a man would be high he must first be humbled and brought low before he can be truly high a man must be naked before he can be cloathed a man must be lost before he can be found there are none of you that live in your sins but you must be stripped of all the forms that are in you there must be a Privation come into you before true Grace can be formed in you Privation is one of the Principles of Religion and unlesse you be deprived of all other forms you cannot have the essential form of Religion come into you it is the poor that receive the Gospel when a man is deprived of all other forms then is he fit to receive the forme of the Gospel When a man is deprived of his own wisdom he may then receive the wisdom of the Gospel when a man is deprived of his own self-confidence of his own strength and sufficiency then he may receive the strength of the Gospel when a man is deprived of all other contrary livelinesse and contrary forms that are opposite to all these when a man is deprived of all these he is capable of the true life of Christ and the Gospel I will Instance onely in one thing which I named before and that is poverty a man can never receive Christ or any impression of the true form of Christianity till first his Heart be emptied and his Will and his Mind be emptied and his Conscience be emptied till all other forms be voided out and he begins to be made poor and nothing in himself till every room in the soule be naked and empty there is never a room for the kingdome of God to come into the soule the kingdom of God is a great thing and will take up a great deal of room where it comes therefore the Heart and the Mind and the Will and the Affections must be emptied the soul must be rid and void of all other things or else there is no room for the Kingdom of God As our Saviour saith Matth. 5.3 Blessed are the poor in spirit for they shall receive the Kingdome of God Then there is room for the Kingdom of God when the heart is made poor and all is voided out the world and the flesh and all cranal delights and pleasures and all self-conceitednesse which the heart was full of When it was full of the world there was no room for Gods Kingdome but when a man is made poor in spirit when he hath a Privation of those things wherewith his soule was filled now there is room for the Kingdom of God the reason is because a man can never be brought to Christ till he is pinched with these Privations before he can never come to Christ his heart can never be brought to bid so much and stake down so much for Christ as he must do if ever he come to attain him unlesse his heart be pinched with poverty unlesse his heart be void of all these high imaginations he had of himself he will never come to Christ It is plenty that brings down the market and scarcity that makes it rise plentiful years will make Corn of no price almost but if there be famine and scarcity and no bread almost to be had but men are ready to dye for hunger then they wil give any thing they will give ten shillings a bushel twenty nay fourty shillings hath been given for a bushel of Corn as I have read in Chronicles it is poverty that makes men come to a price So must the heart be pinched with Spiritual poverty else it will not come to Christ men will give nothing for the Kingdom of God they will not part with a single groat for Christ the prophane Gallant will not part with a look for Christ the proud vain fool will not part with a foolish lace a foolish fashion for Christ the drunkard will not foregoe a pot for Christ men will not part with any thing for Christ they will not part with a paultry lust or base affection for â—hrist People will not stir they will not open their purses they will not open their hearts to give any thing
the love of the Creature if thou lovest thy ease too well or any thing in the world too well thou art drunk with it thy heart is giddy thou art no more able to Pray or do any thing that 's good then a drunken man is Fifthly If thou wilt Watch then set the Lord alwayes before thy eyes Set the watchman of Israel before thy face God is called a watcher Dan. 4.23 Now if thou wilt watch over thy self set God before thy face as David did Psal 16.8 I have set God before mine eyes so alwayes set the Lord before thine eyes Now I come to the last thing which is an Vse of Exhortation To exhort us to be careful of this Duty and there is great need of it First We all desire to do well Now how can we do well at last unless we watch well all our life time VVhat is the reason that many are without comfort not like the Servants of God full of horrour and fear and quaking It is because they do not watch as it was with the Five wise Virgins they were something wise not like the foolish but they slumbred too Now when the bridegroom came there was a cry they made an out-cry and a skrieking and an howling they were undone the bridegroom was come one would have thought they should have rejoyced that the bridegroom was come What godly Christians and Religious People when the bridegroom comes to fall a howling and a crying This was because they slumbred whereas if a man be watchful over his life and careful to keep an humble heart and to honour God and study how to die comfortably at last he may rejoyce at the coming of the bridegroom but because they were in a slumber there was a cry therefore as the Apostle Peter saith 1 Pet. 4.7 The end of all things is at hand therefore be sober and watch unto prayer the Apostle brings this as an Argument so I may say the end of all things is at hand therefore be sober and watch as a Traveller when the day is almost spent and he hath a great way to go he puts spurs to his Horse and rides the faster so the end of all things is at hand therefore we had need to be the more diligent and watchful that we may have all things ready the end comes upon us We have had the Gospel a long time and God knows how soon we shall have an end thereof therefore how ought we to be careful as a man that is to write a Letter may be at first he is something carelesse and writes his lines something broad but when he comes near to the end and hath a great deal to write he writes his lines close and crowds them together So now when we are coming towards an end we cannot look that God should alvvayes strive with us we should now therefore labour to write close and to make our Duties thick and to be enquiring after Grace wheresoever we come we think the time is long but we may justly fear it is shorter then we imagine as when an hour-glass is almost out a man that sits below will think there is a great deal to run but the sand is hollow and is run out before a man is aware so the Lord so carries himself towards people that they may think there is a great deal of Patience more and a great deal of Mercy more to be extended towards them but when all comes to all they shall find it lyes hollow and will be out before they are aware Secondly Consider how sickly and diseased our Souls are how apt they are to fall into sin Sickly men are most careful Now our Souls are sick of sin sick of Pride sick of Covetousnesse and Earthly-mindednesse easily carried away with the sins of the times they are sick of pronenesse to do evil and indisposednesse to that which is good therefore we had need to watch over our souls we had need be our own Porters Matth. 13.34 our Saviour Christ doth compare every Christian to a Porter The Lord of the house takes a great journey and commands the Porter to watch We should all be Porters and keep the gates of our Souls for we are alwayes in danger Thirdly Consider that God hath awakened many of us already and therefore it is a miserable thing for us to sleep again wicked and ungodly men that were never converted and healed and awakened and wrought upon they go to Hell and damnation in a sleepy security but when a man hath been once awakened and hath shaken off sleep and God hath made him look about him to see how he might be saved if this man fall asleep again it is a most miserable thing the latter end of that man will be worse then his beginning Fourthly Consider the badnesse of the Times and Places and Families we live in they are all secure and therefore we had need be so much the more vvatchful and you knovv it is a very hard thing for a man not to do as others do therefore the Apostle 1 Thess 5.6 vvould not have them sleep as others do as vvho should say Others do so and therefore you have so much the more need to look to your selves that you may not do as others do THE NEVV BIRTH Jon. 3.6 That vvhich is born of the Flesh is Flesh but that vvhich is born of the Spirit is Spirit MY Purpose is to speak of the several VVorks of Gods holy Spirit in the hearts and minds of his chosen they are Gods peculiar people and therefore he vvill vvork greater Mercies for them then for any else Novv the First grand distinguishing vvork of the Holy Ghost in the Elect is Regeneration he is the Author of Spiritual life in them they are born of him though by nature they are born of the flesh and so are flesh and in that estate can never enter into the kingdom of God yet vvhen the Spirit of God comes to regenerate them they come to be Spirit they come to have a nevv life and the Spirit of God gives it them it is true that Christ is the Author of this life he procured it by his death he quickens whom he will as he told his Disciples Joh. 14.19 Because I live ye shall live also Life is derived by Christ to all the Members of Christ for as all in Adam died Adam is the general root of all in his loins and by him they come to be dead in sin so Christ is the Second Adam and all that are in his loins all that are in him he is a quickning Spirit to them 1 Cor. 15.45 The first man Adam was made a living Soul the second Adam was made a quickning Spirit Christ is the second Adam and is a quickning Spirit to all that are in him God the Father hath appointed him to be the Prince of Life as Peter tells his Hearers Act. 3.15 The Lord Jesus Christ he is the
Prince of life to all the people of God and therefore Saint John saith He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life 1 Joh. 5.12 He is the Father of this new Birth and he is the daily and continual Father of it He is not a Father for one or two or divers years but Isa 9.6 he is called An everlasting Father to regenerate a people to God and he doth it by his Resurrection 1 Pet. 1.3 This must needs be granted That Christ must be the Author of this new Life Now you will say Then why is it attributed to the Spirit The Text gives it to the Spirit of God the Holy Ghost now if Christ be the Author of this new Birth and the giver of this new Life and God the Father hath appointed him to be so Why is it then here said That the Spirit doth it I Answer It is given to the Spirit for Three Reasons First Because Christ doth it by the Spirit Whatsoever Christ doth without he doth it by the Spirit when he cast out Divels here upon Earth he did it by his Spirit all the outward VVorks that he wrought he wrought them by his Spirit and therefore the Spirit is called the Finger of God Luk. 11.20 Now if Christ do this VVork by his Spirit if he do Regenerate all his people by his own Spirit there is Reason why they should be said to be born of the Spirit Secondly Another Reason is Because though this life be all from Christ it is he that begets it it is he that is the soul of every Believer as I may so speak yet it is the Spirit that is the Bond of Vnion it is the Spirit that joyns Christ and them together it is the Spirit that tyeth the knot it is the Spirit that unites and puts them together into one though Christ be life and eternal life yet notwithstanding they are all Aliens from Christ they are all out of Christ that the Spirit doth not joyn together with Christ they that have not the Spirit of Christâ—â—â— they are none of his they are all out of Christ they are like dead branches out of the Vine it is the Spirit that is the bond of Vnion between Christ and those that are Christs Thirdly Another Reason is Because the Spirit quickens the Word whereby this is done The people of God the thing that they are born of again it is the immortal seed of the VVord 1 Pet. 1.23 You are born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible Now this seed is sowen in all mens hearts scattered among all the Congregation but yet it doth not Regenerate all the Congregation The Reason is where the Spirit comes that makes it fruitful and that makes it to quicken the heart and thus you see the meaning of the words That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit Now here are Two Points First That the Spirit of God or the Holy Ghost Regenerates all the people of God whosoever is born again is born of the Spirit The Second Point is this That all that are Regenerate all that are born of the Spirit they are Spirit that is they are spiritual they are like the Spirit The First is That it is the Spirit of God the Holy Ghost that doth Regenerate all the people of God this is that which makes them to be new Creatures to be new men to be altogether different from that they were before this is that which doth distinguish them from themselves even as much as white from black this is that which doth alienate them from the courses of the world this is that which doth make them to be singular and odde fellows as if they were of another world this makes them lead a different kind of life and follow a different kind of way from all their neighbors because the Spirit of God works in them as Ishmael and Isaac though Ishmael was born after the flesh yet Isaac was born after the Spirit as the Apostle alludes Gal. 4.23 that is one took one kind of course the other another one was born one way the other another way the Spirit begat one the Flesh the other and this made Ishmael to persecute Isaac because Isaac could not abide his courses they were of different Natures and Dispositions one was born after the Spirit the other after the Flesh Now here be Six Things I would shew unto you First What Regeneration is Secondly Why it is so called Thirdly Wherein it consists Fourthly The Reasons why the Spirit of God only works this work Fifthly How he works it And Lastly The Vses First What Regeneration is And it is thus much namely The renewing of the whole man and by degrees completed after the Image of God in Jesus Christ This is Regeneration and there be Five Things to be opened in it First That it is the renewing of a man It is not every change there may be abundance of changes and alterations and yet a man for the main may be the same man he is a man may be changed from a Drunkard to be sober from an Adulterer to be chaste yet still he was the same man he was before though there be changes wrought in him but Regeneration is the renewing of a man the making of a man another man as the Apostle speaks 2 Cor. 5.17 Old things are passed away and all things are become new The Lord doth take away the old frame and the old affections and the old inclinations the old acquaintance the old course and conversation all these things passe away and the Lord puts in new things in the room thereof till all things become new thus it is in this work as the Apostle speaks Tit. 3.5 According to his mercy he saved us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost the Lord removeth the old rubbish and puts a new fabrick in the room as a Goldsmith he takes a vessel of dishonour and melts it and makes it a vessel of honour God doth undo the old workmanship and makes a new as David saith Create in me O Lord a clean heart c. Psal 51.10 David thought he had lost all therefore he prayeth to God that he may be new cast that he may be taken all to pieces as a VVatch-maker takes a VVatch that is out of order he takes it all to pieces and sets it together anew again so he prayes God to deal with him he had lost all in sense and feeling and would have God make him a new workmanship it is called the renewing of a man Ezek. 11.19 there is an excellent place I will give them a new heart c. The Lord puts out and he puts in even just as a Suister doth when she works cut-works she puts out the cloths own threds and puts in needle-work so the Lord puts out the old heart and puts in a new heart he takes out
similitude and makes them like to himself Fifthly This is the Image of God in Jesus Christ who is the express image of his Father he is the pattern after which this frame is made nay God did order it should be so from eternity Rom. 8.29 Whom he did fore know he did predestinate that they should be conformed to the image of his Son 'T is true this similitude is not presently made out it is but by halves as it were it is but a poor first draught and never perfect in this life but it shall be made perfect 1 Joh. 3.2 3. We know when he appears we shall be like him and shall see him as he is then we shall be perfectly like him and see him as he is and know him as he is as Paul saith Col. 3.2 3. You are dead and your life is hid in Christ c. Here the work is hardly come to its glory there is a great deal of basenesse and old rubbish still but it shall be glorious before God hath done it shall come to be perfect then in the mean time it is but by degrees but the work of regeneration puts a man to go to Christ and believe in Christ You that follow me in Regeneration c. saith our Saviour Matth. 19.28 When a man is regenerate regeneration puts a frame into a mans heart to be like unto Christ and to follow his steps and his example that as he hath done so he may do more and more this is the work of regeneration That the Spirit of God works in Gods people conforming them to the Image of Christ Yea Regeneration doth more than repair a man more than reduce a man to that estate wherein he was in Adam's loins before the Fall it is the ingrafting of a man into Christ and the estating a man into the Merits and Priviledges of the Lord Jesus Christ it is a greater matter then the bare restoring of a man to that which he lost it is the restoring of a man to a better estate this differences it from Sanctification Thus we see what Regeneration is Now the Second Thing is Why it is so called Why this same blessed work of the renewing of the whole man after the Image of God in Christ Jesus is called Regeneration There be Two Reasons of it First To shew us how marvellously we are corrupt by Nature Until the Spirit of God take us in hand a man is quite rotten there is no soundnesse left there is nothing in him will serve it is not a little melting will serve the turn it is not a little plaistering or patching or piecing will do the deed though there be a thousand changes in a man yet if a man be not another man if he be not a new creature it is to no effect it will never bring a man into the kingdom of God what saith Christ Joh. 3.3 Verily verily I say unto thee Except a man be born again he cannot enter into the kingdom of God As who should say Verily verily I say unto thee a man is all to shatters all to pieces all rotten and unlesse he be born again and made a new creature it is impossible he should enter into the kingdom of God though a man be never so much altered he is not in the estate of Grace till he be a new man till the Lord hath given him a new frame and a new inclination except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God he cannot see the kingdom of Grace that is the first dowry of the kingdom of Grace to give a man a new Being that he never had before a natural man is just like an old rotten house that hath not one piece that will serve the turn but a man that will make it an habitable house must take it all down to the ground and build it up from the ground so it is here there is not one piece will serve the turn though ye see admirable things in men though they seem excellent in the eyes of men yet they will not serve the turn they are rotten and stark naught there is an absence of all Good Rom. 7.18 Nay besides there is an universal indisposition in a man like to a thing that is all rotten and marred and can never be made up again except it be made spick and span new and so it is with a man he is altogether corrupt as the Prophet speaks Isa 1. from the sole of the foot to the crown of the head nothing but bruises and putrified soars take a man that is never so civil and of fair carriage so long as he is not a new creature this is nothing for the entring into the kingdom of God and being amiable in his sight Nay Gen. 6.5 the Text saith The thoughts of the heart of man are only evil continually there is nothing sound in a man though he daily think of Grace and think of God his thoughts cannot be said to be good for the mind whereby he thinks of these things is rotten and unsavory though he speaks of never so good things the same things the Saints of God speak of though he doth the same actions the people of God do though he hears the same VVord and receives the same Sacraments he cannot do them aright they are abomination in Gods sight therefore when God regenerates a man he must make him another man then he was before This speaks natures corruption Secondly Because the things of Regeneration are admirably set out by way of this similitude Natural Generation is generally sweetly answered in this VVork of Regeneration First As a man cannot come into the World without Parents but he must have a Father to beget him so it is in this new Birth as in the other there was an earthly Father so here is an heavenly Father as the Author to the Hebrews speaks Heb. 12.9 How much rather shall we be subjected to the Father of Spirits There are two Fathers an earthly Father the Father of the natural and corrupt man and God the Father of our Spirits that is the Father of our spiritual Nature as many excellent Divines do expound it though it may be expounded the Father of our Souls yet this is more likely because here is an opposition between the Father of the Flesh and the Father of the Spirits God himself is the Father of this new work Secondly Here is a Mother too That Jerusalem which is from above is the Mother of them all they are all Zions Children here is the Womb that these new creatures lye in Christs Spouse the Lambs wife is their Mother though the world hate them and her too yet they love her nay though the woman be thrown out into the wilderness yet their hearts run after her the Regenerate only are the true born this is their Mother Thirdly As it is in the Natural Birth There is a shaping in the Womb before
there is a coming into life so it is here as the Apostle saith there is a conceiving of a man in the womb before he is Gal. 4.19 My little Children of whom I travel in Birth till Christ be formed in you There is the Conception 't is true wicked men have many Conceptions but they do not bring forth Christ is not formed in them they may have many stirrings that way but they perish in the Birth but Zion travels and brings forth Children Isa 66.8 Fourthly Again As it is in the Natural Birth None is brought forth without the pains of travel So there be pains in this new Birth legal terrours which the Reprobate are killed with and die under but the godly come forth from under them safe and bettered Fifthly Again As it is in the first Birth the Child that is born and comes into the world he comes from no Being to a Being from no Existency to an Existency so it is here in this new Birth those which were no people are now made the people of God those that had no being in Christ now have a being in him they are come into a new world into a new heaven and a new earth others live in this world but they live in a new world Sixthly Again As it is in the first Birth A man comes to have Children to have Brothers and Sisters so in this Birth a man comes to have new Kindred all the Godly in the world are of his Consanguinity though they be counted the Puritans of the Parish yet they are of his bloud and Christ himself is their Brother and Abraham is their Father under God and Sarah is their Mother there is a new Kindred Indeed here is the difference that the Children of the first Birth they are visible and their lives and courses are visible and their alliance and kindred is visible and all that they are and do is visible but the Children of the second Birth are not visible indeed their persons are visible as well as others but their life is an invisible thing their excellency their glory this new creature in them this is invisible it is like that River in Spain which runs fourteen miles under ground whence they have a Proverb That the Bridge over the River is fourteen miles long So there is a River in Surry that is just the like it runs under the ground invisible they cannot see it so these new creatures they cannot be seen their lives run under ground their lives are hidden with God indeed their persons and outward actions and courses may be seen nay wicked men may do those very outward actions which they do they may Pray together with them and come to Church together with them but this new workmanship they cannot see that runs along under ground the world seeth it not neither can they know it because they know not Christ the Author of it Thus we see the second thing namely Why it is so called Now the Third Thing is Wherein this blessed Work doth consist and it consists in Two Things Joh. 1.12 The Evangelist saith To as many as received him he gave power to become the Sons of God Here be Two Things and both these Regeneration consists of First A Passive receiving of Christ Whosoever receives him Secondly An Active Title to God as to a Father They have power to become the Sons of God First A Passive receiving of Christ To as many as received him for he came to his own and they received him not his own even his own Elect would not receive him till he made them receive him but as many as received him as many as were made passively to receive him did receive him also actively so that this word implyes the Passive receiving of Christ for there is none can receive any thing except it be given him from above Joh. 3.27 That is except there be first a passive reception of it It is a strange phrase Nâ— man can receive Christ till Christ is first received of him he can never take Christ till Christ come into him till Christ ingraft himself into him and him into Christ this is an act of God it is a passive receiving of Christ the reason is because all the Graces and all the Activity of Gods people flowes from this their Faith and all for Faith is an act which receives from the passive receiving of Christ as Paul speaks to the Colossians â—s you have received Christ so walk in him Faith receives Christ that is an active receiving of Christ but there was a passive receiving of Christ first for a man is in Christ first in a passive manner before he is in him in an active manner Christ hath taken him already before he can take Christ actually This is the first Thing wherein this work of Regeneration consists The Passive receiving of Christ Secondly It consists in having an active power and title to become a Son of God together with Jesus Christ These are the Two Things wherein Regeneration consists I know many Divines branch it otherwise and make Regeneration to consist otherwâ—â—e First Of Mortification Secondly Of Vivification First Of Mortification Whereby the Spirit kills the Lusts of the Flesh more as Rom. 8.13 If ye live after the Flesh ye shall die but â—â— ye through the Spirit mortifie the deeds of the Flesh ye shall live Mark here is Mortification and it is done by the Spirit if you through the spirit mortifie the deeds of the body Secondly There is Vivification that is when a man doth not only die unto sin but rise up again to a new life Rom. 6.11 Likewise reckon ye your selves to be dead unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. This is the other work of Vivification when a man is made alive unto God and is made able by the spirit of God to be alive unto God and to wind himself out of death into life by the spirit of the holy One. These be the Two Parts whereof many Divines make Regeneration to consist of but though they beat at the same thing yet I rather make them the Effects and Consequents of Regeneration as flowing from Regeneration this passive work goeth before a man never goeth on in mortifying the works of the Flesh and never raiseth himself up to this heavenly life till he be Regenerated so that regeneration is the first ingrafting of a man into Christ whereby he is alive that he may do all these things it is a power put into him whereby he may believe and repent so that Believing and Repentance and Mortification and Vivification are acts of the new creature a man must therefore be a new creature first now this is by Regeneration so that Regeneration consists only of these Two Things First Of a passive receiving of Christ the Son of God Secondly In having a title to be the Son of God and Regeneration doth not only bring a relative
he doth give him a common life one minde and heart he doth give them all natural help and natural care one of another for they have need one of another In the Third place we must shew That the Spirit doth this And why he doth it First That it is the Spirit that unites and tyeth all these Members together This makes them hang together therefore it is called the unity of the Spirit Eph. 4.3 He exhorts the Ephesians that were the Members of Christ to keep the unity of the Spirit because as the Members of Christ are united to Christ so they are united mutually by the Spirit Therefore take heed saith the Apostle to keep the unity of the Spirit that you may be of one mind and one heart Therefore the Apostle speaking of the Body of Christ he compares it to a building A building consists of divers bricks and stones and timber which being joyned together make up an house So the Members of Christ being joyned together make up an house for God to dwell in But who makes this The text saith the Spirit of God Eph. 2.22 The Spirit of God makes up this blessed building all the elect of God all the faithful all the heirs of Grace in the world are as an house or body though there be never so many parts in it yet they make all but one body or house so it is here Now the Spirit unites these and layes them artificially together so that they may prop one another Ezek. 11.19 The Lord there speaking of his Elect I will give them saith he one heart and make them of one mind How will he do it I will put a new Spirit within them And so he makes them to be of one and the self same mind Now the Reason Why the Spirit of God doth do this is First Because none else besides the Spirit is able to do it For by nature we are wofully and fearfully different from the Body of Christ we are of another nature of another kind of another life nay we are contrary to it all the Members of Christ they are as young sucking children but wicked men and all men by nature are Lions and Leopards and Bears and Tigers as the Prophet speaks Isa 11.6 7. Now the Prophet there speaking how Christ means to effect it is to unite these together to make the Lion and the Lamb to have communion together to make the Bear and the Kid to lye down together Mark how he sheweth how Christ will do it in the second verse of the same Chapter the text saith The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him he speaks of Christ that is whereas this requires a great deal of power to do this to make a man to be clean contrary to his nature whenas a mans nature is carnal and wicked and earthly to make him of the Body of Christ therefore saith the text The Spirit of Might shall be upon him c. There is a great deal of Might required to turn their dispositions it is a mighty thing to change a man that is a drunkard a proud person a wicked wretch to turn this man topsie-turvy to make him mind other things to make him clean another man this requires infinite wisdom Therefore the Spirit of Wisdom shall rest upon him to do it and the Spirit of Knowledge and the Spirit of the Fear of the Lord that is the Lord Jesus shall put in the Spirit of Fear into mens hearts and this will turn them this will alter mens minds and conversations Secondly There is none so fit as the Spirit of God to do it For this Body of Christ it is a company of Sons and Daughters that God hath up and down in the world that are able to cry Abba Father now who is so fit to do this as the Spirit of the Son As the Apostle saith That he might redeem them that were under the Law that they might receive the Adoption of Sons Gal. 4.5 Fourthly How the Spirit of God doth this and that is Two wayes as the Scripture reveals to us The One is By being one and the same Spirit in all the Members of Christ He comes into them and dwells in them as one and the self-same Spirit and so makes up this union The same Spirit that was in Paul was in Peter and so all the rest of the Members of Christ one and the self-same Spirit is in them 1 Cor. 3.16 Know ye not that yeare the Temple of God and that the Spirit dwelleth in you Therefore look what Spirit of Faith one man hath another comes to have the same Spirit of Faith as the Apostle speaks 2 Cor. 4.13 We having the same Spirit of Faith with them as it is written I believe and therefore I speak so we believe and therefore we speak Secondly The Spirit doth this by uniting and tying a knot between these Members He doth unite them and make them hang together in one he makes them to be of one heart and of one soul by knitting and combining of their hearts all together Therefore this fellowship is called the fellowship of the Spirit Phil. 2.1 Though Paul were far off from Philippi yet he could adjure the Philippians by the fellowship of the Spirit But you will say How can this be Can the people of God have communion and fellowship one with another when they are so far asunder one from another and may be never saw one another may be never heard one of another How can this be I say Very well for the Spirit of God hath a long arm and is able to make the people of God shake hands though they be a thousand miles asunder it is the Spirit that tyeth this knot and unites them together As Paul speaks Col. 2.5 Though I be absent in the Flesh yet I am present with you in the Spirit and methinks I am in your company and meetings when you meet together I see you in my mind methinks and I joy in your order The Spirit makes the communion between the people of God and hence it is that they can love one another because all the Members are tyed together by one knot and they come to help one another and do any thing one for another even by the very love of the Spirit which they have one towards another Rom. 15 30. The Apostle had some need of the good Romans to help him Now see how he doth intreat help from them he desires them by the love of the Spirit to pray heartily for him he knew that the love of the Spirit would be a great motive to them you know you and I are joyned together by the same Spirit for the love of the Spirit pray for me Thus we see First What this Body of Christ is Secondly What the putting a man into this Body is Thirdly The Reasons why Fourthly How the Spirit doth it Now I come to the Vses And First Is