cap. 5. Peter de la Primand 2 third Franc. Acad part 3 pag. 196. Writers giue of the winde To shew what it is in one definition is as much as the Text requireth i What the winde is The wind therefore is an exhalation more drie then moist bred of those cold and k A vapor is moist of it self but drie by reason of the Sun drie vapours of the earth which the Sunne draweth vp into the middle region of the ayre in which region this exhalation meeting with a cold cloude is of hot made cold and by the force of that cloude beaten downe into the lower part of the ayre where by reason of the subtile nature it hath in it selfe it spreadeth it selfe laterally or broadwise flowing sometimes to one corner of the heauens sometimes to another sometime Eastward sometime Southward c. This wind I say thus defined is heere to be vnderstoode Bloweth where it listeth this phrase where it listeth doth not betoken any such will in the Winde as there is in the soule of man for the wind being an in animall substance and a creature without soule how can there be any such power of the soule in it as the will is but it noteth out the free and vnresistable agitation of the winde beating the aire and other flexible bodies sometimes one way sometimes another as the great Iehouah pleaseth So is euery one that is borne of the Spirit .i. so is it with euery elect person in regard of the regenerating work of the Spirit that Spirit breathing somtimes in one sometimes in an other as he pleaseth freely and vnresistably CHAP. V. The first Doctrine from the first part of the Text concerning the free libertie of the Spirit his working Sect. 1. FRom this fountaine so opened as it is in the former Chapter two streames of positiue Diuinitie do flow to water the garden of God The first is this Doctr. 3. The Spirit of grace inspireth grace when hee pleaseth where he pleaseth That the worke of Regeneration proceedeth from the will and pleasure of God to be effected and wrought in what persons hee pleaseth at what time he pleaseth The winde hath this libertie from the Creator freely to spreade it selfe sometimes in one part of the aire somtimes in another And taketh not the Lord this prerogatiue royall to himselfe to infuse the breath of his owne grace sometimes in one sometimes in another as himselfe pleaseth We should attribute lesse libertie to the Lord then to the Winde if we should not yield to this In the old Testament did the Lord breathe thus For that l Ge. 5.24 Enoch m and 6.9 Noah n and 15.6 Abraham o Gen. 26. Isaac p c. 32.24 Iacob q Gen. 39 Ioseph and the rest of the Patriarkes in their ages and generations were culled out from the rest of mankinde to receiue the stamps of grace and to be made new Creatures whence was it but onely from the will of the Almightie Did not the Spirit blowe thus in the New Testament freely working sometimes vppon a r Mat 9.9 Mathew sometimes vppon a ſ Lu. 19.9 Zaccheus a t Lu 7.48 Mary Magdalen a u Ioh 1.41 42 Mat. 4.19 Peter an Andrew and a few beleeuing Iewes amongst such a multitude of Scribes and Pharises Publicans and sinners that liued in the dayes of our Sauiour And that hee did blowe vpon the heart of w Acts 9. Paul amongst so many persecutours whom hee might haue conuerted as well as him that he x Act. 16.14 opened the heart of Lydia amongst so many women whom hee might haue sanctified as well as shee that hee breathed grace into the soule of the y Acts 16 34. Iaylour amongst so many cruell tyrants whom hee might haue regenerated as well as he if his will had been such what doth all this note out vnto vs but the liberty which the great Creator Sauiour and Sanctifier of the Church hath to inspire grace in whom he listeth and pleaseth Very pregnāt to this purpose is that of Paul which he writes to his Corinths For speaking of the diuers gifts operations of the spirit he saith z 1 Cor. 12.11 Al these doth one the self-same Spirit worke diuiding to euery man as a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Reason he willeth or pleaseh The ground of all which is this because Gods will towards his creatures is otherwise then his will toward himselfe The things which he willeth concerning himselfe doth he wil of necessity vt he doth wil his owne being glory necessarily though not with a constrained Quae Deus de seipso vult necessario vult necessitate naturae non coactionis Zanch. de Nat. Dei yet with a natural necessity his nature necessarily requiring that he should wil his owne essence glory but as for the things he willeth towards the creatures his will is not necessary but free .i. it is in his own pleasure either to will them or not to will them whether the gift be election justification or sanctification Now then the Lords will in willing the good of his creaturs being free either to wil or not to wil the same Regeneration or the gales of grace being one of those good things aswell as election justification redemption which he hath liberty thus to will it must needes be a truth that the wind of grace is at the Lords disposing to blowe with it sauingly vpon what sonnes and daughters of Adam he pleaseth Sect. 2. Vse 1. The consideration of which truth serueth first of all to lay flat on the ground all opinion of proper power and strength in any man to worke any grace in himselfe or so much as of him selfe to incline thereunto For if the Spirit breatheth where he listeth and the Lord onely sanctifieth whom hee pleaseth then no man be he neuer so mighty wise wealthy can haue the breath of grace in himselfe or breath after grace for himselfe or breathe grace into himselfe without the inspiration and operation of the holy-holy-Ghost Alas how can that man moue spiritually to any thing that good is from any thing that euill is who is held hard vnder the bands and tyed fast with the cords of spirituall death which cannot be loosed vntill the Spirit doth spiritually enliue him How can hee see spiritually the secrets of the Lord whose vnderstanding is wholly darkned and before the eyes of whose minde there are such thicke scales of ignorance drawne as can not be remoued vntill the Spirit doth enlighten him How can he elect and chuse the paths of life to walk in of his own free pleasure whose will is so spiritually peruerted that it cannot be reformed againe vntil the holy Ghost vndertaketh to rectifie it Now if neyther the minde of man can bring the least measure of illumination vnto it selfe nor the will of man the least part of reformation to it selfe what power can there be in man toward the worke of his owne conuersion Can the paper fix letters vpon it selfe without the hand and penne of a writer Can the ayre giue light vnto it selfe without the beams of the Sunne Can we write the Lawe of God vppon our owne hearts without the finger of the Spirit Can wee receiue the
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
vpon all elect flesh that hee would bee pleased as freely to worke graciously in him if it be his will as he did in thy selfe at thy first conuersision This is that which the Lord would haue thee doe neyther is hee any niggard of his grace vnto those whom-to he hath purposed it from all eternitie Hee is not like man men when they haue done something for others they can not endure that the receiuers should become beggers of the like kindnesse for others but they would haue them satisfied with that which they themselues haue receiued and let crauing for others alone But it is farre otherwise with the Lord it is his delight when they that haue beene blowne vppon freely with his grace will become petitioners to the throne of grace for others as wel as for themselues and chiefly for those whom they haue neerest relation vnto It is that which he is pleased withall when the sanctified husband prayeth for the vnsanctified wife when the beleeuing wife sueth for the vnsanctified husband holy parents for vnholy childrē holy children for vnholy parents sanctified maister for vngodly seruants c. Thou therefore that hast any whit of heauens breath in thee do not onlie craue the encrease of grace in thy selfe which is thy duty too but also begge hard for the beginnings of grace in thy gracelesse brethren and seeing Gods grace is as free from himselfe to other elect vessels of mercy as to thee beseech thou the Lord to open the eyes of thine ignorant wife to soften the hart of thine impenitent husband to conuert the soule of thine vngracious childe to infuse grace into thy vnregenerate father mother brethren friends neighbours maister seruant whose hearts are as yet swolne with the breath of Satan and corruption And as the Apostle his hearts o Ro. 10.1 desire and prayer to God was that Israel might be saued So let it be thy hearts desire and prayer to God that they may bee sanctified and that with his spirituall p Cant. 4.16 North and South winde he would blowe vppon such dead Gardens and that hee would open the bottells and spout-pots of his holy Spirit to water such dry and barren grounds that those floures may spring vp there which haue their roote in Election and that the sweete spices of grace may flow out as freely from the holy Ghost to them as to thy selfe And these bee the two duties which the Saints haue to learne from hence First to prayse God for the graces which they themselues haue and to pray to God for the like graces on the behalfe of them that want them * The second branch of the vse of exhortation to the vnregenerate Secondly heere is a lesson for the vnregenerate who are altogether destitute of sound grace to learne and that is to giue all diligence to be effectually breathed vppon with this winde from heauen and with holy Dauid to q Psa 132 4.5 giue no sleepe to their eyes nor slumber to their eye-liddes vntill their hearts be a place for the God of Iacob to breathe in and their soules an habitation for the Ark of the Lords strength and the worke of the Lords Spirit to rest and dwel in For if Gods wil be the ground of his worke of sanctification in any creature then they that are still vnsanctified are bound to an incessant vse of those means which the Lord hath appoynted to serue this free will of his in the effecting of grace in their hearts and though we cannot effect any part of that blessed wotke in our selues nor so much as naturally wish or will it yet in asmuch as the Lord hath made no promise to regenerate but by the vse of meanes wee must vse that meanes if wee would be spiritually breathed vppon For that God who doth reueale his will of election by the worke of Iustification his will of iustification by the worke of Sanctification doeth also declare his wil of sanctification by the prescribing of helpes to bring vs to holinesse which helpes wee must diligently and carefully vse or else if the spirit neuer come to breathe vppon vs the fault will be our owne and our condemnation of our selues Howsoeuer still I say the worke of grace be the Lords so then I say the libertie which the Lord hath to infuse grace where he willeth vrgeth a necessity of following those rules which hee hath set vp for his Church to attaine vnto grace by which rules and helps what they are I will shew in order The first is a diligent attendance vnto the word of grace 1 Help to get grace hence it is that the word is called the r 2 Cor. 3 8. ministration of the Spirit We know that they which are left Executours to other mens wills they must take vp Letters of Administration by vertue of which they must enter vpon the goods of the deceased so they that would take vp that Legacie of Graces which Christ bequeathed to his Church in the promise of sending his Spirit must come to Gods Courts and there take vp the Letters of Administration by the meanes whereof they may take vp that portion of inheritance or grace which Christ hath left for them ſ Acts 1.2 When the Apostles were in an house at Ierusalem where they heard a sound like the rushing of a mighty winde then did the holy Ghost sit vpon them So when wee are in the house of God to heare the found of his mighty voyce in the preaching of the Word may wee expect the breathing of his Spirit It was at the preaching of Peter that the holy Ghost fell vpon Cornelius and his houshold t Act. 10.44 It was at a Sermon of Paules when the Spirit opened the hart of Lydia u Acts 16 14 When Ananias instructed Paul the seales fell from his eyes and hee receiued spirituall sight w Acts 9.17 By the preaching of our Sauiour many of the Iewes came to beleeue on him with his word did hee cleanse the x Mark 1.42 Leper y Ma k 5.42 raise the dead z Mar. 10 52. open the eyes of the blinde a Mar 9.26 Chap. 5.8 cast diuels out of the possessed with them in the daies of his flesh and by the means of his holy word now published by his messengers doth hee cleanse with the water of grace our leprous soules quickening with the life of grace our dead hearts open with the light of grace our blinde minds and chase out with the blasts of grace those same euill spirits that doe haunt and possesse our soules Their case therefore cannot be sufficiently lamented nor enough bewailed who make no more reckoning of the Word then of a trifle or toy and who regard the sound of the Lords voyce in a powerfull Ministery no more then the creaking of a lifelesse doore the estate of such persons I say can not be pittied too much for alas poore soules by this
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
5 and 6. verses with the 18. when he was cast downe with the hand of God so suddenly and violently as he was trauelling with Letters from the high Priest towards Damascus against the Saints had a strong and a strange worke and himselfe into an Angell of light telling the Christian there is a thing like repentance which is not repentance like faith which is no true faith and by this meanes hee driues the poore soule into such a quandary that it can not distinctly tell whether the holy motions which it hath be but meere flashes of ioy of sorrow or whether the holy Ghost be the author of them Seeing then many saints are but yonglings in piety seeing the Diuell seekes by all cunning fetches to blinde their eyes that they may not so plainely see the truth of their graces wee need not account it any strange poynt of Doctrin To hold and affirme that a man may haue the stirrings of grace in him and yet not at all times know that the holy Ghost is the breeder of them Sect. 2. Before I come to the Vse a question must be answered which is fitly occasioned by the Doctrine and this it is Quest Whether a man may haue the worke of Conuersion and not know of it at all To this I answer Answ negatiuely A man cannot be conuerted but he must needes know it some way or other And my reason is this because Conuersion is a change and can a man be changed and not finde an alteration in himselfe Yea but then will some say I contradict my selfe vnsay that which I haue now prooued Not so For though I say a man cannot be conuerted but he must needs know of an alteration in himselfe yet may hee bee ignorant of the trueth of his conuersion for a time to be turned he may finde himselfe but directly to know and to say I am truely turned by the worke of the Spirit hee may possibly not for a time and heerein he may doubt and wauer and though he hath receiued the holy Ghost to renue him yet his condition may possibly be such that he shall say I am not yet renued But to be altered and find no alteration at all in a mans selfe I doe not see what one Scripture doeth warrant it Yes will some say There is Scripture for it Obiect For it is said of some q Acts 19.2 that were in Ephesus who were Disciples of the number of Beleeuers that they had not so much as heard whether there were an holy Ghost or no. For Paul said vnto them Haue ye receiued the holy Ghost since yee beleeued and they answered him Wee haue not so much as heard whether there be any holy Ghost Now if such as beleeued neuer had heard whether there be an holy Ghost then it is likely that they neuer felt the working of the holy Ghost in their conuersion neither one way nor other Answer But to this I answer first of all that it is a bad consequent to conclude that because the Disciples of Ephesus had not heard of the holy Ghost therefore a man can haue no knowledge of his conuersion though he be conuerted Answer Againe besides this we must know that the holy Ghost is taken 3. waies in the Scriptures First it signifieth the substance it selfe or the person of the holy Ghost the third person in the Trinitie secondly it signifieth the sanctifying and inuisible gifts of the Spirit which are conferred vpon the Elect at their conuersion and thirdly the visible spirituall gifts which Christ bestowed vpon the faithfull or some of them in the Primitiue Church Now in this place of the Acts is neyther meant the person of the holy Ghost nor the inuisible sanctifying gifts of the holy Ghost For it had bin a most absurd thing for Paul to haue esteemed those as such as had neuer knowne whether there were an holy Ghost or no or regenerating gifts of that holy Ghost yea or no who were Disciples who had receiued the Baptisme of that Iohn which in his course of baptizing had made mention of such a Spirit and of such gifts when he said r Mat. 3.11 I indeed baptize you with water to repentance but there is one that cometh after me who is stronger then mee he shall baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire It had beene an absurd thing I say for Paul to haue doubted whether they had knowne of such a Spirit such gifts in neither of those two senses is the place therefore to bee vnderstood but it rather is to be meant of the visible gifts which in those times Christ did powre downe vppon his Church Concerning such gifts therefore Paul asketh the Disciples of Ephesus whether they had receiued them yea or no as the gifts of tongues and prophecie And concerning such gifts they answer Paul also We know not whether there be any holy Ghost wee neuer heard whether euer Christ gaue any such visible gifts vnto his Church as the gifts of tongues and prophecying are So that from that Scripture no such matter can be gathered that it is possible for a Christian neuer to finde a change in himselfe and yet be changed For if a man be conuerted by the Spirit of grace he may know an alteration in himself though he cannot so presently vnderstand that that change in himself is the right change and such as the holy Ghost produceth and causeth and though at sometimes as the Doctrine sheweth the spiritual feeling which he hath within him cannot so directly bee comprehended to come from the Spirit as at another time it is and may be The Vse followeth Sect. 3. Vse To teach the children of God when they haue any feeling in themselues and know not whence directly it is to go and enquire at the word of God at the Priests lips which preserue knowledge or at the mouth of some faithfull brother and to compare their present sense with what that word reuealeth and to open their case plainely faithfully to such a Minister or such a brother telling them how it hath beene with them or how it is with them either in case of sorrow ioy c. intreating them to acquaint them with euidence from the Word whether the griefe which they are sometimes ouerwhelmed withall or the comforts that they are at other times accheerd withall be such as are fruits of Gods sanctifying Spirit For seeing there may be such a feeling in a man and not knowne by him to come from heauen nor whence indeed I thinke that it is very necessary for him to make such an enquiry as I am now perswading vnto Euen as a man therefore that heareth the noyse of the winde abroad that he may know in what corner it lieth from what Angle it commeth whether from the East or from the West c. So when thou hearest a kinde of spirituall sound in thy selfe blowing eyther roughly to humble thee
man be borne of the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God q. d. I thought Nicodemus I should make thee wonder I tolde thee I should grauell thee well perceiuing thee thus plunged I wil help thee the second or new birth which I nowspeake of is not naturall but spirituall I discourse not of a re-entring into the mothers wombe the second time naturally for I know that to be impossible but of an entring of the holy Ghost into the soule by grace spiritually and in this sense would I haue thee to vnderstand me and for a man thus to be borne agayne is so far from being impossible that it is most necessary and needefull if he minde euer to enter into the Kingdome of God either of grace heere or of glory hereafter d Verse 7. Maruell not therefore that I said vnto thee Ye must be borne againe Now our Sauiour hauing by this occasion entred vpon so woorthy a subiect as the doctrine of Regeneration is in handling the same he doth amplifie it from a three-folde particular first from the effect of it secondly from the contrary thirdly from the efficient cause of it First the effect of regeneration is the reward that followeth it viz. the inheritance of an heauenly kingdome in the later end both of the third and fift verses Except a man be borne againe or of the Spirit he can not see nor enter into the Kingdome of God giuing vs to vnderstand that if a man be regenerate he shall possesse the Kingdome of Heauen Secondly the contrary vnto this worke of the new-birth is the corruption of the flesh and the power of the same expressed in the sixt verse That which is borne of the flesh is flesh but that which is borne of the spirit is spirit Thirdly the efficient cause or immediate agent of this worke is the Spirit of God or the holy Ghost set out by a two-folde metaphor or similitude first likened to Water in the fift verse Except a man be borne of water and the spirit c. i. of the spirit which is like vnto water and secondly resembled to Wind in the present Text. The Winde bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it commeth and whither it goeth so is euery one that is borne of the spirit Sect. 2. The summe Which words as wee see for the summe and substance of them are nothing else but a Comparison vsed by our Sauiour in conference with Nicodemus to expresse the operation of the most blessed Spirit of God in effecting and contriuing that excellent worke of Regeneration in the hearts of the Elect which Comparison is taken from the liberty to breathe from the noyse and sound that are in the wind when it moueth the ayre and this for the coherence and substance From whence what we may gather in generall for our learning before we come to diuide and vnbowel the Text more particularly we shall see by that which followeth in two conclusions CHAP. II. The first generall Conclusion from the nature and substance of the words Sect. 1. THis metaphoricall or rather comparatiue forme of speech our Sauiour doth not vse in vaine but that his Church may learne something euen from the very maner of speaking For in that from the cōsideration of an earthly creature such as the Wind is hee doeth take occasion to discourse with Nicodemus of an heauenly matter Doctr. 1. hence we may obserue thus much that from the consideration of natural things wee should be led to the contemplation and communication of heauenly Saint Iohn from the noyse of the e Reu. 4.5 cap. 14.2 thunder which he heard in his Reuelations is led to the meditation of the power of Christ his voice in the preaching of the Gospell against Antichrist and his hereticall kingdome f Isa 44.19 The Prophet Esay from the consideration of the vnmoueable strength stability of the earth takes occasion to speake of the vndoubted certainty of Gods vnaltetable truth both in his promises and threatnings And how full of such heauenly meditations and diuine speeches the minde and mouth of Dauid the Father and Solomon the Sonne were vpon the consideration and sight of the workes of God he shal perceiue that doth at his leisure peruse the first psalme the nineteenth the hundred and nineteenth and many other places in the Psalmes and the whole Booke of the Canticles Sect. 2. Vse And wherefore serueth this but to prouoke and stirre vp euery Christian to reade to himself a profitable Lecture out of the Booke of the creatures and not to content himselfe with a meere gazing and looking vpon the workes of God in the heauens the earth the waters fruitlesly and vnprofitably as the greatest number doe but to be led by the same to set his heart on worke by diuine meditation and his tongue in spirituall conference according to what hee seeth or considereth in those workes g Motiue 1. from gods glorie Doth not the appearance of Gods glory in these creaturs call for this duty at our hands Serue not the variety the beauty the proportion the forme and the ornament of these creatures to set forth and declare the praise of his wisedome the glory of his power the honour of his goodnesse and according to that of Paul h Rom. 1.20 Are not the visible things of God seene clearely and his glorie showne conspicuously in and from the creation of the world Are not we guiltie then of dishonouring him when wee shall but meerely looke vppon these things as vpon a peece of paper that hath no letters and from them draw nothing to our meditations for the good of our soules and the benefit of others i 2. Note otherwise wee shew our selues fruitlesse See wee the Sunne so oft bloweth the winde so oft soundeth the thunder so oft bursteth forth the lightning so oft falleth downe the raine so oft Behold wee the Canopie of the Cloudes the lustre of the heauens the beauty of the earth and yet learne wee nothing from hence Oh how barren hearts haue we How vnprofitable Scholers are we It is much that hauing beene set to Schoole so long euen euer since our yeares of discretion wee haue not yet taken forth one good lesson out of this great booke the vse whereof the looking whereon we doe so daily and continually enioy What are they but Droans that flie about the fields and gaze vpon the floures and gather no hony from them And what shew we our selues but a sluggish cattell a fruitlesse people when wee can bring no hony to our Hiues no holy thoughts to our harts from the great Vniuerse to profit our selues and sweeten others withall Philosophers Physicians Astrologians haue all learned some thing from hence though but heathen and shall we that professe our selues Christians onely remaine vnprofitable The duty vrged Oh that wee could
and say s Rom. 11.33 Oh depth of the riches both of the wisedome knowledge of God! how vnsearchable are his Iudgements and his wayes past finding out Sect. 3. Vse 2. Secondly this may well afford vs a rule of tryall by which we may come to know Examination whether euer the Gales of Grace haue sauingly blowne and breathed vpon vs yea or no for if the Winde be a fit similitude to expresse the mysterie of Regeneration then from the properties of the Winde wee may come to discerne the properties of Grace and so the regenerating worke of the Spirit of God to see whether we haue it or who haue it Take wee a view therefore of the properties of the Winde and as wee goe along let vs compare withall the properties and effects of the Spirit and we shall haue markes and notes enow to iudge by of the worke of Regeneration Signes of grace Signe 1. Purification First of all the Wind is of a purging property euen so the Spirit of God is of a purifying quality the one doth no lesse cleanse the heart then the other doth purifie the ayre and the water For this cause the holy Ghost is compared to fire t Mat. 3.11 He shall baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire that is with the holy Ghost which is like fire and to u Eze ◠1 Water that flowed out of the Sanctuary which two Elements are of a purging and purifying nature The one serueth to purge metalls from drosse and scurfinesse and the other to cleanse cloathes and vessells from dirt and filthinesse which double resemblance what doth it signifie but that the Spirit of God is a purger and purifier of the heart which thing Paul giues his beleeuing Corinths to vnderstand For writing to them of the worke of Sanctification begunne in them he tells them w 1. Cor. 6.11 They were cleansed purged and washed by the Spirit of God Wherewithall accordeth a worthy saying of an ancient and eloquent Diuine Cypr. de S. sancto folio 32. abi gens inde quicquid tabidum est c. That the Spirit of God doth expell from the heart whatsoeuer is contagious whatsoeuer is infectious now how the Spirit doth purifie it will appeare by the like The Winde doth purge the water by mouing and troubling it and by stirring vp waue after waue vntill it hath cast vp the froth and superfluous scumme of it vpon the shoare and the Aire it doth purge two wayes first by dispelling fogges and mists How the Spirit purifieth 3. wayes both priuatiuely and positiuely Priuatiuely 1 Ignorantiam fugando 2 Impoenitentiam amouendo 3 Concupiscentiā subigendo 2 Positiuely 1 Mentem illuminando 2 Poenitētiam inserendo 3 Sanctitatem conferendo secondly by drying vp noisome puddles stinking quagmires For those things which do ordinarily infect the ayre are one of these two either misty vnwholesome vapours or noysome and vnsauoury quagmires by the remooueall of which two the Wind doth cleere and cleanse the aire euen so the holy Ghost doth purge the soule three wayes first by dispelling the spirituall fogges and mists of ignorance and blindenesse which darken the vnderstanding secondly by troubling the conscience for those sinnes which defile the whole man thirdly by drying vp that same stinking puddle of euill concupiscence and noysome lusts which haue their seate in the will and affections The first hee doth by the work of Illumination enlightening the minde with sauing knowledge the second by the worke of Humiliation breaking the heart with holy contrition and the third by the worke of Mortification and Sanctification rectifying the will with sincere obedience and the affections with holy desires heauenly loue ioy c. So that by all this wee see that wheresoeuer the holy Ghost hath breathed grace there is the worke of Spirituall purification wrought First the minde is purged from ignorance and is spiritually enlightened no sooner had the Spirit breath'd vpon Paul but the x Act. 9.18 scales fell from his eyes and the Lord beginneth the worke of Conuersion at Illumination and when he first bloweth with the blasts of Grace in vs he bestoweth spirituall eye-sight vpon vs hee enlighteneth vs to see what himselfe is in his iustice against sinne in his mercy by Christ to forgiue sinne he openeth our eyes to see our misery by natute to see the remedy of our misery by grace Vpon this spirituall eye-sight in the second place the conscience comes to be vrged and purged the soule so troubled with a consideration of being ouerwhelmed with this misery and out of Christ altogether destitute and depriued of that mercy that it cannot be at quiet one billow of sorrow one waue of griefe ariseth so vpon the necke of an other that there is no rest that it can finde no easement it can haue no contentment can be giuen it vntill the scumme and froth of all the sinnes that euer it was defiled with be brought to the shoare and set vpon the score of Christ Iesus Thou therefore whosoeuer thou art that neuer hadst the Lord Iesus to anoynt the eyes of thy soule that neuer hadst thy minde enlightened but art still in Egypt and pleasest thy selfe in thy blinde and ignorant condition that neuer sawest so much of thy misery as hath made thee bewaile thy sinfull and wofull estate nor as yet hast any care to seeke after knowledge that thou mayest come to know thy selfe aright know Christ crucified to the end thou mayst come to repentance dreame not thou that the gusts of grace are effectually infused into thy soule Againe as the mind and conscience is thus purged where these gusts are so likewise is the will purified from rebellion and that crooked and knotty peece which before was so hard to be rectified and squared that vntamed heifer which before was so vntoward to be broken and brought into any right frame to yield vnto any counsell wholesome good for the soule when the Spirit comes to blow vpon it though there be a kinde of resisting power in it is made to bend which way the Spirit pleaseth to encline to the wayes of life insomuch that the creature shall with holy Dauid say I am content to doe thy will O God Lastly as the Will from rebellion the Conscience from impenitencie the Vnderstanding from ignorance so if grace be wrought in thee thy affections wil be purged from the drosse of vnbeliefe from the loue of earthly things S. sanctus carnaeles hebetat sensus conterit appetitus Cypr. from the vanity of carnall and sensuall desires and like a man mortified and sanctified dead wilt thou be to the lusts of the flesh bringing them daily to the slaughter and aliue to God through Iesus Christ our Lord and those euils which formerly were most delightsome to the flesh will then become most burthensome to the spirit Thus I say where the holy Ghost hath regenerated there is a purified soule for doe wee thinke that so pure a guest as the blessed Spirit is
God with the diuell the world their owne consciences and all They they say are neuer troubled nor disquieted they finde nothing to burthen them nor molest them they thank God for it What grace haue they It is to bee feared none at all And poor soules the spirit of Satan still breathes in them and corruption hath them still in chaines and they are ready euery houre to bee cut off and popt ouer into the pit of destruction and yet ah wofull case they see it not but applaude themselues and solace themselues as if they were in no danger and no aliants to the regenerate condition Sayest thou thou hast nothing within thee to trouble thee nothing to molest thee nor euer haddest thou thankest God for it Wilt thou take a word from me and marke what I shall say I assure thee whosoeuer thou bee I would not be in thine estate for a thousand worlds if there were so many Thou art without grace and wilt not beleeue it The God of heauen perswade thee of it for if that be true which our Sauiour speaketh s Lu. 11.21 While the strong man armed that is the Diuell keepeth the house all things are in peace Then if all things be thus at peace in thee to harden thy heart and seare thy conscience that euil one still holdeth thee in bonds thou art still bound in the fetters of sin and art in fearefull thraldome thereunto and vntill a stronger then all these commeth I meane the Lord Iesus and set thy owne corruptions and the holy Ghost together at variance in thy soule miserable and lamentable must thy condition needes be I tel thee if the Spirit of grace were in thee there would bee a spirituall whirlewinde in thy soule two contrary blasts meeting grappling with one another like the twinnes in t Gen. 25.22 Rebeccahs wombe and they would make thee cry out as she did Why am I thus why am I thus worldly why am I thus lazie in my profession why am I thus dead harted in the seruice of my God thus proud thus full of selfe-loue thus passionate and tuchy c. and thou shouldest finde the Spirit of Faith resisting the spirit of vnbeleefe distrust doubting the Spirit of truth resisting the spirit of errour the Spirit of loue resisting the spirit of enuy malice frowardnesse the spirit of humility the spirit of pride the spirit of zeale the spirit of key-coldnesse luke-warmenesse carnall feare c. Thus it would be with thee if thou wert regenerate Albeit this conflict of Contraries be not alwayes alike because grace sometimes getteth the foyle sometimes the conquest though neuer the fall yet the experienced Christian knoweth with S. Paul that whensoeuer hee intendeth any good euill is present with him and in his best actions corruption troubleth him whi h he many times findeth much adoe to keep vnder And therefore I conclude It is a vaine thing for any man or woman to imagine that they are sanctified Wherefore let those that refuse to pray in the Temple as Anabaptisticall and Papisticall Recusants do suspect themselues to be swolne rather with the blasts of heresie the winde of vaine-glory then blowne vppon with the gales of Sanctitie Let those that care not to pray any where but in the temple neglecting this duety with their charges in their houses as carnall and common Protestants do suspect themselues to be carried rather with the winde of custome and fashion then of grace and heauenly inspiration Let those that vse it in their families and make no conscience of it apart by themselues whenas there are so many secret corruptions to be acknowledged and bewailed in the best which are to be kept from the dearest friends in the family feare themselues to bee guided rather by the spirit of hypocrisie then possessed with the Spirit of grace But such as care neither for praying in the Temple nor in the family nor secretly let them not only suspect but also know themselues to be such as are altogether voyde of the spirituall operation of Gods Spirit in the work of Regeneration For where that worke is there is the Spirit of adoption and where the Spirit of adoption is there is a crying Abba Father such wil haue so familiar frequent communion with the Lord that the Church the family the streetes the high-wayes the walkes the chamber the bed the closet the shop yea the prison it selfe c. shall be made witnesses of those heauenly ejaculations which their hearts and lips dart vp into the eares of the Almighty that great hearer of prayers Secondly as the spirituall man is heard of God sending vp praiers to the high Court of Parliament in Heauen so men shal heare the sound of his sanctified tongue in holy and religious communication I delight sayth Dauid to be talking of thy righteous iudgements a Ps 39.2 While I held my peace from good my sorrow was stirred yea my heart waxed hot within me b Acts 22 1. c Paul must needes be telling and talking of his conuersion before his very enemies shewing what notable things the Lord had wrought in him and done for him Whence was it that c Acts Aquila and Priscilla did instruct Apollos in the way of God more perfectly that d 2. Tim. 1.5 compar'd with chap. 3.14 6. Eunica did teach Timothy but because the Spirit had so breathed in their hearts that they could not holde their tongues but they must be speaking of the wayes of God to strangers they neuer saw before and to their domesticall inferiors and home-dwellers When grace hath seasoned the heart it will so salt and pouder the speech that it will both eat out putrified and rotten communication and also make the tongue a fit instrument to minister grace to the hearers Take triall of thy selfe by this particular also What is thy speech Speakest thou the language of Ashdod or the dialect of Canaan Dost thou with Dauid e Ps 39.1 take such heed to thy ways that thou maiest not offend with thy tong keeping thy mouth as with a bridle Nay dost thou with the same Prophet f Psal 34.11 call thy children vnto thee and teach them the feare of the Lord and vppon all fitting occasions the praises of God and the statutes of God continually in thy mouth If they be it is a good signe that thou hast a good stocke of grace in thy heart but if thy tongue g Iac. 3.6 be set on fire with hell as Saint Iames speaketh breathing out stinking blasphemous filthy frothy false slaunderous venemous vnsauoury speeches it is a very strong euidence against thee that the breath of Heauen hath not blowne vppon thee For I neuer reade in all the Scripture that a regenerate heart and a reuiling tongue an holy heart and a ribald tongue a gracious heart and a blasphemous periurious tongue a spirituall heart and a dissembling backebiting and scoffing tongue haue stoode together
and his fingers to fight to giue him therepulse though sometimes more weakly sometimes more strongly and to answer him as Naboth did Ahab when he requested his Vineyard o 1 Ki. 21.2 God forbid that I should part with the inheritance of my father God forbid I should let goe my anchor-hold in Christ and by hearkening to thee Satan throw away the euidences that I haue for those heauenly prerogatiues and that inheritance which my Father hath bequeathed me in the name of his Sonne 1 His godly life is defended Againe when either the Diuell world or flesh shall lay any siege against his godly conuersation either by golden and hony arguments alluring him to some euils or by opposing and discouraging reasons to deterre him from some good hee can answer him though not alwayes alike as Elisha did King Ioram p 2 Kin. 3.13 What haue I to doe with thee Or as Ioseph his mistris q Gen. 39.9 How can I do this great wickednes and sin against my God Or as the man of God did Ieroboam r 1 Ki. 13 8.9 If thou wilt giue me halfe thine house I will not yeeld to thee for it is otherwise charged mee by the Lord. And whatsoeuer the sinne be which he is suggested vnto this blessed winde bloweth a weapon and bringeth a sword to his hand to smite against it withall As against pride it giueth this sword ſ Iames. God resisteth the proud against lust this t Heb. 13.2 whoremongers and adulterers God wil iudge against couetousnes this u Eph. 5.5 no couetous person which is an idolater shall enter into the kingdome of heauen against apostasie and backe-sliding this w 2 Pet. 2 21 It had been better neuer to haue knowne the way of righteousnesse then after they haue knowne it to turne from the holy commande rises troubled with Christ the z Act. 17.6 heathens with Paul and Sylas a 1 Kings 18.17 Ahab with Elias b 2 Sam. 6 16.20 Michol with Dauid the c Acts 7. vncircumcised Iewes with Steuen and the Infidells with the Christians vnder the tenne Persecutions And why so Onely because the Spirit of God had regenerated them the spirit of zeale was vpon them and they were filled with the holy Ghost Not that the holy Ghost doth of himself produce such an effect as the hating of Gods Children and the opposing of religion amongst any for can God who is vnitie it selfe be against himselfe but this comes to passe accidentally by occasion of the spirits working in the regenerate from the corruption of the vnregenerate who are alwayes like the troubled roaring waters and therefore can be no more still when the godly refuse to runne to the same excesse of riot with them or speake against or dislike of their enormious courses then the sea can be still when the winde bloweth vpon it If thou therefore that art a Christian dooest meete with opposition for thy holie profession account it no strange thing as if thou wert alone in that condition and maruell not at it For will the Mariner wonder to see the waues rise the waters swell the Sea rage when windy stormes beate vpon it The Scribes wil quarel with Christ for his innocencie and the wicked will quarrell with his followers for their integrity and for a man to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit is enough to breed deadly enmity in the hearts of the vngodly against him For the working of the Spirit is resembled to the Winde and the Winde is a fit metaphor to expresse the same CHAP. IIII. The logicall analysis of the Text and the opening of the first part of it Sect. 1. HAuing now done with the summe of the words order requireth that wee should anatomize the Text and part it into seuerall members In this comparison two branches are occurrent first the comparison or similitude it selfe in these words The Winde bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth Secondly the application of the similitude in the words following So is euery one that is borne of the Spirit Each of these two members subdiuide and spread themselues into 3. branches apeece which meeting together throughout the Text doe constitute and make three substantiall parts for me to handle The first treats of the free liberty vnresistable efficacie of the working of the holy Ghost the second containes a discourse of the sense and feeling of that holy worke in the regenerate the third comprehendeth the incomprehensiblenesse of the measure of that worke The first layde downe thus The Winde bloweth where it listeth So is euery one that is borne of the Spirit The second thus and thou hearest the sound thereof so is euery one that is borne of the Spirit The third thus but canst not tell whence it commeth and whither it goeth So is euery one that is borne of the Spirit Still this clause euery one that is borne of the Spirit being applied to euerie branch in the similitude Sect. 2. Part. 1. The first of these must first be handled The Winde bloweth where it listeth So is euery one that is borne of the Spirit The words expounded First to interpret the wordes The Winde d August as Chemnitius quoteth Some here by Winde do vnderstand the person of the holy Ghost or the third person in the Trinitie for which opinion I confesse there seemeth to be some colour in the e Being rather translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greek Text which I dare not absolutely reiect lest I should be thought to offer wrong to so worthy a Father as is the Author of it yet in modestie let me say thus much In asmuch as the originall word is of some generall extent being deriued of a f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word which signifieth to breathe or blow I can not see any reason why that tearme which in our Translations is englished wind should for the Greekes sake so properly signifie the third person in the Trinitie especially too sithence the epithet holy is heere wanting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which vsually we finde ioyned with the word Spirit when it noteth out the person of the holy Ghost wherefore with others of the g Chrysost Chimnit Caluin Pisc Beza c. learned I take to be meant the naturall winde which many times maketh a dinne and noyse in the aire About which wind the curious brains of differing Philosophers haue weaued many knots and framed many intricate and needelesse questions the loosing and discussing whereof it is not my purpose to meddle withall being neither materiall to the Text nor profitable to the Reader neither mind I to stuffe these Papers with the diuers descriptions which diuers h As Seneca one Nat. quaest lib. 5. cap. 1 Aristot an other Meteor lib. 2.
light of grace without the spirituall sunne-shine of the Spirit it is not possible it is God that worketh in vs the will and the deede Away then with that freedome of will to regenerate our selues which our Aduersaries doe groundlesly holde and maintaine Whereas they obiect Obiect that same speech of our Sauiour Iohn 5.6 to the sicke man that lay at the poole of Bethesda Wilt thou be made whole and conclude from thence that that man had a will to haue his disease cured before his healing So consequently a sinner may haue a will to the curing of his sicke sinfull soule euen while the disease of sinne lieth vpon him and while he remaines vnregenerate Who is of so weake vnderstanding as not plainely to see the weakenes of this argument Answer 1 For what though it be granted that the man which lay sicke at the poole of Bethesda of a bodily infirmity had a will as no doubt he had to be cured of his malady euen while the disease did raigne vpon him shall wee therefore conclude that we haue a power to will the healing of our spirituall wounds before grace be breathed into vs from heauen God forbid The poore Creeple that lay at the poole of Bethesda though he lay vppon a bed and could not stirre himself so nimbly and liuely as others that were in better health then himselfe yet he had life in him and a feeling of his disease and therefore well might hee desire and haue a will to be healed But a man that lieth in the poole of Beth-auen in the gulph of iniquitie so long as the disease of his soule lieth vpon him vncured hee is starke dead hee hath no more spirituall life in him then a blocke or a stone hath naturall life he is vtterly voyde of any sense or feeling of his disease and how can hee then will the cure of it and wish the healing of it Answer 2. Besides when Christ beginneth to deale with the sinner about the cure of his diseased soule as hee did with that sicke man about the healing of his diseased body And when hee asketh the sinner by a secret voyce and by his reuealed will in the Word Wilt thou be healed of thy spirituall malady It must be his Spirit must teach vs to answer Yea. And when hee asketh that question effectually indeede hee doth encline the heart to desire saluation Which desire therefore cannot be attributed to mans will willing it but to the inspiration of the holy ghost breathing this godly desire into the poore soule And therefore a dangerous and damnable opinion it is for any man to ascribe that supernaturall worke of regeneration to the will of man which proceedeth onely and freely from the will of God who with his Spirit breatheth and bloweth where he pleaseth Truely if this opinion should be giuen way vnto The danger of this errour this mischiefe would ensue hereupon A man might be bold to goe on in sinne as farre as he listeth and continue in sinne as long as he listeth and easily conuert and turne him tied then to pouerty in estate No neither For as there are few of the richer sort who are religious but haue their soules as full of sin as their chests are of siluer so many of the meaner sort are irreligious beeing as miserable in their soules as beggerly in their estates So that I say no person place conditton can compell the Lord to sanctifie his creatures his free pleasure is the ground of all and out of euery nation age sex condition hee draweth some to himself to fear his Name to call vpon him to do him worship seruice according to his owne blessed will And therefore let no man boast himself in the multitude of his riches in the number of his friends in the depth of his humane policy in the greatnes of his earthly pedigree in the height of his dignity nor in the seat of his authority For that God who makes the winde to blowe vpon a poor cotage when he lets a Kings palace alone can bestowe grace vpon the poor begger Stat pro ratione voluntat when he denieth it to the great potentate And no maruell his will is his reason and no outward priuiledges can constrain him to work but where he pleaseth himself Shall not hee that is Lord of all haue the disposing of all at his owne pleasure When therefore thou shalt beginne to question in thy selfe with the Lord Lord why hast thou receiued such a poor one and rejected such a great one sanctified such a simple and despised one and left such a wise man such a politician conuerted such a young stripling and not wrought vpon such an ancient father why dost thou impart thy gifts thus why doost thou distribute thy graces thus When I say thou shalt fall thus in admiration of Gods wisdome to make such an inquiry as this is let this doctrin be at hand in thy meditations to answer thy self by The God of heauen with his gales of grace bloweth and breatheth where he pleaseth Sect. 4. Vse 3. Exhortation to two sorts Thirdly heere is matter of counsell perswasion to be deriued from this doctrine and that both to the regenerate and vnregenerate 1 To the regenerate in a two-fold duty The regenerate are to be perswaded to a twofould duty one to be practised for themselues the other to be performed on the behalf of others 1 Thankfulnes for grace receiued That duty which concerneth themselues is thankfulnesse to GOD for breathing grace so freely and liberally into them for the more free the gift is to the creature the more praise ought to be returned from him to the Creatour who is the bestower of the same A fit Simile Should a King bestowe some Lordship or yeerly pension vpon one of his subjects of base estate and badde desert if that subject should not bee thankfull vnto his Soueraign for the same he were worthy to be cri'd shame vpon especially too sithens the freedome of the Kings pleasure without any worth in himself is the ground of the same And shall the King of heauen of his owne free will for his own blessed pleasure conferre not onely an annuall pension of earthly treasure for term of life but an incorruptible possession of heauenly graces vpon the sinfull sonnes and daughters of Adam whose richest estate was sinne and corruption whose best desert was hel and damnation and shall they that haue their share in this portion be vnmindfull of this loue vnthankfull for this fauour God forbid If there had been any thing in themselues to
Law of a gracious God and hath caused him more to sorrow for sinne as it is sinne then for sinne as it procureth punishment I meane more because he hath grieued so mercifull a Father then because hee hath deserued hell torment and so consequently hath brought him earnestly to desire strength against his corruptions as godly sorrow and an hearty desire to forsake sinne goe together When I say the spirituall yongling is brought thus farre then comes Satan vpon him as with many other so with this temptation of buzzing into his eare an impossibility of euer getting victory ouer his lusts strength to walke with God Thou shalt neuer ouercome thy corruptions saith he thou shalt neuer attaine vnto that faith zeale loue vnto that measure of holy care to walk in an holy course that thou dost desire and therefore it is in vaine for thee to grieue so much it is to no purpose for thee to striue so much thou shalt fall to thy old secure biasse againe and though now a passionate and melancholy fit hath possessed thee thou shalt growe to be as secure and hard-hearted as euer thou wert before Thou canst not shift it Seest thou not thine owne deceitfull heart against thee seest thou not the world against thee seest thou not thy wife thy husband thy parents thy maister thy brethren sisters fellow seruants friends enemies and all in the way to hinder thee how canst thou possibly get grace then or keepe it when thou hast it Whereupon the poore Christian being but a weakeling and too ready to entertaine any hard conceit against himselfe beginneth to droupe doubt and wauer and in a manner to subscribe to the temptation by which meanes the poore soule is brought into such a labyrinth of distresse that it knoweth not which way to turne it selfe for ease and comfort nor what to doe to ridde it selfe out of this perplexitie As an helpe therefore in these streights let this doctrine be thought vpon by the fainting soule let it take occasion from the same to accheere it selfe as well it may hauing right so to doe Consider therefore thou honest heart that Gods graces are vnchangeable his worke of Regeneration is inuincible and where he beginneth to breathe he will breathe though the while world say nay to it though all the powers of darkenesse set against it Doth the diuell tell thee thou shalt neuer get victorie ouer thy corruptions neuer be better then thou hast beene neuer walke better then thou hast done Beleeue him not he hath been a liar from the beginning and so he is stil I yield indeed thou hast a corrupt and deceitful hart that may easily out-reach thee and ouer-reach thee and peradventure thou mayest be troubled with a bad yoakefellow and the most of thy kindred in the flesh may be but men of the flesh and carnall persons and canst looke for no encouragement but rather discouragement from them if thou beest in the condition of a childe happely thy father may be against thee or thy mother or both if in the state of a seruant thy maister and gouernor and thou shalt haue many snares layd in the way to catch thee many blocks to offend thee I grant all this is true and may be true But what of all this wilt thou beleeue that because of these rubbes and obstacles the Lord must needes leaue halfe or the greatest part of his worke vndone in thee It is the Lords worke to illuminate to inspire to sanctifie and nothing can make him giue ouer let the Diuell roare let the flesh rebell let Rabshekah reuile let the world entice let friends flatter let enemies oppose be thou but watchful and stand wisely vpon thy guard they cannot they shal not frustrate nor nullifie the breathing of the holy Ghost in thee Wherefore so long as thou hast this for thy refuge yielde not to the tempter but let it be thy comfort thy crowne thy reioycing maugre all the malicious suggestions that Sathan seeketh to disquiet thy poore soule withall Thou shalt get victory ouer thy lusts be they neuer so strong thou shalt walke in the wayes of new obedience by the grace of GOD enabling thee though they be neuer so difficult Tell me Is not the want of grace the chiefe thing which thou bewailest Is not the possession of grace the principall treasure which thou desirest I know it is if thou beest a true Christian why this is an euidence that God hath begunne to blow vpon thee and he will perfect his owne work in thee and nothing shall command him to stay inspiring no more then thou thy selfe canst command the wind to leaue blowing when it maketh a sound in the aire Wherefore be of good comfort and take heart vnto thee and answere the Diuell with this weapon whensoeuer with this assault hee shall seeke to molest thee Againe 2. Comfort and incoragement to a strōger Christian as the weak may fetch comfort from hence so this may bee propounded to the refreshment and encouragement of the stronger sort of Christians the worke of sanctification is vnconquerable nothing shall frustrate it thou that hast been trained vp in the Schoole of Christ and in the trade of Christianitie a long time knowest this and hast prooued it by experience diuers and sundry wayes at diuers and sundry times well vse the meditation of this matter as a sword and buckler in the times of thy temptation for such times thou shalt see euen Paul himselfe must haue a y 1. Cor. 12 7. pricke in the flesh to buffet him and not onely so but ioy in the Pearle which thou hast found And seeing thou hast so long a time beene baptized with the holy Ghost which Hell it selfe cannot vndoe againe doe as the z Acts 8.39 Eunuch did whom Philip baptized driue forward the Chariot of thy godly life cheerefully and goe forward in thy way reioycing vntill thou commest to a perfect age in Christ Iesus Let this suffice for the first part of the Text. CHAP. VII The words of the second part of the Text interpreted and the heads of the Doctrines briefly propounded Sect. 1. I Passe on now to the second part of the Text which treateth of the sense and feeling that accompanieth the worke of Regeneration in the regenerate set downe in these words And thou hearest the sound thereof Interpretation so is euery one that is borne of the Spirit a Tolet. ad locum Some heere by the sound of the Winde vnderstand the voyce of the Spirit of God in the Scriptures so that though the holy Ghost bee inuisible in regard of his substance yet hee is to bee heard speaking in the written Word and the same Author saith it is euen so with those that are borne of the Spirit the things that are within them as their thoughts motions purposes desires cannot be seene with the eye yet the fruits of their vertues may be heard of amongst the children
of men and their gracious and holesome speeches But this cannot be the meaning because as hath beene shewed before by Winde cannot bee vnderstood the person of the holy Ghost and so the comparison can not bee betwixt the Spirit and those that are borne of the Spirit but betwixt the Winde and those that are borne of the Spirit Following therefore still the Metaphor of Winde I fall to expound the wordes thus And thou that is thou Nicodemus thou that art so ignorant in the mystery of regeneration hearest the sound thereof that is the noyse or sound of the winde when it bloweth in the aire This sound thou hearest with thy eares though thou canst not see it with thine eyes and so commest to know there is winde So is euerie one that is borne of the Spirit .i. So standeth the case with them that are regenerate in regard of the worke of the Spirit in them though it can not be seene and comprehended with the eye of carnall reason yet the spirituall sound that it maketh and sense that it worketh inwardly in the soule of the regenerate doth giue testimony of the breathing of it Sect. 2. The reason of the interpretation That this is the meaning it is plain because it agreeth with the scope of this dialogue betwixt Christ and Nicodemus For Nicodemus maruelling how it could possibly be true That a man should be borne againe our Sauiour bids him leaue wondering at it for though by his fleshly reason hee could not see a possibilitie of the new birth yet such a birth there is perceiued too by the effect of the Spirit inwardly working in those that haue it euen as the winde is knowne to bee by the sound it maketh in our eares though the substance of it cannot be seen with our eyes The wordes thus explained are a foundation for foure principles of positiue Diuinitie 1. That to the eye of Reason the worke of the Spirit and the doctrine of the new birth is inuisible 2. Where the Spirit breatheth and regenerateth there is a sense and feeling of it is I say no matter of corruption in it in respect of its owne nature wherefore it being so pure in it selfe it cannot bee comprehended by a capacitie and vnderstanding so grosse as the carnall mans is Reason 2. Secondly the winde can not bee seene because it is not capable of colour For colour being the obiect of sight things onely are seene by their colours so the winde of grace cannot be seene by a carnall man the doctrine of the breath of it seemeth strange to him because to his reason there is no pleasant nor beautifull colour in it he beholdeth more lustre and splendour more beauty more cause of contentment in riches honours preferments parentage yea in his bestial and Belial-like lusts then in the things of the Spirit of God and hence it comes to passe that hee is so blinde in the matters of heauen Reason 3. To these two I may adde a third that light which should help the iudgement to apprehend the things of God was extinguished by the fall of our first parents vntill which bee restored againe there can be no conceiuing the mystery of Regeneration But so long as a man is naturall that light is not restored and therefore no maruell if the point of Regeneration bee a darke sentence and riddle vnto him For a man to the end hee may see things must not onely haue the power or vertue of seeing in the sensitiue soule and eies as fit organs and instruments for that seeing sense to vse in the apprehension of colours but there must be light in the aire either by means of the Sun or a candle or fire Which light if it be wanting all things are inuisible to the creature though it hath both the sense of seeing and eies to see withall so in like manner though there be as there is in the vnregenerate person a faculty and power to vnderstand because he hath a reasonable soule and differeth from brute creatures and eyes to execute that facultie that is the act of vnderstanding because he hath a mind in that soule yet the light of Gods Image is wanting which Adam lost by the meanes whereof hee must see into heauenly mysteries and so long as that is wanting he must needes be vnable altogether to diue into matters of that nature Sect. 2. Vse 1. The meditation of this truth ought first of all to be a Motiue vnto the regenerate to pitty the miserable and wretched estate of all carnall and vnregenerate persons For alas blinde creatures the Doctrine of the winde of grace the manner of the worke of grace is a riddle vnto them their mind is so blinded their vnderstanding is so darkened that such Principles as these are Greeke and Hebrew vnto them Yea let the confluence of naturall morall and artificiall gifts meet together in them to conspire their perfection let the motions of the celestial sphears the course of the Sunne and Moone the influence of the Starres the nature of beasts the property of birds the qualitie of trees the vertue of hearbs and plants of the earth be neuer so visible vnto them neuer so well knowne of them by their study and industrie in searching into the secrets of Nature Yea let them haue a speculatiue sight of many things which the Scripture openeth and reuealeth yet so long as they are but carnall the Doctrine of the winde of Grace will be strange to them yea though they can talke and preach of it and the efficacie of the work of grace altogether mystical and aenigmaticall vnto them no more by the wisedome which they haue to bee perceiued then the winde which is so thin a substance so vncolourable a creature to be visibly looked vpon apparent to the eye of the body And is not this a pittifull thing a thing to be lamented a case to be pittied Oh Christians pitty them you that haue any knowledge of the Lord Iesus mourne for them Out of question it went to the heart of Christ Iesus to consider the grosse blindnesse of Nicodemus that a Maister in Israel a man of note and reckoning amongest the people that such an one as Nicodemus was who had read or should haue read what the Scripture sheweth in the writings of g Psa 51.7 Dauid h Ezek. 11 19. Chap. 36.25 Ezekiel i Zac. 13.1 Zacharie the rest of the Prophets concerning the force of corruption the fruit of conuersion the power of sanctification that such an one I say as had Moses and the Prophets to informe him in these matters should be so ignorant so vnlearned in the poynt of Regeneration that he could not see a possibility of being born againe This no doubt moued our Sauiour much to compassionate his condition for so much k Chemn in Harm 357. one affirmes of Christ in expounding the tenth verse of this Chapter Art thou a maister in Israel
reade out of the Word they haue gotten a few smacks of knowledge and haue attained to an ability to discourse of the poynts of Religion and because with Iudas for gaine with Iehu for glory with the Pharises for praise they do some dueties which true Christians doe pray peraduenture sometimes with their family giue almes of their substance to the poore affoord perhappes some countenance to the Ministers of the Word and Professors of the Gospel because I say for by-respects they do these things therefore they argue that they must needes be sound Christians But how much they deceiue themselues God knoweth and this poynt sheweth For alas what are hast perhappes a knowledge of the doctrine of faith and therin of the obiect of faith Christ Iesus but where is thy experience of the power of this faith first in leading thee to Christ for reconciliation secondly in accheering thy heart vpon the finding of the Messiah thirdly in purifying thy heart from the filthinesse of the flesh and fourthly in prouoking thee to lament as the Church did in the Canticles when thou hast lost the sight of him Againe thou hast it may be by attendance vpon the ordinance of God gotten some skill to discourse of the point of loue to God and his Children of hatred of sinne c. but doest thou feele thy heart set on fire with a desire of being obedient to God in all his Commandements resoluing to m 1 Kin 15.5 turne from nothing that hee enioyneth thee all the dayes of thy life and purposing with Iob n Iob 9.4 to be content to receiue euill at Gods hands as well as good Art thou enflamed with a loue to all good things as well as one and to all the Saints as well as one though I deny not that the neernes or the worthines of the person loued may occasion differing degrees in thy loue nay findest thou a readinesse to forgiue and loue thine enemies feelest thou in thy selfe a dislike of sinne in all persons as well as in those that are neere vnto thee as in neighbours that haue no alliance with thee Are thy affections thus moued Is thy inner man thus affected No no thou hypocrite wilt thou dare then to encroach vpon the prerogatiue of Gods beloued ones and lay challenge to the portion of sauing grace take heed what thou dost The Diuell is subtile thine owne heart is deceitfull Either get some sure testimony to proue the sense of grace in some sound maner to affect thy heart or else I must tell thee as I told the profane and ciuill person before thee that thou hast no grounds that the gales of Grace haue sauingly blowne vppon thee when-as this must needes bee granted for a trueth that in the Soule of the regenerate there is a feeling of the spirits working as well as in the eare of a man a sound of the wind when it bloweth in the ayre And thus Christian Reader haue I had a cast at this vaine conceit of hauing grace altogether without the sense of grace which is all one as if the Sunne and light life and feeling fire and heate should be separated and I haue to my power bent the edge of this doctrine against it And if in that which I haue spoken I haue seemed too harsh I must craue pardon for pitty to the soules of such deluded creatures hath stirred mee vp thereunto And to speake trueth neuer had Dion more cause of offering sacrifice to the gods after the paganish manner of the Heathens when hee freed the Syracusians from the tyranny of Dionysius Diod. Sic. libr. 16. then I shall haue of praising the God of heauen if through the meanes of this vse of confutation but one profane ciuil or hypocriticall person may be freed and deliuered from the bondage and slauery of so vaine and erroneous an opinion Sect. 5. Vse 2. Comfort to the tender-hearted Now lest the children of the Bride-chamber should through the malice of Satan abuse themselues so much as to place themselues in the ranke of such selfe-deceiuers so cast downe themselues without cause by that which hath beene spoken I must bring in as wel I may from the point in hand a word of comfort for them Is it so then that where the holy Ghost infuseth grace there is a spirituall sense in the powers of that soule then what singular cause of reioycing hath that Christian that hath this sense and feeling for hee hath euen the witnesse in himselfe that Christ is his grace is his and the Spirit of the Almightie dwelleth in him When therefore the word of GOD doth reueale vnto thee the minde of God either in the sounds of Iudgement or the Songs of Mercie out of the Lawe and the Gospel feelest thou thy heart affected accordingly sometimes with reuerence feare and trembling somtimes with rauishment comfort and reioycing Art thou sensible of those impure thoughts that swarme in thy heart of idle speeches that oft issue foorth thy mouth and Text yet I dare say it is not violently forced against the minde of the holie Ghost For seeing it hath pleased our Sauiour to compare the sense of the Spirits working to the sound of the winds blowing I may safely inferre thus much heerupon If the sound of the winde be not alwayes alike in the eare of the same man but sometimes louder sometimes lower then the feeling which grace effecteth in a Christian must needs be sometimes more sometimes lesse and not at all times alike Very euidently doeth that same o Psal 51.12 prayer of Dauid make this poynt good Restore vnto me the ioy of thy saluation as intimating vnto vs that the spirituall ioy which hee was wont to feele was in a manner quite gone yea so gone that hee craues the restoring of it againe Doe wee thinke that the feeling of the burthen of his two sins Murther and Adultery was so great and vehement before Nathan came vnto him as it was after he had beene with him Certainely no the Booke of the Psalmes is plentifull in proofes of this kinde Had Peter thinke we who was a beloued Disciple of Christ alwayes the same feeling of the Spirits working When he stood vpon his owne p Mat. 16. ver 33.35 strength and denied his Master when hee vanted before Christ Though all men forsake thee I will not hee had not that feeling of his owne weakenesse which hee had when hee went out and r Mat. 26.75 wept bitterly after his fall neither did his soule heare the Lawe telling him how feeble he was in himselfe at the one time so strongly as he heard it at the other He had not such a taste of the loue of Christ towards his soule when hee was Å¿ Mat. 26.72.73 denying of him as he had when he made that good confession of his faith We know thou hast the words of eternall life t Mat. 16.16 Lu 9 20. thou art the Christ the Sonne
in the heart as it is with the hearing of the sound of the winde Some heare not the winde so loude as others though it bloweth equally alike when both doe heare it so some feele not the worke of grace in the same measure that others doe though the same spirit breatheth vpon both I will trouble you with no more Scriptures for this then with that of Saint Paul 1. Cor. 12.4 There are diuersitie of gifts but the same spirit and if diuersitie of gifts why not diuersitie of feelings according to the measure of those gifts And there is very good reason for it For first There shall not be the same fruition Reason 1. of happinesse in the kingdome of Glory I know that there shall bee enioyment of the same felicitie but there shall not be the same enioyment of that felicity in regard of the degrees of it According to that of the Apostle 1. Cor. 15.41 One starre differeth from another in glory Now if there be differing degrees in the taste of Gods fauor among the Saints triumphant in the kingdome of glorie I see nothing against it but that it is so and may bee so amongst the Saints militant vpon the face of the earth in the kingdome of grace Secondly all are not of the same age Reason 2. in Christ but they stand in a three-fold difference Some are Infants and new borne Babes in in Christ as Peter calls them a 1 Pet. 2 3. or little Children as Iohn calls them b 1. Ioh. 2.1.18 Some are of a middle growth or yoong men as the same c 1. Ioh. 2.13 Apostle stileth them And others againe are strong Christians olde men in pietie or Fathers in Christ as hee entitleth them d 1. Ioh. 2.13.14 Now these seuerall ages haue their seuerall feelings new Christians in one measure middle aged in another Fathers in another And amongst euery one of these kindes one hath his feeling in one degree and another in another according to the measure which the Lord hath allotted for him according to that capabilitie which he hath giuen them seuerally Reason 3. Thirdly the Lord will haue it thus that Christians may see themselues to stand in neede of helpe from one another which they would not take notice of if there were an equalitie of gifts and equall feeling answerable thereunto Sect. 2. Vse 1. By this then in the first place we may see what answer may be made what satisfaction may bee giuen to those Christians who call their estate in doubt and make a question Whether euer they had sound grace bestowed vpon them because they neuer had the same feeling wrought in them which they heare to haue beene in others that are of the same profession age and standing with themselues questioning Whether euer their repentance was sound because their humiliation was neuer so deep as theirs Whether euer their faith was sound because they haue not attained vnto the same stedfastnesse of perswasion in Gods loue that strength against doubting and that measure of spirituall ioy in the holy Ghost that their brethren haue attained vnto To whom this is that which I will say for their resolution As there are diuersitie of degrees in the gifts of the Spirit so there are differences in the measure of feeling that accompany those gifts and therefore they may haue grace thogh they cannot remember that euer they haue matched such and such whom they suspicion whether euer it were true because it hath not equalled thy brothers feeling that is but a copartner with thee of the same grace I doe not deny but that it is good for thee to be iealous of thine owne condition and I would to God the hypocrite would but fall to make such questions but yet take heede thou that art a right Saint that thou doest not grudge at Gods wisedome in dispensing his gifts of this nature if hee hath giuen thee any measure of humiliation and consolation at all it is his great mercy if it be in truth And whether it be in truth thou shalt easily finde by these particulars First for thy humiliation whether the Lawe hath beene thy Scholemaister or the Gospel thy Tutor to bring thee hereunto for e Rom. 2.4 Gal. 3.24 both haue an hand in leading to repentance if that hath beene true first thou hast had a sight of sin as it is sin secondly thou hast seene thy selfe a condemned person for sinne thirdly thou hast grieued for it fourthly thou hast growne to dislike it and doest daily more more and fiftly thou forsakest it Againe for thy faith if that be true then first thou hast seen no other name whereby thou canst bee saued but the name of Iesus Secondly thou hast disclaimed and renounced thine own righteousnesse Thirdly thou hast longed after Christ Fourthly thou hast either found him to thy spirituall comfort or else thou hast a resolution that thou wilt not be satisfied vntill thou hast found him and dost see thy sinnes pardoned in him And thou longest with all thy heart for that same ioy of Gods chosen so much and so often spoken of in the Scripture If then thou hast these things in thee in neuer so weake a measure know thou that thy case is good thogh thou hast not attayned vnto the same heighth and depth of them that other seruants of God haue perhappes no elder in respect of the new birth then thy selfe too Thou doubtest of thy humiliation thou sayest Why peraduenture by the vertue of education and example thou hast beene trayned vp well is lacking one way eyther in thy humiliation or of faith the Lord hath made good another way Take that which thine is and bee thankefull knowing and perswading thy self that thou shalt not misse of one inch of that measure of feeling which he hath layd out for thee A Cautiō This haue I spoken not with an intent to flesh any hypocrite or other person that is frozen in the dregs of securitie for if any doe so abuse it the offence is taken not giuen neyther to sing a Song of fleshly ease to the Christian himselfe to make him slack his diligence in making his calling and election sure but onely to giue satisfaction vnto his wauering heart when hee shall doubt of the truth of his spirituall feeling when he compareth it with the feeling of others whose measure in this thing is greater then his owne Sect. 3. Vse 2. In the next place this serues to condemne the vncharitablenesse of some in the Church of Christ which call into suspicion the soundnesse of their fellow brethren because hauing bin as long trained vp in the Schoole of Christ as themselues they haue not attayned vnto the same measure of feeling that themselues haue Which Christians if they would well aduise themselues by this doctrine may plainly see that they passe their bounds censure more tartly then they warrantably may For if the winde when it bloweth
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