THE NEW CREATVRE A SERMON PREACHED AT PAVLS CROSSE IANVARY 17. 1619. By Stephen Denison Minister of Gods word at Katherine Kree Church in the Citie of London 2. COR. 5. 17. Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature GAL. 6. 15. For in Christ Iesus neither circumcision auaileth any thing nor vncircumcision but a new creature LONDON Printed by Richard Field dwelling in great Woodstreete 1619. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE SIR SEBASTIAN HARVEY Knight Lord Maior of the honorable Citie of London STEPHEN DENISON wisheth increase of all sauing grace in this world and eternall glorie and happinesse in the world to come Right Honorable THE doctrine of Repentance and of the new Creature is very necessarie in all places and for all assemblies This doctrine is fit for all persons it is fit for men of high degree to cause them to bethinke thēselues It is fit for men of low degree to cause them to know thēselues It is fit for the true iudicious hearer to cause him to adde practise to his knowledge And it is fit for the itching care or curious hearer to teach him the true vse of hearing Sermons which is not to haue his vncircumcised eare carnally pleased but rather to haue his poore soule regenerated edified and refreshed With this doctrine was Ioel sent vnto the old men and to all the inhabitants of the land With this doctrine was Ionas sent vnto Nineue Fortie dayes and Nineue shall be destroyed With this doctrine was Christ himselfe sent vnto the lost sheepe of the house of Israel Except a man be borne againe he cannot see the kingdome of God And with this doctrine is this weake messenger or smal Treatise sent into the world at this time I desire that it might do much good vnto the soules of Gods elect which if it do I do vnfainedly confesse it is not in respect of any worth or sufficiency that is in the author but meerly by Gods free blessing following my poore and weake endeuours The reasons which haue moued me to make this doctrine and Sermon publicke are these viz. First the consideration of the necessitie of it for what is more necessarie then to vnderstand the mysterie of regeneration without which no flesh can be saued Secondly the consideration of the generall extent of this doctrine for it concerneth not onely them which heard the Sermon but also all others for God exhorteth all men to repent Thirdly the desire of diuers holy Christians whose earnest and godly request I desire to fulfill to my power And in that I do commend vnto your Honour these my poore endeuours contained in this booke it is First because your Honour was an eare-witnesse of this Sermon enduring the coldnesse of the season to heare it with much attention Secondly because your Honour hath purchased to your selfe a good report among men by your inst and vpright cariage in that worthy place and calling whereunto you are called Thirdly because your Honour hath had and I hope will haue vnto the end a singular care of Gods Sabbath that it may not be profaned by the leudnesse of men which are more set vpon their own gaine and pleasure then in any sort vpon Gods glorie which desire not onely to sinne themselues but also to make Christian magistrates partakers of their sinnes by giuing licence and libertie vnto them Fourthly that I might hereby testifie my loue vnfained vnto this famous Citie for the which I will alwayes pray that God would turne his iudgements from it and preuent it with his liberall blessings especially in heauenly things in Christ I beseech your Honour to accept this Treatise which I offer as the widowes mite to be cast into Gods treasurie And so I will pray the very God of peace to sanctifie you wholly and that your whole spirit and soule and bodie may be preserued blamelesse vnto the coming of our Lord Iesus Christ Amen Your Honours in all things in the Lord Stephen Denison THE NEW CREATVRE EZEKIEL 18. 31. Cast away from you all your transgressions whereby ye haue transgressed and make you a new heart and a new spirit for why will ye die ô house of Israel AT the fiue and twentieth verse of this present Chapter the Prophet Ezekiel tells vs that the house of Israel had complained against the Lord that his wayes were not equall Vnto the which impudent sawcie and blasphemous complaint the Lord in his owne most iust defence giueth a double answer first in the 26 and 27 verses in these words If a righteous man for saketh his righteousnesse and committeth iniquitie and dieth in them for the iniquitie that he hath done shall he die Againe when the wicked man turneth away from his wickednesse that he hath committed and doth that which is equall and right he shall saue his soule aliue As though the Lord should say He that condemneth the impenitent though formerly neuer so righteous in shew and he that iustifieth the penitent though formerly neuer so wretched in deed his wayes must needs be equall But God doth all this Therefore his wayes must needs be equall The second answer which the Lord giueth to the former vniust complaint is contained in the words of my text Cast away from you all your transgressions whereby ye haue transgressed c. As though it were said He which offereth you life and saluation vpon condition of repentance and amendment for the time to come his wayes must needs be equall But God offereth you this offer Therfore his wayes must needs be equall Cast away all your transgressions c. The parts of this text are two to wit an exhortation and an expostulatiō or a counsell and a reason In the exhortation or counsell the Church of God is taught first what to auoid in these words Cast away all your transgressions whereby ye haue transgressed Secondly what to labour fot in the words following And make you a new heart and a new spirit And the expostulation or reason is taken from the danger that will ensue if the counsell be reiected in these words For why will ye die ô house of Israel Cast away frō you all your transgressions Cast away by this is meant a finall forsaking of sin yea such a forsaking is here vnderstood as is with an holy detestation or indignation much like vnto that speech of the Prophet Isaiah Ye shall defile also the couering of thy grauen images of siluer and the ornament of thy moulten images of gold thou 〈…〉 a st them away as a polluted cloth thou shalt say vnto it Get thee bence All your transgressions The word in the originall signifieth properly slips or failings or lesser sins Whereby is not meant that the Church must onely cast away or forsake her smaller sinnes and retaine her greater for that were with the Pharises to straine out a gnat and to swallow a Camell but by transgressions in this text by a Synecdoche part being
put for the whole we are to vnderstand all sinne from the greatest to the least from grosse crying reigning sinne euen to our very infirmities The like figure is to be obserued in the words of the third commandement Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine for the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse c. Where it is not meant that we should onely make conscience of taking Gods name in vaine by light vse in common talke and in the meane time make no conscience of periury before a magistrate but the true meaning and scope of the cōmandement is to teach vs to make conscience of all profanation of Gods name euen from the very sinnes of periury and blasphemy to the least oath Euen so in my text by transgressions we are to vnderstand all sinnes both great and small For we must not fauour or abet our selues in our very infirmities And make you a new heart and a new spirit By heart and spirit here is meant the whole inner man For by the heart is meant the memory the will the affections and the conscience and by the spirit is meant the spirit of the mind or the vnderstanding So that that which God requireth here to be renewed is the whole inner man according to that holy Prouerb My son giue me thine heart But here a questiō may be demāded Will God therefore be content with the bare renewing of the inner man or is he indifferent whether the outward man be renewed or no Not so For we are bought with a price therefore we must glorifie God both in our bodies and in our spirits for they are Gods But the Lord nameth the inner man because the true renouation begins there namely at the heart and in the mind Secondly because God knew full well that if once the inner man were throughly renewed the outward man would quickly be reformed According to that speech of our blessed Sauiour to the Pharisee Thou blind Pharisee cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter that the outside of them may be cleane also Why will ye die There is a threefold death mentioned in the holy Scriptures First naturall and that is nothing else but a separation for a time of the soule from the body Secondly spirituall and that is a separation of the soule from the life of God Thirdly eternall and that is a finall separation both of body and soule from the comfortable presence of God Of the first kind of death is spoken in Heb. 9. 27. It is appointed vnto men to die once Of the second is spoken in Luke 15. 32. This thy brother was dead is aliue again Of the third is made mentiō in Reu. 21. 8. The fearfull and vnbeleeuing abhominable murderers and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters and all lyers shall haue their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death My text is meant of the third kind of death why will ye die that is why will ye incurre the danger of the second death which is eternall damnation both of soule and bodie to be tormented with the Diuell and his Angels for euer O house of Israel By the house of Israel in this place is meant the Church of God both among the Iewes and among the Gentiles For the name Israel is giuen to both peoples in Gal. 6. 16. And I am sure the matter of the exhortation concernes vs Gentiles as much as euer it did the Iewes For I appeale to euery mans conscience haue not we as great need to be exhorted to cast away all our transgressions as euer had the Iewes Haue not we as much need to be stirred vp to become new creatures as euer had the Iewes Iudge we in our selues Furthermore this name Israel is taken from the Patriarch Iacob who was named Israel by the Angell which wrastled with him because as a Prince he had preuailed with God And it is a very fit name for all Gods people because they are a generation that can wrastle with God in prayer and also preuaile Thus much of the literall meaning of the words Cast away all your transgressions Before I come to the points of doctrine which I principally aime at two questions are first to be answered First whether repentance be in a mans owne power or no because the Church is here exhorted as by her owne action to cast away her transgressions and to make her selfe a new heart and a new spirit And the second question is whether a man haue free will or no because it is said here Why will ye die ô house of Israel As seeming to imply that it was in the free choise of Israel her selfe whether she would be saued or damned Concerning the first question I answer that true repentance or that repentance which is neuer to be repented of it is not in mans power but it is the especiall gift of God according to that in 2. Tim. 2. 25. In meeknesse instructing them that oppose thēselues prouing if God peraduenture will giue them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth And furthermore euery vnregenerate person man or woman is a very blacke More yea a Leopard and therefore as the blacke More cannot change his skin nor the Leopard his spots no more can any vnregenerate person do good which is accustomed to do euill We do not denie but natural men and women may attaine some degree of sorrow as Iudas did some degree of outward humiliation as Ahab did and some degree of confession as Pharao did and some degree of the restraining spirit as Abimelech did and some degree of satisfaction vnto men for iniuries done as the same Iudas did But to the sauing sight of sinne or to the contrite spirit which God wil not despise or sound inward mortification vnto sin which is by the Spirit or to true conscience of sin and louing endeuour after righteousnesse hereunto a meere naturall person can neuer attaine by his owne naturall strength For it is spiritually and not naturally attained it is the worke of God and not of man And therefore Ephraim is heard bemoning himselfe to God in these termes Turne thou me and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God Wherein he doth secretly acknowledge that he had not repentance in his owne power but that it was the gift of God But here remaineth still another difficultie For it may be obiected further If repentance be not in a mans owne power then why doth God exhort vs here to cast off all our iniquities and to make our selues new hearts and new spirits God doth not this because he presupposeth an ability in vs to perform that which he requireth but because he himself is ready to do that for vs which he requires at our hands For the word of God is not as the word of man to wit a bare sound or voice
scoffer at religion and religious persons which cries downe all holinesse and feare of God vnder the colour of a hell inuented nick-name ceasse from his Ismaelitish mocking lest his bonds increase Let the couetous person ceasse from his couetousnesse considering that it is not frugality or good husbandry as the diuell would make him beleeue but it is idolatrie odious to God hatefull to men and in it selfe damnable as the Scripture speaketh Let the proud person ceasse from pride both in heart and countenance and speech and apparell both in respect of outward gifts and inward gifts and the rather first because pride is one of the sixe things which God abhorreth Secondly because God will visite the sin of pride in apparell euen in Princes children and much more in others which will content themselues with no fashion in apparell nor with any naturall countenance but will needs haue a painted face of their owne making because they like it better to be like vnto that strumpet Iesabel then to conforme themselues after the modest manner of holy women Let the malicious person ceasse from his malice knowing that it is murder in the sight of God let him ceasse to hate his brother in his heart let him ceasse to curse another lest it light vpon himselfe let him ceasse to seeke reuenge either cunningly or openly either vnder pretence of law or otherwise knowing that vengance belongs to God and he will repay Let the deceitfull person ceasse to liue by his wits as he termes it let him not get his liuing by carding dicing bowling cosening periuring and such like forged cauillation knowing that God is auenger of all such things Let the vsurer learne to forsake his vsury though it be a gainefull sinne First because he hath no warrant for his practise from any one place of Gods word truly and faithfully vnderstood Secondly because the word of God doth expresly condemne his practise in diuerse places as in Psal 15. 5. Ezekiel 18. 13. Luke 6. 35. and in many other texts of holy Scripture Thirdly because it is a matter of euill report and euer was so both amongst Christians and heathens Fourthly because it is maintained with a trembling conscience many vsurers doubting some vpon their death-beds repenting and others after conuersion turning from the practise of vsuty acknowledging that when they were vsurers they were in the way to hell and destruction Fiftly because the vsurer liues by the sweate of another mans browes whereas it were Christian honestie for a man to liue by his owne labour Sixtly because vsury is the cause of idlenesse it is the cause that men giue ouer their lawfull trades and commendable employment in the common wealth and liue idlely or else giue themselues to running to stageplayes or bowling or vicious life or to such like epicurisme I do not purpose solemnly to handle this controuersie concerning vsury in this short Treatise For otherwise I would see what could be pleaded for this Baall and would easily as I hope giue a Christian answer vnto such as desire not to be contentious but to be resolued in the case of their conscience But I may not stand vpon this point at large at this time I rather aime to speake at large vpon the point of vsury if I liue to come to the handling of the eight Commandement whereof vsury is a breach In a word let the factious person auoid schisme let him pray for and endeuour the peace of Ierusalem Let the hypocrite auoide his hypocrisie knowing that God is not mocked yea let him be assured that God will bring all things to iudgement yea euery secret sinne Let the slanderer ceasse from slandering knowing that he which smiteth his brother secretly is accursed Let vs all cast away all our transgressions whereby we haue transgressed Thus much of the first doctrine or instruction And make you a new heart and a new spirit Now we come to the second branch of the diuine counsell giuen vnto the Church in this text and that is the grace which the Church must labour for to wit a new heart and a new spirit And the doctrine hence to be noted is that It is the part and dutie of euery true Conuert not onely not to fauour himselfe in any one corruption whatsoeuer but also he must become a new creature in true sauing grace And this blessed renouation must not onely be in the reforming of the outward man as of the speech countenance apparell behauiour and such like but it must be in the inner man in the vnderstanding memory will affections and conscience it must be in the heart and in the spirit For indeed God requireth truth in the inward parts And howsoeuer man looketh on the outward appearance and contents himselfe with it yet God beholdeth the heart No seruice will please God vnlesse it be in spirit and troth To this purpose also Paul speaketh notably in Ephes 4. 22. That ye put off concerning the former conuersation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitfull lusts and be renewed in the spirit of your mind and that ye put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse And vnto this may be added that other place in 2. Cor. 5. 17. Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature old things are passed away behold all things are become new By both which places it is manifest that it is not sufficient to ceasse to be old but there must be also a renewing It is not sufficient for a Conuert to cast away all his transgressions whereby he hath transgressed but also he must make him a new heart and a new spirit Now concerning the new creature or state of renouation which is a great Euangelicall mystery I propound these necessary points to be considered of First what necessitie there is of this renouation Secondly by what meanes it is wrought Thirdly by what degrees Fourthly what be the concomitants of it Fiftly concerning the constancie Concerning the necessitie of this inward renouation or regeneration we are to consider first that without it no flesh can be saued for Christ himselfe saith Except ye be conuerted and become as litle children ye shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen And againe he saith Except a man be borne againe he cannot see the kingdome of God Againe we are all vassals of Satan by nature and are taken of him at his will and therefore it is necessary that we should be set free out of spirituall bondage by vertue of regeneration Againe by nature all the faculties of our soules are out of frame our members being the members of vnrighteousnesse and therefore it is necessary that we should be set in ioynt againe by regeneration Lastly without regeneration our very sacrifices our prayers our hearing the word our almes our ciuill liues are vnpleasing to God
For as much as they that are in the flesh that is vnregenerate cannot please God as the blessed Apostle speaketh Vse Let euery man and woman lay to heart this necessitie let them not deceiue themselues with that fond conceit that if they liue ciuilly and pay euery man his owne and go to the Church as others do that then they shal surely be saued though they remaine as ignorant of regeneration as euer was Nicodemus I tell you nay for vnlesse you be regenerate and borne againe you remaine in danger of eternall condemnation you remaine the very slaues of Satan and the best things that you do or can do in your naturall condition are abhominable and odious to God Concerning the meanes whereby regeneration is wrought we are to note first that the efficient cause of it is not man nor Angel but Gods Spirit There is no creature in heauē nor earth that can conuert a soule by his owne power this worke belongs to God alone for we are borne not of bloud nor of the will of man nor of the will of the flesh but of God as S. Iohn speaketh in his first chap. and 13. verse And therefore the whole glory of the admirable worke of regeneration is due to God alone and is not to be ascribed to any creature Secondly the most ordinary instrumentall cause not to speake of the extraordinary meanes which God vseth for the conuersion of soules is the word of God especially preached as appeares by these places of Scripture Psalme 19. 7. The Law of the Lord is perfect conuerting the soule 1. Cor. 4. 15. For though you haue ten thousand instructors yet haue ye not many fathers for in Christ Iesus I haue begotten you through the Gospell Iames 1. 18. Of his owne will begat he vs by the word of truth that we should be a kind of first fruites of his creatures 1. Pet. 1. 23. Being borne anew not of mortall seed but of immortall by the word of God which liueth and endureth for euer By all which places and many more it is euident that the especiall instrumentall cause of regeneration is the holy word of God contained in the Canonicall Scriptures Whereby it appeareth what infinite wrong the Pope doth vnto the soules of the cōmon people by withholding from them the vse of the Scriptures and also what enemies they are vnto Christs kingdome and to mens saluation which labour to their power to suppresse and extinguish the powerfull preaching of Gods word Lastly this should teach vs to glorifie God for the plentie of preaching in this Land but especially in this Citie for hereby there is good hope of the conuersion of many soules And let vs alwayes as we haue all iust cause pray against Poperie and that not onely in respect of the bloudthirstinesse of that religion displayed in that most barbarous plot of the gunpowder treason but also because it seekes to depriue vs of the vse of Gods word the especiall instrument of mans saluation Concerning the degrees whereby regeneration is most commonly wrought they are these following First the holy Ghost quickens the soule which it doth conuert finding it dead in trespasses and sins Thus it quickened the prodigall son Luke 15. 32. This thy brother was dead and is aliue againe and thus he quickened the Ephesians in the fifth Chapter of that Epistle the eighth verse and in the second Chapter the first verse Where we are to note that the soule is not said to be dead by nature or to be quickened by regeneration because the soule is destitute of all life but because naturally it is an alien from the life of God as Paul speakes in Eph. 4. 18. God doth not exercise the life of grace in the soule of any vnregenerate person as he doth in the hearts of those that are regenerate And this first act of regeneration or spirituall quickening is termed in Scriptures the first resurrection First because as in the day of the generall resurrectiō Many that sleepe in the dust shall awake Dan. 12. 2 so by vertue of this first resurrection many that sleepe in sin shall awake to liue righteously 1. Cor. 15. 34. Secondly as in the generall resurrection the bodies of the Saints shall be made like vnto the glorious body of Christ himselfe Philip. 3. 21 so by vertue of this first resurrection the soules of the Saints come to beare the image and stampe of God himselfe being made holy as he is holy Eph. 4. 24. And hereby a man or woman may trie whether they be regenerate and quickened or no if they will but examine whether they be awake to liue righteously or no and whether they beare Gods image in true holinesse or no. If these things be in thee thou art vndoubtedly quickned if not thou remainest still but a dead man The second degree whereby regeneration is wrought is illumination for when we begin to stand vp from the dead then immediatly Christ giues vs light Ephes 5. 14. the God which commanded light to shine out of darknesse beginneth to shine in our hearts 2. Cor. 4. 6. Yea then the day of saluation beginneth to dawne and the day-starre of sauing knowledge to arise in our hearts 2. Pet. 1. 19. By vertue of this heauenly light a man or woman is brought to see in some measure the danger of their natural state and what need they haue of repentance and of Christ and of Gods mercy and of inward purging from their corruptions and what reason they haue of denying themselues carrying about with them such a masse of corruption whereof now they are aware Where it is to be noted that the reprobate may in some measure be enlightened also He may haue so much light as to leaue him without excuse This is manifest out of Heb. 6. 4. where it is said of the apostates and finall backsliders that they were once enlightened But the difference is first the child of God is enlightened and quickened but the reprobate is onely enlightened and not quickened for he remaines still an alien from the life of God Ephes 4. 18. Secondly the elect are enlightened to see their sinne as we see in the example of Paul Rom. 7. 27. I see another law in my members c. but the reprobate are enlightened especially to behold the danger of sin and the punishment of the same as we see in the example of Cain Gen. 4. 13. My punishment is greater then I can beare Thirdly the elect are enlightened to amendement as we see in the example of Iob in his 40 Chapter fift verse I haue spoken once but I will do so no more or I will not answer But the reprobate are enlightened to despaire and to desperate courses As we see in the example of Iudas Math. 27. 5. who so soone as he was enlightened to see the danger of his estate went immediatly and desperately hanged himselfe And hereby we may examine and try our selues whether
we be sauingly enlightened or no. For if we be enlightened and quickened if we be brought to the sight of our secret corruptions and to amendment then it is a comfortable signe that we are sauingly enlightened otherwise we remaine in darknesse vnto this houre The third degree wherby regeneration is most vsually wrought is contrition Thus when those three thousand were cōuerted by Peters sermon Acts 2. 37. it is said that they were pricked in their hearts and the citie sinner when she was regenerate she stood behind Christ at his feete weeping Luke 7. 38. The like may be said of Peter and diuerse others Where also it is carefully to be obserued that the very reprobate may haue a kind of sorrow and may hang down their heads like a bulrush for a time Esay 58. 5. Is it such a fast that I require that a man should afflict his soule for a day c. But the difference is first the elect mourne for the offence against God as we see in the example of Dauid Psal 51. 4. Against thee against thee onely haue I sinned But the reprobate mourne especially in respect of the punishment as we see in the example of Pharaoh Exodus 9. 27. who when he saw the iudgements of God vpon him and vpon his land could then confesse with a seeming sorrow that He and his people were wicked Secondly the elect mourne with a godly sorrow vnto repentance not to be repented of as we see in the example of the Corinthians 2. Cor. 7. 10 but the reprobate sorrow with a worldly sorrow that causeth death Thirdly the elect mourne but with some grounds of hope For they know in the midst of their sorrow that their sinne is not greater then can be forgiuen vnlesse it be in case of temptation they know also that Gods mercy is greater then their sinne and that the bloud of Iesus Christ is able to wash them from all iniquitie and so by these generall grounds at the least in the middest of their sorrow they sustaine their heart in some degree of hope but the reprobate mourne as men quite bereft of all hope thinking their sins to be greater then can be forgiuen And hereby also we may try our selues whether we haue sauingly sorrowed for sinne or no. For if we haue sorrowed for the sinne as well as for the punishment and if we haue sorrowed to repentance and amendement and lastly if we haue sorrowed in hope it is a good signe that our sorrow is true Otherwise our sorrow is not the true sorrow of the Conuert but rather the worldly sorrow of the wicked The fourth degree whereby regeneration is commonly wrought is the spirituall hunger and thirst after righteousnesse The conuert soule thirsts and pants after Christ As the heart brayeth after the riuers of waters If God would giue riches honours pleasures and not Christ they would be accounted as dung and drosse Phil. 3. 7. And the child of God thirsteth after Christ not onely in respect of his benefits and to serue his owne turne but also out of loue to Christ his person in respect of his excellencies Whereupon the Church is said to be sicke of loue to Christ Cant. 5. 8. And to this degree no reprobate in the world attaineth For to loue Christ for himselfe and to loue his glorious appearing is peculiar to the elect and to such as shall receiue the crowne of righteousnesse 2. Tim. 4. 6. Secondly as the true Conuert thirsteth after Christ so likewise he longeth after the word and sacraments as appeareth by the example of the 3000 in Acts 2. 42. who presently vpon their conuersion continued in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and prayers Now the reprobate and wicked may attaine a kind of desire after the word but it is either with Eue meerely to get knowledge or with Simon Magus to make gaine or with the Pharisee to get a name or with the carnall Gospellers amongst the Corinthians for affectation to the person of him that deliuers it Or if it be for any taste of sweetnesse which they find in the word then that taste lasteth but for a season As the phantasticke Iewes could reioyce in Iohn Baptists light for a season Ioh. 5. 35. whereas the true Conuert loues the word for it selfe and continues in the study of it and endeuours to attaine sauing grace by it labouring to bring forth the fruits in holy practise The sift degree whereby regeneration is commonly wrought is by declining from sin For so soone as any soule is conuerted to God and made partaker of the diuine nature presently it begins to distaste sin and to striue against it Euen Paul so soone as he was conuerted he ceassed persecuting Gods Church Act. 9. The like may be said of Zaccheus and diuers others Where we must note that the reprobate and wicked may abstaine from many sinnes as well as the true Conuert as appeares by the example of the Pharisee Luk. 18. 11. I thanke God I am not as other men extortioners vniust adulterers c. But the difference is the true conuert declines from sin by vertue of the sanctifying Spirit of God he is washed by the Spirit of our God 1. Cor. 6. 10. 11 But the wicked abstaineth onely by the restraining spirit as we see in the example of Abimelech Gen. 20. 6. I haue kept thee c. Secondly the true Conuert is content to part with all his sins euen with his beloued sins as we see in the example of Dauid Psal 119. 101 I haue refrained my feete from euery euill way But the wicked person is like Herod he will not part with his Herodias or darling sinne Mark 6. 20. Thirdly the true Conuert forsaketh sin for conscience sake as we see in the example of Ioseph Genes 39. How shall I do this great wickednesse and sinne against God whereas the wicked shunneth sin not for conscience but either for feare of men or for feare of shame or for feare of hel or in respect of sauing charges or the like as we see in the example of the high Priests who would faine haue bene medling with Christ but they did forbeare howbeit not for conscience sake but for feare of the people Let all Christians examine thēselues by these differences whether their declining from sinne be the right declining or no. The sixt degree whereby regeneration is wrought and perfected is full assurance of Gods fauour For when the holy Ghost hath in some good measure sanctified the heart made it pliable to Gods will in vniuersall obedience then it becomes the Spirit of adoption crying Abba Father in our hearts and testifying together with our spirits that we are the children of God Rom. 8. 15. 16. Where we must also note that the very wicked may haue a kind of perswasion of Gods fauour towards them as they seeme to haue in 1. Thess 5. 3 which crie Peace and safetie But the difference is
first the assurance of the elect is wrought by the Spirit of adoption but the perswasion of the wicked is not so but is wrought rather by Satan which lulleth them asleepe Secondly the assurance of the elect hath a sure foundation to wit the promises of the Gospell the mercy of God and Christ but the perswasion of the wicked is grounded vpon the sandy foundation of his owne merits Thirdly the assurance of the elect breedeth an especiall care to please God but the perswasion of the wicked breedeth carnall securitie and boldnesse to sinne The fourth generall point propounded concerning this great mystery of regeneration is touching the concomitants of this grace And the concomitants or things accōpanying this grace of regeneration are these First an vniuersall change For there is none truly regenerated but they are truly changed yea vniuersally changed All things are become new with them yea they are changed from glorie to glorie as by the Spirit of the Lord. Where we are to note that the very reprobate may also be changed as we reade of Saul that God gaue him another heart But the change in the reprobate is far different from the change wrought in the elect For the change in the reprobate is but in common gifts of the Spirit as we see in Saul he was changed onely to prophesie or to rule whereas the elect are changed by speciall and sauing gifts as to be regenerate sauingly to beleeue to repent with repentance neuer to be repented of c. Secondly the reprobates are changed but onely in part they are like Ephraim or as a cake baked on the one side but the elect are vniuersally changed both inwardly and outwardly in iudgement wil affections conscience conuersation outward behauiour and the like Secondly the second concomitant of regeneration is the combat betweene the flesh and the spirit For there is none truly regenerate but they haue a combat within them Thus it was with Paul who found in himselfe after regeneration a law rebelling against the law of his mind Rō 7. 18. Where we must also note that the very reprobate may haue a kind of reluctation by vertue of the light of their natural consciences as we see in the example of Pilate he was loth to condemne Christ he had a kind of striuing within him yea he sought to release him But the difference is the reprobate haue a striuing against sin either in respect of the shame of sin or in respect of the feare of hell fire or for such like carnall ends so that their striuing is not the combat of the flesh and the spirit but the combat of the flesh and the flesh whereas the elect haue a striuing against sinne for conscience sake and in loue to God Thirdly the third concomitant of regeneration is fruitfulnesse There be none truly regenerate but they are made fruitful We might instance for the proofe of this point in the example of Zaccheus and many other Where obserue that the wicked and vnregenerate may do many seeming good works as we see in the example of the Barbarians who laded Paul with things necessary Acts 28. 10. But the difference is the reprobate and wicked do many seeming good works either mercenarily to receiue the like againe or vaingloriously for the praise of men or superstitiously with opinion of merit Whereas the elect do good works vnto such as are not able to requite them and that in true sinceritie and humilitie not seeking their owne praise but Gods glory confessing when they haue done all that they can that they are vnprofitable seruants Fourthly the fourth concomitant of regeneration is the matter of persecution For there is none regenerate to liue godly in Christ Iesus but they must suffer persecution in one kind or in another as Paul speakes in 2. Tim. 3. 9. Where we are also to note that the very wicked may suffer for their profession yea and suffer many things for the truths sake also as Paul implieth in 1. Cor. 13. 3. that they that are without loue may giue their bodies to be burned and as we see in the examples of Papists Arrians and other wretched heretikes which sometimes are ready to lay downe their liues for their profession sake But the difference is in the cause of suffering for it is not the suffering but the cause of suffering that makes the Martyr The wicked and vnregenerate suffer commonly for error and not for the truth or if at any time for the truth then it is not for loue of the truth it selfe but for some other by-respect whereas the elect child of God suffers for the truth it selfe and that in loue to the same and with zeale of Gods glory The fifth and last generall point propounded concerning the mystery of regeneration is concerning the constancy of the same For we are to know that a man or woman being once regenerate they are for euer regenerate and being once made the children of God by adoption they are for euer the children of God For the proofe of this point I commend vnto you these places of Scripture following 1. Ioh. 3. 9. His seed remaineth in him 1. Pet. 1. 23. Being borne againe not of mortall seed Rom. 11. 29. The gifts and calling of God are without repentance Ioh. 14. 16. The Comforter shall remaine with you for euer Rom. 11. 1. Hath God cast away his people God forbid Psal 37. 28. The Lord forsaketh not his Saints By all which places and many other it is manifest that they which are once effectually called and truly regenerate and haue receiued the Spirit of adoption they are for euer the children of God And the reason is first because God is constant both in his decree for the foundation of God remaineth sure hauing this seale The Lord knoweth who are his and in his loue for whom he loueth he loueth to the end Ioh. 13. 1. Secondly because God hath promised that the gates of hell shall not preuaile against his Church Math. 16. 18. and Gods promises are Yea and Amen as we know Thirdly because God is able to preserue his children to the end He is stronger then all and none is able to plucke the weakest babe in Christ out of the hands of the blessed Father And if any Papist or Arminian shall obiect the examples of Iudas or Demas or the stony ground or of many Professors that turn carnal c. To this I answer that those that finally and totally fall away from the truth They were neuer of vs for if they had bene of vs they would haue continued with vs 1. Ioh. 2. 19. These might possibly receiue certaine common gifts of the Spirit as to be enlightened c. but they neuer were truly regenerate We do not deny but the true child of God may be much weakened concerning the degree of true sauing grace which formerly he hath felt which cometh to