see the kingdome of God CHAP. III. Containing a description of Regeneration SO haue we demonstrated the truth of this necessary principle of Christian religion Now wee goe forward to explicate the same The explication of the doctrine by shewing foure things and will endeuour to lay it open so cleerely that euery man may be able if hee be willing to bestow the labour of trying to discerne of his own estate in this behalfe and to say whether himselfe be regenerated yea or no. So will there be a ready way made to that application of the doctrine which hereafter we intend Now that this matter may be soundly conceiued of by you it shall be requisite for me to enter into a discourse consisting of foure heads First to giue a description of regeneration Secondly to shew in what order and in what degrees as I may terme them it is wrought in the sons of men Thirdly to declare what effects doe follow vpon it there where it is wrought Fourthly to set downe the most eminent of those graces that are to be found in regenerate men Of which foure I pray you reuiue your attention to heare in order For the first point Regeneration 1. A description of regeneration called also sanctification and renouation and conuersion and repentance hauing the three former names giuen it in as much as it is Gods worke in vs the two latter in as much as we also being moued by God doe worke together with him for the accomplishing and fulfilling thereof and fitly called a re-begetting because in it we are restored to that image of God wherein we were at the first created but now by meanes of our corruption through the fall are altogether destitute of it in our first birth This regeneration I say seemes to me conueniently described in these or the like termes It is a worke of the spirit of God by meanes of the word of God infusing holinesse into the whole man for the glory of God in his saluation I call it a worke because it is so called of God himselfe for wee are said to bee his workmanship Ephes 2.10 created in Christ vnto good workes and because to beget is to doe to bee begotten to suffer in the plainest discourse of naturall reason Now this worke is in this description set out by all the causes and by the subiect thereof The causes are foure all briefly named in the description The efficient formall materiall and finall The efficient is double principall and instrumentall The principall the sole author in whom remaineth all the power of working and to whom all the praise appertaineth is the Spirit of God the Holy Ghost the third Person in Trinitie The same Spirit by whom our Sauiour Christs Man-hood was conceiued in his Mothers wombe is the sole worker of this conception of grace in the heart of Christians So doth our Lord himselfe instruct Nicodemus in the words following saying vers 6. That that is borne of the spirit is spirit and before Saint Iohn had told vs that beleeuers were borne not of blood cap. 1. vers 13. nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man that is not by any natural power vertue or strength which is naturally inherent in them but of God that is of the Spirit of God wherefore in the New Couenant the promise is made on this wise Ezek. 36.16 I will put my spirit in your hearts and in another place I will poure forth my spirit vpon all flesh The spirit of God that rests vpon our Sauiour Christ doth descend frō him vnto those that shall bee his members at the same time implanting them into him and imprinting his image vpon them No Angell can change mans heart no Angell can quicken the dead soule no creature can breath into vs the diuine nature but we are the workmanship of God by his spirit created vnto good workes This is the annointing oyle that being poured vpon vs doth consecrate vs vnto God The holy Ghost himselfe in a wonderfull and vndiscernable fashion as the winde that bloweth where it lusteth doth conueigh and insinuate himselfe into the man whom hee will beget againe to a new life and becommeth purifying water to cleanse him and an holy fier comming downe from heauen to consume his corruptions and refine him for the Lords vse And yet the Spirit of God that could work of himself and without meanes pleaseth not so to doe in this great worke but of his owne free-will makes choice for himselfe of a fit and blessed instrument for that purpose euen the Law of God the whole doctrine of the Scriptures which hee hath for that end made knowne to the sonnes of men by his holy Prophets and which hath receiued this high commendation from the Diuine testimonie left in writing by Dauids pen that it is perfect Psalm 19. and conuerteth the soule This doctrin hath two maine heads the Law and the Gospel The former vsed by Gods Spirit as a necessarie preparatiue the other as a proper essential instrumēt in this busines Wherfore the Word is called the incorruptible seede which being sowne in the heart 1. Pet. 1.23 doth by little and little grow vp to a new creature and Peter tels vs that by the pretious promises 2. Pet. 1.4 we are made partakers of the diuine nature and to his Apostles our Sauiour vttereth as much saying Now are you cleane by the word that I haue spoken vnto you John 15.3 There may be a question made whither the Word of God read onely may become effectuall to regenerate or whither it must want this efficacie vnlesse it bee preached as well as read To which question mee thinketh that this should be a true answere that the instrumentall power of regenerating cannot be denied to the Scriptures barely read though preaching bee not ioyned withall For why seeing the doctrine of the Gospell is called 2. Cor. 3.8 the ministration of the Spirit and it is the doctrine of the Gospell when it is offered to the vnderstanding by bare reading therfore it must follow that in such case also it may become the power of God to saluation and the instrument of the spirit to regeneration The same precepts promises and threats are by reading deliuered to the mind of the man that readeth or heareth the Word read and why then should we thinke that the Holy Ghost either cannot or will not worke together with them Yea doubtlesse he can doe it when hee will and will doe it then whensoeuer he doth not as often he doth not affoord to men a possibilitie of enioying any other helpe then reading Vnlesse the not being preached could make the Word not to be the Law of God I see no reason that it should bee thought vnable to conuert soules without being preached But withall wee must adde this that the Word of God is made effectuall by the Spirit more often more vsually more ordinarily to
communion betwixt God and man by Gods participating his fauour and blessednesse vnto man so long as man remaineth in the estate of his corrupted nature not being created according to God in righteousnesse and true holinesse It neither is now nor euer was nor euer shall bee found that any man should get within the gates of the kingdome of glory vnlesse he haue first entred into the kingdome of grace through the Churches narrow wombe of regeneration A new birth is absolutely needfull to an eternall life and in a word regeneration of perfect necessity to saluation It were a matter euen very superfluous to seeke more proofes after such a testimony of such a witnesse or author rather as Christ is But the vnbeleeuing spirit of man doth stand in neede of ouer-abundant conuiction in truthes of this straine Wherefore I will a while stand to make good this point and then after explanation proceed to apply it First we may reade Ezechiel crying out to the old Church in these words Make you a new heart and a new spirit Ezech. 18.31 for why will you die O house of Israel What more euident then that this question doth take it for granted that the house of Israel the seede of Abraham followers of the true God professors of true religion sealed with circumcision admitted vnto the Altar and participating of the sacrifices according to the Law and worshipping the God of heauen after the externall manner prescribed by himselfe that these I say and therefore questionlesse none other could not escape death euen eternall death death of body and death of soule if they got not a new heart and a new spirit that is the same thing being expressed in diuersitie of phrases were not borne againe as our Sauiour pleaseth to tearme it For this cause the same Prophet a little after and in one or two places more calleth vpon them Vers 32. saying returne and liue ye so that but by conuerting there is no liuing and conuersion and regeneration are alwaies and altogether inseparable therefore life and regeneration must needs goe together haue one and haue both misse one and misse both To the same purpose the author to the Hebrewes speaketh Chap. 12.14 in these words Without holinesse and that no man hath but by being borne againe for the image of God lost in Adam is not recouered but by the new birth in Christ I say without holinesse no man shall see God CHAP. II. Shewing the reasons of the point THree testimonies are plentifully sufficient to confirme any diuine truth But because it will helpe much to conceiue of the point of regeneration that wee doe well vnderstand the grounds of the impossibility of being saued without it wee will therefore lay them downe also for further proofe of the point These are Reasons 4 in whole or in chiefe foure First the monstrous filthinesse of man in his first birth Secondly the infinite purity and perfection of Gods nature Thirdly the tenour of the couenant of grace wherin the saluation of lost mankind is promised Fourthly the fruit and end of Christs death and obedience whereby our saluation is deserued For the first of these reasons Man in his first birth 1. From mans naturall filthinesse euen euery particular man woman and child Christ Iesus alone excepted who was therefore conceiued by the holy Ghost that hee might escape that pollution is conceiued in sinne and borne in wickednesse Psalm 51. as Dauid speaketh of himselfe First by imputation of the sinne of our first parents which is ours because they did it in each of our steads in whom each of vs was then originally comprehended and then by transfusion because wee are branches of that bitter root we are each of vs become sonnes of disobedience subiects to the God of this world slaues to sinne captiues vnder the dominion and power of lust hauing our vnderstandings darkened and harts hardened so that we can neither conceiue nor receiue the things of God but are led of Satan at his pleasure to doe his will according as hee doth effectually worke in vs. In a word wee are enemies to God heires of death children of the diuell dead in sinnes and trespasses doing the lusts of the flesh and of the minde and by nature sonnes of wrath and destruction one as well as another A man in the state of corrupt nature is nothing else but a filthy dunghill of all abominable vices hee is a stinking rotten carrion become altogether vnprofitable and good for nothing his heart is the diuels store-house an heape of odious lusts his tongue is a fountaine of cursing and bitternesse and rotten communication his hand is a mischieuous instrument of filthinesse deceit and violence his eyes great thorow-fares of lust pride and vanity his feet are swift engins mouing strongly to reuenge wantonnesse and lucre his life a long chaine of sinfull actions euery later linke being more wicked then the former yea it is but as it were one continued web of wickednesse spun out and made vp by the hands of the diuell and the flesh an euill spinner and a worse weauer He brings into the world with him the kernell of all impiety and iniustice euen an aptnesse and disposition to all the foulest acts that lie within the possibility of his naturall strength and meanes to performe either against the Lord or against his neighbour and an vtter vnaptnesse and inability to doe any thing that in the true iudgement and estimation of God who onely can iudge aright in this case is or may bee termed good as answerable to his law In his soule and body there lies the spawne of all wickednesse of Atheisme of pride of vnbeleefe of hypocrisie of rebellion of impatiencie of hatred and contempt of God and of his word of indeuotion of prophannesse of ambition of wrath of filthinesse of worldlinesse of arrogancie of selfe-conceitednesse of murthers of whoredomes of thefts of periuries and whatsoeuer thing besides is hatefull to God and contrary to his most holy law He is wholly darknesse wholly flesh wholly and totally opposite to the liuing God to whose law hee neither is subiect nor will nor can be till he be cast into an other and a fairer mould by the working of his spirit Such a thing as this my brethren euen iust such a thing and none other is a man euen euery man such an one am I are you are all and each of all the sonnes of Adam that haue been are or shall be and that vniuersally without any exception as witnesseth the Prophet saying Psal 14. They are all gone out of the way they are all become vnprofitable there is none that doth good no not one All these words and more then all these or all that can be spoken by vs falls farre short of a full description of mans naturall sinfulnes For if the tongue it selfe one poore and little member may well be intitled Iam. 3.6 as it is intitled
matters vnto his Creator the eternall fountaine and first cause of being and of blisse euen vnto the God of heauen in comparison of whom all things are lesse and worse then nothing and likewise vnto the things of God remission of sinnes the fauour of God communion with Christ Iesus encrease of holinesse and the like to these which are by an excellency called the things of God because they are the chiefest of all those things that he bestowes vpon the sonnes of men and to the seeking whereof hee directs them in his holy word whereas else they would neuer haue sought them This is the materiall cause of regeneration The formall is infusion as witnesseth the Lord himselfe saying I will poure vpon the house of Dauid Zach. 12.10 the spirit of grace And in another place I will poure flouds vpon the dry ground And Paul saith 2. Tim. 1.7 God hath giuen vs the spirit of a right mind For whereas some qualities are implanted in men by nature some attained vnto by their owne industry and by vertue of certaine actions for that purpose performed and some againe are wrought in thē by a supernaturall work of God this gift of holinesse is neither naturally descended vnto them as it should haue been had their parents been innocent nor yet attained by their diligence and paines or by force and power of any action done by them but is put into them by the spirit of God working aboue and beyond either their power or the power of the acts that they shall doe for the attaining of it Let vs make the matter more plainly vnderstood by comparisons The power of seeing is naturally bestowed vpon all men in their very birth and by the course of nature working in their mothers wombe This power or vse of this facultie is altogether denied vnto some men and they are borne starke blinde as was hee of whom we reade in the Gospell Christ with spettle made cley and hauing anoynted his eyes bade him to wash and he returned seeing We say now that into this man the power or act of seeing was infused for why by nature he could not see The spettle cley water had no such naturall force in them as to worke the power of seeing in an eye that through naturall indisposition wanted it Wherefore it must needes be infused that is wrought in that person by a supernaturall worke of God So againe Health is a qualitie sicknesse for example a burning ague taketh away this qualitie of health A man being so sicke of such a disease consulteth with Physitians receiueth potions from them and recouereth his health this qualitie now was acquired or gotten by paines and industrie For by vertue of some inherent qualitie in the medicines receiued was this qualitie of health restored vnto the body But a man that was sick of an ague in the time of Peter sending to him receiueth a napkin from him and by the receiuing of it is healed This health was an infused health for not any power inherent in the cloth or deriued from the body of Peter but a supernaturall worke of God did procure that health at the presence of such outward actions In like sort Holinesse was to Adam a naturall power or abilitie created in him and with him and immediatly accompanying his nature or issuing from it But the diuell robbed him of it by taking that from him and poysoning him with the contrary naturall impotencie of sinne for I suppose we may well call sinne I meane originall sinne a naturall impotencie or a mischieuous and corrupt disorder in all the faculties Wherefore it is requisite that he recouer it againe if hee shall be saued Now the Lord of heauen pleaseth by meanes of the word as it were by the spettle of his mouth making cley to anoynt his eyes to re-beget or recreate this qualitie of holinesse in him not that the word hath any natural inherent ability of working holinesse no more then a napkin of curing an ague but alone because the Lord sees it fit in and with that doctrine to worke this worke by a power immediatly and solely deriued from himselfe So may a man by long study obtaine the science of naturall Philosophie which is a qualitie and an habit but the Lord did please by his owne immediate power to deriue this science into the minde of Salomon and therefore his knowledge was an infused knowledge and more excellent for measure and degree then euer any man did or could attaine by studie So the power of speaking and vnderstanding any language is a quality which by study or custome of hearing and speaking a man may worke in himselfe and he that by much labour and reading gets for example his Latin tongue hath wrought this qualitie in himselfe but the Apostles had the knowledge of speaking all and by name the Latin tongue put into them suddenly by the immediate operation of the holy Ghost and by vertue of a diuine worke in an vnconceiueable manner working in their imaginations So we call holinesse an infused qualitie because the holy Ghost by vertue of his owne hand and by power immediatly deriued from himselfe not by vertue of any power naturally dwelling either in man or in the Word doth please in and with the word to worke it in man The spirit of life doth breathe it into those in whom it is and they haue it by the meere efficacie of his diuine power not of the meanes in themselues considered Neither yet must we neglect those exercises and ordinances in and by which it pleaseth him to co-operate and to conueigh vnto vs this grace but rather must with all diligence apply our selues vnto them that by making our selues subiect vnto his blessed will we may likewise bee capable of this excellent worke of his Though cley made of spettle and the water of Siloah had no such vertue in them as to make a blinde eye see and to turne the naturall impotencie backe againe into the power of seeing yet the man that was borne blinde was to vse that washing and that cley for else his disobedience to Christ would haue depriued him of the diuine vertue of Christ which vpon his obedience shewed it selfe in healing him So regeneration is not attaineable by vertue of any act or acts that wee or any creature can doe but it commeth from aboue and is effected by an inconceiueable power of Gods spirit for it must needes farre surpasse the strength of a creature to change the soule and to cause a returne from so miserable a priuation or naturall impotencie as sinne is vnto so glorious blessed and excellent an habit or supernaturall abilitie as that holinesse is into which we are transformed But for all this he that would haue the holy Ghost shew his infinite power in making such a change in him must willingly submit himselfe to the doing of any actions whatsoeuer wherewithall the spirit of God shall manifest that it is his pleasure to ioyne
this his happie and powerfull working And such is the formall cause of regeneration The finall cause or the end of it is the glorie of God in the saluation of the partie regenerate For to speake truth it were a shame and reproch to the God of heauen to let a sinner that is to say his professed enemie come into heauen for this would vpbraide him with falsehood in regard of his word and with want of holinesse and iustice in his nature Now the Lord cannot be so weake as to doe any thing that should giue him iust cause to speake as of God wee must needes speake after the manner of men of being ashamed thereof Wherefore that he may with glory and honour and praise and the content of his owne most holy nature take thither so many of the corrupted sonnes of Adam as hee pleaseth to make vessels of honour it is his will and care thus to change their nature and to renew them by his spirit and so he obtaineth the fullest fulnesse of glorie that may be in their happinesse being for euer praised by all his holy creatures and which more is infinitly satisfying himselfe in the beholding of the excellencie of that great work of their blessednes and the most pure and holy and admirable meanes that hee hath ordained to bring them vnto it And these are the causes of regeneration The next thing mentioned in the description is the subiect of it which is the whole man in all the powers of the soule and of the body according as the Apostle prayeth for the Thessalonians 1. Thes 5.23 that they might bee sanctified throughout and that their whole soule and body might be kept blamelesse And by this note it is differenced from all other changes that may carrie any resemblance to it they being all but partiall changes either of the outside alone and not the inside or of some one power alone not of all the powers because indeed they are not fruites of holinesse but either of hollownesse and selfe-loue or at best of a bare and weake worke of illumination And thus haue I performed the first thing intended in describing regeneration of which if any man demaund what it is wee say it is a change that is a bringing of a new and here too of a contrary qualitie in stead of the old that was before if who makes the change the holy Ghost if by what meanes by the word if in what manner by infusion that is by the working of a proper and immediate vertue deriued from himselfe If from what and to what this change is from the sinfulnesse of a man which he receiueth from Adam successiuely to holinesse If wherein in the whole man soule and body and all the powers of both If to what end to the glory of the worker and saluation of him in whom it is wrought O happy worke of an happy workman by an happy instrument and thrice happy that man in whom this blessed worker shall vouchsafe to accomplish this his most worthy and excellent and onely blessed worke to so worthy and blessed a purpose CHAP. IIII. Shewing the order of working Regeneration 2. The order of regenerating in foure acts NOw I proceede to declare in what order the Spirit of God pleaseth to performe this most admirable change which is done in these foure actions which I shall lay downe First the spirit of God working in and with the Law but tempered with the Gospell becomes a spirit of contrition causing a man to see and feele his extreame sinfulnes 1. Shewing a man his naturall sinfulnesse and wretchednes in so much that hee is euen wounded at the very heart therwith and his sinfull and vnhappy estate becomes a wofull bondage captiuitie vnto him The Lord doth not alone raise vp miserable terrors of conscience in him in regard of some one or more grosse offēces that he hath actually committed although often hee maketh these very terrors a meanes of making himselfe a passage to enter in at but hee opens the eyes of the minde to see the very mud and filth of the soule that lay at the bottome before vnseene and vndiscerned The Spirit conuinceth him of sinne It shewes him that generall wickednes and sinfulnes of his nature whereof we spake before Now he feeles his vnbeliefe pride ignorance hypocrisie and other heart-corruptions Hee iudgeth himselfe worthy to be destroyed not alone hauing a sight of his own inability to escape damnation but likewise of the iustice of God in damning him so that hee doth euen stoupe and yeeld himselfe thereto Whereas before hee was aliue without the Law not hauing the true knowledg of it now the Law comming in the sound power and working of it through the strength of the holy Ghost causeth that he becomes dead in his owne sense and apprehension but sinne becomes aliue to his sense and feeling and hee perceiuing the strength force violence and mischieuousnes of it more then euer before now cryes out with the Apostle O miserable man that I am and now confesseth that he is carnall and sold vnder sinne as the same Apostle did in the same sense of his naturall wretchednesse which the comming of the life of grace had brought with it Thus the death of sinne begins to be changed into life in that it is felt and discerned For the very first working of this new life must needs be a feeling of the old death in sinnes and trespasses Not I say alone of his death in hell in regard of his deseruing the torments thereof but of his death in sinnes and trespasses of his vtter inabilitie to do any good thing of his vtter emptines of all heauenly graces of his extreame slauerie to vngodlines and vnrighteousnes and all the lusts of the flesh and of his perpetuall and vehement pronenes to all abomination and wickednes There is often I confesse a work and a very terrible work of the Law the naturall conscience together procuring most extreame and hideously-bitter pangs and hellish agonies in the soule of man where the spirit of regeneration neither is nor euer shall be this being alone a fruite of the spirit of bondage not of the spirit of grace And oftentimes againe the spirit of sanctification comes into the soule together with this spirit of bondage making a violent entrie and by maine force breaking open the heart formerly locked and barred against it and so beginning this sauing worke of holinesse But terrors of conscience which may be in all vnregenerate men because they are already in all the damned into whom no part nor peece of regeneration can enter is farre different from this first degree of the worke of a new birth The sanctifying spirit laies the filthinesse not alone the danger of sinne before the eyes of the mind It causeth a man not alone to be in extreame anguish because he feares he must be damned but euen to loathe and abhorre himselfe and to be very
of God to reforme ones heart and soule as well as his free fauour to pardon former offences An vnsanctified man by benefit of Christian acquaintance in long and heauie terrours may come to the one of these to the other alone the Spirit of sanctification can leade one To which passe when the heart is once brought at length 4. A perswasion of mercie bringing a resolution of obedience the fourth act of the Holy Ghost doth plainely shew it selfe for it becomes a spirit of adoption within him the very earnest penny of saluation sealing vp vnto him the fauour of God the pardon of sinne the attaining of life and by a new and in truth considering the difference of former times a strange worke perswading him that God is reconciled vnto him and hath accepted him for his childe As it made him able to take vnto him words and goe vnto the Lord crauing to bee accepted graciously so it brings him word againe from God that he shal be yea that he is accepted gratiously and answering him euen as one would say with a sensible answer in the middest of his prayers oft-times so strongly and vndoubtedlie â—â—â—ures him of his being heard that hee makes for the time no more question of it then whither he liues yea or no. From which assurance of spirit hauing tasted the sweetnesse of Gods Grace and felt how good the consolations of his Word and Spirit are he growes resolute in his very soule for the time to come in all things to please God and finds a new kind of disposition inabling him to auoide euill and doe good so hauing put his necke vnder the gentle and easie yoke of Christ Iesus hee finds rest vnto his soule and thus is Christ formed in him and he transformed into a new creature For this firme purpose of will to please God in all things is so manifest and euident and sensible a worke of grace that now we may say this act of regeneration is growne to some good ripenesse and euen now perfected in him before he was in making a new man but now he is made new now he is begotten againe and become a sonne of God and heire of his kingdome and fellow-heire of Christ I know that it may befall an hypocrite lying vnder the burthen of a terrified conscience which may be totally and perpetually separated from regeneration and regeneration from it by the diligent inculcating of the comforts of the Gospell and the earnest labour of some Christian and godly men that in such case would faine speake peace to bee brought because they are told there is none other way of comfort to a purpose of neuer committing such and such grosse sinnes as they are accused of in their owne soules and to some promise of amendment of life but this is rather a resolution forced vpon them by striuing of others hereupon promising comfort then a thing growing in themselues out of the sense of the louing kindnesse of the Lord their God Whereas a Christian finds somewhat within him inclining him and making him to say within himselfe and euen little lesse then to sweare and vow with Dauid that hee will surely keepe the righteous iudgements of the Lord and that in all things and for euer to his dying day And thus is the worke of regeneratioÌ„ brought to some perfectioÌ„ thus doth the holy Ghost mould the soule of a man into a new fashion thus doth hee stampe vpon him a new image and as you would say the very lineaments and proportion of God his Father whom in a sweete likenesse that makes him amiable to God and Angels he begins to resemble Onely my brethren vnderstand you one thing for the better conceiuing of all that hath been spoken There are two sorts of regenerate men in the world Some it pleaseth God to call to himselfe euen very betimes dropping pietie and grace into them almost together with their mothers milke by benefit of that great fauour of God holy and Christian education and that euen in certaine insensible degrees so that they cannot so easily name the beginning and progression of this worke In these all the forenamed things are most manifestly found for in truth the working of them doth not cease till life cease and that so as sometimes the one of these workes of grace is more strong then the other Sometimes they find a more sensible abasement of themselues within their owne hearts out of the apprehension of their sinfulnesse sometimes desires and prayers are more vehement sometimes a comfortable resolution of pleasing God doth more mightily stirre in them yet because of the early working and that they were wrought in a still manner by very small degrees the worke did almost goe beyond obseruation and they cannot so distinctly tell when they began to be abased when to be raised vp But there is another sort of men regenerate who did liue a long time in vnregeneracie yea perhaps also in profanenes and notable and notorious wickednesse for oft it falleth out that the Pharisies and Scribes make lesse haste to the kingdome of heauen then the Publicans and sinners I meane that the grosse offenders are sooner regenerated then the ciuill liuers Now for such men it pleaseth the holy Ghost many times yea most times to worke these foure fore-rehearsed workes very distinctly making as it were some euident pause betwixt each of them and grace goes forward in them euen step after step in the manner that hath been described Most times if not alwaies the difference of their former life when they were but dead making the matter euident enough they can name when and where and by what meanes the Lord began first to lay them low to pull them downe and as they say in nature corruption and generation goe together to kil their old man by terrors till being so slaine he had in a calmer manner shewed them the filthinesse and lothsomnesse of it They can tell what longings they felt before they durst pray and what adoe they had to bring themselues to pray and then how long they continued praying before they were answered and lastly wheÌ„ that sweet tidings came that rauished their soule with ioy and made them so inamoured of Gods goodnesse that they euen made a strong couenant with him to walke in his waies and keepe his iudgements All these things I say they can tell well and nothing doth them more good then to recount with themselues this mightie act of the most high whereby their foules with as great a miracle as once Lazarus his body were raised vp from the rotten graue of sinne wherein they lay wrapt vp in the winding sheet of hardnesse of heart and blindnesse of mind stinking and putrifying as a carcasse crawleth with wormes swarming with those noysome lusts that are able to poyson vp an honest heart CHAP. V. Shewing the effects of Regeneration ANd so haue you brethren the order and so farre as may be collected out of scripture the
godly purposes grow strong and hee remaineth resolute not to worke wickednes for all his earnest pronenesse thereunto Thus the regenerate findes himselfe strangely diuided within and against himselfe Sometimes hee would be sinfull and commit such and such wickednes and yet againe hauing better thought of the matter hee would not At other times hee would cast away all sinne and faine performe all good duties with all constancie but hee findes something within resisting and rebelling and hee would not be so good But still in conclusion either sooner or later the sanctified part gets the better of the vnsanctified the desires and purposes of goodnesse preuaile against the desires and purposes of euil and hee is setled in the holy determinations that the spirit of God doth leade him vnto His heart is euen a pitcht field of contrary desires the bad often grow very strong and vehement and able almost to ouerthrow and chase away the good But the good gather head againe and beate backe the bad and by the spirit hee mortifies the flesh and by the word of God and prayer subdueth and crucifies those carnall affections of his I confesse there is a miserable stirre a troublesome discord in the soule of an vnsanctified man betwixt the light of the conscience and the corruption of the will this haling him forward to diuers wickednesses and that drawing backe but the difference betwixt the naturall combat and the spirituall is so manifest that no good man which hath felt them both can chuse but see how to distinguish them one from the other The d fference betwixt the cōbat of the fl sh and spirit and the opposition of the conscience the corrupted will in the vnregenerate Indeed they are euidently distinguished in fiue things 1. In the faculties that oppose each other 2. In the things about which they quarrell 3. In the motiues of the opposition 4. In the meanes of resistance And fifthly in the issue thereof First in the vnregenerate the will is wholly carried after sin alone the conscience makes a clamorous gainsaying and suffers not the will to goe on in its euill courses vncontrolled He would with all his heart commit wickednes but hee dares not not so the regenerate In him not the conscience alone stands out against sinne but the will it selfe is diuided in part hanging one way in part another Hee would not doe euill not alone hee dares not and the act of the will setting against its owne corruption by its owne holinesse is farre different from the act of the conscience opposing the will that remaineth wholly corrupted See it in a comparison An hungry dogge hath a strong appetite to be deuouring some meate that stands before him but at the same time he sees a man standing by with a cudgel to strike him if he touch it Now his appetite is altogether to the meate but he is feared and ouer-awed by the sight of the man that is ready to strike him So is it with the vnsanctified man sinne is his foode his will is wholly carried to it but the conscience holds as it were a cudgell ouer him threatning to strike if he taste Wherefore what with a full desire he would do he forbeareth in act to performe affrighted by those clamours But now a man diseased sees some foode to which his appetite inclineth but he knowes it hurtfull for his body and therefore though his will drawne by his senses sometimes moue him to be tasting yet the same will informed by reason doth preuaile in him to be vnwilling and out of such vnwillingnes to forbeare So is it with the godly man His will stands to sinne for the pleasure or profits sake in some part but being better taught by Gods spirit of the sinfulnes thereof his owne will checks it selfe and hee sets vp his resolution not to meddle with it So is this point of difference made plaine not to be willing to doe is another thing then not to dare In the former the will bridleth and holdeth-vnder it s owne inward motions and not alone the outward act in the latter the motions of the will haue a free scope but alone the outward act is restrained Further in the things whereabout the stirre is they differ very much For the conscience of the vnsanctified makes resistance to their will alone vnlesse in case they be vnder terrors of conscience in some more grosse notorious palpable and vnaccustomed sinnes which are commonly ioyned with shame and reproch in the world and are not likely committed but by those that are infamous amongst men as in periurie murther adulterie theft false witnesse bearing and such like For smaller euils and such as the world little accounts of though knowne and confessed to be sinnes the naturall conscience is content to dispense and dawbe and daily and giue easie way to the doing of them vpon a thousand fond shifts and pretences but now the regenerate mans wil so far as it is regenerate is in combat against its owne vnsanctifiednes about euery knowne euill the little as well as the great that that is allowed in the common practise of the world as well as that that is disallowed For of him it is truly said that hee worketh none iniquitie Thirdly the naturall conscience vseth the motiues or restraints rather of feare of shame of danger amongst men at the best and most of destruction and damnation from God and by threatning these things sometimes somewhat terribly it ouer-aweth the motions of the will from consenting to act though not to desire But in the regenerate will the arguments of resistance are fetcht from God and from Christ from the loue of God from the death of Christ from th◠scandall of religion from the dishonour of the name of God from the Lords being displeased with sinne and not onely barely or chiefly from the punishment of sinne Fourthly the conscience of the vnsanctified driues him not to prayer to the word to spirituall meditations as weapons whereby to mortifie euill lusts and to restraine the will from consenting only it followes him with its owne vehement checks and reluctations in diuers troublesome and confused thoughts But the sanctification of the will opposeth its corruption by prayers by the word by the blood of Christ Iesus and by the hopes of eternitie For hauing this hope hee purgeth himselfe as Christ is pure So the vnsanctified man when he would doe euill and dares not is tossed and tumbled from place to place now thinking of one thing now of another wishing to follow his owne inclinations but wanting boldnesse and if hee doe any thing to help himselfe it is to get him into some company that perhaps may ease him a while But the sanctified when he findes this distraction of his will vsually seekes out some secret place tels himselfe of Gods commandement of Gods loue of Christs suffering for him asketh himselfe if he can finde in his heart so much to offend so good
a Father so perfect a Sauiour and then falling downe telleth the Lord how wicked he findes himselfe what foule desires are stirred in him and how weake he is to make resistance he beseecheth God to pull out this pricke of his flesh to strengthen him against these wicked desires and to establish his heart in a sincere purpose of obedience by his holy spirit and so riseth vp confirmed Thus I say he doth vsually and ordinarily though sometimes the suddenneâ—â—â— of occasions hinders him that he cannot and sometimes his owne neglect of dutie hath so estranged him that he findes no power so to doe in which last case he is often foyled in the former not so often Lastly the conscience if it take the foyle once or twice is benumbed and silenced Sometimes it suffers its mouth to be cleane stopped by some idle shift and vaine distinction which the wit that in many men is too good for their conscience hath inuented for the iustification of euill and after some such paultry defence or apologie a man is suffered to sinne freely enough But if the thing be neuer so vniustifiable yet after two or three times doing it the heart is hardened the naturall conscience put to silence and a mans checkes grow faint or none at all vntill some crosse come or some immediate hand of God to set it on working againe For why the vnsanctified man as he did not beg grace to hold him vp before his sinne so neither after hath any heart to goe and confesse it and craue the spirit of repentance but either lets it passe or falles to extenuate and excuse it vnlesse perhaps it grow desperate as in Iudas But now the santification of the will doth still get the victory though it may receiue a foyle It will not bee put downe it will not be vanquished yea euery latter time of offending it is more vehement in its opposition then before at least so farre as to make a man appeare more vile and abominable to himselfe So it brings him into Gods presence againe sooner or later and makes him say Lord I haue done exceeding foolishly but ah doe away the sinne of thy seruant for thy Sonnes sake and Lord through thy grace helpe me that hereafter I may offend no more Thus commonly he doth quickly renue his repentance and the spirit wins the field of the flesh though it were somewhat disaduantaged and made to recoyle backe at first For stronger is the spirit that is in vs then that that is in the world grace is alwaies in conclusion more auailable then naturall corruption Yea when Gods children are most deeply cast through presumption of sinning into the sownes of deadnesse security and vnconscionablenesse yet then still they heare a voyce behind them saying This is the way walke in it Then the sanctification of the will shewes it selfe in many motions and risings against the euils that they doe and by renewing in them the purposes of amendment though these purposes perhaps in case of great preuailing of corruption be so weake and feeble that they be not put in practice any thing thoroughly till God arise to weaken corruption and to strengthen grace and then he weepes and prayes and recouers himselfe resoluing to sinne so no more and standing to his resolutions And so fareth a poore Christian within himselfe There is a ciuill warre in his very bosome and his bowels be somtimes little lesse then rent asunder with intestine discord betwixt himselfe and himselfe Hee is no longer one but two men the old and the new deadly enemies dwelling both in one roome He findes two lawes in his heart the law of his flesh and the law of the spirit that drawing him captiue to sinne and this helping him out of that captiuitie He serues God in one part of his will and sinne in the other not meaning this last of such a seruing of sinne as was before his new birth but some kind of seruing euen a doing of that sometimes that sinne doth perswade though vnwillingly and against the haire Neither yet is this all for as within hee is thus perplexed 3. The world so can he not long be free from disquietment without The third enemy stands vp quickly and that is the world and that hates him malignes him abhors him cannot away with him When once some glimpse of Gods image shineth in him then worldly men perceiuing it if they were his friends turne foes They thinke and call him a foole they say he is either proud or stout or mad or all After a while also come slanders as it were stronger and sharper weapons then if the times will giue leaue his enemies growing in rage as he growes in goodnesse hee meetes often with losse of goods banishment and euen death it selfe So the world tries what she can doe by violence if that way seeme the fittest course of pulling him backe againe into her society but if the case bee such that that way seeme not at first so plausible the world assaults him with strong allurements his friends and neighbours will perswade him to returne to bee himselfe againe he shall haue large offers of friendship and of gaine Many entreaties many promises many assurances and many performances of good turnes as strong baits are held out before him to diuert him from the wayes of godlinesse And these fairer assaults often hurt him much more then the more violent but yet still his faith is his victory by which he ouercomes the world The assurance that he findes in himselfe of Gods eternall loue and the sweet effects therof makes him to disdaine these sugred allurements and to stand strong against those bitter encounters flatter they or frowne they doe him good or doe him euill still hee holds himselfe to this conclusion hee will not leaue God to cleaue vnto the world againe Thus you see how the regenerate man is laid too on euery hand within without on euery side There is no day in a yeere no houre in a day nay verily scarce any minute in an houre wherein some one or other of these his backe friends doth not striue to doe him a spight The worst enemie is within himselfe the next is the diuell and the world the least These welcome him in this manner into the City of God Thus they entertaine him into the society of Christs mysticall body But in all these things he is an excellent conquerour yea verily more then a conquerour through him that hath loued him for he is out of all danger of euer being quite ouercome Wherefore notwithstanding all the trouble of this first effect of grace 2. A good life the second will follow the first and that is a good conuersation A man would imagine that the forenamed incumbrances should so farre discourage his heart to whom they befell as to take from him all boldnesse so much as to attempt a good course And indeed so it would were he not continually led and strengthened by
4. Growing in grace so likewise a spiritual by degrees encreaseth waxeth stronger stronger approching neerer to perfection that with a proportionable sutable encrease of euery part and member as I may call it of the new man For though in some parts he may be weaker then in others yet in those weaker parts also considering the weaknesse there is a growth correspondent to the growing of other parts Ioh. 15.2 All the branches that bring forth fruit in Christ the vine the Father the good husbandman purgeth that they may bring forth more fruit and in Christ all the body hauing nourishment ministred and knit together Colos 2.19 encreaseth with the encrease of God and that also according to the effectuall working of euery part A liuing branch in a liuing tree will draw sap and get growth A liuing member of a liuing body cannot by the course of nature but attract fit nouriture and procure to it selfe a going forward in stature till the stature bee full and perfect Doubtlesse Christ is a liuing tree his mysticall body a liuing body wherefore the regenerate must needs be growing But this matter of growth doth stand in need of a sound explanation Vnderstand therefore that there is a double growth one in greatnesse the other in goodnesse one in quantity the other in quality So you may see a man from his birth to 24. or 25. yeeres grow bigger and bigger he is higher and thicker hath larger lims and stronger ioynts but from these yeeres vpward he growes wiser sager more stable more sober and better setled also in his bodily might So an apple from Spring to Midsommer or after growes larger and larger in bignesse from thence to the time of its pulling it growes pleasanter and pleasanter in taste and better and better relished Thus it is with a Christian man For a good space of time hee doth sensibly encrease in knowing and leauing more sinnes and in knowing and doing more duties this is to grow in bignesse but after a good time spent in Christs schoole and that there bee but few new lessons not aboue his forme as it were to be learnt hee cons ouer the old lessons againe and gets them more perfectly by heart and better vnderstood Those sins he leaueth he leaueth with more sincerity with more rectified zeale with more loue to God with more detestation of sinne Those duties likewise which he performeth he performeth more aduisedly more resolutely more humbly more soundly and with a more entire bending of his soule to the glory of God in them then before This is his growing in goodnesse and in ripenesse And alwaies in this latter kinde of growth a Christian man stands so affected that hee doth most of all quarrell with himselfe for not growing when he growes most of all Yea his slippes into some grosse faults and it may bee also sometimes too too thicke doe further this his growth ordinarily so that he neuer growes faster and better then after the time that some falles have discouered vnto him his badnesse for then he growes in humility in hatred of himselfe in suspicion of his owne frailty whereby he is made capable of a profitable growing in all vertues till at length this become his excellency that the better he is the meaner he is in his owne eyes and the further he proceedeth the more he is acquainted with his owne defects and becomes more sorrowfull and ashamed for the slownesse of his proceedings But now it must be further conceiued that this growth hath his stops stayes hindrances intermissions and those also somtimes euen some long space of time together euen for moneths and yeeres as is to be seene in Dauid Salomon Asa Vzziah and others For as in naturall life the child may grow till it be twentie or more yeeres old and then fall into a dangerous fit of sicknesse as an ague or the like which shall cast him vpon his bed and make his cheekes pale and wan his legges quaking and feeble his stomacke naught and quite turned away from almost all food his whole body faint and powerlesse so that he can neither stand nor goe nor scarce speake or moue himselfe but euen lie at point of death Euen so also in the life of grace there be Agues there bee diseases there bee sicknesses into which a Christian man euen now it may be come to so much ripenes as this life wil beare doth suddenly somtimes but most times by degrees fall headlong and almost dies though quite to die it bee impossible Now if you speake of his growing hee doth but grow backward euen as a sicke man growes weaker and weaker after sicknesse hath ceized vpon him These diseases grow for the most part from the comming in of promotion and wealth and the pleasures and vanities that most commonly come in with them that we may see how dangerous the goods and greatnesse of this world be to a Christian soule that cannot soundly digest and concoct them Or else they arise from the poysonfull infection of some euill companion or other to whom a man hath by some occasion foolishly linked himselfe in familiaritie In truth most times surfeting breeds spirituall sicknesse From the excessiue loue and liking and vsing and enioying of earthly things and from a conceit of ones owne being better and safer for their abundance a man comes to bee lesse satisfied in God and in holy duties and to haue lesse minde to thinke and muse of heauen and the graces of Gods Spirit the practising of which is the way to come to heauen So there is a stoppage and obstruction in the soule and hence so sensible a decay of spiritual strength til a man fall to heape more then one or two grosse sinnes and sometimes presumptuous one vpon the necke of another and sometimes to lie long in them before hee can see to reforme them or soundly renew his repentance for them the one hardning his heart and blinding his minde so that the other following can scarce be seene or felt Thus there is wrought a strange decay of the power of godlinesse euen in a true regenerate man by the encrease of his outward estate for he was a sanctified man Prou. 30.9 that prayed God not to giue him riches lest himselfe being full should denie God and say Who is the Lord And sometimes also on the contrarie euen hard and sharpe afflictions doe bring a decay of sanctification The anguish of a crosse may breede impatiencie distrust lying vsing of base shifts and twenty disorders in a regenerate mans life in so much that hee may be drawne to very grosse and sinfull practises But when the poore Christian soule is either of these waies diseased or any other like to them O then he fareth like to a sicke man indeed he feeles his disease with exceeding great paine It makes him groane and crie out many a time hee is weary full weary of such an estate No man is more
offers him vnto his minde as continually standing at his right hand beholdeth him in all places euen then when he is farre remoued from all other company as a narrow obseruer of his secret actions and an eie-witnes of all his most inward and retired cogitations He puts himselfe in minde still and still saying Lord whither can I fly from thy presence The Lords eies behold me his eielids ponder my paths to him nothing is secret from him nothing can be concealed thus I say he mindeth himselfe of the Lords being hard by him and represents him often to his soule as a witnesse and iudge of his whole life yea of his very heart and conscience And this excellent vertue of remembring God doth stand betwixt him and the tentations to sinne as it were strong barriers that doe mightily restraine his forward flesh from committing it For why saith he to himselfe doth not the God of heauen see and know and vnderstand how then shall I doe this wickednes and sinne against him to his face Further his memory serues his turne also for the things of God The commandements threats promises of the word the workes of God either of mercy or iustice the infinite and eternall reward of well doing the intolerable and endlesse punishment of irrepentant sinning and the like are alwaies before his eies and hee makes none end of minding himselfe of such diuine things as may frame him to holines There is a naturall power of memory consisting in the ability of retaining and making repetition of things that one hath heard or seene This ability as following the temperature of the body the sanctified man perhaps may want and if nature haue not bestowed it vpon him he must want it for grace doth not adde a greater naturall perfection to the powers of mans soule but alone makes the perfections it hath straite and right and guideth them to God ward but that memory which God hath giuen him he can vse for the good of his soule to godly purposes in all the sanctified performances of memory He can retaine good things according to that strength of retainement which nature affords him but that that he doth retaine and heere indeede he shewes his memory to be sanctified he hath at hand for the benefit of his soule in due season fruitfully recalling it in the instant of tentation in the very time of neede when it may auaile him to resist sinfull suggestions of Satan or the flesh and to quicken him against his backwardnes and vnwillingnes to duties commanded So his memory becomes a principall instrument of order both to his heart and to his life for example A godly man and an vnregenerate come both to one sermon It is made against filthines or couetousnesse or any vice as it falleth out The vnsanctified man may perhaps be able to repeate tenne times more and more orderly then the sanctified this is a fruit of nature not of grace but when some time is past and that both shall be tempted to couetousnes or filthines all that that the vnregenerate man could so readily repeate is slipt quite out of his minde as a thing carelesly thrust into a corner which a man cannot find when he should vse it so that he follows the sin as much as if he had neuer heard that Sermon but the godly man hath those reasons proofes of Scripture which he was able to carry away instantly in his minde repelling such thoughts and saying haue I not heard what a sinne this is haue I not beene taught how it displeaseth God so by this his holy remembrance the word of God is auaileable to keepe him from sinning or at least after to raise him vp to the renewing of his repentance And so you see the holinesse of a Christian mans memory 3 In his affections Thirdly his affections are also sanctified and set in good order by the vertues which the holy Ghost infuseth into him The principall affections are loue and hatred feare and confidence ioy and sorrow All these are inabled by the spirit of God with a new power of exercising themselues vpon God and the things of God and there are certaine vertues which doe rectifie each of them in their seuerall workings First for loue the motions and inclinations thereof are ruled by that King of vertues charity both towards God and towards the children of God A good mans heart is inclining it selfe still to Godward he finds in his soule that he hath something within him bowing and bending his heart to God and making him euen earne and melt after him sometimes and cleaue and sticke vnto him in an vnexpressible manner yea the sweetnes of that loue wherewith he finds himselfe loued of God is still pulling him vnto God euen then when perhaps he finds the Lord somewhat displeased with him and carrying himselfe towards him somewhat angerly as a wife comes towards her husband with a kind of melting affection submissiuely but still louingly when she perceiueth that he is offended with her In truth the working of this affectiō rectified as I said aboue by charity cannot be well enough set out in words he findeth such a kind of clinging to God and such an vniting of his heart towards him that he had rather be depriued of all that is deere to him in the world then of him and his soule doth so setledly stedfastly solidly irresistibly bend it selfe to be one with him that this inclination many times doth ouerweigh and ouer-rule all other inclinations in him and sometimes hee cannot but euen breake forth into words professing so much to himself as Dauid I loue the Lord and calling vpon others saying loue yee the Lord wishing with all the wishes of his soule that himselfe and all others might more and more loue the Lord. A sanctified heart standeth affected toward God euen as the louer doth to the person he loueth and he hath though not so passionate because the obiect is spiritual yet as true and as perceiueable a working of his heart to God as one louer hath to the other and as to God so he is likewise indued with charity to Gods people The liking of his heart is to them aboue all other men hee finds his heart mooued with good will to none so much as to the Saints If he perceiue the beames of Gods image shining that is to him as good and better then twenty yeeres acquaintance yea it surpasseth all names of blood and alliance whom he sees godly him hee priseth aboue all other men In truth this charity doth then shew its warmth when almost the breath of grace is choaked by vices of diuers kinds Though some particular breach may cause a little iarring of affections betweene a godly man and another whom hee perswadeth himselfe to feare God also yet he cannot but feele his heart to stand towards him euen in this iarre Yea let a Christian man be at the worst that euer he can be and gone as farre
will not seeme to you vnreasonable nor the motion light and not worth harkening to when the God of heauen sues vnto you that be his enemies to be changed and become his adopted sonnes Sure I am that if a Gentleman should with the same good meaning make the same offer to a poore miserable beggar either he would greedily accept the motion or else all that knew him would esteeme him mad How much worse then mad art thou then which wilt reiect the Lords owne motion offering to become thy Father and intreating thee to bee willing to be made his child by adoption you may perhaps say vnto me that you do already wish and desire so to bee with all your hearts but that all the difficultie lies in being made such as you desire to be And I answere that if you doe indeed and in truth long and desire to be regenerate with a setled and firme desire and stable and confirmed wishing of your hearts that then the greatest impediment is remoued and the greatest difficultie ouercome and your regeneration is now in a faire forwardnesse yea verily it is already begun and doe you but cherish these motions and it shall be perfected You may perhaps make another obiection and say that it is not in your power to regenerate your selues and therfore it is an idle attempt of me to perswade you to become such as you cannot make your selues to be for the Spirit of God must regenerate and who can command that to come vpon him To which I answere that indeed a man cannot possibly regenerate himselfe this is Gods act not his he is a meere patient in it But yet I say moreouer that the doctrine of the Gospell is the ministration of the Spirit and where that is preached as now it is preached amongst you there the holy Ghost comes to regenerate there he comes with his in-liuing vertues there he is present with his quickning power and he that wil not resist the motions and exhortations that the word and spirit of God doe raise vp within him shall surely be visited from on high and shall haue the spirit of God descending vpon him to make him a new creature Yea further I say to such an one that God hath appointed certaine things to be done by men which they that will not refuse to doe may doe and those that shall doe shall be regenerated For there is a common worke of illumination so making way for regeneration that it puts a power into man of doing that which when he shall doe the spirit of God will mightily worke within him to his quickening and purging All you therefore that finde your selues as yet not to be regenerate but yet faine would be for to others it is in vaine to speake they be not yet so farre inlightned as to be capable of regeneration but all you hearken and vnderstand what it is that you must doe that you may be regenerate and by doing which you shall not faile of receiuing this wonderfull blessing of a new life to be created in you onely yet with one prouiso that you doe not dampe the present motions of the word and spirit of God with procrastinations and delayes with putting off and deferring till an other time Nay you must accept of the offers of grace whilest it is called to day and know that nothing doth more harden your hearts and chase away the spirit of God from them then that foolish and slothful shifting off his perswasions with a purpose of setling about the worke hereafter but not yet Thou must take Gods time and not bid him tarry thy time It is no reason the King should waite vpon the traitor till he were at leisure to receiue a pardon If thou wilt not haue while when the Lord sees it fit to make thee a sweet promise of grace remember the terrible threatning of Wisdome You shall seeke me and not finde me Prou. 1.24.28 because I stretched out mine hands and you would not heare me O then venture not to put off God till hereafter Who can tell whether euer he will come so neere thee againe if at this time thine entertainment of him be no better then to shut vp the dores of thine heart and tell him the roomes are otherwise filled there is no place for him as yet But now I say with prouiso that you will now begin without further deferring I will shew you the way of life and tell you that which if you will be pleased to doe and it shall be no such hard matter nor impossible but that your owne soules shall confesse there is nothing to hinder you from doing it but your owne vnwillingnesse or carelesnesse or both if I say you will be pleased to doe I testifie vnto you in the name of the Lord that you shall bee regenerate and that from the time you begin to doe them you begin to be regenerate Now these things are in number three as I said before neither impossible for you to doe Wheâ—eof the meanes are three nor yet difficult there lackes but a willing mind and they be easily done onely vnderstand of them that you must not satisfie your selues with hauing done them once but must doe them continually because they are meanes of encreasing holinesse as well as attaining it The first is 1. To desire and pray for the spirit of regeneration so to nourish your apprehension of your owne misery in not being regenerated and your earnest desire of being regenerated for the escaping of this misery that it may breake forth into requests and petitions vnto God for his spirit of regeneration Goe thou and muse thus with thy selfe Alas I see most euidently that as yet I am but a sonne of old Adam there is no thorough change of mine heart nor of my life from sinne to holinesse I am as I was borne and haue not been altered by a new birth and therefore I am in no possibility of being saued This night if God should as how know I but he may this night take away my soule from me O I perish for out of heauen the blessed Sauiour of mankind hath excluded mee for thither he tels vs euidently that none must enter that are not borne againe and O miserable man I that am not yet capable of eternall life and that stand in such tearmes with God to this day that hee cannot both keepe his owne truth and saue my soule What shall I doe what course shall I take O could I once obtaine regeneration then I were safe then I were sure then if death should come immediately I neede not feare it then were the gates of heauen opened vnto mee and then I both might and should enter in thereto O that I were regenerate O that I were borne againe O that I were a new creature O that once the image of Christ Iesus were imprinted vpon me All the goods and honours of this world would not so much aduantage me as
holinesse if I could attaine it But what doe I stand wishing I haue beene told that the spirit of God is he who regenerateth his people Wherefore I wil beg at his hand that mighty and sauing worke of his spirit and boldly I may doe it for Christ Iesus hath promised to all that thirst that if they come Isa 55.1 he will make them drinke of the waters of life Yea he hath told me that if we men who are euil can yet giue naturall good things to our children that aske them God will much more giue his spirit to them that aske it For his promise is to poure waters vpon the dry ground and flouds vpon the thirsty ground and to poure out of his spirit vpon all flesh Well I am assured the word of God is true and these promises shall be performed to euery one that asketh that he may receiue and to euery one that seeketh that he may finde for the Lord is rich in grace and giues to all that aske hits no man in the teeth And therefore I will take courage to call vpon him for that most desireable gift of God euen the spirit of regeneration Thus hauing enkindled thy desires bow thou the knees of thy body and of thy soule too vnto the king of heauen and poure out thy requests in the most submissiue earnest manner thou canst saying either in these words or to this purpose O Lord I am a lost sheep I am a child of wrath by nature I am most miserable most sinful I see that in me there dwelleth no good thing and if I be not renewed I must perish I beseech thee haue mercy vpon me that I perish not Send thy blessed spirit into mine heart to regenerate me for so is thy promise plainly made in thy word Thou knowest that I cannot make my selfe new O let thy spirit come vpon me and make me to haue a new heart and a new spirit Lord Iesus Christ send thy spirit into mee which may restore mee from this death of sinne which now at last thou hast made me to feele vnto the life of holinesse Thou toldest the woman of Samaria 〈◊〉 4. that if she would aske of thee thou wouldest giue her the water of life Now Lord I come and aske of thee that water that liuing that pretious water of the holy spirit O giue it vnto mee that I may neuer thirst but that it may spring forth in my belly and become a riuer of water O Lord I beg not money I beg not honour I beg not health I beg not naturall wisedome but I beg that which I haue more need to receiue and shall haue more benefit by receiuing and which thou hast more promised to giue and shalt haue more honour by giuing then by any such temporary or externall thing O giue me therefore thy holy spirit to regenerate me and make mee to feele by experience the truth of thy gratious promises My brethren I haue put these prayers into your mouthes learne you to poure them forth before the throne of grace in secret forget not in some such manner of words to cry for this best of all gifts and beg earnestly and if thou canst not amplifie yet multiply if thou canst not vse variety of words yet repeate the same request often and againe and againe if thine inuention serues not to say more let thy desire force thee to dwell vpon this 20. times rather then faile twice 20. times O Lord giue vnto me a miserable sinner thy spirit of life grace to regenerate me for so hast thou promised to them that aske I aske Lord resolue to continue asking I certifie you all frō God and by this authority of Christ Iesus committed to his Ministers do verily assure you that he who so seeketh regeneration shall as certainly be regenerate as God is true of his word and that is more certaine then the Sunnes shining in the heauens and the earths keeping his owne place I know that Satan will step forth to hinder you from following this counsell he will striue to make you carelesse of it all together as if there were no neede of begging so hard but I assure thee that he doth but beguile thee Neuer any man was regenerate nor shall be after yeeres of ability to pray vnlesse he doe pray for it for the gift of the spirit is promised to you that aske and to none else and by telling thy selfe of thy misery in wanting regeneration thou shalt easily shake thy selfe out of this carelesnes and bring thy selfe to a care of seeking that which but by seeking thou canst not get and but by getting thou canst not be saued Then will the Diuell assaile thee with more tentations and cast obiections and doubts in thy way as if it were in vaine to pray for sure thou shalt not be heard but beleeue him not hee is a lyar in going about to make thee make God a lyar for is not the promise so vniuersall as no man is excluded that doth not exclude himselfe doth it not runne thus euery one that asketh receiueth euery one that seeketh findeth and therefore say thou to thine owne heart if euery one why not I sure I will aske then and will not spare to speede by sparing to speake to God And that thou maiest yet more imbolden thy selfe know that God hath tyed thee by a kind of vow to seeke to him for the spirit of regeneration and himselfe to giue it vnto thee when thou so seekest For tell me art thou not a man professing to be of the Christian religion Wast thou not baptized in the name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost To what end was this washing but to assure thee of the spirit of God working like water to thy regeneration Wherefore vrge thou the Lord with his owne seale and say O Lord what better euidence can I wish Thou hast giuen me the seale of regeneration O make it to appeare not to haue beene an empty signe Lord baptise me with the Spirit and with Water euen wash me and cleanse me by that pure Water of thy holy Spirit which may sanctifie me throughout and make me a new creature If any doubt arise in thine heart looke thus to the seale of the couenant and confirme thy faith and assure thy selfe that God will neuer falsifie his bond and seale he will wash thee according to his couenant sealed vp vnto thee by Baptisme In very deed brethren it is an absurdity to imagine that all that are baptized with water are also infallibly regenerated but yet it is sure that all such might be regenerated if considering what this seale importeth they would duly and earnestly seeke vnto the Lord for performance thereof This is that I call vpon you now to do if already any haue not done it Let the remembrance of thy Baptisme with water cause thee to seeke to him that can giue the Baptisme of the spirit
he knoweth not how to deny himselfe nor his couenant But perhaps still the Diuell may be busie with thee and cast some quiddity and subtill cauill in thy way as sometimes he hath done telling thee that if thou beest not as thou findest thy selfe not to be regenerate thy prayers cannot be heard because they be not of faith Thou maiest answere him that that worke of God in his word which moueth thee so to pray is a beginning of regeneration which shall vndoubtedly be perfected if thou continue to pray and therefore that thou wilt not be hindred by such cauils For thou beleeuest that God hath said true when he said Ho euery one that thirsteth and seeing out of a perswasion of the truth of this generall promise thou addressest thy selfe to performe the duty whereto the promise is made thy prayer must needs be of faith though of a weake faith and be no sinne but an acceptable seruice vnto God Now therefore brethren be not discouraged for praying for the spirit of life to breathe vpon you by any cauils or obiections of Satan be not made carelesse of seeking so necessary a thing by any fond imaginations that he will put into your minds be not diuerted from doing this duty by any worldly businesse that may come betwixt but what euer thou doest now in thine heart and when thou commest home in thy closet and in the solemnest manner bow thy selfe to God and cry vnto him for the holy Ghost to regenerate thee And O thou blessed spirit that art like the wind and breathest euen where thou lusteâ—â— breathe into the hearts of some of these that heare me this day and cause some of them to be inflamed with a desire of regeneration and to be incouraged to the begging of it whereas yet it hath not been wrought And so much for the first meanes to be vsed 2. An hiding of the word of God in the heart The second meanes is a diligent hiding of the word of God in the heart For seeing that is the seede of immortality if it be closely laid vp in the ground of our soules it will fructifie to life This law is pure and it will purifie It is perfect and it wil conuert the soule if like a plaister it be laid vnto it Let it be ingraffed into you like a science and it will change the wild sap of your nature and make you able to bring forth fruits of holinesse A man then buries the seed of the word in his hart when he doth ponder and muse vpon it when he sets himselfe seriously to consider the truth of it and to apply it vnto his owne soule taking that that is generally deliuered as pertaining to himselfe in speciall Now the whole word must be thus whetted vpon the heart not the Law alone for that of it selfe will breed nothing but miserable terrours not the Gospel alone for that finding the heart vnprepared to receiue it in such ill ground will bring forth nothing but the stinking weedes of presumption but both the Law and the Gospell it so being tempered together and obtaining a ioynt worke in the soule by their mutual forces they may both produce the grace of sanctification So then if one would be regenerate he must take to himself the whole Word of God He must set himself al alone to muse of it saying to himself These coÌ„mandements the Law giueth to al mankind among the rest to me these curses it denounceth against the transgressers of it of which seeing I cannot deny my selfe to bee one the curses thereof belong vnto me and I alasse I lie vnder them But the Word of God hath shewed me the way of escaping the curse for Christ Iesus the Sonne of God was in our stead accursed that wee might be free from the curse and bee partakers of that blessing which was long since promised in him saying In thy seede shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed Also the Word of God doth plainely declare concerning al the sonnes of men Psalm 14. that they haue done a corrupt and abominable deede and that none of them doe good no not one It shuts them all vnder sinne and pronounceth them al the sonnes of wrath But Iesus Christ is become the Sauiour of mankind and in him his Father is well pleased and none that beleeue in him shall perish Yea in him is preached remission of sinnes and life euerlasting to all that beleeue in him and rest vpon his merits as vpon a perfect satisfaction and hee doth ratifie all the sweete promises of the Law to all that beleeue in him and striue to obey him so that for his sake they shall obtaine all the good things which the Law promiseth but because we are all sinfull it cannot bestow them on vs. I am a sinfull wretch I am a cursed creature I am vnder Gods anger in my selfe but Christ Iesus hath satisfied for my sinnes he hath performed a perfect righteousnesse for me I will goe out of my selfe I will renounce mine owne righteousnesse and rest onely in him euen vpon him onely in whom O my soule assure thou thy selfe to find full remission and perfect saluation onely so be it thou turne not the grace of God into wantonnesse but out of loue to him set thy self to keep his holy coÌ„mandements and take vpon thy neck that sweet gentle yoke of his the bearing of which is the most comfortable liberty in the World Certainly men and brethren he that will often renew these meditations in his soule and see the foulenes of sin in the glasse of the Law and the sweetnes and brightnes of Gods free grace shining forth in the doctrine of the Gospel shal surely be translated into the image of God from glory to glory Therefore now resolue with your selues that you wil find time constantly to meditate on the Word of God and it shal not faile to giue light vnto your eyes and life vnto your soules So haue you the second meanes of attaining regeneratioÌ„ Tâ—irâ— constant 〈◊〉 tâ—e Worâ— pâ—eached The third and last is to attend at the gates of Wisdome to waite on her posts I meane to be constant hearers of the Word of God preached This is the ordinance of God which he will worke by most effectually and most vsually The mouth of the Minister is the Conduit pipe wherby the Lord doth please to deriue the sweet wholsome waters of life into the soules of men 1. Cor. 1.20 It hath pleased God by the foolishnes of preaching to saue theÌ„ that belieue The Lord hath appointed his Ministers to be spirituall fathers by their labours in publishing his Word to beget men vnto him and whosoeuer will not seeke regeneration and saluation here where God hath taken order that he may meete with them he for his carelesnes or ignorance of Gods ordinance shall neuer bee able else-where to attaine them I told you mine opinion before of the Word
foode of his soule prayer preaching the sacraments holy meditations of the Word and works of God These are as requisite for the soules increase in grace as meate and drinke and cloth for the bodies proceeding in strength Now as it often falleth out in the body that there growes vpon it a certaine kind of crazinesse and stomacklesnesse which makes a man to haue no mind of his victuals and then the longer hee abstaineth the lesse mind he hath to eate the lesse abilitie to digest so it commeth to passe likewise in the inward man the soule begins to take little content in prayer in reading the Scriptures in hearing the word preached in the receiuing of the holy sacrament These things are not desired nor delighted in with halfe so much ardour feruour as in former time When the case stands thus with the soule and likely the comming in of gaine and preferment by diuerting the thoughts and affections from things heauenly to things earthly doe bring the soule to this case then it growes weaker and weaker and often falleth grossely and palpably Yea it commeth to passe sometimes that afflictions lying hard vpon a man doe euen put his soule out of tast through the sowernesse and bitternesse of carnall sorrow that hee findeth no appetite to holy exercises which are the repasts of the soule nor any cōtentment in them then grace is in the wane also then all vertues wither and languish and the soule fareth like vnto him that cannot eate is victuals whose very cheekes shew it so the outward behauiour and carriage of such a man being farre short of that heauenlinesse and fruitfulnesse that once will discouer this languishing of his soule Wherefore he that would bee strong in Christ Iesus and in the power of his might must stirre vp in himselfe the Spirit of God which he hath receiued by constancy in holy meditations of God of his Kingdome of his workes of his attributes of himselfe his mortalitie his sinfulnesse the shortnesse of life the vanitie of earthly things the vncertaintie of friends and wealth and that last houre of his life and that great day of iudgement He must also reuiue the same grace of God in him by being feruent in prayer and by prouoking himselfe with all heartinesse of desire to beg good things at Gods hand especially the increase of al heauenly vertues He must also labour to make his hart hot with earnest and vnfained thankesgiuing for all temporall and spirituall benefits especially for the death of Christ and the kingdome of heauen by that deere price purchased for him He must gaine all opportunities of hearing the Word preached and not suffer any idle obiection and foolish impediment to hinder him from frequenting it He must digest it by meditation when he comes home He must carefully prepare for the Lords supper by renewing his repentance and his faith before he come thither And thus he must feede of all the delicates that God hath prouided for him No so true signe of bodily health nor so sure meanes of outward strength as a good stomack with good digestion No so sure token and certaine meanes of spirituall strength and health as a longing desire to all holy exercises publike as well as priuate and priuate as well as publike By these Christ Iesus communicates his graces to vs. The Word that begat vs will nourish vs. The spirit of prayer that obtained good things will obtaine also increase of them and so the soule must needs be well liking Brethren you all are taught by nature the neede of corporall food know also the neede of spirituall and if thou desire to haue thy soule thriue in strength and stature forslake not thy meales cut not off religious exercises short dispatch not Gods worship cursorily turne not holy duties into matters of fashion and formalitie but doe them and doe them constantly and doe them heartily and content not thy selfe in doing them vnlesse thou find some life and courage in doing them And that thou maiest thus maintaine in thee an hungry appetite after the exercises of pietie dip thy morsels often in the sharpe sauce and sower herbes of humiliation Looke back so often as thou findest a kind of fulnesse of stomacke and spirituall satiety growing vpon thee looke backe vnto the former sinnes of thine ignorance consider thy naturall misery and wretchednesse consider of thy most beloued corruption and addresse thy selfe to worke some sensible apprehension of griefe for these things and cease not striuing though at first thou seeme to striue in vaine It is certaine that labouring with ones owne heart to find out his corruptions that lie hidden and to lament them being found out will quicken the soules appetite and restore a man to some liuelinesse in holy duties at least will so farre forth preuaile that if he recouer not his appetite he shall remaine sensible of this spirituall stomacklesnesse and humbled vnder it and full of sighs and groanes because of it which at length will cure him without inconuenience Now brethren let this word of exhortation sinke into your soules If regeneration be necessary to saluation then the growing in the power of regeneration is also necessary Weake things are often so obscured with their contraries that it remaineth vncertaine whither they be or no but that that is strong will stirre and shew it selfe Grace may be doubted of so long as it remaineth feeble and infant-like adde vnto it growth and bignes and it will be out of question No man can be assured of his saluation without edifying his inward man more then be saued without hauing the new man If you would enioy your new birth confirme it if you would attaine the comfort of it grow in it Neglect not the grace of God that is giuen vnto you now that you are in Christ be strong men in Christ and seeing the Lord hath vouchsafed you the worke of his Spirit giue me leaue to make vse of the sweete exhortation of Paul to his Thessalonians to entreate you brethren to encrease yet more and more CHAP. XII Exhorting to propagate grace to others BVt our exhortation if you remember had an other member 1. To propagate it to others it is not enough for a good man to get more grace to himselfe vnlesse hee doe his best also to helpe his neighbours vnto grace They that are begotten of God must doe their vtmost endeauours to beget others vnto God All things in nature haue an inclination to deriue their owne qualities vnto other things and to assimilate or worke like vnto themselues that that comes neere vnto them Fier makes al things hot and water all things moist and in nature nothing is more ingrafted then the propagation of the kind Surely this new and diuine nature must not be idle in this behalfe but they vpon whom the Lord hath pleased to bestow it must labour to be his instruments of conueying it to others And in truth what more comfortable