vpon all elect flesh that hee would bee pleased as freely to worke graciously in him if it be his will as he did in thy selfe at thy first conuersision This is that which the Lord would haue thee doe neyther is hee any niggard of his grace vnto those whom-to he hath purposed it from all eternitie Hee is not like man men when they haue done something for others they can not endure that the receiuers should become beggers of the like kindnesse for others but they would haue them satisfied with that which they themselues haue receiued and let crauing for others alone But it is farre otherwise with the Lord it is his delight when they that haue beene blowne vppon freely with his grace will become petitioners to the throne of grace for others as wel as for themselues and chiefly for those whom they haue neerest relation vnto It is that which he is pleased withall when the sanctified husband prayeth for the vnsanctified wife when the beleeuing wife sueth for the vnsanctified husband holy parents for vnholy childrē holy children for vnholy parents sanctified maister for vngodly seruants c. Thou therefore that hast any whit of heauens breath in thee do not onlie craue the encrease of grace in thy selfe which is thy duty too but also begge hard for the beginnings of grace in thy gracelesse brethren and seeing Gods grace is as free from himselfe to other elect vessels of mercy as to thee beseech thou the Lord to open the eyes of thine ignorant wife to soften the hart of thine impenitent husband to conuert the soule of thine vngracious childe to infuse grace into thy vnregenerate father mother brethren friends neighbours maister seruant whose hearts are as yet swolne with the breath of Satan and corruption And as the Apostle his hearts o Ro. 10.1 desire and prayer to God was that Israel might be saued So let it be thy hearts desire and prayer to God that they may bee sanctified and that with his spirituall p Cant. 4.16 North and South winde he would blowe vppon such dead Gardens and that hee would open the bottells and spout-pots of his holy Spirit to water such dry and barren grounds that those floures may spring vp there which haue their roote in Election and that the sweete spices of grace may flow out as freely from the holy Ghost to them as to thy selfe And these bee the two duties which the Saints haue to learne from hence First to prayse God for the graces which they themselues haue and to pray to God for the like graces on the behalfe of them that want them * The second branch of the vse of exhortation to the vnregenerate Secondly heere is a lesson for the vnregenerate who are altogether destitute of sound grace to learne and that is to giue all diligence to be effectually breathed vppon with this winde from heauen and with holy Dauid to q Psa 132 4.5 giue no sleepe to their eyes nor slumber to their eye-liddes vntill their hearts be a place for the God of Iacob to breathe in and their soules an habitation for the Ark of the Lords strength and the worke of the Lords Spirit to rest and dwel in For if Gods wil be the ground of his worke of sanctification in any creature then they that are still vnsanctified are bound to an incessant vse of those means which the Lord hath appoynted to serue this free will of his in the effecting of grace in their hearts and though we cannot effect any part of that blessed wotke in our selues nor so much as naturally wish or will it yet in asmuch as the Lord hath made no promise to regenerate but by the vse of meanes wee must vse that meanes if wee would be spiritually breathed vppon For that God who doth reueale his will of election by the worke of Iustification his will of iustification by the worke of Sanctification doeth also declare his wil of sanctification by the prescribing of helpes to bring vs to holinesse which helpes wee must diligently and carefully vse or else if the spirit neuer come to breathe vppon vs the fault will be our owne and our condemnation of our selues Howsoeuer still I say the worke of grace be the Lords so then I say the libertie which the Lord hath to infuse grace where he willeth vrgeth a necessity of following those rules which hee hath set vp for his Church to attaine vnto grace by which rules and helps what they are I will shew in order The first is a diligent attendance vnto the word of grace 1 Help to get grace hence it is that the word is called the r 2 Cor. 3 8. ministration of the Spirit We know that they which are left Executours to other mens wills they must take vp Letters of Administration by vertue of which they must enter vpon the goods of the deceased so they that would take vp that Legacie of Graces which Christ bequeathed to his Church in the promise of sending his Spirit must come to Gods Courts and there take vp the Letters of Administration by the meanes whereof they may take vp that portion of inheritance or grace which Christ hath left for them ſ Acts 1.2 When the Apostles were in an house at Ierusalem where they heard a sound like the rushing of a mighty winde then did the holy Ghost sit vpon them So when wee are in the house of God to heare the found of his mighty voyce in the preaching of the Word may wee expect the breathing of his Spirit It was at the preaching of Peter that the holy Ghost fell vpon Cornelius and his houshold t Act. 10.44 It was at a Sermon of Paules when the Spirit opened the hart of Lydia u Acts 16 14 When Ananias instructed Paul the seales fell from his eyes and hee receiued spirituall sight w Acts 9.17 By the preaching of our Sauiour many of the Iewes came to beleeue on him with his word did hee cleanse the x Mark 1.42 Leper y Ma k 5.42 raise the dead z Mar. 10 52. open the eyes of the blinde a Mar 9.26 Chap. 5.8 cast diuels out of the possessed with them in the daies of his flesh and by the means of his holy word now published by his messengers doth hee cleanse with the water of grace our leprous soules quickening with the life of grace our dead hearts open with the light of grace our blinde minds and chase out with the blasts of grace those same euill spirits that doe haunt and possesse our soules Their case therefore cannot be sufficiently lamented nor enough bewailed who make no more reckoning of the Word then of a trifle or toy and who regard the sound of the Lords voyce in a powerfull Ministery no more then the creaking of a lifelesse doore the estate of such persons I say can not be pittied too much for alas poore soules by this
there is a purified soule for doe wee thinke that so pure a guest as the blessed Spirit is will come and take vp the lodging in a man or woman and not cast out the vncleane and impure spirits that he findes there at his comming It is not possible where that commeth and abideth the blinde diuell must out the proude deuill must out the impenitent out malicious out couetous out and all the Lucifers and Beelzebubs must auoyde the roome which he enters into and giue way vnto his purifying blasts Can the mists of ignorance the puddle of concupiscence and that foule legion of lusts which fight against the soule remaine vndispelled vndried vp vndriuen away where this winde bloweth No no when grace commeth light commeth and it cannot but giue light purity commeth and it cannot but cleanse fire commeth and it cannot but consume and burne vp our corruptions It pittieth my heart to think how people liue in their old sins and wallow in that same polluted bloud which they drew from their fathers which were Amorites from their mothers which were Hittites I meane from persons stayned with the guilt of Adams treason whom they imitate and follow also in the trade of transgression without the least part of mortification voyde of the meanest measure of Sanctification and yet thinke themselues to haue a share in the worke of Regeneration whose eyes I pray God open to see this delusion A needful caueat I do not speake of such a purging as is euery way perfect in this life as if none were breathed vpon by the Spirit but those that are purged fully from al reliques of ignorance rebellion corruption for then none should bee Saints but those that are in heauen For howsoeuer this worke be perfect in regard of the workeman the Spirit neuer doing any thing imperfectly yet in regard of the persons in whom it is wrought it is imperfect because mingled with corruption neither dare I say that those are in no degree purified that are not in the same degree purified with others but this I dare boldly affirme that that person who hath attained to no measure of this purging yea not to so much of it as doth cause him to long for and striue after the perfection of it the Spirit of grace hath not breathed vppon his soule Though the best exercised wits can but know in part the most faithfull heart but beleeue in part the most penitent soule but repent in part the most mortified and sanctified person but loue God godly men godlinesse in part desire Gods glory in part and but imperfectly set his heart vpon the best things yet he that hath no part of sauing knowledge no measure of sound faith no degrees of godly sorrow spirituall loue heauenly ioy holy desires he hath receiued no part of the Spirit and though happely he may haue some of the common gifts of the Spirit yet no portion hath hee of the regenerating breath of grace vntill the scales of ignorance the crustinesse of conscience the mire of concupiscence be driuen away and dried vp in some measure or other to the making of him a purified creature take this for the first note Secondly Signe 2. it is the property of the Winde to make the earth fruitfull for we see by experience when it cometh from the South it doth ordinarily bring raine with it which watreth the ground and causeth the grasse plants and graine to spring vp and bring forth fruit in their kinde euen so the Spirit of grace is very fructiferous and wheresoeuer it breatheth much fruit of holines righteousnes is brought forth neither indeed can the man who is endued with it be altogether barren of good workes inasmuch as wheresoeuer the Spirit is there is faith and faith sheweth it selfe by workes Hang a wet peece of linnen abroade in the ayre and the faster the winde dryeth it the whiter it will appeare and the more the Spirit drieth vp the spirituall moisture of filthinesse in the soule the more white and shining will the life be in holy fruits and in a blamelesse and vnrebukeable walking The y Ge. 5.22 vprightnesse of Enoch the z 2. Sam. 15.28 holinesse of Dauid the a Iob 1 21 patience of Iob the b Exo. 15.24.25 meeknesse of Moses the c Lu. 19.8 iustice of Zaccheus the d Act. 10.2 almes and deuotions of Cornelius the e Cap. 9.36 good workes of Dorcas and the diligence of the Apostles what doe all these shew but that when Grace is sowne in the heart holy and righteous fruits wil sprout vp and spread foorth in the life Wherefore wheresoeuer the fruites are like the vintage of Sodome vnsauoury vngodly and the workes the vnprofitable workes of darkenesse the heart must needes be empty of sauing grace And if any one be so vaine as to think a gracious heart and an vngodly life can stand together I referre him to the iudgement of that graue and diuine Apostle Galat. 5. where hee putteth a f Galat. 5.19.20.21.22.23 BVT a note of opposition betwixt adultery fornication lasciuiousnesse idolatry witchcraft variance drunkennesse reuellings c. which he calleth Workes of the flesh and betwixt Gentlenesse goodnesse fidelitie meeknesse peaceablenesse temperance c. which are workes of the Spirit Neuer flatter thy selfe then If thy conuersation be irreligious and thy carriage vnrighteous thou proclaimest a totall vacancie and absence of the regenerating Spirit the property whereof is to fructifie in an holy kinde wheresoeuer he bloweth that of Christ must needs be true g Iohn 15.5 Hee that abideth in me and I in him as euery regenerate one doth the same bringeth forth much fruit Thirdly 3 Sign of grace it is the property of the winde to driue forward Let a shippe saile with the winde vpon the sea it speedeth the faster Let a bird in the aire flee with the winde her course is the swifter Let a man vpon the ground walke that way which the winde driueth and hee can tell what an help to hasten him forward it is so when the bark of our liues is sayling towards heauen with the sail of good workes which is the place whither the spirit driueth this same winde of heauen will speed this barke of ours forward swiftly it will put life into our actions insomuch that whatsoeuer good duty we take in hand wee shall go about the same cheerfully and willingly being ready to euery good work of piety towards God of charity towards our brethren Hence it is that the Psalmist adjoyneth this Epithet h Ps 51.12 Vphould me with thy free spirit free to the spirit of God and wee vse to say in our vulgar Prouerb of him that is nimble actiue and full of metall He is all spirit When this winde of grace had breath'd vpon the Macedonians it made them so forward to minister to the poor Saints that as the Apostle testifieth of them i 2 Cor.
THE GALES OF GRACE OR The Spirituall Winde Wherein the Mysterie of Sanctification is opened and handled By THOMAS BARNES Preacher of Gods word at Much-Waltham in Essex Psal 147.18 He causeth his winde to blowe and the waters flowe LONDON Printed by H.L. for Nathanael Newbery and are to be sold at his shop in Cornehil neere S. Peters church 1622. To the right Worshipful Sir IOHN ROVVSE Knight the Worshipfull Mr. HVGH EVERARD Esquire Mr. I. SORRELL and the rest of the Congregation of Much-Waltham in Essex grace mercie and peace TWo mēbers hath the Lord giuen Man Right Worshipfull and Beloued which are very helpefull to the soule the Eye and the Eare. The Eare heareth the word preached the Eye lookes vpon the word written Varietie of Obiects of both kindes haue both these Senses in these times of knowledge in the multitude of Sermons and number of Books So that for a man now to write may happely seem needlesse but like the adding of water to the Ocean And for such an one as I am to write whose yeres are but few whose learning is but small whose iudgement but weak whose leasure but little and employmēts many may seem strange But both Obiections I hope without offence may easily be answered For the first Of a good Subiect as too much cannot be spoken so too much cannot be written and we are so backward in sayling towards heauen that wee haue neede of all helpes to further vs thitherward To the second that I should thrust in my farthing amongest the learned and godly Talents in these dayes I must ingenuously confesse is strange presumption if I had nothing to speak for my enterprise But the weightinesse of the matter treated of may bee mine Apologie for the publication and the vndeserued respect which I haue had amongest you since my first comming vnto you is the cause of the Dedication For whom-to may I dedicate it but to them that haue most right vnto it And who haue more right vnto it and to the Author of it then your selues in whose hearing it was first preached for whose profit it was first intended for whose sakes it is now enlarged and by whom the Author is maintained I desire it may lie by you as a testimoniall of my thankefull heart vnto you and of my vnfayned desire of your good as of mine owne though it be not so good as I wish it were It is a Doctrine of wind that I offer yet of such winde as commeth from Heauen which Gods treasurie the Store-house of the Scriptures doth affoord And therefore Aelian var. hist li. 1. cap. 32. as Artaxerxes the Persian Monarch answered Sinaetas when hee presented vnto him an handfull of water fetcht from the Riuer Cyrus O man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I accept thy gift and esteeme it precious First because of all things water is the best Secondly because it cometh from that Riuer which beareth the name of Cyrus So I haue confidence you will answer me We accept this Present first because of all exhalant vapors the Wind is the purest secondly because it is called the Winde of the Spirit wherewithall whosoeuer are breathed vpon happy they that euer they were borne And Howsoeuer in my manner of handling the Subiect I can-not so diuinely dresse it and deepely diue into it as the food and fountaine it selfe doth deserue yet I doubt not but you will find more leasure at your leasure to reade it then Antipater King of Macedon did a Treatise of Happinesse which one Dedicated vnto him I confesse it is a Present too small for one of you beeing so little as it is yet inasmuch as the GOD of Loue hath seated you together in the same Congregation made you Copartners of the same profession and hath made some of you truely the same in spiritual communion I cannot separate you in the Dedication I haue beene bold with some of your particular names in the Inscription vnder which as vnder a shade this Manuall seeketh for shelter for it selfe and for authoritie amongest them to whose hands it may come and chiefly for entertainement amongst the rest of the Parish whom namelesse I subordinately after you send it vnto Thus crauing pardon for my boldnesse I beseech the Father of Lights to blesse my Labours among you so long as with your and your Pastours loue and leaue I shall haue mine aboade with you and to multiply his fauours vpon you both internall externall and eternall and take my leaue promising and purposing to rest and remaine An earnest Petitioner to the God of heauen for your best welfare THO. BARNES ⧠To the Christian Reader MAriners vpon the Sea good Reader haue neede of the Winde to driue their Shippes to the hauen and men in this world haue need of the Spirit to drawe their Soules to heauen Which spirit the most carnall Libertines and secure worldlings that are imagine themselues to be endued withall though they neuer saw the want of it knew the worth of it nor felt the worke of it in themselues which thing when I considerd I made choice of that Theame which is the ground of this Treatise to treate of tooke occasion from thence to frame a Discourse of the Winde of the Spirit that according to my modell I might giue a little light to the mysticall doctrine of Sanctification This discourse I fitted and framed for that particular Assembly where it hath pleased God to seate me for how long I know not for the exercise of my Ministery And where I preached it there I thought to haue buried it at the first but when I considered the necessitie of the subiect handled and the infirmity of the Author being too swift in my deliuery I thought the things might be let fall by the hearers without that fruite which they desired without that good which I intended Whereupon I was induced in my thoughts to offer it what-euer it bee to publique view This motion at the first I strongly resisted in regarde so many worthie Treatises are extant vpon the Doctrine of Regeneration But when I called to minde that same charitable speech of diuine Augustine Lib. 1. de Trinit ca. 3 I would that in places infected with Heresie all men would write that haue any faculty in writing though it were but the same things in other words to the end that all sorts of people amongest many Bookes might light vpon some and the enemy in all places might finde some to encounter him This holy wish of that worthy Father concurring with my desire of doing good answered those mentall obiections which I met withall in my thoughts and qualified that indisposition which I had to send it to the Presse and like a strong Commander bade it venture abroade into the world Being thus called forth I present it to thy view I proffer it to thine vse If thy conscience beeing drowsie may any whit be awakened by it If thy spirit beeing heauy may
8.2.3.4 There was a willingnes in them aboue their power The people that contributed towards the building of the Temple that Dauid set vp k 1 Chro. 9.6 offred willingly and their hearts were to it as the Text sheweth And whence was it that there was this alacrity in them to further so commendable an action but from this that The holy Ghost had taken vp his lodging in the temple of their hearts When these gusts of grace blowe vpon the heart of a Minister they will make him so nimble in his Embassady that hee will preach the word of God l 2 Cor. 8 17 willingly When they breathe vpon the heart of a Magistrate hee will m Ier. 9.3 haue courage for the truth vpon the heart of an hearer he will be swift in n Iam 1.19 hearing the word of God This winde did driue Dauid forward so fast that o Ps 119 32 hee ranne the way of Gods commandements and Paul so swiftly that he did p Phil. 3.14 follow hard or press towards the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus What shall we say then of those that goe so murmuringly and vncheerfully about any good and godly exercise being as hardly drawne to it as a Beare to the stake so hard to be brought to a sermon especially if it bee vpon any other day but the Sabbath when the lawes of the Land awe them so hard to be perswaded to entertaine a good conceit of to afford a good word or to stand vp for the faithfull ministers and seruants of Christ Iesus so hard to be drawn to maintain the worship of God in the places where they liue to releeue the wants of the needy to breake the bread of life diligently to their people if they bee Ministers to administer the rules of justice duely if they bee Magistrates and to execute the duties which belong to their places What I say can bee thought of such certainly they giue shrewd suspicion that heauens blasts in the work of regeneration haue not as yet breathed vpon them for if they had ther would be more spirituall agility more heauenly alacrity and readiness to do good in them then there is The oyled door will open and shut without creaking and the heart that is oyled with grace will bee enlarged to what good is without grudging Doth a boat that hath a fair winde and a full streame stand in need of an haling line and doth the winde of heauen thinkest thou blowe vpon thee whē thou must haue so many haling lines to draw thee or else no good can bee wrung from thee Wilt thou not worship God but when the Sabbath cometh not giue to the poore but when the rate cometh nor bring forth better fruits of amendment but when death cometh or some extraordinary visitation when thou thinkest there is no remedy but thou needs must or else some inconuenience may ouertake thee and whatsoeuer thou dost is done vnwillingly and yet imagine that thou art endued with the Spirit How darest thou thus controule the truth of Gods word which cannot ly I confesse indeed A caution that the best of Gods seruants into whom the Lord hath breathed the greatest measure of grace doe sometimes feel themselues more lumpish drowsie and vncheerfull in holy seruices then they were wont to be as no doubt Dauid did after his fall but yet it is but at some times it is not alwaies so with them And I knowe also that the worke of grace hath need to be helped forward by the vse of means in those that excel in vertue in this vale of imperfection by reason of the remainder of corruption as the boat though hauing a fair winde by the help of oares in regard of som heauy burden that it may carry yet go forward they do by the vse of those holy means and they bewail their vntowardnes also But that man that hath no heart at any time vnto that which is good that laboureth not to ouercome his backwardnes that laments it not that striueth not that voweth not that praieth not against it vpon whom the preaching of the word the perswasion of friends cannot preuail to make him doe anie more then that which perforce is extorted and haled from him either by the rigour of mans law or the winde of vain glory it cannot be truly said that the treasures of sauing grace are bestowed vpon him for those that are borne of the Spirit will not onely bring forth the fruits of the Spirit but also with cheerfulnes and alacrity accounting it their felicity to be imploied in the seruices of their heauenly Master Again 4. Signe of regeneration The spirituall conflict the winde doth not onely driue forward but also it resists those things that stop the speedy passage of it so the Spirit of grace doth ordinarily resist whatsoeuer is contrary to its owne working in the soule which it regenerateth Which thing the Apostle euidently laieth down when hee saith q Gal. The spirit lusteth against the flesh Insomuch that by this wee see that another euidēce for the work of grace must bee fetched from the spirituall combate betwixt the flesh and the spirit For it beeing so that in the most regenerate there is corruption as well as grace there must needs be an holy strife in that person A Simile Wee see in the whirl-winde where there are but circular blasts that are indirectly contrary and laterally opposite to one another what a stirring of the dust what a whirring of the stubble or what euer else lieth where those blasts meet there is as if we should see two champions grappling and wrastling in that place How much more is it true that there must be a strange bickering and striuing in that soule where two such spirits doo meet as are not indirectly opposite but directly contrary to one another viz. the Spirit of God comming from heauen working grace and the spirit of Satan coming from hell hindering grace Vpon none of all the Apostles did this holy Spirit breathe more then vpon Paul whether wee consider the measure of his humiliation at his first conuersion or the measure of his zeal after his conuersion and yet he had this spirituall conflict in himself as may bee gathered from his owne complaint r Ro. 7.24 I see a law in my members warring against the law in my minde and leading me into captiuity to the law of sinne And what dry bouts Dauid a man after Gods owne minde had sometimes with distrust of Gods prouidence sometimes with despair of Gods assistance sometimes with carnall confidence sometimes with fretting at the prosperity of the wicked and the like the Book of the Psalms is a plentifull witnes What breathings of grace then trowe wee haue they attained vnto that neither euer were nor yet are at warre with their owne corruptions but in their own deluded opinion all is wel with them at peace with
God with the diuell the world their owne consciences and all They they say are neuer troubled nor disquieted they finde nothing to burthen them nor molest them they thank God for it What grace haue they It is to bee feared none at all And poor soules the spirit of Satan still breathes in them and corruption hath them still in chaines and they are ready euery houre to bee cut off and popt ouer into the pit of destruction and yet ah wofull case they see it not but applaude themselues and solace themselues as if they were in no danger and no aliants to the regenerate condition Sayest thou thou hast nothing within thee to trouble thee nothing to molest thee nor euer haddest thou thankest God for it Wilt thou take a word from me and marke what I shall say I assure thee whosoeuer thou bee I would not be in thine estate for a thousand worlds if there were so many Thou art without grace and wilt not beleeue it The God of heauen perswade thee of it for if that be true which our Sauiour speaketh s Lu. 11.21 While the strong man armed that is the Diuell keepeth the house all things are in peace Then if all things be thus at peace in thee to harden thy heart and seare thy conscience that euil one still holdeth thee in bonds thou art still bound in the fetters of sin and art in fearefull thraldome thereunto and vntill a stronger then all these commeth I meane the Lord Iesus and set thy owne corruptions and the holy Ghost together at variance in thy soule miserable and lamentable must thy condition needes be I tel thee if the Spirit of grace were in thee there would bee a spirituall whirlewinde in thy soule two contrary blasts meeting grappling with one another like the twinnes in t Gen. 25.22 Rebeccahs wombe and they would make thee cry out as she did Why am I thus why am I thus worldly why am I thus lazie in my profession why am I thus dead harted in the seruice of my God thus proud thus full of selfe-loue thus passionate and tuchy c. and thou shouldest finde the Spirit of Faith resisting the spirit of vnbeleefe distrust doubting the Spirit of truth resisting the spirit of errour the Spirit of loue resisting the spirit of enuy malice frowardnesse the spirit of humility the spirit of pride the spirit of zeale the spirit of key-coldnesse luke-warmenesse carnall feare c. Thus it would be with thee if thou wert regenerate Albeit this conflict of Contraries be not alwayes alike because grace sometimes getteth the foyle sometimes the conquest though neuer the fall yet the experienced Christian knoweth with S. Paul that whensoeuer hee intendeth any good euill is present with him and in his best actions corruption troubleth him whi h he many times findeth much adoe to keep vnder And therefore I conclude It is a vaine thing for any man or woman to imagine that they are sanctified Wherefore let those that refuse to pray in the Temple as Anabaptisticall and Papisticall Recusants do suspect themselues to be swolne rather with the blasts of heresie the winde of vaine-glory then blowne vppon with the gales of Sanctitie Let those that care not to pray any where but in the temple neglecting this duety with their charges in their houses as carnall and common Protestants do suspect themselues to be carried rather with the winde of custome and fashion then of grace and heauenly inspiration Let those that vse it in their families and make no conscience of it apart by themselues whenas there are so many secret corruptions to be acknowledged and bewailed in the best which are to be kept from the dearest friends in the family feare themselues to bee guided rather by the spirit of hypocrisie then possessed with the Spirit of grace But such as care neither for praying in the Temple nor in the family nor secretly let them not only suspect but also know themselues to be such as are altogether voyde of the spirituall operation of Gods Spirit in the work of Regeneration For where that worke is there is the Spirit of adoption and where the Spirit of adoption is there is a crying Abba Father such wil haue so familiar frequent communion with the Lord that the Church the family the streetes the high-wayes the walkes the chamber the bed the closet the shop yea the prison it selfe c. shall be made witnesses of those heauenly ejaculations which their hearts and lips dart vp into the eares of the Almighty that great hearer of prayers Secondly as the spirituall man is heard of God sending vp praiers to the high Court of Parliament in Heauen so men shal heare the sound of his sanctified tongue in holy and religious communication I delight sayth Dauid to be talking of thy righteous iudgements a Ps 39.2 While I held my peace from good my sorrow was stirred yea my heart waxed hot within me b Acts 22 1. c Paul must needes be telling and talking of his conuersion before his very enemies shewing what notable things the Lord had wrought in him and done for him Whence was it that c Acts Aquila and Priscilla did instruct Apollos in the way of God more perfectly that d 2. Tim. 1.5 compar'd with chap. 3.14 6. Eunica did teach Timothy but because the Spirit had so breathed in their hearts that they could not holde their tongues but they must be speaking of the wayes of God to strangers they neuer saw before and to their domesticall inferiors and home-dwellers When grace hath seasoned the heart it will so salt and pouder the speech that it will both eat out putrified and rotten communication and also make the tongue a fit instrument to minister grace to the hearers Take triall of thy selfe by this particular also What is thy speech Speakest thou the language of Ashdod or the dialect of Canaan Dost thou with Dauid e Ps 39.1 take such heed to thy ways that thou maiest not offend with thy tong keeping thy mouth as with a bridle Nay dost thou with the same Prophet f Psal 34.11 call thy children vnto thee and teach them the feare of the Lord and vppon all fitting occasions the praises of God and the statutes of God continually in thy mouth If they be it is a good signe that thou hast a good stocke of grace in thy heart but if thy tongue g Iac. 3.6 be set on fire with hell as Saint Iames speaketh breathing out stinking blasphemous filthy frothy false slaunderous venemous vnsauoury speeches it is a very strong euidence against thee that the breath of Heauen hath not blowne vppon thee For I neuer reade in all the Scripture that a regenerate heart and a reuiling tongue an holy heart and a ribald tongue a gracious heart and a blasphemous periurious tongue a spirituall heart and a dissembling backebiting and scoffing tongue haue stoode together
power can there be in man toward the worke of his owne conuersion Can the paper fix letters vpon it selfe without the hand and penne of a writer Can the ayre giue light vnto it selfe without the beams of the Sunne Can we write the Lawe of God vppon our owne hearts without the finger of the Spirit Can wee receiue the light of grace without the spirituall sunne-shine of the Spirit it is not possible it is God that worketh in vs the will and the deede Away then with that freedome of will to regenerate our selues which our Aduersaries doe groundlesly holde and maintaine Whereas they obiect Obiect that same speech of our Sauiour Iohn 5.6 to the sicke man that lay at the poole of Bethesda Wilt thou be made whole and conclude from thence that that man had a will to haue his disease cured before his healing So consequently a sinner may haue a will to the curing of his sicke sinfull soule euen while the disease of sinne lieth vpon him and while he remaines vnregenerate Who is of so weake vnderstanding as not plainely to see the weakenes of this argument Answer 1 For what though it be granted that the man which lay sicke at the poole of Bethesda of a bodily infirmity had a will as no doubt he had to be cured of his malady euen while the disease did raigne vpon him shall wee therefore conclude that we haue a power to will the healing of our spirituall wounds before grace be breathed into vs from heauen God forbid The poore Creeple that lay at the poole of Bethesda though he lay vppon a bed and could not stirre himself so nimbly and liuely as others that were in better health then himselfe yet he had life in him and a feeling of his disease and therefore well might hee desire and haue a will to be healed But a man that lieth in the poole of Beth-auen in the gulph of iniquitie so long as the disease of his soule lieth vpon him vncured hee is starke dead hee hath no more spirituall life in him then a blocke or a stone hath naturall life he is vtterly voyde of any sense or feeling of his disease and how can hee then will the cure of it and wish the healing of it Answer 2. Besides when Christ beginneth to deale with the sinner about the cure of his diseased soule as hee did with that sicke man about the healing of his diseased body And when hee asketh the sinner by a secret voyce and by his reuealed will in the Word Wilt thou be healed of thy spirituall malady It must be his Spirit must teach vs to answer Yea. And when hee asketh that question effectually indeede hee doth encline the heart to desire saluation Which desire therefore cannot be attributed to mans will willing it but to the inspiration of the holy ghost breathing this godly desire into the poore soule And therefore a dangerous and damnable opinion it is for any man to ascribe that supernaturall worke of regeneration to the will of man which proceedeth onely and freely from the will of God who with his Spirit breatheth and bloweth where he pleaseth Truely if this opinion should be giuen way vnto The danger of this errour this mischiefe would ensue hereupon A man might be bold to goe on in sinne as farre as he listeth and continue in sinne as long as he listeth and easily conuert and turne him tied then to pouerty in estate No neither For as there are few of the richer sort who are religious but haue their soules as full of sin as their chests are of siluer so many of the meaner sort are irreligious beeing as miserable in their soules as beggerly in their estates So that I say no person place conditton can compell the Lord to sanctifie his creatures his free pleasure is the ground of all and out of euery nation age sex condition hee draweth some to himself to fear his Name to call vpon him to do him worship seruice according to his owne blessed will And therefore let no man boast himself in the multitude of his riches in the number of his friends in the depth of his humane policy in the greatnes of his earthly pedigree in the height of his dignity nor in the seat of his authority For that God who makes the winde to blowe vpon a poor cotage when he lets a Kings palace alone can bestowe grace vpon the poor begger Stat pro ratione voluntat when he denieth it to the great potentate And no maruell his will is his reason and no outward priuiledges can constrain him to work but where he pleaseth himself Shall not hee that is Lord of all haue the disposing of all at his owne pleasure When therefore thou shalt beginne to question in thy selfe with the Lord Lord why hast thou receiued such a poor one and rejected such a great one sanctified such a simple and despised one and left such a wise man such a politician conuerted such a young stripling and not wrought vpon such an ancient father why dost thou impart thy gifts thus why doost thou distribute thy graces thus When I say thou shalt fall thus in admiration of Gods wisdome to make such an inquiry as this is let this doctrin be at hand in thy meditations to answer thy self by The God of heauen with his gales of grace bloweth and breatheth where he pleaseth Sect. 4. Vse 3. Exhortation to two sorts Thirdly heere is matter of counsell perswasion to be deriued from this doctrine and that both to the regenerate and vnregenerate 1 To the regenerate in a two-fold duty The regenerate are to be perswaded to a twofould duty one to be practised for themselues the other to be performed on the behalf of others 1 Thankfulnes for grace receiued That duty which concerneth themselues is thankfulnesse to GOD for breathing grace so freely and liberally into them for the more free the gift is to the creature the more praise ought to be returned from him to the Creatour who is the bestower of the same A fit Simile Should a King bestowe some Lordship or yeerly pension vpon one of his subjects of base estate and badde desert if that subject should not bee thankfull vnto his Soueraign for the same he were worthy to be cri'd shame vpon especially too sithens the freedome of the Kings pleasure without any worth in himself is the ground of the same And shall the King of heauen of his owne free will for his own blessed pleasure conferre not onely an annuall pension of earthly treasure for term of life but an incorruptible possession of heauenly graces vpon the sinfull sonnes and daughters of Adam whose richest estate was sinne and corruption whose best desert was hel and damnation and shall they that haue their share in this portion be vnmindfull of this loue vnthankfull for this fauour God forbid If there had been any thing in themselues to
contempt they debarre themselues from the breath of the spirit For if amongst those that heare the Word diligently when it is most soundly preached there be but one sort amongst foure that get any more grace by it then the common gifts of the Spirit which a reprobate may possibly attaine vnto then let them neuer looke to obtaine the Spirit sauingly that contemptuously reiect preaching as Papists doe that negligently heare preaching neuer but when themselues list now and then at their owne leisure as profane Protestants doe And if such persons remain in their vnregenerate condition vntill they come to reape the fruit of it in eternall condemnation whom can they blame but themselues What can they finde fault withall as the cause of such misery but the turning away their eares from hearing the Law Suppose a man were in a close roome where through the vnholesomnesse of the ayre he were like to be smothered and might haue libertie to goe abroad into the aire where the winde might reuiue his spirits if he should wilfully refuse to come abroad and partake of that refreshment and should rather choose to keepe in that roome were not hee worthy to be smotherd and choaked Surely yes how much more deserue they to be smothered with their sins and choaked with the stinking ayre of their corruptions who haue the word brought home euen to their doores and yet stop their eares against it chusing rather to snort vppon their couches to sit in the chimney corner to prate by the fires side to patch their cloathes as many of the poorer sort make that their Saboths worke to play and game to make bargaines to trauell about their worldly businesses then to go to the house of God where in the preaching of the word the Lord doeth offer the worke of his Spirit for the distilling of grace into the hearts of the Elect. Wherefore whosoeuer thou art that hast beene either a contemptuous despiser or a negligent hearer of a powerfull Ministery when thou mightst haue had it be humbled for this contempt reforme this negligence and now at last gather vp thy ceited in her own eyes and thence it was that they were so ful of grace Can the profane person get restraining grace so long as in the pride of his hart he thinks himselfe good enough Can the ciuill person euer get sauing grace so long as he is puffed vp with a loftie conceit of his owne righteousnesse Cā the hypocrit get sanctifying grace so long as he prides himselfe in those common gifts which he hath already It is not possible For so long as men are swolne vp with a selfe-conceit of their owne excellency with an haughty opinion of their ciuil honesty with a conceited thought of supposed sanctitie they can see cause neyther of complaining before God of their natiue filthinesse nor cause of praying vnto God for more holinesse And if they see no cause to doe thus how can they long for grace and if they neuer long for it they can neuer haue it Let the word therefore which thou hearest be effectuall with thee to bring thee out of conceit with thine owne holinesse and learne thee to see and acknowledge that thou hast nothing in thy selfe originally but natiue pollution otherwise though thou beest neuer so well esteemed in the eyes of the world Publicans and harlots shall sooner enter into the kingdome of Heauen and be blowne vppon with the winde of heauen then thou shalt Thirdly when the word hath done this notable good with thee 3 Help to sanctification as to bring thee to a base esteem of thy selfe in respect of the lacke of grace then must thy heart be softned and moistned with the teares of contrition and remorse of conscience must bee the thing which thou must striue for The Prophet c Ezek. 36 26.27 Ezechiel seemeth to intimate vnto vs that the Lord before he putteth his Spirit within vs he taketh away the stony hart from vs. d Isa 66.2 To this man will I looke saith Iehouah himselfe by Isaiah that is of a contrite spirit The more moist the earth is the more vapours ascend out of it and the more vapors rise from it the more windes blow vpon it euen so the moyster our hearts are the more tender our consciences are the more vapours of sinne will the Sunne of righteousnesse draw vp to himselfe in regard of guilt by the grace of iustification and so the more way shall be made for freedome from the reigne of sinne in the grace of sanctificatiō Why were the Scribes and Pharises so destitute of grace but because hardnesse of heart did possesse them and the spirit of slumber was vpon them whereas Peters e Acts 2 Conuerts being pricked in their consciences did beleeue and repent to the remission of their sinnes and sanctification of their soules And truely this must needes be an vndeniable truth because that when the heart is tender and soft it is like waxe capable of the impression of euery grace then the preaching of the Lawe will worke vppon it to the producing of the grace of repentance the preaching of the promises of the Gospel will worke vppon it to the breeding of a liuely faith the reuealing of the will of God concerning any necessary duty to saluation wil worke vpon it to the begetting of new obedience the experience of Gods mercies will worke vpon it to the effecting of the grace of loue the meditation of Gods iustice and power wil worke vppon it to the engendring of an holy and sonne-like feare but where this softnesse and tendernesse is not neither Law nor Gospel neither mercy nor iustice nor any thing else will auaile to imprint the least stampe of any grace vpon the soule And truly from the want of this it is that so little grace is to be found amongst the posteritie of Adam in this last age of the world Aske the Philosopher why winds are not so common in the winter and summer quarters as they are in the spring the Autumne and he will answer that the cause is from the hardnesse of the earth beeing more bound with extreamitie of frost and colde in the winter then in the autumne and more parched with vehemencie of heate in the summer then in the spring euen so aske the Diuine what is the reason why the winde of grace doth not blow as well vpon the greater number as the smaller and hee wil answer you The hardnes of mens hearts is the ground of it their hearts are frozen with the dregges of coldnes and security and they are parched and dried with the heate of their Iustes which hindereth all spirituall moysture in them and can heauens blasts blow so long as all such moysture is wanting vnto them I confesse indeede that when the Spirit beginneth first to breathe it findeth the heart of the sinner hard and impenitent but yet I say that the Spirit neuer proceedeth vnto the vp-shot of Sanctification
vntill it hath prepared the heart by breaking and humbling it and taking away the flintinesse of it Thou therefore whose heart is stony whose conscience is crusty bewaile thy securitie lament thine impenitencie and take thou no quiet vntill more remorse bee wrought in thee and euery check that thy conscience giueth thee for any good which thou hast neglected for any euill which thou hast committed quench it not choake it not repell it not For if thou resistest when conscience doth its office thou indisposest thy selfe to any remorse and thou occasionest the powers of thy soule to be so hide-bound that no spirituall moisture of sorrow for the lacke of grace can bedeaw thee and how then can the winde of grace blowe vpon thee Wherefore vntill the word of Grace hath thus farre wrought vpon thee to bring thee to a soft and broken heart think thou it hath don thee little or no good for whom the Lord doth freely worke vpon to sanctification hee doth also bring to mortification the second step wherunto is a soft and tender spirit Lastly The fourth helpe to sanctification prayer vnto the Lord for grace is a notable meanes to obtaine it For as the Lord f Psal 105. bringeth the wind out of his treasures so he sendeth downe his Spirit and euery good gift of the same from heauenly places not by any locall mutation as though the third person in the Trinitie did come from his throne of maiestie but by a supernatural operation and working in the hearts of the Elect the will of the Father in this worke goeth first the wil of the Sonne followeth that and the will of the Spirit proceedeth from both Non tempore sed or dine and therefore seeing grace doth thus come downe from heauen as the winde from the cloudes wee must by Petitions send vp to heauen for it Vnto this our Sauiour Christ doth encourage vs when-as hee sayth g Luk 11.13 Your heauenly father wil giue his Spirit to them that aske him But will some obiect and say Obiect How can wee pray for the Spirit while we want it when as wee cannot pray aright for any thing vntill Answer 1 wee haue the Spirit Whereunto I answer First it must bee considered vnto whom I speake to wit to such whom the Word hath preuailed withall to bring them to a knowledge of the want of grace and to remorse of conscience because of this want now they that are brought thus farre they are disposed to pray for it and therefore to such as these are very well may I speake as the Apostle doth concerning Wisedom h Iac. 1.5 If any man lacke that is feeles the lacke of wisedome and so consequently of grace let him aske it of God Yea and desire God to giue him grace to call for it aright and entreate others to begge the same thing for him Againe howsoeuer we cannot Answer 2 pray for the Spirit vntill we haue the Spirit yet we must pray for it that we may ascertaine our selues that we are in the way to attaine it for one of the first steppes to grace is an earnest desire to bee made a partner of grace yea such a desire as will not be satisfied vntill it hath it And neuer let that man looke to bee breathed vpon spiritually that hath not an heart to send vp sighs and sutes earnestly to the God of heauen for his holy Spirit As Mariners therefore when they would haue a prosperous gale to driue them to the hauen are wont to say Blowe winde blowe winde so pray thou Blowe Lord breathe Spirit oh breathe some heauenly blastes some spirituall motions some holy inspirations into my gracelesse barren and empty heart And let that be thy prayer which was the prayer of a Christian father and constant Martyr Cypr. de S. sancto folio 32. Adesto sancte spiritus sanctifica templum corporis nostri consecram habitaculum tuum dignam te habitatore domum compone adorna thalamum tuum quietis tuae reclinatorium circundae varietatibus virtutum sterne pauimenta pigmentis nite at mansio tua carbunculis flammeis gemmarū splendorib c. Come thou holy Spirit sanctifie the temple of my body and soule consecrate it as an habitation for thy selfe make it an house fit for so worthy a guest to lodge in beautifie it as thy chamber beset it as the Cabin of thy rest round about with the variety of all vertues let it glister as thy mansion with spirituall carbuncles and with the splendor of heauenly Pearles cause the odours of thy gracious oyntments to perfume it within and so regenerate and renue my heart that it may be established in grace for euer If in some such wise as this thou wilt but feruently faithfully and feelingly make knowne thy requests vnto the Lord thou shalt finde that that Spirit which descended vpon Christ in the similitude of a i Mat. 3.16 Doue and vpon the Apostles in the likenesse of clouen and fiery tongues k Act. 2.3 at the feast of Pentecost will come downe vpon thee in the likenesse of a mighty wind to purge and purifie thee to renue and sanctifie thee and to infuse into thee innocencie wisedome zeale faith fear loue and all graces in measure needful for thy saluation And thus Christian Reader haue I pointed out vnto thee the helpes which may further thee towards the attainment of sauing grace The Word must be attended to that it may teach thee humilitie humilitie must be attained vnto that out of an acknowledgement of thine own vnworthinesse and vnholinesse thy heart may be softned and a soft heart must be endeuoured for that out of a broken contrite spirit thou maiest earnestly call vpon God for the gales and graces of his holy Spirit who vpon thy praying vnto him aright hath made a gracious promise freely and liberally to vouchsafe them vnto thee without reproaching thee And that thou maiest be perswaded the more willingly to follow this direction Motiues to stir vp to the carefull vse of these meanes Motiue 1. and be the more eagre thus in the pursuite of holinesse doo but in the first place consider the consolation that these graces will afford a man in the time of affliction and triall For endeuourest to be sanctified Thinke we now vpon these two things seriously meditate wee vpon them carefully and let them be as two goades in our sides to make vs industrious in vsing meanes to be gracious Would wee haue a comforter in the times of heauinesse would we be partakers of euerlasting happinesse then let vs as we haue beene exhorted follow the rules that haue beene prescribed vs to attaine to holinesse that the blastes of heauen may inspire grace into vs. Which grace the Lord grant vs for his mercies sake Sect. 5. Vse 4. Admonition And so from my third Vse which was for exhortation I proceede to a fourth which is the last
I intend to make of this Doctrine and that is for admonition to take heed that we doe not passe finall sentence against any man be his heart neuer so gracelesse his life neuer so godlesse For if the great God of heauen bloweth with his Spirit where he listeth and when hee listeth he may for aught wee know in his eternall Decree haue his time to inspire with the holy Ghost some of those that are most dissolute profane and licentious Wherefore for any man now the gift of particular Reuelation is ceased to passe finall iudgement against the foulest swearer beastliest rioter greediest miser profanest Saboth-breaker vncleannest adulterer c. is a thing not onely vnlawfull but also dangerous Obiect What then shall wee confound Christ and Belial shall we put no distinction betwixt the holy and profane shall wee make no differences amongest men Nothing more Answ The Lord we know denounceth a woe against them q Isa 5.20 23. that call euill good and good euill that put sowre for sweet and sweete for sowre and that iustifie the wicked By the fruits we come to know what the tree is if the fruits be gracelesse the person cannot be commended as gracious Neither is it any more vnlawfull to say a drunkard a blasphemer an oppressor c. is a childe of the diuell then to say a toade is a toade or a dogge a dogge yet for all this we cannot say that that person be he neuer so lewd shall finally be damned and is in a reprobate condition Indeed we may say of many a man he is in the state of condemnation for r Ioh. 3.18 he that beleeueth not saith Christ is condemned already but wee cannot say of any man hee is in the state of reprobation For all men by nature before conuersion are in the state of damnation but onely some of them are in the state of reprobation whom in his eternall Decree the Lord hath purposed to cast away for euermore and wee can not say that hee which is now gracelesse shall liue and die gracelesse therfore let vs take heed of passing a determinate sentence against any man considering that that God which sanctifieth freely as his wil is of a Saul to day can make a Paul to morrow of a persecutor to day can make a Preacher to morrow of a Leper to day can make a cleane person to morrow c. if it bee his heauenly pleasure so to doe And so an end of this poynt the profit whereof I wish to thy soule whosoeuer thou art that readest the same CHAP. VI. The second Doctrine from the first Part of the Text touching the inuincible force of the breath of the Spirit Sect. 1. Doctr. 4. The work of sauing grace is vnconquerable THe second poynt cometh next to hand which may be propounded in these tearmes That nothing can hinder the Lord from inspiring with his Spirit that person whom hee hath decreed sanctifying grace vnto when the time is come wherein hee hath a purpose to regenerate him Si ventum nemo cohibet quin quo vult feratur quaento magis spiritus operationeÌ„ nulla natura leges nulli corporeae generationis sines nulla alia huiusmodi vis possunt cohibere saith Chrysostome in Ioh. hom 26. The Winde bloweth as it listeth and who can hinder it what mortall man can let it When it floweth from the North South-ward from the South North-ward when it bloweth from East to West from West to East what mortall power can cause it to cease What humane authoritie can command it to turne into a contrary corner Euen so when the gales of grace beginne to blowe vpon this man that woman in the worke of regeneration no power of man can totally frustrate no malice of hell can vtterly make void this worke of the Spirit Howbeit the cursed spite of Satan and the corrupted will of man haue a kinde of power to resist yet they haue no might to ouercome the Lord or ouerthrow the efficacie of his grace so as to make him cease whether hee will or no from regenerating the creature Let this be taken for a trueth from the Lord his owne mouth Å¿ Ezec. 36 27 I will put my Spirit into you and will make you to walke in my statutes marke it well I will Now if the Lord willeth if the Lord doth any thing who can frustrate his will who can hinder his worke t Zanch. 2. col 146. Deo autem aliquid volente faciente quis ne illud â—at impedire potest Wherewith accordeth that of the Apostle Rom. 9. 19. Who hath resisted his will And our Sauiour Christ speaking of his sheepe who feed and abide vpon the Plaines where the wind of grace hath a strong gust sayth thus u Ioh. 10.29 No man is able to plucke them out of my hands Now when grace is wrought in our hearts then may we be said to be put into Christ his hands and if nothing can plucke a Christian out of Christ his hands * Domino volenti saluum faecere nullum humanum resistit arbitrium August de Cor. et Gra. cap. 14. Obiect Luke 13.34 nothing can plucke grace out of a Christians heart or hinder grace when the Lord breatheth thereinto But against this truth perhaps will som obiect that exclamation of Christ against Ierusalem O Ierusalem Ierusalem how often would I haue gathered thee together as a hen gathers her chickens vnder her wings and ye WOVLD NOT. From which words happely they will shape an exception thus The wil of the people of Ierusalem did so strongly resist the will of Christ that hee could not conuert them as his will was therefore the worke of grace which GOD willeth to a soule may altogether bee frustrate and made of none effect and so that can be no good diuinity which hath now beene deliuered Amsw To this I answer by a dinstinction The will of God is two-fold first absolute and concealed secondly manifest and reuealed His absolute concealed will whereby he doth whatsoeuer he pleaseth cannot be resisted but his manifest and reuealed will layd open in his word and by his Ministers that hath beene is and will bee resisted which latter is meant in that place for this is that which Christ giueth them to vnderstand that he had opened his reuealed will vnto them partly by his owne teaching partly by the preaching of his Disciples and they despised it abused it would not be conuerted by it and not that his absolute will was to conuert them but that the corrupt resistance of their vnregenerate will did altogether nullifie and make voyde the same and therefore whosoeuer shall obiect that place against this poynt doeth wrest that Scripture and wrong this truth that The work of Regeneration is inuincible vnconquerable Sect. 2. Vse 1. Terror to those that oppose grace in others This poynt cannot be more fitly applied in the first place
of men and their gracious and holesome speeches But this cannot be the meaning because as hath beene shewed before by Winde cannot bee vnderstood the person of the holy Ghost and so the comparison can not bee betwixt the Spirit and those that are borne of the Spirit but betwixt the Winde and those that are borne of the Spirit Following therefore still the Metaphor of Winde I fall to expound the wordes thus And thou that is thou Nicodemus thou that art so ignorant in the mystery of regeneration hearest the sound thereof that is the noyse or sound of the winde when it bloweth in the aire This sound thou hearest with thy eares though thou canst not see it with thine eyes and so commest to know there is winde So is euerie one that is borne of the Spirit .i. So standeth the case with them that are regenerate in regard of the worke of the Spirit in them though it can not be seene and comprehended with the eye of carnall reason yet the spirituall sound that it maketh and sense that it worketh inwardly in the soule of the regenerate doth giue testimony of the breathing of it Sect. 2. The reason of the interpretation That this is the meaning it is plain because it agreeth with the scope of this dialogue betwixt Christ and Nicodemus For Nicodemus maruelling how it could possibly be true That a man should be borne againe our Sauiour bids him leaue wondering at it for though by his fleshly reason hee could not see a possibilitie of the new birth yet such a birth there is perceiued too by the effect of the Spirit inwardly working in those that haue it euen as the winde is knowne to bee by the sound it maketh in our eares though the substance of it cannot be seen with our eyes The wordes thus explained are a foundation for foure principles of positiue Diuinitie 1. That to the eye of Reason the worke of the Spirit and the doctrine of the new birth is inuisible 2. Where the Spirit breatheth and regenerateth there is a sense and feeling of it is I say no matter of corruption in it in respect of its owne nature wherefore it being so pure in it selfe it cannot bee comprehended by a capacitie and vnderstanding so grosse as the carnall mans is Reason 2. Secondly the winde can not bee seene because it is not capable of colour For colour being the obiect of sight things onely are seene by their colours so the winde of grace cannot be seene by a carnall man the doctrine of the breath of it seemeth strange to him because to his reason there is no pleasant nor beautifull colour in it he beholdeth more lustre and splendour more beauty more cause of contentment in riches honours preferments parentage yea in his bestial and Belial-like lusts then in the things of the Spirit of God and hence it comes to passe that hee is so blinde in the matters of heauen Reason 3. To these two I may adde a third that light which should help the iudgement to apprehend the things of God was extinguished by the fall of our first parents vntill which bee restored againe there can be no conceiuing the mystery of Regeneration But so long as a man is naturall that light is not restored and therefore no maruell if the point of Regeneration bee a darke sentence and riddle vnto him For a man to the end hee may see things must not onely haue the power or vertue of seeing in the sensitiue soule and eies as fit organs and instruments for that seeing sense to vse in the apprehension of colours but there must be light in the aire either by means of the Sun or a candle or fire Which light if it be wanting all things are inuisible to the creature though it hath both the sense of seeing and eies to see withall so in like manner though there be as there is in the vnregenerate person a faculty and power to vnderstand because he hath a reasonable soule and differeth from brute creatures and eyes to execute that facultie that is the act of vnderstanding because he hath a mind in that soule yet the light of Gods Image is wanting which Adam lost by the meanes whereof hee must see into heauenly mysteries and so long as that is wanting he must needes be vnable altogether to diue into matters of that nature Sect. 2. Vse 1. The meditation of this truth ought first of all to be a Motiue vnto the regenerate to pitty the miserable and wretched estate of all carnall and vnregenerate persons For alas blinde creatures the Doctrine of the winde of grace the manner of the worke of grace is a riddle vnto them their mind is so blinded their vnderstanding is so darkened that such Principles as these are Greeke and Hebrew vnto them Yea let the confluence of naturall morall and artificiall gifts meet together in them to conspire their perfection let the motions of the celestial sphears the course of the Sunne and Moone the influence of the Starres the nature of beasts the property of birds the qualitie of trees the vertue of hearbs and plants of the earth be neuer so visible vnto them neuer so well knowne of them by their study and industrie in searching into the secrets of Nature Yea let them haue a speculatiue sight of many things which the Scripture openeth and reuealeth yet so long as they are but carnall the Doctrine of the winde of Grace will be strange to them yea though they can talke and preach of it and the efficacie of the work of grace altogether mystical and aenigmaticall vnto them no more by the wisedome which they haue to bee perceiued then the winde which is so thin a substance so vncolourable a creature to be visibly looked vpon apparent to the eye of the body And is not this a pittifull thing a thing to be lamented a case to be pittied Oh Christians pitty them you that haue any knowledge of the Lord Iesus mourne for them Out of question it went to the heart of Christ Iesus to consider the grosse blindnesse of Nicodemus that a Maister in Israel a man of note and reckoning amongest the people that such an one as Nicodemus was who had read or should haue read what the Scripture sheweth in the writings of g Psa 51.7 Dauid h Ezek. 11 19. Chap. 36.25 Ezekiel i Zac. 13.1 Zacharie the rest of the Prophets concerning the force of corruption the fruit of conuersion the power of sanctification that such an one I say as had Moses and the Prophets to informe him in these matters should be so ignorant so vnlearned in the poynt of Regeneration that he could not see a possibility of being born againe This no doubt moued our Sauiour much to compassionate his condition for so much k Chemn in Harm 357. one affirmes of Christ in expounding the tenth verse of this Chapter Art thou a maister in Israel
burthen of sin wherewithall it findeth it self loaden secondly of the want and excellency of grace whereof it seeth it selfe destitute and void for wherefore should the will and desires encline to those spirituall motions to leaue that which is euill and to cleaue to that which is good but because it hath a sense of the vglinesse and burthen of the one of the want and beauty of the other The former feeling Dauid had r Ps 38.4 My sins haue taken such hold vpon me that I am not able to looke vp and are as an heauie burthen too heauie for mee The later the woman of Samaria had when she sayd Å¿ Ioh. 4.15 Lord giue me of this water this is excellent water indeede I neuer dranke of such water Secondly when working grace breatheth an actuall change in the soule the soule feeleth how miserable a thing it is to be out of Christ how sweet a thing it is to be in Christ how hard a thing it is to learne the way of obedience and how good a thing to haue an heart enlarged to keepe Gods Commandements how weake a man is of himselfe to shake off vnbeliefe distrust security to resist euill and what a blessed thing it is to be set free from the slauery of his lusts and from the bondage of those slauish terrors of hell and torment which hee was wont to be troubled withall Some such feeling as this is doth I say accompany working grace Thirdly when coworking grace breatheth there is a sense and experience of Gods hand holding him vp in the time of temptation preseruing him mightily against dangerous falls strengthening him graciously to exercise the fruits of mortification and sanctification raysing him vp when temptation hath foyled him whereupon he feeleth in the second place his loue to be encreased his zeale to be enflamed his edge to goe on in a righteous course to be sharpned as knowing the Lord is euer at hand ready to helpe and assist him and whatsoeuer it be that is a quench-cole to his zeale a cooler to his loue a blunting to his edge he is very sensible of it The Apostle Paul would neuer haue broken out into this speech and left it vpon record in his owne writings Through Christ I am able to doe all things and t 2. Tim. 4 17 the Lord strengthened mee if hee had not had a gracious sense and experience of Gods co-operating and corroborating grace strengthening him in the performance of the generall duties of Christianity and the weighty work of his Ministery Lastly when perfecting grace doth its office hee hath a taste and sight of the vnchangeablenesse of Gods loue assuring his conscience that the Lord will perfect the good worke which hee hath begunne in him Neither is hee vnsensible of those rubbes which hinder perseuerance and hee feeleth many bitter conflicts with temptations telling him that he shall not perseuere which when he ouercometh he reioyceth heartily and perswadeth himselfe assuredly that nothing shall plucke him from his Sauiour Christ Iesus For thus he reasoneth and this sound doth the winde of grace make in his soule Because the Lord hath giuen me a constant will and an earnest desire to stand in the grace whereunto by iustifying faith I had accesse Rom. 5.1 therefore Gods loue will neuer faile mee Such a sound and sense no doubt the Apostle heard and had when he broke out into this speech u Rom 8.38.39 I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. And thus it is cleere what this sense and feeling is which the holy Ghost effecteth in the regenerate soule when it bloweth and worketh effectually in the same Sect. 3. How this sense is wrought The third circumstance in the Doctrine cometh now to be considered of viz. how or by what meanes this sense and sound is wrought and made This will be as manifest as the former if we doe but consider how the sound and noise of the winde commeth to be heard and compare our present matter in hand with that How the sound of the winde comes to be heard by man The winde bloweth in the ayre and maketh a noyse there the aire bringeth the noyse so made in it selfe to the eare the eare hauing by the curious skill of the great Workemaister an Hammer and an Anuile as it were in it selfe conueyeth that sound vnto the brayne where the originall and seate of the sense of hearing is and by this meanes the sound is heard by the creature The comparison Euen so the Spirit of grace breatheth the minde and voyce of God into the writings of the Old and New Testaments for al Scripture is giuen by inspiration w 2 Tim. 3.16 The holy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost x 2 Pet. 2.21 The Scriptures being truely opened and wisely applyed by Gods Embassadours and Ministers bring this minde and voice of God to the eare of the vnderstanding the vnderstanding by the operation she durst be bold to challenge Christ with his promise of easing loaden sinners and of satisfying Desires hunger longing after righteousnes After this there is a certaine whispering noyse heard as it were afarre off that there is a possibilitie of pardon for thee as well as for an other which sound at the first seemeth very doubtfull Therfore faith still hearkning to the sound that the Spirit bringeth to the vnderstanding through the ayre of the gospel commeth by degrees after many sharpe conflicts which it findeth in it selfe to heare a voyce much like that of our Sauiours to the man sicke of the palsey a Mat. 9.2 Sonne be of good cheere thy sinnes are forgiuen thee Or to the womans that cam to him in the Phases house b Lu. 7.50 Thy faith hath saued thee Vpon which the Gospel still doing its office in informing the iudgement The Spirit of God witnesseth with our spirit that we are the children of God c Ro. 8.16 Vppon this also ioy beginnneth to haue a kinde of spirituall life and feeling in it selfe and there is a great rauishment in the soule and an admiration at the vnspeakeable goodnesse of God to so wretched a creature as I was and it can not containe it selfe but it must burst it selfe foorth with the Song of the Church d Cant. 1.2 Thy loues are better then wine With this ioy next in order loue which is another of the affections apprehends that same sweete sound and she falls to bethink how or which way shee may shew herselfe thankefull for so great kindnesse then the soule burneth with the fire of zeale and wrastleth the Gospel and word of grace stil directing it with euery thing that may bee an hinderance of obedience to the
of the liuing God Neither did he so distinctly heare the sound of the Gospel telling him of Christ his fauour when hee fainted vpon the water u Mat 14.30 as when hee sayd w Vers 28 If it be thou Maister command mee to walke vnto thee vpon the water What shall I speake of Salomon a wise King and a worthy Christian can it be imagined that he had the same sense of the stirring of grace in himselfe at that time when his heart did turne after other gods to worke wickednesse in the sight of the Lord x 1. Kin. 11 which hee had when he proclaimed so often the pleasures of the flesh and the profits of the world to be Vanitie of vanities all is vanitie Many the like authorities could I alledge to ratifie this trueth that the same Saints haue not at all times the same sense and spirituall feeling Reason 1. And why so First some grieuous sinne against conscience may be the cause of it This was it which took away Dauids feeling for by his grieuous fall hee weakened his ioy in the Lords saluation by that his offence he depriued himselfe of that sense of all his other graces which formerly hee had A Simile For it fareth in this respect with the soule as it fareth in respect of the Apoplexy with the body The Apoplexy which is a benumming of the senses in the body is sometimes occasioned by some violent fall or blowe which blow shaketh and bruiseth the braine and causeth noysome humours to flowe thither to hurt the originall of sense in the braine so that it cannot conuey sense to the members of the body as it was wont so a spirituall Apoplexy in the soule is caused by some grieuous fall blowe against conscience which shaketh shrewdly the sanctified soule and causeth such vicious humors for sin against conscience hath many cursed attendants waiting vpon it to flow thither to fill the ventricles and powers of the same as take away that spiritual sense of corruption to keep the soule humble that spirituall sense of Gods loue to keepe the affections feruent and zealous and to make the soule cheerfull which formerly it was wont to haue Reason 2. Secondly it is possible for a Christian to be cast into a spiritual slumber and to be ouertaken with some fits of security and then no maruell if his spirituall feeling be not the same at all seasons It is very probable that Dauid was after a manner asleepe in his sinne well-neere the space of a yeere all which while he was not so sensible of his fall as afterward he was when the Prophet Nathan had beene with him Let the winde blowe neuer so loude yet so long as a man is asleepe he cannot heare it and let the good Spirit of Grace breathe in a man yet if he be sleepy and drowsie making custome as well as conscience his rule which a Christian may possibly do for a time he shall I warrant him so long as that fit lieth vpon him neyther feele the sweetnesse which he was wont to taste of in the exercises of Religion nor be so sensible of the oppositions which resist grace within him as he was wont to be Reason 3. Thirdly a man cannot heare the windes noyse so well at one time as at another because hee may be more troubled with deafenesse at one time then another so there is not onely a spirituall drowsinesse but also a spirituall deafenesse that many times doth oppresse a Christian A deafenes eyther occasioned of spirituall choler and distempered wrathfull passions or else of flegmatike clammy humors sensuall and worldly thoughts and desires the minde being many times taken vp when it should giue all attention to the Word with thoughts of wrongs offered or of some worldly profits and fleshly pleasures and hence it may come to passe that euen where grace vseth to breathe the sense and feeling may be benummed For as wee heard in the former Chapter the word of God is an instrument of begetting this feeling in the soule and therefore if a Christian when hee is hearing of that shall suffer eyther Satan or his owne corruptions to hammer the sound of wrongs of profits of pleasures vpon the forge of his soule to hinder the entrance of the Word his vnderstanding can not so conueniently and profitably carry the sound of duety comfort promise threatning and reproofe to his affections to worke vpon them as they were wont to bee wrought vpon And if the ioy or sorrow loue feare c. be not so affected as they were wont to be certainely the spirituall feeling cannot be the same that it was wont to be Sect. 2. Vse 1. Admonition and comfort together to the children of God As the former point was directed against the friuolous conceit of those that thinke themselues to haue grace though they neuer had one iote of the feeling of it so this may be applyed as a comfort and a Caueat to those that haue gtace that they take heed of obiecting against themselues as altogether destitute of grace because they haue not euer and at all times the same sense and feeling For if there be somtimes ebbings and sometimes flowings in the best Christians then there is no reason why they should wrong themselues by abbridging themselues in their owne thoughts of all right to the breath of heauen nay it is against reason they should so doe A needful caution to preuent mistaking I speake not this to disswade any from renuing their repentance when their owne folly and securitie hath bin the cause of the restraint of that sense nay rather I perswade them to that but to this end I speake it first that they may not esteem their estate desperate and that there is no hope left for them to recouer their former feeling againe which thing to make them beleeue is one of the cunning fetches of the tempter and so they may haue comfort And secondly that they may not alwayes measure Gods working by their present feeling and apprehension as to thinke that God had neuer wrought because alwayes they are not so sensible of those ioyes which they were wont to haue in the meditation of Gods loue and euermore so sensible of their corruptions as they were wont to be For the Lord withdraws somtimes the taste of the sweetnesse of the spirit to exercise the grace of the Spirit in the soule that he may bring it to further perfection and to try whether faith wil be stirring in the time of danger to perswade the heart of the vnchangeablenes of Gods loue and whether it wil build vpon his gracious promises in the time of the greatest vnlikelihood of fulfilling the same and therefore detrude not thy selfe out of that possession of grace which thou hast because at all times thy sense is not the same whenas God hath such excellent ends in eclipsing thy eye-sight at somtimes and happely thy selfe mayest
their first entring into worldly dealings striue by all manner of waies to increase in wealth and riches but because they will set no bounds to their estate no period which they resolue not to passe neyther will they learne to know any measure beyond which they purpose not to goe And shall not men of the Spirit from the first time of their conuersion seeke to thriue in those spirituall riches no limits whereunto the Lord hath set vntill their earthly tabernacle bee dissolued and death maketh a separation betwixt the soule and the body How doe they looke for the Garland except they runne forward What hope can they haue of the Crowne of life except they bee faithfull vnto the death If I had but a perswading faculty I would vehemently vrge this spiritual growth in the practice of piety in the life of Christianitie in these declining times in this decaying barren age of the world But Peter shall speake in stead of me z 2. Pet 3.18 Grow in grace And so shall Saint Paul a Ephes 4 15. In all things grow vp into him which is the head that is Christ c. Whose counsell I would entreate thee to follow to hold fast and to encrease what thou hast already receiued Quest But will some say It is easier to say Grow then to shew how to grow bare exhortation berall Arts that there was neuer a day passed ouer his head wherein he did not either reade something or write something or declaime and out of doubt hee was no loser by it So if men and women would be more diligent students in the Oracles of God the book of the Scriptures they should be great gainers in the trade of godlinesse and their dayly incomes of heauens blasts would be larger then now they are Vnto God therefore my brethren I commend you e Acts 20.32 and to the word of his grace which is able to build you vp and to giue you an inheritance amongst all them that are sanctified f Phil. 1.9 praying that you may more and more abound in knowledge and in all iudgement Helpe 2 Secondly prayer vnto God that hee would leade vs forward by his holy spirit wil be a means to raise higher the gales and gusts of this spirituall winde In this practice we haue the Apostles to goe before vs who prayed and said g Lu. 17.5 Lord encrease our faith And if their faith then all the other graces which are ioyned with faith and attend vpon her Thus prayed Paul on the behalfe of the Philippians that h Phil. 1.9 their loue might abound Thus prayed hee also for the Ephesians when he sayd i Ephes 3.14.16 For this cause doe I bow my knees vnto the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ that hee would graunt you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man And thus must thou pray also that art a partner in the possessions of grace and then thou shalt find that that God which hath begunne the good worke will perfect it for the more frequent and feruent thy sutes are for the augmentations of Grace the better thou art sure to thriue in thy spirituall and holy courses Thirdly to loue the communion Helpe 3 and frequent the company of the Saints is a way to bee gayners and a meane to encrease the stocke of true holinesse The more vapours are together the longer and stronger are the windes like to bee and the moe holy hearts are vnited together by the bond of holy societie the more occasion their times about things that tend not to edification neglecting faith repentance such necessary neuer to be knowne-enough principles they com at length to call their mother whoore like impudent children though they first receiued the graces they make profession to haue in her yet they will not sticke to slaunder her as a limme of the Romish Synagogue And therfore I say I perswade not to such meetings but I perswade to that which the Apostle doth Hebr. 10.24 25 Brethren forsake not the assembling your selues together as some doe that ye may consider one another to prouoke vnto loue and good workes and to exhort one another in asmuch as yee see the day approching Children season themselues in profanenesse by their playing together Profane men strengthen themselues in wickednesse by conuersing together in Ale-houses Tauerns Brothell-houses Theatres c. Papists in heresies by mutuall society and shall Christians depriue themselues of this means to thriue and grow vp in grace by neglecting the society and communion of one another God forbid If they doe that which the Prophet speaketh of the materiall temple may bee verified of them k Hag. 2.3 Who is left amongst you that sawe this house in her first glory And how do you see it now Is it not now in comparison of it that is of what it was before as nothing Fourthly it must bee our care not Helpe 4 onely to walke wisely and circumspectly redeeming the time as the Apostle aduiseth l Ephes 5.15.16 but also to bee daily weeding our corruptions out of the ground of our hearts with the weeding-hooks of Examination and renued Repentance searching diligently what thistles grow at the bottome what euills are most prone to please our selues in that wee may daily grow into hatred with them and cleanse our selues from all filthines of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the feare of God as the Apostle his counsell is m 2. Cor. 7.1 For if day by day passe ouer our heads and we seldome or neuer search out our hidden sinnes and summon our selues for them before Gods Tribunall wee may bee so ouer-growne with security lacke of care that our growth in sanctitie will be hindered our gifts of grace to our sense at least much impaired euen as land when it is sowne corne when it is sprung vp for want of looking to and weeding may bee ouer-growne with noysome weedes and vnprofitable plants to the great hinderance and grieuance of the poore husbandman Helpe 5 Lastly it will much auaile vs in this spirituall growth to keepe our graces in exercise and to put them to vse One good way for a Merchant or Trades-man to thriue in the world Simile is if his markets be good the winds serue to be continually in trading and still to haue the maine stocke going Whereas he which alwayes spends of the stocke and tradeth not withall may goe downe the winde and soone prooue a bankrupt So for a man to haue good gifts good graces and not occupy with them nor keepe them in exercise shall be so farre from encreasing his spirituall store that hee shall rather diminish and wrong it Vse limbes and haue limbes saith the olde Adage Vse knowledge and haue knowledge vse faith and haue faith vse loue and haue loue vse humilitie and haue humilitie c. 1. Hast thou the grace
and say s Rom. 11.33 Oh depth of the riches both of the wisedome knowledge of God! how vnsearchable are his Iudgements and his wayes past finding out Sect. 3. Vse 2. Secondly this may well afford vs a rule of tryall by which we may come to know Examination whether euer the Gales of Grace haue sauingly blowne and breathed vpon vs yea or no for if the Winde be a fit similitude to expresse the mysterie of Regeneration then from the properties of the Winde wee may come to discerne the properties of Grace and so the regenerating worke of the Spirit of God to see whether we haue it or who haue it Take wee a view therefore of the properties of the Winde and as wee goe along let vs compare withall the properties and effects of the Spirit and we shall haue markes and notes enow to iudge by of the worke of Regeneration Signes of grace Signe 1. Purification First of all the Wind is of a purging property euen so the Spirit of God is of a purifying quality the one doth no lesse cleanse the heart then the other doth purifie the ayre and the water For this cause the holy Ghost is compared to fire t Mat. 3.11 He shall baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire that is with the holy Ghost which is like fire and to u Eze ◠1 Water that flowed out of the Sanctuary which two Elements are of a purging and purifying nature The one serueth to purge metalls from drosse and scurfinesse and the other to cleanse cloathes and vessells from dirt and filthinesse which double resemblance what doth it signifie but that the Spirit of God is a purger and purifier of the heart which thing Paul giues his beleeuing Corinths to vnderstand For writing to them of the worke of Sanctification begunne in them he tells them w 1. Cor. 6.11 They were cleansed purged and washed by the Spirit of God Wherewithall accordeth a worthy saying of an ancient and eloquent Diuine Cypr. de S. sancto folio 32. abi gens inde quicquid tabidum est c. That the Spirit of God doth expell from the heart whatsoeuer is contagious whatsoeuer is infectious now how the Spirit doth purifie it will appeare by the like The Winde doth purge the water by mouing and troubling it and by stirring vp waue after waue vntill it hath cast vp the froth and superfluous scumme of it vpon the shoare and the Aire it doth purge two wayes first by dispelling fogges and mists How the Spirit purifieth 3. wayes both priuatiuely and positiuely Priuatiuely 1 Ignorantiam fugando 2 Impoenitentiam amouendo 3 Concupiscentiā subigendo 2 Positiuely 1 Mentem illuminando 2 Poenitētiam inserendo 3 Sanctitatem conferendo secondly by drying vp noisome puddles stinking quagmires For those things which do ordinarily infect the ayre are one of these two either misty vnwholesome vapours or noysome and vnsauoury quagmires by the remooueall of which two the Wind doth cleere and cleanse the aire euen so the holy Ghost doth purge the soule three wayes first by dispelling the spirituall fogges and mists of ignorance and blindenesse which darken the vnderstanding secondly by troubling the conscience for those sinnes which defile the whole man thirdly by drying vp that same stinking puddle of euill concupiscence and noysome lusts which haue their seate in the will and affections The first hee doth by the work of Illumination enlightening the minde with sauing knowledge the second by the worke of Humiliation breaking the heart with holy contrition and the third by the worke of Mortification and Sanctification rectifying the will with sincere obedience and the affections with holy desires heauenly loue ioy c. So that by all this wee see that wheresoeuer the holy Ghost hath breathed grace there is the worke of Spirituall purification wrought First the minde is purged from ignorance and is spiritually enlightened no sooner had the Spirit breath'd vpon Paul but the x Act. 9.18 scales fell from his eyes and the Lord beginneth the worke of Conuersion at Illumination and when he first bloweth with the blasts of Grace in vs he bestoweth spirituall eye-sight vpon vs hee enlighteneth vs to see what himselfe is in his iustice against sinne in his mercy by Christ to forgiue sinne he openeth our eyes to see our misery by natute to see the remedy of our misery by grace Vpon this spirituall eye-sight in the second place the conscience comes to be vrged and purged the soule so troubled with a consideration of being ouerwhelmed with this misery and out of Christ altogether destitute and depriued of that mercy that it cannot be at quiet one billow of sorrow one waue of griefe ariseth so vpon the necke of an other that there is no rest that it can finde no easement it can haue no contentment can be giuen it vntill the scumme and froth of all the sinnes that euer it was defiled with be brought to the shoare and set vpon the score of Christ Iesus Thou therefore whosoeuer thou art that neuer hadst the Lord Iesus to anoynt the eyes of thy soule that neuer hadst thy minde enlightened but art still in Egypt and pleasest thy selfe in thy blinde and ignorant condition that neuer sawest so much of thy misery as hath made thee bewaile thy sinfull and wofull estate nor as yet hast any care to seeke after knowledge that thou mayest come to know thy selfe aright know Christ crucified to the end thou mayst come to repentance dreame not thou that the gusts of grace are effectually infused into thy soule Againe as the mind and conscience is thus purged where these gusts are so likewise is the will purified from rebellion and that crooked and knotty peece which before was so hard to be rectified and squared that vntamed heifer which before was so vntoward to be broken and brought into any right frame to yield vnto any counsell wholesome good for the soule when the Spirit comes to blow vpon it though there be a kinde of resisting power in it is made to bend which way the Spirit pleaseth to encline to the wayes of life insomuch that the creature shall with holy Dauid say I am content to doe thy will O God Lastly as the Will from rebellion the Conscience from impenitencie the Vnderstanding from ignorance so if grace be wrought in thee thy affections wil be purged from the drosse of vnbeliefe from the loue of earthly things S. sanctus carnaeles hebetat sensus conterit appetitus Cypr. from the vanity of carnall and sensuall desires and like a man mortified and sanctified dead wilt thou be to the lusts of the flesh bringing them daily to the slaughter and aliue to God through Iesus Christ our Lord and those euils which formerly were most delightsome to the flesh will then become most burthensome to the spirit Thus I say where the holy Ghost hath regenerated