To get into it 2. To be delivered of it 1. The means to get into it is 1. Examination of themselves 2. Confession of their sins 3. Hearty prayer for the softning of their hearts By which three are procured the three first steps Sight of sin Sense of divine wrath Sorrow for sin 2. The means to be delivered of it is by application of the promises and these according to their several objects produce their several effects some A sight of Christ A desire after Christ A relying on Christ An obedience to Christ A comfort in Christ not onely sought for but obtained if the promises be rightly applyed CHAP. II. Sect. 1. The first means to get into the new birth THe means to get into the new birth is first Examination and the way to examine is to set before men that Chrystal glass of the Law for their light and rule To this purpose I have here annexed a Catalogue or Table to shew them their offences not that I can possibly ennumerate all sins but onely the kindes and if herein I come short yet consciences awaked may be occasioned hereby to bring into their thoughts those others not mentioned Now then whosoever thou art that beginn'st this blessed work examine thy self by this Catalogue but do it warily and truly and where thou find'st thy self guilty either note it in this book or transcribe it into some paper that so they may be ready for thine eye when thou comest to Confession Sect. 2. Sins against the first Commandment IN every Commandment we must observe both the duties required and sins forbidden for both these are implyed in every one of the Commandments if in the first thou art guilty thou must answer negatively if in the second thou must answer affirmatively now then to proceed It is the first Commandment Thou shalt have no other gods but me For the duties here required Say first Hast thou ever in minde will and affections took the true God in Christ to be thy God Secondly hast thou abounded in those graces by which thou shouldst cleave unto God as in the warmth of knowledge and love and fear and joy and trusting in God Thirdly hast thou observed Gods mercies and promises and works and judgements upon thee and by a particular application took special notice thereof Fourthly hast thou communicated with the godly and joyned thy self to Gods people and delighted chiefly in them Or for the sins here forbidden Say first hast thou not sometimes been guilty of blasphemy or idolatry or witchcraft or atheism or epicurism or heresie Secondly hast thou not been guilty of pride a sin flatly opposing God and first committed by devils Thirdly hast thou not had inward reasonings that there is no God or that he seeth not Psal 14.1 Esay 29.15 Iob 21.14 Ier. 17.5 or knoweth not or that there is no profit in his service Fourthly hast thou not failed to love God and fear God and to put thy whole trust in God Fifthly hast thou not trusted in man or feared man or loved the world and thereby alienated thy heart from God Sixthly hast thou not resorted to witches or in the first place to Physitians and not to the living God Seventhly hast thou not tempted God and in the matters of God been either cold or lukewarm or preposterously zealous Eighthly hast thou not a proneness to sin yea to rebel against God in thy whole man Ninthly hast thou not been careless to perform the inward duties of Gods worship in sincerity and truth if in these thou hast transgressed then hast thou broken this Commandment Thou shalt have no gods but me Sect. 3. Sins against the second Commandment IT is the second Commandment Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven image For the duties here required Say first hast thou ever worshipped the true God purely according to his will Secondly hast thou observed all those outward duties of his worship as prayer and vows and fasting and meditating and the rest Thirdly hast thou repaired to Gods house observed family duties received the Preachers of the Gospel Or for the sins here forbidden Say first Ier 9.14 hast thou not sometimes walked after the imaginations of thy own heart serving God out of custom or after the maner of thy fore-fathers by will-worship and superstitions Secondly hast thou not committed idol worship conceiving of God in thy minde or respecting him in thy sense in the likeness of a creature Exod 23.13 Thirdly hast thou not mentioned the names of other gods either by way of swearing or apology Fourthly hast thou not made an image to liken God to it Esay 40.18 or used any gesture of love and reverence to any such images Fifthly in a word hast thou not been careless to worship God Zach. 14.17 Psal 14.4 Math. 10.14 to call upon the Lord to receive Gods Ministers or to perform any other of the outward duties of Gods worship If in any of these thou hast transgressed then hast thou broken this Commandment Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven image Sect. 4. Sins against the third Commandment IT is the third Commandment Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain For the duties required Say first hast thou been ever a constant learner hearer and doer of Gods Word and Will Secondly hast thou prayed with perseverance understanding and power of the Spirit without doubting or wavering Thirdly hast thou come preparedly to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper and being come hast thou discerned the Lords body Fourthly hast thou used all the titles and properties and works and ordinances of the Lord with knowledge faith reverence joy and sincerity Or for the sins here forbidden Say first hast thou not sometimes in thy talk dishonored the titles attributes religion word people of God or any thing that hath in it the print of his holiness Secondly hast thou not sworn or forsworn or loved false oathes Thirdly Zach 8.17 hast thou not caused the name of religion or people of God to be evil thought of by thy ill course of life or by committing some gross sin Fourthly hast thou not rashly or unpreparedly or heedlesly read the Word heard Sermons received the Sacraments or performed any other part of the worship of God Fifthly hast thou not thought or spoken blasphemously or contemptuously of God or of any thing whatsoever pertaining to God If in any of these thou hast transgressed then hast thou broken this Commandment Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain Sect. 5. Sins against the fourth Commandment IT is the fourth Commandement Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day For the duties here required Say first hast thou according to the equity of this Commandment ever observed the Lords day and other days and times set apart for Gods service Secondly hast thou on those days rested from the servile works of sin and rested and relyed upon Christ for the remission
of sins and led an holy and religious life that so thou mayest enter into that rest of heaven Heb. 4.11 Thirdly hast thou always prepared thy heart before thou wentest into the house of the Lord by meditation of Gods Word and Works by examination and reformation of thy ways by prayer thanksgiving and holy resolution to carry thy self as in Gods presence and to hear and obey whatsoever thou shouldst learn out of the pure Word of God Fourthly hast thou repaired to Gods house in due time and stayed the whole time of Prayer reading preaching of the Word singing of Psalms receiving of the Sacraments Fifthly hast thou performed private religious offices upon the Lords day to wit In private prayer and thanksgiving in acknowledging thy offences to God in reconciling thy self to those thou hast offended or with whom thou art at variance in visiting the sick comforting the afflicted contributing to the necessity of the poor instructing thy Children and servants and the rest of thy family in the fear and nurture of the Lord Or for the sins here forbidden Say first hast thou not sometime spent the Lords day in idleness Ezek. 46.10 or in wordly business in vanities or in sin Secondly hast thou not omitted publique duties or comest in too late or wentest out too soon Nehem. 10.31 and 13.15 Thirdly hast thou not on those days sold wares carried burthens brought in sheaves or wrought in the harvest Fourthly hast thou not employed thy cattel or servants or children or any other though thou workest not thy self Fifthly hast thou not profaned the Lords day by needless works words or thoughts about thy calling or about thy recreation Sixthly have not the strict observance of the duties of that day been tedious unto thee saying in thine heart When will the day be gone Amos 8.5 If in any of these thou hast transgressed then hast thou broken this Commandment Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day Sect. 6. Sins against the fifth Commandment IT is the fifth Commandment Honor thy father and thy mother For the duties here required they are either in Family Common-weal Church First Ephes 5.25 1 Pet. 3.7 for the Family Say if thou art an husband 1. Hast thou ever loved thy wife and dealt with her according to knowledge giving honor to her as to the weaker vessel and as being heirs together of the grace of life that your prayers were not hindred If thou art a wife Eph 5.22 24. 1 Pet. 3.4 2. Hast thou submitted to thine own husband as unto the Lord in every thing 3. Hast thou put on the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price If thou art a parent 4. Ephes 6.4 Hast thou brought up thy children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord 5. Hast thou corrected them yet not provoked them by immoderate correction 6. Hast thou provided for them in their callings 2 Tim. 5.8 Rom. 1.30 or outward estates If thou art a childe 7. Hast thou obeyed thy parents and received correction with submission and reverence 8. Heb. 12.9 Hast thou relieved them in their wants 9. Hast thou observed their instructions and covered their infirmities If thou art a master 10. Hast thou entertained Gods servants Prov. 15.15 Gen. 9.22 Col. 4.1 Tit. 2.9 10. and given unto thy servant that which is just and equal If thou art a servant 11. Hast thou been obedient to thy master according to the flesh with fear and trembling in singleness of heart as unto Christ Not answering again not purloyning but shewing all good fidelity Secondly for the Common-weal if thou art a Magistrate 12. Hast thou executed just laws 13. Hast thou reformed others abuses according to the power that is in thee If thou art a Subject 14. Hast thou obeyed the higher Powers in all just commands 15. Hast thou been subject unto them Rom. 13.5 not onely for wrath but also for conscience sake Thirdly for the Church If thou art a Minister 16. Hast thou taught in season and out of season 17. Hath thy light shined before men that they might see thy good works Matth. 5.16 Gal. 6.6 Heb 13 7 17 18. If thou art a hearer 18. Hast thou communicated to them that teach thee in all good things 19. Hast thou obeyed them and prayed for them and loved them and followed them considering the end of their conversation Or for the sins here forbidden And first for the Family Say if thou art an husband 1. Prov. 21.19 Hast thou not sometimes abused thy wife or smitten her or injured her in thought word or deed If thou art a wife 2. Hast thou not been wasteful or froward or idle If thou art a childe 3. Hast thou not despised thy fathers or mothers instructions Prov. 15.5 Prov. 30.17 and 20.20 4. Hast thou not mocked them or despised them or cursed them or smitten them or shamed them or grieved them If thou art a master 5. Hast thou not governed thy family negligently 6. Hast thou not with-held that which is just and equal in diet wages encouragement If thou art a servant 7. Hast thou not been idle and slothful 8. Hast thou not served grudgingly and not from the heart Secondly for the Common-weal If thou art a Magistrate 9. Hast thou not been as a Lyon or a Bear roaring and ranging over the poor people Prov. 28.15 Esa 10.1 10. Hast thou not decreed unrighteous decrees respecting the persons of the poor or honoring the persons of the mighty If thou art a Subject 11. Hast thou not reviled the Gods Levit. 19.15 Exod. 12.28 Rom. 13.1 7. or cursed the Ruler of thy people 12. Hast thou not disobeyed the higher Powers or not denied tribute or custom or honor or fear to whom they are due Thirdly for the Church if thou art a Minister 13. Hast thou not been prophane and wicked in thy life and conversation Ierem. 23.11 14. Hast thou not run before thou wast sent or being sent hast thou not been negligent in the gift that is in thee 1 Tim. 4.14 Ierem. 23.13 16. Hast thou not prophesied in Baal and caused Gods people to erre 17. Hast thou not committed simony or sought indirectly for the fleece not regarding respectively the flock 18. Hast thou not strengthened the hands of evil doers Ierem. 23.14 in preaching peace to wicked men 19. Hast thou not given heed to fables or to some unprofitable matter rather than to godly edifying 1 Tim. 1.4 which is in faith If thou art an hearer 20 Hast thou not resisted the Minister and the Word preached by him Gal. 6.6 Heb. 13.7 17 18. whatsoever thou art husband or wife or parent or childe or master or servant or Magistrate or Subject or Minister or hearer if in any of these thou hast transgressed then hast thou broke this Commandment Honor thy father and thy mother Sect.
PRIMA THE FIRST THINGS In reference to The Middle and Last Things Or The Doctrine of REGENERATION THE NEW BIRTH The very beginning of a godly life Delivered by ISAAC AMBROSE Minister of the Gospel at PRESTON in Amounderness in Lancashire 1 COR. 5.17 If any man be in Christ he is a new creature Old things are passed away behold all things are become new LONDON Printed by J.F. for I.A. and are to be sold by Nathanael Webb and William Grantham at the Greyhound in Pauls Church-yard MDCL To the Worshipful The MAYOR ALDERMEN And other INHABITANTS IN The Town of Preston in Amounderness THe Apostle Peter knowing as he saith that shortly he was to put off that his tabernacle of the flesh 2 Pet. 1.14 15 as our Lord Jesus Christ had shewed him he therefore endeavored that Gods people after his decease might have those things he taught them always in remembrance And thus it came to pass that to this day we have that portion of holy Writ which he then left in writing If Peters practice be imitable in this kinde I suppose the same duty lies on * Si M. T. Ciceroni tanta fuit cura de sua republica ut scripsit in lib. de Amicitia Mihi autem non minori curae est qualis resp post mortem meam futura sit quà m qualis hodie est Multò magis incumbat mihi cura de animarum salute ut benè cedat illis postquam ego è vivis exiero aeque ut jam ante obitum meum me Revelation I have none but many stitches and infirmities which I take to be fore-runners of my departure hence Some things and amongst the rest these First Things I have taught you what remains now but that after my decease you might have these things always in remembrance To that purpose the same I delivered once to your ears I now present to your eyes as you were then pleased to hear them so I trust you will now peruse them Onely one thing you may please to observe through this Treatise That whereas in the Name of Christ I often Beseech Exhort Command the unregenerate to believe to be reconciled to God to pray to fall on this or that duty it is not as if they could do any thing of their own strength or power but because Jesus Christ in Exhorting Entreating Commanding puts forth his own power and his own strength to enable them While Paul exhorted the Goaler to believe in the Lord Jesus that he might be saved God enabled the Goalor to believe Life and power is conveyed to the soul in Gospel-Commands and Exhortations While Ezekiel prophesied over dead bones breath came into them and they lived so while the Prophets of the Lord do preach over sinful impenitent hearers who are like to the Prophets dry bones the breath of Heaven the Spirit of the Most High in the Ministery of the Gospel enters into them and so they are made new creatures and see the Kingdom of God I have no more to say onely I beseech God you may receive a Blessing by these poor labors upon your poor souls it is the hearty Prayer of Yours to be commanded in all Christian Services Isaac Ambrose To his worthily much esteemed Friend Mr. Isaac Ambrose SIR I Have perused your hearty Travel in this happy Birth and therein I dare say as your industry and skill so your interest and birthright your Labor either way This subject could not be so well handled if not felt he must himself be subject as well as Author that doth it so well No man can be here Eloquent unless Experient Propriety of Title can onely here give Propriety of Language How like the motion the language of a Puppet in a Play is the best Pulpit-Pageant in this Theame of the uninteressed man My Prayer is that of the Apostle That all of us Ministers may be herein able to comfort others 2 Cor. 1.4 by the same comfort wherewith we our selves are comforted of God And what comfort like this that makes us with the woman Iohn 16.21 forget all our sorrows for joy that the childe is born What is it otherwise to be born to learn if we learn not thus to be born Eccles. 7.11 Wisdom saith Solomon is good with an Inheritance how good is this wisdom then that by this New Birth not onely preserves but intitles to that Inheritance of the Saints in light Col. 1.12 Wherein that this your birth of that Birth may be to many Generations fruitful is the Prayer of Your true Friend CHARLES HERLE THE CONTENTS of PRIMA OR The First Things THe necessity of Regeneration Page 2 The generality and subject of Regeneration Page 7 The maner of Regeneration Page 22 The issue and effects of Regeneration Page 42 An Appendix containing a more particular method of Regeneration Wherein Chap. 1. THe occasion and method of this Treatise Pag. 49. Chap. 2. Sect. 1. The first means to get into the New Birth 50 Sect. 2 c. Sins against the first Commandment to the last 51 Chap. 3. The second means to get into the New Birth 59 Chap. 4. Sect. 1. The third means to get into the New Birth 60 Sect. 2 c. The first second and third reason for sorrow 61 Chap. 5. Sect. 1. The means to be delivered out of the pangs of the New Birth 63 Sect. 2. The Promises procuring a sight of Christ 64 Sect. 3. The Promises procuring a desire after Christ 65 Sect. 4. The Promises procuring a relying on Christ 66 Sect. 5. The Promises procuring obedience to Christ 67 Sect. 6. The Promises procuring comfort in Christ 68 Sect. 7. The means to apply the said Promises 70 Sect. 8. The Conclusion 71 To the Reverend AUTHOR on his learned TREATISES Intituled Prima Media Vltima THE First Middle and Last Things THe First and Last and Middle Things What more Thus the well-furnish'd Scribe out of his store Brings new and old The First Things lay the Ground The Middle Build thereon By th' Last All 's crown'd By the First Things Christians begin to live The Middle Things a further progress give In Spiritual life by th' Last they live for ever Those things that God hath joyn'd let no man sever The First Things wrought in me Lord let me finde And to the Middle so direct my minde That when the First and Middle Things are past I may enjoy my hopes The Best at Last T.W. The new Birth JOH 3.3 Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God WE read in the former Chapter John 2.23 Ioh. 2.23 Nicodemus ex his erat qui crediderant in nomine ejus videntes signa prodigia quae faciobat Aug. Tract in Ioan. Ioh. 7.48 When Jesus was at Jerusalem at the feast of the Passover many believed in his name when they saw the miracles which he did Amongst those many here is one of them saith St. Austin what one of
7. Sins against the sixth Commandment IT is the sixth Commandment Thou shalt do no murther For the duties here required Say 1. Hast thou ever desired and studied by all means lawful to preserve thine own person and the person of thy neighbor Or for the sins here forbidden Say 1 Hast thou not sometimes envied others for their wealth Gen 26.14 Numb 11.29 Gen. 37.11 Iob 16 9 or for their gifts or for their respects with others 2. Hast thou not offended others in gestures gnashing on them with thy teeth or sharpening thine eyes on them 3. Hast thou not fended others in words by censuring or reviling 1 Pet. 3.9 Psal 37.12 or rendring evil for evil or railing for railing 4. Hast thou not offended others in deeds plotting against the just Matth. 5.22 Amos 2.11 or doing evil to any man 5. Hast thou not been angry with thy brother without cause or continued long in anger keeping thy wrath as it were for ever 6. Hast thou not rejoyced at others fall Pro. 24.17 Iob 31.30 or wished a curse to their souls 7. Hast thou not done evil to thy self by inordinate fretting or grieving or drinking or surfetting Numb 14.2 Pro. 6.14 or saying in thy passions Would God I were dead 8. Hast thou not been a sower of discord or some way or other a just occasion of the discomfort or of the death of thy neighbor If in any of these thou hast transgressed thou hast then broken this Commandment Thou shalt do no murther Sect. 8. Sins against the seventh Commandment IT is the seventh Commandment Thou shalt not commit adultery For the duties here required Say Hast thou ever kept thy self pure in soul and body both towards thy self and others Or for the sins here forbidden Say Hast thou not sometimes been defiled with buggery Sodomitry incest whoredom adultery Polygamy Rom. 1.26 self-pollution or with changing the natural use into that which is against nature 2. Hast thou not offended in the occasions of uncleanness as in idleness gluttony drunkenness wanton company whorish attire or perfumes 3. Pro. 7.16 17. Col. 3.8 Hast thou not sinned in thy senses or gestures or words by filthy communication proceeding out of thy mouth 4. Hast thou not harbored in thy heart burning lusts impure thoughts inordinate affections 5. Matth. 5.28 Hast thou not behaved thy self immodestly unsoberly Col. 3.5 or shamelesly abusing thy body or using some maner of dalliance and wantonness If in any of these thou hast transgressed then hast thou broken this Commandment Thou shalt not commit adultery Sect. 9. Sins against the eighth Commandment IT is the eighth Commandment Thou shalt not steal For the duties here required Say Hast thou ever by all good means furthered the outward estate of thy self and of thy neighbor Or for the sins here forbidden Say First Hast thou not sometimes got thy living by an unlawful calling Secondly hast thou not impoverisht thy self by idleness luxurious or unnecessary expences Thirdly hast thou not withheld from thy self or others that which should have been expended Fourthly hast thou not gotten or kept thy neighbors goods by falshood or force and made no restitution Fifthly hast thou not stollen by usury or oppression or fraud in buying or selling an abomination unto the Lord Sixthly hast thou not robbed God of his tythes and offerings by sacriledge or symony Deut. 25.16 Malac. 3.8 Seventhly hast thou not some way or other impaired thy neighbors state If in any of these thou hast transgressed then hast thou broken this Commandment Thou shalt not steal Sect. 10. Sins against the ninth Commandment IT is the ninth Commandment Thou shalt not bear false witness For the duties here required Say Hast thou ever by all means sought to maintain thy own and thy neighbors good name according to truth and a good conscience Or for the sins here forbidden Say Rev. 22.15 First hast thou not sometimes loved or made a lye Secondly Ier. 20.10 Mat. 7.3 Prov. 24.24 hast thou not raised a false report to the defaming of many Thirdly hast thou not censured or judged others yet never considered the beam that is in thy own eye Fourthly hast thou not flattered thy self and others saying unto the wicked Thou art righteous Fifthly hast thou not condemned some without witness or forborn to witness for others when thou knewest the truth Sixthly hast thou not been uncharitably suspitious or a despiser of thy neighbor Seventhly hast thou not told a lye whether jestingly or officiously or perniciously If in any of these thou hast transgressed then hast thou broke this Commandment Thou shalt not bear false witness Sect. 11. Sins against the last Commandment IT is the last Commandment Thou shalt not covet For the duties here required Say First hast thou ever been truly contented with thy own outward condition Secondly hast thou rejoyced at others good and loved thy neighbor as thy self Matth. 19.19 Or for the sins here forbidden Say First Matth. 15.19 hast thou not sometimes conceived evil thoughts in thy heart Secondly hast thou not delighted in the inward contemplations of evil Thirdly hast thou not been full of discontent with thy own condition and state Fourthly hast thou not felt another law of thy members warring against the law of thy minde Fifthly Rom. 7.29 hast thou not coveted after something or other that was thy neighbors either with will or by actual concupiscence If in any of these thou hast transgressed then hast thou broke this Commandment Thou shalt not covet CHAP. III. The second means to get into the new birth AFter examination which may well serve thee for one days work or two the next duty is Confession Now then take the Catalogue of those sins or if thy awaked conscience can tell thee of any other which thou knowest thou hast committed and noted either in this book or on some other paper and kneeling on thy knees spread thy Catalogue before the Lord I say spread thy Catalogue before the Lord 2 King 19.14 as Hezekiah did his letter there read thou seriously and particularly saying O Lord I confess I have committed this sin and the other sin as they are before thee in order of all these sins I am guilty especially of those sins wherein I delighted my darlings my minions my bosom-sins take notice of them and confess them again of all these sins I am guilty And now O Lord standing as it were at the bar of thy tribunal I arraign my self and accuse my self and judge my self worthy of the utmost of thy wrath and indignation for one sin thou cast Adam out of paradise for one sin thou cast the Angels out of heaven for one sin thou destroyedst a world of men and what then shall become of me that have committed a world of sins here pause a while and meditate on thy unworthiness O that I should be so foolish so bruitish so mad to commit these sins
these manifold sins O that by these sins I should break so holy a law provoke so good and great a Majesty What shall I do but remembring my evil ways Ezek. 36.31 even loath my self in my own sight yea abhor my self in dust and ashes for my iniquities and my abominations c. For conclusion thou mayst imitate the Publican who not daring to lift up his eyes smote his brest so do thou and sigh Luke 18.13 and say with him O God be merciful to me a sinner CHAP. IV. Sect. 1. The third means to get into the new birth AFter Confession which may well serve thee for another days work the next duty thou must labor for is to seek for true sorrow and mourning for thy sins Seek thou must and never leave seeking till thou feel thy heart melt within thee To this purpose reade some tracts of death of judgement of hell of Christs passion of the joys of heaven Last of all and I take it best of all resolve to set every day some time apart to beg it of the Lord When Daniel set himself to pray the Lord came in to him Dan. 9.3 When Peter had gone apart to pray and when Paul had prayed in the Temple then the Lord came in to them Act. 10.6 and 22.17 And why may not I bid thee pray as well as Peter bid Simon Magus yet being in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity Act. 8.22 23. and at the time appointed fall down on thy knees spread thy Catalogue confess accuse judge condemn thy self again which done beg beg of the Lord to give thee that soft heart he promised Ezek. 36.26 Ezek. 36.26 A new heart will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh Say then to thy self Is this the Lords promise O Lord perform it to my heart take away my stony heart give me an heart of flesh a new heart a new spirit c. here make thine own prayer be not careful of words onely let the words be the true voice of thy heart and the more to work softning thou mayest sob and sigh and beat thy brest above all thou must pray and call and cry with vehemency and fervency not to be uttered When thou hast done if the Lord do not yet hear thee pray again the next day and the next day yea put on this resolution that thou wilt never leave praying till the Lord hear thee in mercy till he make thee to feel thy heart melt within thee yea if it may be till thou seest thy * Ut hoc modo confring as capita draconum tuorum in aquis tears trickling down thy cheeks because of thy offences The Lord will perhaps hear thee at the first time or at the second time or if he do not persist thou thy suit is just and importunity will prevail yea I can say thy desire to sorrow being resolute it is a degree of godly sorrow it self and no doubt the Lord will increase it if thou begst hard a while Sect. 2. The first reason for this sorrow THis must be done first because without pangs no birth Quid sunt dolores parturientis nisi dolores poenitentis saith Saint Austin the pangs of a penitent man are as the pangs of a woman Aug. in Psal 48. Now as there can be no birth without pains of travel going before so neither true repentance without some terrors of the law and straits of conscience Rom. 8.15 Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear saith the Apostle to the Romans and what is that but to shew us they once did receive it when but in the very first preparation to conversion then it was that the Spirit of God in the law did so bear witness unto them of their bondage that it made them to fear And certainly thus it is with every man in his first conversion his contrition must be compungent and vehement bruising breaking renting the heart and feeling the throws as a woman laboring of childe before there can be a new birth or the new creature be brought forth Sect. 3. The second reason for this sorrow AGain without contrition no Christ therefore it was that God first opened the eyes of our first parents to make them see and be sensible of their sin and misery Gen. 3.7 15. Chrysost in c. 3 Matth. hom 11. Gen. 3.7 before he promised Christ vers 15. therefore it was that John Baptist saith Chrysostome first throughly frighted the mindes of his hearers with the terror of judgement and expectation of torment and with the name of an axe and their rejection and entertainment of other children and by doubling the punishment to wit of being hewn down and cast into the fire and when he had thus every way tamed and taken down their stubbornness then at length he makes mention of Christ Why then is Christ seasonably revealed saith Musculus when the hearts of men being soundly pierced by preaching repentance Musc in Mat. c. 3. Sect. Tunc accedit Iesus Calvin in Esay 61. are possessed with a desire of his gracious righteousness Or if you will hear Calvin To whom is Christ promised but to them alone who are humbled and confounded with the sense of their own sins Certainly the first thing that draws to Christ is to consider our miserable estate without him No man will come to Christ except he be hungry no man will take Christs yoke upon him till he come to know and feel the weight of Satans yoke to this end therefore must every man be broken with threats and scourges and lashes of conscience that so despairing of himself he may flye unto Christ Sect. 4. The third reason for this sorrow AGain Iam. 4.10 without hearty sorrow no spiritual comfort We must first be humbled before the Lord and then he will lift us up Christ indeed was anointed to preach good tidings but to whom to the poor to the broken-hearted to the captives to them that are bound Esay 61.11 to the bruised Esay 61.11 God pours not the oyl of his mercy save into a broken vessel God never comforts throughly save where he findes humiliation and repentance for sin Forbes on Revel c. 14. The word of God saith one hath three degrees of operation in the hearts of his chosen First it falleth to mens ears as the sound of many waters a mighty great and confused sound and which commonly bringeth neither terror nor joy but yet a wondring and acknowledgement of a strange force and more then humane power this is that effect which many felt hearing Christ when they were astonished at his doctrine as teaching with authority Mar. 1.22 27. Luke 4.32 Iohn 7.46 what maner doctrine is this never man spake like this man The next effect is the voice of thunder which bringeth