The DOOR of SALVATION OPENED By the Key of REGENERATION OR A TREATISE CONTAINING The Nature Necessity Marks and Means of Regeneration As also the Duty of the Regenerate By GEORGE SWINNOCKE M.A. and Pastor of Rickmersworth in Hertfordshire Matth. 18.3 Verily I say unto you Except ye be converted and become as little children ye shall not enter into the kingdom of Heaven Non est via ad regnum sine primitiis regm nec sperare porest coeleste regnum cui neque super propriam regnare concupiscentian adhuc datur Bernard LONDON Printed by John Best for THO. PARKHURST at the Three Crowns in the lower end of Cheapside over against the great Conduit 1660. To the right worshipful Sir Charles Herboard Knight To the Worshipful Richard Franklin Esq John Beresford Esq Edward Ironside Esq Richard Beresford Esq And to the Gentlemen Yeomen and the rest of the inhabitants of the parish of Rickmersworth IT is the custom of our Country and if I mistake not a Statute Law of the Nation that children should be kept and maintained by those places in which they were born This book which treateth of the Babe of grace was conceived in your Parish brought forth in your Pulpit and now presenteth it self to you not for your protection and patronage but for your perusall and practice I confess that I am bound to many of you in courtesie to all in duty and I know not better how to express my thankfulness to some and my faithfulness to all then by dealing uprightly with you in the concernments of your souls Rom. 1.9 God is my witness whom I desire to serve with my spirit in the Gospel of his Son that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers And can through the strength of Christ much more rejoyce in one of your conversions then in all your possessions Ye know what a large Epistle I have already written to you I beseech you to read it often To the Reader in Hell and Heaven epitomized and O that the Lord would write it within you We live in days that are full of division but all that have any face of religion or form of godliness will acknowledge the things which I have written to you to be the commandments of God My cheif work is and hath been to preach unto you Repentance towards God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ which are of such infinite weight in order to your unchangeable welfares And could I prevaile with you heartily to embrace those essentials of Gods word I should have confidence of your joyful appearance in the other world T is a sign of a very foul stomach to loath such solid food as those vitals of Christianity are and to pick at Kickshaws or Sallads I mean either the new-fangled opinions of some upstart way or the vaine flourishes of humane wit O how gladly would I stand forth to your comfort at the judgment feat of Christ which that I may I earnestly request you again and again in obedience to your blessed Saviour and for the sake of your precious souls to ponder and practice these three particulars Consider that they are not onely commended to you by your weak and dying Minister but commanded you by your Maker who will within a short time reckon with you for the performance of them First Make conscience of be diligent about the means of grace neglect not secret private or publick ordinances Your bodies may as probably live without diet as your souls without duties This is Gods way by which he infuseth grace where it is wanting and increaseth grace where it is As the head by the nerves and sinews as organs conveyeth animal spirits to the whole body So doth the Churches head Christ Jesus by ordinances convey his Spirit and grace to his members Doth not experience teach you that your hearts are like water though heated a little while over the fire of the means of grace yet are no sooner taken off but they are returning to their former coldness Mariners that swim against wind and tide must row hard and continue at it if they intermit but a little while how far and how forcibly are they carried backwards It is not unknown to you if ye have any knowledge in spiritual affaires how busily and unweariedly the Devil world and flesh are drawing you to hell it highly concerneth you to be always by duties fetching in supplies from above if ever ye would arrive at heaven I do not wonder that many in our perillous times who live above duties are given up to sensuality or blasphemies The Papists say that if they can get the Protestants out of their strong holds of Scripture into the open fields of Councils and Fathers they should quickly be able to foil them If Satan can prevaile with men but to throw away the Word of God which is the sword of the Spirit and the prayer of faith which engageth Christ himself in the combat he will never doubt the conquest While men wall in the Kings high way between Sun and Sun they have the protection of the Law if otherwise it is at their own peril If you keep the way of God he will be your guard but if you wander and leave him no wonder if he leave you And certainly wo will be to you when God departeth from you A dreadful night of darkness must needs be expected when this Sun is departed The ministry of the word is called the salt of the earth Mat. 5. Saints are called Doves Who are those that fly as doves to their windows Now the property of Doves is to be exceedingly in love with a salt-stone Kites and Rooks care little for it but Doves are mightily incited to it Graceless persons neglect and despise the means of grace but they that ever enjoyed God in them cannot but set a due price upon them The beggar the poor in spirit will know that door again at which he hath received a good dole I will never forget thy precepts for by them thou hast quickned me Secondly Mind the religious education of your children Bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. It was the wish of Crates that he were upon the top of the highest hill in the world that from thence he might cry out against monstrous parents that toile to leave their children great estates but take no care what maner of persons they should be which should enjoy those estates I doubt not but ye are careful to breed your Sons Gentlemen or to bring them up to trades that they may know how to live a few days in this world but alas how few of you are solicitous to breed them new creatures and to bring them up to Christianity that they may know how to live for ever in the other world I remember that Augustine speaks mournfully Some praise my father for being at such cost even beyond his estate in my nurture but alas his care
Cor. 3.8 Rom. 1.12 Gal. 3.2 As that word of God to Abraham Sarah thy wife shall have a Son Gen. 18.10 That word I say gave birth and being to Isaac when there was no likelyhood or possibility of his being from his parents so the word of God give a spiritual birth and being to men and women when there is no likelyhood or possibility in nature yea when their natures are in flat opposition and contrariety to it The word discovereth our diseases Rom. 7.7 Jam. 2.9 makes us feel our sickness Rom. 7.9 applyeth the medicine for our cure Mat. 11.28 Isa 55.1 Rom. 10.14 The word killeth sin casteth down Satan enliveneth the soul Eph. 6.15 Jer. 23.29 Rev. 12.11 Joh. 5.24 Joh. 17.17 Isa 11.6 7 8 9. Rom. 1.16 1 Cor. 1.18 Jam. 1.18 Thus thou seest that the Physitian of souls hath several meanes for the cure of thy malady do not thou neglect any neither reading nor hearing neither fasting nor praying neither meditation nor godly conference neither secret nor private nor publike duties for thou knowest not which may do the deed Christ may wait at that very door which thou keepest shut at that ordinance which thou omittest to enter into thy soul If thou desirest that he should meet thee in any duty do thou meet him in every duty How foolish art thou to take any one horse out of the team when the load is so weighty even thine endless welfare and all little little enough to draw thine untoward heart towards heaven The Husbandman that hath a piece of ground which lyeth at the end of his fallow still balked before will be sure to plough that up and expecteth a better crop out of that then out of any such quantity of ground in the field Reader if thou hast balked any of the forementioned duties for thy souls sake set upon it speedily for undoubtedly thou mayst reap a greater harvest by it then thou imaginest Friend have a care of secret private publike duties for all must be minded by them that would be new-moulded How many thousands among us do wilfully murder their souls some poison them by crying enormities others starve them by the omission of duties It was a pitiful equivocatiof the Duke D' Alva before Harlem that promised the Souldiers their lives and afterwards kild them with hunger saying That though he promised them their lives yet he did not promise that they should have food Art not thou a cheater and murderer of thy foul in promising it spiritual life when thou denyest it the means of life As ever thou wouldst have an harvest of grace do thou plough up and sow the ground of thine heart with all the means which God hath ordained for that end Thirdly be thou serious in thine attendance on the ordinances of God Be in earnest when thou art about soul affairs consider when thou art praying or hearing or reading or conferring with Christians it is for thy life it is for thy soul it is for eternity and do whatsoever the Lord calleth thee to do for the quickening thy dying soul with all thine heart with all thy might for there is no doing it in the grave whither thou art hastening When Samson would destroy the enemies of God He bowed himself with all his might Judg. 16.30 When David was waiting upon the Ark of God He danced before the Lord with all his might 2 Sam. 6.14 So when thou hearest for the death of thy sins thou shouldst hear with all thy might Ezek 40.4 When thou prayest for the life of thy soul thou shouldst pray with all thy might 1 Thes 5.17 Ah how should they hear and read and pray for regeneration that have but a few days nay hours possibly to do it in between whom and eternal burnings there is but a little airy breath and if they be not Regenerated before they die they are ruined they are damned for ever A childe may handle the mothers brest and play with it and kisse it but all this while he gets no good till at last he layeth his mouth to the breast gets the Nipple fast sucks with his might and strength and then he draweth nourishment Reader it may be thou hast minded duties and frequented ordinances yet possibly hast got no good by them 't is likely then that thou dost but play with them dally about them doing them as if thou didst them not if ever therefore thou wouldst get good by them thou must be serious and in earnest about them do them with all thy soul with all thy strength knowing that they are of infinite weight and endless concernment to thee considering that if God do not now hear thee in thy day of grace he will never never hear thee and if thou do not now hear him thou shalt shortly never never more have such an offer I doubt not friend but thou art serious about toys and trifles thou canst rise early and go to bed late and work hard all day and have thy mind stedfastly occupied about these foolish things of the world from which within a short time thou shalt be parted for ever How busie are vain men like a company of Ants to increase their heap of earth O think of it is it not pity such a plant should grow in Egypt which would thrive so well in Canaan How fitly how finely would that seriousness and fervency which thou usest about earth become and sute with heaven Ah t would be worth the while to be most covetous and sedulous about the things of God and Christ thy soul and Eternity Fourthly Be constant in the use of the means of Grace pray and wait hear and wait read and wait watch and wait In the morning sow thy seed in the evening with-hold not thine hand for thou knowest not whether shall prosper either this or that or whether they both shall be alike good Eccles 11.6 in every morning sow thy seed pray read meditate in the evening with-hold not thine hand do the same for thou knowest not which shall prosper at which the Spirit of God will give thee a gracious effectual meeting for thy conversion or salvation or whether both shall conduce equally to thy spiritual and eternal advantage Do not expect like the Hyperboreans to sow and reap in a day allow some distance between seed time and harvest Physick doth not work immediately when it s taken into the body be confident thou shalt reap in time if thou dost not faint Suppose thou wert sick of some mortal painful disease a dead man in thy own and others thoughts and an able faithful Physitian should warrant thy cure in time upon condition that thou wouldst follow his advice and diet thy self all the while wouldst thou not use all that he prescribed and wait and long to be recovered Thou wast wounded in a moment but art not so soon recovered 't is good to wait Gods leisure what Christ said in regard of his coming in Judgement I say in regard of
a gracious man yet be without grace as the Ape imitateth the actions of reasonable men yet is without reason or as a Tragedian acteth the part of a passionate man but is all the while without passion Some men have wrought hard at duties when a naturally inlightened Conscience not God hath been the Master to set them on work they would but cannot neglect duties at so cheap a rate as others as he said Sollicitor nullos esse putare deos I could find in my heart to think there were no God but could not As they say of the Wolf in the body if you feed not it it will feed on you so if Conscience when its mouth is opened should not be fed with duty it would feed on them and therefore to keep it from gnawing them they stop its mouth with performances though they never do them from a renewed Principle Do not therefore Reader hang the weight of thy soul upon such weak wyers since men do so ordinarily take the way of duties no otherwise then Amaziah did the way of the garden-house 2 Kings 9.27 meerly for necessity to escape an enemy that followed him wherein he was at length pursued and slain Remigius a Judge of Lorraighn telleth us how the Devil gave some in those parts mony which at first appeared to be good coin but being laid up and when need was taken out to be spent it proved to be nothing but dry leaves Reader I wish it may not be so but it is possible for thee to drive a great Trade in duties while thou livest to hoord up a a great heap of those riches and they may seem to be currant coin good silver to have the image and stamp of the King of heaven upon it but when thou comest to die that thou art to spend it for then thy works will follow thee and God will give thee according to thy works it may then prove but dry leaves of no worth or profit to thee Though these unsound bottoms hold out well enough in a fair sea when they are put to no stresse yet stormy weather will quickly discover their rottennesse Not a few take up duties onely because they were educated in such a Religious manner not from any rellish or savour which they find in them and truly 't will be an easie matter to part him and his work who never took any pleasure in it The stone for a time may against its nature be mounted upward but when the force of that imprest vertue which moved it is spent 't will fall downward according to its nature Partridges that are hatched under an hen may walk with her and answer her call for a time but anon they flie away and shew what they are Reader I write not these things to dishearten thee from duties which are the body of Religion but to quicken thee to mind Regeneration which is the soul of it Sixthly The commendation of others though they be real Saints will not prove thee to be in a state of salvation The holiest mans confidence of thee is a pittiful evidence that thou shalt be happy How many have there been in the City who made a great noise were cried up by their knowing judicious neighbors to be very rich and to be worth thousands when on a sudden we have heard of their breaking and being worse as we say then naught so many even by them which are godly and discerning may be counted rich in grace rich towards God and on a sudden either by some temptation or at their dissolutions they break and God takes away from them what they seemed to have How was good David mistaken in Achitophel Surely he thought him Gods Favourite otherwise he would never have made him his familiar and bosom friend It was thou O man mine equal my friend and my acquaintance we took sweet counsel together and walked to the house of God in company Psal 55.12 13 14. How was Simon Peter deceived in Simon Magus who believed wondered at the miracles which were wrought and was baptised but notwithstanding that was in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity Acts 8.13 20. How was holy Paul mistaken in Demas Luke the beloved Physitian and Demas greet you Coloss 4.14 there he ranks him with one that was eminently religious but Philemon vers 24. he puts him before Luke and calls him his fellow-laborer yet 2 Tim. 4.10 which Epistle was the last of all Pauls Epistles Demas hath forsaken me having embraced this present world he turned as some write Idol-priest he followed the chase till he met with the honey and Jonathan-like then left the pursuit How much were all the holy Apostles deceived in Judas If Peter as their mouth speaks of their faith Judas is included Joh. 6.69 We believe and are sure that thou art Christ the Son of the living God When he speaks of their good works Judas is not excepted Behold we have forsaken all and followed thee Matth. 19.27 Further when a Traytor is mentioned Judas is not suspected his carriage was so fair that they were more jealous of their own hearts then of him Mat. 26.22 and yet he was a Traytor a Devil Infallibility was never annexed to the godly mans choice Dedalus made an image that moved it self by art which made the spectators believe that it had a living principle the Hypocrite may walk so exactly perform duties so devoutly that Saints may judge such motions to flow from a principle of spiritual life Because men have the exact resemblance of Christians therefore godly men who are charitable abroad and censorious at home judge them to be true Christians Now in regard there may be a resemblance of a Christian in external actions where there is not the essence of Christianity in internal sanctified affections therefore they though they sin not yet sometimes they err in their judgements 1 Sam. 16.6 7. When Samuel came to Jesse being sent to annoint a King and seeth Eliab a proper handsom person he presently crieth out Surely the Lords annointed is before him but mark what God saith Look not on his countenance nor the height of his stature for I have rejected him for God seeth not as man seeth for man looketh on the outward appearance but God looketh on the heart So when godly men see their neighbors lovely in their lives civil in their practices high in their profession strict in performances they according to their duty say inwardly at least Surely the Lords annointed is before him these are the blessed of the Lord annointed to the Kingdom of heaven but God may often answer them Look not on their profession or their performances for I see their hearts that they serve not me but themselves of me We read of Zeuxes the Painter that he drew grapes so to the life that he deceived the birds who came flying to them and pecking at them as if they had been real grapes Certainly a graceless man may have such a compleat
as cannot possibly go unfulfilled O my soul what sayst thou to it Except thou art born again thou canst not see the Kingdom of God There is a necessity of thy turning in time or burning eternally How wilt thou answer this text and many more in the other world Canst thou think to make the infinite God a liar and in despight of him and his word to escape hell O do not deceive thy self God will be true though every man be a liar therefore set about this work that is thus absolutely needful before thou art irrecoverably woful Friend I would advise thee to do as the Patriaches did Joseph had told them that Except your yonger brother come with you ye shall not see my face Jacob their father would have them notwithstanding this express assertion to venture into Josephs presence without their brother But what said Judah Gen. 43.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The man did solemnly protest unto us saying Ye shall not see my face except your brother be with you If thou wilt send our brother with us we will go down but if thou wilt not send him we will not go down for the man said unto us Ye shall not see my face except your brother be with you So do thou consider and lay it home to thy soul that the great God of heaven and earth hath said that except regeneration be with thee be in thee thou shalt not see his face with comfort and though thy deceitful heart and the divel may wish thee to venture into his presence in the other world without it yet do thou reply the almighty and faithful God hath solemnly protested unto me that except regeneration be with me I shall not see him face to face and enjoy the beatifical vision Therefore if I be regenerated I will go and look death judgment God and Christ in the face with courage and comfort but if I be not regenerated I may 〈◊〉 go lest I die lest I be damned eterâ—â—â—y For God hath said unto me Follow after holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. The fifth subject of Consideration The Equity of Regeneration or living to God FIfthly Consider the Equity and reasonableness of that which God requireth of thee I shall now appeal to thine own conscience whether there be not all the reason in the world that thy main work night and day should be to please and glorifie the Lord if all come from him should not the honor of all be given to him if he be infinite in wisdom should he not in all his providences be adored if he be infinitely faithful should he not in all his promises be beleived if he be the first cause should he not in all his precepts be obeyed if he be infinitely holy should he not in all our approaches to him be reverenced if he be infinitely just and powerful should he not in all his threatnings be feared if he be infinitely gracious and perfect should he not be heartily loved Religion is the highest reason therefore conversion is called conviction Joh. 16.10 When a mans mouth is stopped and his mind fully satisfied of the reason of living to God that he hath nothing to object against 〈◊〉 then he is convinced Rom 12.1 The offering upâ—â— thy soul and body unto God as a living sacrifice is called rational or reasonable service I shall offer thee three or four Questions and I do verily beleive that if thou seriously consider them thou canst not but be convinced that there is all the reason in the world that thou shouldst presently turn from sin unto God First Is there not all the reason in the world that the work should be for the service and honor of the workman that he who planted the vineyard should eat of the fruit of it that he who made thee should be served by thee he who oweth the ground and buildeth an house may rationally expect the benefit and use of it may not God thy Landlord who hath reared and set up thine earthly Tabernacle appoint what conditions he pleaseth in the Lease which he granteth thee how his own house should be imployed not to such and such sordid sinful uses but to the service and glory of his Majesty is it rational that Gods house should be imployed to the Devils use Thy creation is such a tie to subjection that thou canst never answer it Ps 100.22 Serve the Lord with gladness he hath made us and not we ourselves Davids prayer is to this purpose Thine hands have made me and fashioned me O give me understanding that I may keep thy commandments Psa 119.77 and 95.6 Isa 43.7 Let thy conscience be judge wouldst not thou esteem it injustice for another to have the honor and use of thy works or of thine house the Law which is built upon reason gives thee the service of thine own goods houses and lands and why shall not God have thy service with what face canst thou deny him that sowed liberty to reap Secondly Is there not all the reason in the world that he who lives wholly at anothers cost and charge that is fed cloathed preserved night and day protected at home and abroad supplied with all necessaries relieved in all his exigencies delivered in all his extremities by another should live wholly to him and do him service Dost thou not know that thy being and all thy comforts depend on God every moment that every bit of bread every breath of air every hours sleep nay every minutes abode on this side hell is altogether from his bounty and mercy that thou canst not speak a word nor think a thought nor lift an hand nor stir a foot nor open thine eyes to see or thy mouth to eat or drink without him T is his visitation that preserveth thy spirit Job 10.12 In him thou livest movest and hast thy being He is thy shield to defend thee from evil many mischiefs would daily befal thee men would kill thee devils would drag thee to hell O how they long for thee and how ready they are to seise thee did not the Lord curb and restrain them Alexander told his Souldiers I wake that ye may sleep Sure I am he that preserveth thee never stumbereth nor sleepeth The Lord is the Captain of thy Life-guard to protect thee and thy Sun to refresh thee and therefore dost thou not owe him the glory of those mercies which his free grace bestoweth on thee Thou dost a little under God for the feeding and cloathing of thy children and servants and therefore thinkest that no duty no service is great enough for thee O how infinitely art thou bound to God for all thy time health strength food raiment house friend and every good thing that thou enjoyest and yet may not God look that thou shouldst make it thy business to serve please and glorifie him T was a good vow of holy Jacob If the Lord will be with me and keep me in the way