his voice and live Joh. 5.21.25 And Paul tells us that our life is hid with Christ in God Col. 3.4 He is the Fountain of the Water of Life which he invites men to come and drink Rev. 22.17 Joh. 7.37 And he tells us further in Joh. 11.25 that he is the Resurrection and the Life and that whoso findeth him findeth life Pro. 8.35 So that Regeneration is a new Life a Heavenly Life and the Life of Christ Secondly Light special and peculiar Light By Nature we are blind walk in darkness and know not whether we go because darkness hath blinded our eyes we know neither Christ nor our selves there is a Vail before our eyes so as that we cannot discern spiritual things and matters spiritually they are all Mysteries unto us and we cannot see them so as to love prize and esteem them more than our lusts and the things of this world So the Gospel tells us that by Nature we are in darkness Eph. 5.8 Acts. 20.18 and our calling is out of darkness 1 Pet. 2.9 and the Light that is Christ shined in darkness that is in mens hearts Joh. 1.5 And we are told that men by Nature are not only in darkness but that they love it or to abide in it Joh. 3.19 Now in Regeneration God causeth light to shine in our hearts to give us the knowledge of the glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 And we are brought out of darkness into marvellous light 1 Pet. 2.9 and by this light we are enabled to discern heavenly and spiritual things spiritually 1 Cor. 2.9 10 12 13 14 15. Our sin and hypocrisie from God hath brought us into a Dungeon of darkness and therefore it is absolutely necessary that God should give us spiritual light in Regenerating us to make us teachable and tractable to know his will and do it for without this Light we cannot know nor do it aright Thirdly Faith Christ gives men Faith that they may believe in him and in God the Father as he commands them to do Joh. 14.1 1 Pet. 1.21 1 Joh. 8.23 Joh. 6.22 Men have no Faith I mean no special and peculiar Faith of their own whereby they can rightly believe in Christ unto Salvation Heb. 10. ult and therefore they must have it from him and from him they have it in Regeneration for he is the Fountain of Faith as well as of Life and Light All things are delivered to him of the Father Matth. 11.27 and it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell Col. 1.19 that of his fulness men might receive Grace for Grace Joh. 1.16 Christ commands them to believe in him and tells them that in so doing they shall have Eternal Life Joh. 3.16 and that they may so believe and obtain Eternal Life he bestows of his own Faith upon them which is a part of their New Life or Regeneration This is a lively Faith 1 Pet. 1.3 of the Operation of God Col. 2.12 and it is given them in the behalf of Christ Phil. 1.29 And in Eph. 2.8 't is said not to be of our selves but the gift of God and presently subâ—oyns verse 10. that we are Gods workmanship created or regenerated in Christ Jesus unto good works whereof believing is the most excellent Joh. 6.29 And in 1 Pet. 1.3 the Apostle tells us and blesses God that he had begotten some Souls to a lively Faith or Hope which shews that Faith and Hope are part of the New Creation And the Faith whereby we believe in Christ unto the saving of our Souls is called the Faith of Christ Rom. 3.22 Eph. 3.11 12. The Faith that meer natural men have it is a dead Faith Jam. 2.20.26 but the Faith of Christ is a part of the Life of Regeneration We do not first believe that we may be quickned and Regenerated but we are first Regenerated by the Spirit of Faith and then we believe with a living lively and with a heart-purifying Faith Acts 15.9 Fourthly Hope Hope is a Grace of Christ and a part of our Regeneration or of the New Creature in us Hence Regenerate persons are called Children of Hope 1 Joh. 3.3 and in Col. 1.27 it is said that Christ is in them the Hope of Glory Unregenerate men are said to be without hope while they are without God in the world Eph. 2.12 and when they are savingly called or Regenerated they are said to be called in Hope Eph. 1.18 and all believers are called in one Hope Eph. 4.4 that is all have the same grace of Hope given them in their calling and in 1 Pet. 1.3 before-named they are said to be begotten again to a lively Hope by the Resurrection of Christ from the dead Fifthly Love Love is another Grace given from the God of all Grace in Regeneration Such as loved not God before above the Creature are enabled by Regenerating Love to love him mostly heartily obediently and constantly This Love is shed abroad into the heart by the Holy Ghost Rom. 5.5 and God is said to give it to men by circumcising that is by regenerating their hearts Deut. 30.6 This is one of the Laws that God promises to write in their hearts Jer. 31.33 God requires men to love him with all their hearts minds and strength Matth. 22.37 and that they may so do he Regenerates them that is he gives them Regenerating Love and this Grace helps to compleat the work of Regeneration in us This Love is a Beam a drop of that Love wherewith he loves his Elect and therewith Regenerate persons love God again with the same love that he loves them it is the same for kind though not of the same degree so that he who loves not God with all his heart is not Regenerate but he that doth is certainly Regenerated Sixthly Fear Men have cast off the fear of God and fear not to offend him but God will be feared by men and requires them to do it all the day long Pro. 23.17 Men indeed are naturally afraid of Gods Judgments when they see or seel them but they are not afraid of provoking God by their disobedience and rebellion men have cast the fear of God behind their backs but God will have some hearers of him and therefore he puts it into their hearts Jer. 32.39 40. that with his Grace of holy fear they may indeed stand in awe of him and sin not Psal 4.4 There are no men in the world that fear God aright but Regenerate persons and the fear of God being a part of their Regeneration they do from the day of their New Birth begin to fear him and ever after they are called Fearers of God Psal 115. The Eye and Commands of God keep them in awe God hath put fear into men and beasts to be a means to cause them to preserve themselves and to keep them from hurting one another So in Regeneration God puts his holy spiritual fear into their hearts that they may not
or that have the faith to believe in him to 〈◊〉 saving of their Souls Heb. 10. ult There are many indeed that have a Faith and pretend to believe in Christ so John 8 31. Acts 8. but very few have that faith to do so in Truth neither do they much if at all desire and seek after such a Faith but are pleased and satisfied well enough without it Oh! how few are there who have the Faith of Gods Elect and their pretious Faith that do Believe through â—race and have that Faith which purifies the heart and leads them forth and carries them out of themselves to Christ to take up in him only Tit. 1 1. 2 Pet. 1 1. Acts 15 9 Acts 18 27. This they could and would do indeed were they Regenerated for as hath been shewed all such as are Regenerated do so in and by the light and power of Christs grace in Regeneration 7. How few are there among the great multilades of professors that love God the Lord Jesus Christ his Grace Laws People and Gospel Obedience â—â—re or so much as they do their own Lusts the world and their own carnal profits pleasures and honours Oh! how few are there that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity Eph. 6. ult and with their whole hearts Math. 22.37 how few are there to be found that have their hearts circumcised to love the Lord and that have had the holy Ghost sheding abroad the love of God into their hearts as all regenerate persons have Deut. 30.6 Rom. 5.5 Is it not apparent that the most of professors are strong and greedy fervent and zealous Lovers of the world and carnal self 2 Tim. 3.2 men shall in the last dayes sayes Paul be lovers of themselves and of pleasures more then God Vers 4. And is it not really so now with the greater number of professors which shews they are in an unregenerate state and condition For were they new Creatures indeed they would love God Jesus Christ and heavenly things as the great and onely objects of their lovely delight choice and complacency All other things would be to them as they were to regenerate Paul namely diâ—â— and dung in comparison of Christ Grace Gospel-obedience Holyness Heaven and heavenly things Phil. 3. 8. How few are there who have or are about the great work of Crucifying the flesh with the affections and lusts in good earnest which were they â—ew Creatures indeed they would assuredly be much concerned in and busying themselves about as one of their great and indispensible workes and businesses For all regenerate persons are seriously exercising themselves in this work Gall. 5.24 they 〈◊〉 purifying their hearts by faith and perfecting holiness in the fear of God Acts. 15.9 1 Joh. 3.3 2 Co. 7.1 But so are not the Generality of professors they are strangers if not eneâ—ies to this work They are as was said in 〈◊〉 with them they are their joy and deâ—ight and who will seek and unfainedly endeavour to destroy them they love deilght and take pleasure in These are onely the works of regenerate men 9. How few are there who do unfainedly repent 〈◊〉 their Sins and mourn night and day for their transgressions are in real bitterness of soul and abase Judge and condemn themselves which if they were regenerated they would 〈◊〉 They would humble themselves be ashamed of themselves for uncovering their nakedness and laying open their shame before God and men and they would repent in dust and Ashes withall their hearts and Souls Job 42.5.6 Izek. 36.31 For this is the New Creatures dayly worke Regenerate men have that berefit of Christ his Resurrection and Ascension as well as others namely Repentance Acts 5.31 and that great grant and fruit of the Covenant of Grace and the blood of it Acts 11.18 Heb. 13.20 Repentance unto Life By the power of which they practice Repentance They have it in their hearts and act it in their walkings They mark and observe what they should be and what Errors and mistakes they are guilty of mourn for it and labor to mend them But do the multitude of professors do so no not in the least they cast these things out of all serious Consideration it is a work they loath and wholly neglect It is too low and base business for them to mind or concern 10. How few are there among the multitudes of professors who make it their business to please and honour God to fear and reverence him and to worship him in Spirit and Truth This or these matters would be strong and powerful on their hearts and Souls and they would labour to do it indeed were they regenerated For all regenerate men have it so on their hearts and they do really aim at and endeavour it as was before proved Phill. 3.3 God hath wrought in them that which is well-pleasing in his sight Heb. 13.21 and to worship him in Spirit and Truth Joh. 4.23 They are formed by Grace to honour and magnifie God and to make it their work and business Isa 43.21 and are created in Christ Jesus unto this and all other good works Eph. 2.10 They are renewed in knowledge to understand them and with power and will to do them Coll. 3.10 Phil. 2.13 Psal 110.3 But where are such persons to be found among Professors O! how few how this are they sown and how rarely do they appear if compared with others how few have the power of Godliness in comparison of them who take up with the meer forme how few professors are Spiritually minded persons who set their Affections on things above and not on things below Coll. 3.1 2 Rom. 8.5.6 and that have thee Conversation or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Trade in heaven Phil. 3.20 how few are their who guard and watch themselves and their Souls adversaries and keep their hearts with all diligence or above before all things Pro. 4 23. how few are there who labour and make it their Trade and business to be fruitful in every good worke and dound in the work of the Lord to bear much fruit unto Eternal Life and all that God may be glorified and their own Souls profited and saved by Grace Coll. 1.10 1 Cor. 15. ult Jâ—b 15.8 Rom. 6.22 How few are there who do unfainedly minde and labour to walk sincerely and uprightly with God and before him and to adorn the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Surely very few do and are so indeed Only a little little flock do they and they only are such persons within and walk so without as hath been shewed From which Proofs and Instances we may certainly conclude that there are but a very few a small number of Regenerate persons among the multitudes of professors I have I think said enough for the confirming and clearing of this Truth although I could say much more to and of it were it needful Now then what use and Improvement should we all make of this Truth Surely it is a great Truth and
Eternal Glorification BEGUN IN REGENERATION OR A DISCOURSE OF REGENERATION Wherein is shewed 1. What Regeneration is with the causes of it 2. The necessity of Regeneration in order to Salvation 3. The Lets and Hindrances of it 4. The certain Signs and Tokens of it 5. The small number or fewness of Regenerate Persons 6. Their Priviledges and Happiness 7. Their Duties and how they ought to walk Intended for the profit of all both REGENERATE and UNREGENERATE Persons By STEPHEN FORD Preacher of the Gospel in LONDON For in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Vncircumcision but a New Creature Gal. 6.15 London Printed for Nath. Crouch in Exchange Alley over against the Royal Exchange 1675. The Epistle Dedicatory To my much loved and regarded Friends the young men c. who have chosen me for your Instructor are of and continue your chearful attendance on the Lords Days Evening Lecture and to all other persons who do frequently wait on and encourage the same Grace Mercy and Peace be multiplied unto you all SIRS THe great ends for which we are set and maintained in this world are 1. To get new hearts and prepare for another world that is to come 2. To live to and walk with God and serve our Generation and in and by our so doing to look for and receive from God the portion of Blessings he hath provided for and promised to bestow on us here We are all and every one of us indispensably bound to endeavour all we can to obtain and prosecute these ends because otherwise we shall all perish In this world we have our day of Grace to fit us for glory if we are wise and do faithfully improve it we shall assuredly reap the fruits of it in another world yea the earnest or first-fruits of it here You have but a little uncertain time here to run your Race in and to prepare for Eternal Life and if you neglect to do it to purpose here you will most certainly be shut out of Heaven hereafter Mat. 25 1-13 v. If you trifle in this matter and seem indifferent you are not wise but play the fool and err exceedingly as you will find to your cost at the last day if not before To prevent which and to make you truly wise sensible serious and diligent in and about your everlasting concerns I have written this little Book and do present it to your serious and faithful consideration and improvement and that in and with unfained love and cordial affection For I do assure you that I have bowels of love for you and with all my heart and soul do pray for and endeavour your Regeneration and Salvation which I hope you see and are convinced of by my constant free and unwearied labours amongst you according to my small Talent The great and holy God knows that I seek not yours but you as I hope you can all bear me witness having once and again told you that I had Dedicated my poor Labours as a Free-will Offering unto God and the service of your Souls and that I did not look for or expect any reward from you for my pains but your holy and spiritual improvement of them to the glory of God and your own Eternal Salvation The Truths here presented to your eyes to read were first you know preached to your ears to hear but knowing how treacherous and weak our memories are and how apt we are to let slip that which we hear and also fearing that the great Doctrine of Regeneration and your concernments in it might by this time be worn very much out of the minds and hearts of many of you I thought it a necessary and useful work to provide as well as I could for the reviving of it on you and fastening it in your hearts by writing and composing the sum and substance of what I preached to you which here I have done I have endeavoured to contract the whole within as narrow a compass as I could and to hold forth great Truths unto you with all possible plainness You may not expect a large Epistle from me because I want opportunity to do it at this time and therefore shall sum up all I have to say in a few words 1. I do entreat you to read and ponder well what you shall find here written and importune the Lord to give you much spiritual wisdom and understanding that you may be enabled to make a right judgment of the glorious Truths herein revealed 2. Look on the great Doctrine of Regeneration as a most weighty and important Doctrine to add for your selves as well as others that you stand in need of it and are indispensably bound to know and understand it as it is asserted and laid down in the Gospel and as written and set up in mens hearts in order to their Eternal Glorification yea and to know and experience the excellency and power of it in your own hearts 3. Apply what you read unto your selves examine and prove your own states and conditions by what you shall find in this Book search and see if the work of Regeneration be indeed wrought in your Souls and do not take up and deceive your Souls with a bare Reformation instead of real Regeneration with an external change only instead of an internal Oh! how many poor Souls are here among Great Professors who bless and speak peace to themselves and hope all is well with them that they are in Gods favour and shall certainly be saved because they have gotten some light in their heads and quiet in their minds good notions of good things and also a clean outside and form of godliness But if you have any pity for your Souls try and prove your selves to purpose until you know your conditions and take not up in any thing or attainments short of Regeneration for if you do you shall be shut out of Heaven 4. If you find upon search that the great and rare work of Regeneration is indeed wrought in your hearts and souls give glory to God and exalt the Lord Jesus Christ rejoyce and be exceeding glad for you are the blessed of the Lord you are the happy people and are sanctified and set apart for God and his holy works and ends and now you must unfainedly devote your selves and your all to him to live to and serve him with your all Now you must wholly mind how to please and honour him and to express your thankfulness in all possible hearty and filial obedience You must be wholly taken up with and imployed for God perfecting Holiness in his fear and bringing forth fruits whereby he may be glorified and you must in all your ways endeavour so to walk as to adorn the Gospel and have your good works shine in the world to the praise of God 5. You whom God hath Regenerated and given a well-grounded hope thereof put your selves under all the Ordinances of Christ and do not content your selves with some
Death purchased their freedom and liberty Tit. 2.14 but it is made theirs by or in Regeneration Then he opens the Prison doors Isa 61.1 turns the Devil out of his Throne Luke 11.21 22. breaks off their bonds and brings them out sets them at liberty and lets them go free and all by virtue of his blood in pursuance of the Covenant Zach. 9.11 Now they are said to be free from sin and become the servants of God Rom. 6.22 and the wicked one toucheth them not 1 Joh. 5.18 In Regeneration Christ leads Captivity captive Eph. 4.8 It is a great real and Everlasting Freedom that men have in Regeneration they shall no more return into Captivity If therefore the Son shall make you free ye shall be free indeed Joh. 8.36 Hence they are ever after Regeneration called the Lords Free-men 1 Cor. 7.22 for by Regeneration they are put into the state of liberty not upon condition or for a time but for ever They are free from the Ruledom of Sin and Satan from the Law of sin and death by the Law of the Spirit of Life Rom. 8.2 By Regeneration they are made free to and for God and Holiness to serve him without fear in righteousness and holiness all their days Rom. 6.22 Luke 1.74 75. So that now they have nothing else to do or mind but how as Free-men to walk worthy of their new state to live unto God and bear fruit to his praise and glory for they are now in a secure state of freedom and liberty and need not fear the loss of it Fourthly By Regeneration we are put into a state of Relation to God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son In our unregenerate states we are the Children of the Devil Joh. 8.44 are his subjects and servants and also the servants of sin Rom. 6.17 18. and then we stood in no special Relations to Christ For when we are made free from sin by Regeneration then and not till then we become the Lords servants Rom. 6.22 God is indeed related to us as our Creator and we are related to him as we are his Creatures but this is no special Relation for the Devils are so related to God But Regeneration puts us into several special Relations 1. Into a Conjugal Relation Christ is Married to them and they to him 2 Cor. 11.2 Cant. 2.16 Christ is their Husband and they are his Wife as the Song of Solomon shews 2. God is their Father and they are his Children not as by the first Creation but by Regeneration Joh. 1.12 2 Cor. 6. ult Isa 9 6. Heb. 2. 3. Christ is their Head and they are his Members Eph. 5.30 4. Christ is their Lord and King and they are his Subjects and Servanti Col. 2.6 Rom. 6.16.22 Psal 2.6 5. Christ is their Shepherd and they are his Sheep Joh. 10.11.14.27 6. Christ is their Prophet and they are his Scholars Acts 3.22 23. These are some of the near Relations that Regenerate persons stand in to Christ and they are instated in them by Regeneration for then they are contracted to Christ I have says Paul espoused you to Christ 2 Cor. 11.2 namely by the means of his Preaching to them and so they are made Sons and Daughters Gal. 4.5 Fifthly In Regeneration men are put into a state of Righteousness and Justification not that they are Justified by Inherent Grace or because they are Regenerated but that God doth by Regenerating them enable them to take hold of Christ and believe in him unto Justification of Life Rom. 5.18 Rom. 3.22.25 So also for that God doth actually and personally justifie men when he Regenerates and makes them New Creatures Before Regeneration men are in a guilty state they are in an unrighteous and as such in a condemned state and condition but by the means of Regeneration they are enabled to believe receive and apply the Righteousness of Christ unto themselves and they can go to God the Father and take out his Acquittances and promised Discharges Pardons and Acceptance bring home and apply all unto themselves and so God accepts them acquits and forgives them discharges them of and justifies them from and against all Crimes Accusations and Indictments whatsoever and puts them into a Justified state or into a state of Righteousness and Justification upon their believing in him with the Faith given them in and by their Regeneration Rom. 8.33 34. 2 Cor. 5. ult Rom. 3.24.26 1 Cor. 1.30 Sixthly Regeneration puts men into a state of Friendship with God By Nature we are all Enemies to him and God seems to be and to carry himself towards us as an Enemy Rom. 5.10 Isa 63.10 yea we are by Nature worse and more than Enemies for being in Friendship with the World we are at Enmity with God Jam. 4.4 But Regeneration makes a great change for it makes us Friends to God and God carries himself Friendly towards us The old Enmity is turned into a sweet real and comfortable Friendship God carries himself Friendly and as a Cordial and great Friend to us and so do we in measure unto him we have his Heart opened to us in love and kindness and ours are opened unto him in duty love and obedience There is a great kindness familiarity and communication between God and Regenerate persons and they do greatly delight in one anothers company Isa 62.4 Isa 58. ult Pro. 15.8 This Friendship between God and New Creatures is a real not feigned Friendship it is a heart-endearing and Soul-knitting Friendship it is a pleasant and delightful Friendship it is a sure and well-grounded Friendship and it is a constant and perpetual Friendship it is such a knitting and fast Friendship as that neither Sip or Satan can possibly desolve In and ever after Regeneration God calls his New Creatures his Friends Luke 12.4 Joh. 15.13 14. Isa 41.8 Jam. 2.23 and God and them declare themselves true and choice Friends indeed to each other by their love and loving one another at all times which is the property of a true Friend Pro. 17.17 Seventhly and lastly They are by Regeneration put into a state of Grace By Nature men are not only sinful but they are in a state of sin and death they are dead in sin and sold under sin yea they are altogether sin Eph. 2.1 Rom. 3 10-20 As their services to God are so are they they are iniquity Isa 1.13 It is their name character and nature Rom. 5.8 Gal. 2.15 But Regeneration sets men in a state of Grace for although after Regeneration they have much sin and filthiness in them yet their state is accounted and called and it is really a holy state and after Regeneration men are never accounted and called sinners but Saints holy Brethren the People and Children of God and the like for they have their new Names from their new States As the Apostle speaks to the Ephesians Ye are saith he no more Strangers and Forreigners but Fellow-Citizens of the Saints Eph. 2.19 so
so at the best their sight and knowledge is an uncertain weak and unedifying knowledge Their sight and knowledge of these matters profit them not It lies idle and useless in the head but is of no advantage to the heart It brings them not to the things they see to close up with them and make them their choice to apply and rightly to appropriate them unto themselves No but they still lay at a distance from their hearts and their hearts from them They see no transcendent worth and excellency in them to cause them indeed to desire them and with self-denial to make them their own But they are enabled by Regeneration to see and understand Spiritual things spiritually 1 Cor. 2.13.14 They have now Eyes to see withal Ephes 1.18 and a new light to see by namely The Sun of Righteousness Mal. 4.2 The Glory of the Lord is risen upon them Isa 60.1 But before they saw with their old eyes though it may be they were a little anointed with some common spiritual Light still yet they were but their old natural Eyes or sense of seeing and they had only Candle light to see spiritual things by But Regenerate persons are called out of darkness into marvellous light 1 Pet. 2.9 The light of the knowledge of the Glory of God shines into their hearts 2 Cor. 4.6 enabling them with a measure of clear discerning what they are by Nature and what they are made by the Grace of Christ how they ought to live in this world and what their duties are the workings of their own lusts and the Temptations of the Devil and World the proneness and inclination of the heart to sin and close up with Temptations and the continual need they have of Divine assistance and protection what need they have of the Mercy of God and of the Blood and Righteousness of Christ Moreover their new light directs and leads them to Jesus Christ to own receive and accept him for their Lord and Saviour for their King Priest and Prophet for their Head and Ruler their Teacher and Lawgiver and it is powerful to lead and perswade them out of themselves to take up in Christ only Col. 2.6 Joh. 1.12 Psal 73.25 26. Phil. 3.7.8 and it is powerful to take off their hearts and hands from sin self-righteousness and self-ability from self-boasting or glorying in self and from the enticing objects of this world This new Divine Spiritual Light sees such a transcendent and singular beauty excellency and loveliness in the person love and Grace of Christ as to draw the Mind Affections and whole Soul to him to lodge them in him take up with him greatly to love him and cleave unto him to desire him and his Grace and to chuse and apply it to themselves To adore and admire him to honour and exalt him to live and dye with him and for him to live to him and make it their work and business to please him to speak well of him and to commend him his Love and Grace to the acceptance and admiration of others Cant. 5.9 ult so likewise they see a desirable excellency and loveliness in the wills and commands of Christ in their duty and Gospel obedience to him so as to fall in love with them and it so as to observe and do what he commands and that because it is his holy Will Gracious and Soveraign Pleasure and Appointment that they should so do yea and they can in measure discern when they please him and when they do not Heb. 11.5 Besides Regenerate persons have an experimental knowledge they taste feel and enjoy a part of the Heavenly matters which they see they have the earnest and first Fruits of them in their hands they have a part in possession namely of Christ his Grace Spirit Truth and Heaven and they begin to see those things more distinctly and particularly they can discern one thing from another and more and more look into the nature property use and end of them and how to use and improve them to the glory and praise of God and to the comfort and edification of their own Souls Secondly another of these new spiritual senses is Tasting The natural Man hath the senses of seeing and tasting things that are suitable to him so hath the spiritual man or new creature O taste and see that the Lord is gracious Psal 34.8 And if you have tasted that the Lord is gracious 1 Pet. 2.3 It is a spiritual sense or taste and they are spiritual things that it can taste and relish I shall briefly name some of them to help you in your tryal or in the proving and examining your state and conditions by them 1. The word of God Gospel Precepts and Promises The one declaring what God and Christ the Mediator and holy Ghost hath and will do for us the other what is our Duty and what we should do for God These words of God are exceeding sweet and pleasant to the spiritual taste of new Creatures Psal 19.10 They are says David sweeter than the honey or honey Comb. So in the 119. Psal And Jeremy tells us the same Chap. 15.16 Thy words were found and I did eat them and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoycing of my heart So is the word of God to thee if thou art a new Creature especially at sometimes but it is not so to others Christ calls his Fathers will his food My Meat says he is to do the will of him that sent me and man liveth not by bread onely but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Matth. 4. Well what canst thou say of and to this for thy self 2. The good Counsels Exhortations Admonitions and Reproofs of Christian friends and Resolutions are sweet to thy taste also 1 Sam. 25.32 33. verses compared with the foregoing verses And David said blessed be thou of the Lord and blessed be thy advice Oh! how sweet was a Womans Counsel and Admonition unto David although he was much her Superiour It is the same in measure with thee if thou art a Regenerate person Oh! thou wilt receive relish and eat such friendly words of Counsel and Advice and bless God for them and not quarrel and censure thy friends for what they do but receive and eat it as sweet and wholesome food for thy Soul and give God and them thanks 3. Ordinances The Gospel Ordinances and holy Appointments of Christ will be and are indeed sweeter to thy Taste than any worldly thing The Ordinances of Preaching and hearing the Gospel are as the Gospel to thee sweeter than hony to thy mouth Psal 119.103 So are the other Ordinances to the Lords Supper Baptism Prayer singing of Psalms and Church-Fellow-ship The Order and Discipline of Christ in the Church and all other his Gospel appointments 4. The Lord Jesus Christ is most Sweet unto their Tasts As he is the fairest of ten Thousands and altogether Lovely Cant. 5.10 ult so he is the
and Souls to magnify and honour him Psal 103.1.2 Cant. 5.10 ult They lay a Charge on themselves and command as it were their all to bless and glorify him Now what can you say to this mark Can you say it is so with you do you find it in you and do you experience it indeed or do you not can you say in deed and in Truth that whatever the performance be yet the frame bent choice inclination and disposition of your hearts and endevours of your hands are fully and frequently set and resolved to exalt serve please and magnify the great God and Jesus Christ your Lord and King your Glory and Crown Fifthly The new Creature hath a hungring and thursting desire and earnest longing after Jesus Christ after Interest in and Communion with him after a clearer and more distinct knowledge of him and acquaintance with him and whatsoever is his as his Lawes Promises Blood Graces or what ever else they hear is in him or hath relation to or proceeds from him The new Creature is like Noahs Dove that can rest the sole of its foot only on and in this Ark of the Everlasting Covenant All other Foundations are but broken Reeds and Ropes of Sand to him Christ and the Covenant of Grace the faithfulness and All-sufficiency of God are his only Anchor Holds and Rocky Grounds upon which he can rest himself and on which he casts and roles himself The New Man is the only wise Builder for he chuses the Rock of Ages to Build upon and none else Math. 7.25 Math. 16.18 Phil. 3.7 8. The Foundation which God hath laid in the Covenant of Grace for men to Build themselves their Faith and Hope upon that they desire chuse hunger and seek after and cannot be satisfied without 1 Cor. 3.11 Psal 73.25 26. The Regenerate persons take up in rest build and stay themselves The Lord is my Rock says David Psal 18.2 so says every New Creature the Lord Jesus Christ shall be my only Rock and Foundation my hopes notions self-righteousness good works and performances my self-supposed abilities Professions Priviledges and Reformations shall no more be my Foundations as they have been No but Christ and the Covenant of Grace the Faithfulness and All-sufficiency of God shall be my Foundation and resting Place I will build my self and all my hopes confidences and expectations wholly and altogether on them for they and they only can bare the weight of my Soul and eternal Salvation which I must build upon them But unregenerate men have other bottoms and foundations to rest and build themselves upon they little or nothing at all concern themselves in good earnest with the Foundation God hath laid but form a great many to themselves and build all their confidences hopes and expectations on them and say they are safe and secure no evil shall come to them Math. 7.26 Thus did the foolish Virgins Math. 25.1 and thus did Paul before his Regeneration Phil. 3.6 7. But it was otherwise after his Regeneration then his whole Soul and mind was carried forth to Christ with all possible earnestness and importunity Phil. 3.8 Their thousand of Rams and ten thousand Rivers of Oyl now are nothing to them as once they were Micah 6.7 no but now ten thousand of worlds for a sure and certain bottom or foundation to rest and build my poor shaken and tossed Soul upon is the voice and cry of all Regenerate men before they clearly find Christ so as to build upon him and commit all their present and everlasting concerns on him And as they have a hungering and thirsting desire c. after Christ for their foundation to build upon so also to have him in their armes and hearts to have more and clearer knowledg of and intimate acquaintance and communion with him His absence is grievous to them but his presence and favour his smiles and acquaintance is better to them then Life Psal 30.5 Psal 4.6 They greatly desire to see and know their glorious King arrayed with all his Royal Robes approaching and comeing neare unto and opening himselfe unto them to impart the secrets of his Love and Grace unto them and thereby allure and draw them unto himself Psal 63.1.2 Cant. 4. ult Psal 25.14 Sixthly A new Creature hath all holy Spiritual passions and affections The natural man you know hath many natural passions and affections so the new man hath many Spiritual and heavenly passions and affections The naturall man hath many evil and sinful affections and passions and the Spiritual man hath many divine and holy affections and passions I shall name some and but a few of them 1. Love As Regeneration makes men lovely acceptable and desirable to God Men and Angels Ezek. 16. so it makes them exceeding loveing and affectionate men to God and men Before regeneration they are Self-lovers Sin-lovers and World-lovers but by the new Nature and Spirit they have received from Heaven they are no more such but God-lovers Christ-lovers Grace-lovers Duty-lovers and Saint-lovers Now they have new affections for new objects and matters They have operating Affections to and for God They single out God Christ and Holyness they chuse and single out from other objects and things the Grace and Spirit the Laws Promises People and Ordinances of Christ for their Love and to set their strongest warmest and heavenly Affections upon The affections or passion of love in them is stirred Moved Warmed and Enflamed by the Love of God the Grace and Loveliness of Christ that is declared and represented to them in and by the Gospel Oh how doth this passion somtimes work and act in them towards these objects and things It is so full as that they are not able to vent or express it especially when Christ appears to them and puts in his hand as it were by the hole of the door the heart as that they can but sigh and sob cry and weep out a little of this strong and working affection This did Mary Magdalen Luk. 7.38 she stood at his Feet weeping and washed the feet of Christ with her Tears but what was the ground of her so doing see Verse 47. why it was her ardent love and affection to Christ she did so for she loved much namely Christ Oh! what a strong passion of love was she in How did her Affection work towards Christ so likewise did Peters too Joh. 12. Lord saith he thou knowest that I love thee but how much or how strong his love and affection to Christ was he could not express David also gives us another Testimony of it Psal 119.97 Oh! how I Love thy Law and elsewhere sayes he I love them exceedingly I do love them with a greater and more affectionate love than I can express and so was his love moved and drawn out to good men Psal 16.3 2. Hatred These are opposite and contrary passions in men namely Love and Hatred In our unregenerate States we do Love what we should hate
and hate what we should Love We Love Gods enemies and hate his friends we hate his Laws Rods Yoke Waies People and love our Lusts the World Self and the Service of sin But Regeneration sets holy and God Pleasing Love and hatred in us So that now by the power of his Regenerating Grace we love that which we should love and hate that we should hate that which was our duty to have done before now we can do Now we can and do love holiness and hate loath and abhor our lusts and sins Now we hate the workes of the flesh and love the workes of the Spirit And as the passion of love is strong and intense on its Objects so is this of hatred likewise The man in whom this new holy hatred is did never more really heartily and fervently love his lusts and the fulfilling of them than he doth now hate abominate and endeavour to destroy them 1. Cor. 9. ult Gal. 5.24 They that are Christs namely by Regeneration have Crucified the flesh with the Affections and Lusts David tells us that this Affection or Passion was strong in him as well as that of love Psal 119.104.113 I hate every false way and I hate vain thoughts but thy Law do I love Blessed Paul Speaks likewise to the same purpose of himself Rom. 7.15 But what I hate that do I. I do sin its true But I can say that my sin is the great and only Object of my hatred that 's as true also God hates all Iniquity in all men Psal 45.8 Ja. 44.4 and he puts the same Affection or passion into his people in Regeneration that they may hate it also All sin is exceeding sinful loathsome and abominable to the new creature for its own sake in its own nature and as it is hateful to God The evil and pernitious effects and Consequences of it makes or renders it the object of their constant hatred also They that are Spiritual minded and are in the pursuit after Grace Christ and Holyness to perfect it is the fear of God as Commanded 2. Cor. 7.1 do hate their sin because it hath deprived them of and spotted the Image of God in which they were created Gen. 1.26 2 Because it hath robbed God of his due Worship and Service for which he Created them 3 Because it hath occasioned the great debasement and Suffering of the Lord Jesus For had not men Sinned Christ had not Suffered 4 Because it grieves and vexes the holy Spirit of God Isa 63. Eph 4.30 5 Because sin devides and separates between God and them Isa 59.1.2 6 Because it doth defile and pollute all their holy things and would quite marr and spoyl them did not their great High Priest appear for them to purifie their Offerings Exod. 28.38 7 Because Sin doth clog and burden them so as that they cannot Run their Race nor do that good they desire and are resolved to do in this world Heb. 12.1 Rom. 7. 8 Because their sinful hearts draw them off from God and indisposes them to and for their walking with God 9 Because it betrays them into the hand of their great Adversary the Devil and strengthens him against them 10 Because by sin God is dishonoured and his holy Name blasphemed his Truths despised and his blessed ways rejected These and such like considerations of sin greatly provokes and stirs up the holy hatred of sin in all Regenerate men as they can experience There is in them a universal perpetual and irreconcilable hatred of all sin especially such of their own sins as do more easily beset them Heb. 12.1 They hate the very name and appearance of sin all the Germents spotted with the flesh Jude 23. They dare not knowingly parly or hold correspondency with sin because the thought or consideration of it is most hateful and abominable 3. Fear New Creatures are the only real fearers of God The all-seeing Eye the Holiness Righteousness Goodness and Authority of God do awe them and cause them to fear and tremble before him Hosea 3.5 Isa 66.1.2 Jer. 32.39 40. They do now approach nigh to God and worship him with a holy and Godly fear and are enabled to walk in the fear of the Lord all the day long Psal 2.11 Heb. 12.28 Prov. 23.17 They are afraid of sin and temptations to it and dare not knowingly and deliberately come nean them but avoid and eschew the appearances and occasions of evil They are more afraid of the cause then the effects the sin then the punishment The thoughts of their danger they are always in and their aptness and proneness to transgress by reason of the deceitfulness and treachery of their hearts the strength and power of Lusts snares of the World and Satans fi◠〈◊〉 Darts do make them jealous fearful circumspect and watchful They see such a Majesty Excellency and glorious Presence in the holy God and Jesus Christ in his Names Offices Obedience Blood Love and Grace in his Laws Promises Ways and Ordinances which causes them to fear and reverence them erceedingly Psal 89.7 4. Hope Hope is another holy Passion or Affection in the New Creature Their hope is set on God the Father and Christ his Son Psal 78.7 Tit. 2.13 and on all the good things held out to them in the Promises called the blessed Hope Tit. 2.13 They have Christ in them the hope of Glory Col. 1.27 and they have Christ without them with all his fulness in the Covenant and Promises and in Heaven for them as their hope Every man hath the natural passion of hope but gracious men have the spiritual hope They hope for all the good of the covenant of grace fullness of Christs Grace and whatever may make them holy hear and happy hereafter The natural hope of unregenerate men is a groundless hope and the great things it is exercised about are but vain perishing worldly things and groundless hopes for a happiness heareafter Job 8.13.14 hence they are said to be withâ—â—â— hope in the world because they want the real spiritual and well grounded hope Eph. 2.12 1 Thes 4.13 But Regenerate men have a holy spiritual and well grounded hope and they by out and cast the Anchor of their hope on â—â—â—ings that are sure and unmovable on spiritual heavenly Soul-saving and eternal matâ—â—s and their hope is impressed provoked â—â—eng thened and quickned by them to hope more strongly steadily and constantly for the enjoyment of them They hope to obtain eternal Life in the Lords own way Tit. 1.2 not in the wayes of their own evil hearts as other men do They hope for the coming of Christ the exaltation and setting up of his Kingdome themselves to be like him and to see 〈◊〉 as be is 1 Joh. 3.2.3 Tit. 2.13 They hope for more light life and holiness from Christ and for greater measures of his Spirit to be poured out upon them in this world and they hope for more and more joy and peace in Believing Rom. 15.13
and onely necessary things that God requires in them But good men cry watch and pray and do all they can to worship God in Spirit and Truth from their new Natures Root and spring within and the holy Ghost his assistance and without this they cannot be satisfied This is the mark they have in their Eye in all their addresses to God 6 Trusting in and liveing on Christ This is a special and peculiar work and duty which none can do but new Creatures But it is their work and business 2 Cor. 5.7 Heb. 10 38. Râ—â— 1.17 It is a duty that lies with power in their hearts and 't is of great account in their Souls They are commanded to live by faith and make God their onely Trust and in obedience thereunto they do it Isa 26.4 Psal 37.3.5 1 Pet. 5.7 Psal 62.8 They are called to live the life of faith and pure dependance on God for all things and they are furnished with abilities so to do The faith of Christ is written in their hearts and they have a kind of a natural Genious and disposition to it Thus we find Abraham David Paul and other Saints of God had and did It is a Liâ—â— far above and beyond the reach of nature and natural Reason and God works some to and for it by his Grace in Regeneration and presents unto them suitable grounds and objects for their faith to rest and live upon as his bonds or promises his covenant and oath his truth and faithfulness and his all sufficiency and immutability God presents to them his Sâ—â—s blood Death and Resurrection his natures and offices his intercession and potency with God to prevaile for them in Heaven and procure mercies for them and the fulness of Christ as furnished and filled with all Grace for them And upon these grounds and objects they reâ—â— and bear themselves There they fly for Refuge Pro. 18.10 and there and on them they live and wait for all supplies of Grace Phill. 4.19 And that when the Figtree doth 〈◊〉 blossome nor any herds are in the stall Habuck 3.17 18 19. For what ever God hath promised to his people they claim a share in and can trust him to give it to them in his own time and way To instance in some particulars 1 God hath promised to pardon them Isa 55. â— they can and do believe him and rest upon his for it 2 Hath God promised to give Repeâ—tance they can believe and trust him 3 To heal their Back-slidings and love them freely Hoseâ— 14.4 They can believe and trust him 4 To pour out more of the spirit and abundance 〈◊〉 grace Acts. 2. Joh. 10. they can trust him 〈◊〉 Hath God promised to give grace and â—â—y and to supply all their wants Psal 84.11 â—â—on 4.8 and never to leave them nor forsake 〈◊〉 Heb. 13.5 they can and do believe and â—â—st him 6 Hath God promised to subdue 〈◊〉 Lusts and sanctify their hearts Ezek. 36.25 〈◊〉 Micah 7.18.19 they can and do believe aâ—d trust him 7 Hath God promised to hear â—eir prayers Psal 50.15 Help their infirmitites 〈◊〉 8.26 Accept their offerings Isa 56.7 â—eward their Services 2 Cron. 15.7 and to â—â—ep them by his power through faith unto salvatiâ—â— 1 Pet 1.5 they can and do believe and trust him upon his word They do commit â—eir all to and leave their all with him and are â—â—isfied in their so doing They believe all is â—afe and sure that is entrusted in his hand and glad they are that they have themselves and their all in his custody It is true they have â—heir fits of unbelief and do too often distrust God and in measure let go their Anchor hold but they recover themselves and what they â—ave lost again when the Tempest is over and they are in a Calm It is one of their great works and employments notwithstanding to trust God and live the life of faith and that upon choice and with their whole desire and in the general course of their Lives they are enabled by Grace to reach and live it whateâ—er oppositions are in their way Therefore it is that they are called Believers and Trusters of God by the holy Ghost in Scripture namely because it is their proper Life to which they are called in Regeneration and that which they do choose and endeavour to Live But unregenerate persons do not live this Life at all They have no acquaintance with it neither know they what it means experimentally but onely upon hear-say they are not regenerated and therefore are still in a state of unbelief and impenitency They have no living faith at all neither do they heartily desire it They are called unbelievers 2 Cor. 6.14 15. Revel 21.8 because they have no special faith to trust God withal and do not live the Life of faith 7 They are called to regenerated for and exercised about all sorts of holy duties and heavenly things They live in Heaven and Trade in Heaven Revel 13 6. Phil. 3 20. In a word their business is to acquaint themselves with their Fathers and Husbands Laws and their dâ—ties and to love and obey them with their promises and the good of them that they may believe them and hope upon them and to suck out the hony and sweetness of them for their consolation and peace and to encourage them in their duty and walking with God and they acquaint themselves with their God and Saviour and the great things of another world These are their good things and they allure and draw their minds and affections to them In them and the contemplation of them do they delight They feel taste and see the Goodness of them and are greatly enamored with them They have their hearts and that causes them so much to converse with them and Trade in them and with them They know it is their duty to live and converse with them because God hath so commanded Coll. 3.1.2.3 and they do it in obedience thereunto But that is not all the Reason of their so doing no but they do it because these things and matters are their Spiritual and everlasting Treasures In them lies all their durable riches honour comfort and happiness They are sweet to their tast and pleasant to the eye and they are the onely Good and Portion of their souls Math. 6.21 Coll. 2.3 They have nothing else to trust to nor any thing besides that can satisfy the wants and craving desires of their Souls For these ends and purposes are they born again and set here in this world and for these ends and purposes are they kept and maintained their hearts have chosen all they love all and their desires and endeavours to go out after to reach them all About them their minds judgments understandings consciences wills affections and their all are busied and imployed and that as in and about their own proper and constant work and business But other men do wholly mind work and imploy themselves in other
a Jaylor to keep and order him So when we had rebelled against God transgressed his holy Law hearkned to and obeyed the Devil rather then God Gen. 3. then God gave up and delivered them over to Satan as his Jaylor as they were condemned Rebels that had thrown off his Authority and Government and chosen the Devils counsel and service before his Then says God take them Jaylor let them be thy servants and subjects seeing they do so well like thy service and advice They are weary of and do refuse my easy yoke â—e now put them under thine do thou rule over them Hence the Scripture calls him their God and Prince and tells us that we are his Captives and Bond-men or Servants 2 Tim. 2. ult Heb. 2.14.15 But from this Cruel Lord you are set at liberty in your regeneration Then the Lord Christ commands the Devil to deliver you up to him and let Prisoners go free Isa 61.1 2 They are mine faith Christ for they were given to me Joh. 10.29 And of them which thou hast given me I will lose none Joh. 6.39 For although they were thine as they were Rebels against God and therefore delivered to thee yet now they are and shall be mine Heb. 2.15 Regenerate men are so delivered from Satan and brought out of his kingdome as never more to return again to their old Service and bondage For when the Son makes men free they are and shall be free indeed Joh 8.36 It is true that the Devil will never cease to vex and disquiet you to tempt and disturb you and to afflict and distract you but be of good Chear he shall never have the rule and dominion over you any more but you shall prevaile against and rule over him For you are not his but Christs Servants and subjects 3. You are freed from the Law as a Law and Covenant of works So that as such it shall neither Command Condemn or Curse you for you are dâ—livered from it and brought under the Law to Christ 1 Cor. 9.21 That is you are under the matter and precepts of the Law to be a Rule of your obedience and walking with God as it is Gospellized in the hand of the Mediatour annexed to the Covenant of Grace and made the preceptive part of it and as it is as it were moulded and fitted to the state frame and Condition of new Creatures or the Children of God and to the nature of their Gospel obedience But otherwise as was said you are not under it but delivered from it by Christ in your Regeneration For being made new Creatures and married to Christ you are brought under the new Law and Covenant Rom. 8.1.2 Rom. 6.14 Rom. 7 1-7 I will Says God Cause you to pass under the Rod and bring you into the bond of the Covenant Ezek. 20.37 The matter of the Law is the Rule of your obedience as it is the Revelation of the mind and will of God and as his Authority over you is in it requiring your subjection and conformity thereunto so you are under it and it commands you but not simply as a Law of workes as in its first make and promulgation for and to men as Gods reasonable Creatures and by or as respecting him as their Creator and Sovereign Lord only or mostly no but as their reconciled Father and God and respecting them as his Children begotten by him unto Obedience that is Gospel filial obedience and newness of Life 1 Pet. 1.3.4 Rom. 6.4 Rom. 7.6 For as men are created in Christ Jesus unto good works and made new Creatures by his Grace so all things are become new in to and for them 2 Cor. 5.17 Their State is changed their Relation Changed their obedience and some of the ends of it in a Sense are changed also So that now they are dead to the Law and are not under it but under the Law of Grace This is another of your Liberties and Immunities 4. You are freed from Guilt and grounded fears I do not say you are freed from the Just Accusations of Conscience when you sin or groundless distracting fears but from guilt as it bindes you over to Eternal punishment and wrath of God and from grounded fears thereof for your Miscarriages It is a choice mercy and a great priviledge to have our Consciences speaking to us telling us of and accusing us for Sinning and to have the passion of fear in us to affright us from and keep or hold us back from sin But it is a grevious bondage to be and lye under that guilt which binds us over to punishment and that which makes us afraid of God his Law and Justice filling us with amazing disquieting and dreadful thoughts of God Or else God would not have promised to give his people deliverance from them as his great mercy and kindness to them in Christ as he hath done Pro. 1. ult Luk. 1.73.74 And Christ would not have shed his pretious blood for their deliverance as he hath done Heb. 9.14 if the one had not been a great Judgment to them namely their being under such Guilt and fears and their deliverance from them their great and invaluable mercy 5. You are freed from the curse and wrath of God For in and by Regeneration you are enabled to and you do believe in and accept of him who hath born the Curse and Wrath of God and delivered you 1 Thes 1. ult Gal. 3.13 So that now the Curse of the Law is taken off from your Souls and you are and shall be blessed yea the blessing of Abraham is come on you upon the removal of the Curs and you are now really blessed and so called by the great God Gal. 3.14 Math. 5.2.12 and not onely blessed your selves but a blessing also to others Isa 19.24 Pro. 11.11 So likewise the Wrath of God is turned into love to them Eph. 2.4 and they shall never fall under his wrath and curse any more although they do fall into Sin But if Regenerate men do carelesly or wilfully Sin as David and Peter did they shall feell the effects of his fatherly displeasure and smart for their follies but the Curse and Wrath of God shall never return againe upon their Souls This is another of your great and Glorious Priviledges who are Regenerated But all other men are under the wrath and curse of God although they will not believe they are so yet nevertheless they are Joh. 3. ult Gal. 3.10 6 You are freed from Blindness of mind and Hardness of heart under which you were held in your unregenerate states and conditions You were then Darkness and held fast under gross Darkness Eph. 5.8 1 Pet. 2.9 1 Joh. 2.11 Your Lusts and the Devil yea the Justice of God also had blinded the Eies of your mindes so that you saw not knew not your Sin danger or misery now the way how to escape and obtain deliverance You were ready to â—â—mble into Hell Flames every moment but understood it
us that 〈◊〉 should be called the Children of God Behold what manner of love is this I cannot conceive much less express how great and admirable his love is to his children God onely knows how much he loves them but they do not know it no nor yet can they tell how much they do love God For love between them and God and God and them is unmeasurable innumerable unsearchable and past finding out Their love to Christ is as strong as Death that many waters cannot quench Cant. 8.6.7 O! then how great is his love to them New creatures are sick of love to Christ it is so fervent strong and working Cant. 5.8 How much more strong and fervent is Christs love to them 'T is true that Christ is a far more lovely and desirable object of and for their love and delight than themselves are for Christs for he is the fairest of Ten thousands and altogether lovely â—â—t 5.10 ult But then they have not so â—uch love for Christ in their hearts as he â—â—th for them The Lord Jesus looks on his â—â—w Creatures his Spouses like a true and â—â—hement Lover indeed Like one that is enaâ—ored and ravished with them hence we have â—â—â—en such expressions falling and droping â—â—om his pure Lips How faire and how pleasant â—â—t thou O Love for delights Cant. 7.6 And â—â—ou hast ravished my heart my Sister my Spouse â—â—â—u hast ravished my heart with own of thine eies â—ith one chaine of thy Neck Cant. 4.9 By all which expressions of his he commends and sets out his exceeding great love to his people Oh! what a rich and invaluable priviledge is this to be so much and lye so deep iâ— the love and affections of the great God and the Lord Jesus Christ He loved you before your Regeneration so as to make you truely lovely with his Grace and Spirit with his Righteousness and holyness But now he loves you as most lovely and dilightful persons indeed He loves you now with the love of delight joy and complacency as was shewed You are his delight and Crown of rejoycing your Countenance is comely and your voice sweet to him Cant. 2.14 His Love to you is true and hearty strong and fervent fruitful and profitable and it is everlasting and unchangable he loves you notwithstanding your many unlovely carriages towards him and with all your personal deformities he taketh pleasure in you and refreshes as it were himself with you he cannot endure to see you slight and forget him or to suffer your minds and affections to depart from him he delights in you and in his love to or loving of you and the like he doth in your love to or loving of him The more you love him the more be sure he will unbosome himself and open unto you the hidden Treasures of his love Prov. 8.21 For his great love to you causes him to desire and call for love from you Seventhly You have the priviledge and great dignity of Adoption You were Vagabous and Miserable Beggars cast out to the loathing of your Persons None pitied you or took you in none hearkned to you nor cared for you neither had you any hand stretched out to help you until you came to the Lords door But there you found compassion and mercy there you found provision ready for you You knockt but once there before the the Lord of Glory came himself and opened the door to you and invited you into his house He hastned to bring the Fatted Calf and called for his best Robes took off your filthy Rags and put oâ— his own Garments of Grace Righteousness and holyness on you then he writ his own name on you and Stampt divine nature upon you and made you beautiful and desirable He gave you a new name when he made you new Creatures which is your honour and glory and the he said of and unto you These shall be my sons and daughters 2 Cor. 6. ult And hence forth he accounts and calls them so These are my Sons and my Daughters which I have formed for my self and taken into my house and family Ezek. 16.20 Isa 43.21 For they are my first born They were born for and unto me as in that of Ezekiel I have appointed and ordained them to live in my house as my Sons and Daughters and they shall go no more out or returne to their former estate again For they must abide with me for ever For the Son though not the Servant abideth for ever in his Fathers house or family as the Son of such a Father Joh. 8.35 I have says God put in their names their new names for and intituled them unto an Eternal Inheritance Coll. 1.12 Heb. 9.15 Eph. 1.11.14 1 Pet. 1.4 I have made them my heirs yea joynt heirs with my Christ whom I have given to be the heir of all things Heb. 1.2 Rom. 8.17 These shall in due time be put into the possession of their Inheritance for it is reserved in heaven for them and I will keep them for it 1 Pet. 1.4.5 and in the mean time they have and shall keep in their hands their hearts the Earnest and first fruits of it namely the holy Spirit of Promise He is the Spirit of adoption to and in them Rom. 8.14.15 Gal. 4.5 by and as working and fitting them for it and the meetening them to live as Children in their heavenly Fathers house and to demean themselves there as they ought to do So likewise to Seal up and confirm their Inheritance to them and bear witness to the reallity and Truth of it namely that there is such an Inheritance reserved for them and that they are appointed for and chosen to it and also to the Truth and faithfulness of God who hath promised it Rom. 8.16 Eph. 1.13.14 In their Scriptures he is called a witnesser and a Sealer Now to what doth he Seal and witness but to the hearts and faith of the adopted that there is such an Inheritance entailed on them that they shall possess and enjoy it and to thâ—â— faithfulness Truth and Alsufficiency of God who hath promised it and must do it for them Besides this there is another priviledge in you adoption which is your boldness and Intimacy with your God and Father notwithstanding the Infinite distance that there is between you and him which you have mentioned in Gal. 4.6 And because ye are Sons God hath sent foâ—â— the Spirit of his Son into your hearts Crying Abâ—â— Father And in Rom. 8.15 but ye have received 〈◊〉 Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father That is we may now in and by your Adoption and the Spirit thereof in our hearts conveâ—â— familiarly Intimately and boldly with God through Jesus Christ We may draw near to 〈◊〉 in full Assurance of Faith as commanded Hâ— 10.22 And boldly Heb. 4. ult And that because we are adopted Children in our Father house and can come to and converse in wiâ—â— and by the Spirit of Adoption
22.37 That is thou shalt not faile to serve thy God with thy all Thus David did Psal 119.10 With my whole heart have I sought thee And in Psal 103.1.2 Bless the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless his holy name For doing this the poor Widow was much commended namely for casting into the Treasury her all Mark 12.41 ult Her mites was her offering to God the matter was small indeed not worth the minding among men I but it was her all and so it was of great account with Christ The question is not about the quantity whether the offering be much or little but whether it be thy all or no. We are often tempted to put off God with part of our all and with pretence for our so doing But let us take heed and beware of this grosse and horrible Hipocrisy for God will not long winck at it When we have been tempted to do so then we are put upon studying and makeing excuses when we have Napkind up our Talents and not brought them forth then we had them not and when we have laid aside our strength or not stir'd it up to practice then alass we are poor weak Creatures then we complain of wants and weaknesses when in truth it is our wickedness and carelesness But take heed and beware of this Temptation and deceit Sixthly You must be singular and peculiar in all things and in all your wayes towards God and men There should yea there must be as great a difference between you and unregenerate men as between light and darkness good and evil For you are a holy people unto God Children of light and a Special and a peculiar people indeed Deut. 7.6 Eph. 5.8 Tit. 2.14 You are of a divine make and of a heavenly descent and are born to and for higher and more noble Acts Works and Employments and to more excellent frames carriages than others are Therefore you must exceed and go beyond others in all manner of holy conversations and godliness that thereby you may declare and hold forth your distinguishing Characters and manifest what Grace can do beyond nature I shall for brevity sake give you but hints of several things that you should be singular in In the general you must be singular in all those works frames of heart carriages duties and deportments which are yours or in an especial manner required of you as new creatures and which other men are unacquainted withall 1. As First The excercise of all Graces in external duties In all the worship and ordinances of God and in all religious matters you must call up bring forth and exercise all the Graces of the Spirit There must not one hooff be left behind of your Graces when you worship God but all must be employed in it Your faith Love knowledge zeal hope patience c. whatever is entrusted in your hands to worke and worship God withall must concur and work together in the doing of it 2. Self-denial This is alwaies necessary in all your walkings with God For one accursed Self or other will alwaies be interposing opposing and intercepting of you to hinder and obstruct you or to mar and utterly spoil your duties and performances You are called off from serving and gratifying self to the serving and pleasing of God and you are called to the constant work of Self-denial and therefore you must do it Againe you must be singular in Watching and guarding in keeping and defending your selves against all your spiritual Enemies within and without and you must keep on and make continual use of your Spiritual Armour and fight down all such Adversaries as raise up against you Eph. 6 11-18 1 Tim. 6.12 These are some of the many workes and duties that you must be continually exercised about and employed in 〈◊〉 which you shall find true peace and comfort Secondly You must expect many assaults and â—â—â—ng attempts upon you from all the Enemies of your Souls The Devil world and Lusts will continually endeavour to tempt draw and ensnare you to and in all evil They will not let you â—one but be alwayes watching you and improveing all their opportunities against you â—ight and day in all places and businesses to â—â—tice and perswade you to sin against God and men to cause you to rob God wrong your own Souls and injure men and they are Subtle and potent But I may not enlarge at present And therefore shall only mention some of the many obligations God hath laid on and encouragements he hath given you to walk with 〈◊〉 unto all well pleasing in your new states Remember what God hath made you what excellent pieces of his Work-manship you are and what expences the Lord Jesus hath been at and hid out to make you a peculiar people unto himself He will never leave you nor forsake you but water you every moment keep you night and day supply all your wants keep you by his mighty power and guide you by his Counsels until he shall receive you unto his glory Heb. 13.5 Phill. 4.19 Isa 27.3 1 Pet. 1.5 Psal 73.24 The holy Ghost shall abide with you for ever Joh. 14.16 impart to and convey into your Souls all the fullness of Christ Joh. 16.13.14.15 and whatever Christ hath is yours His Joy Peace Life Light Strength Love and Glory is your 1 Cor. 3. and you may go to and have free access to him for all that is his FINIS Reader I intreat thee to mend and pass 〈◊〉 charitable Judgment on the faults thou wilâ— find in thy Reading which are not thâ— Authors but the Printers The chiefest 〈◊〉 them are here noted PAge 3. l. 14. put out of p. 20. l. 4. put out word p. 25. l. 〈◊〉 for hypocrisy r. apostacy p. 28. l. 12. for hearers r. feaâ—â— p. 49. l. 13. for verities r. verilies p. 59. l. 8. r. repossessâ— p. 62. l. 28. r. meetening p. 63. l. 25. r. fixed p. 70. l. 9. 〈◊〉 for knowing r. making l. 33. put of before or p. 71. l. 12. 〈◊〉 can p. 72. l. 31. for will r. we p. 85. l. 21. r. external p. 1â— l. 8. r. they p. 118. l. 6. r. shining p. 119. l. 12. r. Regenerâ—â—â— p. 124. l. 30. r. will p. 129. l. 11. r. accompanied with p. 1â— l. 23. for of r. as p. 137. l. 9. for will 5. glory p. 139. l. 31. 〈◊〉 this r. thy p. 145. l. 13. r. abase p. 148. l. 34. r. laid p. 1â— l. 18. r. cause p. 155. l. 20. put out the l. 21. r. upon p. 160. 〈◊〉 r. Jer. p. 173. l. 25. r. unregenerate p. 177. l. 22. for but r. 〈◊〉 p. 179. l. 9. r. an p. 185. l. 20. for to r. do p. 188. l. 7. 〈◊〉 that p. 192. l. 13. r. the l. 32. r. conversion p. 196. l. 17. 〈◊〉 out ly p. 197. l. 34. r. and themselves about p. 200. l. 13. â— unregenerate p. 204. l. 2. for now r. know p. 207. l. 11.1 〈◊〉 p. 208. l. 34. for now r. nor p. 214. l. 22. r. bequeathed p. 2â— l. 10. r. own p. 223. l. 32. r. your