witnesses let vs lay aside euery weight and the sinne which doth so easily beset vs and let vs runne with patience the race that is set before vs. By all which places of holy Scriptures and by many other it is cleare and manifest that it will not serue our turnes to forsake some sinnes vppon our conuersion but we must be content to part with all yea with our best beloued sinnes For further euidencing of this necessary truth consider we the examples of former Conuerts when the Corinthians were conuerted they washed themselues by the cleane waters of Gods Spirit from their vncleannesse theft couetousnesse reuilings extortions and the like When the Thessalonians were conuerted they turned from idols to serue the true and liuing God and to looke for his Sonne from heauen And so for particular persons When Mathew was conuerted he left the receipt of custome when Zaccheus was conuerted he left his forged cauillation when the hard hearted iaylour was conuerted he ceassed to deale cruelly with poore prisoners when Moses was conuerted he abhorred the vanities of Pharaoes Court. By all which examples and many other mentioned in the word of God it is euident that a true Conuert or penitent person must turne not from some but from all his sinnes And great reason there is that a man or woman should turne from all iniquitie First in respect of God himselfe for Iehouah is a God of purer eyes then to behold euill he cannot looke on iniquitie as saith the Prophet He abhorreth all iniquitie his iealousie smoaketh against all sinne and especially against that sinne after which we haue gone a whoring from God And therefore whosoeuer they be that desire to get into Gods fauour they must of necessitie forsake their beloued sinne which is Gods corriuall Secondly a Christian must forsake all sinne For euery sinne is the transgression of the Law and he that shall keepe the whole Law and yet offendeth in one point he is guiltie of all For howsoeuer he breakes not euery linke of the chaine by this or that particular sinne yet he may be truly said to breake the chaine if he breake any linke at all of it So that though a man sinne not particularly against euery Commandement yet by fauouring and allowing himselfe in this or that particular breach of the Law he is guiltie of the breach of all Gods Commandements because he offendeth against the authoritie and integritie of the whole Law And therfore whosoeuer they be that loue and respect Gods Law they must of necessitie breake off their beloued sinnes For the sound loue of the word and the loue of sinne can no more stand together then the Arke and Dagon Thirdly a Christian must forsake all sinne in respect of sinne it selfe For what is any sinne but the very worke of the diuell and therefore to be abhorred What is any sinne but a fruite of the filthy flesh and therefore worthy to be hated Yea what is any sinne but very filthinesse it selfe as it is termed 2. Cor. 7. 1. Yea what is any sinne but the vomit of a dog and filthy mire as Peter phraseth it in his 2. Epistle 2. Chapter and therefore what iust cause hath euery Christian to forsake and abandon all sinne Fourthly euery Christian ought to forsake all sinne yea euen his beloued sinne in respect of the danger that will accrue vnto him if he do not forsake it He that will not forsake his sinne he remaineth vnder the wrath of God For the wrath of God is reuealed from heauen against all vngodlinesse and vnrighteousnesse of men He that will not forsake his sin he is continually subiect to Gods vengeance in this world for God will wound the hairie scalpe of such an one as goeth on in his wickednesse He that will not forsake his sinne he shall neuer enter into the kingdome of heauen according to that in Gal. 5. 21. Of which I tell you before as I haue also told you before that they which do such things shall not inherite the kingdome of God Lastly he which will not forsake his beloued sinne he shall be sure to haue his portion in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone he shall not be able to stand in iudgement yea he shall desire the very mountaines to fall vpon him to hide him from the wrath of the Lambe And therefore whosoeuer they be that desire to escape these dangers they must of necessitie breake off their beloued sinnes Fiftly euery Christian ought to breake off his beloued sinne in respect of the good which he shall reape thereby and the true Christian shall receiue infinite benefite by the forsaking of sinne For first if he will touch no vncleane thing God will receiue him for his child Secondly if he will forsake all his sinnes be shall be made fit for Gods seruice as for prayer hearing Gods word receiuing the Sacrament whereas otherwise if he forsake not sinne he is vnfit for all these for if we regard wickednesse in our hearts God will not regard our seeming deuotion but it is abhomination to him Thirdly if a Christian will forsake his beloued sinne he shall haue peace of conscience which he shall neuer haue vnlesse he forsake his sinne For there is no peace to the wicked saith my God Fourthly if a Christian forsake his sinne he shall profite by the word wheras otherwise the word is choked by the venime of his beloued sinne Fiftly if a Christian forsake his sinne he shall haue fellowship with God and ioy in the holy Ghost whereas if he forsake nor his sinne he remaineth an alien to God and in very laughter his heart shall be sorrowfull Pro. 14. 13. Sixtly if a Christian forsake his beloued sinne he shall approue the truth of his repentance whereas otherwise his repentance is no better then the repentance of Herod For Herod was content to do many things at the preaching of Iohn Baptist but he would not forsake his Herodias and therefore his obedience was no obedience and his repentance no repentance But doth not the righteous man fall seuen times a day and do we not in many things offend all are we not all sinners is there any man that liueth and sinneth not Therefore what necessitie is there that any man should endeuour to purge himselfe from all sinne It is very true that we are all sinners For if we say we haue no sinne we lie and speake not the truth but there is great difference betwixt sinnes of infirmitie whereunto the children of God are subiect and sins of presumption whereunto the wicked are giuen First sinnes of infirmitie are committed vpon the sudden by a present and vnexpected temptation as we see in the example of Dauid Psal 116. 11. I said in my haste all men are liers But a sinne of presumption is committed with premeditation
we be sauingly enlightened or no. For if we be enlightened and quickened if we be brought to the sight of our secret corruptions and to amendment then it is a comfortable signe that we are sauingly enlightened otherwise we remaine in darknesse vnto this houre The third degree wherby regeneration is most vsually wrought is contrition Thus when those three thousand were cōuerted by Peters sermon Acts 2. 37. it is said that they were pricked in their hearts and the citie sinner when she was regenerate she stood behind Christ at his feete weeping Luke 7. 38. The like may be said of Peter and diuerse others Where also it is carefully to be obserued that the very reprobate may haue a kind of sorrow and may hang down their heads like a bulrush for a time Esay 58. 5. Is it such a fast that I require that a man should afflict his soule for a day c. But the difference is first the elect mourne for the offence against God as we see in the example of Dauid Psal 51. 4. Against thee against thee onely haue I sinned But the reprobate mourne especially in respect of the punishment as we see in the example of Pharaoh Exodus 9. 27. who when he saw the iudgements of God vpon him and vpon his land could then confesse with a seeming sorrow that He and his people were wicked Secondly the elect mourne with a godly sorrow vnto repentance not to be repented of as we see in the example of the Corinthians 2. Cor. 7. 10 but the reprobate sorrow with a worldly sorrow that causeth death Thirdly the elect mourne but with some grounds of hope For they know in the midst of their sorrow that their sinne is not greater then can be forgiuen vnlesse it be in case of temptation they know also that Gods mercy is greater then their sinne and that the bloud of Iesus Christ is able to wash them from all iniquitie and so by these generall grounds at the least in the middest of their sorrow they sustaine their heart in some degree of hope but the reprobate mourne as men quite bereft of all hope thinking their sins to be greater then can be forgiuen And hereby also we may try our selues whether we haue sauingly sorrowed for sinne or no. For if we haue sorrowed for the sinne as well as for the punishment and if we haue sorrowed to repentance and amendement and lastly if we haue sorrowed in hope it is a good signe that our sorrow is true Otherwise our sorrow is not the true sorrow of the Conuert but rather the worldly sorrow of the wicked The fourth degree whereby regeneration is commonly wrought is the spirituall hunger and thirst after righteousnesse The conuert soule thirsts and pants after Christ As the heart brayeth after the riuers of waters If God would giue riches honours pleasures and not Christ they would be accounted as dung and drosse Phil. 3. 7. And the child of God thirsteth after Christ not onely in respect of his benefits and to serue his owne turne but also out of loue to Christ his person in respect of his excellencies Whereupon the Church is said to be sicke of loue to Christ Cant. 5. 8. And to this degree no reprobate in the world attaineth For to loue Christ for himselfe and to loue his glorious appearing is peculiar to the elect and to such as shall receiue the crowne of righteousnesse 2. Tim. 4. 6. Secondly as the true Conuert thirsteth after Christ so likewise he longeth after the word and sacraments as appeareth by the example of the 3000 in Acts 2. 42. who presently vpon their conuersion continued in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and prayers Now the reprobate and wicked may attaine a kind of desire after the word but it is either with Eue meerely to get knowledge or with Simon Magus to make gaine or with the Pharisee to get a name or with the carnall Gospellers amongst the Corinthians for affectation to the person of him that deliuers it Or if it be for any taste of sweetnesse which they find in the word then that taste lasteth but for a season As the phantasticke Iewes could reioyce in Iohn Baptists light for a season Ioh. 5. 35. whereas the true Conuert loues the word for it selfe and continues in the study of it and endeuours to attaine sauing grace by it labouring to bring forth the fruits in holy practise The sift degree whereby regeneration is commonly wrought is by declining from sin For so soone as any soule is conuerted to God and made partaker of the diuine nature presently it begins to distaste sin and to striue against it Euen Paul so soone as he was conuerted he ceassed persecuting Gods Church Act. 9. The like may be said of Zaccheus and diuers others Where we must note that the reprobate and wicked may abstaine from many sinnes as well as the true Conuert as appeares by the example of the Pharisee Luk. 18. 11. I thanke God I am not as other men extortioners vniust adulterers c. But the difference is the true conuert declines from sin by vertue of the sanctifying Spirit of God he is washed by the Spirit of our God 1. Cor. 6. 10. 11 But the wicked abstaineth onely by the restraining spirit as we see in the example of Abimelech Gen. 20. 6. I haue kept thee c. Secondly the true Conuert is content to part with all his sins euen with his beloued sins as we see in the example of Dauid Psal 119. 101 I haue refrained my feete from euery euill way But the wicked person is like Herod he will not part with his Herodias or darling sinne Mark 6. 20. Thirdly the true Conuert forsaketh sin for conscience sake as we see in the example of Ioseph Genes 39. How shall I do this great wickednesse and sinne against God whereas the wicked shunneth sin not for conscience but either for feare of men or for feare of shame or for feare of hel or in respect of sauing charges or the like as we see in the example of the high Priests who would faine haue bene medling with Christ but they did forbeare howbeit not for conscience sake but for feare of the people Let all Christians examine thēselues by these differences whether their declining from sinne be the right declining or no. The sixt degree whereby regeneration is wrought and perfected is full assurance of Gods fauour For when the holy Ghost hath in some good measure sanctified the heart made it pliable to Gods will in vniuersall obedience then it becomes the Spirit of adoption crying Abba Father in our hearts and testifying together with our spirits that we are the children of God Rom. 8. 15. 16. Where we must also note that the very wicked may haue a kind of perswasion of Gods fauour towards them as they seeme to haue in 1. Thess 5. 3 which crie Peace and safetie But the difference is
first the assurance of the elect is wrought by the Spirit of adoption but the perswasion of the wicked is not so but is wrought rather by Satan which lulleth them asleepe Secondly the assurance of the elect hath a sure foundation to wit the promises of the Gospell the mercy of God and Christ but the perswasion of the wicked is grounded vpon the sandy foundation of his owne merits Thirdly the assurance of the elect breedeth an especiall care to please God but the perswasion of the wicked breedeth carnall securitie and boldnesse to sinne The fourth generall point propounded concerning this great mystery of regeneration is touching the concomitants of this grace And the concomitants or things accōpanying this grace of regeneration are these First an vniuersall change For there is none truly regenerated but they are truly changed yea vniuersally changed All things are become new with them yea they are changed from glorie to glorie as by the Spirit of the Lord. Where we are to note that the very reprobate may also be changed as we reade of Saul that God gaue him another heart But the change in the reprobate is far different from the change wrought in the elect For the change in the reprobate is but in common gifts of the Spirit as we see in Saul he was changed onely to prophesie or to rule whereas the elect are changed by speciall and sauing gifts as to be regenerate sauingly to beleeue to repent with repentance neuer to be repented of c. Secondly the reprobates are changed but onely in part they are like Ephraim or as a cake baked on the one side but the elect are vniuersally changed both inwardly and outwardly in iudgement wil affections conscience conuersation outward behauiour and the like Secondly the second concomitant of regeneration is the combat betweene the flesh and the spirit For there is none truly regenerate but they haue a combat within them Thus it was with Paul who found in himselfe after regeneration a law rebelling against the law of his mind Rō 7. 18. Where we must also note that the very reprobate may haue a kind of reluctation by vertue of the light of their natural consciences as we see in the example of Pilate he was loth to condemne Christ he had a kind of striuing within him yea he sought to release him But the difference is the reprobate haue a striuing against sin either in respect of the shame of sin or in respect of the feare of hell fire or for such like carnall ends so that their striuing is not the combat of the flesh and the spirit but the combat of the flesh and the flesh whereas the elect haue a striuing against sinne for conscience sake and in loue to God Thirdly the third concomitant of regeneration is fruitfulnesse There be none truly regenerate but they are made fruitful We might instance for the proofe of this point in the example of Zaccheus and many other Where obserue that the wicked and vnregenerate may do many seeming good works as we see in the example of the Barbarians who laded Paul with things necessary Acts 28. 10. But the difference is the reprobate and wicked do many seeming good works either mercenarily to receiue the like againe or vaingloriously for the praise of men or superstitiously with opinion of merit Whereas the elect do good works vnto such as are not able to requite them and that in true sinceritie and humilitie not seeking their owne praise but Gods glory confessing when they haue done all that they can that they are vnprofitable seruants Fourthly the fourth concomitant of regeneration is the matter of persecution For there is none regenerate to liue godly in Christ Iesus but they must suffer persecution in one kind or in another as Paul speakes in 2. Tim. 3. 9. Where we are also to note that the very wicked may suffer for their profession yea and suffer many things for the truths sake also as Paul implieth in 1. Cor. 13. 3. that they that are without loue may giue their bodies to be burned and as we see in the examples of Papists Arrians and other wretched heretikes which sometimes are ready to lay downe their liues for their profession sake But the difference is in the cause of suffering for it is not the suffering but the cause of suffering that makes the Martyr The wicked and vnregenerate suffer commonly for error and not for the truth or if at any time for the truth then it is not for loue of the truth it selfe but for some other by-respect whereas the elect child of God suffers for the truth it selfe and that in loue to the same and with zeale of Gods glory The fifth and last generall point propounded concerning the mystery of regeneration is concerning the constancy of the same For we are to know that a man or woman being once regenerate they are for euer regenerate and being once made the children of God by adoption they are for euer the children of God For the proofe of this point I commend vnto you these places of Scripture following 1. Ioh. 3. 9. His seed remaineth in him 1. Pet. 1. 23. Being borne againe not of mortall seed Rom. 11. 29. The gifts and calling of God are without repentance Ioh. 14. 16. The Comforter shall remaine with you for euer Rom. 11. 1. Hath God cast away his people God forbid Psal 37. 28. The Lord forsaketh not his Saints By all which places and many other it is manifest that they which are once effectually called and truly regenerate and haue receiued the Spirit of adoption they are for euer the children of God And the reason is first because God is constant both in his decree for the foundation of God remaineth sure hauing this seale The Lord knoweth who are his and in his loue for whom he loueth he loueth to the end Ioh. 13. 1. Secondly because God hath promised that the gates of hell shall not preuaile against his Church Math. 16. 18. and Gods promises are Yea and Amen as we know Thirdly because God is able to preserue his children to the end He is stronger then all and none is able to plucke the weakest babe in Christ out of the hands of the blessed Father And if any Papist or Arminian shall obiect the examples of Iudas or Demas or the stony ground or of many Professors that turn carnal c. To this I answer that those that finally and totally fall away from the truth They were neuer of vs for if they had bene of vs they would haue continued with vs 1. Ioh. 2. 19. These might possibly receiue certaine common gifts of the Spirit as to be enlightened c. but they neuer were truly regenerate We do not deny but the true child of God may be much weakened concerning the degree of true sauing grace which formerly he hath felt which cometh to