charg their hearts with it and lay bonds on themselves to do it Psal 18.1 Psal 116.1 Cant. 1.4 They use Gods means to help and enable them to do it They read hear and Contemplate they meditate on consider and apply to themselves the great love of God to them and his exceeding great Lovelinesse to stir up and inflame their love to him againe They pray importunately and frequently to him to shed abroad more of his love into their hearts and to reveal himself in his Love and Grace unto their Souls that they may thereby be quickened moved and enabled to love him more Cordially and ardently They are so set upon it and so greedy after it and they do so desire and covet it as that they are never satisfied with the degree and excercise of their love to God But are unregenerate men imployed so in this work no not in the least For they have not the love of God in their hearts Joh. 5.42 Their hearts are not circumcised to love God because they are not Regenerated neither do they love or desire to have it so for when God proffers them his Spirit to do it they refuse and reject him and will not have him to concern himself with them in that matter Pro. 1.23.24 Isa 63. Gen. 6. Well then try your selves by this what can you say to it Is this special work of Regenerate men your work or is it not Be you sure of it that if you be Regenerated or born again it is your work and business But if it be not you are yet in your old and unregenerate states 2. They are exercised and imployed about the good work of searching out their own iniquities and to find out the Plagues Errours and deceits of their own hearts and ways that they may repent of their sins and mend what they find amiss To reform what ought to be reformed and to remove whatever is hurtful to their Souls or displeasing to God that they may see more cause of Self-abasement and be excited and provoked to walk more circumspectly and humbly with their God Micah 6.8 Eph. 5.15 This is not the work that Regenerate men are exercised about no but on the contrary they labour to hide their sins Pro. 28.13 Joh. 3.20 and to live in continual ignorance of their hearts states and ways that so they may live in peace and quietness at home and not be troubled at the sight of them They love and delight in their iniquities and they work and practise what they love Psal 62.4 Isa 66.3 They let their own sins alone they neither desire nor endeavour to know them but they are especially some of them great enquirers after and searchers into others transgressions which clearly demonstrates that whatever they do profess to be yet they are hypocrites Psal 64.6 Mark 32. Luke 6.7 Luke 20.20 Greater and more certain sign of a Hypocrite cannot be found than this namely for a man that professes godliness to be willingly ignorant of his own state and sins and to be a Pryer and Searcher into other mens without a clear Call from God so to do This the Hypocrites deal with Christ and Paul that they might find occasion to Charge Censure and Judge them as the aforesaid Scriptures shew and in 2 Cor. 11.12 But it is otherwise with Regenerate men they hate and abhor that filthy odious wickedness of others and make it one part of their business to know themselves and the evils of their own hearts and ways Job 13.23 Psal 77.6 1 Sam. 21.1 They cry and pray they call and wait on God to shew them all their lusts and sins such is the desire and fervency of their hearts in this matter Job 34.32 This is their work and this they do conscientiously seriously fervently heartily and frequently and that as their duty work and business in all states tryals and conditions whatsoever For they are jealous and suspitious not of others but of their own deceitful hearts Thus they do and when they have made any new discovery of their sins they bless God for their success and then they fall to another work 3. To subdue and mortifie such unmortified Lusts as they find in their hearts to purifie themselves and rectifie such errours and mistakes as upon search do appear and come to light This they are injoyned to do as their duty and this they do exercise and imploy themselves in in obedience to the Will of God because it is his Holy Will Col. 3.5 Mortifie therefore your members 2 Cor. 7.1 Let us cleanse our selves of all filthiness of flesh and spirit And the Gospel assures us that this is the work and business of the Children of God In 1 Joh. 3 1-3 Behold saith the Apostle what manner of love is this that we should be called the Children of God This is a great and high priviledge indeed Well but what are they imployed about and exercised in Is it in making provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof as unregenerate men do Rom. 13. ult no but the clean contrary namely to purifie themselves 1 John 3.3 Every man that hath this hope in him purifies himself even as he is pure The like we have mentioned Gal. 5.24 And they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts That is they have not fully done and effected it but they are seriously diligently and sincerely imploying and exercising themselves in and about that work and great concern of theirs This is another of their peculiar and special works and this they do and prosecute with servent prayer to God Psal 51.7 O purge and wash me that I may be clean And O wretched man that I am says Paul who shall deliver me from the body of this death Rom. 7.24 And as they pray for it frequently and fervently so they do meditate on and apply the Blood and Death of Christ to themselves for the effecting of it and that as Gods Ordinance and appointment for that end Tit. 2.14 Who gave himself to redeem us from all iniquity and to purifie unto himself a peculiar people They apply themselves unto and use all Gods means for the accomplishment of it as Fasting the Lords Supper and hearing the Gospel preached which God hath appointed to mortifie their lusts and to purifie and clean their hearts Eph. 5.25 26. John 15.3 John 17.17 Every word of God is pure and the sincere preaching and hearing of it is a powerful means to kill our lusts and purifie our hearts when heard and received in Faith for that end as Gods Ordinance Acts 15.9 Heb. 4.2 This they know and therefore they use them or for that end and purpose as well as for light and comfort But what is the work and business of unregenerate men or what do they in this matter Truly nothing at all They do neither understand or like it but are perfect strangers and enemies to it there is no principle in them to do it withal
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
themselves and not at all to God 14 No man can be made free of the Heavenly City and Spiritual Corporation nor be set at liberty from bondage and thraldome but in and by Regeneration All men are by Nature in bondage to the Devil and Lusts as you heard before but Regeneration is the year or day of Release and Enlargement to imprisoned Souls for then comes Jesus Christ opens the Prison doors and brings out his Prisoners Joh. 8.36 Gal. 5.1.13 until then they lye in the Dungeon of darkness bound hand and foot with Fetters of Iron and shut in under Impenitency Ignorance and Vnbelief and cannot get forth until the Jubilee comes and proclaims Liberty to them Isa 61.1 2. Zach. 2.11 Then are they made Free Citizens of the New Jerusalem and have their Freedom given them to live and Trade in Heaven for heavenly and everlasting Commodities Eph. 2.19 Phil. 3.20 Behold the necessity then of Regeneration 15 No man can be actually and personally justified pardoned and acquitted without Regeneration but are held under the Guilt and Curse of the Law for they must first believe unto Justification of life before they can obtain a discharge and take out an Acquittance under the Hand and Seal of the Holy Ghost Eph. 1.13 Rom. 5.18 but this they cannot do for want of Faith until they are Regenerated and thereby made partakers of this glorious Grace 16 No man can fear God aright namely with a godly filial fear nor indeed can he stand in awe of God and sin not or walk in the fear of God all the day long as commanded Pro. 23.17 Psal 4.4 until they be Regenerated for who can so fear and reverence God until God put it into his heart to do it Jer. 32.39 40. for if they could and had they wherewithal to do it without this Grace of God to what purpose hath God promised to do it himself and declared it to be a choise and singular Gift and Grace of his own giving and working in their hearts I will says God put my fear into their hearts that they may not depart from me and that they may fear me for ever And how can men fear God with a filial or Child-like fear until they are made Children by Regeneration and begotten again by his Word and Spirit 1 Pet. 1.3 Jam. 1.18 Joh. 3.5 17 No man can make the Glory of God his greatest end and aim and really design to please and honour God in his words and deeds without Regeneration therefore it is absolutely necessary We are indispensably bound to make God the chief and great aim and end of all our undertakings and to seek design and endeavour with all possible seriousness and diligence to please honour and exalt him 1 Cor. 10.31 Col. 3.23 Pro. 3.9 Col. 1.10 1 Thes 4.1 But this we cannot do until a new Spring of Life and Divine Principles be put into us by Regeneration for we are by Nature wholly selfish are quite swallowed up in sinful carnal self Self is the principle motive and end of all our thoughts words and deeds Self-pleasure profit ease honour and security have only Self in the bottom and top of every Good as well as Evil in Religious as well as Civil works And how can it be otherwise with us the Fountain of our Natures being so miserably corrupted and depraved as it is And it is a truth that the Streams cannot rise higher than the Fountains from whence they come 18 No man can be the object of Gods delight and complacency until he be Regenerated because they have nothing that is lovely and desirable in them Before Regeneration men are hateful vile and abominable in the sight of God as hath been shewed as they are sinners and unwashed It is the Nature and Image of God that is the Object of Gods delight and complacency in men for the God of Holiness cannot look on iniquity he is of purer eyes than to do so Habuk. 1.13 and this Nature and Image we have not until we are Regenerated and made New Creatures by Grace for till then God looks on us as in our blood Ezek. 16. Rom. 3. 1 Cor. 6.9 10 11. and stamps his own Nature and Image on us to make us clean pure lovely and delightful in his eyes He beautifies men with his Ornaments that he may take pleasure in and rejoyce with them Zach. 3.17 19 No man can claim a Right unto and Interest in the Covenant and Promises without Regeneration for they are not under neither have they any interest in them whilest they lay in their blood and continue in their state of Enmity against God No man can be interested in the Promises and Covenant of Grace and Life that is not interested in Christ and no man is interested in Christ until he be a New Creature All the Promises are in Christ 2 Cor. 1.20 and they are made ours by virtue of our having of and being in Christ and when we are in Christ all is ours 1 Cor. 3.21 22 23. and not till then then we may claim and use them as ours but not till then 20 No man can be in a state of Grace and Life without Regeneration no man can be a holy gracious and good man until he be Regenerated Whatever good things he may have act and do yet he is in a state of sin and death still until he pass under Regeneration He may be washed without yet he is a Swine still he may put on Sheeps cloathing but he is a Wolf still he may be enlightned but is in a state of darkness still and he may believe many Truths and yet be an Vnbeliever still 2 Pet. 2.20.22 Matth. 7.15 Heb. 6.4 Joh. 8.30.44 Acts 8.13.23 But I see I must contract my self lest I run beyond my intentions and therefore shall briefly sum up what I have further to say on this Head that I may presently dismiss it Therefore I say that as we stand in absolute need of Regeneration for the Reasons and Ends already named so likewise for those that follow which I shall but name We cannot take up in God as in our portion satisfaction and only happiness without Regeneration neither can we chuse him for the great and only delight of our Souls without it We cannot have our wills bowed to and swallowed up into the Will of God nor freely chearfully and dutifully yield up our selves to his disposement without Regeneration We cannot rejoyce in Christ Jesus nor in tribulation and bearing the Cross nor yet in doing good and working Righteousness without Regeneration We cannot be dutifully and thankfully patient under and contented with an afflicted state and condition nor demean and carry our selves well in it without Regeneration We cannot be fruitful in every good work nor bear fruit unto Eternal Life without Regeneration We cannot highly esteem and set a due nor a right value on Christ his Person Blood Laws and Grace nor on the great love and kindness of God
resolve they will not do so whatever is said to confute and convince them of their errour but in that state they will abide in spite of God Angels and Men and that when God comes and proffers to Regenerate and make them New Creatures And hence it is that they stoutly and stubbornly resist and rise up in violent opposition against God and the word of his Grace disputing against and contending with him and the means he gives them for their change and in effect say we are well enough why should we trouble our selves yea why should God concern or trouble himself any further with us seeing we are in a state of Salvation already and may without any more ado be saved if God will Men are naturally such strangers to their own states as that they do not will not believe that Regeneration is needful and absolutely necessary for their Salvation or that it amounts to any more than a bare Reformation and change of practise Regeneration is such a Mystery and they are so captivated to their Ignorance Atheism and Unbelief as that they think it is but an idle story and a needlest thing especially if they are Moral honest men and great Professors of the Gospel Hence it was when Christ had to do with and intended to convert Nicodemus who was a Moral and Religious honest man that he presses the necessity of Regeneration on him with four Asseverations together Except a man namely thou and others be born again ye cannot enter into the Kingdom of God And marvel not at this ye must be born again Joh. 3.3.5.7 So in Matth. 18.3 Verily I say to you except ye be converted and become as little children ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven And as they neither see nor believe in good earnest their need of Regeneration so they believe not that God hath a mind that he doth indeed propose intend or is really willing to Regenerate them but they dream as being under the power of their Infidelity and delusions and perswade themselves that whatever they read or hear Ministers report of these things that they are but Fictions and fancies of men and that there is no truth nor reality in it or if there be yet they are not concerned in what they say unto them for their effectual Conviction and Regeneration And therefore when Christ strives and his Ministers strive with them to get into their hearts and Regenerate them they defend themselves stand upon their ground and do all they can to prevent and hinder them Rom. 10. ult Heb. 3.1.15 Thus you see that Atheism and Unbelief is a Potent Enemy to Regeneration Secondly Hatred of God and Holiness and their great love strong and much endeared affection to their sins lusts and the world greatly opposes Regenerating Grace or the work of Regeneration in us That by Nature we are haters of God the Yoke of Christ and Power of Godliness you have heard before as also that we have great affection for and are much in love with our Lusts and the World Now that these are exceeding great Enemies to and obstructions of our Regeneration is evident in Luk. 14.16 17 18 19 20. God makes a Supper of Grace and favour for sinners makes it ready sets it on the Table and sends his Servants to invite them to come and eat but would they come no in no wise But why not why because they had other things to mind and as they thought of greater concernment One had a Wife another a Farm and another Oxen. These were the things they loved minded and so greatly delighted in these things lay so near their hearts as that they would not could not come nor could the most loving Invitation perswade them their worldly lusts were so strong This made them reject that Grace that was so freely and earnestly proffered them So Covetousness caused the young mâ—â— to reject Christ Grace and Heaven Luke 18.22 23 and made him resolve to lose all rather than forgo that bosom lust He stood it out stoutly and would not bow or yield an inch to Christ although his Life and Soul lay at stake for it And to the same purpose we read in Luk. 19.27 of some who were so wedded to their lusts and interests as that they peremptorily rejected Christs Yoke They preferred the service of Sin before the service of Christ and chose rather to have their Lusts to Reign over them than the Lord Jesus By Nature men are such Enemies to God and Godliness I mean the power of it as that they hate the Light that would shew them their errour acquaint them with God and bring to the saving knowledge of true happiness Joh. 3.19 20. And they are said to abhor God Zach. 11.8 and likewise the Word and Laws of God Levit. 26.15 The Scribes and Pharisees were Religious men and knew more than others did of the Will of God and yet they stifly opposed the Grace and Gospel of Christ that was brought to them for their Regeneration if they would accept it yea they hated the Lord Jesus Christ for proffering his Grace and Assistance to them and publishing the glad tydings of Salvation Joh. 15.24 25. And how desperately did the Jews set themselves against the Apostles Preaching Christ and Grace unto them what exceeding great enmity malignity malice and hatred did they express all along to and against their Preaching and tendering Christ and his Grace unto them for their Regeneration and Salvation you may see at large in the Acts. The Language of us all by Nature is we have loved strangers and after them we will go Jer. 2.25 and therefore as for the Word of the Lord which he hath spoken we will not do it Jer. 44.16 17. Moreover Pride is a strong and hostile Enemy to Regeneration Man is a very proud Creature and as full of Diabolical and Carnal Pride as a Toad is of Poyson This is the Lust that makes men scorn to come up to Christs terms or bow to his Proposals They disdain to be beholding to Free Grace for any thing and therefore will not hearken to any of Christs Offers Pride sets men in Battle-array against Christ to dispute and sight it out with him It is so strong a Fort such an impregnable Castle as that no strength can take and subdue it but Omnipotency that can do it but none else can Eph. 1.19 20. Psal 110.3 2 Cor. 10.4 5. This is the Lust that makes men so boldly and audaciously set their mouths against the Heavens Psal 73.9 and so pertinaciously contend with God it causes men to think highly of themselves and vilely of Christ Grace and a New State it makes them desperate and resolute in the way of their own hearts and turn a deaf Ear to the Lords Calls and Admonitions it causes them to trample on the Gospel Christ and his Blood and Righteousness and to harden their hearts against all reproofs and instructions All the Angels in Heaven or
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
said to be Deaf Psal 58.4 Isa 42.18 19. although they had not lost their natural Sense of hearing yet the Scripture saith they were Deaf why because they had not Spiritual Ears to hear hence the Lord Jesus speaking to the Asian Churches bids such as had Eares to hear what the Spirit spake unto them Revel 2. and 3. Chapters Clearly implying that there were some among them that had not this Spiritual Sense of hearing the Voice of the holy Spirit but that there were others that had it And the Prophet tells the Jews that there were some that had Eares but were Deaf Isa 43.8 that is they had the natural but not the Spiritual sense of hearing the voice of God by his Prophets This Spiritual hearing sense imports not onely a hearing and taking in the words or matters they hear but also understanding them and receiving them into the understanding will and affection Ezek. 40.3.4 2 Thes 2.10 Pro. 7.1 Pro. 10 14. They are ready and swift to hear Jam. 1.19.21 Let Christ speak to them what he will they can and will hear him Speak Lord for thy servant heares 1 Sam. 3.2 is the language of his heart and Lord what wilt thou have me to do Acts. 9. doth God or good men instruct admonish exhort reprove charge rebuke them their Eares and hearts are open and ready to hear and receive it to love and understand it to keep and practice it or to improve all to the will of God Regenerate Persons are the good ground hearers Luk. 8.15 Math. 13. They have Eares to hear hearts to receive and understand what is revealed to them yea to keep and hold it fast convert the word into profit and turn all into the practice of Godlyness They and they only have learnt the mystery and Spiritual Art of hearing They are the only Wise Serious Humble Diligent Circumspect Careful Reverend Watchful Sincere Profitable and good Hearers They are taught to please and honour God better and advantage their own Souls in and by hearing They are the Persons and none but they who hear in hearing who do truely and faithfully endeavour to hear Christ in hearing of men and to hear that voice behind them saying this is the way walk ye in it which is promised in Isa 30.20.21 They are the men who do indeed make blessed earnings of hearing and who do unfainedly intend design and carry on right high and holy ends in hearing namely to know Christ his Will Grace Spirit Benefits Covenant and Promises to know themselves their Sins Deceits and Errors their increase or decrease in Grace and practical Godliness and to know how they ought to believe and carry themselves towards God and men in all conditions States and Relations better more clearly and Spiritually that so they may walk worthy of the Lord unto all well-pleasing and be fruitful in every good work adorn the Gospel of Christ and beautify their holy profession These are the men who hear that they may be cleansed and washed that they may be quickened to and strengthened in their duty and that their lusts may be destroyed by the word of Grace Joh. 15.3 Joh. 17.17 Eph. 5.25.26 2 Cor. 10.4.5 And that they may as in the Lords own way and appointment meet with Christ and Christ with them to express their dependance on and subjection to him and that they may be filled with all the fulness of God Eph. 3.19 This is the hearing Ear and understanding heart that is rarely to be found in the world Fifthly Smelling In the natural body there is the Sense of Smelling so there is in the new Creature also Christ is full of sweet smells and Savours fitted and suited to a believers new sense and Christ hath provided for and given them a sense capable of receiveing and resenting it which adds much to their strength and Comfort and renders the Lord Jesus more sweet lovely and acceptable to them For the more senses they have to draw and take in of Christs Person Grace and lovelyness to themselves the more they get from Christ and the more pleasing and desirable he must needs be to them had the patural man only two or three senses to apprehend and take in objects and the good of them his life would not be so comfortable because as then many of the Creatures would be vain and useless to him so he would live without the use and comfort of them that are suited to the senses he wants and which he cannot receive nor take comfort and delight in without them And men are naturally best pleased and most satisfyed with variety of objects and matters It is much more so in Spiritual and heavenly matters and things Spiritual men love and delight much in heavenly varieties and therefore to delight and satisfy them to endear their Souls to Christ and incourage them in their Duty to him he hath given them many senses or subjects capable of apprehending and taking in variety of heavenly matters and things and that is not all but he hath also graciously provided all suitable varieties for them and presents them freely to their acceptance Thus Christ is to them a sweet smelling Savour Eph. 5.2 his death was so to God and his Person Graces and Benefits are so to them Cant. 5.13.2.13 Their Persons love and obedience are a sweet smelling savour to Christ Cant. 4.10.11 And so is Christ unto them Cant. 1.3 and it is powerful to excite and draw forth their strongest and dearest love to Christ Because of the savour of this good Oyntments therefore do the Virgins love thee And as it excites and draws forth their love to Christ so it gladdens and refreshes the hearts of new Creatures Psal 45.8 All thy Garments smell of Myrth c. whereby they have made thee glad Thus I have briefly run over and presented you a few considerations of the New Creature his spiritual senses what they are and of their nature work use and end to help you to make a true Judgment of your selves whether you are new Creatures indeed or only in name and pretence And be assured of this that if thou art indeed a Regenerate person thou mayest in some degree especially at sometimes find these spiritual senses in thee And if thou canst find them in any degree in thee thou mayest conclude that thou art a Child of God and really Regenerate For it is certain that unregenerate persons have them not in them but are real strangers if not Enemies to them and such as regard them not neither do they find them in any degree or measure in themselves they are in an unregenerate state and condition And that they have not these senses is evident for they are dead blind hard and wholly carnal as hath been shewed already And so much of the first Mark or Character of a new Creature I shall briefly dispatch the rest and then proceed to other heads propounded Secondly If thou art a new Creature indeed thou
That they may greatly rejoyce in hope of the Glory of God 1 Rom. 5.2 and for that glorious resurrection that is promised To this hope they are called in their Regeneration Eph. 1.18.44 and this is one of the fruits of the spirit in their hearts ever after 5. Joy Joy is another holy passion in good men There is the natural passion of joy in all men and there is the Spiritual passion of joy in Regenerate men There is the object or matter of joy and there is the joy it self and also the faculty or subject of joy The object or matters of joy and rejoycing to good men are Christ Grace and heavenly things Phill. 3.1.3 Phil. 44. Psal 4.4 Psal 32. ult 2 the joy its self which flows forth from these objects or matters of joy into their hearts For experience shews that sometimes the objects of joy are shut up and yield no joy at all to us when we do eye and mind them and would fain draw it out of them but they are like Clouds that give down no rain at all sometimes or as a Fountaine shut up 〈◊〉 sealed Cant. 4.12 But at other times they are opened to us and then the joy of the Lord refreshes and chears strengthens and warmes our Souls This is given us of God the Father Christ and the holy Spirit as a special expression of his Love and Grace to us The objects of joy will not afford it until he give it or command them to hand it out to us Psal 133.3 Rom. 14.17 Rom. 15.13 Gall. 5.22 Joh. 14. Job 15.11 Joh. 6.20 3 There is the faculty or subject of joy that is that which is onely capable of receiving the impressions of the joy of the Lord in the Soul and improving it aright This is that we call the affection or passion of joy and this is given to men namely as it is a Spiritual or new passion in Regeneration For thereby God makes them subjects capable of receiving and rightly embracing valuing and useing the heavenly joy he intends for and hath promised to give unto them in their walking with him in their Regenerate states Now they can and do rejoice in Christ Jesus Phill. 3.3 in his love and Grace and in his will and their duty Rom. 7.22 Psal 40. now they praise God with joyful lips Psal 63.5 and shout for joy of heart Psal 32. ult Now they rejoyce and work righteousness and walk on in their way rejoycing Acts 8.39 Isa 64.5 Their hearts are full of great and unspeakable joy at some seasons so as that their Vessels can now hold no more 1 Pet. 1.8 With this Holy Joy in their hearts they can run and not be weary walk and not faint Isa 40. ult Neh. 8.10 6. Sorrow This is in a sense a contrary passion or affection to that of Joy There is a natural and carnal sorrow and a holy and spiritual sorrow or grief of heart the first is common to all men the second is only found in Regenerate men Sorrow in a natural sense is an evil but in a spiritual sense it is a good passion Joy and sorrow are strong and vehement working passions in men when strongly imprest and deeply affected with real or supposed evil or good There is a worldly and there is a godly sorrow 2 Cor. 7.10 Regeneration brings into and sets up the godly sorrow in men and thereby they are enabled to sorrow after a godly manner 2 Cor. 7.9 This passion is moved and imprest and the acts of godly sorrow are produced by several and these different objects and matters First their own lusts sins and God-provoking abominations their vileness and filthiness and their former contempts of Christ and despising slighting and rejecting his Love Grace Yoke Promises and Kindnesses These and many other evils and the serious thoughts and considerations of them do break and wound their hearts and cause much inward grief anguish and sorrow of heart and make them cry out unclean unclean what shall we do or how shall we appear before the holy and righteous God Acts 2.35 36 37 Acts 16. This causes them to sigh and mourn and erercise revengeful thoughts against themselves and to take indignation of themselves condemn abhor and loath themselves Ezek. 36.31 2 Cor. 7.11 And secondly the serious thoughts and considerations of the God Christ Grace Love and Kindness they have sinned against They see know and lay to heart who they have grieved wounded and dishonoured namely their God who had thoughts of love and peace for them when they were in their blood Ezek. 16. Jer. 29. They hope they had an interest in his heart and that he loved them before they loved God yea when they hated him and would have none of his counsel 1 Joh. 4.19 Pro. 1. They likewise see and consider the great Love and Grace of Christ and what great things he hath done and suffered for them to saâ—â— them from the wrath that is to come 1 Thes 1. ult The thoughts of the exceeding great patience and long-suffering of God towards them his pittying them and waiting on and for them that he might be gracious to them Isa 30.18 Rom. 2.4 5. Rom. 10. ult his standing at the door and knocking for them to have admission into their hearts Rev. 3.20 and how willing and importunate he was to be at peace and in friendship with them how basely and unworthily they carried themselves towards him and how they turned a deaf ear to his Calls and Invitations and made him wait so long for their acceptance of him even until his Locks were wet with the dew of the right Cant. 5. This works grief and raises great sorrow in their hearts So when they consider how their sins have stabb'd and murdred the Lord Jesus and put him to open shame Heb. 6 6. how they pulled down the wrath and Curse of God on him Gal. 3.12 and how he poured out sighs tears yea his precious Blood and Soul for them Isa 53. and likewise how their sins were imputed to and laid on him and how he was Crucified and killed for them and all to save them and instate them in his own Glory and Eternal Blessedness 2 Cor. 5. ult Joh. 10. Joh. 17. and how ungratefully they have demeaned themselves to him Oh! how doth this work on them how do these things irritate and cause sorrow and bitterness of Soul in them Now they can indeed look on him whom they have pierced and mourn and be in real bitterness of Soul as for their First-born Zach. 12.10 These and many other things which I cannot now mention do greatly melt them and provoke holy Sorrow and Repentance unto Life for as Christ his Love Grace and Sufferings do work on their passion of Joy irritates and provokes it so they do work on and cause much sorrow and grief of heart through the helps of the Spirit likewise The same objects and matters do work savingly and effectually on both namely to
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
and constantly go to the Court of Justice and Mercy and crave Pardon of all your sins and take out sealed Pardons through the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant For Christ gave himself to Redeem you from all Iniquity Tit. 2.14 so that you are now in and by believing made free from sin and stand as clear in Christs Righteousness and Gods Justification as if you had never sinned This is another of your glorious Priviledges who are New Creatures 4. You are Priviledged with great Interest in Christ and God the Father by him and have free â—ccess to him at all times in your dutiful carriages and obedient walkings towards him You have great interest in and power with God and you are priviledg'd with open ingress to him His doors stands always open to let you into his Presence Chamber for the Lord Jesus hath opened them for you and none can shut them against you You have this great Master of Requests waiting on or rather sitting by the great God and waiting for you that when you come with your Petitions you may find him ready to attend and prosecute your concerns in Heaven for you Heb. 7.25 Heb. 9.24 Rom. 8.34 You have his heart and he hath always his Fathers ear Job 11.42 so that you need never fear any miscarriage of or in your businesses there And be sure that all your greatest concerns lie in his hand and he is engaged to you and to his Father for you to mind and mannage them to your advantage For he tells us That he would go to Heaven and pray the Father for you Job 14 16. and hath told us since he went to Heaven that he was always attending on it Heb. 7.25 Before he left the World in his last Will and Testament he bequeathing this Priviledge unto his People and left it as a part of their Legacy to and for them that we might have what we would of him Joh. 14 13 14. And he gives us all possible assurance of it by his Asseverations Verily verily vers 12. says he I say unto you that whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name that will I do And then he further confirms his grant and promise by an Argument taken from his Father his concern and interest in his so doing namely That the Father may be glorified in the Son that is by the grant he had given his people of power and interest in him to make use of him and using his Name at the Throne of Grace with his Father as also his praying and appearing for them to and with his Father and carrying on his peoples concernments there â—is Father would take it as his honour concern and interest This Truth is evidenced and confirmed throughout the Gospel in innumerable places As in Joh. 15.7 Joh. 16. This is another of your great and dear bought Priviledges which are confer'd on you and put into your possession in Regeneration For assuredly other men have it not neither had it you before I pray for them I pray not for the world no but for them which thou hast given me out of the world for they are thine and mine says Christ Joh. 17. Other men have nothing to do with me in this matter nor I with them I pray for my Sheep my Members my Believers my New Creatures For such as have chosen me for their King and High Priest to govern and interceed for them These are the persons for whom I have shed my Blood and for whose Souls I sacrificed my Life to Divine Justice These are the men that I have dearly bought and those are the persons that wear my Livery and bear my Image and therefore I pray for them They lie deep in my Affections and so do I in theirs They are near and dear to me and so am I to them likewise I have promised this priviledge to them and they have thankfully accepted it and kindly embraced it They make use of me and have their eyes and dependence on me to appear for them in Heaven and therefore they may come boldly to my Throne of Grace and find favour and Grace to help in time of need Heb. 4. ult These my New Creatures may ask of me what they will and it shall be done to them Job 15.7 And as they have great Interest in the ear and heart of Christ and may be familiarly bold with him as he doth and will pray for and mannage their concerns in Heaven for them so they have free access unto the Father and a great interest in his ear and heart also upon Christs account Hence the Lord Jesus tells his Disciples when he was comforting and encouraging them and pouring out as it were his heart and Bowels of Love unto them I say not that I will pray the Father for you for the Father himself loveth you Joh. 16 26 27. That is your heavenly Father hath such Love and Affection for you and your interest is so great in him upon my account that if I should hold my peace and not speak a word to him in your behalfs yet he hath Grace and Love enough to and for you and that he will also mind your concernments And you may go to him in my Name and make use of him in all your matters and businesses 5. All the promises that are made and given appointed and intended for the Saints and People of God in the Gospel are yours All the promises of Grace and to Grace and Gospel obedience with all the good all the marrow and fatness of them are yours Not a Hony-comb in all the Hive of the Gospel-Covenant but what will yield you some drops of hony and sweetness And you being new Creatures and married to Christ in whom are all the Promises yea and amen 2 Cor. 1.20 all the Promises are your Dowry and Portion They are all Intayled on and made over to you they are your great Pattent and Charter for all Grace and Glory and by which you may plead and do hold your Right and Title to Grace and Christ hear and Eternall Life hereafter For if all things be yours as the Gospel saith they are 1 Cor. 3.22 Then all the Promises of the new Covenant are yours likewise And with a holy boldness you may Claim and appropriate them and all the milk and hony of them to your selves as yours by Grant and Purchase Are you indeed and in Truth Regenerate Persons why then rejoyce and be exceeding glad for the great Charter of heaven is yours You are of the little holy and heavenly corporation and City Citizens of the new Jerusalem that came down from heaven and therefore you have a Right unto and Interest in all the promises of the life that now is and of that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 You have the promises of all Grace and happiness and for whatever you need and much more To instance in a few of many and that briefly 1. You have the Promises of pardon of the
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
with our Goâ—â— and Father You shall forever be fed at youâ— Fathers and eat at his Table with him 〈◊〉 he will make all sorts of Spiritual provisiâ—â— for you because you are his adopted Châ—â—dren and in his house You shall for ever 〈◊〉 upon no worser fare than the Bread of 〈◊〉 that came down from heaven Joh. 6. And yâ—â— â—â—all for ever Drink of the Rivers of his pleasures â—â—ely of the Fountain of Life Psal 36.8 and 〈◊〉 shall never want You are in an adopted â—â—â—e and may expect all provisions from him 〈◊〉 hath Adopted you for he will not deny you any good thing nor fail to make ready for 〈◊〉 your daily bread Therefore look on 〈◊〉 great dignity and Priviledge of yours apply it to your selves suck out all the marâ—ow and sweetness of it and comfort your selves with it to the enabling and encouraging you in your Wilderness Journy work aâ—d condition You know it so amongst men â—â—th respect to worldly Inheritances Such as are entayled or entitled to them will often think on them and comforting themselves in â—ope of possessing and enjoying the good of â—â—em after a few years Why do you so â—uch more For your Inheritance to which you are Adopted is a much more glorious certain and rich Inheritance than any worldly one can be and it is an Incorruptible and â—ternal Inheritance that you are entituled to The Lord Jesus the Elder Brother and Heir is gone to take possession of your Inheritances for you who are Regenerated and made by Adoption fellow Heirs of Salvation 8. Vnion and Communion You are Vnited to Christ and made one Body with him or you are Members of his Body of his Flesh and of his â—â—es Eph. 5.30 as you heard before and therefore shall not insist on it here This Union is exprest and set forth unto us by many things As by natural Vnions that are between the Head and Members in the Natural Body Eph. 5.23 Eph. 1.22 23. Eph. 4.15 by the natural union and oneness that is between the Vine and Branches Joh. 15.1 2 4 5. so also between Voluntary and Conjugal Relations as Husband and Wife Eph. 5. Friends and Friends John 15. Now from this Union flows Communion of Persons and Estates What the Lord Jesus hath is theirs and whatever they have is Christs Christ is theirs and all his fulness and Riches theirs he can withhold 〈◊〉 good thing from them neither doth he account any thing he hath to be so his own but that they have a kind of propriety and Interest in it and may claim it of him What he hath received of his Father it was for them he deposited all their stock and Portion in his hand that he might impart and communicate it 〈◊〉 them which he doth and will do and thâ—â— most faithfully carefully wisely and seasonbly For this end he gives them free and 〈◊〉 access to him and invites them not to be straâ—gers to him but come and apply themselveâ— freely and constantly to him and ask of 〈◊〉 what they will John 14.13 14. John 15. â— John 16. All which he holds forth to theâ— in and by the hand of Promises Ask what yâ— will and it shall be done to you John 15.7 Joâ—â— 16.24 In like manner Regenerate Men 〈◊〉 open hearted to Christ in degree they 〈◊〉 willingly design and dedicate their all to 〈◊〉 All their love and affections all their strenâ— and abilities and all their earnings and 〈◊〉 tings They give him their service and 〈◊〉 age their hearts hands and Souls and the fruits of their experiences of his Grace and love to them Christ and they do Visit one mother in the Galleries and in their Closets There they do unbosome themselves and open the secrets of their hearts to each other This is another of your great Dignities and Priviledges But having spoken something of this before I shall say no more of it here You should consider this Truth and make the best of it you can 9. You are priviledged and dignified with the holy Angels Guard and Attendance They are by nature more noble and excellent Creatures then you and yet they wait on you and keep guard round about you night and day They love and honour you and are ready to do you any service they can and you are greatly engaged to them for the honour and service they do you They do you much good for they are Ministering Spirits sent forth to Minister unto the Heirs of Salvation such as you are they secure you from and guard you against Devils and they support and uphold you in and with their hands Heb. 1. ult Psal 91 10 11. Psal 34.7 Math. 4. When you are Journying they go with you and when you lie down they watch at your Beds-side The holy Angels rejoyce in and with you Luk. 15.7 10. They are glad at your Regeneration and Salvation and they no way envy your prosperity or disdain your service as below them Whatever they do for you they do it freely faithfully chearfully and with delight Thus you see what you are born to and what Dignities and Priviledges are conferred on you and do attend your New states and conditions Apply them to your selves and lay them near your hearts lodge them in your minds and realize them to your selves for they are yours and do belong to you as you are New Creatures or in a state of Grace Use them as Divine Cordials and drink freely of them continually to strengthen and encourage your hearts and hands in the work of the Lord. For it is your Fathers will you should so do because he knows you need them and gives them into your hands for these ends and purposes And now what follows but that you endeavour to walk worthy of your new State Priviledges and Dignities Which will be the matter of the next Chapter CHAP. VII Shewing how you ought to walk and carry your selves in your Regenerate States and what God looks for and expects from you Q. WHat is the Work or what are the works and duties of New-Creatures in their Regenerate states how ought they to walk and carry themselves towards God and Men what doth God require of and expect from them A. They have great and special works and duties to do and perform to God and Men in which they must exercise and imploy themselves all their days They must never be Idle and unfruitful in the knowledge of Christ or their new States 2 Pet. 1.8 Regenerate persons must abound in the work of the Lord 1 Cor. 15. ult and make it their whole work and business to bring forth fruit to God Rom. 7.4 that God may be glorified in and by them John 15.8 God expects singular things and special works from you for the whole Revenue of his Glory is intrusted with and in your hands and with other of his New Creatures and he hath and will give grace and assistance enough to enable you to live to the praise
sole and only Author of it without the help or assistance of men God needs none of their help neither can they afford him any at all towards their Renovation and therefore it is God alone For first men are all dead in sins and Trespasses Eph. 2.1 5. and therefore cannot move themselves to produce new habits or principles of that they have not nor can they set forward the great work of Regeneration in themselves for want of Life to act withall 2. Blind They are in gross darkness Isa 60.2 They cannot so much as see where nor what they are nor where they are going Joh. 12 35. They are born blind and continue such They see not the Light that shines round about them Joh. 1.5 much less can they direct themselves in procuring or forwarding their own Regeneration 3. There is nothing in them to make use of towards the production of it but very much to impede and hinder the work They will it not neither will they suffer God to do it until he hath mightily perswaded and bowed them to yield Phil. 2.13 Psal 110.3 therefore it is not in them to work it in themselves As they will not come to Christ that they may have Life Joh. 5.40 so they will not have him to come and create his Life in them Therefore it must be of God alone without the concurrance of second causes in men And I say 't is the work of God and not of one of the glorious persons only although the work be especially attributed to the holy Ghost but God the father hath his Almighty hand imployed in the work Eph. 1.19 20. 1 Pet. 1.3 and so hath Jesus Christ his son too Joh. 5.21 Joh. 10.10 so it is also the holy Spirits work Joh. 3.5 Tit. 3.5 The Reasons why the Scripture tells us all the persons in the God-head have their hand in the work of Regeneration are First to shew and impress a deep sense of the exceeding greatness and excellency of the work on the hearts of Regenerate persons that they might be induced thereby to admire and value it and to have it in high esteem as a most excellent and glorious work indeed which had so many hands of infinite wisdom power and love exercised and imployed about the effecting of it 2. That they might be directed and provoked thereby to ascribe all the glory unto all the three persons and not to the holy Ghost only 'T is true that men unregenerate ought to use Gods means in order to Regeneration they are to hear the Gospel preached read the Scriptures and good Books and to pray to God to Regenerate them because God hath commanded them so to do Ezek. 36.25 26 27 37. Luk. 11.13 and also because they are the ways and means of Gods own appointing for their Regeneration whereby he will work it Jam. 1.18 Rom. 10. Joh. 15.3 But yet your using the means and waiting in them cannot Regenerate you until God put forth his Almighty power in them and form a new Creature in you God tells us again and again that it is his work alone and that there is none to help him Eph. 2.8 9 10. Tit. 3.5 to take off all boasting from men and that he that glories might glory in the Lord 1 Cor. 1.31 'T is said to be a special powerful and saving work of God to distinguish it from those common and ordinary works or workings of God on many which never arises to or Issues in real Regeneration on their Souls First it is a special work it differs not only in the degree or measure of it but in the kind There is a specifical difference between what God works in and bestows upon such as he Regenerates and others who are never Regenerated although he bestows many Spiritual gifts on them 1. In the root and spring of his gifts and favours Namely his Love in Christ That is the Fountain and efficient cause of their Regeneration or of the grace and power whereby they are Regenerated Eph. 2.4 5. Deut. 7.6.7 c. God had loved and chosen them in the Lord Jesus to be a peculiar people unto himself and therefore Regenerates and makes them such by his grace But God doth not so love others neither hath he chosen them in Christ and Sanctified them to his use to be his peculiars and therefore he never effectually Regenerates them Rom. 9.21 22 23 24 25. And yet no one person is denied Regenerating grace but such as by their own wickedness do procure it unto themselves and therefore none shall have cause to complain of partial unjust or cruel dealing from the God of Truth with whom is no unrighteousness 2. There is a difference in the grace its self although it is hard to express and clear it to your Apprehensions yet a wide difference there is between the grace and gifts of the Spirit on men some are awakened enlightened and reformed by the holy Ghost which never are indeed Regenerated I shall not discourse of the differences here but only shall tell you that special grace hath virtue in it to enliven as well as to enlighten to quicken dead Souls and revive dead hearts as well as to enlighten the head Common grace may put Light into the head but never quickens and enlivens the heart but special grace doth both and that from its own nature and tendancy for it is given for that end Namely to cause the dead to live and the blind to see Spiritual things Spiritually 1 Cor. 2. There is a generative and renewing nature and virtue in the one that is not in the other But more of this elsewhere 3. There is also a specifical difference in the ends special grace is given by the God of Love and from the Love of God to some to conform them to and mould them for the Lords special use and service to make them lovely and aimable pleasing and delightful to him that he may delight in them and they in him and be made capable of Communion with himself 1 Cor. 1.9 Joh. 14.21 23. 1 Joh. 1.3 That they may be vessels of honour fitted for his use live to him and not unto themselves 2 Tim. 2.20 21. 2 Cor. 5.14 15. and also that they may live in the fruition and presence of God for ever in another world But now common graces are not given for these ends because they cannot effect them They leave men in as bad a state as they found them in Their hearts are not changed neither made new Creatures by them but remain under the reign and power of their lusts and are Lovers and obeyers of them under their common grace 2. It is the powerful work of God that is Regenerating grace is Irresistable It carries all before it and prevails It is mighty in opposing resisting and conquering all its Enemies to prosecute and obtain its ends which the common works of God are not as experience shews where Regenerating grace comes it dislodges Satan and
and men Abimelech did so with respect to Abraham and Sarah Gen. 20.5 to which God gave his testimony namely that it was so indeed verse 6. Paul while unregenerate had a great deal of Moral Integrity I have says he walked in all good Conscience before God until this day Acts 23.1 Mark it I have walked in all good Conscience before God he speaks of his carriages towards God in his unconverted state To the same purpose he speaks of himself in Acts 26.4 5 9. But when he declares his sincerity and integrity in walking before God in his Regenerate State he gives us another account of it 2 Cor. 1.12 For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our Conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity or as the Greek word reads it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that in or with the simplicity and sincerity of God we have had our Conversation and also by says he the Grace of God to distinguish his Evangelical and gracious integrity from his moral and old sincerity or integrity he had whilest a Pharisee and in an unregenerate condition And Paul further tells us in Phil. 3.6 that concerning the Law he was blameless that is he did act and walk according to his Knowledge and Conscience These seeming Graces and good works look like Regeneration special Grace and real good works but in truth they are not so These are commonly taken for such and men conclude that they are Regenerate and in a happy condition because they find such things as these in and by themselves but assuredly such good things may be in you and done by you in your unregenerate states yea you may fear God and love God and be in many things conscientious men you may love the People of God desire their Society and wish your Souls in their condition and yet be unregenerate men you may be meek humble useful and desirable men and be taken and accepted respected and honoured by and of the best of men as good and holy men and all that while be in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity therefore it nearly concerns you to be serious and diligent in examining and trying your selves whether or no you be such as you seem to be lest you continue to seem to be what you are not and so delude men and deceive your own Souls harden your selves in a presumptious confidence and flatter your selves to everlasting destruction I could have presented you with many other things that look like Regeneration but I may speak something more of this matter when I shall characterize Regenerate persons or open Regeneration on another Head 2. But I shall now give you a fuller explication of the great work of Regeneration the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and signifies a new or second state This is a compound word of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 again and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Generation So Regeneration is a New Birth or as Peter expresses it a being born again 1 Pet. 1.23 The word is used in Tit. 3.5 and in Matth. 19.28 In Titus it is meant of the first Regeneration or change of state here but in Matthew it may import the state of Grace here and Glory hereafter The words in the Text and in 1 Pet. 1.23 which are rendred born again are of the same import and signifie the same thing or work of God on men and so do those expressions of begetting 1 Pet. 1.3 Jam. 1.18 Indeed the work of Regeneration is variously expressed and set out in Scripture by many significant and divers words and phrases to shew us that it is a great and glorious work of God on sinners to commend it the more to our consideration and acceptance to explain and make it the clearer to our understandings and to quicken and perswade us to seek after it in good earnest to esteem and value it and to move Regenerate persons to much thankfulness for it and to provoke to walk worthy of it to convince men that it is too great a work for them to do that they are beholding to Free Grace and Omnipotent Power for it and to lay them low and make them vile in their own eyes Now Regeneration is exprest and set out to us in the Gospel sometimes by renewing us Col. 3.10 Heb. 6.6 sometimes by making us partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 and stamping the Image of God on us Col. 3.10 Eph. 4. sometimes 't is expressed by Gods writing his Law in our hearts Jer. 31.33 Heb. 10.16 and by circumcising hearts Deut. 30.6 sometimes by shedding abroad his love and putting his fear into them Rom. 5.5 Jer. 32.39 40. as also by quickning the dead Eph. 2.1.5 Joh. 5.21.25 sometimes by Creation or creating them in Christ Jesus unto good works Eph. 2.10 Col. 2.10 sometimes by putting off the old man and putting on the new Col. 2.9 10. Eph. 4.22 23 24. sometimes by translation or by translating us from death to life 1 Joh. 3.14 and out of darkness into the Kingdom of Christ Col. 1.13 sometimes by opening blind eyes and turning men from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God Acts 26.18 sometimes by Gods working us to will and do Phil. 2.13 and working us for this self-same thing 2 Cor. 5.5 that is preparing us for another world and sometimes by calling us by his Grace Gal. 1.6 to be Saints to holiness 1 Pet. 1.14 and to newness of life Regeneration is held forth to us by such expressions and works of God in and upon us it includes all these and several other mentioned in Scripture But I have more to say for the unfolding and clearing this great truth to you who desire to learn First Regeneration Renovation or the New Birth is made up of all and every Grace of Christ I mean the seeds and first fruits of all Grace Christ imparts and infuses a measure of all his Grace in regenerating a man he opens the Fountain and Treasury of his Grace and Fulness by the hand of the Holy Ghost he conveys it into our hearts Joh. 16.13 14. yea and the Holy Spirit himself gets into men and dwells there Rom. 8.10 as I shewed you before Q. What are the Graces of Christ that constitutes and forms the New Creature or that makes the great Change Answ First Life We are all by Nature dead in sins not only as under the Damning Sentence of the Law but we are personally dead that is as the Body is dead without the Soul and Spirit that animates the Body so without the Spirit and Grace of Christ our Souls Bodies and Spirits are spiritually dead as being without spiritual life Eph. 2.1.5 Matth. 8.22 Joh. 5.25 Now when Christ Regenerates a man he infuses and conveys of his Life into him and that enlivens the whole man Hence Christ tells us that he is the Life Joh. 14.6 that he came to give Life Joh. 10.10 that he quickens whom he will and the dead shall hear
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
the specifical difference between common and peculiar grace that makes a man to be what he seems to be it makes and really qualifies a man a truly godly and gracious man it makes the heart face and tongue of a man the same towards God and men it makes a man entire and wholly for God Christ and Holiness according to his holy profession it brings up and musters all graces sets them in their places and directs them all unto God in duties and to those holy ends for which he hath appointed them to be performed Gospel-sincerity is a special gift of God bestowed on men in Regeneration 2 Cor. 1.12 that in the simplicity and sincerity of God we have had our Conversation among you says Paul and he tells the Colosians that they had heard and known the Grace of God in truth Col. 1.6 Gospel-sincerity hath all grace in the Womb of it by it the Holy Ghost makes men a peculiar people unto God qualifies and fits them for all spiritual and holy imployments and Religious Exercises for acceptance and Communion with God This is it that makes men lovely and desirable to God and man that makes them true and faithful to God that draws forth and ingages their hearts to God and causes them to yield up their wills to the Will of God Without Gospel-sincerity men are but whited Sepulchres and like the Apples of Sodom beautiful without but rotten and abominable within Mens Religion I mean their profession of it without Gospel-sincerity is vain and unsavoury Gospel-sincerity is that which makes us like God Jer. 22.41 and that which spiritualizes and persumes all our duties All our duties must be done and profession of godliness made in Gospel-sincerity or God will abhor both us and them Joshua 24.14 Heb. 10.22 Joh. 4.23 24. Isai 1. Therefore that God may have some to serve him in Spirit and Truth he Regenerates them and makes them New Creatures by putting his own Nature and stamping his own Image into and upon them and so they are made holy and sincere in measure like unto himself This is another glorious part of Regeneration These are some and but some of the graces of Christ that makes forms and constitutes the Heavenly Babe the New Creature There are many other graces of Christ given to men in their Regeneration to make a compleat New Creature as Joy Temperance Patience and several other which I shall not now insist on nor mention because I have many other Truths to open to you on this Subject Let me then advise you who think you are Regenerated to examine and try your selves if you can find indeed these graces of Christ in you and if you you can and do find them in you really you may be sure that all other graces that have not been mentioned are in you and that you are in a state of Regeneration but if there be none of these graces in you then you are in an unregenerate state and condition Q. What have you further to say and declare of Regeneration Answ I say that the Holy Ghost gets into a man when he Regenerates him and brings in all the Graces of Christ with him Joh. 16.7 8 13 14. as was shewed before Rom 8.9 10 11. And Christ is said to be in Regenerate men by his Spirit and graces 2 Cor. 5.17 and by regenerating them he works in them new principles habits dispositions and ends and he sets up in their hearts and souls new Laws namely his own to direct and guide them to rule and order them All things are become new in him and to him that is Regenerated 2 Cor. 5.17 1 There are new that is divine and heavenly Principles in him there is Divine Light to see withal and New Life to walk withal in the ways of God there is Love to move and incline his heart to his duty Life to quicken and Light to direct and guide him so that his duties proceed from his new Principles of Light Life Faith and Love All things are become new in him 2 New Habits His new Principles are become fixed stated habits in his Soul he doth not move and act in the things of God by Forreign causes and external motives only as he did before Regeneration but he acts and brings forth fruit from a stock of grace in his heart In Matth. 12.35 Christ tells us that a good man out of the good tâ—easure of the heart bringeth forth good things that is from a gracious fixed habit His good works do naturally flow from him he is fixed and resolved at all times to do and comply with the Will of God in all states and conditâ—ons whatsoever not only when he hears or feels some stirring word or provoking judgment to quicken and irritate him but also at other times when none of these things do occur Thus we find David and Paul Psal 57.7 Psal 119. Acts 20.24 Acts 2. All things are new 3 New dispositions Regeneration disposes us to every good word and work it is an habitual disposition though it be sometimes stronger sometimes weaker yet they do genuinely mind and will God their duty and eternal happiness Rom. 7.18 For to will says he is present with â—ne but how to do it he knew not And the same Apostle shews us that 't is so with all good men Gal. 5.17 and they are said to be spiritually minded Rom. 8.5 6. that is the bent inclination desire and intention of their hearts were so Thus Regenerate men are said to be ready to every good work Acts 17.11 Tit. 3 1. 2 Cor. 8.11 Rom. 1.15 Regeneration disposes them to pray in secret Acts 9.11 to hear and learn the Will of God Acts 17.11 so to be delivered from all sin Rom. 7.24 to perfect holiness Phil. 3.13 14. and as these so all other things and duties whatsoever It is true that the carnal spirit in Regenerate persons doth greatly oppose and draw them backward but yet that hinders not their holy dispositions and inclinations but they will breathe and operate in them with a notwithstanding as good men do experience And indeed this is one of Gods great and holy ends in regenerating men namely to move and incline their hearts unto himself and his holy will that they may move will aed act freely by his Life and Power within them that their habitual inclinations and dispositions may be suited to his will and the things above and that his external motives may sweetly and freely draw and not force and drive them to himself and their duty Hence the Spouse prays Christ to draw her and she will run after him Cant. 1.4 shewing thereby which way she was disposed and bent 4 New ends and designs All things are become new with regenerate persons and therefore needs they must have new ends and designs in their eyes and hearts in their wills understandings judgments minds and affections as their ends and designs in things before Regeneration were base low and sordid so now
to live always in a dependency on their Creator For although God made Man a perfect Creature filled him with his Grace and adorned him with his Image yet he was but a Creature and he was always to live and have his dependency on God for his subsistance and not to stand and continue in that state from and by himself but to depend wholly on him that made him This he was bound to do not only in point of prudence for his own security and peace but in point of duty as that which he was indispensably bound unto by the Law of his Creation His neglect of his duty in this occasioned his Dreadful Fall which ruined him I mean Adam and all his Posterity The same end doth God Regenerate men for namely that they may believe in Jesus Christ and in God the Father by him Joh. 14.1 1 Pet. 1.21 that they may trust commit themselves to him and live in a constant dependence on him Isa 26.4 Psal 37.3.5 Therefore doth he infuse his Faith into them when he Regenerates them Col. 1.12 and writes this Law in their hearts that they may obey it Jer. 31.33 Heb. 10.16 3 They were at first Created to love God with all their hearts and chiefest strongest and warmest love that they might esteem and love him as their highest and chiefest good and singular Object of all their affections This Law of our Creation we have exprest in Matth. 22.37 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart and with all thy Soul and with all thy Mind So likewise this is Gods End in his second Creation or Regeneration and therefore doth he circumcise their hearts to love him Deut. 30.6 writes this Law in their hearts and sheds it abroad into them in Regeneration Rom. 5.5 that they may love him aright and that with his own love without which they cannot do it 4 The Lord Created Man to fear him to reverence and stand in awe of him as their great Soveraign Lord and King This Law was created with them and written in their hearts until sin had defaced and blotted it out This Law is also written in the Bible that men may remember what was written in their hearts in their Creation and know their duty and one of the ends for which they were Created how they have lost it and to provoke them to endeavour the recovery of it How often have we this Law exprest in Scripture Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God thou shalt stand in awe and sin not Deut. 6.13.24 Deut. 10.12.20 Psal 2.11 Psal 4.4 1 Pet. 2.17 It is a holy fear not a perplexing and heart-disquieting fear that is commanded it is a fear that is not an Adversary to Faith and Love as the forbidden fear is but it is useful for us and helpful to all other Graces Now in Regeneration God puts this fear into our hearts Jer. 32.39 40. that we may serve the Lord with reverence and godly fear Heb. 12.28 that we may not sin or depart from God Jer. 32. I will put my fear into their hearts and they shall not depart from me But I must hasten 5 God Created Man to obey him and yield him free loving and chearful subjection and obedience He formed them for his Subjects and Children that they should subject themselves unto his Laws and Authority and yield or give to him the obedience of Subjects to their Soveraign and of Children to their Creator and Begetter and accordingly they were Created with the Principle and Power of obedience and to this Created Principle God presently added a positive Law to try and exercise their obedience unto God Gen. 2.16 17. But of the Tree of Knowledge thou shalt not eat of it nor touch it The Image of God in which Adam and we in him were Created was such as fully enabled him and us had we kept it to have yielded all heart and practical obedience unto his whole will he wanted nothing to help him but he had all Grace in perfection to obey and conform to the whole Will of God at all times But Sin rooted the Principle and Power of Heart-obedience quite out of us so that men have now neither will nor power to obey the Will of God until they are regenerated by Grace But that God might not loose this End altogether for which he created Man he is pleased of his meer Grace to Regenerate and renew some of Mankind and thereby frame and mould them to such obedience as he at first intended them for for men cannot neither will they obey until Grace hath restored this old Power and Principle of obedience which they had lost And therefore he Regenerates and infuses this Power and Principle into men to make them willing Subjects and obedient Children 1 Pet. 1.14 Rom. 6.16 17 22. This was Gods End in sending Paul to convert the Gentiles Rom. 15.18 and this is powerfully effected in men in and by the work of Regeneration 6 That they might serve and worship him according to his revealed will God made men to worship and serve him externally as well as internally by loving fearing him and the like Christ mentions this in Matth. 4.10 when the Devil desired external worship from him It is written thou shalt worship the Lord thy God They were created in the Image of God to serve him with fear that is to worship God Psal 2.11 Heb. 12.28 Now God Regenerates men that they may by his Grace be enabled to do and perform that worship to him which he at first created them for and the Law of their Creation enjoyns them to that is to worship God in Spirit and Truth for such Christ tells us the Father seeks to worship him John 4.23 24. God works them for this self-same thing though not only for it says Paul 2 Cor. 5.5 Regeneration makes men together with the help of the Spirit worship God according to his own Will and appointment spiritually holily and acceptably through Jesus Christ Heb. 12.28 1 Pet. 2.5 Rom. 12.1 But assuredly there are not any such Worshippers in the World but Regenerate persons for all other men do what they do in the Worship of God without the Grace and Spirit of God and therefore cannot worship him in Spirit and Truth 7 God created Man in his own Image that they might know him and therefore gave them a sufficient light to see by and eyes to use that light revealed and made known himself unto them that they might clearly see him and always have him and his Will in their eyes The Image of God was Light and Knowledge as well as Righteousness and Holiness and therefore Adam knew and saw God so far as a Man was or in that state could be capable of knowing him which as it aggravated his sin so it heightned his happiness while he kept it The knowledge of God was absolutely necessary to help him and us in him to trust love fear and obey him so likewise to
adore and admire him and to worship and serve him as our God But the knowledge of God being lost God hath provided means for the retriving of some and bringing them to the knowledge of himself again and this is done by Regeneration Hence they are renewed in knowledge after the Image of him that created them Col. 3.10 Eph. 4. And Paul saith God that commanded light to shine out of darkness hath shined in mens hearts to give them the knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 The having of this knowledge is Life Eternal Joh. 17.3 For this end God opened Pauls eyes Acts 22.14 and for this end he opens others eyes also and until men are Regenerated they are in darkness and know not God nor Christ the Mediator and therefore regenerates men that they may know both and whatever else is necessary to be known Men are like Moles and Bruits without the knowledge of God Jesus Christ his Grace and Laws 8 God Created Man to make him the Object of his Love Delight Complacency and Communion and therefore made him in his own likeness Gen. 5.1 beautified him with his own Image and Nature Gen. 1.27 2 Pet. 1.4 that thereby he might make him a lovely and suitable Object for those ends Man was the Flower Crown and Quintescence of the whole Creation not so much because he had a Reasonable Soul and a more Noble Nature but because he was created in the Image of God God puts the Accent on that part of his Workmanship several times Gen. 1.26 27.5 1. Eccl. 7. ult to which the Apostle alludes Col. 3.10 This was the Creature that God saw very good as fitted for these ends namely to be the objects of his love and delight Gen. 1.31 God made them after his own Heart meet and answerable to his gracious purposes and intentions but man quickly marr'd and disrobed himself and thereby made himself utterly uncapable and unworthy of Gods Delight Complacency and Communion so that now God had not a Creature left in the World to delight in and have Communion withal But that he might not be altogether destitute of some to take up withal he chose a certain number with a design to make them Vessels of Honour and to prepare them for this his special use namely to be his Companions to solace himself with them and rejoyce in them as with his Friends and Lovers Zeph. 3.17 Isa 63.3 4. The Book of Canticles abundantly declares it Now this he doth accomplish in and upon them in and by Regeneration or making them New Creatures By Regeneration God in measure and degree restores to them what they sinfully lost by their Rebellion against and Apostacy from God and reposes them with and of his Grace and Nature which they had deprived themselves of by which they lost that love delight and complacency that God had to and in them and that Communion he had with them whilest they kept their integrity and intended them for in creating them I say God restores to them and creates in them that which will for ever make them lovely and delightful unto him by regenerating them he puts his Grace and Spirit into them Ezek. 36.25 26 27. stamps and impresses his own glorious Nature and Image on them Col. 3.10 imputes the Righteousness of Christ to them 2 Cor. 5. ult and infuses his Holiness into the whole man and so makes them lovely and beautiful by the comeliness that he hath of his own put upon them Ezek. 16.14 Then he loves and delights then he takes complacency in them and then he enters into and holds communion with them with satisfaction for his own Image and Grace sake as well as for his own love and Sons sake Joh. 13.1 Pro. 8.17 Joh. 14.21.23 Pro. 15.8 Zeph. 3.17 Isa 63.3 4. 1 Joh. 1.3 1 Cor. 1.9 These are some but not all the Ends of God in regenerating men which must be obtained in this world But besides these that concern this life there are others that concern Christ his coming and the Eternal states of Gods Elect. A word of these and I have done with this 1 The Elect are the Spouses of Christ by Christs Purchase and Gods Gift to him they were given to him Joh. 6.37 Joh. 10.29 that he might Marry them and take them into a Conjugal Relation as you have heard before in pursuance of Gods Ends in giving them to Christ he pays a price for them and purchases them for himself for although they are said to be given to Christ yet he could not get them out of Prison but by paying their debts and full ransom which Divine Justice demanded 1 Cor. 6.20 and then comes and requires his own and contracts and takes them to himself and by regenerating them he shews himself unto them and acquaints them with himself perswades them to consent to his Proposals and chuse him for their Husband and so by his Grace in their hearts they freely willingly and chearfully give their consent and Christ and they do mutually give themselves to each other and take each other into a Matrimonial state and resolution This cannot be done without Regeneration for men are not adorn'd with a personal loveliness and made meet for Christ until they are made partakers of the Divine Nature and are beautified with his Image which makes them meet Companions for him So they will by no means be perswaded to consent to have him for their Head and Husband and resign up themselves unto him until they have their hearts and states changed by his Spirit and Grace in Regeneration And therefore I say that Regeneration is absolutely necessary to bring persons into a Conjugal Relation to Christ But yet there is more to be done than what I have yet said and which I aim at in what I have spoken namely that the Contracted Bride is to make her self ready for the great Marriage day or for the compleatment of the Marriage Solemnities which shall be at Christ his second Personal coming when he shall receive his Bride unto himself and carry her home to his own Royal Palace in State and Glory John 14.3 Revel 19 1-8 Matth. 25.31 32. For this day and the great Solemnity of it Christ must have his Bride in a state and practical readiness to meet her Bridegroom in the Clouds where he will come with his Attendants in great State and send his Angels for his Bride to come to him where he will wait to receive and imbrace her and then will the Lord make his great Feast called the Supper of the Lamb and a Feast of fat things to which Feast and Marriage she must come ready deckt with all her Ornaments and Wedding Garments that she may be suitable unto her Husband For what hath been said see these Scriptures Matth. 25.32 33 34. 1 Thes 4.16 17. Rev. 19.9.17 Isa 25.6 Now I say the Lord Jesus exhorts her or them to get and make themselves ready for
men receive new strength and power from God to obey Phil. 2.13 6 By Nature we are Servants to the Devil and our own Lusts Rebels and Enemies to and against God as was shewed before We have chosen the service of Lusts and Satan and are well pleased and contented with it do it most willingly and readily and are not weary of it but against God we lift up the heel and kick throw off his Yoke and reject his Authority over us in his Laws and Statutes Joh. 8.44 Deut. 32. Eph. 2.2 Psal 2. Rom. 6. 7 By Nature we are lovers of sin and haters of God 2 Tim. 3.4 Rom. 1.30 We sin upon choice Isa 66.3 and are greatly delighted with it Pro. 2.14 As the Law of God is to Believers namely their joy and delight Rom. 7.22 Psal 1.2 so is sin and wickedness to Unbelievers whilest such they rejoyce not only to be evil but also to do it and to work it or in it with both hands Jer. 11.15 It is their meat and drink their pleasure and satisfaction to sin and wallow in the Mire of one or other abomination 8 By Nature we are dead in sins and trespasses Eph. 2.1.5 and live stinking above ground like filthy Carrion We are unsensible of our sin and misery or of the wrong we have done to God Men and our own Souls We are all by Nature like some condemned Malefactors who are not touched with their Guilt or Punishment Neither Gods Truths Promises Precepts or Threatnings neither his Judgments or Mercies will pierce or make any saving impressions on us 9 By Nature we are void of all Grace We have neither Faith to believe nor Affection to love God we neither will that which is good nor believe that which is true nor yet love that which is lovely although we are indispensably bound to do it in order to Eternal Life He that believeth not shall be damned Mark 16.16 and if any man love not ou◠Lord Jesus namely in sincerity let him be accursed 1 Cor. 16.22 Eph. 6. ult Therefore we stand in absolute need of Regeneration that we may be enabled to believe in and love Christ aright 10 And lastly By Nature we do not so much as desire to be made happy by Free Grace in the Lords own way A happiness indeed we do desire but then we would obtain it in our own way which will not do it What men desire that they chuse to and for themselves they desire happiness and desire and chuse their ow◠way to it Isa 66.3 Rom. 10.3 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man but the end thereof are the ways of death So we read it but J. and T. render it Cujus finis est via multiplex as Mortem the end of that seeming right way is manifold or leads men divers ways to death and destruction Pro. 14.12 and yet it seems the right way unto them towards the obtainment of happiness But such is our Depravity Stupidity Atheism and Blindness as that we see not desire not to know the right way to it neither are we freely willing to find and get it in the ways God hath appointed God hath appointed Faith in Christ Repentance towards God Acts 20.21 and Gospel-Holiness Rom. 6.22 Heb. 14.14 to be the way to happiness but men will rather lose their happiness than have it in these ways of Gods own appointment They will have God to bow and condescend to them but they will not bend to nor comply with the will and way of God so that if God will save them it must be on their own terms not Gods for they do by no means like or desire to win Heaven by Self-denial Faith Repentance true Holiness and Gospel-obedience but in the way of their own hearts Eccl. 11.9 The way of Gods prescribing is contrary to their Lusts Humours Inclinations Interests and Affections Happiness they would have but with all these They do not account their obtainment of happiness of that weight and moment as to deny themselves of these to get it All the Moral perswasions in the World will not make them change their minds but that they may be happy on other and easier terms than God propounds unto them In Job 21.14 there is this description given of us as in our Natural states They say to God depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways that is the ways of God which are appointed by God to lead and conduct men to Eternal Happiness Now if men do not so much as desire happiness much less will or can they seriously seek it in the Lords way without which yea and also striving for it men shall not find nor obtain it Luke 13.24 1 Cor. 9.24 Thus we may see by these few things the necessity of Regeneration from the state and condition we are all in by Nature I have said but little of what I could say of this matter but I think I have said enough to evince and prove the absolute necessity of a new state by what hath been said of our old how unable and uncapable we are to answer close up with prosecute and obtain the ends of God in our first Make or his knowing us in his own Image and Likeness without Regeneration How utterly unable we are to serve his holy designs without his special Grace renewing and new moulding us for his own glorious ends and purposes which is done by Regeneration Q. What have you else to offer for the further demonstrating and proving this great Truth namely the absolute necessity of Regeneration for our fuller information and conviction for it is a hard matter to believe it and there are but few that do believe what you have already said yea there are many that preach quite contrary Doctrine and perswade men that they are Regenerated in and by their Water Baptism and therefore they need no other Regeneration Answ I shall therefore further prove and demonstrate this Truth to you and shew you the absolute necessity of it in these following particulars 1 No man can know Jesus Christ rightly and savingly without Regeneration therefore Regeneration is absolutely necessary for the right knowledge or of knowing Christ which is Life Eternal Joh. 17.3 And that we cannot so know him until we are Regenerated hath been already proved For we are darkness Eph. 5.8 and walk in darkness because darkness hath blinded our eyes 1 Joh. 2.11 2 No man can rightly believe in Christ and in God the Father without Regeneration and therefore it is absolutely needful It is absolutely necessary to Salvation that we do rightly believe because it is Gods Statute Law that such as do not so believe shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on them Joh. 3.36 Now that none believe in Christ unto Salvation is evident because our sin and Gods Curse hath concluded or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shut up all in unbelief and believing is of Grace Act. 1.18.2.1 3 No man
God That we are translated from Death to Life and hereby know we that we are in him 1 John 2.5.3.14.5.19 And Paul tells us that they namely he and other Regenerate Persons had received the Spirit that they might know the things which were freely given to them of God 1 Cor. 2.12 Now if it was certainly known by the Saints of old such as run their Race before us then we may obtain it now for we live under the same God Christ Grace Promises Love Spirit and means of assurance that they did and we have as much need of it as they had upon all accounts And as we have these and many other Scripture Evidences or Examples I mean the Saints mentioned in Scripture so we have had many undoubted Testimonies of it in and from many good men in our days and the latter Ages before us How that some on their Death-Beds others in the days of their prosperity others in their tryals and temptations Some in one Ordinance of God and some in another some in Prison and some at the Stake some under the loss of their Goods and Reproaches for Christs sake have gotten clear and heart ravishing Assurance of their Regeneration and blessed States I say we have this Truth confirmed to us by their worthy Testimonies and glorious Experiences And assuredly what they had we also may obtain in the same way in and by the use of the same means and in the same or like case and condition 2. God hath commanded Regenerate Persons and so hath made it their Duty to get and keep assurance of their new States and God would never have prescribed such a means and commanded our diligent use of it as our duty in order to the obtainment of the end but that the said end is attainable by and shall most certainly be obtained in the faithful constant use of it For as his commands makes the work or means our duty so the End propounded namely of the duty to be done by us is the obtainment of assurance so I say it is an object of our Faith and Hope And upon Gods propounding it to us as the end of the duty commended we are to believe and hope in the performance of the duty to obtain the end that is assurance of our being translated from Death to Life namely that God will bless his own means to effect and accomplish his own ends to and in us and he will by no means disappoint us or make us ashamed of our trusting him hoping in and waiting for him to grant us the end he presented to us commanded us to seek it that we might find it and which we have endeavoured with all our hearts to obtain in his own way Isa 49.20 Isa 54.4 Now God hath charged us to examin and prove our selves 2 Cor. 13.5 And to give diligence to make our Calling and Election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 And to worship him in full assurance of Faith Heb. 10.22 that is in the certain perswasion of Gods Truth All-sufficiency and Faithfulness in his Promises and of Christ his being a High-Priest over the House of God vers 21. So likewise of our Interest and Right to and in all 4. God hath given us many Rules and Marks in his Word to help us in our Tryals of our states and to make a comfortable and satisfactory judgment of them whether we are indeed Regenerate or no. Very much of the New Testament was written for that end that we might know we have Eternal Life saith John 1 Joh. 5.13 All which Scripture had been to little or no purpose if assurance after all were not attainable But it is evident that it is attainable and that all Regenerate persons may attain unto and obtain it because God hath given them such proper and suitable means and helps for the obtainment of it There are many of them scattered up and down the Scriptures I 'le name one or two that in 1 Joh. 3.14 We know that we are passed from death to life because we love the Brethren that is here is a certain and infallible sign or mark of a New Creature his loving of good men that is if you can really say and soundly experience that you do love a holy man or gracious men as such rightly truly heartily with a spiritual and special love because they are such and belong to Christ why then you may conclude that you are in a state of Grace and passed from death to life So that if I can make good the lesser Proposition the Gospel will prove and make good the first or greater Proposition thus He that loves the Brethren that is rightly and in a true Gospel sense is passed from death to life but I do so love the Brethren therefore I am passed from death to life Now that which we have to do in the case is this namely to get the clear proof of the second part thus I do know that I do so love the Brethren according to the true purport and meaning of that and other Texts of Scripture and then conclude from this Scripture and others of the like import that I am passed from death to life that is I am Regenerated 2. An other sign or mark of Regenerate men laid down in Scripture is this that they desire the sincere Milk of the Word that they may grow thereby 1 Pet. 2.2 Now if I am a Babe in Christ I do desire the sincere Milk of the Word of God that I may not only eat it but eat it to grow thereby to grow up in Christ Grace and in the practise and fruits of holiness and if I do so desire the sincere Milk of the Word then I am at least a Babe or young Child of God But this is not my work or present design and therefore do but little more than mention these things namely to shew that Unregenerate and Regenerate persons may know the states and conditions wherein they are the one in and by sin the other in and by Grace But I thought good to say a little of it and but a little as a preparative to that which I have further to say and which was mainly intended as the subject matter of this Chapter Q. What are some of the most certain Signs Characters or Marks of Regenerate and Vnregenerate persons or states A. Much hath been said already in opening the work of Regeneration what it was and what was contained in it as you may see in that Chapter and therefore I shall say the less here But yet I shall endeavour to present so much unto you in this Chapter or Head as shall fully answer and resolve the Question First A Regenerate person hath new life It is a New Creature Gal. 6.15 and it is a living lively Creature it is not born dead but alive it is alive to God to live unto him in newness of life Rom. 6.4.10.11 To bring forth fruit unto God Rom. 7.4 And men are created in Christ Jesus unto
hast been brought forth and born again in pain and with grief and trouble of Soul Every natural Child is brought forth with sorrow and pain Joh. 16. and every nâ—w-born Babe is brought forth with sorrow and pain The Lord Jesus hath been in Travail Sorrow and Pain for them that are and shall be regenerated to purchase their new Birth Isa 53.3.11 he had the hardest labour and strugling for thee he was in the greatest and most dreadful Agony and anguish of Soul that could be to procure thy Regeneration and new State he had many a woful and grievous throw many a sigh and groan and he sweat many drops of Blood for thee when he was Sacrificing his life to Divine Justice for thy Redemption and Sanctification to Redeem thee from thy old state of Sin and Misery Luk. 22.44 Math. 26. and to make thee one of his peculiar people Tit. 2.14 Eph. 5. And as he hath been in Pain and Travail for thee so if thou art Regenerated he hath given thee a small Taste of his Pains and Sorrows in thy birth Thou hast not been brought forth without sighs groans throws Pains and Sorrows no but thou hast found much Strugling and many pangs of heart It is true that all Children are not born with the same degree and measure of pains and sorrows Some Women feel more some less in their Travail but all have some In Sorrow thou shalt bring forth Children says God Gen. 3.16 so he says of all sinners that he will Regenerate if grown persons in sorrow shalt thou be Regenerated and made a New Creature Thou shalt taste and feel what an evil and bitter thing it is to be a sinner and under my Wrath the dominion of Lusts and the Devil That thou hast forsaken me the Fountain of living Waters Jer. 2. Rebelled against me thrown off my Yoke and obeyed the Devil rather than me Thou shalt know that I have observed all thy contemptuous slightings of my Son my Grace and Mercy and causing me to stand wait and knock for thee and thou d'st not hearken to me When God Regenerates men he lets loose Sin Guilt Devil his Law and Vengeance on the Souls and Consciences of such for a time and the Spirit of God who is the great Agent in Regenerating them Joh. 3.5 makes himself as a Spirit of Bondage to them and seemingly to their own sense puts them into and leaves them in a far worse case and condition than they were in before Rom. 8.15 so that now their sinful peace carnal security vain and foolish hopes and confidences are all broken and shattered and they are left to the wide world to shift for themselves and that when they are encompassed about with fears and miseries and have none to comfort them but are like men shut up in doubts fears and distractions not knowing what to do nor what to think of their conditions They are condemned by the Law and their own Consciences and they see themselves bound over to answer for all their Transgressions at the Judgment Seat of God They see themselves in straits and miseries and know not how to help themselves neither can they find any that will or can for they look upon God as their Enemy and are afraid of him This makes them cry out O What shall we do to be saved How or by whom shall we be delivered Acts 2.37 Acts 16.29 30. Now their Hearts Heads and Souls are in travelling pains and pangs greatly longing to be delivered like men that are sinking into the bottom of the Sea and never like to be saved Thus they are brought forth in pain and Sorrow And God hath many wise and gratious ends in dealing thus with them which in due time they shall see and bless him for For by bringing forth the new Creature thus he greatly imbitters Sin to them shews them their own vileness weakness and wretchedness and causes them to loath themselves and hate their Sin endears and commends Jesus Christ his Grace and love to them and stirs them up to seek after him and cleave to him the more seriously and heartily Thirdly The new Creature is of a humble meek and lowly nature it is like the Father and Authour of it the Lord Jesus he was meek and lowly in heart and life Math. 11.29 Christ was of a Lamb-like Dove-like nature Spirit and Carriage in his life and Death In his life Joh. 1.29 Behold the Lamb of God In his death under exceeding great contemps innumerable Injuries he was as a Lamb Acts. 8.32 so his Saints are often called his Sheep and Lambs My sheep hear my voice Joh. 10.27 and his Lambs Joh. 21.15 so he calls them his Doves Câ—nt 2.14 Cant. 5.2 and so they call Christ Cant. 5.12 now who knows not these Creatures to be meek lowly and humble and because they are generally known so to be and are so in their own nature the Lord Jesus sets out and shews us what his new Creatures are in their natures and carriages by them and they are such indeed or they are not the real Sheep Lambs and Doves of the Lord Jesus for all his People participate of his nature they are of Poor Meek Humble and lowly Spirits Words and Carriages in measure like their head Christ how Proud and Lofty so ever they were before Christs Regenerating Grace is certainly Soul-humbling Spirit-meekening and Heart-debasing Grace where-ever it is It Turns Lyons into Lambs Wolves into Sheep and Ravenous Birds into sweet Doves For they are Regenerated with the divine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 and by the Spirit of Christ Rom. 8.9 and they are said to be as he is in the world 1 Joh. 4.17 And as they are so by nature or there new birth so likewise by their Light and consideration Their habits are improved and strengthened by their own endeavours as by Gods own Proper means 1. They see so much of their own Vileness Wretchedness Nakedness and Impotency as to make them loath themselves and they see so much of their former and past Transgressions and Sins as to cause them to abhor and condemn themselves Job 42. They do now see themselves and ways with another kind of light and judgment than they did before so that now their Self-justifying is turn'd into Self-condemning and their high thoughts into low and Self-debasing thoughts of themselves They were never so high in their own Eyes as now they are low and never so worthy and sufficient as now they are unworthy and nothing Phill. 3.7.2 They see in measure the holyness and Righteousness of God and his Laws and the great unsuitableness of their hearts and wayes unto them and the sight and Sense thereof greatly humbles and debases them Isa 6.5 Job 42.5.6 And as they are humbled and debased at the sight and knowledg of these things so also their serious pondering and considering them doth further shame humble and abuse them They do consider and lay these things to heart and do
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
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