vpon all elect flesh that hee would bee pleased as freely to worke graciously in him if it be his will as he did in thy selfe at thy first conuersision This is that which the Lord would haue thee doe neyther is hee any niggard of his grace vnto those whom-to he hath purposed it from all eternitie Hee is not like man men when they haue done something for others they can not endure that the receiuers should become beggers of the like kindnesse for others but they would haue them satisfied with that which they themselues haue receiued and let crauing for others alone But it is farre otherwise with the Lord it is his delight when they that haue beene blowne vppon freely with his grace will become petitioners to the throne of grace for others as wel as for themselues and chiefly for those whom they haue neerest relation vnto It is that which he is pleased withall when the sanctified husband prayeth for the vnsanctified wife when the beleeuing wife sueth for the vnsanctified husband holy parents for vnholy childrē holy children for vnholy parents sanctified maister for vngodly seruants c. Thou therefore that hast any whit of heauens breath in thee do not onlie craue the encrease of grace in thy selfe which is thy duty too but also begge hard for the beginnings of grace in thy gracelesse brethren and seeing Gods grace is as free from himselfe to other elect vessels of mercy as to thee beseech thou the Lord to open the eyes of thine ignorant wife to soften the hart of thine impenitent husband to conuert the soule of thine vngracious childe to infuse grace into thy vnregenerate father mother brethren friends neighbours maister seruant whose hearts are as yet swolne with the breath of Satan and corruption And as the Apostle his hearts o Ro. 10.1 desire and prayer to God was that Israel might be saued So let it be thy hearts desire and prayer to God that they may bee sanctified and that with his spirituall p Cant. 4.16 North and South winde he would blowe vppon such dead Gardens and that hee would open the bottells and spout-pots of his holy Spirit to water such dry and barren grounds that those floures may spring vp there which haue their roote in Election and that the sweete spices of grace may flow out as freely from the holy Ghost to them as to thy selfe And these bee the two duties which the Saints haue to learne from hence First to prayse God for the graces which they themselues haue and to pray to God for the like graces on the behalfe of them that want them * The second branch of the vse of exhortation to the vnregenerate Secondly heere is a lesson for the vnregenerate who are altogether destitute of sound grace to learne and that is to giue all diligence to be effectually breathed vppon with this winde from heauen and with holy Dauid to q Psa 132 4.5 giue no sleepe to their eyes nor slumber to their eye-liddes vntill their hearts be a place for the God of Iacob to breathe in and their soules an habitation for the Ark of the Lords strength and the worke of the Lords Spirit to rest and dwel in For if Gods wil be the ground of his worke of sanctification in any creature then they that are still vnsanctified are bound to an incessant vse of those means which the Lord hath appoynted to serue this free will of his in the effecting of grace in their hearts and though we cannot effect any part of that blessed wotke in our selues nor so much as naturally wish or will it yet in asmuch as the Lord hath made no promise to regenerate but by the vse of meanes wee must vse that meanes if wee would be spiritually breathed vppon For that God who doth reueale his will of election by the worke of Iustification his will of iustification by the worke of Sanctification doeth also declare his wil of sanctification by the prescribing of helpes to bring vs to holinesse which helpes wee must diligently and carefully vse or else if the spirit neuer come to breathe vppon vs the fault will be our owne and our condemnation of our selues Howsoeuer still I say the worke of grace be the Lords so then I say the libertie which the Lord hath to infuse grace where he willeth vrgeth a necessity of following those rules which hee hath set vp for his Church to attaine vnto grace by which rules and helps what they are I will shew in order The first is a diligent attendance vnto the word of grace 1 Help to get grace hence it is that the word is called the r 2 Cor. 3 8. ministration of the Spirit We know that they which are left Executours to other mens wills they must take vp Letters of Administration by vertue of which they must enter vpon the goods of the deceased so they that would take vp that Legacie of Graces which Christ bequeathed to his Church in the promise of sending his Spirit must come to Gods Courts and there take vp the Letters of Administration by the meanes whereof they may take vp that portion of inheritance or grace which Christ hath left for them ſ Acts 1.2 When the Apostles were in an house at Ierusalem where they heard a sound like the rushing of a mighty winde then did the holy Ghost sit vpon them So when wee are in the house of God to heare the found of his mighty voyce in the preaching of the Word may wee expect the breathing of his Spirit It was at the preaching of Peter that the holy Ghost fell vpon Cornelius and his houshold t Act. 10.44 It was at a Sermon of Paules when the Spirit opened the hart of Lydia u Acts 16 14 When Ananias instructed Paul the seales fell from his eyes and hee receiued spirituall sight w Acts 9.17 By the preaching of our Sauiour many of the Iewes came to beleeue on him with his word did hee cleanse the x Mark 1.42 Leper y Ma k 5.42 raise the dead z Mar. 10 52. open the eyes of the blinde a Mar 9.26 Chap. 5.8 cast diuels out of the possessed with them in the daies of his flesh and by the means of his holy word now published by his messengers doth hee cleanse with the water of grace our leprous soules quickening with the life of grace our dead hearts open with the light of grace our blinde minds and chase out with the blasts of grace those same euill spirits that doe haunt and possesse our soules Their case therefore cannot be sufficiently lamented nor enough bewailed who make no more reckoning of the Word then of a trifle or toy and who regard the sound of the Lords voyce in a powerfull Ministery no more then the creaking of a lifelesse doore the estate of such persons I say can not be pittied too much for alas poore soules by this
then as a thunderbolt of terrour to those that goe a-about to hinder the current of grace in their brethren and who by all means possible seek to discourage them when they are setting their faces towards the kingdome of heauen It was the portion of the Israelites as they were iourneying towards that promised earthly Canaan to meet with many enemies open and secret who endeauoured to stop them and stay them from coming thither but all was in vaine thither they came at the last and in Gods due season there as many of them arriued as God had purposed to bring thither It fareth iust so with the Israel of God in these dayes when the blasts of grace are blowing them forward to the heauenly Canaan which is aboue what opposition shall they meet withall not onely from natiue corruption within them not only from the violence of professed enemies to the truth without them but also they of their owne houshold will lift vp the heele against them the husband resisting the work of grace in the wife the wife in the husband the parent resisting the work of grace in the childe the maister in the seruant one brother and sister in another one seruant neighbor in another and that somtimes by flattery faire speeches somtimes by threats menaces somtimes teousnesse and holinesse Thinkest thou that thou shalt euer preuaile to cause those to forsake their good beginnings in Christianitie for whom the Lord hath broken in sunder the cords of Satan and iniquitie If thou so imaginest thou art much mistaken thou shalt neuer be able to bring those whom the Sonne hath made free indeede into bondage againe though thou temptest and striuest vntill thy heart ake againe Thou maiest peraduenture be a stumbling blocke vnto them and partly by authoritie partly by austerity partly by flattery thou mayest bee an occasion vnto them of trippes and foiles that thou mayest laugh at them for the same and bring religion vpon the Stage to scoffe at it but who shall haue the worst of it at the end thinkest thou either thou or they Not thou Yes thou shalt For the Lord will correct them with the prickes of conscience that they may renue their repentance for their foyles which thou hast caused and that they may rise againe because Gods work is vnchangeable but thou vnlesse the Lord be the more mercifull shalt bee reserued for a future iudgement euen that iudgement which shall light vpon the pates of them by whom offences come which what it is let Christ him selfe tell thee x Mat. 18.6 He that offendeth one of these little ones better were it for him if a mill-stone were hanged about his necke and hee cast into the midst of the Sea Is any one therefore that liueth in the same towne with thee that lieth in the same bed that feedes at the same board that harboureth in the same house with thee but a little one of Christ beginning now to steppe into the profession of religion beginning to heare Sermons more carefully to reade the Scriptures more diligently to pray more often to frequent the company of the faithfull to forsake the societie of the wicked to affect and seeke after the best things whereas formerly he had no loue to them no delight in them Woe to thee and a thousand woes if thou goest about any way either by faire meanes or foule to dishearten or seduce that person thou wilt one day curse the time that euer thou didst it Oh that this could sinke into the thoughts of those wicked parents gracelesse maisters irreligious husbands that deny their wiues their children their seruants that time and liberty for hearing the Word for praier to God for sanctifying the Saboth and such like holy Exercises which God doth require and they doe desire Oh that it could but settle in the meditations of those gouernours which abuse their authoritie to the praise of them that doe ill to the discouragement of them that doe well And I could heartily wish it might effectually worke vpon the conscience of euery childe of Belial that scoffeth at that raileth vpon that setteth against that seeketh to seduce any one in whom the fruits of grace haue appeared already or now at length beginne to appeare Poore soules they know not what they doe foolish persons they goe about one of the vainest and vilest things that can bee and the greatest fruit they shall reape of this endeuour is but wrath piled vp for themselues against the day of wrath Howsoeuer they may be snares to hypocrites who were neuer sound at the core to seduce them and make them appeare in their colours the bloud of which hypocrites also shall be required at their hands yet such as are rightly sanctified and soundly illuminated shall they neuer be able to plucke out of the hands of Christ Now tell mee thou Doeg thou Rabshâ—kah thou Ismael thou Saul thou Herod thou Fox is it not a vanitie of vanities a franticke madnes to set against the Lords worke in his owne children when thou mayest as soone pull the Sunne out of the firmament as grace out of their hearts and commaund the winde to cease blowing in the aire as the Lord to cease breathing in the soule which hee hath a purpose to saue Whosoeuer thou beest then that hast done the Diuell seruice in this kinde be amazed at thy folly be humbled for thy vanitie and learne to take heed of this Satanicall art of opposing or else as now the word of terrour doth meete with thee so at the last the thunder-bolts of vengeance shall seize vpon thee to thine euerlasting ouerthrow and confusion Sect. 3. Vse 2. Comfort to the faithfull Secondly here is a ground of comfort to those that are Saints by calling and as to all of them in generall so especially to those in whom the inspirations of grace haue lately breathed and to them doe I principally intend this First to weake ChristiaÌ„s because they haue the greatest need of it being not so well able to defend themselues by reason of their infancy in grace as stronger Christians are when they meet with such teÌ„ptations as they are vsually set vpon with at their first conuersion I am not ignorant how that in the first worke of humiliation after the slauish terrors and feares of hell and torment are past which are as it were a preparatiue to true sorrow in the Elect howsoeuer they are otherwise to the reprobate when I say they are past and that same grace of filial feare comes in and when the Spirit of God by the means of the Law layeth open to the vnderstanding what sinne is in its * A reprobate may see sin in the effect of it which is punishment as Ahab did but onely a true penitent beholdes it in the nature of it that is as it is an anomy to the Lawe of a louing God nature as well as in its effect to wit a breach of the righteous
Law of a gracious God and hath caused him more to sorrow for sinne as it is sinne then for sinne as it procureth punishment I meane more because he hath grieued so mercifull a Father then because hee hath deserued hell torment and so consequently hath brought him earnestly to desire strength against his corruptions as godly sorrow and an hearty desire to forsake sinne goe together When I say the spirituall yongling is brought thus farre then comes Satan vpon him as with many other so with this temptation of buzzing into his eare an impossibility of euer getting victory ouer his lusts strength to walke with God Thou shalt neuer ouercome thy corruptions saith he thou shalt neuer attaine vnto that faith zeale loue vnto that measure of holy care to walk in an holy course that thou dost desire and therefore it is in vaine for thee to grieue so much it is to no purpose for thee to striue so much thou shalt fall to thy old secure biasse againe and though now a passionate and melancholy fit hath possessed thee thou shalt growe to be as secure and hard-hearted as euer thou wert before Thou canst not shift it Seest thou not thine owne deceitfull heart against thee seest thou not the world against thee seest thou not thy wife thy husband thy parents thy maister thy brethren sisters fellow seruants friends enemies and all in the way to hinder thee how canst thou possibly get grace then or keepe it when thou hast it Whereupon the poore Christian being but a weakeling and too ready to entertaine any hard conceit against himselfe beginneth to droupe doubt and wauer and in a manner to subscribe to the temptation by which meanes the poore soule is brought into such a labyrinth of distresse that it knoweth not which way to turne it selfe for ease and comfort nor what to doe to ridde it selfe out of this perplexitie As an helpe therefore in these streights let this doctrine be thought vpon by the fainting soule let it take occasion from the same to accheere it selfe as well it may hauing right so to doe Consider therefore thou honest heart that Gods graces are vnchangeable his worke of Regeneration is inuincible and where he beginneth to breathe he will breathe though the while world say nay to it though all the powers of darkenesse set against it Doth the diuell tell thee thou shalt neuer get victorie ouer thy corruptions neuer be better then thou hast beene neuer walke better then thou hast done Beleeue him not he hath been a liar from the beginning and so he is stil I yield indeed thou hast a corrupt and deceitful hart that may easily out-reach thee and ouer-reach thee and peradventure thou mayest be troubled with a bad yoakefellow and the most of thy kindred in the flesh may be but men of the flesh and carnall persons and canst looke for no encouragement but rather discouragement from them if thou beest in the condition of a childe happely thy father may be against thee or thy mother or both if in the state of a seruant thy maister and gouernor and thou shalt haue many snares layd in the way to catch thee many blocks to offend thee I grant all this is true and may be true But what of all this wilt thou beleeue that because of these rubbes and obstacles the Lord must needes leaue halfe or the greatest part of his worke vndone in thee It is the Lords worke to illuminate to inspire to sanctifie and nothing can make him giue ouer let the Diuell roare let the flesh rebell let Rabshekah reuile let the world entice let friends flatter let enemies oppose be thou but watchful and stand wisely vpon thy guard they cannot they shal not frustrate nor nullifie the breathing of the holy Ghost in thee Wherefore so long as thou hast this for thy refuge yielde not to the tempter but let it be thy comfort thy crowne thy reioycing maugre all the malicious suggestions that Sathan seeketh to disquiet thy poore soule withall Thou shalt get victory ouer thy lusts be they neuer so strong thou shalt walke in the wayes of new obedience by the grace of GOD enabling thee though they be neuer so difficult Tell me Is not the want of grace the chiefe thing which thou bewailest Is not the possession of grace the principall treasure which thou desirest I know it is if thou beest a true Christian why this is an euidence that God hath begunne to blow vpon thee and he will perfect his owne work in thee and nothing shall command him to stay inspiring no more then thou thy selfe canst command the wind to leaue blowing when it maketh a sound in the aire Wherefore be of good comfort and take heart vnto thee and answere the Diuell with this weapon whensoeuer with this assault hee shall seeke to molest thee Againe 2. Comfort and incoragement to a strōger Christian as the weak may fetch comfort from hence so this may bee propounded to the refreshment and encouragement of the stronger sort of Christians the worke of sanctification is vnconquerable nothing shall frustrate it thou that hast been trained vp in the Schoole of Christ and in the trade of Christianitie a long time knowest this and hast prooued it by experience diuers and sundry wayes at diuers and sundry times well vse the meditation of this matter as a sword and buckler in the times of thy temptation for such times thou shalt see euen Paul himselfe must haue a y 1. Cor. 12 7. pricke in the flesh to buffet him and not onely so but ioy in the Pearle which thou hast found And seeing thou hast so long a time beene baptized with the holy Ghost which Hell it selfe cannot vndoe againe doe as the z Acts 8.39 Eunuch did whom Philip baptized driue forward the Chariot of thy godly life cheerefully and goe forward in thy way reioycing vntill thou commest to a perfect age in Christ Iesus Let this suffice for the first part of the Text. CHAP. VII The words of the second part of the Text interpreted and the heads of the Doctrines briefly propounded Sect. 1. I Passe on now to the second part of the Text which treateth of the sense and feeling that accompanieth the worke of Regeneration in the regenerate set downe in these words And thou hearest the sound thereof Interpretation so is euery one that is borne of the Spirit a Tolet. ad locum Some heere by the sound of the Winde vnderstand the voyce of the Spirit of God in the Scriptures so that though the holy Ghost bee inuisible in regard of his substance yet hee is to bee heard speaking in the written Word and the same Author saith it is euen so with those that are borne of the Spirit the things that are within them as their thoughts motions purposes desires cannot be seene with the eye yet the fruits of their vertues may be heard of amongst the children