haue while to settle any part of his longings vpon the renewing of his soule by grace and so farre is the worke of a new birth well proceeded The poore dead man being so far awakened out of his senselesse death in sinne that with great disquietment he feeles it and with heartiest workings of his soule doth couet to come out of it which last I take to bee the hungring and thirsting after righteousnesse noted by our Sauiour as a blessed note of blessednesse 3. The spirit of Prayer In the third place there is dropped into him the spirit of grace and supplications by which hee is at length imboldened to goe vnto God and in some solemne and expresse manner to vtter his confessions and petitions which before perhaps for some good space of time he could not dare to doe For the former two workes of grace doe often a great while together shew themselues in sighes and grones and sudden strong eiaculations secret vndissembled boylings vp of desire in deep wishes longings afore the poore sinner can take so much hart to himselfe as to make a formed and setled prayer vnto God But after the working of these motions some while he puts vpon himselfe the resolution of the King of Nineueh and saith within himselfe Ionab 3. Let me cry mightily vnto the Lord of heauen earth his mercies are infinite who can tel but that be may haue mercy vpon me that I perish not so is his secret sustaining hope now formed and fashioned into the right proportion of a sauing grace and shewes it selfe manifestly within him hee saith to himselfe there is hope concerning this thing and therefore I will cry and continue crying and let the Lord doe what hee pleaseth vnto me Then downe vpon his knees he fals and with his hands and eyes lifted vp to the throne of grace yet almost afraid and ashamed to looke thither and therefore ready often to rise vp and start backe againe he dares at last to poure forth his lamentable confessions into Gods bosome whom now hee hopes hee may haue leaue to call Father though alacke hee haue been too too vngracious a child Thus he proceeds to arraigne and accuse himselfe acknowledging for which hee hates himselfe because it is so plaine that he cannot but know it that he hath sinned in such and such and such and such particulars and that he hath a most filthy heart as full of wicked inclinations and thoughts he thinkes verily as the sea it selfe is full of water Wherefore hee passeth a very sharpe sentence vpon himselfe and that also very sharpely plainly saying with an inward assenting of his very soule that hee is fully worthy of all those plagues and punishments which the Lord hath threatened in his word and will execute in hell and that it should not be in the least degree iniurious if God would not be mercifull vnto him for ah how vnfit is he to receiue mercy But yet withall he takes heart in the most humble abasement of himselfe most earnestly to call and cry and beg for mercy and forgiuenesse and for the worke of grace to change his nature from that loathsome disposition which troubles him now it may be by the working of hope hauing his heart so much softened that teares before stopped vp by that binding force that strong and secret sorrowes shew themselues to haue in mans heart doe euen begin to flow forth from him to adde if it might bee a greater feruor vnto his prayers And if at first second third fourth and it may be many more times he seeme to haue cried in vaine because none answere commeth but heauen it selfe seemes strongly stopped vp against him yet hee goes againe still to the same throne of grace againe reckoning vp the same and if he can also new sinnes againe bewailing them bitterly and heartily imploring both pardon and help againe This is to come vnto Christ Iesus heauie laden as our Sauiour comfortably inuiteth vs this is to seeke God while hee may bee found and to call vpon him while hee is neere as the Prophet exhorteth vs. Which hauing done he knowes not what to doe more and therefore euen casts himselfe vpon Gods goodnesse through Iesus Christ and knowing that in him the Son the Father is well pleased he striues to rest in him continuing to knocke continuing to seeke because his heart giues him that at last he shal not faile to find acceptance And this spirit of prayer seemeth to me so proper to the regenerate that it cānot any way befal the vnregenerate who when he feeleth not his misery doth but multiply idle words in seeming to pray when he feeleth it is so wholly drowned and swallowed vp thereby that he cannot runne vnto heauen for helpe But with the regenerate prayers and supplications are alwaies found and a continuing therein also how many bitter repulses soeuer he suffers at Gods hand as often he doth very many the Lord either deferring or making more speed to answere as hee sees most behoofefull for the profit of each of his seruants and proportioning the fruit of his grace this way to his knowledge of their ability and fitnesse to receiue an answere or to brooke delayes It must not be denied but that the man that neuer shall be regenerate in the griping and twinges of his accusing conscience through the working of the law and the bare illumination of the spirit may come so farre as to roare out his Lord haue mercy vpon me very often yea hee may by perswasion and entreatie of friends be brought to reade some good prayers out of a prayer-booke yea to be glad to haue an other pray for him in his owne hearing and in some sense also to ioyne with him yea more by frequent perswading vrging teaching of some godly man he may be drawne to pray for himselfe but yet still the spirit of prayer is absent in that he doth not finde himselfe by an inward moouing of his owne heart inclined in the middest of his griefes and feares to betake himselfe to God for helpe by calling vpon his name And which is a maine obseruation in this matter if he pray he prayes almost altogether for pardon and for fauour little for grace and holinesse whereas the Christian man by a secret drawing of his own inward soule wrought by this regenerating spirit comes vnto the Lord with his requests begging grace and holines with no lesse earnestnesse then remission and saluation Yea and hauing once begun this course he finds so much refreshing thereby that he cannot but continue to doe it euen sometimes with much strugling against of his own hart through feares and doubtings thereof So it is one thing to bee perswaded to pray by men and to doe it for ease sake another thing to be inclined vnto it by the priuate and secret working of the Spirit One thing to beg for pardon not much minding amendment another thing to crie for the helpe
holinesse if I could attaine it But what doe I stand wishing I haue beene told that the spirit of God is he who regenerateth his people Wherefore I wil beg at his hand that mighty and sauing worke of his spirit and boldly I may doe it for Christ Iesus hath promised to all that thirst that if they come Isa 55.1 he will make them drinke of the waters of life Yea he hath told me that if we men who are euil can yet giue naturall good things to our children that aske them God will much more giue his spirit to them that aske it For his promise is to poure waters vpon the dry ground and flouds vpon the thirsty ground and to poure out of his spirit vpon all flesh Well I am assured the word of God is true and these promises shall be performed to euery one that asketh that he may receiue and to euery one that seeketh that he may finde for the Lord is rich in grace and giues to all that aske hits no man in the teeth And therefore I will take courage to call vpon him for that most desireable gift of God euen the spirit of regeneration Thus hauing enkindled thy desires bow thou the knees of thy body and of thy soule too vnto the king of heauen and poure out thy requests in the most submissiue earnest manner thou canst saying either in these words or to this purpose O Lord I am a lost sheep I am a child of wrath by nature I am most miserable most sinful I see that in me there dwelleth no good thing and if I be not renewed I must perish I beseech thee haue mercy vpon me that I perish not Send thy blessed spirit into mine heart to regenerate me for so is thy promise plainly made in thy word Thou knowest that I cannot make my selfe new O let thy spirit come vpon me and make me to haue a new heart and a new spirit Lord Iesus Christ send thy spirit into mee which may restore mee from this death of sinne which now at last thou hast made me to feele vnto the life of holinesse Thou toldest the woman of Samaria 〈◊〉 4. that if she would aske of thee thou wouldest giue her the water of life Now Lord I come and aske of thee that water that liuing that pretious water of the holy spirit O giue it vnto mee that I may neuer thirst but that it may spring forth in my belly and become a riuer of water O Lord I beg not money I beg not honour I beg not health I beg not naturall wisedome but I beg that which I haue more need to receiue and shall haue more benefit by receiuing and which thou hast more promised to giue and shalt haue more honour by giuing then by any such temporary or externall thing O giue me therefore thy holy spirit to regenerate me and make mee to feele by experience the truth of thy gratious promises My brethren I haue put these prayers into your mouthes learne you to poure them forth before the throne of grace in secret forget not in some such manner of words to cry for this best of all gifts and beg earnestly and if thou canst not amplifie yet multiply if thou canst not vse variety of words yet repeate the same request often and againe and againe if thine inuention serues not to say more let thy desire force thee to dwell vpon this 20. times rather then faile twice 20. times O Lord giue vnto me a miserable sinner thy spirit of life grace to regenerate me for so hast thou promised to them that aske I aske Lord resolue to continue asking I certifie you all frō God and by this authority of Christ Iesus committed to his Ministers do verily assure you that he who so seeketh regeneration shall as certainly be regenerate as God is true of his word and that is more certaine then the Sunnes shining in the heauens and the earths keeping his owne place I know that Satan will step forth to hinder you from following this counsell he will striue to make you carelesse of it all together as if there were no neede of begging so hard but I assure thee that he doth but beguile thee Neuer any man was regenerate nor shall be after yeeres of ability to pray vnlesse he doe pray for it for the gift of the spirit is promised to you that aske and to none else and by telling thy selfe of thy misery in wanting regeneration thou shalt easily shake thy selfe out of this carelesnes and bring thy selfe to a care of seeking that which but by seeking thou canst not get and but by getting thou canst not be saued Then will the Diuell assaile thee with more tentations and cast obiections and doubts in thy way as if it were in vaine to pray for sure thou shalt not be heard but beleeue him not hee is a lyar in going about to make thee make God a lyar for is not the promise so vniuersall as no man is excluded that doth not exclude himselfe doth it not runne thus euery one that asketh receiueth euery one that seeketh findeth and therefore say thou to thine owne heart if euery one why not I sure I will aske then and will not spare to speede by sparing to speake to God And that thou maiest yet more imbolden thy selfe know that God hath tyed thee by a kind of vow to seeke to him for the spirit of regeneration and himselfe to giue it vnto thee when thou so seekest For tell me art thou not a man professing to be of the Christian religion Wast thou not baptized in the name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost To what end was this washing but to assure thee of the spirit of God working like water to thy regeneration Wherefore vrge thou the Lord with his owne seale and say O Lord what better euidence can I wish Thou hast giuen me the seale of regeneration O make it to appeare not to haue beene an empty signe Lord baptise me with the Spirit and with Water euen wash me and cleanse me by that pure Water of thy holy Spirit which may sanctifie me throughout and make me a new creature If any doubt arise in thine heart looke thus to the seale of the couenant and confirme thy faith and assure thy selfe that God will neuer falsifie his bond and seale he will wash thee according to his couenant sealed vp vnto thee by Baptisme In very deed brethren it is an absurdity to imagine that all that are baptized with water are also infallibly regenerated but yet it is sure that all such might be regenerated if considering what this seale importeth they would duly and earnestly seeke vnto the Lord for performance thereof This is that I call vpon you now to do if already any haue not done it Let the remembrance of thy Baptisme with water cause thee to seeke to him that can giue the Baptisme of the spirit
as much as a great rich man will scorne to cry for the losse of a shilling Wherefore if you be not regenerate your selues according to the former exhortation to become so if you be and know it not as yet certainly settle your selues to search into your hearts and liues and to consider of the things formerly deliuered whether you haue found them in your soules yea or no and so bring your selues to certainty in this point and if you bee once certaine of it then apply your selues mangre earth and hell to liue with glad hearts and cheerfull countenances For once the word of Dauid is a most true word It becommeth vpright men to reioyce And my brethren that you may the better reioyce know that you are to be frequent in practising the duty of thanks-giuing to God for this mercy of all mercies I meane to appeare before him in your secret closets and there all alone with hearts exalted to as much ioy as can be and inlarged to as full an acknowledgement of indebtednesse as is possible to report before him the wonderfulnesse of his goodnesse towards you and to recount the vncountable number of his mercies in that he hath done more for you then if hee had made you of base slaues absolute Monarches of the world The Lord my brethren is exceedingly well pleased with the sacrifices of thankes-giuing no offering is better welcome vnto him then the hearty offering vp of the calues of our lips speaking good of his name It doth the Lord good to speake after the manner of men to heare his owne praises related by them that are deere vnto him and haue best cause to know his inconceiueable treasures of grace because they haue been plentifully partakers therof Now the benefits of this present life are so meane worthlesse contemptible in comparison of those of a better life and by name of this foundation of all the rest so it is in regard of possession and enioyment a new birth as that they which want it can but speake hollowly to God when they begin to speake of his mercies and can be but very faint in thankes how earnest soeuer they may be in requests But the child of God that hath a right vnto heauen giuen him at the same time that hee became Gods child hee may most feelingly expresse his apprehensions of Gods goodnesse and vpon occasion of this one mercy magnifie the name of the Lord his God for all the rest which become truly and indeede mercies by meanes of this and with this Wherefore I doe againe propound this matter vnto you as one of the most pleasing and acceptable seruices which in this present life you are able any of you to performe vnto the Lord euen to withdraw your selues from company and worldly businesses and with bended knees and hands and eyes reared vp to heauen-ward in the most solemne manner to confesse before the Lord his louing kindnesse and to amplifie as much as your hearts and heads will serue the exceeding greatnesse of that his vndeserued grace which he hath shewed in making you new creatures in making you his owne children by adoption This is better then all riches better then all nobility better then all learning and better then all health And the receiuing of this one mercy alone though one should for all other things bee as afflicted as the world can make him or imagine him deserueth more and more feruent praises then all the nobility wealth wit in the world without it Hath God made thee his child hee hath done more for thee then if hee had set thee in Salomons Throne without making thee his child and therefore discharge the paiment of praise for so incomparable a mercy and that fully and without delayes Especially brethren you are to doe this considering that it is to which end wee began to mention it a principall meanes of helping you to the enioyment of the comfort which we are about to distribute vnto you For the benefits of God then are made truly comfortable to vs wheÌ„ we do turne theÌ„ to the praise of God but when wee forget to returne him his deserued thankes then doth he iustly punish vs by taking away the pleasant relish of his benefits out of our mouthes by leauing the palate of our soules to such an vntastfulnesse that we shall not be able to finde the sweetnesse of them As a mouth that is out of taste feeles no content in the most sauourie meate that is Wherefore put together the honour of God and your owne comfort and that you may haue your soules so truly rauished with the sense of his goodnesse that aboue all carnall reason and almost against it you may be glad and cheerfull set your selues as I was about to say in the most solemne and hearty manner to tender vnto the Lord this welcome present of thankes-giuing Say vnto him O Lord God of heauen the King of men and Angels and ruler of all creatures and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ infinite are the benefits wherby thou hast obliged my most vnworthy soule vnto thee For all that I haue I haue from thee and all that I shall haue I must haue from thee thou art the onely indefinite fountaine of goodnesse from whence issue forth all good things to all that enioy good It is thy wonderfull goodnesse that I was borne a man with vse of my vnderstanding and seâ—ses but yet Lord far far aboue all other things that in this life I haue receiued or can receiue doth this benefit of causing me to be borne againe of water and of the holy Ghost exceede I was the sonne of death thou hast made me the sonne of life I was an heire of perdition thou hast made mee an heire of saluation I was a slaue to sin thou hast made me a free-man from sins seruitude and a voluntary seruant to holinesse I was vnder the power of Satan led by his tentations according to his will I am now vnder the dominion of Christ Iesus led by his spirit to doe his will I was the child of the diuell and thou hast made me thy child O blessed change O happy alteration I owe to thee my soule by many bonds it is thine Lord many wayes thou madest it thou hast redeemed it thou hast regenerated it and now Lord accept it as an offering of a sweet sauour and accept with it all the hearty praises and vnfained thanks that a poore vnworthy creature can breathe forth vnto thee O Lord this mercy can but bee abased by words thou hast made me thine owne child by adoption thy Sonne O Lord euen thy Sonne who art the most rich the most high the most renouned the most puissant Prince and King in comparison of whom all Princes are worse and lesse then very nothing What shall I render vnto thee for all thy goodnesse thou requirest thankes thou deseruest thanks and thou acceptest thankes and Lord be thou blessed and praised with all
of God to reforme ones heart and soule as well as his free fauour to pardon former offences An vnsanctified man by benefit of Christian acquaintance in long and heauie terrours may come to the one of these to the other alone the Spirit of sanctification can leade one To which passe when the heart is once brought at length 4. A perswasion of mercie bringing a resolution of obedience the fourth act of the Holy Ghost doth plainely shew it selfe for it becomes a spirit of adoption within him the very earnest penny of saluation sealing vp vnto him the fauour of God the pardon of sinne the attaining of life and by a new and in truth considering the difference of former times a strange worke perswading him that God is reconciled vnto him and hath accepted him for his childe As it made him able to take vnto him words and goe vnto the Lord crauing to bee accepted graciously so it brings him word againe from God that he shal be yea that he is accepted gratiously and answering him euen as one would say with a sensible answer in the middest of his prayers oft-times so strongly and vndoubtedlie â—â—â—ures him of his being heard that hee makes for the time no more question of it then whither he liues yea or no. From which assurance of spirit hauing tasted the sweetnesse of Gods Grace and felt how good the consolations of his Word and Spirit are he growes resolute in his very soule for the time to come in all things to please God and finds a new kind of disposition inabling him to auoide euill and doe good so hauing put his necke vnder the gentle and easie yoke of Christ Iesus hee finds rest vnto his soule and thus is Christ formed in him and he transformed into a new creature For this firme purpose of will to please God in all things is so manifest and euident and sensible a worke of grace that now we may say this act of regeneration is growne to some good ripenesse and euen now perfected in him before he was in making a new man but now he is made new now he is begotten againe and become a sonne of God and heire of his kingdome and fellow-heire of Christ I know that it may befall an hypocrite lying vnder the burthen of a terrified conscience which may be totally and perpetually separated from regeneration and regeneration from it by the diligent inculcating of the comforts of the Gospell and the earnest labour of some Christian and godly men that in such case would faine speake peace to bee brought because they are told there is none other way of comfort to a purpose of neuer committing such and such grosse sinnes as they are accused of in their owne soules and to some promise of amendment of life but this is rather a resolution forced vpon them by striuing of others hereupon promising comfort then a thing growing in themselues out of the sense of the louing kindnesse of the Lord their God Whereas a Christian finds somewhat within him inclining him and making him to say within himselfe and euen little lesse then to sweare and vow with Dauid that hee will surely keepe the righteous iudgements of the Lord and that in all things and for euer to his dying day And thus is the worke of regeneratioÌ„ brought to some perfectioÌ„ thus doth the holy Ghost mould the soule of a man into a new fashion thus doth hee stampe vpon him a new image and as you would say the very lineaments and proportion of God his Father whom in a sweete likenesse that makes him amiable to God and Angels he begins to resemble Onely my brethren vnderstand you one thing for the better conceiuing of all that hath been spoken There are two sorts of regenerate men in the world Some it pleaseth God to call to himselfe euen very betimes dropping pietie and grace into them almost together with their mothers milke by benefit of that great fauour of God holy and Christian education and that euen in certaine insensible degrees so that they cannot so easily name the beginning and progression of this worke In these all the forenamed things are most manifestly found for in truth the working of them doth not cease till life cease and that so as sometimes the one of these workes of grace is more strong then the other Sometimes they find a more sensible abasement of themselues within their owne hearts out of the apprehension of their sinfulnesse sometimes desires and prayers are more vehement sometimes a comfortable resolution of pleasing God doth more mightily stirre in them yet because of the early working and that they were wrought in a still manner by very small degrees the worke did almost goe beyond obseruation and they cannot so distinctly tell when they began to be abased when to be raised vp But there is another sort of men regenerate who did liue a long time in vnregeneracie yea perhaps also in profanenes and notable and notorious wickednesse for oft it falleth out that the Pharisies and Scribes make lesse haste to the kingdome of heauen then the Publicans and sinners I meane that the grosse offenders are sooner regenerated then the ciuill liuers Now for such men it pleaseth the holy Ghost many times yea most times to worke these foure fore-rehearsed workes very distinctly making as it were some euident pause betwixt each of them and grace goes forward in them euen step after step in the manner that hath been described Most times if not alwaies the difference of their former life when they were but dead making the matter euident enough they can name when and where and by what meanes the Lord began first to lay them low to pull them downe and as they say in nature corruption and generation goe together to kil their old man by terrors till being so slaine he had in a calmer manner shewed them the filthinesse and lothsomnesse of it They can tell what longings they felt before they durst pray and what adoe they had to bring themselues to pray and then how long they continued praying before they were answered and lastly wheÌ„ that sweet tidings came that rauished their soule with ioy and made them so inamoured of Gods goodnesse that they euen made a strong couenant with him to walke in his waies and keepe his iudgements All these things I say they can tell well and nothing doth them more good then to recount with themselues this mightie act of the most high whereby their foules with as great a miracle as once Lazarus his body were raised vp from the rotten graue of sinne wherein they lay wrapt vp in the winding sheet of hardnesse of heart and blindnesse of mind stinking and putrifying as a carcasse crawleth with wormes swarming with those noysome lusts that are able to poyson vp an honest heart CHAP. V. Shewing the effects of Regeneration ANd so haue you brethren the order and so farre as may be collected out of scripture the
the same spirit that at first regenerated him But by vertue of that diuine assistance it comes to passe quite contrary for those enemies doe but quicken and further his proceedings in goodnesse and in spight of them all let earth and hell and his owne heart doe the worst that euer they can hee is able to liue godly in Christ Iesus He is inabled both to leaue euill and to doe good for both these parts of a good life must be had or else indeed the life is not good and that in a good measure and quantitie and farre better then euer he could doe in former times Indeed he doth neuer satisfie himselfe in this matter but alwaies falleth farre shorter then his owne desires aspire vnto but were the former lusts of his ignorance compared to that his present behauiour a blinde man might perceiue the difference to be exceeding great For as to the first part of a good life which stands in leauing off wickednesse hee commeth so farre not as to be quite free from all sinne ah this life were a little heauen vnto him if he could once attaine to such freedom but indeed he cannot attaine it here for in many things ah that word many is too true a word I say in many things we sin all and they be quite besides their Christian wits that imagine once repenting to be sufficient for a Christian man in all his life but yet so farre hee comes as to forsake the ordinary practise of grosse sins and the allowance of all knowne and vehemently suspected sins So soone as euer a Christian is truly regenerate so soone he ceaseth to make a trade of sinning Hee that is borne of God sinneth not neither can sin in this manner He may slip into faults of grosse nature once twice many times sin cleauing so fast vnto him as it doth but still it is not his vsuall practise so to transgresse For in truth now sin is become vnnaturall to him and as contrarie to the life of grace bestowed vpon him as poyson is contrary to his naturall life and as bitter things are to his taste and harsh sounds vnto his eare wherefore his soule riseth against it and he doth much more frequently ouercome the tentations by resistance then is ouercome of them Sins I meane grosse and grieuous sins are to him as deadly wounds to his body which sometimes as a man in a frenzie hee is drawne to giue himselfe but vsually hee doth not so And when hee doth so the manner is exceedingly different from his former course Then hee committed it with greedinesse now with great and continuall reluctation Then hee kept in himselfe a purpose of sinning if he could for feare of shame or danger now his heart stands constantly resolute not to sinne Then he followed after the occasions of sinning now hee flyes farre from them Then hee shifted and excused himselfe hauing committed sinne now hee becomes a most bitter and seuere censurer of himselfe for sinne if hee doe commit it Hauing falne he riseth againe and with anger indites and arraignes himselfe before the Lords tribunall There hee poureth foorth many bitter lamentations and could almost finde in his heart to throw himselfe downe to very hell for it He thunders out against his owne heart all the bitter curses and threatnings of the Law and is euen almost willing that God should euen damne him for it but that he hopeth for his mercie sake hee will not so doe And such is his freedome from grosse sinnes that are against the plaine light of nature or expresse words of the Law and wherein the members of the body are giuen as weapons of vnrighteousnes He falls into them if at all yet seldome and seldomer and seldomer with an horrible strife with great anxietie with little or no content and with a most vehement condemning of himselfe before the face of God in secret afterwards Thus vnlesse perhaps hee bee cast into a sowne for a time and cannot yet rise againe which if hee be hee fares all that while as a man that hath a thorne in his eye or wound in his sides neuer at rest neuer quiet filled with bitter and intollerable anguish and full of wofull and continuall complaints For still he heareth the voyce behinde him sounding in his cares and saying this is not the way And still the anoynting that he hath receiued doth so preserue him that he cannot sinne meaning giue himselfe ouer to a setled resolution or practise of sinne And yet further for sinnes of a lesse grieuous nature euill motions sudden passions dulnesse and distractions in good things and the like God knowes and he knowes that he commits full many of them But alwaies hee is so vpright with God that hee allowes them not Hee doth not extenuate them he doth not shift them off with a pish hee doth not runne ouer them as matters of nothing hee doth not let them passe vnobserued and vnregarded as in former time and as it is with vnsanctified men But they be vnto him matter of constant and daily sorrow and shame and humiliation He confesseth them daily he prayes against them daily and he is continually in a quarrell with himselfe because he cannot be so free from them as he desireth So it comes to passe that he purgeth himselfe as Christ is pure so farre preuailing against these sinnes that hee commits fewer of them and commits them seldomer sees them with more dislike of himselfe and growes by them more meane and base in his owne eyes and is made by them more carefull to sue vnto the Lord Iesus and to take more stedfast hold of his merits So hee casteth off the old man as concerning the conuersation in time past and that euen out of his new nature not moued thereto by reward or punishment either alone or principally but by a kinde of naturall working of grace in him but indeed it is a supernaturall nature poured into him from aboue by which it comes to passe that as S. Iohn saith he cannot sinne he knowes not how to work wickednesse he cannot finde in his heart to be a slaue to sinne any longer Company or no company seene of men or not seene danger or no danger shame or no shame punishment or no punishment still he is auerse from sinne in his regenerate part he wils not to doe it he shunneth it he bewaileth it one or both that so it may be manifestly seene there is a contrariety betwixt his very soule and all sins that hee knoweth to be sins And for those that are not knowne to him hee is not ignorant of them because he will not know them with neglect of the meanes of knowing or with a wilfull resistance of them but alone because he cannot know them either for want of meanes to know or capacitie to conceiue of or light to see the truth offered Hee doth not winke with his eyes he doth not set himselfe to finde out shifts to bury