discretion and let the law of wisedome be vnder your tongue Then slip gently into some one or other necessary head of Christian doctrine that may be most behoofefull and from one to an other till your wholesome and profitable speeches haue helped to open the eyes of the blind Say to thy selfe how can I tell but that God by my meanes may begin to make these simple ones vnderstand wisdome and these ignorant learne that knowledge which may in time procure their conuersion then let thy loue burne within thee and strengthen thy desires so farre till thou hast broken thorough the bands of shamefastnesse and feare and other carnall hinderances that Satan will cast in thy way till hauing made it familiar to thy selfe to vse good conference thou beest able to doe it at all seasons and with all readinesse No souldiour is hindred either by bashfulnesse or feare if the company will giue him hearing to talke of warre and the discipline of warre The drouer and grassier will be talking of sheepe and oxen The husband-man cannot keepe his tongue from the plough and the prices of his corne Euery trades-man is apt to fall in speech of the commodities or works that belong to his trade Shall the Christian and sanctified man alone either feare or shame to shew forth the riches of his minde and to be telling of the wonderfull mysteries of godlinesse I pray you lay aside carnall feare and carnall shame and resolue to approue the goodnesse of your hearts by the seasonable wisedome of your words and remeÌ„ber what Dauid tels you in the Psalme The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisedome and his tongue talketh iudgement Secondly ioyne louing and wholesome exhortations stirring vp one another and exhorting one another as the Apostle speaketh Perswade with the kindest and affablest words thou canst inuent perswade I say those whom thou maiest hope will bee perswaded by thee to reade the Scriptures to reade other good bookes of good men and if thou thinkest there be any hope that they will reade the same giue them withall some briefe and good writing that thou hast found to thy selfe most beneficiall especially perswade them to goe and heare the word of God say Come let vs go vp to the house of the Lord. Striue to bring them to a good estimation of Gods ordinance of preaching and to frequent it constantly and take aduantage of what thou knowest they haue heard to stirre them vp to godly sorrow and to mourning for sinne and to amendment of life Doe thy best to draw them vnto those duties that haue drawne thy selfe and may draw them to God Great is the force of louing perswasion it stealeth into the soule afore a man is aware and taketh footing before he can obserue it It leades and guides men with a kinde of gentle violence to the things that they neuer intended and often times it alters euen peremptory and stomackfull resolutions Forget not therefore by these goads to pricke men forward vnto all the good duties of piety which thou hast found effectuall to thine owne new birth And thirdly let wholesome reproofes or admonitions be intermingled How truly said he that called these Pretious balmes onely let them bee deliuered louingly and seasonably in as much priuatenesse as may be and with as much gentlenesse It is Saint Pauls precept Admonish the vnruly Indeed we must limit it with Salomons limitation vnlesse hee haue shewed himselfe a scorner but otherwise hee is and must bee more then ordinarily vnruly that if he be gently taken aside and told of a fault with kind words shall not bee somewhat affected for the present and more when hee comes alone and thinkes of it But chiefly if a man doe purposely betake himselfe to one with whom hee hath some acquaintance and some interest in him hauing formerly prayed to God for assistance and successe and there in mild and sorrowfull manner lay open vnto him the greatnesse of that euill course he can proue him to liue in the danger of it the dishonesty the discreditfulnesse the vengeance of God against it and such like withall beseeching the offender to remember himselfe and afore it bee too late to reforme himselfe If a man I say shall thus doe he must bee a double scorner euen one that hath setled himselfe in the seat of the scornful that shal not be somwhat wrought vpon by words so sweetly and wisely vttered And thus must all regenerate persons as they haue occasion labour the regenerating of others by good life and good speeches Now I shew gouernours of families how they should seeke the regenerating of those that are vnder their gouernment 2 To those of their family â—â—â—â—r sh pping God wâ—th them Their care must extend it selfe partly to those of yeeres partly to their infants For those of yeeres first they must see God serued in their owne families learning of him that said I and mine hâ—use will serue the Lord. Now God is serued in the family by reading of the Scriptures and inuocation of the name of God for seeing God hath vnited them into the body of one family and made them a common body therefore he doth require a common seruice of them that they may all ioyne in doing homage to him to whom all are seruants remembring that euen the families as well as the kingdomes are cursed that call not vpon the name of God Is the Master commanded to whet the Law of God vpon his children as he sits in his house and must it not needs follow that he must ioyne with them in calling vpon that God whose law that is When Daniel did pray in his house it seemeth probable to me that if it had been a priuate prayer of himselfe alone no man could haue knowne it his enemies could not haue found him at it It was therefore rather an houshold prayer then a closet prayer in regard of which those enemies of his did seeke an aduantage against him And seeing Hester tooke her maids with her in the extraordinary prayers ioyned with fasting wee haue little reason to thinke but that she tooke them to her also in her daily and ordinary prayers Zachary tels of them vpon whom the spirit of grace and prayer should be poured that they should mourne and this mourning was not without praying euery family apart and their wiues apart Behold an exercise of the family apart from other families and of each member of the family the wife put for the rest synechdochically apart from other members of it So then let euery godly man striue to propagate godlinesse by performing these duties of godlinesse with his people Let him make them acquainted with the Scriptures by an orderly and constant reading it amongst them Catechising them and let him learne them how to pray for themselues by praying with them and for them all Secondly let him instruct them in the principles of religion teaching them some good Catechisme according to their capacitie at least
the light that beginneth to appeare and to hold downe the truth in vnrighteousnes striuing not to know sinne because he would not leaue it and out of a purpose to practise it for the profit or pleasure of it still labouring to haue somewhat to say in its defence and to elude and shift off whatsoeuer may be said against it but he is willing to know desirous and ready to yeeld and when the light begins to shine within he quickly opens his eyes to behold the same and if he suspect it he lookes more narrowly into it with a sincere purpose of being conuinced if the truth appeare vnto him And this is the first part of a good life The second and as necessary as the first is doing of good wherein hee is carefull to exercise himselfe and though all be not alike fruitful yet euery regenerate man is fruitfull in some degree The life of grace hath its gratious effects as well as the life of nature its naturall and hee that hath the former is as kindly and freely carried to the one as he that hath the life of nature to the other By the supernaturall life of God that is in the sanctified man it is naturall to him to speake to God in prayer to heare from God in the Word to conferre with God in holy meditations Wherefore these things hee findes himselfe inwardly moued vnto and hee cannot chuse but be constant in them If at any time his wicked flesh hinder him from them as sicknesse makes a man sometimes that hee cannot eate his meate then doth hee feele as sensible a misse of them euen as of his meales and he could be as well without foode as without these exercises for in truth they are the foode of his soule and he relisheth them as foode though sometimes lesse then at other times as the diseases of his soule grow more or lesse within him Further mercie iustice liberalitie truth diligence and other vertues are now natural vnto him as well as religion He takes comfort in doing the duties thereof and makes conscience of doing them as he hath occasion Indeed sometimes he findes a great loathnesse and backwardnesse as a man that is lame limps and goes softly and with paine but yet he goes and hee must needs goe and for all the loathnesse hee cannot be well vnlesse he addresse himselfe vnto them Often he hath little mind to pray and doe other religious duties but then alacke he finds himselfe as wee say for the body not well at case and hee hath something within him that puts him forward that presseth and vrgeth him and causeth that he must doe them though with much weaknes and resistance of his fleshly hart for in part it is stil fleshly If he haue neglected a work of mercy he is not wel after it and he is inwardly grieued for it and resolues to take the opportunitie better next time If he haue not followed his calling diligently he is vexed at heart to thinke of it and that day is a day of little comfort that night a night of little rest vnto him So if he haue omitted admonitions exhortations good conference or any other part of good life Not alone one but all good duties both of the first and second Table so farre as his knowledge extendeth begin to bee to him naturall and familiar Hee takes a secret and a sweet delight in doing them he finds himselfe exceedingly discontented with himself if he doe them not and therefore commonly though he come farre short of what he would and should yet there is no day without a line some or other good worke he doth daily herein indeede exceeding al that himselfe was able to doe before or that vnsanctified men can attaine to that what he doth he doth it because God would haue him doe it and his heart doth often actually incline it selfe to the will of God and moue it selfe to the duties with minding it selfe of the good pleasure of God It is not companie it is not applause nor credit nor gaine which sweyes him if all these things were away yea if all these things were against him yet he would doe good for he knowes that Gods wil is his guide and that is the thing he desireth to accomplish in his very soule And further though he be like a young Artificer that vseth his tooles somwhat vnskilfully and doth his businesse somewhat bunglingly yet the Scriptures the Word of God they bee his line and his leuell and according to the direction either special or general which he receiueth from them he striueth to frame his life and actions So is the true Conuert godly in life grosse sinnes vsually he commits not the smallest knowne sins he euer dis-alloweth condemneth confesseth before God in secret and suspected sins he labors to know and for feare auoideth and vnknowne sins he is ready and willing to know Al and all maner of good duties though some he finds more hard and difficult and himselfe more backward vnto them yet I say all and all manner of good duties he resolueth to do and striueth to do and either doth them or is afterwards very angry with himself for not hauing done them so that his life is to his own feeling but a very death if he find it to haue bin vnprofitable which is much to be marked he is heartily glad to see that others can do the good that he cannot or can do it better then himself 3. Knowledge of this good estate So you haue the second effect of regeneration the third followes and that is a knowledge of this his good estate The man regenerate vnderstands himself to be regenerate as the man that liueth walketh that he liueth and walketh So S. Iohn tels vs plainly 1. Iohn 3.14 We know that we are translated from death to life Loe I say an assured word of knowing vsed by the Apostle But how knowes he it euen by a most infallible knowledge grounded vpon the perceiuing of the effects of a spiritual life as hee knowes that he is a liuing man and not a carcasse by feeling in himself the manifest effects of this common life For in very truth spirituall life can no more be hidden then naturall Can that admirable change that cumbersome combat that so far from former times differing life be found in a man and he not know of it Can a blind man become seeing and he not know it Can a deafe man heare a lame man go a sicke man become whole a dead man liue and not know of these alterations in themselues It is vtterly impossible that such things should be hidden from him in whom they be the taking away of blindnes deafenes dumbnes lamenes death from the soule is to him in whom it is no lesse manifest and euident then the remouing of these bodily infirmities And therfore S. Iohn saith 1. Iohn 2.13 I write vnto you babes because you haue knowne the Father meaning
offers him vnto his minde as continually standing at his right hand beholdeth him in all places euen then when he is farre remoued from all other company as a narrow obseruer of his secret actions and an eie-witnes of all his most inward and retired cogitations He puts himselfe in minde still and still saying Lord whither can I fly from thy presence The Lords eies behold me his eielids ponder my paths to him nothing is secret from him nothing can be concealed thus I say he mindeth himselfe of the Lords being hard by him and represents him often to his soule as a witnesse and iudge of his whole life yea of his very heart and conscience And this excellent vertue of remembring God doth stand betwixt him and the tentations to sinne as it were strong barriers that doe mightily restraine his forward flesh from committing it For why saith he to himselfe doth not the God of heauen see and know and vnderstand how then shall I doe this wickednes and sinne against him to his face Further his memory serues his turne also for the things of God The commandements threats promises of the word the workes of God either of mercy or iustice the infinite and eternall reward of well doing the intolerable and endlesse punishment of irrepentant sinning and the like are alwaies before his eies and hee makes none end of minding himselfe of such diuine things as may frame him to holines There is a naturall power of memory consisting in the ability of retaining and making repetition of things that one hath heard or seene This ability as following the temperature of the body the sanctified man perhaps may want and if nature haue not bestowed it vpon him he must want it for grace doth not adde a greater naturall perfection to the powers of mans soule but alone makes the perfections it hath straite and right and guideth them to God ward but that memory which God hath giuen him he can vse for the good of his soule to godly purposes in all the sanctified performances of memory He can retaine good things according to that strength of retainement which nature affords him but that that he doth retaine and heere indeede he shewes his memory to be sanctified he hath at hand for the benefit of his soule in due season fruitfully recalling it in the instant of tentation in the very time of neede when it may auaile him to resist sinfull suggestions of Satan or the flesh and to quicken him against his backwardnes and vnwillingnes to duties commanded So his memory becomes a principall instrument of order both to his heart and to his life for example A godly man and an vnregenerate come both to one sermon It is made against filthines or couetousnesse or any vice as it falleth out The vnsanctified man may perhaps be able to repeate tenne times more and more orderly then the sanctified this is a fruit of nature not of grace but when some time is past and that both shall be tempted to couetousnes or filthines all that that the vnregenerate man could so readily repeate is slipt quite out of his minde as a thing carelesly thrust into a corner which a man cannot find when he should vse it so that he follows the sin as much as if he had neuer heard that Sermon but the godly man hath those reasons proofes of Scripture which he was able to carry away instantly in his minde repelling such thoughts and saying haue I not heard what a sinne this is haue I not beene taught how it displeaseth God so by this his holy remembrance the word of God is auaileable to keepe him from sinning or at least after to raise him vp to the renewing of his repentance And so you see the holinesse of a Christian mans memory 3 In his affections Thirdly his affections are also sanctified and set in good order by the vertues which the holy Ghost infuseth into him The principall affections are loue and hatred feare and confidence ioy and sorrow All these are inabled by the spirit of God with a new power of exercising themselues vpon God and the things of God and there are certaine vertues which doe rectifie each of them in their seuerall workings First for loue the motions and inclinations thereof are ruled by that King of vertues charity both towards God and towards the children of God A good mans heart is inclining it selfe still to Godward he finds in his soule that he hath something within him bowing and bending his heart to God and making him euen earne and melt after him sometimes and cleaue and sticke vnto him in an vnexpressible manner yea the sweetnes of that loue wherewith he finds himselfe loued of God is still pulling him vnto God euen then when perhaps he finds the Lord somewhat displeased with him and carrying himselfe towards him somewhat angerly as a wife comes towards her husband with a kind of melting affection submissiuely but still louingly when she perceiueth that he is offended with her In truth the working of this affectiō rectified as I said aboue by charity cannot be well enough set out in words he findeth such a kind of clinging to God and such an vniting of his heart towards him that he had rather be depriued of all that is deere to him in the world then of him and his soule doth so setledly stedfastly solidly irresistibly bend it selfe to be one with him that this inclination many times doth ouerweigh and ouer-rule all other inclinations in him and sometimes hee cannot but euen breake forth into words professing so much to himself as Dauid I loue the Lord and calling vpon others saying loue yee the Lord wishing with all the wishes of his soule that himselfe and all others might more and more loue the Lord. A sanctified heart standeth affected toward God euen as the louer doth to the person he loueth and he hath though not so passionate because the obiect is spiritual yet as true and as perceiueable a working of his heart to God as one louer hath to the other and as to God so he is likewise indued with charity to Gods people The liking of his heart is to them aboue all other men hee finds his heart mooued with good will to none so much as to the Saints If he perceiue the beames of Gods image shining that is to him as good and better then twenty yeeres acquaintance yea it surpasseth all names of blood and alliance whom he sees godly him hee priseth aboue all other men In truth this charity doth then shew its warmth when almost the breath of grace is choaked by vices of diuers kinds Though some particular breach may cause a little iarring of affections betweene a godly man and another whom hee perswadeth himselfe to feare God also yet he cannot but feele his heart to stand towards him euen in this iarre Yea let a Christian man be at the worst that euer he can be and gone as farre
foode of his soule prayer preaching the sacraments holy meditations of the Word and works of God These are as requisite for the soules increase in grace as meate and drinke and cloth for the bodies proceeding in strength Now as it often falleth out in the body that there growes vpon it a certaine kind of crazinesse and stomacklesnesse which makes a man to haue no mind of his victuals and then the longer hee abstaineth the lesse mind he hath to eate the lesse abilitie to digest so it commeth to passe likewise in the inward man the soule begins to take little content in prayer in reading the Scriptures in hearing the word preached in the receiuing of the holy sacrament These things are not desired nor delighted in with halfe so much ardour feruour as in former time When the case stands thus with the soule and likely the comming in of gaine and preferment by diuerting the thoughts and affections from things heauenly to things earthly doe bring the soule to this case then it growes weaker and weaker and often falleth grossely and palpably Yea it commeth to passe sometimes that afflictions lying hard vpon a man doe euen put his soule out of tast through the sowernesse and bitternesse of carnall sorrow that hee findeth no appetite to holy exercises which are the repasts of the soule nor any cōtentment in them then grace is in the wane also then all vertues wither and languish and the soule fareth like vnto him that cannot eate is victuals whose very cheekes shew it so the outward behauiour and carriage of such a man being farre short of that heauenlinesse and fruitfulnesse that once will discouer this languishing of his soule Wherefore he that would bee strong in Christ Iesus and in the power of his might must stirre vp in himselfe the Spirit of God which he hath receiued by constancy in holy meditations of God of his Kingdome of his workes of his attributes of himselfe his mortalitie his sinfulnesse the shortnesse of life the vanitie of earthly things the vncertaintie of friends and wealth and that last houre of his life and that great day of iudgement He must also reuiue the same grace of God in him by being feruent in prayer and by prouoking himselfe with all heartinesse of desire to beg good things at Gods hand especially the increase of al heauenly vertues He must also labour to make his hart hot with earnest and vnfained thankesgiuing for all temporall and spirituall benefits especially for the death of Christ and the kingdome of heauen by that deere price purchased for him He must gaine all opportunities of hearing the Word preached and not suffer any idle obiection and foolish impediment to hinder him from frequenting it He must digest it by meditation when he comes home He must carefully prepare for the Lords supper by renewing his repentance and his faith before he come thither And thus he must feede of all the delicates that God hath prouided for him No so true signe of bodily health nor so sure meanes of outward strength as a good stomack with good digestion No so sure token and certaine meanes of spirituall strength and health as a longing desire to all holy exercises publike as well as priuate and priuate as well as publike By these Christ Iesus communicates his graces to vs. The Word that begat vs will nourish vs. The spirit of prayer that obtained good things will obtaine also increase of them and so the soule must needs be well liking Brethren you all are taught by nature the neede of corporall food know also the neede of spirituall and if thou desire to haue thy soule thriue in strength and stature forslake not thy meales cut not off religious exercises short dispatch not Gods worship cursorily turne not holy duties into matters of fashion and formalitie but doe them and doe them constantly and doe them heartily and content not thy selfe in doing them vnlesse thou find some life and courage in doing them And that thou maiest thus maintaine in thee an hungry appetite after the exercises of pietie dip thy morsels often in the sharpe sauce and sower herbes of humiliation Looke back so often as thou findest a kind of fulnesse of stomacke and spirituall satiety growing vpon thee looke backe vnto the former sinnes of thine ignorance consider thy naturall misery and wretchednesse consider of thy most beloued corruption and addresse thy selfe to worke some sensible apprehension of griefe for these things and cease not striuing though at first thou seeme to striue in vaine It is certaine that labouring with ones owne heart to find out his corruptions that lie hidden and to lament them being found out will quicken the soules appetite and restore a man to some liuelinesse in holy duties at least will so farre forth preuaile that if he recouer not his appetite he shall remaine sensible of this spirituall stomacklesnesse and humbled vnder it and full of sighs and groanes because of it which at length will cure him without inconuenience Now brethren let this word of exhortation sinke into your soules If regeneration be necessary to saluation then the growing in the power of regeneration is also necessary Weake things are often so obscured with their contraries that it remaineth vncertaine whither they be or no but that that is strong will stirre and shew it selfe Grace may be doubted of so long as it remaineth feeble and infant-like adde vnto it growth and bignes and it will be out of question No man can be assured of his saluation without edifying his inward man more then be saued without hauing the new man If you would enioy your new birth confirme it if you would attaine the comfort of it grow in it Neglect not the grace of God that is giuen vnto you now that you are in Christ be strong men in Christ and seeing the Lord hath vouchsafed you the worke of his Spirit giue me leaue to make vse of the sweete exhortation of Paul to his Thessalonians to entreate you brethren to encrease yet more and more CHAP. XII Exhorting to propagate grace to others BVt our exhortation if you remember had an other member 1. To propagate it to others it is not enough for a good man to get more grace to himselfe vnlesse hee doe his best also to helpe his neighbours vnto grace They that are begotten of God must doe their vtmost endeauours to beget others vnto God All things in nature haue an inclination to deriue their owne qualities vnto other things and to assimilate or worke like vnto themselues that that comes neere vnto them Fier makes al things hot and water all things moist and in nature nothing is more ingrafted then the propagation of the kind Surely this new and diuine nature must not be idle in this behalfe but they vpon whom the Lord hath pleased to bestow it must labour to be his instruments of conueying it to others And in truth what more comfortable
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
manner of the bringing to passe of this most excellent and wonderfull worke of a new begetting by the most excellent and wonderfull begetter the Spirit of truth and by that excellent and wonderfull seede of life the word of truth 3. The effects of regeneration which are foure Now I will declare vnto you that which is the third thing I promised the effects that follow hereupon Not euery particular for who can name them the life of grace abounding in multiplicitie of actions and operations as it were eating drinking breathing grieuing striuing smarting of the soule as the life of nature but alone some principall and most eminent by the seeing of which in it selfe the soule of the new borne babe of Christ shall haue cause to receiue much comfort The principall effects therefore of regeneration are these foure First a spirituall combat Secondly a good life for all this combat Thirdly a knowledge of that good estate whereinto the regenerate is translated Fourthly Spirituall growth in those graces that at first were but weake and feeble in the regenerate For alack an infant is a very tender thing and so are Gods infants For the first of these 1. The spirituall combat with No sooner doth a Christian begin to draw the breath of this new life but he findes himselfe called to fighting euen in the very cradle as I may so speake and as they fabled of that renowned heathen man He stands in a pitched field of enemies so soone as he can goe vpon the feete of his soule and there hee must neuer cease giuing and taking blowes till hee cease to be in this lower world Although indeed there be some intermission and relaxation of the strength and furie of the encounter as it pleaseth the Lord that knowes all things to temper them to his strength and direct them to his good 1. The Diuell First the diuell begins to play his part with him and finding him gained out of his hands and pulled from vnder his tyrannie musters vp an armie of tentations wherewith at least to annoy him if hee cannot as hee cannot preuaile to bring him backe againe to his seruitude and thraldome For when the strong man armed kept his house all things were at quiet vnder him but when he feeles himselfe bound and cast out and his house rifled by a stronger then himselfe then it must needs follow that hee will bestirre himselfe and lay about him with all the power that he can make So now the poore Christian though perhaps but an infant in grace is violently assailed by Satan according to his nature with extreame rage and subtiltie And if it haue so falne out that the Spirit of God was faine to batter downe the height of his heart and make passage for himselfe with horrible feares and terrors then Satan labours often to reuiue those terrors and by infinit cauils and obiections to make him euen despaire of his saluation There is none end almost of the diuels striuing in this case but hee will labour continually with new doubts and obiections to call his saluation into question and to make him thinke that hee shall neuer enioy the quiet possession of his heauenly inheritance Yet against all these the Spirit of God so strengthens him that by vertue of the gratious promises of God and by the power of constant prayers and supplications he supports himselfe and still continues to rest himselfe vpon the free goodnesse of God in Christ notwithstanding all these obiections and shakings Neither yet will Satan rest here but is further troublesome vnto him by stirring vp innumerable vile suggestions to draw him to the committing of some most notorious sinnes perhaps worse then euer in all his life before and for his old corruptions he ceaseth not to prouoke and incense them with all vehemency that he may driue him into lewd and hatefull practises of sinne But against these suggestions also he fighteth resolutely much indeede vexed and disquieted with them but still reiecting abhorring thē and beating them back by the word of God which is his sword by constant supplications whereby still he settles his soule firme and fast in his holy purposes of obedience I confesse that the diuell is a common enemie to all mankinde both sanctified and vnsanctified and therfore the vnregenerate also are much molested with him oftentimes when hee growes exorbitant and seeketh to pull them by the strength of vtter despaire as it were quicke into hell and to make them kill themselues or doe some other most grosse and vnnaturall crime But Satan is not willing to deale so roughly with them if he could chuse for he stands euer in most danger of losing them when hee carries himselfe towards them in so hard a fashion Wherefore he rather flatters and faunes endeuouring to rocke them asleepe still if hee can in the cradle of securitie and presumption Neither will he storme thus but when he sees his aduantage in regard of some bodily crosse or distemper or that he sees the Lord will needes awaken their sleepie consciences But for the poore Christian hee would not giue him rest no not for a day or two from the most horrible feares and from the foulest tentations whereto his corruption giues any passage or from others more hideous especially if hee see him weake scrupulous and iniudicious then hee makes vse of such ignorance and weaknesse and will neuer finde time to make an end of vexing him but that the Lord himselfe doth please to sound a retraite Indeede the Lord by this meanes to keepe downe his pride and ouer-master his strong corruptions doth giue much way to Satans rage but so still that he forgets not to refresh him with seasonable aide of his spirit of prayer and with the strength and comfort of his holie word and promises And in these termes stands hee with Satan euer almost assailed and incumbred by him And besides this the flesh also 2. Of the flesh as a more dangerous enemie though not so violent steps foorth to incounter him For though by grace it be wounded and mortified yet is it not quite and cleane taken away and remoued Wherefore the corruptions of his heart also grow violent in him lusting against the spirit and with a kinde of insinuating and secret inclination carrying him forward to all the former lusts of his ignorance and perhaps to some that are more loathsome and abominable Now vnbeliefe passion lust reuenge wantonnes worldlines and all the old distempers will be mouing in his soule and hee shall finde himselfe euer and anon little lesse then ready to yeeld vnto them and to be quite ouercome by them But the spirit in this case reuiueth it selfe also and lusts against the flesh stirring vp good motions against the bad and holy desires against the vnholy and vertuous wishes against the vitious and heartie prayers and requests to God against the sinfull inclinations of the euill heart so that at length his