put for the whole we are to vnderstand all sinne from the greatest to the least from grosse crying reigning sinne euen to our very infirmities The like figure is to be obserued in the words of the third commandement Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine for the Lord will not hold him guiltlesse c. Where it is not meant that we should onely make conscience of taking Gods name in vaine by light vse in common talke and in the meane time make no conscience of periury before a magistrate but the true meaning and scope of the cōmandement is to teach vs to make conscience of all profanation of Gods name euen from the very sinnes of periury and blasphemy to the least oath Euen so in my text by transgressions we are to vnderstand all sinnes both great and small For we must not fauour or abet our selues in our very infirmities And make you a new heart and a new spirit By heart and spirit here is meant the whole inner man For by the heart is meant the memory the will the affections and the conscience and by the spirit is meant the spirit of the mind or the vnderstanding So that that which God requireth here to be renewed is the whole inner man according to that holy Prouerb My son giue me thine heart But here a questiō may be demāded Will God therefore be content with the bare renewing of the inner man or is he indifferent whether the outward man be renewed or no Not so For we are bought with a price therefore we must glorifie God both in our bodies and in our spirits for they are Gods But the Lord nameth the inner man because the true renouation begins there namely at the heart and in the mind Secondly because God knew full well that if once the inner man were throughly renewed the outward man would quickly be reformed According to that speech of our blessed Sauiour to the Pharisee Thou blind Pharisee cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter that the outside of them may be cleane also Why will ye die There is a threefold death mentioned in the holy Scriptures First naturall and that is nothing else but a separation for a time of the soule from the body Secondly spirituall and that is a separation of the soule from the life of God Thirdly eternall and that is a finall separation both of body and soule from the comfortable presence of God Of the first kind of death is spoken in Heb. 9. 27. It is appointed vnto men to die once Of the second is spoken in Luke 15. 32. This thy brother was dead is aliue again Of the third is made mentiō in Reu. 21. 8. The fearfull and vnbeleeuing abhominable murderers and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters and all lyers shall haue their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death My text is meant of the third kind of death why will ye die that is why will ye incurre the danger of the second death which is eternall damnation both of soule and bodie to be tormented with the Diuell and his Angels for euer O house of Israel By the house of Israel in this place is meant the Church of God both among the Iewes and among the Gentiles For the name Israel is giuen to both peoples in Gal. 6. 16. And I am sure the matter of the exhortation concernes vs Gentiles as much as euer it did the Iewes For I appeale to euery mans conscience haue not we as great need to be exhorted to cast away all our transgressions as euer had the Iewes Haue not we as much need to be stirred vp to become new creatures as euer had the Iewes Iudge we in our selues Furthermore this name Israel is taken from the Patriarch Iacob who was named Israel by the Angell which wrastled with him because as a Prince he had preuailed with God And it is a very fit name for all Gods people because they are a generation that can wrastle with God in prayer and also preuaile Thus much of the literall meaning of the words Cast away all your transgressions Before I come to the points of doctrine which I principally aime at two questions are first to be answered First whether repentance be in a mans owne power or no because the Church is here exhorted as by her owne action to cast away her transgressions and to make her selfe a new heart and a new spirit And the second question is whether a man haue free will or no because it is said here Why will ye die ô house of Israel As seeming to imply that it was in the free choise of Israel her selfe whether she would be saued or damned Concerning the first question I answer that true repentance or that repentance which is neuer to be repented of it is not in mans power but it is the especiall gift of God according to that in 2. Tim. 2. 25. In meeknesse instructing them that oppose thēselues prouing if God peraduenture will giue them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth And furthermore euery vnregenerate person man or woman is a very blacke More yea a Leopard and therefore as the blacke More cannot change his skin nor the Leopard his spots no more can any vnregenerate person do good which is accustomed to do euill We do not denie but natural men and women may attaine some degree of sorrow as Iudas did some degree of outward humiliation as Ahab did and some degree of confession as Pharao did and some degree of the restraining spirit as Abimelech did and some degree of satisfaction vnto men for iniuries done as the same Iudas did But to the sauing sight of sinne or to the contrite spirit which God wil not despise or sound inward mortification vnto sin which is by the Spirit or to true conscience of sin and louing endeuour after righteousnesse hereunto a meere naturall person can neuer attaine by his owne naturall strength For it is spiritually and not naturally attained it is the worke of God and not of man And therefore Ephraim is heard bemoning himselfe to God in these termes Turne thou me and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God Wherein he doth secretly acknowledge that he had not repentance in his owne power but that it was the gift of God But here remaineth still another difficultie For it may be obiected further If repentance be not in a mans owne power then why doth God exhort vs here to cast off all our iniquities and to make our selues new hearts and new spirits God doth not this because he presupposeth an ability in vs to perform that which he requireth but because he himself is ready to do that for vs which he requires at our hands For the word of God is not as the word of man to wit a bare sound or voice
but being ioyned with the Spirit it offereth grace and effecteth that in the harts of the elect in some measure which it doth require As we reade concerning Thomas Ioh. 20. 27. 28. Christs word cōmanded Thomas not to be infidelious but beleeuing and the same word wrought faith in him to beleeue so that he immediatly fell downe at Iesus feets and said vnto him Thou art my God and my Lord. Concerning the second question which is whether a man haue free will because it is said Why will ye die To this I answer a man or woman may haue a free choise in things ciuill and indifferent thus if any one be inuited to a feast he is at his own choise whether he will go or no and if he go he is at his owne choise of what dishes he wil taste or eate according to that in 1. Cor. 10. 27. If any one that beleeueth not bid thee to a feast and if thou wilt go c. But to make choise or to refuse to go to a feast or to make choise to feed moderately for conscience sake or for Gods glorie this is immediatly frō God the fountaine of all holinesse For we are not sufficient to thinke any thing as of our selues but our sufficiencie is of God Again that a Christian hath in some measure a freed will after conuersion though not an absolute free will we do not gainsay for Christ came to proclaime libertie to the captiues and the opening of the prison to them that are bound And where the Spirit of the Lord is there is libertie But to say that a man hath absolute freedome and that he hath power of himselfe without the Spirit to will that which is good and to nill that which is euil to affirme this we cannot For it is God which giueth both to will and to do of his good pleasure We haue not free will before conuersion For euery imagination of the thoughts of our hearts are onely euill continually And in vs that is in our flesh abideth nothing which is good Neither haue we free will after conuersion For without Christ can we do nothing And As the branch cannot beare fruite of it selfe except it abide in the vine no more can we except we abide in Christ And therefore we Christians haue iust cause to reiect the doctrine of Poperie as in other points fundamentall as namely in the doctrine of iustificaton by a mans owne merits and in the doctrine of praying or giuing diuine worship vnto Saints and Angels and in the doctrine of Purgatorie and in the doctrine of the Popes authoritie to dispense with sin or to forgiue sin in the doctrine of Transsubstantiation in the doctrine of the Popes power to dethrone Christian Kings c. As we haue I say iust cause to reiect these vaine inuentions with innumerable other Antichristian traditions so likewise we haue iust cause to dissent from the Papists and new vpstart Arminians in the doctrine of Free will And the doctrine of Free will in that sence as it is maintained by Papists and Arminians is so much the more to be abhorred first because it denieth the doctrine of the erernall truth of God concerning election and reprobation maintaining that one person is not elected more then another except it be for foreseene faith or foreseene workes Contrary vnto that in Rom. 9. 11. For the children being not yet borne neither hauing done any good or euill that the purpose of God according to election might stand not of workes but of him that calleth it was said vnto her The elder shall serue the yonger as it is written Iacob haue I loued and Esau haue I hated Secondly the doctrine of freewill is so much the more to be reiected because it derogates from the glorie of God and maketh a man his owne sauiour for if a man haue absolute power of himselfe by his owne will to be saued or damned then if he be saued he may thanke himselfe and not God Thirdly if the doctrine of freewill were receiued then we must also grant that there is no assurance of saluation in this life contrary to that in 2. Pet. 1. 10. Make your calling and election sure Yea we must grant also that a Christian might fall finally and totally from sauing grace contrary to that in Math. 16. 18. The gates of hell shall not preuaile c. and thus one grosse absurdity being granted a thousand would follow The reason therefore that God expostulates thus with his Church Why will ye die is not to implie any free-will in vs but rather to intimate a great frowardnesse in vs vnto that which is good and a desperate forwardnesse and pronenesse vnto that which is euill Why will ye die that is why will ye desperately resist the Spirit when he offers grace vnto you and why will ye wilfully rush into sinne as the horse into the battell and so incurre the danger of damnation when ye are sufficiently forewarned Thus much for the meaning of the words and matter Cast away from you all your transgressions I purpose not to collect all the doctrines which I might out of this text because the time would be too short for so large a discourse I will therefore if God will insist onely vpon such points as stand best with the scope of the holy Ghost in this text or portion of Scripture and which I think to be the most necessary doctrines concerning the time and place Cast away from you all your transgressions Where note that it is not said lay by all your transgressions for a time but cast them away Againe it is not said cast away some of your transgressions or such transgressions which you can best spare but cast away all euen to your very infirmities Whence obserue we That a true penitent sinner must not not fauour or allow himselfe in any sinne or transgression whatsoeuer but he must be content to part with all yea with his best-beloued sinnes he must cast away all his transgressions whereby he hath transgressed For the proofe of which point I commend vnto you these places of Scripture following Ezechiel 18. 30. Repent and turne your selues from all your transgressions so iniquitie shall not be your ruine Math. 18. 8. 9. Wherefore if thy hand or thy foote offend thee cut them off and cast them from thee it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed rather then hauing two hands or two feete to be cast into euerlasting fire And if thine eye offend thee plucke it out and cast it from thee it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye rather then hauing two eyes to be cast into hell fire 2. Cor. 7. 1. Hauing therefore these promises dearely beloued let vs cleanse our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the feare of God Heb. 12. 1. Wherefore seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of
witnesses let vs lay aside euery weight and the sinne which doth so easily beset vs and let vs runne with patience the race that is set before vs. By all which places of holy Scriptures and by many other it is cleare and manifest that it will not serue our turnes to forsake some sinnes vppon our conuersion but we must be content to part with all yea with our best beloued sinnes For further euidencing of this necessary truth consider we the examples of former Conuerts when the Corinthians were conuerted they washed themselues by the cleane waters of Gods Spirit from their vncleannesse theft couetousnesse reuilings extortions and the like When the Thessalonians were conuerted they turned from idols to serue the true and liuing God and to looke for his Sonne from heauen And so for particular persons When Mathew was conuerted he left the receipt of custome when Zaccheus was conuerted he left his forged cauillation when the hard hearted iaylour was conuerted he ceassed to deale cruelly with poore prisoners when Moses was conuerted he abhorred the vanities of Pharaoes Court. By all which examples and many other mentioned in the word of God it is euident that a true Conuert or penitent person must turne not from some but from all his sinnes And great reason there is that a man or woman should turne from all iniquitie First in respect of God himselfe for Iehouah is a God of purer eyes then to behold euill he cannot looke on iniquitie as saith the Prophet He abhorreth all iniquitie his iealousie smoaketh against all sinne and especially against that sinne after which we haue gone a whoring from God And therefore whosoeuer they be that desire to get into Gods fauour they must of necessitie forsake their beloued sinne which is Gods corriuall Secondly a Christian must forsake all sinne For euery sinne is the transgression of the Law and he that shall keepe the whole Law and yet offendeth in one point he is guiltie of all For howsoeuer he breakes not euery linke of the chaine by this or that particular sinne yet he may be truly said to breake the chaine if he breake any linke at all of it So that though a man sinne not particularly against euery Commandement yet by fauouring and allowing himselfe in this or that particular breach of the Law he is guiltie of the breach of all Gods Commandements because he offendeth against the authoritie and integritie of the whole Law And therfore whosoeuer they be that loue and respect Gods Law they must of necessitie breake off their beloued sinnes For the sound loue of the word and the loue of sinne can no more stand together then the Arke and Dagon Thirdly a Christian must forsake all sinne in respect of sinne it selfe For what is any sinne but the very worke of the diuell and therefore to be abhorred What is any sinne but a fruite of the filthy flesh and therefore worthy to be hated Yea what is any sinne but very filthinesse it selfe as it is termed 2. Cor. 7. 1. Yea what is any sinne but the vomit of a dog and filthy mire as Peter phraseth it in his 2. Epistle 2. Chapter and therefore what iust cause hath euery Christian to forsake and abandon all sinne Fourthly euery Christian ought to forsake all sinne yea euen his beloued sinne in respect of the danger that will accrue vnto him if he do not forsake it He that will not forsake his sinne he remaineth vnder the wrath of God For the wrath of God is reuealed from heauen against all vngodlinesse and vnrighteousnesse of men He that will not forsake his sin he is continually subiect to Gods vengeance in this world for God will wound the hairie scalpe of such an one as goeth on in his wickednesse He that will not forsake his sinne he shall neuer enter into the kingdome of heauen according to that in Gal. 5. 21. Of which I tell you before as I haue also told you before that they which do such things shall not inherite the kingdome of God Lastly he which will not forsake his beloued sinne he shall be sure to haue his portion in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone he shall not be able to stand in iudgement yea he shall desire the very mountaines to fall vpon him to hide him from the wrath of the Lambe And therefore whosoeuer they be that desire to escape these dangers they must of necessitie breake off their beloued sinnes Fiftly euery Christian ought to breake off his beloued sinne in respect of the good which he shall reape thereby and the true Christian shall receiue infinite benefite by the forsaking of sinne For first if he will touch no vncleane thing God will receiue him for his child Secondly if he will forsake all his sinnes be shall be made fit for Gods seruice as for prayer hearing Gods word receiuing the Sacrament whereas otherwise if he forsake not sinne he is vnfit for all these for if we regard wickednesse in our hearts God will not regard our seeming deuotion but it is abhomination to him Thirdly if a Christian will forsake his beloued sinne he shall haue peace of conscience which he shall neuer haue vnlesse he forsake his sinne For there is no peace to the wicked saith my God Fourthly if a Christian forsake his sinne he shall profite by the word wheras otherwise the word is choked by the venime of his beloued sinne Fiftly if a Christian forsake his sinne he shall haue fellowship with God and ioy in the holy Ghost whereas if he forsake nor his sinne he remaineth an alien to God and in very laughter his heart shall be sorrowfull Pro. 14. 13. Sixtly if a Christian forsake his beloued sinne he shall approue the truth of his repentance whereas otherwise his repentance is no better then the repentance of Herod For Herod was content to do many things at the preaching of Iohn Baptist but he would not forsake his Herodias and therefore his obedience was no obedience and his repentance no repentance But doth not the righteous man fall seuen times a day and do we not in many things offend all are we not all sinners is there any man that liueth and sinneth not Therefore what necessitie is there that any man should endeuour to purge himselfe from all sinne It is very true that we are all sinners For if we say we haue no sinne we lie and speake not the truth but there is great difference betwixt sinnes of infirmitie whereunto the children of God are subiect and sins of presumption whereunto the wicked are giuen First sinnes of infirmitie are committed vpon the sudden by a present and vnexpected temptation as we see in the example of Dauid Psal 116. 11. I said in my haste all men are liers But a sinne of presumption is committed with premeditation
scoffer at religion and religious persons which cries downe all holinesse and feare of God vnder the colour of a hell inuented nick-name ceasse from his Ismaelitish mocking lest his bonds increase Let the couetous person ceasse from his couetousnesse considering that it is not frugality or good husbandry as the diuell would make him beleeue but it is idolatrie odious to God hatefull to men and in it selfe damnable as the Scripture speaketh Let the proud person ceasse from pride both in heart and countenance and speech and apparell both in respect of outward gifts and inward gifts and the rather first because pride is one of the sixe things which God abhorreth Secondly because God will visite the sin of pride in apparell euen in Princes children and much more in others which will content themselues with no fashion in apparell nor with any naturall countenance but will needs haue a painted face of their owne making because they like it better to be like vnto that strumpet Iesabel then to conforme themselues after the modest manner of holy women Let the malicious person ceasse from his malice knowing that it is murder in the sight of God let him ceasse to hate his brother in his heart let him ceasse to curse another lest it light vpon himselfe let him ceasse to seeke reuenge either cunningly or openly either vnder pretence of law or otherwise knowing that vengance belongs to God and he will repay Let the deceitfull person ceasse to liue by his wits as he termes it let him not get his liuing by carding dicing bowling cosening periuring and such like forged cauillation knowing that God is auenger of all such things Let the vsurer learne to forsake his vsury though it be a gainefull sinne First because he hath no warrant for his practise from any one place of Gods word truly and faithfully vnderstood Secondly because the word of God doth expresly condemne his practise in diuerse places as in Psal 15. 5. Ezekiel 18. 13. Luke 6. 35. and in many other texts of holy Scripture Thirdly because it is a matter of euill report and euer was so both amongst Christians and heathens Fourthly because it is maintained with a trembling conscience many vsurers doubting some vpon their death-beds repenting and others after conuersion turning from the practise of vsuty acknowledging that when they were vsurers they were in the way to hell and destruction Fiftly because the vsurer liues by the sweate of another mans browes whereas it were Christian honestie for a man to liue by his owne labour Sixtly because vsury is the cause of idlenesse it is the cause that men giue ouer their lawfull trades and commendable employment in the common wealth and liue idlely or else giue themselues to running to stageplayes or bowling or vicious life or to such like epicurisme I do not purpose solemnly to handle this controuersie concerning vsury in this short Treatise For otherwise I would see what could be pleaded for this Baall and would easily as I hope giue a Christian answer vnto such as desire not to be contentious but to be resolued in the case of their conscience But I may not stand vpon this point at large at this time I rather aime to speake at large vpon the point of vsury if I liue to come to the handling of the eight Commandement whereof vsury is a breach In a word let the factious person auoid schisme let him pray for and endeuour the peace of Ierusalem Let the hypocrite auoide his hypocrisie knowing that God is not mocked yea let him be assured that God will bring all things to iudgement yea euery secret sinne Let the slanderer ceasse from slandering knowing that he which smiteth his brother secretly is accursed Let vs all cast away all our transgressions whereby we haue transgressed Thus much of the first doctrine or instruction And make you a new heart and a new spirit Now we come to the second branch of the diuine counsell giuen vnto the Church in this text and that is the grace which the Church must labour for to wit a new heart and a new spirit And the doctrine hence to be noted is that It is the part and dutie of euery true Conuert not onely not to fauour himselfe in any one corruption whatsoeuer but also he must become a new creature in true sauing grace And this blessed renouation must not onely be in the reforming of the outward man as of the speech countenance apparell behauiour and such like but it must be in the inner man in the vnderstanding memory will affections and conscience it must be in the heart and in the spirit For indeed God requireth truth in the inward parts And howsoeuer man looketh on the outward appearance and contents himselfe with it yet God beholdeth the heart No seruice will please God vnlesse it be in spirit and troth To this purpose also Paul speaketh notably in Ephes 4. 22. That ye put off concerning the former conuersation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitfull lusts and be renewed in the spirit of your mind and that ye put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse And vnto this may be added that other place in 2. Cor. 5. 17. Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature old things are passed away behold all things are become new By both which places it is manifest that it is not sufficient to ceasse to be old but there must be also a renewing It is not sufficient for a Conuert to cast away all his transgressions whereby he hath transgressed but also he must make him a new heart and a new spirit Now concerning the new creature or state of renouation which is a great Euangelicall mystery I propound these necessary points to be considered of First what necessitie there is of this renouation Secondly by what meanes it is wrought Thirdly by what degrees Fourthly what be the concomitants of it Fiftly concerning the constancie Concerning the necessitie of this inward renouation or regeneration we are to consider first that without it no flesh can be saued for Christ himselfe saith Except ye be conuerted and become as litle children ye shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen And againe he saith Except a man be borne againe he cannot see the kingdome of God Againe we are all vassals of Satan by nature and are taken of him at his will and therefore it is necessary that we should be set free out of spirituall bondage by vertue of regeneration Againe by nature all the faculties of our soules are out of frame our members being the members of vnrighteousnesse and therefore it is necessary that we should be set in ioynt againe by regeneration Lastly without regeneration our very sacrifices our prayers our hearing the word our almes our ciuill liues are vnpleasing to God
For as much as they that are in the flesh that is vnregenerate cannot please God as the blessed Apostle speaketh Vse Let euery man and woman lay to heart this necessitie let them not deceiue themselues with that fond conceit that if they liue ciuilly and pay euery man his owne and go to the Church as others do that then they shal surely be saued though they remaine as ignorant of regeneration as euer was Nicodemus I tell you nay for vnlesse you be regenerate and borne againe you remaine in danger of eternall condemnation you remaine the very slaues of Satan and the best things that you do or can do in your naturall condition are abhominable and odious to God Concerning the meanes whereby regeneration is wrought we are to note first that the efficient cause of it is not man nor Angel but Gods Spirit There is no creature in heauē nor earth that can conuert a soule by his owne power this worke belongs to God alone for we are borne not of bloud nor of the will of man nor of the will of the flesh but of God as S. Iohn speaketh in his first chap. and 13. verse And therefore the whole glory of the admirable worke of regeneration is due to God alone and is not to be ascribed to any creature Secondly the most ordinary instrumentall cause not to speake of the extraordinary meanes which God vseth for the conuersion of soules is the word of God especially preached as appeares by these places of Scripture Psalme 19. 7. The Law of the Lord is perfect conuerting the soule 1. Cor. 4. 15. For though you haue ten thousand instructors yet haue ye not many fathers for in Christ Iesus I haue begotten you through the Gospell Iames 1. 18. Of his owne will begat he vs by the word of truth that we should be a kind of first fruites of his creatures 1. Pet. 1. 23. Being borne anew not of mortall seed but of immortall by the word of God which liueth and endureth for euer By all which places and many more it is euident that the especiall instrumentall cause of regeneration is the holy word of God contained in the Canonicall Scriptures Whereby it appeareth what infinite wrong the Pope doth vnto the soules of the cōmon people by withholding from them the vse of the Scriptures and also what enemies they are vnto Christs kingdome and to mens saluation which labour to their power to suppresse and extinguish the powerfull preaching of Gods word Lastly this should teach vs to glorifie God for the plentie of preaching in this Land but especially in this Citie for hereby there is good hope of the conuersion of many soules And let vs alwayes as we haue all iust cause pray against Poperie and that not onely in respect of the bloudthirstinesse of that religion displayed in that most barbarous plot of the gunpowder treason but also because it seekes to depriue vs of the vse of Gods word the especiall instrument of mans saluation Concerning the degrees whereby regeneration is most commonly wrought they are these following First the holy Ghost quickens the soule which it doth conuert finding it dead in trespasses and sins Thus it quickened the prodigall son Luke 15. 32. This thy brother was dead and is aliue againe and thus he quickened the Ephesians in the fifth Chapter of that Epistle the eighth verse and in the second Chapter the first verse Where we are to note that the soule is not said to be dead by nature or to be quickened by regeneration because the soule is destitute of all life but because naturally it is an alien from the life of God as Paul speakes in Eph. 4. 18. God doth not exercise the life of grace in the soule of any vnregenerate person as he doth in the hearts of those that are regenerate And this first act of regeneration or spirituall quickening is termed in Scriptures the first resurrection First because as in the day of the generall resurrectiō Many that sleepe in the dust shall awake Dan. 12. 2 so by vertue of this first resurrection many that sleepe in sin shall awake to liue righteously 1. Cor. 15. 34. Secondly as in the generall resurrection the bodies of the Saints shall be made like vnto the glorious body of Christ himselfe Philip. 3. 21 so by vertue of this first resurrection the soules of the Saints come to beare the image and stampe of God himselfe being made holy as he is holy Eph. 4. 24. And hereby a man or woman may trie whether they be regenerate and quickened or no if they will but examine whether they be awake to liue righteously or no and whether they beare Gods image in true holinesse or no. If these things be in thee thou art vndoubtedly quickned if not thou remainest still but a dead man The second degree whereby regeneration is wrought is illumination for when we begin to stand vp from the dead then immediatly Christ giues vs light Ephes 5. 14. the God which commanded light to shine out of darknesse beginneth to shine in our hearts 2. Cor. 4. 6. Yea then the day of saluation beginneth to dawne and the day-starre of sauing knowledge to arise in our hearts 2. Pet. 1. 19. By vertue of this heauenly light a man or woman is brought to see in some measure the danger of their natural state and what need they haue of repentance and of Christ and of Gods mercy and of inward purging from their corruptions and what reason they haue of denying themselues carrying about with them such a masse of corruption whereof now they are aware Where it is to be noted that the reprobate may in some measure be enlightened also He may haue so much light as to leaue him without excuse This is manifest out of Heb. 6. 4. where it is said of the apostates and finall backsliders that they were once enlightened But the difference is first the child of God is enlightened and quickened but the reprobate is onely enlightened and not quickened for he remaines still an alien from the life of God Ephes 4. 18. Secondly the elect are enlightened to see their sinne as we see in the example of Paul Rom. 7. 27. I see another law in my members c. but the reprobate are enlightened especially to behold the danger of sin and the punishment of the same as we see in the example of Cain Gen. 4. 13. My punishment is greater then I can beare Thirdly the elect are enlightened to amendement as we see in the example of Iob in his 40 Chapter fift verse I haue spoken once but I will do so no more or I will not answer But the reprobate are enlightened to despaire and to desperate courses As we see in the example of Iudas Math. 27. 5. who so soone as he was enlightened to see the danger of his estate went immediatly and desperately hanged himselfe And hereby we may examine and try our selues whether