the word true and a great deal of feign'd and false holinesse in the world The Axiom of the Polititian being too much in request Religio ad morem non ad rem attinet True religion is for the manners not for the main t is something for his credit nothing for his profit Machiavels lesson is learned over and over the shew of goodness and vertue is profitable and needfull but the use and practice a trouble it doth aggravare animam burden the soul and hinder mens projects too much Beloved it will ask a long time and much labour in many to unlearn those two Lessons But this let me tell them who live by them Dediscere quod malum est est doctrina optimo To unlearn what is evil is the best learning and without all question Piety is the best Policy or as a King once said Honesty is the best Policy and as David though a man after Gods own heart saith that the best wisdom is to be wise to salvation The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom a good understanding have they that do thereafter A man never begins to be intelligent untill he begins to be obedient and the best plot is to save a soul to lose which he that knew the price of souls well tels us the gain or purchase of the whole world cannot recompence he that to gain the whole world would lose his soul makes but an unwise bargain which bargain was wise enough were not the poorest despised soul of a greater value the regenerate and true Christian knows the value and worth of his soul and therefore desires to be renewed in the spirit of his mind and he desires to know what the good and acceptable mind or will of God is And indeed in the mind or spirit of the mind the work of regeneration is first wrought as God in the creation began first with the light Fiat lux Let there be light so in our new creation he begins with illumination he first strikes up one light into the mind and they that were once darknesse are now light in the Lord Christ Jesus speaking to the mind and understanding as he did once to the blind man in the Gospel Ephatha be opened and this new created light instantly banisheth all the darknesse of the mind and understanding blinded before by the god of the world as the rising of the Sun dispels all foggs and mists and as the Apostle speaks in another place Phil. 3. 10. He presently puts off the old man with his deeds and puts on the new man which is created in knowledge after the image of God Oportet enim eum qui alteram vitam incepturus est pecori fineas imponere It behoves him who is beginning a new life to put an end to the old And give me leave I pray you a little seriously and earnestly to insist upon this Point this saving Point Conceive I pray you that to be regenerate and new born to be a new creature or as my Text saith the first fruits of Gods creatures is not to become new in substance but in qualities and doth not consist in multiplying bodies by generation but in changing of souls or minds into a new form For non nascimur sed nascimur Christiani nec tam generatio quam regeneratio spectanda est We are not born but we are made Christians neither is generation so much regarded as regeneration because in our new or second birth we are not made the sons of man but the sons of God As when the spirit of magnanimity and valour and Princely Government came upon Saul it carved him into a new man So when the spirit of sanctification and holinesse descends upon any it quite changes and turns them into new creatures it makes them as we say new men and they will answer their former sins and pleasures their wanton and vain Dalilahs with whom they have formerly spent too much of their precious time as that young Convert answered his enticing and tempting Mrs solliciting him to their wonted folly Ego non sum ego I am not I I am not what I was I was not what I am he was changed in his mind or his mind was changed in him They will resolve with St. Peters converts The former part of our time or the time past of our lives is enough to have spent or rather misspent after the lusts of the Gentiles we will spend the rest of our time to the honour and glory of him that died for us Beloved Christians thus is a man in his regeneration converted and changed quite and clean into another man as Christ when he gave sight to the blind man in the Gospel he made him no new eyes but gave sight and light to them he had and as when he raised Lazarus and the widows son one out of his grave another going to it he created no new bodies but put life and spirit into the sad So in our regeneration and new birth God makes us no new souls or bodies but renews reforms amends and changes them we have He takes not the eyes out of our heads but the vanity lust and sin of the eyes moving us inwardly to make a covenant with our eyes not to look upon any tempting object and we will pray earnestly with David Turn away mine eyes lest they behold vanity and indeed David might well pray to God to turn away open or amend his eyes for both were naught One was bloudshot with the murther of Vriah and the other had Bathsheba the Pearl in it and indeed occuli sunt in amore duces as in love so in lust the eyes are as leaders or windows to let sin into the soul Eve saw the beauty of the fruit before she lusted after it and Achan the wedg of gold and the Babylonish garment before he câ—veted it Not our ears but the pravity and sin of our ears the deafnesse and dulnesse thereof and to say truth the first sense sanctified in our regeneration is the sense of hearing because it was the first that was corrupted our first parents by hearkning and listning what the Serpent said were brought into a love and liking of sin and a regenerate Christian by hearing what the spirit saith is brought into an hatred and detestation of sin These are the senses of discipline and knowledge therefore of grace God opens our ears before he opens our eyes if we will not hear God we shall never see him The ear is the principal sense sanctified to receive spiritual and saving instructions as you may read in the Proverbs and St. Paul makes it an impossible thing to believe if we will not hear The speech of Lactantius is worth the noting and quoting too Plus est in auribus quam in oculis situm quoniam doctrina sapientia percipi auribus sâ—lis potest occulis solis non potest The Lord begins his Sermons to his people Hear ô Israel Deut. 6. and upon the condition
a holy Womb too the Womb of the Morne as David calls it the dew of thy Birth is c. or Psal 110 3. thy Birth from the Womb is as the morning dew a holy transposition of the words which enlivens and exhilerates all things Dr. Andr. refreshes and renews them 3. Semen Here is Semen the Sâ—ed and that is a holy seed too We are borne saith the Apostle not of mortall but immortall not of corruptible but incorruptible seed even of the word c. 1 Pet. 1. 23. A seed which Saint Paul calls living both because it quickâ—ns them that are dead in sinnes and trespasses and because it makes us heires of eternall life Note A seed cleane contrary to humane seed for as that begets sinfull man this kills him 4. Fructus Lastly here is Fructus the fruit and that is a holy and heavenly fruit too for being regenerate and borne againe unto God We have as the Apostle saith our fruit unto holinesse and the end is everlasting life Rom. 6. 21. Thus we see in part the nature manner causes â—ffâ—ct and end of our New Birth or Birth from above This unto flesh and blood seems very strange tell the natuâ—al man of his regeneration and new Birth that he must of necessity be borne againe and you speake to him a parable and mistery You can never fasten any thing upon him but what is made evident by demonstration He will not believe that he sees not and therefore certainly he shall never see that which he cannot or will not believe As Nicâ—dâ—â—us before his conveâ—sion hearing Christ speak of the necessity of Regeneration he makes it a matter of impossibility How can a man be borne when he is old can he enter into his Mothers wombe and be borne againâ— A strange nay an impossible thing he thinks it is to be borne againe by the word or spirit of God Words thinks he may beget words as they doe too often but not creatures And that Posthumus should be Primitiae the last creature made the first fruits this seems altogether impossible But Faith is not captivated to sence it exceeds reasons limits it is not the Naturall but the Spirituall man Nor the Naturall but Spirituall eye which discernes how God is our Father Indeed many wayes doth the Lord challenge unto himselfe this loving attribute of Paternity and Fatherhood but principally three 1. By Creation 2. By Regeneration and 3. Adoption Between which there are these differences in our Creation 1. We were filii facti made Sons In our regeneration we are filii geniti begotten Sonnes 2. Our Creation that was out of Gods councell Faciamus hominem let us make man after our Image Our regeneration that is out of his will voluntariè nos genuit 3. In our Creation Dixit Dens formati sumus God spake the word and we were formed and made in our Regeneration Operatur Spiritus Sanctus reformati sumus Gods spirit works and we are reformed re-made 4. In our Creation he gave us our selves in our regeneration he gave himselfe for us his life for us He gave his soule a sacrifice for sinne that he might see his seed Esay 53. 10. Our Creation as I hinted cost him but a few words he spake and we were made he commanded and it was effected But our Redemption through his blood cost him many words and blows many wounds and sufferings that he might see his seed he made his soule an offernig for sinne He took upon him our sinnes that we might be taken for Sonnes We were lost in Adam by our generation in Adam we all dye but in Christ we are all made alive We fell in Adam and his fall hath wounded and bruised us but Christi livâ—râ— sanati sumus by Christs stripes we are healed A strange way to be healed by wounding To kill the Physitian to recover the Patient That God should dye to preserve man from death To tame a Lyon they say they beate a Dogge but here the Lyon is beaten for the Dog the Lord for the Servant he humbled himself and took our nature upon him to sanctifie nay to glorifie our Nature in which nature he suffered for this onely end to make us accepted Ideo filius Dei factus est homo ut homines faceret filios Dei Therefore was the Son of God made the son of Man that the Sons of Men might be made the sons of God Behold then and admire what love the Father hath shewed unto us that we should be thus made and called the Sons of God 1 Joh. 3. 1. 1. Cause the Formal cause But to proceed in order I will begin with the first cause of our Regeneration The formal cause God Progenuit Deus God begets us And the word the Apostle useth here to beget is worth your serious observation it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 peperit a word which the Learned give to the soul as well as unto the body to the spirit as well as to the flesh of man For we must understand that the soul and spirit of man hath its birth and children as well as the flesh and body As for example Memory that is the birth of the Braine thoughts they are the birth of the Heart and Grace that is the child of the Spirit I and there are dolours and pangs tribulations and sorrows throbs and throws gripes and convulsions in this our second Birth as many if not more and as great nay greater than in our first Note The mourning weed the melting eye the pale countenance the voice of lamentation the broken heart the contrite spirit Mary Magdalen's tears Jerusalem's sighs and groans who wept continually in the night with David who washed his bed and watered his couch with his tears Jacob's wrestling Paul's combat and complaint Miserable man that I am who c. It being as painfull for a man to be delivered of his sinne as ever it was for a poor wracked mother to bee delivered of her burden that judgement being laid upon our Spiritual conception which was upon our Natural I will greatly multiply the sorrows of thy conception in labour and sorrow c. All these doth the Lord cause and raise in a man before this new man can be conceived in him or born of him When the eyes are red with tears and the heart doth ake with groans when the soul and body like the Virgin Marie's is ready to be divided as with a sword when with David we roar and cry for the very disquietness of our hearts with Rebecca feeling the old man and the new â—s she did Jacob and Esau strugling in her womb we cry out Why am I thus when with the woman in the Rev. 12. we cry out and are pained ready to be delivered the great red Dragon striving to hinder our conversion as he did her conception Then then doth this New man begin to conceive and quickend For as no birth of
then evil language an evil liver Mettals are known by their tinkling and sound and men by their tunes and tongues by their languages This is very certain Gods children have alwaies Godly language and their speeches and words are seasoned with wisdom as with salt as St Paul saith For wisdome seasons our actions as salt doth our meat their words ever tend to edification to the building up their brethren in the faith of Christ In a word in the work of regeneration God takes not the heart out of our bodies but he takes corruption out of our hearts He heals by his spirit and grace that deadly and poysoned fountain as Elisha by his handfull of salt cured the unwholsome waters of Jericho And indeed their sanctification and regeneration begin ever As Nature in forming so grace in reforming begins at the heart and makes a through change there as when the Adulterer and Fornicator becomes chaste and considers that his body is or ought to be the Temple of the holy Ghost and therefore not be made a stable for Bacchus or a sâ—ew for Venus but to be preserved in purity in holiness and honour and not in the lust of concupisence as the heathen which knew not God abstaining from all appearance of evil not entertaining lust into his heart by any inordinate desires Mat. 5. 26. Nor into his eye by wanton and lascivious looks for you shall read in 2 Pet. 1. 14. of eyes full of Adultery or the Adulterers nor into the tongue by filthy and rotten speech nor by any means into the act by committing that great wickedness as Joseph cals it Gen. 39. and therefore will daily sweeten and perfume this Temple of God with the incense of prayer and supplication watering it often with the unfeigned tears of contrition and sorrow with David that devout penetent who made his bed to swim and watered his couch with his tears and sweeping it with the besome of repentance leaving no foule corner or spiders web within the heart or house 2. When he considers that in other sins a man may peccare and perire solus sin and perish alone but in this sin of uncleanness he carries company to hell with him 3. That the arms and lips of a harlot are like the Iron Idol which crushed the curst sacrifice to pieces or like the Ivy which embracing the Tree kilâ— it 4. That in these sins he sins first against God the Father who created him in holiness and righteousness and in that manner to serve him Secondly against Christ the sonne which redeemed him by the inestimable price of his most precious bloud and to this end he redeemed him that he might glorifie him in his soul and body who had redeemed both 3. That it is against the spirit of Christ which is a pure and clean spirit and none but the pure in heart shall see God 5. That it is against our reasonable service of God for in all reason we should make them the members of righteousness which are thus redeemed and give up our selves souls and bodies a living sacrifice unto God which is our reasonable service of him glorifie him both in our souls and bodies which hath redeemed both 6. That it is against our Covenant in our baptism and against our calling for having as the Apostle saith such precious promises as to be called the sons and daughters of God we should cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit 2 Cor. 6. last c. 1. and perfect holiness in the fear of God 7. Lastly that it is against a mans own body which no other sins are and gives a deep stain and blemish not only to his own name but to the name of his seed and that they that do such things shall not enter into the Kingdom of God But the fire of lust shall have the fire of hell and the sins of uncleanness shall be punished in Gehinom a place of unbelievers Secondly when the glutton and intemperate person puts a knife to his throat as Solomon adviseth moderatenesse and restraining his appetite in full provocations remembring even that moderate precept of St. Paul Whether ye eat or drink or whatsoever else ye do do all to the glory of God 1 Cor. 10. 31. 3. When the drunkard becoms civil and sober walking honestly as in the day not in surfetting or drunkennesse accounting them dear pleasures which we repent on the morrow and remembring that saying of the Poet If the pains and aking and grief of the head came before drinking as they come after no man would be drunk If the Rhumes Catarhs Apoplexes Dropsies and infinite other Diseases the natural offspring of that unnatural sin were considered no man would exceed Fourthly When the covetous and worldly man who made his money his God and gain his godliness the tenacious and griping miser is become mercifull and liberal and of a lover of the world a lover of God and his word and concludes that godlinesse is the best gain having the promises of this life and of that which is to come and trusts to that word of truth primum quaerite regnum coeli c. First seek the Kingdom of God c. Caetera aut aderunt aut non oberunt other things shall not be wanting or if they be the want of them shall not hurt us For if we have not wealth the riches of the world we shall have contentation and patience the riches of the mind For he is not rich that hath much but he that is contented with that he hath 5. When the envious and malicious man is become loving and charitable considering that God is love and the more loving any man is the liker God that envy and malice are the very characters of the Devil you are of your Father the Devil saith Christs to the envious Jews for his works ye do 6. When the angry froward and wrathfull man is become meek and patient possessing his soul in patience in the midst of the greatest troubles knowing that by faith we possess Christ by love our brethren but by patience our selves that anger resteth and abideth in the bosome of fools and suffers not therefore the sun to go down in his wrath remembering that he which sleepeth in anger or malice hath the devil for his bedfellow is therefore slow to anger and wrath considering well that the wrath of man doth not accomplish the righteousness of God v. 20. 7. When the proud man is become lowly and humble knowing that God resisteth the proud but giveth grace to the humble that the meek shall possess the earth and the humble God will teach his waies that they are they shall find rest to their souls That pride cast the Angels out of heaven Adam and Eve out of Paradice the King of Babel out of his name and nature and therefore cannot bring any man to heaven for humility goes before honour but pride goes before a fall Humilitas claritatis meritum claritas humilitatis
and so he may say to corruption thou art my father and to the worm thou art my sister and mother The second is from heaven and so he may call God Father and hath full interest and power to call Christ his elder brother Being the first born amongst many brethren 2. In our first birth we are born men by the will of men In our second birth we are begotten Christians by the will of God In our first birth our mortal fathers beget us to succeed them we are born to die In our second our immortal Father begets us to live and abide with him forever In our first birth our Fathers must die before we the sons can inherit In our second the children must die before they can obtain their heavenly Fathers Inheritance 3. In our first birth we are conceived and born in sin and so by nature are children of wrath In our second we are the workmanship of God created in Christ to good works and so consequently the heirs of grace and glory In a word a double Pedigree is in every Saint one of mortality another of eternity Cum peccatorem dico duo dico saith St. Austin when I speak of sinner I mean two men a sinner and a Saint a man and a Christian man One born after the flesh called the old man another after the spirit called the new From which Doctrine arise three considerations or observations 1. The verity and truth of our new birth 2. The similitudes and likenesses between our first and second birth 3. The eminency and dignity of a Christians new birth 1. The verity and truth of our new birth We are as truly said to be renati as nati born again as born at all For if the wicked be damnaâ—i antequam nati damned before they be born is it a harder thing being once born to be born again Surely in sense and reason it is harder farr to make something of nothing then to make that better which was something It is as easie to mend as to make especially when God is the workman else it is a great deal easier to mar then to make or mend Difficilius est struere quam distruere I know as I said before that this unto flesh and bloud seems very strange because the natural mans faith goes not beyond his eye But as a Father well notes If in the second resurrection the raising of the body out of the grave God can restore that which was consumed to nothing and make it a more perfect and sound body then ever it was Surely in the first resurrection from sin to grace he can renew and reform that body and soul which he first made and inspired and he that first created them can renew and amend them Strange it seems to the eye of reason but consider the agent and the wonder will cease Ille suscitabit te qui creavit te saith the Father Ille reformabit qui formavit te say I ille reficiet te qui fecit te he that formed thee will reform thee he that made thee will mend thee Reason sees not this But ubi ratio desinit fides incipit where reason ends faith begins and therefore crede quod non vides videbis quod non credes Believe what you see not and you shall one day see what you would not believe But is there no Sun because he that wants his sight sees it not so is there no regeneration or new birth because the carnal man wants faith which is the souls eye by which it is discerned Stephen when he was going to be stoned he saw Christ sitting at the right hand of his Father which none of his persecutors could do In like manner the regenerate man even in his most heavy afflictions and at the point of death he sees how God is his Father which the natural man cannot see because it is spiritually discerned But since the knowledg of regeneration is so needfull and the work so secret and mystical how may any Christian know that he is regenerate and what are the truest signes and evidences thereof For the first who require and request to be instructed and taught in this saving doctrine and which the Disciples demand what is the meaning of this Parable I answer First by defining secondly by shewing the evidences and infallible signes and tokens of it Regeneration then is this It is the change of the whole man from one thing to another the change of the body and soul from sin to sanctification from darknesse to light from the power of Satan unto God Acts 26. 18. It is a Sanctifying throughout as St. Paul speaks Now the very God of peace c. But not any waies to confound Regeneration with Sanctification for that may be a mistake Regeneration is defined by the Learned to be this It is an act or work of Gods wonderfull power begetting the elect by the Ministry of the word through the operation of the spirit of God that of children of wrath by the desert of sin we are by grace made the sons and daughters of God or more briefly It is a grace of God whereby the corruption of nature in believers is daily renewed to the image of Gâ—d it is I say again a grace of God 1 Pet. 1. 3. Who according to his abundant grace hath begotten us to a lively hope by which corruption of nature for that is the proper object of it called in Scripture the old man or flesh is renewed which is a word of religion opposed to the old corruption drawn from the old Adam for so is the new birth by the spirit opposed to the old birth by the flesh John 3. to the image of God see Phil 3. 10. Again the word renewed importeth a compleat work upon the whole subject for as in the birth of a child not one part or more parts and members but the whole child is born so is this new birth the whole man is born again as we are sanctified and as David praies to be purged and washed so we are regenerate throughout the whole man must be a new creature for whosoever is in Christ is so which is not the framing of something out of something but of something out of nothing And I pray you consider that as in every mutation and change one thing removes and another succeeds So in this generation or new birth one thing comes in the room of another and in this birth from above one thing dies which is corrupt nanture which must die or we must die if we kill not the sin in us the sin in us will kill us This is called the old man that which is changed renewed and quickened is the new man and therefore whosoever is in Christ will put off the old man which is corrupt through deceiveable lusts and will put on the new which after Christ is created in righteousnesse and true holinesse True holinesse note the word for there is great emphasis in
wont in times past to be the comprimisâ—r and determiner of all Law-suits Let not us fall out for we are brethren saies Abraham to Lot the greater to the lesser What brethren and fall out No it is a good and joyfull thing for brethren to dwell together in unity It was the harlot would have the child divided the true mother would have it live they shew of what house they came of what discent they are who love to live in envy and malice in hatred and division you are of your father the devil saith Christ to the envioâ—â— Jews for his works ye do profess whâ—â—â—â—â—â—y all they have not God for their Father nor the Church of God for their Mother nor Christ for their Saviour who are enemies to peace for as I said True belieâ—â—â— are of one heart and of one mind of one soul Give me leave to give you a strong pathetical and effectual motive to love and peace the character of Gods children God is the God of peace Christ Jesus is the Prince of peace the holy Ghost is the Spirit of peace the Gospel is the Gospel of peace your calling in general is a calling of peace ye are called to peace Ours who are the poor despised Ministers of Christ is a calling and commission of peace and we are commanded nay charged into what house soever we come to preach and pray for peace to that house how well and faithfully some have done their errand let the world judge When Christ came into the world he brought it there was peace over all the world the Temple of Janus was shut and wars were ceased at every gate and the blessed Angels of heaven sang at his birth and nativity Glory be to God on high on earth peace good will towards men and therefore surely there is heavenly musick in it David saith God will give unto his people the blessing of peace So that peace is a blessing nay the blessing of blessings the sugar and sweetning of all blessings for nothing is a blessing without it what are our sweetest comforts our dearest and nearest relations our riches honour magnificence or any worldly accommodations if not enjoyed in peace It was therefore prophesied in Esay That when Christ should be born Christ the Prince of Peace the peacemaker that men should break their Swords into Ploughshares and their Spears into Pruning-Hooks that is there should be unity and peace in the world all animosities and hostilities should be laid aside and so they are where Christ is born in us Nay even the Souldier with a sword in one hand and fire in the other he cries and speaks aloud Sic quaerimus pacem Thus we look for and seek for peace peace being the end of war when Christ lived in the world he taught it Beati pacifici Have salt in your selves and have peace one with another And if a man smite thee upon one cheek c. And if he take away thy Cloak c. When Christ went out of the world he made peace his Legacy Peace I give you my peace I leave unto you and when he rose again he made it his salutation He came in unto them the dores being shut and said Peace be unto you and when he had so spoken he shewed them his hands and his side as if he had said see here my dear friends how dear your peace cost me even these wounds in my hands and side ne rumpatis eam break not that so easily which cost me so dear upon every poor and slight occasion or for the love of every base sin or pleasure make not me to bleed again Enough I think to coole the fiery spirits If this will not serve to take the sting of envy and malice out of the minds of many but still like Salamanders they will live in the fire and heat of contention I will send such down to the place of utter confusion for an argument of peace and they shall hear even the Devil himself pleading hard for that which he continually breaks Mat. 8. 30. What have we to do with thee Jesus thou Son of God art thou come to torment or trouble us before the time They that trouble all the world you see would not be troubled themselves Enough to cool the fiery spirits of such as make division their musick and love to fish in troubled waters nay that firâ—t trouble the waters themselvs and then complain of the Lamb that comes to drink of them let me send such to meditate upon that speech of Christ That Belzebub is not divided against Belzebub if he were his kingdom could not stand That seven devils agreed in Mary Magdalen a legion in another whereas with grief be it spoken three scarce agree with us in a Family or ten in a Parish But were our State and Commonwealth as strong as the kingdom of Satan division and contention if continued must needs bring it to desolation and ruine As Joseph therefore when he sent his brethren home to their father gave them this godly advice Fall not out by the way the same I exhort and beseech in the bowels of our blessed peace-maker looking all towards Jerusalem let not Babylon have our hearts let us go on in love and peace and the God of love and peace will be with us O let not division of hearts hinder the building of Christianity as division of tongues hindred the building of Babel Filia dissentionis desolatio The daughter of dissention is dissolution yea and desolation The factions and divisions between Simeon Eleazar and Jehochanon foretold and prophesied by Christ and faithfully recorded by Josephus a fellow-sufferer and eye-witness laid the Temple and City and the houses of Jerusalem desolate and not one stone upon another The Temple of Solomon you know who was a Prince of peace and type of Christ was built in peace there was not the sound of an Axe Hammer or any other instrument heard in the erecting of it Indeed it was beaten down with Axes and Hammers as David dolefully complains but it was set up without them The mystical and spiritual sense you easily apprehend The spiritual Temple and house of God in us is or should be built in peace and unity without clamor stirr or noise we should as the Apostle saith edifie one another in love and peace for Si collidimur frangimur If we be broken and unbound we are undone signified by Scelurus faggot a known story Divisum est câ—â—â—orum jam jam interibunt saith the Prophet Their accord is gone their cord is untwisted they cannot stand Iscouedo the Spanish Poet being demanded by his Master Philip the third by what means he might become Master of the Low Countries he gives him this shrewd and subtile councel Divide them amongst themselves according to Machiavels precept to his Caesar Borgia Divide impera make a division and get the Dominion It is observed by many learned men and lameâ—â—ed by more that the unkind
the Jews at Peters first Sermon and Lydia and the Gaoler at Pauls Acts 16. Some cost their spiritual Parents a great deal more pain and labour as the Galathians Paul My little children cryes he of whom I travel in childbed again untill Christ be framed in you Gal. 4. 19. and the Prophet Jeremiah considering and grieving at the obstinacy and rebellion of Gods people cries out Ah my belly my belly how am I pained which complaint signified nothing else but the extream sorrow and heart-breaking which the Prophet suffered to reduce and bring the disobedient Jews into the Fold of Christ to regenerate and convert them 5. In our first birth there commonly goes an espousage and contract before the marriage to make the issue and act legitimate and lawfull So Christ to make himself a lawfull seed marries himself first unto the Church Conglutinabo or desponsabo te mihi fide I will marry thee unto me in faith faith is as it were the marriage-ring and that is the reason I think after the covenant and contract that the Ring was given in marriage Now being thus married unto Christ we are no more two but one flesh Gen. 2. 24. and never did any man hate his own flesh Ephes 5. 29. 6. In our first birth we grow and are framed in our mothers wombe by degrees first the heart for that is primum vivens then the brain then other arteries and members untill we come to be a perfect and entire birth Thus it is in our second birth as Nature in forming so grace in reforming begins at the heart that is first reformed and renewed and then all the parts of the body and faculties of the soul will be amended and reformed David therefore though polluted and defiled throughout yet he praies for the sanctifying and purging of no part but his heart Create in me c. Purge my heart and I am clean all over As therefore Jehu said in his travel to Jonadab when he met him in the way est ubi cor rectum is thy heart right as mine is The same in effect God speaks in truth est vobis cor novum Is your heart good is it renewed Then come up into my Chariot come ye blessed children of my Father c. For the new heavens nor the new name the name of Filiation and Sonship are for none but new creatures 7. Lastly in our first birth we are born babes and â—ot men It were a monstrous thing to see a new borne child at his full grouth the first day or week Thus it is in our second birth we are born babes and not men Babes and need the sincere milk of the word and then come to be stronger men by degeees and to have need of stronger meat Nâ—mo nascitur artifex No man is his Craftsmaster the first day This I note against the sudden grouth of many who boast of their soon acquired grace and goodness and think they are at the height of religion before they know the foundation or have learned the Principles There were steps and staires to Solomons Throne and so there are to Gods to heaven No man can step thither at one stride we come to heaven per gradum non per saltum by degrees not by leaps How comes it to passe then that many think they are at the highest pitch of grace when they have scarce made one motion or step towards it Certainly many that are such Saints on a sudden that think they are so high above others are carried up or rather hurried by their own fancy and imagination For neither holinesse nor heaven are got but by gradual and orderly walking Gods Statutes being a way continually leading to some glorious end There is an orderly going up the starrs in Jacobs Ladder a leisurely going forward by degrees a daily profitting and proceeding in grace and goodnesse as the young babe growes daily and hourly towards his full pitch and grouth see 2 Pet 2. 6 7 8. Adde to your faith vertue to your vertue knowledge to your knowledge temperance to your temperance patience to your patience godlinesse to your godlinesse brotherly kindnesse to your brotherly kindnesse love Sudden growthes are ever suspicious Remember Jonas's gourd what came up in a night withered in a day Come but a little persecution for righteousnesse lake and this forward seed is scorched this hasty corn is blasted they have no root as our Saviour speâ—ks Mat. 13. or as Saint Paul They are not rooted in knowledge nor well principled and therefore can never come to perfection As Isaac therefore demanded of Jacob in another sense How is it you found it so quickly my son Gen. 28. 20. So may I say of these forward ones which like young lapwings run into the world with the shell on their heads how is it you found grace so quickly that you are so good and heavenly so suddenly that you know more in a day than your Teachers in all theirs Heaven is a penny and it must be wrought for he must endure the heat of the day that will have the wages at evening It is a Pearl that must be digged for he must sweat and take pains that will find it it is a Garland that must be run for a Crown that must be fought for it must be got sudore not sapore by sweat not by sloath superantibus dabitur To them and none but to them that overcome shall this Crowne of life be given Be thou constant or faithfull unto death and c. None but conquerors over sin and Satan shall ever wear this Crown And this fight is not easie or short we must resist unto bloud There is the Law of sin in the members rebelling c. Christianity as I told you is called the difficult work of faith and a working out our salvation with fear and trembling It is no easie thing to believe but so hard that when the Son of man comes he shall hardly find faith upon earth From this that hath been spoken an usefull Doctrine presents it self Namely That there must be a grouth in grace a proceeding and going forward in holynesse and righteousnesse For children and babes grow in stature as they doe in years so must Christians It were a wonder nay a miracle almost for any to see a young child born to day at the same growth and pitch seven years hence And very lamentable I am sure it is to see many aged men and men well stricken in years going out of the world before they knew why they came in to die before they knew how to live to see elementarium semâ—n an old man in his A. B. C. young old men Gray before they are good as we say a man well gone in years not at all improved in grace The Prophet Esaiah speaks in his time of children of an 100. years old 65. 20. We may apply his Prophecy to our times And Seneca that divine Heathen tels us That it is a shame
for a man an old man who to shew he hath lived long in the world hath no other witnesse to produce but his gray hairs And Diogenes the Cynick as bitterly as wittily told one that boasted of his age and eldership and therefore scorned to be reproved that he had put off pueritiam but not puerilitatem he had put off his childhood but his childishnesse he had not put off Beloved though we should be as new born babes in desire to the sincere milk of the word yet we should not alwaies be as babes new born stand at a stay like a horse in a Mil which is all the day going about and yet at night in the same place he was If we proceed not nor make any progresse in grace and goodnesse we have no grace nor goodnesse at all like Scullers or Oars if we goe not forward we goe backward Examin we then the truth of our spiritual birth by this of our natural I mean by this likenesse and â—imilitude to our natural Art thou a stronger man in Christ now then formerly this day then yesterday are thy sins more mortified and weakned and thy graces more strengthened is it between thy old man and new the flesh and spirit as it was between the house of David and Saul Doth Davids house grow stronger and stronger Sauls weaker and weaker Doth the old man die daily and the new grow and quicken Try and sift thy heart and the graces thereof by this rule for minime sane est bonus qui melior esse non vult good that man or woman cannot be which endeavours not every day to be better Si dixeris sufficit periisti if thou ever say thou art good enough thou art in a manner undone for in the waies of vertue and goodnesse not to goe forward is to goe backward Grace and goodnesse never were in us if they are not improved in us as I said He was never good at all that desired not every day to be better And therefore though we be never a day good as we should be yet let us be every day better then we were every day break one thread of that net in which we are ensnared every day grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ the second of Peter the 3. and last For howsoever we shall not find it profitable nor it may be commendable in these evil daies wherein grace and goodnesse is ashamed of it self and the name yet I am sure we shall find it comfortable Indice nos sentire meliores every day to find our selves better and better For faith and a good conscience a regenerate and holy life had it no further or future reward it is it self praemium sui it s own reward and gives such unspeakable peace and quietnesse to the soul and mind that none know it but they that have it It was the commendation of our blessed Saviour Luke 1. That as he grew in years he grew in favour with God and man and it will be our exceeding comfort to see that our last daies be our best daies and that our latter end be better then our beginning They that are planted in Gods house saith David are flourishing and well liking and will bring forth most fruit in their age Yea and even thenw hen their Almond Tree doth flourish their hearts will be as neare as they can as white in innocency as their hairs are with age and indeed herein is our heavenly Father glorified if we c. Jo. 1â— 8. As the little child then grows in every member of the body so the regenerate growes in every affection in every grace for graces and goodnesse like the babes milk are so sweet to the souls of them that taste it that they do they must needs long for more As Then the woman of Samaria when she heard Christ speak of a water of which whosoever drank should never thirst more cries out Lord give me evermore of this water And the Disciples hearing Christ speak of a bread of which whosoever did eat should never hunger more desire Lord give us evermore of this bread So whosoever doth once taste how good and gracious the Lord is as David speaks must needs pant after him as the hart c. and as a new born babe desires the sincere milk of the word that he may grow thereby for no growth no grace So much of the similitudes and likenesses betweene our first and second birth Follows now the eminency and dignity of a Christian new born and truely very superlative and great is the dignity and honour of a Christian born of God as the Ambassadors of Pyrrhus said of the quondam Senators of Rome Quod vidi Senatores tot vidi reges So many Senators as I saw I saw so many King The same and more we may say of them that are born of God Quot vidimus in terris renatos vedebimus in coelis regnantes So many as we see on earth converted we shall see in heaven crowned See a little into this dignity He that is born from above hath God for his Father and Jerusalem which is from above to wit the Church for his Mother Christ Jesus the son of Gods love for his Brother the Noble bloud of Jesus Christ runs in the veins of every true Christian He is of the bloud-Royal For as I told you before they are by this heavenly birth made partakers of the Divine Nature 1 Pet. 1. 4. and so a noble generation a royal Priesthood a peculiar people c. the noblest born of any in the world are they that are born from above It was the religious and pious speech of Theodosius an Emperor of Rome Mallem esse membrum Christi quam caput imâ—erii I had rather be a member of Christ then Head of an Empire And Luther to that purpose Mallem esse Christianum rusticum quam paganum Imperatorem I had rather be a Christian clown then a Pagan King Rejoyce not saith Christ in these and these things that you have preached in my name and in my name have cast out devils but in this rejoce that your names c. So boast not so much that you are born of these and these houses of that high and noble bloud as that you are born from above Look not so much to your natural generation as to your spiritual regeneration Civis aequat omnes impares nascimur c The dust equals all Look therefore to that birth by which we are made heirs of God and joynt heirs with Christ The true honour I say again is to be born again by which birth we are allied to Christ and made of his alliance and linage For he that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven saith Christ the same is my sister and brother and mother and when some came and told him that his mother and brother were without to speak with him he answers as I told you Mat. 12. and Luke
as should be saved Act. 4 last Thus you see that God himselfe is the Authour and cause of our new Birth it is the proper and peculiar worke of God to beget voluntariè nos genuit of his will he begâ—te us And yet you may please to observe that as this act of regeneration is attributed to God the Father as it is in this place So sometimes it is attributed to God the Sonne as Esai 53. 10. Beleevers are called his seed that he might see his seed he made his soule a sacrifice for sinne Sometimes to the spirit of God as in Jo. 3 6. That which is borne of the flesh is flâ—sh and the winde bloweth it so is every one that is borne of the spirit It is God the Fathers will he begets us of his will Christ the Sonnes merit Gal. 4 4. When the fulnesse c. to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the Adoption of the Sonne God the Holy Ghosts efficacy and power by the Spirit of Gods sanctifying and over-shadowing the Soule the new Man is quickned and made sometimes it is attributed to all the three persons in Trinity together as in that notable place Tit. 3 7. By his mercy he saved us by the renewing of the Holy Ghost which he abundantly shed in our hearts through Christ Jesus There we have the three persons together in two verses and here all the cause of our regeneration in one a parallel whereunto you shâ—ll hardly finde in the whole New Testament But God as I said he is the principall author and cause His Ministers but instrumentall yet as his Ministers they are and may very well be called Fathers And this near relation should warme the hearts of Ministers with an indulgent and paternall care and affection to beare great good will towards them and as Moses is commanded to carry them in his bosome And as Aaron when he went up to pray or to sacrifice he went up with the names of the twelve Tribes written upon his breast plate So the Ministers of the New Testament the Pastors of Christs Church according to that Typâ— ought to put up in all his devotion the prayers and supplications the wants of his people with his owne As Saint Paul calls his people his Epistle written in his hâ—art so shall the people be in their Pastours Aâ— S. Pauls â—â—â—â—ts desire and prayer to Israel waâ— c. Indeed the New Testament is nothing else but Jesus Christs Letter and Epistle writ from Heaven unto his Church the mind of God expressed to Man by Christ who sitâ— at the right hand of the Father making those Prayers and Petitions of ours which are imperfect in themselves to be more perfect by his mediation And as these instruments of Regeneration are called Fathers both in the Old Testament My Father my Father c. cryes Elisha to Elias Jehoram to him a wicked man yet hâ—s had more grace than some have now to call the Prophet his Father Worse names now must be digested So Saint Paul calls them Nurses or Mothers too 1 Thes 2. 7. There he putâ— upon himselfe the indulgence of a Mother as afterward the affection of a Father vâ—r 11. shâ—wing that as he did not occasionally forget to use the gravity of a Father in his exhortations and instructions so other whiles he puts upon him the meeknessâ— and softnesse and tendernessâ— of a Mother or of an affectionate Nurse Mothers and Nurses having a sympathy and fellow-feeling of their Childrens estates the Mother knowing by naturall instinct when the child is sick and diseased when it is distempered and pained and will accordingly apply her selfe to give it ease and not alwayes give it its humour nor what it cryes for So Gods Ministers should be willing to free their people from distemper and disorder from thâ— corruption and error of the times feeding them with wholsome and sound doctrine with the sincere milk of the Word that they may grow thereby not with fancies and humours and their owne inventions and imaginations for with griefe be it spoken we are falne from the worshipping of Images to the worshipping of Imaginations which as it breeds sicknesses in young children to let them eaâ—â— what they will so it breeds factions and divisions and â—xtreame distemperatures in States when they are suffered to bâ— carryed about with every wind of doctrine and every windy doctrine as the Israeliâ—es by Aarons permission and sufferance worshipped the Cllfe of their owne making And it teacheth the people againe since they stand in so nâ—â—r a relation to their Ministers as Children to Parents to carry a filiall and dutifull affâ—ction towards their Pastours as they carry a loving carefull and paternall heart and eye towards them and their good The want of which reciprocall loving kindnesse and affection when Father and Children Mâ—nister and People Master and Servant have had a greater desire to have their humours fed than their soules edified have not onely caused great râ—nts and divâ—sions which with Râ—â—bens caused great grâ—efe and sorrow of heart but I dare say hath grâ—â—ved the blessed and holy Spirit of God the sole worker of our Regeneration and by whom we are sealed unto the day of Redemption the Spirit of God witnessing to our spirits that we are the sons of God Rom. 8. Thirdly this calls upon the great Fathers of the Common-wealth who are called Gods being next to him and Patres Patriae thâ— Fathers of this Country nay of the Common-wealth and State to see with what meat their Children their Subjects are fed for as I said they are Pastours and Fathers too Isaiah calls them Nursing fathers and Nursing mothers and prophesies that in the great Reformation Kings should be nursing fathers and Queens nursing mothers That is God would raise up the great Potentates and Princes of the â—arth to provide that the people should be fed with wholsome food that living waters should flow abundantly from the threshold of the Sanctuary and that all people should know the Lord from the greatest to the least Hence it followes necessarily that the Supreame Magistrate â—e seasoned with Religion and what a sweet perfume followes such Princes see in the â—xamples of Moses Joshua David Solomon Asa Josiah Hâ—zâ—kiah c. and not irreligious or Popishly affected but soundly and firmly grounded for which we may blesse God that he be a sincere worshipper and server of God the feare of God being the beginning of wisdome and a man being never truly intelligent untill he be obedient The best Plot is to save a soule For if that be true which they say in nature is true and certaine That what disease or infection the Nurse hath the sucking child will partake of and as the Parent is affected so for the most part is the Childs inclination and disposition Surely and without all question it will fare so in this If God please to give us a Magistrate which is godly and
graciously But some may object what needs words since our heavenly Father knowes whereof we have need as Christ saith before we aske what need words to God who knowes the secrets of all hearts and tell us by his Prophets Antequam clametis ego exaudiam Before you call or cry I will heare and David did but cry he would confesse his iniquity and God forgave him his sinne Psal 32. It is true 1. God needs no words but we doe to stir up our hearts and affections to God and 2. Because he would have us take shame and confusion to our selves 3. He hath given us our tongues as Instrments to glorifie him and therefore God will have our glory our tongue as David calls it and often awakens it used in our Petition and thanksgivings our affections and desires are the more inkindled and freed by words and Gods graces are excited by prayer And though God knowes the heart yet he will leave the hid Mâ—n of the heart manifested to man for his edification and example 4. Besides God will be glorified by the inward as well as by the outward Man he made both and redeemed both and therefore will be glorified with both By Prayer we entertaine Familiarity with our heavenly Father it is the language of the Saints yea his Childrens Dialect such a prevailing language it is that it ever prevailes and is never sent empty away what was vaine gloriously spoken by a Kings Favorite may be truly spoken of the King of Kings God can deny prayer nothing It is the hand that takes any thing out of Gods treasury it is the Key that opens Heaven by it Elias opened and shut Heaven as his private chest There is much spoken of it that I can adde nothing but a desire to learne to be so well exercised in it as some as have wrote very worthily of it onely give me leave from a Father to say thus much of it It is Deo sacrificium â—ranti subsidium Diabâ—lo flagellum A sacrifice to God who stileth himselfe a God that heareth prayers a succour to the Soule and therefore to thee saith David shall all flesh come It is a scourge to the Dâ—vill for as one well Gravis aequidem nobis est illius tentatio sed longe illi gravior nostri ratio His temptations are griaevous to us but our prayers are more grievous to him what shall I say If we pray unto God he accounts it a desert and if we praise him a reward he that will not give thus much or rather thus little to his heavenly Father deserves nothing at all from him For Rivers of Gods goodnesse let us give him some drops of our thankfulnesse and follow him with our prayers who followes us with his blessings This is all he requires at our hands who receive all from him Lastly if God be our Father and we his children Let us as Christ counsels us Mat. 6. and God commands us Cast our care upon him for he careth for us and hath given his word five times in his holy Book That he will never faile us nor forsake us Which for the comfort and confidence of Gods children is so often pressed and repeated Whosoever trusts in God saith David wants nothing that is good and he speaks it by his owne experience I have been young c. Reade the 6. of Matthew and you shall see there how our Saviour chides and reproves the diffidence and distrust of his children by sending them to the fowles of the aire the grasse in the field the sparrowes upon the house top to the ravens and lillies c. A sparrow nay a haire of our heads falls not to the ground without Gods providence Et si sic curat superâ—lua in quanta securitate est anima â— If God care thus much for our superfluous things in what great security and safety are our soules And if he feeds the young Ravens that call upon him will he not much more feed you O ye of little faith Certainly he that provides meat for the fowles of the aire will cause the fowles of the aire to provide meat for Man before he shall starve or want And he that clothes the lâ—llies of the field with a far more gloriouâ— mantle than ever covered the corps of Solomon shall he not much sooner cloathe you c. We professe that we rest upon God and trust in him for remission of sins for the resurrection of the body and life everlasting Certainly for conclusion I shall never beleeve that those persons doe or can trust in God for these spirituall blessings who will not trust him for a piece of bread or lock of wooll Cast therefore your care upon God who hath begot you by his Word and feed upon that Word and let that Word feed you Man liveth not by bread alone c. Vita vera est vita fidei The true life is the life of faith and the Just shall live by faith Trust in the Lord and be doing of good walk diligently and carefully in your callings and you shall be fed David spake it by experience I was poore and needy c. Trust I say in him commit thy selfe to him and he will bring it to passe Surely if men that are evill know how to give good gifts unto their children and a bad man may be a good father shall not the God of all comfort and consolation the Father of Spirits provide for us Yes God hath given his Word and good is the Word of the Lord or the Lord will be as good as his word in which word let us rest and repose I will never faile nor forsake thee Thus if we beare filiall and dutifull respects to our heavenly Father who hath begotten us to an inheritance immortall undefiled and which fadeth not away 1. By being obedient to him 2. By doing nothing to make him ashamed of us 3. By meekly bearing his chastisements 4. By living in his presence and so living in feare to offend him 5. By daily praying unto God for by daily praying we shall learne to love and to feare him Lastly by relying and depending upon him for all things necessary both for body and soule when we shall goe hence to be no more seene we shall goe to our Father receive and obtaine the inheritance of sons and be welcommed with that blessed Venite of Christ our Judge and elder Brother Come ye blessed children of my Father inherit c. Mat. 25. To which Kingdome he for his Name sake bring us which so dearly bought us and that Kingdome for us Jesus Christ the righteous To whom with the Father and the blessed Spirit be all honour praise power might majesty and domonion now and for evermore AMEN AMEN Soli Deo gloria