see the kingdome of God CHAP. III. Containing a description of Regeneration SO haue we demonstrated the truth of this necessary principle of Christian religion Now wee goe forward to explicate the same The explication of the doctrine by shewing foure things and will endeuour to lay it open so cleerely that euery man may be able if hee be willing to bestow the labour of trying to discerne of his own estate in this behalfe and to say whether himselfe be regenerated yea or no. So will there be a ready way made to that application of the doctrine which hereafter we intend Now that this matter may be soundly conceiued of by you it shall be requisite for me to enter into a discourse consisting of foure heads First to giue a description of regeneration Secondly to shew in what order and in what degrees as I may terme them it is wrought in the sons of men Thirdly to declare what effects doe follow vpon it there where it is wrought Fourthly to set downe the most eminent of those graces that are to be found in regenerate men Of which foure I pray you reuiue your attention to heare in order For the first point Regeneration 1. A description of regeneration called also sanctification and renouation and conuersion and repentance hauing the three former names giuen it in as much as it is Gods worke in vs the two latter in as much as we also being moued by God doe worke together with him for the accomplishing and fulfilling thereof and fitly called a re-begetting because in it we are restored to that image of God wherein we were at the first created but now by meanes of our corruption through the fall are altogether destitute of it in our first birth This regeneration I say seemes to me conueniently described in these or the like termes It is a worke of the spirit of God by meanes of the word of God infusing holinesse into the whole man for the glory of God in his saluation I call it a worke because it is so called of God himselfe for wee are said to bee his workmanship Ephes 2.10 created in Christ vnto good workes and because to beget is to doe to bee begotten to suffer in the plainest discourse of naturall reason Now this worke is in this description set out by all the causes and by the subiect thereof The causes are foure all briefly named in the description The efficient formall materiall and finall The efficient is double principall and instrumentall The principall the sole author in whom remaineth all the power of working and to whom all the praise appertaineth is the Spirit of God the Holy Ghost the third Person in Trinitie The same Spirit by whom our Sauiour Christs Man-hood was conceiued in his Mothers wombe is the sole worker of this conception of grace in the heart of Christians So doth our Lord himselfe instruct Nicodemus in the words following saying vers 6. That that is borne of the spirit is spirit and before Saint Iohn had told vs that beleeuers were borne not of blood cap. 1. vers 13. nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man that is not by any natural power vertue or strength which is naturally inherent in them but of God that is of the Spirit of God wherefore in the New Couenant the promise is made on this wise Ezek. 36.16 I will put my spirit in your hearts and in another place I will poure forth my spirit vpon all flesh The spirit of God that rests vpon our Sauiour Christ doth descend frō him vnto those that shall bee his members at the same time implanting them into him and imprinting his image vpon them No Angell can change mans heart no Angell can quicken the dead soule no creature can breath into vs the diuine nature but we are the workmanship of God by his spirit created vnto good workes This is the annointing oyle that being poured vpon vs doth consecrate vs vnto God The holy Ghost himselfe in a wonderfull and vndiscernable fashion as the winde that bloweth where it lusteth doth conueigh and insinuate himselfe into the man whom hee will beget againe to a new life and becommeth purifying water to cleanse him and an holy fier comming downe from heauen to consume his corruptions and refine him for the Lords vse And yet the Spirit of God that could work of himself and without meanes pleaseth not so to doe in this great worke but of his owne free-will makes choice for himselfe of a fit and blessed instrument for that purpose euen the Law of God the whole doctrine of the Scriptures which hee hath for that end made knowne to the sonnes of men by his holy Prophets and which hath receiued this high commendation from the Diuine testimonie left in writing by Dauids pen that it is perfect Psalm 19. and conuerteth the soule This doctrin hath two maine heads the Law and the Gospel The former vsed by Gods Spirit as a necessarie preparatiue the other as a proper essential instrumēt in this busines Wherfore the Word is called the incorruptible seede which being sowne in the heart 1. Pet. 1.23 doth by little and little grow vp to a new creature and Peter tels vs that by the pretious promises 2. Pet. 1.4 we are made partakers of the diuine nature and to his Apostles our Sauiour vttereth as much saying Now are you cleane by the word that I haue spoken vnto you John 15.3 There may be a question made whither the Word of God read onely may become effectuall to regenerate or whither it must want this efficacie vnlesse it bee preached as well as read To which question mee thinketh that this should be a true answere that the instrumentall power of regenerating cannot be denied to the Scriptures barely read though preaching bee not ioyned withall For why seeing the doctrine of the Gospell is called 2. Cor. 3.8 the ministration of the Spirit and it is the doctrine of the Gospell when it is offered to the vnderstanding by bare reading therfore it must follow that in such case also it may become the power of God to saluation and the instrument of the spirit to regeneration The same precepts promises and threats are by reading deliuered to the mind of the man that readeth or heareth the Word read and why then should we thinke that the Holy Ghost either cannot or will not worke together with them Yea doubtlesse he can doe it when hee will and will doe it then whensoeuer he doth not as often he doth not affoord to men a possibilitie of enioying any other helpe then reading Vnlesse the not being preached could make the Word not to be the Law of God I see no reason that it should bee thought vnable to conuert soules without being preached But withall wee must adde this that the Word of God is made effectuall by the Spirit more often more vsually more ordinarily to
haue while to settle any part of his longings vpon the renewing of his soule by grace and so farre is the worke of a new birth well proceeded The poore dead man being so far awakened out of his senselesse death in sinne that with great disquietment he feeles it and with heartiest workings of his soule doth couet to come out of it which last I take to bee the hungring and thirsting after righteousnesse noted by our Sauiour as a blessed note of blessednesse 3. The spirit of Prayer In the third place there is dropped into him the spirit of grace and supplications by which hee is at length imboldened to goe vnto God and in some solemne and expresse manner to vtter his confessions and petitions which before perhaps for some good space of time he could not dare to doe For the former two workes of grace doe often a great while together shew themselues in sighes and grones and sudden strong eiaculations secret vndissembled boylings vp of desire in deep wishes longings afore the poore sinner can take so much hart to himselfe as to make a formed and setled prayer vnto God But after the working of these motions some while he puts vpon himselfe the resolution of the King of Nineueh and saith within himselfe Ionab 3. Let me cry mightily vnto the Lord of heauen earth his mercies are infinite who can tel but that be may haue mercy vpon me that I perish not so is his secret sustaining hope now formed and fashioned into the right proportion of a sauing grace and shewes it selfe manifestly within him hee saith to himselfe there is hope concerning this thing and therefore I will cry and continue crying and let the Lord doe what hee pleaseth vnto me Then downe vpon his knees he fals and with his hands and eyes lifted vp to the throne of grace yet almost afraid and ashamed to looke thither and therefore ready often to rise vp and start backe againe he dares at last to poure forth his lamentable confessions into Gods bosome whom now hee hopes hee may haue leaue to call Father though alacke hee haue been too too vngracious a child Thus he proceeds to arraigne and accuse himselfe acknowledging for which hee hates himselfe because it is so plaine that he cannot but know it that he hath sinned in such and such and such and such particulars and that he hath a most filthy heart as full of wicked inclinations and thoughts he thinkes verily as the sea it selfe is full of water Wherefore hee passeth a very sharpe sentence vpon himselfe and that also very sharpely plainly saying with an inward assenting of his very soule that hee is fully worthy of all those plagues and punishments which the Lord hath threatened in his word and will execute in hell and that it should not be in the least degree iniurious if God would not be mercifull vnto him for ah how vnfit is he to receiue mercy But yet withall he takes heart in the most humble abasement of himselfe most earnestly to call and cry and beg for mercy and forgiuenesse and for the worke of grace to change his nature from that loathsome disposition which troubles him now it may be by the working of hope hauing his heart so much softened that teares before stopped vp by that binding force that strong and secret sorrowes shew themselues to haue in mans heart doe euen begin to flow forth from him to adde if it might bee a greater feruor vnto his prayers And if at first second third fourth and it may be many more times he seeme to haue cried in vaine because none answere commeth but heauen it selfe seemes strongly stopped vp against him yet hee goes againe still to the same throne of grace againe reckoning vp the same and if he can also new sinnes againe bewailing them bitterly and heartily imploring both pardon and help againe This is to come vnto Christ Iesus heauie laden as our Sauiour comfortably inuiteth vs this is to seeke God while hee may bee found and to call vpon him while hee is neere as the Prophet exhorteth vs. Which hauing done he knowes not what to doe more and therefore euen casts himselfe vpon Gods goodnesse through Iesus Christ and knowing that in him the Son the Father is well pleased he striues to rest in him continuing to knocke continuing to seeke because his heart giues him that at last he shal not faile to find acceptance And this spirit of prayer seemeth to me so proper to the regenerate that it cānot any way befal the vnregenerate who when he feeleth not his misery doth but multiply idle words in seeming to pray when he feeleth it is so wholly drowned and swallowed vp thereby that he cannot runne vnto heauen for helpe But with the regenerate prayers and supplications are alwaies found and a continuing therein also how many bitter repulses soeuer he suffers at Gods hand as often he doth very many the Lord either deferring or making more speed to answere as hee sees most behoofefull for the profit of each of his seruants and proportioning the fruit of his grace this way to his knowledge of their ability and fitnesse to receiue an answere or to brooke delayes It must not be denied but that the man that neuer shall be regenerate in the griping and twinges of his accusing conscience through the working of the law and the bare illumination of the spirit may come so farre as to roare out his Lord haue mercy vpon me very often yea hee may by perswasion and entreatie of friends be brought to reade some good prayers out of a prayer-booke yea to be glad to haue an other pray for him in his owne hearing and in some sense also to ioyne with him yea more by frequent perswading vrging teaching of some godly man he may be drawne to pray for himselfe but yet still the spirit of prayer is absent in that he doth not finde himselfe by an inward moouing of his owne heart inclined in the middest of his griefes and feares to betake himselfe to God for helpe by calling vpon his name And which is a maine obseruation in this matter if he pray he prayes almost altogether for pardon and for fauour little for grace and holinesse whereas the Christian man by a secret drawing of his own inward soule wrought by this regenerating spirit comes vnto the Lord with his requests begging grace and holines with no lesse earnestnesse then remission and saluation Yea and hauing once begun this course he finds so much refreshing thereby that he cannot but continue to doe it euen sometimes with much strugling against of his own hart through feares and doubtings thereof So it is one thing to bee perswaded to pray by men and to doe it for ease sake another thing to be inclined vnto it by the priuate and secret working of the Spirit One thing to beg for pardon not much minding amendment another thing to crie for the helpe
tyred with a burning fit of an ague then he with these fits Rest comfort quiet he can get none Indeed the diuell and the world in some cases doe as friends vse to doe in case of sicknesse They bring likely conserued Plums or Marmelade or some such like sweete meate which the poore sicke man takes indeede because they will haue it so that are about him but alas they doe but clamme his mouth and hee findes their very sweetnesse bitter and troublesome So the diuell and the world and the flesh offer to the Christian soule the pleasures and profits of this world as it were sweet meats he willing to find ease in any thing seekes if there it may bee had but alas he finds it not he cannot relish these pleasures he hath smal comfort in these profits this credit is a drie credit vnto him his heart will not relish such things as these but still he tosseth and tumbleth finding no rest in his estate nor perhaps power to get out of it for it may bee hee cannot bring himselfe to pray at all Psal 32.3 as Dauid could not for he saith of himselfe that he held his peace or if he doe it 's too coldly and faintly to remoue so mortall a sicknesse But still as the same Dauid also confesseth of himselfe he roareth and crieth out all the day long I cannot but be fully perswaded that there he describes his estate in the interim betwixt his sinne and his earnest repentance for some feeble offers to repentance perhaps he might haue before and so now his case is a very restlesse and diseasefull case Solomon the man that of all Gods sicke children I thinke by surfetting caught the so rest sicknesse shall witnesse this He wanted no sweete meates but they cloied him in stead of comforting him he professeth of them al that he found them meere vanity and vexation of Spirit So when a Christian lies vnder these spirituall diseases all his outward comforts are but euen vexation of spirit vnto him When he hath thus almost wounded and killed himselfe Oh how hee smarts and bleedes and is troubled Indeed he still perhaps is carried after the vanities of the world sinne hauing now so very much preuailed against him that he wants power to with-draw himselfe and to goe backe but yet full many a time hee sighes and groanes and lookes towards God and towards the spirituall rest of his former life and hee finds a very bitter bitter heart He is in very great extremity and it is euen a pang of death for him to remember how the case stood with him once and how it is now And in very truth were hee let alone in this case his soule would perish the life of grace would die and hee would proue his disease mortall But Ah hee hath a good Father who is also a good Physition who finding his disease grow mortall and that the admonitions of the Word in publike will not reforme him and that the voyce of the spirit behind him is now too weake to be heard by him though still it cease not to checke him and to call vpon him and to make him sometimes purpose to returne againe from this out-straying doth now like a good and wise practitioner administer some such phisicke as shall serue the turne Some potion of a bitter crosse which the spirit shall worke withall to make it effectuall is put into his hand to drinke it or some sore tentation of Satan or some horrible feare of heart which opens these stoppages purgeth out these humours reuiueth his soule and then wofully most wofully he cries out of himselfe laments his exceeding folly goes to God hartily confessing his sinnes and with all rigor passing sentence vpon himselfe for the same and so continues to mourne and cry and beg mercy till he finde it and then striues to make amends for his former not growing by growing so much the faster for it now So hee is recouered and continues to the end for totally or finally fall away by sinne he cannot because the annoynting of the spirit preserueth him till he be raised vp at the last day Christ will not cease keeping him yea to saluation is he kept by the power of that great God that hath adopted him to himselfe for a sonne and this spirituall life giuen in regeneration indeed becomes an eternall life sicke he may be dye he cannot CHAP. VI. Shewing the principall graces which by Regeneration are begotten in the soule ANd so much for the fourth effect of regeneration and for three of those things I promised to speake of I goe on now to the fourth and last point 4. The principall graces in regeneration bestowed on the regenerate viz. to make knowne vnto you the principall graces that shew themselues in the regenerate man and by hauing of which seeing by nature hee had them not he deserueth to be intitled a new creature These are in all the powers of his soule For as I said at first holinesse is infused into his whole man First 1. In his principall faculties in the principall faculties vnderstanding conscience and will Secondly in the inferiour powers thinking-power memory and affections of which let vs speake in order but briefly First then the vnderstanding of the regenerate is perfected with two most excellent and beautifull graces 1. In his vnderstanding knowledge and faith Knowledge I say first of God then of himselfe out of which springeth humility as a proper effect of both He perceiueth a new light shining within him inabling him to conceiue with a very stedfast apprehension not with a wauering wandring doubtful confused fancy as that was which he had before that there is a God an eternall and infinite essence his maker the maker of all things most wise most mighty most true most righteous most mercifull most holy hating sin with a perfect hatred and fully bent to punish the impenitent sinner with vnutterable punishments fully resolued with all louing kindnes to accept of the penitent And in one word euery way inconceiueably excellent as being indeed the fountaine of all goodnesse the creator preseruer gouernour of all things the Father the Son the holy Ghost as he hath reuealed himself to his Church The brightnesse of this light discouereth it selfe vpon his soule so effectually that now hee stands vndoubtedly perswaded of these things which is also a principall cause of all other the good things that are begun in him and so is fulfilled in him the word of God Heb. 8.11 saying They shall all know me from the least to the most Ioh. 17. last and againe righteous Father the world hath not knowne thee but these haue knowne that thou hast sent me and I haue made knowne thy name vnto them and wil make it knowne Iob. 17.3 So it begins to be to them life eternall to know the onely true God and him whom hee hath sent Iesus Christ Further as it
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
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
content himselfe with such simple euidences in the matter of his lands or liuing or his temporall estate how much more doest thou deserue the same name that dalliest with thy selfe so fondly in matters whereupon thine eternall estate dependeth but if thine hopes be well grounded shew vs the grounds of them and bring them forth now in so due an houre before God and thine owne conscience Where is thine holinesse where is the Image of God wrought in thee shew how the spirit and the word of God haue wrought together to change thee into a new man when diddest thou see and feele I doe not say hell open before thee ready to receiue thee for that Iudas saw and felt and yet was neuer regenerated but the filthinesse of thy nature thine abominablenesse sinfulnesse and wickednesse what feruent and strong desires hast thou found of being renewed and sanctified by the spirit of God Where be thy cries thy groanes thy teares begging reconciliation at Gods hand and earnestly seeking vnto him to reforme thy leaud nature Where is the firme purpose of thy soule out of the apprehension of his grace to please him in all things Where is thy godly conuersation thy departing from all wickednesse and exercising thy selfe constantly in that that is good What combates hast thou made with sinne and Satan and with the vnsanctified world Where is thy growth and proceeding in all godlinesse Shew mee the vertues of the inward man formerly declared Shew mee thy loue and feare of God shew me thine hatred of sinne and sorrow for it shew me thy mindfulnesse of God thy thinking of him thy beleeuing and reioycing in him and in his word Are these things to be found in thee Canst thou approoue before the liuing God and thine owne soule that these matters are in thee then stand to thine answere then confirme thy selfe in thy perswasion and be thou more and more assured that the spirit and word of God haue begotten thee againe indeed but if these things be absent from thee or if thou please thy selfe in certaine shadowes and resemblances and conceits of them I say vnto thee thy conceits are vaine thine answere false and thou art so much the further off from being the child of God by how much thou dost more peremptorily boast of thy being such Brethren what should I say more you see the necessity of this searching into your selues I haue endeauoured to goe before you in it continue you now constantly and neuer giue your selues any rest till by looking narrowly into your hearts you haue attained a true and sure knowledge of your estates and bee able to say and shew that you are regenerated yea or not CHAP. VIII Containing an vse of terrour to them that are vnregenerate ANd in the second place let me turne my speech to all them which are without doubt the greater number that if they will answere truly 2. To the vnregenerate 1. Terrour because of their hard estate must answere negatiuely to this question must confesse if they will not lie that in very deed they are not regenerate To which kind of men I haue two things to speake the one to shew them their wretchednesse out of Christs owne words the other to beseech them that they would be carefull and willing to come out of it Come hither all yee vnregenerate men and see your hard condition you know you must not liue in this world alwaies you see so many dye before you that you cannot but see though you refuse to consider of it that death must ceaze vpon your persons also afore long And you haue been wont to flatter your selues with hopes of being saued when you die But now I pronounce against you that all these your hopes are lying hopes and like a broken reed will but runne into your armes if you rest vpon them Either out Lord Iesus Christ did egregiously falsifie when he did so vehemently assure Nicodemus that a man cannot see the kingdome of God vnlesse he be borne againe or else you haue most egregiously deluded your owne soules with vanitie lies when being vnregenerate you haue been bold to make your selues beleeue that you should be saued Now for our Sauiour wee are sure he affirmeth nothing but what hee knoweth his words be all pure words tryed in the furnace seuen times he that is the author of saluation can well enough tell to whō he will grant it you therfore euen all you that haue maintained cōtrary hopes in your selues haue lied to your selues haue trusted in vanity haue bin beguiled by sin and Satan haue flattered your selues foolishly and shall surely be disappointed of your goodly hopes vnlesse you take a better course then heretofore I say vnto thee that art vnregenerate Though thou liuest an honest and ciuil life though thou cariest thy selfe iustly and truly towards thy neighbours in thy dealings though thou giue much almes to the poore though thou come to Church and heare the Word and receiue the Sacraments though thou hast been baptized and professest to beleeue in Christ though thou reade the Scriptures and pray with thy family yea though thou haue some fits of sorrow for some sinnes yea though thou confessest and leauest many sinnes and seemest to take much pleasure in the companie of good men and beest forward to the externall exercises of religion and pietie though thou doest all these things as al these things may be done and yet beest not regenerat thou canst not for al that haue any admittance into the kingdome of God How miserable therefore is thy condition that loosest all thy paines and cost that thou bestowest in some good things and canst not bee saued by all that thou doest Doubtlesse euen so stands it with all your soules that are vnregenerate your best works are but guilded sins and that that in you seemeth faire and louely to your selues and to your neighbours to God that searcheth the heart and iudgeth of all things by the heart appeareth exceeding loathsome and abominable Acknowledge thy wretchednesse therefore thou that art not regenerate for to speake all in one word Do what thou canst so long as thou remainest in this estate there is an vtter impossibilitie of thy comming to heauen But you may perhaps say vnto me Who be the men whom I dare charge to bee vnregenerate and in that name barre vp the Kingdome of God against them I answere Too too great a multitude and more by farre then wee doe desire euen all those that boast of their owne vertues and will needs make themselues beleeue that they loue God aboue all and with all their hearts and their neighbour as themselues that is in a word That they doe more then euer any of all the Prophets and Apostles or any besides Christ in the present World since the first sinne of Adam All these that find in themselues so great store of the loue and feare of God as that they conceiue that they loue him with all
their hearts and feare him with all their hearts and trust in him with all their hearts and repent euerie day and beleeue in Christ as well as the best and haue done euer since they can remember these full men these rich persons these that haue soules so perfectlie replenished with all graces that they finde no want of faith or of repentance or of humilitie or of the spirit of prayer or of the loue of God or almost any thing These that haue no faults in themselues they were neuer proud in all their liues they know as much as any of them all can tell them and they haue not brought vp so many children they trow but that they can tel how to be saued that neuer wronged any in al their liues and that hope in God they shall be saued for their good liues and good meanings All these ignorants neuer vnderstood and therefore onely boast of much because wanting knowledge totally they cannot know their owne wants Wherefore if any amongst you be such and out of ignorance so well-conceited of himselfe let him not pretend to be regenerate In vaine he claimeth Gods Kingdome if he be not changed and become another man Yea all those that though they haue more knowledge then to brag thus yet neuer felt themselues to haue been the children of wrath nor were neuer pained with the apprehension of their owne sinfulnesse These also I affirme to be vnregenerate and so remaining cannot be saued Yea all that allow wicked thoughts in their hearts and neuer take care to see and lament the euill conceits of their inward man but rather serue sinne in the lusts of it and please themselues in thinking of that which for feare or shame they doe not dare to accomplish those also haue no part in Gods Kingdome as the case goes with them hitherto Yea all that makes no conscience of smal sinnes which the world doth not take notice of but passe ouer such trespasses without making any matter of them or troubling themselues to bewaile them these haue cause to fearâ— that heauen is fast locked vpon them Yea all that allow themselues for gaine profit or pleasure sake in any one sinfull action secret or open excusing and shifting and turning themselues into all shapes to make themselues not to know it to be sinfull and labouring not to be moued with the exhortations of the Word checks of their owne consciences but holding still their resolution that that thing they must needs do they cannot chuse but doe though their consciences would willingly checke them for the same were they not by them put to silence All these are to number themselues among the vnregenerate and such as if God be as he is most perfectly iust cannot be saued whilest they abide such But most of all those that liue in open grosse sinnes and yet flatter themselues with hopes of doing wel enough because others liue as bad as they and because they doubt not to ouer-entreate God with the repentance of the last houre these are farthest off from regeneration and remaine in a dangerous and damnable estate so that I doubt not to proclaime vnto them in the name of God that so continuing Christ shall profit them nothing Christ shal neuer bring them to heauen Now therefore if any of you that heare me do perceiue your selues to be such I pray you lay aside all your conceits of going to heauen I pray you surcease to feede your selues with vanitie and wind and to make your selues secure by making false promises to your soules of that they shal neuer attaine Know thou whosoeuer that art an ignorant boaster of thine owne goodnes or a man senselesse of thine owne badnesse and must be dispenced with all in some one darling sinne which faine against the truth beginning to shew it selfe to thee thou wouldest not haue to bee counted a sinne know thou whosoeuer that art a worker of iniquity and puttest off repentance till the time of sicknesse that thou hast no part nor portion in this inheritance that thou art the old Man leauened with old leauen and not renewed nor purged and therefore that it cannot possibly befall thee to see Gods Kingdome if Christ be true and God iust so long as thou abidest vnchanged What should one doe to make dead men feele their death If we could speake plainer to you we would brethren for why we know that at this very point your whole happinesse must begin The vnregenerate can neuer become regenerate till he first perceiue himselfe vnregenerate A child of Satan can neuer be made the childe of God till he feele himselfe the child of Satan Our spirituall felicitie begins in the sense of our spirituall misery and therfore we take all this paines to make you see your wretchednesse because it is vpon none other conditions auoidable Open thine eies therefore and see open thine heart and feele thine vnregeneracie thy being in the state of death thine horrible sinfulnesse and thy being as I haue often said and cannot too often say no better then the very sonne and daughter of the Prince of Darkenesse Will you not see will you not feele will you hood-winke your selues will you harden your hearts will ye suffer the Diuell to turne you from heeding your owne estate till at last it be past recouery I pray you doe not so be not so great enemies to your owne soules I entreate you But what should I goe forward with more words to you I will turne my speech to God for you And O thou Author of life and light be pleased now to remember the end of thine owne ordinances and make them fruitful for the purposes by thy selfe appointed O open the eyes of some one of these blind men inlighten the soules of some one of them at least with so much light that they may perceiue themselues hitherto to haue been voide of light put into them at least that first motion of life that they may feele themselues hitherto to haue been but dead men and voide of life O let not thy word returne empty but make it effectuall to all to which thou sendest it CHAP. IX Containing an exhortation to seeke regeneration AND now brethren in the next place 2. Exhortation that they seeke to come out of this hard estate if there bee amongst you any whose soule the Lord may haue awakned to feele their vnregeneracy to them let vs further ad a word of exhortation It were in truth a poore comfort to know ones wound if there were not a plaister deliuered withall to heale those wounds But we come to entreate you to be made the children of God and to bee begotten againe and withall wee come to assure you that you may be such if you do not reiect the present offer of grace I pray you therefore let these words sinke into your minds and be you willing desirous to be the children of our heauenly Father I hope brethren the request
he knoweth not how to deny himselfe nor his couenant But perhaps still the Diuell may be busie with thee and cast some quiddity and subtill cauill in thy way as sometimes he hath done telling thee that if thou beest not as thou findest thy selfe not to be regenerate thy prayers cannot be heard because they be not of faith Thou maiest answere him that that worke of God in his word which moueth thee so to pray is a beginning of regeneration which shall vndoubtedly be perfected if thou continue to pray and therefore that thou wilt not be hindred by such cauils For thou beleeuest that God hath said true when he said Ho euery one that thirsteth and seeing out of a perswasion of the truth of this generall promise thou addressest thy selfe to performe the duty whereto the promise is made thy prayer must needs be of faith though of a weake faith and be no sinne but an acceptable seruice vnto God Now therefore brethren be not discouraged for praying for the spirit of life to breathe vpon you by any cauils or obiections of Satan be not made carelesse of seeking so necessary a thing by any fond imaginations that he will put into your minds be not diuerted from doing this duty by any worldly businesse that may come betwixt but what euer thou doest now in thine heart and when thou commest home in thy closet and in the solemnest manner bow thy selfe to God and cry vnto him for the holy Ghost to regenerate thee And O thou blessed spirit that art like the wind and breathest euen where thou lusteâ—â— breathe into the hearts of some of these that heare me this day and cause some of them to be inflamed with a desire of regeneration and to be incouraged to the begging of it whereas yet it hath not been wrought And so much for the first meanes to be vsed 2. An hiding of the word of God in the heart The second meanes is a diligent hiding of the word of God in the heart For seeing that is the seede of immortality if it be closely laid vp in the ground of our soules it will fructifie to life This law is pure and it will purifie It is perfect and it wil conuert the soule if like a plaister it be laid vnto it Let it be ingraffed into you like a science and it will change the wild sap of your nature and make you able to bring forth fruits of holinesse A man then buries the seed of the word in his hart when he doth ponder and muse vpon it when he sets himselfe seriously to consider the truth of it and to apply it vnto his owne soule taking that that is generally deliuered as pertaining to himselfe in speciall Now the whole word must be thus whetted vpon the heart not the Law alone for that of it selfe will breed nothing but miserable terrours not the Gospel alone for that finding the heart vnprepared to receiue it in such ill ground will bring forth nothing but the stinking weedes of presumption but both the Law and the Gospell it so being tempered together and obtaining a ioynt worke in the soule by their mutual forces they may both produce the grace of sanctification So then if one would be regenerate he must take to himself the whole Word of God He must set himself al alone to muse of it saying to himself These coÌ„mandements the Law giueth to al mankind among the rest to me these curses it denounceth against the transgressers of it of which seeing I cannot deny my selfe to bee one the curses thereof belong vnto me and I alasse I lie vnder them But the Word of God hath shewed me the way of escaping the curse for Christ Iesus the Sonne of God was in our stead accursed that wee might be free from the curse and bee partakers of that blessing which was long since promised in him saying In thy seede shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed Also the Word of God doth plainely declare concerning al the sonnes of men Psalm 14. that they haue done a corrupt and abominable deede and that none of them doe good no not one It shuts them all vnder sinne and pronounceth them al the sonnes of wrath But Iesus Christ is become the Sauiour of mankind and in him his Father is well pleased and none that beleeue in him shall perish Yea in him is preached remission of sinnes and life euerlasting to all that beleeue in him and rest vpon his merits as vpon a perfect satisfaction and hee doth ratifie all the sweete promises of the Law to all that beleeue in him and striue to obey him so that for his sake they shall obtaine all the good things which the Law promiseth but because we are all sinfull it cannot bestow them on vs. I am a sinfull wretch I am a cursed creature I am vnder Gods anger in my selfe but Christ Iesus hath satisfied for my sinnes he hath performed a perfect righteousnesse for me I will goe out of my selfe I will renounce mine owne righteousnesse and rest onely in him euen vpon him onely in whom O my soule assure thou thy selfe to find full remission and perfect saluation onely so be it thou turne not the grace of God into wantonnesse but out of loue to him set thy self to keep his holy coÌ„mandements and take vpon thy neck that sweet gentle yoke of his the bearing of which is the most comfortable liberty in the World Certainly men and brethren he that will often renew these meditations in his soule and see the foulenes of sin in the glasse of the Law and the sweetnes and brightnes of Gods free grace shining forth in the doctrine of the Gospel shal surely be translated into the image of God from glory to glory Therefore now resolue with your selues that you wil find time constantly to meditate on the Word of God and it shal not faile to giue light vnto your eyes and life vnto your soules So haue you the second meanes of attaining regeneratioÌ„ Tâ—irâ— constant 〈◊〉 tâ—e Worâ— pâ—eached The third and last is to attend at the gates of Wisdome to waite on her posts I meane to be constant hearers of the Word of God preached This is the ordinance of God which he will worke by most effectually and most vsually The mouth of the Minister is the Conduit pipe wherby the Lord doth please to deriue the sweet wholsome waters of life into the soules of men 1. Cor. 1.20 It hath pleased God by the foolishnes of preaching to saue theÌ„ that belieue The Lord hath appointed his Ministers to be spirituall fathers by their labours in publishing his Word to beget men vnto him and whosoeuer will not seeke regeneration and saluation here where God hath taken order that he may meete with them he for his carelesnes or ignorance of Gods ordinance shall neuer bee able else-where to attaine them I told you mine opinion before of the Word
as much as a great rich man will scorne to cry for the losse of a shilling Wherefore if you be not regenerate your selues according to the former exhortation to become so if you be and know it not as yet certainly settle your selues to search into your hearts and liues and to consider of the things formerly deliuered whether you haue found them in your soules yea or no and so bring your selues to certainty in this point and if you bee once certaine of it then apply your selues mangre earth and hell to liue with glad hearts and cheerfull countenances For once the word of Dauid is a most true word It becommeth vpright men to reioyce And my brethren that you may the better reioyce know that you are to be frequent in practising the duty of thanks-giuing to God for this mercy of all mercies I meane to appeare before him in your secret closets and there all alone with hearts exalted to as much ioy as can be and inlarged to as full an acknowledgement of indebtednesse as is possible to report before him the wonderfulnesse of his goodnesse towards you and to recount the vncountable number of his mercies in that he hath done more for you then if hee had made you of base slaues absolute Monarches of the world The Lord my brethren is exceedingly well pleased with the sacrifices of thankes-giuing no offering is better welcome vnto him then the hearty offering vp of the calues of our lips speaking good of his name It doth the Lord good to speake after the manner of men to heare his owne praises related by them that are deere vnto him and haue best cause to know his inconceiueable treasures of grace because they haue been plentifully partakers therof Now the benefits of this present life are so meane worthlesse contemptible in comparison of those of a better life and by name of this foundation of all the rest so it is in regard of possession and enioyment a new birth as that they which want it can but speake hollowly to God when they begin to speake of his mercies and can be but very faint in thankes how earnest soeuer they may be in requests But the child of God that hath a right vnto heauen giuen him at the same time that hee became Gods child hee may most feelingly expresse his apprehensions of Gods goodnesse and vpon occasion of this one mercy magnifie the name of the Lord his God for all the rest which become truly and indeede mercies by meanes of this and with this Wherefore I doe againe propound this matter vnto you as one of the most pleasing and acceptable seruices which in this present life you are able any of you to performe vnto the Lord euen to withdraw your selues from company and worldly businesses and with bended knees and hands and eyes reared vp to heauen-ward in the most solemne manner to confesse before the Lord his louing kindnesse and to amplifie as much as your hearts and heads will serue the exceeding greatnesse of that his vndeserued grace which he hath shewed in making you new creatures in making you his owne children by adoption This is better then all riches better then all nobility better then all learning and better then all health And the receiuing of this one mercy alone though one should for all other things bee as afflicted as the world can make him or imagine him deserueth more and more feruent praises then all the nobility wealth wit in the world without it Hath God made thee his child hee hath done more for thee then if hee had set thee in Salomons Throne without making thee his child and therefore discharge the paiment of praise for so incomparable a mercy and that fully and without delayes Especially brethren you are to doe this considering that it is to which end wee began to mention it a principall meanes of helping you to the enioyment of the comfort which we are about to distribute vnto you For the benefits of God then are made truly comfortable to vs wheÌ„ we do turne theÌ„ to the praise of God but when wee forget to returne him his deserued thankes then doth he iustly punish vs by taking away the pleasant relish of his benefits out of our mouthes by leauing the palate of our soules to such an vntastfulnesse that we shall not be able to finde the sweetnesse of them As a mouth that is out of taste feeles no content in the most sauourie meate that is Wherefore put together the honour of God and your owne comfort and that you may haue your soules so truly rauished with the sense of his goodnesse that aboue all carnall reason and almost against it you may be glad and cheerfull set your selues as I was about to say in the most solemne and hearty manner to tender vnto the Lord this welcome present of thankes-giuing Say vnto him O Lord God of heauen the King of men and Angels and ruler of all creatures and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ infinite are the benefits wherby thou hast obliged my most vnworthy soule vnto thee For all that I haue I haue from thee and all that I shall haue I must haue from thee thou art the onely indefinite fountaine of goodnesse from whence issue forth all good things to all that enioy good It is thy wonderfull goodnesse that I was borne a man with vse of my vnderstanding and seâ—ses but yet Lord far far aboue all other things that in this life I haue receiued or can receiue doth this benefit of causing me to be borne againe of water and of the holy Ghost exceede I was the sonne of death thou hast made me the sonne of life I was an heire of perdition thou hast made mee an heire of saluation I was a slaue to sin thou hast made me a free-man from sins seruitude and a voluntary seruant to holinesse I was vnder the power of Satan led by his tentations according to his will I am now vnder the dominion of Christ Iesus led by his spirit to doe his will I was the child of the diuell and thou hast made me thy child O blessed change O happy alteration I owe to thee my soule by many bonds it is thine Lord many wayes thou madest it thou hast redeemed it thou hast regenerated it and now Lord accept it as an offering of a sweet sauour and accept with it all the hearty praises and vnfained thanks that a poore vnworthy creature can breathe forth vnto thee O Lord this mercy can but bee abased by words thou hast made me thine owne child by adoption thy Sonne O Lord euen thy Sonne who art the most rich the most high the most renouned the most puissant Prince and King in comparison of whom all Princes are worse and lesse then very nothing What shall I render vnto thee for all thy goodnesse thou requirest thankes thou deseruest thanks and thou acceptest thankes and Lord be thou blessed and praised with all
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
communion betwixt God and man by Gods participating his fauour and blessednesse vnto man so long as man remaineth in the estate of his corrupted nature not being created according to God in righteousnesse and true holinesse It neither is now nor euer was nor euer shall bee found that any man should get within the gates of the kingdome of glory vnlesse he haue first entred into the kingdome of grace through the Churches narrow wombe of regeneration A new birth is absolutely needfull to an eternall life and in a word regeneration of perfect necessity to saluation It were a matter euen very superfluous to seeke more proofes after such a testimony of such a witnesse or author rather as Christ is But the vnbeleeuing spirit of man doth stand in neede of ouer-abundant conuiction in truthes of this straine Wherefore I will a while stand to make good this point and then after explanation proceed to apply it First we may reade Ezechiel crying out to the old Church in these words Make you a new heart and a new spirit Ezech. 18.31 for why will you die O house of Israel What more euident then that this question doth take it for granted that the house of Israel the seede of Abraham followers of the true God professors of true religion sealed with circumcision admitted vnto the Altar and participating of the sacrifices according to the Law and worshipping the God of heauen after the externall manner prescribed by himselfe that these I say and therefore questionlesse none other could not escape death euen eternall death death of body and death of soule if they got not a new heart and a new spirit that is the same thing being expressed in diuersitie of phrases were not borne againe as our Sauiour pleaseth to tearme it For this cause the same Prophet a little after and in one or two places more calleth vpon them Vers 32. saying returne and liue ye so that but by conuerting there is no liuing and conuersion and regeneration are alwaies and altogether inseparable therefore life and regeneration must needs goe together haue one and haue both misse one and misse both To the same purpose the author to the Hebrewes speaketh Chap. 12.14 in these words Without holinesse and that no man hath but by being borne againe for the image of God lost in Adam is not recouered but by the new birth in Christ I say without holinesse no man shall see God CHAP. II. Shewing the reasons of the point THree testimonies are plentifully sufficient to confirme any diuine truth But because it will helpe much to conceiue of the point of regeneration that wee doe well vnderstand the grounds of the impossibility of being saued without it wee will therefore lay them downe also for further proofe of the point These are Reasons 4 in whole or in chiefe foure First the monstrous filthinesse of man in his first birth Secondly the infinite purity and perfection of Gods nature Thirdly the tenour of the couenant of grace wherin the saluation of lost mankind is promised Fourthly the fruit and end of Christs death and obedience whereby our saluation is deserued For the first of these reasons Man in his first birth 1. From mans naturall filthinesse euen euery particular man woman and child Christ Iesus alone excepted who was therefore conceiued by the holy Ghost that hee might escape that pollution is conceiued in sinne and borne in wickednesse Psalm 51. as Dauid speaketh of himselfe First by imputation of the sinne of our first parents which is ours because they did it in each of our steads in whom each of vs was then originally comprehended and then by transfusion because wee are branches of that bitter root we are each of vs become sonnes of disobedience subiects to the God of this world slaues to sinne captiues vnder the dominion and power of lust hauing our vnderstandings darkened and harts hardened so that we can neither conceiue nor receiue the things of God but are led of Satan at his pleasure to doe his will according as hee doth effectually worke in vs. In a word wee are enemies to God heires of death children of the diuell dead in sinnes and trespasses doing the lusts of the flesh and of the minde and by nature sonnes of wrath and destruction one as well as another A man in the state of corrupt nature is nothing else but a filthy dunghill of all abominable vices hee is a stinking rotten carrion become altogether vnprofitable and good for nothing his heart is the diuels store-house an heape of odious lusts his tongue is a fountaine of cursing and bitternesse and rotten communication his hand is a mischieuous instrument of filthinesse deceit and violence his eyes great thorow-fares of lust pride and vanity his feet are swift engins mouing strongly to reuenge wantonnesse and lucre his life a long chaine of sinfull actions euery later linke being more wicked then the former yea it is but as it were one continued web of wickednesse spun out and made vp by the hands of the diuell and the flesh an euill spinner and a worse weauer He brings into the world with him the kernell of all impiety and iniustice euen an aptnesse and disposition to all the foulest acts that lie within the possibility of his naturall strength and meanes to performe either against the Lord or against his neighbour and an vtter vnaptnesse and inability to doe any thing that in the true iudgement and estimation of God who onely can iudge aright in this case is or may bee termed good as answerable to his law In his soule and body there lies the spawne of all wickednesse of Atheisme of pride of vnbeleefe of hypocrisie of rebellion of impatiencie of hatred and contempt of God and of his word of indeuotion of prophannesse of ambition of wrath of filthinesse of worldlinesse of arrogancie of selfe-conceitednesse of murthers of whoredomes of thefts of periuries and whatsoeuer thing besides is hatefull to God and contrary to his most holy law He is wholly darknesse wholly flesh wholly and totally opposite to the liuing God to whose law hee neither is subiect nor will nor can be till he be cast into an other and a fairer mould by the working of his spirit Such a thing as this my brethren euen iust such a thing and none other is a man euen euery man such an one am I are you are all and each of all the sonnes of Adam that haue been are or shall be and that vniuersally without any exception as witnesseth the Prophet saying Psal 14. They are all gone out of the way they are all become vnprofitable there is none that doth good no not one All these words and more then all these or all that can be spoken by vs falls farre short of a full description of mans naturall sinfulnes For if the tongue it selfe one poore and little member may well be intitled Iam. 3.6 as it is intitled
of God to reforme ones heart and soule as well as his free fauour to pardon former offences An vnsanctified man by benefit of Christian acquaintance in long and heauie terrours may come to the one of these to the other alone the Spirit of sanctification can leade one To which passe when the heart is once brought at length 4. A perswasion of mercie bringing a resolution of obedience the fourth act of the Holy Ghost doth plainely shew it selfe for it becomes a spirit of adoption within him the very earnest penny of saluation sealing vp vnto him the fauour of God the pardon of sinne the attaining of life and by a new and in truth considering the difference of former times a strange worke perswading him that God is reconciled vnto him and hath accepted him for his childe As it made him able to take vnto him words and goe vnto the Lord crauing to bee accepted graciously so it brings him word againe from God that he shal be yea that he is accepted gratiously and answering him euen as one would say with a sensible answer in the middest of his prayers oft-times so strongly and vndoubtedlie â—â—â—ures him of his being heard that hee makes for the time no more question of it then whither he liues yea or no. From which assurance of spirit hauing tasted the sweetnesse of Gods Grace and felt how good the consolations of his Word and Spirit are he growes resolute in his very soule for the time to come in all things to please God and finds a new kind of disposition inabling him to auoide euill and doe good so hauing put his necke vnder the gentle and easie yoke of Christ Iesus hee finds rest vnto his soule and thus is Christ formed in him and he transformed into a new creature For this firme purpose of will to please God in all things is so manifest and euident and sensible a worke of grace that now we may say this act of regeneration is growne to some good ripenesse and euen now perfected in him before he was in making a new man but now he is made new now he is begotten againe and become a sonne of God and heire of his kingdome and fellow-heire of Christ I know that it may befall an hypocrite lying vnder the burthen of a terrified conscience which may be totally and perpetually separated from regeneration and regeneration from it by the diligent inculcating of the comforts of the Gospell and the earnest labour of some Christian and godly men that in such case would faine speake peace to bee brought because they are told there is none other way of comfort to a purpose of neuer committing such and such grosse sinnes as they are accused of in their owne soules and to some promise of amendment of life but this is rather a resolution forced vpon them by striuing of others hereupon promising comfort then a thing growing in themselues out of the sense of the louing kindnesse of the Lord their God Whereas a Christian finds somewhat within him inclining him and making him to say within himselfe and euen little lesse then to sweare and vow with Dauid that hee will surely keepe the righteous iudgements of the Lord and that in all things and for euer to his dying day And thus is the worke of regeneratioÌ„ brought to some perfectioÌ„ thus doth the holy Ghost mould the soule of a man into a new fashion thus doth hee stampe vpon him a new image and as you would say the very lineaments and proportion of God his Father whom in a sweete likenesse that makes him amiable to God and Angels he begins to resemble Onely my brethren vnderstand you one thing for the better conceiuing of all that hath been spoken There are two sorts of regenerate men in the world Some it pleaseth God to call to himselfe euen very betimes dropping pietie and grace into them almost together with their mothers milke by benefit of that great fauour of God holy and Christian education and that euen in certaine insensible degrees so that they cannot so easily name the beginning and progression of this worke In these all the forenamed things are most manifestly found for in truth the working of them doth not cease till life cease and that so as sometimes the one of these workes of grace is more strong then the other Sometimes they find a more sensible abasement of themselues within their owne hearts out of the apprehension of their sinfulnesse sometimes desires and prayers are more vehement sometimes a comfortable resolution of pleasing God doth more mightily stirre in them yet because of the early working and that they were wrought in a still manner by very small degrees the worke did almost goe beyond obseruation and they cannot so distinctly tell when they began to be abased when to be raised vp But there is another sort of men regenerate who did liue a long time in vnregeneracie yea perhaps also in profanenes and notable and notorious wickednesse for oft it falleth out that the Pharisies and Scribes make lesse haste to the kingdome of heauen then the Publicans and sinners I meane that the grosse offenders are sooner regenerated then the ciuill liuers Now for such men it pleaseth the holy Ghost many times yea most times to worke these foure fore-rehearsed workes very distinctly making as it were some euident pause betwixt each of them and grace goes forward in them euen step after step in the manner that hath been described Most times if not alwaies the difference of their former life when they were but dead making the matter euident enough they can name when and where and by what meanes the Lord began first to lay them low to pull them downe and as they say in nature corruption and generation goe together to kil their old man by terrors till being so slaine he had in a calmer manner shewed them the filthinesse and lothsomnesse of it They can tell what longings they felt before they durst pray and what adoe they had to bring themselues to pray and then how long they continued praying before they were answered and lastly wheÌ„ that sweet tidings came that rauished their soule with ioy and made them so inamoured of Gods goodnesse that they euen made a strong couenant with him to walke in his waies and keepe his iudgements All these things I say they can tell well and nothing doth them more good then to recount with themselues this mightie act of the most high whereby their foules with as great a miracle as once Lazarus his body were raised vp from the rotten graue of sinne wherein they lay wrapt vp in the winding sheet of hardnesse of heart and blindnesse of mind stinking and putrifying as a carcasse crawleth with wormes swarming with those noysome lusts that are able to poyson vp an honest heart CHAP. V. Shewing the effects of Regeneration ANd so haue you brethren the order and so farre as may be collected out of scripture the
the 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
4. Growing in grace so likewise a spiritual by degrees encreaseth waxeth stronger stronger approching neerer to perfection that with a proportionable sutable encrease of euery part and member as I may call it of the new man For though in some parts he may be weaker then in others yet in those weaker parts also considering the weaknesse there is a growth correspondent to the growing of other parts Ioh. 15.2 All the branches that bring forth fruit in Christ the vine the Father the good husbandman purgeth that they may bring forth more fruit and in Christ all the body hauing nourishment ministred and knit together Colos 2.19 encreaseth with the encrease of God and that also according to the effectuall working of euery part A liuing branch in a liuing tree will draw sap and get growth A liuing member of a liuing body cannot by the course of nature but attract fit nouriture and procure to it selfe a going forward in stature till the stature bee full and perfect Doubtlesse Christ is a liuing tree his mysticall body a liuing body wherefore the regenerate must needs be growing But this matter of growth doth stand in need of a sound explanation Vnderstand therefore that there is a double growth one in greatnesse the other in goodnesse one in quantity the other in quality So you may see a man from his birth to 24. or 25. yeeres grow bigger and bigger he is higher and thicker hath larger lims and stronger ioynts but from these yeeres vpward he growes wiser sager more stable more sober and better setled also in his bodily might So an apple from Spring to Midsommer or after growes larger and larger in bignesse from thence to the time of its pulling it growes pleasanter and pleasanter in taste and better and better relished Thus it is with a Christian man For a good space of time hee doth sensibly encrease in knowing and leauing more sinnes and in knowing and doing more duties this is to grow in bignesse but after a good time spent in Christs schoole and that there bee but few new lessons not aboue his forme as it were to be learnt hee cons ouer the old lessons againe and gets them more perfectly by heart and better vnderstood Those sins he leaueth he leaueth with more sincerity with more rectified zeale with more loue to God with more detestation of sinne Those duties likewise which he performeth he performeth more aduisedly more resolutely more humbly more soundly and with a more entire bending of his soule to the glory of God in them then before This is his growing in goodnesse and in ripenesse And alwaies in this latter kinde of growth a Christian man stands so affected that hee doth most of all quarrell with himselfe for not growing when he growes most of all Yea his slippes into some grosse faults and it may bee also sometimes too too thicke doe further this his growth ordinarily so that he neuer growes faster and better then after the time that some falles have discouered vnto him his badnesse for then he growes in humility in hatred of himselfe in suspicion of his owne frailty whereby he is made capable of a profitable growing in all vertues till at length this become his excellency that the better he is the meaner he is in his owne eyes and the further he proceedeth the more he is acquainted with his owne defects and becomes more sorrowfull and ashamed for the slownesse of his proceedings But now it must be further conceiued that this growth hath his stops stayes hindrances intermissions and those also somtimes euen some long space of time together euen for moneths and yeeres as is to be seene in Dauid Salomon Asa Vzziah and others For as in naturall life the child may grow till it be twentie or more yeeres old and then fall into a dangerous fit of sicknesse as an ague or the like which shall cast him vpon his bed and make his cheekes pale and wan his legges quaking and feeble his stomacke naught and quite turned away from almost all food his whole body faint and powerlesse so that he can neither stand nor goe nor scarce speake or moue himselfe but euen lie at point of death Euen so also in the life of grace there be Agues there bee diseases there bee sicknesses into which a Christian man euen now it may be come to so much ripenes as this life wil beare doth suddenly somtimes but most times by degrees fall headlong and almost dies though quite to die it bee impossible Now if you speake of his growing hee doth but grow backward euen as a sicke man growes weaker and weaker after sicknesse hath ceized vpon him These diseases grow for the most part from the comming in of promotion and wealth and the pleasures and vanities that most commonly come in with them that we may see how dangerous the goods and greatnesse of this world be to a Christian soule that cannot soundly digest and concoct them Or else they arise from the poysonfull infection of some euill companion or other to whom a man hath by some occasion foolishly linked himselfe in familiaritie In truth most times surfeting breeds spirituall sicknesse From the excessiue loue and liking and vsing and enioying of earthly things and from a conceit of ones owne being better and safer for their abundance a man comes to bee lesse satisfied in God and in holy duties and to haue lesse minde to thinke and muse of heauen and the graces of Gods Spirit the practising of which is the way to come to heauen So there is a stoppage and obstruction in the soule and hence so sensible a decay of spiritual strength til a man fall to heape more then one or two grosse sinnes and sometimes presumptuous one vpon the necke of another and sometimes to lie long in them before hee can see to reforme them or soundly renew his repentance for them the one hardning his heart and blinding his minde so that the other following can scarce be seene or felt Thus there is wrought a strange decay of the power of godlinesse euen in a true regenerate man by the encrease of his outward estate for he was a sanctified man Prou. 30.9 that prayed God not to giue him riches lest himselfe being full should denie God and say Who is the Lord And sometimes also on the contrarie euen hard and sharpe afflictions doe bring a decay of sanctification The anguish of a crosse may breede impatiencie distrust lying vsing of base shifts and twenty disorders in a regenerate mans life in so much that hee may be drawne to very grosse and sinfull practises But when the poore Christian soule is either of these waies diseased or any other like to them O then he fareth like to a sicke man indeed he feeles his disease with exceeding great paine It makes him groane and crie out many a time hee is weary full weary of such an estate No man is more
were a reflexe of this knowledge followes an apprehension of himselfe as of a most meane base and contemptible thing compared to God in his very creation for hee was made of dust and came of very nothing but in this his corruption which came afterwards as a most loathsome vile and abominable creature because he is now he findes it full of wickednesse and extreamly sinful So growes he more and more to dis-esteme himselfe and to haue himselfe in no reputation yea to be vile and odious to himselfe and loathsome in his owne eyes and by acknowledging his infinite basenesse in comparison of God Gods infinite excellencies in cōparison of him he is made truly humble Secondly faith is wrought in his mind for this I conceiue to be the seate of it for it is the vnderstanding that must diduct particular conclusions from generall and so make application of them wherein consists the very essence of faith faith I say both in God and in the word of God Faith in God whereby hee is verily perswaded that God is his God being inabled in true and sound maner to apply to himselfe the sweet couenant of God whereby the Lord hath made himselfe one with him he cā say with assurance of heart O Lord my God and the Lord is my shepheard and my Redeemer liueth For in truth finding the liuely portraiture of the diuine nature in him how should he but know his father by his image this assurance that God is his he Gods is to him the sweetest thing in al the world thē to misse which he had rather chuse to misse his very life soule The strōger it is the more cheerfull happy is he the weaker it is as sometimes it hath its faintings the lesse liuely is hee There is also faith in the word of God to bee seene in him out of an experimentall feeling and certainty of the truth of it hee is vndoubtedly resolued that it is from God and that so as hee is inabled to apply it to himselfe in all the parts thereof For hauing beene to him as Paul speaketh in power 1. Thes 1.5 it must needs also be in much assurance Before the word of God doth worke so mightily to conuert the soule a man may haue a confused opinion of its being true taken vp vpon trust because in the places and among the persons where he hath receiued his education it is so generally accounted or else wrought by a common grace of illumination inabling the mind to giue a light weake and infirme assent vnto it but hee cannot be throughly and infallibly resolued of the truth thereof nor that it is from God and therefore it is said of the stony ground that they beleeued indeed but withall that the seed had no roote in them Luk. 8.13 they had a conceit and a sudden flashing apprehension that sure this doctrine must needs bee true but they had no setled wel grounded and established assurance thereof Onely when the word sinketh thus into the bottome of the soule and a man hath had so liuely experience of its wonderfull and diuine working hee makes no more question whether it be of God or no then whether the Sunne shine and whether that bee food that doth daily nourish his body Wherfore by the inward operation of the spirit and mighty efficacy of the word being most effectually cōuinced of its diuinity truth he now makes care to apply it in all parts to himselfe he laies hold vpon the promises threats precepts and makes particular vse thereof to his owne heart captiuating his reason sense and all to the infallible certainty and verity thereof for he knowes that God is the author of it seeing it hath begotten him againe to be the child of God So is his vnderstanding beautified with these two most admirable fruits of the spirit by which also hee attaineth as the Scripture calleth it a notable sharpnesse of wit Prou. 1.4 quickening him to the discerning of things spirituall and diuine in such maner and measure as a man of far better wit more learning but destitute of the same help could not attaine vnto In the next place his conscience is also quieted with peace 2. In his conscience in liued with conscionablenesse Whether conscience be a distinct faculty of the soule or whether alone a particular act of the vnderstāding reflecting vpon its selfe its owne actions with immediate reference to God I hold it not very needfull to dispute but here we wil speake of it as of a speciall faculty by reason of the wonderfull power that it is perceiued to haue in al the soule First then I say the conscience of the regenerate proclaimes within him an established peace betwixt God and him For the kingdome of God is peace saith the Apostle Paul Rom. 14.17 and being iustified by faith which in nature goeth before this work of regeneration though in time they be conioined we haue peace with God Then in truth Christ fulfilleth his promise of leauing his peace with them Iob. 14.27 euen such a peace as the world cannot take away from them and this peace that passeth all vnderstanding is euen as a guard a watch to keepe their whole soules in quietnesse safety though in the world they meete with many troubles and disquietments Their consciences by this most sweet grace becommeth an admirable friend vnto them It tels them from God that he is reconciled vnto them and being calmed from the former raging wherwith it was tossed it now makes vnto thē euen within to the care of the soule the most pleasing musicke the sweetest melody that is to be heard in all the world It acquitteth it excuseth in the name and in the roome of God it pronounceth absolution O vnspeakable consolation This is the peculiar happines of the sanctified they haue many times tranquillity in their soules through this peace of their consciences which with a quiet countenance a still voice it doth publish within in their hearts And yet in the middest of this peace their consciences are not dead and sleepy neither but are ready in a friendly louing maner to check controll thē if at any time in things known vnto them to be euill they shall offend a good man is so conscionable that he can in no known thing swarne out of the way but his conscience will bee telling him of it Onely this is done in faire termes not with outragious bitternes driuing him frō God as in former times but with kind yet earnest expostulations drawing him before God to confesse seek pardon 1. Sam. 24.5 Thus Dauids hart that is his conscience smote him when he had cut off the lap of Sauls garment Thus his hart also smote him after the numbring of the people he went in before the Lord said I haue done exceeding foolishly 1. Sam. 24.10 but do away the sin of thy
backe from his growth in godlines as he can be gone yet he doth not as the hypocrite when he falls off fall on hating those that he sees to hold out in piety but euen then he liketh and loueth them and none so much as them vnlesse it may be in some particular iarre to some one and so is his loue ruled His hatred likewise is made a spirituall hatred it is set on worke against sinne and sinnefull men It is as naturall with him to hate wickednes as poyson and he cannot but hate it and find his soule as it were rising and warring against it and for those that loue sin he cannot but be out with them In truth this hatred of sinne doth cleaue so vnto him and doth so insinuatingly worke within him that he cannot but hate himselfe against that filthy selfe-loue which hee finds in himselfe when he perceiueth the working of sinne in himselfe And as for wicked men though he would neuer so faine hee cannot find his heart to be ioyned with them he must be of Dauids minde and hate them that hate God not meaning that he carrieth the habite of malice against them but this his affection of disliking and of separating from any thing that he must needs find stirring in himselfe towards a wicked man in whom he sees not the image of God Now for his affection of feare that is also rectified by the vertue of the feare of God his soule is ouer-awed by a grace making him that hee dares not sinne against God as a child doth not dare to offend his father though hee know well that God will doe him no harme yet he cannot make himselfe bold against him for why hee feares him and doth apprehend the displeasing of him to be so great an euill that he euen shrinkes at the conceite of it and finds his heart as it were falling downe at the thought thereof Therefore though no man could punish for such and such sinnes yet he cannot aduenture vpon them though he perceiueth something within him prouoking him that is his flesh because he knowes not how to answere it to God whom he counts it madnes to be bolde to make his enemie Yea and this his fearing of God doth sometimes worke so mightily in him that it makes him fearelesse of those daungers which else would make him tremble because hee apprehends them as matters of nothing in comparison of the displeasure of God which aboue all things he feareth Indeed if God doe please to reueale himselfe any whit terribly or to stirre vp the conscience the vnsanctified man trembles much at Gods presence he cannot keepe this passion of feare from working when there is present an obiect fit to mooue it but take away this and he ceaseth to feare onely the good man hath the feare of God so habituated in him that though he find not a shaking of his ioints at all times yet his very heart shaketh and trembleth to thinke of offending him and so he cannot be induced to doe it or if he haue this feare of his will giue him no peace till he haue attained reconciliation So that it is a feare mixed with loue making one carefull not to offend and to seeke atonement not an astonishing feare ioyned with hatred making a man to runne desperately from God when hee hath sinned and nothing else but cry out against himselfe and his owne misery Now for confidence heere the Christian finds himselfe confirmed with strength from aboue to rest his heart vpon God in Christ for the obtaining of all good things and escaping of all euill His soule hangs to Godward Gods truth and Gods power are leand vnto when any thing assailes his hopes as the very pillars and foundations thereof and if hee haue no friend nor meanes to trust in yet he giues not ouer hope but as Dauid can comfort himselfe in God because his heart was fixed vpon him And though this his confidence wants not its imperfections yet he perceiueth himselfe to haue gotten a new strength by it which he was neuer acquainted with before establishing and confirming him in and against all those shewes of euill that are ready to offer themselues vnto his minde In like manner his ioyes are taken-vp with God and things heauenly many times O how much good it doth him to consider how glorious the Lord his God is in himselfe and how gracious vnto him and what an vnutterable and heart-rauishing pleasure it is to him sometimes to meditate of his full inioying of God heereafter These things comming to his minde doe euen sweetly inlarge his heart and make his soule to open it selfe to take contentment in them sometimes euen as sensibly as in the things that are heere below and often times more The vertue of ioy of the holy Ghost doth rule his naturall passion of ioy and causeth it to be prouoked by things that are not subministred vnto his fancy by his senses but to his vnderstanding by his faith Gods promises are sweete to him the Kingdome of heauen hath a comfortable relish in his soule and he finds a life indeed in knowing that his life is hid with Christ Lastly his sorrowes are ordinated by the vertue of godly sorrow so that sometimes his griefes doe euen runne towards things spiritually euill Alwaies he maintaineth in himselfe a being displeased against sinne but oftentimes it doth euen sting his soule to consider how he hath offended his God And though he doe know himselfe out of the daunger of damnation yet the louing of God breakes his heart and hee can then with a still and quiet mourning sigh and mourne and weepe for sinne when he is farre enough from hauing any feare of damnation and though his griefes this way be not euery day alike in quantity nor insensiblenes yet vsually no day passeth him wherein he doth not seeke to draw his heart to a relenting remorse for his sinnes Though his offences be either vnknowne to the world or such as the world if it do know makes no reckoning of yet his heart is touched with them it often doth euen ake and is troubled when he remembers his past or present transgressions Yea and hee neuer remembers them but he would faine haue it ake Euen as nature hath framed him so that he cannot but grieue at naturall inconueniences if they befall him for the passions are not simply at the commaund of the will in their working but alone in regard of the measure so grace doth in such sort rule his hart that spirituall inconueniences and chiefely sinnes cannot but be troublesome to him It is a voluntary sorrow that he hath for sinne a sorrow not forced vpon him by crosses alone but sought by him when he hath no crosse to grieue for oft times yea he grieueth for this that he cannot be better then he is and it is a trouble and anguish to his soule that hee finds in himselfe no stronger and better growth in godlines And thus
all conceits of hauing that which indeede we haue not we are not heere so apt to beguile our owne selues but because in things spirituall our vnderstanding without sense most times must iudge of the truth or fâ—lsehood of our opinions it comes to passe that we are very ready to be deceiued with ouer-louing opinions of our selues Where almost shall we find a man not extreamely and notoriously wicked in all manner of shamefull abominations which will not say that hee hopes he is Gods childe and to be Gods child and to be regenerate or almost one and the same thing they differ alone in some respects Let our readines to brag of being better then in truth we be a certaine fruit of the blindnesse of our mindes in the matters of God let this readinesse I say to bee ouerwell conceited of our selues make vs afraide to rest vpon any ouer hasty answere to this question whether we be regenerate yea or no. Before thou do rest in the answere thou hast to make to this question looke well to the grounds of thine answere and see that thine answere be made out of knowledge and iudgement not out of the folly and blindnesse of selfe-loue Verily brethren I would haue you make a true answere this way and neither deny the worke that God hath wrought in you nor yet brag of a conceite of that worke which neuer was but yet let me freely confesse thus much that I had much rather haue you feare without a cause then hope without a cause I would thou shouldest answere truly of thine estate but I had rather thou shouldest erre in thinking thy selfe not regenerated when thou art then on the other hand in deeming thy selfe regenerated when thou art not for indeede the former though it be a troublesome error yet is nothing daungerous the latter though pleasing enough is extreamely perilous Daungerlesse feare is better then fearelesse daunger If a man condemned to dye and leading to execution thinke that he hath a pardon and hath none he may goe pleasantly to the gallowes out of this fancy but he will scarce come froÌ„ it pleasantly but if he that hath a pardon thinke hee haue none his heart is heauy in going but he feeles himselfe lighted quickly when at the instant the pardon is produced to saue his life Iust so it is in this case If any amongst you be strongly conceited that he is Gods child and is not hee goes towards death with fewer feares and is not much troubled at the remembrance of his last houre but in that houre and after that O then how terrible are his terrors made by seeing himselfe disappointed Shall a man thinke you haue any refreshing in hell from the remembrance of his former conceits whereby he did account himselfe the childe of God which now all too late hee findeth quite contrary On the other side if the child of God remaine fearefull of his estate and cannot tell what to affirme of himselfe but rather conceiueth hee is not Gods child then otherwise I confesse he hath many needlesse feares many causelesse disquietments a life far more vncomfortable then he need to haue but when after death hee shall be receiued into the inheritance of Gods children then his former feares shall no whit impeach his present glory he is safe and happy for all his feare Much rather therefore would I so speake that you might be fearefull without cause then hopefull for I wish your present disquietment without your future perill rather then your present case with your future destruction This is the cause that I dwell so much vpon this point that I vrge it so hard and striue to set it so neere vnto thy soule aduising thee to aske thy selfe once am I regenerate and not to beleeue thy selfe at first because thou maiest perhaps quickly say I hope I am but to demaunde the second time and say yea but doe I not deceiue my selfe am I so indeede and is not my conceite of my selfe groundlesse and yet not to rest in the second answere but to goe about againe and to inquire often and often saying to thy selfe what am I a child of God or not begotten againe or not where be the reasons of my taking my selfe for his childe what due proofes can I bring that I am regenerate what arguments soundly grounded and gathered from the word of God can I produce to demonstrate to my soule that I am translated from death to life It is good to be suspicious of the well knowne partiality of our owne hearts it is good to be iealous of our too too palpable guilefulnes in this case and so shall a thing well done be more then twice done and a sound and and thorough search breede a sound and infallible assurance Let me then vndertake the examination for euery of your soules at this time and know that the Minister standing in Christs roome must make bold with your consciences and must speake vnto you with authority because he speaketh with commission Say then thou man or woman of what age place ranke condition so euer Doest thou thinke it possible for thee to be saued when thou dyest and to passe into Gods Kingdome when thou passest out of this world Tell me what thou thinkest of this matter If thou answere that thou hast neuer greatly troubled thine head with these thoughts but taking thy saluation for granted hast busied thy mind about other matters TheÌ„ do condemne thee of monstrous folly blindnesse and assure thee that howsoeuer it goe with other men yet thou as yet art in no case to come to heauen But if thine answere be that thou hopest thou both maiest and shalt bee saued Then I demand againe Hast not thou heard the words of our Sauiour is hee not peremptorie and plaine with great earnestnesse affirming that vnlesse thou beest borne againe thou canst not see Gods kingdome wilt thou impute falsehood to his speeches yea or no if no then tel me thou that hopest to be saued art thou regenerate yea or no Here lies the maine matter now vpon thine answere to this question all thine hopes must depend and therfore answere deliberately and truly Art thou regenerate or art thou not Like enough to this thou mayst say thou art But I reply vpon thee that it is not enough to say so what will it auaile to say thou hast riches and hast them not to say thou art in health and art deadly sicke to say thou hast a pardon of thy felonie and hast none Or to say thou hast been borne againe and hast not Wherefore I call thee againe to thine answere to see if thou wilt stand to it Art thou indeed regenerate or is it alone thy conceit without substance Art thou assured of it or doest thou alone goe by guesses and coniectures If thou rest vpon poore and thinne hopes may I not be bold to charge thee with extreame folly I am sure thou wouldest call him foole that should
will not seeme to you vnreasonable nor the motion light and not worth harkening to when the God of heauen sues vnto you that be his enemies to be changed and become his adopted sonnes Sure I am that if a Gentleman should with the same good meaning make the same offer to a poore miserable beggar either he would greedily accept the motion or else all that knew him would esteeme him mad How much worse then mad art thou then which wilt reiect the Lords owne motion offering to become thy Father and intreating thee to bee willing to be made his child by adoption you may perhaps say vnto me that you do already wish and desire so to bee with all your hearts but that all the difficultie lies in being made such as you desire to be And I answere that if you doe indeed and in truth long and desire to be regenerate with a setled and firme desire and stable and confirmed wishing of your hearts that then the greatest impediment is remoued and the greatest difficultie ouercome and your regeneration is now in a faire forwardnesse yea verily it is already begun and doe you but cherish these motions and it shall be perfected You may perhaps make another obiection and say that it is not in your power to regenerate your selues and therfore it is an idle attempt of me to perswade you to become such as you cannot make your selues to be for the Spirit of God must regenerate and who can command that to come vpon him To which I answere that indeed a man cannot possibly regenerate himselfe this is Gods act not his he is a meere patient in it But yet I say moreouer that the doctrine of the Gospell is the ministration of the Spirit and where that is preached as now it is preached amongst you there the holy Ghost comes to regenerate there he comes with his in-liuing vertues there he is present with his quickning power and he that wil not resist the motions and exhortations that the word and spirit of God doe raise vp within him shall surely be visited from on high and shall haue the spirit of God descending vpon him to make him a new creature Yea further I say to such an one that God hath appointed certaine things to be done by men which they that will not refuse to doe may doe and those that shall doe shall be regenerated For there is a common worke of illumination so making way for regeneration that it puts a power into man of doing that which when he shall doe the spirit of God will mightily worke within him to his quickening and purging All you therefore that finde your selues as yet not to be regenerate but yet faine would be for to others it is in vaine to speake they be not yet so farre inlightned as to be capable of regeneration but all you hearken and vnderstand what it is that you must doe that you may be regenerate and by doing which you shall not faile of receiuing this wonderfull blessing of a new life to be created in you onely yet with one prouiso that you doe not dampe the present motions of the word and spirit of God with procrastinations and delayes with putting off and deferring till an other time Nay you must accept of the offers of grace whilest it is called to day and know that nothing doth more harden your hearts and chase away the spirit of God from them then that foolish and slothful shifting off his perswasions with a purpose of setling about the worke hereafter but not yet Thou must take Gods time and not bid him tarry thy time It is no reason the King should waite vpon the traitor till he were at leisure to receiue a pardon If thou wilt not haue while when the Lord sees it fit to make thee a sweet promise of grace remember the terrible threatning of Wisdome You shall seeke me and not finde me Prou. 1.24.28 because I stretched out mine hands and you would not heare me O then venture not to put off God till hereafter Who can tell whether euer he will come so neere thee againe if at this time thine entertainment of him be no better then to shut vp the dores of thine heart and tell him the roomes are otherwise filled there is no place for him as yet But now I say with prouiso that you will now begin without further deferring I will shew you the way of life and tell you that which if you will be pleased to doe and it shall be no such hard matter nor impossible but that your owne soules shall confesse there is nothing to hinder you from doing it but your owne vnwillingnesse or carelesnesse or both if I say you will be pleased to doe I testifie vnto you in the name of the Lord that you shall bee regenerate and that from the time you begin to doe them you begin to be regenerate Now these things are in number three as I said before neither impossible for you to doe Wheâ—eof the meanes are three nor yet difficult there lackes but a willing mind and they be easily done onely vnderstand of them that you must not satisfie your selues with hauing done them once but must doe them continually because they are meanes of encreasing holinesse as well as attaining it The first is 1. To desire and pray for the spirit of regeneration so to nourish your apprehension of your owne misery in not being regenerated and your earnest desire of being regenerated for the escaping of this misery that it may breake forth into requests and petitions vnto God for his spirit of regeneration Goe thou and muse thus with thy selfe Alas I see most euidently that as yet I am but a sonne of old Adam there is no thorough change of mine heart nor of my life from sinne to holinesse I am as I was borne and haue not been altered by a new birth and therefore I am in no possibility of being saued This night if God should as how know I but he may this night take away my soule from me O I perish for out of heauen the blessed Sauiour of mankind hath excluded mee for thither he tels vs euidently that none must enter that are not borne againe and O miserable man I that am not yet capable of eternall life and that stand in such tearmes with God to this day that hee cannot both keepe his owne truth and saue my soule What shall I doe what course shall I take O could I once obtaine regeneration then I were safe then I were sure then if death should come immediately I neede not feare it then were the gates of heauen opened vnto mee and then I both might and should enter in thereto O that I were regenerate O that I were borne againe O that I were a new creature O that once the image of Christ Iesus were imprinted vpon me All the goods and honours of this world would not so much aduantage me as
holinesse if I could attaine it But what doe I stand wishing I haue beene told that the spirit of God is he who regenerateth his people Wherefore I wil beg at his hand that mighty and sauing worke of his spirit and boldly I may doe it for Christ Iesus hath promised to all that thirst that if they come Isa 55.1 he will make them drinke of the waters of life Yea he hath told me that if we men who are euil can yet giue naturall good things to our children that aske them God will much more giue his spirit to them that aske it For his promise is to poure waters vpon the dry ground and flouds vpon the thirsty ground and to poure out of his spirit vpon all flesh Well I am assured the word of God is true and these promises shall be performed to euery one that asketh that he may receiue and to euery one that seeketh that he may finde for the Lord is rich in grace and giues to all that aske hits no man in the teeth And therefore I will take courage to call vpon him for that most desireable gift of God euen the spirit of regeneration Thus hauing enkindled thy desires bow thou the knees of thy body and of thy soule too vnto the king of heauen and poure out thy requests in the most submissiue earnest manner thou canst saying either in these words or to this purpose O Lord I am a lost sheep I am a child of wrath by nature I am most miserable most sinful I see that in me there dwelleth no good thing and if I be not renewed I must perish I beseech thee haue mercy vpon me that I perish not Send thy blessed spirit into mine heart to regenerate me for so is thy promise plainly made in thy word Thou knowest that I cannot make my selfe new O let thy spirit come vpon me and make me to haue a new heart and a new spirit Lord Iesus Christ send thy spirit into mee which may restore mee from this death of sinne which now at last thou hast made me to feele vnto the life of holinesse Thou toldest the woman of Samaria 〈◊〉 4. that if she would aske of thee thou wouldest giue her the water of life Now Lord I come and aske of thee that water that liuing that pretious water of the holy spirit O giue it vnto mee that I may neuer thirst but that it may spring forth in my belly and become a riuer of water O Lord I beg not money I beg not honour I beg not health I beg not naturall wisedome but I beg that which I haue more need to receiue and shall haue more benefit by receiuing and which thou hast more promised to giue and shalt haue more honour by giuing then by any such temporary or externall thing O giue me therefore thy holy spirit to regenerate me and make mee to feele by experience the truth of thy gratious promises My brethren I haue put these prayers into your mouthes learne you to poure them forth before the throne of grace in secret forget not in some such manner of words to cry for this best of all gifts and beg earnestly and if thou canst not amplifie yet multiply if thou canst not vse variety of words yet repeate the same request often and againe and againe if thine inuention serues not to say more let thy desire force thee to dwell vpon this 20. times rather then faile twice 20. times O Lord giue vnto me a miserable sinner thy spirit of life grace to regenerate me for so hast thou promised to them that aske I aske Lord resolue to continue asking I certifie you all frō God and by this authority of Christ Iesus committed to his Ministers do verily assure you that he who so seeketh regeneration shall as certainly be regenerate as God is true of his word and that is more certaine then the Sunnes shining in the heauens and the earths keeping his owne place I know that Satan will step forth to hinder you from following this counsell he will striue to make you carelesse of it all together as if there were no neede of begging so hard but I assure thee that he doth but beguile thee Neuer any man was regenerate nor shall be after yeeres of ability to pray vnlesse he doe pray for it for the gift of the spirit is promised to you that aske and to none else and by telling thy selfe of thy misery in wanting regeneration thou shalt easily shake thy selfe out of this carelesnes and bring thy selfe to a care of seeking that which but by seeking thou canst not get and but by getting thou canst not be saued Then will the Diuell assaile thee with more tentations and cast obiections and doubts in thy way as if it were in vaine to pray for sure thou shalt not be heard but beleeue him not hee is a lyar in going about to make thee make God a lyar for is not the promise so vniuersall as no man is excluded that doth not exclude himselfe doth it not runne thus euery one that asketh receiueth euery one that seeketh findeth and therefore say thou to thine owne heart if euery one why not I sure I will aske then and will not spare to speede by sparing to speake to God And that thou maiest yet more imbolden thy selfe know that God hath tyed thee by a kind of vow to seeke to him for the spirit of regeneration and himselfe to giue it vnto thee when thou so seekest For tell me art thou not a man professing to be of the Christian religion Wast thou not baptized in the name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost To what end was this washing but to assure thee of the spirit of God working like water to thy regeneration Wherefore vrge thou the Lord with his owne seale and say O Lord what better euidence can I wish Thou hast giuen me the seale of regeneration O make it to appeare not to haue beene an empty signe Lord baptise me with the Spirit and with Water euen wash me and cleanse me by that pure Water of thy holy Spirit which may sanctifie me throughout and make me a new creature If any doubt arise in thine heart looke thus to the seale of the couenant and confirme thy faith and assure thy selfe that God will neuer falsifie his bond and seale he will wash thee according to his couenant sealed vp vnto thee by Baptisme In very deed brethren it is an absurdity to imagine that all that are baptized with water are also infallibly regenerated but yet it is sure that all such might be regenerated if considering what this seale importeth they would duly and earnestly seeke vnto the Lord for performance thereof This is that I call vpon you now to do if already any haue not done it Let the remembrance of thy Baptisme with water cause thee to seeke to him that can giue the Baptisme of the spirit
barely read I cannot esteeme it quite deuoide of all power to regenerate where God doth not giue vnto men a possibilitie of vsing other helpe I see not that he should be thought either vnable or vnwilling to worke by this but where preaching with paines or cost may be gotten there he that to saue his labour or to spare his purse will neglect it shall neuer be borne againe Wherefore beloued you must make high account of this ordinance you must follow it you must be constant in frequenting it that the Lord by the mouthes of his faithful seruants may breathe the breath of life into you I confesse that there is a kind of fine neate daintie preaching consisting in wel-sounding words and streines of wit and humane learning to set out the skill and art of the speaker and make the hearer applaud and commend him which a man may well doubt whither God wil euer blesse to the winning of soules These selfe-preaching men that make preaching little else but an ostentation of wit and reading doe put this sword of the Spirit into a veluet scabbard that it cannot pricke and wound the heart it cannot worke life by working death first it cannot quicken by killing before it quicken But the plaine and downe-right preaching of the Word by laying it open in plaine termes to the eyes of the mind and laying it hard to the very consciences by exhortations rebukes and comforts for which it is profitable euen this foolish preaching is that that must make you wise to saluation Wherefore how much were it to be desired that all we Ministers would follow that whereby with fetching lesse circuits and taking lesse vnprofitable and selfe-intended labour wee might doe more good to men and bring more glory to God and Oh how much are you to be called vpon to loue the Word of God preached to be glad to haue it plainely deliuered vnto you and with earnestnesse pressed vpon you without all quirkes of wit and guilded shewes of mans wisdome and of gay words In one word therefore I doe you all to wit that this preaching is the instrument of God I meane the chiefe and principall instrument by which he is pleased to regenerate mens soules Wherefore I command you all in the name of the Lord to loue it honor it frequent it submit your selues to it as you loue your soules-health But let me adde one necessary obseruation more in this point They bee but vncleane beasts that doe not chew the cud If you will haue the Word which you heare effectuall to make you the sonnes of God you must not be carelesse and forgetfull hearers you must not let it slip from you as soone as it is heard but you must ioyne meditation with it and after you haue heard consider with your selues what you haue heard and ponder vpon it as vpon a thing that much concernes you and lay the precepts reproofes threats promises and exhortations thereof vnto your soules saying each to himselfe I see this is a dutie haue not I omitted it O yes I haue and so fall a begging pardon for former omissions and strength for more carefull performance hereafter and so in all the other parts of the Word that may be deliuered vnto you And brethren the Word thus heard in the Church and thus ruminated digested and concocted at home will be a Word of power vnto you to conuert you to God from the power of Satan Thus I haue shewed you the meanes of being made the sonnes and daughters of the liuing God Be they not plaine be they not possible be they not easie If any of you misse of a new birth is it not because he cares not for it and in very truth because he is not willing to accept it I cal your owne soules to witnesse and that God in whose name and those Angels in whose presence I haue spoken these things vnto you that God desireth not your death hee would haue you saued hee offers saluation hee would haue you renewed and hee offers the spirit of renouation and if you want it it is only meerely wholly because you regard it not and because you will not take his directions in seeking it O thou therfore that art vnregenerate see thine vnregeneracie desire to be regenerate call vpon God for his Spirit of grace to regenerate thee ponder vpon his Law and his Gospell the seede of regeneration Hearken to his voyce speaking in his messengers and meditate on what thou shalt heare from them and thou shalt bee regenerate But if thou wilt needs stand in thine owne light and out of a conceit of being already in a good estate keepe thy selfe irrecouerably in an euill estate or out of sloathfull negligence or prophane carelesnesse omit to follow the sound directions which haue been giuen thee be thou euer then the child of the Diuell be thou euer the sonne of perdition worke out thine owne destruction and thy blood bee vpon thine owne head the Lord is free wee are free and of thine owne hand alone it shall be required CHAP. X. Comforting the Regenerate ANd so much bee spoken to them that are not borne againe 3. Vse to those that are regenerate Now from the same point also wee haue something to say to those that through the grace of God haue been blessed with this greatest of al blessings and that both for comfort and exhortation First then 1. Câ—ns let vs lay open before the sanctified man the riches of consolation of which the words of our Sauiour doe put him in possession This worke of the Spirit of God doth him more good then al the wealth strength health wit learning beauty credit fauour and grace that could befall him in the world For all these things fore-named a man may haue in as great abundance as this earth could yeeld and yet bee no whit nearer to heauenly felicitie yea bee quite out of all present possibilitie of attaining it But so soone as euer the Spirit of God from aboue hath visited the soule of a man and hath begotten in him the image of Christ Iesus so soone is he interessed into the glorious Kingdome of God and hath that riches and honour of heauen appertaining vnto him as an inheritance that cannot fal besides him Euery true Christian therefore be he of neuer so meane repute parts in the esteeme of others or of himself is yet a great and a rich heire and hath a mighty and large kingdome by vertue of this birth-right appertaining vnto him for the excluding of all that are not borne againe from out of heauen is a plaine admittance of all them into heauen to whom this benefit of a new birth hath befalne The one cannot but be saued as well as the other cannot possibly bee saued Seeing if the cause that hindreth our entrance into Gods Kingdome bee remoued we neede make no question but that our passage afterwards shall be found both certaine and easie enough
children of God doe not take paines to make themselues vnderstand their own inward happinesse they will not finde time enough to contemplate the beauty of that goodly portion which the Lord hath allotted vnto them they will not bestow their thoughts in heauenly meditations hence their being ouercome of carnall sorrow and well may they thanke themselues for the want of comfort seeing they will not open their eyes to looke abroad into the land of comfort I am sure if any of vs were shut vp in close prison for the space of one whole twelue-moneths and should there be destitute of all good attendance lodging fare and other comforts but withal were assured that at the yeeres end he should surely come out of prison and be made a great Prince for all the rest of his life which should endure for the space of fortie or fiftie yeeres after hee would scarce feele any trouble in that restraint any griefe in those wants any discontent in that bad vsage yea so much familiarity would his thoughts haue with the wealth and honor wherin he should liue so long a time after his enlargement that the imprisonment would seeme nothing vnto him and hee would rather wish to lie in prison vpon those termes then to liue in his house without those hopes My brethren such and none other is your condition This world is your present prison and for some of Gods children it cannot be denied but that they doe finde in it somewhat course entertainment but it is certaine that after a little time perhaps lesse then halfe a yere it is sure not many yeers they shall be inlarged and after their inlargement aduanced to a kingdome so farre excelling all earthly kingdomes in the honour wealth ioyes thereof as gold excells dirt And this kingdome they shall be sure to enioy not for fortie or fiftie nor for so many thousands or millions of yeeres but euen for all eternity world without end What doe you then sowring and imbittering your hearts with thinking vpon the tediousnesse of your imprisonment and refusing to take comfort to your selues in the consideration of your kingdome It is therefore as I said aboue long onely and meerly of your carnalnessâ— in not pondering of the good that God offers vnto your soules which makes you lie mourning vnder the pressure of your afflictions Wherefore settle your selues to resist carnall sorrow and to imbrace spirituall ioyes you shall finde your labours this way voide of difficultie and full of successe When thy worldly heart would thrust thee into the pit of worldly sorrow by telling thee of thine hard fare thy poore house thy little meanes thy debts thy wrongs thine enemies Stay thou thy selfe vp by opposing to all these the consideration of thy new birth whereby thou art instated into an heauenly kingdome wherein thou shalt abound with all fulnesse of ioyes for euermore and wherein thou shalt bee more happy and blessed then thine owne heart can possibly conceiue of and that for euermore And then propound the case vnto thine owne selfe indifferently and say vnto thy soule O my soule looke on both sides with an vnpartial eye look to the condition of my body and estate and take a view of the miseries that lie vpon me but look withall to the condition of my soule and ponder well vpon the happinesse that I am admitted vnto and then be thou but an impartiall iudge betwixt sorrow and ioy to whether rather thou oughtest to encline I am sickly but I am regenerate and shall bee saued I am poore but I am borne againe and shall see the kingdome of God I haue few friends but I am made the child of God and shall attaine heauen I haue few friends but I haue receiued the spirit of grace to beget me againe to a kingdome immortall vndefiled and that fadeth not away I haue a froward husband or wife or a stubborne sonne or a daughter but I am Gods sonne or daughter and haue Christ Iesus to bee mine husband and yoke-fellow Haue I these blessings to counteruaile these miseries and shall I pule and whine and looke with a sad countenance and walke with a dead heart Nay I ought not nay I must not nay I will not yeeld to this extreame weaknesse of carnall lamentation I haue cause to be glad I haue reason to be merry and in spight of all that the worst yoke-fellow or worst child or worst estate can doe to grieue me I will be merry and I will bee glad O my soule reioyce in the Lord be merry in thy father and shout for ioy in Christ thy Redeemer Thou art begotten againe thou art made new thou art regenerate who should be liuely if not the children of Kings who should reioyce if not the heires of Crowns I am Gods heire heauen is mine inheritance and a crowne of glory is laid vp for me and I will bee glad Thus you must labour against the vntowardly griefes of your owne hearts and enioy the wonderfull blessing of regeneration So must you wipe away those vnprofitable teares from your eyes and clothe your selues with the garments of gladnesse For it is a wrong to your selues a disgrace to the good thing giuen an ingratitude to God the giuer if he bestow pretious benefits vpon you and you enioy them not See therefore that your hearts doe not droope nor your faces looke sad as in former time but goe you now out of Gods house refreshed with the sweetnesse of this comfort vnto your owne houses reioycing as once the man did that was healed of the palsie And if thine heart after all this obiect and say Indeed if I were sure of my regeneration and so of my saluation your speeches were to some purpose but alacke I want that assurance Why then I answere thee thou hast other more necessary worke then to grieue for crosses or losses for the vnkindnes of thy yoke-fellow or death or vndutifulnesse or afflictions of thy children euen for this that thou canst not tell but that thou maiest bee in hell where thou shâ—lt meet with that which is incomparably worse then all hard vsage in the world and that within the space of 24. houres or lesse Wherefore now turne thy thoughts from striuing to put away griefe and onely labour to change the obiect of it that by grieuing for thy sinnes and by considering thy wickednesse of nature and of life and sorrowfull confession of the same to God with humble supplications for a redresse of all thou mightest at last become a new creature and bee assured that thou art so and then set thy selfe to enioy the fore-named consolation Either brethren you bee not certain of your new birth and then you haue cause to grieue for things of a more dangerous nature then outward crosses and so to labour to know your selues borne againe or else you bee certaine of your new birth and then you haue reason euen to scorne to bee cast downe at any outward euils
possible thankes O thou art good thou art gracious thou art full of compassion mercy pleaseth thee I feele I feele that thy mercy is ouer all thy workes and I haue cause to say by experience that thy mercy endureth for euer for thou hast made mee thine owne child by adoption which by nature was the child of wrath O blessed be thy great and glorious name for euermore Brethren open your mouths wide in thankes-giuing and God will fill them full of comfort and know that thou canst not haue a more sensible assurance of thy new birth then if thou canst feele thy selfe heartily moued to giue praise to God for it It shall witnesse to thee that thou art a new creature if thou canst giue many thankes to him that made thee so for hauing so made thee Reioyce therefore in thy blessednesse that art borne againe and bee frequently and heartily thankefull to him by whose word and spirit thou wast borne againe that so thou maist comfortably enioy this greatest of al blessings thy being borne againe CHAP. XI Exhorting the Regenerate to grow in Grace ANd this is the consolation of God wee haue to giue you O all yee his sonnes and daughters 2. Exhortation twofold hearken a little further I pray you to the exhortation that must ensue Seeing the Lord of Heauen hath created a new life in you learne you two things for the necessitie thereof to saluation First 1. To nourish this life of grace in themselues to cherish it in your selues secondly so much as is possible to propagate it vnto others First I say make much of this life of grace this new man created in you according to God in righteousnesse and true holinesse make much of it striue to confirme it strengthen it and increase it so soone as the life of nature is seene in a man he is made you know desirous of nourishment that augmentation may follow generation So be you also for your soules that you may at one time both shew your new birth and confirme it In truth this I must tell you assuredly for I know it to bee as true as the Lord himself is to be trusted of his word he that once hath this life shall neuer see death But I told you before that he may feele sicknesse and that if it were not for the sick-making phisicke which the Lord will giue him for his recouerie he might feele death Now therfore I am to entreate you all to saue the labour of taking physicke and that by seeking to preuent diseases and to grow in soundnesse of spirituall strength You all know right well what bee the chiefe things which impaire naturall strength and procure diseases of body namely poyson surfetting and staruing It is euen so likewise with the soule 1. By auoiding ill company and câ—oosing gâ—od 2. By auoiding things sinfull in resisting the first motions to ill first by poyson it inuenometh it selfe secondly by surfetting it distempereth it selfe and lastly by staruing it infeebleth it selfe Beware of ranke poyson Sinne I say sinne things vnlawfull and condemned these are very starke poyson to the soule Ratts-bane and Hen-bane and Mercury and Opium yea the very inward moisture of a Toade or Serpent are no more dangerous to the flesh then this is to the spirit And when a Christian man begins to yeeld so much to the naughtinesse of his owne hart that hee takes leaue to allow some sinne in himselfe in some small degrees then it ceaseth not to worke wofully in his soule till at last it haue caused him to breake forth into the grosse and foule practice of it and then is he poysoned indeede and if the Lord should not come with his physick he could not but bee damned but howsoeuer hee languisheth and is sicke he leeseth the sense of Gods fauour the desire of Gods seruice the comforts of Gods Word and the loue of the comming of Christ Iesus Lust reuenge deceit loue of money loue of credit loue of pleasure and all other corrupt affections lodging within if they once so farre preuaile that a man is willing to follow them in thoughts and words agreeable to their wicked nature doe by little and little euen grieue the Spirit of God and quench the graces of the holy Ghost till after a while a man falleth into some wicked act of some of these kinds and Oh then the burning and shooting and swelling of the body after the drinking of Ratts-bane is not more manifest in the bodie then the miserable effects of these sinnes are euident in the soule The conscience begins to accuse God is alienated the hart is hardned the mind blinded and sometimes a man lies long as it were in a sowne before he can recouer himselfe by repentance Wherefore the godly mans care must be to oppose the first motions of sinne to flie the occasions of euill doing to be careful of restraining himselfe from the very smallest degrees of wickednesse for a little sinne allowed will bring in a greater till that come accompanied with the greatest of all and that make a man little lesse then dead the second time We must therefore cast away the superfluitie of maliciousnesse that is this allowing of sinne and pleasing our selues in the occasions first degrees of it if euer we desire the spirituall health and wel-fare of our inner man Dauids conceitednesse begate idlenesse idlenesse begat adulterie adultery murder and all a long lying and deepe sleepe in sinne It is wofull to consider the miserable ruines that haue been made in the soules of many of Gods seruants by their carelesnes this way how weake they haue growne how their acquaintance with God their delight in his Word their comfort in prayer their desire of being dissolued and their ioy in a godly life hath been interrupted and how they haue come to that passe as scarce to shew to others or find in themselues any signe of liuing Perhaps this may be the very case of some amongst you that heare mee at this time O if it be get thee a preseruatiue take thee a large quantitie of godly sorrow feede vpon the bitter but wholesome hearbs of humiliation and griefe go and meditate on the threatnings of the Law on the death of Christ on the lamentable effects that others of Gods people haue found vpon their growing so naught and recouer thy selfe againe by hearty confession and humble begging of pardon and of strength And now all you that be as yet free from such wofull sicknesses be admonished by the miseries of others and let not the deceitfulnesse of sinne so farre preuaile against you that you should giue any allowance vnto it take any pleasure in the motions or occasions of it or giue your hearts leaue so much as to thinke or speake of it but with detestation Poyson is often sweete but a wise man had rather deny to his taste the delight of sweetnesse then fill his stomack with deadly pangs and gripings Sinne
is honey in the mouth but grauell in the belly Hidden bread is pleasant and stolne waters are sweete but O the miserable agonies which must ensue before the soule can bee clearely purged againe from the remainders of such poyson It is a pleasing thing to dally to reuenge to deceiue to play the glutton and the drunkard but it must cost a man so much toile so many sorrowfull confessions so many heauie passages before hee can recouer againe the quiet of his conscience and his enioyment of the assurance of Gods fauor that at last it shall appeare a deare-bought contentment and an euill penny-worth of delight No wise man will drinke Wine and Sugar if it haue been first impoysoned with some deadly thing neither let any Christian so farre forget the rules of Christian wisdome as for any paltry pleasure or profit or credit which lying swearing whoredome drunkennes idolatrie or any like grosse sin may yeeld vnto him to venture the committing of them Doubtlesse if he do his complaint shall bee at last as those sonnes of the Prophets once said O man of God death is in the pot But to surfet is little lesse dangerous 3 Taking heed of excesse in things indifferent and accustoming to sparing and moderation then to feede on poyson to labour ouer-much and ouer-hard to the inflaming of the bloud to drinke when a man is hot to eate and drinke excessiuely these things doe so exceedingly disquiet and ouer-charge the body that many a man dies of them So in the soule it is likewise found that the excessiuenesse of things lawfull and the vnseasonablenesse of indifferent actions doth sometimes little lesse annoy the soules welfare then the committing of things sinfull Especially if a man doe mistake and account that thing lawfull or indifferent which is wicked and sinfull and hereupon out of his erroneous iudgement lay the reynes vpon the necke of his carnall desires grosse knowne confessed sinnes doe no more infeeble the soule and ouerthrow the quiet and strength of the inward man then such licentiousnesse The abuse I say of things in themselues lawfull through the vntimely and immoderate doing of them is exceeding perillous vnto the soule and often death is little lesse then ready to enter in at this window The ouer-eager following of worldly businesse when a man not out of obedience to Gods commandements and out of a desire to humble himselfe by iust painefulnesse in his calling but out of a loue of wealth and a desire to grow rich and great in the world doth set his thoughts and hands a worke about the affaires of this life so that hee can scarce thinke or speak with any life or comfort of any other thing then this earth this greedy and continuall pursuing of worldly businesses though in themselues lawfull honest and commendable doth vexe the spirit choak the word dis-hallow the soule offend God and wound the conscience no lesse then the committing of fornication would doe for this is to commit spirituall whoredome with that grand harlot the wicked world Also the perpetuall and vnsatiable vse of pleasures and pastimes in themselues it may be no way sinfull nor condemnable yet still pursued with an ouer-vehement affection to them with an ouer-strong delight in them when they bee not vsed as meanes of maintaining our health or fitting our selues for the workes of our calling and indeede according as the name of recreations beareth for the refreshing of the mind and making it more liuely and chearefull in better things but are followed for their owne sakes out of a loue of pastime which is a childish and too base a thing for a wise heart to bee in loue with and when there is no conscionable regard had of that rich and pretious iewel of time which no treasure caÌ„ redeeme I say the most honest and lawfull recreations in the world so inordinately followed without regard of the due end thereof and without the practice of Christian moderation in them is no lesse harmefull to the soule then it is to the body to bee ouer-watched or ouer-laboured It dulleth the heart it clogs the conscience it stoppeth the mouth from praying it interrupteth all good meditations and by little and little doth steale away the hart from God and godlines till at the length grosse sinnes and presumptuous doe come in the neck of lawfull liberties abused The same be spoken of the vse of daintie fare and soft raiment and all other naturall comforts when the heart begins to bee ingaged to them when we onely seeke our owne satisfaction in them when we forget to demonstrate in our manner of vsing them a deniall of the world and a crucifying of our selues to the world and the world to vs then they are dangerous to our soules and doe euen little lesse then kill vp the new man in vs. O I would that the experience of many a Christian did not verifie this Learne therefore to temper your selues in things indifferent to be moderate in following your calling moderate in vsing recreations moderate in meate and drinke and attire and alwaies rather to be ouer-sparing to your selues in these things then ouer-large rather abridge thy selfe of somewhat thou mightest haue then by venturing as farre as euer thou art able to make thy selfe beleeue it is lawfull to bring thy selfe in danger of going a step or two further and falling into a fâ—at sinfull abuse Shew forth the vertues of Christ Iesus let it appeare that thou doest not loue the world nor the things therof by being content alwaies to come a little too short of thine allowance then any whit at all excâ—eding it The most wholsome diet is that that is most sparing and it is profitable for the body somewhat to deny the appetite and abridge the stomacke Euen so it is also for the soule and no man shall euer bee other then a dwarffe and weakeling in godlinesse that will not be drawne to denie himselfe somewhat of his lawfull liberty for so slippery is our standing so weake are our feete that if we venture to doe all we think lawfull in these kinds wee shall surely doe it vnlawfully I haue told you brethreÌ„ belieue it as a sure truth which your experience shal iustifie though your tongues may deny You shall not be confirmed in the inward man if you doe not keepe your selues somewhat short in outward liberties of the body about profit pleasure foode attire and the rest of these bodily and sensuall matters O preferre thy soule before thy bodie and make more account of inward strength then of outward wealth credit or merriment But lastly if a man doe starue himselfe for want of victuall 4. By being constant in religious exercises and pine his body by neglecting his due meales it is without all doubt that he shall haue a weake and feeble body So it is also for the soule The Lord that hath ordained bread to make mans heart strong hath ordained also the spirituall
that thus make account of the Sacrament of nourishment for themselues there be that haue made so little account of the Sacrament of begetting againe that they scarce haue made one prayer the more for it or been any whit the more carefull to lament their owne originall corruption and their childes which it hath receiued from them O how great a blessing is it to a Father to haue his child regenerated euen from his infancy how great a blessing for the child to be borne againe euen so soone almost as euer he is first borne Why should not a man cry mightily to God for such a blessing Hath not the Lord bound vs to seeke to his ordinance and to bring our children to it Doubtlesse Circumcision was no more needfull for Iewish Infants then Baptisme for ours Why then why do not we seeke to it according to the worth of it and cry to him also to be mercifull to them and vs in washing them with his spirit and with water Sure God hath giuen thee good hope that thy child may be regenerate there and then by calling it to the seale of regeneration wherefore doe thou thy best endeauour to procure that it may be regenerate by begging the performance of what the seale imports Set a day at least some good time apart to seeke the face of God to finde out and confesse thy sinnes chiefly thine originall sinne which thou hast deriued to thine infant lament it in thy selfe lament it in and for him and with the most vehement prayers that thou canst put vp beseech the Lord to accept thee to accept the fruit of thy body to blesse his owne institution to it to wash it with the holy Ghost and to beget it to a new life and to infuse into it that holinesse now by meanes of Baptisme which he can as easily infuse into an Infant as into a man of yeeres I say againe pray for the regeneration of thy childe as well as for thine owne nourishing to obtaine the fruit of Baptisme for it as to obtaine the fruit of the Lords Supper for thy selfe Both are Sacraments both Gods ordinances but the efficacy of Baptisme is more necessary then that of the Lords supper for if one be not borne anew he cannot bee saued hee may bee saued without sensible confirmation And Baptisme cannot be reiterated as may the Lords Supper wherefore what thou canst doe but once for thy child that thou must be carefull to doe this once in the best manner that being well done it may be better then twice done How strong and full hopes of his childs saluation and regeneration might a parent haue if he would thus win them of God by prayer the feruent prayer of a righteous man preuaileth very much Here therfore if in any thing at this time if at any time and for this benefit if for any benefit see that you make your praiers most feruent And so much for those duties which concerne all men to vse both towards all and towards those of their owne families both elder and infants Now I come to those that concerne the Ministers of Gods Word especially The Minister principally by constaâ—t and plaine preaching In all the former duties they are bound to abound aboue others for their calling affords them more knowledge more opportunities more authoritie But some things they must doe that others may not They must administer the holy Sacraments they must offer vp publike prayers for and with the Congregation they must preach the Word constantly in season and out of season following Christ Iesus whose custome it was to goe into their synagogues vpon the Sabbath day and so to speake as all wondred at his gratious words In truth God would not haue ordained in his Church Pastors that should liue of the Gospell and whose maine work should be to studie and to grow in knowledge but that they should be carefull to speake as beseemed wholesome doctrine euen to speake and exhort with all long suffering and with all authoritie I doe wonder in my very soule how any man dare aduenture to take vpon him the weightiest office and burthen that can bee euen the care of mens soules that knowes himselfe able to doe no more for their saluation then a schoole-boy of a dozen yeres old might doe euen fairely reade them some prayers and a chapter or two Is this the labouring in the Word and doctrine for which Ministers are specially accounted worthy double honour Is this to be a Worke-man that needeth not to be ashamed diuiding the Word of truth aright Who can hold vp his face before God and make answere to these questions so as it shall not inforce him to confesse that if he will be a pastour ouer soules he must be able to doe more for the sheep then many perhaps most of the sheepe are able to doe for themselues The conscience therefore of that pastour must needs beare witnesse against him that dares reap earthly things when he cannot sow spirituall that dare challenge a place of double honour wheÌ„ he caÌ„not perform a single work Darest thou whosoeuer thou art for a liuing's sake serue filthy lucre in aduenturing on that calling which thou knowest thy self vtterly vnable to fulfill Doubtlesse the time will come when thou shalt wish that thou haddest rather chosen to haue liued any where then at the Altar not being able to doe the seruice of the Altar and then of the Gospell not being able to preach the Gospell O then study day and night and by continuall paines and putting forth thy selfe to all laboriousnesse make thy selfe able to do that which by paines-taking with much prayer to God for a blessing thou maiest attaine vnto I entreate thee to consider the words of our Sauiour Christ whosoeuer is a scribe instructed for the kingdome of God that is a good and fit Minister must not alone haue in his treasure but as a good housholder bring forth of his treasure new things and old Art thou not Gods steward art thou not Gods Embassadour art thou not Gods fellow-workman why doest thou not deliuer thine embassage why doest thou not distribute Gods foode why doest thou not plant and water that God may giue the encrease Consider what a waighty duty what a great honour it is to bee Gods instrument for the regenerating others to be a spirituall father to haue them our spiritual sons in Christ who are Gods adopted sons in Christ Happy is he to whom many men some men one man oweth his title of Gods child and his interest into Gods Kingdome FINIS
vile in his owne eyes because he knowes hee hath deserued to be damned and that so foule a thing as sinne wherewith his Maker hath due cause to be so much displeased doth not alone abide but raigne and command in him Wherefore hee doth euen lie downe at the foote of the throne of Gods iustice and in a most ardent abhorring of himselfe doth subscribe to the righteousnes of God in his owne feared destruction hauing nothing in the world to say for himselfe as of himselfe why he should not be destroyed and not so much as a tittle of a word to obiect against the perfect and exact equitie of the liuing God if that he should destroy him Sinne I say sinne not alone the punishment of sin but sin it selfe is discouered vnto him hee sees its loathsomnes and vilenes he sees its strength and violence he sees his owne totall defilement hee perceiues himselfe throughly and throughly polluted with it and cries out bitterly Ah what shal I doe not only nor so much because I shall be damned but because I am so wicked so sinfull so contrary to God so rebellious against him so very a traytor vnto him and so vtterly vnable to mend these woful disorders of my soule These be his groanes these be his plaints and his cryings out are of his wickednesse and iniquitie wherein hee was conceiued wherein hee was borne wherein hee hath liued and whereof now he perceiueth not so much as one part of his heart or of his life to be cleane and vnspotted This acknowledgement and sense of our sinfulnes is the very first beginning of holinesse The vnregenerate often sees and feeles his damnation the regenerate alone his sinfulnes the miserable deprauation of his nature the vtter totall odious pollution of his whole man being so loathsome that hee sees God cannot chuse in iustice but detest him and for any thing that is in himselfe for euer reiect him This apprehension of sinfulnes is mixed alwaies at first at least often with the feare of Gods wrath and vengeance but it doth so temper and allay that feare as the bitternes thereof carries not the soule furiously to contend against God as else he could not chuse but doe For his hatred is not stirred now against God whom in truth by vertue of a secret vnfelt and vndiscerned hope that the spirit of God hath created and doth vphold in him he loueth and honoureth though he be more then half in doubt lest hee may destroy him but alone against himselfe his wretched hatefull selfe that is so intollerably wicked and naught that he can see no cause but that the Lord should glorifie his equitie and iustice in damning him And so much for this first worke of regeneration the second followes it close at the heeles and is nothing else 2. An earnest deâ—â—â—e of â—â—â—â—nesse with remâ—â—â—ion of siâ—nes but an earnest desire of attaining holines and vertue together with remission of sinnes and the fauour of God in Christ Iesus For you must conceiue the partie that is now in regenerating to haue a generall knowledge of the doctrine of the Gospell and a generall assent also to the truth of it this doctrine being as I said before an instrumentall cause of regeneration But now the generall knowledge begins to bee made speciall and the man touched with a sense of sinne is moued also with a most vehement longing after grace and mercie not alone to pardon his sinne but also to heale his soule of it as of a desperat wound which he feeleth to be most smarting and mortall So hee cries out who shall deliuer me from this body of death No hungrie man did euer with a more eager appetite wish for meate nor thirstie man for drinke nor couetous man for money nor ambitious man for aduancement then hee now longeth to be reconciled vnto God in Christ to haue his foule nature made cleane his wofull sinnes forgiuen his abominable corruptions remoued and killed and holinesse planted in their roome Oh how faine he would be holy O how faine would hee be humble faithfull obedient how faine he would beleeue in loue feare serue God! but ah wretch that he is he cannot Woe woe vnto him he cannot O how shall hee be able to preuaile against these vile disorders of his heart and life how shall hee doe to be lesse sinfull and more righteous These be his thoughts these his wishes these his groanes hee findes so great a misse of nothing as of the pardon of his sinne and the graces of the Spirit of God and if he had that bestowed vpon him were he a beggar a prisoner a slaue any thing yet he should seeme to himselfe an happy man and ah Lord thinkes he that thou wouldest be pleased for Christ his sake to forgiue my wickednes and to heale my nature Now the thirst that hee had after the things of this world is wonderfully cooled and as a man in a burning fit of an ague makes no reckoning of his fine cloathes hee doth almost put off all those desires and poore or not poore esteemed or not esteemed it is no great matter but that he might be accepted into the fauour of God and haue his sinnes pardoned and subdued and his vnholy nature made holy that is all in all within him There is to be seene in vnsanctified men in case of terrors of conscience which sometimes do lie long vpon them a great desire to be free from the insufferable euils they see comming vpon them For who can make question but that Iudas would faine not haue been damned or that the damned in hell haue not a wonderfull desire get out of their torments this being one maine aggrauation of their pangs that they cannot but desire to be deliuered out of those euils which they cannot escape But they not hauing the supportation of the Spirit of God to vnderprop them with hope doe vanish in these desires and lose the fruit of them for lack of a kindly working of them towards the Lord for they be not lifted vp to heauen-ward But the man that is now in framing a new being sustained with the fore-mentioned secret hope hath vehement and setled wishes fixed and fastened in him whereby hee thirsteth after the grace of God not alone to saue but also to amend him So the desires of the sanctified arising from the spirit are differenced from the desires of the vnsanctified that are meere fruits of nature which would faine be wel eased of an heauie burthen by these two things First that they are directed vnto God whereas the other are rouing and confused desires Secondly by their being set alwaies as well often as much somtimes more vpon holinesse as vpon freedome from punishment vpon the getting of vertue and goodnesse as vpon the getting of an heauenly kingdome wheras the heart of the vnsanctified is so taken vp when he must needs feele it with the sense of his misery and punishment that hee cannot