godly purposes grow strong and hee remaineth resolute not to worke wickednes for all his earnest pronenesse thereunto Thus the regenerate findes himselfe strangely diuided within and against himselfe Sometimes hee would be sinfull and commit such and such wickednes and yet againe hauing better thought of the matter hee would not At other times hee would cast away all sinne and faine performe all good duties with all constancie but hee findes something within resisting and rebelling and hee would not be so good But still in conclusion either sooner or later the sanctified part gets the better of the vnsanctified the desires and purposes of goodnesse preuaile against the desires and purposes of euil and hee is setled in the holy determinations that the spirit of God doth leade him vnto His heart is euen a pitcht field of contrary desires the bad often grow very strong and vehement and able almost to ouerthrow and chase away the good But the good gather head againe and beate backe the bad and by the spirit hee mortifies the flesh and by the word of God and prayer subdueth and crucifies those carnall affections of his I confesse there is a miserable stirre a troublesome discord in the soule of an vnsanctified man betwixt the light of the conscience and the corruption of the will this haling him forward to diuers wickednesses and that drawing backe but the difference betwixt the naturall combat and the spirituall is so manifest that no good man which hath felt them both can chuse but see how to distinguish them one from the other The d fference betwixt the cōbat of the fl sh and spirit and the opposition of the conscience the corrupted will in the vnregenerate Indeed they are euidently distinguished in fiue things 1. In the faculties that oppose each other 2. In the things about which they quarrell 3. In the motiues of the opposition 4. In the meanes of resistance And fifthly in the issue thereof First in the vnregenerate the will is wholly carried after sin alone the conscience makes a clamorous gainsaying and suffers not the will to goe on in its euill courses vncontrolled He would with all his heart commit wickednes but hee dares not not so the regenerate In him not the conscience alone stands out against sinne but the will it selfe is diuided in part hanging one way in part another Hee would not doe euill not alone hee dares not and the act of the will setting against its owne corruption by its owne holinesse is farre different from the act of the conscience opposing the will that remaineth wholly corrupted See it in a comparison An hungry dogge hath a strong appetite to be deuouring some meate that stands before him but at the same time he sees a man standing by with a cudgel to strike him if he touch it Now his appetite is altogether to the meate but he is feared and ouer-awed by the sight of the man that is ready to strike him So is it with the vnsanctified man sinne is his foode his will is wholly carried to it but the conscience holds as it were a cudgell ouer him threatning to strike if he taste Wherefore what with a full desire he would do he forbeareth in act to performe affrighted by those clamours But now a man diseased sees some foode to which his appetite inclineth but he knowes it hurtfull for his body and therefore though his will drawne by his senses sometimes moue him to be tasting yet the same will informed by reason doth preuaile in him to be vnwilling and out of such vnwillingnes to forbeare So is it with the godly man His will stands to sinne for the pleasure or profits sake in some part but being better taught by Gods spirit of the sinfulnes thereof his owne will checks it selfe and hee sets vp his resolution not to meddle with it So is this point of difference made plaine not to be willing to doe is another thing then not to dare In the former the will bridleth and holdeth-vnder it s owne inward motions and not alone the outward act in the latter the motions of the will haue a free scope but alone the outward act is restrained Further in the things whereabout the stirre is they differ very much For the conscience of the vnsanctified makes resistance to their will alone vnlesse in case they be vnder terrors of conscience in some more grosse notorious palpable and vnaccustomed sinnes which are commonly ioyned with shame and reproch in the world and are not likely committed but by those that are infamous amongst men as in periurie murther adulterie theft false witnesse bearing and such like For smaller euils and such as the world little accounts of though knowne and confessed to be sinnes the naturall conscience is content to dispense and dawbe and daily and giue easie way to the doing of them vpon a thousand fond shifts and pretences but now the regenerate mans wil so far as it is regenerate is in combat against its owne vnsanctifiednes about euery knowne euill the little as well as the great that that is allowed in the common practise of the world as well as that that is disallowed For of him it is truly said that hee worketh none iniquitie Thirdly the naturall conscience vseth the motiues or restraints rather of feare of shame of danger amongst men at the best and most of destruction and damnation from God and by threatning these things sometimes somewhat terribly it ouer-aweth the motions of the will from consenting to act though not to desire But in the regenerate will the arguments of resistance are fetcht from God and from Christ from the loue of God from the death of Christ from th◠scandall of religion from the dishonour of the name of God from the Lords being displeased with sinne and not onely barely or chiefly from the punishment of sinne Fourthly the conscience of the vnsanctified driues him not to prayer to the word to spirituall meditations as weapons whereby to mortifie euill lusts and to restraine the will from consenting only it followes him with its owne vehement checks and reluctations in diuers troublesome and confused thoughts But the sanctification of the will opposeth its corruption by prayers by the word by the blood of Christ Iesus and by the hopes of eternitie For hauing this hope hee purgeth himselfe as Christ is pure So the vnsanctified man when he would doe euill and dares not is tossed and tumbled from place to place now thinking of one thing now of another wishing to follow his owne inclinations but wanting boldnesse and if hee doe any thing to help himselfe it is to get him into some company that perhaps may ease him a while But the sanctified when he findes this distraction of his will vsually seekes out some secret place tels himselfe of Gods commandement of Gods loue of Christs suffering for him asketh himselfe if he can finde in his heart so much to offend so good
THE NEW BIRTH OR A TREATISE OF REGENERATION DELIVERED IN CERTAINE Sermons and now published by WILLIAM WHATELY PREACHER and Minister of Banbury in Oxfordshiere 1. COR. 5.17 If any man be in Christ hee is a new creature old things are passed away behold all things are become new LONDON Imprinted by Felix Kingston for Thomas Man and are to be sold at his shop in Pater-Noster-Row at the signe of the Talbot 1618. THE METHOD OF THE TREATISE The Doctrine concerning the necessity of Regeneration is 1. Propounded and proued by Testimonies of Scripture 2. Confirmed by foure manifest Reasons taken from the 1. Sinfulnesse of Mans corrupt Nature 2. Puritie of Gods Nature 3. Tenour of the Couenant of Grace 4. End of Christs sufferings 3. Explicated 1. By a Description of Regeneration from the Causes Efficient Principall the Holy Ghost Instrumentall the Word of God chiefly preached Materiall Holinesse Formall Infusion Finall Gods glory in the persons saluation Subiect which is the whole Man 2. By a Declaration of the degrees and order of working it which are foure 1. By discouering to a man his naturall sinfulnesse 2. By stirring vp in him a setled desire of pardon and of holinesse 3. By dropping into him the spirit of Prayer inabling him solemnely to beg the two forenamed things at the hand of God 4. By sealing him with the Spirit of Promise which certifying him of acceptance with God imprints in his will a firme purpose of liuing to him hereafter and so he is a new creature 3. By a declaration of the effects that follow which are foure 1. A Spirituall Combate with the Diuell the World and the Flesh where the combate of flesh and spirit is distinguished from the combate of the light of Conscience and the corruption of the will in fiue points 1. In the things that are at variance 2. In the things about which they fight 3. In the motiues inducing them to fight 4. In the weapons by which they fight 5. In the successe of the combate 2. In a good conuersation in both parts of it 1. Leauing all euill Knowne Grosser so as not ordinarily to commit it Lesse grosse so as not to allow excuse defend it Suspected so as to seeke and be willing to know it and to leaue it 2. Doing good For extent Of all sorts Manner Out of conscience to God According to the direction of the Word 3. A knowledge of his owne being regenerate vnlesse in cases of 1. Infancie and new comming on 2. Strong tentations 3. Spirituall sownes of sinne 4. Growth in Grace whereof the Kinds are either in Quantitie Qualitie Manner is though not without diuers it may be long stops as in sicknes yet by recouering out of all 4. A Declaration of the principall graces of the new man in the 1. Chiefe faculties 1. Vnderstanding 1. Knowledge 2. Faith in God The Word of God 2. Conscience 1. Peaceablenesse 2. Wakefulnesse 3. Will 1. Being carried after God 2. Subiection to the will of God 2. The inferiour powers 1. Memorie 2. Imagination 3. Affections 4. Applied by making vses 1. Generall to all to trie themselues 2. Speciall to the Vnregenerate to Terrifie them To exhort them to be regenerate by 1. Desiring and begging for the spirit of regeneration 2. Hiding the Doctrine of the Law and Gospell in their hearts 3. Constant hearing the word of God preached and meditating of it after hearing Regenerate 1. To comfort them in the sight of their happinesse 2. To exhort them to two things 1. To cherish Grace in themselues 1. By auoiding ill company and keeping good 2. By auoiding things sinfull in resisting the first motions 3. By shunning excesse in things indifferent 4. By being constant in religious exercises 2. To propagate it to others which concernes the Flock and euery priuat man that in regard both of All with whom he shall conuerse and that by good Life Conference Especially those of his owne family both them of Age by 1. Worshipping God amongst them 2. Catechising them 3. Bringing them to Church 4. Praying for their regeneration 2. That are infants by bringing them to Baptisme with faithfull and feruent prayer Ministers by constant and plaine preaching of the Word of God to them Maior Aldermen and Burgesses and the rest of the Inhabitants of the Towne and Parish of Banburie the Author dedicateth the following Treatise and wisheth all happines WOrshipfull and welbeloued I haue not long since preached amongst you some things concerning the nature of the New Birth I am glad to vnderstand that in handling of them I gaue to some of you some good content I am willing you see to renew your content by offering the same things now to your eyes that formerly to your eares that the serious and I hope often reading of what you but once heard may instruct you better and ground you further in this necessarie doctrine And Oh that the Lord of Heauen would please so effectually to co-operate with his Word that many of you may become partakers of this happy and sauing worke of grace My greatest couetousnesse is that your soules may be thus inriched my greatest ambition that they may be thus aduanced To this end haue I bent mine endeauours amongst you in the constant imployment of the talent lent me by God which how heartily doe I wish and pray that it may be auaileable for your renouation For in truth the whole world is not worthy to stand in comparison with this life of holines I say it againe All the greatest aduancements profits pleasures which this prick of earth this almost nothing which we tread vpon is able to afford are in no sort to be esteemed desirable if they be laid in the ballance against those heauenly preferments those infinite treasures those vnutterable comforts whereto this estate of grace doth bring those that are brought vnto it euen in this present world in some good measure but most fully in the vpper region of this world the stately pallace of heauen the fairest roome of this large house and the Presence Chamber of the King of Kings Why then is any man especially why is any of you to whom these things haue been frequently deliuered on whom they haue been earnestly pressed on whom they are constantly inculcated why I say is any of you so worse then childish yea then brutish as to be carelesse of seeking that vnspeakable felicity from which nothing can hinder you but your owne slothfull negligence or wilfull carelesnesse in not vouchsafing to seeke it This small Treatise I am now bold to dedicate vnto you both that it may witnesse to your owne consciences and all that reade it that none of you doth want grace for want of meanes to get it either on Christs part the King of your soules or on my part his vnworthy Ambassadour and also that it may be present with you at all times to prouoke you to get that holinesse without which you haue learned that you
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
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
this his happie and powerfull working And such is the formall cause of regeneration The finall cause or the end of it is the glorie of God in the saluation of the partie regenerate For to speake truth it were a shame and reproch to the God of heauen to let a sinner that is to say his professed enemie come into heauen for this would vpbraide him with falsehood in regard of his word and with want of holinesse and iustice in his nature Now the Lord cannot be so weake as to doe any thing that should giue him iust cause to speake as of God wee must needes speake after the manner of men of being ashamed thereof Wherefore that he may with glory and honour and praise and the content of his owne most holy nature take thither so many of the corrupted sonnes of Adam as hee pleaseth to make vessels of honour it is his will and care thus to change their nature and to renew them by his spirit and so he obtaineth the fullest fulnesse of glorie that may be in their happinesse being for euer praised by all his holy creatures and which more is infinitly satisfying himselfe in the beholding of the excellencie of that great work of their blessednes and the most pure and holy and admirable meanes that hee hath ordained to bring them vnto it And these are the causes of regeneration The next thing mentioned in the description is the subiect of it which is the whole man in all the powers of the soule and of the body according as the Apostle prayeth for the Thessalonians 1. Thes 5.23 that they might bee sanctified throughout and that their whole soule and body might be kept blamelesse And by this note it is differenced from all other changes that may carrie any resemblance to it they being all but partiall changes either of the outside alone and not the inside or of some one power alone not of all the powers because indeed they are not fruites of holinesse but either of hollownesse and selfe-loue or at best of a bare and weake worke of illumination And thus haue I performed the first thing intended in describing regeneration of which if any man demaund what it is wee say it is a change that is a bringing of a new and here too of a contrary qualitie in stead of the old that was before if who makes the change the holy Ghost if by what meanes by the word if in what manner by infusion that is by the working of a proper and immediate vertue deriued from himselfe If from what and to what this change is from the sinfulnesse of a man which he receiueth from Adam successiuely to holinesse If wherein in the whole man soule and body and all the powers of both If to what end to the glory of the worker and saluation of him in whom it is wrought O happy worke of an happy workman by an happy instrument and thrice happy that man in whom this blessed worker shall vouchsafe to accomplish this his most worthy and excellent and onely blessed worke to so worthy and blessed a purpose CHAP. IIII. Shewing the order of working Regeneration 2. The order of regenerating in foure acts NOw I proceede to declare in what order the Spirit of God pleaseth to performe this most admirable change which is done in these foure actions which I shall lay downe First the spirit of God working in and with the Law but tempered with the Gospell becomes a spirit of contrition causing a man to see and feele his extreame sinfulnes 1. Shewing a man his naturall sinfulnesse and wretchednes in so much that hee is euen wounded at the very heart therwith and his sinfull and vnhappy estate becomes a wofull bondage captiuitie vnto him The Lord doth not alone raise vp miserable terrors of conscience in him in regard of some one or more grosse offēces that he hath actually committed although often hee maketh these very terrors a meanes of making himselfe a passage to enter in at but hee opens the eyes of the minde to see the very mud and filth of the soule that lay at the bottome before vnseene and vndiscerned The Spirit conuinceth him of sinne It shewes him that generall wickednes and sinfulnes of his nature whereof we spake before Now he feeles his vnbeliefe pride ignorance hypocrisie and other heart-corruptions Hee iudgeth himselfe worthy to be destroyed not alone hauing a sight of his own inability to escape damnation but likewise of the iustice of God in damning him so that hee doth euen stoupe and yeeld himselfe thereto Whereas before hee was aliue without the Law not hauing the true knowledg of it now the Law comming in the sound power and working of it through the strength of the holy Ghost causeth that he becomes dead in his owne sense and apprehension but sinne becomes aliue to his sense and feeling and hee perceiuing the strength force violence and mischieuousnes of it more then euer before now cryes out with the Apostle O miserable man that I am and now confesseth that he is carnall and sold vnder sinne as the same Apostle did in the same sense of his naturall wretchednesse which the comming of the life of grace had brought with it Thus the death of sinne begins to be changed into life in that it is felt and discerned For the very first working of this new life must needs be a feeling of the old death in sinnes and trespasses Not I say alone of his death in hell in regard of his deseruing the torments thereof but of his death in sinnes and trespasses of his vtter inabilitie to do any good thing of his vtter emptines of all heauenly graces of his extreame slauerie to vngodlines and vnrighteousnes and all the lusts of the flesh and of his perpetuall and vehement pronenes to all abomination and wickednes There is often I confesse a work and a very terrible work of the Law the naturall conscience together procuring most extreame and hideously-bitter pangs and hellish agonies in the soule of man where the spirit of regeneration neither is nor euer shall be this being alone a fruite of the spirit of bondage not of the spirit of grace And oftentimes againe the spirit of sanctification comes into the soule together with this spirit of bondage making a violent entrie and by maine force breaking open the heart formerly locked and barred against it and so beginning this sauing worke of holinesse But terrors of conscience which may be in all vnregenerate men because they are already in all the damned into whom no part nor peece of regeneration can enter is farre different from this first degree of the worke of a new birth The sanctifying spirit laies the filthinesse not alone the danger of sinne before the eyes of the mind It causeth a man not alone to be in extreame anguish because he feares he must be damned but euen to loathe and abhorre himselfe and to be very
of God to reforme ones heart and soule as well as his free fauour to pardon former offences An vnsanctified man by benefit of Christian acquaintance in long and heauie terrours may come to the one of these to the other alone the Spirit of sanctification can leade one To which passe when the heart is once brought at length 4. A perswasion of mercie bringing a resolution of obedience the fourth act of the Holy Ghost doth plainely shew it selfe for it becomes a spirit of adoption within him the very earnest penny of saluation sealing vp vnto him the fauour of God the pardon of sinne the attaining of life and by a new and in truth considering the difference of former times a strange worke perswading him that God is reconciled vnto him and hath accepted him for his childe As it made him able to take vnto him words and goe vnto the Lord crauing to bee accepted graciously so it brings him word againe from God that he shal be yea that he is accepted gratiously and answering him euen as one would say with a sensible answer in the middest of his prayers oft-times so strongly and vndoubtedlie â—â—â—ures him of his being heard that hee makes for the time no more question of it then whither he liues yea or no. From which assurance of spirit hauing tasted the sweetnesse of Gods Grace and felt how good the consolations of his Word and Spirit are he growes resolute in his very soule for the time to come in all things to please God and finds a new kind of disposition inabling him to auoide euill and doe good so hauing put his necke vnder the gentle and easie yoke of Christ Iesus hee finds rest vnto his soule and thus is Christ formed in him and he transformed into a new creature For this firme purpose of will to please God in all things is so manifest and euident and sensible a worke of grace that now we may say this act of regeneration is growne to some good ripenesse and euen now perfected in him before he was in making a new man but now he is made new now he is begotten againe and become a sonne of God and heire of his kingdome and fellow-heire of Christ I know that it may befall an hypocrite lying vnder the burthen of a terrified conscience which may be totally and perpetually separated from regeneration and regeneration from it by the diligent inculcating of the comforts of the Gospell and the earnest labour of some Christian and godly men that in such case would faine speake peace to bee brought because they are told there is none other way of comfort to a purpose of neuer committing such and such grosse sinnes as they are accused of in their owne soules and to some promise of amendment of life but this is rather a resolution forced vpon them by striuing of others hereupon promising comfort then a thing growing in themselues out of the sense of the louing kindnesse of the Lord their God Whereas a Christian finds somewhat within him inclining him and making him to say within himselfe and euen little lesse then to sweare and vow with Dauid that hee will surely keepe the righteous iudgements of the Lord and that in all things and for euer to his dying day And thus is the worke of regeneratioÌ„ brought to some perfectioÌ„ thus doth the holy Ghost mould the soule of a man into a new fashion thus doth hee stampe vpon him a new image and as you would say the very lineaments and proportion of God his Father whom in a sweete likenesse that makes him amiable to God and Angels he begins to resemble Onely my brethren vnderstand you one thing for the better conceiuing of all that hath been spoken There are two sorts of regenerate men in the world Some it pleaseth God to call to himselfe euen very betimes dropping pietie and grace into them almost together with their mothers milke by benefit of that great fauour of God holy and Christian education and that euen in certaine insensible degrees so that they cannot so easily name the beginning and progression of this worke In these all the forenamed things are most manifestly found for in truth the working of them doth not cease till life cease and that so as sometimes the one of these workes of grace is more strong then the other Sometimes they find a more sensible abasement of themselues within their owne hearts out of the apprehension of their sinfulnesse sometimes desires and prayers are more vehement sometimes a comfortable resolution of pleasing God doth more mightily stirre in them yet because of the early working and that they were wrought in a still manner by very small degrees the worke did almost goe beyond obseruation and they cannot so distinctly tell when they began to be abased when to be raised vp But there is another sort of men regenerate who did liue a long time in vnregeneracie yea perhaps also in profanenes and notable and notorious wickednesse for oft it falleth out that the Pharisies and Scribes make lesse haste to the kingdome of heauen then the Publicans and sinners I meane that the grosse offenders are sooner regenerated then the ciuill liuers Now for such men it pleaseth the holy Ghost many times yea most times to worke these foure fore-rehearsed workes very distinctly making as it were some euident pause betwixt each of them and grace goes forward in them euen step after step in the manner that hath been described Most times if not alwaies the difference of their former life when they were but dead making the matter euident enough they can name when and where and by what meanes the Lord began first to lay them low to pull them downe and as they say in nature corruption and generation goe together to kil their old man by terrors till being so slaine he had in a calmer manner shewed them the filthinesse and lothsomnesse of it They can tell what longings they felt before they durst pray and what adoe they had to bring themselues to pray and then how long they continued praying before they were answered and lastly wheÌ„ that sweet tidings came that rauished their soule with ioy and made them so inamoured of Gods goodnesse that they euen made a strong couenant with him to walke in his waies and keepe his iudgements All these things I say they can tell well and nothing doth them more good then to recount with themselues this mightie act of the most high whereby their foules with as great a miracle as once Lazarus his body were raised vp from the rotten graue of sinne wherein they lay wrapt vp in the winding sheet of hardnesse of heart and blindnesse of mind stinking and putrifying as a carcasse crawleth with wormes swarming with those noysome lusts that are able to poyson vp an honest heart CHAP. V. Shewing the effects of Regeneration ANd so haue you brethren the order and so farre as may be collected out of scripture the
manner of the bringing to passe of this most excellent and wonderfull worke of a new begetting by the most excellent and wonderfull begetter the Spirit of truth and by that excellent and wonderfull seede of life the word of truth 3. The effects of regeneration which are foure Now I will declare vnto you that which is the third thing I promised the effects that follow hereupon Not euery particular for who can name them the life of grace abounding in multiplicitie of actions and operations as it were eating drinking breathing grieuing striuing smarting of the soule as the life of nature but alone some principall and most eminent by the seeing of which in it selfe the soule of the new borne babe of Christ shall haue cause to receiue much comfort The principall effects therefore of regeneration are these foure First a spirituall combat Secondly a good life for all this combat Thirdly a knowledge of that good estate whereinto the regenerate is translated Fourthly Spirituall growth in those graces that at first were but weake and feeble in the regenerate For alack an infant is a very tender thing and so are Gods infants For the first of these 1. The spirituall combat with No sooner doth a Christian begin to draw the breath of this new life but he findes himselfe called to fighting euen in the very cradle as I may so speake and as they fabled of that renowned heathen man He stands in a pitched field of enemies so soone as he can goe vpon the feete of his soule and there hee must neuer cease giuing and taking blowes till hee cease to be in this lower world Although indeed there be some intermission and relaxation of the strength and furie of the encounter as it pleaseth the Lord that knowes all things to temper them to his strength and direct them to his good 1. The Diuell First the diuell begins to play his part with him and finding him gained out of his hands and pulled from vnder his tyrannie musters vp an armie of tentations wherewith at least to annoy him if hee cannot as hee cannot preuaile to bring him backe againe to his seruitude and thraldome For when the strong man armed kept his house all things were at quiet vnder him but when he feeles himselfe bound and cast out and his house rifled by a stronger then himselfe then it must needs follow that hee will bestirre himselfe and lay about him with all the power that he can make So now the poore Christian though perhaps but an infant in grace is violently assailed by Satan according to his nature with extreame rage and subtiltie And if it haue so falne out that the Spirit of God was faine to batter downe the height of his heart and make passage for himselfe with horrible feares and terrors then Satan labours often to reuiue those terrors and by infinit cauils and obiections to make him euen despaire of his saluation There is none end almost of the diuels striuing in this case but hee will labour continually with new doubts and obiections to call his saluation into question and to make him thinke that hee shall neuer enioy the quiet possession of his heauenly inheritance Yet against all these the Spirit of God so strengthens him that by vertue of the gratious promises of God and by the power of constant prayers and supplications he supports himselfe and still continues to rest himselfe vpon the free goodnesse of God in Christ notwithstanding all these obiections and shakings Neither yet will Satan rest here but is further troublesome vnto him by stirring vp innumerable vile suggestions to draw him to the committing of some most notorious sinnes perhaps worse then euer in all his life before and for his old corruptions he ceaseth not to prouoke and incense them with all vehemency that he may driue him into lewd and hatefull practises of sinne But against these suggestions also he fighteth resolutely much indeede vexed and disquieted with them but still reiecting abhorring thē and beating them back by the word of God which is his sword by constant supplications whereby still he settles his soule firme and fast in his holy purposes of obedience I confesse that the diuell is a common enemie to all mankinde both sanctified and vnsanctified and therfore the vnregenerate also are much molested with him oftentimes when hee growes exorbitant and seeketh to pull them by the strength of vtter despaire as it were quicke into hell and to make them kill themselues or doe some other most grosse and vnnaturall crime But Satan is not willing to deale so roughly with them if he could chuse for he stands euer in most danger of losing them when hee carries himselfe towards them in so hard a fashion Wherefore he rather flatters and faunes endeuouring to rocke them asleepe still if hee can in the cradle of securitie and presumption Neither will he storme thus but when he sees his aduantage in regard of some bodily crosse or distemper or that he sees the Lord will needes awaken their sleepie consciences But for the poore Christian hee would not giue him rest no not for a day or two from the most horrible feares and from the foulest tentations whereto his corruption giues any passage or from others more hideous especially if hee see him weake scrupulous and iniudicious then hee makes vse of such ignorance and weaknesse and will neuer finde time to make an end of vexing him but that the Lord himselfe doth please to sound a retraite Indeede the Lord by this meanes to keepe downe his pride and ouer-master his strong corruptions doth giue much way to Satans rage but so still that he forgets not to refresh him with seasonable aide of his spirit of prayer and with the strength and comfort of his holie word and promises And in these termes stands hee with Satan euer almost assailed and incumbred by him And besides this the flesh also 2. Of the flesh as a more dangerous enemie though not so violent steps foorth to incounter him For though by grace it be wounded and mortified yet is it not quite and cleane taken away and remoued Wherefore the corruptions of his heart also grow violent in him lusting against the spirit and with a kinde of insinuating and secret inclination carrying him forward to all the former lusts of his ignorance and perhaps to some that are more loathsome and abominable Now vnbeliefe passion lust reuenge wantonnes worldlines and all the old distempers will be mouing in his soule and hee shall finde himselfe euer and anon little lesse then ready to yeeld vnto them and to be quite ouercome by them But the spirit in this case reuiueth it selfe also and lusts against the flesh stirring vp good motions against the bad and holy desires against the vnholy and vertuous wishes against the vitious and heartie prayers and requests to God against the sinfull inclinations of the euill heart so that at length his
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
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
beget a new life in the preaching that is to say the interpreting and applying of it by the mouth of a man inabled and assigned to that worke then in the bare reading for the Lord hath appointed in his Church Pastors and Teachers to be his Workemen his Laborers Dispensers of his heauenly mysteries and Fellow-workemen together with him that by becomming his instruments to conueigh grace into mens hearts they might become spirituall Fathers vnto them and by attendance not to reading alone 1. Tim. 4 13. but also to doctrine or teaching they might saue themselues and their hearers And when Christ himselfe was pleased to raise vp the dead world of the Gentiles vnto the new life of godlinesse and so to fulfill that which himselfe had foretold saying Iohn 5.25 The dead shall heare the voice of the Sonne of God and they that heare it shall liue Hee commanded his Disciples to goe and preach vnto all Nations will any man make himselfe so simple as to say Matth. 28.19 he meant thus Take the volume of the Law in your pockets and draw it out and reade a Chapter or two at a time vnto them Nay doubtlesse hee willed his Disciples to do that which they had so often seene and heard him doing whose custome was as wee may collect out of the fourth of Luke where one instance is recorded to make vs conceiue his ordinarie practice when he had read to interpret the Scripture by him read as there he did saying This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your eares and after to apply it to the hearers as in the same place he falles into the reproofe of their quarrelsomnesse against him that would vpbraide him with the Prouerb of Physitian heale thy selfe Prouerb amplifying his reproofe with allegation of the examples of the Widdow of Zarepta and the Syrian Naaman So the Apostles could not mistake his meaning when himselfe had by constant practice gone before you in doing what he bad them doe And therefore it will not at all follow that because the word read is able to beget faith either the ministers may content themselues vsually to reade it without preaching or the people vsually content themselues to heare it so and not be carefull to seeke for the preaching of it For of such absolute necessity and of such excellent worth is regeneration that it is needfull to seeke it and sinfull not to seeke it not onely in some one of the most easie meanes that may sometimes procure it but also in all the meanes though neuer so painfull that God hath appointed for it Euery man may reade himselfe yea must reade if he can This is a duty that might haue beene performed without establishing of any ministery in the Church But the Minister is not onely to reade but also to diuide the word of truth aright to exhort improue rebuke to speake to mens edification exhortation comfort that he may be truly called a fellow-labourer with God in the work of mens saluatiō Shal we rest our selues satisfied in one thing that may conuert shall we thinke it enough to bee constant in one exercise that may worke grace Doubtlesse if wee doe so our owne worldly wisdome and diligence shal rise vp in iudgement and condemne our spirituall folly and negligence Yea brethren in things temporall men stand thus affected that as they will neglect nothing that may promise them any furtherance to their good successe so they will shew most care and most earnestnesse in that which they haue cause to thinke will be most auaileable for their purpose Now without question the word preached is more vsually and more powerfully effectuall to regeneration then the word read The holy Ghost doth more often and more mightily worke by the word interpreted and applied then by it barely repeated out of the booke I thinke him not worthy to bee reasoned withall that will stand in deniall of this matter Reade the stories of holy writ and search and see if the examples of men by onely reading regenerated bee not few rare seldome nay scarce any where at all to be found but on the other side the examples of men by preaching made new common frequent and vsuall Therefore be it againe concluded that he doth farre vnderualue the gift of spiritual life which satisfying himself in the lesse vsuall and lesse auaileable meanes of working it because it is most easie pretermitteth the more auailable and more vsuall because he is not willing to vndergoe the paines labour or cost that it will require And thus you haue the efficient causes of regeneration Gods spirit as the chiefe the word principally preached as his instrument The materiall cause is holinesse that is the thing in the working of which regeneration is conuersant Holinesse I say the most admirable of all things in all the world as farre surpassing wit and learning and riches and other earthly vanities as learning surpasseth ignorance and wealth beggery This is as it were the character of Christ Iesus the image of God the beauty the riches the strength the life the soule of the soule of the whole man It is a very beame of the diuine light called therefore by the Apostle The diuine nature it is the most excellent and worthy thing vnder heauen or of things incident to creatures in heauen It is that that distinguisheth Angels from diuels the Saints from the damned Ghosts Take away from a blessed Angell his holinesse he will become a blacke fiend of hell It is in a word the best of all things that a creature can haue without which nothing is worth the hauing and with which the meanest condition is able to affoord a man happinesse enough This admirable thing that can by no words be sufficiently commended is giuen by regeneration and therefore wee call it the matter of regeneration Now holinesse is nothing else but this a supernaturall power of withdrawing the faculties of the whole man from sinfull and earthly obiects and exercising the same vpon God and the things of God This Adam had in his first creation and that in such perfection as God required at his hand This should hee haue propagated to his sonne and his sonne to his sonne had he continued in his innocency so that to him the same thing was naturall and to his innocent posterity should haue been which now to vs is aboue the power and course of nature to attaine and therefore need wee to get it by a second birth because wee cannot get it in our first birth For the naturall man doth not conceiue in his mind and consequently neither apply his will and affections to receiue the things of God 1. Cor. 2.14 as the Apostle speaketh yea his minde is alwayes bowing and bending after either bare earthly or very hellish obiects but because these things must be spiritually discerned therefore the holy Ghost endues him with a new power of raising himselfe vp from these base and filthy
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
a Father so perfect a Sauiour and then falling downe telleth the Lord how wicked he findes himselfe what foule desires are stirred in him and how weake he is to make resistance he beseecheth God to pull out this pricke of his flesh to strengthen him against these wicked desires and to establish his heart in a sincere purpose of obedience by his holy spirit and so riseth vp confirmed Thus I say he doth vsually and ordinarily though sometimes the suddenneâ—â—â— of occasions hinders him that he cannot and sometimes his owne neglect of dutie hath so estranged him that he findes no power so to doe in which last case he is often foyled in the former not so often Lastly the conscience if it take the foyle once or twice is benumbed and silenced Sometimes it suffers its mouth to be cleane stopped by some idle shift and vaine distinction which the wit that in many men is too good for their conscience hath inuented for the iustification of euill and after some such paultry defence or apologie a man is suffered to sinne freely enough But if the thing be neuer so vniustifiable yet after two or three times doing it the heart is hardened the naturall conscience put to silence and a mans checkes grow faint or none at all vntill some crosse come or some immediate hand of God to set it on working againe For why the vnsanctified man as he did not beg grace to hold him vp before his sinne so neither after hath any heart to goe and confesse it and craue the spirit of repentance but either lets it passe or falles to extenuate and excuse it vnlesse perhaps it grow desperate as in Iudas But now the santification of the will doth still get the victory though it may receiue a foyle It will not bee put downe it will not be vanquished yea euery latter time of offending it is more vehement in its opposition then before at least so farre as to make a man appeare more vile and abominable to himselfe So it brings him into Gods presence againe sooner or later and makes him say Lord I haue done exceeding foolishly but ah doe away the sinne of thy seruant for thy Sonnes sake and Lord through thy grace helpe me that hereafter I may offend no more Thus commonly he doth quickly renue his repentance and the spirit wins the field of the flesh though it were somewhat disaduantaged and made to recoyle backe at first For stronger is the spirit that is in vs then that that is in the world grace is alwaies in conclusion more auailable then naturall corruption Yea when Gods children are most deeply cast through presumption of sinning into the sownes of deadnesse security and vnconscionablenesse yet then still they heare a voyce behind them saying This is the way walke in it Then the sanctification of the will shewes it selfe in many motions and risings against the euils that they doe and by renewing in them the purposes of amendment though these purposes perhaps in case of great preuailing of corruption be so weake and feeble that they be not put in practice any thing thoroughly till God arise to weaken corruption and to strengthen grace and then he weepes and prayes and recouers himselfe resoluing to sinne so no more and standing to his resolutions And so fareth a poore Christian within himselfe There is a ciuill warre in his very bosome and his bowels be somtimes little lesse then rent asunder with intestine discord betwixt himselfe and himselfe Hee is no longer one but two men the old and the new deadly enemies dwelling both in one roome He findes two lawes in his heart the law of his flesh and the law of the spirit that drawing him captiue to sinne and this helping him out of that captiuitie He serues God in one part of his will and sinne in the other not meaning this last of such a seruing of sinne as was before his new birth but some kind of seruing euen a doing of that sometimes that sinne doth perswade though vnwillingly and against the haire Neither yet is this all for as within hee is thus perplexed 3. The world so can he not long be free from disquietment without The third enemy stands vp quickly and that is the world and that hates him malignes him abhors him cannot away with him When once some glimpse of Gods image shineth in him then worldly men perceiuing it if they were his friends turne foes They thinke and call him a foole they say he is either proud or stout or mad or all After a while also come slanders as it were stronger and sharper weapons then if the times will giue leaue his enemies growing in rage as he growes in goodnesse hee meetes often with losse of goods banishment and euen death it selfe So the world tries what she can doe by violence if that way seeme the fittest course of pulling him backe againe into her society but if the case bee such that that way seeme not at first so plausible the world assaults him with strong allurements his friends and neighbours will perswade him to returne to bee himselfe againe he shall haue large offers of friendship and of gaine Many entreaties many promises many assurances and many performances of good turnes as strong baits are held out before him to diuert him from the wayes of godlinesse And these fairer assaults often hurt him much more then the more violent but yet still his faith is his victory by which he ouercomes the world The assurance that he findes in himselfe of Gods eternall loue and the sweet effects therof makes him to disdaine these sugred allurements and to stand strong against those bitter encounters flatter they or frowne they doe him good or doe him euill still hee holds himselfe to this conclusion hee will not leaue God to cleaue vnto the world againe Thus you see how the regenerate man is laid too on euery hand within without on euery side There is no day in a yeere no houre in a day nay verily scarce any minute in an houre wherein some one or other of these his backe friends doth not striue to doe him a spight The worst enemie is within himselfe the next is the diuell and the world the least These welcome him in this manner into the City of God Thus they entertaine him into the society of Christs mysticall body But in all these things he is an excellent conquerour yea verily more then a conquerour through him that hath loued him for he is out of all danger of euer being quite ouercome Wherefore notwithstanding all the trouble of this first effect of grace 2. A good life the second will follow the first and that is a good conuersation A man would imagine that the forenamed incumbrances should so farre discourage his heart to whom they befell as to take from him all boldnesse so much as to attempt a good course And indeed so it would were he not continually led and strengthened by
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
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
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
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