CHAP. I. ¶ The entrance into the matter, by shew­ing the occasion and summe of the Text.

Sect. 1. The occa­sion, and coherence THis third chapter of Saint Iohn, from the first verse to the 22. is a dialogue or conference betwixt the Sauiour of Israel, and a Maister in Israel (I meane) Christ Ie­sus and Nicodemus, concerning the [Page 2] causes of eternall saluation: wherin our Sauior amongst many other necessarie doctrines (touching the merits of hisVerses 13.14. obedience,v. 15.16. faith in his bloud, thev. 16.17. loue of the Father, in sending his Son out of his owne bosome, to ransome and redeeme the world of Beleeuers; which hee handleth heere and there, within the compasse of those verses) falleth in the first place, vpon the point of Regeneration, beeing occasioned thereunto, by the speech which Nico­demus put foorth to him in the second verse; Rabbi, we know thou art a teacher come from God: that is, Not onely the vulgar sort of people, but also wee Pharises are perswaded, and doe con­fesse, that thou art a Teacher and Do­ctor, not assuming the office of instru­cting by an vnlawfull vsurpation, but sent by an extraordinary and immedi­ate calling from God himselfe, whose presence and power doth manifest it selfe in thy Doctrine, by the miracles which he enableth thee to doe for the ratifying & confirming of that which thou teachest. By which speech Christ, [Page 3] perceiuing a secret desire in this Do­ctor to be taught in the way of God, beginneth somewhat obscurely to tell him of a certaine second or new-birth, making entrance thereinto with a ve­hement asseueration or protestation in the third verse; Ʋerily, verily, I say vnto thee, Except a man be borne againe, he cannot see the kingdome of God: as if hee should haue said; Sayest thou so, Nico­demus, that I am an extraordinary tea­cher sent from God, not called after an ordinary manner? thou speakest true, and such an one shalt thou now finde me; for I can instruct thee in such a mysticall peece of Diuinitie, as by all the humane learning thou hast, thou shalt neuer be able to gage the depth, nor fadome the bottome of it: And wottest thou what it is? A man must be borne againe, Nicodemus. And that thou mayest not thinke that I speake more then I can iustifie, I protest vnto thee, Verily, verily, a man must of ne­cessitie be borne againe: what sayest thou to this? Didst thou euer heare the like Diuinitie? Truely no (sayth [Page 4] he, in the fourth verse) and though I heare it now, I can scarce beleeue it, it is the strangest Doctrine that euer I heard; to mee thou seemest to preach impossibilities, and to make that ab­solutely needfull, which I can no way conceiue to be possible: How can a man be borne when he is olde? Can hee en­ter the second time into his mothers wombe, and be borne? Nicodemus, hauing thus bewrayed his grosse ignorance, and that he was driuen into a maze by that which Christ spake, Christ replieth vp­pon him againe, as willing to reach him, and openeth his minde and his mouth a little more plainely about the matter, in the fift verse, Except a man be borne of the [...]. Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God. q. d. I thought (Nicodemus) I should make thee won­der, I tolde thee I should grauell thee: well, perceiuing thee thus plunged, I wil help thee: the second or new birth which I nowspeake of, is not naturall, but spirituall; I discourse not of a re­entring into the mothers wombe the second time naturally (for I know that [Page 5] to be impossible) but of an entring of the holy Ghost into the soule by grace spiritually, and in this sense would I haue thee to vnderstand me: and for a man thus to be borne agayne, is so far from being impossible, that it is most necessary and needefull, if he minde e­uer to enter into the Kingdome of God, either of grace heere, or of glory hereafter.Verse 7. Maruell not therefore, that I said vnto thee, Ye must be borne againe. Now our Sauiour hauing by this oc­casion entred vpon so woorthy a sub­iect, as the doctrine of Regeneration is; in handling the same, he doth amplifie it from a three-folde particular: first, from the effect of it: secondly, from the contrary: thirdly, from the efficient cause of it. First, the effect of regenera­tion is the reward that followeth it, viz. the inheritance of an heauenly kingdome, in the later end both of the third and fift verses, Except a man be borne againe; or, of the Spirit, he can not see, nor enter into the Kingdome of God: giuing vs to vnderstand, that if a man be regenerate, he shall possesse [Page 6] the Kingdome of Heauen. Secondly, the contrary vnto this worke of the new-birth, is the corruption of the flesh, and the power of the same, ex­pressed in the sixt verse; That which is borne of the flesh, is flesh: but that which is borne of the spirit, is spirit. Thirdly, the efficient cause, or immediate agent of this worke, is the Spirit of God or the holy Ghost, set out by a two-folde metaphor or similitude: first, likened to Water in the fift verse, Except a man be borne of water, and the spirit, &c. i. of the spirit, which is like vnto water: and secondly resembled to Wind, in the present Text.

Sect. 2. The summe. Which words (as wee see) for the summe and substance of them are no­thing else but a Comparison vsed by our Sauiour, in conference with Nico­demus, [Page 7] to expresse the operation of the most blessed Spirit of God, in effecting and contriuing that excellent worke of Regeneration in the hearts of the Elect: which Comparison is taken from the liberty to breathe, from the noyse and sound, that are in the wind, when it moueth the ayre; and this for the coherence and substance. From whence what we may gather in gene­rall for our learning (before we come to diuide and vnbowel the Text more particularly) we shall see by that which followeth in two conclusions.

CHAP. II. The first generall Conclusion from the nature and substance of the words.

Sect. 1.THis metaphoricall or rather com­paratiue forme of speech our Sa­uiour doth not vse in vaine; but that his Church may learne something, e­uen from the very maner of speaking. For in that from the cōsideration of an earthly creature (such as the Wind is) hee doeth take occasion to discourse [Page 8] with Nicodemus of an heauenly mat­ter;Doctr. 1. hence we may obserue thus much, that from the consideration of natural things, wee should be led to the con­templation and communication of heauenly. Saint Iohn from the noyse of theReu. 4.5. cap. 14.2. thunder which he heard in his Reuelations, is led to the meditation of the power of Christ his voice in the preaching of the Gospell against Anti­christ and his hereticall kingdome.Isa. 44.19 The Prophet Esay from the conside­ration of the vnmoueable strength & stability of the earth, takes occasion to speake of the vndoubted certainty of Gods vnaltetable truth, both in his promises and threatnings. And how full of such heauenly meditations, and diuine speeches, the minde and mouth of Dauid the Father, and Solomon the Sonne were, vpon the consideration and sight of the workes of God, he shal perceiue, that doth at his leisure peruse the first psalme, the nineteenth, the hundred and nineteenth, and many other places in the Psalmes, and the whole Booke of the Canticles.

Sect. 2. Vse.And wherefore serueth this, but to prouoke and stirre vp euery Christian to reade to himself a profitable Lecture out of the Booke of the creatures? and not to content himselfe with a meere gazing and looking vpon the workes of God, in the heauens, the earth, the waters, fruitlesly, and vnprofitably, as the greatest number doe; but to be led by the same, to set his heart on worke, by diuine meditation, and his tongue in spirituall conference, according to what hee seeth or considereth in those workes.Motiue 1. from gods glo­rie. Doth not the appea­rance of Gods glory, in these creaturs, call for this duty at our hands? Serue not the variety, the beauty, the pro­portion, the forme, and the ornament of these creatures, to set forth and de­clare the praise of his wisedome, the glory of his power, the honour of his goodnesse? and according to that of Paul Rom. 1.20. Are not the visible things of God seene clearely, and his glorie showne conspicuously, in, and from the crea­tion of the world? Are not we guiltie then of dishonouring him, when wee [Page 10] shall but meerely looke vppon these things, as vpon a peece of paper that hath no letters? and from them draw nothing to our meditations for the good of our soules, and the benefit of others?2. Note: otherwise wee shew our selues fruitlesse. See wee the Sunne so oft? bloweth the winde so oft? soundeth the thunder so oft? bursteth forth the lightning so oft? falleth downe the raine so oft? Behold wee the Canopie of the Cloudes, the lustre of the hea­uens, the beauty of the earth, and yet learne wee nothing from hence? Oh how barren hearts haue we? How vn­profitable Scholers are we? It is much, that hauing beene set to Schoole so long, euen euer since our yeares of dis­cretion, wee haue not yet taken forth one good lesson out of this great booke, the vse whereof, the looking whereon we doe so daily and continu­ally enioy? What are they but Droans that flie about the fields, and gaze vpon the floures, and gather no hony from them? And what shew we our selues but a sluggish cattell, a fruitlesse peo­ple, when wee can bring no hony to [Page 11] our Hiues, no holy thoughts to our harts from the great Vniuerse, to pro­fit our selues, and sweeten others with­all? Philosophers, Physicians, Astro­logians haue all learned some thing from hence, though but heathen: and shall we, that professe our selues Chri­stians, onely remaine vnprofitable?The duty vrged. Oh that wee could imitate the Bee which gathereth from the herbs of the fields, and floures of the gardens, foode for herselfe, and honny for others: then shall we make vse of euery creature of God; and from the same, gather such Spirituall instruction, that we shall lay vp store of wisedome for our selues, & store of counsell for others. Still there­fore from the workes of creation, from the workes of prouidence, let vs me­ditate vpon something of an high and heauenly nature.From the workes of creation meditate thus. Let the Sunne in the aire put vs in minde of the Sunne of Righteousnes, that came downe from heauen: when we behold the light of it, let vs thinke vpon the light of grace in the worke of illumination: when wee feele the heate of it, let vs thinke [Page 12] of the warmth of loue, zeale, and other graces in the worke of Sanctification: when a cloud couereth it, & dimmeth the light of it, let vs thinke how the cloudes of sinne doe cause the Lord to withdraw the light of his amiable countenance somtimes away from vs. Looke wee vp to the heauens? let the thought of the beautifull out-side of them leade vs to contemplate vppon the glorious beauty of the in-side of that third Heauen, the seate of the bles­sed. Looke we vpon the earth? let the growth of the Plants that be vpon it, the fairenesse of the fading floures that doe adorne it, the withering of the grasse, that in time is cut away from it, occasion vs to meditate of the growth of grace in the harts of Gods children, of the fading prosperity of the men of this world, and of the vnauoydable mortality of all mankind. Behold we the lightning to breake forth with vio­lence out of the cloud? meditate wee vpon the falling of Sathan out of the hearts of the chosen, by the power of the Spirit, and the preaching of the [Page 13] word. Is it the winde that we thinke vpon? let the consideratiō of the light­nesse of it bring to our thoughts the windy vanity of humane things, which wasIob 7.7. Iobs meditation: let the boysterous violence of it, bring to our mindes, the sodaine calamitie of Gods enemies, which wasIer. 18.17 Ieremies meditati­on: let the swift passage of it draw vs to thinke vppon the swift celerity of Gods Angels, which wasZac. 6.5 Zacharies meditation; and let the consideration of other circumstances obseruable in the winde moue vs to meditate vpon some of those things concerning the breathings of grace handled in this 2 Treatise, or the like.From the works of proui­dence me­diate in some such wise. Againe, let the Mariner vpon the Sea in his calmes thinke of the peace & tranquillitie in his tempests vpon the troubles and aduersity of the ship of the Church on the Sea of this world. Let the citizen in the enioyment of his freedome, thinke how happy a thing it is to bee made a free-denizen of the new Ieru­salem. Let the husbandman, from the tillage of his ground, take occasion to [Page 14] meditate vpon the spirituall manuring of his heart; from reaping his crop in the appoynted season, vpon the great haruest at the day of Iudgement, when euery one shall reape the fruit of his doings, whether good or ill. Let the rich man, vpon the thought of his full bags, vpon the sight of his faire buil­dings, be led to contemplate vpon the durable treasures of spirituall graces, vpon the vnspeakable pleasures in hea­uenly places, in the possession where­of is ioy, and life for euermore. Let the poore man, when he considereth the coursenesse of his diet, the meanenesse of his cloathing, the hardnesse of his lodging, the penury that he suffers in in his state, the contempt that he mee­teth with in the world, diuert his mind from discouraging thoughts, which from thence may easily arise; and pon­der with himselfe, how happy a thing it is (if he be a Saint) to share with his Sauiour, in the pouerty of outward condition, and how much hee doth excell (if he be poore in spirit) a great number of great ones in the world, in [Page 15] that whereas they haue but their por­tion in this life, he hath an incorrup­tible crowne, an immortall weight of glory, layd vp for him in the heauens, &c. If in this wise our mindes be well busied, our meditations well inured to an holy comparing of heauenly things with earthly, wee shall make a religious vse of the naturall created and wise disposed workes of God, to the edification of our owne soules; and our tongues will be the fitter to speake of heauenly matters, to the ca­pacity and commodity of our bre­thren, when we haue occasion offered vnto vs to conferre with them (as Christ did with Nicodemus) about things of that nature.

CHAP. III. The second generall conclusion from the summe of the Text.

Sect. 1.ANd is there nothing else to be ge­nerally concluded from this kinde of comparatiue speaking, but that [Page 16] which hath been deliuered in the for­mer chapter? Questionlesse, yes: for a second thing, of nearer affinitie with the comparison then the former, com­meth necessarily to be obserued, and this it is;2. Doctr. generall. That the Winde is a fit simi­litude to set out the heauenly breath of Gods gracious Spirit; the wisedome of Christ himselfe saw it a fitting re­semblance: for himself, being in speech with Nicodemus about the doctrine of Regeneration, vseth this very meta­phor of the winde, to informe him in that mystery, and to take away those carnall cauills, which hee brought in against that doctrine. And very well may this be a trueth.Reason. For why? the Winde is a signe both of the presence and power of God; according to that of the Psalmist,Ps. 18.10. He came flying vpon the wings of the winde: but wheresoeuer the Spirit of grace breatheth, there the Lord his gracious presence and hea­uenly power is manifested; therefore fitly may the winde resemble the work of Regeneration, which is wrought by the Spirit of God.

Sect. 2. Vse 1.The consideration of which poynt serueth in the first place, to teach vs to wonder at the depth of Gods coun­sells, at the vnsearchablenesse of his wisedome, that such a creature which beareth the representation of so many diuers things should be found fitting to resemble the spirituall renouation, and new birth of a Christian; that that which is aProu. 11 29 Hos. 12.2 symbole of vanity, should resemble that work which is most con­trary to vanity; that that winde which is aIob 21.18. signe of the irrecouerable misery of wicked men should signifie those graces which doe free the Elect from eternall misery; that that wind which is a shaddow of theIsa. 41.16 violent force of wicked enemies against Gods people, should represent those graces which are as Shieldes and Targets vnto the Christians, against all hostile attempts, and spirituall assaults of the enemies of their soules. Needs must this cause vs with the holy Apostle, in an holy admiration, to cry out and say,Rom. 11.33 Oh depth of the riches both of the wisedome & knowledge of God! how vnsearchable are [Page 18] his Iudgements, and his wayes past finding out.

Sect. 3. Vse 2.Secondly, this may well afford vs a rule of tryall, by which we may come to know,Examina­tion. whether euer the Gales of Grace haue sauingly blowne and brea­thed vpon vs, yea, or no: for if the Winde be a fit similitude to expresse the mysterie of Regeneration, then from the properties of the Winde wee may come to discerne the properties of Grace; and so the regenerating worke of the Spirit of God, to see whether we haue it, or who haue it. Take wee a view therefore of the properties of the Winde: and as wee goe along, let vs compare withall, the properties and effects of the Spirit; and we shall haue markes and notes enow to iudge by of the worke of Regeneration.

Signes of grace. Signe 1. Purifica­tion.First of all, the Wind is of a purging property: euen so the Spirit of God is of a purifying quality, & the one doth no lesse cleanse the heart, then the o­ther doth purifie the ayre and the wa­ter. For this cause the holy Ghost is compared to fire;Mat. 3.11 He shall baptize you [Page 19] with the holy Ghost, and with fire: that is, with the holy Ghost which is like fire; and toEze [...].1 Water that flowed out of the Sanctuary: which two Elements are of a purging and purifying nature. The one serueth to purge metalls from drosse and scurfinesse, and the other to cleanse cloathes and vessells from dirt and filthinesse: which double re­semblance, what doth it signifie, but that the Spirit of God is a purger and purifier of the heart? which thing Paul giues his beleeuing Corinths to vn­derstand. For, writing to them of the worke of Sanctification, begunne in them, he tells them1. Cor. 6.11. They were clean­sed, purged, and washed by the Spirit of God. Wherewithall accordeth a wor­thy saying of an ancient and eloquent Diuine,Cypr. de S. sancto, folio 32. abi gens inde quicquid tabidum est, &c. That the Spirit of God doth expell from the heart whatsoeuer is contagious, whatsoeuer is infectious: now how the Spirit doth purifie it, will appeare by the like. The Winde doth purge the water, by mouing and trou­bling it, and by stirring vp waue after waue, vntill it hath cast vp the froth [Page 20] and superfluous scumme of it vpon the shoare: and the Aire, it doth purge two wayes; first, by dispelling fogges and mists;How the Spirit pu­rifieth. 3. wayes, both pri­uatiuely, and posi­tiuely: Priua­tiuely, 1 Ignoran­tiam fu­gando.2 Impoeni­tentiam a­mouendo.3 Concupis­centiā subi­gendo.2 Posi­tiuely, 1 Mentem illuminan­do:2 Poenitē ­tiam inse­rendo:3 Sanctita­tem confe­rendo. secondly, by drying vp noi­some puddles, & stinking quagmires. For those things which do ordinarily infect the ayre, are one of these two; ei­ther misty vnwholesome vapours, or noysome and vnsauoury quagmires: by the remooueall of which two, the Wind doth cleere and cleanse the aire: euen so the holy Ghost doth purge the soule three wayes; first, by dispelling the spirituall fogges and mists of igno­rance and blindenesse, which darken the vnderstanding: secondly, by trou­bling the conscience for those sinnes which defile the whole man: thirdly, by drying vp that same stinking pud­dle of euill concupiscence, and noy­some lusts, which haue their seate in the will and affections. The first hee doth by the work of Illumination, en­lightening the minde with sauing knowledge: the second, by the worke of Humiliation, breaking the heart with holy contrition: and the third, [Page 21] by the worke of Mortification and Sanctification, rectifying the will with sincere obedience, and the affections with holy desires, heauenly loue, ioy, &c. So that, by all this wee see, that wheresoeuer the holy Ghost hath breathed grace, there is the worke of Spirituall purification wrought. First, the minde is purged from ignorance, and is spiritually enlightened: no soo­ner had the Spirit breath'd vpon Paul, but the Act. 9.18 scales fell from his eyes: and the Lord beginneth the worke of Con­uersion at Illumination; and when he first bloweth with the blasts of Grace in vs, he bestoweth spirituall eye-sight vpon vs; hee enlighteneth vs to see what himselfe is in his iustice against sinne, in his mercy by Christ, to for­giue sinne; he openeth our eyes to see our misery by natute, to see the reme­dy of our misery by grace. Vpon this spirituall eye-sight, in the second place the conscience comes to be vrged and purged, the soule so troubled with a consideration of being ouerwhelmed with this misery, and (out of Christ) [Page 22] altogether destitute and depriued of that mercy, that it cannot be at quiet; one billow of sorrow, one waue of griefe ariseth so vpon the necke of an other, that there is no rest that it can finde, no easement it can haue, no con­tentment can be giuen it, vntill the scumme and froth of all the sinnes that euer it was defiled with, be brought to the shoare, and set vpon the score of Christ Iesus. Thou therefore, whoso­euer thou art, that neuer hadst the Lord Iesus to anoynt the eyes of thy soule, that neuer hadst thy minde en­lightened, but art still in Egypt, and pleasest thy selfe in thy blinde and ig­norant condition, that neuer sawest so much of thy misery, as hath made thee bewaile thy sinfull and wofull estate, nor as yet hast any care to seeke after knowledge, that thou mayest come to know thy selfe aright, & know Christ crucified, to the end thou mayst come to repentance; dreame not thou that the gusts of grace are effectually infu­sed into thy soule.

Againe, as the mind and conscience [Page 23] is thus purged, where these gusts are, so likewise is the will purified from rebel­lion; and that crooked and knotty peece which before was so hard to be rectified and squared; that vntamed, heifer, which before was so vntoward to be broken and brought into any right frame, to yield vnto any coun­sell, wholesome & good for the soule; when the Spirit comes to blow vpon it (though there be a kinde of resisting power in it) is made to bend which way the Spirit pleaseth to encline to the wayes of life; insomuch, that the creature shall with holy Dauid say, I am content to doe thy will O God.

Lastly, as the Will from rebellion, the Conscience from impenitencie, & the Vnderstanding from ignorance; so if grace be wrought in thee, thy af­fections wil be purged from the drosse of vnbeliefe, from the loue of earthly things,S. sanctus carnaeles hebetat sensus, & con­terit appe­titus. Cypr. from the vanity of carnall and sensuall desires; and like a man mor­tified and sanctified, dead wilt thou be to the lusts of the flesh, bringing them daily to the slaughter, and aliue to God [Page 24] through Iesus Christ our Lord: and those euils which formerly were most delightsome to the flesh, will then be­come most burthensome to the spirit. Thus I say where the holy Ghost hath regenerated, there is a purified soule: for doe wee thinke that so pure a guest as the blessed Spirit is, will come and take vp the lodging in a man or wo­man, and not cast out the vncleane and impure spirits that he findes there at his comming. It is not possible, where that commeth and abideth, the blinde diuell must out, the proude de­uill must out, the impenitent out, ma­licious out, couetous out, and all the Lucifers and Beelzebubs must auoyde the roome which he enters into, and giue way vnto his purifying blasts. Can the mists of ignorance, the pud­dle of concupiscence, and that foule legion of lusts which fight against the soule remaine vndispelled, vndried vp, vndriuen away, where this winde blo­weth? No, no: when grace commeth, light commeth, and it cannot but giue light; purity commeth, and it cannot [Page 25] but cleanse; fire commeth, and it can­not but consume and burne vp our corruptions. It pittieth my heart to think how people liue in their old sins, and wallow in that same polluted bloud, which they drew from their fa­thers which were Amorites, from their mothers which were Hittites: I meane from persons stayned with the guilt of Adams treason; whom they imitate and follow also, in the trade of trans­gression, without the least part of mortification, voyde of the meanest measure of Sanctification, and yet thinke themselues to haue a share in the worke of Regeneration: whose eyes I pray God open to see this delu­sion.A needful caueat. I do not speake of such a purging as is euery way perfect in this life, as if none were breathed vpon by the Spi­rit, but those that are purged fully from al reliques of ignorance, rebellion, cor­ruption; for then none should bee Saints, but those that are in heauen: For howsoeuer this worke be perfect, in regard of the workeman (the Spirit neuer doing any thing imperfectly) [Page 26] yet, in regard of the persons, in whom it is wrought, it is imperfect, because mingled with corruption: neither dare I say, that those are in no degree puri­fied, that are not in the same degree purified with others; but this I dare boldly affirme, that that person, who hath attained to no measure of this purging (yea, not to so much of it as doth cause him to long for, and striue after the perfection of it) the Spirit of grace hath not breathed vppon his soule. Though the best exercised wits can but know in part, the most faith­full heart but beleeue in part, the most penitent soule but repent in part, the most mortified and sanctified person, but loue God, godly men, godlinesse in part, desire Gods glory in part, and but imperfectly set his heart vpon the best things; yet he that hath no part of sauing knowledge, no measure of sound faith, no degrees of godly sor­row, spirituall loue, heauenly ioy, ho­ly desires; he hath receiued no part of the Spirit: and though happely he may haue some of the common gifts [Page 27] of the Spirit, yet no portion hath hee of the regenerating breath of grace, vntill the scales of ignorance, the cru­stinesse of conscience, the mire of con­cupiscence, be driuen away, and dried vp in some measure or other, to the making of him a purified creature: take this for the first note.

Secondly,Signe 2. it is the property of the Winde, to make the earth fruitfull; for we see by experience, when it cometh from the South, it doth ordinarily bring raine with it, which watreth the ground, and causeth the grasse, plants, and graine, to spring vp, and bring forth fruit in their kinde: euen so the Spirit of grace is very fructiferous; and wheresoeuer it breatheth, much fruit of holines & righteousnes is brought forth: neither indeed can the man who is endued with it, be altogether barren of good workes, inasmuch as where­soeuer the Spirit is, there is faith, and faith sheweth it selfe by workes. Hang a wet peece of linnen abroade in the ayre, and the faster the winde dryeth it, the whiter it will appeare: and the [Page 28] more the Spirit drieth vp the spirituall moisture of filthinesse in the soule, the more white and shining will the life be in holy fruits, and in a blamelesse and vnrebukeable walking. TheGe. 5.22 vpright­nesse of Enoch, the2. Sam. 15.28 holinesse of Da­uid, theIob 1 21 patience of Iob, theExo. 15.24.25 meek­nesse of Moses, theLu. 19.8 iustice of Zac­cheus, theAct. 10.2 almes and deuotions of Cornelius, theCap. 9.36. good workes of Dor­cas, and the diligence of the Apostles: what doe all these shew, but that, when Grace is sowne in the heart, holy and righteous fruits wil sprout vp and spread foorth in the life. Wherefore, wheresoeuer the fruites are like the vintage of Sodome (vnsauoury, vn­godly) and the workes, the vnprofi­table workes of darkenesse, the heart must needes be empty of sauing grace. And if any one be so vaine as to think a gracious heart and an vngodly life can stand together, I referre him to the iudgement of that graue and diuine Apostle, Galat. 5. where hee putteth aGalat. 5.19.20.21.22.23. BVT, a note of opposition betwixt adultery, fornication, lasciuiousnesse, [Page 29] idolatry, witchcraft, variance, drun­kennesse, reuellings, &c. which he cal­leth Workes of the flesh; and betwixt Gentlenesse, goodnesse, fidelitie, meeknesse, peaceablenesse, temperance, &c. which are workes of the Spirit. Neuer flatter thy selfe then: If thy conuersation be irreligious, and thy carriage vnrigh­teous; thou proclaimest a totall va­cancie and absence of the regenerating Spirit; the property whereof, is to fru­ctifie in an holy kinde wheresoeuer he bloweth: & that of Christ must needs be true,Iohn 15.5. Hee that abideth in me, and I in him (as euery regenerate one doth) the same bringeth forth much fruit.

Thirdly,3 Sign of grace. it is the property of the winde to driue forward. Let a shippe saile with the winde vpon the sea, it speedeth the faster. Let a bird in the aire flee with the winde, her course is the swifter. Let a man vpon the ground walke that way which the winde driueth, and hee can tell what an help to hasten him forward it is: so when the bark of our liues is sayling towards heauen (with the sail of good) [Page 30] workes) which is the place whither the spirit driueth; this same winde of heauen will speed this barke of ours forward swiftly, it will put life into our actions; insomuch, that whatso­euer good duty we take in hand, wee shall go about the same cheerfully and willingly, being ready to euery good work of piety towards God, of chari­ty towards our brethren. Hence it is that the Psalmist adjoyneth this Epi­thet Ps. 51.12 Vphould me with thy free spirit. free, to the spirit of God: and wee vse to say in our vulgar Prouerb of him that is nimble, actiue, and full of metall, He is all spirit. When this winde of grace had breath'd vpon the Macedonians, it made them so for­ward to minister to the poor Saints, that (as the Apostle testifieth of them)2 Cor. 8.2.3.4 There was a willingnes in them aboue their power. The people that contribu­ted towards the building of the Tem­ple that Dauid set vp,1 Chro. 9.6 offred willingly, and their hearts were to it, as the Text sheweth. And whence was it that there was this alacrity in them to fur­ther so commendable an action, but [Page 31] from this, that The holy Ghost had taken vp his lodging in the temple of their hearts? When these gusts of grace blowe vpon the heart of a Mi­nister, they will make him so nimble in his Embassady, that hee will preach the word of God2 Cor. 8 17 willingly. When they breathe vpon the heart of a Ma­gistrate, hee willIer. 9.3 haue courage for the truth; vpon the heart of an hearer, he will be swift inIam 1.19 hearing the word of God. This winde did driue Dauid for­ward so fast, thatPs. 119 32 hee ranne the way of Gods commandements; and Paul so swiftly, that he did Phil. 3.14 follow hard, or press towards the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus. What shall we say then of those that goe so mur­muringly and vncheerfully about a­ny good and godly exercise [being as hardly drawne to it, as a Beare to the stake; so hard to be brought to a ser­mon (especially if it bee vpon any o­ther day but the Sabbath, when the lawes of the Land awe them) so hard to be perswaded to entertaine a good conceit of, to afford a good word, or [Page 32] to stand vp for the faithfull ministers and seruants of Christ Iesus; so hard to be drawn to maintain the worship of God in the places where they liue; to releeue the wants of the needy; to breake the bread of life diligently to their people, if they bee Ministers; to administer the rules of justice duely, if they bee Magistrates, and to execute the duties which belong to their pla­ces] What (I say) can bee thought of such? certainly they giue shrewd sus­picion, that heauens blasts in the work of regeneration haue not as yet brea­thed vpon them: for, if they had, ther would be more spirituall agility, more heauenly alacrity and readiness to do good in them, then there is. The oy­led door will open and shut without creaking: and the heart that is oyled with grace will bee enlarged to what good is, without grudging. Doth a boat that hath a fair winde, and a full streame, stand in need of an haling line? and doth the winde of heauen (thinkest thou) blowe vpon thee whē thou must haue so many haling lines [Page 33] to draw thee, or else no good can bee wrung from thee? Wilt thou not worship God, but when the Sabbath cometh; not giue to the poore, but when the rate cometh; nor bring forth better fruits of amendment, but when death cometh or some extraordinary visitation, when thou thinkest there is no remedy but thou needs must, or else some inconuenience may ouer­take thee, and whatsoeuer thou dost is done vnwillingly; and yet imagine that thou art endued with the Spirit? How darest thou thus controule the truth of Gods word which cannot ly?

I confesse indeed,A caution that the best of Gods seruants, into whom the Lord hath breathed the greatest measure of grace, doe sometimes feel themselues more lumpish, drowsie and vncheer­full in holy seruices then they were wont to be, as (no doubt) Dauid did after his fall: but yet it is but at some times, it is not alwaies so with them. And I knowe also, that the worke of grace hath need to be helped forward by the vse of means in those that excel [Page 34] in vertue in this vale of imperfection, by reason of the remainder of corrup­tion [as the boat (though hauing a fair winde) by the help of oares, in re­gard of som heauy burden that it may carry] yet go forward they do by the vse of those holy means, and they be­wail their vntowardnes also. But that man that hath no heart at any time vnto that which is good, that labou­reth not to ouercome his backward­nes, that laments it not, that striueth not, that voweth not, that praieth not against it; vpon whom the preaching of the word, the perswasion of friends cannot preuail, to make him doe anie more then that which perforce is ex­torted and haled from him, either by the rigour of mans law, or the winde of vain glory; it cannot be truly said, that the treasures of sauing grace are bestowed vpon him: for, those that are borne of the Spirit will not onely bring forth the fruits of the Spirit, but also with cheerfulnes and alacrity; ac­counting it their felicity to be imploi­ed in the seruices of their heauenly Master.

Again,4. Signe of regenera­tion. The spiri­tuall con­flict. the winde doth not onely driue forward, but also it resists those things that stop the speedy passage of it: so the Spirit of grace doth ordina­rily resist whatsoeuer is contrary to its owne working in the soule which it regenerateth. Which thing the Apo­stle euidently laieth down, when hee saith,Gal. The spirit lusteth against the flesh. Insomuch that by this wee see, that a­nother euidēce for the work of grace must bee fetched from the spirituall combate betwixt the flesh and the spi­rit. For, it beeing so, that in the most regenerate there is corruption as well as grace, there must needs be an holy strife in that person.A Simile. Wee see in the whirl-winde, where there are but cir­cular blasts that are indirectly contra­ry and laterally opposite to one ano­ther, what a stirring of the dust, what a whirring of the stubble (or what e­uer else lieth where those blasts meet) there is, as if we should see two cham­pions grappling and wrastling in that place. How much more is it true, that there must be a strange bickering and [Page 36] striuing in that soule where two such spirits doo meet as are not indirectly opposite, but directly contrary to one another; viz. the Spirit of God (com­ming from heauen) working grace, and the spirit of Satan (coming from hell) hindering grace? Vpon none of all the Apostles did this holy Spirit breathe more then vpon Paul, whe­ther wee consider the measure of his humiliation at his first conuersion, or the measure of his zeal after his con­uersion: and yet he had this spirituall conflict in himself, as may bee gathe­red from his owne complaint;Ro. 7.24 I see a law in my members warring against the law in my minde, and leading me into cap­tiuity to the law of sinne. And what dry bouts Dauid (a man after Gods owne minde) had, sometimes with distrust of Gods prouidence, sometimes with despair of Gods assistance, sometimes with carnall confidence, sometimes with fretting at the prosperity of the wicked, and the like; the Book of the Psalms is a plentifull witnes. What breathings of grace then (trowe wee) [Page 37] haue they attained vnto, that neither euer were, nor yet are, at warre with their owne corruptions? but (in their own deluded opinion) all is wel with them; at peace with God, with the di­uell, the world, their owne conscien­ces and all. They (they say) are neuer troubled nor disquieted, they finde nothing to burthen them nor molest them, they thank God for it. What grace haue they? It is to bee feared, none at all. And (poor soules) the spi­rit of Satan still breathes in them, and corruption hath them still in chaines, and they are ready euery houre to bee cut off, and popt ouer into the pit of destruction: and yet (ah wofull case) they see it not, but applaude them­selues, and solace themselues, as if they were in no danger, and no aliants to the regenerate condition. Sayest thou thou hast nothing within thee to trouble thee, nothing to molest thee, nor euer haddest, thou thankest God for it? Wilt thou take a word from me, and marke what I shall say? I assure thee (whosoeuer thou bee) I would [Page 38] not be in thine estate for a thousand worlds, if there were so many. Thou art without grace, and wilt not be­leeue it. The God of heauen perswade thee of it: for if that be true which our Sauiour speakethLu. 11.21 While the strong man armed (that is, the Diuell) keepeth the house, all things are in peace. Then if all things be thus at peace in thee; to harden thy heart, and seare thy con­science, that euil one still holdeth thee in bonds, thou art still bound in the fetters of sin, and art in fearefull thral­dome thereunto: and vntill a stronger then all these commeth (I meane the Lord Iesus) and set thy owne corrup­tions and the holy Ghost together at variance in thy soule, miserable and lamentable must thy condition needes be. I tel thee, if the Spirit of grace were in thee, there would bee a spirituall whirlewinde in thy soule, two con­trary blasts meeting & grappling with one another, like the twinnes inGen. 25.22. Re­beccahs wombe: and they would make thee cry out, as she did Why am I thus, why am I thus worldly? why am I thus [Page 39] lazie in my profession? why am I thus dead harted in the seruice of my God? thus proud, thus full of selfe-loue, thus passionate and tuchy, &c. and thou shouldest finde the Spirit of Faith resi­sting the spirit of vnbeleefe, distrust, doubting; the Spirit of truth, resisting the spirit of errour; the Spirit of loue, resisting the spirit of enuy, malice, frowardnesse; the spirit of humility, the spirit of pride; the spirit of zeale, the spirit of key-coldnesse, luke-warme­nesse, carnall feare, &c. Thus it would be with thee, if thou wert regenerate.

Albeit this conflict of Contraries be not alwayes alike, because grace sometimes getteth the foyle, some­times the conquest (though neuer the fall;) yet the experienced Christian knoweth, with S. Paul, that when­soeuer hee intendeth any good, euill is present with him, and in his best acti­ons, corruption troubleth him, whi h he many times findeth much adoe to keep vnder. And therefore I conclude, It is a vaine thing for any man or wo­man, to imagine that they are sancti­fied [...] [Page 42] Wherefore let those that refuse to pray in the Temple, as Anabaptisticall and Papisticall Recusants do, suspect them­selues to be swolne rather with the blasts of heresie, & the winde of vaine­glory, then blowne vppon with the gales of Sanctitie. Let those that care not to pray any where but in the tem­ple, neglecting this duety with their charges in their houses, as carnall and common Protestants do, suspect them­selues to be carried, rather with the winde of custome and fashion, then of grace and heauenly inspiration. Let those that vse it in their families, and make no conscience of it apart by themselues (whenas there are so many secret corruptions to be acknowled­ged and bewailed in the best, which are to be kept from the dearest friends in the family) feare themselues to bee guided rather by the spirit of hypocri­sie, then possessed with the Spirit of grace. But such as care neither for pray­ing in the Temple, nor in the family, nor secretly, let them not only suspect, but also, know themselues to be such as [Page 43] are altogether voyde of the spirituall operation of Gods Spirit, in the work of Regeneration. For where that worke is, there is the Spirit of adop­tion: and where the Spirit of adopti­on is, there is a crying, Abba Father: & such wil haue so familiar & frequent communion with the Lord, that the Church, the family, the streetes, the high-wayes, the walkes, the chamber, the bed, the closet, the shop, yea the prison it selfe, &c. shall be made wit­nesses of those heauenly ejaculations which their hearts and lips dart vp in­to the eares of the Almighty that great hearer of prayers.

Secondly, as the spirituall man is heard of God, sending vp praiers to the high Court of Parliament in Heauen; so men shal heare the sound of his san­ctified tongue in holy and religious communication. I delight (sayth Da­uid) to be talking of thy righteous iudge­ments. Ps. 39.2 While I held my peace from good, my sorrow was stirred, yea my heart wa­xed hot within me. Acts 22 1. &c Paul must needes be telling and talking of his conuersion [Page 44] before his very enemies, & shewing what notable things the Lord had wrought in him, and done for him. Whence was it thatActs Aquila and Priscilla did in­struct Apollos in the way of God more perfectly? that2. Tim. 1.5. com­par'd with chap. 3.14 6. Eunica did teach Ti­mothy? but because the Spirit had so breathed in their hearts, that they could not holde their tongues, but they must be speaking of the wayes of God to strangers they neuer saw be­fore, and to their domesticall inferiors, and home-dwellers. When grace hath seasoned the heart, it will so salt and pouder the speech, that it will both eat out putrified and rotten communica­tion, and also make the tongue a fit in­strument to minister grace to the hea­rers. Take triall of thy selfe by this par­ticular also; What is thy speech? Spea­kest thou the language of Ashdod, or the dialect of Canaan? Dost thou with Dauid Ps. 39.1. take such heed to thy ways, that thou maiest not offend with thy tong, keeping thy mouth as with a bridle? Nay, dost thou with the same ProphetPsal. 34.11. call thy children vnto thee, and teach [Page 45] them the feare of the Lord; and vppon all fitting occasions, the praises of God, and the statutes of God continually in thy mouth? If they be, it is a good signe, that thou hast a good stocke of grace in thy heart: but if thy tongueIac. 3.6. be set on fire with hell, as Saint Iames speaketh, breathing out stinking, blas­phemous, filthy, frothy, false, slaunde­rous, venemous, vnsauoury speeches, it is a very strong euidence against thee, that the breath of Heauen hath not blowne vppon thee. For I neuer reade in all the Scripture, that a rege­nerate heart, and a reuiling tongue, an holy heart and a ribald tongue, a gra­cious heart and a blasphemous periuri­ous tongue, a spirituall heart and a dis­sembling, backebiting, and scoffing tongue haue stoode together. I deny not, but the tongue (being Iac. 3.8. an vnruly euill) for want of watchfulnesse at sometimes, may breake foorrh into speeches vnseemely, vnsauoury, of­fensiue and scandalous, though the heart be neuer so well sanctified: yet this euill is bewayled when it is per­ceiued, [Page 46] and more care is taken by the Christian, to set locke and key vppon his mouth afterward. But, to make a common trade of swearing, cursing, lying, filthy speaking, Ismaelitish scof­fing, priuy whispering, without any compunction or remorse, without a­ny reformation or amendment, is a plaine argument of a gracelesse dispo­sition: which I doe boldly affirme a­gainst the stoutest loose-tongued spea­ker that is; because the Apostle ioy­neth with me, and is my warrant, when he sayth,Iac. 1.26 If any man among you seeme to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, this mans religion is vaine.

And this may I adde also. If any man or woman would be accounted such an one as in whose heart the Spirit of grace hath breathed, and yet not able, or at least, truly desirous and industrious to inure his mouth to blessing, as well as to bridle it frō cur­sing; and to set it on worke with the matters of heauen, as to refraine it from hellish discourses: that person is much deceiued also. If thou wert re­generate, [Page 47] thou couldest not choose but (vppon fit occasion offered) bee speaking and telling, either how God humbled thee, or how he raised thee, or how hee brought thee to Christ, how he tried thee since thou camest to Christ; and grace would make thee speake, either of the force of thy cor­ruptions, or the victory thou hast got­ten ouer them, of the rubbes that are in the way of a Christiā mans course, of the sweetnesse of a godly life, &c. Thy wife, thy husband, thy children, seruants, friends, familiars, neighbors, should heare the sound of godly coun­sell mingled with loue, the sound of holy perswasion ioyned with wise­dome, of religious instruction gra­ced with grauitie, of wholsome aduice seasoned with humility, to come from thee, and proceede out of thy mouth, either more or lesse, according to thy measure, if the fountaine were but sea­soned, and thy heart sanctified with the sauing gales of the winde of grace. Thy tongue would be moouing questions to the aged in Christ, that are [Page 48] stronger then thy selfe, thou wouldest be willing to giue direction vnto those that are yonger then thy selfe, and that haue not that experience which thou hast; and glad wouldest thou be of any occasion to talke of the wayes of God, to the furtherance of thy selfe, to the edification of others. Insomuch, that howsoeuer many can talke well, which are but hypocrites, neuer sanctified by the power of the holy Ghost; yet all that are so sanctified and regenerate, can speake of the things that concern the good of their soules, either more or lesse, and that to some good pur­pose also; and the newest borne babe in Christ that is (I speake of those that are come to yeres of discretiō) though his vnderstanding be neuer so small, is able to put the laylors question to the learnedest Paul, and profoundest Di­uine in the Land,Acts 16. Sir, what shall I doe to be saued? What must I doe to come by such a grace, the want whereof I see in my selfe; what course shall I take to ouercome such a corruption, the ra­ging whereof I finde against my soule?

I goe not about (good Reader) to bring all Christians to one and the same scantling in this matter of spiri­tuall conference:A caueat. for some speake lis­pingly, or stammeringly, for want of age, experience, help of naturall gifts, wherein other Christians goe beyond them: and no further then the Lord openeth Dauids lippes, canPsa. 51. his mouth shew foorth Gods praise. But this is that which I chiefly intend; To proue him to be destitute of grace, that hath ney­ther art nor heart, or art without an heart, to conferre and speake of the matters of saluation. The Lord knows it is farre from my purpose, to quench so much as the smoaking flaxe, or dis­courage the weakest scholler in Christs Schoole, that is scarce past his Christs Crosse rowe: if hee hath but a true minde to learne, the Lord prosper him in this businesse, and encrease his skill more and more. I am not ignorant, how many weake Christians com­plaine of their vnskilfulnesse this way, I can not conferre, I can not talke, as such an one can, I haue not the gift, [Page 50] &c. Canst thou not? Thou canst; thou canst talke of thy corruptions, thou canst complaine of thy weakenesses, thou canst question about what way thou must walke in, to come to salua­tion, seeing thy selfe to be out of the way naturally, though thou beest ne­uer so weake and vnskilfull: if thou hast any whit of spirituall breath in thee, thus thou canst (I say) conferre and speake: and by that time thou co­mest to haue these questions through­ly answered, according to thy hearts desire, thou shalt from thine owne ex­perience, grounded vppon the word of GOD in the Lawe and Gospell, come to that maturitie and ripenesse, that thou shalt be able to put any meer Naturian or Politician to his non plus, in the points of practicall Diuinitie. And therefore once againe I say, goe on, the Lord prosper thee. Though thou canst but spell as yet, and thy vn­derstanding bee but small, yet if the Lord hath enlarged thy heart to seeke after Knowledge as for Pearles; and like a diligent dutifull Scholler, to plie [Page 51] thy booke hard, and to crie and com­plaine because thou canst not get thy lesson so well as thou doest desire, in­treating thy fellowes to help thee, and to tell thee; I dare not say but that the Spirit of Heauen hath inspired grace into thee. Wherefore I aime not (I say) at the discoragement of the weak, but at the discountenancing of the carelesse; whose tongues are so vnac­customed to the points of Diuinitie, that they can not so much as aske, which way they may come to saluati­on, or enquire how to attaine vnto that measure of knowledge, that they may bee fit to commune with those that are vnder them, or that belong vnto them, about the things that con­cerne their euerlasting peace; that ne­uer complaine of their ignorance, and vnskilfulnesse, nor labour after more knowledge; and yet for all that thinke thēselues to be regenerate: who, being tried by this rule, are proued not to be the people they deeme themselues to be. And so much of the fift property of the spirits breathing, to fit the Christi­an, [...] [Page 54] that may be throwne against the one, and to ward the blowes which may be offered against the other.1. The spirit vp­holds his faith a­gainst tempta­tion. For when Satan laboureth by the rubbes which hee casteth, by the fearefull doubts which he suggesteth, to weaken his assurance of hauing right to the hea­uenly Priuiledges (as pardon of sinne, grace to perseuere, freedome from spi­rituall bondage, the kingdome of glo­rie, &c.) Hee is able (blessed be God, which teacheth his hands to warre, and his fingers to fight) to giue him there­pulse (though sometimes more weak­ly, sometimes more strongly) and to answer him as Naboth did Ahab, when he requested his Vineyard,1 Ki. 21.2 God for­bid that I should part with the inheritance of my father. God forbid I should let goe my anchor-hold in Christ; and by hearkening to thee Satan, throw away the euidences that I haue for those hea­uenly prerogatiues, and that inheri­tance which my Father hath bequea­thed me in the name of his Sonne.1 His godly life is defen­ded.

Againe, when either the Diuell, world, or flesh, shall lay any siege a­gainst [Page 55] his godly conuersation, either by golden and hony arguments allu­ring him to some euils, or by opposing and discouraging reasons to deterre him from some good, hee can answer him (though not alwayes alike) as E­lisha did King Ioram, 2 Kin. 3.13. What haue I to doe with thee? Or as Ioseph his mistris,Gen. 39.9. How can I do this great wickednes, and sin against my God? Or as the man of God did Ieroboam, 1 Ki. 13 8.9. If thou wilt giue me halfe thine house, I will not yeeld to thee: for it is otherwise charged mee by the Lord. And whatsoeuer the sinne be which he is suggested vnto, this blessed winde bloweth a weapon, and bringeth a sword to his hand to smite against it withall. As, against pride it giueth this sword,Iames. God resisteth the proud: against lust, this;Heb. 13.2. whoremongers and adulterers God wil iudge: against couetousnes this,Eph. 5.5 no couetous person which is an idolater, shall enter into the kingdome of heauen: a­gainst apostasie and backe-sliding this,2 Pet. 2 21 It had been better neuer to haue knowne the way of righteousnesse, then after they haue knowne it, to turne from the holy com­mande- [...] [Page 58] rises troubled with Christ, theAct. 17.6 hea­thens with Paul and Sylas, 1 Kings 18.17. Ahab with Elias, 2 Sam. 6 16.20. Michol with Dauid, theActs 7. vncircumcised Iewes with Steuen, and the Infidells with the Christians vnder the tenne Persecutions. And why so? Onely because the Spirit of God had regenerated them, the spirit of zeale was vpon them, and they were filled with the holy Ghost. Not that the ho­ly Ghost doth of himself produce such an effect as the hating of Gods Chil­dren, and the opposing of religion, a­mongst any (for can God, who is vni­tie it selfe be against himselfe?) but this comes to passe accidentally (by occasi­on of the spirits working in the rege­nerate) from the corruption of the vn­regenerate, who are alwayes like the troubled & roaring waters; and there­fore can be no more still when the godly refuse to runne to the same ex­cesse of riot with them, or speake a­gainst, or dislike of their enormious courses, then the sea can be still, when the winde bloweth vpon it. If thou therefore that art a Christian dooest [Page 59] meete with opposition for thy holie profession, account it no strange thing; as if thou wert alone in that condition: and maruell not at it. For will the Mariner wonder to see the waues rise, the waters swell, the Sea rage, when windy stormes beate vpon it? The Scribes wil quarel with Christ for his innocencie: and the wicked will quarrell with his followers for their integrity: and for a man to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit, is enough to breed deadly enmity in the hearts of the vngodly against him. For the working of the Spirit is resembled to the Winde; and the Winde is a fit me­taphor to expresse the same.

CHAP. IIII. The logicall analysis of the Text, and the opening of the first part of it.

Sect. 1.HAuing now done with the summe of the words, order requireth that wee should anatomize the Text, and part it into seuerall members. In this comparison two branches are occur­rent; [Page 60] first, the comparison or simili­tude it selfe in these words, The Winde bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth. Second­ly, the application of the similitude in the words following: So is euery one that is borne of the Spirit. Each of these two members subdiuide and spread themselues into 3. branches apeece; which, meeting together throughout the Text, doe constitute, and make three substantiall parts for me to han­dle. The first treats of the free liberty & vnresistable efficacie of the working of the holy Ghost: the second containes a discourse of the sense and feeling of that holy worke in the regenerate: the third comprehendeth the incompre­hensiblenesse of the measure of that worke. The first layde downe thus, The Winde bloweth where it listeth: So is euery one that is borne of the Spirit. The second thus, and thou hearest the sound thereof; so is euery one that is borne of the Spirit. The third thus, but canst not tell whence it commeth, and whither it goeth: [Page 61] So is euery one that is borne of the Spirit: Still this clause (euery one that is borne of the Spirit) being applied to euerie branch in the similitude.

Sect. 2. Part. 1.The first of these must first be hand­led; The Winde bloweth where it listeth: So is euery one that is borne of the Spirit. The words ex­pounded. First to interpret the wordes. [The Winde] August. as Chem­nitius quoteth. Some here by Winde do vn­derstand the person of the holy Ghost, or the third person in the Trinitie; for which opinion (I confesse) there see­meth to be some colour in theBeing ra­ther tran­slated [...] then [...]. Greek Text; which I dare not absolutely re­iect, lest I should be thought to offer wrong to so worthy a Father as is the Author of it: yet in modestie let me say thus much. In asmuch as the ori­ginall word is of some generall extent, being deriued of a [...] or [...]. word which sig­nifieth, to breathe or blow, I can not see any reason why that tearme which in our Translations is englished wind, should for the Greekes sake, so proper­ly signifie the third person in the Tri­nitie; especially too, sithence the epi­thet [holy] is heere wanting, [...]. which [Page 62] vsually we finde ioyned with the word Spirit, when it noteth out the person of the holy Ghost: wherefore with o­thers of theChrysost. Chimnit. Caluin. Pisc. Beza, &c. learned, I take to be meant the naturall winde, which many times maketh a dinne and noyse in the aire. About which wind the curious brains of differing Philosophers haue wea­ued many knots, and framed many in­tricate and needelesse questions: the loosing and discussing whereof, it is not my purpose to meddle withall; be­ing neither materiall to the Text, nor profitable to the Reader: neither mind I to stuffe these Papers with the diuers descriptions which diuersAs Sene­ca, one: Nat. quaest. lib. 5. cap. 1 Aristot. an other: Meteor. lib. 2. cap. 5. Peter de la Primand. 2 third: Franc. A­cad. part. 3 pag. 196. Writers giue of the winde. To shew what it is in one definition, is as much as the Text requireth.What the winde is. The wind therefore is an exhalation, more drie then moist, bred of those cold andA vapor is moist of it self, but drie by reason of the Sun. drie va­pours of the earth, which the Sunne draweth vp into the middle region of the ayre: in which region this exhala­tion meeting with a cold cloude, is of hot made cold, and by the force of that cloude beaten downe into the lower [Page 63] part of the ayre: where (by reason of the subtile nature it hath in it selfe) it spreadeth it selfe laterally or broad­wise, flowing sometimes to one cor­ner of the heauens, sometimes to an­other; sometime Eastward, sometime Southward, &c. This wind, I say thus defined, is heere to be vnderstoode. [Bloweth where it listeth:] this phrase where it listeth, doth not betoken any such will in the Winde, as there is in the soule of man; (for the wind being an in animall substance, and a creature without soule, how can there be any such power of the soule in it, as the will is?) but it noteth out the free and vnre­sistable agitation of the winde beating the aire, and other flexible bodies, sometimes one way, sometimes ano­ther, as the great Iehouah pleaseth. [So is euery one that is borne of the Spirit.] .i. so is it with euery elect person, in regard of the regenerating work of the Spirit; that Spirit breathing somtimes in one, sometimes in an other, as he pleaseth, freely, and vnresistably.

CHAP. V. The first Doctrine from the first part of the Text, concerning the free libertie of the Spirit his working.

Sect. 1.FRom this fountaine so opened (as it is in the former Chapter) two streames of positiue Diuinitie do flow, to water the garden of God. The first is this:Doctr. 3. The Spirit of grace in­spireth grace, when hee pleaseth, & where he plea­seth. That the worke of Regenerati­on proceedeth from the will and pleasure of God, to be effected and wrought in what persons hee pleaseth, at what time he pleaseth.

The winde hath this libertie from the Creator, freely to spreade it selfe, sometimes in one part of the aire, som­times in another: And taketh not the Lord this prerogatiue royall to him­selfe, to infuse the breath of his owne grace, sometimes in one, sometimes in another, as himselfe pleaseth? We should attribute lesse libertie to the Lord, then to the Winde, if we should not yield to this. In the old Testament [Page 65] did the Lord breathe thus. For, thatGe. 5.24. Enoch, and 6.9 Noah, and 15.6 Abraham, Gen. 26. I­saac, c. 32.24. Iacob, Gen. 39 Ioseph, and the rest of the Patriarkes in their ages and ge­nerations, were culled out from the rest of mankinde to receiue the stamps of grace, and to be made new Crea­tures; whence was it, but onely from the will of the Almightie? Did not the Spirit blowe thus in the New Testa­ment? freely working sometimes vp­pon aMat 9.9 Mathew, sometimes vppon aLu. 19.9 Zaccheus, aLu 7.48. Mary Magdalen, aIoh 1.41 42 Mat. 4.19 Peter, an Andrew, and a few be­leeuing Iewes, amongst such a multi­tude of Scribes and Pharises, Publicans and sinners, that liued in the dayes of our Sauiour; And that hee did blowe vpon the heart ofActs 9. Paul, amongst so many persecutours whom hee might haue conuerted as well as him; that heAct. 16.14 opened the heart of Lydia, amongst so many women whom hee might haue sanctified as well as shee; that hee breathed grace into the soule of theActs 16 34. Iaylour amongst so many cruell ty­rants, whom hee might haue regene­rated, [Page 66] as well as he, if his will had been such: what doth all this note out vn­to vs, but the liberty which the great Creator, Sauiour, and Sanctifier of the Church hath to inspire grace in whom he listeth and pleaseth? Very pregnāt to this purpose is that of Paul, which he writes to his Corinths. For, speaking of the diuers gifts & operati­ons of the spirit he saith;1 Cor. 12.11 Al these doth one & the self-same Spirit worke, diuiding to euery man as [...]. Reason. he willeth, or pleaseh.

The ground of all which is this; be­cause Gods will towards his creatures is otherwise then his will toward him­selfe. The things which he willeth con­cerning himselfe, doth he wil of neces­sity (vt) he doth wil his owne being & glory necessarily (though not with a constrained,Quae Deus de se­ipso vult necessario, vult neces­sitate na­turae non coactionis Zanch. de Nat. Dei. yet with a natural necessi­ty, his nature necessarily requiring that he should wil his owne essence & glo­ry:) but as for the things he willeth to­wards the creatures, his will is not ne­cessary, but free .i. it is in his own plea­sure, either to will them, or not to will them; whether the gift be election, ju­stification, [Page 67] or sanctification. Now then the Lords will in willing the good of his creaturs, being free, either to wil, or not to wil the same: & Regeneration, or the gales of grace being one of those good things (aswell as election, justifi­cation, redemption) which he hath li­berty thus to will; it must needes be a truth, that the wind of grace is at the Lords disposing, to blowe with it sa­uingly vpon what sonnes and daugh­ters of Adam he pleaseth.

Sect. 2. Vse 1.The consideration of which truth serueth first of all, to lay flat on the ground all opinion of proper power and strength in any man to worke any grace in himselfe, or so much as of him selfe to incline thereunto. For if the Spirit breatheth where he listeth, and the Lord onely sanctifieth whom hee pleaseth; then no man (be he neuer so mighty, wise, wealthy) can haue the breath of grace in himselfe, or breath after grace for himselfe, or breathe grace into himselfe, without the inspi­ration and operation of the holy-Ghost. Alas, how can that man moue [Page 68] spiritually to any thing that good is, from any thing that euill is, who is held hard vnder the bands, and tyed fast with the cords of spirituall death, which cannot be loosed vntill the Spi­rit doth spiritually enliue him? How can hee see spiritually the secrets of the Lord, whose vnderstanding is wholly darkned, and before the eyes of whose minde there are such thicke scales of ignorance drawne, as can not be re­moued, vntill the Spirit doth enligh­ten him? How can he elect and chuse the paths of life to walk in of his own free pleasure, whose will is so spiritu­ally peruerted, that it cannot be refor­med againe, vntil the holy Ghost vn­dertaketh to rectifie it? Now if ney­ther the minde of man can bring the least measure of illumination vnto it selfe, nor the will of man the least part of reformation to it selfe; what power can there be in man toward the worke of his owne conuersion! Can the paper fix letters vpon it selfe with­out the hand and penne of a writer? Can the ayre giue light vnto it selfe, [Page 69] without the beams of the Sunne? Can we write the Lawe of God vppon our owne hearts, without the finger of the Spirit? Can wee receiue the light of grace, without the spirituall sunne-shine of the Spirit? it is not possible: it is God that worketh in vs the will and the deede. Away then with that freedome of will to regenerate our selues, which our Aduersaries doe groundlesly holde, and maintaine. Whereas they obiectObiect. that same speech of our Sauiour, Iohn 5.6. to the sicke man that lay at the poole of Bethesda, Wilt thou be made whole; and conclude from thence, that that man had a will to haue his disease cured before his healing: So consequently a sinner may haue a will to the curing of his sicke sinfull soule, euen while the disease of sinne lieth vpon him, and while he re­maines vnregenerate; Who is of so weake vnderstanding, as not plainely to see the weakenes of this argument? Answer 1 For, what though it be granted, that the man which lay sicke at the poole of Bethesda, of a bodily infirmity, had a [Page 70] will (as no doubt he had) to be cured of his malady, euen while the disease did raigne vpon him; shall wee there­fore conclude, that we haue a power to will the healing of our spirituall wounds before grace be breathed into vs from heauen? God forbid. The poore Creeple that lay at the poole of Bethesda, though he lay vppon a bed, and could not stirre himself so nimbly and liuely as others that were in better health then himselfe, yet he had life in him, and a feeling of his disease; and therefore well might hee desire and haue a will to be healed. But a man that lieth in the poole of Beth-auen, in the gulph of iniquitie: so long as the disease of his soule lieth vpon him vn­cured, hee is starke dead, hee hath no more spirituall life in him, then a blocke or a stone hath naturall life, he is vtterly voyde of any sense or feeling of his disease: and how can hee then will the cure of it, and wish the hea­ling of it.

Answer 2. Besides, when Christ beginneth to deale with the sinner about the cure of [Page 71] his diseased soule, as hee did with that sicke man about the healing of his dis­eased body: And when hee asketh the sinner by a secret voyce, and by his reuealed will in the Word, Wilt thou be healed of thy spirituall malady; It must be his Spirit must teach vs to an­swer, Yea. And when hee asketh that question effectually indeede, hee doth encline the heart to desire saluation. Which desire therefore cannot be at­tributed to mans will willing it, but to the inspiration of the holy ghost brea­thing this godly desire into the poore soule. And therefore a dangerous and damnable opinion it is for any man to ascribe that supernaturall worke of re­generation to the will of man, which proceedeth onely and freely from the will of God, who with his Spirit brea­theth and bloweth where he pleaseth.

Truely if this opinion should be gi­uen way vnto,The dan­ger of this errour. this mischiefe would ensue hereupon. A man might be bold to goe on in sinne as farre as he listeth, and continue in sinne as long as he li­steth, and easily conuert and turne him [...] [Page 74] tied then to pouerty in estate? No, nei­ther. For, as there are few of the richer sort who are religious, but haue their soules as full of sin, as their chests are of siluer: so, many of the meaner sort are irreligious; beeing as miserable in their soules, as beggerly in their estates. So that (I say) no person, place, condi­tton, can compell the Lord to sanctifie his creatures: his free pleasure is the ground of all: and out of euery nation, age, sex, condition, hee draweth some to himself to fear his Name, to call vp­on him, to do him worship & seruice, according to his owne blessed will. And therefore let no man boast him­self in the multitude of his riches, in the number of his friends, in the depth of his humane policy, in the greatnes of his earthly pedigree, in the height of his dignity, nor in the seat of his au­thority. For, that God, who makes the winde to blowe vpon a poor cotage when he lets a Kings palace alone, can bestowe grace vpon the poor begger,Stat pro ratione vo­luntat. when he denieth it to the great poten­tate. And no maruell: his will is his [Page 75] reason; and no outward priuiledges can constrain him to work but where he pleaseth himself. Shall not hee that is Lord of all, haue the disposing of all at his owne pleasure? When therefore thou shalt beginne to question in thy selfe, with the Lord, Lord why hast thou receiued such a poor one, and re­jected such a great one; sanctified such a simple and despised one, and left such a wise man, such a politician; conuer­ted such a young stripling, and not wrought vpon such an ancient father? why dost thou impart thy gifts thus? why doost thou distribute thy graces thus? When (I say) thou shalt fall thus (in admiration of Gods wisdome) to make such an inquiry as this is; let this doctrin be at hand in thy meditations, to answer thy self by. The God of hea­uen, with his gales of grace, bloweth and breatheth where he pleaseth.

Sect. 4. Vse 3. Exhorta­tion to two sorts.Thirdly, heere is matter of counsell & perswasion to be deriued from this doctrine, and that both to the regene­rate and vnregenerate.

1 To the regenerate in a two-fold duty.The regenerate are to be perswaded [Page 76] to a twofould duty; one to be practi­sed for themselues, the other to be per­formed on the behalf of others.

1 Thank­fulnes for grace re­ceiued.That duty which concerneth them­selues, is thankfulnesse to GOD for breathing grace so freely and liberally into them: for, the more free the gift is to the creature, the more praise ought to be returned from him to the Creatour, who is the bestower of the same.A fit Si­mile. Should a King bestowe some Lordship or yeerly pension vpon one of his subjects of base estate and badde desert: if that subject should not bee thankfull vnto his Soueraign for the same, he were worthy to be cri'd shame vpon; especially too, sithens the free­dome of the Kings pleasure, without any worth in himself, is the ground of the same. And shall the King of hea­uen, of his owne free will, for his own blessed pleasure, conferre not onely an annuall pension of earthly treasure for term of life, but an incorruptible pos­session of heauenly graces, vpon the sinfull sonnes and daughters of Adam, whose richest estate was sinne and cor­ruption, [Page 77] whose best desert was hel and damnation; and shall they that haue their share in this portion, be vnmind­full of this loue, vnthankfull for this fauour? God forbid. If there had been any thing in themselues to haue com­pell'd the Lord to deal thus with them, will hee, nill hee; then, though they should bee vngratefull, they were the more to bee borne withall: but seeing the Lords free will was the chiefest motiue, and his meer loue the mainest reason, to induce him thus to breathe vpon them; now to cut him short of his praises, not to render, or at least, endeauour to render due thanks vnto his Majesty, it is a very hainous and in­tolerable offense, not to be suffred, not to be endured. Wherefore thou that hast thy minde enlightened with the grace of illumination, thy heart softe­ned with godly contrition, thy will brought into an Euangelicall subjecti­on through the grace of mortification, thy affections into a spirituall temper and frame through the work of sancti­fication; thou that bringest forth the [Page 78] fruits of obedience plentifully & cheerfully, grieuing for and praying against the many slips thou takest, and the spi­rituall sloth which is somtimes in thee; thou that canst stop thy ear against the voice of temptation, that canst speake to God by praier and supplication, that canst speake to men in religious dis­course, refraining thy tongue from e­uill for conscience sake, which is one fruit of pure religion: thou (I say) that hast these euidences of the breathing of grace (which I spake of beforechap. 3 Sect. 3.) striue thou to haue thy heart, lips and life, enlarged, opened and replenished, with the praises of his holy Name. And the more thou consider'st how freely these heauenly benefits come from himselfe, without any merit (yea, notwithstan­ding so many demerits) of thine own; the more forward be thou to be telling of his louing kindnes from day to day, the more zealous for his glory in his cause, and the more rauished with the serious meditation of his singular bounty. And oh! consider: he might haue left thee like a liue-lesse & breath­lesse [Page 79] creature, as he hath many thou­sands, but that his will and his loue did prouoke him to commiserate thy wo­full condition. If twenty or thirtie malefactours should be in one and the self same dungeon, where they could neither haue the light of the Sunne to accheer them, nor the benefit of the sweet air to refresh them; and one or two of them amongst all the rest, by the meanes of a friend (a stranger to them) should bee redeemed from that bondage, set at liberty, and brought forth to partake both of the light of the glistering Sun, and the breath of the refreshing winde: Oh how thank­full would these poor wretches bee to him that had procured them this liber­ty! what orations & narrations would they make of his kindnes! and no ser­uice would they sticke at to doo him, when-as hee should require it at their hands. And the more readily also would they do this, because they know it was his meer pleasure to redeeme them, rather then any of the other; whom he might haue made choice of [Page 80] as well as they, and left them in the dungeon still. Now thou that hast re­ceiued grace, wert once a prisoner to the diuell, as well as the rest of Adams posterity, and wert chained with spi­rituall fetters in the dungeon of sinne, where thou hadst neither the Sunne of Righteousnesse to shine vpon thee, nor the winde of grace to breathe into thee. The Father of his owne free will sent his Sonne: the Sonne came wil­lingly himselfe, with the holy Ghost, to dissolue the workes of the diuell in thee, to loosen the boltes of sinne for thee, to bring thee out of that same hi­deous and stinking dungeon, into the fresh aire, with the sun-shine of grace to giue light to thee, with the gales of grace to blow on thee, when he might haue taken others, and left thee a pri­soner still. Now was his loue so great to thee, was his will such towards thee rather then towards others, when as thou wert in the same condemnati­on with others? Oh let this strike in­to thy heart, and make so deep an im­pression in thy soule, that it may neuer [Page 81] be forgotten, that it may euer be remembred: & let it driue thee into such an extasie, that vppon thy awaking thou mayest with holy Dauid, and pa­tient Iob (who had experience of the like mercie) breake out and say,Psal. 8.4. What is man that thou art mindfull of him, and the Sonne of man that thou dost thus visit him? Iob 7.17 What is man that thou shouldest magnifie him, and that thou shouldest set thy heart vppon him? Lord, what am I that thou shouldest thus set thine heart vpon me, to visite mee with the blasts of thine heauenly graces, and make my heart (which was formerly a slie for vncleane diuells) a lodging and temple for the holy Ghost to dwell in? Lord, this is loue without paralell, this is mercie without comparison; what? seemed it good in thine eyes (heauen­ly Father) to turne me and blow mee towards the Kingdome of Heauen, when (being blowne forward with the blasts of that wicked spirit) I was going, running, posting, flying to the kingdome of darkenesse? Needs must I lose my selfe in the admiration of [Page 82] this loue,; and with the Psalmist say,Psal. 18.49 Because thou hast thus deliuered me from the hand of the violent, therefore will I giue thanks vnto thee (O Lord) and sing prai­ses vnto thy holy name. Thus (I say) let the praises of God bee in thy mouth, when the worke of his Spirit is in thy heart. And this is the duety which thou that art a new creature in Christ, art dayly to practise on thine owne be­halfe.

2 Care­nes to beg grace for those that went it.Againe, as thou must thus be thank­full for what thou thy selfe hast thus freely receiued; so thou must be a su­ter vnto Gods maiesty for the like mer­cie, on the behalfe of those that want it: for thou knowest that they are no more able to work this grace in them­selues then thou thy selfe wert when thou wert in the same state with them; and thou vnderstandest by this do­ctrine, that it commeth from God a­lone: and the Philosophers axiome is trueAristot. de causis. res recipi­unt boni­tatem in fluxam a prima cau­sa. Things receiue their goodnes from the first cause of that goodnesse. And the soule that is empty of grace, must re­ceiue her preordained fulnesse of grace [Page 83] from the Lord the first cause and foun­taine of grace: and from that fountaine must thy prayers bee as a pitcher to fetch grace for thy brother; so farre foorth as precedent election maketh a possibility of speeding.A caution Mis-take mee not: I speake not this as though I were of opinion, that the merit of thy pray­ers could deserue grace at Gods hands for thy elect brother: but I only shew thee, what the consideration of the freedome of Gods pleasure, in breath­ing grace into his Church, ought to stirre thee vp vnto; and what loue and pitty to thy vnregenerate brothers poore soule ought to moue thee vnto, viz. to beseech God (whoAct. 2.17 poureth his Spirit vpon all elect flesh) that hee would bee pleased as freely to worke graciously in him (if it be his will) as he did in thy selfe at thy first conuersi­sion. This is that which the Lord would haue thee doe; neyther is hee any niggard of his grace vnto those whom-to he hath purposed it from all eternitie. Hee is not like man: men when they haue done something for [Page 84] others, they can not endure that the receiuers should become beggers of the like kindnesse for others; but they would haue them satisfied with that which they themselues haue receiued, and let crauing for others alone. But it is farre otherwise with the Lord: it is his delight when they that haue beene blowne vppon freely with his grace, will become petitioners to the throne of grace for others, as wel as for them­selues; and chiefly for those whom they haue neerest relation vnto. It is that which he is pleased withall, when the sanctified husband prayeth for the vnsanctified wife, when the beleeuing wife sueth for the vnsanctified hus­band; holy parents for vnholy childrē, holy children for vnholy parents; san­ctified maister for vngodly seruants, &c. Thou therefore, that hast any whit of heauens breath in thee, do not onlie craue the encrease of grace in thy selfe (which is thy duty too) but also begge hard for the beginnings of grace in thy gracelesse brethren; and (seeing Gods grace is as free from himselfe to [Page 85] other elect vessels of mercy as to thee) beseech thou the Lord, to open the eyes of thine ignorant wife, to soften the hart of thine impenitent husband, to conuert the soule of thine vngraci­ous childe, to infuse grace into thy vn­regenerate father, mother, brethren, friends, neighbours, maister, seruant, whose hearts are as yet swolne with the breath of Satan, and corruption: And as the Apostle his heartsRo. 10.1 desire and prayer to God was, that Israel might be saued: So let it be thy hearts desire and prayer to God, that they may bee sanctified; and that with his spirituallCant. 4.16. North and South winde, he would blowe vppon such dead Gardens; and that hee would open the bottells and spout-pots of his holy Spirit, to wa­ter such dry and barren grounds, that those floures may spring vp there, which haue their roote in Election, and that the sweete spices of grace may flow out as freely from the holy Ghost to them, as to thy selfe. And these bee the two duties which the Saints haue to learne from hence: First, to prayse [Page 86] God for the graces which they them­selues haue, and to pray to God for the like graces on the behalfe of them that want them.The second branch of the vse of exhorta­tion to the vnre­generate. Secondly, heere is a lesson for the vnregenerate (who are altogether destitute of sound grace) to learne: and that is, to giue all diligence to be effectually breathed vppon with this winde from heauen; and with holy Dauid toPsa. 132 4.5 giue no sleepe to their eyes, nor slumber to their eye-liddes, vn­till their hearts be a place for the God of Iacob to breathe in, and their soules an habitation for the Ark of the Lords strength, and the worke of the Lords Spirit to rest and dwel in. For if Gods wil be the ground of his worke of san­ctification in any creature, then they that are still vnsanctified, are bound to an incessant vse of those means which the Lord hath appoynted to serue this free will of his in the effecting of grace in their hearts: and though we cannot effect any part of that blessed wotke in our selues, nor so much as naturally wish or will it; yet, in asmuch as the Lord hath made no promise to rege­nerate [Page 87] but by the vse of meanes, wee must vse that meanes, if wee would be spiritually breathed vppon. For that God who doth reueale his will of ele­ction by the worke of Iustification, & his will of iustification by the worke of Sanctification, doeth also declare his wil of sanctification by the prescri­bing of helpes to bring vs to holinesse: which helpes wee must diligently and carefully vse; or else, if the spirit neuer come to breathe vppon vs, the fault will be our owne, and our condem­nation of our selues. Howsoeuer still (I say) the worke of grace be the Lords; so then (I say) the libertie which the Lord hath to infuse grace where he willeth, vrgeth a necessity of following those rules which hee hath set vp for his Church to attaine vnto grace by: which rules and helps what they are, I will shew in order.

The first is a diligent attendance vnto the word of grace:1 Help to get grace. hence it is that the word is called the2 Cor. 3 8. ministration of the Spirit. We know that they which are left Executours to other [Page 88] mens wills, they must take vp Letters of Administration, by vertue of which they must enter vpon the goods of the deceased: so they that would take vp that Legacie of Graces, which Christ bequeathed to his Church in the pro­mise of sending his Spirit, must come to Gods Courts, and there take vp the Letters of Administration, by the meanes whereof they may take vp that portion of inheritance or grace, which Christ hath left for them.Acts 1.2 When the Apostles were in an house at Ierusa­lem, where they heard a sound like the rushing of a mighty winde: then did the holy Ghost sit vpon them: So when wee are in the house of God to heare the found of his mighty voyce, in the preaching of the Word, may wee expect the breathing of his Spirit. It was at the preaching of Peter that the holy Ghost fell vpon Cornelius and his houshold. Act. 10.44. It was at a Sermon of Paules when the Spirit opened the hart of Lydia Acts 16 14. When Ananias instructed Paul, the seales fell from his eyes, and hee receiued spirituall sight Acts 9.17.. By the preaching of our Saui­our, [Page 89] many of the Iewes came to be­leeue on him: with his word did hee cleanse theMark 1.42. Leper,Ma k 5.42. raise the dead, Mar. 10 52. o­pen the eyes of the blinde,Mar 9.26. Chap. 5.8 cast di­uels out of the possessed with them, in the daies of his flesh: and by the means of his holy word, now published by his messengers doth hee cleanse, with the water of grace, our leprous soules, quickening with the life of grace our dead hearts, open with the light of grace our blinde minds, and chase out with the blasts of grace, those same e­uill spirits that doe haunt and possesse our soules.

Their case therefore cannot be suffi­ciently lamented, nor enough bewai­led, who make no more reckoning of the Word, then of a trifle or toy; and who regard the sound of the Lords voyce in a powerfull Ministery, no more then the creaking of a lifelesse doore: the estate of such persons (I say) can not be pittied too much; for alas poore soules, by this contempt they debarre themselues from the breath of the spirit. For, if amongst those that [Page 90] heare the Word diligently, when it is most soundly preached, there be but one sort amongst foure that get any more grace by it then the common gifts of the Spirit (which a reprobate may possibly attaine vnto) then let them neuer looke to obtaine the Spi­rit sauingly, that contemptuously re­iect preaching, as Papists doe; that neg­ligently heare preaching, neuer but when themselues list, now and then, at their owne leisure, as profane Pro­testants doe. And if such persons re­main in their vnregenerate condition, vntill they come to reape the fruit of it in eternall condemnation, whom can they blame but themselues? What can they finde fault withall, as the cause of such misery, but the turning away their eares from hearing the Law? Suppose a man were in a close roome, where through the vnholesomnesse of the ayre, he were like to be smothered, and might haue libertie to goe abroad into the aire, where the winde might reuiue his spirits; if he should wilfully refuse to come abroad, and partake of that [Page 91] refreshment, and should rather choose to keepe in that roome, were not hee worthy to be smotherd and choaked? Surely yes: how much more deserue they to be smothered with their sins, and choaked with the stinking ayre of their corruptions, who haue the word brought home, euen to their doores, and yet stop their eares against it? chu­sing rather to snort vppon their cou­ches, to sit in the chimney corner, to prate by the fires side, to patch their cloathes (as many of the poorer sort make that their Saboths worke) to play and game, to make bargaines, to trauell about their worldly businesses, then to go to the house of God, where in the preaching of the word, the Lord doeth offer the worke of his Spirit, for the distilling of grace into the hearts of the Elect. Wherefore, whosoeuer thou art that hast beene either a con­temptuous despiser, or a negligent hearer of a powerfull Ministery, when thou mightst haue had it; be humbled for this contempt, reforme this negli­gence, and now at last gather vp thy [...] [Page 94] ceited in her own eyes: and thence it was that they were so ful of grace. Can the profane person get restraining grace, so long as in the pride of his hart he thinks himselfe good enough? Can the ciuill person euer get sauing grace, so long as he is puffed vp with a loftie conceit of his owne righteousnesse? Cā the hypocrit get sanctifying grace, so long as he prides himselfe in those common gifts which he hath already? It is not possible. For, so long as men are swolne vp with a selfe-conceit of their owne excellency, with an haugh­ty opinion of their ciuil honesty, with a conceited thought of supposed san­ctitie; they can see cause neyther of complaining before God of their na­tiue filthinesse, nor cause of praying vnto God for more holinesse. And if they see no cause to doe thus, how can they long for grace: and if they neuer long for it, they can neuer haue it. Let the word therefore which thou hearest be effectuall with thee to bring thee out of conceit with thine owne holi­nesse, and learne thee to see and ac­knowledge, [Page 95] that thou hast nothing in thy selfe originally, but natiue polluti­on; otherwise (though thou beest ne­uer so well esteemed in the eyes of the world) Publicans and harlots shall sooner enter into the kingdome of Heauen, and be blowne vppon with the winde of heauen, then thou shalt.

Thirdly, when the word hath done this notable good with thee,3 Help to sanctifi­cation. as to bring thee to a base esteem of thy selfe, in respect of the lacke of grace, then must thy heart be softned, and moist­ned with the teares of contrition; and remorse of conscience must bee the thing which thou must striue for. The ProphetEzek. 36 26.27 Ezechiel seemeth to inti­mate vnto vs, that the Lord, before he putteth his Spirit within vs, he taketh away the stony hart from vs.Isa. 66.2 To this man will I looke (saith Iehouah himselfe by Isaiah) that is of a contrite spirit. The more moist the earth is, the more va­pours ascend out of it; and the more vapors rise from it, the more windes blow vpon it: euen so, the moyster our hearts are, the more tender our [Page 96] consciences are, the more vapours of sinne will the Sunne of righteousnesse draw vp to himselfe in regard of guilt, by the grace of iustification; and so the more way shall be made for freedome from the reigne of sinne in the grace of sanctificatiō. Why were the Scribes and Pharises so destitute of grace? but because hardnesse of heart did possesse them, and the spirit of slumber was vpon them; whereas Peters Acts 2 Con­uerts, being pricked in their conscien­ces, did beleeue and repent to the re­mission of their sinnes, and sanctifica­tion of their soules. And truely this must needes be an vndeniable truth; because, that when the heart is tender and soft, it is like waxe, capable of the impression of euery grace: then the preaching of the Lawe will worke vp­pon it to the producing of the grace of repentance, the preaching of the promises of the Gospel will worke vp­pon it to the breeding of a liuely faith, the reuealing of the will of God con­cerning any necessary duty to saluati­on wil worke vpon it to the begetting [Page 97] of new obedience, the experience of Gods mercies will worke vpon it, to the effecting of the grace of loue, the meditation of Gods iustice and power wil worke vppon it to the engendring of an holy and sonne-like feare: but where this softnesse and tendernesse is not, neither Law nor Gospel, neither mercy nor iustice, nor any thing else will auaile, to imprint the least stampe of any grace vpon the soule. And tru­ly from the want of this it is, that so lit­tle grace is to be found amongst the posteritie of Adam in this last age of the world. Aske the Philosopher why winds are not so common in the win­ter and summer quarters, as they are in the spring & the Autumne; and he will answer, that the cause is from the hardnesse of the earth, beeing more bound with extreamitie of frost and colde in the winter then in the au­tumne, and more parched with vehe­mencie of heate, in the summer then in the spring: euen so, aske the Diuine, what is the reason why the winde of grace doth not blow as well vpon the [Page 98] greater number as the smaller; and hee wil answer you, The hardnes of mens hearts is the ground of it: their hearts are frozen with the dregges of coldnes and security, and they are parched and dried with the heate of their Iustes, which hindereth all spirituall moy­sture in them: and can heauens blasts blow, so long as all such moysture is wanting vnto them? I confesse in­deede, that when the Spirit beginneth first to breathe, it findeth the heart of the sinner hard and impenitent: but yet I say that the Spirit neuer procee­deth vnto the vp-shot of Sanctificati­on, vntill it hath prepared the heart by breaking and humbling it, and taking away the flintinesse of it. Thou there­fore, whose heart is stony, whose con­science is crusty, bewaile thy securitie, lament thine impenitencie, and take thou no quiet vntill more remorse bee wrought in thee: and euery check that thy conscience giueth thee, for any good which thou hast neglected, for any euill which thou hast committed, quench it not, choake it not, repell it [Page 99] not. For if thou resistest when consci­ence doth its office, thou indisposest thy selfe to any remorse, and thou oc­casionest the powers of thy soule to be so hide-bound, that no spirituall moi­sture of sorrow for the lacke of grace can bedeaw thee; and how then can the winde of grace blowe vpon thee? Wherefore, vntill the word of Grace hath thus farre wrought vpon thee, to bring thee to a soft and broken heart; think thou, it hath don thee little or no good: for whom the Lord doth free­ly worke vpon to sanctification, hee doth also bring to mortification, the second step wherunto is a soft and ten­der spirit.

Lastly,The fourth helpe to sanctifi­cation. prayer vnto the Lord for grace, is a notable meanes to obtaine it. For, as the LordPsal. 105. bringeth the wind out of his treasures, so he sendeth downe his Spirit, and euery good gift of the same from heauenly places: not by any locall mutation, as though the third person in the Trinitie did come from his throne of maiestie; but by a super­natural operation and working in the [Page 100] hearts of the Elect; the will of the Fa­ther, in this worke, goeth first, the wil of the Sonne followeth that, and the will of the Spirit proceedeth from both:Non tem­pore sed or dine. and therefore, seeing grace doth thus come downe from heauen, as the winde from the cloudes, wee must by Petitions send vp to heauen for it. Vn­to this our Sauiour Christ doth en­courage vs when-as hee sayth,Luk 11.13. Your heauenly father wil giue his Spirit to them that aske him. But, will some obiect and say,Obiect. How can wee pray for the Spirit while we want it; when as wee cannot pray aright for any thing, vn­till Answer 1 wee haue the Spirit? Whereunto I answer; First, it must bee considered, vnto whom I speake, to wit, to such whom the Word hath preuailed with­all, to bring them to a knowledge of the want of grace, and to remorse of conscience, because of this want: now they that are brought thus farre, they are disposed to pray for it; and there­fore, to such as these are very well may I speake, as the Apostle doth concer­ning Wisedom.Iac. 1.5. If any man lacke [that [Page 101] is, feeles the lacke of] wisedome, and so consequently of grace, let him aske it of God: Yea, and desire God to giue him grace to call for it aright; and en­treate others to begge the same thing for him. Againe, howsoeuer we can­not Answer 2 pray for the Spirit, vntill we haue the Spirit, yet we must pray for it, that we may ascertaine our selues, that we are in the way to attaine it: for one of the first steppes to grace, is an earnest desire to bee made a partner of grace; yea such a desire as will not be satisfied vntill it hath it. And neuer let that man looke to bee breathed vpon spiri­tually, that hath not an heart to send vp sighs and sutes earnestly to the God of heauen for his holy Spirit. As Ma­riners therefore, when they would haue a prosperous gale to driue them to the hauen, are wont to say, Blowe winde, blowe winde; so pray thou, Blowe Lord, breathe Spirit, oh breathe some heauenly blastes, some spirituall mo­tions, some holy inspirations into my grace­lesse, barren and empty heart. And let that be thy prayer which was the prayer of [Page 102] a Christian father, and constant Mar­tyr;Cypr. de S. sancto, folio 32. Adesto sancte spi­ritus, san­ctifica tem­plum cor­poris nostri & conse­cram ha­bitaculum tuum, dig­nam te ha­bitatore, domum compone, adorna thalamum tuum, & quietis tuae reclinato­rium cir­cundae varietatibus virtutum: sterne pa­uimenta pigmentis, nite at mansio tua car­bunculis flammeis, & gemmarū splendorib. &c. Come thou holy Spirit, sanctifie the temple of my body and soule, consecrate it as an habitation for thy selfe, make it an house fit for so worthy a guest to lodge in, beautifie it as thy chamber, beset it as the Cabin of thy rest round about with the va­riety of all vertues, let it glister as thy man­sion with spirituall carbuncles, and with the splendor of heauenly Pearles: cause the odours of thy gracious oyntments to per­fume it within, and so regenerate and re­nue my heart, that it may be established in grace for euer. If in some such wise as this thou wilt but feruently, faithfully and feelingly make knowne thy re­quests vnto the Lord, thou shalt finde, that that Spirit which descended vpon Christ in the similitude of aMat. 3.16. Doue, and vpon the Apostles in the likenesse of clouen and fiery tongues Act. 2.3 at the feast of Pentecost, will come downe vpon thee, in the likenesse of a mighty wind, to purge and purifie thee, to renue and sanctifie thee, and to infuse into thee [Page 103] innocencie, wisedome, zeale, faith, fear, loue and all graces in measure, needful for thy saluation. And thus (Christi­an Reader) haue I pointed out vnto thee, the helpes which may further thee towards the attainment of sauing grace. The Word must be attended to, that it may teach thee humilitie; hu­militie must be attained vnto, that (out of an acknowledgement of thine own vnworthinesse and vnholinesse) thy heart may be softned: and a soft heart must be endeuoured, for that out of a broken & contrite spirit thou maiest earnestly call vpon God for the gales and graces of his holy Spirit; who vp­on thy praying vnto him aright, hath made a gracious promise, freely and liberally to vouchsafe them vnto thee, without reproaching thee.

And that thou maiest be perswaded the more willingly to follow this di­rection,Motiues to stir vp to the carefull vse of these meanes. Motiue 1. and be the more eagre thus in the pursuite of holinesse, doo but in the first place consider the consolation that these graces will afford a man in the time of affliction and triall. For, [...] [Page 106] endeuourest to be sanctified. Thinke we (now) vpon these two things seri­ously, meditate wee vpon them care­fully, and let them be as two goades in our sides, to make vs industrious in vsing meanes to be gracious. Would wee haue a comforter in the times of heauinesse? would we be partakers of euerlasting happinesse? then let vs (as we haue beene exhorted) follow the rules that haue beene prescribed vs to attaine to holinesse, that the blastes of heauen may inspire grace into vs. Which grace the Lord grant vs for his mercies sake.

Sect. 5. Vse 4. Admoni­tion.And so from my third Vse, which was for exhortation, I proceede to a fourth; which is the last I intend to make of this Doctrine: and that is for admonition, to take heed that we doe not passe finall sentence against any man, be his heart neuer so gracelesse, his life neuer so godlesse. For, if the great God of heauen bloweth with his Spirit where he listeth, and when hee listeth; he may (for aught wee know) in his eternall Decree, haue his [Page 107] time to inspire with the holy Ghost some of those that are most dissolute, profane and licentious. Wherefore, for any man (now the gift of particular Reuelation is ceased) to passe finall iudgement against the foulest swearer, beastliest rioter, greediest miser, pro­fanest Saboth-breaker, vncleannest a­dulterer, &c. is a thing not onely vn­lawfull, but also dangerous.Obiect. What then? shall wee confound Christ and Belial? shall we put no distinction be­twixt the holy and profane? shall wee make no differences amongest men? Nothing more.Answ. The Lord (we know) denounceth a woe against themIsa. 5.20 23. that call euill good, and good euill: that put sowre for sweet, and sweete for sowre, and that iustifie the wicked. By the fruits we come to know what the tree is: if the fruits be gracelesse, the person cannot be commended as gracious. Neither is it any more vnlawfull to say, a drun­kard, a blasphemer, an oppressor, &c. is a childe of the diuell, then to say, a toade is a toade, or a dogge a dogge: yet for all this, we cannot say, that that [Page 108] person, be he neuer so lewd, shall fi­nally be damned, and is in a reprobate condition. Indeed we may say of ma­ny a man, he is in the state of condem­nation (forIoh. 3.18 he that beleeueth not, saith Christ, is condemned already) but wee cannot say of any man, hee is in the state of reprobation. For all men by nature, before conuersion, are in the state of damnation: but onely some of them are in the state of reprobation, whom, in his eternall Decree, the Lord hath purposed to cast away for euer­more; and wee can not say, that hee which is now gracelesse, shall liue and die gracelesse: therfore let vs take heed of passing a determinate sentence a­gainst any man; considering that that God which sanctifieth freely, as his wil is, of a Saul to day can make a Paul to morrow; of a persecutor to day, can make a Preacher to morrow; of a Leper to day, can make a cleane per­son to morrow, &c. if it bee his hea­uenly pleasure so to doe. And so an end of this poynt, the profit whereof I wish to thy soule, whosoeuer thou art that readest the same.

CHAP. VI. The second Doctrine from the first Part of the Text touching the inuincible force of the breath of the Spirit.

Sect. 1. Doctr. 4. The work of sauing grace is vncon­querable.THe second poynt cometh next to hand,which may be propounded in these tearmes; That nothing can hin­der the Lord from inspiring with his Spi­rit, that person whom hee hath decreed sanctifying grace vnto, when the time is come wherein hee hath a purpose to regene­rate him. Si ventum nemo cohi­bet quin quo vult feratur, quaento magis spiritus operationē nulla na­tura leges nulli cor­poreae generationis si­nes, nulla alia huius­modi vis possunt co­hibere, saith Chrysostome in Ioh. hom. 26. The Winde bloweth as it listeth: and who can hinder it, what mortall man can let it? When it flo­weth from the North South-ward, from the South North-ward; when it bloweth from East to West, from West to East, what mortall power can cause it to cease? What humane authoritie can command it to turne into a con­trary corner? Euen so when the gales of grace beginne to blowe vpon this man, that woman, in the worke of re­generation, no power of man can to­tally [Page 110] frustrate, no malice of hell can vt­terly make void this worke of the Spi­rit. Howbeit the cursed spite of Satan, and the corrupted will of man, haue a kinde of power to resist: yet they haue no might to ouercome the Lord, or ouerthrow the efficacie of his grace, so as to make him cease whether hee will or no from regenerating the creature. Let this be taken for a trueth from the Lord his owne mouth;Ezec. 36 27 I will put my Spirit into you, and will make you to walke in my statutes: marke it well, I will. Now, if the Lord willeth, if the Lord doth any thing, who can frustrate his will, who can hinder his worke Zanch. 2. col. 146. Deo autem aliquid volente, & facien­te, quis ne illud [...]at impedire potest?? Wherewith accordeth that of the Apostle, Rom. 9. 19. Who hath resisted his will? And our Sauiour Christ speaking of his sheepe (who feed and abide vpon the Plaines where the wind of grace hath a strong gust) sayth thus,Ioh. 10.29. No man is able to plucke them out of my hands. Now when grace is wrought in our hearts, then may we be said to be put into Christ his hands: and if nothing can plucke a Christian out of Christ his hands, [Page 111] Domino volenti saluum fae­cere, nul­lum huma­num resistit arbitrium. August. de Cor. et Gra. cap. 14. Obiect. Luke 13.34.nothing can plucke grace out of a Christians heart, or hinder grace when the Lord breatheth thereinto.

But against this truth (perhaps) will som obiect that exclamation of Christ against Ierusalem: O Ierusalem, Ierusa­lem, how often would I haue gathered thee together, as a hen gathers her chickens vn­der her wings, and ye WOVLD NOT. From which words happely they will shape an exception thus; The wil of the people of Ierusalem did so strongly resist the will of Christ, that hee could not conuert them, as his will was: there­fore the worke of grace which GOD willeth to a soule, may altogether bee frustrate, and made of none effect; and so that can be no good diuinity which hath now beene deliuered.

Amsw.To this I answer, by a dinstinction: The will of God is two-fold; first, ab­solute and concealed: secondly, mani­fest and reuealed. His absolute & con­cealed will whereby he doth whatsoe­uer he pleaseth, cannot be resisted: but his manifest and reuealed will, layd o­pen in his word and by his Ministers, [Page 112] that hath beene, is, and will bee resi­sted, which latter is meant in that place: for this is that which Christ gi­ueth them to vnderstand, that he had opened his reuealed will vnto them, partly, by his owne teaching, partly, by the preaching of his Disciples, and they despised it, abused it, would not be conuerted by it; and not that his absolute will was to conuert them, but that the corrupt resistance of their vn­regenerate will did altogether nullifie and make voyde the same: and there­fore, whosoeuer shall obiect that place against this poynt, doeth wrest that Scripture, and wrong this truth, that The work of Regeneration is inuinci­ble, vnconquerable.

Sect. 2. Vse 1. Terror to those that op­pose grace in others.This poynt cannot be more fitly ap­plied (in the first place) then as a thun­derbolt of terrour, to those that goe a­about to hinder the current of grace in their brethren; and who by all means possible seek to discourage them, when they are setting their faces towards the kingdome of heauen. It was the por­tion of the Israelites, as they were [Page 113] iourneying towards that promised earthly Canaan, to meet with many enemies, open, and secret, who en­deauoured to stop them, and stay them from coming thither: but all was in vaine; thither they came at the last, and in Gods due season, there as many of them arriued as God had purposed to bring thither. It fareth iust so with the Israel of God in these dayes: when the blasts of grace are blowing them forward to the heauenly Canaan which is aboue, what opposition shall they meet withall? not onely from na­tiue corruption within them, not on­ly from the violence of professed enemies to the truth, without them; but also they of their owne houshold will lift vp the heele against them, the hus­band resisting the work of grace in the wife, the wife in the husband, the pa­rent resisting the work of grace in the childe, the maister in the seruant, one brother and sister in another, one ser­uant & neighbor in another, and that somtimes by flattery, & faire speeches, somtimes by threats & menaces, som­times [...] [Page 116] teousnesse and holinesse? Thinkest thou, that thou shalt euer preuaile to cause those to forsake their good be­ginnings in Christianitie, for whom the Lord hath broken in sunder the cords of Satan and iniquitie? If thou so imaginest, thou art much mistaken: thou shalt neuer be able to bring those whom the Sonne hath made free in­deede, into bondage againe, though thou temptest and striuest vntill thy heart ake againe. Thou maiest perad­uenture be a stumbling blocke vnto them; and partly, by authoritie, part­ly, by austerity, partly, by flattery, thou mayest bee an occasion vnto them of trippes and foiles (that thou mayest laugh at them for the same, and bring religion vpon the Stage to scoffe at it): but, who shall haue the worst of it at the end thinkest thou? either thou, or they? Not thou? Yes thou shalt. For the Lord will correct them with the prickes of conscience, that they may renue their repentance for their foyles which thou hast caused, and that they may rise againe (because Gods work [Page 117] is vnchangeable) but thou (vnlesse the Lord be the more mercifull) shalt bee reserued for a future iudgement, euen that iudgement which shall light vpon the pates of them by whom offences come; which, what it is, let Christ him selfe tell thee.Mat. 18.6 He that offendeth one of these little ones, better were it for him if a mill-stone were hanged about his necke, and hee cast into the midst of the Sea. Is any one therefore that liueth in the same towne with thee, that lieth in the same bed, that feedes at the same board, that harboureth in the same house with thee, but a little one of Christ, begin­ning now to steppe into the profession of religion, beginning to heare Ser­mons more carefully, to reade the Scriptures more diligently, to pray more often, to frequent the company of the faithfull, to forsake the societie of the wicked, to affect and seeke after the best things (whereas formerly he had no loue to them, no delight in them) Woe to thee, and a thousand woes, if thou goest about any way, ei­ther by faire meanes, or foule, to dis­hearten [Page 118] or seduce that person, thou wilt one day curse the time that euer thou didst it. Oh that this could sinke into the thoughts of those wicked pa­rents, gracelesse maisters, irreligious husbands, that deny their wiues, their children, their seruants, that time and liberty for hearing the Word, for prai­er to God, for sanctifying the Saboth, and such like holy Exercises which God doth require, and they doe desire. Oh that it could but settle in the medi­tations of those gouernours, which abuse their authoritie, to the praise of them that doe ill, to the discourage­ment of them that doe well. And I could heartily wish it might effectual­ly worke vpon the conscience of euery childe of Belial, that scoffeth at, that raileth vpon, that setteth against, that seeketh to seduce any one, in whom the fruits of grace haue appeared alrea­dy, or now at length beginne to ap­peare. Poore soules, they know not what they doe; foolish persons, they goe about one of the vainest and vilest things that can bee; and the greatest [Page 119] fruit they shall reape of this endeuour, is but wrath piled vp for themselues a­gainst the day of wrath. Howsoeuer they may be snares to hypocrites, who were neuer sound at the core, to se­duce them, and make them appeare in their colours (the bloud of which hy­pocrites also shall be required at their hands) yet such as are rightly sancti­fied, and soundly illuminated, shall they neuer be able to plucke out of the hands of Christ. Now tell mee, thou Doeg, thou Rabsh [...]kah, thou Ismael, thou Saul, thou Herod, thou Fox; is it not a vanitie of vanities, a franticke madnes to set against the Lords worke in his owne children; when thou mayest as soone pull the Sunne out of the firmament, as grace out of their hearts, and commaund the winde to cease blowing in the aire, as the Lord to cease breathing in the soule which hee hath a purpose to saue? Whoso­euer thou beest then that hast done the Diuell seruice in this kinde, be amazed at thy folly, be humbled for thy vani­tie, and learne to take heed of this Sa­tanicall [Page 120] art of opposing: or else, as now the word of terrour doth meete with thee; so at the last, the thunder-bolts of vengeance shall seize vpon thee, to thine euerlasting ouerthrow and con­fusion.

Sect. 3. Vse 2. Comfort to the faithfull.Secondly, here is a ground of com­fort, to those that are Saints by calling; and as to all of them in generall, so e­specially to those in whom the inspi­rations of grace haue lately breathed: and to them doe I principally intend this,First, to weake Christiās. because they haue the greatest need of it, being not so well able to de­fend themselues (by reason of their in­fancy in grace) as stronger Christians are, when they meet with such tēptati­ons, as they are vsually set vpon with at their first conuersion. I am not ig­norant, how that in the first worke of humiliation, after the slauish terrors and feares of hell and torment are past (which are as it were a preparatiue to true sorrow in the Elect, howsoe­uer they are otherwise to the repro­bate) when I say they are past, and that same grace of filial feare comes in, and [Page 121] when the Spirit of God, by the means of the Law, layeth open to the vnder­standing, what sinne is in itsA reprobate may see sin in the effect of it, which is punish­ment, as Ahab did: but onely a true pe­nitent be­holdes it in the na­ture of it, that is, as it is an a­nomy to the Lawe of a lo­uing God nature, as well as in its effect (to wit) a breach of the righteous Law of a gracious God, and hath caused him more to sorrow for sinne as it is sinne, then for sinne as it procureth punishment: I meane more, because he hath grieued so mer­cifull a Father, then because hee hath deserued hell torment; and so conse­quently hath brought him earnestly to desire strength against his corrupti­ons (as, godly sorrow and an hearty desire to forsake sinne goe together.) When (I say) the spirituall yongling is brought thus farre, then comes Satan vpon him (as with many other) so with this temptation, of buzzing into his eare an impossibility of euer get­ting victory ouer his lusts, & strength to walke with God. Thou shalt neuer ouercome thy corruptions (saith he) thou shalt neuer attaine vnto that faith, zeale, loue, vnto that measure of holy care to walk in an holy course, that thou dost desire, and therefore it is in vaine for thee to grieue so [Page 122] much it is to no purpose for thee to striue so much, thou shalt fall to thy old secure biasse againe; and though now a passionate and melancholy fit hath possessed thee, thou shalt growe to be as secure and hard-hearted as euer thou wert before. Thou canst not shift it. Seest thou not thine owne deceitfull heart against thee? seest thou not the world a­gainst thee? seest thou not thy wife, thy husband, thy parents, thy maister, thy bre­thren, sisters, fellow seruants, friends, ene­mies, and all in the way to hinder thee? how canst thou possibly get grace then, or keepe it when thou hast it? Whereupon the poore Christian (being but a weake­ling, and too ready to entertaine any hard conceit against himselfe) begin­neth to droupe, doubt and wauer, and in a manner to subscribe to the temp­tation: by which meanes the poore soule is brought into such a labyrinth of distresse, that it knoweth not which way to turne it selfe for ease and com­fort, nor what to doe to ridde it selfe out of this perplexitie. As an helpe therefore in these streights let this do­ctrine be thought vpon by the fain­ting [Page 123] soule: & let it take occasion from the same to accheere it selfe, as well it may, hauing right so to doe. Consi­der therefore (thou honest heart) that Gods graces are vnchangeable, his worke of Regeneration is inuincible: and where he beginneth to breathe, he will breathe though the while world say nay to it; though all the powers of darkenesse set against it. Doth the di­uell tell thee thou shalt neuer get vi­ctorie ouer thy corruptions; neuer be better then thou hast beene; neuer walke better then thou hast done? Be­leeue him not: he hath been a liar from the beginning, and so he is stil. I yield indeed thou hast a corrupt and deceit­ful hart that may easily out-reach thee, and ouer-reach thee; and peradventure thou mayest be troubled with a bad yoakefellow, and the most of thy kin­dred in the flesh may be but men of the flesh, and carnall persons and canst looke for no encouragement, but ra­ther discouragement from them: if thou beest in the condition of a childe happely thy father may be against thee, [Page 124] or thy mother, or both; if in the state of a seruant, thy maister and gouernor; and thou shalt haue many snares layd in the way to catch thee, many blocks to offend thee: I grant all this is true, and may be true. But what of all this? wilt thou beleeue, that because of these rubbes and obstacles, the Lord must needes leaue halfe or the greatest part of his worke vndone in thee? It is the Lords worke to illuminate, to inspire, to sanctifie, and nothing can make him giue ouer: let the Diuell roare, let the flesh rebell, let Rabshekah reuile, let the world entice, let friends flatter, let enemies oppose (be thou but watchful and stand wisely vpon thy guard) they cannot, they shal not frustrate nor nul­lifie the breathing of the holy Ghost in thee. Wherefore, so long as thou hast this for thy refuge, yielde not to the tempter; but let it be thy comfort, thy crowne, thy reioycing, maugre all the malicious suggestions that Sathan see­keth to disquiet thy poore soule with­all. Thou shalt get victory ouer thy lusts, be they neuer so strong: thou [Page 125] shalt walke in the wayes of new obedi­ence, by the grace of GOD enabling thee, though they be neuer so difficult. Tell me, Is not the want of grace, the chiefe thing which thou bewailest? Is not the possession of grace the princi­pall treasure which thou desirest? I know it is, if thou beest a true Christi­an: why, this is an euidence that God hath begunne to blow vpon thee, and he will perfect his owne work in thee, and nothing shall command him to stay inspiring, no more then thou thy selfe canst command the wind to leaue blowing, when it maketh a sound in the aire. Wherefore be of good com­fort, and take heart vnto thee, and an­swere the Diuell with this weapon, whensoeuer with this assault hee shall seeke to molest thee.

Againe,2. Com­fort and incorage­ment to a strōger Christian as the weak may fetch com­fort from hence, so this may bee pro­pounded to the refreshment and en­couragement of the stronger sort of Christians; the worke of sanctification is vnconquerable, nothing shall fru­strate it, & thou that hast been trained [Page 126] vp in the Schoole of Christ, and in the trade of Christianitie a long time knowest this, and hast prooued it by experience, diuers and sundry wayes, at diuers and sundry times: well, vse the meditation of this matter as a sword and buckler in the times of thy temptation (for such times thou shalt see; euen Paul himselfe must haue a1. Cor. 12 7. pricke in the flesh to buffet him:) and not onely so, but ioy in the Pearle which thou hast found. And seeing thou hast so long a time beene bapti­zed with the holy Ghost (which Hell it selfe cannot vndoe againe,) doe as theActs 8.39. Eunuch did whom Philip bapti­zed, driue forward the Chariot of thy godly life cheerefully, and goe for­ward in thy way reioycing, vntill thou commest to a perfect age in Christ Ie­sus. Let this suffice for the first part of the Text.

CHAP. VII. The words of the second part of the Text interpreted, and the heads of the Do­ctrines briefly propounded.

Sect. 1.I Passe on now to the second part of the Text, which treateth of the sense and feeling that accompanieth the worke of Regeneration in the regene­rate, set downe in these words; And thou hearest the sound thereof: Interpre­tation. so is euery one that is borne of the Spirit. Tolet. ad locum. Some heere by the sound of the Winde vn­derstand the voyce of the Spirit of God in the Scriptures; so that though the holy Ghost bee inuisible, in regard of his substance, yet hee is to bee heard speaking in the written Word: and the same Author saith, it is euen so with those that are borne of the Spirit; the things that are within them, as their thoughts, motions, purposes, desires cannot be seene with the eye, yet the fruits of their vertues may be heard of amongst the children of men, and [Page 128] their gracious and holesome speeches. But this cannot be the meaning; be­cause (as hath beene shewed before) by Winde cannot bee vnderstood the person of the holy Ghost: and so the comparison can not bee betwixt the Spirit, and those that are borne of the Spirit,; but betwixt the Winde, and those that are borne of the Spirit. Follow­ing therefore still the Metaphor of Winde, I fall to expound the wordes thus: [And thou] that is, thou Ni­codemus, thou that art so ignorant in the mystery of regeneration [hearest the sound thereof] that is, the noyse or sound of the winde when it bloweth in the aire: This sound thou hearest with thy eares, though thou canst not see it with thine eyes, and so commest to know there is winde. [So is euerie one that is borne of the Spirit.] .i. So stan­deth the case with them that are rege­nerate, in regard of the worke of the Spirit in them: though it can not be seene and comprehended with the eye of carnall reason, yet the spirituall sound that it maketh, and sense that it [Page 129] worketh inwardly in the soule of the regenerate, doth giue testimony of the breathing of it.

Sect. 2. The rea­son of the interpre­tation.That this is the meaning, it is plain, because it agreeth with the scope of this dialogue betwixt Christ and Nico­demus. For Nicodemus maruelling how it could possibly be true, That a man should be borne againe; our Sauiour bids him leaue wondering at it: for though by his fleshly reason hee could not see a possibilitie of the new birth; yet such a birth there is; perceiued too by the effect of the Spirit inwardly working in those that haue it, euen as the winde is knowne to bee, by the sound it maketh in our eares, though the substance of it cannot be seen with our eyes.

The wordes thus explained, are a foundation for foure principles of po­sitiue Diuinitie.

1. That to the eye of Reason, the worke of the Spirit, and the doctrine of the new birth, is inuisible.

2. Where the Spirit breatheth and regenerateth, there is a sense and fee­ling of it.

is (I say) no matter of corruption in it, in respect of its owne nature: where­fore, it being so pure in it selfe, it can­not bee comprehended by a capacitie and vnderstanding so grosse, as the carnall mans is.

Reason 2.Secondly, the winde can not bee seene, because it is not capable of co­lour. For colour being the obiect of sight, things onely are seene by their colours: so the winde of grace cannot be seene by a carnall man, the doctrine of the breath of it seemeth strange to him, because to his reason there is no pleasant nor beautifull colour in it: he beholdeth more lustre and splendour, more beauty, more cause of content­ment in riches, honours, preferments, parentage, yea in his bestial and Belial-like lusts, then in the things of the Spi­rit of God: and hence it comes to passe that hee is so blinde in the matters of heauen.

Reason 3.To these two I may adde a third: that light which should help the iudgement to apprehend the things of God was extinguished by the fall of our first [Page 133] parents; vntill which bee restored a­gaine, there can be no conceiuing the mystery of Regeneration. But so long as a man is naturall, that light is not restored: and therefore no maruell, if the point of Regeneration bee a darke sentence and riddle vnto him. For a man, to the end hee may see things, must not onely haue the power or ver­tue of seeing, in the sensitiue soule, and eies as fit organs and instruments, for that seeing sense to vse in the apprehen­sion of colours; but there must be light in the aire, either by means of the Sun, or a candle or fire. Which light if it be wanting all things are inuisible to the creature, though it hath both the sense of seeing, and eies to see withall: so in like manner though there be (as there is) in the vnregenerate person a facul­ty and power to vnderstand (because he hath a reasonable soule, and diffe­reth from brute creatures) and eyes to execute that facultie; that is, the act of vnderstanding because he hath a mind in that soule: yet the light of Gods I­mage is wanting, which Adam lost; by [Page 134] the meanes whereof hee must see into heauenly mysteries; and so long as that is wanting, he must needes be vnable altogether to diue into matters of that nature.

Sect. 2. Vse 1.The meditation of this truth ought (first of all) to be a Motiue vnto the re­generate, to pitty the miserable and wretched estate of all carnall and vn­regenerate persons. For (alas blinde creatures) the Doctrine of the winde of grace, the manner of the worke of grace is a riddle vnto them: their mind is so blinded, their vnderstanding is so darkened, that such Principles as these are Greeke and Hebrew vnto them. Yea, let the confluence of naturall, mo­rall, and artificiall gifts meet together in them to conspire their perfection; let the motions of the celestial sphears, the course of the Sunne and Moone, the influence of the Starres, the nature of beasts, the property of birds, the qualitie of trees, the vertue of hearbs and plants of the earth, be neuer so vi­sible vnto them, neuer so well knowne of them, by their study and industrie, [Page 135] in searching into the secrets of Nature; Yea, let them haue a speculatiue sight of many things, which the Scripture openeth and reuealeth: yet, so long as they are but carnall, the Doctrine of the winde of Grace, will be strange to them; yea, though they can talke and preach of it; and the efficacie of the work of grace altogether mystical, and aenigmaticall vnto them; no more by the wisedome which they haue to bee perceiued, then the winde, which is so thin a substance, so vncolourable a creature to be visibly looked vpon & apparent to the eye of the body. And is not this a pittifull thing, a thing to be lamented, a case to be pittied? Oh Christians, pitty them: you that haue any knowledge of the Lord Iesus, mourne for them. Out of question, it went to the heart of Christ Iesus, to consider the grosse blindnesse of Nico­demus; that a Maister in Israel, a man of note and reckoning amongest the people, that such an one as Nicodemus was (who had read, or should haue read what the Scripture sheweth in the [Page 136] writings ofPsa. 51.7 Dauid, Ezek. 11 19. Chap. 36.25. Ezekiel, Zac. 13.1 Za­charie & the rest of the Prophets con­cerning the force of corruption, the fruit of conuersion, the power of sanctification) that such an one (I say) as had Moses and the Prophets to informe him in these matters, should be so ignorant, so vnlearned in the poynt of Regenera­tion, that he could not see a possibility of being born againe. This (no doubt) moued our Sauiour much to compas­sionate his condition: for so muchChemn. in Harm. 357. one affirmes of Christ in expoun­ding the tenth verse of this Chapter, Art thou a maister in Israel, and knowest not this? Which words (saith that Author) are not spoken by Christ, so much to vp­braid him for his ignorance as to pitty his blindenesse. Now, did the Lord Christ thus? Let the same minde be in vs that was in Christ Iesus: and that such a number should walke in the valley of darkenesse; and should be so igno­rant in this great mystery in these Hal­cyon dayes of Light and Grace, when the point of regeneration is so opened and insisted vpon; and should be so [Page 137] vnacquainted with it as if they had ne­uer heard it discoursed vpon all their liues; & that they who are able to talk of it should be no better practicioners of the fruits of it (nay, bee wholly to seeke in the power of it, notwith­standing their historicall knowledge of it;) let it mooue our hearts, pearce our soules, and stirre vp in vs a pitty­ing affection to their ignorant condi­tion: and the rather too, because such simple soules (hauing nothing else but the corrupted eye of carnall reason to looke vpon spirituall things withall) abuse holy treasures, are in a miserable case, and neither see it nor bewayle it.

Sect. 3. Vse 2. Admoni­tion.Secondly, is the worke of Sanctifi­cation, and the doctrine thereof inui­sible to the naturall man? let this serue as a caueat vnto vs, to take heede that we do not fadome the counsels of God made known in his word, by the mea­sure of our owne wisedome; and that we measure not that which is spoken of the Spirits working, by the rule of our carnall reason. For if wee doe, it will proue a rule that will mis-leade vs, [Page 138] it will be an eye that will deceiue vs. If wee search into the nature of the brea­things of Grace, with such a light as that is, wee shall but seeke in the darke; and, like the Sodomites at Lots doore, groape, and not finde. Let our reason therefore stoope to Gods rule, and our wisedome submit it selfe to his word, euen against reason; that so being con­tent to deny our owne reason in the point of Regeneration, wee may both speculatiuely vnderstand it in the do­ctrine, and experimentally see it in the working. But alas, alas, this lesson lac­keth Schollers, this admonition is not hearkened vnto, and yet neuer more neede of vrging it then in these dayes; the visible Church of Christ it selfe be­ing so full of such persons, as wil bring all Diuinity to their owne scantling, and with incredulousIohn 20. Thomas wil be­leeue no more then they see, and wil yield to no more then they can haue reason for: and if anything be told them or taught them, which natural iudgement doth not like of, it must be cashiered by them as false doctrine. Tell them of [Page 139] spirituall purification, of sound humi­liation, of forsaking all sinne, of em­bracing all vertue in the worke of Re­generation; it is more then needes (say they) I will beleeue my selfe, I will yielde to neuer a babbling Preacher of them all. Wilt thou beleeue thy selfe? doe so if thou thinkest good; but in the meane while, I must tell thee the mischiefe of it: If the blinde leade the blinde, both fall into the ditch. If thy blinde reason leadeth thee blindfolded from the truth of the Scriptures, be­cause they are repugnant to the wise­dome of the flesh, thou shalt be taken in thine owne craftinesse, and bee in the pit ere thou art aware: and if thou wilt needes beleeue thine owne light before Gods light, thou art worthy to reape the fruits of thy foolishnesse. Touching the mystery of Regenerati­on, thou hast many Treatises extant, thou hearest many sermons preached. The breathings of grace in the worke of Sanctification (thou seest) is the sub­iect of this Treatise: something con­cerning it haue I already spoken, and

CHAP. IX. The second Doctrine handled, from the second part of the Text.

Sect. 1. Doctr. 6. To the regene­rate the worke of grace is not insen­sible.HAuing, in the former Chapter, handled the first poynt, In this I come to deale with the next, which is the most coessentiall with the Text, aboue all the rest, and thus it standeth; That howsoeuer to the eye of Reason, the worke of Grace be inuisible, yet in the soule of a regenerate man there is a sense and fee­ling of it. Our Sauiour Christ telleth Nicodemus heere, that it is with the breathing of grace in the heart, as it is with the blowing of the winde in the ayre; and though the substance of it cannot be seene with the eye, yet the sound of it is heard with the eare: euen so, though mans wisedome as it is car­nall, can not conceiue the mysterie of Regeneration; yet the worke it selfe is perceiued and felt by the regenerate person, by the effects it produceth and the spirituall sound it maketh in the soule.

In the handling of this point, I will follow this methode: first, I wil proue it from Scripture and Reason; second­ly, I will shew what this sense and fee­ling is; thirdly, I will shew how it is wrought; and lastly, make some Vses of it.

1. The doctrine proued.For the first thing, the poynt is ea­sily confirmed from examples in the Word. In how many places of the Psalmes doth Dauid speake of the ioy and gladnesse, of the satisfaction and fulnes that God did put into his hart! as Psal. 4.7. Thou hast put gladnesse in my heart, more then in the time that their corne and their wine increased, And Psa. 17.15. I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likenesse: Now can a man haue ioy of heart, and satisfaction with the brightnesse of Gods gracious counte­nance, and haue no feeling of it. And what saith the same Prophet in an o­ther place,Psal. 25.23. where speaking of the righteous man that feareth the Lord he saith; His soule shall dwel at ease: or as the Originall hath it, Shall lodge in goodnesse. Now, can a man lodge in a [...] [Page 146] sent to and obey those heauenly moti­ons.

3 Working grace, is an actuall re­newing and changing of the minde, will and affections, from the power and dominion of sinne, vnbeliefe, ig­norance, hardnesse of heart, crooked­nesse of will, &c. to the rule and com­mand of grace, in obtayning sound sorrow for sinne past, true faith, Chri­stian zeale, holy loue, and the like.

4 Coworking grace, is that same continued aide and strength which the Lord giueth vs to work out, and make an end of our saluation with feare and trembling.

5 And perfecting grace, is that will which the Lord giues vs to sticke con­stantly vnto him, and to perseuere in our regenerate estate and condition.

This ground being thus layed, wee must now vnderstand, that sutable to these seuerall graces, is the feeling a Christian hath. First therefore, when preuenting & preparing grace breathe together (for many haue the preuenting grace, good motions to forsake [Page 147] such a sinne, &c. which neuer haue the preparing grace, but quench those mo­tions, and altogether resist them) when (I say) therefore they breathe toge­ther, the soule hath a two-folde sense and feeling; first of the burthen of sin, wherewithall it findeth it self loaden; secondly, of the want, and excellency of grace, whereof it seeth it selfe de­stitute and void: for wherefore should the will and desires encline to those spirituall motions, to leaue that which is euill, and to cleaue to that which is good, but because it hath a sense of the vglinesse and burthen of the one, of the want and beauty of the other? The former feeling Dauid had.Ps. 38.4. My sins haue taken such hold vpon me, that I am not able to looke vp, and are as an heauie burthen, too heauie for mee. The later the woman of Samaria had, when she sayd;Ioh. 4.15 Lord giue me of this water: this is excellent water indeede, I neuer dranke of such water.

Secondly, when working grace breatheth an actuall change in the soule; the soule feeleth how miserable [Page 148] a thing it is to be out of Christ, how sweet a thing it is to be in Christ, how hard a thing it is to learne the way of obedience, and how good a thing to haue an heart enlarged to keepe Gods Commandements, how weake a man is of himselfe, to shake off vnbeliefe, distrust, security, to resist euill, and what a blessed thing it is to be set free from the slauery of his lusts, and from the bondage of those slauish terrors of hell and torment which hee was wont to be troubled withall. Some such fee­ling as this is doth (I say) accompany working grace.

Thirdly, when coworking grace breatheth, there is a sense, and experi­ence of Gods hand holding him vp in the time of temptation, preseruing him mightily against dangerous falls, strengthening him graciously to exer­cise the fruits of mortification and sanctification, raysing him vp when temptation hath foyled him; where­upon he feeleth in the second place his loue to be encreased, his zeale to be en­flamed, his edge to goe on in a righ­teous [Page 149] course to be sharpned, as know­ing the Lord is euer at hand, ready to helpe and assist him: and whatsoeuer it be that is a quench-cole to his zeale, a cooler to his loue, a blunting to his edge, he is very sensible of it. The A­postle Paul would neuer haue broken out into this speech, and left it vpon record in his owne writings, Through Christ I am able to doe all things, and2. Tim. 4 17 the Lord strengthened mee, if hee had not had a gracious sense and experi­ence of Gods co-operating and corro­borating grace, strengthening him in the performance of the generall duties of Christianity, and the weighty work of his Ministery.

Lastly, when perfecting grace doth its office, hee hath a taste and sight of the vnchangeablenesse of Gods loue, assuring his conscience that the Lord will perfect the good worke which hee hath begunne in him. Neither is hee vnsensible of those rubbes which hinder perseuerance, and hee feeleth many bitter conflicts with temptati­ons, telling him, that he shall not per­seuere; [Page 150] which when he ouercometh, he reioyceth heartily, and perswadeth himselfe assuredly, that nothing shall plucke him from his Sauiour Christ Iesus. For thus he reasoneth, and this sound doth the winde of grace make in his soule, Because the Lord hath gi­uen me a constant will, and an earnest desire to stand in the grace whereunto by iustifying faith I had accesse,Rom. 5.1. there­fore Gods loue will neuer faile mee. Such a sound and sense, no doubt, the Apostle heard and had, when he broke out into this speech,Rom 8.38.39. I am perswaded, that neither death, nor life, nor Angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things pre­sent, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shallbe able to separate vs from the loue of God, which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. And thus it is cleere what this sense and feeling is which the holy Ghost effecteth in the regenerate soule, when it bloweth and worketh effectually in the same.

Sect. 3. How this sense is wrought.The third circumstance in the Do­ctrine cometh now to be considered of: viz. how, or by what meanes this [Page 151] sense and sound is wrought and made? This will be as manifest as the former, if we doe but consider how the sound and noise of the winde commeth to be heard, and compare our present mat­ter in hand with that.How the sound of the winde comes to be heard by man. The winde blo­weth in the ayre, and maketh a noyse there: the aire bringeth the noyse so made in it selfe to the eare: the eare ha­uing (by the curious skill of the great Workemaister) an Hammer and an Anuile, as it were in it selfe, conueyeth that sound vnto the brayne, where the originall and seate of the sense of hearing is; and by this meanes the sound is heard by the creature:The com­parison. Euen so the Spirit of grace breatheth the minde and voyce of God into the wri­tings of the Old and New Testaments (for al Scripture is giuen by inspiration 2 Tim. 3.16. The holy men of God spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost. 2 Pet. 2.21) The Scrip­tures being truely opened, and wisely applyed by Gods Embassadours and Ministers, bring this minde and voice of God, to the eare of the vnderstand­ing: the vnderstanding (by the ope­ration [...] [Page 154] she durst be bold) to challenge Christ with his promise, of easing loaden sin­ners, and of satisfying Desires hunger, longing after righteousnes. After this there is a certaine whispering noyse heard (as it were afarre off) that there is a possibilitie of pardon for thee, as well as for an other: which sound at the first seemeth very doubtfull. Ther­fore faith (still hearkning to the sound that the Spirit bringeth to the vnder­standing, through the ayre of the go­spel) commeth by degrees (after ma­ny sharpe conflicts which it findeth in it selfe) to heare a voyce much like that of our Sauiours to the man sicke of the palsey,Mat. 9.2 Sonne, be of good cheere, thy sinnes are forgiuen thee. Or to the womans that cam to him in the Pha­ses house,Lu. 7.50 Thy faith hath saued thee. Vpon which (the Gospel still doing its office, in informing the iudgement) The Spirit of God witnesseth with our spi­rit, that we are the children of God Ro. 8.16. Vp­pon this also ioy beginnneth to haue a kinde of spirituall life and feeling in it selfe; and there is a great rauishment [Page 155] in the soule, and an admiration at the vnspeakeable goodnesse of God to so wretched a creature as I was; and it can not containe it selfe, but it must burst it selfe foorth with the Song of the Church:Cant. 1.2 Thy loues are better then wine. With this ioy, next in order loue (which is another of the affections) apprehends that same sweete sound; and she falls to bethink, how or which way shee may shew herselfe thankefull for so great kindnesse: then the soule burneth with the fire of zeale, and wrastleth (the Gospel and word of grace stil directing it) with euery thing that may bee an hinderance of obedi­ence to the righteous Lawes of this gracious Father, who hath done so great things for the poore sinner. And thus thou seest also, how this same sense and feeling of grace is wrought in the soule by the Law and Gospel.

To come to the Vses.

Sect. 4. Vse 1. Confuta­tion.In the first place, this Doctrine ser­ueth to discouer and discountenance the vanitie of their conceit, who deem themselues to be such as haue receiued [Page 156] the breath of grace, and yet neuer had a spirituall eare to heare the spirituall sound that it maketh, nor an heart to perceiue the inward sense which it worketh in the powers of the soule. And thus three sorts of people doe be­guile themselues; profane liuers, ciuill gospellers, hypocriticall professours. First,1. The o­pinion that pro­fane per­sons haue of them­selues, cō ­futed. as touching profane persons, not­withstanding their courses be so vile and notorious, that the heauens blush at their lewdnesse, that the earth can scarce brooke their wickednesse; not­withstanding, some that haue no more but Nature in them, take notice of, and cry out against their outrageousnesse: notwithstanding drunkennes, whore­dome, profanation of the Lords holy Saboths, lying, stealing, deceiuing, monstrous pride, abhominable cruel­tie, horrible couetousnes and all fruits of vnholinesse before God, and vn­righteousnesse to men, be their trade, yea sport, and pastime; yet (because their consciences are seared, and their hearts hardned) they will not be bea­ten downe but that they haue grace [Page 157] in them; and like saucy and proude boasters, they will not sticke to ad­uance themselues into the Compara­tiue degree with the best Christians, making themselues equall with them; nay, place themselues in the Superla­tiue degree aboue them, accounting better of themselues then of these Saints, thinking scorne that it should be sayd or thought, that any person doth goe beyond them: These Profes­sours (say they) what are they more then their neighbours? They are called Men of the spirit, and wee are told, that none haue the spirit of grace, but such as they are; but I would be sory if I had not more grace in mee then the most of them, and as much as the best of them all. Wouldest thou so? Well, see thou beest as good as thy word; be sorry then: for it is a most certaine thing, that thou hast not as much of the Spirit as the meanest of them. I tell thee, thou comest be­hinde ciuill persons in the portion of restraining grace, and therefore much more behinde sound Professors in the measure of sauing grace. If thou de­mandest [...] [Page 160] mercifulnesse to the poore, close-fisted­nesse in good vses to bee loathsome when the motion is to forsake coue­tousnesse? doest thou conceiue swea­ring to be vgly, Saboth-breaking vg­ly, vncleannesse, idlenesse, &c. vgly, when the motion is to leaue dishono­ring Gods Name, dis-hallowing Gods Saboths, defiling thy body, mis-spen­ding thy precious time? And when the Lawe of God doth lay open before thee those heauy iudgements which the Lord hath threatned against these and the like sinnes, doth thy vnder­standing apprehend these terrible sounds, and send them to thy affecti­ons, to stirre vp feare and sorrow in thee, and to make thee quake and tremble? Againe, doest thou see the excellency of grace and goodnesse to be such, that for it thou couldst finde in thy heart, either to forgoe, or vnder­goe, any thing that the Lord shall ey­ther take from thee, or lay vpon thee, according to his pleasure? Seest thou such beauty in sobriety, that for it thou wilt be content to forsake both the [Page 161] hellish society and base familiaritie of thy pot-companions; and rather en­dure to be hated, reuiled, poynted at, iested vpon by them, then still to asso­ciate them in that foule & enormious iniquitie? Seest thou such beauty in the vertue of Chastity, that thou wilt euery way indeuour to haue the loose­nesse of the flesh bridled, and curbed whatsoeuer it costeth thee? Such beau­tie in the right hallowing of Gods Sa­boths, that thou hadst rather part with thy profit, shake hands with thy plea­sure, then accustome thy selfe to those wanton courses of gaming and idle­nesse, to those worldly courses of tra­uailing, working and worldlinesse vp­pon the Lords day, which formerly thou wert addicted vnto? Perceiuest thou compassion to the needy, iust dealing with thy brethren, & the like, to bee so beautifull, so needefull, that with Matthew thou wilt rather come from the Seate of Custome, with Zac­cheus offer foure-fold restitution, then still to continue hard-hearted to the poore, then still to oppresse, defraud, [Page 162] extort, put to vnlawfull vse for vnlaw­full gaine, cheat thy neighbor in con­tracts, couenants and bargains, which hath bin a trade thou hast bin much gi­uen vnto? The like demands might I make in other instances: Doth the vr­ging of the necessitie, and the laying open of the excellencie of these fruits of sauing grace (out of the Word) make a noyse at the doore of thy vn­derstanding? and by the meanes of thy vnderstanding, are they so con­ueyed to thy affections, that they doe stirre vp in thee, an earnest desire to partake of the graces, and a resolute purpose to practise the dutie, though it be with the vndergoing of outward inconueniences, hazzards, and hard­ships? Speake in the name of GOD, speake thou profane man; standeth the case thus with thee? Is such a kind of sense, and sight wrought in thee, as doth prohuce these notable effects? affirme it if thou canst: say yea to it if thou canst. If thou shouldst, thy lewd courses still liued in, would giue thee the lie. Thou art a swaggerer still, and [Page 163] hast no purpose to be more temperate; thou art a breaker of Gods Saboths, and hast no purpose to keep them bet­ter; an vsurer still, and purposest to be no other; an idle vnthrift, and hast no purpose to be more painful; proud, and hast no purpose to learne humili­tie; a swearer, and hast no desire to feare an oath. The Diuell perswades thee they are profitable & pleasurable: and thou dost, and wilt still liue in the same; hast thou this sense then which I now speake of? No, no. If thou hadst but a sense and feeling of the burthen and deformitie of thine enormi­ous euills, thou wouldest striue to for­sake them, whatsoeuer it cost thee: If thou hadst but a sight and taste of the goodnesse of those graces and vertues, whereof thou hast beene so long emp­tie, thou wouldest follow after them, with the hardest tearmes to flesh and bloud. So long therefore as thou wal­kest on thus in thy lewd, proud, pro­fane, vncleane, malicious, couetous courses, thou giuest manifest euidence against thy selfe, that thou art altoge­ther [Page 164] voyde of the true sense of grace: and wanting the sense of grace, thou art without the worke of grace. Cease thy bragging then of thine own good­nesse. Make no comparisons with the Saints of God (such comparisons are odious) thou hast no more part of the sauing Spirit of grace then the Di­uel himselfe hath: and for all the good motions which thou talkest of, thou hast not one sparke of the true feeling of the Spirits working; because those motions are not so farre cherished in thee, as to worke thee to a reformati­on of thine open lewdnesse and pro­fanenesse.

2. The ci­uill per­sons selfe-conceit confuted.And now ridding my hands of the profane person, I come to encounter with the ciuill: whom I feare I shall finde as strongly wedded to his owne fancy as the former. The Goliah of whose selfe conceit of hauing grace, if I may but beate to the ground with this stone, this doctrine, I should think my self happy in my slinging, and pro­sperous in confuting; And the more happy too, because I know that it is [Page 165] easier to conuince a profane and noto­rious rebell against the God of heauen, then to remooue a ciuill Iusticiarian from an high opinion of himselfe, if he be once settled vpon the lees of his owne supposed righteousnesse. Well then, in hope of some successe from the Lord, I will heaue at this moun­tayne of his conceit, as the Lord shall giue me helpe, and the poynt yeelde me leaue. Heare him thus vanting of himselfe; I pay tithe of all that I doe pos­sesse. I neuer beguiled any man the value of a groate, I haue euer beene faithfull in my promises, iust in my proceedings with men, a louer of my Church, no drunkeard, no swearer, no whoremaister, no thiefe, &c. (so that if the proudLu. 18.11 Pharisie and he were standing together in the temple, you could not tell which were the greatest boaster:) and what conclusion draweth hee from hence thinke you? that Grace must needes be his inheritance, the Spirit must needes bee his portion; as though Father, Sonne and holy Ghost were all pinned to his sleeue: and who­soeuer should say that hee were not [...] [Page 168] bad; and that the subtile serpent the di­uell, and thine owne cousening heart doe nothing else but play the sophisti­cating impostors and deceiuers with thee, when they would make thee be­leeue that thou art spiritually graced with inward sanctity, because thou art restrayningly endued with outward ciuility. Shall I close a little with thee, and like S. Iames in the case of faith, deale with thee in this case of grace: Iac. 2.18 Shew me thy faith by thy workes (sayth he:) So say I, shew me the breathing of sound grace in thee, by the sense and feeling it effecteth in the faculties of the soule. For, where the Spirit of grace is, there is a feeling of the worke of it, sometimes afflicting thy heart with a sorrow for thy falls, sometimes affecting thy spirituall appetite with a vehement longing after the merits of Christ Iesus, sometimes affecting thy taste with the sweetnes of Gods good­nesse, sometimes working thee to tremble as Habakkuk Haba. 3.16. did. When the Lawe, through the eare of the vnder­standing conueieth the terrible sounds [Page 169] of iudgement to the affections (some­times causing thee to reioice when the Gospel bringeth the sweete Songs of saluation to the soule, sometimes fee­lingly stirring thee vp to be zealous in the wayes of godlinesse, to be iea­lous of the baites to wickednesse that are layd in thy way) when the word of spirituall exhortation, admonition, and counsell doth conuey the sound of Gods Precepts and Commaunde­ments to thy vnderstanding, eyther by meanes of those Sermons which thou hearest, those bookes which thou readest, or that conference which thou hast with the seruants of GOD; This kind of sense and feeling shouldst thou haue (besides the hard and sharp conflicts with doubting coldnesse, worldlinesse (which I haue spoken of before) if euer the Spirit hath effectu­ally breathed vpon thee.Chap. 3. pag. 39. Now answer me, hast thou this sense and feeling? Thou hast not, neither canst haue, so long as thou art but meerly ciuill. For, howsoeuer with profane ones thou mayest haue good motions now and [Page 170] then, and with hypocrites mayest haue certaine flashes (the vanity wher­of I shall discouer by and by); yet with true Christians, thou hast no portion of true sauing sense and feeling; and if no spirituall sense, no grace: For, where grace is, there is life (as hath beene shewed); and if life, then sense as well as motion and action. But, if thou wilt not be born downe, but that thou hast spirituall life and sense; then I must entreat thee to proue that those fruits of righteousnesse, which thou so much braggest of, are grounded vpon a sound knowledge of the needefulnes of them; and vpon an hearty desire of honoring God by them; and that they are ioyned also with a conscionable care of yielding obedience to that which the Lord requireth in the Lawes of the first Table, as well as in those of the second Table, because that GOD which commaundeth the one, doth enioyne the other also: but this I am sure thou canst not prooue. Thou art a good Church-keeper, be­cause thou wouldest keepe out of the [Page 171] Court, (though neyther Court nor Counsell can preuaile with some) thou keepst thy word, because thou wouldst keepe thy credit; thou liuest quietly with thy neighbours, because thou thinkest it is good sleeping in a safe skinne, and otherwise thou mightest be hated, and counted a troublesome fellow: thou fliest Stewes, Tauernes, and the like places, more to saue thy body from diseases, thy estate from consuming, thy name from stinking then for any thing else: these by-respects, and sinister considerations ra­ther sway thee in thy courses then the things which should sway thee. Thou liuest ciuilly, and not so notoriously as the lewder sort doe, for these carnall respects, rather then because thou fee­lest the Spirit of God preparing thy will to yielde obedience vnto Gods Commaundement sounding in the Word against open rebellion, and cal­ling for outward reformation. Stop vp thy mouth then thou ciuill person, and blush thou to say, that thou art truely gracious: doe not thinke that [Page 172] thou hast receiued any more of the spi­rit, then an vnregenerate person may possibly haue. For, for all thy ciuill honesty, thou art withAct. 8.23 Symon Ma­gus in the bond of iniquity, vntill in some degree or other thou comest to feele grace worke in thee, (through the good meanes which thou enioy­est) either to thy sound humiliation, solide consolation, zealous reforma­tion, for conscience sake abstayning from euill, and carefull confirmation for conscience sake inuring thy selfe to that which is good; obeying heartily, readily, cheerefully, sincerely that which is commanded by God, as well in the first Table, in hearing, reading, meditation, conference, prayer with thy family, houshold instruction, &c. as in the second Table, in liuing qui­etly, dealing equally, carrying thy self ciuilly towards thy neighbour.

By this time I might haue done con­futing,3. Hypo­crites de­ceiue thē ­selues. but that hypocrites and hol­low-hearted professours stand in our way, whom I am now to grapple with­all: and why grapple with them? be­cause [Page 173] they do not onely intrude them­selues into the cōpany of true Saints, but also lay claime, without any right, to that very same possession of sauing grace which is onely peculiar to the Saints. For, because (hauing a prompt­nesse of capacity, a steady memory to conceiue, and to keepe the things which they heare, or reade out of the Word) they haue gotten a few smacks of knowledge, and haue attained to an ability to discourse of the poynts of Religion: and because, with Iudas for gaine, with Iehu for glory, with the Pharises for praise, they do some due­ties, which true Christians doe, pray peraduenture sometimes with their fa­mily, giue almes of their substance to the poore, affoord (perhappes) some countenance to the Ministers of the Word, and Professors of the Gospel; because (I say) for by-respects they do these things, therefore they argue, that they must needes be sound Chri­stians. But how much they deceiue themselues, God knoweth, and this poynt sheweth. For alas, what are [...] [Page 176] hast, perhappes, a knowledge of the doctrine of faith, and therin of the ob­iect of faith, Christ Iesus: but where is thy experience of the power of this faith; first, in leading thee to Christ for reconciliation; secondly, in acchee­ring thy heart vpon the finding of the Messiah; thirdly, in purifying thy heart from the filthinesse of the flesh; and fourthly, in prouoking thee to la­ment, as the Church did in the Canti­cles, when thou hast lost the sight of him? Againe, thou hast (it may be) by attendance vpon the ordinance of God, gotten some skill to discourse of the point of loue to God and his Chil­dren, of hatred of sinne, &c. but doest thou feele thy heart set on fire, with a desire of being obedient to God in all his Commandements, resoluing to1 Kin 15.5 turne from nothing that hee enioyneth thee, all the dayes of thy life? and purpo­sing with Iob Iob 9.4 to be content to receiue euill at Gods hands as well as good? Art thou enflamed with a loue to all good things, as well as one, and to all the Saints as well as one? (though I deny [Page 177] not that the neernes or the worthines of the person loued may occasion dif­fering degrees in thy loue): nay, fin­dest thou a readinesse to forgiue and loue thine enemies? feelest thou in thy selfe a dislike of sinne in all persons; as well as in those that are neere vnto thee, as in neighbours that haue no alliance with thee? Are thy affections thus moued? Is thy inner man thus affected? No, no, thou hypocrite: wilt thou dare then to encroach vpon the prerogatiue of Gods beloued ones, and lay challenge to the portion of sa­uing grace? take heed what thou dost. The Diuell is subtile: thine owne heart is deceitfull. Either get some sure te­stimony to proue the sense of grace in some sound maner to affect thy heart: or else I must tell thee as I told the pro­fane and ciuill person before thee, that thou hast no grounds that the gales of Grace haue sauingly blowne vppon thee; when-as this must needes bee granted for a trueth, that in the Soule of the regenerate, there is a feeling of the spirits working, as well as in the eare of a [Page 178] man a sound of the wind, when it blo­weth in the ayre. And thus (Christian Reader) haue I had a cast at this vaine conceit of hauing grace, altogether without the sense of grace (which is all one as if the Sunne and light, life and feeling, fire and heate should be se­parated) and I haue (to my power) bent the edge of this doctrine against it. And if in that which I haue spoken, I haue seemed too harsh, I must craue pardon: for, pitty to the soules of such deluded creatures hath stirred mee vp thereunto. And to speake trueth, ne­uer had Dion more cause of offering sacrifice to the gods (after the paganish manner of the Heathens) when hee freed the Syracusians from the tyranny of Dionysius, Diod. Sic. libr. 16. then I shall haue of prai­sing the God of heauen, if through the meanes of this vse of confutation, but one profane, ciuil, or hypocriticall per­son may be freed and deliuered from the bondage and slauery of so vaine and erroneous an opinion.

Sect. 5. Vse 2. Comfort to the ten­der-hear­ted.Now, lest the children of the Bride­chamber should through the malice of [Page 179] Satan abuse themselues so much, as to place themselues in the ranke of such selfe-deceiuers, & so cast downe them­selues without cause by that which hath beene spoken, I must bring in (as wel I may from the point in hand) a word of comfort for them. Is it so then, that where the holy Ghost infu­seth grace, there is a spirituall sense in the powers of that soule; then what singular cause of reioycing hath that Christian that hath this sense and fee­ling! for hee hath euen the witnesse in himselfe, that Christ is his, grace is his, and the Spirit of the Almightie dwel­leth in him. When therefore the word of GOD doth reueale vnto thee the minde of God, either in the sounds of Iudgement, or the Songs of Mercie, out of the Lawe and the Gospel; feelest thou thy heart affected accordingly, sometimes with reuerence, feare and trembling, somtimes with rauishment, comfort, and reioycing? Art thou sen­sible of those impure thoughts that swarme in thy heart, of idle speeches that oft issue foorth thy mouth, and

Text: yet I dare say, it is not violently forced against the minde of the holie Ghost. For, seeing it hath pleased our Sauiour, to compare the sense of the Spirits working to the sound of the winds blowing, I may safely inferre thus much heerupon; If the sound of the winde be not alwayes alike in the eare of the same man, but sometimes louder, sometimes lower then the fee­ling which grace effecteth in a Chri­stian, must needs be sometimes more, sometimes lesse, and not at all times a­like. Very euidently doeth that samePsal. 51.12. prayer of Dauid make this poynt good, Restore vnto me the ioy of thy sal­uation; as intimating vnto vs, that the spirituall ioy which hee was wont to feele, was in a manner quite gone; yea so gone, that hee craues the restoring of it againe. Doe wee thinke that the feeling of the burthen of his two sins, Murther and Adultery, was so great and vehement, before Nathan came vnto him, as it was after he had beene with him? Certainely no: the Booke of the Psalmes is plentifull in proofes [Page 183] of this kinde. Had Peter (thinke we) who was a beloued Disciple of Christ, alwayes the same feeling of the Spirits working? When he stood vpon his owneMat. 16. ver. 33.35 strength, and denied his Ma­ster, when hee vanted before Christ, Though all men forsake thee, I will not; hee had not that feeling of his owne weakenesse, which hee had when hee went out andMat. 26.75 wept bitterly, after his fall; neither did his soule heare the Lawe telling him how feeble he was in himselfe, at the one time, so strongly as he heard it at the other. He had not such a taste of the loue of Christ to­wards his soule, when hee wasMat. 26.72.73 deny­ing of him, as he had when he made that good confession of his faith, We know thou hast the words of eternall life Mat. 16.16 Lu 9 20., thou art the Christ the Sonne of the liuing God Neither did he so distinctly heare the sound of the Gospel, telling him of Christ his fauour when hee fainted vpon the waterMat 14.30, as when hee sayd,Vers 28 If it be thou Maister, command mee to walke vnto thee vpon the water. What shall I speake of Salomon, a wise [Page 184] King, and a worthy Christian: can it be imagined that he had the same sense of the stirring of grace in himselfe at that time when his heart did turne af­ter other gods, to worke wickednesse in the sight of the Lord 1. Kin. 11, which hee had when he proclaimed so often the plea­sures of the flesh, and the profits of the world to be Vanitie of vanities, all is vanitie? Many the like authorities could I alledge, to ratifie this trueth, that the same Saints haue not at all times the same sense and spirituall fee­ling. Reason 1. And why so? First, some grie­uous sinne against conscience, may be the cause of it. This was it which took away Dauids feeling; for by his grie­uous fall, hee weakened his ioy in the Lords saluation, & by that his offence he depriued himselfe of that sense of all his other graces which formerly hee had.A Simile. For it fareth in this respect with the soule, as it fareth in respect of the Apoplexy with the body. The Apoplexy (which is a benumming of the senses in the body) is sometimes occasioned by some violent fall or [Page 185] blowe, which blow shaketh and brui­seth the braine, and causeth noysome humours to flowe thither, to hurt the originall of sense in the braine, so that it cannot conuey sense to the members of the body, as it was wont: so a spiri­tuall Apoplexy in the soule, is caused by some grieuous fall & blowe against conscience, which shaketh shrewdly the sanctified soule, and causeth such vicious humors (for, sin against con­science hath many cursed attendants waiting vpon it) to flow thither, to fill the ventricles and powers of the same, as take away that spiritual sense of cor­ruption to keep the soule humble, that spirituall sense of Gods loue to keepe the affections feruent, and zealous, and to make the soule cheerfull, which for­merly it was wont to haue.

Reason 2.Secondly, it is possible for a Christian to be cast into a spiritual slumber and to be ouertaken with some fits of security: and then no maruell if his spirituall feeling be not the same at all seasons. It is very probable that Dauid was after a manner asleepe in his sinne, [Page 186] well-neere the space of a yeere; all which while, he was not so sensible of his fall, as afterward he was, when the Prophet Nathan had beene with him. Let the winde blowe neuer so loude, yet so long as a man is asleepe, he can­not heare it: and let the good Spirit of Grace breathe in a man; yet if he be sleepy, and drowsie, making custome as well as conscience, his rule (which a Christian may possibly do for a time) he shall I warrant him (so long as that fit lieth vpon him) neyther feele the sweetnesse which he was wont to taste of in the exercises of Religion, nor be so sensible of the oppositions which resist grace within him, as he was wont to be.

Reason 3.Thirdly, a man cannot heare the windes noyse, so well at one time as at another, because hee may be more troubled with deafenesse, at one time, then another: so there is not onely a spirituall drowsinesse, but also a spiri­tuall deafenesse, that many times doth oppresse a Christian; A deafenes ey­ther occasioned of spirituall choler, [Page 187] and distempered wrathfull passions, or else of flegmatike clammy humors, & sensuall and worldly thoughts and de­sires; the minde being many times ta­ken vp (when it should giue all atten­tion to the Word) with thoughts of wrongs offered, or of some worldly profits, and fleshly pleasures: and hence it may come to passe, that (euen where grace vseth to breathe) the sense and feeling may be benummed. For, (as wee heard in the former Chapter) the word of God is an instrument of begetting this feeling in the soule: and therefore, if a Christian (when hee is hearing of that) shall suffer eyther Sa­tan, or his owne corruptions to ham­mer the sound of wrongs, of profits, of pleasures vpon the forge of his soule to hinder the entrance of the Word, his vnderstanding can not so conueni­ently and profitably carry the sound of duety, comfort, promise, threat­ning and reproofe, to his affections to worke vpon them as they were wont to bee wrought vpon. And if the ioy or sorrow, loue, feare, &c. be not so [Page 188] affected as they were wont to be; cer­tainely, the spirituall feeling cannot be the same that it was wont to be.

Sect. 2. Vse 1. Admoni­tion and comfort together to the children of God.As the former point was directed against the friuolous conceit of those that thinke themselues to haue grace, though they neuer had one iote of the feeling of it: so this may be applyed as a comfort and a Caueat to those that haue gtace, that they take heed of ob­iecting against themselues as altoge­ther destitute of grace, because they haue not euer, and at all times, the same sense and feeling. For if there be som­times ebbings, and sometimes flow­ings in the best Christians; then there is no reason why they should wrong themselues, by abbridging themselues in their owne thoughts of all right to the breath of heauen: nay, it is against reason they should so doe.

A needful caution to preuent mistakingI speake not this to disswade any from renuing their repentance, when their owne folly and securitie hath bin the cause of the restraint of that sense: (nay rather, I perswade them to that) but to this end I speake it; first, that [Page 189] they may not esteem their estate despe­rate, and that there is no hope left for them to recouer their former feeling againe (which thing to make them beleeue, is one of the cunning fetches of the tempter) and so they may haue comfort. And secondly, that they may not alwayes measure Gods wor­king by their present feeling and ap­prehension: as to thinke that God had neuer wrought, because alwayes they are not so sensible of those ioyes which they were wont to haue in the medita­tion of Gods loue; and euermore so sensible of their corruptions, as they were wont to be. For the Lord with­draws somtimes the taste of the sweet­nesse of the spirit, to exercise the grace of the Spirit in the soule, that he may bring it to further perfection, and to try whether faith wil be stirring in the time of danger to perswade the heart of the vnchangeablenes of Gods loue; and whether it wil build vpon his gra­cious promises, in the time of the grea­test vnlikelihood of fulfilling the same: and therefore detrude not thy [Page 190] selfe out of that possession of grace, which thou hast, because at all times thy sense is not the same, whenas God hath such excellent ends in eclipsing thy eye-sight at somtimes; and happe­ly thy selfe mayest be in fault of this. If euer thou hadst the true sense of pre­uenting, preparing, working, cowor­king and perfitting grace, it shall neuer vtterly and wholy be taken away from thee. Thy folly may slake the degrees of it: but it thou be a Saint, thou shalt euer haue enough to guide thee, and refresh thee in thy voyage to heauen. Why then wilt thou (O Christian) lay such heauy things to thy charge, as do not belong vnto thee.Sect 3. Looke thou into thy selfe, and see what cause is in thy self that hath lost thee this feeling, and endeauour to haue that remoued: which is a duty, that in the second Vse I may well perswade vnto, as fitly strea­ming from this doctrine. Vse 2. Counsell and dire­ction to­gether.For seeing it is possible for a Christian to lose his feeling, and not alwayes to baue it the same; I think there is none will iudge it a needlesse taske for him that hath [Page 191] lost it, to seeke the recouery of it by the remouall of those euills, which vp­pon triall hee findes to be the cause of the same; and to stand vpon his guard to keepe it, while hee hath, and when hee shall get it againe. Wherefore,Motiue because there is a possibility to reco­uer it. let no conceit of an impossibilitie of re­couering it, hinder the Christian from this duty; for then the Diuell hath what hee would haue. For howsoeuer (asHypocra­tes Aphor. lib. 2. Aph. 24. Physitians say) The corporall apo­plexy, and losse of sense in the body, be im­possible to be cured, if it be strong, and hath lien long vpon the body: yet the spirituall Apoplexy of thy soule may be cured, if the sinne which hath caused it be ta­ken away. And though (happely) thou shalt not (as thou faine wouldest) at­taine vnto that measure of heauenly sense that once thou haddest, yet thou shalt recouer as much as shall be swee­ter vnto thy taste then the honny and the honny combe.

Gird vp thy loynes then thou Chri­stian, and play the man; sift, search, ransacke, and trie all the odde corners and holes of thy soule to finde out this [Page 192] Achan whatsoeuer it be, which is such an enemy to thy feeling. First of all thereforeHelpes to recouer lost fee­ling, or the spiri­tuall apoplexy in Christiās. findest thou (vpon enqui­rie) any grieuous sinne against consci­ence to be the cause of it? bewayle it hartily, confesse it ingenuously before thy Soueraigne God, and gracious fa­ther, whom thou hast offended by it, as holy Dauid did;1. Help. Psa. 51.4 Against thee, thee onely haue I sinned, and done this euill in thy sight: and withall, sue hard to the God of heauen, rap loude at the gate of heauen, and let not that gracious Hearer of prayers alone, vntill he hath restored thee to thy former ioyes a­gaine, and put that life and feeling in­to thy soule, which thou hast robbed thy selfe of by thy fall.

2. Helpe.Secondly, if thou findest accustomed drowsinesse and fitts of securitie, or a sleepy colde humour in going about Christian exercises, to bee the cause of it; entreate the Lord to direct the Phy­sicians of the Word to deale with thee as the Physicians for the body deale with their Patients in the cure of that same soporiferous and sleepy disease [Page 193] called Coma; that they may administer sharp clisters of the Law to purge thee, with the sharp goades and needles of reprehension to prick thy conscience, and to pull thee violently as it were by the haire and the heart, with the hand of sound Doctrine, to rowze and awa­ken thee. And againe, when thou art alone by thy selfe, vse the most vio­lent frictions and rubbings of thy selfe thou canst, by the priuate meditation and application of the seuerest terrors and threats against spirituall slouthful­nesse, that thou canst meete withall. And beseech the Lord himselfe, that with the hand of his owne Spirit, hee would make whatsoeuer thou shalt so heare, and meditate vpon, to fume vp into thy braine, and to pearce to thy heart, to cut insunder those tough hu­mors of pride, idlenesse, loue of flesh­ly ease, and the like, which haue beene the causes of this slumbering and slee­pinesse in thee.

Thirdly,3. Help. if spirituall deafenesse hath beene the meanes of the want of this feeling, thy meditations hauing been [Page 194] taken vp with thinking vpon iniuries that such and such haue offered, or the profits of the world, of the pouer­tie of thy estate, and such like trifles, when the Word hath beene preached vnto thee; get the Lord Iesus to open thine eares to his Word, to bridle the vnrulinesse of thy affections, to stoppe vp thy eares from listening vnto such charmes, and inchantments. And to remedy this deafenesse, it shal (besides) be good for thee to holde thy eares o­uer water wherein wormewood and maioram haue beene sodden together,Simile. that the vapour thereof may ascend vp to the braine; I meane it shall be ex­cellent for thee to haue thy heart seri­ously occupied in thinking vpon the bitter threatnings against fruitlesse hearers of the Word, and also vpon the sweete promises that are made to such as attend diligently, and heare profitably; that so the meditation of these two particulars may make thee keepe narrow watch ouer thy heart a­gainst those ordinary, vncharitable, vaine, discontented and worldly mo­tions [Page 195] which thou hast found by woe­full experience to haue caused thee to let slip many holesome exhortations, admonitions, consolations & threats, which might haue wrought vpon thy affections, to the continuance of that spirituall feeling, which the Diuell and thine owne traiterous heart haue be­reft thee of. Thus, I say, if that spiritu­all sense bee gone, which once thou hadst, get thy sinne remedied (whe­ther it be sin against conscience, drow­sinesse in thy profession, wandering of the minde, and dulnesse of appre­hension and attention in the hearing of the Word) which hath beene the cause of the same.

And when thou hast thus recouerd thy selfe, watch against all these euills, and occasions: beseech the Lord to continue this feeling in thee: Let zeale, wisedome and sinceritie season all thy holy endeauours. Then thou shalt find, that though this sense be at times obscured in the ashes; by the speciall hand and prouidence of God, yet it shall bee rather in wisedome to proue [Page 196] thee, then in wrath to punish thee. And still thou shalt haue experience, that God is thy God, as well when thou feelest Nature resisting grace, as when thou findest grace controlling the sauciness, & subduing the strength of nature and corruption.

CHAP. XI. The fourth and last Doctrine obseruable in the second part of the Text.

Sect. 1. Doctr. 8. There are diuersitie of degrees in the fee­ling of se­ueral Christians.NOw followeth the fourth positi­on (as the last from the middle of the verse) to bee discoursed vpon. Which standeth thus; That there is not the like feeling of grace in all Christi­ans. There is as good a ground for this point from the Text, as for the for­mer. It is with the feeling of Grace in the heart, as it is with the hearing of the sound of the winde. Some heare not the winde so loude as others, though it bloweth equally alike when both doe heare it: so some feele not the worke of grace in the same measure [Page 197] that others doe, though the same spi­rit breatheth vpon both. I will trouble you with no more Scriptures for this, then with that of Saint Paul 1. Cor. 12.4. There are diuersitie of gifts, but the same spirit: and if diuersitie of gifts, why not diuersitie of feelings accor­ding to the measure of those gifts. And there is very good reason for it. For first, There shall not be the same frui­tion Reason 1. of happinesse in the kingdome of Glory. I know that there shall bee enioyment of the same felicitie: but there shall not be the same enioyment of that felicity, in regard of the degrees of it; According to that of the Apostle 1. Cor. 15.41. One starre differeth from another in glory. Now if there be diffe­ring degrees in the taste of Gods fauor among the Saints triumphant in the kingdome of glorie; I see nothing a­gainst it, but that it is so, and may bee so, amongst the Saints militant vpon the face of the earth in the kingdome of grace.

Secondly, all are not of the same age Reason 2. in Christ; but they stand in a three-fold [Page 198] difference: Some are Infants and new borne Babes in in Christ, as Peter calls them1 Pet. 2 3.; or little Children, as Iohn calls them1. Ioh. 2.1.18.. Some are of a middle growth, or yoong men, as the same1. Ioh. 2.13. Apostle stileth them. And others againe are strong Christians, olde men in pietie, or Fathers in Christ, as hee entitleth them1. Ioh. 2.13.14. Now these seuerall ages haue their seuerall feelings, new Christians in one measure, middle aged in ano­ther, Fathers in another. And amongst euery one of these kindes, one hath his feeling in one degree, and another in another, according to the measure which the Lord hath allotted for him, & according to that capabilitie which he hath giuen them seuerally.

Reason 3.Thirdly, the Lord will haue it thus, that Christians may see themselues to stand in neede of helpe from one ano­ther; which they would not take no­tice of, if there were an equalitie of gifts, and equall feeling answerable thereunto.

Sect. 2. Vse 1. By this then in the first place we may see what answer may be made, what [Page 199] satisfaction may bee giuen to those Christians, who call their estate in doubt, and make a question, Whether euer they had sound grace bestowed vpon them, because they neuer had the same feeling wrought in them, which they heare to haue beene in o­thers that are of the same profession, age, and standing with themselues; questioning, Whether euer their re­pentance was sound, because their hu­miliation was neuer so deep as theirs; Whether euer their faith was sound, because they haue not attained vnto the same stedfastnesse of perswasion in Gods loue, that strength against doub­ting, and that measure of spirituall ioy in the holy Ghost, that their brethren haue attained vnto. To whom this is that which I will say (for their resolu­tion) As there are diuersitie of degrees in the gifts of the Spirit, so there are differences in the measure of feeling that accompany those gifts: and there­fore they may haue grace, thogh they cannot remember that euer they haue matched such and such (whom they [...] [Page 202] suspicion, whether euer it were true, be­cause it hath not equalled thy bro­thers feeling, that is but a copartner with thee of the same grace? I doe not deny but that it is good for thee to be iealous of thine owne condition (and I would to God the hypocrite would but fall to make such questions) but yet take heede (thou that art a right Saint) that thou doest not grudge at Gods wisedome in dispensing his gifts of this nature: if hee hath giuen thee any measure of humiliation, and con­solation at all, it is his great mercy, if it be in truth. And whether it be in truth thou shalt easily finde by these particu­lars. First, for thy humiliation (whe­ther the Lawe hath beene thy Schole­maister, or the Gospel thy Tutor, to bring thee hereunto, forRom. 2.4 Gal. 3.24 both haue an hand in leading to repentance): if that hath beene true, first, thou hast had a sight of sin, as it is sin; secondly, thou hast seene thy selfe a condemned person for sinne; thirdly, thou hast grieued for it; fourthly, thou hast growne to dislike it, and doest daily [Page 203] more & more; and fiftly thou forsakest it. Againe, for thy faith, if that be true, then first thou hast seen no other name whereby thou canst bee saued, but the name of Iesus. Secondly, thou hast disclaimed, and renounced thine own righteousnesse. Thirdly, thou hast longed after Christ. Fourthly, thou hast either found him to thy spirituall comfort, or else thou hast a resolution that thou wilt not be satisfied vntill thou hast found him, and dost see thy sinnes pardoned in him; And thou longest with all thy heart for that same ioy of Gods chosen, so much, and so often spoken of in the Scripture. If then thou hast these things in thee, in neuer so weake a measure, know thou that thy case is good, thogh thou hast not attayned vnto the same heighth and depth of them that other seruants of God haue, perhappes no elder in re­spect of the new birth then thy selfe too. Thou doubtest of thy humilia­tion: thou sayest, Why peraduenture by the vertue of education and exam­ple, thou hast beene trayned vp well [...] [Page 206] is lacking one way, eyther in thy hu­miliation, or of faith, the Lord hath made good another way. Take that which thine is, and bee thankefull; knowing and perswading thy self, that thou shalt not misse of one inch of that measure of feeling which he hath layd out for thee.A Cautiō This haue I spoken, not with an intent to flesh any hypo­crite, or other person, that is frozen in the dregs of securitie; (for if any doe so abuse it, the offence is taken, not giuen); neyther to sing a Song of fleshly ease to the Christian himselfe, to make him slack his diligence in ma­king his calling and election sure; but onely to giue satisfaction vnto his wa­uering heart, when hee shall doubt of the truth of his spirituall feeling when he compareth it with the feeling of o­thers, whose measure in this thing is greater then his owne.

Sect. 3. Vse 2.In the next place, this serues to con­demne the vncharitablenesse of some in the Church of Christ, which call in­to suspicion the soundnesse of their fellow brethren, because (hauing bin [Page 207] as long trained vp in the Schoole of Christ as themselues) they haue not at­tayned vnto the same measure of fee­ling that themselues haue. Which Christians, if they would well aduise themselues by this doctrine, may plain­ly see, that they passe their bounds, & censure more tartly then they war­rantably may. For if the winde, when it bloweth, is not heard by all alike that doe heare it; why wilt thou mea­sure another mans hearing by thine owne eare, another mans graces by thine owne feeling? Is there not diuer­sitie of gifts, and are there not different degrees in feeling? If thou bee a Chri­stian, thou darest not deny it. If then that grace or those graces which thou hast, be wrought in thy brother (whe­ther the measure of his feeling bee the same with thine, yea, or no) take heed that thou doest not entertayne such hard & vncharitable conceits of him. If the fruits of the Spirit speake for him, doe not thou speake against him, though the sense which doth accom­pany the worke of mortification, and

goeth: So is euery one that is borne of the Spirit.

The words a­part inter­preted. [...]The meaning of the words must first bee enquired into. [But canst not tell:] In the Originall this phrase is thus set down, [Thou knowest not.] Now to bring-in the diuers acceptions and sundry significations that this word Know hath in the Scriptures, were but needelesly to spend Time, and fill Pa­per, in this Text. This negatiue, Thou knowest not, or Canst not tell, is asmuch as the affirmatiue, Thou art ignorant. [Whence it commeth;] there is some lit­tle difficulty in this little word IT, whether it be to be referred to Winde, Quest. Answ. or Sound. And it may easily be answe­red, that it hath relation vnto Winde, rather then Sound: and the reason is this; because Nicodemus could not but know, euen by meere hearing, whence the sound of the Winde came, viz. from the Winde; though by meere hearing, hee could not tell what cor­ner the Winde it selfe comes from. So that this phrase, Whence IT commeth, may be turned thus, Whence that Winde [Page 211] cometh: yea,Obiect. but will some obiect and say, The cause of the Winde may bee knowne; and a man may easily vnder­stand whence it commeth, both in re­spect of the supernaturall cause of it, and naturall. Is not the supernaturall cause of it, God himselfe? The sayings of Moses declare as much:Exd. 11.13 The LORD brought an East winde vpon the Land, all that day, and all that night: and in the nineteenth verse of the same chapter, IEHOVAH turned a migh­ty strong west winde, which tooke away the locusts, and cast them into the red Sea. And in another place he saith,Num. 11 13. There went forth a winde from the LORD, and brought Quailes from the Sea. And by the Prophet Amos Amos 4.17. GOD is called the Creator of the windes. Secondly, as for the naturall cause of the winde, it is knowne to be a cold cloud meeting (in the middle region of the aire) with such vapours as arise from the earth, according to that of the Psalmist Psal. 135 7.; He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth, hee bringeth the winde out of his treasuries, that is, out of the Caues [Page 212] and hidden places of the earth, where the Lord holdeth the windes as in a storehouse, to bring them forth thence according to his pleasure: So that, thus I say it may be knowne whence the winde commeth. True. Why then doeth Christ heere charge Nicodemus with such ignorance, that hee did not know whence the winde came? Was he a Doctor in Israel, and had hee nei­ther Philosophie to know the naturall cause of the winde, nor Diuinitie to know the supernaturall? To this I an­swer,Answer to this ob­iection. that the words are not to be vn­derstood of Nicodemus his ignorance in the cause of the winde, and whence it ariseth, as from the supernaturall and naturall originall of it; but of his ignorance about the particular place, angle and corner whence this winde, or that winde commeth; implying, that hee could not know whether it came from East or West, or North or South, onely by hearing the sound of it: and so are the words to bee vnder­stood. [Nor whither it goeth]: that is, Nor into what corner it will turne, [Page 213] how strongly, or how long it will blowe, what a measure of sound it wil rise to ere it ceaseth. [So is euery one that is borne of the Spirit] This, at the first sight, seems to be a strange speech, being so to be applyed as it is, I meane to the immediate fore-going sentence, Canst not tell whence it commeth, and whi­ther it goeth. For, what?Doubt. can wee not know whence the Spirit of regeneration commeth, or what it worketh? Doth not the Scripture tell vs, that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father & the Sonne: and thatIac. 1.17 euery good and perfect gift cometh downe from the Father of Lights: and that the fruits of the Spi­rit, and the effects which it produceth areGalat. 5 22.23 loue, ioy, peace, long-suffering, gen­tlenes, goodnes, faith, meekenes, &c.? Yes: why then is it said heere, that it is with the operation of the Spirit in the rege­nerate, as it is with the winde in the ayre, not to be knowne whence it co­meth, and whither it goeth? I answer;Solution. This phrase is heere vsed, not to sig­nifie vnto vs, that the wayes of spiritu­all men are vnknowne to those that [...] [Page 216] where it will cease, or how it will cease, how strong it will be, how long it will blowe be­fore it will fall. So is it with the blowings of grace in the regenerate sometimes; thogh they feele the Spirit working in them, they cannot distinctly and directly tell whether the Spirit be the Author of it, yea, or no: and when they doe know whence it cometh, and can tell that the Spirit is the originall of it, they can not tell what measure of it they shall receiue.

From the words thus cōmented vp­pon, two poynts of Doctrine do arise, .i. that the Spirit is somtimes felt wor­king, and yet is not discerned to bee the Spirit: secondly, That the mea­sure of a Christians graces, is incom­prehensible.

CHAP. XIII. The first proposition handled out of the last part of the Text.

Sect. 1. Doctr. 9.THe former of these wanteth not proofe. For, that the Spirit is som­times felt working by the regenerate in [Page 217] themselues; and yet is no more knowne by them whence that worke commeth, then the winde by the bare sound of it can be knowne from what particular cor­ner (whether East or West, &c.) it co­meth, is as cleare a case in Diuinitie as can be. It was the Spirit (no doubt) that mooued Nicodemus to come to Christ; and it is very likely that hee heard a certayne secret sound within him, telling him, that Christ was an extraordinary teacher, sent from God, and that bade him come to Christ for instruction: yet Nicodemus did not know that this motion came from the Spirit of God. For if he had, he would neuer haue wondered so much as hee did at the speech of Christ, when hee discoursed with him of the working of the Spirit in the hearts of the rege­nerate. Paul also (whose Story Saint Luke mentionethActs 9. Compare the 3, 4, 5, and 6. verses with the 18.) when he was cast downe with the hand of God, so sud­denly and violently (as he was trauel­ling with Letters from the high Priest towards Damascus, against the Saints) had a strong and a strange worke and [...] [Page 220] himselfe into an Angell of light, tel­ling the Christian, there is a thing like repentance, which is not repentance; like faith, which is no true faith? and by this meanes hee driues the poore soule into such a quandary, that it can not distinctly tell whether the holy motions which it hath be but meere flashes of ioy, of sorrow, or whether the holy Ghost be the author of them. Seeing then many saints are but yong­lings in piety, seeing the Diuell seekes by all cunning fetches to blinde their eyes, that they may not so plainely see the truth of their graces: wee need not account it any strange poynt of Do­ctrin, To hold and affirme, that a man may haue the stirrings of grace in him, and yet not at all times know that the holy Ghost is the breeder of them.

Sect. 2.Before I come to the Vse, a questi­on must be answered, which is fitly occasioned by the Doctrine; and this it is:Quest. Whether a man may haue the worke of Conuersion and not know of it at all? To this I answerAnsw. negatiue­ly, A man cannot be conuerted, but [Page 221] he must needes know it, some way or other. And my reason is this: because Conuersion is a change; and can a man be changed and not finde an alte­ration in himselfe? Yea but then will some say, I contradict my selfe; vnsay that which I haue now prooued. Not so. For though I say a man cannot be conuerted but he must needs know of an alteration in himselfe, yet may hee bee ignorant of the trueth of his conuersion for a time: to be turned he may finde himselfe, but directly to know, and to say, I am truely turned by the worke of the Spirit, hee may possibly, not for a time; and heerein he may doubt and wauer: and though he hath receiued the holy Ghost to re­nue him; yet his condition may pos­sibly be such, that he shall say, I am not yet renued. But to be altered, and find no alteration at all in a mans selfe; I doe not see what one Scripture doeth warrant it. Yes will some say, There is Scripture for it.Obiect. For it is said of someActs 19.2. that were in Ephesus, who were Dis­ciples, & of the number of Beleeuers, [Page 222] that they had not so much as heard whether there were an holy Ghost, or no. For Paul said vnto them; Haue ye receiued the holy Ghost since yee beleeued: and they answered him, Wee haue not so much as heard whether there be any ho­ly Ghost. Now if such as beleeued, ne­uer had heard whether there be an ho­ly Ghost, then it is likely that they ne­uer felt the working of the holy Ghost in their conuersion; neither one way nor other.Answer. But to this I answer; first of all, that it is a bad consequent, to con­clude, that because the Disciples of E­phesus had not heard of the holy Ghost, therefore a man can haue no know­ledge of his conuersion, though he be conuerted.

Answer.Againe, besides this we must know that the holy Ghost is taken 3. waies in the Scriptures. First, it signifieth the substance it selfe, or the person, of the holy Ghost, the third person in the Trinitie; secondly, it signifieth the sanctifying and inuisible gifts of the Spirit, which are conferred vpon the Elect at their conuersion; and thirdly, [Page 223] the visible spirituall gifts, which Christ bestowed vpon the faithfull or some of them, in the Primitiue Church. Now, in this place of the Acts is ney­ther meant the person of the holy Ghost, nor the inuisible sanctifying gifts of the holy Ghost. For it had bin a most absurd thing for Paul to haue esteemed those as such as had neuer knowne whether there were an holy Ghost or no, or regenerating gifts of that holy Ghost yea or no, who were Disciples, who had receiued the Bap­tisme of that Iohn which in his course of baptizing had made mention of such a Spirit and of such gifts, when he said,Mat. 3.11. I indeed baptize you with wa­ter to repentance, but there is one that co­meth after me, who is stronger then mee, he shall baptize you with the holy Ghost, and with fire. It had beene an absurd thing (I say) for Paul to haue doubted whe­ther they had knowne of such a Spirit & such gifts: in neither of those two senses is the place therefore to bee vn­derstood; but it rather is to be meant of the visible gifts which in those times [Page 224] Christ did powre downe vppon his Church. Concerning such gifts there­fore Paul asketh the Disciples of Ephe­sus, whether they had receiued them, yea or no; as, the gifts of tongues, and prophecie. And concerning such gifts, they answer Paul also, We know not whe­ther there be any holy Ghost: wee neuer heard whether euer Christ gaue any such visible gifts vnto his Church, as the gifts of tongues and prophecying are. So that from that Scripture no such matter can be gathered, that it is possible for a Christian neuer to finde a change in himselfe, and yet be chan­ged. For if a man be conuerted by the Spirit of grace, he may know an alte­ration in himself, though he cannot so presently vnderstand that that change in himself is the right change, and such as the holy Ghost produceth and cau­seth; and though at sometimes (as the Doctrine sheweth) the spiritual feeling which he hath within him, cannot so directly bee comprehended to come from the Spirit, as at another time it is, and may be. The Vse followeth.

Sect. 3. Vse.To teach the children of God when they haue any feeling in themselues, and know not whence directly it is, to go and enquire at the word of God, at the Priests lips which preserue know­ledge, or at the mouth of some faith­full brother; and to compare their pre­sent sense with what that word reuea­leth, and to open their case plainely & faithfully to such a Minister or such a brother, telling them how it hath beene with them, or how it is with them, either in case of sorrow, ioy, &c. intreating them to acquaint them with euidence from the Word, whether the griefe which they are sometimes ouer­whelmed withall, or the comforts that they are at other times accheerd with­all, be such as are fruits of Gods san­ctifying Spirit. For, seeing there may be such a feeling in a man, and not knowne by him to come from hea­uen, nor whence indeed; I thinke that it is very necessary for him to make such an enquiry as I am now perswa­ding vnto. Euen as a man therefore that heareth the noyse of the winde a­broad, [Page 226] that he may know in what cor­ner it lieth, from what Angle it com­meth, whether from the East or from the West, &c. So when thou hearest a kinde of spirituall sound in thy selfe, blowing, eyther roughly to humble thee, or pleasingly to accheere thee, or any way else to affect thee; if thou wouldst know whether it be Sibboleth, or Shiboleth, whether a delusion of Satan, or a right blast from heauen; as Philip saide to Nathanael in another case,Ioh. 1.46 Come and see: So say I to thee in this, Goe and see, search and trie, consult with the booke of God, with the Am­bassadors of God, with the Saints of God, whether what is in thee be of that qualitie which the Scriptures de­clare to be in thē that are sanctified; & whether it hath the regenerating Spi­rit for the originall and fountain of it.

1. Is it Desire that is set a worke within thee, to request and seeke after the fauour of God? Search and trie whether some outward extremity that thou art in, or some externall casualty thou art like to fall into, doth stirre [Page 227] thee vp to this seeking: or whether the sweetnesse of Gods loue accoun­ted by thee better then life it selfe, as it was by Dauid, doth allure thee to it,Psal. 63.3 so that thou couldest be content to forgo all the pleasures of this life, patiently to beare whatsoeuer the Lord infli­cteth vpon thee (if he seeth it meete) that thou mayest obtaine the light of this his louing countenance.

2 Doth griefe seize vpon thee, doth sorrow smite thee for sin committed? See & looke, whether the punishment due, or the deed that is done against so good a God, doe most trouble thee.

3 Feelest thou the affection of loue to stirre in thee towards the Almighty? Looke out and see whether it bee not rather with Saul for the kingdome, with Achitophel for honour, with Iudas for an office amongst the twelue, with Courtiers for aduauncement, with Schollers for preferment, then with Dauid for holinesse which thou seest in God deseruing loue at thy hands; then with a dutifull childe for the spe­ciall and spirituall goodnesse of God in [Page 228] Christ Iesus, resoluing to loue him though hee whippeth thee, to trust in him though hee killeth thee, to obey him though hee takes away his out­ward benefits from thee.

4 Is it ioy and gladnesse that sprin­geth vp in thy heart? Examine and trie whether acquaintance with worldly friends, countenance amongest great ones, command amongst mean ones, credit amongst all, riches, authority, dignity, hope of great posterity and the like, be the ground of that ioy; or whether the preaching of the Crosse of Christ, thy sharing in the death of Christ, thy partaking of the graces of Christ, be the fountain & occasiō of it.

5 Againe, art thou moued at som­times to be a little suspicious and iea­lous of the estate of thy soule; and whe­ther it be with thee as it is and should be with a sound Christian? Proue and try whether thou thus fearest thy selfe onely because thou wouldst fare well, and haue thy soule happy that thou mayest escape damnation (which a wicked man may attaine vnto;) or [Page 229] chiefly because thou wouldest do well, and haue thy soule holy, that thou mayest be a sanctified vessell to liue to Gods glory, which none but the Elect can reach vnto. In a word, whatsoe­uer the inward mouings & feelings be which arise and make a noyse in thy soule; that thou mayest not be doubt­full, but vnderstand with some cer­tainety whence they come, compare those feelings with the like in the Scriptures: and if thou wauerest about the foundation and wel-head of them, and canst not be resolued and settled concerning that, acquaint such with them as are fit to bee thy teachers and directors in this case; and then thou shalt know in what corner the winde lieth, from what Spirit the motion ariseth, and so shalt find cause of hu­miliation or consolation accordingly.

CHAP. XIII The second and last poynt from the last part of the Text.

Sect. 1.TO draw to a conclusion, the last thing which I haue to handle is [...] [Page 232] ctrine, to encounter with that dange­rous opinion of perfection in this life, first broched by those ancient heretiks called Cathari, & since maintained by the Family of Loue; as also with that grosse absurdity of the monkish order, which makes cloistering and contem­plation the perfection of a man: as if a man when he were got into a Cloister, had attained to know that, which this point is against, euen the height and top of his gifts and graces, not onely what they are, but also what they shall be. These errors I might stand to con­fute, but that I had rather leaue that to the Schooles, and deale with thee (good Reader) about certaine duties where­unto I haue a desire to perswade thee, with words of exhortation.

Sect. 3. Vse 1. Exhorta­tion to a two-folde duty: first imitation of the Saints.And first, that thou wouldst endeuor to imitate, and follow the best of the saints in the tradings of grace. For if no Christian knoweth what measure of grace he shall attaine vnto, then what knowst thou but that thou maist com neere (if not ouer take) Abraham in Faith, Iosuah in spirirual corage, Moses [Page 233] in meeknes, Dauid in holines, Iosiah in vprightnes, Mary Magdalen in repen­tance, Paul in zeale, &c. only if thou wilt but imitate these holy Worthies in those worthy steps which they haue trod before thee. Thou wishest, Oh that I could come neere such an one, I would I could do as he doth; he is ful, and I am barren: O how may I attain to some of that fulnes which he hath! Imitate thou, but emulate not. Take heed that thou dost not enuy him, but endeuour to follow him: thou knowst not what degrees thou mayest attaine vnto in time, thou mayest peraduen­ture ouertake him. And though haply thou canst not be AS hee is for the measure of piety, yet thou mayest be like him (for the maner of sanctitie) if thou settest his godly example before thee for a patterne, following him as Paul wished his1. Cor. 12.1. Corinths to follow himselfe, euen so farre forth as he was a follower of Christ Iesus. And not on­ly must one Christian learne thus to imitate an other, that they may ouer­take one another;The se­cond duty exhorted vnto in the 2. vse, growth in grace. but also all Christi­ans [Page 234] must learne to thriue and grow in grace (vpon the meditation of this principle) not to goe backeward; for that is dangerous and fearefull: not to stand stil or lie down as Balaams Numb. asse did; for that is neither cōmodious nor gainful; but to be still running, and ha­stening toward the mark (with Paul Philip. 3 14) for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus. The Lord doth of pur­pose keepe secret to himselfe, and hid­den from his seruants, the measure of their graces, that they may dayly bee growing, and continually endeauou­ring to haue their spirituall possessions euer mended, neuer payred; that they may get strength by degrees, vntill they come to perfection: as the Sunne from the first rising doth euery minute encrease, vntill it commeth to the mid heauen. Why doe men of the world, from their first entring into world­ly dealings, striue by all manner of waies to increase in wealth and riches, but because they will set no bounds to their estate, no period, which they re­solue not to passe; neyther will they [Page 235] learne to know any measure, beyond which they purpose not to goe? And shall not men of the Spirit, from the first time of their conuersion seeke to thriue in those spirituall riches no li­mits whereunto the Lord hath set, vntill their earthly tabernacle bee dis­solued, and death maketh a separation betwixt the soule and the body? How doe they looke for the Garland, except they runne forward? What hope can they haue of the Crowne of life, except they bee faithfull vnto the death? If I had but a perswading faculty, I would vehemently vrge this spiritual growth in the practice of piety, in the life of Christianitie in these declining times, in this decaying barren age of the world. But Peter shall speake in stead of me;2. Pet 3.18 Grow in grace: And so shall Saint Paul; Ephes 4 15. In all things grow vp into him which is the head, that is, Christ, &c. Whose counsell I would entreate thee to follow, to hold fast and to encrease what thou hast already receiued.Quest. But will some say, It is easier to say, Grow. then to shew how to grow: bare exhor­tation [...] [Page 238] berall Arts, that there was neuer a day passed ouer his head, wherein he did not either reade something, or write something, or declaime; and out of doubt hee was no loser by it: So if men and women would be more dili­gent students in the Oracles of God, the book of the Scriptures, they should be great gainers in the trade of godli­nesse; and their dayly incomes of hea­uens blasts would be larger then now they are. Vnto God therefore (my brethren) I commend you,Acts 20.32. and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you vp, and to giue you an inheritance a­mongst all them that are sanctified; Phil. 1.9. pray­ing that you may more and more abound in knowledge and in all iudgement.

Helpe. 2 Secondly, prayer vnto God, that hee would leade vs forward by his ho­ly spirit, wil be a means to raise higher the gales and gusts of this spirituall winde. In this practice we haue the Apostles to goe before vs, who prayed and said,Lu. 17.5 Lord encrease our faith. And if their faith, then all the other graces which are ioyned with faith, and at­tend [Page 239] vpon her. Thus prayed Paul on the behalfe of the Philippians, thatPhil. 1.9. their loue might abound. Thus pray­ed hee also for the Ephesians, when he sayd;Ephes 3.14.16 For this cause doe I bow my knees vnto the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ, that hee would graunt you accor­ding to the riches of his glory, to be streng­thened with might by his Spirit in the in­ner man. And thus must thou pray al­so that art a partner in the possessions of grace; and then thou shalt find that that God which hath begunne the good worke, will perfect it: for the more frequent and feruent thy sutes are for the augmentations of Grace, the better thou art sure to thriue in thy spirituall and holy courses.

Thirdly, to loue the communion Helpe. 3 and frequent the company of the Saints, is a way to bee gayners, and a meane to encrease the stocke of true holinesse. The more vapours are to­gether, the longer and stronger are the windes like to bee: and the moe holy hearts are vnited together by the bond of holy societie, the more occa­sion [...] [Page 242] their times about things that tend not to edification, neglecting faith, repen­tance, & such necessary & neuer to be knowne-enough principles, they com at length to call their mother, whoore, like impudent children: though they first receiued the graces they make pro­fession to haue, in her; yet they will not sticke to slaunder her as a limme of the Romish Synagogue. And therfore I say I perswade not to such meetings; but I perswade to that which the Apostle doth:Hebr. 10.24 25 Brethren, forsake not the assem­bling your selues together as some doe; that ye may consider one another to prouoke vn­to loue and good workes, and to exhort one another, in asmuch as yee see the day ap­proching. Children season themselues in profanenesse, by their playing toge­ther. Profane men strengthen them­selues in wickednesse, by conuersing together in Ale-houses, Tauerns, Bro­thell-houses, Theatres, &c. Papists in heresies, by mutuall society: and shall Christians depriue themselues of this means to thriue and grow vp in grace, by neglecting the society and com­munion [Page 243] of one another? God forbid. If they doe, that which the Prophet speaketh of the materiall temple, may bee verified of them;Hag. 2.3 Who is left a­mongst you that sawe this house in her first glory? And how do you see it now? Is it not now in comparison of it (that is, of what it was before) as nothing?

Fourthly, it must bee our care, not Helpe. 4 onely to walke wisely and circumspectly, redeeming the time, as the Apostle adui­sethEphes. 5.15.16; but also to bee daily weeding our corruptions out of the ground of our hearts, with the weeding-hooks of Examination, and renued Repen­tance; searching diligently what thi­stles grow at the bottome, what euills are most prone to please our selues, in that wee may daily grow into hatred with them, and cleanse our selues from all filthines of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holinesse in the feare of God, as the Apo­stle his counsell is2. Cor. 7.1.. For if day by day passe ouer our heads, and we seldome, or neuer search out our hidden sinnes, and summon our selues for them be­fore Gods Tribunall, wee may bee so [Page 244] ouer-growne with security, lacke of care, that our growth in sanctitie will be hindered, our gifts of grace (to our sense at least) much impaired: euen as land when it is sowne, & corne when it is sprung vp, for want of looking to and weeding, may bee ouer-growne with noysome weedes, and vnprofi­table plants, to the great hinderance and grieuance of the poore husband­man.

Helpe. 5 Lastly, it will much auaile vs in this spirituall growth to keepe our graces in exercise, and to put them to vse. One good way for a Merchant or Trades-man to thriue in the world,Simile. is (if his markets be good, & the winds serue) to be continually in trading, and still to haue the maine stocke going; Whereas, he which alwayes spends of the stocke, and tradeth not withall, may goe downe the winde, and soone prooue a bankrupt. So for a man to haue good gifts, good graces, and not occupy with them, nor keepe them in exercise, shall be so farre from encrea­sing his spirituall store, that hee shall [Page 245] rather diminish and wrong it. Vse limbes and haue limbes, saith the olde Adage. Vse knowledge and haue knowledge, vse faith and haue faith, vse loue and haue loue, vse humilitie and haue humilitie, &c.

1. Hast thou the grace of know­ledge? practise the things which thou knowest: that onely will make thee an happy man, as Christ intimatesIohn 13 17.: put thy knowledge to vse, to glorifie God withal, to informe thy selfe with­all, to instruct, resolue, comfort, di­rect, perswade and edifie thy neigh­bours withall. So shalt thou grow vp in knowledge, beyond Papists, whose knowledge is all in contemplation; beyond hypocrites, whose knowledge is onely in speculation; beyond here­tiques, whose knowledge is onely in broaching dangerous opinions; be­yond Sectaries and Schismatiques, whose knowledge is all in raising con­tentions.

2. Hast thou faith? Let not her be [Page 246] idle, but let her do her perfect worke by loue; first, by meditating solita­rily and seriously on Gods loue in Christ Iesus, on the priuiledges of Iu­stification, sanctification, freedom from the bondage of corruption, from the punishment of sinne, from the hurt of affliction, from the euill of temptati­on, share in the adoption and spiritu­all Son-ship, and eternall inheritance of the weight of glory: secondly, by studying how to shew thy selfe thank­full to Gods Maiestie, obedient to his holy will, and seruiceable to his peo­ple, and how to growe euery day a more victorious conquerour ouer thy lusts.

3 Againe; hast thou any sparke of humility? put it to vse also: how? first, by meditating on Gods holines, thine owne vilenesse, another Christians goodnesse, whom it shall be good for thee (whatsoeuer thy gifts be) to think thy selfe inferiour vnto: secondly, by carrying thy selfe diligently in thy vo­cation, considering the Sluggard is [Page 247] wiser in his owne eyes, then tenne men that can render a reason: by behauing thy selfe lowlily in prosperity, patiently in aduersity, when losses, and crosses, and indignities are offered vnto thee, and doe light vpon thee.

4. Hast thou receiued any measure of zeale? set it on worke; first, by be­ing most seuere against thy selfe, and strict against thine owne sinnes, laying an heauier burden vpon thy selfe then vpon others, beeing most censorious and Eagle-eied at home: secondly, by disliking sinne in thy dearest friend, making Cockneys of neuer an Ab­solon and Adoniah of them all; hating euill in wife, in husband, in children, in brethren, kinsfolkes and neerest ac­quaintance that thou hast: thirdly, by opposing (if thy place, Gods honour, do call thee to it) the sins of the migh­tie: fourthly, by seasoning thy tarte admonitions with the spirit of com­passion; that when thou dost reproue, thou mayest rather fall-cut with the sinne in an holy indignation, then [Page 248] with the person in a furious and vn­bridled passion.

5. Againe, is it the grace of loue which thou hast? Let it bee operatiue as well as her fellows: set it a working, to the profit of thy brother, in body, in soule, in goodes and good name, shewing most kindnesse where there is most goodnesse; euen for Gods Image sake, for the Lord Iesus Christ his sake. In a word (to shut vp all) what­soeuer the talent be which thou hast, hide it not in a napkin, as the vnpro­fitable seruant did: but occupy withall vntil thy Maister come to Iudgement; and thou shalt finde that this holy V­sury shall bring thee daily a greater in­come of perfecting grace, then the V­surers hundreds (lent out vnlawfully, and sent abroade so theeuingly) can bring in to him yeerely of perishing trash. These rules haue I layd downe for thy direction how to thriue and grow in grace; which is a duty that this poynt doth vrge vpon thee. No Saint militant vpon earth can certain­ly [Page 249] tell what degrees of grace hee shall attaine vnto, then which neither more nor lesse he shall haue. Which rules if thou wilt improue, and carefully fol­low, thou shalt (I assure thee) be no loser. And though thou canst not follow them without sometime, some paines, some cost, some struggling with thy corruption, some denyalls of thy selfe in things very pleasing and contenting to Nature: Yet the wa­ges will recompence the worke; the gaine will counteruayle, yea exceede the cost. For, by this meanes thou shalt (in despite of all the powers of darkenesse) still be thriuing and gro­wing to perfection, vntill thou com­mest to that fulnesse of measure which the Lord hath layd out for thee; so as at the time of thy dissolution thou shalt bee able with the Apostle (that worthy Proficient in the Schoole of CHRIST) confidently to say with a comfortable heart;2. Tim. 4 7.8. I haue fought a good fight, I haue finished my course, I haue kept the Faith. Hence-forth there is layed vp for mee a Crowne of Righteous­nesse, [Page 249] which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall giue mee at that day: and not to mee onely, but to them also that loue his ap­pearing.

To Father, Sonne, and holy Ghost the Fountaine, Mediatour and In­spirer of Grace, be all honor, glorie, and thankes for euer, Amen.