Works, Part 4 · Religious instruction · Chapter 67
CHAP. LXVII. Of Regeneration, and Sanctification.
IT is a greater miracle that a man should become a new creature, than a man should be cured of neuer so strange a disease. Hereunto agree the Prophets, as Esay 11. where it is shewed, that men as sauage as wilde beasts shall change their nature, and become tame, so that the ProphetRegeneratiō how wonderfull. counteth this a miracle: yea, if wee our selues saw the wilde beasts tamed, we would count it a miracle. The Fathers thinke that the regenerating of a man is more miraculous, than to turne water into wine: for the wine is of the grape, the grape is of the tree, the tree is nourished by the water, so that wine after a sort doth come of water: so that the one is more common: the other is to bring out one contrary out of another, & a thing of that which hauehave no cause going before, and he that marueileth not at the conuersion of men, he hath not tasted of the gift of regeneration, and new birth.
2 Men must first bee made, by feeling of their sinnes, to seeke after Christ; then by an holy faith to finde Christ; and then by newnes of life to dwell with Christ.
3 Wee hauehave nothing to doe with God the Father, the Sonne, or the holy Ghost, vnlesse we be regenerated.
4 As wee hauehave taken a vaine delight in the vaine course of this life; so wee must sighWe must delight spiritually in spirituall things. and pray, to be delighted spiritually in▪ spirituall things. If the blood of Christ hath washed vsus from the guiltinesse of our sins, then the holy Ghost hath purged vsus from the filthines of our sinnes.
5 The reason why the graces of God are sweetest in our new birth, is, because wee doe after the same, fall somwhat to the flesh againe, otherwise it would not bee so. And regeneration (Ioh 3.) is the worke of the spirit only, although in respect of vsus it seemeth contrarie betweene vsus and the world: for the world thinkes the pleasures present alwaies sweetest: soOf feeling. doe not the children of God, euen of their spiritual delights, nay they are contrary in another thing to themselues, for they thinke their present corruptions and temptations euer greatest, as in sicke men, the last sicknesse is the sorest, but they thinke the present feelings of the spirit euer least, though it may be, they be as great as euer they were before: but who knoweth the cause of these things, seeing it proceedeth wholy from the spirit of God, who as the winde bloweth here and there, and in what measure it pleaseth him.
6 Seeing we are the temples wherein the Lord will vouchsafe to dwell, it is good reason we should cleanse our selues. In respect wherof, first the Prophet Esay. 52. 11. and then the Apostle, 1. Cor. 6. 17. building the exhortation of cleansing, presuppose this, that where God will dwell there is a place cleansed, and indeed a temple.
7 There is no man of iudgement, that though in other places he thinkes many things lawfull, or at the least indifferent in their owne nature to be done, yet he will not doe them in the temple. So consequently, if wee be Gods temple (as eueryevery Christian ought to beeWe are Gods Temple. wheresoeuer he goes) we must be cleansed. Againe, for that the Lord hath made vsus priests, and we must carry the vessels of the Lord, therefore we must be cleane, Reuel. 1. for priests were to cleanse others, and therefore good reason it was they should be cleane▪ and wee, if we will be cleansers of others, necessarily we must be cleane our selues. Yet there is a third argument, Iere. 31. 1. which is most effectuall, and that is, because our heauenly father is holy. And if this moue vsus not, we are rather as seruants holy, for feare of the whip, or we are mercenaries, we will cleanse our selues for hope of reward. God our father is cleane, therefore we his children must be also cleane. God is of pure eyes, and no defiled thing must enter into the new Ierusalem: wherefore we must cleanse our selues, because wee be the Lords Temple, because we be priests, because our father is cleane and holy. A thing is filthy in theHow we must purge our selues, & how many wayes we may be defiled. Law, either by touching another thing that is vncleane, or which hath vncleane issue in it selfe, so that there are these kinds of pollutions: the first, if wee touch an vncleane thing: a thing vncleane of it selfe, as a leaper: and thus, if we touch sinne, or the diuel, or any limme of the diuell, which be things vncleane, we shall be also vncleane. The cause is, pitch will defile a man. There is a second kind, which is this: we know that water, for as much as it is a baser substance than the wine, though in it selfe it be no meere vncleane thing, corrupteth1 the wine being mixed with it: In like sort, the creatures the things of this world, thogh2 they be not wholy vncleane of themselues, yet because they be things of baser condition than our soules are, if our hearts be set on them, they pollute vsus. There is a third kind, and3 that is not by touching any vncleane thing, but by committing impure by it owne nature:Note. Tit. 1. 15. and this is the touch of our owne reason, of our owne wit, of our owne imaginations proceeding of our selues, which will defile vsus: though wee touch neither the diuell, nor the world. And indeede this is such a kinde of defiling, as comes by a mans owne sweate, or by our owne blood, being polluted in it selfe, as the babe which God passed by, Ezech. 16. 4. 5. From these kindes of filthinesse we must be cleansed. And yet there is another manner of cleansing, and that is put downe for vsus, Leuit. 13. 48. where it is spoken of a warfe or woofe which had beene defiled with the plague of leprosie, that shall be washed. And yet although the Priest see it be cleane, it shall not be cleane, vntill it be washed the second time, vers▪ 55. We must proceed from cleansing with sope to cleanse with Fullers earth, and with Nitr…. Now, how this cleansing must be, the Lord Iesus sheweth, Ioh. 15 3. 4. Now are yee cleane through the word which I hauehave spoken vntounto you: but the spirit worketh by the word. In Baptisme wee are cleansed, it is not the water that cleanseth vsus, but the spirit which is as a fire: how be it this fire hath oyle to minister matter to it, which is the word. This word is that, which quickeneth and inflameth vsus: and this is not only holy in it selfe, but it maketh vsus holy also,We must be throughly washed and sanctified. if we beleeue it.
8 If wee were to be cleansed but from some kinde of filthines, it were an easie matter, we would easily conclude it. For there is no man, but cleanseth off some filthines, no man hath all the spots that are mentioned, but to be scoured from all: this makes the purification full. It is saide, Herod heard Iohn, and hee heard him gladly, and hee did manie good things. So he was cleansed in many things, but not in all, when it came to the sweete sinne, Thou shalt not hauehave thy Brothers wife: which should hauehave made vp all, then hee broke off. When Felix, Acts 24. had heard Pauls matter, he gaue him libertie, but with all hee hoped he should hauehave gotten some money, so that his heart was not wholly clensed. Ananias and Saphira, Acts 5. gaue a great part of all their possessions to the Apostles: but all came not, they kept backe a peece. Naaman (2. King. 5.) would worship and sacrifice to none, but to the true God: but yet he would hauehave the house of his master Rimmon excepted, to offer to the God Moloch. So may we say of our times. The Bethulians would hauehave a tearme to serue God in: they were tearmers, but it was but for a time. This (all) then is that whichOur sanctification must not be of one part. makes all perfect. And then it is wittily saide of a Father, of this word Catholike: As it signifies an Vniuersitie of all, as that God hath a Catholike Church, that is, in all Ages, and in all places, and of all estates of men, a Church; so me thinketh, that they are good Catholikes that are sanctified throughout, that will wholly cleanse themselues. So then we must throughly be cleansed; that is, both in the flesh, and in the spirit: As 2. Cor. 7. 1. both in heart and in hand, Iames, 4 In the Hebrue tongue it is worth the obseruation, how twoThe godly are 1. Straight. words commonly to this effect runne together: the one is, that wee must bee straight, as were all the Saints, Iob, Paul, and Daniel, who were alwayes straight: So must they be that deale with God; they must hauehave no crookednes in them: the word (as I thinke) is alluding to the outward timber in a building. The other word signifies Sound. It must not be2. Sound. Simile. hollow, though it be straight. So that these two must goe together, straight, and sound: we must neither be crooked, nor hollow. So referring these to the Saints of God, whom we named, if you looke to their outward parts, they were straight, if you looke into their internals, they were sound. This then serueth well for two sorts of men, which are both hypocrites. There bee some men that will be are the world in hand, that the best side is inward,Two sortes of men hypocrites. and the worst outward, as the Nicodemites, who, howsoeuer they doe outwardly, inwardly they worship God deuoutly. Others there are cleane skinned, men as cleane as Alabaster outwardly, but inwardly they bee dissemblers, and they are contrarie to the other,1 and beare the world in hand, that the best side is outward. These hauehave the cleannesse2 of the flesh, though not of the spirit: as the other thinke, they hauehave the cleannesse of the spirit, though not of the flesh, and these be meere dangerous dissemblers. If a man bow to Baal, one may see a spot of his knee, and yet he will hauehave a cleane spirit, he is an hypocrite. Well, we must not be halfe Christians, wee must be good Catholikes, cleane throughout, cleane both in the flesh, and in the spirit▪
9 The flesh is sure a verie corrupt thing, and wee should soone see it but for the soule, which is as Salte to keepe it from putrifying for a while, which if it be gone, the flesh corrupts streight, which we should see, if we would but take the viewe of a dead man out of the graue▪ It is but a rotten thing, and therefore all that is bestowed on it, is laide vponupon that, which in the end will make all as rottennesse it selfe. They therefore doe euill, that lay out all their substance on their flesh, for it will rot: in regard whereof, the Apostle bids vsus not to take any great thought for it, or to prouide much for the lusts thereof, Rom. 13. All that comes of the flesh, and all that ends in the flesh is filthie, and therefore we must not make our flesh a Queene, or as a Paradise on the earth.We must sanctifie both bodie and soule to the Lorde. Pagās & Papists hauehave better outward things then carnall Protestants. Spirit.
10 Our Sauiour CHRIST saith, our righteousnes must exceed the righteousnes of the Scribes and Pharisees, therefore not to exceede the Pharisees, not to exceede Heretikes, nay not to exceede the Heathen men, but to want euen the out ward good things which they hauehave, sheweth that all our Religion is in vaine. And yet to cleanse hand, foote, eye, tongue, and all without, is called but the cleansing of the outside of the platters. But wee must not rest here. We must goe yet further, and be pure in heart: for Blessed are the pure is heart: such shall receiue the blessing. We had great neede to cleanse our spirits: for as they retained the image of GOD before sinne came, so now being corrupted, they are most corrupt. For euerie thing degenerating into a contrarie Nature to that, which it was, is made most contrarie. The honie a very sweete thing, yet when it is often purified, many hauehave a most bitter matter of it. So GOD his nature is gentle, and hee is long ere he be prouoked to wrath: but when he is angrie, who is able to abide his wrath? downe goe mountains and hills, and all before him: so the perfectest part of man being euill, is of all things most abominable to the Lord. This deceiues all men, to thinke some good thing is left in them. But if the tongue which speaketh out of the abundance of the heart, hauehave but the ouerplus and superfluitie of the heart, be a world of wickednes, (as S. Iames saith) how much wickednes thinke yee is in the heart? Nay; the sinne of the spirit is so euill, that the Lord hates the smal smoking stemes of it, euen the very euaporations which ascend out of it. There be some motes in it, which in the darke cannot be seene, as in time of superstition, because of their palpable ignorance, they cannot be discerned: but when the Sunne beames come, those little motes are espied. Vntill the Sunne-beame had shined to Paule, he could not see these motes, but afterward he saw, that Thou shalt not lust, was a great thing, and then seeing his motes, he fell out of conceit with himselfe. Our fine spirits now-adayes will admit Religion, but they wil mingle it with that filthines, that comes out of thēselues, I meane their owne wittie conceits. Thus we see, that a man that will grow vp to the cleere hope of a better life, hee must be cleansed from all filthines of the spirite, euen from his finest sinnes: for otherwise they will worke him woe enough.
11 Touching sanctification, wee must hauehave our direction out of the old Testament, andWhat is required to be sanctified. we must consider, whether our thoughts, words, and works, be cleansed from their outward corruptions, and though we be not guilty to men, notwithstanding, I say, our thoughts are not sure. And all things are impure vntounto the Lord, vnles they be sequestred and made impropriate to God; so that, if we hauehave set our very thoughts apart to God, then there is a holines begun, and then we are meete not onelyonly for meate, but for a sanctified vse. To vnderstand this the better, we must know that the Iewes (who referre vsus by proportion of sanctification to the signes which the Lawe hath set downe) say, that sundrie beasts seruing for meat only, were not vncleane, but if they come to an holy vse, they were vncleane. So we, though wee be not vncleane in these outward things, yet that is not enough, wee must be cleane also to serue the Temple, & holy, as the Temple that is holy. Now the difference of the beasts vsed in the Temple, and other cōmon beasts, is in this, the beasts vsed to a common vse were vsed in many things, but those of the Temple, were vsed but to one. So if we be to serue for an holie vse, wee must not be for when and for what we list, but taken vp in thought, word, and deede, to scrue the Lorde: wee are not to bestowe our thoughts on all things, but to referre them to the Lord mediately, or immediately.
12 Certaine it is, that to the cleansing of our selues, as it was in the Lawe, that the go… Our sanctification must be continual, and is not perfected vntill our resurrection.and siluer being cleansed for the seruice of God, had such a defiling by the seruice of Idols, that no water could wash them cleane enough, but being neuer so well purged, yet they must of necessitie passe through the fire: so wee say of our corrupt nature, though wee cleanse it, and cleanse it very oft and very much, being so much corrupted both of it selfe and with the touch of outward things; yet it must needes goe through fire, and passe by death, which must throughly purge it, without which it cannot wholy be purified. For before an vniuersall cleansing, there must be a dissolution of nature. There may be other seruicesDeath is the complement of our mortification. to vse in vsus, as there was of those beasts that were for meat: but when we must come to that one and immediate seruice of God, there cannot be any, vntill our nature he dissolued, and are passed through the furnace of death, and so we shall be freed from all filthines. In the meane season the crackes and breaches of our nature, and the corruption creptDeath. into the bones, sinewes, and veines hidden in the secret parts, betweene the marrow and the ioynts, (whither, the Apostle saith, the word of God doth pearce, Heb. 4. 12▪) I meane the sinnes of naturall corruption shall not be laide to our charge, and for other pollutions in our soules we are to striue against them, and to growe vp in the feare of God, whichTo fulfill the daies of our sanctification The sanctification of a Nazarite. (2 Cor. 7. 1.) is to fulfill, as the Virgin Mary fulfilled the daies of her purification, the daies of our sanctification. The word is taken from the text of the booke of Numbers, where the daies of consecrating a Nazarite must be fulfilled. Hee should be many daies in cleansing himselfe, which if they were not fulfilled, his sanctification should not be perfect. So that if the Nazarite coutinued thus vntill the end, then he should be free: but if euen the verie night before his time was ended he touched any vncleane thing, then all that he did before was voide, and hee was to begin all his dayes againe, for he was impure. For so long as any part of the sanctification is to be done, all is vnperfect. This is more cleerly set downe Numb. 19 11. 12. where mention is made of purifying the third day, and the seuenth day, and if the man touching the dead did not fulfill eueryevery day, then though he came neere the end, and fulfilled not the end, he should be impure still: if he purified not himself the third day, he should not be cleane the seuenth day. So we must not deliuer an holinesse to God for a time, or in some causes, or for some persons: but we must throughly fulfill the dayes of our holinesse, not presenting (I say) a maimed holines: as in the Law it was not permitted for a man to offer a lame or maimed beast, though it wanted but a taile, which was a small thing, yet for that defect the Lord refused it. There are a great manie of professors, which would needes be men sanctified, but they are loathe to be cleansed, and to fulfill the dayes of their holinesse. They will goe a while, a day, or two dayes, they will not come to the third, and then they are vncleane the seuenth day, and so all their labour is in vaine. Others, when they cannot away with this strictnes to continue, say on this manner: Seeing we are still vnperfect, let vsus be vnperfectly vnperfect, let vsus be vncleane still, let vsus prepare riuers of sinne: for Christ shed streames of blood, the more wee sinne, the greater glorie will come to Christ. And thus they stand at a stay, their holines is a standing holines, it fils not, it stands at a stay, they are no perfect Nazarites, they still lie in their pollutions: their motions are from the house to the Church, and from the Church home againe, and at theA true discription of our ignorant and idle Protestants. yeares end they are as holy as in the beginning of the yeare: they goe & go to the Church, and make many voyages, as an horse in the Mill makes manie circuites, who labours still from morning vntil night, and then he is but where he was at the first: so they are in a motion from morning vntill night, and at night they are euen where they were when they begun in the morning. There is another sort not standing still, but they make many beginnings:Simile. and when they come to the third day they beginne againe, and againe, and againe, still they goe backe, and then they must begin againe, and so they come to holines by fits. These manie beginnings are not good. There is but one motion commanded, but it must be continued, we must fulfill our many dayes, when we hauehave once begun, we must not defile our selues to become new Nazarites. Neither must we stand at a stay, but goe forward; but if happily we doe fall, wee must take a viewe of our selues, that if we fall not the second time▪ we will fulfill our dayes indeede. The equitie hereof stands in this, the Lord respects the fruite, and not the blossome. He calles himselfe Alpha, the beginning, for he▪ is so; but in respect of the end he is also Omega. So must it stand with them, that are his Temple, they must not be only Alpha, but also Omega, they must fulfill their holines. In regard whereof, we see Ezech. 9. that the mourners are marked, it is with the letter Tau, which is the last letter in the Hebrue Alphabet, and it betokeneth an ende, to shewe they had not quaumes and starts of well doing, but they were men fulfilling their dayes. Wee know the Trees in Gods Orchyard, are Palmes and Cedars. The nature of the Palme tree is to growe beingThe Palme tree. young, and to beare fruit continually: the Cedar though it be long indeede ere it grow, yet when they bring forth they beare fruit long, and when they are very olde. So they that areRom. 5. 10. planted in the Lords house, the older they growe, the more fruite they beare, being of the nature of the Cedar, growing from faith to faith, not making many beginnings. And if the Lord be not content to abound, but to ouer-abound in merciemercy, then must we also euen abound more and more, in merciemercy, grace, and sanctification.
13 It is not possible without affliction to enter in Christs kingdome, except ye sup of that Affliction.cup, and be baptized with that baptisme, that hee was baptized with: Why? But here is now no persecution. Surely if wee hauehave not Esaues sword, we shall be sure to hauehave Ismaels tongue, and that is worse than a two edged sword, This time will affoord no sharper, but when the beast shall be loosed againe, and when the Dogge-dayes come in againe, wee must learne ioy fullie to receiue the other, and to accompt a chaine of golde lesse honourable, than a fetter of yron, which shall be clapt vponupon vsus for Christ and his Gospell sake.
14 The bellie was the first sword the diuell drew against man. Paul saith to Timothie, Temperance & abstinencedrinke no more water: in sicknesse or infirmities we hauehave leaue to drinke wine, otherwise we must take heed of wine wherein there is excesse. Noah thought that after the great water,Practised of God▪ children. wine would hauehave done him no hurt, but it made him a laughing stock to his owne son. The children of Israel did eate and drinke, and then rose vp to play, for they had not so much lust before meate: and what play plaied they at that time? that which made Moses breake the Tables for▪ anger. Lot did most shamefully abuse his body, where though hee cannot be accused for wilfulnes, yet he may be condemned of negligence. And what children came of that stocke? surely the washpot, and the maker cleane of shooes, the enemiesLots posterity of God his children, which might not be receiued after fourteene generations. Whē Eliah was to be prouided of God, to hauehave him his Cater, what meate fed he of? A cake bakte on1 King. 19. 6. the coales, and a pot of water: might not God hauehave sent him rost meate and baked meate? But he knew it was not best for him. So Daniel being in the lyons den, God might also easily hauehave caught one of Nabuchadnezzers garde, carrying a seruice vp to the Kings board, to bring meate to Daniel: he seazed vponupon Habacucke carrying the Reapers their meat, which I thinke was but a homely seruice. Elisha when he made a set feast for the yong Prophets, they had nothing to dinner but a fewe worts, and there were Coliquintidaes among them too. Daniel durst not venture on the Kings fare, but put vp a supplication, that they might hauehave nothing but gruell.
15 It is too vnnaturall to yoke the spirit vnderunder the flesh in most miserable thraldome, to set the crowne on her head to make her a Ladie, and to compell the spirit to take lawes, iniunctions and commandement at her hands; to set her at the helme, and to make her word to stand, and if she say, I will, that thou abuse thy body with surfettings, drunkennes, adulterie, it must be done whatsoeuer it cost. Why this is to set a blind horse, or an vntulySimile. mad horse formost in the teeme: this is to saw off our owne legge of flesh, and to get vsus on a woodden legge; this is to take the Crown, the Scepter, & the kingdome from the Oliue tree, and Figge tree, and to giuegive it to the scratching and vnprofitable Bramble, which will serue vsus to no vse but to scratch vsus by the hands. True it is, it goeth well with this bodie of sinne, that it should be so, and it goeth to her heart it should bee otherwise. But alas consider, though to a man ruled by the flesh, adulterie …ee at the first as sweete as the honeyThe flesh must not rule. combe, and as smooth as the oyle, yet the end is verie wormehood: nay, nay, it is a pearcing sword. Though wine in the glasse hath a goodly looke, yet at last it …ingeth like a Serpent, and biteth like a Cockatrice. Though to be vnruly in wringing and oppressing, grudge not the conscience awhit; though stolne water bee sweete, and bread priuily eaten hath a good taste; yet in the end their mouth shall bee full of grauell, and S…ch…ms whoredome will end with a sword, and Achans Baby lonish garment will cost him his hart blood. Farre otherwise is the condition of the soule than is of the bodie: for where as wee hauehave neede of a table and sundrie meates to cherish our bodie, and of many sundrie drinks to refresh it, of clothes to wrap it in, of medicines to salue it, and of many other things to support and beare it vp to the soule: to the soule there is but one thing necessarie, euen faith in Christ, this is to it the bread that came downe from heauen, the riuers of waterFaith. flowing to euerlasting life: this is Esaues coate that smelleth so well in Isaacs nostrels, this is the soueraigne plaister, this is all in all▪ Oh how much better is that, that needeth but one thing? By this faith we obtaine the reward promised vsus. True it is wee must fight; and ouercomming we shall hauehave the reward. Howbeit, God doth not onelyonly set before vsus the reward,Note. and intaileth it to vsus, but he giueth vsus also to ouercome, hee assisteth vsus, he encourageth, hee smiteth for vsus, he doth all for vsus, he giueth vsus the meanes: onelyonly this he requireth, that if we feele our selues ouermatched, we will but crie to him, if our heart faile vsus to say to him, thou art our buckler. Let vsus therefore presse downe the flesh, and exalt the spirit.