The Gales of Grace, Tract · Chapter 6 – Chapter 7
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 vntounto, 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 vponupon this man, that woman, in the worke of regeneration, no power of man can totally 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, hauehave a kinde of power to reſiſt: yet they hauehave 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;ſEzec. 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 tZanch. 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 vponupon the Plaines where the wind of grace hath a ſtrong guſt) ſayth thus,uIoh. 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, *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 hauehave gathered thee together, as a hen gathers her chickens vnderunder 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, 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 vntounto 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 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 onelyonly 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 missing 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 vntounto them; and partly, by authoritie, partly, by auſterity, partly, by flattery, thou mayeſt bee an occaſion vntounto them of trippes and foiles (that thou mayeſt laugh at them for the ſame, and bring religion vponupon the Stage to ſcoffe at it): but, who ſhall hauehave 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 is vnchangeable) but thou (vnleſſe the Lord be the more mercifull) ſhalt bee reſerued for a future iudgement, euen that iudgement which ſhall light vponupon the pates of them by whom offences come; which, what it is, let Chriſt him ſelfe tell thee.xMat. 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 louelove 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 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 vponupon the conſcience of eueryevery childe of Belial, that ſcoffeth at, that raileth vponupon, that ſetteth againſt, that ſeeketh to ſeduce any one, in whom the fruits of grace hauehave 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 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 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 vponupon 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 hauehave lately breathed: and to them doe I principally intend this,Firſt, to weake Chriſtiās. becauſe they hauehave 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 vponupon 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 when the Spirit of God, by the means of the Law, layeth open to the vnderſtanding, what ſinne is in its*A reprobate may ſee ſin in the effect of it, which is puniſhment, as Ahab did: but onelyonly 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 vponupon 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 vntounto that faith, zeale, louelove, vntounto 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 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 vponupon by the fainting 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, or thy mother, or both; if in the ſtate of a ſeruant, thy maiſter and gouernor; and thou ſhalt hauehave 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 giuegive 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 vponupon 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 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 vponupon 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 vntounto 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 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 hauehave ay1. Cor. 12 7. pricke in the fleſh to buffet him:) and not onelyonly 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 thezActs 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 eueryevery one that is borne of the Spirit. aTolet. 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 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 worketh inwardly in the ſoule of the regenerate, doth giuegive 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 hauehave 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.