The Gales of Grace, Tract · Chapter 8
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 onelyonly 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 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 vntounto him. For a man, to the end hee may ſee things, muſt not onelyonly hauehave 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 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 vntounto 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 vntounto them: their mind is ſo blinded, their vnderſtanding is ſo darkened, that ſuch Principles as theſe are Greeke and Hebrew vntounto 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 vntounto them, neuer ſo well knowne of them, by their ſtudy and induſtrie, in ſearching into the ſecrets of Nature; Yea, let them hauehave 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 vntounto them; no more by the wiſedome which they hauehave to bee perceiued, then the winde, which is ſo thin a ſubſtance, ſo vncolourable a creature to be viſibly looked vponupon & 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 hauehave 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 hauehave read what the Scripture ſheweth in the writings ofgPſa. 51.7 Dauid, hEzek. 11 19. Chap. 36.25.Ezekiel, iZac. 13.1Zacharie & 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 muchkChemn. 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 vsus 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 vponupon; and ſhould be ſo vnacquainted with it as if they had neuer heard it diſcourſed vponupon 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 vsus 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 vponupon 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 vntounto vsus, 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 vsus, it will be an eye that will deceiue vsus. 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 vntounto, 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 incredulouslIohn 20. Thomas wil beleeue no more then they ſee, and wil yield to no more then they can hauehave 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 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 hauehave I already ſpoken, and