The New Birth, Treatise · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII. Containing an vſe of terrour to them that are vnregenerate.
ANd in the ſecond place, let me turne my ſpeech to all them (which are without doubt the greater number) that if they will anſwere truly,2. To the vnregenerate. 1. Terrour becauſe of their hard eſtate. muſt anſwere negatiuely to this queſtion; & muſt confeſſe, if they will not lie, that in very deed they are not regenerate. To which kind of men I hauehave two things to ſpeake; the one, to ſhew them their wretchedneſſe, out of Chriſts owne words; the other to beſeech them, that they would be carefull and willing to come out of it. Come hither all yee vnregenerate men, and ſee your hard condition: you know you muſt not liue in this world alwaies: you ſee ſo many dye before you, that you cannot but ſee, (though you refuſe to conſider of it) that death muſt ceaze vponupon your perſons alſo afore long. And you hauehave been wont to flatter your ſelues with hopes of being ſaued, when you die. But now I pronounce againſt you, that all theſe your hopes are lying hopes, and like a broken reed, will but runne into your armes if you reſt vponupon them. Either out Lord Ieſus Chriſt did egregiouſly falſifie, when he did ſo vehemently aſſure Nicodemus, that a man cannot ſee the kingdome of God, vnleſſe he be borne againe: or elſe you hauehave moſt egregiouſly deluded your owne ſoules with vanitie & lies; when (being vnregenerate) you hauehave been bold to make your ſelues beleeue, that you ſhould be ſaued. Now for our Sauiour, wee are ſure he affirmeth nothing but what hee knoweth; his words be all pure words, tryed in the furnace ſeuen times; he yt is the author of ſaluation, can well enough tell to whō he will grant it; you therfore, euen all you yt hauehave maintained cōtrary hopes in your ſelues, hauehave lied to your ſelues, hauehave truſted in vanity, hauehave bin beguiled by ſin and Satan, hauehave flattered your ſelues fooliſhly, and ſhall ſurely be diſappointed of your goodly hopes, vnleſſe you take a better courſe then heretofore. I ſay vntounto thee that art vnregenerate: Though thou liueſt an honeſt and ciuil life; though thou carieſt thy ſelfe iuſtly and truly towards thy neighbours in thy dealings; though thou giuegive much almes to the poore; though thou come to Church, and heare the Word, and receiue the Sacraments; though thou haſt been baptized, and profeſſeſt to beleeue in Chriſt; though thou reade the Scriptures, and pray with thy family; yea though thou hauehave ſome fits of ſorrow for ſome ſinnes; yea though thou confeſſeſt and leaueſt many ſinnes, and ſeemeſt to take much pleaſure in the companie of good men, and beeſt forward to the externall exerciſes of religion and pietie; though thou doeſt all theſe things (as al theſe things may be done), and yet beeſt not regenerat, thou canſt not for al that, hauehave any admittance into the kingdome of God. How miſerable therefore is thy condition, that looſeſt all thy paines and coſt that thou beſtoweſt in ſome good things, and canſt not bee ſaued by all that thou doeſt? Doubtleſſe euen ſo ſtands it with all your ſoules that are vnregenerate, your beſt works are but guilded ſins; and that that in you ſeemeth faire and louely to your ſelues, and to your neighbours; to God, that ſearcheth the heart, and iudgeth of all things by the heart, appeareth exceeding loathſome and abominable. Acknowledge thy wretchedneſſe therefore, thou that art not regenerate: for to ſpeake all in one word, Do what thou canſt, ſo long as thou remaineſt in this eſtate, there is an vtter impoſſibilitie of thy comming to heauen. But you may (perhaps) ſay vntounto me; Who be the men, whom I dare charge to bee vnregenerate, and in that name barre vp the Kingdome of God againſt them? I anſwere, Too too great a multitude, and more by farre then wee doe deſire: euen all thoſe that boaſt of their owne vertues, and will needs make themſelues beleeue, that they louelove God aboue all, and with all their hearts, and their neighbour as themſelues: that is in a word, That they doe more then euer any of all the Prophets and Apoſtles, or any beſides Chriſt (in the preſent World) ſince the firſt ſinne of Adam. All theſe that find in themſelues ſo great ſtore of the louelove and feare of God, as that they conceiue, that they louelove him with all their hearts, and feare him with all their hearts, and truſt in him with all their hearts, and repent euerie day, and beleeue in Chriſt as well as the beſt, and hauehave done euer ſince they can remember; theſe full men, theſe rich perſons, theſe that hauehave ſoules ſo perfectlie repleniſhed with all graces, that they finde no want of faith, or of repentance, or of humilitie, or of the ſpirit of prayer, or of the louelove of God, or almoſt any thing. Theſe that hauehave no faults in themſelues, they were neuer proud in all their liues, they know as much as any of them all can tell them; and they hauehave not brought vp ſo many children, they trow, but that they can tel how to be ſaued; that neuer wronged any in al their liues; and that hope in God they ſhall be ſaued for their good liues and good meanings. All theſe ignorants neuer vnderſtood, and therefore onelyonly boaſt of much; becauſe wanting knowledge totally, they cannot know their owne wants. Wherefore if any amongſt you be ſuch, and out of ignorance ſo well-conceited of himſelfe, let him not pretend to be regenerate. In vaine he claimeth Gods Kingdome, if he be not changed and become another man. Yea, all thoſe, that though they hauehave more knowledge then to brag thus, yet neuer felt themſelues to hauehave been the children of wrath, nor were neuer pained with the apprehenſion of their owne ſinfulneſſe. Theſe alſo I affirme to be vnregenerate; and ſo remaining, cannot be ſaued. Yea, all that allow wicked thoughts in their hearts, and neuer take care to ſee, and lament the euill conceits of their inward man; but rather ſerue ſinne in the luſts of it, and pleaſe themſelues in thinking of that, which for feare or ſhame they doe not dare to accompliſh; thoſe alſo hauehave no part in Gods Kingdome, as the caſe goes with them hitherto. Yea, all that makes no conſcience of ſmal ſinnes, which the world doth not take notice of; but paſſe ouer ſuch treſpaſſes, without making any matter of them, or troubling themſelues to bewaile them; theſe hauehave cauſe to fear… that heauen is faſt locked vponupon them. Yea, all that allow themſelues for gaine, profit, or pleaſure ſake, in any one ſinfull action, ſecret or open; excuſing, and ſhifting, and turning themſelues into all ſhapes, to make themſelues not to know it to be ſinfull, and labouring not to be moued with the exhortations of the Word, & checks of their owne conſciences: but holding ſtill their reſolution, that that thing they muſt needs do, they cannot chuſe but doe; though their conſciences would willingly checke them for the ſame, were they not by them put to ſilence. All theſe are to number themſelues among the vnregenerate: and ſuch, as if God be, as he is (moſt perfectly iuſt), cannot be ſaued, whileſt they abide ſuch. But moſt of all thoſe that liue in open groſſe ſinnes, and yet flatter themſelues with hopes of doing wel enough, becauſe others liue as bad as they; and becauſe they doubt not to ouer-entreate God, with the repentance of the laſt houre: theſe are fartheſt off from regeneration, and remaine in a dangerous and damnable eſtate; ſo that I doubt not to proclaime vntounto them in the name of God, that (ſo continuing) Chriſt ſhall profit them nothing; Chriſt ſhal neuer bring them to heauen. Now therefore if any of you that heare me, do perceiue your ſelues to be ſuch, I pray you lay aſide all your conceits of going to heauen: I pray you ſurceaſe to feede your ſelues with vanitie, and wind; and to make your ſelues ſecure, by making falſe promiſes to your ſoules of that they ſhal neuer attaine. Know thou whoſoeuer, that art an ignorant boaſter of thine owne goodnes; or a man ſenſeleſſe of thine owne badneſſe, and muſt be diſpenced with all in ſome one darling ſinne, which faine (againſt the truth beginning to ſhew it ſelfe to thee) thou wouldeſt not hauehave to bee counted a ſinne: know thou whoſoeuer that art a worker of iniquity, and putteſt off repentance till the time of ſickneſſe, that thou haſt no part nor portion in this inheritance; that thou art the old Man, leauened with old leauen, and not renewed nor purged; and therefore that it cannot poſſibly befall thee, to ſee Gods Kingdome, if Chriſt be true, and God iuſt, ſo long as thou abideſt vnchanged. What ſhould one doe, to make dead men feele their death? If we could ſpeake plainer to you, we would (brethren): for why, we know, that at this very point, your whole happineſſe muſt begin. The vnregenerate can neuer become regenerate, till he firſt perceiue himſelfe vnregenerate. A child of Satan can neuer be made the childe of God, till he feele himſelfe the child of Satan. Our ſpirituall felicitie begins in the ſenſe of our ſpirituall miſery; and therfore we take all this paines to make you ſee your wretchedneſſe, becauſe it is vponupon none other conditions auoidable. Open thine eies therefore and ſee; open thine heart, and feele thine vnregeneracie, thy being in the ſtate of death, thine horrible ſinfulneſſe, and thy being (as I hauehave often ſaid, and cannot too often ſay) no better then the very ſonne and daughter of the Prince of Darkeneſſe. Will you not ſee? will you not feele? will you hood-winke your ſelues? will you harden your hearts? will ye ſuffer the Diuell to turne you from heeding your owne eſtate, till at laſt it be paſt recouery? I pray you doe not ſo, be not ſo great enemies to your owne ſoules, I entreate you: But what ſhould I goe forward with more words to you? I will turne my ſpeech to God for you: And, O thou Author of life and light, be pleaſed now to remember the end of thine owne ordinances, and make them fruitful for the purpoſes by thy ſelfe appointed. O, open the eyes of ſome one of theſe blind men; inlighten the ſoules of ſome one of them, at leaſt with ſo much light, that they may perceiue themſelues hitherto to hauehave been voide of light: put into them, at leaſt, that firſt motion of life, that they may feele themſelues hitherto to hauehave been but dead men, and voide of life: O let not thy word returne empty, but make it effectuall to all, to which thou ſendeſt it.