The New Birth, Treatise · Chapter 10
CHAP. X. Comforting the Regenerate.
ANd ſo much bee ſpoken to them that are not borne againe.3. Ʋſe to thoſe that are regenerate. Now from the ſame point alſo wee hauehave ſomething to ſay to thoſe, that through the grace of God, hauehave been bleſſed with this greateſt of al bleſſings, and that both for comfort and exhortation. Firſt then,1. C…nſ let vsus lay open before the ſanctified man, the riches of conſolation, of which the words of our Sauiour doe put him in poſſeſſion. This worke of the Spirit of God, doth him more good, then al the wealth, ſtrength, health, wit, learning, beauty, credit, fauour and grace, that could befall him in the world. For all theſe things fore-named, a man may hauehave in as great abundance, as this earth could yeeld, and yet bee no whit nearer to heauenly felicitie; yea, bee quite out of all preſent poſſibilitie of attaining it. But ſo ſoone as euer the Spirit of God from aboue, hath viſited the ſoule of a man, and hath begotten in him the image of Chriſt Ieſus; ſo ſoone is he intereſſed into the glorious Kingdome of God, and hath that riches and honour of heauen appertaining vntounto him, as an inheritance that cannot fal beſides him. EueryEvery true Chriſtian therefore, be he of neuer ſo meane repute & parts, in the eſteeme of others, or of himſelf, is yet a great, and a rich heire, and hath a mighty and large kingdome, by vertue of this birth-right appertaining vntounto him: for the excluding of all that are not borne againe, from out of heauen, is a plaine admittance of all them into heauen, to whom this benefit of a new birth hath befalne. The one cannot but be ſaued as well, as the other cannot poſſibly bee ſaued. Seeing if the cauſe that hindreth our entrance into Gods Kingdome bee remoued, we neede make no queſtion, but that our paſſage afterwards, ſhall be found both certaine and eaſie enough. O therefore that the children of God could ſufficiently vnderſtand their owne bliſſe! that with heartie reioycing within themſelues, and vnfained thankefulneſſe vntounto God, they might paſſe on forward towards the fruition of it. Hope of great things in the world doth fill the ſoule with ioy; and men before the attaining of good things, made ſure and certaine vntounto them, doe comfortably foreſee, and expect the attainement. Let vsus doe ſo for things ſpirituall; conſider with thy ſelfe, to what inheritance the Lord of heauen hath pleaſed to adopt thee. Repreſent vntounto thy ſelfe, the vnutterable ioyes which are laid vp for thee, and which thou canſt no more bee depriued of, then God himſelfe can faile of truth and al-ſufficiencie: for hee that hath promiſed is faithfull, and will performe his promiſe. The children of God, whileſt they frame their affections according to their preſent eſtate in the world, doe walke heauily and diſcouragedly; at once wronging both God, that hath giuen them ſuch excellent things to take comfort in, and themſelues, that hauehave receiued ſo certaine aſſurance of ſuch things. Doth it become thee, to whom God hath made ouer the royall inheritance of heauen, purchaſed with the bloud of his owne Sonne, to weare out thine heart with diſcontentment, and to marre thy face with carnall teares? Is not the fulneſſe of celeſtiall glory and riches, able to counteruaile thy meane and afflicted eſtate here? Cannot eternitie outweigh this inch of time; and infinite bliſſefulneſſe, the preſent ſleighthy afflictions? ſurely the ballances are too too vnequall, wherein things of ſo great value, are not of ſufficient weight, to pull downe ſuch trifles. It is nothing in the world, but our being led by ſenſe, rather then by faith; which makes our hearts heauy, and our liues vncomfortable. Let vsus but cleare vp our eyes, dimmed with exceſſiue, and cauſeleſſe teares; and we ſhall find matter enough for glorious and vnſpeakable ioyes, euen in theſe tribulations, which feele moſt burdenſome vntounto vsus. Bee thou neuer ſo poore, neuer ſo deſpiſed, wronged, troubled; yet being regenerate, God is thy Father, Chriſt thine elder brother, heauen thine houſe and habitation, and the glory thereof thine inheritance. Can hee be poore, that hath ſuch riches? deſpiſed, that hath ſuch honour? deiected, that hath ſuch comforts belonging vntounto him? To eueryevery ſoule amongſt you, that is able to approue his regeneration vntounto himſelfe, I am to ſpeake in the name of the Lord, and to ſay vntounto him in this wiſe; That he is not to lay the fault of his troubleſome, and diſcontented life vponupon his eſtate, but alone vponupon his vnbeleefe and inconſideratenes: for God hath giuen cauſe and meanes enough, of being full of heartie comfort and ioy, in deſpight of all that the diuell, and the world can doe vntounto him. Doſt thou not ſee, how frolicke the fooliſh worldling is, if hee hauehave gotten a few thouſand pounds together? if he hauehave built him a faire houſe, and purchaſed a good liuing, or two, lying neere about it: and yet in ſuch termes ſtandeth his ſoule with God, that if hee ſhould (as hee may) deceaſe to night, hee were ſure to bee roring in Hell before morning. But thou, to whom Heauen is aſcertained by the moſt plaine euidence, and ſtrong aſſurance, that God can tell how to make vntounto his creature of a future thing; if thou hauehave an ill childe, a froward yoke-fellow, a ſicklie bodie, a penurious and friendleſſe eſtate; doeſt ſpend thy time in ſullen diſcontentment, weeping, and wailing, and takeing on, with little leſſe immoderateneſſe of griefe, then Rahel weeping for her children, which would not bee comforted, becauſe they were not. I tell thee the truth in the name of the Lord, this is a great ſinne of thine, and a ſoule ſhame for thee. Is it not a ſinne to vnderprize heauen? is it not a ſinne to imbaſe Gods richeſt gifts? is it not a ſinne to diſ-eſteeme theſe benefits, that paſſe all the eſtimation of all men? and what is this but a diſ-eſteeming, imbaſing, vnderpriſing of heauen it ſelfe, to carry thy ſelfe as if the comfort and felicity thereof, were not of worth enough, to keepe thee from ſinking vnderunder the burthen of ſorrow, about earthly matters? Againe, tell me, if thou ſhouldeſt heare of a man that had at the ſame time made two bargaines, by the one of which hee ſhould looſe ſome foure or fiue ſhillings (or pounds ſay); and by the other hee ſhould gaine ſo many hundreth thouſand pounds: and vponupon the former trifling loſſe, ſhould ſit weeping and ſighing, and wringing his hands, and crying out that he were vndone; though hee knew well enough what a rich amends his ſecond bargaine had made him. If (I ſay) thou ſhouldeſt heare of ſuch a perſon; what wouldeſt thou ſay to him? wouldeſt thou not ceaſe pitying him; and euen breake into laughter, at his ſo ridiculous and abſurd folly, that would needs torment himſelfe without all cauſe, and would not enioy the good that God had offered him? In truth few men would find in their hearts, ſo much as to take compaſſion of ſuch a wilfully-miſerable man. Hearken now then what I ſay; Thou art this man foreſpoken of, and thy carriage is iuſt his carriage: ſo that what accuſations of folly and abſurdneſſe thou wouldeſt caſt vponupon him, the ſame doe (in the trueſt application of things) appertaine to thy ſelfe. Thou haſt two liues, and two eſtates; a temporary, and an euerlaſting. For the temporary, thou haſt indeed (let it be confeſſed) made but a ſorie match: Thy children are not ſo dutifull, thy yoke-fellow not ſo louing, thy ſtate not ſo plentifull, thy friends not ſo faithfull, as were to be wiſhed. But for the euerlaſting, thou haſt made a bargain aboue all imaginations gainfull. For God is to thee a moſt faithfull friend and Father; Chriſt Ieſus a moſt deare ſurety and brother; heauen a rich inheritance, all Saints fellow-citizens, and all Angels willing ſeruants; and after this minute of time ſpent in affliction, thou ſhalt paſſe to a ſtate of bliſſe that neuer ſhall hauehave an end. In truth the gaining of ten hundred thouſand pounds, doth not more exceed the loſſe of two ſingle pence, then theſe thy ſpirituall benefits exceede thy naturall croſſes; and therfore (I ſay) it is moſt ignorantly and ſimply done of thee, to paſſe away thy dayes in heauineſſe and ſighing; which thou haſt ſo good and ſufficient cauſe to ſpend in all holy cheerfulneſſe and reioycing. Wouldeſt thou then bee acquainted with the true cauſe of thine vnquiet and vncomfortable liuing? It is not the multitude nor greatneſſe of thy croſſes; it is not the heauineſſe of thoſe afflictions, that lie vponupon thee more hard then vponupon other men (as thou art ready to imagine ſo, ſeeking to excuſe thine owne fault); but it is thy carnalneſſe of mind, thy being led all by ſenſe, thy looking only to things viſible here before thine eyes, and not to things inuiſible, prepared for thee aboue the clouds, and kept for thee by a ſtrong and able friend, Chriſt Ieſus, that hath alſo bought it, and paid deare for it. The children of God doe not take paines to make themſelues vnderſtand their own inward happineſſe; they will not finde time enough to contemplate the beauty of that goodly portion, which the Lord hath allotted vntounto them; they will not beſtow their thoughts in heauenly meditations: hence their being ouercome of carnall ſorrow; and well may they thanke themſelues for the want of comfort, ſeeing they will not open their eyes to looke abroad into the land of comfort. I am ſure if any of vsus were ſhut vp in cloſe priſon, for the ſpace of one whole twelue-moneths; and ſhould there be deſtitute of all good attendance, lodging, fare, and other comforts; but withal were aſſured, that at the yeeres end he ſhould ſurely come out of priſon, and be made a great Prince for all the reſt of his life, which ſhould endure for the ſpace of fortie or fiftie yeeres after: hee would ſcarce feele any trouble in that reſtraint, any griefe in thoſe wants, any diſcontent in that bad vſage: yea ſo much familiarity would his thoughts hauehave, with the wealth, and honor, wherin he ſhould liue ſo long a time after his enlargement, that the impriſonment would ſeeme nothing vntounto him; and hee would rather wiſh to lie in priſon vponupon thoſe termes, then to liue in his houſe without thoſe hopes. My brethren, ſuch, and none other is your condition. This world is your preſent priſon; and for ſome of Gods children it cannot be denied, but that they doe finde in it ſomewhat courſe entertainment; but it is certaine, that after a little time (perhaps leſſe then halfe a yere, it is (ſure) not many yeers), they ſhall be inlarged; and after their inlargement aduanced to a kingdome ſo farre excelling all earthly kingdomes, in the honour, wealth, ioyes thereof, as gold excells dirt. And this kingdome they ſhall be ſure to enioy; not for fortie or fiftie, nor for ſo many thouſands or millions of yeeres: but euen for all eternity world without end. What doe you then ſowring and imbittering your hearts with thinking vponupon the tediouſneſſe of your impriſonment, and refuſing to take comfort to your ſelues in the conſideration of your kingdome? It is therefore (as I ſaid aboue) long onelyonly and meerly of your carnalneſſ…, in not pondering of the good yt God offers vntounto your ſoules; which makes you lie mourning vnderunder the preſſure of your afflictions. Wherefore ſettle your ſelues to reſiſt carnall ſorrow, and to imbrace ſpirituall ioyes; you ſhall finde your labours this way voide of difficultie, and full of ſucceſſe. When thy worldly heart would thruſt thee into the pit of worldly ſorrow, by telling thee of thine hard fare, thy poore houſe, thy little meanes, thy debts, thy wrongs, thine enemies. Stay thou thy ſelfe vp by oppoſing to all theſe, the conſideration of thy new birth, whereby thou art inſtated into an heauenly kingdome; wherein thou ſhalt abound with all fulneſſe of ioyes for euermore; and wherein thou ſhalt bee more happy and bleſſed, then thine owne heart can poſſibly conceiue of, and that for euermore: And then propound the caſe vntounto thine owne ſelfe indifferently, and ſay vntounto thy ſoule; O my ſoule, looke on both ſides with an vnpartial eye: look to the condition of my body, and eſtate, and take a view of the miſeries that lie vponupon me; but look withall to the condition of my ſoule, and ponder well vponupon the happineſſe that I am admitted vntounto; and then be thou but an impartiall iudge betwixt ſorrow and ioy, to whether rather thou oughteſt to encline. I am ſickly, but I am regenerate and ſhall bee ſaued: I am poore, but I am borne againe, and ſhall ſee the kingdome of God: I hauehave few friends, but I am made the child of God, and ſhall attaine heauen. I hauehave few friends, but I hauehave receiued the ſpirit of grace to beget me againe to a kingdome immortall, vndefiled, and that fadeth not away. I hauehave a froward husband, or wife, or a ſtubborne ſonne or a daughter; but I am Gods ſonne or daughter, and hauehave Chriſt Ieſus to bee mine husband and yoke-fellow. HaueHave I theſe bleſſings to counteruaile theſe miſeries? and ſhall I pule, and whine, and looke with a ſad countenance, and walke with a dead heart? Nay I ought not; nay I muſt not; nay I will not yeeld to this extreame weakneſſe of carnall lamentation. I hauehave cauſe to be glad, I hauehave reaſon to be merry; and in ſpight of all that the worſt yoke-fellow, or worſt child, or worſt eſtate can doe to grieue me, I will be merry, and I will bee glad. O my ſoule reioyce in the Lord, be merry in thy father, and ſhout for ioy in Chriſt thy Redeemer. Thou art begotten againe, thou art made new, thou art regenerate: who ſhould be liuely, if not the children of Kings? who ſhould reioyce, if not the heires of Crowns? I am Gods heire, heauen is mine inheritance, and a crowne of glory is laid vp for me, and I will bee glad. Thus you muſt labour againſt the vntowardly griefes of your owne hearts, and enioy the wonderfull bleſſing of regeneration. So muſt you wipe away thoſe vnprofitable teares from your eyes, and clothe your ſelues with the garments of gladneſſe. For it is a wrong to your ſelues, a diſgrace to the good thing giuen, & an ingratitude to God the giuer; if he beſtow pretious benefits vponupon you, and you enioy them not. See therefore that your hearts doe not droope, nor your faces looke ſad as in former time; but goe you now out of Gods houſe (refreſhed with the ſweetneſſe of this comfort) vntounto your owne houſes reioycing, as once the man did that was healed of the palſie. And if thine heart (after all this) obiect and ſay, Indeed if I were ſure of my regeneration, and ſo of my ſaluation, your ſpeeches were to ſome purpoſe: but alacke! I want that aſſurance. Why then I anſwere thee, thou haſt other more neceſſary worke then to grieue for croſſes or loſſes, for the vnkindnes of thy yoke-fellow, or death, or vndutifulneſſe, or afflictions of thy children; euen for this, that thou canſt not tell but that thou maieſt bee in hell (where thou ſh…lt meet with that, which is incomparably worſe then all hard vſage in the world), and that within the ſpace of 24. houres or leſſe. Wherefore now turne thy thoughts from ſtriuing to put away griefe, and onelyonly labour to change the obiect of it; that by grieuing for thy ſinnes, and by conſidering thy wickedneſſe of nature, and of life, and ſorrowfull confeſſion of the ſame to God, with humble ſupplications for a redreſſe of all, thou mighteſt at laſt become a new creature, and bee aſſured that thou art ſo; and then ſet thy ſelfe to enioy the fore-named conſolation. Either (brethren) you bee not certain of your new birth, and then you hauehave cauſe to grieue for things of a more dangerous nature then outward croſſes, and ſo to labour to know your ſelues borne againe; or elſe you bee certaine of your new birth, and then you hauehave reaſon euen to ſcorne to bee caſt downe at any outward euils, as much as a great rich man will ſcorne to cry for the loſſe of a ſhilling. Wherefore if you be not regenerate, your ſelues according to the former exhortation, to become ſo; if you be, and know it not as yet certainly, ſettle your ſelues to ſearch into your hearts and liues, and to conſider of the things formerly deliuered, whether you hauehave found them in your ſoules yea or no, and ſo bring your ſelues to certainty in this point: and if you bee once certaine of it, then apply your ſelues, mangre earth and hell, to liue with glad hearts, and cheerfull countenances. For once the word of Dauid is a moſt true word. It becommeth vpright men to reioyce. And (my brethren) that you may the better reioyce, know, that you are to be frequent in practiſing the duty of thankſ-giuing to God, for this mercy of all mercies: I meane, to appeare before him in your ſecret cloſets, and there all alone (with hearts exalted to as much ioy as can be, and inlarged to as full an acknowledgement of indebtedneſſe as is poſſible), to report before him the wonderfulneſſe of his goodneſſe towards you, and to recount the vncountable number of his mercies, in that he hath done more for you, then if hee had made you of baſe ſlaues, abſolute Monarches of the world. The Lord (my brethren) is exceedingly well pleaſed with the ſacrifices of thankeſ-giuing: no offering is better welcome vntounto him, then the hearty offering vp of the calues of our lips, ſpeaking good of his name. It doth the Lord good (to ſpeake after the manner of men) to heare his owne praiſes related by them that are deere vntounto him, and hauehave beſt cauſe to know his inconceiueable treaſures of grace, becauſe they hauehave been plentifully partakers therof. Now the benefits of this preſent life are ſo meane, worthleſſe, contemptible, in compariſon of thoſe of a better life; and by name, of this foundation of all the reſt, (ſo it is in regard of poſſeſſion and enioyment) a new birth, as that they which want it, can but ſpeake hollowly to God, when they begin to ſpeake of his mercies; and can be but very faint in thankes, how earneſt ſoeuer they may be in requeſts. But the child of God, that hath a right vntounto heauen, giuen him at the ſame time that hee became Gods child, hee may moſt feelingly expreſſe his apprehenſions of Gods goodneſſe; and vponupon occaſion of this one mercy, magnifie the name of the Lord his God, for all the reſt which become truly and indeede mercies, by meanes of this, and with this. Wherefore I doe againe propound this matter vntounto you, as one of the moſt pleaſing and acceptable ſeruices, which in this preſent life you are able, any of you, to performe vntounto the Lord; euen to withdraw your ſelues from company and worldly buſineſſes, and with bended knees, and hands and eyes reared vp to heauen-ward, in the moſt ſolemne manner, to confeſſe before the Lord his louing kindneſſe; and to amplifie, as much as your hearts and heads will ſerue, the exceeding greatneſſe of that his vndeſerued grace, which he hath ſhewed in making you new creatures, in making you his owne children by adoption. This is better then all riches, better then all nobility, better then all learning, and better then all health. And the receiuing of this one mercy alone (though one ſhould for all other things bee as afflicted, as the world can make him or imagine him) deſerueth more, and more feruent praiſes, then all the nobility, wealth, wit in the world without it. Hath God made thee his child? hee hath done more for thee, then if hee had ſet thee in Salomons Throne, without making thee his child; and therefore diſcharge the paiment of praiſe for ſo incomparable a mercy; and that fully and without delayes. Eſpecially (brethren) you are to doe this, conſidering that it is (to which end wee began to mention it) a principall meanes of helping you to the enioyment of the comfort, which we are about to diſtribute vntounto you. For the benefits of God then are made truly comfortable to vsus, whē we do turne thē to the praiſe of God: but when wee forget to returne him his deſerued thankes, then doth he iuſtly puniſh vsus, by taking away the pleaſant reliſh of his benefits out of our mouthes; & by leauing the palate of our ſoules to ſuch an vntaſtfulneſſe, that we ſhall not be able to finde the ſweetneſſe of them: As a mouth that is out of taſte, feeles no content in the moſt ſauourie meate that is. Wherefore put together the honour of God, and your owne comfort; and (that you may hauehave your ſoules ſo truly rauiſhed with the ſenſe of his goodneſſe, that aboue all carnall reaſon, and almoſt againſt it, you may be glad and cheerfull) ſet your ſelues (as I was about to ſay) in the moſt ſolemne and hearty manner, to tender vntounto the Lord this welcome preſent of thankeſ-giuing. Say vntounto him, O Lord God of heauen, the King of men and Angels, and ruler of all creatures, and Father of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt! infinite are the benefits, wherby thou haſt obliged my moſt vnworthy ſoule vntounto thee: For all that I hauehave, I hauehave from thee; and all that I ſhall hauehave, I muſt hauehave from thee: thou art the onelyonly indefinite fountaine of goodneſſe, from whence iſſue forth all good things to all that enioy good. It is thy wonderfull goodneſſe that I was borne a man, with vſe of my vnderſtanding and ſe…ſes: but yet Lord, far, far aboue all other things that in this life I hauehave receiued, or can receiue, doth this benefit of cauſing me to be borne againe, of water and of the holy Ghoſt, exceede. I was the ſonne of death, thou haſt made me the ſonne of life: I was an heire of perdition, thou haſt made mee an heire of ſaluation: I was a ſlaue to ſin, thou haſt made me a free-man from ſins ſeruitude, and a voluntary ſeruant to holineſſe: I was vnderunder the power of Satan, led by his tentations according to his will; I am now vnderunder the dominion of Chriſt Ieſus, led by his ſpirit, to doe his will: I was the child of the diuell, and thou haſt made me thy child. O bleſſed change! O happy alteration! I owe to thee my ſoule by many bonds, it is thine (Lord) many wayes: thou madeſt it, thou haſt redeemed it, thou haſt regenerated it; and now (Lord) accept it as an offering of a ſweet ſauour, and accept with it all the hearty praiſes, and vnfained thanks, that a poore vnworthy creature can breathe forth vntounto thee. O Lord, this mercy can but bee abaſed by words, thou haſt made me thine owne child by adoption, thy Sonne, O Lord, euen thy Sonne, who art the moſt rich, the moſt high, the moſt renouned, the moſt puiſſant Prince and King; in compariſon of whom all Princes are worſe and leſſe then very nothing. What ſhall I render vntounto thee for all thy goodneſſe? thou requireſt thankes, thou deſerueſt thanks, and thou accepteſt thankes: and Lord, be thou bleſſed and praiſed with all poſſible thankes. O thou art good, thou art gracious, thou art full of compaſſion, mercy pleaſeth thee: I feele, I feele that thy mercy is ouer all thy workes; and I hauehave cauſe to ſay by experience, that thy mercy endureth for euer; for thou haſt made mee thine owne child by adoption, which by nature was the child of wrath. O bleſſed be thy great and glorious name for euermore. Brethren, open your mouths wide in thankeſ-giuing, and God will fill them full of comfort; and know that thou canſt not hauehave a more ſenſible aſſurance of thy new birth, then if thou canſt feele thy ſelfe heartily moued to giuegive praiſe to God for it: It ſhall witneſſe to thee, that thou art a new creature, if thou canſt giuegive many thankes to him that made thee ſo, for hauing ſo made thee. Reioyce therefore in thy bleſſedneſſe that art borne againe, and bee frequently and heartily thankefull to him, by whoſe word and ſpirit thou waſt borne againe; that ſo thou maiſt comfortably enioy this greateſt of al bleſſings, thy being borne againe.