The New Birth, Treatise · Chapter 4
CHAP. IIII. Shewing the order of working Regeneration.
2. The order of regenerating in foure acts.NOw I proceede to declare, in what order the Spirit of God pleaſeth to performe this moſt admirable change: which is done in theſe foure actions, which I ſhall lay downe. Firſt, the ſpirit of God working, in and with the Law, (but tempered with the Goſpell) becomes a ſpirit of contrition, cauſing a man to ſee and feele his extreame ſinfulnes,1. Shewing a man his naturall ſinfulneſſe. and wretchednes, in ſo much that hee is euen wounded at the very heart therwith, and his ſinfull and vnhappy eſtate becomes a wofull bondage & captiuitie vntounto him. The Lord doth not alone raiſe vp miſerable terrors of conſcience in him, in regard of ſome one or more groſſe offēces that he hath actually committed, (although often hee maketh theſe very terrors, a meanes of making himſelfe a paſſage to enter in at), but hee opens the eyes of the minde, to ſee the very mud and filth of the ſoule, that lay at the bottome before vnſeene and vndiſcerned. The Spirit conuinceth him of ſinne: It ſhewes him that generall wickednes and ſinfulnes of his nature, whereof we ſpake before. Now he feeles his vnbeliefe, pride, ignorance, hypocriſie, and other heart-corruptions. Hee iudgeth himſelfe worthy to be deſtroyed, not alone hauing a ſight of his own inability to eſcape damnation: but likewiſe of the iuſtice of God in damning him, ſo that hee doth euen ſtoupe and yeeld himſelfe thereto. Whereas before hee was aliue without the Law, not hauing the true knowledg of it, now the Law comming in the ſound power and working of it, through the ſtrength of the holy Ghoſt; cauſeth that he becomes dead in his owne ſenſe, and apprehenſion: but ſinne becomes aliue to his ſenſe and feeling; and hee perceiuing the ſtrength, force, violence, and miſchieuouſnes of it, more then euer before, now cryes out with the Apoſtle, O miſerable man that I am! and now confeſſeth that he is carnall and ſold vnderunder ſinne, as the ſame Apoſtle did, in the ſame ſenſe of his naturall wretchedneſſe, which the comming of the life of grace had brought with it. Thus the death of ſinne begins to be changed into life, in that it is felt and diſcerned. For the very firſt working of this new life, muſt needs be a feeling of the old death in ſinnes and treſpaſſes: Not (I ſay) alone of his death in hell, in regard of his deſeruing the torments thereof, but of his death in ſinnes and treſpaſſes, of his vtter inabilitie to do any good thing, of his vtter emptines of all heauenly graces; of his extreame ſlauerie to vngodlines, and vnrighteouſnes, and all the luſts of the fleſh; and of his perpetuall and vehement pronenes to all abomination and wickednes. There is often (I confeſſe) a work, and a very terrible work, of the Law & the naturall conſcience together, procuring moſt extreame and hideouſly-bitter pangs, and helliſh agonies in the ſoule of man; where the ſpirit of regeneration neither is, nor euer ſhall be: this being alone a fruite of the ſpirit of bondage, not of the ſpirit of grace. And oftentimes againe, the ſpirit of ſanctification comes into ye ſoule, together with this ſpirit of bondage, making a violent entrie, and by maine force breaking open the heart; formerly locked and barred againſt it; and ſo beginning this ſauing worke of holineſſe. But terrors of conſcience, which may be in all vnregenerate men, (becauſe they are already in all the damned, into whom no part nor peece of regeneration can enter) is farre different from this firſt degree of the worke of a new birth. The ſanctifying ſpirit, laies the filthineſſe, not alone the danger of ſinne, before the eyes of the mind. It cauſeth a man, not alone to be in extreame anguiſh, becauſe he feares he muſt be damned: but euen to loathe and abhorre himſelfe, and to be very vile in his owne eyes, becauſe he knowes hee hath deſerued to be damned: and that ſo foule a thing as ſinne, (wherewith his Maker hath due cauſe to be ſo much diſpleaſed) doth not alone abide, but raigne and command in him. Wherefore hee doth euen lie downe at the foote of the throne of Gods iuſtice, and in a moſt ardent abhorring of himſelfe, doth ſubſcribe to the righteouſnes of God in his owne feared deſtruction; hauing nothing in the world to ſay for himſelfe (as of himſelfe), why he ſhould not be deſtroyed: and not ſo much as a tittle of a word to obiect againſt the perfect and exact equitie of the liuing God, if that he ſhould deſtroy him. Sinne, I ſay ſinne, not alone the puniſhment of ſin, but ſin it ſelfe, is diſcouered vntounto him: hee ſees its loathſomnes and vilenes; he ſees its ſtrength and violence; he ſees his owne totall defilement; hee perceiues himſelfe throughly, and throughly polluted with it: and cries out bitterly, Ah what ſhal I doe! not only, nor ſo much, becauſe I ſhall be damned; but becauſe I am ſo wicked, ſo ſinfull, ſo contrary to God, ſo rebellious againſt him, ſo very a traytor vntounto him, and ſo vtterly vnable to mend theſe woful diſorders of my ſoule. Theſe be his groanes, theſe be his plaints, and his cryings out are of his wickedneſſe and iniquitie, wherein hee was conceiued, wherein hee was borne, wherein hee hath liued; and whereof now he perceiueth not ſo much as one part of his heart, or of his life, to be cleane, and vnſpotted. This acknowledgement and ſenſe of our ſinfulnes, is the very firſt beginning of holineſſe. The vnregenerate often ſees and feeles his damnation; the regenerate alone his ſinfulnes, the miſerable deprauation of his nature; the vtter, totall, odious, pollution of his whole man; being ſo loathſome, that hee ſees God cannot chuſe in iuſtice but deteſt him, and for any thing that is in himſelfe, for euer reiect him. This apprehenſion of ſinfulnes is mixed alwaies at firſt (at leaſt often) with the feare of Gods wrath and vengeance: but it doth ſo temper and allay that feare, as the bitternes thereof, carries not the ſoule furiouſly to contend againſt God, as elſe he could not chuſe but doe. For his hatred is not ſtirred now againſt God, whom in truth (by vertue of a ſecret, vnfelt, and vndiſcerned hope, that the ſpirit of God hath created, and doth vphold in him) he loueth, and honoureth, though he be more then half in doubt, leſt hee may deſtroy him: but alone againſt himſelfe, his wretched hatefull ſelfe, that is ſo intollerably wicked and naught, that he can ſee no cauſe, but that the Lord ſhould glorifie his equitie and iuſtice, in damning him. And ſo much for this firſt worke of regeneration: the ſecond followes it cloſe at the heeles, and is nothing elſe,2. An earneſt de…e of … neſſe with rem…ion of ſi…nes. but an earneſt deſire of attaining holines and vertue, together with remiſſion of ſinnes, and the fauour of God in Chriſt Ieſus. For you muſt conceiue the partie that is now in regenerating, to hauehave a generall knowledge of the doctrine of the Goſpell, and a generall aſſent alſo to the truth of it: this doctrine being (as I ſaid before) an inſtrumentall cauſe of regeneration. But now the generall knowledge begins to bee made ſpeciall, and the man touched with a ſenſe of ſinne, is moued alſo with a moſt vehement longing after grace and merciemercy; not alone to pardon his ſinne, but alſo to heale his ſoule of it, as of a deſperat wound, which he feeleth to be moſt ſmarting and mortall. So hee cries out, who ſhall deliuer me from this body of death? No hungrie man did euer, with a more eager appetite, wiſh for meate; nor thirſtie man for drinke; nor couetous man for money; nor ambitious man, for aduancement, then hee now longeth to be reconciled vntounto God in Chriſt; to hauehave his foule nature made cleane, his wofull ſinnes forgiuen, his abominable corruptions remoued, and killed, and holineſſe planted in their roome. Oh how faine he would be holy! O how faine would hee be humble, faithfull, obedient! how faine he would beleeue in, louelove, feare, ſerue God! but, ah wretch that he is, he cannot: Woe, woe, vntounto him, he cannot. O, how ſhall hee be able to preuaile againſt theſe vile diſorders of his heart, and life? how ſhall hee doe to be leſſe ſinfull, and more righteous? Theſe be his thoughts, theſe his wiſhes, theſe his groanes: hee findes ſo great a miſſe of nothing, as of the pardon of his ſinne, and the graces of the Spirit of God; and if he had that beſtowed vponupon him, were he a beggar, a priſoner, a ſlaue, any thing; yet he ſhould ſeeme to himſelfe an happy man: and, ah Lord, (thinkes he) that thou wouldeſt be pleaſed, for Chriſt his ſake, to forgiue my wickednes, and to heale my nature. Now the thirſt that hee had after the things of this world, is wonderfully cooled; and, (as a man in a burning fit of an ague, makes no reckoning of his fine cloathes) hee doth almoſt put off all thoſe deſires, and poore or not poore, eſteemed or not eſteemed, it is no great matter; but that he might be accepted into the fauour of God, and hauehave his ſinnes pardoned and ſubdued, and his vnholy nature made holy, that is all in all within him. There is to be ſeene in vnſanctified men, in caſe of terrors of conſcience, (which ſometimes do lie long vponupon them) a great deſire to be free from the inſufferable euils they ſee comming vponupon them. For, who can make queſtion, but that Iudas would faine not hauehave been damned? or, that the damned in hell hauehave not a wonderfull deſire get out of their torments? this being one maine aggrauation of their pangs, that they cannot but deſire, to be deliuered out of thoſe euils, which they cannot eſcape. But they, not hauing the ſupportation of the Spirit of God to vnderprop them with hope, doe vaniſh in theſe deſires, and loſe the fruit of them for lack of a kindly working of them towards the Lord: for they be not lifted vp to heauen-ward. But the man that is now in framing a new, (being ſuſtained with the fore-mentioned ſecret hope) hath vehement and ſetled wiſhes, fixed and faſtened in him; whereby hee thirſteth after the grace of God, not alone to ſaue, but alſo to amend him. So the deſires of the ſanctified ariſing from the ſpirit, are differenced from the deſires of the vnſanctified, that are meere fruits of nature, (which would faine be wel eaſed of an heauie burthen) by theſe two things: Firſt, that they are directed vntounto God, whereas the other are rouing and confuſed deſires. Secondly, by their being ſet, alwaies, as well (often as much, ſomtimes more) vponupon holineſſe, as vponupon freedome from puniſhment: vponupon the getting of vertue and goodneſſe, as vponupon the getting of an heauenly kingdome; wheras the heart of the vnſanctified is ſo taken vp, (when he muſt needs feele it) with the ſenſe of his miſery and puniſhment, that hee cannot hauehave while to ſettle any part of his longings, vponupon the renewing of his ſoule by grace; and ſo farre is the worke of a new birth well proceeded. The poore dead man, being ſo far awakened out of his ſenſeleſſe death in ſinne, that with great diſquietment he feeles it, and with heartieſt workings of his ſoule doth couet to come out of it: which laſt I take to bee the hungring and thirſting after righteouſneſſe; noted by our Sauiour as a bleſſed note of bleſſedneſſe.3. The ſpirit of Prayer. In the third place, there is dropped into him the ſpirit of grace and ſupplications, by which hee is at length imboldened to goe vntounto God, and in ſome ſolemne and expreſſe manner, to vtter his confeſſions and petitions; which before (perhaps) for ſome good ſpace of time he could not dare to doe. For the former two workes of grace doe often (a great while together) ſhew themſelues in ſighes and grones, and ſudden & ſtrong eiaculations, & ſecret & vndiſſembled boylings vp of deſire, in deep wiſhes & longings, afore the poore ſinner can take ſo much hart to himſelfe, as to make a formed and ſetled prayer vntounto God. But after the working of theſe motions ſome while, he puts vponupon himſelfe the reſolution of the King of Nineueh, and ſaith within himſelfe,Ionab. 3. Let me cry mightily vntounto the Lord of heauen & earth; his mercies are infinite, who can tel, but that be may hauehave mercy vponupon me, that I periſh not? (ſo is his ſecret ſuſtaining hope, now formed and faſhioned into the right proportion of a ſauing grace, and ſhewes it ſelfe manifeſtly within him), hee ſaith to himſelfe, there is hope concerning this thing; and therefore I will cry, and continue crying, and let the Lord doe what hee pleaſeth vntounto me. Then downe vponupon his knees he fals, and with his hands and eyes lifted vp to the throne of grace (yet almoſt afraid and aſhamed to looke thither, and therefore ready often to riſe vp, and ſtart backe againe), he dares at laſt to poure forth his lamentable confeſſions into Gods boſome; whom now hee hopes hee may hauehave leaue to call Father, though (alacke) hee hauehave been too too vngracious a child. Thus he proceeds to arraigne and accuſe himſelfe; acknowledging (for which hee hates himſelfe, becauſe it is ſo plaine that he cannot but know it), that he hath ſinned in ſuch and ſuch, and ſuch and ſuch particulars; and that he hath a moſt filthy heart, as full of wicked inclinations and thoughts, he thinkes verily, as the ſea it ſelfe is full of water. Wherefore hee paſſeth a very ſharpe ſentence vponupon himſelfe, and that alſo very ſharpely; plainly ſaying, with an inward aſſenting of his very ſoule, that hee is fully worthy of all thoſe plagues and puniſhments, which the Lord hath threatened in his word, and will execute in hell; and that it ſhould not be in the leaſt degree iniurious, if God would not be mercifull vntounto him: for ah! how vnfit is he to receiue mercy? But yet withall, he takes heart in the moſt humble abaſement of himſelfe, moſt earneſtly to call, and cry, and beg for mercy, and forgiueneſſe, and for the worke of grace, to change his nature from that loathſome diſpoſition which troubles him: now it may be, by the working of hope, hauing his heart ſo much ſoftened, that teares (before ſtopped vp by that binding force, that ſtrong and ſecret ſorrowes ſhew themſelues to hauehave in mans heart) doe euen begin to flow forth from him, to adde (if it might bee) a greater feruor vntounto his prayers. And if at firſt, ſecond, third, fourth, and (it may be) many more times, he ſeeme to hauehave cried in vaine; becauſe none anſwere commeth, but heauen it ſelfe ſeemes ſtrongly ſtopped vp againſt him: yet hee goes againe ſtill to the ſame throne of grace, againe reckoning vp the ſame, and (if he can alſo) new ſinnes, againe bewailing them bitterly, and heartily imploring both pardon and help againe. This is to come vntounto Chriſt Ieſus heauie laden, as our Sauiour comfortably inuiteth vsus; this is to ſeeke God while hee may bee found, and to call vponupon him while hee is neere, as the Prophet exhorteth vsus. Which hauing done, he knowes not what to doe more; and therefore euen caſts himſelfe vponupon Gods goodneſſe through Ieſus Chriſt; and knowing that in him (the Son) the Father is well pleaſed, he ſtriues to reſt in him, continuing to knocke, continuing to ſeeke, becauſe his heart giues him, yt at laſt he ſhal not faile to find acceptance. And this ſpirit of prayer ſeemeth to me ſo proper to the regenerate, that it cānot any way befal the vnregenerate: who when he feeleth not his miſery, doth but multiply idle words in ſeeming to pray, when he feeleth it is ſo wholly drowned and ſwallowed vp thereby, that he cannot runne vntounto heauen for helpe. But with the regenerate, prayers and ſupplications are alwaies found, and a continuing therein alſo, how many bitter repulſes ſoeuer he ſuffers at Gods hand; as often he doth very many, the Lord either deferring or making more ſpeed to anſwere, as hee ſees moſt behoofefull for the profit of each of his ſeruants; and proportioning the fruit of his grace this way, to his knowledge of their ability and fitneſſe to receiue an anſwere, or to brooke delayes. It muſt not be denied, but that the man that neuer ſhall be regenerate (in the griping and twinges of his accuſing conſcience, through the working of the law, and the bare illumination of the ſpirit) may come ſo farre, as to roare out his Lord hauehave mercy vponupon me, very often: yea, hee may by perſwaſion and entreatie of friends, be brought to reade ſome good prayers out of a prayer-booke: yea, to be glad to hauehave an other pray for him, in his owne hearing; and in ſome ſenſe alſo, to ioyne with him: yea more, by frequent perſwading, vrging, teaching of ſome godly man, he may be drawne to pray for himſelfe; but yet ſtill the ſpirit of prayer is abſent, in that he doth not finde himſelfe by an inward moouing of his owne heart) inclined (in the middeſt of his griefes and feares) to betake himſelfe (to God for helpe, by calling vponupon his name. And (which is a maine obſeruation in this matter) if he pray, he prayes almoſt altogether for pardon, and for fauour, little for grace and holineſſe; whereas the Chriſtian man, (by a ſecret drawing of his own inward ſoule, wrought by this regenerating ſpirit) comes vntounto the Lord with his requeſts, begging grace and holines, with no leſſe earneſtneſſe, then remiſſion and ſaluation. Yea, and hauing once begun this courſe, he finds ſo much refreſhing thereby, that he cannot but continue to doe it, euen ſometimes with much ſtrugling againſt, of his own hart, through feares and doubtings thereof. So it is one thing to bee perſwaded to pray by men, and to doe it for eaſe ſake; another thing to be inclined vntounto it, by the priuate and ſecret working of the Spirit. One thing to beg for pardon, not much minding amendment; another thing to crie for the helpe of God to reforme ones heart and ſoule, as well as his free fauour to pardon former offences. An vnſanctified man, by benefit of Chriſtian acquaintance, in long and heauie terrours, may come to the one of theſe; to the other, alone the Spirit of ſanctification can leade one. To which paſſe, when the heart is once brought at length,4. A perſwaſion of merciemercy, bringing a reſolution of obedience. the fourth act of the Holy Ghoſt doth plainely ſhew it ſelfe; for it becomes a ſpirit of adoption within him, the very earneſt penny of ſaluation, ſealing vp vntounto him the fauour of God, the pardon of ſinne, the attaining of life; and by a new (and in truth conſidering the difference of former times) a ſtrange worke, perſwading him, that God is reconciled vntounto him, and hath accepted him for his childe. As it made him able to take vntounto him words, and goe vntounto the Lord, crauing to bee accepted graciouſly: ſo it brings him word againe from God, that he ſhalbe, yea, that he is, accepted gratiouſly; and anſwering him (euen as, one would ſay, with a ſenſible anſwer in the middeſt of his prayers oft-times) ſo ſtrongly and vndoubtedlie …ures him of his being heard, that hee makes, for the time, no more queſtion of it then whither he liues yea, or no. From which aſſurance of ſpirit (hauing taſted the ſweetneſſe of Gods Grace, and felt how good the conſolations of his Word and Spirit are) he growes reſolute in his very ſoule, for the time to come, in all things, to pleaſe God, and finds a new kind of diſpoſition, inabling him to auoide euill, and doe good; ſo hauing put his necke vnderunder the gentle and eaſie yoke of Chriſt Ieſus, hee finds reſt vntounto his ſoule: and thus is Chriſt formed in him, and he transformed into a new creature. For this firme purpoſe of will to pleaſe God in all things, is ſo manifeſt, and euident, and ſenſible a worke of grace; that now we may ſay, this act of regeneration is growne to ſome good ripeneſſe, and euen now perfected in him: before he was in making a new man; but now he is made new: now he is begotten againe, and become a ſonne of God, and heire of his kingdome, and fellow-heire of Chriſt. I know that it may befall an hypocrite (lying vnderunder the burthen of a terrified conſcience, which may be totally and perpetually ſeparated from regeneration, and regeneration from it) by the diligent inculcating of the comforts of the Goſpell, and the earneſt labour of ſome Chriſtian and godly men (that in ſuch caſe would faine ſpeake peace), to bee brought (becauſe they are told, there is none other way of comfort) to a purpoſe of neuer committing ſuch and ſuch groſſe ſinnes, as they are accuſed of in their owne ſoules; and to ſome promiſe of amendment of life: but this is rather a reſolution forced vponupon them by ſtriuing of others, hereupon promiſing comfort; then a thing growing in themſelues, out of the ſenſe of the louing kindneſſe of the Lord their God. Whereas a Chriſtian finds ſomewhat within him, inclining him, and making him to ſay within himſelfe, and euen little leſſe then to ſweare and vow with Dauid, that hee will ſurely keepe the righteous iudgements of the Lord, and that in all things, and for euer, to his dying day. And thus is the worke of regeneratiō brought to ſome perfectiō, thus doth the holy Ghoſt mould the ſoule of a man into a new faſhion; thus doth hee ſtampe vponupon him a new image, and as you would ſay, the very lineaments and proportion of God his Father, whom in a ſweete likeneſſe (that makes him amiable to God and Angels), he begins to reſemble. OnelyOnly my brethren vnderſtand you one thing for the better conceiuing of all that hath been ſpoken. There are two ſorts of regenerate men in the world. Some it pleaſeth God to call to himſelfe, euen very betimes, dropping pietie and grace into them, almoſt together with their mothers milke (by benefit of that great fauour of God, holy and Chriſtian education), and that euen in certaine inſenſible degrees; ſo that they cannot ſo eaſily name the beginning and progreſſion of this worke. In theſe all the forenamed things are moſt manifeſtly found (for in truth the working of them doth not ceaſe, till life ceaſe); and that ſo, as ſometimes the one of theſe workes of grace is more ſtrong then the other. Sometimes they find a more ſenſible abaſement of themſelues within their owne hearts, out of the apprehenſion of their ſinfulneſſe; ſometimes deſires and prayers are more vehement; ſometimes a comfortable reſolution of pleaſing God, doth more mightily ſtirre in them: yet becauſe of the early working, and that they were wrought in a ſtill manner by very ſmall degrees, the worke did almoſt goe beyond obſeruation; and they cannot ſo diſtinctly tell when they began to be abaſed, when to be raiſed vp. But there is another ſort of men regenerate, who did liue a long time in vnregeneracie; yea perhaps alſo in profanenes, and notable and notorious wickedneſſe, (for oft it falleth out that the Phariſies and Scribes make leſſe haſte to the kingdome of heauen, then the Publicans and ſinners, I meane that the groſſe offenders are ſooner regenerated then the ciuill liuers). Now for ſuch men, it pleaſeth the holy Ghoſt many times, yea moſt times, to worke theſe foure fore-rehearſed workes, very diſtinctly; making as it were ſome euident pauſe, betwixt each of them, and grace goes forward in them, euen ſtep after ſtep, in the manner that hath been deſcribed. Moſt times, if not alwaies, (the difference of their former life, when they were but dead, making the matter euident enough), they can name, when, and where, and by what meanes, the Lord began firſt to lay them low, to pull them downe; and (as they ſay, in nature corruption and generation goe together) to kil their old man by terrors; till being ſo ſlaine, he had in a calmer manner ſhewed them the filthineſſe and lothſomneſſe of it. They can tell, what longings they felt before they durſt pray; and what adoe they had to bring themſelues to pray; and then, how long they continued praying, before they were anſwered; and laſtly, whē that ſweet tidings came, that rauiſhed their ſoule with ioy, and made them ſo inamoured of Gods goodneſſe, that they euen made a ſtrong couenant with him, to walke in his waies and keepe his iudgements. All theſe things (I ſay) they can tell well, and nothing doth them more good, then to recount with themſelues, this mightie act of the moſt high; whereby their foules (with as great a miracle as once Lazarus his body) were raiſed vp from the rotten graue of ſinne, wherein they lay (wrapt vp in the winding ſheet of hardneſſe of heart, and blindneſſe of mind) ſtinking and putrifying; & (as a carcaſſe crawleth with wormes) ſwarming with thoſe noyſome luſts, that are able to poyſon vp an honeſt heart.