The New Birth, Treatise · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. All to examine themſelues whither they be regenerate, yea or no.
ANd ſo (brethren) hauehave I done mine indeauour to explaine this moſt neceſſary doctrine of regeneration; without which our Sauiour, little leſſe then ſweares, that no man can be ſaued. GiueGive me leaue now (I pray you) to apply the point a little cloſſer to your conſciences, without which the word will want much of its efficacy to your good. Ʋſes. 1. To all, that they inquire into themſelues, whether they be regenerate, yea or no.And in this application I would addreſſe my ſpeech, firſt, to all indifferently; regenerate or not: then to the vnregenerate; and laſtly to the regenerate ſpecially, according to their different eſtates. Brethren you heare, and I am perſwaded you doe beleeue that, yt our Sauior ſpeaks, verily, verily, vnleſſe a man be borne againe, he cannot ſee the Kingdome of God. Be you therefore perſwaded all of you to deſcend into your owne ſoules, and well to proſecute the examination of your owne eſtates; whether you be as yet regenerated yea or no. Tell me I ſay in the name of God, whoſoeuer thou beeſt that ſtandeſt heere before the Lord, art thou regenerated yea or no? It is very neceſſary to know, at leaſt wiſe whither it be poſſible for vsus to be ſaued or not. Seeing of this life we hauehave no further aſſurance then for the preſent moment, and that we know all, it muſt ſhortly hauehave an end; can it be any other then very madnes, to remaine vncertaine whether there be a poſſibility of our changing for a better; when change we muſt of neceſſity, either for a better or worſe? It pleaſeth vsus not to hang in vncertainties about the things of this world, which are but for the twinkling of an eie: will we make our ſelues ſo fooliſh as to bee content alone not to know, what ill may befal vsus heereafter? An impoſſibility of entring into heauen, caries with it a certainty of falling into hell: he that cannot enter into the former, cannot but be caſt into the latter. Wherefore againe, and againe I exhort you, ſeeing it is impoſſible to be ſaued without regeneration; know you of your owne eſtate ſo much, whether you be regenerated yea or no. And (my brethren) take heede of ſatisfying your ſelues heere, in a matter of ſo much importance, with wandring conceits, and vncertaine probabilities: let it not ſuffice you to thinke you are borne againe: reſt not ſeeking till yee hauehave concluded vponupon the matter vndoubtedly one way or other, and can ſay without all queſtion, either I am regenerated; or I am not. In very truth, the vnwillingnes to enter into this inquiſition, giueth occaſion of vehement ſuſpition that one is not regenerated. It is a ſore preſumption, that a man hath not that grace, whereof he is not willing with any ſeriouſnes and diligence, to examine himſelfe, if hee hauehave it yea or no. And let that man, that is willing to put of this matter ſlightly; & to pleaſe himſelfe in idle imaginations, ſaying, I hope I hauehave beene regenerated, though he hauehave neuer beſtowed paines to inquire into the grounds of this hope: let that man I ſay, be euen all moſt aſſured, that he is not as yet regenerated. A ſound and well grounded ſcholar feares not be examined in grounds of learning; a ſufficient workman in any trade is neuer vnwilling to come into triall and queſtion about his skill: onelyonly bunglers, onelyonly dunces abhorre from all ſearch and triall of their ſufficiencies. A ſecret guiltines of wants, cauſeth an vnwillingnes of being hard preſſed to ſhew what one hath; doubtleſſe it is ſo in the matters of the ſoule alſo. The regenerate is willing to ſearch out his eſtate, becauſe the goodnes thereof doth more cleerely appeare, by how much it is more often ſearched; but he that cannot away to ſtand asking and demanding of himſelfe, and call for infallible proofes of his being regenerate, is therefore alone vnwilling to put himſelfe to the trouble of proouing it, becauſe hee is deſtitute of ſufficient proofes. I ſay therefore vntounto thee, thou muſt follow this inquiry cloſſe: thou muſt not beleeue eueryevery thought of thine heart: thou muſt hauehave good aſſurance, and good grounds of good aſſurance, afore thou be bold to call thy ſelfe a regenerate man. The hart of men (brethren) is a very Sea of guile: EueryEvery ſonne of Adam hath a marueilous ſelfe-deceiuing ſpirit. Selfe-louelove, I ſay, ſelfe-louelove, and a deſire of all good to our ſelues, makes vsus too too credulous of our owne condition for the moſt part: becauſe nature worketh in vsus a deſire of being happy, we are all too too willing to beleeue that we hauehave thoſe things (I meane it of ſpirituall things), without which we cannot be happy. In truth for things temporall, becauſe our ſenſes (ſtrong confut…rs) doe refell all conceits of hauing that, which indeede we hauehave not, we are not heere ſo apt to beguile our owne ſelues: but becauſe in things ſpirituall, our vnderſtanding (without ſenſe moſt times) muſt iudge of the truth or f…lſehood of our opinions, it comes to paſſe that we are very ready to be deceiued with ouer-louing opinions of our ſelues. Where almoſt ſhall we find a man (not extreamely and notoriouſly wicked in all manner of ſhamefull abominations), which will not ſay, that hee hopes he is Gods childe, and to be Gods child, and to be regenerate? or almoſt one and the ſame thing, they differ alone in ſome reſpects. Let our readines to brag of being better then in truth we be (a certaine fruit of the blindneſſe of our mindes in the matters of God), let this readineſſe I ſay, to bee ouerwell conceited of our ſelues, make vsus afraide to reſt vponupon any ouer haſty anſwere to this queſtion, whether we be regenerate yea or no. Before thou do reſt in the anſwere thou haſt to make to this queſtion, looke well to the grounds of thine anſwere, and ſee that thine anſwere be made out of knowledge and iudgement; not out of the folly and blindneſſe of ſelfe-louelove. Verily (brethren) I would hauehave you make a true anſwere this way, and neither deny the worke that God hath wrought in you; nor yet brag of a conceite of that worke which neuer was: but yet let me freely confeſſe thus much, that I had much rather hauehave you feare without a cauſe, then hope without a cauſe. I would thou ſhouldeſt anſwere truly of thine eſtate; but I had rather thou ſhouldeſt erre in thinking thy ſelfe not regenerated, when thou art; then on the other hand in deeming thy ſelfe regenerated when thou art not: for indeede, the former, though it be a troubleſome error, yet is nothing daungerous; the latter though pleaſing enough, is extreamely perilous. Daungerleſſe feare, is better then feareleſſe daunger. If a man condemned to dye, and leading to execution, thinke that he hath a pardon and hath none; he may goe pleaſantly to the gallowes out of this fancy; but he will ſcarce come frō it pleaſantly: but if he that hath a pardon, thinke hee hauehave none; his heart is heauy in going, but he feeles himſelfe lighted quickly, when at the inſtant the pardon is produced to ſaue his life. Iuſt ſo it is, in this caſe: If any amongſt you be ſtrongly conceited that he is Gods child and is not, hee goes towards death with fewer feares, and is not much troubled at the remembrance of his laſt houre: but in that houre and after that, O then how terrible are his terrors, made by ſeeing himſelfe diſappointed! Shall a man, thinke you, hauehave any refreſhing in hell, from the remembrance of his former conceits, whereby he did account himſelfe the childe of God, which now all too late hee findeth quite contrary? On the other ſide, if the child of God remaine fearefull of his eſtate, and cannot tell what to affirme of himſelfe, but rather conceiueth hee is not Gods child then otherwiſe; I confeſſe he hath many needleſſe feares, many cauſeleſſe diſquietments, & a life far more vncomfortable then he need to hauehave: but, when after death hee ſhall be receiued, into the inheritance of Gods children, then his former feares ſhall no whit impeach his preſent glory, he is ſafe and happy for all his feare. Much rather therefore would I ſo ſpeake, that you might be fearefull without cauſe, then hopefull: for I wiſh your preſent diſquietment without your future perill: rather then your preſent caſe with your future deſtruction. This is the cauſe that I dwell ſo much vponupon this point, that I vrge it ſo hard, and ſtriue to ſet it ſo neere vntounto thy ſoule, aduiſing thee, to aske thy ſelfe once; am I regenerate? and not to beleeue thy ſelfe at firſt (becauſe thou maieſt perhaps quickly ſay, I hope I am); but to demaunde the ſecond time and ſay, yea, but doe I not deceiue my ſelfe? am I ſo indeede? and is not my conceite of my ſelfe groundleſſe? and yet not to reſt in the ſecond anſwere, but to goe about againe, and to inquire often, and often, ſaying, to thy ſelfe, what am I? a child of God or not? begotten againe or not? where be the reaſons of my taking my ſelfe for his childe? what due proofes can I bring that I am regenerate? what arguments ſoundly grounded, and gathered from the word of God can I produce, to demonſtrate to my ſoule, that I am tranſlated from death to life? It is good to be ſuſpicious of the well knowne partiality of our owne hearts; it is good to be iealous of our too too palpable guilefulnes in this caſe: and ſo ſhall a thing well done, be more then twice done; and a ſound and and thorough ſearch, breede a ſound and infallible aſſurance. Let me then vndertake the examination for eueryevery of your ſoules at this time; and know, that the Miniſter ſtanding in Chriſts roome, muſt make bold with your conſciences, and muſt ſpeake vntounto you with authority, becauſe he ſpeaketh with commiſſion. Say then, thou man or woman, of what age, place, ranke, condition, ſo euer: Doeſt thou thinke it poſſible for thee to be ſaued, when thou dyeſt? and to paſſe into Gods Kingdome, when thou paſſeſt out of this world? Tell me what thou thinkeſt of this matter. If thou anſwere, that thou haſt neuer greatly troubled thine head with theſe thoughts, but taking thy ſaluation for granted, haſt buſied thy mind about other matters. Thē do condemne thee of monſtrous folly & blindneſſe, and aſſure thee, that howſoeuer it goe with other men, yet thou (as yet) art in no caſe to come to heauen. But if thine anſwere be, that thou hopeſt thou both maieſt and ſhalt bee ſaued. Then I demand againe; Haſt not thou heard the words of our Sauiour? is hee not peremptorie and plaine, with great earneſtneſſe affirming, that vnleſſe thou beeſt borne againe, thou canſt not ſee Gods kingdome? wilt thou impute falſehood to his ſpeeches, yea or no? if no, then tel me, thou that hopeſt to be ſaued: art thou regenerate yea or no? Here lies the maine matter now, vponupon thine anſwere to this queſtion all thine hopes muſt depend, and therfore anſwere deliberately and truly; Art thou regenerate, or art thou not? Like enough to this thou mayſt ſay thou art. But I reply vponupon thee, that it is not enough to ſay ſo: what will it auaile to ſay thou haſt riches, and haſt them not? to ſay thou art in health, and art deadly ſicke? to ſay thou haſt a pardon of thy felonie, and haſt none? Or to ſay thou haſt been borne againe, and haſt not? Wherefore I call thee againe to thine anſwere, to ſee if thou wilt ſtand to it? Art thou indeed regenerate, or is it alone thy conceit without ſubſtance? Art thou aſſured of it, or doeſt thou alone goe by gueſſes and coniectures? If thou reſt vponupon poore and thinne hopes, may I not be bold to charge thee with extreame folly? I am ſure thou wouldeſt call him foole, that ſhould content himſelfe with ſuch ſimple euidences in the matter of his lands, or liuing, or his temporall eſtate: how much more doeſt thou deſerue the ſame name, that dallieſt with thy ſelfe ſo fondly in matters, whereupon thine eternall eſtate dependeth? but if thine hopes be well grounded, ſhew vsus the grounds of them, and bring them forth now in ſo due an houre, before God and thine owne conſcience. Where is thine holineſſe? where is the Image of God wrought in thee? ſhew how the ſpirit, and the word of God hauehave wrought together, to change thee into a new man: when diddeſt thou ſee and feele (I doe not ſay, hell open before thee, ready to receiue thee; for that Iudas ſaw and felt, and yet was neuer regenerated), but the filthineſſe of thy nature, thine abominableneſſe, ſinfulneſſe and wickedneſſe? what feruent and ſtrong deſires haſt thou found of being renewed and ſanctified by the ſpirit of God? Where be thy cries, thy groanes, thy teares, begging reconciliation at Gods hand, and earneſtly ſeeking vntounto him to reforme thy leaud nature? Where is the firme purpoſe of thy ſoule out of the apprehenſion of his grace, to pleaſe him in all things? Where is thy godly conuerſation, thy departing from all wickedneſſe, and exerciſing thy ſelfe conſtantly in that that is good? What combates haſt thou made with ſinne and Satan, and with the vnſanctified world? Where is thy growth and proceeding in all godlineſſe? Shew mee the vertues of the inward man formerly declared. Shew mee thy louelove and feare of God; ſhew me thine hatred of ſinne, and ſorrow for it: ſhew me thy mindfulneſſe of God, thy thinking of him, thy beleeuing and reioycing in him, and in his word. Are theſe things to be found in thee? Canſt thou approoue before the liuing God and thine owne ſoule, that theſe matters are in thee? then ſtand to thine anſwere, then confirme thy ſelfe in thy perſwaſion, and be thou more and more aſſured, that the ſpirit and word of God hauehave begotten thee againe indeed: but if theſe things be abſent from thee, or if thou pleaſe thy ſelfe in certaine ſhadowes and reſemblances, and conceits of them; I ſay vntounto thee, thy conceits are vaine, thine anſwere falſe, and thou art ſo much the further off from being the child of God, by how much thou doſt more peremptorily boaſt of thy being ſuch. Brethren, what ſhould I ſay more? you ſee the neceſſity of this ſearching into your ſelues: I hauehave endeauoured to goe before you in it; continue you now conſtantly, and neuer giuegive your ſelues any reſt, till by looking narrowly into your hearts, you hauehave attained a true and ſure knowledge of your eſtates, and bee able to ſay and ſhew that you are regenerated, yea or not.