The First Things, Title page – Encomium
PRIMA, THE FIRST THINGS, In reference to The Middle and Laſt Things: Or, The Doctrine of REGENERATION, THE NEW BIRTH, The very beginning of a godly life. Delivered by ISAAC AMBROSE, Miniſter of the Goſpel at PRESTON in Amounderneſs in Lancaſhire.
1 COR. 5.17. If any man be in Chriſt, he is a new creature: Old things are paſſed away, behold all things are become new.
LONDON: Printed by J.F. for I.A. and are to be ſold by Nathanael Webb and William Grantham, at the Greyhound in Pauls Church-yard. MDCL.
To the Worſhipful, The MAYOR, ALDERMEN, And other INHABITANTS IN The Town of Preſton in Amounderneſs.
THe Apoſtle Peter knowing (as he ſaith) that ſhortly he was to put off that his tabernacle of the fleſh, 2 Pet. 1.14, 15as our Lord Jeſus Chriſt had ſhewed him; he therefore endeavored that Gods people, after his deceaſe, might have thoſe things he taught them always in remembrance: And thus it came to paſs, that to this day we have that portion of holy Writ which he then left in writing. If Peters practice be imitable in this kinde, I ſuppoſe the ſame duty lies on *Si M. T. Ciceroni tanta fuit cura de ſua republica, ut ſcripſit in lib. de Amicitia.—Mihi autem non minori curae eſt qualis reſp. poſt mortem meam futura ſit, quàm qualis hodie eſt: Multò magis incumbat mihi cura de animarum ſalute ut benè cedat illis poſtquam ego è vivis exiero, ae que ut jam ante obitum meum.me. Revelation I have none, but many ſtitches and infirmities, which I take to be fore-runners of my departure hence. Some things, and amongst the reſt, theſe Firſt Things, I have taught you; what remains now, but that after my deceaſe you might have theſe things always in remembrance? To that purpoſe, the ſame I delivered once to your ears, I now preſent to your eyes; as you were then pleaſed to hear them, ſo I truſt you will now peruſe them: OnelyOnly one thing you may pleaſe to obſerve through this Treatiſe, That whereas in the Name of Chriſt I often Beſeech, Exhort, Command the unregenerate to believe, to be reconciled to God, to pray, to fall on this or that duty, it is not as if they could do any thing of their own ſtrength or power; but becauſe Jeſus Chriſt, in Exhorting, Entreating, Commanding, puts forth his own power, and his own ſtrength to enable them. While Paul exhorted the Goaler to believe in the Lord Jeſus, that he might be ſaved, God enabled the Goalor to believe. Life and power is conveyed to the ſoul, in Gospel-Commands and Exhortations. While Ezekiel propheſied over dead bones, breath came into them, and they lived: ſo while the Prophets of the Lord do preach over ſinful impenitent hearers, who are like to the Prophets dry bones, the breath of Heaven, the Spirit of the Moſt High in the Miniſtery of the Gospel, enters into them, and ſo they are made new creatures, and ſee the Kingdom of God. I have no more to ſay, onelyonly I beſeech God you may receive a Bleſsing by theſe poor labors upon your poor ſouls: it is the hearty Prayer of
Yours to be commanded in all Chriſtian Services, Iſaac Ambroſe.
To his worthily much eſteemed Friend, Mr. Iſaac Ambroſe.
SIR,
I Have peruſed your hearty Travel in this happy Birth; and therein (I dare ſay) as your induſtry and skill, ſo your intereſt and birthright, your Labor either way. This ſubject could not be ſo well handled, if not felt; he muſt himſelf be ſubject, as well as Author, that doth it ſo well. No man can be here Eloquent, unleſs Experient; Propriety of Title, can onelyonly here give Propriety of Language: How like the motion, the language of a Puppet in a Play is the beſt Pulpit-Pageant in this Theame of the unintereſſed man? My Prayer is that of the Apoſtle, That all of us Miniſters may be (herein) able to comfort others, 2 Cor. 1.4.by the ſame comfort wherewith we our ſelves are comforted of God: And what comfort like this, that makes us, with the woman, Iohn 16.21.forget all our ſorrows, for joy that the childe is born? What is it (otherwiſe) to be born to learn, if we learn not thus to be born? Eccles. 7.11.Wiſdom (ſaith Solomon) is good with an Inheritance; how good is this wiſdom then, that by this New Birth not onelyonly preſerves, but intitles to that Inheritance of the Saints in light? Col. 1.12.Wherein, that this your birth of that Birth may be to many Generations fruitful, is the Prayer of
Your true Friend, CHARLES HERLE.
THE CONTENTS of PRIMA, OR The Firſt Things.
THe neceſſity of Regeneration, Page 2
The generality and ſubject of Regeneration, Page 7
The maner of Regeneration, Page 22
The iſſue and effects of Regeneration, Page 42
An Appendix, containing a more particular method of Regeneration: Wherein
Chap. 1. THe occaſion and method of this Treatiſe, Pag. 49.
Chap. 2.
Sect. 1. The firſt means to get into the New Birth, 50
Sect. 2, &c. Sins againſt the firſt Commandment to the laſt, 51
Chap. 3. The ſecond means to get into the New Birth, 59
Chap. 4.
Sect. 1. The third means to get into the New Birth, 60
Sect. 2, &c. The firſt, ſecond and third reaſon for ſorrow, 61
Chap. 5.
Sect. 1. The means to be delivered out of the pangs of the New Birth, 63
Sect. 2. The Promiſes procuring a ſight of Chriſt, 64
Sect. 3. The Promiſes procuring a deſire after Chriſt, 65
Sect. 4. The Promiſes procuring a relying on Chriſt, 66
Sect. 5. The Promiſes procuring obedience to Chriſt, 67
Sect. 6. The Promiſes procuring comfort in Chriſt, 68
Sect. 7. The means to apply the ſaid Promiſes, 70
Sect. 8. The Concluſion, 71
To the Reverend AUTHOR, on his learned TREATISES, Intituled, Prima, Media & Ʋltima, THE Firſt, Middle and Laſt Things.
THe Firſt, and Laſt, and Middle Things: What more?
Thus the well-furniſh'd Scribe out of his ſtore
Brings new and old. The Firſt Things lay the Ground,
The Middle Build thereon; By th' Laſt All's crown'd.
By the Firſt Things Chriſtians begin to live;
The Middle Things a further progreſs give
In Spiritual life; by th' Laſt they live for ever:
Thoſe things that God hath joyn'd, let no man ſever.
The Firſt Things wrought in me (Lord!) let me finde,
And to the Middle ſo direct my minde,
That when the Firſt and Middle Things are paſt,
I may enjoy my hopes; The Beſt at Laſt.
T.W.
The new Birth.
JOH. 3.3.
Except a man be born again, he cannot ſee the Kingdom of God.
WE read in the former Chapter, John 2.23. Ioh. 2.23. Nicodemus ex his erat qui crediderant in nomine ejus, videntes ſigna & prodigia quae faciobat. Aug. Tract. in Ioan. Ioh. 7.48.When Jeſus was at Jeruſalem, at the feaſt of the Paſsover, many believed in his name when they ſaw the miracles which he did: Amongſt thoſe many, here is one of them (ſaith St. Auſtin;) what one? of all men the moſt unlikely is a Jew, of all Jews a Ruler, of all Rulers a Phariſee; Have any of the Rulers, or the Phariſees believed on him? But howſoever it ſeem thus unlikely unto us, the Spirit of God bloweth where it liſteth; here is amongſt many believers one Nicodemus, and he is a man of the Phariſees, a Ruler of the Jews; verſ. 1 a Jew, a Ruler, a Phariſee, Luk. 3.8.God is able even of theſe ſtones to raiſe up children unto Abraham; yea, we ſee here (be they never ſo ſtony) our Saviour melts one of them with a miracle, and by a new birth he will make him a ſon of Abraham indeed. A miracle brings him to Chriſt, and Chriſt brings him to a new birth: The firſt Nicodemus confeſſeth, verſ. 2 Rabbi (faith he to our Savior) we know that thou art a Teacher come from God, for no man can do theſe miracles that thou doſt, except God be with him. The ſecond our Savior affirmeth, as if he had anſwered, to ſay, I am ſent from God, and not to be born again, will never help thee to Heaven; thy confeſſion is right, that I am ſent from God, but thy converſation is wrong, that art not born again: thou comeſt to me with confeſſion of thy faith, but here is a further Catechiſm, another leſſon; and therefore (as thou calleſt me Rabbi) if thou wilt be a Scholar in my School, thou muſt learn theſe principles, theſe rudiments, theſe firſt things, this text, this A, B, C, of Chriſtian an Religion, Except a man be born again, he cannst ſee the Kingdom of God.
In proſecution of which words (all tending to this one point of the new birth) we ſhall follow the order ſet down by the Holy Ghoſt, where is,
1. The neceſſity of it, no going to heaven without it, Except.
2. The generality of it, every man is bound to it, a man.
3. The maner of it, how a man is wrought in it, he muſt be born again.
4. The iſſue of it, what effects are annext to it, the Kingdom of God, and ſight of that Kingdom; a man that is born again ſhall ſee the Kingdom of God; and, Except a man be born again, he ſhall not ſee the Kingdom of God.
Theſe be the branches, and of every of them (by Gods aſſiſtance) we ſhall gather ſome fruit for the food of your ſouls. The firſt branch is the firſt word, Except.