The Door of Salvation Opened by the Key of Regeneration, Treatise · Help 1
The firſt help to Regeneration, Serious Conſideration.
1. THe firſt help which I ſhall offer thee, is, ſerious conſideration. He that goeth in a wrong path, and never thinketh of it, will not return back or turn about, though the farther he goeth, the greater is his deviation and danger. A ſerious conſideration of the evil and end of thy way, were a cheap prevention of eternal and endleſs wo. Obſerve I ſay, Conſideration; Conſideration is, an Act of the practical underſtanding, whereby it reflecteth upon its actions and intentions, and comparing them with the rule of the word, proceedeth to lay its command upon the will and affections, to put what is good in execution.
This was hinted by chewing the cud, under the law; and the beaſts which did not, were unclean; and indeed it is the excellency of a man above a beaſt, that he may in a rational diſcurſive manner, meditate on things which concern his ſalvation, and by chewing the cud, get ſome nouriſhment to his ſoul. It is a pondering the ſayings of Chriſt, Luke 2.19. It is to the ſoul what digeſtion is to the body, tis not the quantity of meat, but a good digeſtion which nouriſheth and ſtrengthneth the body. For they which eat much and cannot digeſt it, inſtead of repairing, they ruine nature; ſo 'tis not the great knowledge of the truths of God, but the ſerious conſideration and practicall application, of them, which nouriſheth and ſtrengthneth the ſoul; Without this, mens knowledge be it never ſo much, is but like rain in the middle region, or fire in the flint, unprofitable, and to no purpoſe at all.
I ſay ſerious conſideration; The thoughts muſt dwell upon Divine weighty truths; Surely men if they ſhould do thus, would undo all they have done; but when the thoughts of God, and Chriſt, ſin and holineſs, death and judgment, heaven and hell, paſs ſpeedily through them, as travellers through a Country making no ſtay, no wonder if they cannot give any account of the worth and vertue of them. It is not the haſty ſhowre, but ſoft ſnow which ſoaks deep; whilſt the former goeth off as faſt as it comes on, the latter gently creeps into every chink of the ground.
It is with the truths of God, as with a ſalve; if a man have never ſo precious a ſalve, which will help a dangerous mortal wound in twelve houres, and he do nothing but lay the plaiſter (which is ſpread with this ſalve) on the wound, and take it off preſently, twill never heal the wound; if ever it eat out the corruption and cure the ſore, it muſt lie on ſome conſiderable time together, the beſt ſalve under heaven, will not otherwiſe do the wounded man good. So if a man turn his thoughts upon the loathſom nature of ſin, the unſpeakable danger of ſinners, the miſery that he is liable to, whilſt he continueth carnal; the mercy that he might obtain if he were ſpiritual; the alſufficiency of God, the excellency of godlineſs, the purchaſe of Chriſt, and the promiſes of the Goſpel, every of which is a precious medicine to cure ſoul maladies; yet if his thoughts do not ſtay upon them, if they are onelyonly glancing thoughts off and on, like lightening, flaſhing on the conſcience and away, they will never heal thy ſpiritual diſeaſes. That meſſenger which would diſpatch buſineſs of weight, and concernment, muſt not call at a door, and then be gon, but he muſt go in, ſit down, and make ſome ſtay there.
This ſerious conſideration, Friend, I propound to thee as an excellent receipt for the recovery of thy dying ſoul. I conſidered my wayes, (ſaith David) and turned my feet to thy teſtimonies, Pſal. 119.59. Some tranſlate the Original, I looked on both ſides upon my wayes, I conſidered them every way, and turned my feet unto thy teſtimonies: I conſidered that I was wandering like a loſt ſheep, and then I returned unto the fold of God.
Converſion beginneth at conſideration; Becauſe he conſidereth, and turneth from all the tranſgreſſions which he hath committed, he ſhall ſurely live, he ſhall not die, Ezek. 18.28. The Mariner who is running his veſſel againſt a rock, if he conſider it, and ſteer another courſe, he doth thereby prevent a deſperate ſhipwrack.
When David would ſtop the enemies of God in their full career of wickedneſs, he layeth this block in their way; Commune with your own hearts, and be ſtill, Pſal. 4.4. Self-communion is one ſpecial help to ſinconfuſion, and ſound converſion. The Prodigal came to himſelf, before he came to his Father: He conſidered what a fool he was, to feed with ſwine upon husks, when he might eat bread as a ſon in his Fathers houſe: He conſidered what a mad man he was to feed on the ſhort commons of the world, and endure the ſlavery of the Devil, when he might feaſt on the exceedings of the Goſpel, and enjoy the liberty of the children of God. After this ſerious conſidera, he cometh to this ſolid reſolution, I will ariſe and go to my Father, Luke 15.17, 18. and accordingly went and was welcom.
Truly, Reader, 'Tis inconſiderateneſs that doth both defile thee, and damn thee; the want of conſideration cauſeth men to abound in ſin.
The people committed falſhood; the thief cometh in, the troop of Robbers ſpoileth without, Hoſ. 7.1. There was ground full of weeds; but mark, the reaſon was, becauſe it lay fallow, 'twas not ploughed up with conſideration: They conſider not in their hearts, that I remember all their wickedneſs, verſ. 2. They conſider not that I remmeber and record all their omiſſions, commiſſions, the corruptions of their hearts, tranſgreſſions of their lives, and write them down with a pen of iron, and point of a diamond, Jer. 17.11. and will bring them forth in the day of ſlaughter. Plin. lib. 10. cap. 1.As the fooliſh bird Pliny ſpeaks of, called Struthiocamelus, which thruſts her head into a thicket, conceiving that no body ſeeth her, becauſe ſhe ſeeth no body, and ſo becomes a pray to the Fowler: So the Adulterer, the Thief, the Drunkard, and the like, conſider not that God ſeeth them plainly, hateth their ſins perfectly, can turn them into hell preſently, and thereby become bold in wickedneſs; they hide God from themſelves, and think that they are hidden from God: They conſider not in their hearts, that he remembreth all their wickedneſs.
Friend, when thou ſeeſt a man in a phrenſie, or one in Bedlam tearing their hair, biting and cutting their own fleſh, what doſt thou ſay? Surely, this man wanteth the uſe of his reaſon, could he but uſe that, without queſtion he would never do thus: May not a gracious man, that beholdeth thee tearing, lancing, ſtabbing and wounding thy precious ſoul with worldlineſs, ſwearing, athiſm, or uncleanneſs, upon as good ground ſay, Surely this man wanteth conſideration; did he but conſider what a jealous God he provoketh; what bowels of love he ſpurneth at; what a hell of ſorrow he provideth for his long home, he would never do thus! The Oſtrich leaveth her eggs in the duſt, not conſidering that the feet of the Paſſenger will cruſh them to pieces, becauſe ſhe is deprived of wiſdom, and wanteh underſtanding, Job 39.14, 15, 17. The ſinner leaveth his ſoul naked, and liable to all dangers imaginable, becauſe he is void of true wiſdom, and liveth without this ſerious conſideration, Iſa. 1.2, 3, 4, 5. They conſider not the concluſion, and therefore are confident in the commiſſion of ſin: They conſider not their laſt end, therefore they come down mightily, Lam. 1.9.
A Divine writeth well, how ſubtil Satan is to hinder mens conſideration. Satan (ſaith he) is very jealous of the ſinner, afraid every Chriſtian that ſpeaks to him, Gurnals Armor, part 1. pag …2….or ordinances he hear ſhould inveigle him; by his good will he ſhould come at neither; No, nor have a thought of heaven or hell, from one end of the week to the other; and that he may have as few as may be, he keepeth him full handed with work. The ſinner is grinding and he is filling the hopper, that the mill may not ſtand ſtill. He is with the ſinner as ſoon as he wakes, and fils his wretched heart with ſome wicked thoughts, which as a morningdraught, may keep him from the infection, of any ſavour of good, that may be breathed on him by others in the day time. All the day long he watcheth him, as the Maſter would do his man, that he fears will run away. And at night like a careful Jaylor, he locks him up again in his chamber, with more bolts and fetters upon him, not ſuffering him to ſleep as he lieth on his bed, till he hath done ſome miſchiefe. Ah poor wretch? was ever ſlave ſo lookt too? as long as the Divel can keep thee thus, thou art his own ſure enough.
Now as that Father ſaid of the Goſpel, that it muſt needs be excellent, becauſe Nero proſecuted it with ſo much violence; ſo this conſideration muſt needs be an excellent help to holineſs, becauſe the Divel doth proſecute it with ſuch implacable hatred; if he can keep this door of thy ſoul ſhut, he feareth not Chriſts entrance into thy heart.
I have ſometime read of a religious father, that had a deboyſt lewd ſon, that was a great grief to him; when the father was on his death bed, he made this ſon to promiſe him, that he would be every day of his life, half an hour alone by himſelf. The ſon making ſome conſcience of his ſolemne engagement to his dying father, uſed afterwards to retire himſelf daily, for that ſpace of time, where at firſt he buſied himſelf vainly, in thinking of the honours and delights of the world; but afterwards he began to conſider, what end his father had in binding him to ſuch retiredneſs, and then thought of his own folly, in wandring from God, and embracing a dying and lying world; and the Spirit ſtriking in with thoſe meditations, he became a new man. O that, Reader, thou wouldſt go and do as he did. Is it not an eaſy remedy? If God ſhould require ten hours, every day, to be ſpent in ſecret, about thy ſoul and ſalvation, I profeſs to thee, I know not how thou couldſt ſpend thy time better, or ſo well. I am ſure twere worth the while; O Friend to be amongſt Divels, in everlaſting torments, or with Chriſt in everlaſting pleaſures, are other manner of things then thou canſt imagine; but I do requeſt of thee, on the behalf of God and thy ſoul, but one half hour every day, that thou wouldſt retire thy ſelf into thy chamber, or cloſet. (The beautiful bridegroom is baſhful, and cometh ſeldom to his Church. Cant. 4.11. or any Chriſtian in a crowd) and there conſider ſeriouſly, of ſome things which I ſhall from the Lord propound to thee. Let not the cheapneſs of the receipt make the refuſe it; thou ſeeſt ſomtimes that ſimple hearbs, that grow in our own gardens, cure thoſe diſtempers, which coſtly drugs fetched from far cannot: As the Generals ſervant ſaid to him, when he raged and fretted at the counſel of the Prophet, for the cure of his Leproſy. If the Prophet had bid the do ſome great thing, wouldſt thou not have done it, how much rather when he ſaith waſh and be clean 2 Kings 5.13. ſo ſay I to thee, if I ſhould requeſt more time in a day, if I ſhould deſire far greater things of thee, for the killing of that Leproſy, which otherwiſe will kill thee, wouldſt thou not do it? Ah didſt thou but know the price of a Chriſt, thou wouldſt ſell all to buy that pearle; didſt thou but know the wrath of a juſt, holy and infinite God, thou wouldſt do any thing, do all things poſſible to eſcape it. How much rather when I deſire onelyonly one half hour in a day for ſerious conſideration. If thou wilt not do this for the avoiding of Hell, doſt thou not deſerve to burn for ever? think of it, Reader, whoever thou art, I am very loath to leave thee before I have prevailed with thee; doſt thou not ſqander away, many an hour vainly, nay ſinfully in working out thy damnation, and wilt thou not ſpare one half hour in a day, to work out thy ſalvation in? how many years haſt thou ſpent in the ſervice of thy brutiſh fleſh, and is half an hour in a day, when thou art not ſure to live a week, too much for thine angelical ſpirit? What ſaiſt thou? Wilt thou promiſe thy Maker and Redeemer, that thou wilt do this; whoſe advantage is it like to be thine or mine? If thou art wiſe, thou art wiſe for thy ſelf, but if thou art a ſcorner thou alone ſhalt ſuffer, Prov. 9.12. Well, if thou wilt not grant me this little time, thou art like to grieve for the refuſal eternally. And truly if thou wilt hear God in this, I have hopes that he will hear thee in far greater; Set thine heart therefore to all the words, which I ſpeak unto thee this day, for it is not a vain thing, but it is for thy life, Deut. 12.46, 47.
I Shall, upon preſumption that thou wilt for thy ſouls ſake uſe that cheap help of Conſideration, aſſiſt thee by laying down five particulars, as ſubjects of thy moſt ſerious thoughts; and I know not one of them but hath ſuch weight, that when thou are conſidering (if the bleſſed God vouchſafe a meeting) it may do the work.