The Door of Salvation Opened by the Key of Regeneration, To the reader 3 – Errata
AN EPISTLE TO THE READER.
READER,
IN how happy a time doſt thou live, when God ſendeth ſo many, and ſo powerfull Meſſengers, to call thee from the ways of ſin and death! And how miſerable and unexcuſable wilt thou prove, if thou be after all this a ſtranger to the life of faith, of holineſs! If nature had made thee a ſpiritual perſon, a child of God, and an heir of heaven, this Doctrine of Regeneration might then be received as ſtrangely as it was by Nicodemus, and as neglectfully as it is by careleſs worldlings, and as diſdainfully as it is by unbelieving and malignant enemies of the Holy Ghoſt. But ſooner may you hope to find a new way into the world or a ſtate of nature, beſides the way of humane birth, then to find another way into the ſtate of grace, and the Kingdom of Heaven, beſide the New birth, by the Spirit. Nature proclaimeth its own vitioſity, to every diligent obſerver. He that is ſo carnall as not to obſerve it, in the croſſeneſs and rebellion of his ſoul againſt God, and the worlds captivity to ſelf and fleſh, one would think ſhould yet be ſo rational as to obſerve it, in the confuſion and inordinate behaviour of men to one another; While ſelf is exalted againſt the good of friends and Neighbours, yea and againſt the common good, and that ſo uncurably as the wars and calamities of the Nations do ſignifie. For whence come wars and fightings among men? come they not hence? even of their luſts that war in their members? Jam. 4.1. But the corrupted ſoul is ſo conforme to the worlds corrupted ſtate, that it is no wonder if he perceive no need of a Reſtorer, and ſo be in heart an Infidel upon that account; As a man born blind, may think the world hath no great need of the Sun, becauſe his eyes are ſo conform to a ſtate of darkneſs, that the night ſeemeth to him as good as the day. As all the creatures which we daily ſee, condemne the Atheiſt that denieth their Creator: So all the ſpots and blemiſhes of the creatures, eſpecially the univerſal pravity of mankind, condemneth the Infidel, that ſeeing not Original ſin and miſery, denieth the neceſſity of a redeemer: And the holineſs of renewed ſouls about him, doth further condemne him, that doth not acknowledge the ſanctifier, who is the Cauſe. The Reparation of vitiated nature, is a myſterious, but glorious work of God, which Angels deſire to pry into, and all the Regenerate rejoyce in and admire, as having themſelves been made partakers of ſo ſweet and excellent a ſhare. The Kingdome of darkneſs is a confederacy of wicked Angels and men, that are all ruled by one malicious principal Governour. (Matth. 12.24, to 30. and 25, 41. &c.) whoſe work is to marr the work of God, that nature may not attaine its primitive and proper end. And the Kingdome of Chriſt, is the holy ſociety headed by him, that hath made it his undertaken work, to be the repairer of depraved nature, and to deſtroy the works of the Divel, and to remove impediments, and conquer oppoſition, and carry on his healing work, that nature may yet attaine its ends, in deſpight of ſin, and death and Hell.
As ever you would not be guilty of contemning this wonderful work of Natures Reparation, Elevation, and Perfection, ſee now that you over-look not the great neceſſity of it in your ſelves, where one would think, as it doth moſt neerly concern you, ſo it ſhould be moſt eaſy to you to perceive it; No part of nature is ſo deploratly vitiated as the ſoul of man, (except the Divels.) This was thy caſe that readeſt theſe words, (as well as mine and all mens els:) and if thou art not Reſtored by renewing grace, it is thy caſe ſtill, it is Satans buſineſs to keep thee from obſerving it, leſt the knowledge of thy miſery ſhould waken thee to accept and mind the cure. If he can make thee forget it, or deceive thee by flatterers, and by a ſeeming formal outſide religiouſneſs, and quiet thee in thy miſery, till there be no remedy, but time is paſt, and mercy gone, then is he the conquerour, and hath the prey he aimed at, and thou art loſt for ever.
Thy ſalvation or damnation lieth on thy eſcaping this deceit, and the preſumption, ſecurity, and impenitencie, that are its conſequents; For this end, thou haſt the plain directions of Gods word, the frequent warnings, the cloſe convictions, the fervent exhortations of his Miniſters: If the Spirit ſet in, and theſe prevaile, and thou give up thy ſelf unreſervedly to the Lord, thou art a happy man, and hath received the beginning of life eternall. Regeneration muſt give thee a new nature, ſuitable to the heavenly Doctrines and duties, propounded in the holy Scriptures, or elſe they will ſeem ſtrange and toilſome things, and thou wilt ſavour them no more then thy food when thou art ſick. Till thou art Regenerate, and haſt a new heart and Spirit, thou wilt ſtill diſrelliſh thoſe ſaving truths that call thee higher, and put the upon ſelfdenyal and a holy life; eſpecially when they are cloſely applyed to thee for theſe ends: Thou wilt diſreliſh all ſpiritual prayers and conference, eſpecially when they diſcover and condemne thy unſanctifyed carnal ſtate: And thou wilt ſecretly or openly have a malignant diſtaſte or oppoſition againſt the Regenerate, that live by that renewing ſanctifying Spirit, to which thou art a ſtranger, and wilt look on them as a people that condemne thee by their lives, unleſs thou canſt cheat thy ſelf into a perſwaſion, that they are but a company of ſingular, proud, ſelfconceited people, and really no otherwiſe regenerate then thy ſelf. And all the Religion and wiſdome and good …arriage, which thou haſt, without this ſpiritual change, may eaſily be thy deluſion, but will never ſerve for thy Salvation, yea heaven it ſelf would be to thee no heaven, if it were ſet open to thee, and thou hadſt not the heavenly nature, to ſuit to the heavenly employment and felicity. This is the buſineſs of a converting and confirming Miniſtery, and of the ſpirit and grace that works by them; and this is the buſineſs that above other buſineſs, lyeth upon thee in this preſent world: even to work now in thy ſoul, that holy love to the moſt bleſſed God, who is love it ſelf, which may cauſe thee here to thirſt after his preſence, and to ſeek his favour, and to do his will, and may fit thee delightfully for ever to enjoy him, and everlaſtingly to be ſolaced in the beholding of his glory, in the feeling of his love, and in his heavenly praiſes, and the fulfilling of his will. An unregenerate, unholy ſoul is as unfit for this, as thy mortal enemy to lye in thy boſome, or as toads and ſerpents, to be the familiar companions of men; or as thy Ox or Aſs is to feed with thee at thy table, and lye with thee in thy bed. Employments and Enjoyments muſt have a ſuitable nature; if the Spirit fit thee not here for heaven, in this life which is given thee purpoſely for that end, its pernitious folly, to hope for a heaven, for which thy unſanctifyed nature is unfit; and to promiſe thy ſelf a felicity, of which thou art uncapable, and which indeed thy very heart doth hate. Thou loveſt not holineſs here, nor the very imperfect Saints that have it; how much leſs couldſt thou love the infinite holineſs of God, who hateth thy ſins ten thouſand times more, then the moſt ſevere and ſharp reprover hates them! If thy eyes cannot look upon the ſmalleſt candle without offence, how then would they endure to look upon the Sun, and that in the neareſt acceſs unto its glory? And if here thy enmity to the holy will of God be ſuch, that thou pleaſeſt not him, and he and his waies are diſpleaſing unto thee; how uncapable art thou of Heaven, which is a ſtate of mutual full delight, where the Saints do perfectly pleaſe the Lord, and are perfectly pleaſed in him and his pleaſure? Rom. 8.5, 6, 7, 8. They that are after the fleſh, do mind (or ſavour) the things of the fleſh; but they that are after the ſpirit, the things of the ſpirit: To be carnally minded is death, but to be ſpiritually minded is life and peace; Becauſe the carnal mind is enmity againſt God; for it is not ſubject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be: So then, they that are in the fleſh cannot pleaſe God. And that which is born of the fleſh, is (but) fleſh: As that which is born of the ſpirit is ſpirit. Joh. 3.6. It is therefore undenyable, that till you are born of the ſpirit, and ſo made ſpiritual, all your Religion and civility leaveth you but enemies to God, and in a ſtate of Rebellion againſt his will, and conſequently in a ſtate of death; Baptiſm which is the Sacrament of Regeneration, doth ſignifie this change, and containe your profeſſion, and engagement to the Lord. But if you have not the Regeneration of the Spirit, as well as of the water, and the anſwer of a good conſcience as well as the waſhing of the fleſh, you differ from Heathens and Infidels, but as covenant-breakers differ from them that never entered into covenant with Chriſt at all.
But I muſt not ſtand too long inſtructing you at the door, when my buſineſs is to call you in, and to tell you that here is a Meſſage to you from the Lord; A Treatiſe of Regeneration, the moſt neceſſary Subject, in a ſtile ſo clean and cloſe, in words ſo pertinent, plain, powerful and preſſing, that undoubtedly by a ſerious impartial peruſal, joyned with ſober conſideration and prayer, thy ſoul may receive unſpeakable commodity. Though I know not the Author, I am ſo far acquainted with the ſpirit appearing in this Diſcourſe, that I dare aſſure thee he had very much help from heaven; and dare encourage thee to ſtudy this ſavoury Treatiſe, as that which containeth moſt certain, ſound, and neceſſary doctrine, directly tending to the ſaving of thy ſoul, without any tendency to Hereſie, Schiſm, or uncharitable cenforiouſneſs: A Doctrine neceſſary for the learned or unlearned, the rich and the poor, the honorable and the baſe, and for men of all degrees and ranks: which if it had been more heartily ſtudied, and inculcated in publick and in private, by all Preachers of the Goſpel, inſtead of the humane inventions, and Canons, and Opinions, and intereſts of their ſeveral Sects, the Church and the conſciences of the Paſtors and their Flocks had been now much wholer and ſounder then they are. Believe it, whatever thou art, thou ſhalt never be ſaved for being a Lord, or a Knight, a Gentleman, or a rich man, a learned man, or a well-ſpoken eloquent man; nor yet for being a Calviniſt, or a Lutheran, an Arminian, an Anabaptiſt, a Prelatiſt, a Preſbyterian, an Independent, or a Proteſtant formally and meerly as ſuch, much leſs for being a Papiſt or of any ſuch groſly deluded Sect: but as a Regenerate Chriſtian it is that thou muſt be ſaved, or thou canſt have no hope. If once this renewing Spirit have taken poſſeſſion of thy ſoul, and thou art made partaker of the Divine and Heavenly nature, and art become a living Member of Chriſt, thou ſhalt be ſaved, though thou know not whether Dioceſan Biſhops, Metropolitans, Primates and Patriarks, or onelyonly Parochial Biſhops be moſt agreeable to the minde of God; and though thou know not whether any other Book than the Bible ſhould contain the Liturgy of the Church; and though thou know not in a hundred controverſies of the times, about Orders and Forms, and Ceremonies, and ſmaller points of doctrine, which party it is that is in the right. Holineſs will ſave thee without the formalities of this party or of that, but formalities will not ſave thee without holineſs.
To you that are Regenerate I ſhall ſay but this, keep very honourable and thankful thoughts of your ſpiritual birth; Live now as the ſons of the Eternal God, and as the heirs of everlaſting life: Set your faces now towards Heaven, as thoſe that ſee the grave at hand, and the vanities of this world all vaniſhing into ſmoak, and as thoſe that are reſolved to have heaven or nothing. Away with the ſins, the baits and company that formerly were your deſire and delight. And ſeeing even the firſt hour of your converſion, there is joy in heaven before the Angels for your ſakes, for ſhame walk not in too much dejectedneſs and deſpondency, but keep a harmony and concent with heaven, ſeeing you are ſo highly concernd in the matter of their joy. And pray ſtill to the Lord of the harveſt, that he will mind the forſaken nations of the earth, and continue his kindneſs to this unworthy Iſland: in ſending forth more ſuch Labourers into his harveſt, as this reverend Author is here manifeſted by his works to be; and that he will double his ſpirit on the meſſengers of grace, that with faith they may ſpeak the words of faith, and with life may ſpeak the words of life, and that the immortal ſeed which is ſowen by their hand, may bring forth many ſons to God, and ſpring up plenteouſly unto eternal life. And among others, remember him, then whom ſcarce any is more obliged to be thankful for the prayers of the Saints; even
The moſt unworthy Servant of the Lord, among them that have found mercy to be faithful. RICHARD BAXTER. January 31. 1659.
ERRATA.
PAge 2. line 21. for unto, read into. p. 21. l. 29. dele a, p. 46. l. 9. for is r. in, p. 64. l. 19. for power r. porter, p. 93. l. 7. for there is much r. though much, p. 102. l. 21. for at r. of, p. 147. l. 22. for liſt r. lift.