Object. A second Scarcrow that men pretend against this new creature is, That hereby they must begin all anew, and pull down that whole building of religion which they thought was good and sure.
Ans. 1. To Answer this, consider it is no new thing for many men to be such foolish master builders in matters of religion, as that all must be taken down again; there is nothing more ordinary then to have some crack in the foundations: our Saviour doth fully clear this, when he speaks of one who built upon the sand, the winds blew, and tempests arose, and then the fall of that house was great, Mat. 7. 26. Thus also the Apostle chargeth the Galatians, Have ye suffered so many things in vain, Gal. 2. So that it is very ordinary for a people to go on many years in a rode of religion; and in the practice of holy duties, yet they do all these things in vain: All must be undone and a better foundation laid. If thou hast built hay and stuble, the fire will consume it all at last: Do not therefore do in thy spiritual condition, as bankrupts use to do in their temporal, never care to look to their accounts, afraid to consider of their debts, but still hope to rub it out, till at last all be too late: So many a man hath inwards thoughts and fears that his estate is not right, that this will never hold when he comes to account, but he is unwilling to dwel in his thoughts upon these things.
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As this is ordinary, so we have plain instances in Scripture of men accustomed5 a long time in the way of religious duties, yet this hath been earnestly urged to them to become New: Nicodemus a teacher in Israel, and so of long standing, and acquainted with the Scripture, in prayer often, yet unlesse he be born again, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of heaven, John 3. And thus all those Jews that were converted by John Baptist, by Christ and the Apostles Ministry, they were all diligent in that outward worship of God he had commanded, but by their preaching they saw a necessity of being born again: And this is the most happy, and necessary lesson thou canst learn, to see thou must pray anew, hear anew, make an universal change in thy life.
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Thou art the rather to make the more diligent enquiry here, because of all6 vanities that is the soarest which is in religion. If it be found that thou hast thus many years come to Church in vain, not laid good foundations, and right principles, this is the most dangerous vanity of all: for to take pains in vain about temporall things, is but an outward momentary loss; but to pray in vain, to hear in vain, is a spiritual and eternal loss: Its an happiness for a traveller to know betimes that he is out of the way; but if he should travel the whole day in unseasonable sharp weather, and dangerous rodes, and then at night be told he is clear out of the way, What sad tydings would it be to him? And thus it is here: if a man should live forty or threescore years in many sad exercises, and outward miseries, and when he comes to dye be truly told, Oh sir, you are quite out of the way to heaven, you have been travelling to hell this many years: How must he cry out, Oh why did not I think of this before? Why did I not know it before?
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Let not the consideration of losing all that is past so much deject thee, as to7 quicken thee up to be the more diligent for the future: As the Travaller goeth the faster when he knoweth he hath been out of the way; thus the Apostle, redeem the time, Ephes. 3. Thou must make up all thy former lost duties, by future fervency, diligence, and fruitfulness: say, Oh Lord, it troubles me that I loved thee so late, that it was so late e’re I could do any duty after a spiritual godly manner; but now I shall press forward after the mark, I will labour to do much in a little time: Oh then think, If all my former time hath been lost, I have the greater cause to be up and to be doing.
Object. And as for the Third pretended absurdity, That to question our former condition, or to suppose it naught, would plunge us into despair: to that there are several Answers.
Answ. 1. It argueth ignorance of the breadth, and depth of Original corruption to argue so: Thou forgettest in what state thou art born, and how unclean thou art by natural propagation; otherwise if this were acknowledged, thou wouldst easily see that there is a necessity of being born again: What, thou wert not born with the image of God upon thy soul, Thou wert not born a Childe of Grace, but of wrath: As this corruptible body must put on incorruption, e’re it can be made glorious, so this defiled soul must put on purity e’re it can be made happy in heaven. So that there is a necessity upon thee to conclude, That thou art wholly in sin, and shut up under wrath; thou must see thou art undon: And from hence it is that men desire not more this New Creature: they think their old life will serve. They perceive not the Ruines that are on their souls, and by this means rest contented, though in an undone estate.
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Thou who art afraid of despairing, if all be found naught in thee, consider that8 it is necessary thou shouldst despair and have no hope or stay in thy self, or any thing thou dost. For those loaden and burthened ones, who are invited to come to Christ, Mat. 11. can find no rest or ease in themselves till they come to him: Insomuch that none are further off from grace and mercy, then those who justifie themselves, as the Pharisees did. It is true, through the sense of sin to despair of the grace of Christ offered, and to neglect that salvation, is a crimson sin, and immediately opposite to the Gospel; but to despair of our selves, and to have no hope in what we do, is a necessary qualification, and hereby we give glory to God; and therefore if we did despair more in our selves, our condition would be lesse desperate: And this is the condemnation of men, that they presume in the mercy of God, and blesse themselves in their hearts, when yet there is but a step between them and hell.
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It is better despairing here with hopes, then despairing here after without any the9 least ground of comfort. We had better know the worst here, while it may be prevented, then hereafter, when it will be in vain, Would not every one damned in hell be a New Creature upon any terms, whatsoever it cost him, if it were possible? But we are foolish, like some foolish, infirm, and wounded person, who will not discover his wounds, nor make known his grief till it be too late: Lay it therefore home upon thy heart, and say, If I am afraid of the sight of sin here, What shall I do with it hereafter? If a spark be thus heavy and scorching, What will the whole flames be? Oh, but men are never wise till it be too late. Dives when he is in hell, then his eyes are opened, and he bewaileth his condition. Be assured of this, that God hath unchangeably decreed, thy sins shall be bitter to thee here, or hereafter. The word is gone out of his mouth, and it cannot be recalled: thou shalt either glorifie him by a voluntary confession, or by an extorted and constrained one hereafter: Therefore do not feed thy self with vain hopes, as if thou shouldst never find sin with a sting: no, at last it will bite like an Adder, and sting like a Scorpion, if it do not in this life.
And lastly remember, That trouble and pain which may be for a while in the pangs of this New creature, will be abundantly recompensed with the after joy and quietnesse10 thou wilt have. Rejoyce in the Lord, ye upright in heart, and the Godly rejoyce with joy unspeakable, and full of glory, 1 Pet. 1. 8. Thou canst not imagine what sweet peace, and comfort of heart it will bring to thee, to think that once indeed thou wast captivated to such and such sins, but now thou hast broken those snares. Paul once a bitter adversary to the wayes of God, How much doth he rejoyce in the change made upon him? How often doth this New Creature cry out with gladness and thanks-giving, he would not for a world be as once he was? If he might have all the glory on earth, he would not live as he hath lived: And thus we have dispelled that objection, grounded upon a three-fold absurdity.
A Fourth Objection, or Obstruction against this New Creature, Is the strictness and singular exactness of it. Not onely gross sins to be cast away, but even all lawful affections to be moderated, and dieted: They must not do as the world, not live as the world: this is to put themselves into a misery, as he said, Qui medicè vivit, misere vivit, because he must be so temperate, and abstemious in those things to which his appetite carrieth him. Now this cavill is wholly unreasonable: for
First, Thy very Christianity, and the profession of it, carrieth thee not to do as men of the world doth. So that thou must either lay aside thy christianity, or else be11 exact in thy life, and singular to the manners of the world. The Church of God is compared to a woman clothed with the Sun, and the moon under her feet, Revel. 12. 7. Doth not the Apostle exhort us, Not to be fashioned unto the world, Rom. 12. 1. We are not to have their fashion upon us: And why are we called a Church, but because we are called out of the world, and so have not our conversation according to the principles thereof? And the Apostle James calls it Pure religion, and undefiled, to keep our selves unspotted from the World, James 1. 17. If therefore drunkennesse, lusts, pride, earthlinesse, immoderate affections to these things below, be things of the world, thou art no more to conform to them, then light to darkness; and howsoever the world accounts those men of the best fashion, who are rich, great, and honoured, yet the Scripture saith, they are of the best fashion, who are not fashioned to the manners of the world: by this argument thou shouldest still lie in thy Paganisme, and Heathenisme; For why shouldst thou come out of the world in respect of thy faith, and not also in respect of thy life? Thou wouldest have a better faith then infidels, Why not also a better life? Answer that, if thou canst, God hath not only called us to imbrace his Doctrine, but unto holiness.
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Thou complainest this is an exact strict way, full of difficulties: Is it not true this of every good thing? Is there any good thing either natural or moral to be obtained12 without much labour? so that the difficulty makes for the excellency of it: Strive to enter in at the straight Gate, Luke 13. 14. For the way to destruction is a broadway. You cannot get so much as the bread and food of your bodie without the sweat of your brows: and think you to get the salvation of your souls so easily: Learning cannot be obtained without great pains and study: Sudavit & alsit, saith he: If therefore this new creature be so difficult and rare, so hardly to be obtained, then thou hast the greater reason to presse the more about it. Thou art to fear the way thou walkest in is too broad a way: Thou must be a Jacob wrestling, before thou canst be an Israel prevailing: You must run in a race, e’re you can obtain a Crown: and indeed that Crown of glory is so rich and glorious, that these are but siliquae laboris, as Austin called them, the husks of labour in respect of that Manna hereafter.
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Thou complainest of labour and paines, if thou dost observe it, every man takes13 more pains to go to hell. A servant to sin is a far greater slave and drudge, then a servant to righteousness. Take the Adulterer, How doth he watch for the twilight? How full of fears and hopes to accomplish his lusts: Take the Ambitious man, How doth he break his sleep, toil his mind, and consumeth himself to accomplish his designe? Take the covetous earthly man. How is his soul pierced through with many cares? And how doth he drown himself in thoughts and fears about his estate? So that thy service in the wayes of Godliness would be far more comfortable, quiet, and profitable, then those of sin and Satan. It is a known story of Pambo, who seeing a strumpet taking pains about the dressing her self to please her Mate, cryed out and said, He could not take as much pains to please God; and this will appear true; men take more pains, are more turmoiled in going to hell, then they may be in going to heaven.
Object. The last impediment I shall insist upon is, The reproach, contempt, and persecution that doth follow this new creature, even as sharp pricks attend the sweet roses. Now to Answer this.
Answ. 1. Our Saviour saith, Blessed is he that is not offended at me, Mat. 11. 6. The very Doctrine of Christ, and the Christian faith is subject to all manner of slanders to the enemies thereof: Yet for all that thou art not ashamed of the Gospel, or the Protestant religion: To believe in a crucified God, What matter of reproach was it? What names were given Christians by way of contempt? And if the faith of Christ be subject to persecution, yet thou darest not Apostatize from that, Why then from the power of Godlinesse, though subject to troubles? How often doth the Scripture forwarn us in this respect? That we are not to think the fiery try all strange, 1 Pet. 4. 12. And we are to know that we are appointed to all afflictions and troubles in this world, 1 Thes. 3. 3. This demonstrateth the excellency of a New Creature: For if it were of the world, the world would love it as his own, John 15. 19.
- These troubles and persecutions are not a misery, if rightly apprehended, but14 are a blessing. Blessed are ye when men speak all manner of evil against you for my names sake, Mat. 5. 10, 11. And thus the Apostles when they were persecuted, went away rejoycing that they were accounted worthy to suffer any thing for Christs sake: they are several waies a blessing; for first, The more they are afflicted, the more of Gods Grace and support is vouchsafed unto them. The spirit of Glory rests on them, 1 Pet. 4 14. If they be upon Mount Calvary, they shall also be upon the Mount of Transfiguration. Nihil crus sentit in ligno quando animus est in Coelo, said Tertullian. Again they are a blessing, for they have a blessed operation. This fire is more precious then that which tryeth Gold: this is the file to get off the rust: the winnowing to blow away their chaff: And lastly, they are a blessing in the event, for they work an everlasting weight of glory, so that these troubles should not be discouragements to thee.
Use. Use of Exhortation, Not to hearken to any of those cavils, or prejudices thy heart may be filled full with, against this New Creature. Say, It is no longer disputing: shall I become a New creature? Is it wisdome to change my former life? But follow the Scripture, and do as that directs thee. Oh if there were nothing but the peace and joy that accompanieth this life, that were enough to set thy heart on edge after it. It will be no grief of heart to thee to think of thy prayers often, thy frequent exercises of grace. To dye a new Creature, is the putting of thee into a possession of eternall glory: But who hath believed our report? who begins to feel in himself hungrings and thirstings after this estate? who saith, I will return to God from whom by sinne I have wandred, for so it will be better with me than in all my sins? Alas, It’s this new creature onely which hath the promise of this life, and of that to come.