Two treatises concerning regeneration, 1. Of repentance, 2. Of the diet of the soule shewing the one, how it ought to be sought after and may be attained vnto, the other, how it being gotten, is to be preserued and continued.

Sect. 2.

THe will of God, as it is cōteyned in th•• Scripture, creatures, and actions of god, is as meare vndressed, and therefore it must be prepared and made fitte for our vse, as we daily see meates to bee dres∣sed infinite wayes. This preparation is made by searching and finding it out,

which of it selfe lyeth hidden, and it is prepared, either by our selues, or else by others, as namely by the Ministers of the worde, who in the Church (which is the house of God) are both as Stewardes to prouide, and as Cookes to prepare meate for the children and seruaunts of GOD: the which they do, when as they gather out of the worde of God sounde and wholsome doctrine, and applie it to the seuerall condi∣tions of the hearers. This publicke foode, which the publicke ministerie of the worde yeeldeth, is th••t wherewith chiefly God hath appointed that our soules should bee nourished, and therefore we are carefully to consider how it ought to be receiued. For we are not here to declare howe this publicke preparation should bee made, for that be∣longeth not to this Treatise: yet as all men knowe, that the good estate of the bo∣die dooth chieflie consist herein, that the meate wherewith it is nourished be well dressed, and made fitte for the receyuer, not rawe, offensiue, or mingled with any hurt∣full thing: so, without question, the health of the soule dooth chiefly depende on the ministrie of the worde, that it offer to the Church nothing but that which is both in it selfe good and sounde, and also made

fitte for the present estate of the hearers. And surely it is to bee wished (and the contrarie greatlie to bee wondered at) that men were as carefull in prouiding for themselues, wyse and cunning Cookes, a∣ble to prepare a right the sacred worde of the euerlyuing GOD, wherewith their soules are, or ought to bee fedde to eter∣nall life, as they are curious about the dressing of theyr bodily meate, which is soone turned into fylth, and so cast a∣way, as a most loathsome thing: yea, which together with the bellye, for the which it is prepared, shall be abolished: as in the first to the Corinthians the sixt Chap∣ter and thirteenth verse. But menne spend their whole care, tyme, and substaunce a∣bout the one: to wit, the filling of their bellies, and the feeding of their bodyes, and are altogether carelesse of the other, thin∣king no cost sufficient for the one, and eue∣rie pennie that is bestowed on the other, cleane lost. But to leaue these godlesse epicures, seruing their bellies which are their God, it is the part of euery Christian that hath care of the health of his soule, after that he hath done his endeuour in prouiding a cunning and faythfull Cooke, for the preparing of meate for his soule, to

prepare himselfe for the receyuing of it, by procuring in himselfe an appetite to this spirituall foode, that so, as it com∣meth to passe in feeding the bodie, it bee∣ing earnestly desyred, may bee happilie di∣gested. This is done fi••st by vnloading our stomackes from all sinfull cares, co∣gitations and desires, the which beeing of nature contrarie to the pure and heauenlie worde of God, will not suffer it to haue enteraunce: for it is impossible that a man shoulde both earnestly desire the worde, and cherish sinne: and therefore he must re∣solue himselfe to yeelde heartie obedience vnto it, by casting away whatsoeuer is in his minde, heart or lyfe, contrarie vnto it. This counsell wee haue giuen vs. 1. Pet. 2.1. Wherefore laying aside all maliciousnesse and guile, all dissimulation, enuie, and euill speaking, as newe borne babes desire the sincere milke of the worde, that yee may growe thereby, And lykewise: Iames. 1.21. VVherefore laying asyde all filthinesse, and superfluitie of maliciousnesse, receyue with meekenesse the word engrafted in you, which is able to saue your soules. Secondly, this appetite of the worde, is to bee procured by a due consideration of the necessitie, of the pro∣fitablenesse and excellencie therof: for who

will not desire that which hee seeth to bee both most needfull and profitable for him∣selfe, and most excellent in it selfe, it being the onely matter of spirituall nourishment, and so the meanes of attaining eternall life. Psal. 19.7. The law of the Lord is perfect con∣uerting the soule, the testimonies of the Lord are sure, and giue wisedome to the simple, the sta∣tutes of the Lord are right & reioyce the heart, and therefore they are more to bee desired then gold, yea then much fine gold, sweeter also then the hony and the hony combe: Moreouer by them thy seruant is made circumspect, and in keeping them there is great reward. Againe, the excel∣lency of the word is so great as connot bee expressed: It is indeed contemned by car∣nall men, as base and simple, and as hauing in it no matter of importance, but a bare storie of Christ crucified, as we reade 1. Cor. 1. The Grecians and other wise men of the world reiect the Gospel, as being destitute of that deepe wisedome wherewith they know themselues to be endued. But what maruell is it, that he who is blinde thinke it to bee darke when the sunne shineth most clearely, or that a naturall man, who in re∣gard of heauenly things, is as blind as a buz∣ard, can see no wisedome in the worde of God, in the which all the treasures of the

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endlesse wisedom of God are cōteined. The Queene of Saba thought it woorth her la∣bour to trauaile into a strange countrey to heare the wisedome of Salomon, and counted his seruants happie in that they li∣ued in his company & presence, where they did daily see and behold his wisedome how much more shal we account our selues hap∣pie, when as we are in the cōpanie, house, & presence of God, beholding the wonderfull misteries of his wisedome laide open before our eies, the which passeth the wisedome of Salomon, and of al the men in the world, fur∣ther then the great Ocean doth a drop of water. And surely whosoeuer can, and doth by the grace of God, seriously consider the dealing of God with his Church from time to time, the tragicall end of the reprobate, li∣uing here for a time in all iollity and plea∣sure, the happie estate abiding the godly, who in this world are miserably afflicted, the fall of man comming of his owne wil∣fulnesse, the saluation and regeneration of the elect proceeding from the mercy & loue of God: He that compareth the law with the gospel, the babish estate of the Church of the Iewes with the Churches vnder the Go∣spel, being come to ripenesse and perfection, the agreement of the tipes with the bodies,

the wisdome contained in the iudicial lawes of Moses. And lastly, he that cōsidereth the incarnation, death & resurrection of Christ, with the ••est of points of christian religion, shal vndoutedly see, & wil cōfesse that al the wisest lawes, the deepest deuises, & counsels of the greatest and most subtile politicians that euer liued, the learnedest works of the wittiest philosophers and schoolemen, are but meere foolery & seely shifts: yea, he shal be compelled to crie out & say with the A∣postle, Rom. 11. O the riches of depth of the wisedome and knowledge of God, how vnsearch∣able are his iudgements and his wayes past fin∣ding? And 1. Tim. 3.16. Without controuer∣sie great is the mistery of godlinesse. God mani∣fested in the flesh, iustified in the spirit, seene of angels, preached vnto the gentiles, beleeued in the world, and receiued vp in glorie Neither can a∣ny man answer & say, I confesse indeed that there are notable points of wisedome to be seene in the word of God, in the hearing & cōsidering wherof I haue takē great delight: but I haue heard thē so often reiterated, that nowe it is irksome to me to heare the word preached: for as the wise man saith, euen the hony combe, the sweetest thing in the world is lothsome to the ful stomacke. But we cannot be thus affected toward the word of God and the wisedome of God therein

contained the which is so infinit, that it can neuer be sounded to the bottome, and fully comprehended by the mind: and therefore it commeth forth euery day new and fresh, not cloying the hea••er, but inflaming him more and more with a desire of hearing and learning. Of other things it is truely said, that a wonder lasteth but nine dayes, for that nothing hapneth so strange, but that the cause of it at length will bee found out: but the wonderfull things of the law of God do more amaze him that hath spent al his time in the se••ious contempl••tion of them, then him who i•• a nouice in the schoole of Christ. Thus we are to thinke of the word of God, and thus we ought to stirre vp in our selues a greedie and vnsati••ble appetite of it: yea, great care and attention in hearing it, yea, they wh••m God hath endued with most ex∣cellent spirituall gifts, and the greatest mea∣sure of knowledge, ought not to think them∣selues exempted frō this duty of continuall & attentiue hearing of gods word: as no man is so strong in bodie, that he may abstaine from meate, because hee is by the word of God, both to restore that spirituall strength, which is daily weakened by the corruption of sin, and also to encrease his strength til he come to some ripenesse in Christ. But con∣trarily,

he is with great care, ioy, and plea∣sure, to giue himselfe to the hearing of Gods word, when soeuer iust occasion is giuen.