The Excellency of the Gospel Above the Law, Treatise · Part 13

The Excellency of the Gospel Above the Law · Treatise · Part 13

p. 338There is a necessity of a change.Necessity of a chang.

In the state we are, wee must bee changed, as p. 339Christ tels Nichodemus, there must bee a change, and such a change as is a new birth, it must bee all new, as a bell, if there be but a cracke in it,Simil. it must be new molded, and cast againe, it is good for nothing else, so the soule of man, if there be but a flaw, but a cracke all is naught, it must be cast, and molded againe anew, we must be set in tune againe, all is out of tune, before the soule can make any sweete harmonie in the eares of God, there must bee a change, there is no comming to Heaven without a change, what neede I presse this, it is so easie a point in religion? except p. 340wee be borne anew, wee cannot enter into heaven. But to cleare from evidence of reason the necessity of a change in the whole man.Reasons why our nature m…st be changed.

First, because we are in a contrary state to grace, 1and to God,Because naturally we are opposite to God. we are dead, there must be life in us before wee come to heaven, we are enemies, and of enemies wee must be made friends; how shall we be sit for communion else with God, wherein our happinesse stands, without conformity? communion is between friends, before those that are in an opposite condition can bee friends, there must be an alteration, and this alteration p. 341it must be on Gods part, or on our part: Now who must change, God that is unchangeable, or wee that are corrupt, and changeable? God will not change, there is no reason hee should, hee is goodnesse it selfe, alway unchangeable, his perfection stands in an indivisible point, he cannot alter a whit, there is not a shaddow of change in God, therefore, when there is difference betweene God and us, the change must be on our part, we must be changed, as it is Rom. 12. and other places, In the Spirit of our mindes, wee must bee wholly molded anew, where there is a p. 342condition so opposite, as the frame of our hearts is to God, he being holinesse, and we a masse and lumpe of sinne, of necessity there must bee a change, God intends in the Gospell to bring us neere himself, and Christs end is to bring us to God, as it is 1 Pet. 3. 18. all the Gospell is to bring us back to God from whom wee fell, now our nature as I sayd is defiled, and unholy, and we cannot bee friends with God, till there be a likenesse in disposition to God, therefore our natures must be sutable to the sweete, and holy, and pure nature of God in some measure. p. 343We enter into a covenant with God, in the covenant of grace, and how can we maintaine the covenant of grace, without some likenesse to God and Christ? in that regard of necessity there must be a change,Simile. and this change must be on our part, as we see in an instrument, those strings that are out of tune, are brought to them that are in, so it is we that must change and alter and not God, God is alway unchangeable like himselfe in his love, and it is our comfort that he is so unchangeable in his mercy, and holinesse, and justice, therefore I say the chang must be on our part.

p. 344Flesh and blood (as it is) cannot enter into heaven, that is, the nature of man, as it is corrupted, we must have new judgements of things, and new desires, and new esteeme, new affections new joyes, new delights, new conversation, new company, all the frame of the soule must be new, there must be a new bent of soule, it must be turned another way, the face of the soule must looke cleane another way, whereas before it looked to the world-ward and to things below, now it must looke to God-ward and heaven ward: therefore those that are in their pure naturalls, that feele p. 345no change in themselves, what shall we thinke of them? they are not in the state of grace, for of necessity there must be a change:

There is a double change,Change double. reall, and graduall.

First a reall change, from ill to good.

And then a graduall change, from better to better, from glory to glory.

The first change is from the state of nature to grace, at our first conversion, when God puts the first forme, and stampe upon us.

And then a change in grace, from glory to glory, p. 346wee must bee changed.

Then againe we all expect 2glory in heaven, and how can wee doe that except we befitted for it?We cannot …lse be fitted for heaven. the Church is the fitting place for glory, we enter into heaven in the Church here, we are hewed and squared here, if we bee not holy here, wee shall never enter into heaven, there must be a change begun here if ever it bee perfected in heaven, no uncleane thing shall come there, as soone as ever Sathan an Angell of light sinned, he was tumbled out of heaven, it will brooke no uncleane thing, no uncleane thing shall p. 347ever come there againe, therefore our nature must be altered sutable to that place, and glorious condition, before we come to heaven, except we be new borne, we cannot enter into the Kingdome of God, there is direct Scripture for it: Beloved this is forgot, men trust to the grace and mercy of God, and looke not after a ch…nge, and this holds many from imbracing the Gospell in the truth of it, from knowing Christ as the truth is in him, they heare they must be changed, which they are unwilling to, they beleeve that God is mercifull, and that Christ dyed, &c. p. 348they snatch so much of the Gospell, as may serve to build them up in selfe-love, so farre they thinke all is well, but when they see such grace as must teach them to deny ungodlinesse, and worldly lusts and such grace as must change and alter them, this they cannot brooke, they are content to goe to heaven if they may have it in a way to hell, in maintaining their corruptions, being proud and covetous, and worldly, as they are, this must not be of necessity, there must be a change.

3Nay I say more, beside the former reasons,Every true Christian desires it. the soule that truely desires p. 349mercy and favour, desires alwayes power against finne, pardon and power goe together, in Gods gift and in the desire of a Christians soule, there is no Christian soule but hee desires the grace of sanctification to change him, as much as the grace of pardon, for he lookes upon corruption and sinne, as the vilest thing in the world, and upon grace, and the new creature, as the best thi…g in the world, there is no man changed but he hath those apprehensions of sanctification.

Remember this against some weake conceites likewise,A change in Sanctification as well as justification. that would have▪ p. 350all the change in justification, they rent Christs Offices, as if he were all Priest, and not a King to governe, as if he were righteousnesse, and not sanctification, as if he had merit to dye for us, and to give us his righteousnesse and no efficacy to change our natures, as if in the covenant of grace God did not write his law in our hearts, but onelyonly forgive our sinnes, hee doth both in the covenant of grace, and where God makes a combination, we must not breake it, efficacy and merit, justification, and sanctification, water and blood goe together, there must bee a p. 351change: but to follow the point a little further.

There must be change, because no holy action 4can come from an unchanged power and faculty,We can performe no holy action else. actions spring from powers and faculties, they are sutable to them, therefore there must bee a change in the powers, and faculties of the soule, before there be a change in the life and conversation, these three follow in nature.

The forme, and living, and being of things, and powers,

And action issuing from the power; so in the life of grace and sanctification p. 352there is a power, and ability to beleeve in God, and to be holy, and to love God, and then the actions of love Spring from that power, we live and then we have a power to move in nature, being, and life, and moving goe together, so if wee have a being in grace, we have a power to move; I beseech you therefore consider the necessity of a change, of the inward man, of the powers, & faculties of the soule, can the eye see without a power of seeing, or the eare heare without a faculty of hearing? can the soule performe sanctified actions without a sanctified power? it is impossible.

p. 353And especially the alteration and change is in the will,The change especially on the will. which some would have untouched they would have it free, those that would have no more given to grace than needes must, but grace workes upon the will most of all, divinity rules the will especially: for the bent of the will makes a good, or a bad man, and the desires of the will carry the whole man with it, we are as the bent is of our will, we are as the choyse of our will is, if the choyse and bent, and by as be the right way, by the Spirit it is good; if the will bee not inclined, and wrought to goe the best way, there p. 354is no worke of grace at all, though all grace come in through the understanding enlightned, that is the first, yet it goeth into the will, it passeth through the understanding into the will, and it puts a new taste, and rellish upon the will, and affections.

Well you see therefore that the grace wrought in the Gospell, it is not a meere perswasion, and intreaty, &c. but a powerfull worke of the Spirit entring into the soule, and changing it, and altering and turning the bent, and inclination of the will heaven-ward, whereas by corruption of nature, turnes the soule downeward p. 355to things below, when the Spirit of God entreth into the soule, it is not onelyonly by meere outward perswasion, to leave it to the liberty of will, but it altereth the taste of the will, the soule is carried up▪ and is shut to things below, it useth the world as though it used it not, we must have great conceites to the worke of grace, the Scripture hath great words of it, it is an alteration, a change, a new man, a new creature, new birth, &c. we see the necessity of a change.

Againe another reason 5is this,God qualifies whom he dignifies. God where he cals and dignifies he also qualifies, Princes cannot qualifie p. 356those they rayse, but God whom he advanceth to glory he fits and qualifies for glory, where he bestowes his mercies and favours to life everlasting, he calls to great matters, and hee also changeth them. If Saul were changed when he came to bee a King, in regard of a new quality, shall wee thinke that God will call any to the participation of his glorious mercy in Christ, in pardoning their sinne, and accepting them to life eternall, but he will change them? No, whosoever he calls to glory he changeth, and altereth their dispositions, to bee fit for so glorious a condition p. 357as a Christian is called to, there must bee a change.

Proud men love not to heare of this, it is a prejudice to their former authority, what, I that was accounted▪ a wise man, now to be a foole, I that was accounted so and so, to alter all my frame and course, and to turne the streame another way, the world will say I grow madde? I say because grace altereth and changeth all, Old things are past away, and all things are become new, those that are carnall and proud, cannot indure a change; because it is some prejudice to their reputation, but it p. 358must be so if they looke for salvation, thus you see that point prooved enough.