A New Creature, Title page – Table of contents
A New Creature: Or, A Short DISCOURSE, OPENING The Nature, Properties, and Neceſſity of the Great Work of the New Creation upon the Souls of Men.
BEING Some Plain DISCOURSES on Galatians vi. 15.
By O. H. an Unworthy Miniſter of the Goſpel.
Rev. xxi. 5. Behold, I make all Things new.
Aug. de civit. Dei, lib. 11. cap. 21. Nec Autor eſt excellentior Deo, nec Ars efficacior Dei verbo, nec cauſa melior, quam ut bonum creetur à bono Deo.
LONDON, Printed for Tho. Parkhurſt at the Bible and Three Crowns, the lower end of Cheapſide, 1695.
AN EPISTLE TO My Dear Friends and Beloved Hearers at N. in Yorkſhire.
My dearly Beloved;
TWO Sorts of Doctrine I have always judged neceſſary, and very ſeaſonable; 1. What concerns the Perſon, Natures, Offices, and Undertakings of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, in all his mediatory Latitude: 2. That which relates to a ſaving Internal Work of Grace upon the hearts of Men, which is the Spring of all External Motions: Theſe are as ſtanding Diſhes requiſite in every Feaſt, and to the purſuit whereof, my Heart hath been much inclined: the former I have largely treated upon, from 1 Tim. 1.15. This is a faithful ſaying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Chriſt Jeſus came into the world to ſave Sinners, of whom I am chief. Which contains the Summ and Subſtance of our Chriſtian Faith, the Marrow of the Goſpel, the Quinteſcence of our Happineſs: nor doth any Miniſter need to be aſhamed of the Goſpel of Chriſt, for it is the Power of God to Salvation, … every one that believeth, Rom. 1.16. And though this may ſeem to be out of faſhion amongſt ſome that would be eſteemed rational Preachers, and think treating of Chriſt, as but a conceited Canting, (though the great Apoſtle of the Gentiles mentions the Name of Chriſt nine ſeveral times in his Ten firſt Verſes of 1 Cor. 1. and in his Epiſtles ſome hundreds of times; yea, and glories in it, and profeſſeth, 1 Cor. 2 2. I determined not to know any thing among you, ſave Jeſus Chriſt, and him crucified.) But I wave this Subject for the preſent. 2. That which hath reſpect to the inner Man, eſpecially the New Man, a ſaving Work in the Soul, is the Subject before us; which my Heart hath been much ſet upon; and after my Pilgrimage and Travels amongſt you above Forty Four Years, in many Difficulties, not without ſome ſucceſs of my poor Labours, knowing that ſhortly I muſt put off this my Tabernacle 2 Pet. 1.14. I was willing to leave one Legacy more behind me, as a ſtanding Teſtimony to ſurviving Poſterity, of my ancient endeared Love to your precious Souls, and a mean of your ſpiritual good, when my Mouth is ſtop'd with Duſt: And having lately treated on this Subject, ſome of you deſired me to Print it, which I was the more willing to do, upon theſe Motives; 1. Becauſe I am ſure the Subject is of daily, important, and univerſal uſe: 2. I have not ſeen any full Treatiſe upon this Subject: 3. Moſt need it: 4. Some were greatly alarm'd in hearing it; and who knows what good the preſenting it to the Eye, as well as to the Ear may do? It's true, it is ſimply and plainly dreſt, not with Ornaments of Art or Rhetorical Flouriſhes to ſet it off to the Learned, being calculated in intelligible Language to vulgar Capacities, and poſſibly it may prove more profitable to Country Hearers: nor ought it to offend any, that much of this Treatiſe is in Scripture dialect in words, The Holy Ghoſt teacheth, 1 Cor. 2.13. which the Spiritual Man cannot but approve, and Love.
And now, my dear Neighbours and Friends, God knows, and you know, From the firſt day that I came to you, after what manner I have been with you at all Seaſons, Acts 20.18. My Tears, Temptations, Baniſhment, Impriſonment, Confiſcations, Night Travels, and Preachings, Faſtings, Watchings, Incouragements, Diſcouragements: and I may truly appeal to the Searcher of Hearts, wha the ſame Apoſtle ſaid of his Galatians, My little Children, of whom I travail in Birth again, until Chriſt be formed in you, Gal. 4.19. Alas, what are you better for having Chriſt revealed to you, unleſs he be revealed in you, Gal. 1.16. Oh! wo will be to you, if you prove Chriſtleſs, after your hearing ſo much of Chriſt. Words ſignifie little without a Work: every work will not ſerve turn, but what is genuine, and accompany Salvation. I will ſay to you, as Dr. Harris to his Children in his laſt Will and Teſtament; Think how you and I ſhall endure the Sight, the Thought one of another at the Laſt Day, if you appear in the Old Adam; much leſs ſhall you ſtand before Chriſt, unleſs you ſhew the Image of Chriſt in you; and therefore never ceaſe till you be made New Creatures, and ſtudy well what that is. Thus he.
Alas! Sirs, you may make a ſhift to paſs through this world unſuſpected; many Moraliſts, yea, Chriſtians, may ſubſcribe their Names to your Teſtimonial, and give you the Right Hand of fellowſhip in this world, when you muſt be ſet at the Left in th… next: Things will not then be carried as they are now. Deal faithfully with God and your own Souls; ſee you have the Root of the Matter, the Life of Grace: you may herd amongſt the Sheep now, and be found amongſt Goats at laſt. A King will give his Subjects liberty to travel into another King's Dominions, reſerving their Loyalty to their own King: Papiſts in Queen Elizabeth's days, being commanded to go to Church, or be puniſhed, ſent to the Pope for a Reſolution of this Caſe of Conſcience: His Anſwer was, They might comply; but Fili, da mihi cor, My Son, give me thy Heart: Thus the Devil will give you leave to read, pray, hear, receive, attend on Ordinances; but as long as he hath you fast by the Heart-ſtrings, you are still his Slaves, none of God's Servants: for the Soul is the Man: As a man thinketh in his Heart, ſo is he, Prov. 23.7. As a man's Principles are ſtated, ſo he receives his denomination, a good or a bad, a Jew, or an Heathen; a Saint or a Bruit. If you have a Beaſt's Heart in the ſhape of a Man, God will eſteem you no better than a Beaſt. And it's an uſual Saying, It is better be a Beaſt, than be like a Beaſt. It is the Saying of a Learned Man. Some make the Image of the Living God hewn out of the Stock of a dead Tree: But the New Creature is not ſuch a lifeleſs thing as many imagine: It is the Spirit of power, of love, and of a ſound mind, Baxter's Life of Faith, pag. 122.2 Tim. 17. This Text, (ſaith a good Divine) doth expreſs the three parts of God's Image in the New Creature, foreign, certainly this vital Principle hath ſtrong and vigorous motions God-wards, and againſt Sin; Its an holy Spark, working upwards to God, and forwards streight for Heaven: Moſt Profeſſors are miſtaken in this great Work; though Miniſters are oft calling on you Sinners to look about you, we tell you, there's a Cheat in the caſe, Satan is buſie to lay his Brats in God's Bed. Counterfeit Coin is common; our Warnings now will be thought of, theſe frequent Summons will ring in your Ears, our Sermons will have a Repetition in this, or in another world: Conſcience will gall you, and you cannot plead Ignorance, or ſay, [non putâram] I thought not of ſuch a day. How often do we tell you of the danger of dying in your old ſtate, and of that Sulphurous Lake, that thouſands are ſcolded in that once lived as ſecurely as you now do, and they are in an hopeleſs, helpleſs Eternity; and how can you tell but this may be the last day? the laſt warning or overture of Grace, the last knock at your Door? God may ſay, Away, be gone out of my ſight, take him, Devil, I will no more be troubled with ſuch a Miſcreant. But if after all this, you be ſenceleſs, and lie ſtill while you are nailed in your Coffin, you are dead, twice dead; and this Security is a confutation of that Principle, that Adam and his Poſterity by the Fall, is not dead, but ſleepeth, or only in a ſwound and languor, but life is in him: No, no, this ſad Stupor or Spiritual Lethargy, ſhews it's not an excitation of a principle, but an infuſion of new Life: all our ſhouting, and rubbing, and pricking, will not recover Sinners; we muſt leave them to a creating Power, and to him that can raiſe the Dead.
But let me rather perſuade you to look after this New-Creation-Work, from the Advantage it will be to all ſorts of Perſons, of every Age and Relation.
Oh! you Old Perſons, that are going off the Stage of the World, dropping into the Grave and Eternity, that have been long, and not yet lived, begin at laſt to turn over a new leaf, ſeek a New Life, that you may have Comfort, and not terrour in your expiring Pangs: yet there is hope, God ſtill waits to be gracious, and ſtands knocking at your Door; riſe out of your Bed of ſloth, put back the Barr, admit him with all his Graces; make out for this Change, againſt your laſt Change.
You Young People, that have lately ſtep'd into the World, and ſlip'd thus far before you know where you are, it may be, young in Years, old in Sin, you are entring into a wicked world, with wicked hearts, Oh! look after this bleſſed Antidote, that may prevent Infection; be ſure of a Pilot that may row you through this boiſterous Sea ſafe to the Haven: without new hearts you will make this bad World worſe, and be worſe by it; rather ſeek to amend it.
You that are entring into Callings, or for changing Conditions, you will be fit for nothing without this; you will bring a Curſe into every Relation, and Vocation without this: but this will make you fit for any thing, and you will be attended with God's Bleſſing, in all you ſet about.
You Married Perſons, I recommend this New Creature to you, that you be ſure to marry in the Lord, then you will be Heirs together of the Grace of Life: and pray, praiſe God together, have this ſweet Relation perfum'd, and meet in Glory.
You Rich Perſons are Beggars without this; this will make you rich and honourable, the excellent in the Earth, God's Jewels, Favourites of Heaven. And you poor, that cannot get daily Bread, this will make you rich in Faith, Heirs of a Kingdom: Oh what a Treaſure is this fear of the Lord!
You poor Athenians, that are always inquiring after News, new Opinions, new Inventions, new Faſhions, here's a brave and bleſſed piece of Novelty for you; this New Creature will ſtand you in ſtead, not ſo much to pleaſe your itching Ears, as to profit your Languiſhing Souls.
Well, I have done my poor Endeavour, to effect this work upon your Hearts. When we have ſaid and done all we can, we have done nothing at all, except the Eternal Jehovah ſtrike with the great Hammer: O thou infinite Almighty God, that haſt made the Earth by thy Power, haſt eſtabliſhed the World by thy Wiſdom, and ſtretched out the Heavens by thy diſcretion, Jer. 10.12. Look into the Hearts of Sinners, ſee what a Chaos of Confuſion is by Sin, brought upon the noble Soul; go o're thy Work again, mend what Sin hath marred, put Light in the Underſtanding, Power into the Will, Rectitude into the Affections, make Conſcience do its office. O that Corruption may be mortified, Satan caſt out, a ſound Principle introduced, the Soul redintegrated, and everlaſtingly ſaved.
I commend theſe my poor Labours into the Hands of God, to uſe them as he ſees good; and to you that heard theſe Sermons, and to others that ſhall take the pains to read them, having delivered my Conſcience, in ſome meaſure of Uprightneſs, whether the Effect anſwer my Pains and Aims, or no: And in this labour of Love, I am willing to take my Leave of the World, as to troubling it any further in this kind, and commend you, my Brethren, to God, and to the Word of his Grace, which is able to [renew your hearts, and] build you up, and to give you an Inheritance among all them which are ſanctified; Acts 20.32. which is the daily Prayer of
A Poor Watch-man for Your Souls, O. H. May, 3. 95.
THE CONTENTS.
Chap. I. THe Text opened, a Doctrine raiſed and handled, Page 1
Chap. II. What is meant by a New Creature; Doctrine raiſed Page 13
Chap. III. Why this is called a New Creature? A Parallel betwixt the Old Creation and this New Creation Page 30
Chap. IV. Wherein the New Creature is available to Souls Page 43
Chap. V. Some Inferences by way of Queſtion and Anſwer from the Premiſes Page 56
Chap. VI. An Uſe of Reproof and Conviction of ſundry ſorts Page 69
Chap. VII. An Uſe of Correction for Reforming Sinners Miſtakes Page 94
Chap. VIII. Some Objections of Sinners anſwered, againſt their Endeavours to be New Creatures Page 110
Chap. IX. Inſtructions for the Tryal of our Spirits, whether we be indeed New Creatures Page 124
Chap. X. A further Tryal of the New Creature, as to the Will and Affections; the Subjects of it; and its Properties Page 138
Chap. XI. A Tryal of the New Creature, by its Effects, Conſequences and Proper Operations Page 152
Chap. XII. Directions what Means may be uſed for the obtaining this New Creature Page 164
Chap. XIII. Inſtructions, how thoſe muſt behave themſelves that are indeed New Creatures Page 177
Chap. XIV. An Anſwer to ſome Caſes of Conſcience Page 189
Galatians vi. 15.
For in Chriſt Jeſus neither Circumciſion availeth any thing, nor Ʋncircumciſion, but a New Creature.