A New Creature, Discourse · Chapter 13
Chap. XIII. Inſtructions, how thoſe muſt behave themſelves that are indeed New Creatures.
A Third Head to be inſiſted upon in this Uſe of Inſtruction, is to direct ſincere Chriſtians that do find by good proof, that this New Creature is wrought in them, how they ſhould live, walk, and behave themſelves in the World, both towards God and Man.
1. Uſe God's appointed means for clearing up the reality of this New Creature: it's one thing to be, another thing to know that we are New Creatures: Alas, ſome ſincere Souls walk at Uncertainties. A Letter may be written, ſaith one, though it be not ſealed: So Grace may be writ in the Soul, though the Spirit hath not ſet to its Seal: partly to keep the Soul humble, partly to puniſh ſome Sin: But I muſt not handle the common place of Aſſurance, the poſſibility, the hindrances, helps, advantages, nature or kinds of Aſſurance; but give an hint. Are the Figures of Grace ingraven upon the Dial of your Hearts, pray and wait for the Sun of Righteouſneſs ſhining on it, that you may better ſee what time of day it is in your Hearts: yet if you grope in the dark, you may feel ſome Characters engraven: however, give diligence to make first your Calling, then your Election ſure, 2 Pet. 1.10. Your happineſs conſiſts in being, and your comfort in knowing you are New Creatures. Heb. 6.10. And we deſire that every one of you do ſhew the ſame diligence, to the full aſſurance of hope to the end. Another Text calls for a full aſſurance of Faith in drawing nigh to God, Heb. 10.22. Another ſpeaks of Aſſurance of underſtanding; yea, full Aſſurance, yea, Riches of full aſſurance, Col. 2.2. Then indeed thy Heart will be comforted to the purpoſe: O labour after much Grace, much Comfort, or the joy of the Lord is your strength, Neh. 8.10. and will chear up your Hearts in every condition and affliction. O Brethren, content not your ſelves to live at Uncertainties, or under Doubts, but uſe all means to attain to the higheſt pitch of Aſſurance that is attainable in this world.
2. Thank God for this rich mercy of the New Creation in your Souls: will you bleſs God for the good Creatures that nouriſh your Bodies, and will you not adore him for this new, and more excellent Creature in your inward man? Say as the bleſſed Apoſtle, 1 Pet. 1.3. Bleſſed be God, the Father of our Lord Jeſus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us again to a lively hope, by the Reſurrection of Jeſus Christ from the Dead. Next to Chriſt's bleſſed Undertakings for you, this is the greateſt mercy God vouchſafed to you, to form Chriſt in your Souls: Alas, what were you better then the reſt of the corrupt Maſs of Mankind, that lay in the Ordure of Sin? What deſert was there in you, that you ſhould be raiſed up to ſit with Princes, even with the Princes of his People, to be made like Angels: Surely you that are ſuch Patterns of Mercy, muſt be Trumpets of God's Praiſe, you that were ſtinking Carcaſes, incarnate Devils, to be made by this New Creation a choſen Generation, a royal Prieſthood, an holy Nation, a peculiar People; what is this for, but that you ſhould ſhew forth the Praiſes of him who hath called you out of Darkneſs into his marvelous Light, 1 Pet. 2.9. O admire free Grace, and ſay with David, Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my Houſe that thou haſt brought me hitherto, 2 Sam. 7.18. How many Millions of pretending Chriſtians know nothing of this great Work, experimentally: this is as Life from the Dead, infinitely better then natural Life, and all the comforts there of.
3. Take heed of declining or Apoſtaſy; The New Creature is but a Creature, it may fail, yea, it will fail, if not ſupported by an Almighty Hand, and if God be provoked, he may juſtly withdraw, and leave us to our ſelves: then we fall, as a Staff ſupported by an Hand: its true, the Covenant ſecures real Saints from falling finally, but imperfect Grace expoſeth them to falling foully, as David, Peter: Be jealous of thy ſelf, Bleſſed is he that feareth always, Prov. 28.14. Be not ſecure, that expoſeth to Satan's Temptations: Sleep levels all, the Wiſe Man is no wiſer then a Fool to project his own ſafety; or the Strong Man better than the Weak to defend himſelf: the beſt of Saints in Spiritual Slumber, becomes as Sampſon, but like another man: watch, that you enter not into Temptation, Matth. 26.41. It's worth watching to keep the Houſe from Robbing: Sleeping one Night, may keep thee waking many Nights in Sorrow, as it did David: The ſleepy Chriſtian oft loſeth God's Preſence, as Chriſt withdrew from the ſleepy Spouſe, Cant. 5.2, 4. A ſleepy Soul is not capable of improving Chriſt or Grace: put the ſweeteſt Wine in a ſleepy Man's Hand, it will be ſpilt: And if at any time you take a Nap, rouze up your ſelves, gird on your Armour, rally your routed Forces: Remember whence you are fallen, repent, do your firſt Works, Rev. 2.5. Awake out of your Lethargy, leſt it end in Apoſtaſy: when thou haſt fallen, ſhew this New Creature is in thee by a rebound upwards, in renewed Purpoſes againſt Sin, recover thy Spiritual ſtrength, activity and familiarity with God; be reſtleſs till Matters be ſet right again, like a Bird from its Neſt, a Stone from its Center, or as undigeſted Meat on a ſick Stomach, that hath no eaſe till Sin be pickt up by a Vomit of Repentance; and renewed Acts of Faith: Look to your ſelves, that we loſe not thoſe things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward, 2 John 8.
4. Get this New Creature increaſed: be not content with the habit: if you ſay you have enough, you have no Grace: your buſineſs is to perfect Holineſs in the fear of God, 2 Cor. 7.1. To grow in Grace, that you may be ſtrong in the Lord, and in the power of his might, 2 Pet. 3.18. 2 Tim. 2.1. Dead things grow not: Children grow, and are fed by that by which they were bred, as new born Babes, deſire the ſincere Milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby, 1 Pet. 2.2. Be often ſucking the Breaſts, and you will grow up to further maturity. There is, ſaith one, much Scurf on the Face of this new born Babe of Grace, which by degrees will wear off as it grows up, and ſo be more diſcernable: growth helps to ſee its truth: blow up this Spark into a Flame, and it will be viſible: An Hypocrite grows not, no more than the Hands, Arms, Legs of a pictured Child on the Wall, let it be there never ſo long. Oh, ſtrive to grow every day better, to grow from ſtrength to ſtrength, Pſal. 84.7. reaching after Perfection in Grace; to run the Race ſet before you: to get daily more power againſt Corruption: He is a careful and skilful Phyſician that evacuates the Diſeaſe, and corroborates or ſtrengthens the Body: you muſt do both: the Old Man and New Creature, are like Weights in Ballances, as the one aſcends, the other deſcends: as the Earth and Sea, where the one loſeth, the other gaineth: Oh, be ſtill on the gaining Hand, improve all Mercies, Afflictions, Ordinances, Providences, for nouriſhing this New Creature in your Souls: when you are grown moſt, you will ſtill be defective, ſomething will ſtill be lacking in your Faith, Love, Humility, 1 Theſ. 3.10. You know but in part, and are not yet ripe.
5. Live up to this New Creature, live at the rate of Perſons ſo principled, walk worthy of God, who hath called you into his Kingdom and glory, worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called, 1 Theſ 2.12. Let your Converſation be as becometh the Goſpel, Eph. 4.1. Phil. 1.27. There's an Only upon this, as a moſt comprehenſive Word: you muſt act above the rate of carnal men, Soberly, Righteouſly, Godly, Tit. 2.12. If you be ſingled out to be New Creatures, what ſingular thing do you? Matth. 5.47. What do you more then others? Remember, Sirs, you are New Creatures; an old Heart would have ſerved well enough to have done the Devil's drudgery withal: you are new born to higher Employment, now you muſt ſerve not in the oldneſs of the Letter, but in the newneſs of the Spirit, Rom. 7.6. When the Temple was built with ſuch curious Care, and coſtly Materials, ſurely it was for Holy Uſe? Sincere Chriſtians are God's workmanſhip created in Chriſt Jeſus to good works, Eph. 2.10. Now it becomes you to act as you are: it would accent your Sin with a greater Circumflex, if you ſin, that have ſuch a curious Work of the Spirit in your Hearts, as none in the World-have beſides you: you are conſecrated Perſons, and by your Sin you prophane God's Temple; other's Sins are Theft, your's Sacrilege, becauſe you rob God of what was devoted to him: when God breathed ſuch a noble Soul into Man's Body, he deſigned him for higher Acts then meerly Senſe, as Beaſts, or to converſe with Beaſts, 1 Cor. 3.3. So Chriſtian, thou art of an higher extraction, then to walk as Men, as carnal Men; no, Friend, as thou haſt received Chriſt, ſo thou muſt walk in him, Col. 2.6. O take heed of Sin, it's contrary to the Divine Nature God hath planted in thee; now we know the more unnatural any Act is, the more horrid: as for a Woman to kill her own Child, or a Man to be cruel to his own Fleſh: Oh take heed of Killing the Babe of Grace in thy Soul, by Sin; but live up to the Principles and Privileges.
6. Attend upon God in all his Inſtitutions, and in all put forward for cloſer communion with him in all Duties and Ordinances, as in hearing the Word, Prayer, Seals of the Covenant, Chriſtian Conference, Communion of Saints: theſe are the Air that the Chriſtian breathes in; the moſt wholſom for this New Creature, Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy Houſe, and the place where thine Honour dwells, Pſal. 26.8. And he often cries out for the Living God; Oh when, ſaith he, ſhall I come and appear before God? Nothing lies nearer David's holy Heart then God's preſence in his Ordinances, Pſal. 42.1.63, 1, 2.84.1, 2. It is or ſhould be ſo with the New Creature: but oh wait for the Spirit's wafting over thy Soul to Jeſus: reſt not in Ordinances, they are but the Boat or Bridge to carry thy Soul over to God: the Ordinance is loſt, and thy labour is in vain if thou do not enjoy God in Ordinances. O labour to ſee Chriſt walking in the midſt of the golden Candleſticks, Rev. 2.1 Be ſure you hold Chriſt in the Galleries, Cant. 7.5. Ordinances are the golden Pipes that empty the golden Oyl out of themſelves, Zech. 4. Be ſure that of his fulneſs you receive, and Grace for Grace, Joh. 1.16. The Holy Ghoſt ſits in Ordinances as a Miniſter of State in his Office, ready to diſtribute to every ones caſe as there is need: thou art at the right Door, wait his leiſure, and it ſhall not be in vain.
7. Endeavour to propagate Religion, do what thou canſt to make others new Creatures, thy Relations, Neighbours, and all thou art acquainted with: this is the Duty, yea, the Property of the new Creature by Prayer, Advice, Example, procuring the help of Miniſters, Chriſtian Friends: 'tis true, no man can propagate Grace to another, it's not in our own power to effect it, but we muſt endeavour it: Oh how Paul was concern'd for his Country-men the wilful unbelieving Jews, Rom. 9.10. His Prayers, Tears, Wiſhes, ſpeak him their cordial Friend, who were his bitter Enemies. God commanded Abraham that all his Houſe ſhould be circumciſed, to have him go as far as he could to draw them into affinity with God: true Grace makes men love Relations better than ever, and cauſeth natural Affection to run in a ſpiritual Channel, which vents it ſelf for the good of their Souls: Be concerned to make a Joynture of the Promiſes, to thy VVife, an entail of the Covenant to thy Children: this is a thouſand times better then leaving them thouſands a Year: Should not you deſire that one Heaven may hold thoſe hereafter, that one Houſe hold now? Oh tremble to think when your Houſe breaks up, of one going to Heaven, another to Hell: and let your Charity extend it ſelf to all you are acquainted with, and let your Practices be convincing and winning to all about you: Alas, what multitudes are there that are unexperienced in this mighty work, yet muſt feel it, or never be happy: do what thou canſt to call in all to this bleſſed Feaſt, yet there's room, Luk. 14.22. Haſt thou none thou loveſt ſo well as to wiſh them thy happineſs? There's no Envy in Spiritual things, the more and merrier, and no leſs chear: it will add ſome Pearls to thy Crown to win Souls: If a Neighbour lock'd himſelf in a Room on deſign to murder himſelf, wouldſt thou not break open the Door and reſcue him? Oh happy Souls that are imployed and ſucceſsful in this Soul-Charity!
I have long ago, ſeen a Book writ by Mr. Reiner of Lincoln, called, The Rule of the New Creature, to which I refer the Reader that can procure it; at preſent I ſhall ſumm up my thoughts in theſe Twenty brief Rules of Direction.
1. Reaſon right, and Reckon ſtreight: let your Reaſon be regulated by the Word of God, Luke 5.21.1 Pet. 3.15. It muſt follow Faith, not give Law and meaſure to it: be ſure your Accounts be ſquared by the Golden Rule of Scripture, 1 Cor. 4.3. Set all ſtreight againſt the Reckoning Day, Rom. 14.12.
2. Baulk no Sufferings for Chriſt, to avoid ſin againſt Chriſt: Be content to fill up Chriſt's Sufferings, Col. 1.24. Nay, be glad to ſuffer, Matth. 5.11. But tremble to ſin: Sinleſs ſufferings are ſweet, Heb. 11.26. But ſweet ſins will be Bitterneſs in the end, Rev. 2.2. Bear any thing but Sin.
3. Profeſs what you are, and be what you profeſs, Rom. 10.10. Matth. 10.32, 33. Think not to diſſemble with Men, for worldly Ends: but upon a juſt Cauſe and Call, own Godlineſs: be indeed Nathaniels, John 1.47. Pretend not more then truth: God knows the Heart, Heb. 4.13.
4. Serve God for Service, not for Wages: or rather, let his Service be your Wages, Pſal. 19.11. or reward, ſo it is, God himſelf is the Saints reward, Gen. 17.1. Hypocrites make Religion a Mount to aſcend to ſome other End: let God be thy all, Matth. 6.3. Pſal. 73.25.
5. Be moſt for God, when God ſeems moſt againſt thee: its pure Faith and Love to hang cloſeſt to an angry God, Job 13.15. Hoſ. 6.3. To conceive moſt hopes through Chriſt, when Senſe and Reaſon make againſt you, this is a Faith to be admired, Matth. 15.28.
6. Joyn pure Precepts to precious Promiſes: look on Precepts as pure, therefore lovely, Pſal. 119.140. Dare not to divorce them, though for your Spiritual Intereſt: Heb. 8.10. Rom. 7.12, 14, 22. See to the Law within you, and before you, as well as plead the Promiſes of the Goſpel for you.
7. Be beſt when leaſt in Mens ſight: God and Souls give each other their Loves, when alone, Cant. 7.12. Pſal. 17.25. Matth. 6.6. Make God your Witneſs; not Men only: Friends are moſt familiar when they are withdrawn from all other Company.
8. Sail low, but aim high; conclude you have not attained to Perfection, Phil. 3.13, 15. Rom. 12. but ſtill be deſigning it, be not high-minded, yet mind higheſt things; aſpire to be better then others, yet eſteem others better than you, Phil. 2.3, 4.
9. Do all you muſt, not all you may, Eph. 5.15.1 Cor. 10.23. walk to the height of a Command, not to the utmoſt of lawful liberty; go not near the Pit's brink, ſtand faſt in your Chriſtian liberty, Gal. 5.1, 13. but do not always uſe it.
10. Be beſt when others are worſt: be as Noah in the Old World, Gen. 6.9, 19. Lot in Sodom, Timothy in Epheſus, Joſhua among the Iſraelites: be hotteſt in coldeſt Weather, brighteſt in the darkeſt Night, Savour of Heaven in Hell, Neh. 5.20-5.15. Phil. 2.15.
11. Be Rational, when moſt Spiritual: do nothing at hap-hazard, or with a blind Zeal, let all Services be reaſonable, Rom. 12.1. Ezek. 18. God's Will is our Rule, and his ways are equal, the higheſt Reaſon in Man, is to comply with God's pleaſure.
12. Naturalize Religion, and Spiritualize the World: let Godlineſs be as ſecond nature, 2 Pet. 1.4. Phil. 2.20. Let common Objects, Occurrences be well improved to good Ends and Purpoſes: Mercies, Afflictions, Spiritual Chymiſts turn all to Gold, Rom. 8.28.
13. Be dead living, and lively in thoughts of Death, Col. 3.3. Gal. 6.14. A Child of God is a Paradox, dead to the World, crucified, yet the moſt active and vigorous Perſon in the World: you muſt have the beſt Death and beſt Life, then fear not Death.
14. Suit Grace to every caſe; in confeſſing Sin, mourn, in begging Mercy, working Deſires, in Thanksgiving, Joyfulneſs, yet rejoyce with trembling, 1 Cor. 15.30, 55. Heb. 2.14. Pſal. 38.18. Matth. 5.4. Pſal. 2.11. Phil. 1.2. Pſal. 26.12. in Proſperity, have Humility, in Adverſity, Contentment, your Foot muſt ſtill ſtand in an even place.
15. Let your life be a Comment on your Faith: let your believing and living be harmonious: let Doctrine of Faith, Grace of Faith, Life of Faith, ſweetly correſpond, Doctrine according to Godlineſs, Godlineſs according to Truth, James 2.18. 1 Tim. 1.5. Tit. 1.1. Rom. 2.18, 23, 24. Jer. 32.19. Let not Head and Hands be contradictory.
16. Eye God that eyes you in all you do: think the King of Heaven ſees thee, the Omnipreſent God is in the room with thee, the Omniſcient God knows thy Heart, approve thy Heart to God, let thine Eyes be ever on him, towards him, Pſal 35.15.26, 3.
17. Eccho to divine Calls, when God hath a Mouth to ſpeak, have an Ear, Tongue, ſay, Here I am. Word or Rod, a call to Duty, from Sin; what's the meaning of this? Oh that I could attain God's end, and not reſiſt or quench the holy Spirit, 1 Sam. 3. Pſal. 27.8. Mich. 6.9. 1 Theſ. 5.19.
18. Obſerve and make up daily decays, keep up your Watch that you ſin not, Matth. 26.41.1 John 2.2. But if you ſin, lie not in it, but riſe, mourn, act Faith on Chriſt, your great Advocate, let not an ill matter go on quickly, recover your firſt Love, Rev. 2.4, 5.
19. Give no Offence careleſly, and take no Offence cauſleſly: let there be no occaſion of ſtumbling in you, 1 John 2.10. Matth. 7.1. Judge not uncharitably, take all that's ſaid and done by the right handle: make no ſiniſter Conſtructions, 1 Cor. 10.32.
20. When you have done all, Luke 17.10. Phil. 3.7, 8. Say, all this is as nothing at all, to appeaſe God's Wrath, or ſatisfie Juſtice, in an abſolute Senſe, and to do what's required in a comparative ſenſe, without Chriſt I can do nothing, John 15.5.
Thus I have briefly touch'd the Rules of this New Creature, which I leave to the Reader's further Conſideration and Practice.