The Gospel New-Creature, Treatise 3 · Commentary

The Gospel New-Creature · Treatise 3 · Commentary

p. 209The Goſpel New-Creature, poſitively opened.

I Might here ſhew you how every faculty of the ſoul is renewed, As the underſtanding, by the infuſion of new and divine light into it, which is ſtyled the Enlightening the eyes of the underſtanding, Epheſ. 1.18. and to be renewed in the Spirit of the mind, Eph. 4.23. How the will is altered and changed, the affections made new, the conſcience purged and ſanctified, with all the powers of the ſoul: but I ſhall not take this Method, but rather purſue a more familiar way, more particularly ſhewing the make of the New-Creature, in reference ſtill to its being ſo in Chriſt, which is our principall ſcope. Firſt, then;

1. To the making and framing the New Creature, there muſt be a New-Nature; If there be a New-Creature formed, there muſt be a New-Nature to make it ſo; hence believers that are in Chriſt, are ſaid to be partakers of the divine nature, 2 Pet. 1.4. Which is wrought, by the incorruptible ſeed of the word, 1 Pet. 1.22. Whereby we are ſaid to be born again, And I am. 1.28. Of his will, own will, begat he us with the word of truth, &c. Which ſeed, is the ſeed of God in believers, the ſeed of every grace in the ſoul, which is ſomething of the likeneſſe of God wrought in the p. 210ſoul, and ſo acts the ſoul towards God; which is ſtyled the infuſed habits of every grace in the ſoul; this New-Nature works contrary to the old corrupt nature, and it is ſtyled, The regenerate part, the new inward man, Epheſ. 4.24. and aſſoon as it is wrought and formed in the ſoul, it works againſt the ſinfull diſpoſitions of the old Adam in us, and there is a new war or conflict begun within us, (which is ſomething more then the reſiſtance of a naturall conſcience as we have ſhewed) I ſee another Law in my members, warring againſt the Law of my mind, Rom. 7.23. &c. The fleſh luſteth againſt the Spirit, and the Spirit againſt the fleſh, and theſe two are contrary to each others Gal. 5.17. And under this daily conflict and war within, is every New-Creature, while we abide in the fleſhly tabernacle. This is the firſt peculiar diſtinguiſhing Workmanſhip of the New-Creature, there's a new ſeed, a new divine nature infuſed into the ſoul.

2. As there is a New-Nature, ſo it followes that this New-Creature hath a new life, it is a Living New-Creature; ſo regenerate perſons are ſaid to be quicken'd in Chriſt, who were before dead in ſins and treſpaſſes, Eph. 2.1, 5. And, The dead ſhall hear the voice of the Son of God and live, John 5. And they are ſaid to be, Alive unto God, Rom. 6.11. Christ liveth in me, Gal. 2.20. Which new life muſt neceſſarily be, becauſe,

1. Every naturall man, (as hath bin already hinted) is dead in ſin, and is ſaid to be without this life of God, Eph. 4.18. The Life of God departed from the ſoul, whereby it had Communion with God, upon our fall in the firſt Adam; therefore, if we are p. 211recovered, we muſt have a new Life from God infuſed into us.

2. If there be not a new life breathed in us, we can put forth no ſpiritual vigour in any duty towards God, and ſo all our duties, ſervices, worſhip would be dead fleſhly duties; this I have alſo hinted in ſhewing the neceſſity of being in Chriſt, if a New-Creature.

3. As there is a new nature, and a new life, to begin the New-Creature; ſo, thence there's anew breathing; The Soul falls a breathing after God, and after Jeſus Chriſt; As the life which God breath'd into man at his firſt Creation, is call'd the breath of life, Gen. 2.7. And aſſoon as ever there is life, this new life breath'd by the Holy Ghoſt in the New-Creature, there's preſently a breathing of this life, as indeed one of the firſt diſcoveries of it, (as breath is the moſt immediate acting of Life) the ſoul breathes, and pants, and cryes after God himſelf, Pſal. 42.1. As the hart panteth after the water-brookes, ſo panteth my ſoul after thee, Oh God; I opened my mouth, and panted, Pſal. 119.131. So that prayer, that is ſpirituall, it is the breath of a living ſoul; Paul that breath'd out cruelties againſt the Saints, when converted, and made Alive, he falls a breathing after God; Acts 9.— Behold he prayeth. And this doth indeed ariſe from the very nature of ſaving grace, which is to carry a ſoul to God through Jeſus Chriſt, to ſet it a longing not only after mercy, and pardon, and peace, but after God himſelf, Pſal. 63.1. My ſoul is a thirſt for God, the living God, &c. As alſo from the diſſatisfaction and emptineſſe the ſoul begins to find in all Creature-enjoyments, which now it cannot (having p. 212had a view of Chriſt) be ſatisfied and contented with, but the ſoul muſt have God, muſt have Jeſus Chriſt, muſt have the likeneſs of Jeſus Chriſt, and ſo it breathes, cryes, pants after God, and the poſſeſſion of him, and communion with him, as the Souls higheſt perfection.

1. Now, therefore, before I go any further, let this be well-weighed: Have you this breathing in you, which when you were dead in ſin, you had not. This is the leaſt degree of grace, if the ſoul be not thus breathing, panting, thirſting, longing after Jeſus Chriſt, ſo that you cannot, muſt not, be ſatisfied, but in the enjoyment of him; verily you are dead, and the grace of God is not in you: ſo that it may be for a true diſcovery of your ſtates. Conſider, what your hearts do moſt breathe after, what they moſt earneſtly pant for: Oh! Is it for Jeſus Chriſt himſelf? The hearts of Carnal Worldlings are ſaid to pant after the duſt of the Earth, Amos 2.7. that is it the carnal mans heart thirſts after: but a Soul in Chriſt breathes upward, the Treaſures of Heaven it pants after, and will never be at reſt, till ſatisfied with them.

2. This may ſerve to diſtinguiſh formal praying, from that which is of the Spirit in the Children of God. There's no ſuch thing as the breathing, panting, crying, longing of the Soul after God, and Holineſs, and Communion with him, in formal ſaying of prayers: the thing done, quiets the Conſcience; but for God himſelf, the Soul thirſts not for: Therefore you that pray in forms in ſecret, and content your ſelves, in ſaying and repeating ſuch a form of words, ſure you have little or no breathing for Jeſus p. 213Chriſt in ſuch Duties, the Heart is not exerciſed in longings and pantings for God: ye Souls, that pray out of forms, upon terrors, and no more upon the Conſcience, but you thirſt not, breathe nor after God himſelf, you may be ſhort of the life of God in you.

3. This may alſo encourage weak Souls, that have but broken words, to expreſs themſelves to God, yet your very Souls do breathe and pant after the Lord: verily the life of Chriſt is in you, if it be indeed ſo with you, and God will hear thoſe breathings in you, Lam. 3.56. Hide not thine Ear at my breathings. The bleſſed God will not hide his Ear from the breathings of his poor Children.

OnelyOnly let crying-panting Souls take heed, that this breath be not ſtopt nor intermitted: 'tis a moſt dangerous thing to intermit the breath of Prayer, that it grows weaker and fainter, it will be a ſign unto you, and a ſad one too, that the New-Creature is rather decaying, then increaſing in you.

Be not contented with no more praying, then will juſt, as we ſay, hold Life and Soul together; that's to live at a very low rate; but juſt to live, if that. As breathing takes in the Air, revives, enlargeth the Natural Spirits, renders the whole man lively, and lightſome, and vigorous; ſo doth this conſtant Spiritual breathing with God, and after God; it enlargeth the Heart, revives the Soul, keeps freſhneſs and vigour of Spirit in the way of God, when God comes in with a full gale upon the ſoul, how ſweetly is it refreſhed, how doth faintneſs, wearineſs, indiſpoſition, go off, and the Spirit of a poor Creature is chearful with God, and bleſſedly delights p. 214it ſelf in him. Oh delight to be every where in every way, where God breathes upon the hearts of his people, and where they breathe after him.

And let new living Souls take heed, by the way, how their Hearts do pant after the Earth and World, and the Contentments of it: this will as much damp Spiritual Life, and breath in the Soul, as any evil whatſoever: Lay your hearts to the fulneſs and ſweetneſses of the Lord Ieſus Chriſt, and breathe ſtrongly for them, and thoſe things will be but wind and vanity.

4. But I muſt proceed: I come now to ſpeak of the next Diſcovery of the New-Creature, and that is, it hath new ſenſes; That you may ſee how fully it anſwers the frame of man, as a Living-Creature, and what a New Creation this is: As the New-Creature hath a new Nature, a new inward life, and hath a new breathing, ſo it hath new Spiritual Senſes: So the Apoſtle, Heb. 5.14. ſpeaks of the Exerciſe of Spiritual Senſes. And as the Natural Life is exerciſed and preſerved by Senſes, ſo is alſo this new Spirituall Life of the New Creature, which I ſhall mention particularly.

Firſt, There is a New Ear given to this New Creature: This Jeſus Chriſt hath frequently promiſed, that he would open the Deaf Ear: So Job 36.10. He openeth alſo their Ear to Diſcipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity. The hearing Ear, and the ſeeing Eye, the Lord hath made even both of them, Prov. 20.12. By this opening the Ear, is meant the opening of the Heart; as 'tis ſaid of Lydia, Act. 16. Whoſe heart the Lord opened: The heart is ſhut up naturally, and naturally cannot hear the voice of the p. 215Spirit, till the Lord himſelf open it. A natural man hears no more then the voice of a man, and the Letter of the Word: but when this New Creature is formed, he is enabled to hear the voice of Jeſus Chriſt himſelf, the voice of the Spirit, Joh. 10.27. My ſheep hear my voice. A Soul can then ſay, This the Lord ſpeaks to me in ſpecial: This is the voice of Chriſt that calls me, to come to him, and that Soul comes; Jeſus Chriſt ſpeaks with a convincing, particular, powerful Word, and the Heart being opened to receive it, obeys it as his voice: And ſo in every Ordinance, 'tis the Voice of the Spirit of Chriſt the New-Creature waits for; He that hath an Ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit ſaith unto the Churches, Rev. 3. laſt.

Secondly, The New Creature hath a new ſeeing eye: The eyes of the Underſtanding opened, to ſee into the bleſſed and hidden myſteries of the Goſpel of Jeſus Chriſt, ſaith the Apoſtle of the Natural man, Eye hath not ſeen, 1 Cor. 2.9. And, ſeeing they ſee not, Math. 13.13. But Chriſt ſpeaking of called Diſciples, ſaith, Bleſſed are your eyes, for they ſee, &c. They have a new ſight of God in Jeſus Chriſt, which ſight doth abaſe them, and alſo draw them to Jeſus Chriſt. The Vail being in part taken away, they can look into the things of God which they ſaw not before, the Scriptures begin to be unveiled, and they ſee beyond the Letter of them, into the Life and Spirituality of them. And thus the Lord Jeſus promiſed of old, ſpecially as to new Teſtament-days, I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not, I will lead them in paths that they have not known, I will make darkneſſe light before them, and crooked things ſtraight. &c. Iſa. 42.16.

p. 216Thirdly, There is a new power of Taſting given to the Soul, as another Spiritual Senſe, which before the Soul had not to purpoſe. A new and bleſſed taſting of the good Word of Life, Thy Word is ſweeter then the Honey-Combe, Pſal. 19. How ſweet are thy words unto my mouth, Pſal. 119.103. If ſo be ye have taſted that the Lord is gracious, 1 Pet. 2.2. there's a new taſte of the bitterneſs of ſin; The heart knows its own bitterneſs, ſaith the Wiſe-man: A taſting of the ſpecial, free, and precious love of Chriſt: A taſting of the goodneſs of God in mercies. And thus there is a ſavoury ſpirit given to the New Creature, whereby he doth delightfully ſavour the things of Jeſus Chriſt, and can ſpeak ſavourily of them to others.

Fourthly, Adde to this a new Smelling, to which the Spouſe of Chriſt often alludes in Solomon's Song, Becauſe of the ſavour of thy good Cintments, Chap. 1.3. ſpeaking of Jeſus Chriſt, who is as a new and precious Perfume to the Soul; Who is this that cometh out of the Wilderneſs perfumed with Myrrhe and Frankincenſe, Chap. 3.6. So ſaith that Word of Promiſe, Chap. 4.6. — His ſmell ſhall be as Lebanon: And when Jeſus Chriſt breathes in his Ordinances upon bleſſed Souls, it is as a ſweet and delightſome Perfume to them.

Fifthly, There is a new feeling wrought as an effect of this new life, which the Soul hath in Chriſt, when a new Creature is in him. The natural man is without feeling, as a dead man is; let never ſo great a weight lye on a dead man, and he feels not: but now take a Soul created into Chriſt, and he feels a new Weight within him, Heb. 12.1. Sin is not onelyonly p. 217a burden, as to the weight of guilt, but every corruption, (even when the ſenſe of guilt is removed by Jeſus Chriſt) is a Weight to the Soul, under which the Soul cryes out, mourns, groans to be delivered, Rom. 7.24. Oh wretched man that I am, who ſhall deliver me from the body of this death? Sin hangs like a dead body about him.

Ʋſe. If the Goſpel-new-creature is a living new creature, and doth exerciſe Spiritual Life, and hath new ſpiritual ſenſes: Let this then be a word of Tryal to diſcover the ſtate of your Souls. Can you ſay I that was dead, am alive? I was once ſpiritually dead, without feeling; did neither ſee, nor hear, nor taſte, in a Spiritual way; but now the Lord, in rich grace, hath opened my deaf Ear, and my blind Eyes, now I have heard the Lord himſelf ſpeak to my ſoul; now I have ſeen the Lord, and my Heart is taken with him: Now I ſavour the Word of Grace, and the Miniſtration of the Goſpel is a ſweet ſavour in Chriſt to me: the Name of Jeſus Chriſt is as good Ointment to me: Now I feel a body of ſin, and groan under it, and preſs after the deſtroying and crucifying of it. Souls, If this be not your Experience, you are dead: you are without the Life of God, and Chriſt in you.

Oh! go to God, ſinners, as you have been exhorted, and cry to him to open your ear to hear, and your eye to ſee: Be convinced, that as yet your Ear hath been ſtopt, as to hearing the Lord himſelf ſpeak to you. Oh ſay, Woe is me that I am where the Lord uſeth to ſpeak, under the Miniſtration of his Goſpel, and yet he never ſpake to my Soul. Doth the Lord love me, and never ſpeak to me?

p. 218Pity, Lord, Pity a poor deaf, blind, ſtupid, unſavoury Wretch, and breathe life into me: And then wait for the Lord's Voice in his Word, Now let the Spirit himſelf ſpeak unto me, and unveil my heart, that I may ſee into the Myſteries of Jeſus Chriſt, and may ſavour them upon my poor Soul.

2. Let living Souls in Chriſt, exerciſe their Spiritual Senſes, keep the Ear open to, and waiting for, the Spirits Voice: be prying into the myſtery of God in Chriſt, and all Goſpel-Truths, get a clearer ſight of Jeſus Chriſt, till you ſhall be infinitely taken with him, and love him for himſelf: And keep the heart ſavoury, and the precious ſcent of Goſpel-grace upon your Spirits, and labour ſo to feel the weight of the body of ſin, how it poyſeth, polluteth, cloudeth the Soul, that you may come to that frame, to cry out to be delivered from it. And let it be abundant matter of praiſe to the riches of grace, that God hath given life and ſenſes to your ſouls, which he might have left under the death of ſin, to all Eternity.

5. The next Diſcovery of our Goſpel New-Creature, is this; namely, He hath a new heart. So Ezek. chap. 18.31.— Make you a new heart, and a new ſpirit, which the Lord hath in Free-grace promiſed in the New-covenant, Chap. 36.26. A new heart will I give you: which I ſhall preciſely conſider, and ſhew particularly, wherein the heart is made new.

1. The heart naturally, in its old corrupt frame, is a rebellious heart, Jer. 5.23. This people have a rebellious heart; the uſual complaint of the Prophets. Now when the Lord makes the heart new, he begins to take away the rebellion of heart, as it naturally p. 219oppoſeth the Word, Power, and Spirit of God, and the heart is made obedient and plyable to the power of the Word, the Spirit's Teachings, Iſa. 1.19. If ye be willing and obedient, you ſhall eat the good of the Land; but, if ye refuſe and rebel ye ſhall be devoured, &c. My people ſhall be willing in the day of my power, Pſal. 110. The heart, of it ſelf, is ſtubborn, obſtinate, unwilling to ſtoop to the power of Truth, to yield to Jeſus Chriſt: but when it is made new, it becomes of an yieldable frame, to the practical Obedience of Goſpel-Truths.

2. The heart as an effect of the former, is naturally hard and impenitent, Rom. 2.5. cannot mourn for ſinne: But When 'tis made new, God makes it ſoft, Ezek. 36.27. I will take away the ſtony heart out of your fleſh, and I will give you a heart of fleſh; which is a ſoft and tender heart, whereby a Soul can pour out its complaints to God: yea, the heart will pour out it ſelf like water to the Lord, Lam. 2.19. The Heart receives impreſſions of truth, as by its ſoftneſs 'tis more and more wrought to a new frame, as in the hand of the Lord.

3. The Heart is naturally proud, and makes the ſinner ſelf-conceited, and well-opinioned of his own condition, and will not ſuffer the ſinner to abaſe himſelf to God, and to take ſhame to himſelf: But, when a new Work of God's upon it, the ſinner humbles himſelf under the mighty hand of God, bears his reproach before him, and cryes out, Oh! What ſhall I do for an humble heart? Lord, take away ſubdue Pride in a wretched creature, Jam. 4.10. Now he becomes a poor ſelf-emptyed creature, undone, helpleſs; and to a full Chriſt he at laſt goes.

p. 2204. The Heart is naturally hypocritical: The hypocrite in heart heaps up wrath, Job 36.13. Now when God makes the heart new, then it begins to be ſincere, in ſome good meaſure, for God: before the poor deceived ſinner, thought he did all with a good heart; that he did bear much upon, that he did all with a good heart: but when God ſhews him his heart, by the Candle of his Word and Spirit, then the poor Creature ſees what a Hell of Hypocriſie was, and is, within him; that he acted in all Duties, as from himſelf, ſo to himſelf, and not uprightly unto God: But when the Lord new frames the heart, then the Soul is after new, ſincere, holy aims for God in all it does, is moſt abaſed for ſelfiſh and hypocritical mixtures, and would account nothing well done, but as God is deſigned in it, and labours to walk in ſimplicity of heart, and godly ſincerity, as of God, and in the ſight of God, &c. 2 Cor. 1.12.

5. The old Heart is full of all uncleanneſs and impurity, and cares not to be cleanſed: So ſaith Chriſt to the Jews, Mat. 23.27. Within you are full of dead mens bones, (rottenneſs) and of all uncleanneſs. But now when the new creature is forming up, then the Heart is after purifying; Purifie your hearts, ye double-minded, Jam. 4.8. Then, what a bleſſedneſs would a pure heart be, ſaith a poor Creature? Oh! that my heart were cleanſed! Waſh thine heart, ſaith God, Jer. 4.14. Oh! that it were waſhed, ſaith the new creature. And this is one of the moſt ſpecial Works a new Creature will be after, as he is more formed up in Holineſs, to keep the Heart pure, as a Temple for God.

p. 2016. The Heart naturally is dead, as already hinted, and feels not its own deadneſs: but when renewed, then the heart doth live that ſeeks God, Pſal. 22.26. It feels, and mourns over its own deadneſs, and cries out, Quicken, Oh quicken me, oh God! No Duty is well performed then, but as the Heart lives, in ſome meaſure, in that Duty. Now it feels its own burdens, pollutions, luſts, corruptions, carnality, earthineſs, and bewails it before the Lord.

7. The Heart is naturally divided between Chriſt and the World, Chriſt and Luſts, Hoſ. 10.2. Their heart is divided: But under its renewings, the heart, as to the main bent of it, makes a whole cloſe with Chriſt; the great buſineſs of a ſoul then is, to give the whole heart up to Chriſt, and fears he can never do it fully and ſingly enough; and when the heart luſteth after other things, ſo far as it is renewed, it is fetcht in again to Jeſus Chriſt.

8. The Heart of it ſelf is unbelieving: Take heed leaſt there be in you a heart of unbelief, Hebr. 3. Now when the heart is made new, there is a Work of Faith with power, 2 Theſſ. 1.11. And then the ſoul is made ſenſible of that bitter Root of Unbelief, that is naturally in their hearts, and they finde it the hardeſt work in the world, to believe on the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, for the remiſſion of ſins, to fix on Promiſes; And that a believing heart is a ſpecial gift of God, and a work of the Spirit; which while a poor ſinner was ſhut up under Unbelief he felt not.

Uſe 1. To unchanged perſons, who are the ſame in heart as ever they were; Oh learn by what hath been opened, what is the natural make and frame of them: There is in you a Rebellious Heart againſt p. 222the Lord, and wilfull obſtinacy againſt his Word and Spirit; and therefore 'tis, that you caſt the Word of the Lord from you, and in your hearts deſpiſe it, and ſay, This is not the Word of the Lord, and we will not obey it: You have hard and impenitent hearts, and therefore you do not mourn for ſin: you have proud hearts, and are well conceited of your condition, though damnable; and therefore you do not humble your ſelves to God: you have hypocritiall hearts, and ſee it not, full of a Hell of Uncleanneſs, dead in ſin, and without feeling, the heart divided between Chriſt and the World, unbelieving, and yet ſay, you have Faith: If thou canſt not make out a newneſs upon thy heart, as we have ſhew'd, thou haſt ſtill thine old heart, with its Luſts, and thy eſtate is as yet damnable, let thy knowledge, profeſſion, outward blameleſsneſs, be what it will.

2. Oh therefore; let this Word be yet for further tryal of your eſtate. Can you ſay to the praiſe of free and rich grace, that God hath, in ſome meaſure, taken away your Rebellious Heart from you, and you can ſtoop and yield to the power of Truth, and rejoyce in it, that God hath made your heart ſoft in ſome meaſure, and the pride of your hearts, in the falſe conceit you had of your ſelves, hath a ſtroak from God upon it, that God hath ſhewed you your deep and curſed hypocriſie, and how your heart was divided, and was wholly unbelieving; And that the Remnants of theſe wickedneſſes in you, of heart-rebellion hardneſs, pride, hypocriſie, pollution, unbelief, are your greateſt burden, and you mourn over them daily.

p. 223If this be not your Experience, let that man or woman know, he or ſhe is a hypocrite and unbeliever, and ſees it not &c.

3. Therefore, let it convince you, and exhort you to go, and fall down before the Lord, and beg him to open your hearts (which naturally are ſhut up in darkneſs) and to abaſe you in the ſenſe of your Rebellion, and that he would even do this for you in much mercy, to take away a rebellious, hard, proud heart from you, and would make your hearts pliable to the Word, make them ſoft and humble before him, and to cloſe, with the whole heart, with Jeſus Chriſt, through a work of Faith upon you. Do this, in the fear of the Lord, and through his grace coming upon you, and ſee what God will do for you; and you will be your own Wonders, that ever ſuch abominations ſhould lye hid in your hearts; & yet you not be confounded in your ſelves in the ſenſe of them.

4. Let Souls that are, through infinite grace, under ſome heart-renewings, know, that they have never done with this Work, till they come to glory: yea, Soul, thou haſt depths of rebellion, price hypocriſie, pollution, unbelief, which yet thou haſt not reacht to; and therefore as thou muſt aſcribe all to Grace, for what the Lord hath done upon thee, and remembers, to thy greater humbling, how much a do the Lord had with thee, to bring thy heart under ſo much as it is; ſo to conſider, that the Candle of the Lord muſt more and more ſearch thy dark and deep heart, and 'tis to be thy daily work, or elſe all theſe evils will again much prevail upon thee.

p. 224Love therefore a ſearching Word from the Servants of Chriſt that are over you.

6. The next Diſcovery of the Goſpel New-Creature is this; namely, The Goſpel New-Creature hath new affections.

Briefly to inſtance in ſome of the chief.

1. The New-Creature hath new fear: The fear of an Eternal Condition, that firſt uſually ſeizeth upon a convinced ſinner; the fear of a juſt and angry God againſt ſin; and, at laſt, upon its renewing, a holy awful fear of God, as great, and holy, and good; a fear of ſinning againſt him, and that becauſe he is gracious: Naturally this affection of fear in a Carnal heart, is converſant about the loſs of outward things, about ſhame in the World, and the like: and ſo far as it reſpects God, his Soul, 'tis a ſlaviſh fear, of breaking out of ſome groſſer ſins onelyonly, leaſt God ſhould damn him: but not fearing the Lord with a gracious Son-like fear, a fear that purifies the Heart, a fear that is mixt with a bleſſed love of God, and delight in his ways.

2. The Heart is exerciſed with new ſorrow: A godly ſorrowing for ſin, ſuch ſins which were once the delight of the Heart; ſuch a ſorrowing, that works an indignation againſt the Darling-ſins, a taking of a kind of Revenge of our ſelves for it, a vehement deſire after pleaſing of God, and Holineſs, 2 Cor. 7.11. There is a ſorrowing over a crucified Chriſt, and a ſorrowing after him: And well is a poor Soul, when it can go in ſecret, and have this affection moſt exerciſed, with ſighs, and groans, and tears, and ſad complaints againſt it ſelf.

p. 2253. There is a new joy by degrees inſtilled in the Soul, of which though there are various meaſures, to the Children of God, yet every New-Creature can go thus far, though not in that vigour of Spirit he would do, that (when the Spirit is free from great diſtemper) it can ſay, he hath ſome joy that he is deliver'd from the dominion and thraldome of luſts, that 'tis its joy to go before God; I will go unto God, my exceeding joy, Pſal. 43.4. Even when under ſome diſquietneſs of ſpirit; as verſe 2. why doeſt thou cast me off?

Yea, will a poor ſoul ſay, God and Communion with him, (could I ſee his face) would be my greateſt joy. And the carnall joy of the heart, when it breaks forth, leaves the ſoul but more in heavineſſe, and the New-Creature would have his joy run ſpirituall.

4. Upon this the New-Creature hath New delights; The word of God becomes his delight, ſeeking the face of God, and the people of God; Delight thy ſelf in God Pſal. 37. And his chief delight is in the Saints, Pſal. 16.3. The heart cannot, as it could formerly, delight it ſelf in folly, and in vanity, and in vain carnall wayes and people, but is rather burthened with them.

5. The Soul is raiſed and engaged in a new Love; The heart is taken with Jeſus Chriſt above all things, and Loves Him moſt; and Loves God becauſe he is Holy, Loves his word, and Loves thoſe that Love him moſt; Every New-Creature can ſay, as David, I Love the Lord, Pſal. 18.1. & 116.1. Yea the ſoul is brought to Love Jeſus Chriſt for himſelf, He is the Beloved of the Soul, and not onelyonly p. 226the grace, and peace, and bleſſing, and heaven that he gives. And to Love Jeſus Chriſt, and to expreſſe it to the utmoſt, is the frame of ſoul that a convert preſſeth moſt after, and he would get the heart more purged, mortified, ſpiritualized, that it might go forth in Love to Chriſt more ſtrongly and ſweetly, and enjoy the precious perfumes of his Love more conſtantly.

6. The Soul is raiſed to a new hope; A new hope of Heaven and Glory, which before was feigned and deceitful; Now the ſoul is after a well bottom'd, reall, lively, hope of Heaven; Bleſſed be the God and Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, which according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us again to a lively hope, &c. Oh! the new and bleſſed hopes that a ſoul doth more and more reach to, (when diſtemper and darkneſſe is not upon it) of ſeeing Jeſus Chriſt as he is, Living with Him for ever, of being perfectly ſinleſſe and holy, of joyes that ſhall be endleſſe, of being ſwallowed up with divine glory, when the ſpirit of the Father doth breathe moſt ſweetly, and moſtly raiſes the heart to glimpſes of Heaven.

Uſe. As we go along, we would put things to tryall; therefore ſay, in good earneſt, Soul, Haſt thou had new fears upon thy Soul, as to an eternall condition? and is the fear of ſin, and of the living God upon thy heart? and doth this fear keep thy heart owfull and watchfull? ſay, Haſt thou had new ſorrows for ſin, and 'tis thy trouble they are no more abundant? Canſt thou joy in going to God, and in the word of his grace, and are ſpirituall things thy delight? Doeſt thou find a heart-cloſing Love p. 227to Jeſus Chriſt above all, and canſt thou Love God, becauſe he is holly, and thou wouldſt be like unto him; and haſt thou new experienc'd of hopes Heaven?

Say ſoul, Do all thy affections run in a new channell, and the ſtream of them, in the main, turned from world and vanity, to the Ocean of God in Chriſt, his fulneſſe, goodneſſe, love, grace, and glory? and that when thy affections, or any one of them are diverted, and turned aſide, thou canſt and doeſt go to God to have them fetcht in again, and thou wouldſt have all the affections of thy Soul run freely, clearly, ſpiritually, fully, ſtrongly upon Jeſus Chriſt? and thou art humbled, that they are carnall and worldly in any meaſure?

If this be not thy caſe, but the affections of thy heart are wholly fleſhly & worldly; thy fears, thy ſorrows are about worldly things; thy joyes, thy delights about carnall pleaſures, and worldly encreaſe, thy Love goeth after the world in an interrupted unmortified courſe, thy hopes going forth about great things for thy ſelf, and thy hopes for Heaven, lye at all uncertainly, and thou doeſt ſuffer it to be ſo; verily, thou art unchanged, and haſt no part as yet in New-Creature bleſſedneſſe.

OnelyOnly let me add this Caution, that in this matter of the New-Creature, you take the whole frame together; And therefore do not reſt onelyonly in this, that you have had your affections ſomething ſtirred in hearing the Goſpel, ſome fears, and ſometimes the heart a little melted, and ſome joy, for a time in the world; which affections may ſometime ſtirr in a ſoul, whoſe heart is not ſubdued and changed, and ſo it weares off again, but carry your ſelves back p. 228to what I have ſaid, that you mainly look to the Rebellion, Pollution, Hypocriſie, Unbelief of the heart; that theſe be in good earneſt, ſtill a ſubduing in you.

3. And ſo alſo for reall Converts, though you ſhould labour to preſerve your affections, lively, ſavoury, yet look moſtly to the ſincerity and ſpirituality of them, or elſe when they wax faint again, (as that may be,) you be at a great loſſe of your conſolation; neither do you alwayes meaſure your ſelves by the ſtirring and overflow of affections, but rather by the abaſement of your ſpirits, hearts, purity, and ſincerity, and the holineſſe of your affections, and your acting faith, in all your duties, which will procure a more laſting way of peace and Comfort; though when thus rectified, the going out of ſtrong and tender affections is exceeding ſweet and precious, and moſt deſireable by all Saints.

(7.) The next diſcovery of the New-Creature is this, (which I may conſider with ſome diſtinction from the former); The Goſpel New-Creature hath new thoughts.

By the thoughts I underſtand the pondering, muſing part of the mind, (that I may ſpeak plainly to all,) The imaginations, fancies, purpoſes, meditatings, muſings, of the mind of man, which are very much alter'd, where there is a new and divine work and power in the Soul.

To this the Prophet ſpeakes, as to ſaving converſion, Eſay 55.7. Let the wicked man forſake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return to the Lord, &c. So that a Soul returning to the Lord, forſakes his vile thoughts, and p. 292doth not give way to them, and feed them as before. So, Jer.. 4.14. How long ſhall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee? And Pſal. 119.113. I hate vain thoughts, but thy Law do I love.

To ſhew a little, why the thoughts of the heart ſhall be changed, and then more particularly, how.

In a naturall heart, All the imaginations of it are evil continually, Gen. 5.6. They became vain in their imaginations, and their fooliſh heart was darkned, Rom. 1.21. Where the thoughts, as iſſues of the luſts, do rove to and fro at full liberty, without any effectuall controle.

1. As firſt, Atheiſticall thoughts; ſecretly denying God, his Juſtice, Holineſſe, Word, or that God will not Judge ſinners according to the rigour of his word; Thou thoughteſt (ſaith God) I was altogether ſuch a one as thy ſelf, and, Pſal. 50.21. The fool hath ſaid in his heart there is no God, Pſal. 14.1. For when he ſins againſt him preſumptuouſly, he doth ſtrike at his very Being, Juſtice, and Holineſſe, and either ſaith in his heart, There is no God to Judge him, or ſecretly wiſheth there were none.

2. Profane thoughts, according to the moſt predominant luſtings of the heart, do act a naturall heart; As vain, unclean, proud, worldly thoughts, which are in contrivance to make proviſion for the lusts of it, the heart even continually exercis'd with unclean, proud, wrathfull, revengefull, or covetous practiſes; therefore, ſaith the wiſdom of God, Prov. 15.26. The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord; Out of the heart proceed evil p. 230thoughts, Adulteries, Murderers, Thefts, &c. Mat. 15.19. The evil thoughts get up and act over wickedneſſe, and then they purpoſe and contrive for the acting of it, and ſet the whole man on work to make proviſion and to effect it; which thoughts being drawn forth by ſinfull objects, or the working of the fancy, and the devil working by both, do break forth into abominable practiſes, unleſſe reſtrained by the Lord; for indeed the fancy, the imaginative faculty is the very forge of the devil, where he frames all the wickedneſſes, that is brought forth.

Now theſe being the naturall actings of the thoughts of the heart as unchanged, there muſt neceſſarily enſue a New working of thoughts upon the change of it.

OnelyOnly obſerve by the way, by this any ſinner may know how it ſtands with his ſoul; If Atheiſticall, profane, unclean, worldly thoughts, carry the heart an end, and rove up and down at liberty, and the heart even delightfully feeds them, without going to God, and mourning over them, for their purging and mortifying, and no, or but an unwilling reſiſtance of them; how dwelleth then the grace of God in thee? verily not at all; And therefore reflect upon thy ſelf, for by this thou mayſt know the ſtate of thy heart, and thy luſts are yet in their ſtrength, and rule in thee, and will poſt thee to Hell, if the Lord meet not with thee.

A gracious heart hath bubling up of ſuch thoughts, and the devil caſts in ſuggeſtions to ſet them a work, but they lodge not there long, but they are reſiſted nd purged.

p. 231Take therefore theſe notes of a carnall unchanged heart.

1. Such a ſoul maks little or no conſcience of thoughts, Thoughts are free, ſay wretched ſouls, but that's a proverb ſuggeſted by the Devil. (2.) Such a ſoul is not humbled, doth not mourn for wicked thoughts, but only looks to the outward man a little. (3.) Such a ſoul doth not bring them to the blood of Jeſus Chriſt to be purged. (4.) He doth not conflict with them; reſiſt, check, hate them. (5.) He doth not watch the thoughts of the heart, nor labour to ſet them upon holy objects; If it be thus with thee ſinner, thy heart works wickedneſſe, and thou art loathſome in the ſight of the holy God, who knoweth and obſerveth all thy thoughts afarre off, Pſal. 139. I will one day reckon with thee for them; what doeſt thou but even deny God to be the great ſearcher of hearts, the All-ſeeing God, who careſt not how vain, vile, wicked, unclean, profane, loathſome, deviliſh the thoughts of thy heart are?

But wherein doth this news of thoughts ſhew it ſelf.

1. The New-Creatures thoughts are changed, as to himſelf; who thought well of himſelf; as to Heaven and happineſſe before, but now ſeeth himſelf vile, and hath worſe thoughts, of himſelf, then any one in the world can have of him.

2. He hath new thoughts of God; New thoughts of his Holinſse, and Juſtice, and Greatneſs, & Glory; Oh! how great is God, how Holy, how Juſt! & ſo is greatly abaſed before him. He hath new thoughts of his goodneſſe, grace, and love to poor Sinners, upon p. 232which the thoughts do much work, thoughts of admiration and praiſe; and the ſoul delights in holy and gracious muſings of it.

3. He hath New Thoughts of Jeſus Chriſt, of his Perſon, Grace, Bloud, Righteouſneſs, Spirit, Word, People. Before he had poor, low, empty, carnal, unſavoury Thoughts of Chriſt: but the heart being changed, and the Mind enlightned by the Holy Ghoſt, the Thoughts work towards Jeſus Chriſt, the Soul hath deep and ſerious thoughts of his grace and love, precious thoughts of him.

4. He hath new thoughts of Eternity; of an Eternal condition which muſt poſſeſs the Heart, what may become of his Soul: What will it profit to gain the World, and loſe his Soul? How he may treaſure up for Heaven, make ſure work for Heaven, what ever be his condition in this world: and the ſerious and frequent thoughts of this, do much poiz the Spirit of a Believer.

5. He hath new thoughts of the ways of God, and Holineſs, before he thought baſely or notionally of them, now he hath real thoughts of Holineſs, and of the ways of Jeſus Chriſt, he doth believe, and finds a reality in them, and hath good thoughts of them, as to engage his Soul to them.

6. He hath New Thoughts of Holy People, whom before he eſteemed Hypocrites, and Phariſees, Factious, and the like; That their ſtrictneſs was their Pride and Hypocriſie; but now he honoureth them moſt, is humbled greatly for ſuch thoughts of them, and prizeth them as the Excellent of the Earth, and their company will be moſt deſirable, and moſt delightful to him, Pſal. 16.

p. 237Ʋſe 1. To ſinners, that you do go to God, and get your hearts poſſeſſed with ſuch thoughts of God as theſe are: How great, how juſt, how holy he is! and this will make you tremble at going on in your pollutions any more. Bethink your ſelves of the ſtate of your ſouls, and of an eternal condition: ſaith David, I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy teſtimonies, Pſal. 119.59. Bethink your ſelves how ſhort a time it is e're an eternal condition ſhall paſs upon you, and how long the bleſſed God hath waited to be gracious to you; and get new thoughts of Jeſus Chriſt, and get to his feet, and make a reſignment of your ſelves to him; and then your thoughts will go after more excellent and ſoul-quieting, and ſoul delighting Objects, then hitherto you have bin exerciſed with.

2. To ſuch as are new Creatures in Chriſt, and have New Thoughts of themſelves, of God, his Juſtice, Holineſs, greatneſs, graciouſneſs, of Chriſt, of Eternity, of the ways and people of the Lord, let this be a word of Exhortation to you, to look to your Thoughts: ſaith the Wiſdome of God, Prov. 23.7. As he thinketh in his heart, ſo is he. A Soul is before the Lord, according to the thoughts of his heart. Oh take heed of giving way to and feeding vain unclean, unholy Thoughts of any kind: and let me preſs it upon you with theſe Motives.

1. Conſider, that ſuch thoughts are your ſins, lay that to heart. God may juſtly damn a Soul for unholy Thoughts; Know thou mayſt commit Adultery, or Murder in thy Heart, though it break not forth actually. If thou haſt done fooliſhly, in lifting up thy ſelf, or if thou haſt thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy p. 238mouth, Prov. 30.32. This will help to keep thy Heart in awe.

2. That God's Eye is ſtrictly and continually upon the Thoughts of thine Heart, Pſal. 139.2. and therefore David cryes out to God, to ſearch his Heart for them. Oh did a gracious Soul ſtill conſider this, that the jealous Eye of God is upon every Thought and Motion of his Heart to ſinne, it would make him look cloſely to the Thoughts of his Heart.

3. Conſider, that evil Thoughts and Muſings of ſin are the beginning of all open wickedneſs, Jam. 1.15. Then when Luſt hath conceived, it bringeth forth ſinne, and ſuch Thoughts are uſually ſet on fire by the Devil.

4. They do defile the ſoul, Mat. 15.20. Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, &c. Theſe are the things which defile a man: Which defilement unfits the ſoul for communion with God; they make a filthy puddle in the ſoul: and what a caſe is a poor Creature in, to come to God, in Duty, in ſuch a pickle.

5. Evil Thoughts do pervert the Heart from God, which ſhould be fixed upon him; they draw away the ſtrength of the Heart from God; they ſuck up the juice and marrow of the Heart, which ſhould be ſpent in Spiritual things in Jeſus Chriſt.

6. Such Thoughts do grieve the Spirit: Nothing more; the Spirit cannot delight to teach and comfort, when the Heart is moſtly acted by fooliſh and unholy Thoughts.

7. When ſuch Thoughts are acted in the Soul, God may leave you to the power of them, to break out to ſome grievous fall, and ſo may ſhipwrack your p. 239peace and comforts for a great while, and go with broken bones, and it may coſt you much bitterneſs, before you are healed.

8. If vain, carnal, Thoughts, are not reſiſted at firſt, but given way to, they are hardly checkt, and ſubdued, and turned upon other Objects, and therefore to watch the firſt Riſings of them.

Now, not one of theſe Conſiderations, but may make a Child of God to tremble, how he lets forth his heart into vain, carnal, idle, defiling-thoughts, and muſings, which do ſo much waſte a gracious ſpirit, and lay him open to ſuch woful dangers as theſe are.

To help a Child of God in this Spiritual Work, of looking to, and a holy ordering the Thoughts of his Heart;

1. Be deeply humbled to God, with abhorring and loathing, for Atheiſtical, unclean, proud, vain, fooliſh, worldly thoughts, that croud in upon you: when you make them your burden, you will be the ſooner eaſed.

2. Delight thy ſelf much in the Word of God, not onelyonly in Publique Hearing, but Daily Reading; and not onelyonly Reading, but getting ſome good word upon thy heart, that may ſeaſon thy Thoughts and Affections: ſaith David, I hate vain thoughts, but thy Law do I love, Pſal. 119.113. The love of the Word of God, made him be ſo far from cheriſhing vain Thoughts, that he did hate them. It doth appear, this was a ſpecial part of David's exerciſe of Spirit, to get ſome bleſſed Word upon his heart, and be thinking of it, and ſo it did tu n into the ſweet and wholeſome nouriſhment of the New-Creature: Oh p. 240how I love thy Law, it is my meditation all the day. Bleſſed and holy practiſe, worthy a gracious Saint indeed: you have one word ſpecially, that David had much on his heart, out of the Books of Moſes, (for we know not whether any other Scriptures were then extant) 'tis that of Exod. 34.6. where the Lord ſaith, he will proclaim his Name and Glory: The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long ſuffering, abundant in goodneſs and truth, which you have in Pſal. 103.8. Pſal. 86.15. & 145.8. Happily one of thoſe ſweet words, which he often magnifies: how hath a ſingle word dwelt upon the heart of a Child of God, and hath kept the heart ſavoury for Chriſt?

3. The next Remedy againſt ſuch Thoughts, is, Much Prayer; diligence, fervency, powring out the heart to God, till the heart melts, and runs forth ſweetly, ſpiritually, and is engaged with God, and hath a ſight of him, and a divine impreſſion of God's Majeſty left upon the Soul.

4. Get more and more brokenneſs of heart for ſin; when the Heart hath been broken, 'twill not ſo eaſily get into Vanity again: At leaſt, a Child of God ſhould take care that it ſhould not, when the Heart is broken and mourning, the Spirit doth wonderfully in that work refine the Heart: All the ſleightneſs, vanity, defilement, diſtraction, that comes upon the New-Creature, is moſtly for want of this.

5. Mortification of that Corruption, that is moſt apt to ſtirre, doth much cure our thoughts: Inordinate Affections are the Saints greateſt Evils, and do beſpeak an unmortified heart, as to what a Child of God ſhould ſtill be preſſing after; even to be dead and crucified with Chriſt. Thoſe that are Christs p. 241have crucified their Affections and Luſts, Gal. 5.22.

6. Contending for a Spiritual Heart. So far as the Heart is ſpiritual, it acts ſpiritually: 'Tis the carnality of Heart, that works-up all thoſe frothy diſtempers that defile us. Paul's corruption was much let out upon him, when he cryes out of the carnality of his Heart, Rom. 7. which ſhould be the daily complaint of God's poor children.

7. A great help to the preſerving the Thoughts of the Heart, according to the New-Creature, will be to conſider, How precious the thoughts of God are to his People, Pſal. 139.17. How precious alſo are thy thoughts, O God, unto me? How great is the ſum of them? If I ſhould count them, they are more in number then the ſand &c. David in v. 2. was conſidering how God's Eye was upon his Thoughts, and 'twas a means to rectifie them: and then David's thoughts run forth in the ſweet and bleſſed apprehenſion of the preciouſneſs of God's thoughts to him, from all Eternity, and in the ways of his Covenant towards him: If God's thoughts to us be holy and precious, and ever towards us, the thoughts of his ſervants ſhould be ſo alſo, and as little common and unſavoury as may be.

More particularly, let us yet conſider, what bleſſed, and excellent, and glorious things, ſuch as are New-Creatures in Chriſt have, to exerciſe their thoughts about.

1. Gracious Soules have the Attributes of God to exerciſe the thoughts of their Hearts in; the Infiniteneſs p. 242of God, his Greatneſs, Holineſs, Glory, &c. A bleſſed Exerciſe for Saints indeed! So we finde the Scripture-Saints ſweetly taken up with contemplation and admiration of the Excellencies of God himſelf, Thou art glorious in Holineſs, Exod. 15.11. ſaith Moſes. But, Thou art Holy, ſaith David, Pſal. 22. Oh how great is thy Goodneſs! Pſal. 8.31. as might be abundantly ſhewed; and the exerciſe of the thoughts this way, hath a powerful influence upon the Heart, as to its abaſement, purity, ſincerity.

2. Saints have the riches and freeneſſe of the grace of God, in Jeſus Chriſt, towards poor ſinners, to be taken up withall: Oh the free, rich, diſtinguiſhing grace of God to a poor Creature, that was poſting to Hell, that was a Rebellious Wretch, a vile Hypocrite, the worſt of ſinners, the moſt unlikely to be converted of any ſinner in the World. We have David and Paul's heart ſwallowed up in this above any other; as David in many Pſalms, is in the admiration of grace; and Paul in moſt of his Epiſtles makes it his great ſcope, as the great Argument, to be not onelyonly believing, but humble, and holy, and heavenly, all their days: ſpecially, Col. 1. and Epheſ. 1ſt, 2d, and 3d Chapters.

3. Saints have the unſearchable Riches of Jeſus Chriſt, to take up their thoughts with, the Excellencies and Dignities of his Perſon, the Beauty and glory that is in him, the depths of his love, the matchleſs price of his bloud, his bowels to ſinners, his care of his Churches: Oh theſe are things worthy the thoughts of Saints indeed!

p. 2434. They have to take up their thoughts, the glorious bleſſedneſs of the forgiveneſs of their ſinnes: What a bleſſed ſtate! a ſtate of forgiveneſs in the bloud of Jeſus Chriſt, is! Bleſſed, oh bleſſed for ever, are they whoſe iniquities are forgiven. Bleſs the Lord, O my ſoul, who forgiveth all thine iniquities, &c. Pſal. 103. God hath not appointed me to wrath, but to obtain ſalvation through my Lord Jeſus Christ, 1 Theſſ. 5. Oh bleſſed extaſie, for a poor called pardoned Believer to be in!

5. Such as are New Creatures in Chriſt, they have the Mystery of the New Covenant, the everlaſtingneſs of it, to bring their hearts to, and to work the Promiſes thereof upon their hearts, to muſe on the returns of their Prayers, to behold the continual Providences of God towards them, and his ways of mercy and kindneſs to them.

6. They have the ſhortneſs of their time, the vanity of their lives, the certainty of Death to muſe on; Lord, make me to know the number of my dayes, that I may know how frail I am: Yea, they have a future and eternal ſtate of bleſſedneſs and glory, to have their thoughts ſwallowed up into; That they ſhall one day ſee Jeſus Chriſt, as he is, in all his glory, and never look off him any more: they ſhall do nothing elſe but love him, enjoy perpetual communion of Saints, be praiſing, admiring, adoring the bleſſed Majeſty of God for ever and ever.

p. 244Oh! If there are ſuch excellent and bleſſed things, for the thoughts of the holy-ones of God, to be exerciſed in, oh! what bare Dunghill hearts have ſuch, that pore upon nothing but earth and filth. Let it not be ſo, with ſuch that have taſted the good and ſweetneſſe of thoſe things, that have a reall ſubſtanſtiall ſoul-filling goodneſſe in them; What matter of Complaint to Gods poor Children, whoſe hearts are too too apt to ſink earth-wards, poys'd with weights that they cannot keep them up in the viſion of God, his Chriſt, and what ever is bleſſed in him; Oh! when the thoughts of your hearts muſt be taken up with your Callings, which cannot be done without it, keep a watch over them, let them not run forth to ſinfull diſtempers, but that you may be fit to go to God, and converſe with him, and get the bleſſed ſavour of theſe things upon your hearts, and do not let out your thoughts to idleneſſe, and ſoul-defiling vanity, and feed upon vanity, when there are ſuch ſolid glorious things to feed upon, which you expect to be taken up with in, an infinite unwearied delight, to all eternity.

And do not ſuffer the Devil to take up his abode, by his ſubtle and ſuddain ſuggeſtions, or more cloſe inſinuations upon you. If he make his inroads, reſiſt, check, defie, with abhorrency, his firſt attempts, before he work up corruption in you; And remember ſtill, your ſpirits and bodies are the Temples of God, and the Temple of God muſt be Holy, 1 Cor. 6.19, 20. What? know ye not, that your body is the Temple of the Holy Ghoſt that is in you which ye have of God, and ye are not your own; for ye are bought with a price, therefore Glorifie God, with your ſpirits p. 245and bodies, which are Gods; And thus much of this ſpeciall evidence of the New-Creature, in the newneſſe of his thoughts, and the acting of them.

8. The Eighth diſcovery of the New Creature, is this,

The New-Creature hath a new lip, a new tongue, let looſe to ſpeak of God, and for God; And this alſo I ſhall a little inſiſt upon; Saith our bleſſed Lord; A good man out of the good treaſure of his heart, bringeth forth good things, Mat. 12.35. Good, and wholſome, and ſavoury words; To this we find the Holy Ghoſt in the Scriptures often preſſing; Saith the wiſe man, Prov. 20.15. The lips of the knowledge are a precious Jewell; The mouth of a righteous man is a well of Life; The lips of the righteous feed many, Prov. 10.11, 12. So the Apoſtle; Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the uſe of Edifying, that it may miniſter grace to the hearers; Epheſ. 4.29. Let your ſpeech be alwayes with grace, ſeaſoned with ſalt, &c. Col. 4.6. By which places 'tis evident that a ſpecial diſcovery of the New-Creature is herein manifeſted.

1. The New-Creature hath a New-tongue, to ſpeak Savourly, and Experimentally of the things of Chriſt, and the work of the ſpirit, Becauſe that which the heart is exerciſed with, it will be bringing forth. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth ſpeaketh; An evil man out of the abundance of evil in his heart bringeth forth evil things, As a good man doth good things, Math. 12.25, 8. If the heart and affections be ſpiritually exerciſed, the Tongue will be ſpeaking forth.

p. 2462. Becauſe thereby A New Created Soul, doth give glory to God; they ſpeak of the Teſtimonies, works, goodneſſe, grace, and the wonders of the Love of God to poor ſinfull Creatures; And hereby God is much glorified; Come and hear, all he that fear God, and I will tell what he hath done for my ſoul, Pſal. 66.16.

3. Gracious hearts, do hereby, ſtirr up the grace of Chriſt in them; tis like the blowing of a ſpark, and makes the heart to glow ere it is aware; gracious Conference is the very breath of the Spirit, which kindles all our graces afreſh; as it was with the Diſciples going to Emaus, Luke 24.32. Did not our hearts burn within, while he talked with us by the way.

4. Good Souls do not onelyonly profit themſelves, in receiving good, but they profit others; one of the beſt wayes that we do good, in profiting weak Saints or ſinners; how hath a word ſpoken from a ſavory perſon, humbly and wiſely, dropt in upon the ſoul of a ſinner, which hath bin its firſt awakning. And ſo upon a poor weak tempted Child of God; how ſeaſonably hath God ordered a word for a poor ſoul from conference with another?

Ʋſe. If a New-Creature in Chriſt hath a new tongue, as well as a new heart, Then let it be for conviction of ſinners, whoſe tongues as well as hearts, are exerciſed in vanity, altogether in profane, or vain, or carnall, or worldly diſcourſes; This ſhewes there is no good treaſure in the heart; The Apoſtle James followes this conviction very cloſely, and makes it the Character of a carnall pretending Believer, of falſe and dead faith, Jam. 1.26. p. 247If any man among you ſeem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this mans religion is vain. Tis but a ſeeming to be religious, a vain Religion, where the tongue hath a carnall Liberty; And he calleth the Tongue, A world of iniquity, ſet on fire of Hell, James 3.6. an unruly evil, full of deadly poyſon; verſe 8. The evils of the tongue that be-ſpeake a ſinner unregenerate, are theſe; and they are frequent among this generation.

1. Speaking evil of the ſpirit of God, and wayes of God, and people of God; Oh! ſuch ſay they have the Spirit, that they be Holy, and they are ſo ſtrict, that they will not do ſuch and ſuch things as others do; This is a degree of Blaſphemy, and borders upon the brink of the unpardonable ſin. Theſe are ſtyled by the Apoſtle, Revilers, 1 Cor. 5.11, & 6, 11. and they, as ſuch, ſhall not enter into the kingdom of Heaven. The giving out of the Spirit upon plain meaning-people in the meaſure it now is, is a new thing, but not therefore to be deſpiſed and reviled.

Every Town ad Family almoſt doth abound with this wickedneſſe, and dreadfull provocation, and 'tis the ſaddeſt ſigne upon the generality of people whatſoever; onelyonly, 'tis to be hoped, they do it through Ignorance, as Paul did, 1 Tim. 1.13. and God, as he hath done, may humble, and convert many of them, to the praiſe of his grace; onelyonly let ſinners that have bin frequently ſhew'd the deſperate wickedneſſe of ſuch ſpeeches, of ſcoffing at the ſpirit, and holineſſe, and call it Hypocriſie, tremble leaſt God give them up, when they ſin againſt conviction, and the clear light of the word in this matter.

p. 248Had I time to reaſon a little, in the power of the Lord, with ſuch ſouls; why, Conſider ſeriouſly, and in good earneſt; Can you be ſo ſottiſh, and ſo wilfully blinded, that have heard or read the Scriptures, to imagine that you are God's, and Chriſt's, and have not the Spirit, and are not made Holy, nor crying to God that you may be Holy? He that hath not the Spirit of Chriſt is none of his, And without holineſſe you ſhall not ſee the Lord; How dare you then, in the Atheiſm and deviliſh wickedneſſe of your hearts, ſcoffe at the very Name of the Spirit and Holineſſe? The loweſt place in Hell will be yours, that have bin ſo often admoniſhed of this, unleſſe God ſmite you to the Earth for it; True Converts have the ſaddeſt humiliation for this ſin, as they have bin more or leſſe guilty of it,

2. Or you that are not ſo deſperately carryed forth, in this open ungodlineſſe of ſpeaking evil, of what you know not; But yet make little Conſcience of lying, for your profit, or in excuſing a matter, ſo you may do it covertly, and count it a veniall ſmall ſin; or you, that when provoked ſwear profanely, and deſperately, tearing the Name of the great and dreadfull God, wreaking your anger and wrath upon the Name of God, and the blood of Chriſt; your Tongues are ſet on fire on Hell, and the Spirit of diſobedience, the devil, worketh in you; not a drop of the grace of God in you.

3. Or you who have your petty Oathes, by your Faith, by your Lady, and by Creatures; Or make mention of the Name of God, and Lord, in your Ordinary diſcourſe, vainly, and as a by-word, crying, Oh Lord, upon every ſlight occaſion, and p. 249for Gods-ſake, and Chriſts ſake, do this, and this, in poor triviall matters; verily there is noting of New-Creature upon you; And yet theſe great profaneſſes you call your infirmities, and 'tis your infirmity to ſwear when angry and provoked, and you ſay you forget your ſelves, when you mention the Name of the Lord God ſleightly, or through ignorance plead for it, that you may do ſo; I tell you, ſouls, they are your reigning damning ſins, who are frequent in them; And in carnal prayerleſs families, as moſt are, how oft in a day may theſe ungodly ſpeeches be heard, by men, women, and children? If the fear of God were upon you, or any work of grace, you durſt not do it, nor indeed, could do; Therefore do but obſerve your ſelves a day, and ſee how often you are here guilty, and tremble before God, and go and humble your ſelves at his feet, that you may find mercy, and have another heart and mouth given to you; Pray, and cry, and waite for the good treaſure of the word of grace in your hearts, and 'twill be otherwiſe with you.

4. Yea, you who are engaged in worldly diſcourſes on the Sabbath day, in your families, at your doores, in the Streets; in idle and vain jeſting; you are not of God, born again by his ſpirit, you take no delight in the word of God, the meditation of your heart is not in it, you ſpeak little of it, becauſe you ſavour it not; Tremble you worldlings, who ſhew it this way, at that word, 1 John 4.5. They are of the world, therefore ſpeak they of the world, and the world heareth them; If ye are of the world, you are not, as yet, of Jeſus Chriſt, the power, p. 250love of this preſent World ruleth in you, and that may damn you for ever.

Know, ſinners, you that make little conſcience of vain, profane words, (though you pretend to make ſome conſcience of your word of promiſe to men, for your credits ſake, and ſo think you have grace; all which a Turk will do) that by your words you ſhall be judged; And of idle words you ſhall give an account at the day of judgment; and by thy words thou ſhalt be condemned, Math. 12.36, 37. Such words as we have opened, to be damning ſins. And, therefore, do not put off this guilt far from you, in ſaying, 'tis your infirmity, and ſo make light of it: but know, 'tis guilt which will ſend you to Hell, if the Lord humble you not, and change you.

'Tis a certain Rule; a profane heart, and a profane mouth; a carnal heart, a carnal tongue; a worldly heart, a worldly, (yea Sabbath-days) tongue: Therefore, you are not New Creatures, in the leaſt; and therefore begin with the heart, that the heart may be ſmitten of God for this ſin, and changed, and ſeaſoned with the word and grace of Chriſt upon you; and it will be better with you, and you will have a tongue to ſpeak well of the Spirit, and the things of God, and his People; and to ſpeak for God, and reverently of his Name, and delight your ſelves in it.

2. Let this be a word to ſuch as, through grace, are become New Creatures in Chriſt, that you would ſhew it in this Diſcovery, in a new tongue, that you give not your ſelves that liberty of vain, carnal, much leſs profane Diſcourſe, as formerly; as indeed you will not, if you be New Creatures. Men's Converſe p. 251doth either lye among ſuch as are wholly carnal and worldly, or ſuch as ſavour that which is good.

As to the former; as in all our carriage, ſo ſpecially in our words, there is great caution to be had.

1. Not to mix our ſelves with them unneceſſarily, unleſs we find we have ſtrength enough, through a dependency on the Lord, to avoid their ſnares, and do it with a purpoſe of heart, to do them good, by reproving, or counſelling them. Many a good ſoul hath been ſadly worſted, by mixing unneceſſarily, with vain, profane, or frothy company.

2. If Providence caſt thee amongſt them, ſometimes it may be the wiſdome of a Child of God to keep ſilence; as David, Pſal. 39.1. I ſaid I will take heed to my ways, that I ſin not with my tongue; I will keep my mouth with a bridle, when the Wicked is before me: I ſay it may be ſometimes beſt for a Child of God to do ſo: there's a ſecret conviction goes forth, by the ſilence of a ſervant of God oftentimes, and to leave them as ſoon as we can; ſo it be not done ſcornfully, but humbly and civilly: I do not mean a total ſilence, but a warineſs.

When you are caſt among carnal perſons, as to your Callings, neceſſarily: Take heed of giving your ſelves a full liberty, multiplying of words unneceſſarily, but be reſerved, and watchful; That by any thing you ſay, or indeed any other carriage, the perſon you converſe with, be more hardned in his carnal courſe, or be offended more againſt the wayes of godlineſs; which, indeed, a Child of God ſhould p. 252moſt heedfully conſider in all his ways: Oh 'tis a bleſſed and gracious deſign, rather to better, then worſt, all we converſe with.

3. If you have a heart, (as you are to look up to God for a heart) to reprove what may be reprovable, (as often it may be your duty), or to commend the ways of God unto them, to render them acceptable and precious, and comfortable, or any good word of the Lord to mention to them, or of an eternal condition; let this be done.

1. Seaſonably: 'tis a great matter for a ſervant of God to ſpeak fitly, to wind off another from a carnal Diſcourſe into good things; to inſinuate them diſcreetly: here is much wiſdome, and 'tis to be askt of God.

2. With Meekneſs: Not ſharply, nor raſhly, nor proudly, nor cenſoriouſly, but with a meek and gentle ſpirit, — ſhewing all meekneſs to all men, 2 Titus 2. That they may perceive you do it, not to cenſure them, nor with vain oſtentation, but that it proceeds from an honeſt heart, and unfeigned love to them: This is to be done, when we find mens ſpirits in the moſt ſerious capacity; and we having endeavoured to ſweeten them, and to get ſome room and reſpect in their Affections.

3. That it be done ſavourily, and feelingly, not ſleightly; that it may appear, what we give out to them, is upon our own hearts, and what we do really feel and enjoy, which carries much convincement with it.

2. If Providence caſt you among God's people, (as this indeed ſhould be our choice,) 'tis not well p. 253to part from each other, without ſomething of God, his Word, Grace, Goodneſs, Providence, People, their own Hearts, Temptations, Comforts, according to what is upon their Hearts, or what they conceive may be of beſt uſe to thoſe we ſpeak to, conſidering their condition, or temptations, or fallings ſhort, or in what, if ſtronger Chriſtians, we may our ſelves be helped and encouraged; And not to give way to indiſpoſition, or temptation, or fear we ſhall ſpeak as Hypocrites (which is ſometimes a ſnare) but to have a ready mind, & chearful delight to do it: Not but the people of God may, in due ſeaſon, ſpeak of their Callings, and of Affairs and Occurrences in the World; yea, and ſometimes that which may beget chearfulneſs, ſo we watch our hearts in it, and take heed of an uncomely inordinateneſs in it.

But do you tremble at obſcene words, wrathful words, to be ſuddainly provokt to ſpeak paſſionately, at taunting jeering words, reproaching others, or cenſorious of others, vain-glorious words: of which much might be ſpoken to every particular.

3. As this may humble the people or God, for the ſins of the Tongue, their vanity and unprofitableneſs; ſo let it ſtir them up, to look up for grace, ſuitable in this ſo weighty a matter; That our Lips may be as a Well of Life, and may ſavour of what is holy and good in God's ſight: Some Directions yet, as to this Duty.

1. Get in much good Treaſure in the Heart: As our Saviour ſpeaks, Mat. 12. The more good Treaſure p. 254of the Word, of Grace, of Experiences, of ſweetneſs, of comfort, the more ready we ſhall be to give forth, and alſo receive in from others.

2. Do not follow your fancy, in ſpeaking what it ſtill dictates, but your judgment: Many good men too too much follow a working fancy, though there may be a ſober chearful Exerciſe of it in ſeaſon; but we are too apt to run forth to exceſs: The Devill will kindle Squibs upon the Fancy, which we muſt rather quench, then feed and bring forth.

3. Keep ſome good thing upon the Heart: Some good word you daily take in, as was directed as to your Thoughts, ſome comfortable Experience of God, the ſenſe of what you received in an Ordinance, that you may diſcourſe of the Word laſt heard, Pſal. 45.1. My heart is enditing of a good matter, my Tongue is the Pen of a ready Writer: Oh bleſſed! when 'tis ſo with gracious Soules: I muſe on the works of thy hands, Pſal. 143.5. My meditation of God ſhall be ſweet, Pſal. 104.

4. Pray a good frame of heart, and keep it ſo: Pray till the heart be made tender, ſavoury, quickned, enlarged, with the ſenſe of God's Majeſty, Holineſs, and Goodneſs upon your Spirits, and then watch to keep them ſo; a ſavoury Heart, and a ſavoury Mouth.

5. Be not provoked by the vain and frothy Language of others, though they may be good men, to comply with it: We are too apt to take encouragement to that which may be evil, becauſe 'tis the liberty another good man takes, which is often a ſnare.

p. 2556. Keep the fear of the Lord upon thy Heart, a holy awe of God and his Prefence, one of the choiſeſt Duties of a Saint, ſpecially in this matter. The fear of God makes the Spirit ſerious, and yet mixt with comfort and a comely chearfulneſs, Pſal. 4.4. Stand in awe of God, and ſin not.

I might alſo lay down Motives to this choiſe Duty: It doth much pleaſe and delight the Spirit of God; it brings in much good to the ſoul; Gracious conference is an Ordinance of God, and bleſt to the quickning, eſtabliſhing, ſuccouring, and refreſhing the hearts of Saints. Accuſtome your ſelves to it, and you will find indiſpoſitions wear off, and you will do it out of a ready mind, and gracious delight: OnelyOnly, be not onelyonly a Talker, from Notions in the Head, nor affect a diſputing wrangling Knowledge, (uſually the effect of Pride) but do it from Heart-experience in ſome meaſure; or what you would fain get more upon your Hearts: And let it not be onelyonly a talking-knowledge, but an humble walking-knowledge.

Remember, to thy continual abaſement, how many ſinners thou haſt helped Hell-ward, by thy leud, vain, profane ſpeeches, by thy reviling at the Lords ways and people, and how thou haſt encouraged and hardned them this way, in ſin. Oh now let thy work be, through infinite grace, to tell ſinners, that there is more good infinitely in Jeſus Chriſt, then in the way of folly. Now draw as many as thou mayeſt, according to thy meaſure of grace, to Jeſus Chriſt, and Heaven-ward.

p. 256And thus much be ſpoken of this Diſcovery of the New-Creature, in its ſhewing it ſelf in a new Lip.

9. The 9th Diſcovery of the New-Creature.

Such as are New-Creatures in Chriſt, they will have New-Company. As ſoon as a ſoul is new forming up in Chriſt, he ſaith, as David, Depart from me ye evil doers, for I will keep the Commandements of my God, Pſa. 119.115. Depart from me all ye workers of iniquity, for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping, Pſal. 6.8. I am a Companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy Precepts, Pſal. 119.63. So the primitive Saints, as ſoon as converted, they become Companions of the reproached Ones of the Lord, and took joyfully the ſpoiling of their goods with them, Heb. 10.34. And ſo Moſes, choſe affliction with the people of God, before Riches and Honour with the profane, Heb. 11.26.

Now this real Converts do:

1. Becauſe wicked and carnal men will act and ſpeak wickedly againſt God, and his ways and people; which a heart broken, and made tender, cannot endure to hear and obſerve: David ſaid, it was like a ſword in his bones, Pſal. 42.10. when wicked men reproached the Lord and his ſervants.

2. Converts are in great danger to be tempted to ſin, as Joſeph in Pharaohs houſe, by the company of wicked and carnal perſons; the Devil will lay ſnares, ſpecially for weak ſouls: it will be hard for weak ſouls to paſs without guilt, by mixing with them.

p. 2573. Saints will contract deadneſs and indiſpoſition, by their company, it cauſeth old Luſts to ſtir, and other ſins of heart to be working. The carnal part will be too ready for complyance with them; how hard to come off from them, not worſted?

5. Such as are New-Creatures in Chriſt, have quite different ſpirits from wicked and carnal men, different principles, different ends, and therefore they muſt needs avoid them, and cannot take ſatisfaction and contentment with them, unleſs under great temptation.

Uſe 1. To ſinners unconverted, who take pleaſure in your carnal merry company, but are burthened with the company of godly, and you ſecretly diſdain them, and the Devil ſuggeſts to you, that they are Hypocrites; know this, and be aſſured of it, and your Conſciences muſt acknowledge it, that ye are yet in your ſins, and haters of holineſs, and you love not the appearance of it; Certainly, you are none of theſe New-Creatures, and you cannot know your ſelves by a better Character, then by the company you moſt delight in. You do not make choice of your moſt intimate company by their godlineſs, but from worldly ends, or mirth or good-fellowſhip, as you ſtyle it, or generoſity, or ſome ſuch carnal end: verily, the grace of God is not in you, and your condition is damnable.

2. As ever you would find mercy, look up to the Lord to turn your hearts to himſelf, and then to thoſe that fear him: Break off from your vain-company, who engage your hearts to vanity: What ſaith the Wiſdome of God, A Companion of Fools ſhall be p. 258deſtroyed, Prov. 13. No ſuch fooles (how witty, or prudent, or civill ſoever otherwiſe) as carnall ſouls, that delight in vanity; Oh! hearken to the inſtruction, of the wiſe, and your ſoul ſhall live; I confeſſe this is the hardeſt pluck in converſion, but yet it muſt be done, with a vigorous reſolution, through grace; when once the bands are broken, and you come to find, as you will, abundant more ſweetneſſe in the Lords wayes, verily you ſhall never repent your ſo doing.

And ſuch as have ſome deſires towards goodneſſe, and have ſome better thoughts then you have had formerly of good people, you will make little progreſſe in grace and peace and comfort to your own ſouls, till you do this; till you can abhor your ſelves for your vanity and profaneſs among carnall men, and can with full purpoſe of heart cleave to the Lord, and overcome fear or ſhame, or what ever ſuch curſed evils that are in your way, and all your rocks of offence, you will make little of it as to evidence any ſound work in your hearts, and peace with God by Jeſus Chriſt; one day's accompanying with carnall men will ſet you more backward, in the matter of godlineſſe, than many dayes after will help on.

3. Let ſuch as would evidence the New-Creature, be very watchfull in this matter, and not to touch pitch leſt they be defiled; mixe not your ſelves unneceſſarily, as hath bin exhorted in the laſt head, among carnall men, unleſſe you have a good and holy end in it; ſo as Jeſus Chriſt did, going among great ſinners to do them good, which indeed beſpeakes a great ſtrength of grace, and a Chriſt-like p. 259ſpirit, and Saints ſhould be much with God for it.

And among your ſelves; that Saints do ſtill better and not worſt one anothers Spirits, when they come together: the more you are with Saints, the more you love them, and delight in them; Have a compaſſionate healing ſpirit to one anothers infirmities, and be not offended but look upon, and love the appearance of God in each other; And remember that receiving and doing of good, is your great buſineſſe, till you come to Heaven.

Yea, let all that have a new work upon them diligently find out the Company of Saints, ſuch as are viſibly joyned to the Lord, and to each other, to enjoy ordinances holily, and to help one another heaven-ward; Woe to him that is alone, ſaith the wiſdome of God; Let not gracious ſouls content themſelves in pollutions of worſhip, and without the company of the godly; ſuch do decay, wither, make a poor ſhift to hold out in their profeſſion, grow worldly, or are overtaken with the errours of the times; as for the moſt part they are the ſolitary profeſſours who are drawn aſide from Goſpel-truth, and not ſuch, (as it hath bin unduly charg'd) who are in the fellowſhip of the Goſpel, for that end and purpoſe, to help, ſtrengthen, pray for, watch over each other.

10. Such as are New-Creatures in Chriſt, they have, (if I may ſo ſpeak) new feet, namely, to walk with God in a new converſation; The ſteps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and he delighteth in his way, Pſal. 37.23. I have (ſaith David) refrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep thy word.

p. 260This New walk of a Saint, of a New-Creature, is a large field; that I may hint the moſt materiall things of it.

1. A New-Creature doth more and more ſet himſelf to walk with God; (1.) As under the eye of God, conſidering that the jealous eye of the Lord is ſtill upon him; Thou compaſſeſt my path, and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my wayes, Pſal. 133.3. (2.) To keep Communion with God; to be converſing with God, ſpeaking with God, and unto God, and waiting to hear God ſpeak unto him; (3.) To walk in Jeſus Chriſt. As ye have received Chriſt Jeſus the Lord, ſo walk ye in him, Col. 2.6. which is, to walk in the Life of Chriſt, in the Light of Chriſt, in the Strength of Chriſt, in the Love of Chriſt, in the wiſdome and patience of Chriſt; and ſo in all; This tis to have fellowſhip with Jeſus Chriſt, and to walk in him; to do all in Chriſt, and through Chriſt, is the main work of the New-Creature, as 'twas hinted in diſcovering the neceſſity of the New-Creature's being in Chriſt. (4.) The Walk of the New-Creature is to walk in the Spirit; Gal. 5.25, If we live in the Spirit, let us alſo walk in the Spirit. There's no condemnation to them which are in Chriſt Jeſus, who walk not after the fleſh, but after the Spirit, Rom. 8.11. To walk in the Spirit, is, (1.) Not to fulfill the Luſts of the fleſh, Gal, 5.16. Not to be under the power of them, or to make proviſion for them; not to feed them, but to crucifie them; They that are Christ's, have crucified the fleſh, with the affections and luſts; Gal. 5.24. which is put as an evidence of walking after the Spirit; (2.) Tis to be led by the Spirit, Gal. 5.18. to give up our p. 261ſelves to the leadings and teachings of the Spirit, Pſal. 143.10. Teach me to do thy will, for thou art my God, thy ſpirit is good; lead me into the Land of uprightneſſe; is the cry of every true Convert in Chriſt; who would not be led by his own ſpirit in any thing, nor by other mens ſpirits, but waites for the Leading of the ſpirit in every work, and way, wherein he would walk before God.

5. The New-Creature walks after the revealed will of God; And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be upon them, Gal. 5.16. ſpeaking of the New-Creature who walkes after a rule; Bleſſed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the Law of the Lord, Pſal. 119.1. He ſets himſelf to walk in all the precepts of God, and eſteemeth them all holy and righteous.

6. The New-Creature walks in his integrity; let integrity and uprightneſſe preſerve me, Pſal. 25.21. As for me, I will walk in mine integrity, Pſal. 26.11.— And as for me thou upholdeſt me in mine integrity, and ſettest me before thy face for ever, Pſal. 41.12. This is the gracious reſolution of every Convert to walk in his inregrity, through which God will preſerve and uphold him in all his wayes, and when the world reproacheth him, God will ſet him before his face, and that, for ever.

6. The New-Creature, ſo far as he is a New-Creature, walkes humbly. This is that the Lord doth require of thee, to walk humbly with thy God, Micah. 6.8. To walk humbly before the Lord, towards ſinners, and towards Saints; The ſoul that walkes moſt with God, walkes moſt humbly towards men.

p. 2627. The New-Creature walks in love: And walk in love, as Chriſt alſo hath loved us, Epheſ. 5.2. In love to all Saints, as Saints; a ſpecial part of the Goſpel-walk: Not in love to ſuch or ſuch a party of Saints, which is but ſelf-love, but in love to all that walk with God.

8. More Particulars might I mention, as walking honeſtly towards all men, not oppreſſing, defrauding, but righteouſly, charitably, compaſſionately: ſo far, I ſay, as he is a New-Creature, he walks thus: OnelyOnly let me adde this, That the New-Creature walks by Faith, 2 Cor. 5.7. and not by ſight. He is ever learning a life of dependency, lives upon the All-ſufficiency of God, the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt, the fulneſs of his Grace, the Word of his Promiſe; and ſo lives out of himſelf, upon the fulneſs of God in Chriſt, and his truth in his Promiſe, even when he feels not his preſence. And herein, briefly, conſiſts the Life of Faith, to live out of our ſelves, upon Another, even the Fullneſs of an infinite God, manifeſted in Jeſus Chriſt.

In a word, The New-Creature in Chriſt, as he is called of God, through infinite Free-grace: ſo is he to walk in all things, Worthy of his Vocation, Epheſ. 4.1. To walk worthy of the Lord, even to walk as Jeſus Chriſt himſelf walked, 1 Joh. 2.6. To walk in this preſent world, how he might expreſs the vertues of Chriſt, the grace and love of Jeſus Chriſt ſo freely revealed to him, to walk ſelf-denyingly, holily, patiently, harmleſly, profitably, heavenly, as one that is called from Darkneſs to Light, from the power of Satan to God, called out of the World, to the obtaining p. 263of the glory of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, 2 Theſſ. 2.14.

Uſe 1. If his be the Walk of the New-Creature, then ſuch who walk not as in the Eye of God, but after the Atheiſme of their Hearts; conſider not, that God ſees them in their moſt hidden ways, that walk after their Luſts to fulfill them; that walk not in the Spirit; that mind not Holineſs, ſo they keep a kind of Conſcience to men: Verily, the Spirit of God dwelleth not in you, you have no Evidence for Heaven as yet; you are of the World, and you walk after the courſe of the World, Epheſ. 2.2. You walk Hell-ward, and are held by the Cords of your Luſts, and your Paths lead unto deſtruction. And therefore turn in to Jeſus Chriſt, whoſe Paths are Wiſedome and Safety, and lead in the Way of Life, and Peace, and Bleſſedneſs, even all that chooſe them, and delight in them.

2. Let ſuch as have the New-Creature formed in them, approve themſelves to God, to Saints, and to the World, in this their New-Walk: Oh ſee! you are called to walk with God; and therefore be, as in his Eyes, continually: make Communion with him, your chiefeſt joy. Walk in Jeſus Chriſt, in his Life, Light, Power, Love, Wiſdome, and fetch your daily ſupplies from him: Walk in the Spirit, after the Spirit, as much as may be; and ſee that you keep cloſe to Rule, to the revealed Will of God, and not to Deluſions. Be able to appeal to God; Judge me, oh God, according to mine integrity, Pſal. 26.1. that you may have this peace and comfort in all your ways; Thou upholdeſt me, oh Lord, in mine p. 264integrity. And ſee you walk humbly before GOD and Men, and in love to all that profeſs love to Chriſt; and they do, in ſome meaſure, really expreſs it, and carry it juſtly, and compaſſionately towards all men.

Learn above all, the Experience of the Life of Faith: live not in, or upon what you have received; but live out of it, upon the Fulneſs of the Lord, as if you had received nothing. Oh ply the Throne of Grace, that you may be filled with the Spirit of Jeſus Chriſt, and to walk in this preſent World, as near, as may be, after the Holineſſe, Patience, Meekneſſe, Wiſdome, and Love of Jeſus Chriſt, which he ſhewed towards all men, having your Hearts and Converſations in Heaven, where your Treaſure is.

11. The New-Creature doth in all things labour its own perfection, and is therefore ſtill in conflicting with, deſtroying, crucifying, purging out the old Creature, the old man, all of the Old Adam; till it ſits down in Victory, in a full perfection of Holineſſe and Glory, which it ſhall have, (and not till then) at the appearing of Jeſus Chriſt. Epheſ. 4.22. — That ye put off concerning the former Converſation, the Old Man, which is corrupt, according to the deceitful Lusts, and be renewed, &c. Knowing this, that our Old Man is crucified with Him, that the body of ſinne might be deſtroyed, Rom. 6.6.

This is the main Work of the New-Creature, where it is really formed in Chriſt, to deſtroy and p. 265purge out the Defilements and Dregs of the Old Man, of Sin, Self, Corruption, that it may be as a new Lump; as a Veſſel made meet for the Lord's uſe, as formed up, ſet apart, anointed, ſanctifyed for God, and his Uſe, here, and for ever, AMEN.

To the Bleſsed God Alone, be all the Glory.

FINIS.