The Rule of the New Creature, Text
THE Rule of the new CREATVRE To bee practiſed every day, in all the particulars of it which are ten Gal. 6.16.
Printed, Anno 1644.
THE Rule of the New Creature to bee practiſed every day, in all the particulars of it which are ten Gal. 6.16.
1. BE ſenſible Of thy originall corruption daily, how it inclines thee to evill, and indiſpoſeth thee to good; groane vnderunder it, and bewaile it, as Paul did, Rom. 7.24.
Alſo take ſpeciall notice of your actuall ſinnes, or daily infirmities, in thought, word, deed. Indeavour to make your peace with God for them before you goe to bed.
By
Repenting, and confeſſing them to God, working your heart to gre…fe for them, by ſome melting conſideratiōs, as of Gods goodneſſe to you, the vnreaſonableneſſe, and vnprofitableneſſe of ſinne, the prejudice, and dammage thereof to the ſoul, Iohn. 1.1.9.
Beleeving, or caſting your ſelfe wholy on Chriſts righteouſneſſe, for remiſſion thereof, and reconciliation with God, Rom. 3.22 24.25. Cleaving to Gods promiſes of pardon, & peace, Iſaiah 43.25. Rom 5.1. waitinge till the Lord ſhall ſpeake to you, Pſal. 85.8.
2. Get your vnion with Chriſt, and intereſt in Chriſt, cleered, & cōfirmed to you daily more and more, that you are a branch in his vine, a member in his body, Cor. 2.13.5 This may bee done 3 wayes.
1. By daily renewal of your faith in Chriſt, eſpecially of that act of faith, whereby the ſoule knits, or tyes it ſelfe vntounto Chriſt, caſts, or roules it ſelfe on Chriſt for ſalvation. Cauſe your heart in a ſolemne manner every day to act this part, or put forth this primitive act of faith in the veiw of the whole ſoule. The daily exerciſe hereof will increaſe, & ſtrengthen the divine habit of faith in the ſoule, & make the ſoule ſenſible of the very act of it. By frequent beleeving you ſhall feele at your very heart, that you doe beleeve; ſo ſhall you have a witneſſe in your ſelfe, that you are in Chriſt, 1. Iohn. 5.10.
2. By examininge your heart upon what grounds you take Chriſt to bee youres.
Are They
1. A ſight, and ſenſe of your ſinnes, of the guilt, power, punſhiment of them, & of your miſery by them? Math. 9.13.
2. Your want of Chriſt ſeene, and felt at your very heart, to juſtifie, ſanctifie, redeeme, ſave you, elſe you are utterly loſt, and undone everlaſtinglie? Luke 19.10.
3. Gods free, and generall offer of Chriſt to any that wil take him by faith Iohn 3.16. manifold promiſes to this purpoſe. The ground of all Gods offers, & donations of Chriſt beeing free grace, rich mercy, vndeſerved love, Eph. 2.4.5.7. Titus 3.4.5.6.
4. Chriſts ſweet, and gracious invitatiō of ſuch to come to him as are weary of ſinne. Math. 11.28. to buy as hauehave no money. Iſaiah 55.1. no worth, or deſert in themſelves.
5. As ſinfull vile wretches as you are have beene ſought of Chriſt, and found in Chriſt, as 1. Cor. 6.9.10.11. 1. Tim. 1.13. Phil. 3.7.8.9. why may not you?
The more cleerely you diſcerne vponupon what grounds you take Chriſt, the more cleere is your title to Chriſt.
3. By ſurvaying, & obſerving in what manner you take Chriſt daily.
Whether
1. You doe wholy renounce all opiniō, and conceite of your owne righteouſneſſe, & deſert, Mark. 8.34. Phil. 3.7.8.9 ſoe that you come to Chriſt empty of your ſelfe, very vile, yea nothing in your owne eyes, unworthy to receive him.
2. You lay hold on Chriſt alone with an empty hand of faith, joyninge nothing at all with Chriſt in the matter of ſalvation.
3. You find the Father drawing your heart after Chriſt Ioh. 6.44. in hungring, panting deſires, that will never bee ſatisfied without him; ſo that the ſtreame, both of your judgment, Phil. 3.7.8. and affections 1. Cor. 2.2. Gal. 6.14. runne towards him.
4. You take Chriſt as a Lord to rule you as well as a Ieſus to ſave you, Col. 2.6. As one that is all. To you your all, your wiſdome, your righteouſneſſe, your ſanctification, & redemptiō 1. Cor. 1.30 your ſpirituall food. Iohn. 6. Rayment Rom. 13.14. Strength, Phil. 4.13. Life Gal. 2.20. Col. 3.3.
5. You ſeeke, and wayte for Chriſt (out of the ſenſe of your ſpirituall penuty) in every ordinance, publicke, & private, word, Sacraments, Prayer, Meditation, Conference; not as they are your owne workes of ſanctification, but as they are Gods Ordinances appointed of purpoſe for the manifeſtation, & communication of Chriſt to the ſoule.
Frequent peruſall hereof will cleere to you your manner of taking Chriſt, which will evidence to you your right in Chriſt.
3. Labour to draw, and derive from Chriſt (by the pulling attractive force of faith) ability ſufficient for the day.Phil. 4.13. 2. Cor. 3.5. Iohn. 1.16.
1. To performe all the duties.
2. To exerciſe all the graces.
3. To reſiſt & overcome all the tentations, and corruptions.
4. To vndergoe all the trialls, and afflictions thereof.
Make your proviſion of grace, and ſtrength from Chriſt every morning, fetch ſoe much as you ſhall have occaſion to uſe all day long, yea and vponupon all occaſions, that fall out in the day goe to Chriſt ſtil for the wiſdome, that muſt direct you, for the holineſſe that muſt character you; for the ſhoulder, which muſt beare them, if they bee croſſes; for that ſtrength, that muſt reſiſt them, if they bee tentations; performe them, if they bee duties.
To this end act your faith daily in the promiſes of grace, and ſtrength, as Iohn. 1.16. Ezek. 36.26.27. Iſaiah 44.3. Zech. 10.12. which are both ſecurity given you by God, that you ſhal receive grace, and conduit-pipes, or inſtrumēts of conveying the ſame from Chriſt vntounto you.
This is the meanes to doe all in the ſtrength of Chriſt, and to take forth a great deale of Chriſt into your ſoule, that not you, but Chriſt may live in you Gal. 2.20.
4. Performe daily duties both in family, and cloſet (eſpecially theſe 3. of Prayer, Meditation, reading) with ſerious intention, heate of affection, diligence, and delight, Ier. 48.10. Mal. 1.14. 1. Chron. 21.24. To this end.
1. Watch to theſe duties, 1:e. keepe the heart in a good frame for them, Ephe. 6.18. vndefiled with ſinne, vntainted by the world.
2. Take fitteſt time for performance of them all; when you are leaſt dull, and ſluggiſh. Beginne the day conſtantly with the thoughtes of God.
3. Bee very reall, ſerious, and ſubſtantiall with God in them, Indeavour to feele all duties at your heart, inliving, inlarging, inflaming your affections.
Theſe bee duties of moſt importance, and conſequence, commodity, & comfort to the ſoule, becauſe they properly ayme at, and reach to ſoule-good, and celeſtiall happineſſe, to traine vp a ſoule for heaven.
5. Fortifie your ſelves every morninge againſt your ſpeciall luſts to which you are by nature moſt prone, or ſhall bee moſt tempted, bee it pride, paſſion, covetouſneſſe &c.
1. By arguments, and holy reaſoninges within your ſelves, drawne from the ſad effects thereof, as diſprofit, diſcomfort, diſgrace, or the like, to diſcover the vnreaſonableneſſe of your ſinne, and make your ſoule ashamed of it. For example shall I bee proud? then I am ſure to fall, for pride goes before a fall, and God will count mee for his enemy, for God reſiſteth the proud. Shall I bee angry? If I let paſſion in, I cannot keepe Sathan out, Ephe. 4, 26.27. I shall greive the holy ſpirit of God Ephe. 4.30.31. Shall I bee covetous? I cannot but bee very ſinful, ſith the love of money is the roote of all evill 1. Tim. 6.10.
2. By pondering in your minde preceptes in Gods booke againſt your ſinne judgments threatned, or inflicted for it, on proud Herod, voluptuous Dives, churlish Nabal.
3. By applying promiſes of mortification cloſe to your heartes, as a plaiſter to the ſore, for ſubduinge your iniquitie Micah. 7.19. Rom. 6.14.
4. By drawing vertue from Chriſts death into the ſoule, which hath in it a killinge force of ſinne, Rom. 6.4.5.6. Phil. 3.10.
6. Get your heartes ſtrongly fixed on God, by truſting on him Pſal. 112.7. and ſubmitting to him 2. Sam. 15.26. 1. Sam. 3.18. againſt all the feares, cares, doubts, trialls, afflictions of every day, for ſufficient to the day is the evill thereof Math. 6.34. To this end.
1. Bee prudent to fore-ſee your perſonall trialls, & troubles, whatſoever they are like to bee Prov. 22.3.
2. Goe hide, and lay vp your ſelfe in God, runne vntounto his name, for God is a rocke of habitation to which a poore ſoule may continually reſort, God will give commandment to ſave him Pſal. 71.3. 1. Peter. 4 19.
3. Eſpecially cornmit that very thing to God, put it into his handes, whatſoever you deſire to keepe, or feare to looſe, 2. Tim. 1.12. bee it life, libertie, name, freindes, maintenance, &c. what you would have reſolved, if it bee a doubt Pſal. 37.5. or ſupplied, if it bee a want, remooved, if it bee a croſſe, Pſal. 50.15. & together with the thing, caſt all your care, feare, ſorrow, & trouble of minde about it wholy on the lord. Math. 6.31. 1. Peter. 5.7. Pſal. 55.22.
4. Renew your faith in thoſe promiſes every day which moſt concerne your preſent ſtate; as in promiſes of ſupplies, if you bee in want. Pſal. 34.8. and 37.3. and 84.11. Math. 6.30. of protection, if you bee in danger. Pſal. 34.7. of direction, if in doubt; of deliverance, if in trouble, of a good end, and ſanctified uſe of all. Deut. 8.16. Iam. 5.11. Rom. 8.28. Heb. 12.10.
5. Labour to ſee Gods hand. Pſal. 34.9. beleeve his love. Heb. 12.6. Rev. 3.19. and with all meekeneſſe, and patience to reſigne up your ſelfe wholy to his will in every affliction. Math. 26.39.
7. Get, and keepe a ſavory relliſh continually of your chriſtian priviledges, wherewith you are inveſted as you are new creatures in Chriſt: to wit.
1. Of your dignity, that you are Gods ſonnes, Chriſts bretheren, heavens heires, pertakers of a high, and heavenly calling.
2. Of your libertye, that you are the Lords freemen dilivered out of the handes of all enemies.
3. Of your victory, that you are thourough Chriſt more then Conquerors over all the world of Creatures. 1. Iohn. 5.4. of evils, of temptations, of perſecutions Rom 8.35.37.
4. Of your ſafetie, that you have allmighty God for your place of refuge, Pſal. 18.2. a hedge of providence. Iob. 1.10. a Guard of angels. Pſal. 91.11. an incloſure of mercy. Pſal. 32.10. and Gods promiſe as a writ of protection for your defence. Heb. 13.5.6.
5. Of your riches, as durable ſubſtance in heaven. Heb. 10.34. an incorruptible inheritance, 1. Pet. 1.4. a kingdome of glory, and crowne of life, for you are heires of God, & co-heires with Chriſt.
6. Of your Ioy, and pleaſure, precious for kind, and plentiful for meaſure. Pſal. 16.11. peace un-conceiveable phil. 4.7. joy un-ſpeakeable 1. peter. 1.8. the maſters joy.
Get your heartes affected with all theſe as being yours. Chew, and ſucke them by ſerious Meditation, worke, and warme them on your heartes by cloſe application, rubbing them into your affections. Oppoſe theſe your ſpirituall priviledges to all your temporall preſſures, ſettinge the one againſt the other; as your heavenley freindes to your earthly foes, your high dignity in Chriſt to your meaner in outward condition? your wealth above to your want below; your future joyes, and reſt to your preſent troubles, and ſorrowes. This will make you not onelyonly patient under the afflictions of this life Rom. 12.12. but joyfull in them. Rom. 5.3. and triumphant over them. 1. Cor. 15.55. Thus did the Apoſtles. Rom. 8.18. 2. Cor. 4.17.8. and 6.8.9.10.
Theſe will provoke to duty 1. Peter. 9.11.12. and preſerve from fainting 2 Cor. 4.16.17. and from trouble of heart Iohn 14.1.2.
8. Sanctifie God in your heart daily 1. Peter 3.15. make him your feare, Iſaiah. 8.14. your love, and delight Pſal. 37.4. To this end.
1. Have often high, and honorable thoughtes of God, ſerious meditation of his glorious Attributes, as his wiſdome, power, truth, mercy, iuſtice, &c. and worke them vpō your heartes, that they may Eccho to them with pure, & meltinge affections. This wil increaſe, and nourish vp the divine nature faſt in you.
2. Labour to bee affected with all the workes of God, as to behold, & admire the wiſdome of God in the creatures. Pſal. 136.5. to ſee, and taſt Gods goodneſſe in every mercy Pſal. 34.8. to take notice of, and tremble at the anger, and diſpleaſure of God in all Iudgmentes. Pſal. 119.120. Habb. 3.16. that you may anſwere the diſpenſations of Gods providence with ſutable diſpoſitions; your heartes carrying a counterpane in affection to all Gods actions.
3. Wreſtle with God by praying, and beleevinge for an heart of flesh. Ezek. 36.26. which will receive impreſſions from the very thoughtes of God in the minde Alſo apply promiſes of particular affections. as of love. Deut. 30.6. feare. Ier. 32.40. delight, Iſaiah. 58.14. There is heate, and life in theſe promiſes ſufficient to quicken, and warme thy dead, and frozen affections.
9. Get a publicke ſpirit to mind the thinges of Ieſus Chriſt, as naturally as if they were your owne thinges. phil. 2.20.21. to looke on the things of others, and preferre Ieruſalems welfare before your cheifeſt joy pſal. 137.5.6. and the Goſpels liberty before your owne, as Paul did; to mourne for the ſinnes of the times, as the Godly in Ieruſalem did, Ezek. 9.4. Eſpecially lay to heart.
1. The Churches miſery, when Gods Ordinances goe downe, & ſuperſtition goeth vp, when Gods cauſe, and fide are put to the worſe, when any thing falls out, which gives a blow to Religion, or prooves an impediment to the Goſpell. If the Arke bee taken call your comforts Ichabods. Sam 4.21.
2. The afflictions of Ioſeph, Amos 6.6. The ſufferinges of Gods ſervants, whether Miniſters, or people. Oh ſympathize with them. Heb 13.3. Nehem. 1.4. labour to feele theire troubles, and ſorrowes at your very heartes; and pray earneſtly for them, as the Church did for Peter Act. 12.5.
3. The ſignes of the times. Math. 16.3. which hypocrites cānot diſcerne, though they bee well verſed in the face of the sky, to wit, the ſad ſymptomes, & preſages of approaching Iudgment, as
1. The commoneſſe of ſinne; for all ſortes tranſgreſſe in all kind of open ſinfulneſſe with a high hand againſt light of nature,and meanes of grace. Gen. 15.15. Ezek. 22.4.
2. Contempt of Gods ordinances, miſuſing of his Miniſters. 2. Chron. 36.16.
3. Departure of Gods glory from his houſe. Ezek. 9.3.
4. Incorrigibleneſſe after former, and vnderunder preſent judgmentes. lev. 26.14.11
5. The death of many righteous men. Iſaiah. 57.1. the carryinge away of others to hidinge places.
6. The vialls of Gods wrath powred on the Churches beyond the Seaes. Ier. 17.12.14.
7. An Inundation of ſpirituall judgmentes, as a ſpirit of error, ſuperſtition, apoſtacy &c. which doe commonly end in temporall plagues Iſaiah. 6.10.11
Now the Holyghoſt is a publicke ſpirit breathing, and acting in all the members of the body myſticall. Pray for it. Luke. 11.13. beleeve for it, Gal. 3.14. Ezek. 36 27.
10. Get your heartes weaned daily from the world, and from thoſe creatures, and comforts in itt, which are deareſt, and ſweeteſt to you. Wife, children, freindes, Goods, liberty, houſe, life. This Chriſt requires of thoſe that follow him. Luke 14: 26.27 Mark. 10.29.30. this will prepare you either to ſuffer, or to dye, either of which may put you upon itt to looſe all. To this end conſider ſeriouſlie.
1. That theſe thinges cannot ſatisfie your heart, when you have enjoyed them to the full. Eccles. 4.8. and 5.10. you ſoone grow weary of them, or glutted with them; ſoe that you deſyre ſome new delightes, or more of the old, or ſome over againe.
2. Nor can they ſanctifye you, but expoſe you oft to many luſts. 1 Tim. 6.9.10. tentations, diſtractions, to a ſpirit of the world, and they hinder from following Chriſt. Math. 19.22.
3. Nor can they ſave you from Gods wrath, frō death, or judgment. pro 11.4.
4. The wicked whoſe portion is onelyonly here have often the greateſt ſhare of them, Pſal. 17.14. Iob 21.7. to 14.
5. They ſerve onelyonly for this life, whilſt wee are on this ſide, of the grave; they ſhall not bee the leaſt Ingredients into our celeſtiall happineſſe. When wee doe come to bee happy in heaven, wee ſhall ſtand in no need of food, rayment, Phyſick, marriage &c. Math. 22.30. for wee ſhall bee like the angels of God in heaven, wee ſhall hunger no more, neither thirſt any more. Rev. 7.16. wee shall live by the all-ſufficient ſpirit of God, which never needes refreshing; wee shall bee clothed with long white robes of Immortalitye Rev. 7.9. In a word, when wee come to heaven the place of Gods Habitation wee shall enjoy the face, and beatificall preſence of the moſt glorious Iehovah bleſſed for ever, as an object, wherein all the powers of our ſoules will be ſatisfied with ineffable delight, and everlaſtingneſſe. God will bee vntounto vsus all in all. 1. Cor. 15.28.
FINIS.
End of the text · Edward Reyner, The Rule of the New Creature (1644)