not about this new and heavenly Business, but have your Converfation in a worldly manner, you cannot be the new Creature.

NOR must the Formalift pafs without Notice, the Sinner in Difguife, who appears like the new Creature, feems to be very bufy in the Work of Heaven, is rid of grofs Sins, and exact in Hours and Seafons, in the Service of the Knee and the Mouth; and yet, after all, is a Stranger to this new Bufinefs, hath never entred upon it, nor fo much as conceives what it means; foolishly conceiting that Attendance is Devotion, and Form is Religion. Truly fuch, whatever Shew they may have of the new Creature, in Times of Solemnity, and in Freedom from fcandalous Tranfgreffions; yet, were the Difpofitions of their Hearts, and their vain and trifling Way of Life, when the Task of boafted Duties is not upon their Hands, carefully fought out, would be found nothing different from the, feemingly, more careless Sinner. If you fhut up your Attendance upon GoD and your Regard to the Bufinefs of Religion, in certain Times and Places, and are without a customary Attention to GOD, in the ordinary Offices of your Station, and the Employment of your every Hour: If, your public or private Worshipings excepted, you are even as others, who flight the folemn Affemblies and fpend no

Time

Time with GOD in Retirements, and yet are civil, courteous, humane and decent; if you can discover betwixt them and yourself no manner of Difference in Temper and Carriage, they and you seeking the Interefts of Life, gay, and given to Vanity, alike: I must intreat you not to mistake yourself for one, who is entred into the heavenly Bufinefs, and is the new Creature. His whole Conduct is the very reverfe of yours; you remark that it is fo, and are fecretly dif pleased with that Exactness and feeming Aufterity, which appears to you in all the Parts of his Demeanor.

THE Sum of this is: The new Creature, being humbled lives for the next World→→ while the careless Sinner, and, with him, the. mistaken formal Profeffor, are without all due Feeling to fpiritual Things, and labor for the Life that now is.

To Humility, and making the Care of his Soul the main Business of Life; the new Creature adds, in the

Third PLACE, A Readiness, and certain peculiar Forwardness to this fpiritual Work.. We hear often of this Readiness. Put them in mind to be ready to every good Work (p), fays St Paul: And the Example of the fame Apoftle will furnish us with Inftances of it. In oppofition to the Importunity of all his, (2) Tit. iii. 1.

weeping

weeping Friends, too fondly befeeching him to decline the Danger that awaited him at Jerufalem, he fays with a Conftancy and Fortitude, which will not yield to any present Confiderations, I am ready not only to be bound, but to die alfo for the Name of the Lord Jefus (q). And again, he fpeaks elfewhere of his Readinefs to preach the Gospel at Rome (r). Our Lord tells us of a Readiness of Spirit; and we read, more than once, of a ready Mind. Where this Readiness is not, there can be no Sincerity, no Love, nor Heartiness. Would you account that Servant faithful and well-affected to you, who is backward and unready to obey your Orders? You expect the Directions you give, fhould be regarded with a becoming Forwardness: It is this Qualification, which endears to you your Dependents, and perfuades you of the Regard and Affection they bear you. Juft fo, the new Creature is prepared to the Service of God. He hath the Loins of his Mind girt up, for the heavenly Work. He doth not put off GOD with Promifes, as the one Son in the Gofpel, who, when fent to labor in the vineyard, faid, I go, Sir, but went not. Nor, like the other, doth he refuse prefent Duty, afterwards repenting, and going. He is ready at the Call of Providence and Duty. Obferve him in (9) Acts xxi. 13. (r) Rom. i. 15.

his Courfe; how naturally he turns from Sin and Temptation, how eafily he falls in with all good Works, and all Means of Grace! He hath a quick Eye to spy out Temptation; feeing Danger, where a thousand others fufpect no Harm: And what he finds to be hazardous, he hath no Heart to meddle with. He is not apt to hold Parley, to boggle and difpute upon it, which Course he fhall take, when the leaft Thing finful lies in his Way: He determines immediately, and declines the Action at all Adventures, in despite of Perfuafion, Fear, and all manner of threatning Confequences. On the other Hand, he makes hafte to keep God's Commandments; he hath his Hand and Tongue ready for every useful and honorable Work, according to his Ability; he need not to be invited to the House of GOD, nor be called upon to communicate; his Heart is in his Duty, whether it be to wait upon God in his Ordinances, or to serve him in his Calling, to benefit the Souls, or fuccour the Neceffities of his Neighbours. In a word, the new Creature is a new Nature; and whatever we do naturally, we do readily, and with willing Forwardness. Wherefore, if the new Nature be in us, we fhall be ready to the new Work, and in our Way to Heaven fhall be refolutely and brifkly carrying it on, both in striving against Sin

within and without us, and in exercifing ourfelves in all manner of Good. If you have thought yourfelf the new Creature hi-: therto, and have judged that you are humble, and entred into the Business of Heaven, fee if your Conversation be accordingly, if you be ready in this new Work.

BUT if you have no Heart to this Work, putting off Duties to another Day, ready to debate which Course you shall take, when the Danger of Reproach, Shame, or Lofs threatens your Stedfaftness; if you have no Edge and Keennefs to a good Work; to ufe the Means of Grace (fuppofe) or to dif tribute out of your Abundance; but must be dragged and drawn to fuch Things; if your Ears are dull to a ferious Discourse, your Eyes heavy to difcern both the Appearances of Evil and the Opportunities of Usefulness, and your Feet flow to carry you from what is bad, and yet flower in their Motion towards good Employments; if you are loitering, Day after Day, and neglect the heavenly Work: If this be your Cafe, whatever you have of Freedom from fcandalous Iniquities, and whatever Harmleffness you may have to plead, it will profit you nothing; but you are a flathful Ser-· vant, or rather you are a Slave; you are forced upon Duty, not fet upon it of Inclination and Choice, and cannot be regarded as the new Creature.

RATHER