because it is a new creation. As we cannot make ourselves creatures, so not new crea tures. QUEST. But why doth God command us to convert ourselves, if we have no power? Ezek. xviii. 31, Make you a new heart. ANS. 1. We once had power. God gave us a stock of holiness, but we lost it. If a master give his servant money to employ in his service, and he waste and embezzle it, may not the master require his money of him? Though we have lost our power to obey, God hath not lost his right to command. person is like one in debt that is in fear to be arrested; he is every hour in fear to be arrested by death, and carried prisoner to hell, Can that traitor be happy, who is fed by his prince in prison, only to be kept alive for execution? God feeds the wicked as prisoners, they are reserved for the day of wrath, 2 Pet. ii. 9. How should this fright men out of their natural condition, and make them restless till they are new creatures. 2d Use. Trial. Whether we are new creatures; our salvation depends upon it. I. I shall show you the counterfeits of the A. 2. Though men cannot convert them-new creature, or that which seems to be the selves, and make themselves new creatures, new creature, and is not. yet they may do more than they do in a tendency to it; they may avoid temptations, they may read the word; the same feet that carry them to a play, will carry them to a sermon; they may implore divine grace. But they do not what they are able; they do not improve the power of nature to the utmost, and put God to the trial whether he will give grace. A. 3. God is not wanting to them who seek to him for grace. Deus volentibus non deest. He is willing to put to his helping hand. With his command there goes a promise, Ezek. xviii. 31, "Make you a new heart;" and there is a promise, Ezek. xxxvi. 26, “A new heart also will I give you.” 1. Natural honesty, moral virtue, prudence, justice, liberality, temperance,-these make a glorious show in the eye of the world, but differ as much from the new creature as a meteor from a star. Morality, indeed, is commendable, and it were well if there were more of it; this our Saviour loves, Mark x. 21, "Then Jesus beholding him, loved him." It was a love of compassion, not election. Morality is but nature at best, it doth not amount to grace. There is nothing of Christ in morality; and that fruit is sour which grows not on the root Christ. Moral actions are done out of a vain-glorious humour, not any respect to God's glory. The apostle calls the heathen magistrates unjust, 1 Cor. 2d Position. When God converts a sin- vi. 1. While they were doing justice in their ner, he doth more than use a moral persua- civil courts, they were unjust; their virtues sion, for conversion is a new creation, Eph. became vices, because faith was wanting, and iv. 24. The Pelagians talk much of free- they did all to raise them trophies for their will; they say, "The will of man is by na- own praise and fame. So that morality is ture asleep, and conversion is nothing but but the wild olive of nature, it doth not the awakening a sinner out of sleep, which amount to grace. Heat water to the highest is done by moral persuasion." But man is degree, you cannot make wine of it, it is wa by nature dead in sin, Eph. ii. 1. And God ter still: so, let morality be raised to the highmust do more than awaken him, he must en-est, it is nature still,—it is but old Adam put liven him before he be a new creature. in a better dress. I may say to a civil man, 66 The stoics were 1st Use. Terror to such as are not new" yet lackest thou one thing,” Mark x. 21. creatures. Such as are still growing upon the stock of old Adam, who continue in their sins, and are resolved so to do, these are in the gall of bitterness, and are the most miserable creatures that ever God made, except the devils. These stand in the place where all God's arrows fly; these are the centre where all God's curses meet. An unregenerate Moral virtue may stand with the hatred of 2. Religious education is not the new crea ture. Education doth much cultivate and refine nature; education is a good wall to plant the vine of grace against, but it is not grace. King Jehoash was good as long as his uncle Jehoiada lived; but when Jehoiada died, all Jehoash's religion was buried in his uncle's grave, 2 Kings xii. 2. Have not we seen many who have been trained up religiously under their parents, and were very hopeful, yet these fair blossoms of hope have been blown off, and they have lived to be a shame to their friends? 3. A form of godliness is not the new creature. Every bird that hath fine feathers, hath not sweet flesh? all that shine with the golden feathers of profession, are not saints, 2 Tim. iii. 5, "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power." What is a lifeless form? Formality is the ape of piety; formalists may perform all the external parts of religion,-pray, fast, give alms. Whatever duties a believer doth in sincerity, the same may a formalist do in hyprocisy. How devout were the Pharisees! How humble was Ahab! what a reformer was Jehu! Yet this was but a formal show of religion. Dædalus, by art, made images to move of themselves, insomuch that people thought they were living: formalists do so counterfeit, and pay a devotion, that others think they are living saints; they are religious mountebanks. 4. Every change of opinion doth not amount to the new creature; man may change from error to truth, yet be no new creature; here is a change in the head, but not in the heart; one may be orthodox in his judgment, yet not cordially embrace the gospel; he may be no papist, yet no true believer. He who is changed only in opinion, is but almost a Christian, and shall be but almost saved. with him, v. 66. Many desire heaven but will not come up to the price. Affections of joy may be stirred. In the parable, the second sort of hearers are said to "receive the word with joy," Matt. xiii. 20. What was this but to have the affections moved with delight in hearing! Yet, that this did not amount to the new creature, is plain, 1st, Because those hearers are said to have no root. 2d, Because they fell away, v. 21. King Herod did hear John the Baptist gladly; he was much affected with John's preaching; where then was the defect? Why was not Herod a new creature? The reason was, because Herod was not reformed by the Baptist's preaching; his affections were moved, but his sin was not removed. Many have sweet motions of heart, and seem to be much affected with the word, but their love to sin is stronger than their love to the word; therefore all their good affections prove abortive, and come to nothing. 6. One may have trouble for sin, yet not be a new creature. Trouble of spirit may appear, while God's judgments lie upon men; when these are removed, their trouble ceaseth, Ps. lxxviii. 34, 36, "When he slew them, then they sought him; nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouths." Metal that melts in a furnace, take it out of the furnace and it returns to its former hardness: many in time of sickness seem to be like melted metal. What weeping and wringing of hands! What confessions of sin will they make! these look like new creatures? soon as they recover, they are as bad as ever; their pangs go off again, and it never comes to a new birth. Do not But as 7. A man may have the Spirit, yet not be a new creature. The apostle supposeth a case, 5. Every sudden passion, or stirring of that one might be made a partaker of the Holy the affections, is not the new creature. Ghost, yet fall away, Heb. vi. 4. A man may There may be affections of sorrow; some, have some slight transient work of the Spirit upon the reading the history of Christ's but it doth not go to the root; he may have the passion, may be ready to weep, but it is common gifts of the Spirit, but not the special only a natural tendency, which relents at grace; he may have the Spirit to convince him, any tragical sight. Affections of desire not to convert him; the light he hath is like a may be stirred, John vi. 34, "Lord, ever- winter sun, which hath little or no influence, more give us this bread;" but these basely-it doth not make him more holy; he hath the deserted Christ, and would walk no more motions of the Spirit, but walks after the flesh. 8. Every abstaining from sin is not the she become! Her eyes, that were enticenew creature. This abstaining may be, 1st, ments to lust, she takes penance of them, From restraining grace, not renewing grace: and washed Christ's feet with her tears; her as God withheld Laban from hurting Jacob, hair which she was so proud of, and which Gen. xxxi. 24. The Lord may restrain men was a net to entangle her lovers, she now from sin, by the terror of a natural con- takes penance of it, and wipes Christ's feet science. Conscience stands as the angel with it. Thus the new creature makes a with a drawn sword, and saith, "Do not this visible change. Such as are the same as evil." Men may be frighted from sin, but they were, as vain and proud as ever, here is not divorced. 2d, Men may abstain from sin no new creature to be seen: for then a for a while, and then return to it again; as mighty change would appear, 1 Cor. vi. 11, Saul left off pursuing David, for some time," And such were some of you, but ye are and then hunted him again. This is like a washed, but ye are sanctified," &c. man that holds his breath under water, and then takes breath again, Jer. xxxiv. 15, 16, "Ye were now turned, and had done right in my sight but ye turned and polluted my holy name." 3d, Men may leave gross sin, and yet live in more spiritual sins,-leave drunkenness, and live in pride,-leave un-change, which is like the washing of a swine. cleanness, and live in malice. The Pharisee boasted he was no adulterer, but he could not say he was not proud or superstitious; here he left gross sin, and lived in spiritual sins. 4th, Men may leave sin partially,-abstain | Ahab humbleth himself?" Yet, for all this, from some sins, not all,-they feed some sin in a corner. Herod left many sins, but one sin he lived in, viz. incest. All this doth not amount to the new creature. the new creature consists. But every change doth not evidence the new creature. 1. There is a change from one extreme to another,—from a prodigal to an usurer,—from a Turk to a Papist. This is as if one should recover of one disease, and die of another. 2. There is an outward Ahab was much changed to outward view, when he "rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth," 1 Kings xxi. 27, insomuch that God stands and wonders at him: "Seest thou how he was but an hypocrite. QUEST. What change then is that which is requisite in the new creature? ANs. It is an inward change, a change of II. I shall show you wherein the essence of heart. Though the heart be not new made, it is new moulded, Jer. iv. 14, Wash thy 1st, In general. To the constituting of heart, O Jerusalem. Ahab's clothes were the new creature there must be a great change rent, but not his heart. The outward change wrought. He who is a new creature, is not will do no good without the inward; what the same man he was. He is of another will become of them then, who have not so spirit, Numb. xiv. 24, "My servant Caleb, much as an outward change? Thus you see because he had another spirit." When the in general, that, in the production of the new harlot, Lais, came to one of her old acquaint-creature, there must be a change. ance after he was converted, and tempted 2dly, More particularly. The change in him to sin, Ego non sum ego, saith he, "I the new creature consists in two things, and am not the same man." When one becomes they are both set down in the text: "old a new creature, there is such a visible change things are passed away; behold all things that all may see it; therefore it is called a are become new." change" from darkness to light," Acts xxvi. 1. "Old things are passed away." Old 18. Paul, a persecutor, when converted, pride, old ignorance, old malice; the old was so altered that all who saw him, won-house must be pulled down ere you can set dered at him and could scarce believe that he up a new. was the same, Acts ix. 21: as if another soul had lived in the same body. Mary Magdalene, an unchaste sinner, when once savingly wrought upon, what a penitent creature did Who can OBJ. But if all old things must pass away, then there are no new creatures. be quite freed from sin? complain of a body of death? Doth not Paul ritual barrenness; he is not troubled, that he can love God no more. (3). He opposeth not complexion-sins, such as the bias of his heart carries him more strongly to, as lust or avarice; he saith of his constitution-sins, as Naaman, 2 Kings v. 18, "In this thing, the Lord pardon thy servant." But the new creature opposeth all kinds of sin: as he that hates a servant, hates all kinds of serpents; Ps. cxix. 104, "I hate every false way." ANS. We must know that the change thoughts, the stirrings of anger and concu wrought in the new creature, though it be a piscence,-the venom and impurity of his thorough change, yet it is not a perfect nature. (2). He doth not oppose gospel sins, change; sin will remain. As there is a prin--pride,-unbelief,-hardness of heart,-spiciple of grace, so of corruption; like wine and water mixed, there is in the regenerate flesh as well as spirit. Here a question ariseth. QUEST. If sin in the regenerate is not quite done away, then how far must one put off the old man, that he may be a new creature? ANS. 1. There must be a grieving for the remains of corruption, Rom. vii. 24, "O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death?" Paul did not cry out of his sufferings, his being beaten with rods, shipwrecked, stoned;-but, like the bird of paradise-he bemoaned himself for sin. In the new creature there must be quotidianus mugitus,—a daily mourning for the indwelling presence of corruption; a child of God doth not wear sin as a gold chain, but as a fetter. A. 2. In the new creature there must be a detestation of old things, as one would detest a garment in which is the plague. It is not enough to be angry with sin; but we must hate it, Ps. cxix. 163, "I hate and abhor lying." Hatred is the highest degree of enmity; and we must hate sin not only for its hurtful effect, but its loathsome nature; as one hates a toad for its poisonous quality. A. 3. In the new creature there is an opposition against all old things; a Christian not only complains of sin, but fights against it, Gal. v. 17. QUEST. But may not a natural man oppose sin? ANS. Yes; but there is a great difference between his opposing sin, and the new creature's opposing it. 2dly, There is difference between the na tural man's opposing sin, and the new creature's opposing sin, in regard of the motives. A natural man opposeth sin, from carnal motives,-to stop the mouth of conscience, and to prevent hell. But the new creature opposeth sin upon more noble motives,—out of love to God, and fear of dishonouring the gospel. A. 4. In the new creature there is mortifying old corrupt lusts, Gal. v. 24, “They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh.” The new creature is said to be "dead indeed unto sin," Rom. vi. 11. He is dead as to the love of sin, that it doth not bewitch: and as to the power of it, that it doth not command. The new creature is continually crucifying sin; some limb of the old Adam every day drops off; though sin doth not die perfectly, it dies daily. A gracious soul thinks he can never kill sin enough; he deals with sin as Joab with Absalom, 2 Sam. xviii. 14, “He took three darts in his hand and thrust them through the heart of Absalom." So, with the three darts of faith, prayer, and repentance, a Christian thrusts through the body of sin; he never thinks this Absalom is enough dead. 1st, There is a difference in the manner of opposition. 1. The natural man opposeth sin, only for the shame of it, as it eclipseth new creature, "old things are passed away." Try then, if we have this first sign of the his credit: but the new creature opposeth sin There is a grieving for sin, a detesting it, for the filth of it,—it is the spirit of mischief, an opposing it, a mortifying it; this is the it is like rust to gold, or as a stain to passing away of old things, though not in beauty. 2. The natural man doth not oppose a legal sense, yet in an evangelical; and all sin. (1). He doth not oppose inward though it be not to satisfaction, yet it is to sins; he fights against such sins as are against the light of a natural conscience, but not acceptation. 2. The second trial of the new creature, against heart-sins,-the first risings of vain is "all things are become new." The new creature is new all over; grace, though it be but in part, yet it is in every part. By nature every branch of the soul is defiled with sin, as every part of wormwood is bitter; so in regeneration, every part of the soul is replenished with grace, therefore grace is called the "new man," Eph. iv. 24. Not a new eye, or a new tongue, but a new man,-there are new dispositions, new principles, new aims,-"all things are become new.” (1). In the new creature there is a new understanding, Eph. iv. 23, "Be ye renewed in the spirit of your mind." The first thing a limner draws in a picture is the eye: when God newly limns us, and makes us new creatures, the first thing he draws in our souls is a new eye: the new creature is enlightened to see that which he never saw before. 1. He knows Christ after another manner. An unconverted man, by the light of common grace, may believe Christ to be the Son of God: but the new creature knows Christ after another guise, manner, so as to esteem him above all, to adore him, to touch him by faith, to fetch a healing virtue from him. 2. The new creature knows himself better than he did. When the sun shines into a room, it discovers all the dust and cobwebs in it: so, when the light of the Spirit shines into the heart, it discovers that corruption which before lay hid; it shows a man his own vileness and nothingness, Job xl. 4, "Behold, I am vile." A wicked man blinded with self-love, admires himself; like Narcissus, that seeing his own shadow upon the water, fell in love with it. Saving-knowledge works self-abasement: "Lord, thou art in heaven, and I am in hell," said a martyr. Hath this day-star of knowledge shined on our mind? (2). The new creature is renewed in his conscience. The conscience of a natural man is either blind, or dumb, or seared; but conscience in the new creature is renewed. Let us examine, doth conscience check for sin? The least hair makes the eye weep; and the least sin makes conscience smite. How did David's heart smite him for cutting off the lap of Saul's garment! A good conscience is a star to guide, a register to record, a judge to determine, a witness to accuse or excuse; if conscience doth all these offices right, then it is a renewed conscience, and speaks peace. (3). In the new creature the will is renewed. An old bowl may have a new bias put into it: the will having a new bias of grace put into it, is strongly carried to good. The will of a natural man opposeth God; when the wind goes one way and the tide another, then there is a storm; so it is when God's will goes one way and ours another. But when our will goes with God's, as the wind with the tide, then there is a sweet calm of peace in the soul,-the sanctified will answers to God's will, as the echo to the voice, Ps. xxvii. 8, "When thou saidst, seek ye my face, my heart said unto thee, thy face, Lord, will I seek." And the will being renewed, like the primum mobile, it carries all the affections along with it. (4). The new creature hath a new conversation. Grace alters a man's walk; before he walked proudly, now humbly; before loosely, now holily; he makes the word his rule, and Christ's life his pattern, Phil. iii. 20, "Our conversation is in heaven." As a ship that is sailing eastward, there comes a gale of wind and blows it westward: so, before a man did sail hellward, and on a sudden the Spirit of God comes upon him, and blows him heavenward; here is a new conversation. It was a speech of Oecolampadius, "I would not speak nor do any thing that I thought Jesus Christ would not approve of, if he were here corporally present." Where there is circumcision of heart, there is circumspection of life; if we find it thus, that "all things are become new," then we are new creatures, and shall go to the new Jerusalem when we die. 3d Use. Exhortation. Labour to be new creatures: nothing else will avail us, Gal. vi. 15, "Neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature." We are for new things; we love new fashions, and why not new hearts? but people are full of prejudices against the new creature. OBJ. 1. If we are new creatures, there must be so much strictness in religion, so much praying and watching, as discourageth. |
