with Christ but in Christ to bee a member of Christ. So Christ appeared in great humilitie to advance us to this honour Secondly it is a most comfortable condition for First now there is no condemnation to them that are in Iesus Christ Rom. 8. 1. Secondly all thy debts are discharged Thou hast in him satisfied and in him fulfilled al righteousnesse for who payeth the wives debt but the husband and the bebt being once payed it shall never be demanded more Thirdly all the grace and good that Christ hath in himselfe is thine whole Christ is thine by imputation of his merits holinesse obedience active and passive This loving Husband hath all holinesse and happinesse for his Spouse His life is thine for hee that hath the Sonne hath life his death is thine and all the fruits of his passion his resurrection and ascension is thine that thou mayest boldly ascend in affection and cause thy prayers to ascend yea and in person to ascend into thy fathers house and pull downe his intercession Oh what a rich estate is this that a man can aske nothing but hee shall have it Iohn 15. 7. Thirdly it is a most safe condition to bee in Christ our head is above water an able head will save and protect the members All sinnes and imperfections are now covered and hid for the head will hide the defects of the members He takes upon him all the quarrels of the Christian and mightily overcommeth hell the grave death the devill and all adversary power so as the elect cannot bee seduced nor severed from God Fourthly it is a most fruitfull condition Iohn 15. 2. Every branch that beareth fruit in mee hee purgeth that it might bring forth more fruit How can a branch set into such a roote but bee fruitfull Et contra Whereas the misery of one that is out of Christ is that hee can doe nothing at all No branch can bring any fruit that abideth not in him And whatsoever branch bringeth not fruit in him is cast out as a withered branch into the fire A fruitlesse barren tree dishonoureth God Herein is the Father glorified c. Hee disgraceth the stocke into which he is set Fftly it is the onely state of perfection in this life For all perfection is originally in him and derived to us because wee are in him So as that in him wee attaine all that maketh for grace or glory Col. 2. 10. Ye are compleat in him who leadeth into all truth who giveth all graces in their kinde and addeth all degrees of those graces which makes up their full happinesse Yea the perfection of this state is also in the preservance and continuance of it For wee beare not the roote but the roote beareth us Our salvation dependeth not on our selves but on him for being in him we not onely grow but increase and the older we grow the more we flourish and bring fruit Psalme 92. 20. All other branches may bee plucked away from their stocke by violence of windes or mans hand or consumed by time and age but it is not so with those that are in this roote life nor death things present nor things to come can separate them c. From the state of a man renewed we come to the note of him Hee is a new creature Where consider first what is meant by a new Creature and why a man in Christ is so called secondly how a man may know himselfe to bee a new Creature which is here implyed thirdly how a man may become a new Creature seeing hee must bee so Fourthly why he must be a new Creature Fiftly Vse both for instruction and secondly consolation First the new Creature is the regenerate man who is indued with new qualities of righteousnesse and holinesse according to the image of the new or second Adam To understand which consider in man three things 1 The substance of soule and body 2 The faculties of them 3 The qualities of both For the first the same substance of soule and body remaineth which GOD created at first For the second the faculties be the same the same understanding will memory affections senses naturall motions the same they were but the qualities of them all are changed and new framed for whereas in the old Adam the understanding was blind now it is inlightened the will that was rebellious is now bored in part unto dutie the conscience memory thoughts desires which were dull earthly dead estranged from God now are quickned wakened raised upwards the affections which were crooked and corrupt are changed and straightened the senses which were servants of sin are servants of grace senses of discipline the members that were weapons of unrighteousnesse are now become members of Christ in one word the whole man is in these qualities repaired and renewed and made as here a new creature so elsewhere a new man Col. 3. 10. The qualities thus framed in the hearts of the elect at their first conversion are called a new creature The man being the same in substance faculties and members onely in the frame and order of them not the same The new creature is not in respect of substance but of malice Quest. But why is hee called a new Creature Answer The worke of grace is a kinde of creation Psal. 51. 10. Create in me a new heart Now if restoring of Grace where it was be a kind of creation much more the framing of grace at the first where it is not Secondly there is a great resemblance betweene these two great workes of God the first creation and the second First the Author of the creation was the Sonne of God God by Christ made all things By him were all things made 1 Cor. 8. 6. There is one Lord Iesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him he is the beginning of the Creatures Acts 15. 15. He being the mighty Iehovah giveth being and beginning to all creatures not in Nature-onely but in Grace and Glory Againe none can re-creat but hee that first created What is decayed in nature must bee restored by the Author of nature hee that brought his whole order out of confusion can onely bring our confusion into order Secondly the matter of the creation was of nothing which is the difference of Creation from Generation which is the producing of a substance from a substance so here was no preiacent grace no preparing grace For how could Adam prepare himselfe to his owne creation and as little can a man dead in sinne prepare himselfe to the life of God Nay in the first Creation was nothing to resist but here is nothing but an old rubbish strong in resistance Thirdly the manner in the first Creation all was made by a word Psal. 33. 6 9. By the Word of God were the Heavens made and Psal. 148. 1. and 9. He spake the word and all things were made so this is done by the same mighty
creating word of God which is the immortall seede in the worke of regeneration Fourthly for the order in that the light was first made the first word that God spake was Let there be light and it was so So the beginning of this Creation is an infused light of knowledge Col. 3. 10. The image is renewed in knowledge and never could a world of beleevers have beene created or a Church raised but by the light of the Gospel Fiftly for the quality in that Creation all that GOD made was exceeding good but here is a further degree of goodnesse to which new creatures are made farre beyond them They were all exceeding good in their naturall goodnesse but this in a spirituall and supernaturall goodnesse And whereas man was made to the image of God hee is here also framed to the image of him that created him Col. 3. 10. But with this addition that he is now created to a more sure estate in that image Sixthly for relation in that the creature had absolute dependance on the Creatour for his being and wel-being as also for his working so this new creature must absolutely depend upon God both for new qualities and every new act and the motions of them for we also live and move and have being in him alone For as all motion is from the power of some first mover so must our dependance bee on him as well for working and moving in grace as for our being and beginning in it Thus we see what is meant by the new Creature and why so called The second generall point is how this new Creature may bee knowne seeing it is a note by which a man must discerne himselfe to be in Christ. Answ. A new Creature may be discerned by foure properties 1 By a new light of sound and saving knowledge for here the work beginneth This knowledge is not naturall nor historicall nor a generall knowledge of points in Divinity which even the devils are not without nor a bare knowledge in the Theory or speculation of divine things but a sound and saving knowledge whereby the mysteries of Gods Kingdome are not onely revealed but applyed and locked up to the change of the man into it selfe it transformeth a man into the image of Christ from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3. 10. It is a practicall knowledge that keepeth a man from every evill way Pro. 2. and a wisedome full of mercy and good fruits Iames 3. 17. Then are ignorant persons no new creatures nor persons inlightned but not changed but haters of knowledge and the meanes are much lesse new Creatures Secondly because no creature can be both old and new at once the new creation may be known by the passing away of all things 2 Cor. 5. 17. In the old creature was a generall leprosie of sinne spread over all the parts and if this bee not in part cured thou art no new Creature No man can put the new man upon the old but must first put off the old man Ephes. 4. 22. Called the old conversation in times past 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So as if the old Adam live and prosper in thee thou art no new creature If thou beest as earthly minded as once thou wast if thy will be carried against the will of God if thy affections settle upon earthly and vaine things onely or principally if thy conversion be to the fashions of the world and thou livest according to nature thou didest never attaine this happy estate by new creation Here is no patching of a new peece upon an old if thou beest the same man thou wast borne thou hast no part in this businesse Thirdly in a new Creature the whole is created a new All things are now new first grace is totall in all parts as in the birth of a child the whole child is borne in all the parts This worke of Creation Christ compareth to the leaven hid in three peckes of meale till all bee leavened so God by a secret but powerfull worke changeth the whole man and all the parts I say the whole and parts of the new Creature are renewed and have attained a new nature which is called 2 Pet. 1. 4. a divine nature standing of divine and heavenly qualities The new Creature is sanctified throughout in spirit soule and body all is new both within and without See it in the particulars and apply them First the new Creature hath a new life by which it liveth now the life of God that is whereby God liveth in his Saints and the life of Christ from which hee was a stranger Hee liveth now the life of grace which when it is perfect in heaven doth become the life of glory hee hath begun eternall life below Secondly a new birth the new Creature is now borne of a new Father begetting him which is God by his Minister and a new mother sucking and feeding him which is the Church by her two breasts and Testaments Thirdly a new soule and here God beginneth wherein this condition differeth from the other there God made the body first and then breathed a living soule but here hee maketh the soule new first and worketh first a new spirit without guile or raigning hypocrisie secondly a new judgement or a new manner of esteeming things those things he accounted advantage are now losse he esteemeth of all things as they are helps to heaven thirdly new desires before hee desired earth profits and sinfull lusts to live at large out of the sight of God but now he desireth freedome from sin puritie of nature pardon of sinne the presence of God in his ordinances the comming of Christ the prosperity of the Gospel the salvation of all Gods people Fourthly new affections As First new joy in the law of God in Gods ordicances of Word and Sacraments Psal. 122. 1. in Gods people that excel in vertue yea and in afflictions for well-doing Rom. 5. 5. Thus he could never joy before Secondly new sorrowes not now for worldly things losses crosses shame sicknesse but for sin for want or weaknes of grace for spirituall judgements more than temporall for Iosephs affliction when the enemy prevaileth against the Church when Gods wrath breaketh out against his people Incourage thy selfe in these sorrowes which are a part of the new Creature Thirdly new love where hee most hated he loveth God most of all he loveth to obey him even when hee doth not hee loveth most that which most crosseth his owne nature thē smitings of the Word the crosse of Christ mortification fasting prayer Hee loveth dearely the honour of God and the place where his honour dwelleth he loveth the way to happinesse as well as happinesse it selfe Fourthly new hatred he hateth his sin as the greatest evill and his owne sinne more than another mans yea his most secret and deare sinnes most of all he hateth not persons now but sins he hateth all
vessels we let them slip For First how weake an account can wee give unto God as we must of all the good lessons we have heard and ought to have remembred Secondly how could we continue the same men from yeare to yeare unchanged if the word did continue in us Thirdly what strangers are many of us to the Scripture and grounds of Religion whereas if it did dwell in us it would be as well knowne unto us as those that are in house with us Fourthly how far is it to seeke and absent from us when our mindes understand it not our hearts affect it not our consciences are not guided by it nor our actions nor the creatures are sanctified by it as 1 Tim. 4. 4. How plaine is it now that thou art not in Christ who wilt not affoord his Word a resting place in thy soule Remember that place 1 Iohn 2. 24. If that which yee have heard from the beginning shall remaine in you yee shall continue in the Son and in the Father The fift note Examine whether thou hast the Spirit of Christ. This is made a note of such a one 1 Iohn 3. 10. Hereby we know that hee abideth in us by the spirit which hee hath given us And Chap. 4. 13. Hereby we know that wee dwell in him and hee in us because hee hath given us of his spirit And if any man have not the Spirit of Christ the same is none of his that is no member of his body set into him but in shew as a woodden legge which receiveth not vitall powers from the head Object This is a difficult marke But how shall I know the Spirit of Christ to be in mee Answ. Many finde and conceive it to be harder than it is because they hold it no sinne to doubt whether they have the spirit or no when as they may as lawfully doubt whether they be Christians or no. But try thy selfe by this note First wheresoever the spirit is he rebuketh sin Ioh. 16. 8. The spirit pricketh the heart of every convert and if thou hast him thou must finde him a spirit of conviction Object I have beene often checked for my sinne and that is my comfort Answ. But deceive not thy selfe To the spirits conviction are required three things First sense and sorrow that thou hast sinned Secondly earnest desire of mercy expressed in vehement hunger and thirst Thirldly a loathing and leaving of sinne Never any received the spirit but thus was sinne rebuked in them Secondly the spirit writeth the law in the heart where he is Ier. 31. 31. and leadeth into all truth Iohn 16. 13. Hast thou this spirit of direction and counsell teaching thee and leading thee into duty Object I know as much as any can teach me Answ. But art thou led by the spirit or mis-led by the flesh and doctrine of carnall libertie Many are taught few are led and yet onely they that are led by the Spirit are the Sonnes of God The Spirit must be the guider of thy course as the Pilot in the ship thou must shut thine owne eyes of carnall reason and as a blinde man give thy selfe to be led by the spirit Thirdly the spirit where hee is ruleth and commandeth yea reformeth and casteth out old errors of heart and life for hee will not dwell as an underling but as a commander his worke is to cast downe all high things exalted against grace and to bring every thought into the obedience of Christ. Findest thou a spirit in thee prevailing against fleshly thoughts carnall affections desires conversation findest thou a spirit framing thoughts speeches actions to the conformitie of the Word a spirit quickning to all that is good this is the Spirit of Iesus Christ. Fourthly he being the spirit of supplication Zae. 12. 10 maketh the elect to cry with unspeakeable groanes Dost thou finde not the words of prayer which any hypocrite may but the spirit of prayer who alwayes in prayer first leadeth into the sense of sin secondly into the apprehension of the excellency of mercy which maketh him servent thirdly letteth the soule see God appeased in Christ fourthly it sealeth to it the truth of Gods promises who will heare Psal. 50. 15. Fiftly assureth it selfe to be in state of Christ his merits and intercession to whom the Father denieth nothing all which must needes quicken the heart to fervent and frequent prayer The sixth Note If thou canst discerne Christ in thy selfe thou maist be sure thou art in him for one ralative affirmes the other And knowest thou not that Christ is in thee except thou be a reprobate 2 Cor. 12. 5. Quest. How may I know this Answ. First examine if Christ be formed in thee Gal. 4. 12. And then Christ is formed in thine heart when God hath begun a change in thy soule by his grace laying in thee the beginnings and seedes of grace The Apostle useth a comparison drawne from the forming of an infant in the wombe which is not formed all at once but the principall vitall parts first the heart braine and liver and then the other by degrees so grace is not wrought all at once but by degrees first the beginnings of Faith Repentance and holy desires and then a more lively impression of the Image of Christ imprinted in their heart which standeth in knowledge holines and conformity to Iesus Christ in practice and passion in suffering and doing as he did in some measure Now if there bee no new lumpe which was not in nature no forming no reforming of heart and life Christ is not there Secondly try if Christ liveth in thee and then Christ liveth in thee when thou livest by faith in the Sonne of God making thy faith thy stay in all estates in all actions temptations afflictions when faith carrieth a sway and hath a stroke in every thing and in life and death maketh the heart and life leane upon Christ. Thirdly if Christ bee in thee then hee moveth in thee and thou in him The infant in the wombe is discerned by the moving of it and so is Christ discerned in the heart and then Christ moveth in the heart when his spirit moveth and inclineth it by a still and secret voyce unto all good speeches and duties and then thou movest in him when thou cherishest fosterest and followest his motions agreeable unto the Word and sufferest them not to die in thee As for example The Spirit moveth thee to redeeme the time to read in Gods Booke there to acquaint thy selfe with Gods will in time to worke the workes of God to mind thy account and reckoning but thou resistest those motions carnall and contrary motions thrust them our and call thee to cards dice epicurisme merriments wasting thy time putting off the evill day as the heathens Now Christ moveth not in thee but the spirit that ruleth in the world for Gods sweete motions are so strong as that
and as chaffe which the storme carrieth away This was Ieremies meditation Chap. 18. 17. 3. When I see or heare great windes doe great harmes to blow downe houses over mens heads unroote oakes and strong trees I must now looke to my foundation and rooting in grace be sure I bee founded on a rocke that when raines fall windes blow and stormes beate against my house it may stand Matth 7. 27. If wee builde our walls with untempered morter it shall fall a great shower shall come and hailestones shall cause it to fall and a stormie winde shall breake it Ezek. â—3 11 12. 4. When I see reedes and rushes tossed and shaken with every winde I must looke to my stablishing in the doctrine and profession of godlinesse that I bee not carried about with every winde of libertine doctrine every puffe of temptation every frivolous humane invention every frowne of superiours every threatning of the times every crosse occasion as a man unstable in the grounds of received truth Iohn Baptist was not as a reede shaken with the winde as many unsetled heads carried into all novelties conceits and opinions that no gid die conceit can bee broached but shall finde favourers and admirers of things in true judgement to be explored but labour for soundnesse within Wee have seene many faire Apples and Peares hanging on a tree lovely in sun-shine which in the next whistling winde quite fall off because they were rotten or unsound at the core Wee are yet in some calme but the storme riseth suddenly wee know not how soone wee shall bee shaken many prognosticks of foule and stormie weather are upon us Let us bee wise and settle our selves in sinceritie of heart and sounde love of the truth which shall hold us on our foundation when others shall bee overturned Thus the Prophet having sufficiently by the eyes of his minde drawne much matter of meditation from the heavens he casteth downe his eyes on the earth in the last verse of this Psalme and with admiration saith O Lord how wonderfull is thy name in all the earth Noting that not onely the heavens but also the earth being rightly considered may offer unto us abundant matter of divine meditation Seeing then the whole hosts of heaven and earth are before thee complaine not thou wantest matter whereon to meditate Come then and see what great works the Lord hath done in the earth and hearken what a loud voice it hath to leade us unto God and our selves See Iob 12. 7. Consider what barres or engines what mighty foundations uphold the massie substance of the whole earth and sea that the infinite weight should not fall through the soft thin and compassing ayre where no man can make a feather hang without some stay This was Iobs meditation which ledde him to the infinite power of GOD who hangeth the earth upon nothing Iob 26. 7. The whole frame of the heavens hath no other collumes than the ayre the ayre leaneth on the earth the earth hangeth on nothing but the mightie and powerfull Word of God From the unmoveable strength and stability of the earth whose foundation cannot be shaken we may fruitfully meditate of the stable and undoubted truth and certainty of the Word of the Lord both in his promises and menaces Isay 48. 13. My hand hath laid the foundation of the earth Therefore heare O Iacob he will doe his will in thee O Babel c. Psalme 125. 1 2. They that trust in the Lord shall bee as Mount Sion and stand for ever As the hils compasse Ierusalem so doth the Lord his people From the earth which is full of the goodnesse of the Lord Psalme 33. 1. Wee behold the riches of God whose footstoole it is 2 The bountifulnesse of God who hath given it to the sons of men Psalme 115. 16. and made it our table prepared and furnished with all dainty foode our house in which wee dwell and a kinde and liberall mother affording us all her riches and store at all times 3. The providence of God who cloatheth the grasse and decketh the earth and will hee not much more them that feare him Mat. 6. 4. The justice of God in the barrennesse of the earth A fruit of our fall and sin and a just curse of the barrennesse of our owne hearts A fruitfull land hee turneth to barrennesse for the sinnes of the inhabitants From the earth wee may raise sundry instructions concerning our selves 1. Matter of humility It being our common Mother whence we come and whether we must returne Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt returne The same in the fading of flowers withering of grasse and the mowing it downe put David in minde of the fading prosperity and unavoydable mortalitie of men Psal. 90. 6 7. Our matter is not iron steele c. but grasse All flesh is grasse This sense of our mortalitie should quicken the care of immortalitie 2. Heavenly-mindednes Seeing the earth is but a pricke or a point in comparison of heaven and so should it be unto us who would lose an infinite for a finite a thing of nothing See we not the earth hiding the wealth of it within the bowels all the rich mettals minerals and costly stones And why conceive not we hence their nature Her selfe would cover these from our eyes that we should not set our hearts on them nor they hinder us from better things 3. Love and labour after Gods Word I see what paines men will take to digge and fetch out metals as silver gold c. why should not I digge deepe for wisedome and esteeme Gods Word as gold tryed by the fire worth much paines and labour Prov. 2. 4. 4. I see the earth receiving seede returne abundant fruit according to the cost and paines of him that manureth it Oh where is the thankefull returne of fruits of grace which I should bring unto God for his cost and manuring of mee Every good heart and good ground must doe so Matth. 13. 8. Every faithfull soule as a fat soyle must bee in some proportion answerable to the meanes lest beeing often watered and remaining fruitlesse we be neere a curse c. Heb. 6. 7. We come now to particulars Looke upon the Plants and Trees 1. And put thy selfe in mind to become a tree of righteousnesse the planting of the Lord. 2. Thou seest the Tree stand firme upon his rootes against windes and tempests see thou be firmely rooted on Christ lest the blast of persecution shake thee 3. Thou seest the Tree well planted not onely greene but fruitfull Art not thou as a tree planted by the rivers of waters in Gods garden and orchard of grace Hath not hee warmed thy heart with his Sunne of grace and watered thy soyle with fruitfull showers Doest thou now not onely become truely regenerate moystened with the Spirit of grace to make thee flourish and looke greene but also bringest pleasant fruits unto the Lord else looke for