repentance and regeneration is and then think they have it themselvs because they can tell what it is and do believe it to be such There may be much knowledge in the head and yet no renewing grace in the heart That knowledge that is saving brings with it a power upon the soul to love delight in to experience the goodnesse vertue sweetnesse of what it knows It transforms the soul into the image of what is known 2 Cor. 3. last It is spirituall and it makes the heart the affections spirituall 8. A misconceit of the grace of love is also a false ground in this matter As that a poor soul will think that he loves God when he hath no knowledge of him nor delight in him nor Communion with him nor doth love his Image which is holinesse And that he loves All every one whereas much envy and malice reigns in the hearts if but a little provoked And for the people of God truly so called they hate them for Hypocrites Schismaticks and what not or if a little better thoughts of them t is not love to Christ and his Image in them that acts them which is the nature of the grace of love 9. So is patience humility meeknesse mistaken some natural dispositions are more patient and meek and these poor Creatures are apt to mistake for grace when 't is nothing but mere nature and more candid disposition And such Souls from naturall temper can bear much and it hath an appearance of grace But yet here may be no work of the Spirit all this while humbling meekning the soul in its own vilenesse no mortification of contrary lusts No humbling for pride of heart without which no true gracious humility No meekning by the Gospell and the power of Christs love upon their Spirits And yet upon this account you shall have poor carnall souls pretend much as I have often heard it urged by them to the fruits of Spirit mention'd Gal. 5.22 of love joy peace goodnesse patience temperance when t is nothing but disposition ingenuity or from civil education 10. As great a deceit there is about the fear of God many poor souls do fear the punishment and wrath of God which is all they do and then they think this is the fear of his servants The fear of the Lord which God promiseth to put in the hearts of his own people Jer. 32.40 is a fear of God because he is holy because he is gracious because he hath pardoned iniquity They shall fear the Lord and his goodnesse Hos 3. last which fear is mixt with a sweet and blessed love to God and consolation of the Spirit 11. A misapprehension of good workes causeth a mistake of the New-Creature many are convinc'd that workes of mercy and charity and Justice are to be done and so from a pittifull nature or from vain-glory or from a secrer thought to appease God or from Legall conviction at least they will be ready to do Charitable works things good in themselves and this they think discovers their Faith And herein lyes a common deceit in the vulgar professours of the people of England Now all the good works falsly so call'd done out of Christ are fleshly and not accepted with God A papist and many a carnall protestant even also for the sin of his soul doth much this way But good works properly so called do flow from a living faith from love to Jesus Christ and designe not a self-justification but the glory of God And gracious souls do find it very hard to performe them with holy ends 12. Mistake of a good conversation which may onely be a morall conversation civill sober righteous as to men but mindes not holinesse to God which is the speciall part of a Gospel-Conversation And yet the most of people go away with this that they are believers and in a good estate for heaven because they have a good conversation which they greatly mistake That which the word of God calls a good conversation as an evidence of faith is not onely a mere outward blamelesnesse which the Pharisees had but to walk with God from a Gospel-principle from Gospel-Grace and the love of God in the heart chiefly respecting holinesse to the Lord and the fear of the Lord upon the heart now a soul that hath nothing of this may be outwardly blamelesse a Jew and heathen may be so and nothing of the grace of God upon them Vse Now the Lord make this to be a convincing searching word to you you that have left some grosse sins from the word upon your consciences from afflictions from worldly advantages from age be it known unto you this you may do and more and be still the Children of wrath in an unpardoned condition and not the New-Creatures we are speaking of yea though thou hast taken up to new duties and makest conscience of many sins and many duties thou mayst still be out of Jesus Christ And you that call your daily sins which have dominion over you your infirmities when not humbled nor mourn for them nor cry for strength against them this your way is your folly and the Devil and your own hearts greatly deceive you yea you call such sins your infirmities meaning as if they were the infirmities of the Children of God that cannot consist with truth of grace such as common lying and common profaning the Lords name in your mouths and neglecting to sanctifie his Sabbaths and living in the neglect of secret spirituall prayer And such of you that have some striving in your consciences before and after the sin know it it may be so and yet not a drop of saving grace in you no regenerate part wrought forth in you And yet how many bear up themselves upon this score and think thence they allow not themselves in the sins they commit in Paul's sense look to this or you may for ever perish in this snare I have given some markes how you may know it Take you heed also that you take not that which is called Common-Grace which is Common to Reprobates for true grace There 's is a false faith a false Repentance a false Hope and so of the rest in which you may assuredly go to Hell you may have a harmelesse conversation and do some good works of Charity and yet perish for ever you may have nothing of the New-Creature in you and yet give all your goods to the poor In a word you may leave outward grosse sins have convictions of wrath to come have purposes such as they are to be better take up to New-Duties have common grace think you have faith repentance hope that you are humble patient have a good conversation and do good works and yet not be New-Creatures in Jesus Christ as we shall further evince I have yet one more deceit to discover and that is the mistake of a Scripture good conscience It is true that the Apostle in 1 Tim. 1.5 19. puts faith and a good conscience as
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 6. 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 the Lord and wilfull obstinacy against his Word and Spirit and therefore 't is 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 If 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 't is to be thy daily work or else all these evils will again much prevail upon thee Love 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 't is a slavish fear of breaking out of some grosser sins onely 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 3. 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 't is 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 onely the 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 't is 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 to 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 Onely let me add this Caution that in this matter of the New-Creature you take the whole frame together And therefore do not rest onely 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 to 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 doth 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
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 onely 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 4. 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 Oh! 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 and 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 't is 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 2. 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 t is 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
great a blessing of getting thy soul in a pardoned estate Do but weigh with me the matchless blessedness of such a condition and me-thinks thy heart should not but be taken with it 1. Consider Pardoned souls become the dear Children of God see Eph. 1.5 c. Having predestinated us unto the Adoption of Children by Jesus Christ unto himself according to the good pleasure of his Will to the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved in whom we have Redemption through his blood the forgivenesse of sins c. The glorious grace of Adoption comes in upon the forgivenesse of sins therefore Chap. 5.1 the Apostle further hints this so blessed a priviledge Be ye followers of God as dear Children and Gal. 4.5 the Apostle gives it out as the great and blessed fruit of Redemption that we might receive the Adoption of Sons Oh! to be translated from being amongst the children of wrath to be numbred among the dear Children of God to come under the protection care tender love of God as a Father What soul would not be restlesse till he attain unto it 2. Pardoned souls have access to God Eph. 2.18.3.12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him Heb. 4.16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need This is the blessedness of pardoned souls they have free accesse to God as a Child to a Father to speak and plead to the Lord As soon as ever they come before the Lord they are admitted into his presence and God's eye and ear is towards them and they must have their errand either in kind or as good or a better thing given to them This is another inestimable good of blessed pardoned souls 3. As they are Gods dear Children and have free access to him so when once he hath freely and fully pardoned them he loves them with an infinite unmixt unchangeable Love Behold what manner of love is this c. 1 John 3.1 The Lord can as freely let out love full love to his pardoned ones as if they had never sinned because he never looks upon them out of Christ when God takes a poor sinner to himself he doth not barely and meerly pardon him and save him from wrath and no more as earthly Princes pardon many whom they love not but God sets his Love upon them and it can never enter into his heart to hate them He that loveth me saith Christ shall be loved of my Father Joh. 14.21 And if God afflict them 't is to make them better more like unto himself to bestow more grace upon them Heb. 12.10 and Gods Love to his blessed children is like himself Infinite unmixt everlasting This is another infinite blessing of pardoned souls to be thus loved by their God 4. Pardoned souls are brought into a justified state from which they shall never fall Thus runs the tenour of the New Covenant the bottome of all this blessedness I will remember their sins no more Heb. 8.12 No more Words of a sweet and blessed sound to whom they are spoken by the Holy Ghost that when poor souls that have come to Jesus Christ in a Gospel way for pardon and have pleaded and taken hold of promises of grace for that end and yet sometimes unbelief is stirring Oh! will not God one time or other call back to remembrance all my former iniquities and charge them upon me No saith the Lord it shall never enter into my heart I will remember them No More Blessed words and blest condition indeed Ah! who would be without it 5. Pardoned souls shall be kept in the hand of the Lord in all their wayes 1 Pet. 1.5 His Love Fear Lawes Power Spirit shall be in their hearts that they shall not fall from him Jer. 32.40 And I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me He preserveth the souls of his Saints He keepeth the feet of his Saints Psal 97.10 1 Sam. 2.9 yea he will keep them from evil and nothing shall befall them but for their good Rom. 8.28 And if they fall the Lord humbles them heals them takes them up again puts new strength into them and his kindness must not depart from them 6. Pardoned souls are Gods Heirs Gal. 4.7 Rom. 8.15 c. Heirs of God through Christ and joynt-heirs with Christ Heirs of all his Promises of an incorruptible inheritance that never fadeth away reserved in Heaven for them 1 Pet. 1.9 Though the Lord give them no inheritance of earthly possessions yet they are his special Heirs of the heavenly inheritance Not the poorest believer in the world but may say with a heart full of blessed and humble rejoycing Though I am worthless in my self and am so accounted in the world yet through infinite grace I am one of the richest Heirs in the world a Co-heir with Christ of an exceeding eternal weight of glory Use 1. If such and more then is or can be named be the blessedness of pardoned souls Ah! what poor secure sinner that must also be everlastingly damned without it would miss of it Say sinner instead of being cursed hated damned and that for ever for ever for as is mercy and love to pardoned ones so is wrath to such as miss of it for ever I say instead of that which any heart but what is plagued with hardness would melt and tremble at to become a dear child of God and have free access to God be loved of God for ever justified no sin for ever remembred against thee every thing befall thee for good and be an Heir of God and be even as blessed as God can make thee and that for ever Ah! where 's the sinner that would be without this Who would sleight that word of the Lord that would teach you and lead you to this blessedness Who would despise or neglect the day of grace now while within the reach of it Who would run a dreadful hazzard of being given up of God if you thus trifle with a Gospel of salvation Ah! the good Lord pity you that do thus you are fit to be mourned over had we hearts to do it with tears of blood Yet once more Awake awake you careless ones before bodies drop into the grave and souls into hell Oh! do not do not take pleasure in soul-murder do not put off the one only main necessary work and leave it undone till it may be impossible to have it done Tell me in good earnest Canst thou well be without the pardon of thy sins here and for ever Soul thou mayst well enough be without much Land and much mony and many great friends and yet be well exceeding well contented nay better if thou hast Christ and grace then
truth of grace and puts it off as if not concerned in it this may well bespeak a false heart A gracious heart would bring the Work over and over to the Touchstone of the Word delivers up it self unto it yea is much with God to search him in point of a firm Work upon his Spirit as to any prevailing iniquity in his heart as David Psal 139. When he was before the Lord appealing to him and opening his heart to him speaks thus ver 1. Oh Lord thou hast searched me c. thou hast And yet ver 23 24. begs of God yet further to search him Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me into the way everlasting 3. False grace is discovered by its easie acting When you can easily believe easily repent easily be humble and so of all others Certainly 't is all naught There is great contradiction within and from the Tempter as to act grace begun in a soul yea a daily supply from Jesus Christ must be to act any grace livelily which the common pretending easie Believers are not sensible of It cannot be but every act of grace must find more or less resistance from flesh and bloud which is so vigorously opposite to the nature and acting of real grace in the soul 4. Such as are never humbled for the spirituall wickednesses of their hearts I call them so in opposition to the more gross and fleshly wickednesses now these are hypocrisie selfishness spiritual pride vain-glory unbelief many that have had trouble for some gross sins will withstand some gross corruptions through common grace never come to be abased for these depths of the heart which are more hardly discerned I may well enough call that soul as yet a Hypocrite that is never humbled for the Hypocrisie of his heart for selfishness and the rest 5. Common-grace measures the soul chiefly by Negatives what it is not rather then what really it is as the Pharisee Luke 18. I am not as other men are pleaseth himself rather in what he is not then what he is I am not thus and thus as abundance of debaucht persons are but whether he be called of God emptyed of his own righteousness sanctified in Christ Jesus and a new Creature in him he puts off the Examination of 6. Common grace doth at best respect a mans self in all it does and not the glory of God which it sees not let others be as wicked as they will it is not much to such a soul let every one look to himself such a soul doth not avoid sin as sin but onely for fear it should damn him whereas the proper nature of grace is to respect God his holinesse name and glory Thus have I laid down some plain discoveries of the pretended New-Creature that which I have styled a Legall New-Creature I shall now proceed a little further to make discovery of a more seeming Gospel New-Creature yet but seeming That which hath the nearest resemblance of the New-Creature is when from some common enlightnings of the Gospel of grace and some overly tastings of the good word the affections being something stirrd therewith there is some affection expressed to the Gospel and some outward reformation upon it and a profession above the common formall rate taken up joyned also with common gifts of praying or prophesying knowledge c. Now all this may make so great a blaze and flourish that it shall be hardly discerned by such a professour himself or others that are spirituall That all this may be 't is clear from severall Scriptures Heb. 6.4 5. where mention is made of inlightning tasting gifts of the Holy Ghost and yet such to fall away and never to renew themselves again and to be nigh unto cursing verse 8. And verse 9. Beloved we are perswaded better things of you and things that accompany salvation c. Implying that these things may be but do not alwayes accompany salvation So the Apostle Peter 2 Pet. 2.20 speaks of such who had escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of Jesus Christ and yet again entangled therein and overcome and their latter end worse then the beginning They shall escape many grosse pollutions and that through a kind of knowledge of Jesus Christ and yet be again overcome and return wholly to them So Math. 12.45 Our Lord Jesus speaks of the house swept and garnished the unclean Spirit cast out for a time some outward reformation a damp upon the lusts of the heart and knowledge and common gifts and yet the unclean spirit returning again Examples might be produced of such professours in the Gospell as that of Judas an eminent professour a forward follower of Christ suffered some persecution and gifted and yet proves a Reprobate Simon Magus baptized by Philip renounced his sorceries took upon him a forward profession of Christ accompanyed Philip and yet his heart not right in the sight of God Act. 8.13 21. It may be more then feared This age to the high scandall of Sinners and Saints hath produced many such that have bin much taken with the glorious grace of the Gospel their consciences something awakened for Heaven the affections stird have attained to flourishing gifts and yet returned to their first nothing turn'd blasphemers and professed Atheists And no doubt there is such a Majesty excellency sweetnesse in the Gospel of Jesus Christ that may for a time much affect a carnall heart and may be received with joy Mat. 13.20 The very History of Jesus Christ dying for sinners may much affect that he will freely save sinners the glory he hath provided for his own these and the like things may much take the affections for a time make a soul ashamed of grosse pollutions and yet no New-Creature all this while And of such as these it is that Christ doth Prophesie of Math. 25. who shall have Lamps Light and Profession go along with the wise Virgins wise and truly gracious professours not be discovered many of them till the Lords appearing and yet kept out of the Kingdome of Heaven Now of all others these have the most resemblance of a reall New-Creature and yet fall short and perish for ever I should prevent my self should I at large discover wherein such professours are short onely a word or two 1. Such souls are never emptyed of themselves and humble so come poor and nothing to Jesus Christ though hapdly they may be able to speak of it as many souls have a forme of Gospel-knowledge and can say we are nothing and yet never had the saving experience of it upon their own hearts 2. Such souls have no true brokenness of heart for sin they much slight it yea say many t is Legall brokennesse for sin is a low dispensation as they will style it without which in some measure no saving repentance which is as necessary to salvation as
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 thoughts 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 Onely 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 Take 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 which 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. Vse 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
thus made most glorious And when He had given forth a brief and blessed draught of the tenour of the New Covenant Ezek. 36.21 c. The Lord gives out this as the great reason often mentioned why he would take such a way of making another Covenant where in he wills all undertakes all does all works all as resolved it should be a Covenant and a way of grace that should surely hold he gives out this I say as the ground of all I had pity for mine own holy Name ver 21. Thus saith the Lord God I do not this for your sakes but for mine holy Names sake ver 22. I will sanctifie my great Name ver 23. And when the Lord had shewed what he would do for the poor Jewes in special and so for all sinners taken into Covenant with him that he would sprinkle clean water upon them cleanse them from their sins give them a new heart put his Spirit upon them write his Laws in their hearts and so take them to be his people he again concludes with the same ground as before that all this was still for his own Name ver 32. Not for your sakes do I do this be it known unto you c. And yet that he would as certainly and fully do it as if all the engagements from man in the world had been upon him as undoubtedly make good every part and article of the Covenant he adds ver 36. I the Lord have spoken it and I will do it you may safely abide by it Neither should his grace and power come hardly from him as poor doubting souls surmise as if 't were as much as ever the Lord could do to give out mercy and grace to poor sinners but saith the blessed God in another place upon the same account having given out the promises of grace in the New Covenant Jer. 32.37 and so on He subjoyns I will do it with my whole heart and my whole soul mark it poor souls with my whole soul will I pardon you love you never turn away from you to do you good and never suffer you to turn away from me If poor weak souls for whose sake I put it should here ask What is this Covenant what do you mean by it I have at large opened this to you only a word here God at first when he made man agreed with man to be his God to give him life for ever upon these tearms that man would keep the Law that God gave him which God also writ in his heart and 't was a Law that would have given all glory to the Creator preserved the creature in a holy and blessed order and been a blessing to the whole Creation but man transgressing here the blessed God from his own good pleasure for his Names sake gives out another Agreement or Covenant provides in it tearms of reconciliation for the first breach of the first Covenant sends his eternal blessed Son Jesus Christ to be a Mediatour of this new agreement gives him Commission to offer it to all and that freely and to let the World know that if any sinner in the world never so great come and put up his plea make his claim enter his claim accept of this Covenant and new agreement with God accept of the tearms of it give up himself mutually to God back again then will God be his God and that upon better tearms then before with Adam pardon own love blesse unite to himself never suffer him to fall mercy built upon an unmoveable foundation The foundation of God standeth sure 2 Tim. 2.19 This briefly is the meaning of the New Covenant upon which all our mercy is built now from first to last from the first to the top stone of it from Election to Glory all is done and made good for the Lords own glorious Names sake Souls elected the Covenant transacted between God and Christ Jesus Christ sent the sinner called forgiven justified sanctified adopted kept glorified All for his Names sake See the promises running thus in most places Esay 43.25 I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions Why for my own sake Purge away our sins for thy Names sake Psa 79.9 This is the bottome of all Now because the further clearing of this blessed truth is my design through grace in the next discourse I shall speak but a word more by way of use only Use 1. If it be thus that what ever God gives out to poor souls is for his own Names sake that this is the plea a poor sinner hath let it then be for your information and instruction that you have no other plea to be heard in Heaven but this the plea of Jesus Christ being upon the same bottom Dont make a sorry pile of carnal duties and works and say for the sake of these Lord do me good and pardon where I have failed the Lord may send fire from Heaven to consume thee and them because of their pollution and that 't is a cursed offering but never hear thee and blesse thee upon such a plea No no say in thy soul and that from full conviction If ever I have any thing from God on this side hell it must be for his own Names sake I expect I plead I wait upon no other ground Use 2. If the Lord's Names sake be the only plea for grace then let poor sinners drawing near to God by Jesus Christ be perswaded that 't is a good plea and most acceptable before the Lord. Now this is the way of the heart of poor creatures from rooted self-love pride we think if God could give out good unto us for our sakes it were something if there were any thing to be beheld in us that were commendable to the Lord I could go with some confidence but seeing 't is thus that I am nothing else but vile before him how can I go to him with what face or how can he give out unto me Sinner be as low as thou wilt or canst but reason not so with thy self If God can as freely as fully do thee good all good for his own Names sake and hath thereby the more glory by it Why shouldst thou so stand upon thy tearms with God and not be as willing as contented to accept of mercy all mercy for Gods own Names sake as well as for thy sake 'T is thy pride be it known unto thee sinner as humble as thou thinkest thou art and not thy lowliness know for thy comfort God can more readily easily do thy soul good upon the tearms he now is for his own sake and so the thing be done thy soul pardoned blessed saved and all shall end in everlasting love upon thee let the Lord have all the glory though thou hast nothing to boast of for thy own sake And yet also know that when the Lord saith he doth it for his own sake he doth not exclude that he hath no respect and love unto thee but that the great
shewed you may be under the Law condemned for one transgression and what can you be more then be condemned Neither doth all this as in it self any more prepare you for Jesus Christ And therefore let all the Convictions Arguments Demonstrations we have produced from the clear Light of the Word of the Lord at last prevail with you that you who thus satisfie your selves because you are baptized believe the Scriptures frequent the service of God are just and sober therefore it is well with you and you will trouble your selves no further in the matter of your salvation that the estate of your soules is as unsafe and desperate how secure soever as the profoundest Drunkard in the Countrey Therefore let this Conviction have force upon your Conscience that you must come anew to Jesus Christ as a mere sinner having nothing to commend you to him Say from the Light of the Word Though I have thus satisfied my self pleas'd my self in these Duties and outward Priviledges yet there 's no difference between me and the vilest sinner in order to my acceptance with Jesus Christ Nay if this Conviction take upon thee thou wilt say to the glory of God and thy own confusion If there be any difference 't is that thou art the greatest sinner having mocked the Lord rested in out-side service dealt hypocritically with the jealous God offered him abominable sacrifice and therefore fit to be abhorred of the Lord for ever Oh! that this might be the posture of thy Soul and so thou mayest come and lye prostrate at the feet of Jesus Christ crying Oh! no more no more a righteous person but a sinner a guilty sinner a condemned sinner a poor blind naked sinner nothing else but a sinner Away with all my former confidences tear them from my heart Lord. Now Lord Jesus I cast my self upon thee Oh! let me creep unto thy blessed feet Oh! I come to thee not because I am righteous for I would abhor my self for ever in the thought of it but as a poor perishing sinner the worst of sinners an hypocritical sinner Oh! that I could take hold of thy righteousness to cover my naked Soul I expect it onely upon the account of thy Free-Grace Oh Lord I come unto thee do not do not reject me And thus have I been endeavouring to lay the sinner before Jesus Christ in such a posture having proved him under the Law excuseless in his transgressing of it guilty before God under an impossibility of reaching to an acceptance with God by the best keeping of the Law laboured to beat him off such props and confidences that the Heart naturally cleaves to and stript him of all naked as Adam when he had sinned before the Lord as nothing else but a sinner which is that I have driven at I now come to speak of the way of a poor Souls justification and acceptance with God by Jesus Christ as the Lord shall assist to the capacity of the weakest ROM 3.24 Being justified freely by his grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ I Am now come to open the Gospel-righteousness wherein a poor sinner finds acceptance with God which in ver 21. of this 3d of the Romans is said to be now manifested that is more fully manifested by the Revelation of Jesus Christ in the Gospel being witnessed before by the Law and the Prophets Even the righteousness of God which is by the Faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe ver 22. called the righteousness of God namely that whereby God doth onely justifie and accept of a sinner wrought forth by the obedience of Jesus Christ and made over and imputed to a poor Soul that doth embrace it by Faith whether Jew or Gentile outwardly righteous or profane all that ever come to God must come this way and stand before him in this righteousness or perish for ever which I shall begin to open from ver 24 25. 1. Being justified freely by his grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ 2. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through Faith in his bloud c. We have endeavoured in the former Discourse to go along with the Apostle in proving that by all the Deeds of the Law all the best Obedience that a sinner can reach unto he cannot be justified before God neither in part nor in whole that your good deeds will not procure pardon nor poise down your sins but all by the Law equally under condemnation Of what importance then is it for poor condemned soules to be well acquainted with and really and practically invested in that way of justification that God in infinite wisdome mercy and love hath set forth in the Gospel which is that I now design The Apostles arguing is thus If all fall short of righteousness and acceptance with God by their own obedience If all have sinned and come short of the glory of God then are all and that equally condemned If so condemned then acceptance with God and justification and remission of sinnes must come in another way The Rise and Fountain of which must necessarily be Gods free mercy and grace If made righteous it must be in the righteousness of another wrought forth by another Justice must be satisfied by another a price paid to God for a sinners redemption by another which is Jesus Christ blessed for ever From the words then I shall first lay down this plain Observation viz. Observ Gods free mercy and grace is the first Fountain of any sinners salvation or 'T is upon the account of ' Gods free grace that any sinner is saved Thus runs the current of the whole Gospel the main design of the Gospel being to glorifie the riches of Gods free grace by Jesus Christ Among many other Scriptures the Apostle doth most convincingly discourse in Rom. 5. from the 15th to the end letting the free grace of God unto justification in opposition to a sinners condemnation But not as the offence so also is the free gift for if through the offence of one many be dead much more the grace of God and the gift by grace which is by one man Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many To the same import run the rest of the verses The free gift of many unto justification much more they which receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ All of grace and of free-gift abundance of grace from first to last That as sin reigned unto death so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord vers last So the Apostle in that Epistle to the Ephesians wherein the Doctrine of grace is blessedly given forth drives all the spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ mentioned Chap. 1.3 c. to this blessed Fountain Chap. 2.4 c. But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were
thou poor formal out-side Professour who never didst feel the vertue healing life and warmth of the bloud of Christ upon thy heart Oh rest not in good thoughts of it onely but come believingly to it as thou hast been exhorted Say and that with thy heart Now Lord I would know the power and efficacy of this Redemption upon my poor soul Wash me Lord wash me I renounce all but the blood of this Christ as to making way to God for me Oh! let it pacifie my conscience and purge my conscience and I shall be clean If the Spirit of the Lord shall work thy heart to come as a guilty helplesse unholy sinner in thy self to this blood of Jesus and make thy approaches to God daily and argue for grace and remission upon it and purging thy soul these inestimable blessings will be the issue of it which I will but name to thee 1. Thou shall Certainly find forgivenesse of thy sins In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgivenesse of our sins Ephes 1.7 God will remember them no more against thee and thou shalt have peace with thy God for ever 2. God will let forth an infinite unchangeable love upon thee Rom. 5.5 which love he bore thee from eternity but will now manifest it to thee and estate thee in it for ever 3. Thou shalt have boldnesse of accesse to God Rom. 5.2 even into his intimate presence to speak with God face to face and ask of God what thou wilt according to his will Heb. 10. 4. All the promises of mercy grace and all blessings here and for ever shall be thine made over sealed in the blood of Christ 5. Thou shalt rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God Rom. 5.2 with all Saints and see thy self an heir of heaven 6. Thou shalt be still a washing and purifying and fitting for Heaven till thou shalt be taken up unto God and live in the Ocean of his love to all eternity Now if ease in thy sin and the world can do better for thee than this that I have named then keep in but if not as most certainly it cannot Arise and come to this blessed Redemption and get thy part and portion in it and thou shalt say Blessed be thy counsell and advice for evermore But now upon this Redemption of Iesus Christ how is a sinner said to be justified that is to be put into an actuall possession of the Redemption of Iesus Christ through the free grace of God 1. When the Compact was made between God the Father and Iesus Christ as to the salvation of those that the Father gave to Iesus Christ and Iesus Christ undertook the fulfilling of the Condition of the Covenant ☞ God did purpose in himself to justifie them from eternity and look't upon them as in Christ 2 Tim. 1.9 Ephes 1.4 So they were justified as to the purpose of God from all eternity 2. When Iesus Christ performed the condition of obedience in his dying and paid unto God what he required at his hands for the sinners redemption then did God as in the Court of Heaven discharge the sinner though not in the court of Conscience and when Christ arose and came to Heaven the Father gave him in an absolution of them all from the guilt of sin and obligation to death and so at the death of Christ all the Elect were meritoriously justified inasmuch as the price was paid and accepted of the Father Rom. 5.10 3. When according to the purpose of God through the purchase of Iesus Christ a sinner is called by grace hath faith given him as purchased also for him to embrace Iesus Christ in the Promise to receive him as offer'd in the Gospell and with him all spirituall blessings then is the soul put into the actuall possession of what God in his purpose and love determined to give him and Iesus Christ by the purchase of his blood gave him a right to before and so there is an Act of Gods pardoning mercy passeth upon the sinner he hath an actuall discharge given in unto his Conscience hath the obedience of Iesus Christ imputed to him and so is lookt upon by God not as a sinner under guilt but as righteous in the righteousnesse of Christ which bespeakes him Justified that is made just and righteous before God by the imputation and making over Christs righteousnesse to him as if righteous in his own person upon which Act of God there is a full remission of sinne as in the Text and the believer is put into another state a state of justification unto life through Iesus Christ Rom. 8.18 who before was in a state of death and condemnation Before I speak of that faith which through grace puts a soul in his pardoned and justified state I will breifly apply this to the Capacity of the weak 1. It may informe and instruct you in this great Mystery that any sinner that is saved must be thus justified made righteous by the obedience of Iesus Christ he must come to see the justice of God made up his sin satisfied for a price paid unto God and this to be actually made over to him as we shall presently shew Most of sinners 't is to be feared do not consider this that speak of mercy and pretend they hope in mercy but are never convinc'd of the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ and what it is to passe from a state of guilt to a state of righteousnesse by Iesus Christ from a state of condemnation to a state of justification without which there can be no salvation Oh be convinced sinners of this great matter of the necessity of the righteousness of Christ his obedience in fulfilling the Law to be made over to you to be brought into a justified state or you can never have pardon of sin and be accepted with God you can never stand before God but in the righteousness of Iesus Christ Say If I do not get the righteousness of Christ made mine If I do not get thus justified I must never expect pardon of my sin and acceptance of my poor soul at the great day of the Lord. This is the Work of the Spirit to be savingly convinced of this Ioh. 16.8 Oh look up to the Father for the Spirit thus to convince you not onely of sinne and the damnableness and sinfulness thereof but of your infinite need to get not onely some general hope of mercy and pardon but the righteousness of the Son of God to bring you into a state of pardon reconciliation peace with God 2. It may further clear unto you that your justification before God is not within you but without you wrought forth by Iesus Christ for such as are or shall be called by grace and imputed to them not inherent or wrought in them 'T is not grace in you that doth or can justifie you though renewing grace shall be wrought in all that are so pardoned and justified Therefore though thou must be
changed in thy self pray and be holy and obey God in all things yet canst thou not be hereby justified but still thy justifying righteousness is in Christ and not in thy self as the onely procuring-meritorious cause of pardon and peace with God Ierem. 33.16 Isa 54. last 3. The great question therefore that should come upon thy heart is Whether thou art in a state of condemnation or justification If not justified thou art still as I have shewed under the condemnation of the whole Law nothing thou hast yet done or shalt ever be able to do will stand between Wrath and Hell and thy poor soul till thou comest to be justified in the bloud and righteousness of Iesus Christ Oh sinners ponder of this great thing that is now laid before you Can you say from a Testimony within you Oh! I was thus and thus once under the reign power guilt condemnation of sin but now now blessed be rich and free grace I am washed justified in the Name of the Lord Iesus Christ See that Word 1 Cor. 6.10 11. And such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of our Lord Iesus and by the Spirit of our God Or at least that I may speak to poor weak willing trembling soules Is this it that your soules are restless after Oh that I were that I were in such a blessed state Oh that I could but believingly say the righteousness of Iesus Christ were mine and that now I am I am justified Oh what peace and sweetness and joy would fill my heart Why Soul If this be indeed the breathing of thy Soul Iesus Christ is thine and thou art justified and pardoned and God will at last give in unto thee if thou continue to follow him the sense and comfort of it in thy poor Soul Onely by the way take a Discovery or two of the reality of thy Heart in this matter 1. If thy Soul from a Spiritual Conviction be under a real making out after justification by Iesus Christ then thou would'st also be as really sanctified be made holy 'T was as much in the purpose of God to call thee out of a state of sinne and to sanctifie thee as to pardon and justifie thee 1 Ep. John 5.6 2. If thou art brought into a justified state thy soul making out after it thou art made alive in the Spirit Rom. 8.1 Thou art in Iesus Christ and wouldst walk no more after the flesh and the lusts thereof but after the Spirit Gal. 5.18 If ye are led by the Spirit ye are not under the Law namely to condemn you but are freed from the curse of it and verse 23. Against such there is no Law that is such as would walk after the Spirit be led by the Spirit and shew forth the fruit of the Spirit And this is that which the Apostle intimateth 1 Ep. Joh. 5.10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the Witness in himself namely of the Spirit So that every justified person hath the Spirit of Christ according to the measure of the grace of God dwelling in him is quickned in the Spirit being once dead prays in the Spirit mortifies sin through the Spirit is taught by the Spirit and so in all other saving and sanctifying vertues of it If it be not thus with thee thou as yet hast no part in this blessedness but art under condemnation unto death And therefore sinner come before God in the sense of thy condemned estate and give up thy self to Jesus Christ to be washed justified sanctified and then blessed for ever 3. Let called and sanctified Believers labour to live in the sense of a pardoned-justified state that God is not off and on with them in the matter of justification though it may be sometimes darkned and clouded as to the evidence of it Oh! do you labour to preserve the sense and sweet and blessed peace of it in your souls give glory to the riches of grace for now there is No No condemnation to you you are passed from Death to Life and the Blessed God imputes no sin unto you Let this be the highest and strongest Argument to Holiness and love to the glory that possibly may be and if indeed you walk in the comfort of it it will be so unto you Onely let me give caution here to young Converts whose hearts at the first discovery of the free and glorious grace of the Gospel and of Iesus Christ are wonderfully taken and affected with it but after a time are apt to want on with it unless the first humiliation be the deeper and to wax sleight in Duties and so their Lusts recover strength again and return upon them and either they fall or are near unto it to the fresh wounding of their Soules This hath been the condition of many therefore be well caution'd in it and walk with fear in the midst of your joyous apprehensions of the sweetness of grace and the endearing love of the Lord Iesus to you Having briefly shewed what the nature of justification is what it is to be in a justifyed state before God I now come to open more particularly how a Soul comes to be partaker of this justification through the redemption of Iesus Christ namely Through Faith in his bloud ver 25. of this 3d of Rom. Observ As God through Free-grace hath set forth Iesus Christ to work forth Redemption for sinners so there must be a special believing on and applying the bloud of Iesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins by every one that is saved Therefore justification is attributed to Faith Rom. 5.1 Therefore being justified by Faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ So Gal. 2.16 3.11 In all which places Faith is put in opposition to the Works of the Law And so the righteousness of Christ is called the righteousness of Faith Rom. 9.30 10.6 in opposition to righteousnesse by Works Not as if Faith were the matter of our justification that it did as an Act or Work in the Soul justifie before God but that God doth thus make over the bloud and righteousness of Iesus Christ to a Soul by inabling the Soul to come unto to take hold of to apply to it self to appropriate the merit of the bloud of Iesus Christ for its own Redemption and Salvation which may afford us a plain Description of justifying Faith precisely considered namely Faith is a work of the Holy Ghost in the Soul inabling it to appropriate or apply to it self the bloud and righteousness of Iesus Christ for the remission of sin and its justification unto eternal life So it is called the work of Faith with power 2 Thes 1.11 and 't is expressed by receiving of Iesus Christ Joh. 1. and believing on his Name coming unto him resting upon him So that plainly Faith is a going out to believing in trusting on another namely the Lord Iesus Christ for what it
that he might live to God Gal. 2.19 That I might live unto God Likewise reckon ye your selves to be dead indeed unto him but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord Rom. 6.11 Every justified believer doth thus reckon of himself I am to be dead to sin but alive to God I am to yeild my self to God verse 13. To have my fruit unto holinesse verse 22. 4. Faith that justifies doth through the Spirit work the soul to Gospel-obedience to all the Lawes and Ordinances of Jesus of Christ which shall be revealed to be the will Christ from the Command of Jesus Christ and from a principle of love to Jesus Christ John 15.10 5. A Justified believer will deny himself for Christ take up his crosse and follow Him let any sufferings be proposed to a called believer and let him know it is for Jesus Christ and that soul unlesse under a temporary desertion or temptation will choose and embrace those sufferings and undergo them with some chearfulnesse Luk. 14.26 27. 6. Every justified believer hath a marriage-union with Jesus Christ Ephes 5.25 26 32. The soul hath chosen Jesus Christ having broken off from all other lovers hath betrothed it self unto Christ in an everlasting bond and Covenant hath given it self to Christ As Jesus Christ bestowes himself and all he hath upon the soul so doth the soul bestow it self and all it hath upon Jesus Christ and having so done resolves to be contented with him in every condition whom have I in heaven but thee and none in earth in Comparison of thee saith every gracious Believer 7. Every justified believer lives by his faith Gal. 2.20 lives upon Jesus Christ for all and fetcheth all from him sees him as a treasury of all grace hath recourse unto him this being the most proper Act of Faith to make the soul live out of its self upon another namely Jesus Christ for all 8. Faith that entitles the Soul to Jesus Christ works by love to all Saints Gal. 5.6 When the Soul closeth with Jesus Christ it will also close with his Disciples as distinguisht from carnal unsavoury dead Professors What makes the living among the dead A living Soul alive in Christ highly priseth fellowship with such as are alive I might name many more particulars but these may suffice as the most distinguishing 1. Let what hath been spoken serve to discover to you Whether you have a Faith that doth entitle you to the bloud of Jesus Christ and the forgiveness of your sins Can you say your Soules are carryed out after more purging and 't is your daily cry to Heaven Can you say that you are often crucifying with Jesus Christ And oh that I were that I were but crucified with Jesus Christ that I might reckon of my self as dead to sinne And oh that I might live to God and might walk in Gospel-obedience That I might throughly deny my self for Jesus Christ and choose to suffer with him and for him Oh I would more clearly see the Marriage-union between Christ and my poor Soul I would I do bestow my self upon him and all that 's mine I do give my self to him I will be contented with him here and for ever Whom have I whom have I but him Oh have you found in some good degree such Workings of heart towards Jesus Christ And do you live by your Faith upon Christ upon Promises and do you maintain your Souls this way And do you love and delight in the Fellowship of living soules savoury soules or do you at least long that you may have opportunity to do so If you cannot in some measure experience these things your Faith is a dead empty Speculation such a Faith that is so far from uniting you to Christ that indeed it keeps you on this side Jesus Christ And therefore say of it 't is a Faith that is in vain that keeps me dead in my sins Oh therefore say in thy Heart I will now wait on the Word the Ministration of it that is ordained of God to beget Faith I will go and pray the Father to draw me to Jesus Christ and that my soul may be united to him that I may have Fellowship in his Death and Resurrection that I may be made alive unto God that I may feel the pacifying-purging vertue of the bloud of the Lord Jesus upon my poor Soul By what hath been said Believers may try their Faith and if they find their Soules to have experienced these things they may take comfort that they are justifyed by Faith in the bloud of Jesus and therefore shall be saved by his Life To wind up all in a word of Exhortation If God hath set forth Iesus Christ to be a propitiation that through Faith in his bloud a sinner may become justified from his sinne then what encouragement is here for sinners to come to him and believe on his Name to venture the issue of Eternal Salvation upon him since God himself hath set him forth For that end and purpose that sinners might come unto him and be washed justified saved from their sins 'T is not then to be doubted but that God as he hath therein taken care for the Salvation of the sinner so for the glory of his own righteousness so that the sinner hath no reason to doubt that comes to Jesus in the way proposed but that God can take pleasure to accept of him through the bloud of Jesus 'T was the most deliberate Act that ever the Wisdom of God was taken up about the setting forth of Jesus Christ to be the Saviour of sinners through his bloud 'T was the first Foundation that God said from all Eternity and after he had promised Jesus Christ it was some thousands of years before he set him forth to the World and therefore God cannot repent nor change his mind purpose as to accepting pardoning justifying sanctifying poor sinners that cast their souls upon it by the bloud of his Son Jesus Christ Upon which it is that blessed Souls are brought in in the Scriptures magnifying the grace of God for their cleansing by the bloud of Jesus 1 Joh. 1.7 The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sinne So are the Saints brought forth tryumphing Rev. 5.9 Thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy bloud And Chap. 7.14 These are they who have washed their Robes and made them white in the bloud of the Lamb. Therefore I say with what boldness may poor sinners come unto it and how certainly are they in Gods way to Salvation in which way blessed souls have been ever found and none did ever miss of this end the Salvation of their Soules I have now dispatcht what I shall speak at this time as to the Doctrine of Justification by the Free-grace of God through the righteousness of Jesus Christ and of Saving-Faith therein and shall commit it to the Lord to work it upon the Conscience I shall a little insist upon the last
verse in the removal of that Objection which the Heart puts up against this blessed Truth ROM 3. last Do we then make void the Law through Faith God forbid yea we establish the Law THE former Verses intermitted might have afforded us much choise matter in the opening the Doctrine of Grace and the Righteousnesse of Jesus Christ namely that God is just in the remission of a Believer upon Faith in the bloud of Jesus from verse 26. And that the Doctrine of Grace excludes all boasting from the Creature from v. 27. That Jew and Gentile all that are saved must come to God and be justified in this way and no other from v. 29 30. But I must contract my self I come now to the Objection that the Heart so far as it is carnal doth naturally make against this Doctrine namely If a Soul be onely justified by grace through the righteousness of Jesus Christ doth not this then make void the Law and all obedience to it What need then of our Obedience God forbid saith Paul we establish it that is the Doctrine of justification by Faith doth rather establish it The Law doth stand establisht in a three-fold sense First Jesus Christ hath establisht it by fulfilling it whereby the righteousness of the Law is fulfilled upon us Rom. 8.4 Jesus Christ perfectly fulfilled the Law and kept it and so makes over the righteousness of it to Believers as hath been shewed and so the Law stands establisht Secondly The Law stands establisht as a meanes through the Spirit to convince of sin and of our shortness of the righteousness of it as ver 20. And so Christ often made use of it for such ends Thirdly The Law stands establisht as an everlasting Rule of Righteousness and Holiness promised in the New Covenant to be written in the Heart Heb. 8. So that though Jesus Christ in justifying by his bloud hath quit the sinner from all guilt and condemnation by the Law yet he hath not given the Believer a discharge from all obedience of it And therefore to evince this I shall lay down this Position That Observ Though all a Believer hath done or can do cannot justifie him before God yet there are other blessed ends why he should obey God and delight in his Law 1. Obedience to God is placed as the great end of our redemption Luk. 1.74 75. That we might serve him without fear a fear of bondage in holiness and righteousness before him all the dayes of our life God had not onely in his purpose the remission and salvation of the sinner but that thereby he would have all that are called into this grace to serve him in Holiness And this end is to be upon the heart of the Believer when justified by Faith The purpose of God in this is that I should serve him in holiness 1 Tim. 1.9 That I should live to God Rom. 6.11 as hath been shewed 2. From the Soveraign Command of God who saith Be ye holy 1 Pet. 1.15 16. This is enough to a Believer that God hath commanded it though there should be no other end in it 3. Holiness and Righteousness is the Soul's conformity unto God it is a Beam of God an Image of God which he designs to be renewed upon all that shall be saved as shall be further shewed 4. Justified Believers do see an equity goodness and blessedness in the Law of God in all his holy and righteous Precepts though they were not commanded The Law is holy just and good Rom. 7. saith Paul speaking after the regenerate part So David Psal 119. often Thy Commandements which I have loved They give God his due and the Creature his due and therefore to be walkt in though not thereby justified 5. There is a principle of love to God shed abroad in the heart of every justified Believer from the sense of his rich pardoning-grace the freeness of his love which acts and constrains a Soul to take delight so far as it is regenerated in every Command of God Rom. 5.5 2 Cor. 5.14 15. For the love of Christ constrains us because we thus judge that if one dyed for all then were all dead And that he died for all that they which live should not live to themselves but to him that dyed for them 6. Called and justified Believers have blessed sight of Jesus Christ that wonderfully take their hearts they have glimpses of the beauty of his Holiness and would therefore be made like unto him 1 Joh. 3.2 3. They would obey the Will of the Father as Jesus Christ did They would be holy and righteous and wise and patient and Heavenly as Jesus Christ was 7. Believers in the way of their Duty and Obedience have blessed fellowship and communion with God Saith God of his Ordinances Exod. 25.22 There will I meet thee and commune with thee And Exod. 20.24 In all places where I record my Name there will I come unto thee and bless thee They are everlasting Promises to all the ways of obedience wherein the people of God do walk before him in They pray they read hear they partake of the Supper in Christs way and there they have life and blessing to their Soules and many a sweet intimation of love and mercy they have whispered into them they set themselves to walk with God in his fear and counsel and God walks with them and their lives if they keep close to God are sweet and comfortable to them And this is even as much to them as if they were thereby justifyed They would not miss the sweetness they meet with in such ways of Duty for all the World 8. By their Sanctification and Obedience their justification is comfortably evidenced to them Rom. 6.16 Know ye not that to whom ye yield your selves servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of sinne unto Death or of obedience unto Righteousness And Ye know that every one that doth righteousness is born of him 1 Ioh. 2.29 We know that we have passed from Death to Life because we love the Brethren So that no doubt Believers may come to a sweet and blessed Evidence of their good estate and of their justification by the work of Sanctification in them and their willing obedience to God though a Believer doth not always and at all times fetch in his Evidence of Believing and of comfort this way but sometimes from the Promise and from the more immediate Testimony of the Spirit But though a Believer doth not and it may be cannot always fetch in his consolation and peace from Sanctification and Obedience yet that Soul that wholly neglects it and sleights Evidences from Humiliation Sanctification and Obedience had best timely look to it that the Witness in himself he pretends to be not from imagination of his own heart from the wicked ones delusion and from some overly notions of grace that may affect his heart but leave him on this side Regeneration 9. Believers do
believing of Jesus Christ and Free-grace 3. Though such souls may reforme many things yet there is some unsubdued lust in the heart that at last breaks out and carryes an end the heart as with Simon Magus and Demas 4. Under all such enlightenings and tastings which may for a time affect the heart the heart still remaines unchanged and so no New-Creature 5. They are not rooted into Jesus Christ which we have shew'd is the root of the New-Creature Not rooted and built up in him Col. 2.7 Therefore t is said of the hearers with joy for a time that they had no root Math. 13. What hath bin spoken as to this may put the more forward professours upon a close and diligent search and to see if their attainments in enlighning tasting knowledge gifts reformation be no more then what a Reprobate may attain to and to lay their hearts under the searching power of the word and to open their hearts to God and cry unto him and keep a godly jealousie over their Spirits And rest not till you get poor and emptyed and humble your selves your hearts broken for sin every lust subdued and crucified the heart changed and your souls rooted into Jesus Christ by a saving union with him yea to give up your hearts to what we shall further say through grace as to the plain opening the reall Gospel New-Creature The 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 soul 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 recovered 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 had 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
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 This 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 t is 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 't was 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. T is to be led by the Spirit Gal. 5.18 to give up our selves 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 7. 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 Onely 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 of 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