Temple was built with such curious Care and costly Materials surely it was for Holy Use Sincere Christians are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus to good works Eph. 2.10 Now it becomes you to act as you are it would accent your Sin with a greater Circumflex if you sin that have such a curious Work of the Spirit in your Hearts as none in the World-have besides you you are consecrated Persons and by your Sin you prophane God's Temple other 's Sins are Theft your's Sacrilege because you rob God of what was devoted to him when God breathed such a noble Soul into Man's Body he designed him for higher Acts then meerly Sense as Beasts or to converse with Beasts 1 Cor. 3.3 So Christian thou art of an higher extraction then to walk as Men as carnal Men no Friend as thou hast received Christ so thou must walk in him Col. 2.6 O take heed of Sin it 's contrary to the Divine Nature God hath planted in thee now we know the more unnatural any Act is the more horrid as for a Woman to kill her own Child or a Man to be cruel to his own Flesh Oh take heed of Killing the Babe of Grace in thy Soul by Sin but live up to the Principles and Privileges 6. Attend upon God in all his Institutions and in all put forward for closer communion with him in all Duties and Ordinances as in hearing the Word Prayer Seals of the Covenant Christian Conference Communion of Saints these are the Air that the Christian breathes in the most wholsom for this New Creature Lord I have loved the habitation of thy House and the place where thine Honour dwells Psal 26.8 And he often cries out for the Living God Oh when saith he shall I come and appear before God Nothing lies nearer David's holy Heart then God's presence in his Ordinances Psal 42.1.63 1 2.84.1 2. It is or should be so with the New Creature but oh wait for the Spirit 's wafting over thy Soul to Jesus rest not in Ordinances they are but the Boat or Bridge to carry thy Soul over to God the Ordinance is lost and thy labour is in vain if thou do not enjoy God in Ordinances O labour to see Christ walking in the midst of the golden Candlesticks Rev. 2.1 Be sure you hold Christ in the Galleries Cant. 7.5 Ordinances are the golden Pipes that empty the golden Oyl out of themselves Zech. 4. Be sure that of his fulness you receive and Grace for Grace Joh. 1.16 The Holy Ghost sits in Ordinances as a Minister of State in his Office ready to distribute to every ones case as there is need thou art at the right Door wait his leisure and it shall not be in vain 7. Endeavour to propagate Religion do what thou canst to make others new Creatures thy Relations Neighbours and all thou art acquainted with this is the Duty yea the Property of the new Creature by Prayer Advice Example procuring the help of Ministers Christian Friends 't is true no man can propagate Grace to another it 's not in our own power to effect it but we must endeavour it Oh how Paul was concern'd for his Country-men the wilful unbelieving Jews Rom. 9.10 His Prayers Tears Wishes speak him their cordial Friend who were his bitter Enemies God commanded Abraham that all his House should be circumcised to have him go as far as he could to draw them into affinity with God true Grace makes men love Relations better than ever and causeth natural Affection to run in a spiritual Channel which vents it self for the good of their Souls Be concerned to make a Joynture of the Promises to thy VVife an entail of the Covenant to thy Children this is a thousand times better then leaving them thousands a Year Should not you desire that one Heaven may hold those hereafter that one House hold now Oh tremble to think when your House breaks up of one going to Heaven another to Hell and let your Charity extend it self to all you are acquainted with and let your Practices be convincing and winning to all about you Alas what multitudes are there that are unexperienced in this mighty work yet must feel it or never be happy do what thou canst to call in all to this blessed Feast yet there 's room Luk. 14.22 Hast thou none thou lovest so well as to wish them thy happiness There 's no Envy in Spiritual things the more and merrier and no less chear it will add some Pearls to thy Crown to win Souls If a Neighbour lock'd himself in a Room on design to murder himself wouldst thou not break open the Door and rescue him Oh happy Souls that are imployed and successful in this Soul-Charity I have long ago seen a Book writ by Mr. Reiner of Lincoln called The Rule of the New Creature to which I refer the Reader that can procure it at present I shall summ up my thoughts in these Twenty brief Rules of Direction 1. Reason right and Reckon streight let your Reason be regulated by the Word of God Luke 5.21.1 Pet. 3.15 It must follow Faith not give Law and measure to it be sure your Accounts be squared by the Golden Rule of Scripture 1 Cor. 4.3 Set all streight against the Reckoning Day Rom. 14.12 2. Baulk no Sufferings for Christ to avoid sin against Christ Be content to fill up Christ's Sufferings Col. 1.24 Nay be glad to suffer Matth. 5.11 But tremble to sin Sinless sufferings are sweet Heb. 11.26 But sweet sins will be Bitterness in the end Rev. 2.2 Bear any thing but Sin 3. Profess what you are and be what you profess Rom. 10.10 Matth. 10.32 33. Think not to dissemble with Men for worldly Ends but upon a just Cause and Call own Godliness be indeed Nathaniels John 1.47 Pretend not more then truth God knows the Heart Heb. 4.13 4. Serve God for Service not for Wages or rather let his Service be your Wages Psal 19.11 or reward so it is God himself is the Saints reward Gen. 17.1 Hypocrites make Religion a Mount to ascend to some other End let God be thy all Matth. 6.3 Psal 73.25 5. Be most for God when God seems most against thee its pure Faith and Love to hang closest to an angry God Job 13.15 Hos 6.3 To conceive most hopes through Christ when Sense and Reason make against you this is a Faith to be admired Matth. 15.28 6. Joyn pure Precepts to precious Promises look on Precepts as pure therefore lovely Psal 119.140 Dare not to divorce them though for your Spiritual Interest Heb. 8.10 Rom. 7.12 14 22. See to the Law within you and before you as well as plead the Promises of the Gospel for you 7. Be best when least in Mens sight God and Souls give each other their Loves when alone Cant. 7.12 Psal 17.25 Matth. 6.6 Make God your Witness not Men only Friends are most familiar when they are withdrawn from all other Company 8. Sail
Nature of this New Creature take this Description of it The New Creature is a supernaturl Work of Gospel-Grace wrought in the Soul of a Sinner by the Word and Spirit of God changing the whole Man from an old state and course into a new thereby transforming it into the Divine Likeness and turning the Heart and Life to the rule of the Word in order to the glory of God and the Souls present and everlasting communion with him This is the New Creature I confess this Description is long but I cannot leave out any of the parts thereof I shall very briefly open the Branches of this description 1. For the general Nature of it I call it a Supernatural Work for it is above the power of nature to produce it it comes from above so he that 's born again John 3.3 Is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from above This perfect Gift comes down from the Father of Lights James 1.17 That Jerusalem that 's above is the Mother of us all Gal. 4.26 This New Creature is no Herb that grows in Nature's Garden it s a Plant of Paradise Flesh and Blood cannot so much as reveal this to the sons of men Matth. 16.17 Therefore it s no wonder if learned Doctors such as Nicodemus laugh at such Doctrine as Fantastical Fancies and say How can these things be John 3.4 Or like Ezekiel's hearers who saith Ah Lord God they say of me Doth he not speak Parables Ezek. 20.49 For such wisdom is too high for a Fool. Psal 56.9 In God's light only must we see light Experience is the best Mistriss in these Cases We speak wisdom saith the Apostle among them that are perfect But the natural man receives not the things of the spirit of God 1 Cor. 2 6 14. This New Crerture is of a Coelestial Original and must have an heavenly Interpreter 2. In this Description we have the particular Nature of this New Creature I call it a Gospel-Grace it is no branch or fruit of the Old Covenant of Works for the Law maketh nothing perfect There was no Law which could give Life Gal. 3.2 21 28. But the New-Testament Dispensation called the Promise this only produceth the New Creation Objection You 'l say Had not Old-Testament Saints this New Creature Doth not David say Create in me a clean heart Psal 51.10 I Answer Old-Testament-Saints had a New-Testament-Spirit for they without us could not be made perfect Heb. 11.40 The same Gospel belonged to them and us and was preached to both Heb. 4.2 Abraham saw Christ's Day they all partaked of Gospel Grace John 8.56 both in Justification and Sanctification they were but different Editions of the same Gospel-Covenant they were as Children in Minority under Tutors and Governours Gal. 4.1 2 25. Gospel-Saints as Children at Age their state was under the Bond woman in Mount Sinai Ours is of Jerusalem which is free However that Gospel-Promise made known in the Old Testament belongs both to them and us Ezek. 36.26 A new Heart also will I give you and a new Spirit will I put within you This is the proper Gospel-Work in both Dispensations and sincere Believers of Old had experience of it tho' the Veil was upon the Face of Moses 2 Cor. 3.14 15. and the Hearts of Carnal Jews as it is on all Unbelievers to this day but Gospel-Grace renews Souls 3. Here 's the subject in which this New Creature is and that is in the Soul or Heart of a sinner There 's the Seat and Centre of this New Creation it s not meerly external in the Eye or Foot or Hand or Tongue but it s an internal work in the Soul the Christian is renewed in the Spirit of his Mind Ephes 4.23 Behold saith David thou desirest Truth in the inward parts in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know Wisdom Psal 51.6 It s called the hidden man of the heart 1 Pet. 3.4 Not but that it breaks out in Lip and Life but the Root and Spring lies under Ground out of the view of the world as the best Treasures are lock'd up the best Goods are under Deck or as Merchants Wares lie in a back Shop not exposed to the open view of the World A Christians Life is hid with Christ in God Col. 3.3 Hence they are called God's hidden Ones Psal 83.3 And the King's Daughter is all glorious within Psal 45.13 These gracious Souls are like Kings in disguise and it doth not yet appear what they shall be 1 John 3.2 But when the Shell is broken the Pearl will appear all external Changes in men are but the change of the Clothes this the change of the Man and his Manners For he is not a Jew that is one outwardly but inwardly Right Circumcision is that of the Heart in the Spirit not in the Letter whose praise is not of men but of God Rom. 2.20 30. It is wrought by God and known to God who alone searcheth and sees the Heart 4. The Instrumental or Organical Cause of this New Man which is the Word of God Rom. 1.16 This is the power of God to Salvation James 1.18 Of his own Will begat he us by the Word of Truth 1 Pet. 1.23 Being born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the Word of God which liveth for ever The Word is the Seed which being ingrafted in the Heart springeth up in obedience which is the Flower and visible product of the New Creature yea 't is properly the Gospel-Word Moses or the Law may bring us to the Borders but Joshua leads us into Canaan the terrors of the Law prepare the way as John Baptist but the Word of the Gospel is the door of Faith that takes Souls by the hand and leads them into the Chamber of Presence this is God's method to work this New Man by a powerful Gospel-Sermon so saith blessed Paul 1 Cor. 4.15 I have begotten you in Jesus Christ through the gospel there 's the Instrument Paul I have begotten you the means by the gospel the author in Jesus Christ faith comes by hearing Rom. 10.14 Prov. 8.34 Therefore let all lie at the Gates of Wisdom Expect not this New Creation if you turn your backs on God's Institutions 5. The Efficient Cause is the Holy Ghost The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us Rom. 5.5 Oh what a gracious Tincture doth the Spirit leave upon Hearts what a sweet Breath doth it breath into them which breaths out Love to God and Men How is this New Creature diffused into all the Faculties of the Soul by the Spirit This is both a Seal and an Earnest who hath also sealed us Eph. 6.13 14. and given us the earnest of the Spirit in our Hearts 2 Cor. 1.22 All good is conveyed to us by the Holy Spirit from the Father and the Son especially this Saving Good of Conversion we are born again of Water and of the Spirit John 3.3 8.
course of Life according to Scripture-Rule This immediately after my Text ver 16. is called the Canon or Rule of the New Creature for 't is added As many as walk according to this Rule or Canon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Peace be on them This is that Cynosura or Square that Architects have in their Building to level the Stones and Timber suitably ut singulae partes just a Symmetria cohaereant Calvin that all the parts of the Edifice may agree by a just proportion thus must thus will the Christian do his desire and design is to lie Square to the Word of God to have respect to all God's Commandments Psal 119.6 To walk in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameless Luk. 1.6 Every Child of God is taught by God to walk by Rule All Callings have their proper Rule the Physician studies Galen the Lawyer his Littleton the Philosopher his Aristotle Plato yet in all Professions men may vary in their Methods in the same Calling because no Rule is so perfect but another may add to it But the standing Rule of God's Word is perfect Psal 19.7 able to make the man of God perfect 2 Tim. 3.17 Nothing must be added to it or taken from it The Christian is both drawn and determined by its authority more then by a whole team of humane Arguments 10. Lastly here 's the End of this New Creature which is twofold 1. the Glory of God 2. the Sonl's present and everlasting Communion with him Both these are wrap'd up together and are very consistent yea cannot be separated Now God's Glory is promoted by the New Creature 1. In this World 2. In the other 1. In this World the New Creature is only capable of glorifying God such a Soul is planted in Christ the true Vine and glorifies God by bringing forth much Fruit John 15.8 Being filled with the Fruits of Righteousness which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God Phil 1.11 The chief design of the true Christian and new Creature is to promote the glory of God actively and passively this is the first Petition in the Lord's Prayer and the first right Step the converted Soul takes Heaven-ward and he is content to be vilified so God may be glorified and if God be glorified by others what ever become of him he rejoyceth as Paul in preaching Christ by others to preach down his credit Phil. 1.18 2. And in the next World this New Creature will raise a glorious Monument to the glory of Jehovah When he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and admired in all them that believe 2 Thes 1.10 The New Glory of this Creation will reflect more glory to the Author than that of the old one Oh what a glorious Sight will it be to see so many glorious Stars in the Firmament of Glory borrowing their Light from and reflecting Light to the Sun of Righteousness 2. The New Creature is the only Person on Earth that 's qualified for Communion with God he only can say Truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ 1 John 1.3 'T is this New Creation that raiseth this clod of Clay above the Earth and ingageth the Heart to approach to God while others worship afar off Jer. 30.21 Exod. 24. These Holy Souls are they that worship in the Temple of God and the Altar Rev. 11.1 Psal 148.14 God admits them into his Presence as a People near unto him this is the Person that only sanctifies God's Name in his Worship and is satisfied with the fatness of God's House here 's the blessed Merchant that trades in rich Pearls that goes from Port to Port from Ordinance to Ordinance not to see Places but to take in his Lading of Communications from God of Graces Privileges Assurance and Comforts Thus I have briefly opened the nature of this blessed Work of the New Creature Chap. III. Why this is called a New Creature A Paralel betwixt the Old Creation and this New Creation 2. THe Second general Head in the Doctrinal Part is briefly to give the Reasons why the Holy Ghost gives this Saving Conversion the Title of a New Creature or as the Word is of this New Creation Now the Answer is Because in many things it bears some proportion and resemblance with the first spacious Universe of Heaven and Earth this magnificent Structure I shall run the Paralel betwixt them in these 12 Particulars for the Information of our Judgments 1. God is the first and only Cause of the Creation of the World not Angels or created Intelligences who though they be mighty yet are not Almighty it s the peculiar prerogative of Elohim the infinite God to create God orders the Jews in Babylon to repeat that famous Sentence in the Chaldee Language to confute their Idolatry in Jer. 10.11 Thus shall ye say unto them the Gods that have not made the Heavens and the Earth even they shall perish from the Earth and from under these Heavens The Reason is given in the Hebrew Language Ver. 12. He hath made the Earth by his Power he hath established the World by his Wisdom and hath stretched out the Heavens by his discretion VidWeem 's Image of God in Man p. 3 In the business of Creation Divines say Deus est causa Simpliciter in Creatione at Essendi hoc in aliis God is the only Simple Cause in Creation but in his other Works he is only the Cause of being this or that So none can create this New Man it may be said Have we not all one Father hath not one great God created us We are God's workmanship it s the same mighty power that raised Christ from the Dead that gives Faith to the Souls of Men and quickens the Dead Mal. 2.10 Eph. 2.10 Eph. 1.20 Rom. 4.17 2. God made all things of Nothing i.e. of things that had no Existence before he made them He calleth those things which be not as though they were Rom. 4.17 Indeed they tell us that Nothing is taken in a threefold Sence 1st It s taken privatively so an Idol is nothing 1 Cor. 8.4 Isa 40.17 i.e. it hath no Divinity in it 2dly Comparatively so all the World is nothing before God 3dly Nothing Negatively or Simply so there was no Fruit upon the Fig-tree Mark 11.13 In this Sence God made the World of Nothing there was no Praeexistent Matter for God to work upon Just thus in the New Creation when God comes to work upon a Sinner he finds no Principle of Grace or inclination to good in him I know saith blessed Paul that in me that is in my Flesh dwelleth no good thing Rom. 7.18 Nay there is much Evil in us yea yet worse there 's antipathy to what is good within our naughty Hearts Thus as in the First Creation God produceth an habit from the negation he works a Principle of Grace where there was no such thing 3. God made all things by
Christ his infinite and co-eternal Son All things were made by him i. e. by this Essential Word and without him was not any thing made that was made John 1.3 By him were all things created visible and invisible By this Heir of all things he made the Worlds both according to the Matter and Form thereof Col. 1.16 Heb. 1.2 And thus it is in the New Creation for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good Works Eph. 2.10 As Christ is the First-born of the Creatures after whom the New Creature is formed for God in his naked Majesty is invisible not obvious clearly either to corporal Eyes or humane Minds but Christ is the express Image of his Person Heb. 1.3 and manifests the glorious Perfections of the infinite God That as we have born the Image of the earthly Adam we should bear the Image of the heavenly 1 Cor. 15.45 49. That is Christ thus in the Incarnation God was Man in Regeneration Man becomes like God 4. God created all things with a Word So saith the Apostle Through Faith we understand that the Worlds were framed by the VVord of God Heb. 11.3 God's Fiat or Let it be produced the whole Fabrick of Heaven and Earth By the Word of the Lord were the Heavens made and all the Host of them by the Breath of his Mouth Psal 33.6 Art needeth many Helps Nature needeth few God needeth none nor doth use any Instrument in the Creation for nothing can intervene betwixt the First Cause and the First Effect it is an immediate Product of his arbitrary Will and Pleasure So it is in this New Creation James 1.18 Of his own Will begat he us with the Word of Truth God speaks the Word and the Sinner is converted If it be said That Ministers are Instruments in Conversion I Answer But still they are nothing neither is he that planteth any thing 1 Cor. 3.7 They need God God needs not them he can do his Work without them yea in the first Infusion of a Principle of Saving Grace there 's nothing of Instrumentality it s done Immediately 5. God made all things good and perfect at first 1 Tim. 4.4 Gen. 1.31 Every Creature of God is good And God saw every thing that he had made and behold it was very good quia nec temere nec frustra factum nothing was made either unadvisedly or to no purpose A thing may be said to be good as it is correspondent to the Idea of the Divine Wisdom or as it is fit for that use to which it is designed and for which it serves It needs not be enquired whether God could not have made the World or its parts better or more perfect for if we consider the World in respect of the whole so it is perfect both as to its degrees and parts But as to its parts severally God could have made them better as in a Camp there are Captains Souldiers and a General in some respect if a Souldier were a Captain he were better but in respect of the whole Camp which consists of Superiors and Inferiors he is better as a Souldier So in this New Creature it is perfect in its kind in subserviency to God's great Ends though defective in point of degree in this World hence God's Children are said to be not perfect as having not attained Phil. 3.12 Yet they are perfect Ver. 15. To be sure this New Creation is good as will appear anon 7. Though God from Eternity purposed to create the World yet the World was created but in Time not from Eternity Gen. 1.1 In the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth God worketh all things according to the Counsel of his own Will Eph. 1.11 It s true all things had a kind of Being in God as in the Cause whence all things flow in the Eternal Mind or Idea according to which all things were framed but they had not their real or actual Existence till God in his Wisdom thought good to produce them In thy Book saith David Psal 116.16 were all my Members written Thus it is in this New Creation God hath a Book of Life and such as are in the Book of Life shall in time be savingly Converted Called Sanctified Justified Glorified Thus runs the Golden Chain Rom. 8.29.30 As many as were ordained to Eternal Life shall believe All such as the Father gives to Christ shall come to him John 6.37 He hath chosen us in Christ before the Foundation of the World that we should be holy Eph. 1.4 So then this New Creation in time is the result and effect of God's determination before all Time see 2 Thes 2.13 7. The Creation of the World was gradual both as to Time and as to Manner In point of Time God made the World in Six Days Gen. 1. Not but that God could have dispatch'd all in a Moment but for sundry weighty Reasons he took every day a moment to do the work of that day in Thus God is perfecting this New Creation all the time of a Christian's Life and for his manner or method of working God proceeded from imperfect to perfect first God made a confused Chaos then he made the Elements then orta ex Elementis what ariseth from them First he made things without Life then things having Life Man that was the Master-piece of the whole Creation he made the last Even thus doth Grace proceed in the New Creation he first forms a Chaos some confusion of Spirit by a legal Work first comes a Spirit of Bondage to fear then a Spirit of Adoption Rom. 8.15 First some glimmering Light in the Mind then the Day-Star ariseth in the Soul 2 Pet. 1. And the Sun of Righteousness comes with healing under his Wings Mal. 4.2 And the Grace of God grows till the Christian comes unto a perfect Man unto the measure of the Stature of the Fulness of Christ Eph. 4.13 8. The first thing that God created was Light Gen. 13.4 God said Let there be Light and there was Light In this he proceeds from total Privation to Habit it is hard to describe this Light possibly it was a bright lucid Body like the Fiery Cloud in the Wilderness giving imperfect Light successively moving over the several parts of the Earth and afterwards condensed increased perfected and gathered together in the Sun the Apostle applies this to the workings of God's Spirit in converting a Sinner 2 Cor. 4.6 For God who commanded the Light to shine out of Darkness hath shined in our Hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ The first thing a Limner draws in a Picture is the Eye the first Lineament of this gracious new Man is Saving Knowledge God will not dwell in a dark House and therefore first he beats out Windows in his Habitation without knowledge the heart is not good Prov. 19.2 The Devil's Kingdom is a Kingdom of Darkness Christ's of Light Converting Grace