that sleepest Ephes 5. The voice of the Spirit doth awake that Conscience that before was asleep in sinful security 4. A good Conscience is convinced that all the keepings of the Law and keeping a Conscience to men cannot justifie the soul before God cannot commend it to God which a Second Table-Conscience imagines it will and so in peace Paul kept a Conscience as to many things Acts 23.1 I have lived in all good Conscience before God unto this day meaning I conceive from his youth up when he was a Pharisee but when his Conscience was convinced and awakened and came to see Jesus Christ he saw that all his keeping a Conscience as to many sins and Duties could not in the least commend him to God A good Conscience is sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ Heb. 10.22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the Eternal Spirit offered himself to God purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God Heb. 9.14 So that this is the efficacy of the blood of Jesus Christ upon the Conscience of a Believer it pacifies it in the sense of the forgiveness of sins towards God so as it can draw near to God and it purgeth it from dead works sin and pollution to serve God acceptably This is a good Conscience indeed 6. A good Conscience respects all the Precepts of God as well of Holiness to God as Goodness to Men which the Conscience we have been speaking of doth not Such a one makes not conscience of this great and absolute Precept Be ye holy 1 Pet. 1. It makes not conscience of purging the heart of secret mourning to God of the purity of God's Worship It makes no Conscience of lesser sins as we have shewed not of all sin as Herod heard the Word gladly but made no conscience of persecuting John to death when he stood in the way of his Lusts Now I say a good Conscience respects Precepts of Holiness secret as well as publick Duties inward as well as outward Sins lesser sins as well as greater 7. A Scripture good Conscience is much taken up about godly sincerity So Paul 2 Cor. 1.12 For our rejoycing is this the Testimony of our Conscience that with simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but with the grace of God we have had our Conversation in the world c. Thus a soul that walks with a good Conscience towards God labours to approve it self in all things with a godly sincerity to do all as unto God Lastly a good Conscience labours to keep it self pure and undefiled it is accompanied with a pure heart 1 Tim. 1.5 Now the end of the Commandment is love out of a pure heart and of a good Conscience and of Faith unfeigned A Soul that would keep the Conscience good would keep it pure and the whole inward man pure as a Temple unto God Vse Now see how many ingredients go to make up a good Conscience in a Scripttre-sense and what a great mistake is in this weighty matter and how far abundance of people that make conscience of their dealings with men conclude thence they have a Scripture-good-Conscience to God when they are not savingly enlightned their Conscience never search'd by the power of the Word and throughly awakened out of a natural condition never humbled for resting in themselves and their Duties not having their Conscience sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ and purged thereby not having a tender respect to all the Precepts of God not to walk before him in godly sincerity nor with a pure heart You then that are short of these things you are wholly to seek in that which you so much pretend to and speak peace to your selves in the having or keeping a good Conscience you have as yet no part in this matter 2. What hath been spoken of a good Cnnscience may be for instruction and direction to the Called Ones of Christ how to preserve the Conscience good and peaceable and so to live and dye in the peace and comfort of it through Jesus Christ our Lord. Get it sprinkled with the Blood of Jesus Christ every day and under the searching of the Word and awake unto God and pure and undefiled respecting all the Holy Precepts of God as binding to your conscience so will the conscience be tender and peaceable and God will witness in your conences your acceptance with him in his Son Jesus Christ I would give out further some Notes of Tryal Whether you rest in false common grace or not as to what we have already spoken in so weighty a matter 1. By your never suspecting the truth of your grace but taking all upon trust never doubting but you have Faith and do repent and so of all the rest that soul that never suspected his grace may well fear that his pretended grace is no more than what a Hypocrite may reach unto The poor called children of God are exceedingly jealous their Faith is not sound that they are short in every grace because of the woful mixtures that they find more Unbelief than Faith more hardness of heart than softness more Pride than Humiliation and so of all Now that soul that goes away with an unsuspected confidence of every Grace sure flatters himself and his way will be found to be deceitful 2. That Soul that draws back his conscience from the searching power of the Word when it gives out ways of trial of Sincerity and truth of grace and puts it off as if not concerned in it this may well be speak a false heart A gracious heart would bring the Work over and over to the Touch-stone 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 blood which is so vigorously opposite to the nature and acting of real grace in the Soul 4. Such as are
in them and by this others are brought on to glorifie God on their behalf 1 Pet. 2.12 Vse 1. It may serve for instruction and information of your Judgments and Consciences that there are other blessed and necessary and holy Ends in the Sanctification and Obedience of a Believer though they do not pacifie God nor justifie the Believer nor procure mercy by way of worthiness to a poor Soul called thereunto which may therefore serve to discover the damnableness of such kind of Doctrines that teach and cry in this day Grace is free Christ hath done all what need you pray and have Ordinances and be holy This is of the wicked one and comes from his Instruments and Factors who are sent abroad to damn Souls You may see that not one of those Ends mentioned but is of weight enough to convince a Soul of the necessity of Holiness Duties and Obedience and such mens pretenâ—es are not a Scripture-way of Free grace 2. If there are blessed and holy Ends of a Believers Duties and Obedience though he is not thereâ—y justified it may serve to take off that prejudice of heart through misunderstanding and Ignorance that is apt to be upon the hearts of such as are Carâ—al when they hear that all their Duties Sobriety and Righteousness is to be accounted as loss for Christ You see there are good and necessary Ends of all Duties of Obedience only still take this with you and to your Consciences that till you come as poor and naked to Jesus Christ for your justifying Righâ—â—ousness and so get life in and from him and so are â—â—rried on in a way of Duty else your Duties serve â—u for no end and purpose unless for a lesser degree of Torment in Hell only be encouraged to wait upon the means for the receiving of the Spirit for the Knowldge of Jesus Christ And these things I have spoken may be your Experience 3. It may further direct Believers what ends they are to propose to themselves in the way of their Duties and Obedience to be carried on in them through the Grace of GOD and the daily supply of the Spirit as one great end of your Redemption that you should serve the Lord in Holiness to eye the Soveraign and Absolute Command of God over you that thereby you are made conformable to God and shew forth his Image and to the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ that there is an equity and goodness in all the Holy and Righteous Ways of God And see that the Love of God be shed abroad in your hearts to draw out your love to him and so be acted in your Obedience Get your hearts taken with the beauty and glory of the Lord Jesus and so long after likeness to him See that you look after Communion with God in your Duties and that you do not neglect your Evidence for the Pardon of your sins by the sight of your sanctification and your Universal Obedience And perform them not as to procure mercy by any proportion thereunto is your Duties but as Returns to God and consider how much God is glorified in the World by the Obedience of his people And thus may you carry on your progress in Holiness and a sweet and coscientious performance of Duties and walking with God and yet live by your Faith for your justification by the rich and Free grace of God through the righteousness of Jesus Christ as if you had never obeyed at all In a word If thou hast felt the power and vertue of the blood of Jesus Christ upon thy soul coming as a poor naked polluted guilty Soul unto it as thou hast been shewed and hast received life from Jesus Christ by a believing closing with him and art waiting for a sight and sense of thy justification but doest yet want it remember still that in the performance of thy Duties thy Heart which it is very apt to do lays no stress upon them as in them to appear before God and to procure the favour of God but still go forth to the grace blood righteousness promises of Christ and there fix for thy acceptance with God and be much in renewing of Acts of Faith that is casting thy Soul upon them and Evidence will come in yet go on in humbling praying waiting reforming sanctifying obeying as to the ends mentioned and the peace of God fill thy heart 2. Believers that have some sense of your justification do you remember that you obey God not that thereby you were are or ever may be justified but because you are justified Therefore you obey the Lord and delight in his ways keep this in your eye and 't will keep the heart from going to bottom upon your selves as gracious and partly righteous which mixtures render Duties uncomfortable and keep souls from Assurance No Believer performs his Duties so spiritually sweetly and comtably as that soul that labours to keep the sight of his Justification still upon the Account of Free-grace and out of himself that soul enjoys sweetest Communion with God in the way of his Duties and gets to Heaven with most comfort and assurance AMEN The Third Treatise Shewing the Gospel-Evidences of a True Christian as they are experienced by these who are truly Believers and the false Appearances thereof plainly refuted 2 COR. 5.17 If any man be in Christ he is a New Creature I Have been opening the difference between the Righteousness of the Law and the Gospel shewing the Necessity Nature and Way of obtaining Gospel-justification by the Blood of Jesus Christ and have discovered a Soul estated therein I shall now endeavour to open the Gospel New Creature peculiarly as distinguisht from that which is called in appearance a Legal-New-Creature c. Now let a soul fail in either of these and lost for ever fail of a saving close with Jesus Christ for righteousness or being a New Creature in Christ and you perish in your sins and the wrath of God will overtake you I shall not now take up time in opening the coherence of the words nor will it much be desired as to our design I shall therefore draw this plain conclusion from them Namely Observ There 's an absolute necessity in order to the Salvation of every soul to become a New Creature in Christ Having proved it we shall open the way of being a New Creature and how in Christ Then how distinguisht from an appearing New Creature but not so indeed and so give forth the Evidences of it Those Scriptures that speak of the necessity of being born again of the Spirit John 3.3 5. And of being converted Mat. 8.3 do evince the same truth Gal. 6.15 Neither Circumcision nor Vncircumcision avail any thing but a New Creature For we are his Workmanship created unto Christ Jesus c. Ephes 2.10 He that hath wrought us for the self same thing is God and hath given us the earnest of his Spirit 2 Cor. 5.5 The necessity of this New-Creature doth arise
from natural temper can bear much and it hath an appearance of of grace but yet here may be no work of the Spirit all this while humbling meekning the soul in its own vileness no mortification of contrary lusts no humbling for pride of heart without which no true gracious humility no meekning by the Gospel and the power of Christs love upon their Spirits and yet upon this account you shall have poor carnal souls pretend much as I have often heard it urged by them to the fruits of the Spirit mention'd Gal. 5.22 of love joy peace goodness 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 Servant the fear of the Lord which God promiseth to put into 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 goodness Hos 3. last which fear is mixt with a sweet and blessed love to God and consolation of the Spirit at least a waiting for it 11. A misapprehension of good works causeth a mistake of the New-Creature many are convinc'd that works of Mercy and Charity and Justice are to be done and so from a pittiful nature or from vain-glory or from a secret thought to appeâ—se God or from Legal conviction at least they will be ready to do Charitable works things good in themselves and this they think discovers their Faith And herein lies a common deceit in the vulgar professors of the people of England Now all the good works falsly so called done out of Christ are fleshly and not accepted with God A Papist and many a carnal 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 design not a self-justification but the glory of God And gracious Souls do find it very hard to perform them with holy ends 12. Mistake of a good conversation which may only be a moral conversation civil sober righteous as to Men but minds not Holiness to God which is the special part of a Gospel-Conversation And yet the most of people go away with this that they are believers and in a good state 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 only a meer outward blamelesness 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 holiness to the Lord and the fear of the Lord upon the heart now a soul that hath nothing of this may be outwardly blameless 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 gross 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-New-duties and makest conscience of many sins and many duties thou may'st 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 infirmites 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 prophaning the Lords Name in your mouths and neglecting to sanctifie his Sabbaths and living in the neglect of secret spiritual Prayer And such of you that have some striving in you consciences before and after the sin know it iâ— 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 marks 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 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 harmless 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 gross 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 the great comprehensive Duties but there is not any one thing more mistaken than what this good conscience is too many Preachers press this carnally and carnal people go away with it that they have Faith yea they never doubt it and for a good conscience they discharge it I have spoken of Faith already but now that which such poor seduced souls take to be a good Conscience is only to wrong no body to be just to all not to purloin others goods to take and keep nothing but their own they take it to be chiefly conversant about the duties of the second Table concerning their Neighbour a little to rectifie this soul-damning mistake 1. A Scripture Conscience is an Enlightned Conscience which before was shut up in darkness Eph. 1.18 The light of the Word of God is set up in the conscience whereby it discovers those truths in their power and worth which before it was dark unto 2. A good Conscience is a Conscience searcht by the power of the Word convinc'd to be under sin and guilt and pollution whereby trouble doth arise in it God laying in the weight of guilt the damnableness of sin the pollution of it upon the Conscience so that the soul cries out what shall I do How shall God be pacified and the soul saved 3. And hence it is an awakened Conscience which before was asleep Awake thou
forth as the mark of an Hypocrite Now you have heard the law requires inward as well as outward perfection perfect holiness within as well as righteousness in the outward man I verily believe want of this conviction upon the soul sends more souls to Hell than any other thing in the world besides how confident are poor Creatures if they are a little consciencious in dealing and sober and blameless to men this you may be and be no better than Devils as in your selves in Gods account and thy best Character from Jesus Christ Mat. 23.26 is a Blind Pharisee Every place I fear abounds with them therefore this inveterate cursed plea of being outwardly blameless in keeping the Law will not in the least render you more accepted with God but 't is at the best but painted Hypocrisie And yet wretched souls that you are none so well perswaded of themselves as these This is the fourth Reason 5. All the best keeping of the Law doth not cannot make satisfaction to God for one sin of thy soul therefore 't is worth nothing Gods Justice is wronged and if the sinner be remitted God must be satisfied by the sinner himself or by another Now all the obedience of a sinner cannot make satisfaction to God in the least if he had the whole world to offer up to God it could not satisfie him for the wrong of one Sin See that known place Micah 6.6 7. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow my self before the high God shall I come before him with burnt offerings with Calves of a year old will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rams or with ten thousands of Rivers of Oyl shall I give my first born for my transgression the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul Implying that there is nothing that a poor sinner of himself can offer up to God to make atonement of satisfaction to God for the least sin of his soul should he offer up thousands of prayers rivers of tears whole ages spent in services to God take up to a severe new obedience if you should so take to a new course as never to sin more all your days it would not make God satisfaction or atonement for one evil thought of thy soul Now observe this for if thou art not rightly convinced of this thing thou art lost for ever 'T is naturally upon every man and womans heart that hath sinned to imagine that when they have sinned they can put off God as to his displeasure with something or other they will reckon what good they have done gone to Church as you style it given Alms been just to Men or some such thing and the poor blind Creature imagines and pleaseth himself in it that this good thus done will well enough pacifie God for his sins or at least he will go over some prayers and be strict for a little while and then they doubt not but God because also he presently smites not with judgment is well enough appayed and he need no more trouble himself Is not this the very way of your hearts hath not the word found you out Object But you will say why cannot these duties and this obedience satisfie and pacifie God well enough for sin Answ 1. Because there is sin mixt in them they come from a prophane heart as is shew'd in the last reason thou thou ignorantly because thou knowest not thy heart call'st it a good heart Now that which is in it self sinful cannot sure satisfie for sin 2. Because of the infiniteness of God's justice as well as purity of it a finite creature cannot offer up a proportionable attonement to an infinite God Suppose a poor man were under the guilt of treason and condemn'd to dye and he should go and offer up a little course broken bread to the Prince would any one think that this would satisfie the Prince for his treason So poor deceived creature thou art guilty of treason and rebellion against the great and most high God and thou comest and offerest up to him thy poor polluted broked obedience and duties and thinkest he will be satisfied with this whereas God may in the same moment justly send thee to Hell for the iniquity of them A poor sinful soul thinks that because such doings and services do satisfie himself his own conscience therefore he thinks they will satisfie God also because they quiet him upon any trouble for guilt he thinks they will also quiet God and take off his anger and justice from punishing him Poor Creature this thy way is thy folly and the ready way to come under the severe justice of the Almighty who will not thus be dealt with nor be thus bribed with thy cursed sacrifices this is a further convincement of the point all the creature can do cannot pacifie God for one sin and therefore all his best keeping of the law cannot justifie a poor sinner before God nor give him acceptance in the least with him till he sees pacification another way and takes up obedience from another principle and to another end as we are to shew 6. All a mans endeavour in setting himself to keep the law to the utmost cannot give him acceptance with God because it cannot give life to the soul Gal. 3.21 For if there had been a law which would have given life verily righteousness had come by the law Man hath procured death and weakness upon his soul and the law cannot give life nor strength to obey it All that righteousness which leaves the soul dead comes to nothing while a soul is under the law and upon the fulfilling of it as he hopes in a good measure still the soul is as dead as sin left it and void of the life of God True a poor soul thinks himself alive by his legal performances as Paul thought Rom. 7.9 but he is dead in sin and under the sentence of death by the Law and all the performances towards the keeping of it can never give a drop of life to such a poor soul They are dead works and there 's no life in them or from them therefore they stand no soul instead while under the law as under it he is whiles he goes upon this account 7. The main reason of all which is now but to be touched is this If a soul endeavouring to keep the law of God as well as he can may be accepted of God thereby what need Jesus Christ to have dyed 'T is Pauls great argument Rom. 8.3 4. For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh condemned sin in the flesh that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us c. Mark ye what the law could not do that it could not give us a righteousness whereby God might accept us therefore God sent his Son in the flesh and condemned sin upon him which otherwise had been condemned
rather do a thing himself than be beholding to another therefore upon Conviction of guilt he sets himself to make up the breach to satisfie God by some attonement or other that his own heart can contrive his sorrowing and repenting he hopes may pacifie God or some new sacrifice of more performances or being better for the time to come Thus the heart works secretly and upon his own account God letting forth some mercy as he thinks where he fails he hopes to make up any breach that sin hath made between God and his soul and thus he is still upon the Old Covenant under the law 3. A Sinner is more apt to keep to the Law than go to Christ from a secret pride of heart he would not be found at a total loss with God to be wholly undone and unable to do any thing towards his own peace and salvation A soul naturally had rather part with all sin and have his nature made perfectly holy than be quite undone in himself and come to have all his righteousness in another in Jesus Christ And here it is that most souls stick in the coming off their own bottoms to be justified in Jesus Christ In a word Man had rather do any thing than come a poor destitute sinner to Jesus Christ for all 4. Because 't is not suitable to the Light of natural reason that a soul should satisfie God or become righteous any other way than by his own endeavour to be righteous in another is of Divine Revelation which till a Soul hath he cannot let go the principle of self-justification The next thing to be considered will be this if all men are under the Law and the curse of it under the guilt of the whole law without all excuse before God under an impossibility of attaining righteousness or acceptance with God by the best keeping of the Law and yet a natural and strong aptitude to rest upon the law and that a soul may reform and take up be strict in obedience and yet still be under the law how then may a soul know whether in the way of his Obedience he be yet under the Law and not under Grace Some Discoveries I shall lay down at present resolving a fuller discussion of this And by the way know and consider that though thou art under the the profession of the Name of Jesus Christ and pretendest Salvation by him yet practically and really thou may'st be still under the Law 1. If thou hast never been convinc'd of this close evil in thy heart of resting on thy praying and repenting and endeavouring to keep the Law as well as thou canst I say if the Spirit of the Lord hath not convinced thee of it and of the great danger of it and so humbled thee and brought thee off it thou art certainly under the Law as yet 2. If thou dost not watch against this evil and dost not find a great difficulty not to rest upon a performance of any duty to God thou dost then certainly rest upon it 3. If thou art well satisfied that thou art kept from outward gross sins and the sin of thy 〈◊〉 is not thy greatest burthen mourning under the weight of it then thou must know that thou art yet under the law 4. If thou thinkest God will accept of the will for the deed if thou dost as well as thou canst in every duty so as to accept thee thereby as if it had been done perfectly this also bespeaks thee under the Law 5. If thou canst not experience how the Lord by the light and working of his word and spirit hath brought thee off thy legal foundation thou wast building upon and shew'd thee that such things as thou didst account gain became but loss unto thee for Jesus Christ Phil. 3.7 6. If thou art not troubled about the Hypocrisie of thy heart and not abased for it even in thy best performances then thou art yet upon the bottom of the Law and restest in it 7. If thou art not mostly troubled about believing and dost not find it the most difficult work of thy soul if no complaint to God of an unbelieving heart then thou art indeed a Hypocrite and under the Law 8. If thou art not humbled to God for the sinful mixtures of thy duties the deadness distraction of them and so seest thy acceptance cannot be in them but in Jesus Christ then thou restest in them 9. If thou dost not give up thy self to the leadings of the Spirit and doest not find that in the main of thy course thou art led by the Spirit then thou art under the Law Gal. 3.18 But if ye are led by the spirit ye are not under the Law 10. If thou art not troubled about thy inward growth in mortification of all sin and more holy Communion with God then thou art also under the Law One under the Law that is somewhat strict and conscientious may grow in the bulk of outward Duties but not in inward Holiness 11. If thy care be not to live in the sense of thy Justification by grace through Jesus Christ and to preserve the light and peace of a justified state which thou hast been called to by grace then thou livest in self-justification 12. If thy great care be not if thou findest it not thy greatest difficulty to be kept a poor empty creature in thy self and live in the fulness of Christ if self-fulness self-exaltation be not the great evils thou watchest against at least in some measure thou art sensible of the roots of them then thou art yet under all I have been proving the law guilt and a curse and all thy duties and doings as I have shew'd abhorred of God Examine thy heart by these particulars over and over and if by these thou canst not make out that thou hast been through rich grace brought off from thy own foundation upon the law and so come with much difficulty to the Gospel-grace and righteousness by Jesus Christ and that if thou hadst been let alone in peace in thy former state thou hadst been certainly damned sure thou art then as yet void of any interest in the Gospel saving righteousness thy pretended faith and hope and duties and works and conscience all 's in vain Now the soul that hath the blessed experience of all these and can say I have through infinite mercy been brought off my own foundation and I have found the difficulty of it I find my heart apt to settle upon my own performances and 't is that I would watch against and I can experience the sin of my Nature the greatest burthen and cry out of it daily before the Lord the Hypocrisie of my heart is an abhorring to me I do find believing the hardest work of my soul I do mourn under the sinful mixture of my duties I do give up my self to the spirits leadings I am troubled about my inward growth and humbled for the shortness of it I would learn more and
set forth but no New inward man no coming to Christ not being in Christ and it may be feared many Souls are under this dreadful snare 2. Such a kind of outward Reformation may arise from special Judgment and Affliction upon a sinner trembling that God bath smitten him for such a sin and so may take up from it and this also often passeth for conversion not but that sometimes God begins the first stroke by laying his hand upon a sinner but I speak of a meer taking up from a prophane course and never getting into Jesus Christ which many rest themselves in 3. A sinner may leave some sins of youth as inconsistent with riper years and upon that may take himself to be a Convert or a kind of New-Creature to be changed and turned from what he was but no forsaking this sin with loathing of it as against God no brokenness of heart for it and the root of it still unsubdued in his heart 4. A sinner may take up from some gross sins as inconsistent with reputation credit in the World or his profit and wordly advantage so many debaucht persons turn to be great worldlings and yet take themselves to be good Converts when they have turned from a sin that would waste their Estates to be wretched worldlings yet these go away with a good opinion of themselves 5. Sinners may take up and reform to get the favour of some Religious Friend or great Person that doth countenance Religion in hope of some special preferment or honour by them and so get a form of Profession an Ability to speak of good things own the best people hear good men and yet all this proceed from a rotten heart as it was with Simon Magus Acts 1. Hoping after great gain by the gift of the Holy Ghost the gift of Miracles and yet was in the Gall of Bitterness and bond of Iniquity 6. Souls may have a kind of Conviction and taking up to some new duties in the sinful neglect of which they have long lived as to a kind of secret Prayer in observing the Sabbath more strictly read more hear more things good in themselves when used as means to find Jesus Christ in and yet may continue long in these and not a Gospel New-Creature in Christ never humbled so as to be emptied of themselves and come to Jesus Christ as for Righteousness so for life and strength for the performance of all duties and subduing of all Sin and therein chiefly the Legal New-Creature so called doth consist in taking up to most known outward duties something strictly and make Conscience of them as of gross outward sins and yet no Gospel New-Creature I wish there are not too many such 7. A Soul may take himself to be a New-Creature from some good liking that he hath of such as are better than himself and some purposes and resolutions to be better which purposes for a time carry a man forth till new Temptations and then they will not bear a man forth Thus you shall find many sinners purposing and strongly resolving to take up to avoid such courses they have found to end in trouble and yet fall back again because purposing in themselves and not getting into Christ for strength and these think themselves to be a kind of New-Creatures 8 Yea further a Soul may be under some terrors of Conscience for a time and yet heal and relieve himself by leaving the sin outwardly that occasioned such terror and taking up to a greater bulk and formal course and round of set duties under which such Souls ensafe themselves and settle in a kind of peace and take themselves to be New-Creatures because they were under terrors and forsake some sins and perform more duties and yet never healed by the Blood of Jesus Christ nor have taken root in him Before I go any further let me bring home if the Lord will these things to your Consciences and let it be a word to find out such whose conditions have been opened Such then of you who haply have left some gross sins some open prophane courses because the Word of God hath glared upon your Consciences and you could not commit such sins in Peace that upon some special affliction have taken up to a little stricter course that have left the sins of your youth only because they were youthful sins not suitable to riper age or have ceased from Lewd Courses because of your credit among men or your worldly profits sins in which you could not thrive in your Estates If this be all know it that you are not the New-Creatures we are speaking of you are far from the Kingdom of God and if you come no farther even to see your selves wholly at a loss and so get to Jesus Christ you are damned for ever Yea if any for the Favour of Men or some outward advantage have taken up a seeming profession of Religion above the ordinary rate and this be your main principle know thou art seven times the Child of the Devil more than thou wast to deal thus Atheistically and Hypocritically with the great God who will one day lay thee open to all the world and thou shalt be confounded in thy self because of this thy abominable iniquity And such as have come a little further that from some conviction of your shortness of what you should be have betaken your selves to a greater bulk of duties make Conscience of many sins and many duties and so you have setled your selves in your course know you also this you may do and be far from Gospel-New-Creatures Such also as rest in purposes and resolutions wishings and some wouldings to be better this will not do if it be no more or such as have heal'd your selves and have not been healed by coming to the Lord Jesus Christ by a more exact way of some outward duties know it and be convinc'd that the core will break out again and you are yet to seek for a well grounded peace and are none of the Gospel-New-Creatures Now another degree of Mistakes of the New-Creature doth arise from the taking of Common Grace which a Hypocrite may reach to for truth of renewing sanctifying Grace and know that every Hypocrite doth not know himself to be such but a Hypocrite is one that appears to himself and others to be what he is not he takes himself to be a good Christian a Believer a New Creature and is not so The ground of some of these great Mistakes I shall mention As first A poor Creature thinks himself safe because what he doth he thinks he doth it all with a good heart No one so confident of the goodness of his heart as a Hypocrite because he knows not his own heart in that great Reformation in Josiahs time Jeremiah speaks of Chap. 3.10 that Judah turned to the Lord but feignedly not with the whole Heart Yet the people thought otherwise with themselves as 't is likely when they entred into a Covenant with
God with good Josiah This is that most poor sinful Creatures do bolster up themselves with in their Ignorance and Security that they do all to God and Men with good hearts whereas a renewed Soul doubts of the goodness of his heart and hath matter of humbling for it in every duty 2. Another mistake of poor souls is as to the Gospel-New-Creature from a misprision of sins of infirmities for such as are indeed reigning damning sins As to instance to lye for advantage to swear petty Oaths sometimes by Faith and Troth by the Mass to mention God's Name frequently as a by-word crying Oh Lord Oh God slightly vainly or sometimes to drink to excess or the like evils 'T is common to hear wretched Souls when convinc'd of them to excuse the matter Why 't is their infirmity whereas it proceeds from a heart wholly unregenerate and under the power and reign of sin Infirmities of the Children of God are not allowed by them but humbled mourned for every day watch'd against the root of them they endeavour to mortifie through the Spirit which the common professor that calls all his sins his infirmities doth not Oh! Souls there 's a vast difference between the infirmities of such as are indeed New-Creatures and between the reigning sins of natural men sin reigns in its peace power habit in the heart no subduing crucifying purging which a New-Creature doth and hath 3. This mistake of the New-Creature doth arise from a misconcieving of the reluctancy of a natural conscience before or in the committing of sin taking it for the Conflict that is in a truly regenerate Soul between the Regenerate and Carnal part which mistake usually is bottomed upon a misunderstanding of that place of Paul Rom. 7.15 For that which I do I allow not c. Hence say many unregenerate graceless persons Why though they do break out into such and such things and omit such and such duties yet they do not allow themselves in it that is their Conscience is not wholly seared and so make some resistance and this they take to be saving grace a gross and most dangerous mistake now take such a person and he hath not a delight in the Law of God in the inward man as Paul had verse 22. doth not cry out as inwardly burthen'd wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death No such daily complaints and groanings under the weight of it No eying God through Jesus Christ for deliverance from it No serving the Law of God with a Renewed inward Man No walking after the Spirit so that unless it be so with you that no allowance in the conscience and yet do it it comes to nothing and an Hypocrite may and doth as much till given up to a seared conscience past feeling 4. From a mistake of Faith taking that for sound and saving which is common to a Reprobate such as James describes in his Epistle speaking of Men who say they have faith and have not really a Faith that believes God is the Scriptures the dying and rising of Jesus Christ and all other Gospel truths as it pretends yea that he believes on Jesus Christ and hopes to be saved by him as well as the holiest and upon this they have a kind of peace I have spoken before of justifying Faith only a word as to the New-Creature know therefore that Faith that doth not teach a soul to deny it self that doth not purifie the heart that doth not live upon Jesus Christ and so created into him is not the faith of the New-Creature but a common dead putrifying faith that suffers the soul to putrifie in sin and works not to the cleansing of it 5. To instance in some other graces as namely Repentance which souls do take to be only a wishing the sin had not been committed with a little fear and sorrow after it and this they think to be true repentance which when true is accompanied with loathing of the sin and our selves and our corrupt natures brokenness of heart for it and from it and turning to God by Jesus Christ and eyes the honour patience holiness love of God in its sorrowing more than his wrath and hath for its effects carefulness indignation against it self vehement desire after more holiness by Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 7.11 6. A false and carnal hope of Heaven mistaken for a gracious saving hope deceives the soul in this matter Many poor souls yea it may be feared the most think they shall go to Heaven because they hope so and think they ought to hope Now a saving hope of pardon and Heaven is rightly bottom'd namely upon the riches of Gods Grace Titus 3.7 Upon the righteousness of Jesus Christ Gal. 5.5 Upon some special promise of God Upon experience of God Rom. 5. And purifying the soul 1 John 3.3 as I may have occasion more at large to speak Oh! this false and carnal cursed hope that is not thus bottom'd serves only to shut up the heart against the power of the Word and a saving closing with Jesus Christ till a Soul is dasht in this hope it will never get a better 7. A form of knowledge especially if increas'd under the Ministry of the Word may much deceive a soul in this great and weighty concernment so Paul speaks of the Jews Rom. 2.20 having a form of knowledge and of the truth of the law Many have a Catechistical form of Knowledge they can describe what Faith and Repentance and Regeneration is and then think they have it themselves 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 goodness vertue sweetness of what it knows It transforms the soul into the image of what is known 2 Cor. 3. last It is spiritual and it makes the heart the affections spiritual 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 holiness and that he loves all every one whereas much envy and malice reigns in the heart 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 But yet are justified in their conscience to be the people of God 9. So is patience humility meekness mistaken some natural dispositions are most patient and meek and these poor Creatures are apt to mistake for grace when 't is nothing but meer nature and more candid disposition and such Souls
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 stiled the Enlightning 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 principal 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 Jam. 1.18 Of his 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 likeness of God wrought in the soul and so acts the soul towards God which is stiled the infused habits of every grace in the soul this New-Nature works contrary to the old corrupt nature and it is stiled the regenerate part the new inward man Ephes 4.24 and as soon as it is wrought and formed in the soul it works against the sinful dispositions of the old Adam in us and there is a new war or conflict begun within us which is something more than the resistance of a natural 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 other 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-Creatures there 's a new seed a new divine nature infused into the soul 2. As there is a New-Nature so it follows that this New-Creature hath a new life it is a Living New-Creature so regenerate persons are said to be quickned 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. 20. Which new life must necessarily be because 1. Every natural man as hath been 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 he 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 a new breathing The Soul falls a breathing after God and after Jesus Christ As the Life which God breathed into Man at his first Creation is call'd the breath of life Gen. 2.7 And as soon 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 breaths and pants and crys after God himself Psal 42.1 As the Hart panteth after the Water-brooks so panteth my soul after thee Oh God I opened my mouth and panted Psal 119.131 So that Prayer that is spiritual 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 athirst for God the living God c. As also from the dissatisfaction and emptiness 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 breaths crys 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 breath after what they most earnestly Pant for Oh! Is it for Jesus Christ himself The hearts of Carnal Worldlings are said to pant after the dust of the Earth Amos 2.7 That is it the carnal mans heart thirsts after but a soul in Christ breaths upward the Treasures of Heaven it pants after and will never be at rest till satisfied with them 2. This may serve to distinguish formal praying from that which is of the Spirit in the Children of God There 's no such thing as the breathing panting crying longing of the Soul after God and Holiness and Communion with him in formal saying of prayers the thing done quiets the Conscience but for God himself the Soul thirsts not for Therefore you that pray in forms in secret and content your selves in saying and repeating such a form of words sure you have little or no breathing for Jesus Christ in such Duties the Heart is not exercised in longings and pantings for God ye Souls that pray out of forms upon terrours and no more upon the Conscience but you thirst not breath not after God himself you may be short of the life of God in you 3. This may also encourage weak Souls that have but broken words to express themselves to God yet your very Souls do breath and pant after the Lord verily the life of Christ is in you if it be indeed so with you and God will hear those breathings in you Lam. 3.56 Hide not thine ear at my breathings The blessed God