sinner of any kinde than with a godly Christian. A naturall man can agree with Papists or Turkes better than Professors For both agree with him in oldnesse and darknesse and darkenesse is not contrary to darknesse but to light But with a sincere Christian he cannot agree for his light is contrary to his darkenesse Thirdly grace in the new Creature is a secret disgrace to the old man A new thing quite putteth down the old and disgraceth it and therefore no marvell if the world lying in the old suddes of sinne endureth it not To conclude all hast thou felt the power of the Word and Spirit renewing thy soule Oh rejoyce abundantly in this great mercy If God had created thee an Angel from heaven he had not honoured thee with such a priviledge as to create thee anew in Iesus Christ for then they are but servants and ministers to thee that art an heire of salvation If thou dost not feele it awake out of security die not in this sleepe Consider the image of God defaced in thee the fearefull sentence of the Law the ghastly face of death the terrours of the last judgement the millions of men that are in hell already for want of this new Creature and the patience of God towards thee waiting for thy conversion and offering thee good meanes of salvation that thou mightest get at length into Christ and be a new Creature FINIS MEDITATIONS From The CREATVRES As it was Preached in Aldermanbury by Thomas Taylor D. in Divinity The Fourth Edition LONDON Printed for J. Bartlet at the gilt Cup in Cheapeside 1635. MEDITATIONS From the CREATVRES PSAL. 8. 3. When I behold thine Heavens even the workes of thy fingers the Moone and the Starres which thou hast ordained What is man say I that thou art mindefull of him and the sonne of man that thou visitest him c. COnsidering with my selfe of the benefit of Meditation together with the difficulty of it which hath almost worne it out of use amongst Christians I thought fit to afford a little helpe to lead up carefull Christians into this mount of Meditation in which mount God will bee seene And who seeth the clogge of earth pressing downe his soule and needeth not this pulley to fetch it up againe And who is sensible of legions of noysome lusts that take up the heart as their proper habitation and desireth not better guests Who can discerne the darkenesse of his minde and not open his windowes and hereby let in some light into his darke house Now as the Lord himselfe his Word and Decrees are the principall object of ordinarie Meditation so are his workes and execution of his decrees a fit object for extraordinary Whereby wee have not onely a sensuall use of the Creatures as the bruit beast but a spirituall and profit not onely our bodies but our soules by them Wherefore else did the Lord create them not as hee might all in a moment or in a day but in sixe dayes but that we might orderly meditate of them even in particular and gaine by them some sound knowledge which might reflect upon the will and understanding Wherefore hath his wisedome afforded such variety and plenty of them but that we should be alwaies stored with matter of fruitfull Meditation and never be without the object or matter of our owne good And what else is the cause that many are so fruitlesse and barren in their course and such wasters of precious time but that they never intended to carry their mindes along in such profitable Meditations which where they dwell suffer not a man to be idle or unprofitable in the workes of the Lord. For whereas a good man may bee cast into such circumstances as hee cannot alway be in good actions yet were it hard if hee might not bee alwaies in some good Meditation wherein to improve his time But to the words This Psalme is inscribed to him that excelleth on Gittith so also are 81. and 89. Psalmes Some thinke 1. Because David compounded it in Gath in his banishment 2. Some from a musicall instrument so called because either invented or most used in Gath. 3. Some from a kinde of melodious Verse or Song 4. But I thinke it respecteth the time when this and those songs used to bee sung namely at the time Haggittith that is of winepresses or vintage Which feast was solemnely celebrated by the Israelites in which feast they especially praysed the name of God for the great and manifold benefits conferred upon men Which is the substance of this Psalme wherein the Prophet extolleth the Majesty of God 1. By contemplating the workes of nature in the world to the fifth verse 2. By considering his worke of grace in gathering him a Church from the miserable masse of mankinde These two are the great workes wherein the Lords greatnesse shineth out The Creation and Redemption the one written in the volume of the Creatures the other in the volume of the Scriptures In this Verse 1. Hee acknowledgeth himselfe occupied in contemplation of the heavens and stars Looketh on them not with the eyes of the body onely but with the eye of faith 2. That hee is led to God by them For 1. Hee saith not the heavens but thine heavens that is 1. Of which thou art Maker 2. Of which thou art the owner possessor and indweller Psalms 89. 12. Thine are the heavens and thine is the earth Gen. 14. 19. He is possessor of heaven and earth 2. Hee addeth the worke of thy fingers hands and fingers are ascribed to God metaphorically And here the heavens are called not the workes of his hands but of his fingers to note his singular industry his exquisite workemanship and art and also his speciall love and care over these workes 3. The Moone and Starres thou hast established that is thou hast assigned every one their place and confirmed them by a perpetuall law written in their nature and set them sure firme bounds which they cannot passe 3. In this contemplation hee casteth his eye upon himselfe to cast himselfe low before God When I consider both the greatnesse of the workeman and the largenesse of the worke and for whom they were framed then in sense of my basenesse thinke I Lord what is man or the Son of man as thou visitest him c. Not what is Adam which were no great matter of pride but what is Enosh fraile mortall infirme and miserable man now after his fall that hee should enjoy such a workemanship From hence in generall observe Obser. That the voyce of the creatures is not to bee banished out of the Church Reason 1. If all Scriptures bee profitable to teach and improve then those that teach divine things from naturall Reason 2. The Profits and Apostles and Christ himselfe were most in this kinde of instruction by Parables and Similitudes therefore Ministers and Pastors may doe the like Objection The Creatures onely conceive they convert not Sol. Must no doctrine
difficulties in that creation no finite power could turne hand to it So in the new creature this power First maketh him runne through thicke and thinne fire and water sword and bands and thousands of deaths for Christ. In Gods wayes hee can runne scarce interrupted with those rubs that overturne others The cords that binde others hands and feete are Sampsons flaxe to him difficult commandements are easie to him At one word hee can sacrifice his Isaac leave his countrey not questioning or reasoning the case Secondly hee can overcome the most grievous temptations he can wrestle with Iacob till hee have never a limbe left and prevaile with God himselfe The keenest weapons of death cannot conquer this power no water drowne it Let him kill yet it will trust hee may kill the creature but the new creature is unconquerable Vse 2. Content not thy selfe with the first Creation for had that continued good wee had not needed a second and if thou hast no more then the first creation it were better thou haddest never beene a creature Labour therefore to grow up in this workemanship till thou beest wholly new To which purpose thou must dayly First grow up in humilitie and in consciousnesse of thine owne inability to every good word and worke Paul after conversion was much and often in this sense Wee are not able to thinke the least good thought and the good I would doe I cannot For as the power of God in this new creation did put forth it selfe when wee were of no strength Rom. 5. 6. so will it still manifest it selfe more in the sense of our infirmities 2. Cor. 12. 9. My power is made perfect in weakenesse And When I am weake then I am strong verse 10. Secondly grow up in faith by dayly renewing of it and use of meanes Abridge not thy selfe in the use of meanes neither publike nor private the more thou wouldest finde this powerfull worke the more must thou labour in increase of faith Christ could not shew his mighty and miraculous power where unbeleefe hindred and the want of faith hindreth the displaying of this creating power Matth. 13. 10. Thirdly daily decking and adorning thy soule with graces by growing from faith to faith from grace to grace Hereby thou makest roome for Christ in thy heart and fittest it as his Temple wherein hee will reside for the upholding of his owne most gracious worke Thus whereas every other creature waxeth older and older onely the new creature groweth newer and newer more flourishing in his age Vse 3. Let us demeane our selves as new creatures Col. 1. 10. 1. Thes. 2. 12. Walke worthy of the Lord. Quest. How shall we so doe Answ. 1. Manifest and maintaine that new image which is imprinted upon thee In the first creation every creature came forth and appeared in their severall formes and kindes wherein they were created so the new Creature must appeare in his owne likenesse This was Adams advancement above all the creatures that hee was made in the image of God as none of them were And this is the honour of all the Saints that they are advanced to a farre more excellent image of the second Adam for shall the first Adam beget children in his owne likenesse and shall not the second Adam Shall earthly fathers beget creatures like unto themselves and will our heavenly father beget children to another similitude than his owne Who art thou then that professest thy selfe a sonne of God and in thy life resemblest the image of Sathan sin and unrighteousnesse that professest the second Adam but bearest the image of the first Secondly maintaine this image of God thy selfe The first Adam made in the image of God soone departed from this image Satan stole this image from the first creature and is no lesse envious against the image of God in the new creature but will assay whether by temptation hee can rob us againe Take heede of temptation Let not the new creature meddle with forbidden fruit Consider the danger of disordering this workemanship by sin Adam by creation was a most lovely innocent and familiar creature with God yet by one sinne of the most excellent and beloved creature was rejected and punished in himselfe and all his posterity yea behold the whole frame of this goodly world and all the creatures how this excellent workemanship defiled and disordered by sinne was destroyed with an universall deluge Let not the new creature sin against greater grace The Lord knoweth none that want this image but will say one day Depart from me I know you not Secondly to demeane our selves as new creatures we must resigne up our selves wholy to Christ whose creatures wee are for all creatures else resigne themselves to the glory of their maker Man in his first creation had the name Adam imposed upon him to note his frailtie that hee was taken out of the dust of the earth but in his second creation which is from heaven hee hath a more honorable name as the name of Christian of a member of Christ of a brother of Christ to note that as he was taken from the side of Christ so hee should not abase himselfe to the service of sinne Sathan earth or lusts but onely devote himselfe to Christ and walke worthy of this honourable name First desire to know and mind nothing but him In the first creation man was indued with a cleare knowledge of God the Creator and while hee stood all his thoughts and meditations were taken up with sweetest contemplations of God his Creator Now in the second creation hee is indued with the knowledge of the highest mysteries of God the Redeemer and now all his thoughts should runne after Christ and his desires should fixe themselves upon Christ and as Paul I desire to know nothing else but Christ and him crucified and as the Martyr Onely Christ Onely Christ. Secondly desire to be wholly imployed for him The creatures of Kings and great ones as they are abusively called apply themselves wholly to the will of their Masters that have made them so great And they be not their owne their wills their times their motions their actions and themselves are not themselves but wholly their Masters And so here it is the Apostles argument 1 Cor. 6. Yee are not your owne glorifie therefore God in your soules and bodies for they are his Thirdly onely feare to displease him by sin seeing as creatures we depend upon him both fot our being and working If he withdraw himselfe or by sin be driven from us wee stand not in grace one moment Thirdly to demeane our selves as new creatures we must move according to the motion of the new creature Adam in the innocency was not to bee idle but to live in labour and in the exercise of a calling so Cain and Abel Lords of the world were trayned up in a calling so was the second Adam So must wee be
ordinarily they come to a birth Vse 2. If thou beest in Christ thou must imitate Christ imitate him in his nature and holy example the member is of the same nature and doth the same things with the head they all compose themselves to the motion of the head into which they are set 1 Ioh. 2. 6. Hee that saith he is in him ought to walke as he hath walked Quest. How did Christ walke that we may walke so Answ. Christ walked first religiously Hee began all things with God did all things for God and referred all things unto God First hee began all things with prayer and continued long together therein sometimes whole nights in prayer as the occasions were more serious Doe wee so doe wee sanctifie every ordinance with prayer doe wee continue in prayer doe not many sit up whole nights to play when would they sit up so to prayer Secondly hee did all things by the warrant and Word of his Father he contemned his owne will that hee might doe his Fathers will Not my will but thy will be done yea he would lose his life before his obedience Doe we so Wee say Thy will bee done as if wee would doe all the wil of God as if there were but one will betweene Christ and us But as the Scribes and Pharisees wee say and doe not We will not give our wils up to Gods will and Word further than our selves list and like nay many say as that rebellious generation The word of the Lord spoken unto us by the Ministers will not doe When or where see we any thing reformed by the power of the Word Thirdly hee referred every thing unto his Fathers glory hee never sought his owne praise and reputation but avoyded it Doe we so Who dare say he seeketh to glorifie God in casting off his calling and spending dayes and nights in idlenes or worse when did our Lord walke so that we might doe so also Fye upon such heathenish Christianity This glorious head will not bee so disgraced as to take in such monsters for members Secondly hee walked holily and commanded us to learne of him but wee that say wee are in Christ lay aside this glasse and strive in pride to be beyond each other Wee cannot keepe filthy fashions out of Christians because neither the mind of Christ nor himselfe is in us Thirdly hee walked fruitfully and diligently in his calling Acts 10. Hee went about doing good hee watched and apprehended all accasions of helping mens soules and bodies Hee spent all his time in painefull performance of his calling How doe wee so who spend so much time in unfruitfull courses wherein wee doe no man good but our selves and others much harme And sometimes through the day scarce doing any thing which may in the night minister comfort unto us If men should say to themselves every night How much time have I vainely spent this day which I might have redeemed to prayer reading or some fruitfull meditation for my soules good to some worke of Repentance or of Charity or of Mercy or Iustice Alas what a cooling card would this be if he inferre My Lord never walked so and I must walke as hee walked if I bee in him further than in outward profession Was he ever in Gods worke so must I bee if I be in him Fourthly hee walked righteously and justly An admirable patterne of civill righteousnesse he never deceived any man neither by word nor deede never was guile found in his lips or hands never covetousnesse of any mans goods was found in him hee gave his due to every man high and low Doe we walke so many of us take liberty to deceive our Brethren by word or deede lyes oathes and false trickes and hold it lawfull to cover our Neighbours money under a cover and colour of play and so get his money into our hands which neither God nor any good meanes giveth us and maketh us masters of A most grosse and hatefull injustice condemned by the light of nature amongst the heathen and yet neither the light of nature nor of grace can cry it downe amongst Christians Never sew a fig leafe over thy sinne to say I care not whether I win or lose thou shouldest care to walke as Christ walked who in this case did neither win nor lose Besides thy chaffing and swearing giveth thy tongue the lye And sure I am many would take great care before they would part with so much mony to the poore or ministry or any good use in a whole yeare as they can set at the stake of one cast of an unlawfull Dice Fiftly Christ walked in the light namely in the purity of his nature There was no darkenesse of ignorance in his minde no darkenesse nor disorder in his will and affections secondly in the purity and light of holy conversation he never committed any works of darkenesse thirdly in communion and fellowship with his father with whom no darkenesse hath fellowship himselfe being the most pure and inaccessible light And thus must wee walke if we be in him 1 Iohn 1. 6 7. If we walke in the light as hee is in the light we have fellowship with him But doe we so doe not many walke like Gentiles having their understandings darkened not because they want light but because they hate the light of God and fight against the light of the Word and of their owne Consciences And doe not many walke in the fruitlesse workes of darkenesse I say not slip into some works of darkenesse which often a godly man may doe but walke trade and continue in the workes of darkenesse and goe on to blacke darkenesse Such impure persons of fowle hearts hands and lives and Libertines that take liberty to doe as they list and cast off all counsell of the Word scorners of their teachers and instructers and more of their godly instructions followers of the fashions of the world in the loathsome guises of it fearing nothing so much as to bee good hating nothing more than to bee fashioned according to the Word of God are farre from walking as Christ walked Lastly how doe wee embracē communion with God who are never so merry as when the thoughts of God are shut out are most heavie and weary in the place and meanes of his presence in which hee communicateth himselfe with his people our sore eyes cannot abide so cleare a light And what communion can there bee betweene light and darkenesse All this while the Apostle telleth us that we are far enough from being in Christ. The third use Is this so happie a condition to bee in Christ Let it provoke us to labour to get into so happy an estate To which end let us looke upon it not as the world who seeth nothing but basenesse and contempt in Christ himselfe but with eyes cleared and then we shall discerne it First to be an honourable condition To become one not
with Christ but in Christ to bee a member of Christ. So Christ appeared in great humilitie to advance us to this honour Secondly it is a most comfortable condition for First now there is no condemnation to them that are in Iesus Christ Rom. 8. 1. Secondly all thy debts are discharged Thou hast in him satisfied and in him fulfilled al righteousnesse for who payeth the wives debt but the husband and the bebt being once payed it shall never be demanded more Thirdly all the grace and good that Christ hath in himselfe is thine whole Christ is thine by imputation of his merits holinesse obedience active and passive This loving Husband hath all holinesse and happinesse for his Spouse His life is thine for hee that hath the Sonne hath life his death is thine and all the fruits of his passion his resurrection and ascension is thine that thou mayest boldly ascend in affection and cause thy prayers to ascend yea and in person to ascend into thy fathers house and pull downe his intercession Oh what a rich estate is this that a man can aske nothing but hee shall have it Iohn 15. 7. Thirdly it is a most safe condition to bee in Christ our head is above water an able head will save and protect the members All sinnes and imperfections are now covered and hid for the head will hide the defects of the members He takes upon him all the quarrels of the Christian and mightily overcommeth hell the grave death the devill and all adversary power so as the elect cannot bee seduced nor severed from God Fourthly it is a most fruitfull condition Iohn 15. 2. Every branch that beareth fruit in mee hee purgeth that it might bring forth more fruit How can a branch set into such a roote but bee fruitfull Et contra Whereas the misery of one that is out of Christ is that hee can doe nothing at all No branch can bring any fruit that abideth not in him And whatsoever branch bringeth not fruit in him is cast out as a withered branch into the fire A fruitlesse barren tree dishonoureth God Herein is the Father glorified c. Hee disgraceth the stocke into which he is set Fftly it is the onely state of perfection in this life For all perfection is originally in him and derived to us because wee are in him So as that in him wee attaine all that maketh for grace or glory Col. 2. 10. Ye are compleat in him who leadeth into all truth who giveth all graces in their kinde and addeth all degrees of those graces which makes up their full happinesse Yea the perfection of this state is also in the preservance and continuance of it For wee beare not the roote but the roote beareth us Our salvation dependeth not on our selves but on him for being in him we not onely grow but increase and the older we grow the more we flourish and bring fruit Psalme 92. 20. All other branches may bee plucked away from their stocke by violence of windes or mans hand or consumed by time and age but it is not so with those that are in this roote life nor death things present nor things to come can separate them c. From the state of a man renewed we come to the note of him Hee is a new creature Where consider first what is meant by a new Creature and why a man in Christ is so called secondly how a man may know himselfe to bee a new Creature which is here implyed thirdly how a man may become a new Creature seeing hee must bee so Fourthly why he must be a new Creature Fiftly Vse both for instruction and secondly consolation First the new Creature is the regenerate man who is indued with new qualities of righteousnesse and holinesse according to the image of the new or second Adam To understand which consider in man three things 1 The substance of soule and body 2 The faculties of them 3 The qualities of both For the first the same substance of soule and body remaineth which GOD created at first For the second the faculties be the same the same understanding will memory affections senses naturall motions the same they were but the qualities of them all are changed and new framed for whereas in the old Adam the understanding was blind now it is inlightened the will that was rebellious is now bored in part unto dutie the conscience memory thoughts desires which were dull earthly dead estranged from God now are quickned wakened raised upwards the affections which were crooked and corrupt are changed and straightened the senses which were servants of sin are servants of grace senses of discipline the members that were weapons of unrighteousnesse are now become members of Christ in one word the whole man is in these qualities repaired and renewed and made as here a new creature so elsewhere a new man Col. 3. 10. The qualities thus framed in the hearts of the elect at their first conversion are called a new creature The man being the same in substance faculties and members onely in the frame and order of them not the same The new creature is not in respect of substance but of malice Quest. But why is hee called a new Creature Answer The worke of grace is a kinde of creation Psal. 51. 10. Create in me a new heart Now if restoring of Grace where it was be a kind of creation much more the framing of grace at the first where it is not Secondly there is a great resemblance betweene these two great workes of God the first creation and the second First the Author of the creation was the Sonne of God God by Christ made all things By him were all things made 1 Cor. 8. 6. There is one Lord Iesus Christ by whom are all things and we by him he is the beginning of the Creatures Acts 15. 15. He being the mighty Iehovah giveth being and beginning to all creatures not in Nature-onely but in Grace and Glory Againe none can re-creat but hee that first created What is decayed in nature must bee restored by the Author of nature hee that brought his whole order out of confusion can onely bring our confusion into order Secondly the matter of the creation was of nothing which is the difference of Creation from Generation which is the producing of a substance from a substance so here was no preiacent grace no preparing grace For how could Adam prepare himselfe to his owne creation and as little can a man dead in sinne prepare himselfe to the life of God Nay in the first Creation was nothing to resist but here is nothing but an old rubbish strong in resistance Thirdly the manner in the first Creation all was made by a word Psal. 33. 6 9. By the Word of God were the Heavens made and Psal. 148. 1. and 9. He spake the word and all things were made so this is done by the same mighty
man to make a whole house full of pots or glasses than to take one broken all to peeces to set the sâ—eards together as strong and handsome as they were so is it here For wee may conceive a higher power First in setting an eternall frame than a temporary Secondly where a greater opposition and resistance is as here there being none in the other Thirdly that creation was to make something of nothing here of worse than nothing Fourthly in that Christ made man by a word but to this Christ must bee made a man and set his arme to his Word Luke 1. 51. Yea hee must set his side to it and sweat droppes of water and bloud before hee can produce it Fifthly as that was out of nothing so it cost nothing but this cost a greater price than heaven or earth could containe for God must shed his bloud to redeeme his Church Sixthly that was done in sixe dayes this is not perfected of a long time being done by degrees the whole life after conversion is little enough for it Seventhly that was one powerfull miracle but in every new creature are a number of miracles in every one a blinde man restored to sight a deafe man to hearing a man possessed with many devils dispossessed yea a dead man as Lazarns raised from the dead in every one a stone turned into flesh From this creating power I gather these conclusions First that the worke of Gods grace where God pleaseth to worke it can neither be resisted nor frustrated What Creature could resist the being and forming of it selfe Indeed before the worke of grace commeth wee cannot but resist it but in the instant of grace wee neither can nor will resist For God that found no will to grace hath made a will and doth so over-power and over-rule it as that Paul being converted shall as willingly preach Christ as ever before he persecuted him And no marvell seeing the Workeman is the spirit of strength and fortitude and the instruments which hee useth are mightie through God to cast downe all contrarieties The late refiners of Palegianisme and Popery followers of Arminius lest they should lose all nature hold the doctrine of free-will in man to his own conversion and say that possitis omnibus operationibus quibus ad conversionem in nobis operandam utitur Deus manet tamen ipsa conversio ità in nostra potestate ut possumus non converti that is Grant all the operations which God useth to worke conversion in us yet conversion so abideth in our owne power that we may be not converted and perpetually put a resistability in mans will to frustrate Gods worke of conversion Which rightly and plainly in few words to conceive First wee deny not but there is a rebellion and a resistance of grace in depraved nature quantum in se est that is so farre as it can to hinder grace Act. 7. You have alwayes resisted the Holy Ghost as your fathers did Nay in the regenerate themselves the flesh lusteth against the spirit Secondly but though wee grant some act of resisting yet wee deny any such resistance as is superans and prorsus impediens that is there is no such power or resistance in corruption as to frustrate Gods intention or altogether hinder the efficacy of his grace where he will put it forth so as it may remaine in our power to bee converted or not Which wee may prove by these testimonies of Scripture Ier. 31. 18 Convert me I shal be converted therfore the Lord worketh inresistably Ezek. 36. 26 A new heart I will give you Ob. Yea hee may give it but we may resist the gift and choose whether we will receive it Answ. No saith the text I will make you walke in my Statutes Acts. 16. 14. God opened the heart of Lidia Ob. Shee might have resisted Answer No the metaphor is taken from opening a doore or locke and hee that is the opener is hee that hath the key of David and hee openeth and no man shutteth Revelat 3. 7 which is as much as to say hee worketh irresistably Reason 1. If mans corruption could hinder the worke of Grace where God is pleased to worke it then Gods counsell and decree may bee hindred and frustrate for the Lord never intendeth any execution or action without any eternall decree But this position is contrary to Scripture Isay. 46. 10. My counsell shall stand Isay 14. 27. Hath the LORD determined who shall frustrate it Therefore the Lord effecteth his counsell irresistably Secondly if mans corrupt will can hinder the efficacy of Gods Grace where hee will please to bestow it then the corrupt and finite will of man is of more power than the omnipotent power of God which hee alwaies putteth forth in the worke of mans conversion Ephes. 1. 19. The Apostle prayeth they may know what is the greatnesse of the power of God in them that beleeve Why how great even the same which hee put forth when hee raised Christ from the dead and the same power hee putteth forth in raysing us from the dead Who ever saw a dead man either helpe or hinder his owne quickning So as we conclude this putting of GODS grace and aid under the power of man and the not putting of mans will under the power of him who quickneth where hee will Iohn 5. 21. to say that God by his omnipotent power doth not incline our wils to his will or that hee hath not our wills more in his power than our selves have all this is the Pelagian Heresie Let sharpe wits busie themselves in it as much as they will God setteth not forth his grace as Chapmen doe their wares to see whether a customer will chuse and buy or not Is his power almighty then it is not resistable If it be resisted how is it almighty Object But the word which is the meanes of creation may be resisted Answ. 1. The word it selfe without the presence and concomitance of the spirit is not an able instrument of conversion for Paul is nothing Appollos nothing Secondly the word as an ordained instrument of Gods will to effect this or that attended with the spirit of fortitude can no more bee resisted than the omnipotent will of God but now it doth ever that for which it is sent Isa. 55. Conclus 2. The gift of saving grace is no exciting or reviving grace as Papists and Pelagians teach but it is more even a creating grace which is a framing of something out of flat nothing in grace and godlinesse If it were so that every man had such an internum principium that is an inward principle as they speake of to dispose himselfe to will that which is truely good or if a man were but halfe dead and wounded as the Samaritan here were no creation If in conversion Christ onely removed an impediment as the Goaler when hee taketh off the prisoners shackles and
diligent in the calling of a new creature that is the calling of a Christian Wee must neither be idle nor unfruitfull in the worke of the Lord. This is a notable meanes to attaine to the perfection of the new creature For as every creature in nature mooveth from imperfect to perfect so it is in grace which our Saviour expresseth by the corne in the field Marke 4. which first riseth to a blade and then moveth to an eare and then to ripe corne in the eare So the new creature riseth by degrees to perfction The exercise of the body causeth growth which is not so much action as strength of action Not the trade but diligence in the trade and calling increaseth the stroke The diligent hand maketh rich so diligence in the meanes of grace and earnestnesse in good things addeth unto the stocke of grace Therefore as Paul forgetting what is behind let us presse hard to the marke and high calling Phil. 3. 13. Fourthly to demeane our selves as new creatures we must converse among new creatures Every creature by nature gather to their likes Birds of a feather Beasts of one kinde For every Creature hath agreement and sympathy with his kinde and things thrive best among their like Even so the new man will be among new men A Dove of Christ cannot affect nor thrive to live among Ravens Nor the Sheep of Christ among the Swine that wallow in earthlinesse and lust The new creature contemneth a vile person but honoureth them that feare the Lord. First joyne thy selfe now to the societie of the Saints For as the Lord at first made man a sociable creature above all the rest so when hee maketh him a new creature it is not to thrust him into a cloyster but to live in holy and fruitfull society and shine as lights not thrust under bushels but set in candlestickes in the midst of a froward generation Secondly admire this new workemanship in the meanest beginnings of grace and that in the meanest professor of godlinesse and honour it above the creation of a Duke or a Prince that professeth against it Esteeme a godly man not according to his first birth but according to his new birth I know no man after the flesh saith Paul that is not according to their minority in the first creation but according to the state into which they are new borne and brought into by a second creation And therefore men despise the new creature because they see nothing but a peece of old earth upon them which is base in outward appearance And so they beheld Christ himselfe and saw no forme and beauty on him They gaze on the earthen vessell but see no hidden treasure Thirdly agreement in judgement and opinion knitteth men in societie Rom. 15. 6. The new Creatures have but one faith one Lord one hope one religion one profession And herein thou must agree with them Gal. 6. 16. They have one rule Hardly shall we finde a new Creature among the Papists who say they are of the old Religion which indeed in sundry senses may be called old though it be a new device and humane policy First because it is every way agreeable to the old man a pleaser of naturall corruption requiring nothing which corrupt nature will not willingly afford Secondly it may be said to be old because it can never beget a new creature Thirdly it is so old and doting as that it is tottering and falling to ruine as it selfe hath shifted long since off the foundation laid by the Prophets and Apostles Fourthly conformity and similitude of manners linke men together in good or evill Phil. 3. 17. Looke on them which walke so walke with the wise The surest band of societie in the new creature is the similitude of manners and converse in the communion of Saints where each one chooseth his companion for the grace of God hee espieth in him and from whom hee may hope to get good He never looketh to gather grapes of thornes nor figges of thistles and therefore his delight is in the fellowship of Saints in Gods house in their houses in publike duties of Gods worship in private duties of edification Who would looke for these new Creatures in Tavernes Play-houses Ale-houses places of riotous meeting and hellish resort where ordinarily is no mention of grace but to disgrace and wound it and all the friends of it Follow the light side of the cloud and not the darke side of it Fifthly to demeane our selves as new Creatures wee must live to the good of others No Creature liveth for it selfe but for the whole The Sunne shineth not for it selfe but for the world Trees beare not fruit for themselves Nor doe clouds breed raine for themselves but to water the earth So the new creature must not onely be good but doe good to others The Commandement is Gal. 6. Doe good unto all but especially to the houshold of Faith These trees of righteousnesse must be laden with fruits that every man may gather and taste A private man but a publike good Light is a most communicative and diffusive Creature and the more it imparteth it hath never the lesse Much more the light of grace it feares nothing so much as a bushell as truth feareth nothing but to be hid Aske thy selfe of what good use art thou in the world that professest thy selfe a new creature Art thou a private minded man a worldling a man without bowels and compassion a man without hands from whom nothing can be wrung for God for his Church his ministerie or any good use thou art farre from a new creature and as yet an unprofitable lumpe of earth without sense of Heaven Christs whole life was in doing good to all Vse 4. Let no man pretend his old man as a plea to maintaine his lusts Oh I was angry saith one and I cannot beare an injury it is my nature to be hastie And I saith another was overcome in company with drinke and my nature is to be soone overcome and so in other lusts But hast thou not now made a good plea is it not all one to say thou art no new Creature who hast nothing but nature in thee Why art thou a Christian and no new Creature Or a new creature without the spirit which lusteth and subdueth the rising of the flesh Others by the same plea excuse the sinnes of their callings Others doe so and I must doe as other men but a new Creature must differ from all old and sinfull courses Others follow the courses of the world with full spirits in every new disguised fashion of apparell in excessive pride in riotous gaming feasting c. and say it is the fashion course and custome of the age and time But wert thou a new creature thou wouldst not then plead for the old corruption of the world A new creature is called out of the world and hath a new constitution and
it is as the life of a Serpent whose head is crushed in peeces Secondly life in all living men is not alike but in some stronger in some weaker in some more healthfull in some more conflicted with diseases in some more aged and tall in some weaker and younger and so it is in the life of God But canst thou find it in any measure or degree happy art thou If naturall life be so precious and desireable what is spirituall and eternall Object Oh that I could finde this life in any measure Answ. First where life is in man there is a breathing Hast thou holy affections petitions Secondly where life is there it is maintained by food Dost thou desire the sincere milke the Mannah dost thou thrive and grow by it canst thou digest strong meate Thirdly where life is there is growth to the full vigour Dost thou grow in stature and strength outgrowing the weakenesse and infancy of grace passing the severall ages of Christianity Fourthly where life is there is motion Dost thou move in the manly actions of grace walkest thou diligently in the calling of a Christian abroad and at home Fifthly canst thou beare burthens afflictions from God without murmuring wrong from men without revenge Here is the life of God Thirdly for the third whereas in the first Adam wee are all cast out of Paradise of the third heaven as persons in disgrace with their Soveraigne are banished from the Court as Absalom after his slaying his brother was commanded out of the Kings presence and might not see the Kings face 2 Sam. 14. 24. The new creature restored to favour hath a tenure and certainty of the inheritance of Saints and not onely so but present possession though not full possession both in Christ who tooke possession as a head not for himselfe but for his members both in their name and to their use As also in beginnings of heavenly life and conversation already what comfort can a Saint in heaven want But of every new creature the Apostle saith expresly Hee is raised to heavenly places already ◠Pet. 1. 6. The second ground of comfort hence is from Gods gracious acceptation who calleth them new Creatures that are very imperfectly new Wee have cleaving to us a great deale of old rubbish and corruption from the old man but if wee have the least beginnings of new Creation and the least seeds of sound grace but as a graine of mustard-seede he pleaseth to stile us thereby as if no old thing were left in us So in Canticles the fourth Thou art all faire my love and there is no spot in thee and in the context All old things are past Reas. 1. He nameth the end from the beginning and those new that onely tend to newnesse and speaketh of us as wee are in his account not our constitution Secondly for our incouragement our God telleth us wee have crucified the flesh and lusts Gal. 5. 29. when we are not yet halfe way in the worke that we are sanctified and saved when wee are but in the beginning of both both to hold us on in those beginnings For what account will hee make of us when wee are all new creatures that thus esteemeth of us now as also to assure us of perfection as the harvest was in the first fruits The new creature shall be as surely perfect as if he were already Thirdly that wee should admire this grace and imitate it in espying the grace of God in others and esteeme them from that and not from their corruptions Whereas cleane contrary we can fixe both our eyes upon the least frailties to disgrace them and the whole profession for their sakes but passe over many excellent graces Is this to be like God would we have God doe so by us or if he should should we ever carry the name of new creatures The third ground of comfort is in respect of the Lord his gracious preservation and perfecting this worke Now the Lord upholdeth this new creature 1. Partly by conquering oppositions and enmities against it 2. Partly by confirming it against all encounters and impediments To the former Sathan and our owne corruption could cast us off the happinesse of our first creation but not of the second Reas. 1. When God once bēginneth true grace it is followed with grace till all be new Deut. Chap. 31. ver 4 Perfect is the worke of God In the creation he never gave over till he had perfected all the Creatures so will he never give over the worke till there be a perfect new creature Secondly true grace though never so small is Gods earnest of glory and the Lord never tepenteth him of his earnest Thirdly sound grace is as the light that shineth more and more till perfect day Prov. 4. 18. The golden chaine cleareth it Rom. 8. 30. Once justified ever glorified Fourthly to destroy the new Creature requireth a stronger power than that which set it up Therefore all the gates of hell nor any created power can demolish this frame Which made the Apostle triumph as in a victory gotten Rom. 8. 37. Here is the comfort of Perseverance Secondly the Lord upholdeth his owne workemanship by confirming it against all encounters First of worldly basenesse Art thou in a meane condition a poore creature despised and cast off of men yet being a new creature thou art the Son of God an heire of grace thou hast a new name a new stone of absolution a new title to a new heaven and those new mansions which Christ is gone to trim up for thee Secondly of worldly wants Art thou poore and in want of necessaries and hast scarce from hand to mouth to provide foode and rayment yet being a new creature thou wantest not a full treasurie and store-house The same full and liberall hand that feedeth and sustaineth all the baser and inferiour creatures will much more sustaine thee a new Creature The Lord that looketh on thee not as a Creator but as a Father will looke to thee and will supply all wants with a new tree of life in the middest of the Paradise of God and with that new garment of immortality which never waxeth old Thirdly of worldly persecutions Because himselfe hath noted the true reason why the new creature is so hated in the world The reason is because it is new and called out of the old estate of the world For First every new thing is a wonderment for a time therefore men gaze at grace as if it were a Comet or new Starre Whence the Apostle saith of himselfe and the rest that they were as gazing stocks to men and Angels Secondly contrariety betweene the godly and wicked In one all is new a new judgement will affections actions in the other all is old still and a new patch will never agree with an old cloath Hence an old ungracious man will better agree with a
of thunder which made proud Pharaoh confesse his owne wickednesse and begge prayers as Exodus 9. 21. but also a silent voice every of them being as that pillar of the cloud which was a signe of Gods presence amongst his people as Exod. 13. 21. yea every cloud herein like the cloud of the Tabernacle whereof is said the glory of God appeared in the cloud Exodus 16. 10. I may say as Iob 37. 14. Hearken and give heede to these wondrous workes of God Who is the Father of rame Iob 38. 28. that is besides the Lord what power is there that bindes the waters in the thicke clouds so that the cloud breaketh not Iob 26. 29. And if thou dost know who it is that maketh the clouds to labour to water the earth and who it is that turneth them about by his government to doe whatsoever hee commands them on the world for punishment or mercie yet dost thou know how God disposeth them The varietie of them the wondrous workes of him that is perfect in knowledge Iob 37. from verse 11. to 17. Canst thou tell how the bottles of heaven are filled how they being of infinite weight and magnitude are hung as in a ballance in the soft aire without any other stay than his Word How the windowes of Heaven be open to raine downe fatnesse and plenty Psal. 65. 12. Surely in these things the Lord left not himselfe without witnesse amongst the Gentiles in giving them raine and fruitfull seasons Act. 14. 17. and much lesse among us in the Church to whom by the teaching of grace they proelaime his wisedome power justice mercy as also his glory and majesty who rideth on the clouds as on a horse and turneth them what way soever he pleaseth As they leade us to God so they serve to afford us many excellent meditations 1 Doe I see the raine fall from the clouds to water the earth and returneth not in vaine Isa. 55. 10. I must see the worke of the word preached upon my earthly heart for the moystening softening and changing of my heart for preparing it to fruitfulnesse and preserving it in fruitfulnesse for it shall never be in vaine but doth the worke for which it is sent Never was a greater plague in Israel than when for three yeares and a halfe it rained not on the earth in Ababs time a greater plague cannot be in this life than when the raine falleth not to the moystening the furrowes of our hearts 2. Doe I see the clouds to be as a shadow and cover against the heate parching and burning of the Sun I must herein behold the Lords protection as a covering cloud or shadow saving his Saints from the sunne of affliction and persecution which will burne up those that are not defended Psal. 91. 1. They shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty Here is another manner of shadow than Iona'hs gourd I will run under this shadow saith David Psal. 121. 6. and the sunne shall not smite me by day 3. Doe I see the raine-bow in the clouds I must meditate of Gods faithfulnesse who hath set it as a signe of mercy and patience yea I may carry my mind beyond the temporall and conceive of Gods everlasting mercy in Christ in whom I come to the throne of grace which is described to have a raine-bow round about it Rev. 4. 3. 4. When I see the cloud disperse it selfe upon all grounds and raines fall on good and bad I must learne to distill my goodnesse to all in generall good and bad friends and enemies And so show my selfe a childe of my heavenly Father who letteth his raine fall on the just and unjust Mat. 5. 45. 5. When I see the dewes of small raines which is the joy and life of flowers I must in them beheld Iesus Christ who compareth himselfe unto dew Hosea 14. 5. I will be a dew to Israel the dew presenteth it selfe in faire weather so Christ is neare when Gods face and favour is calme and pacified The dew refresheth and reviveth withering medowes so Christ by his grace refresheth and quickneth drie and dead hearts remitting sinnes and infusing moysture of grace and holinesse to make them fruitfull in all good workes The dewes temper and allay great heate and parching of the sunne so doth Christ coole the burning heate of his Fathers wrath and quencheth the fiery darts of the devill cooleth the heate of persecution and all that wee may become and continue fruitfull Without these dewes from heaven is no expectation of fruits in earth and without Christ and his grace we can doe nothing at all 6. I see a morning dew and suddaine raine soone dryed up I must looke to the soundnesse of my grace faith and comfort that it bee not as an hasty raine or an heritage hastily gotten that it bee not as the righteousnesse of Ephraim Hos. 6. 4. as a morning dew by sun-rising suddenly vanished and gone when is most neede of it Hence learne to strive against hypocrisie 7. In beholding the clouds what a profitable meditation were it to consider them as the glorious charriot of Christ wherin hee ascended to heaven and was taken up in the cloude from the sight of his Disciples Acts 1. 9. And wherein hee shall descend in great glory and majesty to judge the quicke and dead Matth. 26. 64. As also how serviceable the cloudes shall be unto us as unto our head when in the last day we shall be taken up into the clouds to meete the Lord in the ayre and so shall bee ever with him 1 Thes. 4. 17. Now come wee to the ayre which is not in vaine but may also leade us to God for it hath expresse impressions of his fingers For It truely and really subsisteth though it bee not seene so hath also the Lord the maker thereof a reall but invisible existence It leadeth us by the hand to the ubiquitie of GOD for it is every where and in every open place and secret in townes and fields and widest deserts it is in the bowels of the earth in the bottome of the Sea within us without us Euen so must I conceive God present at and in all places immediately compassing me every where as the ayre Nay hath place in my heart and minde that as surely as I continually draw the ayre into my body heart and braines so is the Lord much more present within mee This will not let me shut him up in heaven whose essence is not more there than in this inferiour world though his glory and Majesty shine clearer there Neither to thinke him far absent nor by walls doores windowes closets or chambers kept from seeing or knowing my waies no more than ayre but I shall continually stand in awe and feare to offend him I see the ayre the preserver of my life that without it I cannot continue any whit but presently perish so as wee may say of it truly as
the Apostle of God himselfe In it under God wee live move and have our beeing Acts 17. 28. The ayre of it selfe is darke but yet admitteth the sun-beames to penetrate it and lighten it So must I a Chaos of darkenesse in my selfe by nature become a receptacle of light and receive the beames of grace from the sunne of grace and righteousnesse As no creature wanteth a voyce to teach man so no man ought to be ashamed to learne by whatsoever God will teach him Amongst the rest there is not almost any naturall thing which poynteth us out to more spirituall use nor affordeth more sweete matter of divine Meditation than the words which both leade us unto God and into our selves both for humiliation and direction It hath an apt resemblance and image of God in it 1. In the subtilenesse and invisibilitie of the nature of it No man ever saw the winde thou canst notisee it saith Christ the way of the winde is not known so no man saw God at any time and his waies are unsearchable and past finding out The swiftnesse of the windes may note Gods omni-presence who is saide to ride on the wings of the winde 2. In powerfull motion and efficacy of it which no man can hinder or resist For this invisible creature hath a mighty force in tearing rending driving afore it whatsoever standeth in the way trees houses nay the raging seas the ponderous clouds yea the rockes and mountaines and is able to shake the very foundations of the earth And who seeth not here a lively resemblance of the omnipotent power of God whose mighty arme worketh so unresistably in all the things of nature yea of grace rending the hard rockes of our hearts and casting downe lofty mountaines exalted against grace Who art thou that canst resist the Spirit in man 3. In the freedome of his motion the winde bloweth where it listeth Iohn 3. 7. No man can make the winde blow nor leave blowing but it mooveth it selfe and resteth freely And herein should wee cast our eyes on the Lords free working as in all the workes of nature so of grace He will have mercy where hee will and harden whom hee will He will send the windes of his grace and they shall heare the sound of it in this region not in that in this congregation not in another yea this heart in the same congregation shall have the sound and not another Hee will blow a stronger gale a fuller blast a greater measure of grace on some than on another Hee may doe with his owne as hee will And all things worke the same spirit to every one severally as hee will 1. Cor. 12. 11. 4. In the secrecy of his working of mighty worke the winds are invisible but worke wonders in every place open and secret but in a most still and silent manner for thou knowest not whence it commeth or whether it goeth Whereby the Lord leadeth us to the secret worke of the spirit in our conversion As the subtile winde pierceth by the tenuity of his substance into every cranney and no man can keepe it out so doth the Spirit of God blow into the very secrets of thy very conscience The woman at the Well wondered how this winde could so pierce her which brought a sound of all that ever shee did Who is acquainted with the worke of grace in himselfe and hath not woundred after how unspeakeable a manner this winde hath blowne upon him 1. What a still voyce he heard behinde him directing him and perswading him to the good way But stronger than all power of man or Angels and still followed with inward motion to provoke him further 2. How after a secret and unknowne manner these gracious windes have dissolved the clouds of iniquitie and watered the earth of his heart with raines of repentance and godly sorrow and ever since have kept his heart softened and humble 3. He knoweth not how but these blessed windes have dispersed the noysome vapours and corruptions of his heart scattered the clouds of ignorance errour infidelity doubts feares and cleared the heavens to him that now he chearefully beholdeth the sun-shine of Gods favour in Christ and walketh in the light and comfort of it and seeâ—h nothing Why but he heareth a still voyce and sound of this winde the testimony of the Spirit witnessing the pardon of his sinnes and his assurance of acceptance and reconciliation 4. Hee findeth a secret voyce and sound of the winde making requests in him with sighes which cannot be expressed This secret breath and inspiration of the Spirit giveth him breath and maketh him frequent and fervent in prayers to which hee was as heavie as a Beare to the stake 5. He findeth the sound of this winde not onely as the voice behinde him but feeleth the power of it as a strong blast behinde him to drive him forward in the waies of God And whereas before hee was as the shippe that lay wind-bound now having a faire gale of winde he is as a shippe under saile that goeth as swift as an arrow Hee can comfortably pray reade heare meditate admonish watch as an active man in godlinesse As a bird flying with the winde flyeth swifter In all these things wee may and must admire the greatnesse of God who hath laid up the windes in his treasury and rideth upon the wings of the wind Psal. 140. 3. made them the wheeles of his chariot The consideration of the windes leades us into our selves and that 1. For humiliation For who knoweth the nature of the wind the place of the winde the way of the winde He would have us humble not onely by the ignorance of minde in divine things but even in naturall 2. See in the winde our owne vanity Lord what is man Iob 7. 7. Remember that my life is but a winde 1. Inconstant as the winde a short puffe which none can lay faster hold on that on the winde all humane things are as light as the winde 2. Suddenly past away from us even sometime so soone as it commeth 3. It returneth not againe no more than the winde Psal. 78. 39. Hee remembred they were as winde passed not returning againe 2. For instruction shall so fierce a creature bee at a becke and shall not I 1. I see this mighty creature obedient and subject to GOD Mat. 8. 26. Who is this to whom windes and seas obey doe they testifie to Christ that hee is the Sonne of God and shall not I heare his Word and acknowledge him my Lord and my God 2. When I see a boysterous winde and tempest arise and carry away light things as feathers straw chaffe I must take notice of the miserable estate of wicked men on whom destruction and feare shall come as a whirle-winde Prov. 1. 27. They shall be driven away as chaffe and feathers in the winde Psal. 1. Job 21. 18. The wicked shall bee as stubble before the winde