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A90678 The Gospel nevv-creature; wherein the work of the spirit is opened, in awakening the soul; to the getting pardon of sin, and an interest in Jesus Christ; without which, it is undone to all eternity. Discovering the false refuges, and vain hopes for heaven, of ignorant and formal professors in this nation, tending to rouze them out of their carnal security, before it be too late. Whereunto is added, (by way of comfort, to all dejected soules) the tempestuous soul calmed by Jesus Christ. / By A. Palmer, preacher of the Gospel at Bourton on the Water in Gloucester-shire. Palmer, Anthony, 1618?-1679.; Palmer, Anthony, 1618?-1679. Tempestuous soul calmed. 1658 (1658) Wing P216; Thomason E1826_2; Thomason E1826_3; ESTC R209826 155,076 274

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keeping of the law is made void by one sin and so see an absolute necessity of righteousnesse another way and out of themselves by Iesus Christ though it be preacht by many good men yet few very few in this Generation live in the practicall sense and sight of it yea how many professours not hereby to reproach any have confessed to the Glory of God and their own abasement that since the breaking forth of a fuller light of the nature of the New-Covenant Gospel-grace the righteousnesse of Christ they have bin shaken in their bottomes being legall and thought if they took up from their sins and had a kind of sorrow for them and then set themselves to obey the law strictly be close in the sabbath and some such duties that God would accept them being still ignorant as least practically that when they were convinced of sin they were to see where to have a righteousnesse and how to get into Christ and have life and strength in and from him for their new obedience which is that I drive at in this and my afterwards discourse in opening the New-Creature as in Christ Having premised this I come to speak to the first promise laid down namely Observ 1. Every son and daughter of Adam in their naturall estate are under the Law By the Law I do not mean the Mosaicall or old Testament way of worship but by the law I understand that which we style the morall law the law of the 10 Commandements that was written in Adams heart and afterwards given out by God unto Moses at Mount Sinai and promised in the New Covenant to be written again in the hearts of all that are really called into the grace of the Covenant Ezek. 36.27 To be under the Law is an expression familiar to you you know what it is to live under a law To be under this law of God then bespeakes these things 1. To be under it is to be bound over to the exact fulfilling it see Rom. 10.15 For Moses describeth the righteousnesse which is of the Law that the man which doth these things shall live by them that is it to be bound over to the fulfilling and doing of the law which if done exactly without the least deviation there is life promised to it But upon the least transgression of it to be lyable to the penalty which God hath pronounced against the transgressors of it 2. It followes thence that to be under the Law is to be bound over to the whole Law in its full and perfect latitude as it reacheth the whole man Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them Mark well the tenour of these words Here is required of Every one an exact doing not onely purposing and thinking to do and that not onely of some or the most of the law but in all things and that not onely for a time but a Continuance of doing so or else under the curse One sinfull thought hath a curse belonging to it as well as the breach of the whole law if under the law Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law 1 John 3.4 3. To be under the law is to be subject to and to be under all the curses threatenings judgments wrath that it threatneth to the transgressours of it here and for ever Whatsoever the law saith in point also of judgment and wrath it saith to all that are under it 4. To be under it is to be bound to make God satisfaction in our own persons for the breach of it I mean while under it every soul is so obliged to make satisfaction to the justice of God If a poor soul be in his naturall estate and so under the law he must stand or fall to the law God expects personall satisfaction from every soul that sinneth against it that will stand to his keeping the law in whole or in part and God in his justice can bate nothing of what he hath spoken Now That all men and women are by nature as of and in the first Adam thus under the law to wit to be bound up to it and to have life onely upon the exact and perfect fulfilling of it to be bound up to the whole law subject to the curse of it upon the transgression of one part bound to make God satisfaction in his own person for any breach thereof I briefly prove Saith Paul Rom. 6.14 Ye are not under the law but under grace Implying till a soul is brought under grace the Covenant of grace justifying sanctifying grace in and by Jesus Christ he is under the law whoever he be so Gal. 4.5 To redeem them that were under the law c. implying also that all mankind are naturally under it till under the power and efficacy and priviledge of Christs Redemption The main reasons of it are All are under this law because all mankind were bound up under the same Covenant with Adam who was a publick person representing all mankind as a man may bind up himself and his posterity to such and such conditions and such a Covenant decree or obligation binds his posterity in Law so was Adam bound up to God see Rom. 5.12 the speciall Scriptures that prove this truth Wherefore as by one man sin entred into the world and death by sin so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned so verse 16.17 18 19. by one that sinned c. by one mans offence death reigned by one by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation By one mans disobedience many were made sinners Implying clearly that the guilt of Adam as representing all his posterity was and is imputed to all and therefore all were and are bound over to the same Law bottomed upon that word of the Lord to Adam by which God put the Covenant upon him Gen. 2.17 For in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye Adam had the law of holinesse and righteousnesse the morall law written in his heart before and his nature perfect which bound him over to obey every command of his God now God gave out that external law unto him by way of tryal in which the form of the Covenant was implyed but sinning against that he transgressed the morall law written in his heart also which bound him over to obey God in all things so that the sin of Adam was at least virtually a transgression of the morall law now abiding and obliging mankind which law we all brake in him as it was given to all in him and being written in Adams heart it was as much as if it had bin actually written in the hearts of all mankind which doth also appear by the remnants of the law as that there is a God and man should be just yet remaining in the hearts of all Therefore by nature we are all bound up to and are under this law 2. It doth appear that
transgression of the law and shew what the sense of guilt is which few there are that have in a saving way Observ 3. Every soul in the world is guilty before God of the transgression of the Law And all the world may become guilty before God This hath been proved where we have shew'd that All have sinned and come short of the glory of God This guilt is threefold which is set home upon every sinners heart when convinc'd of sin by the spirit 1. The guilt of Adams sin which stands charg'd upon every sinner in the world while under the law Rom. 5.18 2. The guilt of the corruption of our natures sinne in the fountain as I have shewed which is likewise upon every Son or Daughter of Adam they are all corrupt Psal 14.1 wherein lies the exceeding sinfulfulnesse of sin 3. The guilt of actuall rebellion against God sinne brought forth and acted in the outward man against God Now under this threefold guilt is every sinner in the world while under the law the effect of which if not reconciled is punishment sutable to the guilt which is Thou shall surely dye And The wages of sinne is death eternall death Rom. 6. last Use 1. This may therefore inform and convince that every sin brings guilt upon the soul and so deserves death and everlasting wrath from God you that make light of sin to lye to profane the name of the Lord be in worldly discourses on the Lords day in any way of sin whatsoever weigh this in thy conscience There 's not the least sin but makes thee guilty before the tribunall of God God the law Angels Conscience are all witnesses against thee where 's the soul that will think to avoid this charge shall I prove every soul of you guilty and that before God If this were proved by the power of the word in the conscience I know what and I shall shew it you will be the effect of it lay your consciences to the Word and if thou art found guilty before the Lord this day go home with the sense of it upon thy soul and do as a guilty sinner should do 1. Consider first as to what concerns God immediately The Law requires Thou shouldst have no other Gods but him Exod. 20. Which Jesus Christ interprets is to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul now Hath God had thy whole heart and soul darest thou say so Hath not the world had more of thy heart then God Dost not thou love the world and the things of it Do not thy affections thoughts desires of thy heart even day and night go after it yea you cannot but grant that 't is so Then God and Angels are witnesse that thou art guilty of the damnable sin of Idolatry And such a one shall not as such enter into the kingdome of God Eph. 5.5 Know by that Scripture A covetous heart may send thee to Hell as well as any sin in the world No Covetous man who is an Idolater shall enter into the kingdome of God read over the place every day and tremble at it Here 's guilt already enough to damn thee 2. Thou hast worshipped God superstitiously and idolatrously after the traditions and commandments of men you that are elderly people are all guilty here in a grievous manner in the time of your ignorance when superstitious Ceremonies were practised and the Common-prayer-Book worship was upheld when you polluted the Ordinances of Jesus Christ coming to Sacraments with sins upon your souls from which sins you are not converted and changed to this day which the Apostle calls eating and drinking damnation or judgment under which guilt you still lye and would heap up more of this guilt were not some more tender of your souls then your selves Here 's guilt to purpose who is free from it and how many unhumbled under it to this day Art thou not now ready to cry out Oh hold hold you need go no further my conscience is smitten oh guilt great guilt lyes upon me Oh that 't were the cry of many souls before the Lord how might it end in mercy that shall be for ever 3. But yet further to pursue thy conscience for that 's the nature of guilt doth not the Lord require in his law that thou shouldst not take his Name in vain Exod. 20.7 Now sinner stave off this guilt if thou canst How oft hast thou abused and profaned this great and dreadfull Name the Lord thy God by swearing or in thy by-words crying oh Lord oh God for Gods sake for Christs sake upon every foolish vain occasion with no more reverence of his Name then the most Common name in the world And some of you have as many dayes as you have lived since your childhood bin frequently guilty of this great evil which thou hast made a small matter of which if ever God pardon it it will appear to be odious guilt from the height of thy heart-Atheism How oft hast thou heard the word and thy heart bin after the world and thine eyes gazing up and down that t is easie to discern thou regardest not what is spoken from God to thee and the same in prayer how oft hast thou babled ore the Lords prayer like a charme with no reverence of Gods Majesty upon thy soul in thy bed it may be in a drowsie manner or if otherwise not understanding the words thou speakest much lesse thy heart affected with them or it may be saying over the Creed and the Commandements or some Service-book prayers as abundance do grievously profaning Gods Name and offering lip labour which his soul abhorreth yea know what hath bin often proved that thy prayers and all thy worship and good deeds as thou callest them are an abomination to the Lord while thou art in thy sin an unconverted and unholy person yea the way of thy worship in which thou placest thy greatest confidence hath bin the highest aggravation of thy sin in offering up to God that which his soul hateth Esay 1.11 12 13 14 15. When you make many prayers saith the Lord I will not hear you c. And as to the sanctifying the Sabbath which thou shouldest make a holy rest unto God thou hast made it a meer fleshly rest consuming the day upon thy lusts in vanity idlenesse carnall and worldly discourses in families in the streets to the high dishonour of the Name of God and hardening of thy heart against the truths of God rendring thereby the preaching of the Gospel wholly unprofitable to thy soul A carriage farr unlike a man that hath the grace of God upon him and a most invincible argument to thy conscience that thou makest not God his word ordinances sabbaths a holy delight and knowest not the excellency and sweetnesse of Communion with him Say sinner and lay thy conscience to this conviction is hearing and that with love praying praising meditating conferring of holy things the very heaven of thy
and highest motive with God was and is his own Name his own glorious grace why he ever had a thought of good to an undone creature that there was no motive in the creature unless misery which is no glory but all is done given estated upon souls undone poor sinners freely for his own sake 3. Let it exhort souls to make use of this plea therefore and that with great though humble confidence It never failed poor souls since the world was that made use of it when they were low and helpless and eyed and pleaded mercy for mercies sake they had it and never went away but blessed Gospel-Justification The Second TREATISE WHEREIN The Souls emptying of all its own righteousness is further evinced and Gospel-justification stated how a poor sinner is made partaker of it and the evidences thereof laid down ROM 3.19 20. Now we know that what things soever the Law saith it saith to them who are under the Law that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God Therefore by the deeds of the Law shall no flesh be justified in his sight c. HAving spoken as the Lord hath helped me as to the weight of the pardon of sin and the praevious way to it I now come to open the compleating this mercy in a poor souls cōpleat justification before God So it hath pleased the Wisdom of God to order the way of his glorious mercy to poor sinners that shall be saved that he doth not only let forth free grace for the remission of their sins merely pardon them but hath so blessedly ordered the matter to bring them in a state of Righteousness a compleat perfect righteousness as Adam in his perfect estate was in not by making the sinner perfectly holy righteous in himself in his own nature but by giving out his eternal Son Jesus Christ to fulfil all righteousness in their stead by satisfying keeping the perfect Law of righteousness which is imputed to the Believer as if he had fulfilled it were wholly righteous in his own person In which lies the great mystery of the Gospel I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ saith Paul c. for therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith c. Rom. 1.16 namely that righteousness of Jesus Christ whereby God will justifie put in a state of righteousness made over to them by faith that shall be pardoned and saved To endeavour to evince and discover the necessity of such a justification and the nature of it and how a poor soul comes to be invested in it to have a right unto it is my design as the Lord shall graciously assist in this ensuing discourse Oh that I might do it in the simplicity of the Gospel plainly convincingly spiritually as I ought to speak In the prosecuting hereof I shall first shew that righteousness is not to be attained any other way not by the exactest keeping of the Law so as to commend us to God not by setting our selves to keep the Law of God as well as we can and so we hope God will accept of it which being naturally rooted in the hearts of all I find it the hardest piece of conviction and most hardly received of any other souls are a thousand times more easily beaten off grosse sins then beaten off the confidence of the good they think they do and so come as ☞ Nothing else but sinners to Jesus Christ want of this conviction makes all the Hypocrites in the world This is that part therefore I shall first begin with according to the Apostles method in this Epistle The Apostle layes down his doctrine which he was to prove in the 17. verse of the 1 Chapter The just shall live by faith to make way for which he first proves in the remaining part of the first Chap. that the Gentiles knowledge of God which they had by the things that are made The Creation of and Providence of God over the world left them in unrighteousnesse because they held the truth of the being of a God in unrighteousnesse even the wisest and learnedst of them such as professed themselves to be wise verse 22. and brake forth into Idolatry and all abominations for which cause God gave them up c. verse 26.28 At the 17th verse of the 2d Chap. The Apostle undertakes the Jew strikes off all his priviledges and at the 9th verse of the 3d. Chapter concludes both Jew and Gentile in the same condition as to the obteyning of such a righteousnesse by the Law that might commend either to God What then Are we who are Jews better then they who are Gentiles No in no wise for we have proved that Jews and Gentiles are all under sin As it is written there is none righteous no not one Which he further proves by severall Scriptures to the words of the text In which the Apostle prevents an objection namely that some might urge The Scriptures urged may concerne some few and grosly wicked persons and not all mankind in generall No such matter whatever the law saith it saith to them that are under the law which are all the Sons and daughters of Adam as in their naturall corrupt estate All under the law from whence the Apostle inserrs 1. That therefore every mouth is stopped 2. All the world is guilty before God 3. That no flesh within or without the Church can be justified by the Law From whence I draw these 4 plain observations to prove what is my main design viz. That no man can attain to such a measure of righteousnesse by all that ever he can do in his best keeping the Law as may commend him to God which 4 are these 1. Every son and daughter of Adam in their naturall estate are under the Law 2. That a transgressour of the Law hath nothing to boast in nor to excuse himself from his sin or the righteous judgment of God due unto him That every mouth may be stopped 3. Every soul in the world is under guilt and condemnation that all the world may be guilty before God 4. Every soul lies under an impossibility of reaching to such a Justification by the best keeping of the Law as for God thereby to accept of him I intend briefnesse in the opening of these and what plainesse also the Lord shall help me with This is a principle rooted in the hearts of all the Children of men That still there is a sufficiency in them to keep the law of God in such a measure as God will accept them for it This being heightned by the ignorance of times and darknesse of Gospell-light and of the New-Covenant of grace upon the spirits of this Generation they are most hardly beaten off it say poor souls If I keep Gods law as well as I can and worship God and do not harme my Neighbour God will accept me and pardon where I fail but to be convinced that all that
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-cloze 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 Ioh. 3.3 5. and of being converted Mal. 18.3 do evince the same truth Gal. 6.15 Neither Circumcision nor Vncircumcision avail any thing but a New Creature For we are his Work-manship created unto Christ Jesus c. Eph. 2.10 He that hath wrought us for this 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 1. From the tenour of the New-Covenant in which way God hath obliged himself to give out mercy and in no other Now thus runs the New-Covenant this is the great Article of it Make you a new heart and a new Spirit Ezek. 18.31 Which God promiseth to give to all he takes into a Covenant of mercy and peace with himself I will put a new Spirit within you and a new Heart will I give unto you Ezek. 11.19 And to the same purpose Ezek. 36.26 Wherein as we shall shew lyes the special part of the New Creature 2. Because the Old-man all that is of the First Adam the whole frame thereof is corrupted and polluted therefore it must be repaired renewed be made new if ever it enter into glory Ephes 4.22 That ye put off concerning the former Conversation the Old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful Lusts and be renewed in the Spirit of your Mind And that ye put on the New-man that after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness 3. Whosoever shall be saved shall be a new Creature from the great Design of God in giving out his Son Jesus Christ which was that all the Elect should be made conformable to the Image of his Son Rom. 8.29 For whom he did fore-know he also did predestinate to be conformed to the Image of his Son that he might be the first-born among many Brethren Jesus Christ is called the express Image of the Father Hebr. 1. And to that Image all Believers shall be conformed Jesus Christ the first-born and all his Brethren to be made conformable unto him God was infinitely pleased with such a Pattern and resolved all that he gave to him and designed for glory should be conformed to his likeness 4. All the services that a sinner offers to God are not accepted till a New-Creature till a Soul shall act from a new-living holy-principle towards God Pray and hear and give Alms God regards it not till a New-Creature So the Word of the Lord often casts back the services of unregenerate men upon their faces as loathsome to the Lord because they proceed from the old corrupt Adam from unchanged Natures Isa 1.15 When you cry I will not hear you Why You are in your uncleanness therefore Wash you make you clean Vse Oh let this make for your instruction and conviction that if ever you come to God in glory you must first be New-Creatures If you will have mercy you must have it in the way of the New-Covenant and if so you must be made new While you have nothing but the Old-Adam you are corrupt and polluted and abominable If you shall become the Brethren of the first-born Jesus Christ you must bear his Image and have it renewed upon you Oh you that are yet in your old sins and walk after your Old-Lusts you are not New-Creatures You will not think so therefore sit down with this Conviction That as yet you have no part in this blessedness Oh! All of you who are the same that ever you were whether living in gross sins or sober and civil from your Youth up you are yet of the Old Adam nothing but corrupt Nature upon you your hope is vain and you are blinded in your sins and the grace of God is not in you 2. Oh! Let me before I go further put this to tryall and suffer the word of the Lord which shall one day judge you Can you say in good earnest Old things are past away and all things are become new in me Now I am a vessell in the hand of God wrought by his Spirit and there is through infinite grace a new work manship upon my soul I shall lay down rules for the particular discovery of this only at present yeild up your conscience to the power of the world do not slink from under it If it find you out in your sin in nature the same that ever you were give glory to God and say The word of the Lord is quick and powerfull and go off with this conviction in power upon thy soul I never expect to go to heaven and glory if I become not through grace a new Creature But before I go further I would open that every soul that is a new Creature must be in Christ and why So saith the Apostle to these Corinths in this Epistle 13. Chap. 5. Examine your selves prove your own selves know you not that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates ye are created into Christ Jesus Eph. 2.10 If a man abide not in me he is cast out as a branch and is withered Joh. 15.6 Now herein lyes the great Mystery of Godlinesse into which all our evidences for Heaven are resolved and therefore this is a weighty enquiry I am to speak of it specially as it relates to the making and forming by the new Creature This being in Christ is expressed by being rooted into Christ Col. 2.7 Planted into him Rom. 6. Built up in him Col. 2. All which bespeak a reall union with him that this is not a mere imaginary thing but as true and reall as the union between the root and the branches Ioh. 15. and the foundation and the building Eph. 2. which is wrought by the Spirit of the Lord Iesus drawing and uniting true believers unto him The same Spirit dwelling in them Rom. 8.9 10 11. By his Sprit that dwelleth in you Now to consider Why all that are new Creatures according to the Gospell must be so in Christ 1. Such as are Gospell New-Creatures must be in Christ because if they be New-Creatures they must be Living Creatures Now God hath laid up all life that shall be