pent ; but we must lay out i'ov tJic poor too, — here is the mixture of" the dove, 1 Tim. vi. 17, 18., "Charg:c tluMU tliat arc rich in the world, that they do good, that tlicy be rich in good works." The poor uiau is as it were an altar, if we bring our alms and lay upon it, with such sacrifices God is well jileased. Faith, though it hath sometimes a trembling band, it must not have a withered hand, but must stretch forth itself to works of mercy ; there's nothing lost by charitable- ness, Prov. xi. 25., " The liberal soul shall be made fat," Ps. xli. 1., " Blessed is he that considereth the poor, thou wilt make all bis bed in his sickness." While men do so rememl)er their family, that tiiey do not for- get the poor, they shew both prudence and piety ; they unite the serpent and the dove. 12. The serpent's wisdom and the dove's innoccncy is seen in this, — so to avoid dan- ger, as not to commit sin, — to preserve our liberty, yet keep our integrity. There is a sinful escaping danger, namely, when we are called to suffer for the truth, and we decline it; but there is an escaping danger without sin ; as thus, when we do not betray our- selves into the enemies' hands by rashness, nor yet betray the truth by cowardice. We
have a pattern of this in our Saviour ; ho avoided liis enemies in one place, that he might prcich the gospel in another, Luke iv. 29, 30., " They led him unto the brow of the hill, that they might cast him down headlong; but he passing through the midst of them, went his way," — there was Christ's wisdom in not betraying himself to his enemy ; and v. 43., " I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also," — ■ there was his holiness. Christ's securing of himself was in order to the j)reaching of the gospel. This is to mix prudence and innocency, when we so avoid danger as we do not commit sin.
Thus I have, as briefly and as clearly as I could, shown you how we must unite these two, the serpent and the dove, pru- dence and holiness. For want of couDlin"- these two together religion doth much suf- fer in the Christian world. " What Christ hath joined together, let no man put asun- der." Observe these two, prudence and holiness ; here is the serpent's eye in the dove's head. AVlien these two, wisdom and innocency — like Castor and Pollux — ap- pear together, they presage much good and happiness that will befal a Christian.
SERMON II.
11 CoR. V. 17. " There/ore^ if any man he in
passed away, behold all
In this scripture consists the essence and soul of religion. I note here two things.
Is/, That the true definition of a Chris- tian is to be in Christ. " If any man be in Christ." He may be in the church visible, yet not in Christ ; it is not to be baptized into Christ's name, makes a true Christian : but to be in Christ, that is to be grafted in- to him by faith. And if to be in Christ makes a Christian, then there are but icw Christians. Many are in Christ nominally, not re.ally ; they are in Christ by profession, not by mystical union. Are they in Christ that do not know him ? Are they in Christ who persecute them that are in Christ ? Sure such an holy head as Christ will dis- claim such spurious members.
Christy he is a new creature ; old things are things are became new."
2d, That whosoever is in Christ, is a new- creature. For illustration, I shall shew, 1. What a new creature is; 2. What kind of work it is.
1. What a new creature is. It is a se- cond birth added to the first, John iii. 3. It may be thus described: it is a supernatu- ral work of God's Spirit, renewing and transforming the heart into the divine like- ness.
(1.) The efficient cause of the new crea- ture, is the Holy Ghost ; no angel or arch- angel is able to produce it, AVho but God can alter the hearts of men, and turn stones into flesh ? If the new creature was not produced by the Holy Ghost, then the great- est glory in a man's conversion would be
622
SELECT SERMONS.
long to himself; but this glory God will not give to another. The turning of the will to God is from God, Jer. xxxi. 19., " After I was turned, I repented."
(2.) The organical cause or instrument by which the new creature is formed, is the word of God, James i. 18., " Of his own will begat he us, by the word of truth." The word is the seed, out of which springs the flower of the new creature.
(3.) The matter of which the new crea- ture consists is, the restoring God's image lost by the fall.
Quest. But doth God in the new creature, give a new soul ?
Ans. No : he doth not bestow new facul- ties, but new qualities. As in the altering of a lute, the strings are not new, but the tune is mended: so, in the new creature, the substance of the soul is not new, but is new tuned by grace ; the heart that before was proud, is now humble ; the eyes, that be- fore were full of lust, are now full of tears. Here are new qualities infused.
2. What kind of work the new creature is.