5. Every sudden passion, or stirring of the affections, is not the new creature. There may be affections of sorrow ; some, upon the reading the history of Christ's ])assion, may be ready to weep, but it is only a natural tenderness, which relents at any tragical sight. Affections of desire may be stirred, John vi. 34., " Lord, ever- more give us this bread :" but these basely deserted Christ, and would walk no more
with liim, V. 66. Many desire heaven but will not come up to the price. Affections of joy may be stirred. In the parable, the second sort of hearers are said to " receive the word with joy," Mat. xiii. 20. What was this but to liave the affections moved with delight in hearing ! Yet, that this did not amount to the new creature, is plain, \st, Because those hearers are said to have no root. 2c?, Because they fell away, V. 21. King Herod did hear John the Bap- tist gladly; he was much affected with John's preaching; where then was the defect? Why was not Herod a new creature ? The reason was, because Herod was not reform- ed by the Baptist's preaching; his affections were moved, but his sin was not removed. Many have sweet motions of heart, and seem to be much affected with the word, but their love to sin is stronger than their love to the word ; therefore all their good af- fections prove abortive, and come to nothing.
6. One may have trouble for sin, yet not be a new creature. Trouble of spirit may appear, while God's judgments lie upon men ; when these are removed, their trou- ble ceaseth, Ps. Ixxviii. 34, 36., " When he slew them, then they sought him ; never- theless they did flatter hira with their mouths." Metal that melts in a furnace, take it out of the furnace, and it returns to its former hardness : many in time of sick- ness seem to be like melted metal. What weeping and wringing of hands ! What confessions of sin will they make ! Do not these look like new creatures ? But as soon as they recover, they are as bad as ever ; their pangs go off again, and it never comes to a new birth.
7. A man may have the Spirit, yet not be a new creature. The apostle supposcth a case, that one might be made partaker of the Holy Ghost, yet fall away, Heb. vi. 4, A man may have some slight transient work of the Spirit, but it doth not go to the root ; he may have the common gifts of the Spirit but not the special grace ; he may have the Spirit to convince him, not to convert liim ; the light he hath is like a winter-sun, which hath little or no influ- ence,— it doth not make him more holy ; he hath the motions of the Spirit, but walks after the flesh.
ON BECOMING A NEW CREATURE.
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8. Every abstaiiiinjj from sin is not the new creature. This ahstaininp^ may be, Isf, From restraining^ frrace, not renewinf^ jrrace: as God withliekl Laban from liintinp; Jacob, Gen. xxxi. 24. Tlie Lord may restrain men from sin, by tlie terror of a natural conscience. Conscience stands as the an- gel with a drawn sword, and saith, " Do not this evil." Men may be frighted from sin, but not divorced. 2d, Men may ab- stain from sin for a while, and then return to it again ; as Saul left off pursuing David, for some time, and then hunted him again. This is like a man that holds his breath under water, and then takes breath again, Jer. xxxiv. 15, 10., " Ye were now turned, and had done right in my sight : But ye turned and polluted my holy name." 3dy Men may leave gross sin, and yet live in more spiritual sins, — leave drunkenness, and live in pride, — leave uncleanness, and live in malice. Tlie Pharisee boasted he was no adulterer, but he could not say he was not proud or superstitious ; here he left gross sin, and lived in spiritual sins. 4th, Men may leave sin partially, — abstain from some sins, not all, — they feed some sin in a cor- ner. Herod left many sins, but one sin he lived in, viz. incest. All this doth not a- mount to the new creature.
II. I shall shew you wherein the essence of the new creature consists.
Is^, In general. To the constituting of the new creature there must be a great change wrought. He who is a new crea- ture, is not the same man he was. He is of another spirit, Numb. xiv. 24., " My ser- vant Caleb, because he had another spirit." When the harlot, Lais, came to one of her old acquaintance after he was converted, and tempted him to sin. Ego non sum ego, saith he, " I am not the same man." When one becomes a new creature, there is such a visible change that all may see it; there- fore it is called a change " from darkness to light," Acts xxvi. 18. Paul, a persecutor, when converted, was so altered that all who saw him, wondered at Iiim and could scarce believe that he was the same. Acts ix. 21.: as if another soul had lived in the same body. Mary Magdalene, an unchaste sinner, when once savingly wrought upon, what a peni- tent creature did she become ! Her eyes,