(4.) The new creature hath a new con- versation. Grace alters a man's walk ; be- fore he walked proudly, now humbly ; be- fore loosely, now holily; he makes the word his rule, and Christ's life his pattern, Phil. iii. 20., " Our conversation is in heaven." As a ship that is sailing east- ward, there comes a gale of wind and blows it westward : so, before a man did sail hell- ward, and on a sudden the Spirit of God comes upon him, and blows him heaven- ward ; here is a new conversation. It was a speech of Oecolampadius, " I would not speak nor do any thing that I thought Jesus Christ would not approve of, if he were here corporally present." \V1iere there is cir- cumcision of heart, there is circumspection of life; if we find it thus, that " all things are become new," then we are new crea- tures, and shall go to the new Jerusalem when we die.
3d Use. Exhortation. Labour to be new creatures : nothing else will avail us, Gal. vi. 15., " Neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new crea- ture." We are for new things; we love new fashions, and why not new hearts ? but people are full of prejudices against the new creature.
Ob J. \. If we are new creatures, there must be so much strictness in religion, so much praying and watching, as discourogeth
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SELECT SERMONS.
Ans. 1. Is there any thing excellent to , be obtained without labour ? What pains is j taken in scarchinji^ for a vein of silver, or seeking for pearl ? Men cannot have the world without labour ; and would they have salvation so? 2. The labour in reli- gion bears no proportion with the reward. What are a few tears shed, to a weight of glory ? The soldier is content to wrestle with difficulties, and undergo a bloody fight, for a glorious victory. In all labour for heaven there is profit : it is like a man that digs in a golden mine, and carries away all the gold.
3. Men take more pains to go to hell ; what pains doth an ambitious man take to climb to the pinnacle of honour? Tullia road over the dead body of her father to be made queen. How doth the covetous man tire himself, break his sleep, and his peace, to get the world? Thus some men take more pains in the service of sin, than oth- ers do in pursuit of holiness. Men talk of pains in religion ; when God's Spirit comes into one it turns labour into delight. It was Paul's heaven to serve God, Rom. vii. 22. The ways of wisdom " are ways of pleasantness," Prov. iii. 17. It is like walk- ing among beds of spices, which cast forth a sweet perfume.
Obj. 2. But if we leave our old company, and become new creatures, we shall be exposed to many reproaches.
Ans. Who are they that speak evil of re- ligion but sucb as are evil ? Male de me lo- quunter, sed mail, said Seneca. Besides, is it not better that men reproacb us for being good, than that God damn us for being wicked ! Mat. v. 11., " Blessed are ye when men shall revile you." Stars are never the less glorious though they have ugly names given them, as the bear and the dragon. A saint's reproaches are like a soldier's scars, honourable, 1 Pet. iv. 14., " If ye are re- proached for the name of Christ, the Spirit of God and of glory rests upon you." While men clip your credit to make it weigh lighter, they make your crown heavier.
Having iinswerc'd these objections, I come now to resume the exhortation : above all things labour to be new creatures.
Motives. \st.^ In this true Christianity oth consist. It is not baptism makes a
Christian : many are no better than bapti- zed heathens. The essential part of reli- gion lies in the new creature, Rom. ii. 29., " Circumcision is that of the heart." Ev- ery thing hath a name from the better part. We call a man a reasonable creature, be- cause of his soul, which is the more noble part : so one is called a Christian, because he acts from a principle of the new crea- ture, which the carnal man doth not.
2dly, It is the new creature fits us for communion with God ; we cannot converse with God till then. Birds cannot converse with men unless they had a rational nature put into them, nor can men converse with God, unless, being made new creatures, they partake of the divine nature. Com- munion with God is a mystery to most ; every one that hangs about the court doth not speak with the king : all that meddle with holy duties, and, as it were, hang a- bout the court of heaven, have not commu- nion with God. It is only the new crea- ture enjoys God's presence in ordinances, and sweetly converses with him as a child with a Father.
^dly, The necessity of being new crea- tures.