EpII. II. 10.] THE NINETEENTH SEliMON. 393
APPLICATION.
Use 1. Of information.
1. That there is such a thing as the new nature, regeneration, or the new birth, and the new creature. It is one thing to make us men, another to make us saints or Christians. AVe have understanding, and will, and affections, and sense as men, but we have these sanctified as Christians. The carnal world thinks Cbristianity puts strange names upon ordinary things ; but is it an ordinary thing to row against the stream of flesh and blood, and to raise men above those inclinations and affections by which the generality of the world are mastered and captivated ? For a man to be another kind of creature than the rest of men are, surely proceeds from a new nature put into him, 1 Peter iv. 4. The world wondereth at believers in their contemning the pleasant, powerful attractives of sensible things.
2. That by this new nature a man is distinguished from himself as carnal ; he hath somewhat which he had not before, something that may be called a new life and nature ; a new heart that is created, Ps. li. 10 ; and may be increased, 2 Peter iii. 18. In the first conversion we are mere objects of grace, but afterwards instruments of grace. First God worketh upon us, then by us. On the unregenerate the Spirit worketh while they do nothing that is good, sometimes the con- trary ; the regenerate he helpeth whilst they are working, striving, labouring ; he quickeneth and exciteth their indination to God. They have some principles of operation, there is life in them ; and where there is life there is some power to act, or else God's most precious gifts would be in vain ; therefore it is their duty to bestir themselves, 2 Peter i. 3-5. We have understanding and memory sanctified and planted with a stock of divine knowledge, and can retain things on the conscience, which if we do not, we are highly culpable before God : Mat. xxv. 25, 26, ' Thou wicked and slothful servant,' &c. We have an inclination to God and heavenly things, and we must blow it up : Isa. Ixiv. 7, 'There is none that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee;' 2 Tim. i. 6, ' Stir up the gift of God that is in thee.'
3. How little they can make out their recovery to God, and interest in Christ, who are not sensible of any change wrought in them. They have their old thoughts, their old discourses, their old passions, and their old affections, and their old conversations still ; the old darkness and blindness which was upon their minds, the old stupidity, dullness, deadness, carelessness that was upon their hearts, knowing little or nothing, or regarding nothing of God ; the old end and scope governetli them, to which they formerly referred all things. If there were a change, there would be some hope the Kedeemer had been at work in their hearts. You can remember how little savour you had once of the things of the Spirit, how little mind to Christ or holiness, how wholly you were given up to tlie pleasures of the flesh, or the profits of the world ; what a mastery your lusts had then over you, and a hard servitude you were in. Is the case altered with you now ? Is your taste of fleshly delights deadened, your souls taken up more with the affairs of another world ? Is the dritt, aim, and bent of your lives now for God and your salvation, and the great business you attend upon
394 THE NINETEENTH SERMON. [EPH. II. 10.
the pleasing of God and the saving of your souls ? Arc ye not servants to your senses and fleshly appetites, and things here below, but can ye govern yourselves, and master these desires i' This is a change in- deed, but in many that profess Christ, and pretend to an interest in liim, there is no such change to be sensibly seen; their old sins, and tJR'ir old lusts, and the old things of ungodliness are not yet cast olf. Surely so much old rubbish and rotten building should not be left standing with the new. Old leaves in autumn fall oft' in the spring, if they continue so long ; so old things should pass away, and all become new,
4. It informeth us in what manner we should check sin, by re- membering it is an old thing to be done away, and ill becoming our new estate by Christ : 2 Peter i. 9, ' But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see far off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins/ Former sins ought to be esteemed as old rags that are cast off, and as vomit never to be licked up again. If we are, and do esteem ourselves to be pardoned, we shouhl never build again what we have destroyed, nor tear open old wounds — so 1 Peter i. 14, ' Not fashionin^^ yourselves to the former lusts of your ignorance ' — nor cast ourselves into the old mould and shape, and return to our old bondage and slavery. So 1 Cor. v. 7, ' Purge out the old leaven, that you may be wholly a new lump ;' so ver. 8, ' Therefore keep the feast not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.' The unsuitableness of sin to our present state should stir uj) our indignation :' Hosea xiv. 8, ' What have I to do any more with idols?' Worldly things are pleasing to the old man, therefore we should not over-much esteem them ; they are not new creatures that have not put oft' the lusts of the old man.