Use 2. To put us upon self-reflection ; are we the workmanship of God, created in Chiist Jesus? that is, are Ave made new creatures ? It will be known by these things, — a new mind, a new heart, and a new life.
1. Have we a new mind ? A new creature hath a new sight of things, looketh upon all thinj^s with a new eye. He seeth more odiousness in Kin, more excellency in Christ, more beauty in holiness, more vanity in the world, than ever he saw before. Before they did (^poveiv Kara a-up/ca — they knew all things after the flesh. A new value and esteem of things doth much discover the temper of the heart: Heb. xi. 2G, 'Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt.' Tiiey esteem the decay of the outward man to be abundantly recompensed with the increase of the inward, 2 Cor. iv, 1(J. A new creature is not only changed himself, but all things seem to be changed with him. Heaven is another thing, and earth is another thing tJian it was l)efore, so is sin and righteousness ; yea, lie looketh on his body and soul with another eye.
2. As he hath a new mind and judgment, so the heart is new moulded. The great blessing of the new covenant is a new heart. Now the heart is new when we are inclined to the ways of God, and enabled to walk in them.
[1.] There is a new inclination, poise, and weight upon the soul, bending it to holy and heavenly things. The inclination to holiness
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Dcavid prayetli for : Ps. cxix. 3G, ' Incline my hccart nnto thy testi- monies, and not to covetousness.' To heavenly tilings : Paul asseiteth, 2 Cor. iv. 18, 'We look not to the things which are seen, but to the things which are not seen : for the things which are seen are temporal ; l)iit the things which are not seen are eternal ;' when we always live in delightful foresight and expectation of blessedness to come.
[2.] The heart is enabled also: Ezek. xxxvi, 27, * I will put a new spirit into you, and cause you to walk in my ways.' Where there is a new heart, there is new strength or grace given to ' serve God acceptahly, and with reverence and godly fear,' Heb. xii. 28. Indeed God assists this power, or else we fail and wax faint ; but a power there is in some measure to will and do ; for ' the kingdom of God stands not in word, b«t in power/ There is a power to overcome fleshly lusts ; the heavenly mind is not given us in vain : 1 Peter ii. 11, 'Dearly beloved, I beseech you, as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul' A power to overcome worldly lusts, Phil. iv. 13. When we seek no great things for our- selves here in this world, we can the better bear all conditions. I do con- fess (as I said before), God must assist this power both in willing and doing, purposing and performing. We may have assistance in one kind and not in another. Paul saith, to deXelv, &c., Rom. vii. 18, ' To will is present with me, but how to perform that which I would, I have no j)Ower.' To will is more than to think, to exert our will into action is more than both. In all we need God's help. Some may have the power to will, when no power to do; so Peter se posse pufahat quod se velle sentiehat. But yet I describe a Christian, or a new creature, by his power ; because God's children are never so deserted but that there is some help from God. There are auxilia necessaria, helps of grace simply and absolutely necessary, which are not denied, when liberal and plentiful aids of grace are suspended ; and therefore a Christian is to be described by his power, though still in a dependence upon God.
3. A new life, or a new conversation, called walking ' in newness of life,' Eom. vi. 4. Surely he that hath a new principle, the Spirit, and not the flesh ; a new rule, the law of God, and not the course of this world ; a new scope, the pleasing, glorifying, and enjoying of God, and not the pleasing of men and his own fleshly mind, must needs walk in a different course both from other carnal men, and from what he him- self carried on before. But all these are true of the new creature ; he is influenced by another principle, Rom. viii. 12, Gal. v. IG ; looketh upon himself as having another rule. Gal. vi. 16, Ps. i. 2; and pro- poundeth to himself another design and scope, Phil. iii. 20, 2 Cor. V. 9 ; and therefore must needs live another life. Well, then, by these things you may judge of your estate.
Use 3. To exhort you to look alter this, that you be the workman- ship of God, created in Christ Jesus. You will say, What can we do? This is God's work, in which we are merely passive.
I answer — It is certainly an abuse of this doctrine if it lull us asleep in the lap of idleness ; and we think that because God doth all in framing us for the new life, we must do nothing. The Spirit of God reasoneth otherwise: Phil. ii. 12, 13, 'Work out your salvation with