[4.] The exhortation is not in vain, that men may not hinder God's work, and obstruct their own mercies, and render themselves more unapt to be changed. God taketh notice they would not observe his checks : Prov. i. 23, ' They set at nought my counsel, and would not turn at my reproofs.' Sometimes conscience boggleth, either as excited by the word — ' Felix trembled,' Acts xxiv. 25 ; or some notable afflio- tion or strait, Gen. xlii. 21. By one means or other the waters are stirred ; great helps are vouchsafed to us ; not to observe these seasons is a great loss.
250 SERMONS UPON 2 CORINTHIANS V. [SeR. XXXIII.
Use 2. What is the true use to be made of this doctrine ?
1. To make us sensible that it is a hard task to get tlie change of the new creature. If you have mean thoughts of this work, you lessen your obligation to God for your cure by the grace of your Eedeemer ; believing your disease b'ght, you think your remedy easy, and so cannot be thankful for your recovery, if you lessen your sickness. And besides, it will lessen your care, and make you vain and negligent ; you will not beg it of God so heartily, if you do not think this work to be what it is. Therefore, in the first place, you must be convinced of the difficulty of it.
2. To check despair. Many when they hear they must be new men in all things, conceit they shall never be able to reach it. Surely Christ can change thy heart, Mat. xix. 26 ; he can make thee a new creature ; he that can turn water into wine can also turn lions into lambs.
3. To keep us humble — 'For all things are of God. What have we that we have not received ? ' 1 Cor. iv, 7. We have all by gift, and if we be proud, it is that we are more in debt than others. Let us not intercept God's honour.
4. To make us thankful. Give God the praise of changing thy nature, if from a bad man thou art become good. He looketh for it, for his great end is to exalt the glory of his grace. Now let us ascribe all to him ; it was he at first that gave us those permanent and fixed habits which constitute the new nature, he furuisheth us with those daily supplies by which the spiritual life is maintained in us. It is he that exciteth and perfecteth our actions ; therefore put the crown still upon grace's head: Luke xix. 16, 'Thy pound hath gained ten pounds ; ' Gal. ii. 20, ' Not I, but Christ that liveth in me ; ' 1 Cor. XV. 10, 'Not I, but the grace of God which was in me.' When we have done and suffered most, we must say, Of thine own have we given thee.
5. If all things are from God, let us love God in Christ the more, and live to him ; it worketli upon our love, when we see how much we are beholden to him, and our love should direct all things to his glory : Eom. xi. 36, ' For all things are of him, and through him, and to him.' AVhat is from him must be used for him. Our new being should be to the praise of his glorious grace, Eph. i. 12. Glorify him in deed as well as word.
6. Live in a cheerful and continual dependence upon God for that grace which is necessary, for our continual dependence doth engage us to constant communion with God. If we did keep the stock ourselves, God and we would soon grow strange; as the prodigal, when he had his portion in his own hands, goetli away from his father ; the throne of grace would lie neglected and unfrequented, and God would seldom hear from us. Tliei-efore God would keep grace in his own hands, to oblige us to a continual intercourse with him. A cheerful dependence; for God is able and ready to help the waiting soul, and hath engaged his faithfulness to give us necesvsary and effectual grace to preserve the new life : 1 Cor. i. 9, ' God is faithful, by whom ye are called to the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord ; ' 1 Thes. v. 24. I will conclude with the words of Austin — Job in stercore, &c. — Job was
VeR. 18.] SERMONS UPON 2 CORINTHIANS V. 251
more happy in his misery than Adam in his innocency ; he was victori- ous on the dunghill, when the other was defeated on the throne ; he gave no ear to the evil counsel of his wife, when the woman seduced Adam. He despised the assaults of Satan, when the other suffered himself to be worsted at the first temptation. He preserved his righteousness in the midst of his sorrows, when the other lost his inno- cence in the midst of paradise. Therefore let us comfort ourselves in the grace we liave by Christ in the new covenant.
Secondly, That God is the author of the new creature, as reconciled to us in Christ.
1-. He would not give this benefit till justice be satisfied ; not set up man with a new stock till there was satisfaction made for the breach of the old. Christ hath pacified God for us, and all grace floweth from this, that God is become a God of peace to us : Heb. xiii. 20, ' The God of peace make you perfect ; ' so 1 Thes. v. 23, ' The God of peace sanctity you throughout.' While God is angry, there is no hope to receive any gift of grace from him. The Holy Spirit is the gift of his love, the fruit of liis ])eace and reconciliation ; God is only the God of peace, as satisfied by Christ's death — ' The chastisement of our peace was upon him,' Isa. liii. 5.