274 4 I. 2. Of the NM Creature. Saca. V. in hell bea NewCreature upon any terms, whatfoever it colt him, if it were poi. fible ? But weare fooli(ti, like Mule foolilb, infirm, and wounded perfon , who will not difcover his wounds, nor make knownhis grief till it be too late : Lay it therefore home upon thy heart , and fay , IfI am afraid of the fight of fin here, What (hall I do with it hereafter ? If a fpark be thus heavy and fcorching , What will the whole flames be ? Oh, but men arenever wife till it be too late. Dives when heis in hell, then his eyes are opened , and hebewaileth his condition. Be allured of this , that Godbath unchangeablydecreed,tby fins lhall be bitter to thee here , or hereafter. TheWord is gone outof hiumouth, and itcannot be recalled : thou (halt either glorifie him bya voluntary confeffion , or by anextorted and con - (trained one hereafter : Therefore do not feed thy felf withvain hopes, as if thou Ibouldit never find finwith a (ling: no,at tall it will bite likean Adder,and (ring like a Scorpion, ifitdo not in this life. And la(tly remember , That troubleandpainwhich may befir awhile in thepangs ofthis New creature, Willbeabundantly recompenfedwith theafterjoy and quietnefe thou wilt have. Rejoyce in the Lord ,ye upright in heart, and the godly rejeyce with joy un eakable, andfullof glory, I Pet.r.8. Thou canft not imagine what fweet peace, andcomfort of heart it will bring to thee , to think that once indeed thou waft captivated to fuch and fuch fins, but now thou haft broken thofe Mares. Paul once a bitter adverfary to the wayes ofGod , How much doth he rcjoyce in the change made upon him ? How often doth this New Creature cry out with gladnefs and thanks-giving, he would not for aworld be asonce he was? Ifhe might have all the glory onearth, hewould not live as he bath lived : And thus we havedif- pelled thatobje&ion, grounded upon a three-fold abfurdity. AFourth Objethion, or Obflruftion againft this New Creature , Isthe firi/lnefs andfingular exat`lnefsof it. Not onelygrofs fins to be raft away , but even all lawful a(fe&ions to be moderated , and dieted : They muttnot doas theworld, nor live as theworld : this is toput themfelves into à mifery , as he faid , Ord medieé vivit, mifere vivir, betautehe muff befo temperate, and abftemions in thole things to which his appetite carrieth him. Now this cavill is wholly unreafon- able: for Firft , Thyvery Cbriflianity , and theprofeffiets of it, carrietb thee not to do ar menofthe worlddorh, So that thoumuff either layafide thy chritlianiry, or elfe be exahf in thy life, and fingular to the manners of the world. The Churchof God is compared toa woman clothed with the Sun, and the moan under her feet, Revel. 52.7. Doth not the Apofifeexhort us, Not to be fafhioned unto the world, Rom. I a.r. Weare not to have their fallion upon us : Andwhy are we called a Church, but becaufe we are called our of the world, and fo have not our converfation ac- cording to the principlesthereof? And theApofile ganseo calls it Parereligion,and undefiled, to keepour[elvesunfpatted fain the world, James I. 17. if therefore drunkenneffe, lulls, pride,earthlinefle,immoderate atfhlrons to rhele things below, be thingsofthe world, thou art nomore toconform to them, then light to dark- nefs ; and howfoever the world accounts thofe men of the belt fatbion, who are rich,great,and henoured,yet the Scripture faith, they areofthe bellfa/hion, who are not fafbioned to the manners of the world : by this argument thou fhouldeft frill lie in thyPaganifine, and Hcathenifine ; For why fhouldit thou comeout of the world in relpeet ofthy faith, andnot alto in refpeét of thy life? Thou wouldd'c have a better faith then infidels, Why not allo a betterlife ? Anfwer that,if thou canft , Godbath not only called us toimbrace his Doétrine, but unto holinefs. 3. Thou complaine&bthis ra an exaf`lflriflway,fullofdifficulties : Is it not true this ofevery good thing? Is there anygood thing either natural or moral tobeob- tained without much labour ? fo that the difficultymakesforthe excellency of it : Strive to enter inat the Itraight Gate, Luke;13.54 For the way todeflrutliou ba Broadway. Youcannot get fo much as the bread and foodofyour bodes with- out the (wearofyour brows: and think youto getthe falvation ofyour fouls foea- fily?
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