S a e T. V. O/ the New 'Creattire. 277 Fort, there thisnew mancometh and poffeflethit. Now the (trength of corrup- tionlyeth in our mindes and hearts ; there is the Treafury and Shop of fin : It's from the heart ( faithour Saviour) that evil Thoughts, Adulteries, Murders,and all wickedneffe doth flow, Mark 7. 2 E. Then on the contrary , when a man is made a new Creature, from his heart come good thoughts, holy affeftions, and á godly converfation. Doe not then judge according tooutward appearance, thou mutt not onely look to what fruitthy life bears, but what root that is from whence it groweth. z. Thie outwardform cannotbe the newCreature, becaufe the A',ogle in the7ext makesit centradifii all , andan oppofte ;.'orat l4 a eliverfe'mem6er to that of a sere Creture. For when he faith , c,ircumcifion availeth nothing , he mean, th the whole external formof thefereiceof God in the old Testament, when he faith u:.- circumcifion availeth nothing, he meaneth the whole externall formof the wot God in the new Teftament. Now toboth there is contradilinguifhed this new Creature: fo that ifa manhave all the poftures andoutward forms of the Chriftian Religion, andgodlineffe profeffed therein, yet he hath not oyl, hepath only lamps, and whenthe voice of the Bride-grooms coiningwill be heard, he wil fall into tni- ferable confufion: Why is it then, that men re(t in fot:üsand externall (hews, as if that Were all God required, as if there were no furtherthing requ fste? 3; Tbi' outwardformwill notfuffce, i, not the newCreature, becaefe men maybe readHeathen', While theyare formall and titular Chriftian', In works they may de- ny Chritt,while inwords they do acknowledgehim, and resti denyingby aftions, is wolle than verbal by words. Thus If..iah calls the Rulers amongtheJews,lfa, r. Princes ofSodom and Gomorrah, the worft of Heathens,becaufe their lives were like filch : TheApoitle inftanceth in one fin, and we may fay foof anyother grofs fin; If any manprovide not for his own, he hath denyed the faith, and is worfe than ari Infidel, I Tim. S. 8. As it holdstrueof that fin, fowe may fay ;1 If any man beà drunkard, lyar, fwearer, Sabbath-breaker, hehash denyed his faith, and is worfe than an Infidel. Bo; why worfe than an Infidel? Becaufehefirïnethagainfh more light and knowledge, as alto againft more holy obligations and bonds whichare in the Chriftian Religion. Know therefore that a titular Chriftian, but a real) pro- phase man ; a nominali believer, but a reali ungodly petfon, is like old Sepulchers, with new padding and painting over them like a Statueof eatth anddirt, with fome glorious colouring ; and as ifa man fhould goe to touch and feel what fuch á Statue is,ie would prefently turn to dirt anddolt in his hand : to if thou wouldlt ferioully lay toheart thy condition, thatwhich thouhopeft in, andboaftell of, choir wouldit finde tobe empty and vain : reall uogódlinefle and prophanenefle under theformof Chriftian profeffioa, is grofle and palpable hypocrifie; and it's a won- der, how that conrradiftion. between thy faith and thy praftice, thy Religion and thy converfation is hidfrom thy eyes; It'sa wonder, that thy fins flare theenot in the face,when thou art in, thy Chriftian duties, like fo many devils , asking yori what you do there.How doth thypraying and (wearing (land together ? how doffs thyhearing and thy contempt of godlinelfeconfif. together ? 4. Menem name then hall got by being a Chriftian, anda baptizedper¡on,cannot be a sip, Creature, forIbex every oneWho ie baptized, and of the Orthodox Religion, Jhouldbe Caved; for every newCreature, whether Jew orGentile, bond, or free, (hall bePaved ; there is none that is a newCreaturehere, that (hall not havenew Robes of glory hereafter, but the Scripture doth terribly,yet plainly (etdown this potition , that but few onely of chofe who enjoy the outward priviledges of the Church(hall be faved. Many are called; andfew are laved, Mat.zo.r6. it's a fen- tence, thoughfull of terror, yetworthy tobewritten on yourPew doors, or your Chamberdoors, yea rather upon yourhearts witha Pen of Iron, to -think that few of chofe who comeinour affembliesand hear, and fit within thofe wails, (hail yef have a Crown of glory upon their heads ; who art thou then that boa(tci' of thy Church-priviledges, of thy Proteftant Profejfcont? Thou areno Atheift, nti Papïll; N n 3 but II.
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