280 of the New Creature. S E e T. V, for fin, and !lightly cured again : It hashnot been a deep wound, or afure cure a- gain : fo then asPlantersoftrees are carefulabout the root,andbuilders wary about the foundation ; fowhen thou beginner to let upon a new courfeof life, remember that thou goe lowenough intothy foul,that it may take root downward as well ss fruitupward. The heart is full ofhardneffe and ftonine(fe, and fo thou cant[ notget into the bottome of it prefently ; the love of God, the fear of God rooted in theheart would make thee hold out a new man alwayes. I might now fpeak of other Counterfeitsof this new Creature, As , man affe- ilelps nd di- Flingnew andfj'rmegr opinions, he is very prone tojudge the better of himfeiif beeaufeof re@ions how this ; fo a manundertaking fome new and! rid way different from the Word of to become new God,as the way of Pharifaifm : but Ihave handled thefe already, when I fpake of Creatures. falle Signs. I (hall therefore conclude thisText and Subjeh with the fuggelton of fomehelps and remedies to becomenew Creatures; for I doubt not but Gnat many ofyou,at leafi in foine fad thoughts orother, have relolúrionsto becomenew crea- tures. Theconfcience furely is not foflupi$ed,but it many times tells thee, O this old life thou liven mall be altered, it's time to turn over a new leaf, to learn a new lt4fon.; God forbid I should dye with thefe fins upon met How many rimes dolt thourefolve and purpole, I will never be prophane more, My life {hall be new, I w41 letupon a new tootle in my family;but thefe buds are qu eltly Inipt ofby Tome cold fiaflorother. Whatdireftions thenmay begiven to keep this purpole in our hearts, and to put theft refolutions into praftice? for we refolve,and refolve to be new, but we live and dye in old wayes. Tohelp usherein, take theft direltions 1. following. Firft,Let thy refolutionscome frcm folid reafons, not faddainaffeLlions. This I hinted before; What pnrpofe is taken up by thongdemonirations from Scripture, they Willhold alwayès the fame, becanfe theScripture is the fame. The Scripture dash teprefentlime ina terrible aggravation as well one day as another ; that de_ claaeth the goodneffe of God in the fame attrattivemanner as well one week as a- nother : whereas meet fuddain affeCions they ebbe and flow. If therefore thy refolariorisdoe not hold as firmly againil finncio rimeof health as well as ficknefs, if theybenot ascordiall in thy life cime as at the timeof death, quicken thy fell up with Scripture-arguments,and fay, The Word ofGod faith the lame things(till, and why ílwuld not my heart be the lame (till? y, Secondly, Let thy refolutions tobecome anewman, be madenot in thyooenfirength, bat in theflreogthoJChe/Ji r Thou doff refolvein thy ownpower to call our the de- vills that polletle thee, thou putpofeft in thyown ftrength to delroy theft Goliahs. But faith'Pau/, Ican do alt things through Chrift that ftrengthens me Phil. 4. 13. And faith ['brit[, Without me ye can doe nothing, fobs 1 y. He doeh not fay, No.great thing, but nothing; and hedock not fay, Ye cannot perfeC, or confirm- mate any thing without me, but ye candoe nothing'without me, as 4rdisa well conlidereth the Text; and then it's to cis¢µé, without me, or leparated from me; As the Branchcut from the Vine cannot bearany fruit; Now the more lenlible and apprehenhve thou art of thy own infirmities, and impotency, the more ready Chilli is tohelp : fay, OLord, though this be too great a work,for me, I cannot throw thefe mountains into the Sea, yet it is not coogreat forthee. 3. Thirdly, Let theferefolutions be accompanied withearnefl and fervantprayers to God. Thou purpolcfl and refolve[!, but where are thy lively and power fu.! fupplica- rions unto God? There is no loch Engine to batterdownall the Itreag holds of (inne, as prayer; fee our Saviours inconragement herein, Askas.d ye fh,11 receive, knoekand it 'ball be opened, Mar. 7. 7. Prayer is the key of Heaven, as theAncients called it ; thy refolurions therefore and delires are like thofe of the fluggara, who delireth,and defirech, but putted: not his hands,toaork, and to his ú firesare laid to kill him ; Thus thou refolvett, andrelolveft, but daft not let home, or back thefe resolutions by earnelt and thong prayers ; therefore thy refolutions de(troy thee s A man [trot% inrefolutions, and weak in fupplications willptetently be foyled up. on
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