540 The Pramrfe!of theS1rit,ofrt+aking Sacr.XI. obtain a new heart ; But this is anfwered thus, That the fame thing may he both our Duty andGods Gift : when theScripture faith , Make ye a new f;- rit, there it declareth our Duty, what we ought to do : but when God faith, I will give it you, that (hewsour Impotency , we are not able to make new hearts ; and therefore God graciouflyworketh it for us. Augufine did admi- rably and orthodoxly defend this truth , That we were not made holy by doing holy Altions, through Grace andFree-will; but God firftmadeus holy; as faith Auguff;ne, TheWheel runs round, not tomake it felt round, but be- mire it is round, therefore it runneth round. Indeed our Saviour faith, Make the Tree good (Matth.t a.33. ). and then the fruit Will he good ; but he doth not there defcribe our power, but that efcellent order all fhould look unto inReligion ; thePharifees, like molt people in our dayes, they looked to the outward Altions, did not dare to omit them, They walbed the outfde of the Cap ; but faith our Saviour, not the outfide but the infide mate be frfi cleanfed: The Treemull be firftmade good ere the fruit can. Oh there is no Do?lrinemore nece(farythen this. Who looketh to good infides 1 Many dare not neglelt the outward Obedience unto Gods Commandments , but who mindes thenew heart, the new fpirit within ; and hence they fet mote prepo- fieroufly upon thework of Converfion; they think by good Deeds, by out- ward Duties to obtain anew fpirit from God, not confrdering this is to build the top of an Houle before a Foundation be laid, Non per opera venienrad. fidrm,ed per fdem ad opera; We do not come to Faith by Works, bat w jorks by Faith ; Oh thenbeaffeeled with this excellent Order and Method tlïat God rakes inour Converfion, beginne where God beginneth. What the Apollle laid about his Preaching, 4t a wife Builder (i Cor. 3. ro ) I lay a good Foundation: So do thou as a wife Builder for Heaven lay a good Foun- dation; Tempeffs and Stormcowill aril ; Godwill have his windes andwaves toaffaulr you, fo that unleffe you bebuilt ona Rock, youcannot continueim- moveable. Reafons of the There things premifed , let us confider the Reafons why. God takes this point. order, firs giving a new heartand fpirit, thencanting us towalk in his wayes, and t Firft, Otherasife our Duties would be dead Duties, there would be no Life in than. If a hall or Wheel move, this Motion is not a vital Aelion, becaufe its not fromaPrinciple within, itcomes wholly from without; fo all thy Ohe- dienteto Gods Commandments is but a dead Obedience, a dead Work, if this newHeart benotfirft in thee. God in the Old Teftament accepted of dead Sacrifices tobeoffered tohim, but nowwemua give up our (elves, as li- ving Sacrifices, Roma 2.1. The Scripturedelights to call the Workof Grace, a Life, and the Gracesof GodsSpirit are compared to living Waters. And thus indeed it is, Every Prayer mutt be a living Prayer, thy .Obedience living, or livelyObedience, but this cannot be till God beginne in the inward man firft. Astherefore thou canft not delight in a dead Wife, dead Children; fo nether lothGod in thy deadReligion. WeMiniflers while preaching of there things, may fayour Hearts are inditingof good things, and our Mouths drop like the Honey-comb ; for how glad lhouldit thou be to hear of a way that may put life into all thy dead Duties. If thole that lived in Chrifts time, did fo exceedingly rejoyce to receive their Friends from the dead; what joy fbould Itbe tohave all thy Duties arife as it were from the dead ? How neceffary is this for Inch who live in a meer formal! cuftomary way of Duties 1 We read ofthe e.F.gyprianPlague, thatthe fin(t-born in everyFamilywas dead ; and thereupon in theMorning thereweregreat out-cryes inevery Family for a dead fon. Ohhow (hould this truthmake many Families mournfor their dead Du- ties, their dead Religion 1 There is no life inany thingthou dof , till God be- ,ginwithinand focure-thee outwardly' Secondly,
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