us, let us with one Heart befeech Go D, that he will give us all an Understanding to know, and a Will to choose, both him and his Way of Peace: And that he will fo gracioufly difpofe our Love and Hatred, our Hope and Fear, our Joys and Sorrows; that, quickned in the whole inward Man, we may faithfully feek him here, and finally and eternally enjoy him hereafter, for Jefus Chrift's Sake. Amen.

SERMON

SERMON VIII.

The Believer a new Creature.

2 COR. V. 17.

If any Man be in Christ, he is a new Creature.

SUC

UCH is the Power of theGrace of Christ; fuch is the mighty Influence, which goes out from him to heal the Soul; that whoever is vitally united to him, is thereby recovered from Death and Darkness, to Light and Life. The Mift, which lay over him, is removed, and he has an unfeen World, and an invisibleGoD,in fullView before him. Directed by the glorious Profpects which he beholds, he apprehends not in the Manner that others do; he can no more take up bis Reft in the unfatisfying and perifhing Joys of Time; he difdains fuch little Things as earthly Honor, human Respect, and dirty Lucre; he is grown ambitious of greater K Things,

Things, and will be content with nothing fhort of Honor in the Court above, with nothing less than the Love and Favor of GOD, with nought beneath an Inheritance eternal in the Heavens: Yea, should he be offered even thefe, the very Place of Archangels, for ten millions of Ages,he would be diffatisfied; must have Heaven for ever, or All is nothing. It is God who is the fole, the fupreme, Object of his Choice and Love: GOD propitious to Sinners in his Son Jefus, and Jefus faving and quickning the Dead in Trefpaffes and Sins by the Operation of the Spirit. For GOD he hopes, he thirfts for the livingGOD; he waits for that gracious Day, when being throughly fit for GOD, GOD fhall be his Portion for ever. Here his Heart is fixed: And he cannot endure, whatever would prevent the bleffed Poffeffion; fearful, left any how he should come fhort of it, and filled with difconfolate Grief, if at any Time he lofe Sight of it. Such are the Wonders of Divine Grace, and fuch the Might of Chrift to new-form the Spirits

of Men.

THE propofed Method leads me on now to defcribe the Expreffion or Exercises of the renewed Mind. We have seen the inward Parts of the new Creature; have been exploring the nobler Half of us, that Half which, it is to be feared, is but little known or inquired into. How the new Creature appre

apprehends, and chooses, and is affected, hath been discovered. And where the Root, the Principle, is reformed and holy, the Branches fent forth will also be fanctified. External Sanctity is but a pretended Shew, or a fond Mistake, while the Heart remains defiled But where this hath put on the Lord Jesus Christ, the holy Influence will fhed itself through the whole Man; and every Thought, Word, and Action, will fpeak the inward Change.

THESE, the Thoughts,Words, and Actions, do include the whole Conduct: There being no other Expressions of the Mind, but thefe. Accordingly, our remaining Labor is to illuftrate the new Creature's Character in this Way of Thinking, Speaking, and Acting Nor fhall it be found upon Inquiry, that he hath less Peculiarity of Conduct, than he hath been seen to have of Sentiment. His Manner is intirely his own; not in the leaft Thing, neither Thought, Word, or most infignificant Action, is any other like him. As a Child of GOD, as an Heir and Expectant of Heaven, he lives in a fingular Way among theSons of Men: Diftinguished from them, and utterly unlike to them. As a Prince, royally begotten, and trained up for a Throne, all his Behaviour bespeaks the Dignity of his Birth, and the Greatnefs of his Inheritance. Pretenders may mimic his Garb, and affect his Manner; in his Abfence,

K 2