not be that new Creature, which looketh for the Inheritance of the Saints in Life.

THE Man created anew, hopes and fears after another Sort. Eternity, the Enjoyment of God and Christ for-ever, the Attainment of perfect Holinefs, have fo engaged his first and largest Hopes, that he remains infenfible, in a Way, to all lower Expectations. The Voice of Hope cries in him; "O Eternity, inconceivableSpace of Being, "without End, where Time shall be no "more, where GOD, the Fountain of Life "and Love, fhall be enjoyed with the fullest

Freedom, fhall be manifefted to theCrea"ture in ceafelefs and ravishing Communi"cations; where defiled Nature shall damp "and clog no more, but the Soul, wholly "freed from the Hindrances of Sin and the

Flesh, righteous, perfect, and stamped "with every Impreffion of the Divine Per"fections, fhall eternally behold Go D's "Face, and lie open to the reviving Influ "ences of the Divinity, everlastingly fhed upon it. Glorious State of Purity and Happiness, what is all beneath the Sun "when compared with it! Lord, lead me "to this thy Kingdom, offered to the mi

ferable Sons and Daughters of Men; lead "me to it, by the Way of thine Appoint"ment, Jefus Christ, to whom I have be

trothed my Soul! Encouraged by thy

"manifold

"manifold Goodness, I will confidently "hope,that, through him, this Reward fhall "be mine. Upon this Hope, let me ride "it out against the various Storms of this

66

dangerous Time. Set Heaven as a Light "continually before me; that, having it "always in mine Eye, I may be walking "directly towards it; and, as I draw nearer "unto it, may behold it with clearer View, " and be revived by the chearing Influences "it fheds upon me!" Thus the new Creature hopes-And his Fears alfo are of a peculiar Kind. His Soul takes the Alarm, if he have made the leaft Step towards hindering his Salvation: Yea, if he doth but fufpect that he is out of the Way of it, he grows afraid. He fears, left the Enemies of his Soul fhould take Advantage of him. He fears especially, left he should dishonor GOD, hinder the Advancement of Chrift's Kingdom, or give Offence to the Weak. He fears giving others Pain or Grief. He fears ufing the Extent of allowed-Freedom, that he may not damage himself or his Neighbour. To be fhort, his Fears concern God's Kingdom, the State of his own Soul, and that of others: Here they are quick and lively, and fuch as he feels, not upon any worldly Occafion or Circumstance.

JUDGE now, if there be not a wide Difference, let Formality fay of it what it

will, between one, whofe Hopes and Fears are lively and awakened about prefent Things, but cold and momentary about Things eternal; and another, whose tendereft Feelings. of Hope and Fear arife from the Things unfeen, with a comparative Infenfibility to the Things which now are; who is on one hand,. fupported in all the Occurrences of Life by the Hope fet before him, and on the other, walks on cautiously and with a jealous Fear, left in any Matter he fhould dishonor his GOD, or injure his Brother or endanger his own Soul.

4.) Joy and Sorrow are the concluding Affections. And here, who knows not, that if our Joys and Sorrows are worldly, our Hearts are so too? If a Man's Joys arife from his Wealth, or Strength, or Beauty; * from Pleasure and Indulgence; from Friendships, Knowledge, and Reputation; and his Sorrows, from the Want or Lofs of any of thefe: If, at the fame time, Joy and Grief lie ftupid and motionless in the Concerns of a fpiritual Nature; we cannot be at a Lofs to fee, that he is no new Creature. The new Creature rejoices and forrows after a godly Manner. Walking under the comfortable Communication of the divine Prefence, he rejoices: But doth Gop hide the Light of his Countenance from him, he mourns with a difconfolate Grief. He re

joices

joices in the Fitnefs, Sufficiency, and Willingness of the Redeemer to fupply all his present and eternal Wants: He forrows in the deplorable Views he hath of his Mafter's Kingdom trod under Foot, of the Blood and the Grace of Christ vilely caft away on obftinate and impenitent Sinners. He reviews the mighty Work of Conversion and Sanctification wrought upon him, and rejoices with all grateful Joy: He turns back upon his paft Iniquities; he turns in upon his remaining Corruption, and mourns. There is a Peculiarity in his Joys and Sorrows; they are his alone, a Stranger meddleth not with them: While, withal, they are Joys of the highest Taste, and Sorrows which have no Equal. It will be needlefs to illuftrate them largely; feeing they have been in good Measure spoken of before under Love, the ruling Affection. For fpiritual Joy and Grief are but the Pleasure or Pain, which the renewed Mind feels in the prefent Enjoyment or Disappointment of thofe Things, which are the Objects of its Love.

LET this fuffice then, to give you some just Notion of the Manner, in which the Affections of the new Creature are employed; which finishes what was firft propofed concerning the inward Part of the new Creature. And of this we may truly fay, after fuch a

Review,

Review, Old Things are paft away, behold all Things are become new.

AND upon the whole of it, is there not a most evident Oppofition between this Character, and that of a carelefs Sinner? Is it not, withal, fo ftrongly differenced from Formality, that a Man muft wink hard, not to obferve it? But is not this alfo a most important and univerfal Concern, inafmuch as our Union with Christ, and confequently our Title to his Salvation, stands or falls by this very Thing? Have you heard all these Things therefore with Self-Application? And, coming to fome general Conclufion, on which Part do you find yourfelf? If on that of the World, the old Adam ftill; fhall I need fay, it is high Time to awake cut of Sleep? This would be but to repeat the Calls, you have found your Confcience already making upon you.

OR hath any among you not understood these Things? Have I feemed to any, as one propofing myfterious Riddles? Their very Ignorance must condemn them. They are without fpiritual Difcernment; they seeing fee not, and bearing they hear not, neither do they understand. For, furely, I have spoken nothing, but the Words of Truth and Soberness.

BUT however, renewed or otherwise, these Discourses may hitherto have found

us,