effect of covetousness?

He is not covetous, who,

content with what he hath, desires not, nor labours to be rich; nor are you a new creature, who, resting upon the present stock of holiness, conceive you have attained, and are not solicitous for more.

But, observe now the hunger of the careless sinner; and surely the desire of the formalist is like his! He hungers not for righteousness, but for indulgence, wealth, honour; all his appetite is for some earthly thing. And the more he enjoys it, the keener he grows upon it, still running farther from God, daily filling up the measure of his iniquities, and heating the furnace of God's wrath yet hotter against him.

What hath been said, may serve, it is hoped, to give some general notion of the new creature's character; and this with the more distinction and usefulness, as it hath been set in opposition to the character of the careless sinner, and separated and distinguished from the false show of the formalist.

And for the present, we will part with this short observation, that these two characters (for in reality they are no more,) have a directly different tendency. The one of them leads upward, every thing draws towards heaven: in that, all the views and pursuits centre, and in that it will gloriously issue. The other is altogether earthly, and bent downwards. And where will that end? O, ye too easy wretches, would God ye might lay it to heart! If God be true, it will assuredly end in eternal damnation !

SERMON VI.

THE BELIEVER A NEW CREATURE.

2 COR. v. 17.

If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.

I AM willing to hope, that what hath been generally advanced in the former sermon, upon the character of the new creature, hath served to show you its peculiar and spiritual way and manner, and also excited a becoming importunity to see it more perfectly and exactly drawn, to the end, that with more attention you may trace out its features, and discover with greater certainty, if the lineaments of it are to be found upon your soul.

Let us follow then the strong and very visible lines, in which the Scripture paints this man of Christ, within and without. And,

First, Let me lay open to your view the state of his mind. Now the soul of man hath, especially, three more eminent powers or faculties-understanding, will, and affections: the offices of which are; that of the understanding, to think, apprehend, and judge of the things which lie within our reach; that

of the will, to determine and choose what hath appeared to be good and eligible in the decision of the understanding; and the business of the affections is, to spur and quicken us, both to judge and choose, and also to carry our determinations into action. Now, through the fall, all these are put into disorder, or rather are drawn a wrong way. They are not indeed destroyed, but they are corrupted: they remain the same powers they were before, though turned, as to their disposition and employment, to the most base and dishonourable uses. As to spiritual things, the principal of which are, the ever blessed God, and the happiness of communion with him, which are the proper objects for a reasonable soul to lay itself out upon; as to these, there is a blindness and darkness in our understandings; we know them not, nor feel the weight of them with any suitable impression, nor care to busy our thoughts about them; while the things of sense do very naturally and easily engage our thoughts, and carry away our attention. In consequence of this, the will is directed, on the one hand, to refuse spiritual, and on the other, to choose visible things. of course, our affections are engaged in pushing us on to pursue such present things only, as the blind judgment proposes to us, and the perverted will fixes upon us. The understanding of the natural man is an ill guide; it performs not its office aright, doth not discover where true happiness lies; but, in determining thereon, blindly decides for the present life, and sensual gratifications. The will, in consequence, chooses that which the understanding represents to

And so,

it as good, and sits down intent upon enjoyments, which are merely of a worldly or bodily nature : upon which the affections, the faithful servants of these higher powers, bestir the whole man industriously to reach after those mistaken, deceitful gratifications, which the blind judgment hath approved, and the seduced will hath made its choice. Hence it is, that we find in us such a deadness either to see or feel spiritual things, and such a drawing towards the things about us, even when the soul is renewed, and these powers of it turned the right way. When the understanding is enlightened with the knowledge of God, the will chooses him as the chiefest good, and the affections force us with an holy importunity towards him. Corrupt nature still makes opposition, and, like a strong tide setting against the rower, checks the freedom of our way, nor will suffer us to gain any ground, but by incessant labour. Thus it is at best; while the violence of this stream of corruption bears the generality of mankind down along with it. From submission to this, arises that strange forgetfulness of spiritual things, that deplorable disregard of eternal interests, that living without God, so common in the world; whilst every faculty of the soul is warmly engaged in the pursuits of sense, even so as to mind them only, and day by day grows more confirmed in aversion to God, and sinks faster and deeper into carnality.

Such is the state, and such are the consequences of the corruption of man's nature; thus are the powers of our souls perverted and abused. But the new creature hath, in some measure, recovered the

right use of all these faculties, and, by the operation of divine grace, they are restored to their proper offices: God is known, and chosen, and sought after with earnestness. Thus much in general. I come now to be more plain and particular, and to show you the new creature in the apprehensions of his understanding, in the choice of his will, and in the exercise of his affections.

1. The understanding of the new creature hath a peculiar and different apprehension, and forms another sort of judgment concerning all things, from what the careless sinner, or the deluded formalist hath, or is apt to do. "The natural man," saith St. Paul," receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual, judgeth," or discerneth" all things." There is a spirituality, an humble and heavenly tincture, in all the apprehensions of the new creature: whereas there is a carnal turn, selfsufficiency and earthliness, in those of the natural man, whether he be formal or careless. We will illustrate this in some particulars.

With regard to the perfections and presence of the blessed God.-The new creature is possessed with an awful apprehension of the majesty of God, sees and heartily approves the eternal power and infinite wisdom, by which the mighty Lord ruleth over all; considers him, in supreme sovereignty, lifting up the sword of unavoidable and exact justice over the universe, to constrain, and pouring out with a boundless, gracious hand, blessings and happiness, to re