GAL. 6. 15.
WE have already declared the nature of this New Creature, Negatively, Positively & Oppositely to those old things which are passed away: is also the excellency of this New creature above all other Creatures. I shall now examine the weaknesse and insufficiency of those grounds and obstructions which mens corruptions are prone to make against such a change in themselves; for the wicked heart of man makes many objections against this new creature; and that it may not seem to do so unjustly, and unreasonably, it maketh many plausible excuses and fair pretences: The Apostle James speaking of a man pretending to the title and name of religion, yet opposite to the reality and power of it. James 1. 26. saith […], He deceiveth, he makes a false Syllogism, and so cousens his own soul. The heart of a man is a cunning Sophister; think not to say within your selves (saith John to the Jews) There are no Auditors; but when a pricking powerful truth is pressed upon them, they have many things to say within themselves for their justification.
Let us therefore see those strong reasons they can produce for themselves in this matter.
Object. And First, It is plausibly Objected if we should become thus new in all things, in animal, civil, religious, and moral actions, as is urged, this would bring a necessity of condemnation upon all our former waies. We shall in effect proclaim to all the world that we were naught and rotten before; and then we must pull down all our former building, acknowledge we have prayed in vain, came to the assemblies in vain, and lastly, it is enough to drive us into despair; for if once we be perswaded that the condition we are in is damnable, and that the life we live is abominable and contrary to God, What shall we do? Must we not cry out with Cain? Our sins are greater then we can bear.
Answ. Answ. Thus here is a three-fold cord of absurdity which bindes them hand and foot, although if they did judge of things after a spiritual, and a Scripture manner, they would break these bonds asunder as easily as Sampson did his green cords.
For let us consider them in order.
The First grand absurdity is a self-condemnation, and a publick manifestation to all the world that thou wast not in a good way before. Now it is unreasonable to pretend this.
For 1. This is the very necessary ingredient in our conversion and turning to1 God: For in that thou art not admitted to pardon and consolation, either God must be blamed, or thou must be blamed: seeing God was an adversary to thee, and thou an enemy to him, the fault is somewhere, and either God must acknowledge (I speak with reverence) that he hath done ill to threaten thee, to afflict thee, to break thee, or thou must confesse the blame lyeth upon thee. Now it would be blasphemy to charge God so foolishly; but it is piety to charge thy self heavily; and what do the words […], Repent, or be wise after the fact? but imply that thou hast been foolish, and out of thy wits all the while thou livedst in such ungodly courses; so […], admonition, which the ungodly man is with all readinesse to receive, is as much as putting a mind, an understanding in a man, as if a man were a beast before, and when he is converted, God breaths a rational soul into him again, at least gives a sanctified, and right use of reason. Again the word […], Conversion, doth it not suppose an aversion, or a turning away from God? So that the reason thou bringest against this change, is most for it. Goliah is cut off with his own sword: Thou pleadest if thou art a new Creature, thou must condemn all thy former life, all thy by-past conversation: very good reason; For how is it repentance else? How is it conversion else? Neither is this such dishonour, for God onely cannot repent because of his infinite perfection, having no ignorance in his understanding, or mutability in his will, which are the grounds of repentance: But as for man naturally corrupted and defiled, he is Ad nihil aliud, quam paenitentiam natus, Born, at least new regenerated to do nothing but repent of his former conversation. Do not then think with thy self, If I leave my old life, my former courses, I shall confess a blame upon my self. Alas, in this very thing lieth the great work of a new creature; in this particular thou art often to excercise thy self.
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Stick not at this to shame and condemn thy former life: For this is the only2 necessary qualification for thy admssion into grace. Thou must come with a sacrifice of atonement if thou wilt be accepted: That is, Christs blood which is only shed for those that feel themselves lost. If we confesse our sins, is often the condition expressed, for the Scepter of Grace to be held out to us, Levit. 5. 5. 1 John 1. 9. And the Apostle Paul, If we would judge our selves, we should not be judged of the Lord, 1 Cor. 11. And David, He confesseth and bewaileth his folly, that God may be justified and cleared when he is judged, Psalm 51. God will receive a Publican, not a Pharisee. If thou givest glory to God, by judging thy own ways, clearing him, though he should damn thee, this is the most compendious way to obtain grace. Plutarch saith, Some heathens in their supplications to their gods, would not carry either Gold, or Iron, or a staff into the Temple with them, but lay all aside when they went to pray, to signifie they did not trust in earthly wealth or greatness, but Gods goodness and power only. And thus it ought to be in our spiritual supplications to the true God, we must lay aside our own righteousness, and go to Christ, as the menstruous woman who had spent all she had upon Phisitians, yet could not be cured: Oh therefore be so far from fearing this duty, that rather thou wilt forwardly offer thy self thereunto: say the way to get honour and praise with God, is to dishonour my self, and magnifie him. His mercy in pardoning, his grace in forgiving, will be so much the more admirable, by how much unworthy and vile I am in my own eyes.
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If thou art once sensible of the guilt and filth of thy old waies, thou canst not but3 glory in that thou art changed. Paul said, When he was a child, he spake as a child, but when a man, as a man. Thou wilt say, When I was a beast, I lived as a beast, but since a new creature, as a new Creature. What profit have you of those things whereof yee are now ashamed? Rom. 6. 21. Thus Paul, With what shame and bitterness doth he recall his Blasphemies, and persecutions? 1 Tim. 1. 13. If therefore God hath once made thee ashamed of thy old waies, thou wilt not fear to acknowledge all thy former life was out of the way: Thou wilt remember the daies of old and be troubled: See how are Job and David affected with the sins of their youth; yea godly men are so far from fear of condemning themselves from former sins, that when their sins have been scandalous to the Church of God, they have acknowledged, and bewailed them in the publick assemblies: And this was that publick confession of sin and penance, which afterwards by popish Doctrines was so corrupted. If any of the Church had been overtaken by a foul sin, they had no peace in their hearts till they had thrown themselves down in the publick assemblies, crying out with him, Calcate me insipidum salem, Tread upon me as unsavory salt; No less wouldest thou do, if the glory of God, and the edification of the Church did require it for thy own sinful waies. Know therefore, that this excusing thy self, is but so much accusing of thee with God. Thou art afraid to be thought a new man, that thou hast done amisse heretofore: Oh if thou wert truly wrought upon, all the world could not make thee keep in those accusations and indictments which thou makest against thy self daily at Gods tribunal.
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A new creature sticks not at this self-condemnation, because those former wayes4 repented of, are used as an advantage by him to set up the praise and glory of God in shewing mercy to him. Thus Paul, he is often willing to make mention of all former impieties, that so the grace of God may be made the more illustrious; and this is one reason why you have the sins of the Godly recorded in the Scripture to all eternity as it were. Noahs drunkennesse, Moses his unbelief, Aarons base compliance in Idolatry, Davids Adultery and Murther, Peters Abjuration of Christ, not to defame them, but to have perpetual monuments of Gods grace & goodness to them. Thus the Apostle when he would stir up the Ephesians and others to thankfulnesse, and to admire the riches of Gods grace to them, he puts them in minde of their former conversation what they were once, Ephes. 2. and this they did not take ill, as a matter of upbraiding of them, but as a whetstone to sharpen their thankfulnesse. Why then shouldst thou be afraid to confesse thy self once out of the way? seeing this will make for Gods grace, which left the ninety nine sheep, and fetched thee home upon its shoulders who was gone astray.