1. A man may know whether he remain in 1the state of nature, whether he be a dead man or no, by considering whether he have any change wrought in him. For as it was said of Christ; fHe was dead, and is alive; so it is true of every man that is in Christ, gHe was dead, and is alive: Now there are many changes ⟨p. 5⟩in a man; age makes a change; place and company makes a change; education, custom, and experience makes a change: but when a man is translated from death to life, it is another kind of change; hAs if another soul dwelt in the same body; that a man can say, Ego non sum ego; That when his old lusts, his acquaintance, his old temptations shall come, he is able to answer them, and to say, he is not the same man: though they knock at the same door, yet there is another inhabitant come into the house, and they find not him they look for. Even as you see when a graft is put into a Crab-tree stock, it changes all; the sap, and the fruit, and the leaves, and all are of another fashion; so it is, when the life of grace is put into the heart of a natural man, it changes the inward man and the outward; it changes the whole frame of the soul. For my beloved, this is not a light alteration; but as the old stamp must be obliterated before the new can be imprinted; as the old building must be pulled down, before you can set up the new; so this old nature of ours, must in a great measure be broken in pieces, before a man can be made a living man; which is done, by the infusion of the supernatural qualities of grace and holiness: I say, supernatural; for even as the earth may bring forth grass and common wild flowers of it self; but it must be ploughed and sown before any wheat, ⟨p. 6⟩or choice plants can grow there; even so, (my brethren) these corrupt natures we have, may bring out things that are morally good, many moral virtues; but before they can bring forth fruits of true righteousness, they must be iploughed and sown: ploughed; that is, a man must be kbroken in heart with an apprehension of his sin, and of Gods eternal wrath: he must see himself but a dead man; he must be lpricked and wounded in heart with the fear of it, as those Acts 2. 37. after the Sermon of Peter, it is said, They were pricked in their hearts, and cried out; Men and brethren, what shall we do to be saved? This is that ploughing and breaking the heart.
1. A man may know whether he remaine in 1the state of nature, whether he be a dead man or no, by considering whether hee haue any change wrought in him. For as it was said of Christ; fHe was dead, and is aliue; so it is true of euery man that is in Christ, gHee was dead, and is aliue: Now there are many changes ⟨p. 5⟩in a man; age makes a change; place and company makes a change; education, custome, and experience makes a change: but when a man is translated from death to life, it is another kind of change; hAs if another soule dwelt in the same body; that a man can say, Ego non sum ego; That when his old lusts, his acquaintance, his old temptations shall come, hee is able to answer them, and to say, hee is not the same man: though they knocke at the same doore, yet there is another inhabitant come into the house, and they finde not him they looke for. Euen as you see when a graft is put into a Crab-tree stocke, it changes all; the sappe, and the fruit, and the leaues, and all are of another fashion; so it is, when the life of grace is put into the heart of a naturall man, it changes the inward man and the outward; it changes the whole frame of the soule. For my beloued, this is not a light alteration; but as the old stampe must bee obliterated before the new can be imprinted; as the old building must bee pulled downe, before you can set vp the new; so this old nature of ours, must in a great measure be broken in peeces, before a man can be made a liuing man; which is done, by the infusion of the supernaturall qualities of grace and holinesse: I say, supernaturall; for euen as the earth may bring forth grasse and common wilde flowers of it selfe; but it must be plowed and sowen before any wheat, ⟨p. 6⟩or choice plants can grow there; euen so, (my brethren) these corrupt natures we haue, may bring out things that are morally good, many morall vertues; but before they can bring forth fruites of true righteousnesse, they must be iplowed and sowne: plowed; that is, a man must be kbroken in heart with an apprehension of his sinne, and of Gods eternall wrath: hee must see himselfe but a dead man; hee must be
- 1First property
- fRevel. 1. 18.Reuel. 1. 18.
- gEphes. 2. 1. Rom. 6. 11, 1•. Luke 15. 24, 31.
- hPa•ca Del praecep•• sic totum comic nem immutant, ut expo•ito vetere novū reddant. Lactant. de falsa Sapientia cap. 26.Pa•ca Del praecep•• sic totum •omic nem immutant, vt expo•ito vetere novū reddant. Lactant. de falsa Sapientia cap. 26.
- iJer. 4. 3. Hosea. 10. 12.Ier. 4. 3. Hosea. 10. 12.
- kPsal. 51. 17. Isai. 66. 2. Initium enim est saluti• notitia peccati. Seneca. Epist. 28.
- lPrimum enim •pus fidei pe• dilectionem operantis, cordis companctio est: in qua sine dubi• ejiciuntur daemonia, cuu eradicantur decorde eccata. Bernard. in Ascension. Dom. Sermo. 1. Col. 191. M.
