Motives

1. In this true Christianity does consist; it is not baptism that makes a Christian: many are no better than baptized heathens. The essential part of religion lies in the new creature (Romans 2:29). Circumcision is that of the heart. Every thing has a name from the better part; we call a man a reasonable creature, because of his soul, which is the more noble part; so one is called a Christian, because he acts from a principle of the new creature, which the carnal man does not.

2. It is the new creature that fits us for communion with God: we cannot converse with God till then. Birds cannot converse with men unless they had a rational nature put into them; nor can men converse with God, unless being made new creatures, they partake of the divine nature. Communion with God is a mystery to most. Every one that hangs about the court does not speak with the king: all that meddle with holy duties, and as it were, hang about the court of heaven, have not communion with God. It is only the new creature that enjoys God's presence in ordinances, and sweetly converses with him, as a child with a father.

3. The necessity of being new creatures.

1. Till then we are odious to God (Zechariah 11:8). My soul loathed them. A sinner is to God worse than a toad; a toad has no poison, but what God has put into it; but a sinner has that which the devil has put into him. Acts 5:3: Why has Satan filled your heart to lie? A wicked man is possessed with an evil spirit. One man is possessed with the devil of pride, another with the devil of malice. This must needs make persons odious to God, to be possessed with the devil. Thus it is till we become new creatures.

2. Till we are new creatures, our duties are not accepted with God; they are but wild grapes.

1. Because God accepts no man but where he sees his image. The new creature is called the renewing of God's image (Ephesians 4:24). When they [reconstructed: brought] Tamerlane a pot of gold, he asked what stamp it had on it: and when he saw the Roman stamp on it, he refused it: so if God does not see his own stamp and image on the soul, he rejects the most specious services.

2. Duties of religion are not accepted without the new creature, because there is that wanting which should make them a sweet savor to God. The holy oil for the tabernacle was to be made of several spices and ingredients (Exodus 30:23). Now, if any of these spices had been left out, it had not been pleasing. The unregenerate man leaves out the chief spice in his duties, and that is faith. And (Hebrews 11:6): without faith it is impossible to please God. Faith lays hold on Christ, and so is accepted.

3. Such as are not new creatures, but grow upon the stock of old Adam, get no benefit by ordinances: they are to them as Diascordium in a dead man's mouth; they lose their virtue. In fact, not only do ordinances do them no good, but hurt. It were sad if all a man did eat should turn to poison. The word preached is a savor of death; it is not healing, but hardening. In fact, Christ himself is accidentally a rock of offense (1 Peter 2:7). The wicked stumble at a Savior, and suck death from the tree of life.

4. Without being new creatures, we cannot arrive at heaven (Revelation 21:27). There shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defiles. Heaven is not like Noah's Ark, that received clean and unclean. A sinner is compared to swine (2 Peter 2:22). And shall a swinish creature tread upon the golden pavement of heaven? Indeed the frogs came into King Pharaoh's court; but in heaven there is no entertainment for such vermin.

It is only the new creature that qualifies us for glory. This consecrates the heart, and only the pure in heart shall see God. The new creature elevates the soul, as the loadstone elevates the iron. A soul renewed by grace is fit to ascend to the heavenly glory.

4. The excellency of the new creature.

- 1. the nobility. - 2. The immortality.

1. The nobility. The new creature fetches its pedigree from heaven; it is born of God. God counts none else of the blood royal; it ennobles a man's spirit; he aspires after the favor of God, and looks no lower than a crown. The new creature raises one to honor; he excels the princes of the earth (Psalm 89:27), and is fellow-commoner with angels.

2. The immortality. The new creature is begotten of the incorruptible seed of the word, and never dies: it lasts as long as the soul, as angels, as heaven. God has laid out much cost upon it; and if it perish, he should lose all his cost. When Xerxes destroyed the temples in Greece, he caused the temple of Diana to be preserved for its beautiful structure. The new creature is God's temple, adorned with all the graces, which he will not suffer to be demolished. Riches take wings, kings' crowns tumble in the dust: in fact, some of the graces may cease; faith and hope shall be no more, but the new creature abides for ever (1 John 2:27).

5. The misery of the unregenerate creature: dying so, I may say of him, as Christ said of Judas (Mark 14:21), it were good for that man if he had not been born. Better have been a toad, a serpent, any thing, if not a new creature. The old sinner must go into old Tophet (Isaiah 30:33).

Damned caitiffs will have nothing to ease their torments; not one drop of honey in all their gall. In the sacrifice of jealousy, there was to be no oil put to it (Numbers 5). In hell there is no oil of mercy put to the sufferings of the damned, to lenify them.

Therefore get out of the wild olive of nature; labor to be new creatures, lest you curse your selves at last. A sinful life will cause a despairing death.

Question. What shall we do to be new creatures?

Answer. 1. Wait on the ordinances. The preaching of the word is the seed of which the new creature is formed: this is the trumpet which must make the dead in sin come out of their grave.

2. Pray earnestly for the new creature: Lord, you have made me once, make me again: what shall I do with this old heart? It defiles all it touches. Urge God with his promise (Ezekiel 36:26): a new heart will I give you. Say, Lord, I am as the dry bones; but you did cause breath to come into them (Ezekiel 37:10). Do the same to me; breathe a supernatural life of grace into me.

Use 4. Thankfulness. Let such as are new creatures stand upon Mount Gerizim, blessing and praising God: ascribe all to the riches of God's love — set the crown upon the head of free grace. God has done more for you than if he had made you kings and queens. Though you have not so much of the world as others, you are happier than the greatest monarchs upon earth; and I dare say, you would not change with them. The apostles seldom speak of the new creation, but they join some thankful praises with it. 1 Peter 1:3: Blessed be God, who according to his abundant mercy has begotten us again to a lively hope. Colossians 1:12: Giving thanks to the Father, who has made us meet for the inheritance in light. The new creature is a sign of election, a badge of adoption. What distinguishing love is this, that God should make any of us new creatures, when he has left the greatest part of the world to perish in their sins? Such as are patterns of mercy should be trumpets of praise.