This party is renewed in some measure every way. renovation of the man who is in Christ may be reduced to these two great heads : 1. There is a renovation of the man's person, soul and body, in some measure. 1. His understanding is renewed, so that he judgeth "Christ preached" in the gospel, to be "the wisdom and power of God," a wise and strong device, beseeming God. He knoweth the things of God really and solidly, not to be yea and nay, and uncertain fancies; but all to be yea and amen, solid, certain, and substantial things, having a desirable accomplishment in Christ, and resolving much into him: "The natural man 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 all things." "As God is true, our word toward you was not yea and nay. Nor the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, was not yea and but in him was yea. For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him amen, unto the glory of God by us." Natural men, educated under gospel-ordinances, although they have some intellectual knowledge of God, Christ, the promises, the motions of the Holy Spirit, &c. so that they may confer, preach, and dispute, about these things; yet they look on them as commonly-received maxims of Christianity, from which to recede, were a singularity and a disgrace; but not as real, solid, substantial truths, so nay, as to adventure their souls and everlasting being on them. The understanding is renewed also, to understand somewhat of God in the creatures, as bearing marks of his glorious attributes; they see "the heavens declaring his glory and power;" and somewhat of God in providence, and the dispensations that fall out: "His wondrous works declare that his name is near." The understanding also perceiveth the conditions and cases of the soul otherwise than it was wont to do; as we find the saints usually speaking in Scripture: "O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord, Thou art my Lord;" "My soul said, Thy face will I seek;" "Why art thou cast down, O my soul?" "Return unto thy rest, O my soul." The 2. The heart and affections are renewed. heart is made a new heart, a heart of flesh," capable of impressions, having a copy of his law stamped on it, and the fear of God put into it, whereby the man's duty becomes in a manner native and kindly to the man: "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them." It was before a "heart of stone," void of the fear of God. The affections. are now renewed; the love is renewed in some good measure; it goeth out after God: "I will love the Lord" after his law: "O how love I thy law !" after those who have God's image in them. 66 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren." This love to God's people is upon a pure account, as they are the children of God, and do keep his statutes; it is "with a pure heart fervently;" and therefore it goeth towards all those whom the man knows or apprehends to be such: "I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts," in all cases and conditions, even where there is nothing to beautify or commend but the image of God. And this love is so fervent many times, that it putteth itself out in all relations, so that a man seeketh a godly wife, a godly master, a godly servant, a godly counsellor, if ye have to choose upon: "Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me. And it is not quenched by many waters." Many imperfections and infirmities, differences in opinion, wrongs received, will not altogether quench love. Also it is communicative of good according to its measure, and as the case of the poor godly requires: "Thou art my Lord, my goodness extendeth not to thee, but to the saints;" "But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him." The man's hatred is also renewed, and is now directed against sin: "I hate vain thoughts;"-against God's enemies, as such: "Do not I hate them that hate thee?" The joy or delight is renewed, for it runneth towards God: "Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee:" towards his law and will: "His delight is in the law of the Lord;" and towards the godly and their fellowship: "To the saints, in whom is all my delight." The sorrow is turned against sin which hath wronged Christ: "Looking to him whom they have pierced, they mourn." "The sorrow is godly" against what encroacheth upon God's honour: "They are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, and the reproach of that is their burden." There is some renovation in all the affections, as in every other part of the soul pointing now towards God. 3. The very outward members of the man are renewed, as the Scripture speaks,-the tongue, the eye, the ear, the hand, the foot; so that "those members which once were improved as weapons of unrighteousness unto sin, are now improved as weapons of righteousness unto holiness.” II. A man who is in Christ is renewed in some measure in all his "Behold all things are become new." ways: 1. In the way of his interest. He was set upon any good before, though but apparent, and at best but external: 66 Many say, Who will show us any good?" But now his interest and business is, how to "be found in Christ," in that day; or how to be obedient to him, and "walk before him n the light of the living," which he would choose among all the mercies that fill this earth: "The earth, O Lord, is full of thy mercy, teach me thy statutes." The interest of Christ also becomes the man's interest, as appears in the song of Hannah, and in the song of Mary. It is strange to see people newly converted, and having reached but the beginnings of knowledge, concern and interest themselves in the public matters of Christ's kingdom, so desirous to have him riding prosperously, and subduing the people under him. 2. The man that is in Christ, is renewed in the of his worship. way He was wont to 66 serve God in the oldness of the letter," in appearance, answering the letter of the command in external duty, which one in whom the old man hath absolute dominion can do; but now he worships God "in newness of spirit," in a new way, wherein he is "helped by the Spirit of God," beyond the reach of flesh and blood. He "serveth now the true and living God," "in spirit and in truth." Having spiritual apprehensions of God, and engaged in his very soul in that work, doing and saying truly and not feignedly when he worshippeth; still "desiring to approach unto him as a living God," who heareth and seeth him, and can accept his service. I grant he fails of this many times; yet I such worship he intends, and sometimes overtakes, and doth not much reckon that worship which is not so so performed unto God: and the iniquity of his holy things is not the least part of his burden and exer may say, |