laws of faith and of works, and therefore there is no unrighteousness in this new man. And this is a truth, that, as in the juftification of our perfons the righteousness of Chrift is imputed, fo in the fanctification of our fouls there is a righteous nature imparted. He is created in true holinefs in oppofition to all ceremonial, negative, fpurious, counterfeit, or hypocritical holiness, which is nothing but an outward fhew in the flesh.

Every member of this new man is holy, there is real holiness in every part of him; every grace produced in the foul under the operations of the Holy Spirit is holy; hence this new man is called the holiness of God.-God chaftens us for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Heb. xii. 9. That is, after our chastisements are over, which are intended to humble us, God giveth us more grace; for he refifteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. James iv. 6. Hence trials make this grace fhine the brighter, and appear the more confpicuous; for thefe are intended to weaken and fubdue our inbred corruptions, which luft against the Spirit.

The ornaments of this new man, or that with which he is decked, efpecially when the believer puts them on and appears at court, are meekness and quietude.-Whofe adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; but let it be the hidden man

of

of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet fpirit, which is in the fight of God of great price. 1 Pet. iii. 3, 4. 3. 4. These ornaments are faid to be incorruptible. Meeknefs is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. v. 23), and exercises itself upon God, after we have been under his chaftening hand and are humbled, and the affliction begins to be fanctified to us. These ornaments are worn for many days together at the foul's first efpoufal to Chrift; and are generally continued, more or less, as long as the wedding lafts and the bridegroom continues to discover his dying love to the bride.-I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my foul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of falvation, he bath covered me with the robe of righteaufnefs, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. Ifaiah Ixi. 10. Thus we see that the church ascribes all her attire and her divine decorations to her Lord; he provided both her wedding fuit and her heavenly trinkets. He hath clothed us, he hath covered us, and adorned us like a bride with her jewels. Meeknefs is generally put on upon every undeserved vifit that the Lord pays us, especially when he restores our fouls from our backflidings, or reclaims us from our misdoings, or appears in our behalf in times of trouble, or when he gives us a fresh fight and fenfe. of our interest after fome fad days of doubting and fearing. Nay, we never think ourselves, on such occafions, properly dreffed without thefe jewels;

these

thefe generally attend the kiffes that make all up, for they are a fatisfactory proof to us of the renewals of love.

Moreover, fore trials contract the heart; and under these contractions a load of grief is conceived, and the heart gets full, and must have vent. Under fuch circumstances, if legal bondage and a fenfe of wrath operate, thefe beget flavish fear; at fuch times the lips often ease the heart by muttering perverfeness, which only hardens and makes the breach wider: but, when meekness operates, all the ashes are poured out at the foot of the altar.

The other jewel is quietnefs; this fprings from fulness, and all fulness of fatisfaction in us is according to faith-In quietness and confidence shall be your ftrength. Faith puts on a perfect and an all-fufficient righteousness, and fills the foul with joy and peace in believing in it.-The effect of righteousness is quietnefs and affurance for ever. Ifa. xxxii. 17 And the ftronger faith is, the more folid the joy; full affurance of faith is fulness of fatisfaction; and full fatisfaction produces quietude, and fets us down with contentment, thankful for what we have, and envying none.

But this jewel is only worn by the bride whilst The abides with her bridegroom.-My people fhall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in fure dwellings, and in quiet resting-places. Ifa. xxxii. 18. Our quiet refting-places are in the electing love of God the Father, the finifhed falvation of Chrift, and in the

work

work and witnefs of the Holy Ghoft. The foul that is ignorant of thefe, is like the troubled fea which cannot reft. But my brother will fay, Can the Holy Trinity, with any degree of propriety, be called a place and a refting-place? Yes-Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place in all generations. Pfalm xc. 1. And I know of no reft nor refting-places for weary fouls but thefe.

The bowels of this new man are described by the apostle; for, whenever the old man is put off and the new man is put on, fome of the following things appear-Put on, therefore, as the elect of God, boly and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-fuffering. Col. iii. 12.

Bowels of mercies are exercifed chiefly towards the children of God in trouble, and flow from the influence of love and fympathy; and are only exercifed by those who know what foul-distresses are. Kindness is a grace that fprings from tenderness, and tenderness springs from life. Souls quickened by the Spirit have keen fenfations and tender feelings, which a child of God in diftrefs will eafily touch; for grace in one foul claims kindred with grace in another, and will move in confort with it. If one fubject of grace fuffer, the other fuffers; if one be honoured, the other will rejoice; the motions of it will make us weep with them that weep, and rejoice with them that do rejoice. This humbleness of mind, long-fuffering, &c. the apostle afcribes altogether to charity, which is the very heart and

foul

foul of the new man, and the choiceft principle in him.-Charity Suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unfeemly, feeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth. I Cor. xiii. 4-6.

The daily employ of this new man is hoping and expecting to return to his own native country.Grace fhall reign through righteousness unto eternal life, by Jefus Chrift our Lord. Rom. v. 21. And in this hope and expectation it exercises much patience and long-fuffering till it be obtained; for, if we hope for that we fee not, then do we with patience wait for it. Rom. viii. 25.

The ears of the new man are very wonderful, and cannot be defcribed. But this is a truth; God Speaks many words by the Spirit to the foul, or fpeaks friendly to the church's heart. Hofea ii. 14. And what the Lord fpeaks is not only felt, but heard and understood, although no found reaches the ears of the body. Paul, when caught up into paradife, heard unspeakable words, which it was not poffible to utter; and yet he doth not know whether the body was in company or not. 2 Cor.

xii. 8.

To infuse and form this new man in the foul is the work of the Holy Spirit, and fo is every renewal and every revival of him, from the first formation of him till perfection in endless glory takes