Again, The communion of faints is another good means to keep the holy fire burning and flaming in us. What is faid of contentious men, is true of gracious and holy men, As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire, fo is a godly and gracious man to kindle the Spirit. Christian friends help to keep the grace of God alive in one another's hearts. "A live 1 "coal thrown out of the fire, dies and quenches prefently: "A dead coal cast into the fire amongst coals that are alive, prefently is on fire." And this is what Solomon intends, when he fays, Eccl. iv. 11. Two are better than one: For if two lie together, then they have heat; but how can one be warm alone? Once more: The duty of prayer is an especial means to keep the fire of the Holy Spirit alive and burning in our fouls. This both blows up the fire, and fetches in a further fupply. Neglect praying, and the holy fire will foon go out. Pray conftantly and fervently, and this will make you fervent in all other duties of religion. Therefore, Pray without ceafing, is a direction given juft before this in our text, Quench not the Spirit.-And fo 1 pass to the laft thing propofed, which is to say, 4. What they must do who have quenched the Spirit, that they may recover his quickening influences. If this is the cafe with any of you, you must deal faithfully with yourselves, by deep repentance, and free confes'fions. You must mark what finful luft or affection hath got poffeffion of your heart inftead of holy fpiritual affections, and you must set upon mortifying thofe lufts refolvedly; especially you must get far away from the temptations which have prevailed with you. You must note what declining you have made in duty, for matter or fervour, and must set yourself to all that duty you have omitted.-You must be much in meditating on the greateft quickening truths, and plead them oft and earnestly with your foul. You You muft ufe, if you can, the converse of lively spiritual Chriftians. And in a word, the fame means must be used again, which God bleffed to your quickening at firft: Efpecially earnest prayer, that God would reftore thofe meafures of the Spirit's operations which you have loft. And you must mark by what ways of omiffion or commiffion you quenched the Spirit, and by the contrary must it be reftored to you. Thus you may come to have the things revived in you which are ready to die; and may again. have the Holy Spirit to be your light and life, your ftrength and joy. Thus, the life of grace may be maintained and increased in your fouls, until it rife up into the life of glory; till you come among the blessed angels, and the spirits of just men made perfect, where the holy fire never decays, but fhall burn pure and bright and ftrong, through the neverending ages of a delightful eternity! V. THREE SERMONS, BY CHARLES CHAUNCY, A. M. I. The New Creature Defcribed, and confidered as the fure characteristic of a man's being in Chrift: Together with fome feafonable advice to those who are New Creatures: A MON SER M PREACHED AT THE BOSTON THURSDAY-LECTURE, June 4. 1741, And made public at the General Defire of the Hearers. If [If any man be in Chrift, he is a new creature; by this rule all the titles and claims made to Christ in the profeffing world are to be examined. any man, be he what he will, high or low; great or small; learned or illiterate; young or old; this is the standard by which he must be judged : If he be in Chrift, he is a new creature; and if he be not a new creature, he is not in Chrift, let his endowments, gifts, confidence, and reputation be what they will. FLAVEL.] 2 Cor. v. 17. Therefore, if any man be in Chrift, he is a new creature: old things are paft away; behold, all things are become new. VARIOUS VARIOUS are the figures under which the Scripture reprefents that, change which is wrought in men, when they are made true Chriftians. In the text, it is spoken of, under the metaphor of a new creature. If any man be in Chrift, he is a new creature.- If If any man be in Chrift, That is, say some, if any man be in the kingdom of Chrift; if any man lives under the gofpel-difpenfation : He is a new creature. He is in a new creation: In which, as it follows, in the text words, old things are paft away; an end is put to the former ftate of things, the old difpenfation, the Jewish economy. Behold, all things are become new; another administration, a new state of things, is introduced and fet up. The apoftle is fupposed to have spoken to this purpose. "If any man lives under the gospel, he is under a quite new difpenfation, a dispensa"tion, in which he has nothing to do with the Jewish economy. That old state of things is done away. He is, as it 66 were, in another creation, under a ftate of affairs anew " erected by God." But others put another sense on the words. If any man be in Chrift, i. e. as the branches are in the vine: If any man be united to Chrift: If any man be a true and real Christian : He is a new creature, i. e. another man. He is, as it were, again formed and fashioned. Old things are paft away, i. e. the old man; the carnal heart, with all its corrupt affections, and evil paffions. Behold, all things are become new. The man has a new heart, a new turn of mind, and he leads a new life. Accordingly the fubject which bespeaks your attention is this, The true Chriftian is a new creature. So he is every where affirmed to be, in the writings of the New Testament: nor otherwise might he expect admiffion into the coming and eternal kingdom of God. For, as the inspired Paul declares, Circumcifion availeth nothing, nor uncircumcifion; but the new creature. That is to say, in the difpenfation by Jefus Chrift, the new creature is that without which nothing elfe will avail to our having entrance into heaven. But the question here before us is, Why is the true Chriftian called a new creature? U 3 And, And, in general, he is thus called on account of that great change which Christianity makes in him. Indeed, phyfically speaking, no alteration is effected, either in the powers of his foul or body: But in the moral and religious sense, a change is wrought in him: And this fo great, that he is at quite different fort of man; so unlike to what he was, that he is not unfitly styled a new creature. But it will not be amifs, if I am a little particular in defcribing this change; which, that I may fpeak more clearly, I fhall confider under two distinct heads. I. As it refpects the inward frame of the mind. And, II. The outward courfe and manner of life. I. I am to confider this change, on account whereof the true Christian is termed a new creature, in respect of his inward frame of mind. And this is what the Scripture is very exprefs in taking notice of; yea, and the metaphors it uses to set forth the greatness of this change, are peculiarly ftrong and forcible. It is compared to a new heart; to a new fpirit; to a renovation in the spirit of the mind; to a transformation by the renewing of the Holy Ghoft; to a being fanctified throughout in foul and Spirit. These phrafes do all mean one and the fame thing, and point our thoughts to that change which is made in the minds of men by Chriftianity. And it is indeed a univerfal change. Their whole inner man is altered; infomuch that they have neither the fame apprehenfions, nor refolutions, nor affections: they neither love, nor grieve, nor hope, nor fear, as they used to do. We fhall be particular here. 1. There is a change in their apprehenfions. They fee things in another light, have other thoughts, different fentiments from what they used to have. They |