New Creature
John Preston's treatise emerged from his pulpit ministry at Trinity Church, Cambridge, and represents one of the most systematic expositions of regeneration in early Puritan theology. Preston, a leading figure in the Puritan movement and Master of Emmanuel College, delivered these materials as sermons before his death in 1628, with the work appearing posthumously in 1633. Writing for university students, ministers, and educated laypeople grappling with questions of assurance and spiritual transformation, Preston sought to provide both doctrinal clarity and practical guidance on the nature of the new birth.
The treatise proceeds through a careful analysis of what it means to be made a new creature in Christ, drawing extensively on 2 Corinthians 5:17. Preston distinguishes between the old man and the new man, examining how regeneration transforms the understanding, will, and affections. He addresses the marks by which one may discern true conversion, the progressive nature of sanctification, and the relationship between justification and the ongoing work of renewal. Throughout, Preston maintains that while the new creature possesses a fundamentally altered nature, the Christian life involves continual growth and struggle against remaining corruption. His treatment balances Reformed theology's emphasis on divine sovereignty in conversion with practical pastoral concern for believers seeking to understand their spiritual condition.
Preston's work became influential in Puritan circles for its precision in describing the psychology of conversion and its careful attention to experimental religion. His analysis of the stages and signs of spiritual transformation provided a template for later Puritan writers examining the morphology of conversion. The treatise offers valuable insight into early seventeenth-century Reformed spirituality and the Puritan understanding of sanctification.
Who should read this: Students of Puritan theology and spiritual formation will find Preston's systematic approach illuminating, particularly those interested in Reformed understandings of regeneration and sanctification. Modern readers unfamiliar with Reformed theology or seeking contemporary spiritual guidance may find the work's technical theological language and seventeenth-century pastoral assumptions challenging.