CHAP. II.

viii. 24

Shewing positively what conVERSION is.
May not leave

with

you I

yo'ir eyes

half

open, as he that “ saw men as trees walking, Mark

The word is os profitable for doctrine, € as well as reproof," 2 Tim. iii. 16. And therefore having thus far conducted you by the shelves and rocks of so many dangerous mistakes, I would guide you at length into the harbour of truth.

Conversion then, in short, lies in the thorough change both of the heart and life : I shall briefly describe it in its nature and causes.

1. “ The Author is the Spirit of God," and therefore it is called “ the sanctification of the « Spirit," 2 Thel. ii. 13. and “the renewing of ç the Holy Ghoft,” Tit. iii. 5. ; yet not excluding the other persons in the Trinity : For the Apostle teacheth us to biess so the Father of our Lord “ Jesus Chrift, for that he hath begotten us again,' 1 Pit. i. 3.; " and Christ is said to give repent

ance u: to Ifrael,” Afts v. 31. and is called " the Everlaking Father,” Ifa. ix. 6. and we his feed, and the children which God hath given so him," Heb. ii. 13. Ifa. liii. 10. O blessed birth! the whole Trinity fathers the new creature : Yet this work is principally ascribed to the Holy Ghost, and so we are said to be “ born of the Spirit," John iii. 8.

So then it is a work above man's power : « We are born, not of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God," John i. 13. Never

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think thou canst convert thyself; if ever thou wouldest be savingly converted, thou must despair of doing it in thy own strength. It is a resurrection from the dead. Rev. xx. 5. Eph. ii. 1. ; a new creation, Gal. vi. 15. ; Eph. ii. 19.; a work of absolute Omnipotence, Eph. i 19. Are there out of the reach of human power? If thou hast na more than thou had it by thy first birth, a good nature, a meek and chaite temper, &c. thou art a very stranger to true conversion : This is a supernatural work.

“ The moving cause is internal or external, • The internal mover is only free grace." Not

by works of righteousness which we have done, “ but of his own mercy he saved us, and by the “ renewing of the Holy Ghoft,” Titus iii. “ Of his own will begat he us,” Jarnes i. 18. We are chosen and called unto sanctification not for it, Eph. i. 4. How affectionately doth Peter lift up his hands! Blessed be the God and Father of our “ Lord Jesus, who of his abundant mercy hath “begotten us again," i Pet. i. 3. How feelingly doth Paul magnify the free mercy of God in ii ! • God who is rich in mercy, for his great love “ wherewith he loved us, hath quickened us to“gether with Chrift: by grace ye are faved," Eph ii. 4, 5.

- The external mover is the merit and inter“ cession of the blessed Jesus.” He hath ob“ tained gifts for the rebellious," Pjaim ixviii. 18.; and through him it is that God worketh in us what is well-pleasing in his fight, Heb. xiii. 21. Thro' bir are all spiritual blesings bestowed upon us in

heavenly things, Eph. i. 3. He interceded for the

. elect that believed not, John xvii. 20.

Every convert is the fruit of his travail, lfa. liii. 11. O never was infant born into the world with that dif. ficulty that Christ endured for us! How emphiatically he groaneth in his travail ! All the pains that he suffered on his cross, they were our birthpains, Aets ii. 24. Szervers, the pulls and throws that Christ endured for us. He is made fanctifi. cation to us, 1 Cor. i. 30. He sanctified himself, (that is, set - apart himself as a sacrifice) that we may be fanctified, John xvii. 19. “ We are sanc“ tified through the offering of his body once for «s all,” Hib. X. 16.

3. “ The instrument is either personal or real.” The personal is the ministry. “I have begotten

you in Christ, thro' the gospel, 1 Cor. iv. 15. Christ's ministers are they that are sent to open men's eyes, and to turn them to God, Acts xxvi. 18. “ The instrument real is the word.”

We were begotten by the word of truth ; this is it that enlighiens the eye, that converteth the foul, Psalm xix. 7, 8.; that maketh wise to salvation, 2 Tim. iii 15. This is the incorruptible feed, by which

are born again, 1 Pet. i. 23. If we are washed, it is by the word, Eph. 20.

If we are farctified, it is through the truth, John xvii. 17. This generates faith, and regenerates us, Rom. X. 17. Jumes i. 18.

Oye faints, how Mould you love the word ! for by this ye have been converted. Oye finners, how should you ply the word! for by this you must be converted; no other ordinary means but this, You that have felt its renewing, power,

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we

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make much of it while you live, be for ever thank, fol for it; tie it about your necks, write it upon your hands, lay it in your bosoms, Prov. vi. 21,

When you go, let it lead you; when you fleep, let it keep you; when you wake, let it talk with you. Say with holy David, “I will never “ forget thy precepts, for with them thou haft “ quickened me," Psalm çxix. 93. You that are unconverted, read the word with diligence, flock to it where powerfully preached; till the porches as the multitude of the impotent, blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water, Jobn V. 3. Pray for the coming of the Spirit in the word: Come off thy knees to the sermon, and come to thy knees from the sermon : The feed doth not prosper, because not watered by prayers and tears, nor covered by meditation.

4. “ The final cause is man's falvation, and “ God's glory.”. We are chosen through fanctification to salvation, 2 Thel. ii. 13.; called, that we might be glorified, Rom. viii. 30.; but especially that God might be glorified, isa. lx. 21. that we would fnew forth his praise, Pet. ii. 9. and be fruitful in good works, Col. i. 10. 0. Chriftian ! do not forget the end of thy calling ; let thy light shine, Mat. y. 16. let thy lamp burn, let thy fruits be good, and many, and in season, Pfalm'i. 3. let all thy designs fall in God's, that he may be magnified in thee, Phil. i. 10.

5. - The subject is the elect sinner, and that in “ all his parts and powers, members and mind.” Conversion is no repairing of the old building ; but it takes all down, and erects a new structure : It is not the putting in a patch, or fewing on a

lift of holiness, but, with the true convert, holiness is 'woven into all his powers, principles, and practice. The fincere Christian is quite a new fabric, from the foundation to the top-stone all new. He is a new man, Eph. iv. 24. a new creature. " All & things are become new,' 2 Cor. v. 17. Conver. fion is a deep work, a heart-work, Aets ii. 37. and vi. 14.; it turns all upside down, and makes a man be in a new world. It goes throughout with men; throughout the mind, throughout the members, throughout the motions of the whole life.

1. “ Throughout the mind." It makes an uni. versal change within. First, it turns the balance of the judgment, so that God and his glory do weigh down all carnal and worldly interest, Aets xx. 24. Phil. i. 20. Pfal. lxxiii. 25. It opens the eye

of the mind, and makes the scales of its naiive ignorance to fall off, and “turns men trom “ darkness to light,” Axts xxvi. 18. Eph. iii. 8. 1 Pet. ii. 2. The man that before saw no danger in his condition, now concludes himself loft, and for ever ur done, Aets ii. 37. except renewed by the power of grace. He that formerly thought there was little surt in fin, now comes to see it to be the chief of evils: He sees the unreasonableness, the unrighteousness, the deformity, and filthiness that is ir fi:; so that he is affrighted with it, lothes it, dreads ii, Alies it, and even abhors himself for it, Rom. vii. 18. Job xlii. 6. Ezek. xxxvi. 31.

Now, according to this new ligbt, the man is of another mind, another judgment than before he