that believe not. Every convert is the fruit of his travail. Onever was an infant born into the world with that difficulty that Chrift endured for us! How emphatically he groaneth in his travail: All the pains that he fuffered on his cross, were our birth-pains. He fanctified himself (that is, fet apart himself as a facrifice) that we may be fan&tified, John xvii. 19. 'Tis nothing then but the Merit and Interceffion of Chrift, that prevails with God to bestow on us Grace. If thou art a new creature, thou knowest to whom thou oweit it, to Chrift's pangs and prayers. Hence the natural affection of a Believer to Chrift. The foal doth not more naturally run after the dam, than a Believer to Jefus Christ. 3. The Inftrument is either Perfonal or Real. The perfonal is the Miniftry. I have begotten you in Chrift through the Gospel, 1 Cor. iv. 15. Chrift's Minifters are they that are fent to open men's eyes, and to turn them to God. you. O unthankful world, little do ye know what you are doing, while you are perfecuting the meffengers of the Lord. These are they, whose business it is under Chrift) to fave Whom have you reproached and blafphemed? Against whom have you exalted your voice, and lifted your eyes on high? These are the fervants of the moft high God, that fhew unto you the way of falvation, Acts xvi. 17, and do you thus requite them? O foolish and unwife! O fons of Ingratitude! again ft whom do you fport yourfelves? Thefe are the inftruments that God ufes to convert and fave you. The real Inftrument is the Word. We were begotten by the word of truth: this is that which enlightens the eye, which converteth the foul, Pfal. xix. 7, 8, which maketh wife to falvation, 2 Tim. iii. 15. This is the incorruptible feed, by which we are born again. If we are washed, it is by the word, Eph. v. 26. If we are fanctified, it is thro' the truth, John xvii. 17. Your You that have felt its renewing power, be for ever thankful for it; tie it about your necks, write it upon your hand. When you go, let it lead you; when you fleep let it keep you: when you wake, let it talk with you: fay with holy David, I will not forget thy precepts, for by them thou haft quickened me, Pfal. cxix. 93. You that are unconverted, 'read the word with diligence, flock to it where powerfully preached, fill the porches as the multitude of the impotent, blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water, John v. 3, pray. for the coming of the Spirit in the word; come off thy knees to the fermon, and come to thy knees from the fermon: the feed doth not profper, because not watered by prayers, and tears, nor covered by meditation. 4. The final caufe is Man's Salvation, and God's Glory. We are chofen thro' fanctification to falvation, 2 Theff. ii. 13, called, that we might be .glorified, but especially that God might be glorified; that we fhould fhew forth his praife, and be fruitful in good works, Col. i. 10. O Chriftian! do not forget the end of thy calling; let thy light fhine, Matt. v. 16, let thy lamp burn, let thy fruits be good, and many, and in season, Pfal. i. 3, let all thy defigns fall in with God's that he may be magnified in thee. 5. The fubject is the Sinner, and that in all his parts and powers, members and mind. This change of Conversion paffes throughout the whole fubject. A carnal perfon may have fome fhreds of good morality, but he is never good throughout the whole cloth, the whole body of holiness: Converfion is no repairing of the old building, but it takes all down, and erects a new ftructure: 'tis not the putting in a patch, or fewing a list of holiness; but, with the true Convert, holiness is woven into all his powers, principles. and practice. The fincere chriftian is quite a new fabric, from the foundation to the top-ftone all fire fire-new. He is a new man, a new creature. All It goes 1. Throughout the mind. It makes an univerfal change within. Firft, it turns the balance of the judgment, fo that God and his glory weigh down all carnal and worldly intereft. It opens the eye of the mind, and makes the scales of its native ignorance to fall off, and turns men from darkness to light. The man that before saw no danger in his condition, now concludes himself loft for ever, except renewed by the power of Grace. He that formerly thought there was little hurt in fin, now comes to fee it to be the chief of evils; he sees the unreasonablenefs, unrighteoufnefs, and defor-. mity that is in fin; so that he is affrighted with it, paths it, flees it, and even abhors himself for it. He that could fee little fin in himself, and could find no matter for confeffion before God, unless it were some few grofs evils: now fin reviveth within him, he sees the rottenness of his heart, and defperate and deep pollution of his whole nature: he cries, "unclean, unclean; Lord, purge me with hyffop, wash me thoroughly, create in me a new heart." He fees himself altogether become filthy, corrupt, both root and tree; he writes unclean upon all his parts and powers and performances: he fees the blafphemy, and theft, and murder, and adultery that is in his heart, which before he was ignorant of: heretofore he saw no form or comeliness in Chrift, or beauty, that he fhould defire him; but now he finds the hid treafure, and will fell all to buy this field. Now, according to this new light, the man is of another mind, another judgment, than he was: . now God is all with him, he hath none in heaven, nor on earth, like him, Pfal. lxxiii. 25. He pre fers es un form and whic aw t hat h id trea an is d e was! heaves He pre fers him before all the world: his favour is his life; the light of his countenance is more than corn or wine and oil, the good that formerly he enquired after, and set his heart upon. Now let all the world be set on one fide, and God alone on the other; let the harlot put on her paint; and prefent herself to the foul (as when Satan would have tempted our Saviour with her in all the glory of her kingdoms, yet the foul will not fall down and worship her, but will prefer a naked, yea, a crucified, perfecuted Chrift before her. This is the Convert's voice; The Lord is my portion s whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that I defire befides thee. God is the frength of my heart, and my portion for ever. Secondly, It turns the bias of the Will, both as to means and end. 1. The intention of the Will is altered. Now the man hath new ends and defigns: now he intends God above all, and defires and defigns nothing in all the world fo much, as that Chrift may be magnified in him. He counts himself more happy in this, than in all that the earth could yield, that he may be ferviceable to Chrift, and bring him glory in his generation. This is the mark he aims at, that the name of Jefus may be great in the world. Reader, doft thou view this, and never afk thyfelf, whether it be thus with thee? Paufe awhile, and breathe on this great concern. 2. The Election is also changed, to that he chufeth another way. He pitcheth upon God as his bleffednefs; upon Chrift as the principal; and holinefs as the fubordinate means to bring him to God. He chufeth Jefus for his Lord. This choice is not made in a fright, as with the dying finner, that doth only take Chrift rather than hell; but he deliberately refolves, that Chrift is his beft choice, and would rather have him than all the good of this world. Again, he takes holincfs for his path; he doth not of mere neceffity submit to it, but he D likes likes and loves it. He takes God's teftimonies, not as his bondage, but as his heritage; yea, heritage for ever, Pf. cxix. 111. He counts them not his burden, but his bliss; not his cords, but his cordials. He doth not only bear, but takes up Chrift's yoke: he takes not holiness as the stomach doth the loathed potion, but as the hungry doth his beloved food. No time paffeth fo fweetly with him as that which he fpends in the exercifes of holiness, thefe are both his aliment and element, the defire of his eyes, and the joy of his heart, Put thy Confcience to it as thou goest, whether thou art the man, O happy man, if this be thy cafe! But fee thou be impartial in the search. Thirdly, It turns the bent of the Affections. Thefe run all in a new channel: Jordan is driven back, and the water runs upwards against its natural course. Chrift is his Hope, 1 Tim. i. 1. This is the prize; Phil. iii. 8. here his eye, here his heart is. He is contented to caft all over-board (as the merchant in the ftorm) fo he may but keep this jewel. The first of his defires is not after gold, but grace. He hungers after it, he seeks it as filver, he digs for it as hid treasure; he had rather be gracious than be great: he had rather be the holiest man on earth, than the most learned, the most famous, moft profperous. Once he faid, O! If I were but in great efteem, and rolled in wealth, and fwimmed in pleasure, then I fhould be a happy man. But now the tone is changed. O! faith the Convert, if I had fuch measures of grace, such fellowship with God, though I were poor and defpifed, I fhould account myself a bleffed man. Reader, is this the language of thy foul P His Joys are changed. He rejoiceth in the ways of God's Teftimonies, as much as in all riches. He delights in the law of the Lord, wherein once he had little favour. He hath no fuch joy as in the thoughts of Chrift, the fruition of his company, the profperity of his people. His |