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· His Cares are altered : he was once fet for the world, and any fcrap of time were enough for his foul. Now he gives over caring for the affes, and fets his heart on the kingdom: now all the cry is, What fhall I do to be faved? His great folicitude: is now to fecure his foul.

His Fears are not now of suffering. Once he was afraid of nothing fo much as the lofs of his cltate or eftcem, or the pleasure of friends; nothing founded fo terrible to him as pain, or poverty, or difgrace: now thefe are little to him, in comparifon of God's difhonour or difpleafure. How warily doth he walk, left he should tread upon a fnare! He feareth, always, he looks, before and behind, left he should be overtaken with fin. It kills his heart to think of lofing God's favour, this he dreads as his only undoing. No. thought in the world doth pain hin fo much, as to think of parting with Christ.

His Love runs a new courfe. My Love is crueified, (faith holy Ignatius) that is, my Chrift. This is my Beloved, faith the Spouse.

He can find no words fweet enough. Let me fee thee, O light of mine eyes: come, O thou joy of my. fpirit. Let me behold thee, O life of my foul. Appear unto me, 0 my great delight. O my God, my life, and the whole glory of my foul. Let me find thee, O defire of my heart.

His forrows have now a new vent. The view. of his fins, the fight of Chrift crucified, that would fcarce ftir him before, now how much do they affect his heart!

Commune then with thine own heart, and attend the general current of thine affection, whether it be towards God in Christ above all other concernments. Indeed the great enquiry is, whether the judgment and will be ftandingly determined for God above all other good: and if the affections fincerely follow their choice, tho' it be not fo fen

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fibly as is to be defired, there is no doubt but the change is faving.

2. Throughout the members. Thofe that were before the inftruments of fin, are now become the holy utenfils of Chrift's living temple. He that before abused his body, now poffefleth his veffek in fanétification and honour, in temperance, chastity, and fobriety, and dedicateth it to the Lord.

The eye that was once a wandering eye, a wanton eye, a haughty, a covetous eye, is now employed in weeping over its fins, in beholding God in his works, in reading his word, in looking up and down for objects of mercy, and opportunities for his fervice.

The ear that was once open to Satan's call, and relished nothing fo much as filthy (or at least frothy) talk, and the fool's laughter, is now bored to the door of Chrift's house, and open to his dif cipline; it faith, Speak Lord for thy fervant heareth, and waits for his words as the rain, and relisheth them more than the appointed food.

His heart is now become an altar of incenfe, where the fire of divine love is ever kept in, and whence the daily facrifice of prayer and praise, and fweet inconfe of holy defires and ejaculations, are continually afcending.

The mouth is become a well of life, his tongue as choice filver, and his lips-feed many; now the falt of grace hath seasoned his fpeech, and cleanfed: the mouth from its filthy communication, flattery, boating, railing, lying, fwearing, backbiting, that once came like the flashes that proceed from the hell that was in the heart. The throat that was once an open fepulchre, now fends forth the fweet breath of prayer and holy dif course, and the man fpeaks in another tongue, in the language of Canaan, and is never so well as when talking of God and Chrift, and the matters of another world. His mouth bringeth forth

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wildom, his tongue hath become the filver trumpet of his Maker's praife, his glory, and the best member that he hath.

3. Throughout the life and practice. The man takes a new courfe. His converfation is in heaven. No fooner doth Chrift call, but he ftraightway becomes a follower of him. When God hath the new heart, and writes his law in his mind, he forthwith walks in his ftatutes, and keeps his judgments.

Tho' fin may dwell in him, yet it hath no more dominion over him. He hath his fruit unto holiness, and hath an unfeigned refpect to all God's commandments, making confcience even of little fins and little duties.. His very infirmities, which he cannot help, are his foul's burden, and are like the duft in a man's eye, which tho' but little, yet is not a little troublesome. O man doft thou read this, and never turn in upon thy foul by felf-examination? The fincere convert is not one, man at Church, and another at home; he is not a faint on his knees, and a cheat in his fhop ; `he will not tythe mint and cummin, and neglect mercy and judgment, and the weighty matters of the law; he doth not pretend to Piety and neglect Morality; but he turneth from all his fins, and keeps all God's ftatutes, if not perfectly, yet fincerely, not allowing himfelf in the breach of any. Now he delights in the word, and fets himfelf to prayer, and opens his hand, (if able) and draws out his foul to the hungry; and hath a good confcience, willing in all things to live honestly, and to keep without offence towards God and man.

Here again you fhall find the unfoundness of many, that take themfélves for good Chriftians : they are partial in the law, and take up with the cheap and eafy duties of religion, but go not through with the work. They are as cakes not turned, half toafted and half taw. It may be, you' fhall have them exact in their words, punctual in their dealings, but they do not exercife them-..

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felves unto godlinefs; and for examining themfelves, and governing their hearts, to this they are ftrangers. You may have them duly at the church, but follow them to their families, and there you fhall fee little but the world minded. Or, if they have a road for family-duties, follow them to their clofets, and there you fhall find their fouls are little looked after. It may be they feem otherways religious, but bridle not their tongues. It may be they come up to clofet and family-prayer; but follow them to their fhops, and there you fhall find them in a trade of lying, or fome covert way of deceit.

6. The Terms are either from which, or tø which."

1. The Terms from which we turn in this motion of converfion, are, Sin, Satan, the World, and our own Righteoufnefs.

First, Sin. When a man is converted, he is out with fin; yea, with all fin, but most of all with his own fins, and efpecially with his bofom-fin. Sin is now the butt of his indignation. His fins fet abroach his forrows. 'Tis fin that pierces him and wounds him, he feels it like a thorn in his fide, like a prick in his eyes; he is not impatient of any burden fo much as of his fin. If God fhould give him his choice, he would chuse any affliction, fo he might be rid of fin.

Before Converfion, he had light thoughts of fin; he cherished it in his bofom, as Uriah his lamb: he nourished it, and it grew up together with him, and lay in his bofom, and was to him as a daughter: but when God opens his eyes by Converfion, he throws it away with abhorrence, a's a man would a loathfome toad, which in the dark he hath hugged faft in his bofom, and thought it had been fome harmlefs bird. When a man is thoroughly changed, he is not only deeply convinced of the danger, but defilement of fin; and, O how earnest is he with God to be purified! He runs to Chrift, and calls himself into the fountain

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for fin and for uncleannefs. He abhors his oncebeloved fin, as a cleanly nature doth the trough and mire wherein he fees the fwine delight. The found convert is heartily engaged againft fin. He can forgive his other enemies, he can pity them, but here he is implacable, here he is fet upon revenge; his eye fhall not pity, his hand fhall not fpare, though it be a right hand, or a right eye: be it a gainful fin, moft delightful to his nature, or fupport to his efteem with friends, yet he will rather throw his gain down the kennel, fee his credit fall, or the flower of pleasure wither in his hand, than he will allow himfelf in any known way of fin. He will grant no indulgence, he will give no toleration, he draws upon fin wherever he meets it, and frowns upon it with this unwelcome falute, Have I found thee, O mine enemy !

Reader, hath thy confcience been at work while thou hast been looking over thefe lines? Haft thou pondered thete things in thy heart ? Haft thou fearched the book within, to fee if these things be fo? If not, read it again, and make thy confcience fpeak, whether or no it be not thus with thee.

Haft thou crucified thy flefh, with its affections and lufts: and not only confelled but forfaken thy fins: If not, thou art yet unconverted. Doth not confcience fly in thy face as thou readeft, and tell thee thou liveft in a way of lying for thy advantage, that thou ufeft deceit in thy calling, that there is fome way of fecret wantonnels that thou liveft in? Why then do not deceive thyfelf, thou art in the gall of bitterness, and bond of iniquity.

Doth not thy unbridled tongue, thy intemperance, thy wicked company, thy neglect of prayer, of reading and hearing the word, now witnefs against thee, and lay, We are thy works, and we will follow thee? Or, if I have not hit thee right, doth not one within tell thee there is fuch or fuch a way, that thou knoweft to be evil, that yet thou doft tolerate thyself in, and art willing to fpare? If

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