this while he is but carnal and unregenerate, whilst his nature remains unchanged.

Application. "Hear then, O sinners, hear as you would live, so come and hear."* Why would you so willingly deceive yourselves, or build your hopes upon the sand? I know he shall find hard work of it that goes to pluck away your hopes: it cannot but be ungrateful to you, and truly it is not pleasing to me. I set about it as a surgeon when to cut off the putrified member from his well beloved Friend, which of force he must do, though with an aching heart, a pitying eye, and a trembling hand. But understand me, brethren, I am only taking down the ruinous house (which will otherwise speedily fall of itself, and bury you in the rubbish) that I may build it fair, firm and strong for ever. " The hope of the hypocrite shall perish, "t if God be true to his word. And hadst not thou better, O sinner, to let the word convince thee now in time, and let go thy false and self-deluding hopes, than have death too late to open thine eyes, and find thyself in hell before thou art aware? I should be a false and faithless shepherd, if I could not tell you, that you, who have built your hopes upon no better grounds than these before mentioned, are yet in your sins. Let your conscience speak; what is it that you have to plead for yourselves? Is it

that you wear Christ's livery? that you bear his name? that you are of the visible church? that you have knowledge in the points of religion, are civilized, perform religious duties, are just in your dealings, have been troubled in conscience for your sins? I tell you from the Lord, these pleas will never be accepted at God's bar: all this, though good in itself, will not prove you converted, and so will not suffice to your salvation. O! look about you, and bethink yourselves of returning speedily and soundly. Set to praying, and to reading, and studying your own hearts: rest not till God hath made thorough work with you; for ye must be other men, or else are lost

men.

But if these be short of conversion, what shall I say of the profane sinner? It may be, he will scarce cast his eye or lend his ear to this discourse; but if there be any such reading or within hearing, he must know from the Lord that made him, that he is far from the kingdom of God. May a man be civilized and not converted? where then shall the drunkard and glutton appear? May a man keep company with the wise virgins and yet be shut out; shall not "a companion of fools much more be destroyed?"* May a man be true and just in his dealings, and yet not be justified of God? what then will become of thee,

O wretched man, whose conscience tells thee thou art false in thy trade, and false to thy word, and makest thy advantage by a lying tongue? If men may be enlightened and brought to the performance of holy duties, and yet go down to perdition for resting in them, and sitting down on this side of conversion; what will become of you, O miserable families, that live without God in the world? and of you, O wretched sinners, with whom God is scarce in all your thoughts; that are so ignorant that you cannot, or so careless that you will not pray? O repent and be converted; "break off your sins by righteousness," away to Christ for pardoning and renewing grace; give up yourselves to him, to walk with him in holiness, or else you shall never see God. O that you would take the warnings of God! In his name I once more admonish you; "Turn you at my reproof."* " Forsake the foolish and live." "Be sober, righteous, godly."‡ "Wash your hands, ye sinners; purify your hearts, ye double minded." "Cease to do evil, learn to do well.'"|| " But if you will go on, you must die."

* Prov. i. 23.

† Prov. ix. 6.

James iv. 8. || Isa. i. 16, 17.

† Tit. ii. 12.

↑ Ezek. xxxiii. 11.

CHAPTER II.

Showing positively what Conversion is.

I may not leave you with your eyes half open, as he that "saw men as trees walking."* The word is, " profitable for doctrine as well as reproof." 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," and "the renewing of the Holy Ghost," yet not excluding the other persons in the Trinity; for the apostle teacheth us to bless "the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for that he hath begotten us again,"|| and Christ is said to give repentance unto Israel," and called "the everlasting Father;"** and we his seed, and "the children which God hath given him." 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."*

It is

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." Never think thou canst convert thyself; if ever thou wouldst be savingly converted thou must despair of doing it in thy own strength. a resurrection from the dead, a new creation,§ a work of absolute Omnipotence. || Are these out of the reach of human power? If thou hast no more than thou hadst by the first birth, a good nature, a meek and chaste temper, &c. thou art a very stranger to true conversion: this is a supernatural work.

2. "The moving cause is internal and 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 Ghost." "Of his own will begat he us."** We are chosen and called unto sanctification.tt

How affectionately doth Peter lift up his. hands! "Blessed be the God and Father of of our Lord Jesus, who of his abundant mercy hath begotten us again." How feelingly

‡ Rev. xx. 5. || Ephes. †† Ephes.

Ephes. ii. 1. ◊ Gal. vi. 15. Ephes. ii. 10.
i. 19.
Titus iii. 5. ** James i. 13.

# 1 Pet. i.