and the fools' laughter, is now bored to the door of Christ's house, and open to discipline: it saith, "Speak Lord, for thy servant heareth;" and waits for his words as the rain, and relisheth them more than the appointed food, * "than the honey and the honey comb. "t

The head that was the shop of worldly designs, is now filled with other matters, and set on the study of God's will. The thoughts and cares that fill it, are principally how he may please God and flee sin.

His heart, that was full of filthy lusts, is now become an altar of incense, where the fire of divine love is ever kept in; and whence the daily sacrifices of prayer and praises, and the sweet incense of holy desires, ejaculations and aspirations, are continually ascending. §

The mouth is become a well of life, the tongue as choice silver, and his lips feed many, now the salt of grace hath seasoned his speech, and eat out the corruption, || and cleansed the mouth from its filthy communication, flattery, boasting, lying, swearing, backbiting, that once came like flashes from the hell that was in the heart.

The throat, that was once

sepulchre,"* now sends forth the sweet breath of prayer and holy discourse, and the man speaks in another tongue, in the language of Canaan, and is never so well as when talking of God and Christ, and the matters of another world. His mouth bringeth wisdom, his tongue is become the silver trumpet of his Maker's praise, his glory, and the best member that he hath.

Now here you shall have the hypocrite halting: he speaks, it may be, like an angel, but he hath a covetous eye, or the gain of unrighteousness in his hand; or the hand is white, but his heart is full of rottenness,† full of unmortified cares, a very oven of lust, a shop of pride, the seat of malice. It may be, like Nebuchadnezzar's image, he has a golden head, a great deal of knowledge: but he hath feet of clay, his affections are worldly, he minds worldly things, and his way and walk are sensual and carnal: you may trace him in his secret haunts, and his footsteps will be found in some by-paths of sin: the work is not throughout with him.

3. "Throughout the motions; or the life and practice." The new man takes a new course, his conversation is in heaven."§ No sooner doth he obey the call of Christ, but he straightway becomes a follower of

him.* When God hath given the new heart, and wrote his law in his mind, he forthwith walks in his statutes, and keeps his judgments.t

Though sin may be in him, yet it " hath no more dominion over him, " " he hath his fruit unto holiness." And the law of life, and Jesus, is what he eyes as his copy, and he hath an unfeigned respect for all God's commandments, making conscience even of little sins and little duties. His very infirmities are his soul's burden, and are like the dust in a man's eye, which though but little, yet is not a little troublesome. (O man! dost thou read this, and never turn it upon thy soul, by self-examination?) The sincere convert is not one man at church, and another at home; he is not a saint on his knees, and a cheat in his shop; he will not tithe mint and cummin, and neglect "mercy and judgment, and the weightier matters of the law;" he doth not pretend piety and neglect morality,** but he turneth from all his sins, and keeps all God's statutes,†† not allowing himself in the breach of any. Now he delights in the word, and sets himself to prayer, and opens his hand and draws out his soul to the hungry.§§

"He breaketh off his sins by righteousness, and his iniquities by showing mercy to the poor, "* and hath a good conscience, willing in all things to live honestly, and to keep without offence towards God and man.

Here again you find the unsoundness of many professors, that take themselves for good Christians; they are partial in the law, and take up with cheap and easy duties of religion, but go not through with the work. They are as a cake not turned. It may be you shall have them exact in their words, punctual in their dealings, but then they do not exercise themselves unto godliness, and for examining themselves, and governing their hearts, to this they are strangers. You may have them duly at church, but follow them to their families, and there you shall see little but the world minded; or if they have a road for family duties, follow them to their closets, and there you shall find their souls are little looked after. It may be they seem otherwise religious, but bridle not their tongues, and so all their religion is vain.§ It may be they come to closet and family prayer; but follow them to their shops, and there you shall find them in a trade of lying, or some covert and cleanly way of deceit. Thus the hypocrite goes throughout in the course of his obedience.

And thus much for the subject of Conver

sion.

7. "The terms are either from which or to which."

1. "The terms from which we turn in this motion of conversion, are sin, Satan, the world, and our own righteousness."

First, Sin.-When a man is converted he is for ever out with sin; yea, with all sin.* But most of all with his own sins, and especially with his bosom sin.t Sin is now the butt of his indignation, he thirsts to bathe his hands in the blood of his sins. His sins set his sorrows abroach: if God should give him his choice, he would choose any affliction so he might be rid of sin.

Before conversion he had light thoughts of sin; he cherished it in his bosom, as Uriah his lamb; "he nourished it up, and it grew up together with him; it did eat as it were his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his own bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. But when God opens his eyes by conversion, he throws it away with abhorrence. When a man is savingly changed, he is not only deeply convinced of the danger, but defilement of sin; and O, how earnest is he with God to be purified! He loathes himself for his sins. || He runs to Christ, and