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maketh him wonder!

we may by such a similitude help our apprehensions of it. When some of the poor naked Indians have been brought into this land, how strange did every thing seem to them? When they came into London, with what wondering would they gaze about them, as if they had been in another world? And will not a poor converted soul do so, when God hath newly opened his eyes, and made him see that which he never saw before? O then he sees that evil in sin that maketh him wonder! That ravishing love in Christ that That amiable glory in the face of God, and that truth in the promises of eternal blessedness, that makes him wonder! When before he could see nothing to wonder at in any of them. Oh! sirs, if you knew but the pleasure of this marvellous light that God by conversion would let into your souls, you would never rest till you found yourselves converted. Every man hath a natural desire of knowledge, and in a natural way they are seeking after it; and many do even in the use of these means, which should be spiritual, employ themselves but in natural seeking. One man thinks that common learning can help him to this light, and therefore he readeth and studieth day and night; and I deny not but in its place it is good. Another thinks that among this or that party it is to be found, and in the discovery of this or that low opinion it doth consist; but when all is done, it is the great and common truths that are most wonderful, and converting grace that must shew men the glory of them. It is not in rarities of new discoveries, nor strange principles that were never heard of till now, that this light is to be found. But it is in the substance of Christian verity. I tell you, sirs, you that now use to mutter over your creed for a prayer, and hear the catechism without understanding it, if your eyes were opened by converting grace, you would marvel at the very doctrine of the creed and catechism. You would see that excellency, and feel that weight in common truths, that would exceedingly take up your very hearts. You now know not what it is to believe in God the Father, the Son, and Holy Ghost; but then these three words would seem to you of greater glory, than the sun at noon-day; they would find you both work and wonder, and yet delight, if you had no more than these to think of.

And do you love the darkness rather than such light? Have you been so long in the dungeon, that you are fallen in love with it, and are loath to come out? Is all this light so small a matter in your eyes? Are you like an owl or bat that cannot endure the light of the sun? Or rather like a thief that hates the daylight, because he is afraid of being made known? Oh! sinners, I beseech you come away and leave your dungeon state of darkness, and live in the light of the countenance of God. "It is a pleasant thing for the' eyes to see the sun a." Deprive not yourselves of the pleasure which is offered you.

And it is not only your chains of darkness, but also your wilfulness and blind affections that converting grace will turn you from: these bonds of worldly profits and pleasure that seem so strong to others that they cannot overcome them, you will shake them off as Samson did his bonds, and they will not be able to separate you from the love of God: the same tempter that so easily prevails with others, will not be able to prevail against you; "The God of peace will tread him under feet "." In the work of converyour sion Christ layeth siege to the heart of a sinner, which naturally is satan's garrison, and he battereth it, and starveth it, and forceth it to yield, " and bindeth that strong man that possesseth it in peace." So he is cast out of his pos-. session by converting grace; he hath not the same power there that he had before; once he could have commanded the man to swear, or be drunk, or neglect his soul, and he would have done it; but now he hath no such power: once he could have turned their thoughts against Christ, and their tongues to cavil against his word, but now he cannot; they are now under another government. They have now that repentance to the acknowledgment of the truth, by which they are recovered out of the snares of the devil, who formerly led them captive at his willd. The very first day that you are converted, you are the freemen of Christ, who were the bond-slaves of the devil all your lives before. As ever then you would partake of this blessed privilege, resist no longer, but yield to the call of grace, that you may be converted.

2. Another excellent privilege of a converted soul, is this; As soon as ever a man is converted, he is united or joined a Eccles. xi. 7. b Rom. xvi. 20. Luke xi. 21. d 2 Tim. ii. 25.

VOL. VII

to Jesus Christ. This is the very root of all the rest. Conversion turneth men from satan to God; it breaketh themi off from their former lovers, and uniteth them to Christ as the husband of their souls. He is " the vine, and we are the branches, and into him we must be grafted, if we will have life." He is the Head, and conversion is it that makes us his members; giving us that faith, by which we receive him to dwell in our hearts: so that as the sovereign and subject make one commonwealth; as the head and the body make one man, so Christ and his church are one. Whether or no the union be any more than relative, taking union in the strictest sense; yet it is wonderful and glorious, and a communication of holy qualifications doth follow it. We are one in relation, and one in judgment, as being of the same mind; and one in affection, and one in regard of the similitude of nature, and many ways one in a larger sense. Here is the root of the saints' felicity. If you were one with the prince, you would not fear the want of honour or riches ; you would not fear any thing that he could save you from. When Jonathan loved David as his own soul, he ventured his life to save him from his father's indignation: when Lazarus, whom Christ loved, was sick, he raised him from the dead. If you be once so near to Christ as to be one with him, what will he not do for you? Will he neglect his own members? Will he hurt himself? The apostle could use this argument with husbands to love their wives, because they are as their own body; and "whoever hated his own flesh? But nourisheth it and cherisheth it, even as Christ doth the church." From hence doth the apostle fetch the example of conjugal love; "husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church :" yea, from this union; "for we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones." "This is a mystery," saith the apostle, speaking of Christ and the church";" and a mystery of unspeakable consolation to the saints. O therefore resist not that grace that should convert you. If you would be united to Christ, come to him, and yield to the drawings of his love that you may be one with him, who is one with the Father, according to your capacity, for that is his will, concerning all that are truly converted. Judge now, whether it be not a most hof Eph. iii. 17. 8 Eph. v. 25. 28-30. h Ver. 32.

e John xv.

nourable and inconceivable felicity, that conversion doth advance the soul into. It was the greatest miracle of all God's works, that ever he revealed to the sons of men, to take the human nature into union with the divine; that Christ, who was God, should condescend to be made man: and the next is, that he will take his church into union with himself, and will magnify his love, in such a wonderful advancement of poor sinners, that without his grace they could not well believe it.

3. Another benefit that followeth conversion, is this; As soon as ever a man is truly converted, he is made a member of the true church of Christ: for he is at once united to the head and to the body. A man may be a member of the visible church, or rather, be visibly made a member of the church before conversion: but that is but as a wooden leg to the body; or, as Bellarmine himself acknowledgeth, they are not living but dead members: and as many of his friends whom he mentioneth, confess, they are but as the hair, or the nails, which are not properly members of the body, though they are in the body. Or, as Austin saith, like the chaff among the corn, which is so a part of the field, as to be an appurtenance of the corn. So that till conversion, even the baptized and the most understanding men, are but as the straw and chaff in God's barn, and as the tares in his field, as Christ himself compareth them. But conversion doth effectually ingraft them into the body, and make them living members; and so " by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body;" and so, "we are the body of Christ and members in particular*.' "All are not Israel that are of Israel," saith the apostle to the Romans. And "in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature, and faith that worketh by love." "For circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, not in the letter m. They are the circumcision that worship God in the spirit"." And it is not the mere baptism of water, but the baptism of the Holy Ghost, which is given in conversion that maketh you living members of the body.

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4. As soon as ever a sinner is truly converted, he hath a pardon of all the sins that ever he committed, be they never

i 1 Cor. xii. 13. m Rom. ii. 29.

k Ver. 27.

n Phil. iii. 3.

Gal. vi. 5. 15. Col. iii. 11.

so many, and never so great. Though with Paul he have been a persecutor of the church of God; though he have. with Manasseh, been a very sorcerer; though he have hated godliness, and made a mock at it; though his very heart hath been against Christ all his days; yet when he is once truly converted, he is pardoned. Though he have spent the flower of his youth in vanity; though he have been a drudge for this world, and forgotten his soul, and the world to come; though he have hindered others from conversion and salvation; yet when he is once truly converted, he is forgiven. Though he have long resisted grace, and strove against his own salvation; though he have stifled many convictions of conscience, and broke many purposes and promises, and much abused the patience of God; yet, if the work of conversion be true, all this shall be pardoned and done away. For the Lord Jesus hath made satisfaction for all; and thereupon hath made a conditional promise, that all that truly repent and believe, shall be pardoned and as soon as ever they perform the condition through his grace, the promise becomes effectual to them, and their iniquities are therein forgiven them.

:

O what news is this to a weary, heavy-laden sinner; to them that are bruised and broken under the sense of sin and wrath, that would give a world if they had it, for a pardon! Why, come to Christ, sinner, and take it freely. He hath purchased it, and he freely offereth it; but only to them that take himself: for God hath made these benefits appurtenances to himself; take Christ himself, and all is thine. O what comfort is it to such a sinner as Mary, that lay wiping Christ's feet with the hairs of her head, and washed them with her tears, to hear him say, "Thy sins are forgiven thee." Those sins that do so terrify the conscience, and those that lie asleep till conscience be enlightened; thy secret sins, which the world knoweth not of, and thy open sins that have been thy shame, at the very hour of true conversion will be pardoned. All thy sinful thoughts, words, and actions; sins against knowledge, conscience, consideration; sins of ignorance, and presumptuous sins, all shall be done away. "Whom he calleth, them he justifieth P." Christ is exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance and for

• Acts xxvi. 18. Mark iv. 12.

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P Rom. viii. 30.

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