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k."

sprinkled from an evil conscience, as our bodies are washed with his baptismal water "." O what an unspeakable comfort is this, to every truly converted soul! The Son of God is at prayer for thee, Christian. If thou think that God will not hear thy own prayers; no, nor hear the whole church's prayers; dost thou think he will hear his Son's prayers, or not? The poor man that was born blind, could tell that "God heareth not sinners," that is, unconverted sinners; but "if any man be a worshipper of God, and doth his will, him he heareth." How then can he choose but hear him that had no sin? and hear him that taketh away the sins of the world? He that said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased, hear him;" will sure hear him himself, because he is so. He telleth his Father, "I know that thou hearest me always ;" and it is not only his common intercession for his common salvation, which he giveth to the world: for so, when" he poured out his soul to death, and was numbered among the transgressors, and bare the sins of many, he made intercession for the transgressors'." And said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." And so he procureth them a conditional pardon and salvation, with the means and mercies that have a tendency thereto. But it is the special intercession for that special grace which he communicateth to none but his living members. Read that excellent prayer, John xvii. which he putteth up to the Father for his own, and remember that these requests are for you, and that it is for all that shall believe in him through the world that he thus intercedeth, verse 20. O what a comfort is it to a poor Christian, that in his greatest infirmities, and deepest sense of unworthiness, he hath the beloved of the Father to take his prayers and present them to God, and to plead his cause more effectually than he can do his What say you then to this, you that are yet in the flesh, and unacquainted with the life of grace; would you have a Saviour to speak for you to the Father? Yea, one who hath all power in heaven and earth committed to him, and "is able to save to the uttermost, all those that come to God by him." O yield then speedily to converting grace, and rest not till this work be wrought upon your

own.

h Heb. x. 19-22.

Isa. liii. 12.

i John ix. 31.

k John xi. 42.

souls this blessed state may be yours as well as other men's, if you do not now neglect it and refuse it.

13. Another excellent benefit to the converted, is, That God hath assured them that all things are theirs, and shall work to their good. The promise is expressed, 2 Cor. iv. 15. 1 Cor. iii. 21. Rom. viii. 28. Not that they have a propriety in other men's possessions in civil respects; but finally, other men, and their possessions, and all the world are for their good. As the world at first was made for Adam and his offspring, so is it redeemed from ruin for the second Adam and his offspring, in a special manner; the earthly proprietors shall have it in possession, and many of them not have a thousandth part of the benefit by it as others that possess it not: the physician hath his skill in his own profession: but the patient that is recovered by it, may have more benefit by it than he that possesseth it: the whole frame of heaven and earth are in perpetual motion for the glory of the saints; are all conjoined by the overruling Providence, and are carrying on the same design of God, when they seem at the greatest odds among themselves. When the instruments themselves are unacquainted with their own employment, and know not what it is that they are doing, yet God knoweth, who seeth and ruleth them all. The business that God hath in hand is to build the heavenly Jerusalem, to gather to himself the whole number of his elect that are scattered through the world". And to make them a city for his own habitation, and a people for his everlasting praise and the very persecutors of the church are but now hewing them and squaring them, and fitting them for the building: when God seeth us sick of a pleurisy, he often useth the sword of an enemy to let us blood, which shall as certainly do the cure as the tenderest hand. The medicine knoweth not that it is healing a man's disease; the lancet knoweth not that it is saving a man's life by taking away his blood, but he that useth them knoweth what he is doing. Herod and Pilate, and the people of the Jews thought they had been securing their own seats, and the liberty of their nation, by crucifying one that called himself King of the Jews: they little knew that they were shedding that blood that was to be a sacrifice for the sins of the world,

m Matt. xxiv. 31. John xi. 52.

and crucifying that flesh that was given for the life of the world" but God knew what he was doing by them: for, they did nothing but what his counsel had determined should come to pass. Pharaoh thought he was securing his interest; but God knew he was getting himself glory, and his people a wonderful deliverance by his obstinacy. And even satan himself is as much overreached in his devices and enterprises against the saints as their earthly enemies are. He is but exercising their graces, and driving them to Christ, and honouring the power of his blood and Spirit eventually, when he seeketh to devour them: his temptations do but make them the more watchful: or if they fall, they rise with the greater hatred of sin, and love to Christ, and thankfulness for his blood and pardoning grace, and renewed resolution to walk more carefully for the time to come: O blessed state, where all the world, both good and bad, both friends and foes, both angels and devils are all carrying on the work of our salvation, some with delight, and some unwillingly, some with understanding, and some not knowing what they do! What a state of comfort hath that man, that may be assured that whatsoever befalleth him, shall be for his good, and that all things do work together for the best! I confess I have had myself so much comfort from that one promise, Rom. viii. 28. that I would not have been without it for a world. When I have had no particular discovery of the tendency of a providence, and under affliction, and the appearance of death, have had nothing from below to support me, that one promise hath appeared so full, that I thought if there were no more, it might abundantly supply my soul with consolation: what fear should we have of want, or enemies, of sickness, or death, or any thing that may be terrible to the flesh, as long as we know that all things do but conspire to our salvation? And though none of the wheels in the chariot of providence should know which way or whither they are moving themselves, yet do they all serve to convey us to our glory: it is a matter that is past the belief of the carnal world, but it is a certain, sealed truth, that when the persecutor is treading down and tormenting the poor, despised saints, it is the saint that is the gainer, and all this is for his good, and his ignorant enemy

VOL. VII.

n John vi. 51.

P

• Acts iv. 28.

is scouring off his rust, and preparing him for his master's use, and for his glory, and is himself the loser, and the miserable wretch, when he is highest in his honour, and deepest in his cruelty, and proudest in his triumphs. Why poor sinners, do not your hearts within you long to be partakers of this blessed state? Is it not worth all that you can do or suffer, yea, worth ten thousand worlds, to be such an one as I have now described to you? Why, you may be such if your own folly and neglect exclude you not, God hath not shut you out of the promise; O do not shut out yourselves by refusing his converting grace.

14. Another most excellent benefit to the converted, is, That they are past their greatest danger, and have done the greatest business of their lives, and now are ready for death and judgment, whensoever it shall come. Not that all danger is over, or all enemies yet overcome, or all their work done, nor that they are yet perfectly ready to die; but the main work is done, and the main conquest of the enemy is over, and the main danger is past, and in the main they are prepared for their change. What had we to do here but to prepare for glory, and in this short and troublesome life to get interest in a better, that shall never end? And with all that are truly converted this is done: at the very hour that God converted them, he made them his sons, he pardoned their sins, and gave them right to everlasting glory: when he gives you Christ, he gives you all things, or puts you into a condition wherein you may well think he will give you all things, Rom. viii. 32. O, happy day! may that man or woman say, as long as they live, when God did translate them out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of his dear Son! Many keep their birth-days as a day of rejoicing or feasting while they live, when Solomon saith, "the day of death is better than the day of birth P." But they that know the day of their new birth may well make that a day of rejoicing while they live. Oh! sirs, what a blessed change doth that one day or hour make, when God shall presently bring up the heart of a sinner to himself, and join them truly to Jesus Christ, and forgive all the sins that ever they did, and give them right to everlasting glory! You are like a man that is pursued by his enemies, and as

p Eccles. vii. 1.

soon as ever he can but get into such a castle or garrison, he is safe: so, when you first get into Christ by a living, effectual faith, that very hour were you out of the reach of the prevailing, commanding power of hell; then was the strong man cast out of your souls; then were you brought from under the curse of the law, and the wrath of God. If death had found you one hour before that change, you had been damned wretches in hell for ever: and if death should come but one hour after that change, you will certainly be glorified saints with Christ. This is true, sirs, how strange soever it may seem to you: and the reason is at hand, because that the hour before your conversion, you were the members of satan, you were in the flesh, and had no saving interest in Christ or in the promise: and the hour after true conversion, you are members of Christ and children of the promise, and have part in him who is Lord of all. I deny not but you must still "watch and pray, that you enter not into temptation;" and for all the "promise that is left you of entering into rest," you must "fear lest you should seem to come short of it." And you must still stand on your guard in all the spiritual armour, and work and fight out your salvation, and quit yourselves like men to the end: but yet I may well say that the main brunt is over; the enemy is dispossessed of his chiefest hold; he that ruled you is now cast out, and though he be not quite under your feet, yet he shortly will be: and your greatest business now is to keep him out and to stand on your defence, and "keep that you have, that none may take your crown from you;" and to follow on the conquered enemy, in the pursuit, till none remain: and to "grow in grace, and perfect your holiness in the fear of God," and cast out the remnants of your former filthiness. Hearken, therefore, poor sinners, and as ever you are friends to your own souls, neglect not that grace that would bring you into this condition. Would you not think yourselves happy, if it were thus with you?

15. Another most excellent benefit of the converted, is, That they are the rightful heirs of everlasting glory, and as soon as the soul is gone out of the body, they shall have possession of it: and at the day of judgment they shall have a blessed resurrection, and shall themselves be justified in

a Heb. iv, 1

r 2 Pet. iii. ult. 2 Cor. vii. 1. xiii. 9. Heb. vi. 1.

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