them undo and destroy themselves and become guilty of their blood 3. Chuse them not for your counsellors and companions Who would account it his commendation or profit to associate with a fool or make himself the intimate of one that is out of his wits None but fools delight in fools USE 4. It may exhort the people of God true Believers to great thankfulness to God for his wonderful love to you that you are by his grace restored to a sound mind as when we look upon one that is distracted and see what strange imprudent misguided foolish actions he performs it is a lesson to all that look on shewing them how deeply they are bound to thank God and how much they ow him for their wits and understandings so when we see what mad courses prodigal sinners drive how they are carried head-long after their own lusts go from God spend all in riot enslave themselves to Satan and wast away their time in the midst of restless and unsatisfying vanities neither knowing nor regarding an higher happiness labouring for husks and not filling of themselves and yet presuming that they are in a way to do well Oh how should you acknowledge that Grace from whence you have received more noble principles and are disposed to higher imployments That he hath given you a judgment and spirit of discerning between good and evil especially remembring that you had been once of that society and had lived in their Bedlam still if he who alone is the great Physitian of souls had not applyed his grace and so cured you of this distemper USE 5. It may also serve for a word of conviction to such as are in their natural estate let such be perswaded that they are beside themselves Were you but willing to consider of it there is enough to make it evident 1. In your departing from God and bidding him to go away from you who only can make you happy and who can make you miserable You forsake the fountain of living water 2. In your resolutely continuing in a course of sin which is nothing less than running upon a swords point and exposing of your selves to fearful plagues 3. In placing your hope and confidence in the creature which is empty and deceitful a broken cistern in which is no water Jer. 2. 13. 4. In laying all out upon your lusts which fight against your souls and are but sed and nourished to your utter undoing But I pass DOCT. II. God in order to the conversion of a sinner first works upon the understanding The first step to true conversion is Divine Illumination The Prodigal before he thinks of returning to his Father first comes to himself The ground of this is in three things 1. Man is a reasonable Creature and a cause by counsel of his own actions The understanding in man is the light in him by which he regulates all his wayes and as he seeth so he practiseth The reason why sinful men place their hopes in perishing things is because they call evil good This therefore is a main part of man's misery that his understanding is perverted Psal 53. 2 4. 2. Faith which is wrought in conversion is grounded upon knowledge Psal 9. 10. God dealeth with his creatures according to the manner of their being and acting Faith is a chusing and so a closing with God but every choise ariseth from a rational and convincing discovery of the sutablenese of the object chosen and preference which it is conceived to deserve above others now this discovery is made to the understanding which is the eye of the mind whereby it seeth and judgeth of things Hence 3. It is impossible that the heart of man which is naturally glewed to the vanities of the world and hath been deeply setled in his high opinion of it should ever be made to renounce cast off and utterly to refuse to have any thing more to do with them or to place any more confidence in them and make choice of God in Christ and preferr him above all till he be throughly enlightned in and fully perswaded of his own misery the creatures emptiness and the glorious fulness that there is in God The things which he hath so loved must appear to be evil and the God whom he hath forsaken must appear to be good an unknown evil is not forsaken an unknown good is not chosen Hence the absence of saving knowledge is the ground of destruction Hos 4. 6. Hence conversion it self is often Synechdochically called knowledge and understanding because that is a main ingredient in it And then a man begins to come to himself when he becomes to have a discerning of the truth of things USE 1. Here we have a rule directing us what course to take for the conversion of sinners we must imitate God in this if ever we would do sinners any good we must endeavour their conviction we must first deal with their understandings to raise the affections without informing the mind is a fruitlesse unprofitable labour and serves but to make zeal without knowledge Man must firs see before he will repent of his evil he must first know if ever he will love God Psal 9. 10. USE 2. It tells us that there are great hopes of men when they begin to come to themselves If God begins once to cure men of their frenzy to take them off their wild opinions and vain conceits of happiness in the profits pleasures and honours of this world to make them see the emptiness of these things and their own misery for want of a better stay to trust to these are in an hopeful way to conversion hence USE 3. To teach us what to pray for in behalf of unregenerate sinners i. e. that they may come to themselves that their eyes may be opened that God will illuminate their understandings and give them to see things in their nature truths in their plainness It may be they may think you beside your selves for so doing but it 's the greatest love you can shew them and the blessing which they nextly stand in need of Would God be pleased but to settle mens mindes and open their eyes we should soon hear them cry out of their own madness and folly and condemn their prodigality and riot and be earnestly enquiring after God and Christ and seeking something better than the world affords to save their sinking souls from perdition Act. 2. 37. SERMON XI 2. VVE are to take a view of the things deliberated which are two 1. Motives and encouragements to return to his father in the rest of the verse 17. in the which we have both the motives themselves and the way in which they became beneficial to him The general truth contained in these motives was before a matter of conviction to him it was that which made him to be in want but it wrought not kindly upon him till he came by serious consideration to apply it more closely to his own condition Before
condemnation the first grace must come from him and it is at his pleasure whether he will give you to believe or no. He hath indeed freely engaged himself in promise to believers but he hath not promised to you that he will make you such and if he do not you cannot since then the case is such that without Faith no Salvation and you no way deserve that God should give it you but have many wayes provoked him to deny it what remains but that you cast your selves down at his feet and ask it not only as beggars that deserve no alms but as traitors that have forfieted your lives and stand to the courtesie of their Prince of his own free favour to pardon and restore them 2. You that are believers here is that which may teach you to carry it humbly all your days and in all respects There is none hath more reason to be humble than a child of God whose all is of grace hath nothing but what he hath freely received in particular walk humbly towards God and towards man 1. Carry it humbly towards God and that both in respect of his special and spiritual grace and in respect of his outward Providences 1. In respect of his special and spiritual grace and the both in regard of the first gift of saving grace and progress of it 1. In respect of the first gift of saving grace let the constant remembrance of it serve to make and keep you humble And therefore remember 1. Who thou wast to whom God brought this grace Ezek. 16. begin One in thy blood 2. That thou didst nothing to the working of this great work Eph. 2. 9. Not of your selves 3. How much thou didst to obstruct it how often thou didst resist God's calls and counsels wert obstinate rebellious not hearkening to his Spirit shutting thine eyes stopping thy ears rising up against reproofs c. God often came to thee and entreated thee but thou hadst no mind to hear him but didst all thou couldst to have undone thy soul 4. The patience which the great God used with thee how long he waited upon thee pittying chine obstinacy bewailing the hardness of thy heart and would not let thee alone though many a time thou baddest him departfrom thee 5. Much meditate upon the distinguishing grace which was revealed in thy conversion 1. How few are saved and that thou shouldest be one of them 2. That thou art no better than they hast nothing more to commend thee to God than Cain or Judas had nothing out of God could move him 3. Thou didst many wayes more dishonour God before thy conversion than any of them did that young man Mat. 19. might shame thee 4. That the same means which hardened others converted thee And when thou hast laid all these things together put thy mouth in the dust and let God's converting grace make thee nothing in thine own eyes and let this grace never be forgotten but alwayes magnified by thee only by humility is converting grace glorified 2. In respect of the progress of grace in your souls the people of God meet with many changes exercises temptations and in these diversities of out-lettings and withdrawings of grace and without humility cannot carry it right in these interludes in particular 1. Limit not God to such a measure or or manner of the dispensation of his grace as we should desire all grace so we should be thankful for every portion of it Beggars must not be chusers Paul would have grace to vanquish temptation God would have him content with grace sufficient to keep him from being vanquished by it If you have any Grace it is a gift and if you would have more you must be humbled 1 Pet. 5. 5. 2. Be humble when God denies thee the special communication of grace Whether it be of enlarged assistance though ragged and poor and canst scarce do any thing but art ready to slip and fall thou hast earned nothing and God knows what is best for thee Or in respect of consolation thou hast not those ravishing apprehensions which thou wouldest but he seems to hide the light of his countenance complain not he is soveraign and just resolve to wait Isa 5. 17. Be not discontented Thou takest much pains waitest diligently on all means and their seems to be but little coming in let not this make thee weary thou art sowing it is not yet harvest grieve but fret not pray but pine not and know the harvest will come in God's time Gal. 6. 9. 3. Be willing to follow hard after God though through many difficulties We are forward while our way is fair but if grace comes to a tryal now we shrink and are discouraged But this is a time that calls for us to be humble we must now follow God as good souldiers we must endure hardship God is worthy to be followed it is his mercy thou hast any grace which may be exercised and the end shall be happy 1 Pet. 1. 7. 4. Humbly depend upon and go to God for all supplies of grace in every work you have to do Proud man would have his stock in his own hand to make use of when and as he pleaseth but God will have us to come and ask for every Grace wait on him for it and the humble soul will do so If you consider that you deserve nothing you will be glad that you may have it for asking Remember you are but Children and have not wisdom enough to manage your own stock but would soon prove bankrupts this should animate you that whatever you want God is ready to give if you ask Mat. 7. 7. 5. Carry it humbly towards God though he doth not bestow so much grace upon you as on others We are sometimes ready to say though I deserve nothing at God's hands yet I am as deserving as another God can afford such an one so much wisdom faith patience comfort c. and why may not I have it as well This spirit of envy and emulation is contrary to Humility and this very argument rightly improved might make thee silent Is God a free disposer is it his own that he gives and may he not deal it out at his liberty is thy eye evil because his is good doth not poor man challenge as great a liberty as this is and will you deny it God nay because thou art unworthy thou hast cause to be thankful that thou hast any at all when there are so many millions that have none and who hath made thee to differ from them yea call thy self to an account how hast thou husbanded thy little if ill that should humble and silence thee if well then comfort thy self that he who improved his two talents well had his master's Euge and entred into the Lord's joy yea how knowest thou but that their work and temptation is greater than thine and therefore stand in need of more 2. Carry it humbly in respect of Gods outward providences
to be brought into straits Things are here expressed as we heard according to appearance a man is not pinched with want till he feels it and is oppressed with it Hence DOCT. When God intends saving Grace to any he first makes them effectually sensible of their own miserable and undone state God in the ordinary and usual method of converting sinners under the means of Grace begins with the discovery of their empty needy poor and miserable condition Here began the ground and motive of the young man's returning to his Father though it did not presently work to this end had he not been reduced to the greatest straits he had never thought of returning his being in want was that which set him to seeking relief and this is it which did at last though not immediately drive him home Among the works ascribed to the spirit of God there are some which are called common and preparatory common because they may be found in Reprobates preparatory because they are wont in the Elect to be steps towards conversion or works preparing the soul as a rational Agent to entertain Christ as he is tendered in the Gospel The first of these works is Conviction which hath two things for objects viz. Sin and misery one is the cause the other the effect Conviction usually proceeds Analytically it first discovers the effect and from thence searcheth after the cause The conviction of misery is that which here hath its consideration that of sin follows afterwards The first remove of the young man was he felt himself to be in want he found when the famine came and encreased that now he had nothing to live upon In the Explication we may consider 1. What is this conviction of misery 2. How it is wrought 3. The reasons of the Doctrine 1. What is this conviction of misery Answ It is the first legal work that is usually wrought in a sinner making him to apprehend his present state of perdition notwithstanding all that is either in himself or in the world It is though not the full of a lost estate yet leading to it or a step towards it In the Description observe 1. I call it a legal work now Divines are wont to call those works legal 1. Which are usually wrought by the application of the Law in which is the curse and by which is the knowledge of sin Rom. 7. 8. Misery ariseth out of the curse and the curse comes upon the breach of the Law Gal. 3. 12. The Law therefore firstly discovers it 2. Which are common works and not in themselves saving and so the word legal is often used in Divinity of which nature is this before us Conviction of misery may befal hypocrites Isa 43. 14. Yea of it self this is hell begun in the soul or conscience 3. I call it the first legal work my meaning is that God usually begins here and so man for the most part is made to look upon the effect before he discovers the cause yea is led by it thereunto he first sees and feels misery upon himself and thence is led to see sin as the blameable meritorious cause of all this misery Man usually apprehends that he is condemned before he apprehends sin to be the just condemnation he feels himself miserable before he justifieth God for though it be sin which the law condemns and hence he must so far see sin as to know that he hath broken this law yet he is not made to know sin in its just merit but rather counts it a rigour of the law which makes him angry with that and not with sin Rom. 7. 5. 3. The proper effect of this conviction is to make him know and feel his perishing condition at present that he is now going to perdition viz. that he is under the curse of the law bound over to eternal death and that he is in the way to it being held under the curse the young man found himself perishing with hunger 4. The efficacy of this conviction is that it unmasks the former delusion under which he lay making him to see that he hath no remedy against this misery either in himself or in the world In respect to himself he finds that he hath spent all in regard to the world he finds that there is a famine in that land and the conclusion that ariseth from hence is that he is sensibly in what i. e. he still wants that freedom from the curse notwithstanding all God's favours or his interest in the creature this is the summe of this conviction in which though we must confess that there is a change now made in the sinner yet it is not a saving change of his state For 1. His state was as bad before only the difference is he then saw it not but now he doth he thought himself rich and the world a trusty friend both these were mistakes and now he finds them so to be so that the substance of rhis charge is now he is convinced that before he cheated himself Hence 2. His state is not properly mended by this conviction for though he sees his misery in some degree yet this sight doth not free him from it Conviction is not Conversion though God can when he pleaseth make it a step towards it Conviction doth not make any man really better though it doth give us hopes that where the spirit begins he may carry it on for Cain and Judas fared never the better by it though many souls have by Divine Grace 2. How this conviction is wrought Answ 1. If we speak of the Author or efficient Cause of this work it properly belongs to the spirit of God who in a work of common grace brings the creature to the sense and apprehension of this misery I deny not but that rational conviction may be gathered and applyed from the rational consideration of things but that this sensible conviction depends on a special work of the spirit appears 1. Because the same means of conviction are used with others who yet are not thus convinced We preach sin and misery to a great many discourse with them of the distressed condition of the poor prodigal man but it is but now and then one that is touched with remorce and cries out of it or acknowledgeth it sensibly 2. Because the same means may have been formerly used with this person and yet did not gain their effect It may be he had heard the same thing many a time and his judgment assented to it to be truth but yet he regarded it not nor was affected with it yea possibly he had had it more urged with more strength of argument and pressed with more morally perswasive motives by others but yet it never gained upon or got within him till now and why now rather than at any other time there was as much to have driven it home before it must needs therefore proceed from the power of the Holy Ghost working when he sees meet But 2.
ordinances been constant in duties now you find grace coming in upon these Faith to believe in Christ and rely upon him an heart subdued to obedience say not now that this is your own work you saw not how it came in but by this effect you are led up to the cause and must say the finger of God was in it Others have done the like for the matter of it and never the near You see that your labours with your Children or your servants are blessed your reproofs and counsels take effect think not now that you have done the work or deserve the praise of it but consider it God's blessing upon your labours which havh done all others have been as careful and yet can see no fruit God so dispenseth himself to the Children of men as to take away all boasting and when we look upon all our gains attainments we must conclude with Paul it is by the grace of God we are what we are Had not he come home to us we had never gone forth to him had not he been gracious to us we had died in our sins Have you seen your sin and misery he opened your blind eyes have you arose and gone to him he saw you first and being moved with compassion came to you and took you up in his arms Study therefore to live to the praise of his Grace and still wait upon him for the continuance of it for the compleating of your Salvation and bringing of you to glory knowing that he who hath begun a good work in you must also perfect it to the day of the Lord if ever it be done and except he leads you can never follow SERMON XXI THus much for the season now let us consider the manner of the Fathers carriage to his Son according as it is described 1. By the cause of it 2. By the effect or carriage it self 1. The cause of it he saw and had compassion 2. The effect He ran c. 1. To begin with the cause his seeing his Son and having compassion on him do not decipher two acts but only one God chuseth miserable man to be a subject of his mercy and makes his misery an occasion of discovering it but mans misery is not the impulsive cause but Gods mercy the meaning of the expression is that he looked upon him with a compassionate eye when lying in his misery and his own pity moved him to do as he did Divine Attributes the declarative glory whereof God designs in the World have a subject in which they are pleased to discover themselves but this subject doth not move them but they incline themselves to the subject The word Had compassion comes from a root that signifies bowels and the English of it is his bowels did earn and the bowels being the seat of the affections especially of pity Hence the word is used to express great and active pitty Thence DOCT. The compassion of God is the only moving cause prompting him to shew favour to a poor perishing sinner In the former Doctrine we heard that Grace prevents here we see what grace it is that first moves viz. The fathers compassion when once this begins to set it self on work he can sit still no longer but riseth runs c. Here consider 1. What the compassion is 2. The evidence and reason of the Doctrine 1. What is the compassion of God which leads him to shew favour to a sinner Answ Compassion when it is attributed to men or reasonable creatures is a compound affection made up of love and grief and admits of this description It is an affection stirring up the soul to be grieved at the discovery of some miserable object and moving of him to endeavour its succour or relief Affections are the feet of the soul and prime mover of the will of man hence they are moved with reason either true or apprehended and lead unto actions suitable to that motion now though God be in himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not capable of being moved with any outward object and unchangeable in his will and hence never more propense to any thing at one time than at another but performes all things according to the everlasting counsel of his will which is unalterable Yet speaking of himself after the manner of man he assumes affections as love hatred joy compassion c. And that because in operibus ad extra or in the works of providence there are such manifest fruits as are wont in men to proceed from such affections so that we may see something resembling this description in the present case observe then 1. The object of compassion is a miserable thing A creature brought into distress groaning under his misery and standing in need of his succour Such an one is the sinner he is one famishing and ready to dy he is the forlorn creature a miserable wretch going without hope to the pit an helpless creature whom no created being can relieve and rid of his misery he is both poor and perishing as we before heard 2. The affections which go into compassion are two 1. Grief whereby the mind is moved and troubled at the creatures misery the sight of it oppresseth the heart when he sees it he cannot tell how to bear the sight of it hence also often proceed sighs and tears of pity over the object Thus God also speaking in our dialect seeing poor Sinners in their misery expresseth himself like one whose heart is ready to burst Hos 11. 8. How shall I give thee up how shall I deliver thee my heart is turned my repentings are kindled And after like manner Jer. 31. 20. in this grief also we are wont to be troubled at our selves if we have done any thing to bring the creature into such a miserable condition and hence we relent and repent and so God also speaks of himself in the forecited Hos 10. 8. 2. Love for without love there can be no compassion hatred is inexorable it rejoyceth and triumpheth in the misery of its enemy and the more miserable it sees him the more it can rejoyce in it but compassion argues good will hence God useth such expressions concerning Ephraim Jer. 31. 10. Is Ephraim my dear Son is he a pleasant Child c. 3. The natural operation of this affection in us is to stir us up to do what we can for the succour of the person thus in misery If we do indeed throughly pity the condition of one that is in sorrow we cannot sit still this affection will hale men to action they will certainly afford the best help they can thus God by vertue of this compassion of his succours saves delivers the Sinner frees him from misery restoreth him to a better state this affection sets him on work Jer. 31. 20. My bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him 2. In the clearing up of the Doctrine consider 1. That God is a God of compassion 2. That
strengthens the other He hates Sin because he loves God c. Now the setting those affections on work and moving them to their proper object implies a sanctified change in them and no other reason can be given of their so acting 4. The affections being hand-maids of the will hence a change in them implies a change in the will and evidenceth that that is turned it signifies that the heart is altered from what it was for the will exerts it self in and by the affections When therefore we see a man truly to hate Sin and love God we know that his will is set fixed his choise is certainly made and where the will is changed there is conversion wrought where the soul hath indeed chosen God there is saving grace David therefore asserts his grace from this evidence Psal 73. 25. 5. Repentance is the exercise of the grace of Sanctification It is practical holiness which consists in this to be going from Sin to God Sanctification hath two parts in it Mortification and Vivification Repentance comprehends them both brings them in to use and continues them in practice Now Sanctification is a benefit of the new Covenant and a fruit of conversion one of the things for which Christ is given to us 1 Cor. 1. 30. and is wrought at conversion as hath been cleared Reas 2. Because as in Conversion the soul receives a principle and power of acting repentance so by this effect of God's wonderful love there are given to the soul abundant advantages for the helping forward the more kindly exercises of it The truth is all Evangelical motives to it are hence derived For 1. Converting grace makes sin appear in its own colours The sun-light of saving grace makes Sin look more ugly than ever Beauty and deformity are not discerned in the dark the candle-light of common conviction made but obscure discoveries Now he sees it Sin before he did not he had two discoveries of it before viz. 1. That it was displeasing to God his Law being against it 2. That it was a procuring cause of misery by reason of the curse These two he saw in the Glass of the Law But now grace discovers Sin to him 1. As contrary to the nature of God opposite to his holiness Hab. 1. 13. 2. Hence to be in it self an odious thing and that separate from the hell that follows He now sees the beauty of grace and that shews him the deformity of Sin 2. God's love manifested in Conversion discovers Sin under divers aggravations which before were not seen 1. That it was against that God who had loved him with an everlasting love Jer. 31. 3. 2. Against Jesus Christ who had shed his blood for his redemption from hell 3. Against the Holy Ghost that had so often striven with him had waited so long and left not till he had turned him and now sin appears sinful which before appeared only sorrowful USE 1. For information 1. We have here a note of distinction between a legal and a saving Repentance The Scripture makes mention of both it tells us of Ahab's repentance as well as of David's It puts one name upon things vastly different and if we would know how to distinguish them here is it to be discerned The one is effected by a spirit of Bondage the other by the spirit of Adoption the one is produced by teâ—â—ours the other by love the one confesseth 〈◊〉 Sin vomits up his morsels takes upon him a profession of holiness driven to it by the dismal reflexions of his own Conscience and apprehensions of the wrath to come the other is taken into embraces of amity confirmed with a kiss of favour and by this his heart is melted into Godly sorrow in his fathers arms he bemoans himself The truly broken heart is an heart broken with love 2. Here we see when is the genuine season of godly sorrow and the reason why a soul that is newly converted is so full of bitterness complaints and self accusations If a soul do not repent and bitterly mourn for Sin now when shall he before he could not in heaven there will be no room for it God the father the great Husband man of his Vineyard deals in great skil with the soul For having broken up the fallow ground of the heart and sown the seed of grace in it he now sends seasonable showres upon it to water the ridges thereof that it may be made to bring forth a plentiful Harvest Psalm 126. 5. When should showers more seasonably fall on the ground than when the seed is cast in Hence 1. They mistake themselves greatly who think that after Conversion the soul should do nothing but rejoyce as if there were now no room â—â—r sorrow for Sin and self abasement because their Sin is pardoned Whereas what doth more break an ingenious heart than the pardoning of so great offence and receiving him to favour after such grievous provocations God therefore when he hath made large promises of what he will do for his People tells us what shall be the fruit of this love of his Ezek 36. 31. Then shall you remember your evil wayes and loath your selves 2. Let it be for caution to such as are newly converted though now they are and ought to be in bitterness for Sin and to mourn for it before God yet have a care of giving Satan advantage thereby to weaken your faith and undermine the consolation arising from your interest in this grace Godly sorrow humility repentance are so to be exercised as to be helpful to the strengthening and not become impediments to the exercise of and activity of faith Hence make that the great incentive to Godly sorrow viz. the consideration that is against that God that loved you let Divine love be set against Sin and that will help both Faith and Repentance 3. Let others beware of irregular applications to such as are mourning for Sin and full of sorrow by reason of it Do not take pains to dry up those tears be not troubled at them but rejoyce It is a very pleasant sight an heart-comforting fight to see any truly mourning for Sin to give wise relief against despair is prudence but rather help and encourage godly sorrow Though fair weather be pleasant yet showers may be more suitable and make the earth more fertile Paul repents not to have been instrumental to so good a work 2 Cor. 7. 9 10. 3. Here we see a reason why those that have tasted most of the love of God and manifestations of his grace to their souls are most low and vile in their eyes The reason is because the more a soul hath had experience of the wonderful undeserved love of God it feels the more sensible convictions of its own unworthiness and vileness God's large expressions to David made him reflect upon himself and lay himself very low 2 Sam. 7. 18 19. If you are indeed truly converted and have received the grace of God you shall find
lyable every moment to fall into hells flames yea going to execution and what mother could ever rejoyce over her son that was going to suffer for his deserts or not wring her hands USE 1. This may give check to the mad mirth of ungodly sinners Hearken you merry Greeks that sport your selves in the world as the fishes do in the sea that cannot spare time from your jollity to have one serious thought Stay a little let me ask what cause why so jovial and facetious are you converted ah no! I know you will plead it is lawful to be cheerful that civilly in the enjoyment of the outward comforts of this life True but when when they are sanctified by the grace of God and made yours in the New-Covenant Get this title and then you may rejoyce in all Gods goodness till then take this bitter pill all the curses written in the book of God are upon you and all the things that you rejoyce in are tainted with them you are going to the pit and all these are but fatting you to the slaughter treasures of mercy are thus turned into treasures of wrath USE 2. Let this direct those that are the People of God what chiefly to rejoyce in It is our saviours advice Luk. 10. 20. In this rejoyce not that the spirits are subject to you but rather rejoyce because your names are written in Heaven Count that your only joy that the love of God hath appeared in translating of you from death to life and in regard of your Children do not take too much carnal delight in them one is comly and beautiful another active and spâ—ightly a third witty and pleasant they are good natured all these are good in their place and mercies of God but oh remember the want of saving grace dasheth the joy of all those and takes away their pleasancy If they are not converted as they were born under the curse so they are still held by it Oh then travail with pangs of holy care and sorrow for them till Christ be formed in them then will you have cause to rejoyce indeed till then think solemnly what if they may still be damned and separated from God for ever what then will all these things avail Long for their conversion and when once you see it now rejoyce as a mother over her first born son here is ground for that joy which shall never end but encrease till it grow up to Everlasting Hallalujah FINIS ERRATA PAge 19. line 5. for affirms read confirms p. 28. l. 8. for for r. from p. 59. l. 16. for work r. working p. 63. l. 27 for experiences r. expences p. 89. l. 29. for brible r. bribe p. 94. l. 4. for remove r. remorce p. 96. l. 18 for charge r. change p. 132. l. 2. for ye r. yet p. 132 l. 2. for are r. for p 142. l. 17 for charmes r charmers p 157 l 6. for so r. for p 186 l 3 r plenty p 215 l 3 r be p 220 l 19 r as ae cause p 222 l 21 r this p 223 l 25 r by p 236 l 26 r desert p 244 l 25 r contumely p 256 l 7 r his p 257 l 24 r not p 286 l 18 r him p 294 l 18 r which p 302 l 21 r his p 303 l. 12 r terrours l 20 r regulated p 308 l 3 r this p 309 l 20 r deal p 358 l 3 r sincere p 376 l 29 r prevent The Reader is desired besides errors in letters and pointings to correct these more observable