Majesty and Holiness of God especially considering he is alwaies by you and tryes your very Hearts and Reins The greatness of that God with whom you have to do should make you afriad to dally and trifle with him If you think he will be mock't you will find to your cost that you deceive your selves Oh stoop with the most profound Submission to this glorious Sovereign of Heaven and Earth 'T is the heighth of Madness for you that are so infinitely below Him and so wholly under his Power to refuse subjection to Him. He is Glorious in Holiness Exod. 15. 11. He can as soon cease to be himself as cease to be an Hater of the workers of Iniquity A fuller Perswasion of Gods Holiness and that his Holiness is his Glory will make you more sensible of the Necessity of turning from Sin and that Holiness will be your Glory and Perfection He that is changed and made a Convert is made a Glorious Creature and as this change is carried on there is still a Progression from Glory to Glory by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3. 18. Gods Nature is pure every Word of God is pure He is Righteous in all his wayes and Holy in all his Works Psal 145. 17. Oh cry incessantly that you may partake of a nev of the Divine Nature that a clean heart may be created in you that your Lips may be Pure your Words true and Gracious and that you may be Holy in all manner of Conversation Are not Gods eyes upon your wayes does not he hear all your words does not he weigh your very Spirits your whole man is under his Observation let there be a turning to God with your whole man. Sincerity in Conversion and hypocrisie are both known and only Sincerity has Gods love and liking 7. When you turn to God behold him as he is in Christ else there is no access to him nor acceptance with him After Adams fall the Mediator is presently revealed the Seed of the Woman that was to break the Serpents head Gen. 3. 15. The old Serpent by Sin had made a Rupture and breach between God and Man Now Christ the Mediatour is He that makes up the breach again and so destroyes the work and frustrates the design of Satan If God be lookt upon in Christ there is all manner of Encouragement to return to him He is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him Heb. 11. 6. He is good and ready to forgive and plenteous in Mercy to all that call upon him Psal 86. 5. The Prodigals Father was not more forward who ran to embrace his returning Son than God is to receive returning Sinners If you would return to God indeed you must take Calvaâ—y in your way you must know Jesus Christ and him Crucified 1 Cor. 2. 2. The Saints of old that were in Heaven before the Son of God was manifested in the Flesh as well as those that went thither afterward were all brought nigh to God by the Blood of his Cross Col. 1. 20. You cannot know and turn to the only true God so as to be received by him unless you know and receive Jesus Christ whom he has sent But if you behold God in Christ unbelief appears unreasonable despair is a monstrous absurdity You may perceive Love in the Lords looks his Justice fully satisfied his Anger all gone his Repentings kindled his Bowels yearning and you cannot so much desire Mercy as He delights in shewing it The true Convert to God must be a Believer in Jusus who is the way to the Father As God will not draw nigh to Man so Man cannot draw nigh to God any other way 8. With great earnestness implore the Spirits aid Be sure to grieve that you have grieved Him and acknowledge 't is just that for your grieving him he should leave you to your selves but beg his presence and his assistance that he would help you and make you truly constantly willing to be helped Adams Body was formed of the Dust of the Ground but was a lifeless Corps till God breathed into it the Breath of Life Till the Spirit of Life enters into you you are without Life or Motion towards God therefore with all seriousness ask the Spirit You come to God through the Son as the Mediator that procures access and opens the way but 't is by the Spirit as by Him who both inclines and strengthens you to come to Him Eph. 2. 18. The Promise of the Spirit is of ancient date implied in the Promise of the Messiah and very frequently expressed Under the New Testament Dispensation a more plentiful effusion of the Spirit is Promised Parents that are evil if their Children ask bread will not give them a stone to hurt them nor instead of a Fish a Serpent to sting them And if they give good gifts to their Children much more will the Father in Heaven give his Spirit to them that ask him There is hardly a more encouraging Word to Sinners in the whole Bible if they are inclined or would be inclined to have the Spirit given them And if the Holy Spirit be given you you will have Light and Life and Liberty Conviction antecedent to Conversion Conversion it self and Consolation afterwards are all of them the Works of the Spirit And be sure to observe the Accesses of the Spirit Sometimes the Wind blows fair and strong for Heaven now hoise up thy Sail that thou mayest receive the Gale sometimes by his Convictions motions strivings you may perceive the Spirit is very near you by a clearer and more affecting Light he shews you that turning to God is your Duty and Advantage and he very much presses you to it Nunc sunt Mollissima fandi Tempora Now is the time to speak and speed in your Supplications for the Spirit that he may thoroughly Convert you and consecrate you to the Lord and abide in you for ever 9. Would you be Converts in Truth give your whole Hearts to God and never be satisfied till you feel you love him above all Let the Lord have your Hearts to search them that all even the most secret evils there may be detected and being detected may be detested and abhorr'd Sin sometimes may be restrained from breaking out in the Life and yet then may be regarded and reign in the Heart Be willing to know the most inward spiritual wickedness that lies quite out of the sight of others and being acquainted with it consent to have it purged away Give your Hearts to God that he may possess employ and rule them at his Pleasure Tell the Lord that the very Throne is for him and that your Souls and all that is within you are ready to be at his command and that you consent every Lust should be slain because it would not that he He should reign over you In what a safe hand is the Heart when 't is in Gods how pure and excellent is it made with what Beauty does it
importunity and solicitations of Satans Instruments but for a Man to be at defiance with himself to be continually almost chiding loathing crossing and opposing himself in this lies the most difficult part of the Christian warfare Within the Converts own Breast is the very heat of the Battel Oh what striving is there against Self-exalting Imaginations what struggling against Self-will and selfish affections and designs And with good reason is Self thus opposed by the Convert since Self does so much oppose the Converts Salvation And if turning be thus Self-denying the prevalency of carnal Interest and the power of Self among Professors of Religion proves that though they are externally Called yet there are few sincere Converts among them How tender are they in point of Gain and Honour and Reputation every person and thing that here stands in their way is a great eye-sore Religion shall stoop to worldly Interest this shall be secured though Faith and Conscience be cast over-board Thus have I consider'd Conversion with reference to the Sinner himself Fourthly Conversion may be consider'd with reference to God The Sinner forsakes him and rebels against him the Convert â—eturns and submits to him 'T is God that â—alls to Conversion and 't is Conversion to â—imself that he calls for Zech. 1. 3. Turn â—e unto me saith the Lord of Hosts and I â—ill turn unto you saith the Lord of Hosts 1. Conversion is a turning to the living â—nd true God 1 Thes 1. 9 10. Ye turned to God from Idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for his Son from Heaven â—ven Jesus who delivered us from the Wrath â—o come The glorious and gracious Jehoâ—ah who made Heaven and Earth and â—reserves and governs all things who promised a Seed to Adam that should bruise â—he Serpents Head who renewed his Coveâ—ant with Abraham who spake from Mount Sinai to Israel who has deliver'd lively Oraâ—les by the Prophets and Apostles in the Hoâ—y Scriptures and who is the God and Faâ—her of Jesus Christ and has sent him to â—e a Propitiation and Saviour this Jehoâ—ah is the only living and true God and â—s such is known and acknowledged by â—very true Convert 2. Conversion is a turning to God for Himself Jer. 4. 1. If thou wilt return O Isâ—ael saith the Lord return unto me q. d. 〈◊〉 Israel expect all safety protection all manner of Benefits and Blessings from my hand but place thy principal happiness in my self The Hypocrite seems to turn and seek unto God but 't is for the Creatures sake his Security or advantage is in his Eye The Convert by the Creatures is led unto God and though he should receive never so many temporal Mercies he would look upon himself as miserable unless with the Mercies he enjoyed the Father of them 3. Conversion is a choosing of God before all things such a choice is wise and rational Moses saw Him that is Invisible and saw so much in him that the Egyptian Crown and Throne were esteemed trifles in comparison of Communion with the God of Israel The Psalmist though he had just had a sight of worldly Mens Prosperity and was ready to envy them their happiness yet going into the Sanctuary he did discern that in God which eclips'd and obscured the whole World with all its Wealth and Dignity and made it look but like a great and empty Bubble and he cries out Psal 73. 25. Whom have 〈◊〉 in Heaven but Thee and there is none oâ— Earth that I desire besides Thee The Convert chuses God for his Portion and accounts no other heritage so goodly He had rather have the Lord to be his God his own God as the Phrase is Psal 67. 6. and â—o enjoy the light of his countenance than â—o have the greatest abundance of Corn and Wine and whatsoever on Earth is call'd desirable There is a twofold enjoyment of God on Earth and in Heaven On Earth God is known but in part and Sin remaining in the very best is still a bar unto compleat Communion with him which shall be the priviledge of all that come to Heaven The Convert values fellowship with God in his Ordinances but principally â—ongs for the Vision of God face to face in his Kingdom he begs to be kept in the path of Life and to be brought at last to that heavenly City which has eternal foundations in which God does for ever vouchsafe his glorious Presence where God himself is All in All where there is fulness of Joy and Pleasures forevermore Psal 16. â—ult 4. Conversion is a devoting the whole Man to God. 'T is said of the Macedonians that most willingly they gave of their substance to a good use and they gave their own selves unto the Lord 2 Cor. 8. 5. Whos 's I am says the Apostle and whom I serve Act. 27. 23. 'T is the very Language of a Convert and he speaks it from his Heart The Convert is sensible he is not a Debtor to the flesh to live after the flesh Fleshly Lusts do war against the Soul and he that lives after the flesh shall dye Neither is he a Debtor to the World the World is not worthy of his Heart which can neither be a sufficient Price for Mans Redemption nor affords him any true Contentment But the Convert reckons himself a Debtor to God as his Creator Preserver Owner Redeemer and to be under innumerable Obligations to be subject to Him and active and zealous in his Service Well may Religion be styled Righteousness for all the acts of it which the Lord calls for he justly claims as due to him And since those bonds which Converts are under are bonds of Love and Kindness as well as Duty 't is most unreasonable for any to say as Psal 2. 3. Let us break these bands asunder and cast away these cords from us 5. Conversion to God is a transformation into his Image and Likeness 2 Cor. 3. 17 18. VVhere the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty and we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory The Apostle intimates that the Image of God is Mans glory and that his glory is the greater the more fully this Image is instampt upon him and that all that are Converted are changed into this Image Not a true Convert but partakes of the divine Nature and escapes the Corruption that is in the World. This Image of God consists in Knowledge Righteousness Holiness and Dominion over the Creatures All these things were lost by Adam's defection all are recovered in Conversion and the recovery is more compleat as Conversion is progressive The Convert is called out of Darkness into marvellous Light his Heart is made pure and clean his Works are righteous and the Creatures no longer Lord it over him but he makes them subservient to the religious designs he is carrying on Converts are in a sense the
understanding this Joy is unspeakable and full of glory How large and lasting is the Foundation that the Converts Joy is built upon he rejoyces in Christ Jesus as a Saviour to the uttermost he rejoyces in God as the best of Fathers as a Portion for ever he rejoyces because his Name is written in the Book of Life and shall never be blotted out he rejoyces because he shall want no good thing in this World and the evils that are his exercise shall work together for his good he rejoyces finally because in the next World his Joy will be full and without any mixture of Grief or any reason for Trouble in Gods glorious Presence and his Pleasures will not be like those of sin only for a season but will last for evermore Psal 16. ult Conversion then will not rob you of Delight but make it truer greater and better grounded whereas the Pleasures of the Unconverted are but meer Delusions Dreams and are chased away like Night-visions Obj. 5. In the fifth place there be that argue thus against Conversion If we turn to God we shall be exposed to Contempt and Reproach How many Mouths will be open'd against us how many Tongues will speak evil of us we shall perfectly be made the meer foot-balls of disdain if we become indeed religious Ans 1. A wise Man should not be concern'd at the disesteem of Fools and Mad men so wicked men are called and such and no better indeed they are If all the poor Lunaticks in Bedlam should deride you because of your sober Carriage you would not mind them unless it were to pity them because you would know your selves to be in your Wits and them to be out of theirs When wicked ones do make a mock of Sin 't is a sign that they are in a spiritual sense delirious and when they prate against Religion this is really their frantick raving 2. To be Reproached is better than to be Commended of the World You would be none of the best your selves if you had the good word of all that are bad Christ himself sayes Woe unto you when all men shall speak well of you Luk. 6. 26. Reproach for Religion and Righteousness sake is a far greater Honour than the esteem of all the Men of the World. The Apostle Paul was so far from being discouraged that he took Pleasure in Reproaches 2 Cor. 12. 10. And Moses before him had esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt Heb. 11. 26. 3. Better Men reproach thee for thy Conversion than Conscience reproach thee for thy Obstinacy The reproaches of an awakened a wounded Conscience will be very terrible not to be denied not to be answered not to be endured As long as Job's Heart did not reproach him but witnessed his Integrity Job 27. 5 6. he could bear his unfriendly Friends Censures and Reproaches the better 4. Whatever the World judges Conversion is exceedingly for the honour of all that are Converted All Unconverted ones are really vile and abominable slaves to their lusts the unclean Spirits drudges they are most basely employed because employed in works that are evil But the Convert has a real excellency he partakes of a new of a divine Nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. How highly is he advanced who is promoted to be a Child an Heir of God a Joint-heir with Christ Priestly nay Kingly dignity is put upon him Rev. 1. 6. Oh mind not the scoffs and scorn of the foolish To have God to be your Father Christ your Brother the Holy Angels ministring Spirits to you to be enriched with Grace and at last Crown'd with Glory cannot justly be look'd upon as a matter of disgrace to any Obj. 6. There be some that further Object against Conversion This is a thing may cost us very dear we may come hereby to suffer the loss of Liberty Estate and Life how many Thousands of Martyrs have there been since there was a Church gather'd out of the World and Converted to God through Christ Jesus Death came to these before the time and came with Violence and the Torments they endured made them suffer many Deaths in one 'T is terrible to be stoned sawn asunder slain with the Sword burnt to ashes at a stake or if it come not to this 't is sad enough to wander about in sheep-skins and goat-skins being destitute and afflicted and forced to dwell in Dens and Caves of the earth Flames Swords Racks Gibbets are none of the most taking things to perswade unto Conversion Unto this affrighting Objection I thus Answer Ans 1. Though all should count the Cost of being Converts and reckon upon the Cross yet all are not put upon bearing the heaviest part of it though many have sail'd through a very tempestuous Ocean to Heaven yet many have also through a calmer Sea arrived safe thither The Church of Christ has its lucid Intervals and for many years in some places there is not the fiery Tryal The God whom they serve takes away the righteous very frequently from the evil to come Isa 57. 1 2. and they are safe at rest above before the storm here below rises 2. There is a Promise made to Converts of so much of this World as God sees to be good for them and he is best able to judge what is indeed convenient So that Godliness is really a gainful thing and has the Promise of the Life that now is as well as of that which is to come 1 Tim. 4. 8. While the Lord sees it expedient his Saints should keep their temporal enjoyments that fence his Providence has set about them will secure them from the sons of violence Heb. 13. 5 6. Let your Conversation be without Covetousness and be content with such things as ye have for He hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee So that we may boldly say the Lord is my helper I will not fear what man can do to me 3. All losses for Religion are sanctified and the Soul gains so much Grace and Peace when temporal goods are taken away that in point of value the Sufferer receives in this life an hundred-fold Mar. 10. 30. He that receives a Wedge of massy Gold from the hand that took away a few Farthings has he reason to complain of being a looser less reason has he to cry out of loss who has less of the World but much more Grace and spiritual Joy than ever 4. If Converts are called to Martyrdom and extraordinary Trials extraordinary Strength shall be vouchsafed for God is faithful who will not suffer any of his to be tempted above what they are able 1 Cor. 10. 13. The greater the Saints sufferings are the greater honour is put upon them and the greater is their support and comfort Abundant Sufferings and abundant Consolation to sweeten them go together 2 Cor. 1. 5. For as the Sufferings of Christ abound in us so our Consolation also aboundeth by Christ 'T is ill
from every thing but Grace and Grace then is perfected in Glory The end of the upright and sincere Convert is Peace Psal 37. 37. and a peaceful Death is the forerunner of an everlasting Rest If he should dye in a Cloud he would shine not at all the less brightly in another World all sin and fears and tears will be gone as soon as he enters into Heavens door and sees his Lord there If he sets as the Sun in the clearest Summers evening his Death is encouraging to others comfortable to himself but ten thousand thousand times more Comfort will he presently have as soon as ever he is got out of and is absent from the body and is present with the Lord 2 Cor. 5. 8. I have done with the Motives to Conversion And now for shame be silent all tongues that talk against turning to God! Apostate Angels be for ever mute what Adversaries and lying Spirits are ye in disswading Man from Conversion and in asserting that though he turn not he shall not surely dye And Carnal Reason confess thy self quite baffled with strength of Argument and that not one word more of good sense can be spoken against the Sinners Conversion which is so much for his Interest both in time and to eternity VSE V. Of Direction how Sinners may become true and thorough Converts It greatly concerns you to be sincere in turning for in this matter you have chiefly to do with God himself who can't be deceived with the fairest shews but understands perfectly the most secret thoughts inclinations and purposes of the Hearts of Men every upright Heart is open to him and he takes Pleasure in the uprightness which himself has wrought And if there be nothing but Hypocrisie under the greatest Profession that Hypocrisie is both observed and abhorred Any thing short of true and thorough Conversion will be a dangerous Cheating of your selves therefore that you may be Converts indeed I shall give you these Directions 1. Let spiritual Wisdom and Knowledge be valued as that which is of great price and usefulness He that is indeed a Convert is called out of darkness into marvellous light 1 Pet. 2. 9. In this Verse where my Text lies Converting the Soul and making Wise the Simple are joyn'd together the one is necessary and subservient to the other That Devotion of which Ignorance is the Mother is indeed a following of blind and deluded or crafty and deluding Guides but a turning to and a following of God it is not Be well Catechized and Instructed in the Principles of the Scripture-doctrine let a true Light be set up in your Understandings The Mind is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the leading Faculty 't is needful it be well Informed In the first Creation when Darkness covered the face of the deep God said let there be Light and there was Light Gen. 1. 2 3. and thus it is in the new Creation and Conversion 2 Cor. 4. 6. God who commanded the Light to shine out of Darkness hath shined into our Hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Search for Knowledge in the Scripture as you would search for Silver or hid Treasure and look up to Heaven for light and ability to understand it that you may know Christ and God in him and what you are to believe desire and do in order to your Happiness You can't be made wise to Salvation unless you are first made wise to Conversion And as you are to acquaint your selves with so you are firmly to assent to the Doctrine revealed in the Word of God and the more strongly you credit whatever the Word sayes the more powerful influence will this Faith have upon your Conscience Will and Life Vnbelief is the root of defection and departing from the living God Heb. 3. 12. If the arm of the Lord be revealed his Power shewn forth and cause the report of the Word all the Promises and Threatnings of it to be indeed believed this will have a mighty efficacy towards the Souls return to God again 2. That you may become true Converts be sensible that all Mankind are fallen by Iniquity and are estranged from God and you in particular are by Nature far off from Him. The Lord indeed made Man upright but he has sought out many Inventions Eccles 7. ult New wayes he thought to have found of being higher and happier but while through the subtilty of the old Serpent he catcht at a shadow he lost the substance and became both foolish and miserable Adam the first Man corrupted the humane Nature and as thus corrupted you partake of it so that you are by Nature Children of Wrath your Hearts are desperately wicked dangerously deceitful and returning to God is that which they have a strange and strong antipathy against The more you are sensible that your Hearts are thus depraved and alienated from Gâ—â— the more jealous you will be of them and the more earnest for that new Heart and new Spirit which the Lord has Promised in his new Covenant Ezek. 36. 26. Perceiving and being burthen'd with a Distemper is a good step towards a Cure especially if an able Physician is ready to heal any that will but make use of him A right sense that Sin has set you at a distance from God and that those who are far from him shall perish Psal 37. 27. will have a mighty tendency to your being brought nigh to him by the Blood and Spirit of the Lord Jesus And truly He that in the daies of his Flesh was so ready to heal corporal Maladies is much more willing to heal the corrupted Nature and to change and turn the Heart of every one that seriously cries Turn me and I shall be turned heal me and I shall be healed save me and I shall be saved for thou art my Praise 3. Let Humiliation for Sin be very hearty and very deep A Soul that never was truly humbled for its iniquities still retains a liking of them and is more easily tempted to return to them Humiliation serves very much to break the league with Sin the Covenant with Death and Hell. The Apostle Paul who at his Conversion was deeply abased was made to tremble and to be astonished Act. 9. 6. seeing his Sin the insufficiency of his Pharisaical Righteousness and that he was so far from Salvation that he persecuted the onely Saviour after this low Humiliation how thorowly was his Heart turned to God! how precious was Jesus to his Soul how circumspectly did he walk how abundantly did he labour how patiently and joyfully did he suffer for Righteousness sake how constantly did he keep the Faith and finish his course till he got the Crown In true Humiliation there is a mixture of fear and sorrow and shame and upon these does follow holy anger and indignation Look up to Heaven behold the great and glorious God against whom every one of your Sins have
without him O now the Soul honours God above all By these and such like acts of the Soul God is chiefly honoured therefore turning must of necessity be with the Soul. 3. The Soul must turn because it is the Soul that yields Obedience to the great commands both of the Law and Gospel There is not so much as one Precept either in the Law or in the Gospel kept aright unless the Soul keeps it The summ of the Law is Love but Love must be with the Heart and Soul nay it must be with all the Heart and with all the Soul or else it is but a meer shadow and appearance it is but like the Picture of Fire that hath no more heat in it than the Picture of Snow Heark what our Lord saies to him that asked Him Which is the great Commandment in the Law Jesus answered Mat. 22. 37 38. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart and with all thy Soul and with all thy Mind And as the Law calls for Love so it requires Spiritual Worship God is jealous of his Worship and he will accept of none but that which is worship in Truth John 4. 24. God is a Spirit and he will be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth Now there cannot be worship in Truth unless it be worship in Spirit All worship is but false and if it be false it must needs be vain that doth not proceed from the Spirit of the Worshipper If you should imploy many hours in a day in pattering over a great many Words that either you don't understand or if you do you don't mind all this would be unacceptable nay it would be abominable Then for the Gospel The two great commands of the Gospel are Faith and Repentance neither of these can be obeyed without the Heart It is the Soul and Heart that believes Rom. 10. 10. With the Heart man believeth unto Righteousness and with the Mouth Confession is made unto Salvation And as for Repentance it is impossible that should be true unless the Spirit be contrite unless the very Heart be broken Tears Complaints walking softly rending the Garments wallowing in Ashes this will not prove the truth of Repentance the Heart must be broken or else you have not truly repented Psal 51. 17. The Sacrifices of God are a broken Spirit a broken and a contrite Heart O God thou wilt not despise And so in Psal 34. 18. The Lord is nigh to them that are of a broken Heart and saveth such as be of a conitite Spirit 4. Lastly The Soul must turn to God because Judgment at the great day will be according to Truth Then the Secrets of all Men will be made manifest when the Lord appears he will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the Counsels of the Heart and then shall every man have Praise of God 1 Cor. 4. 5. At the great Day all things all Persons will be called by their proper Names Hypocrisie will be called Hypocrisie and Saints will be called Saints No Hypocrite will be owned for a Saint at that day nothing that is counterfeit will pass for currant the Judgment of God will be according to Truth In the day of Judgment only Conversion with the Heart Conversion with the Soul will pass for true Conversion Sincerity will be owned and it will be Crowned Hypocrisie will be unmasked and which should exceedingly startle all unsound Professors of Religion Hell is in a special manner called The Portion of the Hypocrite as it is said to be prepared for the Devil and his Angels I have shewed you when the Soul may be said to be converted unto God I have proved till then Conversion can never be sincere I have demonstrated the Necessity of Conversion with the Soul. The Application of this Doctrine remains I shall be but brief upon it There are two Uses that I shall make By way of Information in the first place And by way of Exhortation in the second place From this Doctrine we may be informed concerning several particulars 1. If sincere Conversion be with the Soul hence we may inferr the Souls Capacity The Soul is chiefly receptive of the Grace of God. It is the Soul of Man that doth principally partake of the divine Nature The Soul of Man hath a natural resemblance of God because as God is a Spirit so the Soul of Man is a spiritual and an immortal Substance And then the Soul doth spiritually resemble God when it is renewed in the spirit of the Mind and when true Holiness by the Spirit of the Lord is wrought in it Eph. 4. 23 24. 2. Hence I inferr the Souls great worth and value Gods Eye is upon your Souls all the while you are in his presence and though you do never so much if you deny him your Hearts and Souls you do nothing that he will accept at your hands Thousands of Rams ten thousand rivers of Oyl the first-born for the transgression the fruit of the body for the sin of the Soul as the Prophet speaks Micah 6. 7. What doth all this signifie All this is nothing nay let me tell you it is worse than nothing Souls are of great account with the Father of Spirits How much was done how much was paid that Souls might be redeemed And therefore in all your Services your Souls must be ingaged or else the ingaging is to no purpose The Conversion of one single Soul to God is more pleasing to him than the most laborious and heartless services of all the Hypocrites from the beginning of the World to the very end of it these Services are so far from being pleasing that they are expresly affirmed to be an abomination unto God. 3. Hence I inferr the difficulty of Conversion If the Soul must be converted certainly Conversion is a very difficult thing It is comparatively more easie though hard still but comparatively it is more easie to order the conversation to bridle the tongue But to rule the spirit to bring the thoughts into Captivity to alter the bent and natural inclination of the Will and to raise the Affections towards those things that are above to make them prized and pursued that before were things utterly sleighted this is difficult indeed and really the difficulty would be insupâ—rable were it not for the Resurrection of Christ and the Power of that Resurrection shewed forth by the Spirit of Christ Before a Soul can turn to God it must be new made it must experience the power of Christs Spirit and it must rise with Christ or else it can never in good earnest seek those things that are above Col. 3. 1 2. Lastly Hence I inferr that in Examining whether we are Converted or no a special Eye must be upon our Hearts and Souls We must take our Souls to task and strictly try them and see what is most suitable to them what they love best and what it is that they desire most And if