earthâ— and sometimes drives them to work fearful Trageâ—dies upon themselves as it did Judas Mat. 27. 4. 3. And there are Eternal Sorrows in their inventorâ— and these are the Consummation of miseries and reaâ—â— both to body and soul and for these they are reseâ—ved and making hast to them and if they shoulâ— in a great measure escape the other yet these wiâ—â— without fail sieze upon them and swallow then up of endless destruction There is an Everlasting Separation from God the fountain of life to which they are adjudged and there is a place prepared so them in the Lake which burns with fire and brimstonâ— where the flames of their torments will ascend for eveâ— There is in that place a worm that will not dy whicâ— will then make a prey of them and plague theiâ— world without end which will make them â—â— roar out by bitter reflections on the Grace theâ— despised and the opportunities of making thâ— peace with God which they regarded not Theâ— is the Company of Devils who will be also their toâ—mentors with whom they are to be fellow share◠〈◊〉 those burnings and all the Damned Souls which â—ave been their Companions in sin with whom â—hey shall have a sorrowful Communion when they â—hall curse and ban each other for having been â—nstruments of bringing one another to that fearâ—ul place And there will be the contemplation of the Joys of the blessed between whom and them â—here is an impassible Gulf fixed which will embitâ—er their own Sorrows to them especially when â—hey remember that they once had the offers of â—he same blessedness and been fairly and long â—reated with about it These and innumerable more beyond our computation are the Sorrows â—hat all wicked men are entitled to and are so enâ—aâ—led upon them that they cannot get rid of them â—f they persist in their ungodly courses because a just and powerful God hath pronounced the senâ—ence on them and will see to the full execution of it in due time 2. For the greatness of these Sorrows we may make some estimate of it if we look on them under these considerations 1. In respect of the author of them and that is no â—â—â—er but God himself He saith Amos 3. 6. Is there â—â—y evil in the City and the Lord hath not done it Aâ— the offence which wicked men do give by their wickedness is against him so it is he who hath â—oth appointed and also executes these penalties â—or it The threatning of it is called the burden of 〈◊〉 Lord and when Sinners undergo the punishment of Sin they are said to fall into the hands of the living God Heb. 10. 31. And needs must it be a searful thing for if it be God that falls upon thâ— Sinner in his wrath he will do it like himself Isâ— 47. 3. He will be known to be God in these as wâ— as in his other works Psal 9. 16. 2. In regard of the merit of sin for which thâ—â— sorrows are inflicted They are the punishments oâ— it and if that be great there will be some proportion in this The least Sin is capital the laâ— speaks of nothing less than Death as the recompense of it Rom. 6. 23. Ezek. 18 4. And there â—â— reason for it for all sin is rebellion against the greaâ— God it is a coming short of his Glory Rom. 3. 2â— It doth what in it lieth to dethrone him it rejecâ— his Government and saith he shall not reign oveâ— us The Scripture every where renders sin vilâ— and provoking to let Sinners know what they arâ— to expect from God on the account of it 3. Respecting the Subject of these sorrows and thaâ— is not the body only but the soul too it is the wholâ— man this emphasis Christ puts upon it Matth. 10. 20â— There are outward bodily troubles that are verâ— great and almost intolerable enough to make meâ—â— tremble at the thoughts of them and roar undeâ— the impression and we may suppose that question proposed with regard to them Ezek. 22. 14. Câ—â— thine heart endure c. But alas these are smalâ— compared with those spiritual Sorrows which sieaâ— the Souls of men when he fills them with horrouâ— and deadly despair ask Cain ask Judas else naâ— David doth not complement or Hyporbolize Conteâ—â— Verse 3 4. 4. From the multitude of these Sorrows Supposâ— â—â—em light and easy in their single consideration â—â—t all together will make an insupportable weight â—â— must needs sink the sinner to ly under the countâ—â—ss plagues which the threatnings contain in them One grain of Sand is not heavy but it will crush â—â— man to death to have all that are on the Seaâ—hore laid upon him so he complains Psal 40. 12. â—nnumerable evils have compassed me c. therefore my â—eart fails me 5. From the design of them As they are not â—asual but come by Divine appointment so God â—ath a design in them now as they are not grateâ—ul but afflictive to them that suffer them so they were not mans lot by Creation but were procured by his sin Jer. 2. 17. And they are the punishments of it and for that reason were put into the threatning and made a Sanction of the Law that then which God aims at in them is to display his Holiness and particularly to shew his hatred of Sin in the Triumphs of his Revenging Justice Now because Sin is a very hateful thing to him the sorrows which he inflicts upon Sinners to discover this are very great else they would not be a witness to this great truth It is said Psal 7. 11. God is angry with the wicked every day Now if he be angry but a little it is enough to destroy men Psal 2. 12. What must it be then when he gives scope to his fury to burn them up in a fire that canâ—â—â— be quenched So he threatens Jer. 4. 4. 6 From the Duration of them We are wont to â—ay a light burden grows heavy by being long â—orn Now there are not only temporary and passing sorrows that belong to wicked men bâ—â—â—hose that are the worst for their kind are also everlasting that must needs put a fearful weight to them that expression of our Saviour Mark 9 44. The worm dies not and the fire is not quenched carries horrour in it to those that find themselves appointed subjects of these and when we have put all these things together they must represent these sorrows very great USE 1. For INFORMATION in a few particulars 1. Learn hence that wicked men have no cause to boast nor Godly men to envy There is too much of this in both respects and the ground or occasion of it is this there is a day of Gods patience towards Sinners in this world in which his mercy moderateth the Execution of the Sentence that is past upon them and his common Goodness and Bounty opens its hand to them so that they are not for the present in trouble as
of his sight And here two things offer themselves to consideration 1. That the Righteousness of Christ is a Robe suitable and sufficient to cover our Sins 2. How God casts it over us to this purpose 1. That the Righteousness of Christ is a Robe sufficient and suitable to cover our Sins As Sin is compared in Scripture to our Nakedness and Shame so is Christs Righteousness resembled by a Robe provided to cover it withal and as it was Sin that first gave occasion for mans needing something to cover his Body so it introduceth the necessity of Christ to hide the nakedness and filthiness of our Souls This is designed by the best Robe Luk. 15. 22. This is pointed at in the White Raiment Rev. 3. 18. And this is the Wedding Garment Matth. 22. 11. Now this Robe is made of the Active and Passive Obedience of Christ for the matter of it By the former of these he kept the Law exactly Fulfilling all Righteousness Matth. 3. 15. He was Holy Harmless Undefiled and without Spot By the latter he made full satisfaction to the Law in all its demands by bearing the whole penalty that was threatned in it for Sin And the sufficiency of this Garment to cover all the Guilt of our Sin herein appears 1. This Righteousness it self answered the Law in the utmost extent of it so that it is wide enough and large enough to cover all Guilt Christ bare the penalty to the full which the Law exacted he bare the whole weight of that wrath which was due to man for Sin His Righteousness therefore is able to hide the greatest and most multiplied transgressions out of sight the Law can ask no more than there is in that to answer God as a Judge who is fully pleased with the Righteousness of Christ 2. There is enough in it to Cloath all that come to him for it It is called Everlasting Righteousness Dan. 9. 24. because it will hold out as far as there is occasion for it there may be Garments cut out of it for as many as ask for them and to spaâ—e 〈◊〉 it can never have an end the Vertue of Christs satisfaction is Infinite Heb. 7. 25. All are therefore invited to come for it and a promise is made that none that do come shall be rejected It is called â—he Righteousness of God Phil. 3. 9. because the person whose it was or who performed it was God and 〈◊〉 put a Divine Vertue into it making it infinitely â—xtensive 3. This Righteousness was provided on purpose â—r this end it was prepared to cover the Guilt â—f Sin As the Active Obedience of Christ was to â—urchase for us the inheritance so his Passive was 〈◊〉 satisfy Revenging Justice on our account by â—ertue whereof our Guilt comes to be hidden out â—f it's sight by the casting of this over it Jesus â—hrist neither Lived for himself nor Dyed for himself â—he Son of God needed no Active Obedience to â—stify him being a Person above Law nor did â—hrist need a Passive Obedience to satisfy for himâ—lf as man being perfectly righteous He thereâ—re Gave himself for us Gal. 2. 20. And this was â—cording to Divine compact so that it is the deâ—n of it and it was laid in for this and thus it â—comes applicable to us and so is every way â—fficient 2. How God casts it over us to this purpose A. He doth it by applying this Righteousness 〈◊〉 us for our Justification which is fitly exprest â—y his Clothing us with it to hide our Sin out of â—s sight for in this application 1. God having accepted of this Righteousness â—r us looketh upon it as ours For this reason â—hrist is called The Lord our Righteousness Jer. 23. 〈◊〉 And said to be made Righteousness to us 1 Cor. 〈◊〉 30. And this is a result from the Everlasting Contrivance of it in the Covenant of Suretiship in which the Father promised to him this reward that his Obedience should redound to the Justification of many Isa 53. 11. i. e. As many as it was to be applied unto 2. Hence in the act of Justification he confeâ— this Righteousness upon us to be ours Haviâ— already accepted it for us he now bestows it upoâ— us it first was made ready and then it is put 〈◊〉 So that it is not ours Inherently but Adherently 〈◊〉 Relatively it is in respect to us not a personal 〈◊〉 a relative Righteousness and in that regard 〈◊〉 resembled to a Garment which is no part of 〈◊〉 man but yet it is his and put upon him for 〈◊〉 covering 3. In conferring this Righteousness upon us 〈◊〉 Cloaths us with it He throws it over us so thâ— we who were before naked are now arrayed wâ— it so that all our defects and deformities are â—den under it hence the Apostles expression 〈◊〉 being found in it Phil. 3. 9. And it covers us 〈◊〉 over so that whatever faults are in us they 〈◊〉 thus put out of sight 4. Hereupon he judgeth of us by and accordâ— to this Righteousness He looks no farther aâ— Judge than to this by it therefore we are mâ— the Righteousness of God 2 Cor. 5. 21. We are nâ— on a relative account pure and clear and spâ—less Justice hath nothing to lay to our chaâ— because we having put on Christ the Righteous 〈◊〉 Righteous in him 4. What advantage accrues to the person by haâ— his Sins thus covered A. Much every way in particular 1. He is in the Law account as if he had never Sinned For whatever he hath been and done the Law hath nothing to accuse him of that which cannot be proved is in the Laws account as â—f it were not and that which is hidden cannot be â—roved when once Sin is covered there is none â—o accuse us for if God will not who shall if he â—ath nothing to charge on us we are safe but â—e saith I see no Iniquity in the person 2. Hence he is out of the danger of Condemnatiâ— Rom. 8. 1 34. Condemnation is properly a Sentence past by the Judge upon a person Convicted to be Guilty dooming him to suffer penalty â—ccording to the mind of the Law So that where â—here is no Guilt there can be no Condemnation â—nd where there is no Transgression chargable â—here can be no Guilt found 3. Hence flows great Peace of Conscience It â—s the foundation on which our deliverance from â—he terrours of an accusing Conscience is built when that tells us we have thus and so Sinned â—hereby provoked God it is hereby pacified when â—t can look on all this Sin as covered Now the Spirit of Bondage which is rooted in every unpardoned Sinner is remedied Rom. 8. 15. The Soul hath the ground of inward Tranquillity notwithstanding all and hereupon he can with the more â—umbling sense mourn for his Sin whiles he can mourn as one that hath a good hope and is not â—unk in despondency 4. He hath great liberty of access with boldness to the
that he seeks us first by his preventing Grace yet in order to his discovering himself graciously to us he makes us to exert this Grace in asking after him Hence in the Gospel Proclamation these two are connected together Jer. 29. 13. USE I. Why then do men sit still and live contentedly without him Let this rouse up Sinners to enquire after him to seek him that they may find him for motive Consider 1. You are strangers to him in your natural state This is the condition of all men as they derive from and stand related to the first Adam Your condition is laid out Eph. 2. 12. The relation you may pretend that you have to God by vertue of the Gospel Covenant will not secure you but if you are still Unregenerate you are far from him and he will say that he knows you not Mat. 7. 22 23. 2. You are undone without him You must have him to be your God or you perish as contentedly as you live without him for the present there is a time coming when you will be made to know that there is no happiness but in the fruition of him all those things whereon you now trust will shortly fail you and if you have not a God to uphold you you sink into remediless perdition without God and without hope Eph. 2. 12. 3. He is willing to be found by you Whence is it that he makes such discoveries of himself to you in the Gospel that he cometh so near you in the means of Grace that he so displays himself in the face of Christ Surely all the Messages that are sent you from Sabbath to Sabbath are to let you understand how ready he is to be found why else doth he bid you look to him and be saved Isa 45. 22. 4. Hence if you seek him in truth he will certainly manifest himself to you He would never have called you so earnestly nor expressed himself so grieved at your neglect if it were not so He waits for it after all your refusals who might have put you ere this beyond all hope did he not in compassion resolve to give further opportunity of seeking him He therefore cries how long Prov. 1. 22. 5. If you find him you shall be happy You will never repent your seeking him You will be fully recompensed for all the pains you have taken in it Prov. 8. 35. He that findeth me findeth life Forgiveness of sin and an Inheritance among then that are Sanctified will be the happy fruit of this Enquiry USE II. Let this encourage drooping Souls under the sense of sin and Guilt You are afraid but do not as Adam did Gen. 3. 10. but let this sense drive you to seek God Consider 1. You can never come to true quiet till you enjoy him You resent a distance between him and you and that is your perplexity and where do you hope to find ease and relief it is only in him that your Souls can be settled Guilt will abide till he removes it and as long as he is angry you are in an ill case 2. He now expects that you should seek him He hath not forbidden you nor driven you away but he requires it this trouble he brings you to is to make you feel your necessity it is one way in which he is wont to fetch home his lost sheep that are gone astray so he did David Peter c. 3. Hence be not disheartened by any Temptation to despair Satan would be at this and a misgiving heart that is wounded too readily resents it but Consider 1. He invites such as you are in particular Mat. 11. 28. Come to me you that are weary and heavy lader He would have them that are in distress to seek refuge in him who only can secure them He would have none that know their sins and feel their misery to despond because such are nextly called to look after him 2. He hath provided sufficient to remove all the causes of distance between him and you Let your Guilt be never so aggravated yet in the compleat Righteousness of Christ there is abundant provision made which cannot be out done by our sins He can save to the uttermost Heb. 7. 25. 3. And he will herein advance the glory of his Grace How often doth he take an opportunity thus to do he hath purposed to be admired in them that believe 2 Thes 1. 10. And in this way will he promote that admiration resolve then to seek his face for the health of his countenance Conclu 2. That the opportunity of thus finding God is limited to time There are two ages of man or a double state to which he is appointed with respect to duration viz Time and Eternity the former whereof is limited the latter boundless the one will quickly come to an end the other never and where the former ends the other begins Time in the general notion of it is the boundary of the Creatures duration and this may be considered generally with respect to the world and so it begins with the first moment of the Creation and shall last till the consummation of all things i. e. the Day of Judgment and all this while God will be to be found by some there will be a Day of Grace the Mediators Kingdom in which a treaty of Reconciliation is held up with man will continue till the end for it is with regard to the Elect that the World is continued but when that ends this will end with it that will determine the everlasting state of all men unchangeably But then there is a more particular consideration of time as it respecteth the several Creatures which are the Subjects of it and thus every Creature in the lower world hath its own time or the bounds of its duration which begins with its existence and ends with its dissolution thus David Psal 31. 15. My times are in thine hand Only this difference is to be observed between man and other sublunary beings that when their time ends and they are dissolved their existence ceaseth for ever being resolved into their first principles never to return to their first individual being Whereas man when by his dissolution he ceaseth to be a Son of time but enters upon his Eternity in which he is to exist for ever and though for a while his body must be resolved into dust yet it shall return again by a Resurrection to its particular existence the Soul in the mean while retaining its essence faculties activity Now every mans particular time is the spot that lieth between his birth and his death it begins with his coming into the World and lasts till he goeth off the Stage and there it ends this is that to which his opportunity of seeking and finding God is limited I do not say that it shall last so long with every one but I am assured that it shall extend no further When once this glass is run it shall be turned no more For the
they would fain be entertained by him How solemn a moan doth Christ make over Jerusalem Luk. 19. 41 42. And what mean those fearful expressions Ezek. 24 â— 13. Isa 27. 11. In which God gives men to understand that for neglecting their time they shall be rejected for ever 4. That Death which finisheth the Creatures time puts an end to all such business It is the man that must seek God but man consists of a Soul and a Body and it is whiles these are in union that he is capable of this affair Whereas Death dissolves his union and so utterly ends the opportunity the body can no longer be used as an instrument of this if we should preach to it it cannot hear 〈◊〉 The Soul is now separated from the body and can no longer perform its functions in it whiles this dissolution remains and we are told that life is the only working time Eccles 9. 10. The Grave is therefore called the place of silence and the land of forgetfulness and they that are 〈◊〉 are said to know nothing c. 5. That the Eternal State into which men passeth from time is unchangeable Where time ends Eternity begins and it is the property of time that the Subjects are mutable they may be changed from what they are but it is equally the property of eternal things that they are immutable When men dy they pass to their particular judgment Heb. 9. 27. The condition they enter into 〈◊〉 that from which there is no returning Job 16. 22. Life is working time eternity is for the rewards of men according to their works Men immediately pass from life through death either to heaven or hell and the gulf between these two is fixt and this follows properly upon death Luk. 16. 21. with 26. In one word when God will be no longer found it is too late to seek him to any advantage when life is done and time spent God is resolved that they who sought him not before shall never find him USE I. For Information in two particulars 1. Learn hence the folly and unprofitableness of praying for the Dead If the day of grace the opportunity of seeking and finding God be over with all men when time is done with them and death wasts them over into eternity what then can our prayers any more avail them either they sought God and sound him in their life time anâ— if so they are now in glory and in full fruition oâ— that God whom they so sought and out of danger of ever losing him again and so have no need 〈◊〉 our prayers but if they sought him not here 〈◊〉 so did never find him but died strangers to him they are gone to their own place to the generation of their fathers never to see light they are beyond recovery hopeless there is no more mercy for them what good then can our prayers do them If all the prayers of all the Saints on earth could fetch one soul out of hell something might be pleaded but it is impossible Let us then pray for poor Sinners with the greatest importunity so long as they are alive but when once they are gone we must leave them till the Great Day when we shall be satisfied about them 2. Learn hence also the madness of those who spend their time in seeking other things neglecting to seek God in it And is not this the unhappy trade which the generality of the Children of men are driving observe what the most even under the Gospel are doing and you shall see how fearfully this is neglected 1. Are there not those that will not seek God Nay they bid him depart from them if not in words yet their carriages speak their minds How many are there that despise all the counsels that are given them who will not pray to God nor read his word nor enquire after him they are angry 〈◊〉 those that give them good counsel this is the â—â—â—ty character of them Psal 10. 4. The wicked â—â—ll not seek after God and if at any time they are 〈◊〉 led with terrours they do all they can to 〈◊〉 them which is a plain discovery of their â—â—â—fulness 2. And how many are there who are so taken up with other things that they can find no time to seek him Their hearts are ensnared with these things and they cannot get from them the profits pleasures and preferments of this world things lawful in themselves have stollen their hearts from them and though Christ calls and invites them they hearken not One hath a Farm to look after another is over head and ears in Trading another is â—aken up with his new married wife and so the time slides away wherein he should be seeking anâ— interest in Christ and he continues estranged from him and how contentedly do men spend their time at this rate But Consider 1. You lose a finding time It is a day of grace that you squander a precious opportunity to be getting acquainted with God and laying up for eternity If it were a time in which you had nothing else to do it were more excusable but it is a season of doing the greatest and most important business that lieth on the children of men Vain men think it is nothing but a little time they throw away and that is no great matter but time is a pearl of more worth then and thaâ— cannot be purchased with a whole world 2. That which you lay out your time for will not profit Possibly you count your selves the best Husbands and think them mad who spend soâ— much time in Religious duties whiles this man wasâ— praying you made such a gainful bargain whileâ— he was hearing a Sermon you earned so much oâ— the world and bless your selves in your discretionsâ— but you will sooner or later find your miserable erâ—our the best title that God hath to put on you is Fool Luk. 12. 20. And see Isa 55. 2. Eccles 5. 16. Compare but what you lose mean while with our Saviours Rule Mat. 16. 26. What is a man profited c. 3. When time is done and you would seek God he will not he found Whiles you have been minding unprofitable things your opportunity hath been Stealing away from you irrecoverably and when you come to be on the brink of time and your Soul ready to fleet into an unchangeable state you will then Mourn Prov. 5. 11. And what a doleful out-cry will it be to hear a desparing Sinner in his passage roaring out Call time again and wishing Oh that I had one of those Sabbaths that I despised one of those hours to seek God in which I trifled away in vanity had I all the gold and pearls in the world I would give them for it but it is now too late Oh that you were wise that you understood this USE 11. Let it be an awakening call to us all to Redeem our time by setting our selves speedily to seek God And to move us hereto Consider 1. We are
we have loved strangers and after them we will go this is that stiff neck that iron sinâ—w that will not bow this is the reason why sinners are not gathered to Christ Matth. 23. 37. 3. Men hereby prevent their own good Whiles this obstinacy remains men keep out of the way of peace how doth God expostulate with them on this account Isa 48. 18. O that they had hearkned c. God backs his calls and counsels with gracious promises to allure sinners after him but they despise their own mercies 4. Hereby they expose themselves to the more miseries Not only doth Gods wrath abide on them but they encrease their sorrows by it this is the reason of the utter ruine of sinners under the Gospel Matt. 23. 38. It lays them open to more intolerable punishments and makes their damnation unavoidable and more astonishing Deut. 28. 59. 4. The pretended reasons of mens untractableness are brutish and argue them void of understanding They think they are rational but they act like meer beasts for 1. They judge of evil and good by their senses They know no other happiness but what consists in gratiâ—ying of their carnal appetite which is become sensual What pleaseth their carnal eye ear and palate that they call good and what is displeasing to them they call evil and herein they do noâ— advance one step beyond the horse and mule foâ— beasts do just so and if they acted according to Rules of understanding they would ascend highetâ— They submit to the vilest servitude of sin because by it they give content to their senses thus it â— said of Issachar Gen. 49. 14 15. 2. Hence they have only regard to the body or outward man in their judgment of things If that be provided for and have ease and content they think all is well they consider not that they have an immortal Soul on the welfare whereof their happiness doth depend If then they can have wealth health peace plenty they are as happy as can be and the readlest way to obtain that is the greatest wisdom in their esteem and what obstructs it they note it folly for them to engage in it This was his opinion Luk. 12. 19. And he is called a Fool for it Verse 20. And this is to act just like a bruit who hath only a bodily life to preserve 3. They look no farther than the present time Never think of an after state the life that now is â— all the life they are concerned about they consider not of the Eternity to which they are going â— all their projects are for now that which doth them a present pleasure is the thing and they wilâ— not be beat off from it nor are they moved with the warnings of an after change but mock at them of such 1 Cor. 15. 32. These are beasts indeed for as they have but a present life so they can looâ— no farther 4. They only consider the pleasure there is in sin but â—ver think what it will cost them They make â—hemselves merry with sinful delights and put away thoughts of a reckoning Sin is sweet in the cup it is a pleasant poyson and the delectableness of it allures them and they think not of the bitterness of its operation Prov. 7. 22 23. 9. ult which is to do as bruits do who if they can break into a good pasture think not of being pounded and set a starving 5. Hence they set their carnal senses against all the warnings given them With these they refute all arguments offered to convince them of their folly with these they mock at counsels and trample on instructions They confute the word of God with their own experience which finds the contrary Jer. 44. 16 17. USE I. For Information in a few particulars 1. Learn hence the different verdict that God and the world pass upon men 1 Cor. 3. 19. Men think themselves wise if they can baffle the counsels of God and silence their own Consciences and sin in despite of counsels and warnings under a pretence of carnal reason but God counts them no better than beasts and writes this wisdom of theirs the most stupid folly and let us take Gods censure of it rather than mens vain opinion about it for his word shall stand 2. Hence see the miserable change which the fall hath brought upon man When God made him at first he was perfect in understanding he knew how to put difference between good and bad and chuse that which would promove the Glory oâ— God his own eternal felicity and all his senseâ— were in a due subordination and offered him noâ— delusion but since his Apostasy he hath crazedâ— his understanding and fallen in a spiritual account a species below himself God therefore would have all men in their natural state to know that they arâ— beasts Eccl. 3. 18. And how should this thoughâ— help to abase us and make us bewail our infelicity â— 3. Learn hence the reason of the gross security of Sinners under the awakning means of Grace Thoughâ— the word be dispensed never so plainly and solemnly yet how few are moved at it or concerneâ— for themselves after all And we might wonder that men who have reason in them should be so stupidly senceless but that the truth in hand may satisfy us men in their natural state are a company of fools and bruits and madmen that are out of their wits that do not know and therefore do not consider God puts them together Isa 1. 3. And he that knows no danger fears none 4. This tells us what a great change is wrought â—â— Conversion Among other comparisons used in the word of God to set this forth one is the recoverâ—ing of men to their understanding again Thâ— mad Prodigal when God was about to Conveâ— him comes to himself Luk. 15. 17. He had beeâ— distracted before but now he returns to his righâ— mind In Conversion a new Creature is producedâ— all new 2 Cor. 5. 17. And what a Metamorphosis iâ— this to see a bruit turned into a rational being â—nd it is not less to see an obstinate sinner made â—gracious Saint 5. We have here a reason why instruments can of â—hemselves do nothing It is Gods pleasure to send â—hen to treat with men as to such who have an Humane understanding in them but to convince â—nd perswade sinners is a work too big for them â—heir encouragement to use the means and sinners â—ncouragement to attend them is because it is Gods way but we must subordinate the whole â—uccess to him so that if we perswade not obstinate sinners wonder not for who are we and if we do perswade them arrogate not it was not â—e but his Grace working with us USE II. For Exhortation both to Sinners and the Children of God 1. Here is matter of counsel for Sinners 1. Beware of confiding in your carnal reason Vain man would be wise c. Job 10. 12. They who have the least wisdom are