Ser. 1. grace, or a promife of pardon and everlasting life to all, that, by true repentance and by faith in Chrft, are converted unto God. Like an act of oblivion which is made by a prince to a company of rebels, on condition they will lay down their arms and come in, and be loyal fubjects for the time to come. But, because the Lord knoweth that the heart of man is grown fo wicked, that for all this men will not accept of the remedy, if they be left to themselves; therefore the Holy Ghoft hath undertaken it as his office, to infpire the apoftles, and feal up the fcripture by miracles and wonders, and to illuminate and convert the fons of the elect. So that by this much you fee, that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft, have each their feveral works, which are eminently ascribed to them. The Father's works were to create us, to rule us as his rational creatures, by the law of nature, and judge us thereby, and in mercy to provide us a Redeemer, when we were loft, and to fend his Son, and accept of his ransom. The works of the Son for us were these; to ranfom and redeem us by his fufferings and righteousness, to give out the promise or law of grace, and rule and judge the world as their redeemer, on terms of grace, and to make interceffion for us, that the benefit of his death may be communica ted; and to fend the Holy Ghoft; which the Father alfo doth by the Son. The works of the Holy Ghoft for us are these ; to indite the holy fcriptures, by inspiring and guiding the prophets and apoftles, and fealing the word by his miraculous gifts and works; and the illuminating and exciting the ordinary minifters of the gospel, and fo enabling them and helping them to publish that word; and, by the fame word, illuminating and converting the fouls of men. So that, as you could not have been reasonable creatures if the Father had not created you; nor have had any accefs to God if the Son had not redeemed you; fo neither can you have a part in Chrift, or be faved, except the Holy Ghoft do fanc-tify you. So that by this time you may fee the feveral caufes of this work:-The Father fendeth his Son; the Son redeemeth us, and maketh the promife of grace; the Holy Ghoft inditeth and fealeth this gofpel; the apoftles are the fecretaries of the Spirit to write it; the preachers of the gospel to proclaim it, and perfuade men to obey it; and the Holy Ghoft doth make their preaching effectual, by opening the hearts of men to entertain it; and all this to repair the. image of God upon the foul, and to fet the heart upon God again, and take it off the creature and carnal felf to which it is revolted, and fo turn the current of the life into a heavenly courfe, which before: was earthly, and all this by the entertainment of Chrift by Faith, who is the phyfician of the foul. By this which I have faid, you may fee what it is to be wicked, and what it is to be converted; which I think will be yet plainer to you, if I defcribe them as confifting of their feveral parts; and, for the firft, a wicked man may be known by these three things. First, he is one that placeth his chief content on earth, and loveth the creature more than God, and his fleshly profperity above the heavenly felicity: He favoureth the things of the flesh, but neither difcerneth nor favoureth the things of the spirit Though he will fay, that heaven is better than earth, yet doth he not really fo efteem it to himself; if he might be fure of earth, he would let go heaven, and had rather ftay here than be removed thither. A life of perfect holinefs, in the fight of God,. and in his love and praife for ever in heaven, doth not find fuch liking, with his heart, as a life of health, and wealth, and honour, here upon earth. And, though he falfely profefs that he loveth God above all, yet indeed he never felt the power of divine love within him, but his mind is more fet on the world, or flefhly pleasures, than on God. In a word, whofoever loveth earth above heaven, and flefhly profperity more than God, is a wicked unconverted man. On the other fide, a converted man is illuminated to difcern the loveliness of God; and fo far believeth the glory that is to be had with God, that his heart is taken up to it, and fet more upon it, than any thing in this world. He had rather fee the face of God, and live in his everlafting love and praises, than have all the wealth or pleasures of the world; he feeth that all things elfe are vanity, and nothing but God can fill the foul, and therefore, let the world go which way it will, he layeth up his treasures and hopes in heaven, and for that he refolves to let go all. As the fire doth mount upwards, and the needle that is touched with the loadftone ftill turneth to the north, fo the converted foul is inclined to God. Nothing else can fatisfy him, nor can he find any content. and reft but in his love. In a word, all that are converted do efteem and love God better than the world; and the heavenly felicity is dearer to them than their fleshly profperity. The proof of what I have faid you may find in these places of scripture : Phil. iii. 18, 21. Matt. vi. 19, 20, 21. Col. iii. 1, 2, 5, 4. Rom. viii. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 18, 23. Pfal. Ixxiii. 25, 36. Secondly, a wicked man is one that maketh it the principal bufinefs of his life to profper in the world, and attain his fleshly end. And though he may read and hear, and do much in the outward duties of C. 6 religion, and forbear difgraceful fins, yet this is all but upon the by, and he never makes it the trade and principal bufinefs of his life to please God and attain everlasting glory, but puts off God with the leavings of the world, and gives him no more fervice than the flesh can fpare; for he will not part with all for heaven. On the contrary, a converted man is one that makes it the principal care and bufinefs of his life to please God, and to be faved, and takes all the bleffings of this life but as accommodations in his journey towards another life, and ufeth the creature in fubordination unto God: he loveth a holy life, and longeth to be more holy : he hath no fin but what he hateth, and longeth, and prayeth, and ftriveth to be rid of. The drift and bent of his life are for God; and, if he fin, it is contrary to the very bent of his heart and life, and therefore he rifes again, and lamenteth it, and dares not wilfully live in any known fin. There is nothing in this world fo dear to him but he can give it up to God, and forfake it for him, and the hopes of glory.--All this you may fee in Col. iii. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Matt. vi. 20, 33. Luke xviii. 22,. 23, 29. Luke xiv. 18, 24, 25, 27. Rom. viii. 13. Gal. v. 24. Luke xii. 21, &c. Thirdly, the foul of a wicked man did never truly difcern and relish the mystery of redemption, nor thankfully entertain |