·3g The Nature of Converfion~ fweeter to hi~m tobeabl~ tofay, ~hri~ is mine, than tf he ~ould iay, The Ktngdom ts 1n1ne, the Intlies are mtne. . Fourthly, Tcur own rigbteoufne{s. Beforeconver– fion, Man feeks tocover himfelf \Vith his own fig– leaves,.Pbilip. 3. 6, 7. and to lick himfelfwholewith his own duties, Mic. 6. ~, 7. He is apt to truft in himfelf, Luk· 16. I)· and IS · 9· and fet up his own righteoufnefs, and to reckon his counters for gold, ·;1nd not fubmit to the righteoufnefs of ' God~ R.om .• ·Jo. 3· .But converfiqn changes his mind; now he cafis away his filthy rags·, ·and counts his own righteoufnefs out a menftruous doth; he cafts it off, as a man would the verminous tatters of a nafty Begger, I[a. 64· ·7. Nowhe is brought to po– verty of fpirit, Mattb.). 3· con1plains of, and con– demns hi1pfelf, Rom. 7. and all his inventory is, Poor, and miferable, and wretcbed, 'ani blind, and na– ked, Rev. 3· 17. l-Ie fees a world of iniquity in his f1oly thing~, and calls 'his once idolized ·righte– oufnefs but_:fleih, and ·lofs, 'and dcg's meat~. and would not for a thoufand worlds be feund in hitn– felf, Philip. 3· 4, 7, 8, 9· His finger is ever upon his forcs, P[al. 5' r. 3. his fins, his wants. N-0\V he be– gins to fet .a high price upon Chrift'ls righreouf– nefs; --he fees the. need of a Cht:ifi in every duty, to jufhfie his perfon, and jufrifi.e his perfonnan– c·es; he cannot live without hi1n, h:2·cannot pray without him: Chrift mufl go 'fJJith · hi1n~ or elfe he cannot C(. n1e into the prefence of God ; he leans upon the hand of Chrift, and fo he bows himfelf in the houfe of his God; he 1ets hin1felf down for a lofl:l undone tnan, wit:1out him : His life is hid in Chrift , as -the life of .man in the heart ; he is fixed in Chrift, as the roots of the tree fpread in· the earth, for 11abili~y and nutri-·., ment. Before, the news of a Chtift was a ftale - ·- · ··· · · · ~nd
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