!he Necejfity of Converfton. , -· worft officknefs ; ~tis a leprofi~ in the head, Lev. 1 ~· 44· the plague in the heart, 1 I(ing. s.. 3~. 'tis hrokennefs in the bon~s, Pfal.; 1. 8. it -pierceth, it woundeth, it racketh, it tormenteth, 1 Tim. 1. 1 o. Aman may as well expeCt eafe, when .his .difeafes are in their flrength,- or his bones out ef joint, as true comfort, while in his fins. · 0 wretched man, that can.ft have no eafe,in this cafe, but what cotnes frotn the de'adlinefs of the difeafe! You fhall have the poor fick man, faying . in his 1ightnefs," h~ is well, when yocr fee death in his face. Hew(ll needs qp~ and about nis bufinefs, when thevery next ff:ep is like"to be into the grave. Theunfanchfiedoften feenothing amifs, they think . themfelves \V hole, and crynot out for thePhyfician,; but .this fhews the dang~r of their cafe. Stn doth naturally breed diftempers and diftar– bances in the foul. \Vhat a continual tempeft and commotion is there in a difcontented mind? What an eating evil isinordinatecare? What is pafiion,but a very fever in the rnind? What is luft, but a fire in the bones? \Vhat is pride, but a deadly tympany; or ..covetoufnefs, but an unfatiable and unfuffera– ble rhirft; or malice and envy, but venom in the very heart? Spiritual floth is but a fcurvy in the mind, and carnal fecurity a mortal lethargy ; a:.1d kow can that ioul have true con1forr, that is under fo many difeafes ?- But converting grace cures, and · fo eafes the n1ind, and prepares the foul ·for a,fe·t· led, flanding, in1mortal peace. Great peace b:tve tbey tbat love thy Commandments, and nothing fb ,tll, offend them, Pfal. r r9· r 6). Theyare the waysof \vifdom that afford pleafure and peace, Prov. 3· 17. David had infinitely more p1eafure in the-word, than in elf the delights of his Court, Pfal. I I 9· I03, I 2.7•. The confciencecannot be truly pacified, till found– I_ypQfifieq, H~b. 1 o~ . l ~·· C"urfed is that peace, th~t · IS ..
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