C T. VIII. The Godly 4r0 Wa/hod ,stdSewellfted. 313 converfron,or a change,or a turning toGod ; then the term fromhich,and the term to which, maymore largelybe confidered : Onely I (hall now give you force qualitiesof this turning, and change fromour evil ways, truly to Riryou up immediately to the pradife thereof. We fee God bath wrought many changings and turnings of things inour days : O how happy, ifin all thefè, we might fee this fpiritual change, men formerly prophane, now holy; men here- tofore guilty of notorious fins now as exemplary and zealous of what is godly. And firft, Therefore this change ira necefrary one : It mull be laid Of every one r' that would be faved, Suchan one thononce waft, bat now thou artfant1ifed. Even 7' qualms the manwho bath always lived civilly and unblameably, that hath no grofs fin ha ror ous tobe turned from, yet he bath the foul - uncleannefs, and the heart-leprofie up- ru;uv Go; on him, from which he mull be wafhed ; fo thatthis turning from what once our evilways. we were, is indifpenfibly neceffary in yong and old, in rich and poor, either inwardly or outwardly : Confider of this therefore, you wholeMotto is, Sem- per idem; though that bea glory in a-good thing, yet for a man to be always the fame be was from the womb, is certain and irrecoverable death ; When then will you bethinkyour felves ? when (hall the time be, that thouwilt become another man ? think not that flefhand blood can inherit the Kingdom of hea- ven: This undoethmany, that as they never dream of a change,which death will one day make upon them, fo they never defire a change, that Grace inthis prefent life fhould workon them : Therefore as í<ob laid ofthechange by death, He Would every dayWait till his change came, Job a4.r4.(as force expound it:) do thou fay of this change by grace, I willevery daypray, hear, read, meditate, mourn and roar out before God all the day long, till this fpiritual change come. Scondly, Its a rational change: Its the highefi ad of reafon, for a man to a.- become another man: For feeing the Scripture, which cannotlre, informeth usboth of original andallual pollution, whereby webecome no more qualified for heaven, thenToades to be made Angels: This beinggranted, its the great e(t reafon in the world, that thou fhouldit immediatelyarife, andgo out from thy own lelf; For how Wilt thou, whoart but Hubble and dry wood, be able to indure this confuming fire of Gods wrath. Again, its rational, becaufe its for the better : Though men do not love co change, yet when its for thebet- ter,then they are glad; Howdo men thus change,inall their outward affairs? but herein turning fromfintograce,we tranfcendentlyhave the advantage;wechange corruption for glory, coals for gold, lull and fin, for the enjoyment of God; and communion with him : So that if menwould let judgement on work, and confider what that is theywere once; and what that is towhichGod now cal- leth them, theywould make nodelay, but rife up and be doing. Again, its the greatelt reafon thus to change, becaufe we our (elves are fubjeet to a total changeby death : We cannot alwayslive and abound in our pleafures, and our jollities, but death will at ialcome andmakea wonderful chan°e: Ohthere- fore be changed fpiritually, before thou art changed corporally ; the time will . come, when it will be Paid of thee, Thou livedft in loch advantages, in lush comforts, but now thou art not, death bath (wallowedup all thy temporaljoy, and life it Pelf: Oh let it be for the prefent Paid, Thou diditlive once in Inch wickednefs, in fuch impieties, but now all is altered : I befeechyou as pilgrims,. abflainfrom thetufts of thefiefh, r Pet.a.r r. Rememberyou arepilgrims and tra- vellers,you have no abiding.place in this World. Thirdly, Its a profitable change :. what profit haveyou of chofe things, Whereof 3 younow are alhamed, Rom.6.r. Alas, thyfins are no ways profitable to thee, for all the cueles of God both temporal and fpiritual do accompany them'; but godlinefs is profitable for all things: Though it would not profit a man, togain the, Whole World, andlofehas ownfoul, yet it would exceedingly profit a man, to B b 3 gain
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