Sa C T. IX. of converfon,or Turning tanto God. 4" ties from God toput contempt on him, how unfufferable is it ?. and the greater the contempt is, by how muchbafeand more ignoble thy lofts, are to which thoù turned: To prefer the Devill before God, to regardhis temprations more than Gods Promites; What arrogancy, and impudencyisthis ? Did the Devill treat, thee, doch he pceferve thee, did hedye, or was crucified for thee ? Then if thoíi art fo many wayes obliged, and ingaged unto God'; yet for thee to prefer the Creature,yea the Devill beforeGod ; how unit&iffable is it ? Fifthly, Becaafe by finne we are thus averfe fromGod. The further We go on in finite, and the more proorefe roe make in th%W.iyes, thefarther of flit! weare from god, and our turning back tohimWill be a more difficult thing. The Prodigal went intoa far Countrey, fpiritually as well ascorporally : Hewent far fromGod, and therefore his return would colt him dearer:fo that this fhould make every man flop, betimes in the wayóf his finning ; this fhould make him withoutany delay return to God : forevery day thou goeft farther, and ftill farther from him; when- ever thou (halt return tohim, thy task will be the harder. Oh it is feldome Peen; that a man who hathall his lifetime beenin motion and travel) from God, fhould at laff bethink himfelf, and refolve to gó backto God, from whence he fell. As Paid of the Heathensnoble and admirable ac ions of morality, which he calledglittering fins, That the fàfter they learn, the more they were out of the way; This is trueof all wicked men, the greater hafte they 'Make in this wor,d; and themot e dayes they live, the farther off are they from God: thou art farther off froth falvation, than thou waft many years agoe. A fad thing it is to confider, thatthe longer thou liveft,the lefle hopeof thy Converfion ; the more time thou haft fpent in this world, the further off from hatipineffe. Be not thenworfe than the Horfe, or the Mule, for a Bridle in their'mouth will flop them, and turn than out of the way : But though the Scripture put many Bridles in thy mouth, give thee nannycurbs to keep thee from fin, yet thou wilt violently ruth on. TheA- pottle could fay of Come, Their falvation was nearer than at iv, Ram. 18. but we rosy of-many, Their damnation is nearer. Sixtly, This Converjan,and turninguntogod, is inScripture ftoken foinetimes Æi . our Work, andfometimesas gods Work, Thus in theText, Tarnye, turn ye, And again, Makeyeanew heart, andanew fjairit r But in ocher places; its made the peculiar gift of God alone. ThusGod faith, He willtake away the heart offlone,aed giveanheart off ci?,, Jet. 3r. Ezek. 3 z. So, HewiNcircoemetfe their karts, Ize mì,? give thema newheart,ehc, Now how can chofe be reconciled ? If God doe it, how can man ? If man, how canGod? Can it be Gods gift and ourwork too? Now there is returned this anfwer by erroneous Teachers, that (fay they) from effetepla- ces its plain, our Converfronaispartly fromFree-will, andpartly :coin Free grace; thoughGods grace beacknowledged CObe the principali: l'hrone teachethGods operation, the otherour co-operation. Thus they do not exclude God totally, yet they make him onely a co- partner with us in this work of Converfion : But this is quickly difpelled, by thofe placesthat delcribe'man dead infr.,ne ; and focanbe no fynergift with Gods asalto by ehofe Texts which give the praile and glory ofCon- verfion totally and lolely to God, not dividing this glory between him and the Creature, no more than divine worthy, of which God is fo jealous , that he will haveit alone. The true Anfwer therefore lyeth in this; That the formerkindof placedof air duty and obligation, what we ought todoe; They are not a meature of ourpow- er wrist we can do. When the Prophet faith, Turn ye, turnje; He dothnot here declare what we areable todo, but what we ought to do;and yet this is not in vain; betadeby this we are convincedof our impotency, and are humbledunder ourin- firmity; and withal) God makes this a praibcal command to turnus : Evenas that word at hrfl,Let therebe light; or that of Chuff to Lazarus, Lazarus cameforth; and thelatter kind of places they argue thework of Converfion to be wholly of God, in whichwe are fubjet s receiving ; not agents co- working. This is to br G gg z unit,::.
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