4t6 of Converfen, orTurnirg urto sod. S a cx.Ix. to n, Whofeiniquities for many yearn together have been taking a deep root. jf Blackamoormay change hieskin, then mayyoudo good, Who havebeen accuflomed to evil,Jer.r 3.23. Hof. 9.9. When Ifyael had deeply corrupted themslves, then God Would remember their iniquity. A man that bathbeen a long while given tohis lufls and ungodlinefs : Oh who can give hopes that ever he will turn to God I Take heed thenof cuflom in any finning, it is like a millionabout thyneck , it will, like `Pharoah, opprefs thee, and keep thee down, that thoumayeft never leave Egypt. The Devils,that poffeffed a man from his youthup, weremore dif. ficultly caft out, then any others : The husbandmanbath little hopeofa crop in fowing, when the foil bath a continualwont to mifcarry. Cullom in fin, makes men like the tall grown Oaks, which cannot be removed, they have got filch deep hold in theearth ; whereas at firfl fin is more timorous, and lets impudent, the confcienceof a man is not fo hardened : A continual ole in fin, takes away all thefenfe and feeling of it, all thehorridnefs and terror of it : Thus men that are accuflomedto turfing and fwearing, they minde it not Men given tolutt- ful and filthy ways, have no horror upon them, after their uncleanpraFlices ; and why ? callow is like a great Roue laid upon a man, already dead and buried in the graveof fin : And therefore a finner, habituated in an evil way, is compared to Lae.aram , who was dead and buried, and even putrified ere hewas railed again. 4, Fourthly, Thole that have enjoyed the means ofgrace for a longfeafon, andyet Thofethat are bryars and thorns: Thefe give little hopes of converfion. The ground that have had ithece bath often received rain, and brings forth nothing but weeds, is nigh unto a longof gra turfing, Heb.6.7. Thofe that refufed the Prophets, Thedull oftheirfeet Tar to be and yet con- Jhal eu ojf in teflimony againfl them, Mat. r c.t 4. The word of God doeth moll tiene ungodly. good, and hath the greatefl effeFts, at its firft coming to a place ; as you may read in the feveral plantations of the Church at firf, whereas the longer men live under it, the authority and majeftyof the word is abated : Ti didfor a lea- fonrejojee in his light, as our Saviourtold theJews concerning john Baptift,Jobn 15.35. When God hath fent his Minifters and Prophets one after another, ad- monifhing, inftrudin , andvehemently exhorting andcharging you, to part with your tufts,laying, You cannot have them and Chrifl too; you cannot hold theman heaven too: Its a tad prelage,(and yet thouhardeneR the neck againfl all thefe reproofs) that Chrift bath laid of thee, as of that fig-tree, Never fruit grewmore on thee. As there are ears of corn thatarebiafled, that never thrive, orcome to anygood ; fo there aremany blafled (inners, impenitent and obfli pate, whichafter many remedies applied, yet continue underthe power oftheit du cafe : O then, confider how much this concerneth you I you may by your unfruitfulnefs and barrennefs under the means ofgrace, make your converfion lets poll'rble, then that ofPagansand Heathens. Did not our Saviour fay ?Mar. r.ai. That the TyriansandSodonians would haveJbewed more effeflrofaconverfi- on, then the7eWs to whomthere hadbeenfomuch preaching, ifGodWouldhove vouch. leafed the Gofpel.to them ? Certainly you arein a more dangerous efface, then any people thatfit in darknefs, and have no light : If fo manySermons, fo many Sabbaths, lomany Exhortations, have done no good? who canbut think it is invain to plant and water anymore? 5. Fifthly, Thofe that have aceuflowed themselves to rebel againll thelioht,and to Thofe that live again( the,, cenvi£lionsoftheir confcience: Asthe Mariner ufed tonorms and. have accu- teinpefts, is not afraid ; to there continually ufed to the whips and fconrges of fkom,d them- their confcience, tail arenot afraid.at all, yea put it out: TheA ofile (elves ro rebel y q . P P again[, the calls this Acankered confcience, feared withen hot iron, t Tim.4.z. or, ,irecut light. off; as Tome expound it; andcertainly, thismutt be adefperateprefage: for fee- ingconverfion is let into the foul, by that needle ofconvirion; if this be refilled, and continuallybeaten-back, what hope isleftat the bottom? There- kite this is thefnlet.to the. Linagainft the Holy Ghofl, from which neverany was,
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