Burgess - Houston-Packer Collection BT715 .B85 1652

424 Of Conver f an , or Turning to God there cannot be full content and fatisfaaion in the heart : Fecii to (Domine) cor noftrum, as Brsftin; O Lord, thou madeft our heart, and it is reflkdfe till iteome w thee again : Even as theWaters that come from the lea, never ceafe tuning till they are at lad emptied into that Ocean whence they came. Come unto me ye that labour , and youfjialfinde raft to yourfoula faithChrid : Think not then to fay , It is goodfar us to abidegiI in oar lufts , it is better then if We turn unto god ; for in this thou (peaked as one who never knew God, or his good- miff. N nchly, Set befire thy eyes thofe Converts who are retardedin the Scripture, and fee the joyandhapfineffeoftheir condition , and then do thou write after their copy, á,; fanapt a bloody hnner, that did not onlyGn himfelf, but caufed manyothers to fin , yet when he repents and turneth to God, God receiveth him , and his ini- quities are forgiven as ifthey had never been. Oh bleff d change 1 So Panl, he had gone farte inbitter oppofìng, and perfecuting the wales of Chrift , though in ignorance ; but when converted , Oh how dochhis heart burn with all thank- fuinede and praile to God ? Whatunfpeakable joy doch he finde in his heart to tomb he is what he was notonce ? If thouhadft never heard of any that turned from their (merles to God or if they did, that they have repented that ever they repented , they were May that they turned from their fumes ; it was better with them when they ferved their lulls, then when they. ferved God. Then thou might,fl have fome plea. But when thou readedof the exceedingjoy , and won- derfail bkff,- do.Ile and peace of Confcience they have had, who have been thus converted from their evili waits, What cords of time can be fo firong as ro hold thee any longer ? Oh fay then, as 1. have finned like a Manafrea, like a MaryMa;dales, fo I will turnto God with mourningand humiliation as thee did. Tenthly, Torn unto Goa from the Way than waf ß in, becarafe it is a Way of darkanddamnation. We may truely fay, Lyons are in the way , even thofe roar- ing Lyons that (eek to defttoy, And wilt not thoucorn out of it? What paffen- ger doch not take it for a great kindeneffe , if travelling out of his way to be in. fornied,he is going a clean contrarieway ? and befides it is a dangerous way, ma- ny R.obeties and Marchers rife to be committed in that way,Will not he with much joy thank you, and fpeed;ly turn out of it ? This is your cafe wholive in groffe and prophanecosdest Thou arc going the clean contrarie way to heaven; men go not -to heaven through Inch miry yiaths ; and betides, there is Hell and damna- too n, and all the suites of God in the way , Why theta Ibonld you not lay, Sidled be God, and bl.dLd be thofe Watchmen that have given me this warning? Confiderthen, theftare not waits colive in, to dye in: The life that I live is not a life to have ally comfort, any hope in. Oh therefore return unto God. Eleventhly , Therefore torn from thy »nes to God, becanfe tbefe are thy eme- nded , thy deadly fldverfcries they are fugredpoyfon and vena,ae, Thy fins do as yael co.bifora, bid thee come in, come in, and it provides pleafant fweetneffe for thee, and puts thee in a freute ilea), and then it kills thee. Now is it not the higheft inadnefie in the world fora man wilfully to ftayunder his enemies power that feeks hits blood , that plotshis death , and no friend can perfwade him ro come away ? This is thy madneffe ; fo many frnnes thou liven in , they ate fo ma- ny bloody enemies to thy foul. Theyare called tuffs which ware againft thy foul, a ,Per. 2. i t. And wilt thou love thy termit a rather then thy friend? Shall not God, not the Minider, nor thy own Confcience perfwade thee to get cut of thy adversaries hands ? Neither th.nk finse the lone enemy , becaufe is is tweet, and pleafain, or profitable for the (colon ; for it is an enemy under a friends habit , and that is moil dangerous of all. It takes thee as 7oab did Abnerby the beard, as if he would imbracet but giveth him a mortal) wound tinder the fifth rib.

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