Sa C T. IX. ofCCnverfton, or Turningunto God . r verfton : We have already handled the term from which, and that is Sin. Now the term to which is to be confidered, and that is, God; Co that iti the Words you have the preface to theduty, and the duty : The preface containeth the au- thority and divine command inforcing to it , Thus now faith the Lord; its the great God of heaven that requireth this, who by his word made heaven and earth, to whom thewinds and feas obey ; howmuch rather fhould mati ? Oh applythis to your hearts ; Who is it but God thatbids me turn from fin? its not the Minifter fo much, its not theMeffenger or Ambaffador fo much that I re- fufe,as God himfelf;Is not his wifdom and his Soveraignty enough to command prefent obedience. z. The duty ; and there is t. The duty it felt, Tur»ye which is difpatched. a. The term to which of this motion , Even untoGed. 3. The maner,WithyourWhole heart. 4. Theeffects, Frith fallingand mourning; 5. The formornature of it, Rentyour hearts andnot 'oargarments. 6. The mo- tive to incourage, For God isgracious and merciful, &c. Weare inorder to fix upon the term towhich, and that is God, Turnye even tó Gad. Eventame, implieth, that a manmay turnand turn, andyet not turn eizn to him ; he falls thouof this center, he comethnot to his journeys end : From whenceObferve, That it it not enough to turn from (mi fins, but We mtufl toss even to Wain; God. Itsnot enough co go out of Egypt, but we muff enter into Canaan; its not t; enough to hate evil, but we mutt cleave to that which is good. Turn to me, even tome; let nothing elfe be the center, theend of your motion. This point isof great confequence ; for hereby Ilhall dífcover the counterfeit converfions ofmany, And fofeethe trueand counterfeittogether ; andnot as inother Texts, handle the counterfeits feparatelyby themfelves. That it is not enoughto turn from fin, unlefs we turn even co God, appeareth by that complaint, Hofea,7; 16. They return, but not to the moll high; they are like a deceitful bow.' Howdó they return, but not to the molt high? becaufe they were diligent in fatting, humiliation, and the outward exercifes of repentance, but ßi11 they were hy- pocrites in heart; and therefore proverbiallycompared to the broken bow, that feemeth, as it were, to fend forth itsarrow dire6tly upon the mark, but the firing breaking,it either fallson the ground, or flieth back on the face of the Archer fothey feemed by all their external duties, to aim at God, and eye him; but all fell upon themfelves; they looked no further thento their own advantages. For opening of this, confider, how many ways men may turn from fin, and yet not toGod. 2. What it is to turn even to God. And Firft; Men turnfromfin, but not to God, When they commit them no inbre, bb t; caufethetemptations and occafiene are taken away i So that if they would, yet howmany theycannot have an opportunity to fatisfie or accomplifh their lofts : There, is waY4 men máq nothingmore ordinary then this, men conclude they are convened; becaufe and Y,7näcf a they do not fin as they have done; whereas the truecattle is, the temptations God. and opportunities are removed ; fo that there is not the work of Godsgrace changing thy heart, but the workof his providence removing the objeeks there- of. Snakes and Adders they liein their holes, and are alive as well in winter as in fummer, yet becaufe inwinter they want thewarm reviving beamsof the Sun, therefore they appear not out of their holes: Thus fin, it may be, is as lively and powerful in thee as ever, but there are not the kindely and warm temptations to draw it forth : So then, this is no turning to God, becaufe thy heart is !till the fare.' The Lyon is a Lyon, though his claws be pared o11 and he tied up in a dungeon : ThatKing who Itretched out his hand to lay hold on the Prophet, and his arm withered, was never the more innocent, becaufe he did notactually comniit his defigned mifchief; and certainly if theheartsof godly men have deceived them, that they have thoughtit not pofble for them to commit fuch fins, as they have been warned about; as we fee inTeter about PPP z Ftid
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