076 ofCotsverfions or tarningunto God. Se c T. IX. his Apoftacy, nowonder if wicked mendo fe greatly delude their own fouls It may bethen thou canif not be unclean, as thou haft been, thy body is an oldpainful decripit body ; thou canft not be fuch a Prodigal as thou haft been, for thou haftnotwherewith todo it : Alas ! thou art not converted fromfn, thou art onely deprived of the inftrumentsof fin ; thereforeRand thou by for here is no glad tidings for thee. 5' Secondly, They torn fromfin, bat not to God, that forfake their graft 'Wicked limp, but then eithergo nofarther then weer civility, orelfe divert tofame foperfiti- oat 1Wayof Worfhip : This is much tobe regarded, for here men fwallowdown poyfon, while they think it is honey : And Fitt, thofe that turnto civility dimly, dye in the wildernefs, andnever come to Canaan ; yet this is a great converfionand change in the worlds account : If they fee a Prodigal turned a good husband ; ifa diffolute debauchedman, a fo- ber temperate man, they cry out, Behold a true convert I but this is to turn half way onely toGod : They leave the fin, and fet upon the contraryduty, but from falfe and infirm principles: They turnnot toGod, to dole with him, to receive him as their Lord and King, onely they have fome inferiorreafons; which make them thus change their lives: Fear of poverty and hardfhipmakes them better husbands ; fo the indangering of their bodily health bygrofs in- temperance, makesthemmore lober : Now in all this a man, though he turn- eth from his fin, yet becaufe his motions are onely humane, lochas wife Hea- thens have propounded to themfelves,therefore they turn not unto God : Thefe that from prophane men, turn tobe meer civil men onely, and not godly, are, as itwas with yonah, who had got a goard to defend him from the heat of the Sun, and he thought now he had a lure defence, but a worm arifeth prefently to devour it : So thou who art turnedmore civil and ingenious then once thou wert, beginneft tobiefs thy felt, and admire thycondition, notconfidering that for thy black coals and dirt thou didft wallow in, thou halmnot found gold, but copper. Wemay indeed, as ourSaviour did, look upon fnch who have thischange, and love them, andyet fay, Thouart not far from the Kingdom of Heaven. TheProphets and the Apoftles press a far other converfion, then the moan exaftMoraliftsamong the Heathens; when therefore thou beginneftto turn andchange, be lure thougoal to the properendof fuch a motion; flay nor in any thingbut God ; do not take up thylodging any where, till thy foul reft on him. But the fecond mifcarriage inturning from fin, may be intoTomefuperltitious and feeminglyzealousworfhipofGod ; and this is more dangerous poifonthen the former. It bath been the cafe of divers, when afflióted inconfcience for fin, and feelingthe load andburthen of it, prefently to fall upon fomeauftere fuperftitious exercifeof Religion, which God never commanded, andby this means they think to make Godamends, and to give fatisfaftion ; butthis is not fomuch converfion as Cubverfion. Suppofe the Pharifees bad gained feveralpub- licans and grofs tanners to become their Profelytes, to leave their forme,, foul fins, and to be very diligent and (trill in outward fuperftitions ; yet our Saviour faith, ThatPoch Weremade the children of Wrath ; they werenot turned to God, but in Come refpefts more from him : Take heed therefore of turning from a publican, to become a Pharifee ; this is deftruftion frill: Andyet this kinde of converfion is for themolt part onely acknowledged in Popery ; for they (peak much of their converts and converfion, but what is that which they fo emi- nently commend ? viz. When men living in the world, andguilty of grofs fins, do begin tofeel the terrorand burthenof them, and thereupon intofome Monaftery, joyn themfelves to Come Religious order, as they call, it, and this is converfion : Now this is very eafie and fumble to fleth and blood. As we fee the Jews very forward for anyoutward Sacrifices, though they were tenthou- fandRams, and thonfand Riversof Oyl, when yet they would not tura from
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