PART III. ofgracious AffioionS. Z2; Therefore if there be no great and remarkable, abiding Change in Perfons, that think they have experienced a Work of Converfion, vain are all theirImaginations and Pretences, however they have been affected. * Converfion (if we may give any Credit to the Scrip- ture) is a great and univerfal Change of the Man, turning him ,from Sin to God. A Man may be reftrained from Sin, before he is con - vetted ; but when he is converted, he is not only refirained from Sin, his very. Heart and Nature is turned from it, unto Holinefs Se that thenceforward he becomes a holy Perfon, and an Enemy to Sin. - If therefore, after a Perfon's high Afenions, at his fuppofed firif Converfion, it comes to that in a little Time, that there is no very fenfible, or remarkable Alteration in him, as to thofe bad Qualitie, - and evil Habits, which before were vifible in him, and he is ordinarile under the Prevalence of the fame Kind of Difpofitions that he ufe.cl to be, and the fame Things Teem to belong to his Charaner, he ap- pears as felfifh, carnal, as ftupid, and pervert , as unchriftian, and unfavoury as ever ; it is greater Evidence againft him, than the brightefi Sory of Experiences that ever was told, is for him. For in C..;hriff Jefhs neither Circumcifion, nor Uncircumcifro.n, neither high Pro<eilion, nor low Profefiion, neither a fair Story, nor a broken one,. avails any Thing ; but a new Creature. If there be a very great Alteration vifible in a Perfon for a while ; if it ben't abiding, but he afterwards returns, in a ftated Manner to be much as he ufed to be ; it appears to be no Change of Nature. For Nature is an abiding Thing. A Swine that is of a filthy Nature may be wafhed ; but the fwinifh Nature remains. And a Dove that is of a cleanlyNature may be defiled,but it's cleanlyNature remains. t I would not judge of the whole Soul's coming to Chrift, fo much by fudden Pangs, as by an inward Bent. For the whole Soul, in affeaionate Expreflions and Anions, may be carried to Chrift ; but being without this Bent, and Change of Affenions, is unfound. " Shepard's Parable, Part I. 203. 'Tis with the Soul, as with Water ; all the Cold may be gone, but the native Principle of Cold remains íi11. You may remove the burning of Lufts, not the Blacknefs of Na- ture. Where the Power of Sin lies, Change of Confcience from Security to Terror, Change of Life from Prophanenefs to Civility, andFafhions of theWorld, to efcape the Pollutions thereof, Change of Lulls, nay quenching them for a Time But the Nature is never changed, in the bell Hypocrite that ever was. " Shepard's Parable, Part I. p. 194. Q.2 Indeed
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=