An Expojition of the Epifile r-....A/\ there are thofe that aim at God. But take this World, all the Cnatures, Sun Sermo1l and Moon, and Stars,. take all the Sons of.men,, they have n~t fuch a Principle a; XXV. thts: It is a higher Pnnctple than Reafon tt felt, tt ts the l1je of God; the .other ~is but the life of Reafon, or the life of Beafis. Do but examine now whether you have any fuch thing in you, if you would know whether the E"cerdmg greatnej's of hupower bath wrought in your hearts or no. I may compare a man that is turning to God to one that is going with full Sail to fuch a Countrey or Port, and bath taken in Lading fitting and Juitable to that Countrey, and he bath a ComNfs to guide him thither, he bath the Wind lair for him. By Nature a man loadeth himfelf with a world of Vanities, he is fhip– ped for this World,and that is it which his eye aimeth at,to make himfe!fhappy in the Work!)n fome thing or other.. Now my Brethren, God meets with him by the way, takes htm off from all hts Ends that were for htmfelf, puttcth in a new Pilot, fettet!J up a new Load-fiar, giveth him a new Compafs, fendeth his blef– fed Spirit into his heart, that as a Wind bloweth him clean another way, all the Lading he bath by Nature he cannot vent any of thofe commodities he throweth them all overboad. Thus God dealeth with a man when he tur~eth him. Pmtlwas a Ship richly laden, I was a Schollar,faith he,and profited in the 1ew– ijbLanguage more than all my Teachers, I had much toboafi of; God comes and he throweth them all overboard, I cormt alt things but '" droj's rmd drmg ,.,; comparif'Oit of the /mow/edge of Chrifl, ~c. What made Paul do this ? God bad touched his heart with this Loadflone, to the diredion of which all mufl be con– formed. He turneth out all old commodities, putteth in a new Rudder, a new Pilot, a new Compafs; and now faith he, I mufi needs aim at God's Glory in all t.hings; My Brethren, herein lieth the work of Converlion, wherein lieth it elfe? then it lieth in this or it lieth in nothing. Now to work fuch a work as this in a man, to touch a man's heart thus, is as much as to throw the Earth off its Ceoter. Take the Earth, if it move as fome fuppofe it cloth; if it move !!ill upon its Center,this is no great matter.; but if you lhould fee the Earth go off1 1 is Center,and fix it felfin the fame Sphere with the Sun,and go along with the fame pace and with the fame motion, you would think an Almighty power mufi go to do all this: This God doth. A man moveth himfelf, move him which way you will, if you will move him to God, as Self-love Love will fomtimes do, yet frill he is upon his O\l,'n Center, all is for himfclf. God comcth and turns him off his own hinges, takes him from his own bottom, placeth him in the fame Sphere with himfelf, makes him aim at him in all things. This is Holinefs; and to put this Principle into a man's heart, notiing but the Almighty power of God can do it. It is above all the Creation. SE R.
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