The Ail-[ufficiency ofChrift ,nablc Lufts of all forts, yet Chrift by his Almighty Spirh, and efficacious Grace can in an inftant transform and new mould him, and of a defpcratc outrageous Si~ncr make him an humble and broken~hcarted Saint. See that Black Cata logue, 1 Cor. 6. 9, 10, I I. Be not deceived, neither Fornicators, nor ldo~aters, noY Adulterers, ll()rThicvc;, nor Dnmkards fha!l inherit tiJt Kingdom of God. What f::mh t he .Apoftle concerning fnch? Such were fo.me ~{you; why is .it poffiblc that Grace fhould change, or Mercy pardon, Or the DevJllofc fuch great Smners as thefc arc? Yet fuch were fomc of you; but ye arc 'P'a.fhcd, but J.C arc {anfl~fi.ed in the nam~ of the Lord 1e[t~, a~d by the ~pirit of IJUY God, &c. Yea, and this A\1-fnffi.c Jency of Chnft to (we and fan(hfie the VJlefr and mofr ftagitions Sinner, is made more eminently glorious in thcfe Particulars. 1 . In that he is able to efl:ect this mighty change in a moment, in the twinkling of an Eye, without '"#aiting upon the methods of previous Prepa rations or Difpofitions. The Spirit cloth not :~lways ftand knocking by common Motions, PerfwafiOns and Convi(tions, a1~d legal Terrors, but fometimes fo rceth and breaketh open the Heart, and by his irreUftiblc efficacy fuddenly furprizerh the Soul, and fcizeth on it, anct capti vates it to the obedience of the Lord Chrift; as at Mid ·day when we remove the fhuts of our \.Vi ndows, Light doth not enter in by Degrees, firft dawning and ?arti ng in fon1e weak beams of I:ight,_ and then_fo~e further degrees, b_nt it fprings 1n at once, and at one moment Irradiates and mhgh tens the Room With a perfc(l: and fu ll ~rown brightnefs, fo fometimes the Sun of Righttoufoefs doth arife upon the Heart without t he Circumftances of a dawning, though this is not indeed God's ufiialMcthod in Converting Sinners. Nay, fometimes it darts both light and warmth at once through the whole Hear t, by which onr Almighty SJv iour CJn in a moment work .a greater ch:~ nge by far than God wrought in all the Six days Ottuion : He can at once melt down the hard Heart and fubd.ue the ftubborn Will, t:une headfl:rong Pa!Tions, and violent AftCCHons, demolifh the ftrong holds of Iniquity, that have many years been fort ifying againfl: him, he c:w both wound, and heal, kill, and make alive, dcftroy Sin, and plant Grace, and that with fi.JCh difp:ttch as can prevent not only the endeavours, bnt the obfervation of a Sinner, 'Jamcs )· 2. The All-fufficiency of Chrift to fave and fanetjfic appears in this alfo, that fometimes he works t his mighty change at fitch an unlikely Seafon, when tl1c Sinner is - the hottdt, and the mofl: eager in t hcprofecution of his Ln ft. It is ea fie to fhew bv fomc remarkable Infiances what he is able to do by Converting a Sinner to himfdf, not only without preparations to affift him, -but againft the ftronge ft preparations th:lt the Sinner and the Devil have made to refift him, fome h:1 ve been fitrpri zed by Grace in t he very aCt of Sin, that might have provoked Juftice to have Damned them: Mercy bath made it an opportun ity for their S.1lvation; fome Circumftances in their Sin h:tth proved to he the beginning of their Converfion.Thus St. Paul in the midll: of his threatning, in the height and heat of hi s Perfecntion, when he was going to Damafi:u~ to h:lie and imprifon thofc that made Profeffion of the Name of Chrift, he was by the Almighty Grace ofChrilt turned to be an Apojlle; and fo /fit · 5· 13. Notwithft:mdin r- t hat he goes on to add Sin to Sin, and Jniqmty to Iniquity,. 1havf ftm hi! m'!)'s, fait h God, and I will heal him by my Efficacious and Almighty Grace break ing in llpon him in a moment. 3· Chrifi's A\1-[ufliciency to fanB:ifie and fave a Sinner appears to "he eminently glorious, in that he is able to work this great and mighty change by fuch contemptible me·1ns, as to the Eye of Humane Reafon, is altogether infbfticient to atchi.e\'"e it, ond that is, by the preach ing of the Word. Shonld God himfclf fpeak ont of Heaven in Thunder, fhoukl. we hear the Voice of his terrible Majefty now rattling in the Clouds, Repent, Repent, or Etemally peri.fh. Should fame .Awrcl that is now m i ni~ ftring among us nuke himfelfvifible, and from this place dcuoufice Wrath :1ud V en~ gea.ncc aga.inft impenite.nt Sinn~rs,. and promife Peace and Pardon to all that Jha[L bel1eve, repent and reform their Lives. Shonld fome Damned Wretch be rcleafcd out of Hell, and fent all burning red hot hi ther, on pnrpofe to warn you to repent, or for ever to be fwallowed np in fiery Wrath, if you fuould fee him [peaking Flamesat every W ord, this were a likely courfe to move you, for who would be fo fenOefs and obdurate as not to be convinced at fuch a Sermon as this? But know that God hath commit ted the Word ot Reconci liation not unto them, but unto us EartheJJ Veffi!s a~ we are0 and yet alas v-:hat can we do? We can but ftammer Oilt a few words that a rc Coon loft, that arc foon fcattered. We can but reprove Men for their fins, threaten them with Wrath1 admonilh them to fly to j efi1s Chrilt for bis Rightcoufiiefs, an~
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