I know not howConverfion can be made more neceffary, than Chrift hath made it. If daily Bread be neceffary, if Meat and Drink be neceffary, if Raiment be neceffary, if Health and Strength be neceffary, then Converfion is neceffary; for it is the Bread which comes down from Heaven, it is the Meat and Drink of our Souls: This must keep them warm, and cover them, and make them Healthy, and Strong, and Vigorous. It's that which Heaven is entail'd on, and without which Men (if they dare take the Word of that Jefus, whom they do believe to be the Son of God) can look for nothing else but everlasting deftruction: Except ye be converted, and become as little Children, ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, Matth. 18. 3. are the express Words of him, who came from Heaven to reveal his Father's Will; Words, which should ftrike like Thunder, pierce like Lightning, frighten like Ghofts, and, like Charms, bind the Soul to her good Behaviour; Words, which do not only import the abfolute neceffity, but reprefent the nature and manner of true Converfion. And if the Words added, by way of Explication, be throughly weighed, it will appear to any rational Man,that that laboriousConverfion,which the Minifters of the Gospel prefs and commend, is no other, but what Chrift requires in order to Salvation: For what can be the meaning of this Phrafe, becoming as little Children, but that Men must learn to be Children in Malice, 1 Cor. 14. 20. pull down their Paffions, watch over their inordinate Affections, overcome themselves, and harbour no grudge, no hatred, no revengeful thoughts

thoughts in their Hearts, against those that have offended them; and, like new-born Babes, defire the fincere Milk of the Word, that they may grow thereby, 1 Pet. 2. 2. i. e. with all humility and alacrity submit themselves to be guided, and ruled, and govern'd by the Precepts and Injunctions of Chrift in the Gospel, without difputing or contradicting his Commands, tho' levell'd against Flesh and Blood, as much as Children leave themselves to the guidance and direction of their Nurfes; and have neither strength, nor will, nor malice, to oppofe the Will or Order of those that lead them: Not that Chrift forbids examining either the Divinity or Reafonableness of his Doctrines and Injunctions. No: God is not afraid to have his Will tried. and examined by right Reason; for as it is the effect of the highest Reason, so it must needs be most agreeable to Reafon, it being impoffible that Truth can be inconfiftent with Truth. Go, lay together all the Principles which that spark of Divinity, right Reafon, doth fuggeft. Do not confult the Reason of fenfual Men, who call Laughter, Reafon, and brutish Delights, effects of a Human Understanding; fo Devils may call the Fire they roll in, the Light of God's Countenance: But fummon together all the Principles which the wifeft Men in all Ages have unanimously agreed on, and let God's Will be tried by that Touchstone, and its Glory will foon appear; its Characters, like the Stones of the High-Prieft's Ephod, will glitter and sparkle to admiration: And therefore Chrift doth fo little difcourage Men from trying the Divinity of his. Sayings

Sayings and Commands, by the Rule of right Reason, that in feveral places he bids the Pharifees, and whoever were his Adverfaries, to judge impartially of the Arguments he gave for the Divine Original of his Doctrine. And without all peradventure, this Liberty every Man hath to examine, and satisfie himself, whether the Injunctions of Chrift and his Apostles, were things that dropt from Heaven, or no. But then, where Men are convinced, or have fufficient reafon to be convinced, that these Precepts are the peremptory Will of God concerning their Salvation; (as any Person who is not a Changeling, or a meer Natural, may find upon due Examination and Enquiry, if he will;) there God expects molt justly, that all Pretences and Excufes and carnal Reasonings fhould fall, and the Soul fubmit readily to the Yoke of Chrift, and refign its Will to Chrift's Will, (though it cannot for the prefent comprehend the true Reason of fome Commands) and fuffer it self to be acted and guided by these Laws, without contradiction, or oppofition, or tergiverfation, denying and renouncing every Apprehenfion or Suggeftion that would follicit or tempt it to ftart afide from fincere Obedience, and all Difcourfes that would dafh or impede its willingness and readiness to embrace them.

And indeed, this is all we mean by true Converfion, viz. ceafing to obey the Dictates of the World, the Flesh, and the Devil, and endeavouring seriously to live up to the Precepts of the Gospel, without asking our Lufts, or vain De

fires, whether they are willing to it or no; a fincere Refolution to get from under the Yoke of Sin, and to make the Lord Jefus, who bought us with his own Blood, our fupream Ruler and Governor. And since there can be no Government without Laws, and we never heard of any other Laws Chrift gave, but what we have in the Gospel, we cannot and dare not but conclude, that to live up to thefe Laws of the Gofpel, is true Converfion. And therefore, an unconverted Sinner is called, A Man without Law; not but that he hath a Law in his Members warring continually against the Law of his Mind; nor that he lives under no Law of the Civil Magiftrate: He can live in no Society, but he must be fubject to the Municipal Law of the Land; but because he doth not make the Law of Chrift the Rule of his Thoughts, and Words, and Actions, which upon his Converfion he begins to do, and becomes a Man that lives by Rule, and is as cautious of doing any thing against that Law, tho' in fecret, and removed from the fight and prefence of Men, as if the greatest and gravest Affembly did furround him.

And indeed, the Primitive Chriftians took no Perfon to be converted, that did not make these Laws the great Rule of his Life, and fhewed by his Actions, that he prized and esteemed and valued thefe Laws, above all the Orders and Decrees and Conftitutions of the greatest Monarchs. Not that they difobeyed the Laws of their Prince, where they clafhed not with any Law of God: No, this they fcorn'd and abhorred; nay,

they

they gloried in their fubmiffion to all the law, ful Commands of their fuperiours. But when the Laws of their Princes interfered with any Law of Christ, there they fhew'd, by their chearful Sufferings, that they had a greater Master to serve, and that there was no greater King than Confcience.

When we do intreat and admonish Men to be converted, what do we do but perfuade them to mortifie their Members which are upon the Earth, Fornication, Uncleannefs, inordinate Affection, evil Concupifcence, and Covetoufness, which is Idolatry; and to put off Anger, Wrath, Malice, Blafphemy, and filthy Communication out of their Mouths; and to put on Bowels of Mercy, Kindness, humbleness of Mind, Meeknefs, Long-fuffering, fo as to forbear one another, and forgive one another. To let the Word of Chrift dwell in them richly, in all Wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in Pfalms and Hymns, and fpiritual Songs, finging with Grace in their Hearts unto the Lord; and whatever they do in word or deed, do it all in the Name of our Lord Jefus Chrift, giving thanks unto God and the Father through him. To be poor in Spirit, to be meek, to hunger and thirst after Righteousness, to purifie their hearts, to follow Peace with all Men as much as in them lies. To be patient under Slanders, Reproaches, and Perfecutions. To live in a fenfe of future Joys, and of an everlasting Recompence. To avoid all apparent occafions of Evil, even things that are harmless in themselves, if they provoke or tempt to Sin. To avoid Swearing