eous and misjudge them. Simon Magus, when he was professing his faith at his baptism, seemed better than Simon Peter when he was denying Christ. And judge not your heart by some good thoughts, or some bad thoughts, which have been rare; but judge it by that which hath had your chief esteem, your chief love, or choice, and been the main design which you have driven on, and had your chiefest care and diligence in seeking it. Be sure find out what it is, whether God or the flesh, that hath been uppermost, that hath had your heart and life, and been that to which the other hath stooped, and subserved.

These are all the directions that I will trouble you with, saving that I would have you, 5. To follow on the search till you know the truth; and what you cannot do at once, come to it again, till you are resolved. And come and tell me how you have found the case to stand with you, and the Lord assist you. The texts which I set before you are these.

"Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit, is spirit." (John iii. 3, 5, 6.)

"God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. He that believeth on him is not condemned; but he that believeth not is condemned already.—And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil, hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God." (John iii. 16, 18—21.)

"Go and teach (or disciple) all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I have commanded you." (Matt. xxviii. 19, 20. So Mark xvi. 16.)

"Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." (Matt. xviii. 3.)

"To open their eyes, and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God; that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance among the sanctified, by faith that is in me." (Acts xxvi. 18.)

"Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." (Luke xiii. 3, 5.)

"There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.-For they that are after the flesh, do mind the things of the flesh, but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then, they that are in the flesh, cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. (13, &c.) For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; but if by the Spirit, ye mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live: for as many as are led by the Spirit of God, are the sons of God.-Ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness to (or with) our spirit, that we are the children of God.” (Rom. viii. 1, 2, &c.)

"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are, adulteriy, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witcheraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like.— They which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law; and they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts thereof." (Gal. v. 19, &c.) "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified to me, and I unto the world." (Gal. vi. 14.)

"Now if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away, behold all things are become new." (2 Cor. v. 17.) "Know ye not the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you, but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." (1 Cor. vi. 9-11; so Ephes. v. 3-11.)

"Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord." (Heb. xii. 14.)

"For the grace of God, which bringeth salvation, hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and

worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works." (Tit. ii. 11-14.)

"Love not the world, nor the things that are in the world; for if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (John ii. 15.)

"Ye cannot serve God and mammon." (Luke xvi. 13.)

"Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world-And this is the victory that overcometh the world, even your faith." (1 John v. 4, 5.)

"The foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth who are his. And, Let him that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity." (2 Tim. ii. 19.)

By this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil. Whosoever doth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother, abideth in death." (1 John iii. 10, 14.)

"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful: but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night." (Psalm i. 1, 2.)

"Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying; but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts or wills thereof." (Rom. xiii. 13, 14.)

"He shall be called Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sin." (Matt. i. 21.)

"If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, (that is, love them not so much less than me, that he can cast them by, as we do things hated, when they stand against me,) he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. Whosoever he be of you that biddeth not farewell to, or forsaketh, all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple." (Luke xiv. 26, 33.)

"Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out." (Rev. iii. 12.)

"He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death." (Rev. xxi. 7, 8.)

"There is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which God the Righteous Judge will give me, and to all them that love his appearing." (2 Tim. iv. 8; read Matt. xxv.)

THE SECOND DAY'S CONFERENCE.

Of the Conversion of a Sinner, what it is.

Speakers.-Paul, a teacher; and Saul, a learner.

PAUL. Well, neighbour, have you examined yourself by the word of God, since I saw you, as I directed you?

SAUL. I have done what I can in it.

P. And what do you think now of your case, upon trial ? S. I think it is much worse than I had hoped it was, and as bad as you feared. When I first read the promises to all that believe in Christ, I was ready again to hope that I was safe; but when I read further, I found that it was as you had told me; and that I had none of Christ's Spirit, and therefore am none of his; and that I am not a penitent convert, and am not in a state of life. But I now beseech you, sir, upon my knees, as you pity a poor sinner, tell me what I must do to be saved. P. Are you willing and resolved to do it if I tell it you, and prove it to you fully by the word of God?

e

S. By the grace of God I am resolved to do it, be it what it will, for I know it cannot be so bad as sin and hell.

P. You say well. I will first tell you this again in the general, 1. That your case is not remediless, but a full and sufficient salvation is purchased, and tendered in the gospel to you as well as to any others.

2. That Christ and his grace is this remedy; and that God

e Acts ii. 37, and xvi. 30.

1 John v. 11, 12.

' Matt. xi. 28.

hath given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son hath not life, but remaineth in his guilt and sin.

h

3. That Christ having already made himself a sufficient sacrifice for sins, and merited our reconciliation, pardon, and salvation, to be given in his way, hath made a covenant of grace (conditional) with sinful man, by the promise of which he forgiveth us all our sins, and giveth right to everlasting life.

4. That Christ's way of saving men from sin is by sending his ministry and word to call them, and giving his Spirit within to sanctify them. And this Spirit is Christ's advocate to plead his cause, and do his work, and prepare us by holiness for the heavenly glory.

5. That all the condition required of you, that you may have all these blessings of the covenant of grace, is but sincerely to1 believe and consent, and give up yourself in covenant to God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and continue true to the covenant which you make.

Read over these five points well, and consider of them; and then tell me whether this be not glad tidings to an undone miserable sinner? Have you read them over?

S. I have read them, and I perceive that they are glad tidings of hope indeed. But truly, sir, I have heard the Gospel so carelessly, that I do not thoroughly understand these things; and therefore entreat you to open them to me more fully and plainly.

P. I know you were baptised in your infancy; which was your privilege, being entered by your parents into the covenant of God. But their consent and dedication will serve your turn no longer than till you come to age and natural capacity to consent and covenant for yourself. Tell me, then, have you ever soberly considered what your baptism was, and what covenant was then made between God and you? And have you seriously renewed that covenant yourself, and so given up yourself to God?

S. Alas! I never either seriously considered or renewed it; but I thought I was made a Christian by it, and was sufficiently regenerated, and my sins done away, and that I was a child of God, and an heir of heaven.

h Matt. xxviii. 19, 20; John iii. 16.

1 Acts xxvi. 16-18; Rom. x. 8-10, 14, 15.

1 Matt. xxviii. 19, 20; Mark xvi. 16; Rev. xxii. 17.

Rom. viii. 9.