Son's redemption, as if we could be saved as well without a Saviour, or as if it were but some poor and trivial commodity that Christ had purchased us? I know you would confess the misery of that man, that believed no better in the Father and the Son. And how comes it to pass that you think not of your own misery, that believe no better in the Holy Ghost? Do you not debase the sanctifying office of the Holy Spirit, when you show us your knowledge, and parts, and outward duties, and civility, and tell us that these are the work' of sanctification: what is sanctification but such a thing as this? Why, holiness is a new life and spirit in us; and these that you talk of are but as a few flowers that are stuck upon a corpse, to keep it awhile from stinking among men, till death convey it to a burial in hell. O sirs, sanctification is another kind of matter than the forsaking of some of your fouler vices, and speaking well of a godly life. It is not the patching up of the old man, but the creating of a new man. I will give you warning therefore from God, that you think not basely of the work of the Holy Ghost; and that you think no more to be saved without the sanctifying work of the Spirit, than without the redeeming work of the Son, or creation, governinent, or love of the Father. Sanctification must turn the very bent and stream of heart and life to God, to Christ, to heaven: it must mortify carnal self and the world to you: it must make you a people devoted, consecrated, and resigned up to God, with all that you have: it must make all sin odious to you, and make God the love and desire of your souls; so that it must give you a new heart, a new end, a new master, a new law, and a new conversation. This is that noble heavenly work which the holy Ghost hath vouchsafed to make the business of his office: to slight and despise this, is to slight and despise the Holy Ghost, and not to believe in him: to be without this work, is to be without the Holy Ghost: and if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his.(0) The holy catholic

(0) Rom. viii. 9.

church is composed of all through the world that have this work upon them, and therefore it is called holy. The communion of saints, is the blessed vital fellowship of the sanctified ones: for these only is the resurrection unto blessedness, and the life everlasting with the Lord of life; for all others is the resurrection of condemnation, and the everlasting punishment.

But if the other two articles of our faith have been so denied by the blind, it is less wonder if this be so. Some heretics denied God to be the Creator of the world: and because they saw so much evil in the world, they said it was made by devils or evil angels, (who indeed made the sin, but not the world.) So dealt the Jews by the Son, and the second article of our faith. The sacrifice of bulls and goats, and such beasts, was all the sacrifice for sin that they believed in. And thus deal the multitude of the ungodly by the Spirit. Indeed they know not themselves sufficiently to know the need and worth of sanctification. They are too whole to value the skill and care of Christ or the Holy Ghost. The insensibility of spiritual death and misery, and thinking too lightly of original corruption, and too well of our depraved nature, is both the cause of many of the heresies of the learned, and of the common contempt of Christ, and the Spirit, and recovering grace, in all the unregenerate. For it is not possible that men should have any deeper sense of the need or worth of the remedy, than they have of the greatness of their sin and misery.

O sirs, did we not come upon this great disadvántage to you, that we speak to dead men, that have indeed a natural life, which doth but take pleasure in their spiritual death; how confidently should we expect to prevail with you all! But while you think lightly of your disease, we can expect no better but that you think as lightly of Christ and holiness, and all the means that tend to your recovery; and think of the new man, as the poets fabled of the Promethean race, that it grows out of the earth (of your own poor sorry purposes and performances) like ordinary plants!

Truly, sirs, I have led you even as far as I can: and what more to say to you, or what more to do for you, to procure your conversion, I do not know. If it had been in my power to have shown you heaven and hell itself, that you might better have known the matters that we speak of, I think I should have done it. But God will not have men live by sense in this life, but by faith. If I could but help you all to such a knowledge and apprehension of these invisible things, as the worst of you shall have as soon as you are dead, then I should make but little doubt of your conversion and salvation. Sure if you had but such a sight, the force of it would so work upon you, that you would all cry out that you are resolved to be new creatures. But though this be beyond my power, and though I cannot show you the great and wonderful things that every eye must shortly see; yet I come not to you without a glass of God's own making, and in that glass you may see them. There, if you have but an eye of faith, you may see that God you have so long offended, and that now so earnestly inviteth you to return: there you may see that crucified Christ, that hath opened you a way for repentance by his blood, and pleadeth that blood with you for the melting of your impenitent obstinate hearts. There you may see the odious face of sin, and the amiable face of holiness, which is the image of God. There you may see both heaven and hell, although they are invisible, and may know what will be, and that to all eternity, as well as what is.

And will not such a sight, in the glass of God's word, serve to move thee presently to give up the trade of sinning, and to resolve, before thou stir, for God? I am now come to the end of this part of my work; if the reading of it have brought thee to the end of thy ungodly careless life, it will be happy for thee, and I shall so far attain the end of my labour. I have purposely put this direction of the necessity of resolution in the last place, that I might leave upon thy spirit the reasons for resolution that here I have laid down.-And now I beseech thee, reader, whoever thou art, with all the

and into a spiritual lively fruitful frame. He is forward to aggravate the sins of others, and oft-times severe enough in censuring them: but he is a very gentle censurer of himself, and a patient man with his own corruptions, and puts the best construction upon all that is his own. He hath much labour perhaps in shaping his opinions, but little for the humbling and sanctifying his heart, by the power of the truth.

6. And as the difference lieth thus constantly in the heart, so it is usually manifested by the tongue. The sound convert is most desirous to discourse of those great and saving truths, which his very heart hath taken in, and which he hath found to be the seed of God for his regeneration, and the instruments of that holy and happy change that is made upon him: he feeleth most savour, and life, in these great and most necessary points. Read John xvii. 3. 1 Cor. xv. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. 1 Cor. ii. 2. Phil. iii. 8, 9, 10, 11. 1 Tim. iii. 16. Acts, xxxvi, 22, 23. In these scriptures you may find what points they were that the greatest saints did study and live upon. But the opinionist is most forward to discourse of mere opinions, and to feed upon the air of notions, and controversies of lesser moment.

A serious Christian, even when he is necessitated to speak of lower controverted points, yet doth it in a spiritual manner, as one that more savoureth higher truths, and makes a holy and heavenly life his end, even in these lower matters; and deals about such controversies in a practical manner, and in order to the growth of holiness.

Lastly, true converts are stedfast, but opinionists are usually mutable and unconstant. The sound convert receiveth the greatest truths, and receives the good+ ness as well as the truth; and takes it not only into the head, but into the heart, and giveth it deep root ing: he closeth with God as his own felicity, and with Christ as his only refuge and redeemer, and with heaven as the sure everlasting glory, to which the

world is but a mole-hill or a dungeon. No wonder then if this man be stedfast, and immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.

To which end I further desire you, 1. To consider, that it is a higher matter that Christ came into the world for, than to change men's bare opinions; and it is a higher matter that the gospel is intended for, and that ministers are sent to you: for it is more than a corruption of men's opinions, that sin hath brought upon you; and therefore it is a deeper disease that must be cured. The work of Christ by his gospel, is no less than to fetch you off all that which flesh and blood accounts your happiness, and to unite you to hunself, and make you holy, as God is holy, and to give you a new nature, and make you as the dwellers or citizens of heaven, while you walk on earth.→→ And these are greater matters than the changing of a party, or opinion. The Holy Spirit himself must dwell in you, and work in you, and employ your soul and life for God, that you may study him, and love him, and live to him here, and live with him for Do but think well of the ends and meaning of the Gospel, and how much greater matters it drives at; and then you will see that there is no taking up with any opinionative religion.

ever.

THE CONCLUSION.

And now I have given you directions in the most great and necessary business in the world: they are such as I received of God, and, faithfully practised, will put your salvation. past all hazard. But what they have done, or what they will do, I cannot tell; but must leave the issue to God and you. It's pity eternal glory should be lost for want of yielding to so holy, and sweet, and reasonable a course. It is lamentable to observe, what ignorant, base, unworthy thoughts, the most have of the very office of the Holy Ghost, who is the sanctifier of all that God will save. The very name of regeneration and sanctification is not understood by some, and is but matter of derision