2. It is a Thing we are apt to be mistaken in. 3. Unless we enquire, we shall never know what to do. 2. The Scripture, S. Luk. xvi. 29. 3. The Ministers. The Enquiry; What must we do? 1. Repent, vers. 38. 1. Not as the Hypocrites, S. Matt. vi. 16. 2. Nor as the Papists, Joel ii. 13. 3. Nor as the Formalists. 4. But as the sincere Christian doth.. 1. So as to be truly griev'd, S. Luk. xviii. 13. 1. For all Sin. 2. For all Sin, as Sin. 2. So as to hate it, Pfal. cxix. 113. and cxxxix. 21, 22. 1. As the worst of Evils in itself. 2. As the Cause of all Evils to us, Jer. v. 25. 3. So as to be refolv'd against it. 4. So as to be wholly converted from it; fo as, 1. Not willingly to commit it. 2. Nor lie long in it. 3. But watch continually against it. 2. Believe, Act. xvi. 31. not with, 1. A meer Historical, 2. Nor dogmatical Faith. 3. Nor Faith of Miracles, 1 Cor. xiii. 2. 4. Nor a temporary Faith, S. Matth. xiii. 20. s. Nor an implicit Faith. 6. But a saving justifying Faith. 1. Grounded upon Knowledge. 2. Embracing and affenting to Chrift. 1. That ! 1. That He is truly GOD. 2. For our Sakes became Man, and suf fer'd. 3. That He is the only Saviour of the World, Aft. iv. 12. 4. That whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, S. Joh. iii. 16. 3. Appropriating this to ourselves, that what He did, He did for our Sakes, Ifa. liii. 45. 4. That brings forth good Works, Jam. ii. 26. USES. 1. Bethink yourselves of your spiritual Estate. 2. Beware left you be mistaken about it. Confider, 1. We are all apt to think too well, rather than too ill of ourselves, S. Luk. xviii. 11. 2. We are never the better for thinking too well of ourselves. 3. Our thinking ourselves better than we are, is one great Reason, why we are no better than we are. 3. After you know your Estate, enquire what to do in it. 4. Do what I have told you must be done. Аст. ііі. 26. Unto you first GOD having raised up His I. G OD raised up His Son Jesus Christ to be a XV. 15. 1. By His Prophets, I Pet.iii. 19. Neb. ix. 30. 2. By Himself, Hebr. i. 1, 2. and ii. 2, 3. 3. By His Apostles, 2 Cor. v. 19, 20. 4. By His Ministers, Eph. iv. 11, 12. II. GOD sent Him, 1. By Promise in the Old Testament, I S. Pet. i. 10, 11. and iii. 19. Gen. iii. 15. 2. In Person in the New Testament, Gal. iv. 4,5. 1. First to the Jews, Alt. ii. 39. S. Joh. iv. 22. 1. He was first promis'd to them. 2. Born of them. 1 3. Manifested Himself first among them, S. Matt. iv. 12, 17. 2. To the Gentiles also ; ἀρὰ κὶ ἑτέροις, ἀλλ ̓ i Act. ii. 39. xi. 18. and xv. 7,8,9. Gal. iii. 14. Gen. xxii. 17, 18. • III. Christ was sent to bless us, Gen. xxii. 17, 18. 1. 2. To apply it to us. IV. The great Blessing we receive by Chrift, is Conversion from Sin, Pfal.i. 1. and xxxii. 1, 2. Is it not a blessed Thing, 1. To know our Sins are pardon'd, S. Matt. ix. 2. 2. 3. -GOD reconcil'd, Rom. V. I. that we have an Interest in Christ, S. Joh. iii. 24. 4. To have a pacify'd Conscience, 2 Cor. i. 12. 5. To delight ourselves in the best Things, Pfal. i. 2. 28. 6. To be related to GOD, Gal. iv. 6. 7. To have all Things blessed to us, Rom. viii. 8. To have an infallible Evidence of our Title to Heaven, Rom. viii. 1. Matt. XXV. 46. V. Christ hath purchas'd this Blessing for us, S. Matt. 1. 21. 1 S. Pet. i. 18. Tit. ii. 14. 1 S. Joh. iii. 8. For, 1. He hath purchas'd the Pardon of our Sins, therefore Conversion, Ezek. xviii. 30. Act. ii. 38. 2. 3. -Peace with GOD, therefore Conversion. - Redemption from Misery, there. fore Converfion, S. Luk. xiii. 3. 4. He hath purchas'd Heaven, therefore Conversion, S. Joh. iii. 16. Hebr. xiii. 14. VI. But how did Christ purchase this Blessing for us? 1. All Men are Sinners, Gen. vi. 5. 2. Christ undertook to cleanse us from our Sins. 3. This could not be, but by purchasing the fame Grace we lost by Sin. 4. No way to obtain Grace, but by the Spirit of GOD, Ezek. xxxvi. 27. Numb. xiv. 24. 5. GOD would not send His Spirit, until Man's Sins were fatisfy'd for, and so GOD reconcil'd. 6. Christ, by His Death, satisfies for our Sins, 1 S. Joh. ii. 2. 7. And so purchaseth the Donation of the Spirit, S. Joh. xvi. 5. 8. The Spirit sent into our Hearts, turns us from our Sins, 2 Theff. ii. 13. VII. How doth the Spirit work this Bleffing? 1. It convinceth us of our being Sinners, S. Joh. xvi. 8. Pfal. li. 5. 2. Shews us our Misery thereby; as subject, 1. To the Wrath of GOD, Pfal. vii. 11. Ephef. ii. 3. 2. To the Curse of the Law, Gal. iii. 10. 3. To everlasting Torments, 2 Theff. i. 9. 3. It discovers a Possibility of recovering out of this Estate, Ezek. xxxiii. 11. of being alfo truly happy, S. Matt. 4. xi. 28. Ifa. lv. 1, 2. |