afleep in Satan's arms, and makes him fecure and eafy underell the denunciations of God's wrath against him.

One grand defign of the author in this book is, to difpel that grofs darkness, to rectify thofe falfe conceptions he has of God and fin, and to convince him that notwithstanding all his vain pretenfions, without true repentance, the fentence of wrath ftands in full force ogainft him ftill.

Jefus Chrift is fet forth in scripture as the Saviour of finners, the helper of the helpless; the only fure bottom upin which man is to anchor the hope of eternal falvation. To this Lord and Saviour is the awakened finner dire&ed in this book: a free and a full falvation is offered him under every poffible affurance, that if he closes with it, his fins fhall be pardoned, his perfon and future fervices accepted; and, from being a brand of hell, he fhall become an heir of eternal glory.

Reader, the former charader either is or has been thine own: if it is thine at this prefent reading, remember thy danter; take the alarm, and flee fram the wrath come: If it has been thine formerly, and thou art truly converted to God by Jefus Chrift, give him all the glory, rejoice in the happy exchange, walk worthy of thy high calling, and thou art made forever.

Thy ready fervant in the LORD.

AN

ADMONITION

ΤΟ

Unconverted Sinners, &c.

An earnest Invitation to Sinners to return to God, in order to their eternal Salvation.

D'ledge myfelf a debtor to you all, and am concern

EARLY beloved and longed-for, I gladly acknow

ed, as I would be found a good fteward to the houfhold of God, to give to every one his portion: but the phyfician is moft folicitous for those patients, whofe cafe is moft doubtful and hazardous; and the father's bowels are especially turned towards his dying child: The numbers of unconverted fouls among you, call for my moft earneft compaffion and hafty diligence to pluck them out of the burning, Jude 23. And therefore to these first I fhall apply myself in thefe lines.

But whence fhall I fetch my argument? or how shall I choose my words? Lord, wherewith fhall I woo them? wherewith fhall I win them? O that I could but tell! I would write unto them in tears, I would weep out every argument, I would empty my veins for ink, I would petition them on my knees, verily (were I able) I would: O how thankful would I be if they would be prevailed with to repent and turn!

"But, Lord, how infufficient am I for this work: I have been many a year wooing for thee, but the damfel would not go with me: Lord, what a task hast thou fet me to do! Alas, wherewith fhall I pierce the fcales of Leviathan, or make the heart to feel that's hard as ftone, hard as a piece of nether millstone! Shall I go and lay my mouth to the grave, and look when the dead will obey me and

come forth? Shall I make an oration to the rocks, or declaim to the mountains, and think to move them with arguments? Shall I give the blind to fee? From the beginning of the world was it not heard that a man opened the eyes of the blind; but thou, O Lord, canft pierce the fcales and prick the heart of the finner: I can but fhoot at rovers, and draw the bow at a venture, but do thou direct-the arrow between the joints of the harness, kill the fin, and fave the foul of a finner that cafts his eyes on these labours."

Brethren, I beseech you fuffer friendly plainnefs and freedom with you in your deepeft concernments. I am not playing the orator, to make a learned fpeech to you, nor dreffing my difh with eloquence wherewith to please you; thefe lines are upon a weighty errand indeed, namely, to convince and convert, and to fave you. I am not baiting my hook with rhetoric, nor fishing for your applause, but for your fouls. My work is not to please you, but to fave you: nor is my business with your fancies, but your hearts: If I have not your hearts, I have nothing. If I were to please your ears I could sing another fong: If I were to preach myself I would fteer another courfe; I could then tell you a fmoother tale; I would make you pillows, and fpeak you peace; for how can Abab love his Michaiah, that "always prophesies evil concerning him?" 1 Kings xxii. 8. But how much better are the wounds of a friend than the fair fpeeches of an hurlot who flattereth with her lips, till the dart ftrike through the liver, and hunteth for the precious life?" Prov. vii. 21, 22, 23 and vi. 16. If I were to quiet a crying infant, I might fing to him a pleasant fong, and rock him afleep! but when the child is fallen into the fire, the parent takes another course; he will not go to ftill him with a fong or a trifle. I know, if we speed not with you, you are loft; if we cannot get your confent to "arife and come away," you pe rifh for ever: No converfion, and no falvation: I muft get your good-will, or leave you miferable.

But here the difficulty of my work again recurs up

on me, “Lord, choose my stones out of the brook," 1 Sam. xvii. 40, 45. "I come in the name of the Lord of hofts, the God of the armies of Ifrael." I come forth like the ftripling David, to wreftle," not with flesh and blood, but with principalities and powers, and rulers of the darkness of this world," Eph. vi. 12. This day let the Lord fmite the Philiftine, and fpoil the ftrong man of his armour, and give me to fetch off the captives out of his hand:" Lord, choose my words, choofe my weapons for me; and when I put my hand into the bag, and take thence a ftone and fling it, do thou carry it, to the mark, and make it fink, not into the forehead, 1 Sam. xvii. 49. but the heart of the unconverted finner, and fmite him to the ground, with Saul in his fo happy fall," Acts. ix. 4. Thou haft fent me as Abraham did his fervant," to take a wife unto my mafter thy Son," Gen. xxiv. 4. but my difcouraged foul is ready to fear "the woman will not be willing to follow me: O Lord God of my master, I pray thee fend me good speed this day, and thew kindness to my master, and fend thine angel before me, and profper my way, that I may take a wife unto thy Son," Gen. xxiv. 12. that as thy servant "refted not till he had brought Isaac and Rebecca together, fo I may be fuccefsful to bring CHRIST and the fouls of my people together before we part."

But I turn me unto you. Some of you do not know what I mean by Converfion, and in vain fhall I perfuade you to that which you do not underftand; and therefore for your fakes I fhall fhew what this Converfion is. Others do cherish fecret hopes of mercy, though they continue as they are; and for them I muft fhew the Neceffity of Converfion. Others are like to harden themselves with a vain conceit that they are converted already; unto them I muft fhew the marks of the Unconverted. Others because they feel no harm, fear none, and fo fleep upon the top of the maft; to them I fhall fhew the miferies of the Unconverted. Others fit ftill, because they fee not their way out; to them I fhall fhew the Means of Converfion. And finally, for

the quickening of all, I fhall close with the Motives to Converfion.

CHAP. I.

Shewing in the Negative what CONVERSION is not, and correcting fome mistakes upout it.

ET the blind Samaritans worship they know not what, John iv. 22. let the heathen Athenians fuperfcribe their altar, "Unto the unknown God," Aŭs xvii. 23, they that know man's conftitution, and the nature of the human foul's operation, cannot but know that the understanding having the empire in the foul, he that will go rationally to work, muft labour to let in the light here. Now that I may cure the mistakes. of fome, who think they are converted when they are not, as well as remove the troubles and fears of others, that think they are not converted when they are; I fhall fhew you the nature of converfion, both nega tively, or what it is not; and pofitively what it is.

We will begin with the Negative.

1." It is not the taking upon us the profeffion of Christianity." Doubtlefs chriftianity is more than a name. If we will hear Paul, it lies not in word, but in power, 1 Cor. iv. 20. If to cease to beJews and Pagans and to put on the Chriftian profeffion, had been true converfion, who better Christians than they of Sardis and Laodicea? These were all Chriftians by profes fion, and had a name to live; but because they had but a name, are condemned by CHRIST, and threaten, ed to be spewed out, Rev. iii. 1. 16. Are there not many that mention the name of the Lord JESUS, and yet depart not from iniquity? 2 Tim, ii. 19. and "profess they know God, but in works they deny him?" Titus i. 16. And will God receive thefe for true converts, because turned to the Chriftian religion? What! converts from fin, when yet they do live in fin? it is a vi fible contradiction. Surely if the lamp of profeffion