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This I believe is always the cafe, in a sinner's firft converfion to God. This is the period when he begins to put a proper value on the divine favour. In his state of ignorance and stupidity, alas! he forgets God, and is awfully indifferent concerning either his anger or his love. But in converfion, the poor finner, who was before at case, thoughtless and secure, is enlightened, convicted, and pricked to the heart. His awakened foul begins to cry with Peter's hearers, "Men and brethren, what fhall we do?" Or with the jailor at Philippi, Sirs, what fhall I do to be faved? I have ruined and deftroyed myself, and want a friendly guide, to fet me in the right way. I know not what to do, or which way to look for relief. I have wandered from God, and from the way of peace till now, and am utterly at a loss what fteps I ought to take. I am fully convinced, that if I proceed in my former course, I am utterly and everlastingly undone. Some other path I must tread, but how to find the way of fafety I know not. Moft earneftly do I defire to fly from the wrath to come, but alas! whither fhall I fly? Ye minifters of Chrift, ye fervants of the Most High God, give me your counfel. Tell me, is there any hope for fuch a wretch as I am? I have gone astray like a loft fheep, upon the mountains of fin

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and error even till now. The terrors of an angry God fet themselves in array against me; O tell me how I fhall efcape them."

- To fuch a finner, the moft diftant profpect, the smallest degree of hope concerning God's favour, and reconciliation with him, would be as life from the dead. If the reader has felt the terrors of an awakened confcience, he will not be at a lofs to know what we mean. He who has a just sense of God's awful difpleasure against him, because of fin, can find no words expreffive enough to fet forth his value of the divine favour.

Now the God of all grace hath promised to guide bewildered fouls into the way of life and peace. "I will inftru&t thce, and teach thee in the way which thou fhalt go; I will guide thee with mine eye. Thine ears shall hear a word behind thee faying, This is the way, walk ye in it. The way. faring men, though fools, fhall not err therein." For thus faith the Lord, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Ifrael, I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way which thou shouldest go, I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not, I will lead them in paths that they have not known; I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things ftraight. These things will I do unto them, and

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not forsake them." The inquiring finner fhould remember for his encouragement, that it is the office of the Saviour of men, to give light to them that fit in darkness, and in the fhadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

The convinced finner fees the neceflity of God's favour being manifested in turning his heart from fin to holinefs. He fees the neceffity of repentance, and is conscious of his own inability to produce it in himself. 66 Alas!" fays he, "I can no more convert myself, than I could have given myself existence when I had none. I have no power to make my heart new, to make it pure and holy. I feel in myself nothing but diforder, perverseness, and rebellion. What fhall I do? Merciful God! do thou thoroughly change and renew my foul. Turn thou me, and I fhall be turned. Do all that for me, of thy abundant grace, which is neceffary to my everlasting falvation. I am encouraged to ask this, because thou haft, of thy free favour, promifed all that I want."

The poor finner, in this cafe, is led to remember, for his relief, fuch declarations as the following. "The Lord thy God will circumcife thine heart to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy foul, that thou mayeft live. I will give them an heart to know me, and they shall be

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my people, and I will be their God: for they fhall return unto me with their whole heart. a new spirit within you, and will take the ftony heart out of your flesh, and will give you an heart of flefh." Here God of his free favour, has graciously promised what the awakened foul fees to be abfolutely neceffary to its final fafety.

Such a finner wants a sense of intereft in the divine Redeemer, and in all his saving benefits. He is fully convinced that there is no falvation for him but in Jefus. "How have I deceived myself," fays he," in placing my confidence in my own righteousness, which indeed is but as filthy rags! It is impoffible that that should justify me which is fo imperfect and impure as to deserve the abhorrence of my Maker and Sovereign. I now at laft fee my own nakednefs and wretchednefs. Behold, I am vile; I abhor myself, all I am, and all I have; nay, I justly deserve the abhorrence of that holy and righteous Being with whom I have to do. If I have not a righteoufnefs better than my own, a righteousness anfwerable to the requifitions of the divine law, I am well affured, I cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven. When I review my past life, and look into my depraved heart, I am confounded. God is holy, his law is pure, his justice is like a flaming fire against polluted finners, fuch

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as I am. In myself I have nothing to fhelter or protect me, and fhould fink into defpair, were it not for the glad tidings of gofpel grace, in which a Saviour is revealed, who is become a furety for finners, an advocate, a propitiatory facrifice. O for a fense of intereft in this precious, this Almighty Redeemer! What would I give, rather, what would I not give for this! Lord, fhew me this favour, and what can I ask more!

"I fee that finners are made partakers of the fal. vation of Jefus only by believing in him. But faith is the gift of God. How fhall I believe in this divine Saviour? Alas! my unbelieving heart debars me from the confolation of the gofpel. I fometimes think I will embrace Chrift, but I feem to want arms to do it. I think I will come to him, but I feem to want feet, and cannot move towards. him. I am convinced of my unbelief, and of the want of that faith which is of the operation of God. I fee that without fuch a faith there can be no participation of pardon of fin, no enjoyment of peace with God, no hope of heaven. O that God would graciously work this faith in me, by his own almighty power! Lord, conquer and fubdue my unbelieving heart, by the light and power of thy word, and the attractive beams of thy favour!"

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