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A voluntary change-Directions to sinners.

How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.

Ac. 2. 37. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter, and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

Rom. 7. 9. I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. And the commandment which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.

Gal. 2. 19. For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.

Heb. 4. 12. For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

556. Are persons active in conversion?

Col. 3. 9. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.

1 Pet. 1. 22. Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit.

557. What directions are given to the unregenerate? Dt. 10. 16. Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiff necked.

Jer. 4. 4. Job 22. 21. Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.

Pr. 23. 26. My son, give me thy heart.

Is. 1. 16. Wash you, make you clean: put away the

Directions to sinners.

evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well.

Is. 42. 18. Hear, ye deaf: and look, ye blind, that ye may see.

Is. 45. 22. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth.

Is. 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Jer. 4. 3. Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns. Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, and take away the foreskins of your heart. 14. O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved.

Ezk. 18. 30. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed: and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God; wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.

Ezk. 33. 11. Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

Joel 2. 12. Therefore also now, saith the Lord, Turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping and with mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God.

Ac. 3. 19. Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.

Ac. 8. 22. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.

Ac. 16. 31. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.

Holy Spirit grieved away-Unregenerate in darkness.

Ac. 26. 20. Repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

Rom. 12. 2. Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.

Rom. 13. 14. Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Cor. 5. 20. We pray you in Christ's stead, Be ye reconciled to God.

Ep. 4. 22. Put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind.

Ep. 5. 14. Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

Jam. 4. 7. Submit yourselves therefore to God.—— Cleanse your hands, ye sinners, and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

558. Does the Holy Spirit ever depart from sinners? Gen. 6. 3. My Spirit shall not always strive with

man.

Hos. 4. 17. Ephraim is joined to idols; let him alone.

Hos. 9. 12. Wo also to them when I depart from them.

Lk. 19. 41. And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, Saying, if thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine

eyes.

559. Are the unregenerate in darkness?

Pr. 4. 19. The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble. [See 168.] .

560. Is regeneration followed by peculiar illumination ?

Ps. 25. 14. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will show them his covenant.

Followed by light.

Pr. 16. 23. The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth and addeth learning to his lips.

Pr. 28. 5. Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the Lord understand all things.

Ec. 8. 5. A wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment.

Dan. 12. 10. None of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.

Mal. 3. 18. Then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not.

Jn. 7. 17. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.

1 Cor. 2. 14. The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

2. Cor. 4. 6. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Ep. 5. 8. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light.

Col. 1. 12. Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.

1 Th. 5. 4. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

-that ye

1 Pet. 2. 9. Ye are a chosen generationshould show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.

1 Jn. 2. 8. Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because

Unregenerate doings.

the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes. 20. But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of truth. [See 168.]

561. Are unregenerate works unacceptable and forbidden?

Ps. 50. 15. Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth? Seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee.

Is. 1. 11. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt-offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he-goats. When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts. Bring no more vain oblations: incense is an abomination unto me; the new-moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. Your new moons, and your appointed feasts my soul hateth; they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you; yea; when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your

hands are full of blood.

Jer. 4. 3. Thus saith the Lord to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.

Am. 5. 21. I hate, I despise your feast-days, and I

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