2. It is a Thing we are apt to be mistaken in. 3. Unless we enquire, we fhall never know what to do.

Who must we enquire of?

1. GOD.

2. The Scripture, S. Luk. xvi. 29. 3. The Minifters.

The Enquiry; What must we do? 1. Repent, vers. 38.

1. Not as the Hypocrites, S. Matt. vi. 16: 2. Nor as the Papifts, Joel ii. 13.

3. Nor as the Formalifts.

4. But as the fincere Chriftian 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 Evits in itself.

2. As the Caufe 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.

5. Nor an implicit Faith.

6. But a faving juftifying 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 fuffer'd.

3. That He is the only Saviour of the World, A&t. iv. 12.

4. That whofoever believes in Him fhall not perish, S. Job. 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 fpiritual 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 Reafon, 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.

ACT. iii. 26.

Unto you firft GOD having raised up His
Son Jesus, Sent Him to bless you, in
turning away every one of you from his
Iniquities.

I.

G 15.

OD raifed up His Son Jefus Christ to be a
Prophet, Act. iii. 22. Deut. xviii.

I. To teach the Will of GOD, Ifa. Ixi. t.
2. To expound it to us, S. Joh. xiv. 2. and
XV. 15.

1. By His Prophets, 1 Pet.iii. 19. Neh. ix.

30.

2. By Himself, Hebr. i. 1, 2. and ii. 2, 3.
3. By His Apoftles, 2 Cor. v. 19, 20.
4. By His Minifters, Eph. iv. 11, 12.

II. GOD fent Him,

1. By Promise in the Old Teftament, 1 S. Pet. i. 10, 11. and iii. 19. Gen. iii. 15.

2. In Perfon in the New Teftament, Gal. iv. 4, 5.

1. First to the Jews, Act. ii. 39. S. Job. iv.

22.

1. He was first promis'd to them.

2. Born of them.

3. Manifested Himself first among them,
S. Matt. iv. 12, 17.

2. To the Gentiles alfo; degỳ items, dax’
ὑμῖν πρῶτον τοῖς ςαυρώσασιν, S. Chryfoft.

H

Act. ii. 39. xi. 18. and xv. 7, 8, 9. Gal. iii. 14. Gen. xxii. 17, 18.

III. Chrift was fent to bless us, Gen. xxii. 17, 18. 1. To purchase a Bleffing for us, Gal. iii. 13, 14. 2. To apply it to us.

IV. The great Bleffing we receive by Christ, is Converfion 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. 1.

that we have an Intereft in Chrift, S. Job. iii. 24.

4. To have a pacify'd Confcience, 2 Cor. i. 12. 5. To delight ourselves in the best Things, Pfal. i. 2.

6. To be related to GOD, Gal. iv. 6.

7. To have all Things bleffed to us, Rom. viii. 28.

8. To have an infallible Evidence of our Title to Heaven, Rom. viii. 1. Matt. XXV. 46.

V. Chrift hath purchas'd this Blessing for us, S. Matt. i. 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 Converfion, Ezek. xviii. 30. Act. ii. 38.

2.

3.

Peace with GOD, therefore Con

verfion.

Redemption from Mifery, there fore Converfion, S. Luk, xiii. 3.

4. He hath purchas'd Heaven, therefore Converfion, S. Joh. iii. 16. Hebr. xiii. 14.

VI. But how did Chrift purchase this Bleffing for us?

1. All Men are Sinners, Gen. vi.

5.

2. Chrift undertook to cleanfe us from our Sins.

3. This could not be, but by purchasing the fame Grace we loft by Sin.

4. No way to obtain Grace, but by the Spirit of GOD, Ezek. xxxvi. 27. Numb. xiv. 24.

5. GOD would not fend His Spirit, until Man's Sins were fatisfy'd for, and fo GOD reconcil'd.

6. Chrift, by His Death, fatisfies for our Sins, 1 S. Joh. ii. 2.

7. And fo purchaseth the Donation of the Spirit, S. Joh. xvi. 5.

8. The Spirit fent into our Hearts, turns us from our Sins, 2 Thess. ii. 13.

VII. How doth the Spirit work this Blef fing?

1. It convinceth us of our being Sinners, S. Joh. xvi. 8. Pfal. li. 5.

2. Shews us our Mifery thereby; as subject, 1. To the Wrath of GOD, Pfal. vii. 11. Ephef. ii. 3.

2. To the Curfe of the Law, Gal. iii, 10. 3. To everlasting Torments, 2 Thess. i. 9. 3. It discovers a Poffibility of recovering out of this Estate, Ezek. xxxiii. 11.

4.

of being alfo truly happy, S. Matt. xi. 28. Ifa. lv. 1, 2.