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to follow me step by step; and notwithstanding the Holy Ghoft might not directly work in the fame order as I have defcribed, and perhaps they cannot exactly fay the time when, yet they have a well-grounded confidence that the work is done, and that they have really been convinced of fin, fighteoufnefs and judgment in fome way, or at fome time or another.

And now, what fhall I fay to you? O thank God, thank the LORD JESUS, thank the ever-bleffed Trinity, for this unspeakable gift: for you would never have been thus highly favoured, had not he who first spoke darkness into light, loved you with an everlasting love, and enlightened you by his Holy Spirit, and that too, not on account of any good thing forefeen in you, but for his own name's fake:-

Be humble therefore, O believers, be humble: look to the rock from whence you have been hewn: extol free grace; admire electing love, which alone has made you to differ from the rest of your brethren. Has GOD brought you into light? Walk as becometh children of light. Provoke not the Holy' Spirit to depart from you: for though he hath fealed you to the day of redemption, and you know that the Prince of this world is judged; yet if you backflide, grow luke-warm, or forget your firft love, the LORD will vifit your offences with the rod of affliction, and your fin with fpiritual fcourges. Be not therefore high-minded, but fear. Rejoice, but let it be' with trembling. As the elect of GOD, put on, not only' humbleness of mind, but bowels of compaffion; and pray, O pray for your unconverted brethren! Help me, help me now, O children of GOD, and hold up my hands, as Aaron and Hur once held up the hands of Mofes. Pray, whilst I am preaching, that the LORD may enable me to fay, This day is the promife in the text fulfilled in fome poor finners hearts. Cry mightily to GOD, and, with the cords of holy violence, pull down bleffings on your neighbours heads. CHRIST yet lives and reigns in heaven: the refidue of the Spirit is yet in his hand, and a plentiful effufion of it is promifed in the latter' days of the church. And O that the Holy Ghoft, the blessed Comforter, would now come down, and convince thofe that are Chriftless amongst you, of fin, of righteoufness, and of

judgment !

judgment that you were once made willing to be convinced !

But perhaps you had rather be filled with wine than with the Spirit, and are daily chafing that Holy Ghost from your fouls. What fhall I fay for you to GOD? "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." What fhall I fay from GOD to you? Why? That " GOD was in CHRIST reconciling the world unto himself :" Therefore I beseech you, as in CHRIST's ftead, be ye reconciled to GOD. Do not go away contradicting and blafpheming. I know Satan would. have you be gone. Many of you may be uneafy, and are ready to cry out, "What a wearinefs is this!" But I will not let you go: I have wrestled with GOD for my hearers in private, and I muft wrestle with you here in public. Though of myfelf I can do nothing, and you can no more by your own power come to and believe on CHRIST, than Lazarus could come forth from the grave; yet who knows but God may beget fome of you again to a lively hope by this 'foolish-' nefs of preaching, and that you may be fome of that world,' which the Comforter is to convince of fin, of righteousness, and of judgment? Poor Chriftless fouls! do you know what a condition you are in? Why, you are lying in the wickedone, the devil; he rules in you, he walks and dwells in you, unless you dwell in CHRIST, and the Comforter is come into your hearts. And will you contentedly lie in that wicked one the devil? What wages will he give you? Eternal death. O that you would come to CHRIST! The free gift of God through him is eternal life. He will accept of you even now, if you will believe in him. The Comforter may yet come your hearts, even yours. All that are now his living temples, were once lying in the wicked one, as well as you. This bleffed gift, this Holy Ghoft, the bleffed JESUS received even for the rebellious."

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I fee many of you affected: but are your paffions only a little wrought upon, or are your fouls really touched with a lively fenfe of the heinoufnefs of your fins, your want of faith, and the precioufnefs of 'the righteoufnefs of JESUS CHRIST? If fo, I hope the LORD has been gracious, and that the Comforter is coming into your hearts. Do not ftifle thefe con

victions!

victions! Do not go away, and straightway forget what mais – ner of doctrine you have heard, and thereby fhew that these. are only common workings of a few tranfient convictions, floating upon the furface of your hearts. Beg of God that you may be fincere (for he alone can make you fo) and that you may indeed defire the promise of the text to be fulfilled in your fouls. Who knows but the LORD may be gracious? Remember you have no plea but fovereign mercy; but, for your encouragement alfo, remember it is the world, fuch as you are, to whom the Comforter is to come, and whom he is to convince: wait therefore at wisdom's gates. The bare probability of having a door of mercy opened, is enough to keep you ftriving. CHRIST JESUS came into the world to fave finners, the chief of them: you know not but he came to fave you. Do not go and quarrel with Gon's decrees, and fay, if I am a reprobate, I fhall be damned; if I am elected, I fhall be faved; and therefore I will do nothing. What have you to do with God's decrees? Secret things belong to to him; it is your bufinefs to "give all diligence to make your calling and election fure." If there are but few who find the way that leads to life, do you strive to be some of them; you know not but you may be in the number of thofe few, and that your ftriving may be the means which Gop intends to blefs, to give you an entrance in. If you do not act thus, you are not fincere; and, if you do, who knows but you may find mercy? For though, after you have done all that you can, Goo may justly cut you off, yet never was a fingle perfon damned who did all that he could. Though therefore your hands are withered, stretch them out; though you are impotent, fick, and lame, come, lie at the pool., Who knows but by and by the LORD JESUS may have compaffion on you, and fend the Comforter to convince you of fin, righteousness, and of judgment? He is a GOD full of compaffion and longfuffering, otherwise you and I had been long fince lifting up Cur eyes in torments. But ftill he is patient with us!

:. Chriftless finners, you are alive, and who knows but GOD intends to bring you to repentance? Could my prayers on tears effect it, you should have vollies of the one, and floods of the other. My heart is touched with a fenfe of your condition:

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dition: May our merciful High-prieft now fend down the Comforter, and make you fenfible of it alfo! O the love of CHRIST! It conftrains me yet to beseech you to come to him ; what do you reject, if you reject CHRIST, the Lord of glory! Sinners, give the dear Redeemer a lodging in your fouls. Do not be Bethfhemites; give CHRIST your hearts, your whole hearts. Indeed he is worthy. He made you, and not you yourselves. You are not your own; give CHRIST then your bodies and fouls, which are his! Is it not enough to melt you down, to think that the high and lofty One, who inhabiteth eternity, fhould condefcend to invite you by his minifters? How foon can he frown you to hell? And how know you, but he may, this very inftant, if you do not hear his voice? Did any yet harden their hearts againft CHRIST, and profper? Come then, do not send me forrowful away: do not let me have reason to cry out, my leanness, my leannefs! Do not let me go weeping into my clofet, and fay, "LORD, they will not believe my report; LORD, I have called them, and they will not answer; I am unto them as a very pleasant song, and as one that plays upon a pleasant inftrument; but their hearts are running after the luft of the eye, the luft of the flesh, and the pride of life." Would you be willing that I fhould give fuch an account of you, or make fuch a prayer before GOD? And yet I must not only do so here, but appear in judgment against you hereafter, unless you will come to CHRIST. Once more therefore I intreat you to come. What objections have you to make ? Behold, I ftand here in the name of GOD, to answer all that you can offer. But I know no one can come, unless the Father draw him I will therefore addrefs me to my GOD, and intercede with him to fend the Comforter into your hearts.

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O bleffed JESUS, who art a God whofe compaffions fail not, and in whom all the promises are yea and amen; thou that fittest between the cherubims, fhew thyself amongst us. Let us now fee thy outgoings! O let us now tafte that thou art gracious, and reveal thy almighty arm! Get thyfelf the victory in these poor finners hearts. Let not the word fpoken prove like water fpilt upon the ground. Send down,

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fend down, O great High-priest, the Holy Spirit, to convince the world of fin, of righteoufnefs, and of judgment. So will we give thanks and praise to thee, O Father, thee O Son, and thee O bleffed Spirit; to whom, as three Perfons, but one GOD, be afcribed by angels and archangels, by cherubims and feraphims, and all the heavenly hosts, all poffible power, might, majefty, and dominion, now and for evermore. Amen, Amen, Amen.

SERMON

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