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thofe fpiritual bleffings, which he confers on finners, at their converfion. He then makes them the fubjects of the fanctifying and faving graces of his holy Spirit. These are bleffings, inconceivably better than all outward bleffings. So that in the bestowment of these fingular bleffings, God appears to be a good God indeed. And occafion is thereby given to cry out and fay, O! bow great is bis goodness! When God turns finners into faints, and makes bad men to become good men; these are fignal inftances of his great goodness to the children of men. Surely God is good to Ifrael.—

2. The glory of God's grace is feen in the converfion of finners. Regeneration is an effect of undeserved goodness, or fovereign mercy and grace, Tit. iii. 5. Not by works of righteoufnefs which we bave done, but according to bis mercy be faved us, by the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghoft, The delivering finners out of a finful ftate, and bringing them into a state of grace and falvation, is a glorious difplay of the fovereign grace of God. Epb. ii. 4, 5, 7. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in fins, bath quickned us together with Chrift, (by grace ye are faved) that in the ages to come be might bew the exceeding riches of his grace, in bis kindness towards us, through Chrift Jefus. There is not merely grace, but riches of grace, yea, exceeding riches of grace, in quickning dead finners, and making them spiritually alive. Herein God magnifies his mercy, and fhews forth the praife of his glorious grace.

3. The glory of God's power is feen in the converfion of finners. When God changes the hearts of finners, and renews their wills, making them willing to forfake fin and to become his fervants, it is a day of his power. Pfal. cx. 3. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. Divine omnipotency is moft gloriously exerted in fubduing the finner's enmity against God, and bringing him to a ready fubjection to his will. And theretore the work of converfion, is compared to fuch works,

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as are moft fignal demonftrations of the almighty power of God. Thus, in our text, it is compared to a wonderful work of God's power, as if he should cause the fir-tree to come up instead of the thorn, and the myrtle tree inftead of the brier. And elsewhere it is compared unto a raifing the dead unto life again. Eph. ii. 1. I. You-bath be quickned, who were dead in trefpaffes and fins. So it is compared to the work of creation. Eph. i. 10. We are bis workmanship, created in Chrift Fejus unto good works. chap. iv. 24. The new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true boliness.

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4. The glory of God's holiness is feen in the converfion of finners. When God converts finners, he appears to be a God glorious in boliness. God, as an holy God, loves holinefs, and hates iniquity. When therefore he manifefts his love to holiness, and his hatred of fin, he fhews the glory of his holiness. Now, this is what God does in the converfion of finners. Therein he mortifies their lufts, and frees them from the dominion of fin, and fets their hearts against fin. Therein alfo he fanctifies them, and caufes them to become holy, both in heart and life. And in making finners to be thus holy, like as be is boly, the glory of his holinefs is very confpicu ous. They become indeed the images of his holiness, and do hold forth the original holiness of God their fanctifier. Thus we fee, that real converts are to the glory of God, as they are the monuments of his glory, or glaffes wherein the glory of God is to be seen.-And fuch monuments of his glory they shall be for ever. The divine perfections shall fhine forth in them to all eternity. When all the number of God's elect and redeemed fhall be brought together in heaven, in them fhall God's glory and renown appear throughout the eternal ages. In them he will eternally be glorified and admired.

(2.) Real converts will be to the eternal glory of God, as they will be eternally active inftruments of his glory. They will not only be fuch in whom God will be eternally glorified, but they will alfo be fuch by whom God

will be eternally glorified. They will, in an active way, live for ever unto his glory.-They will live to the glory of God all their days in this world. This is the great work and bufinefs of true converts, to glorify God on the earth. When the apostle Paul was converted, he made Chrift's glory the end of his life. Phil. i 21. To me to live is Chrift. Before his converfion, no man was more fet against. Chrift, than he: but after his converfion, no man was more fet for Chrift, than he. He was, it may be, the greateft inftrument of bringing glory to Chrift, that ever was in the world. And, in fome degree, every real convert glorifies God here on earth. The general bent of his heart is for the glory of God, though fometimes he may difhonour God-But when they fhall go out of this world into the kingdom of bea ven, then they fhall honour God in the highest degree, in a moft perfect manner.-And thus fhall they continue to do for evermore. Heaven fhall ring to all eternity with the Hofanna's and Hallelujahs, the praife, and glory, and honour, which thefe fhall give unto him that fitteth upon the throne and to the lamb. Thefe will be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting fign, that shall not be cut off; for eternal inftruments of his glory. He will inhabit their praises for ever, and fo will never want for a name.

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3. Real converts will be to the eternal glory of God," as they will be eternal occafions for others alfo to glorify God. God will not only glorify himself in them, and be glorified by them; but others alfo will glorify God for ever on their account. They fhall be occafional caufes of others glorifying God.Thus, they are in this world the occafions of God's being glorified by others. When others behold the great change wrought in them, it adminifters to them an occafion for giving glory to God. When Paul was converted, the churches of Chrift glorified God on the account thereof. Gal. i. 22, 23, 24. The churches of Judea which were in Chrift, when they beard that be-which perfecuted them in times past, now preacbeth the faith, which be once deftroyed, they glorified

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God in me, fays the apoftle. Thus when converting grace was granted to the Gentiles, the faints of Jerufalem glorified God on that account. Alt. xi. 18. When they beard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, Laying, Then bath God alfo to the Gentiles granted repen tance unto life.-And as converts are thus occafions for others to glorify God in this world, fo fhall they be in the world to come. The faints in heaven will for ever magnify the name of God on one another's account. And the holy angels of heaven, will for ever bless and praise God, on the account of the glorified faints therein. When the Saviour of finners was born into the world, a multitude of the heavenly bost praised God, faying, Glory to God in the bigbeft, on earth peace, good-will towards men. Luk. ii. 13, 14. In the highest heavens, they give glory to God, for his good will towards men, in their redemption by Jefus Chrift. And when, the redeemed of the Lord fhall be all gathered into the kingdom of heaven, all the bleffed angels will for ever glorify God, for hist kindness to them in their perfect and eternal falvation. The triumphant church of believers, will adminifter to the holy angels, matter for everlasting praises to God. Qhow will they praife God, to fee once vile creatures, made fuch excellent and glorious creatures !

APPLICATION.

USE 1. Let this put all unconverted finners upon endeavours after converting grace. By becoming true converts, you will be unto the Lord for a name, and an everlafting fign, that shall not be cut off. His glory will greatly and eternally be advanced by your converfion. This fhould be a powerful argument with you, to feek after converting grace. Here, by way of Motive, more particularly I would fay,

Mot. 1. Confider, you are God's creatures; and fo, owe unto him all the glory, that you are capable of giving to him. He is the author of your beings. He is the

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former and fashioner of your bodies, and the father of your spirits. And inafmuch as you are the work of bis bands, you are by the law of creation bound to give him glory. The creature fhould honour his creator. This is a debt, due from him to God his maker. Now, you cannot thus honour God, except you be converted. While you remain in an unconverted ftate, you do nothing but difhonour God. The dead cannot praife God, is a truth, in a spiritual fenfe. They that are dead in trefpaffes and fins, cannot truly praife God. They can do nothing really for the glory of God, 'till converted. Unless therefore you are partakers of renewing grace, you cannot attain the end of your creation; and fo, you will in a fort be made in vain.

Mot. 2. Confider, to be actively to the glory of God, is the most excellent end you can poffibly propound to yourfelves. God is a being infinitely excellent; and therefore is most worthy to be made our highest end. All other beings are infinitely inferior to him in glory and excellency; and therefore can lay no fuch claim to our respect and homage, as God can. Who then fo worthy to be honoured by us, as the great God, whose name alone is excellent ?-Befides, the making God's glory our laft end, is the only way to fecure bleffednefs to ourselves. Our eternal falvation is infeparably joined with God's glory. If we glorify him, he will moft affuredly glorify us. 1 Sam. ii. 30. Them that honour, me, I will bonour. The feeking God's glory, is therefore the feeking our own best good and felicity. If then we have any regard to the excellency of God, or our own eternal welfare, we fhould be concerned to live unto his glory. And that we may fo do, we fhould not be at reft until we have experienced that change of heart, which will make us to be fet for the glory of God.

Mot. 3. Confider, if God be not glorified by us, he will be glorified upon us in our eternal deftruction. We fhall either be veffels of mercy prepared unto glory, or vef fels of wrath fitted to deftrullion. Either the mercy of

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