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is that they are doing, and who it is that setteth them on work, and what it is that they make all this ado for, you would wonder more at your own folly, and would be as forward as they, and would presently take that course which you now reproach. Alas! poor sinners durst not sport with sin if they knew what they did; they durst not run in crowds to damnation if they knew what they did. The kingdom of satan is a kingdom of darkness; and his works are the works of darkness; and himself the ruler of the darkness of this world, and under chains of darkness is he reserved to the judgment of the great day; and the mist and blackness of darkness is reserved to him and his servants for ever. "If the Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost; in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the image of God should shine unto them. He that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth." They that are converted can truly say, "we were sometimes darkness, but now we are light in the Lord f." For they are translated from the power of darkness."

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Direct. 3. If ever you would be converted, labour for true knowledge: come into the light that your deeds may be manifested; and that your own hearts may be manifest to yourselves. Nothing but light will expel your darkness, the devil haunteth men in the night of ignorance, and seldom appeareth in the open daylight: bring in but the saving light of knowledge, and he will vanish and be gone: the first part of saving grace is illumination. The opening of the eye causeth the opening of the heart: Oh if you had but a little of the heavenly light of the saints, it would shew you that which would turn your hearts; you could not be of the same mind as you are, if you had but saving light: now you think highly of the world, and meanly of the world to come; you now think nothing too much for your flesh, and all too much that is done for heaven; you could not be of this mind if you had the light of the Spirit: you labour now for that which profiteth not, and neglect that which would pay

e Luke xxii. 53.

John i. 5. iii. 19. Rom. xiii. 12. 2 Cor. vi. 14. Eph. vi. Col. i. 13. 2 Pet. ii. 4. 17. Jude 6. 13. Matt. xxii. 13- XXV. 20. John xii, 35.

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f Eph. v. 8.

you for your labour: you vilify Christ, and grace, and holiness, while you magnify the dreams and dung of the world; you could not do thus if you were savingly illuminated. I beseech you, therefore, if ever you would be converted and saved, labour presently to know the Lord, and his will and ways; lament your former ignorance and negligence which did maintain it. It is not so great a shame for you to be ignorant how to do your work in the world; no, nor how to eat or drink, or how to dress yourselves, as it is to be ignorant of the kingdom of heaven, and the way thereto you will never hit the way to heaven if you do not know it: he that knoweth most, knoweth too little; what then will they do that know almost nothing at all? O think not knowledge a needless thing, but make out after it, and rest not till you do obtain it; to which end you must use these means following.

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(1.) Be much in hearing and reading the word of God, as was before directed; for that is it that "giveth light to the simple ;" this "will make you wise unto salvation"." (2.) Read good books that are written for the expounding and applying of the Scripture. Many have received much information by these. (3.) Converse with wise and godly men: these are the means of knowledge that were before made mention of.

Object. We are not learned, and therefore God will not require much knowledge at our hands.'

Answ. You may say, 'Therefore God will not require learning at your hands, further than you are without it through your own neglect.' But first, every man that hath a reasonable soul should know God that made him; and the end for which he should live; and know the way to his eternal happiness as well as the learned: have not you souls to save or lose as well as the learned have? 2. God hath made plain his will to you in his word; he hath given you teachers and many other helps; so that you have no excuse if you are ignorant; you must know how to be Christians if you are no scholars. You may hit the way to heaven in English, though you have no skill in Hebrew or Greek: but in the darkness of ignorance you can never hit it. 3. Will not God judge you as well as the learned? And will not

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he require an account of the talents which you possess? He hath set you on his work as well as others, and therefore you must know how to do his work. If you think therefore that you may be excused from knowledge, you may as well think that you may be excused from love and from all obedience; for there can be none of this without knowledge.

Object. But I am not of so quick an apprehension as others; and therefore I cannot learn so well. And I have been brought up in ignorance, and therefore it cannot be expected from me.'

Answ. Can any man have excuse for ignorance that liveth among such teaching, and books, and Christian company as we now do? You may as well shut your eyes at noonday, and say you cannot do your work for want of light. Were you but as willing to get the knowledge of God and heavenly things as you are to know how to work in your trade, you would have set yourselves to it before this day, and you would have spared no cost or pains till you had got it. But you account seven years little enough to learn your trade, and will not bestow one day in seven in diligent learning the matters of your salvation. Is there not many an opportunity of getting knowledge, which you miss of through your own neglect? You are at home or upon other business, when you might have been hearing the word of God, and in the company of diligent Christians, that are inquiring and learning these necessary things; and when you neglect the means, you think to be excused for your ignorance. The way that God commandeth you for getting knowledge, is, that you receive the word of God, and hide his commandments with you; and incline your ears to wisdom, and apply your hearts to understand, and that you cry after knowledge and lift up your voice for understanding, and seek it as silver, and search for it as hid treasures. And if you would do thus, the Lord hath promised that you shall understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. Methinks light itself should be pleasant to you. Did Adam so desire unnecessary knowledge as to undo himself and his posterity to procure it? and will not you so desire that knowledge which is necessary to your salvation, and by which you may be recovered from that miserable estate? How many years study will men spend

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to know a little of the creature, and will you not take pains to know the Maker and End of the whole creation?

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Object. But we hope we may be saved without so much knowledge.'

Answ. Not without knowing the necessary, fundamental points of Christianity; and a desire to know more. Doth Christ say, "It is life eternal to know God and Jesus Christ'," and do you think to have life eternal without it? God saith of people that have no understanding, "That he that made them will not save them, and he that formed them will shew them no favour ":" and that "Christ shall come in flaming fire to render vengeance to them that know not God, and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ"." And that they shall be "punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord."

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Hindrance 4. The next hindrance of conversion, is, Unbelief: when men will not be persuaded that the word of God is true, but doubt of the things which he hath revealed to them, concerning the everlasting state of men. Men have but a slight opinion of the truth of the word of God, which will not serve turn to prevail against their fleshly inclination.

Three great enemies of the Christian faith we have to deal with, which if we overcome not, we lose all. 1. The one is our own unbelieving hearts, and our carnal inclinations and interests; flesh and blood cannot reveal the things of God to us, nor discern them when they are revealed°. A sound belief of the life to come, and of the whole Christian faith, would certainly turn the heart to God, and turn the course of all your lives. It is this faith that purifieth the heart P; and without it no wonder if the word be unprofitable, as to the producing of any further work of sanctification, for it must first beget faith before it can do the rest. 2. Another enemy to the Christian faith, is the devil; who believeth and trembleth himself, but laboureth to keep others unbelieving and secure. So great is his malice against Christ and our souls, that when he seeth that he cannot make a poor sinner forget God, and make light of his word any longer, he flieth openly in the very face of God, and disturbeth the soul with blasphemous suggestions,

John xvii. 3.

o Matt. xvi. 17. 1 Cor. ii. 14.

m Isa. xxvii. 11.
P Acts xv. 9.

n 2 Thess. i. 8, 9. q Heb. iv. 3.

and tempteth them to doubt whether there be a God, or not, or whether Scripture be his word, or whether it be true. It was his first way of deceiving, to make the woman doubt of the truth of God's word, which had told her, that if she sinned, she should die. And experience teacheth him to follow on this course, which he hath found to be so successful; most of the world are destroyed by this unbelief. How sensible is many a poor Christian of the incessant malice of satan in this point; when he followeth them from day to day with such violence, that their hearts are ready to be overwhelmed with the horror of the temptation. But the ungodly do yield to them without so much reluctance. 3. Another sort of enemies of the Christian faith, are, notorious ungodly men; such as either by the power of their own unbelieving hearts, have prevailed against the light that should have drawn them to believe, or such as have by the reasonings of infidels, been made infidels themselves, and are desirous to make others such as they are these are the devil's instruments to draw men to unbelief.

Direct. 4. If ever you would be savingly converted, see that you soundly believe the word of God: believe soundly that there is an everlasting happiness, which is the reward of a holy life, and an everlasting torment, which is the punishment of ungodliness; and you cannot choose but forsake your ungodliness, and become holy. To this end observe these few things following. 1. Watch over your carnal hearts with jealousy: do not take your hearts to be clear and impartial; and therefore commit not the matter to their trust they are naturally enemies to the word of God, and therefore no wonder if they hardly believe it. 2. Do not think too highly of your own understandings, as if you were able to comprehend the depths of God; or were competent judges of each passage in his word, before you have had time and means to understand them, or before you have improved your time and means by diligent study and prayer to God; search the Scripture, as a learner, and not as a foolish caviller. 3. Abhor the very first temptation of satan that tends to draw your souls to unbelief, and suffer not his malice to make too deep impressions in your fancies: cast out such horrid thoughts with detestation, and give them not the least countenance or willing entertainment. 4. De

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