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apprehenfions I have of his fuitableness to anfwer the neceffitous condition of fuch a finner as I am.

4. Haft thou viewed and obferved him for as to like him, and choose him for thy Reconciler and Saviour? What fayeft thou, poor finner? Wilt thou have him for thine own? It is perfonal propriety in him that makes the thoughts and fight of him ravifhing and enriching for ever.

Sinner anfwers: O tremendous and aftonishing Mystery of divine grace, in fending forth from the Father and the Son that Holy Spirit of promife, that, by his illuminating virtue and quickening power, I might have fuch a faving fight of Chrift the Savi our, as should both beget in me a liking to his per fon, and likewife caufe in me a burning defire to be united and married to him. I am indeed fick of love to him, and filled with fuch defires after him, as nothing short of a myftical union to his most holy and glorious perfon can fatisfy my thirfting: foul..

5. Art thou willing that this. Meliator: fhall have the whole honour of faving thee by his own mediatorial righteoufnefs. For, as no righteouf nefs of a mere creature can ftand before the bar of God's infinite and incomprehenfible holinefs, and to abide fuch a trial as to be judged fit and fuffi→ cient to juftify a finner before God, feeing that the righteoufnefs to which fuch honour is referved and affigned must be the righteoufiefs of God, and alfo the righteoufnefs of a finlefs man; fo this Mediator will become a faviour to none who will

mix

mix or join any thing of their own, or other creatures, with his immaculate and all-fufficient righteousness. The whole and entire work of reconciling and faving finners is devolved on him alone. He will admit of no competitor in this work, to which the Father hath called and anointed and the which he himself, as vademony and furety for God's elect, hath undertaken to go through and perform. What fayest thou, finner? Art thou willing to fubmit to this?

him;.

Sinner answers: O thou Holy of holies! I fee and find fo little need of joining any righteousness of my own, or other creatures, to the complete and perfect righteousness of this Mediator, that I am refolved to look nowhere elfe for a righteousness whereby to be juftified and faved. I am fully convinced, that as he needs no coadjutor to help him out in this work of faving finners, feeing he is the holy and almighty one of God, able to fave to the uttermoft; so I fee nothing like a legal righteoufnefs which can answer the demand of the strict and righteous law of God, either in myself, or any other mere creature whatsoever. Whatever, therefore, is or can be fuggefted or objected by the devil or carnal reason, against this righteoufnefs of his, as infufficient to fave, I am, by strength from above, fixedly refolved to caft my weary bleeding soul thereon, come life, come death.

6. There is a thing called the crofs, which thou must expect, and look to meet with, if thou

refolve

refolve to live and reign with Christ in heaven hereafter. Thou must look to part with all that in this world is near and dear to thee, for his fake and the gofpel's. Thou must facrifice thy reputation and credit among men. Thou must become willing to be accounted a fool, a madman, a turbulent fellow, an enemy to Cæfar, a feparatift from the church. Thou must not think or look to be advanced to worldly wealth and honour, if thou tread in those steps of Chrift which lead to the heavenly glory. He went to heaven, antipodes to this vain world wherein thou art; fo must thou if thou defireft to meet him in heaven. Thou must expect and look to have all the world fet against thee for thy witneffing to the truth, and condemning the errors and wickedness of the world. Thou must expect and look to be caft off by father, and all fleshly relations, for his and the gofpel's fake. Thou wilt, for following Chrift in the ways of holiness, be accounted an hypocrite, a felfconceited and a felf-juftifying precisian, and proud pharifee, and that by the greateft pharifees of the times. The powers of darkness will all combine against thee to befiege and fight against thee; and yea, the very face of Providence fhall feem to frown and look black on thee, to try whether thou wilt stick faithfully to Christ and the gofpel. And, finally, if God call thee to leave all, and rather to leave and lose Chrift,

lay down thy life than to

thou must trample them all under thy feet, pre

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ferring Chrift before father, mother, brethren, wife, and children, though never fo dearly beloved; yea, and thy very life too. What sayeft thou to this, finner? Wilt thou venture on having or taking Christ on these terms?

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Sinner anfwers: For ever bleffed and holy Lord God! thou knoweft how hard this task is for flesh and blood, and not only hard, but even impoffible. Yet confidering the abfolute neceffity of the choice now laid before me, and in regard of that Divine Power whereby I find my heart made willing to make choice of Chrift on the terms now mentioned, I defire to choose and have him; let God do with me, and all that is dear to me, what he pleaseth, so he give me his Christ. I am so apprehensive of the sweet and foul-enriching advantages which accompany the cross, that I am very unwilling to be exempted from it, if I may have my own choice. I, therefore, through the Divine Spirit's gracious power enabling me hereto, do yield my free and full confent to this matchlefs match; cafting myself on him, when actually married to him, in a way of humble dependance, for ftrength and power to act and suffer in a way of duty, whatever becomes of his difciple and follower: and, oh! that God above, with Chrift and the Holy Ghoft, might fay Amen to it.

Matters being thus propofed by the Holy Ghoft, and I, the worst and most unworthy of finners to be faved, being endued with power from him to

clofe

clofe with the propofals made, I immediately felt my whole heart and foul quickened within me, and drawn out to an effectual clofing with Chrift in the offers of the gospel, like a fhip sticking in the fand, which no ftrength or art of men can fet afloat, till the full fpring-tide come and fet her afloat, carrying her forth into the broad ocean. The quickening virtue of the Holy Ghost, and the attracting power of the Lord Jefus, drew me to believe in him; my foul crying out, with a filent and a still voice, My Lord and my God, thou art mine to fave me, and I am thine to serve thee. Hereupon I felt, as it were; another spirit put into me, whereby I was enabled to understand and know the defign of the great God in caufing fo great a change to pass upon me.

The Holy Ghoft within me witneffing to his own work now wrought in my foul, and fealing me to the day of redemption in believing, I felt a torrent of unfpeakable joy come from above, flowing in upon me in fuch manner and measure as I believe no faint or angel in heaven can fet forth or express as I felt it.

Hereupon I fell into an holy ecftafy and divine rapture of inexpreffible joy, with these thoughts and expreffions within myself:

Oh! What a change is this which I now fenfibly feel? A dead finner brought to life again; a rebel and a fugitive from God brought home and reconciled by the blood of the Lamb; a prifoner and a captive, .

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