of. God in Secret, in the Family, and in the publick Affemblies on the Lord's Day. He now makes Confcience of thofe, and all other Duties; and although formerly his chief Satisfaction was in vain Company, and in fenfual Pleasures, yet now he has a greater Value for Perfons truly pious, and has more efteem for the Saints, thofe excellent Ones of the Earth, as they are called. Pfalm xvi. 3. He now exercifes himself to have always a Confcience void of Offence, both towards God, and towards all Men. Every fince Chriftian has experienced a Holy Change wrought in him, and it was wrought by the Holy Spirit: But the Holy Spirit worketh differently in different Perfons. Some have been born of religious Parents, and have had a pious Education, have been brought up in the Nature and Admonition of the Lord, and been kept to a conftant Attendance on the publick Worship of God, under the Preaching of the Gofpel; and on fome of thefe the Holy Spirit, gradually and as it were by infenfible Degrees produces the Holy Change; fo that they cannot tell the Month or Day, when they performed the first Act of true Faith, and became united to Chrift; but on examining themselves, they may obferve the Effects of the happy Change, and the Fruits and Evidences of the Holy Spirit dwelling in them. Sometimes notorious Sinners, Perfons, who have led profligate Lives, to the Scandal of the Christian Profeffion, have by the juft Providence of God been brought into great Distress and Want; like the Prodigal Son, or have been afflicted with fome violent Diftemper, or other great Calamity, and then the Holy Ghoft has awakened their Confciences; and put their Sins in F 2 Order Order before their Eyes, brought them to fee their prefent Mifery and their Danger of greater; then the Holy Spirit fills their Souls with Anguish inexpreffible, and influences them to cry out, What fhall I do to be faved? and then they see their Want of a Refuge to which they may fly; and then does the Holy Spirit open the Eyes of their Mind to fee the Mighty, and compaffionate Saviour, and encourages the trembling Souls, to fly to Chrift, both for Salvation and Comfort. The Prophet fpoke of the bleffed Jesus when he faid, (Ifa. xxxii. 2.) A Man fha'l an hiding Place from the Wind, and a Cover from the Tempeft, as Rivers of Water in a dry Place, as the Shadow of a great Rock in a weary Land. By this figurative, or metaphorical Description of our Redeemer, we may learn the Mifery of guilty Sinners, as obnoxious to the Storms and Tempefts of Divine Wrath, and likewife the allfufficient Help, the Safety and Comfort, that are to be found in Chrift. And when the Holy Spirit reveals Chrift to the amazed, and self abhoring, and felf condemning Sinner, and thus fuggests to him; believe in the Lord JESUS, and thou shalt be faved. How does the poor Heart begin to rejoice? How is it agitated between Hope and Fear? How is it amazed with the glad Tidings that there is a Saviour, and a Saviour able and willing to fave him! O can fuch a Wretch as I have been, be faved? Is the Holy God, against whom I have rebelled fo many Years, willing to pardon me, and willing to be reconciled to me! And is the bleffed Jefus whom I have fo often flighted, and difregarded, and fo often refifted his Government, is he willing to fave me after all the Indignities and Provocations which I have been guilty of? Amazing Grace: Aftonishing Mercy! Bleffed Bleffed Jefus I believe, thou art the Son of God, and the Saviour, and the only Saviour of Men: Lord help mine Unbelief! O fave me, fave me, or I perish! I fly to thee for Refuge, from all the Vengeance I am obnoxious to! Q Jefus of Nazareth, thou Son of David, thou bleffed Son of God have Mercy on me! Is not thy Name called Jefus, because thou savest thy People from their Sins? O fave me from all my Sins, and, from all the Punishment and Miseries which my Sins have deserved; Lord if thou wilt, thou can't make my filthy Saul clean; my ignorant Soul wife unto Salvation! I renounce my Sins, and I give up myself to thee, to be thy Difciple and Servant : Shew Pity, Lord, O Lord forgive, My Crimes are great, but not furpafs Thus the Holy Spirit fometimes makes Converts, among thofe who have lived diffolute Lives; and happy Fruits of it, foon appear: For they immediately discard their old Companions in Sin; they who feldom went to the Houfe of God to join in the Worship of him, now are conftantly there: Now many of their former former Acquaintance deride them, and now all pious Persons, who know any thing of them rejoice in their Converfion. Such a Convert may say, When God revealed his gracious Name, The World beheld the glorious Change, My Tongue broke out in unknown Strains, Great is the Work, my Neighbours cry'd, Great is the Work, my Heart reply'd, Watt's Pfalms, Pfal. 126. And how thankful are fuch Converts, for the holy and happy Change of their Condition, and thankful even for the Afflictions which were the Means of it: Such a Chriftián can say, Father, I blefs thy chaft'ning Hand; E'er I had felt thy Scourges, Lord, Watt's Pfalms, Pfal. 110: LETTER V. On the Predictions, of the great Blessings, which in this Life are bestowed on every Believer; viz. Juftification, Adoption, and Sanctification; Bleffings abfolutely neceffary to the Safety, the Comfort, and Happiness of every Man; and which import a great Variety of Benefits; even Afflictions are intended as a Means to promote the Holiness, and the future Happiness of Christians; and likewife of Predictions, encouraging Backfliders to return unto God. Shall now proceed more particularly to confider thofe PREDICTIONS of the Bleffings, which are given to fincere Chriftians in this Life; but muft obferve that there are no Predictions of Immunity to them from Troubles in this World, but feveral of Afflictions in this Life, which therefore they fhould expect. It is faid, Man that is born of a Woman is of few Days, and full of Trouble. Job xiv. 1. And it is faid, Pfal. xxxiv. 19. Many are the Afflictions of the Righteous, but it is there foretold, that the Lord delivereth him out of them all. Our |