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O that the ambitious great ones of the world, would lay this to heart. O that even all the leaders of Christ's flock, the preachers of humility, would lay this to heart! Then we should not have had the church so torn in pieces, by contending after precedency and preeminency, who should be lords, bishops, and above the rest; especially after such a check from Christ, as this text and divers others do contain. When his disciples strove who should be the greatest, this is Christ's decision of the controversy. Not by telling them that Rome shall be the ruler of all other churches, and the other four patriarchs shall be next to it; and the bishop of the metropolis or greatest cities, shall rule those of the lesser cities, and these shall rule those that dwell in a village. No, Christ takes another course to decide the controversy, by setting before them a child, by telling them that the "kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and they that exercise authority are called benefactors: but ye shall not be so; but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he that is chief, as he that doth serve P." One would think that the very thoughts of Christ's washing his disciples' feet, and saying to them, that thus they should do by one another, should shame proud ambition from among the preachers of such a Gospel. O that our stubborn people also would remember this! that are too good to obey the word of the Lord; and too stout to be admonished, or come for instruction to their ministers; yea, or patiently to bear a reproof. All these persons, and many more may call themselves Christians as long as they will, but Christ that knows his sheep will not own them. Believe it, sirs, it is as impossible to be a true Christian without true humility, as for a house to be without a foundation.

I have shewed you now what it is to become as little children, so far as is beyond controversy. But there is somewhat more that might be worth our inquiry, whether they were not baptized and purified children, as such, that Christ here intendeth; in whom even the root of pride is mortified? But this I will not presume to meddle with, because on this subject I would deliver you nothing, but what among the godly is commonly agreed on. But this I well say in general; that this text in part, and others

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more fully do tell us, that Christ did not look upon infants as at so great a distance from him, as the Anabaptists now do.

III. Having done with the work of Conversion on the Judgment, and on the Heart, the next thing to be done, is to shew you the change that it makes on Men's Lives: for this must be looked after as well as the former. The same God that ruleth the heart, doth rule the life; and he that requireth the cleansing of the heart, doth require also the cleansing of the hands. The soul commandeth the body, and the heart will dispose of the life; if therefore the heart be changed, the life must needs be changed too. The root is for the fruit; and the life within, is much to enable us to action. without. When God giveth us the root and life of grace and holiness, it is that we may bring forth the fruit, and do the works of grace and holiness. He makes not the new creature for nothing, or to be idle, much less to go on in serving the devil: but he makes him for a new work, even to serve the living God. "For we are his workmanship, created to good works, which God hath ordained that we should walk therein." The excellency of his peculiar people, is "to be zealous of good works." A good heart and a good life are inseparable, as to the main; but the life may further outgo the heart, than the heart can outgo the life: for there may be a reformed life that is in many respects good, while the heart is bad; but the life is never worse than the heart: for there can be no evil of sin in this life, but what the heart is the proper cause of. For out of the heart come murders, adulteries, theft, false-witnessing, blasphemy, and such like sins, which defile the man." It is therefore a vain boast of those men, that take on them to be converted, when they live as they did before: neither God nor any wise man will believe them, though they may thus deceive themselves. Seeing then, there must be a new life, with a new heart, or no salvation, let us a little particularly inquire, wherein that newness of life doth consist.

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1. The first and principal change of the life, consisteth in the covenant which the converted soul doth make with Christ. As this is principally in the heart, and so containeth faith and holy resolution, we have spoken of it Tit. ii. 14. Matt. xv. 18-20.

4 1 Thess. i. 9.

Ephes. ii. 10.

before; but now I mention it as expressed with the tongue; for as with the heart we believe to righteousness; so with the mouth is confession made to salvation ". A resolved heart will have a resolved tongue; it will carry a man to express his resolution, as there is convenient opportunity, both to God and man; this covenant might be verbally entered before in the face of the congregation, in our baptism by our parents, who are authorized by God in Scripture, and nature to enter their children into it for their good; but if the heart did never truly own that covenant, when you come to the use of reason, you cannot expect to be saved by it. Your own covenant with Christ, when you come to age, is then as necessary to your salvation, as your covenant by your parent in baptism was before, to put you into that right which infants have by virtue of the promise; this covenant is the very bond, and foundation of all the following obedience of your lives, when God hath opened the eyes of a sinner to see his great necessity of Christ, and the glory and felicity that he hath procured, and withal to see the universality and freeness of the promise: and that God doth call to him to consent to his terms, and accept the mercy freely offered. Converting grace doth move the heart to acceptance, and the tongue and life to make expression of it. There might be half-covenant, and false, hypocritical promises before, which for want of sincerity were soon broken, and come to nought; but conversion entereth us into a true, and firm, and durable covenant; when the poor sinner doth once understand that it is not long of God, if he be shut out, and that Christ hath put in no bar of exception against him more than any other in the promise of pardon and salvation; and when he understandeth that God doth but stay for his consent, and all the stop is at his own will, and when he understandeth thoroughly what reason he hath to be willing, and how little there is to be said against it; then he doth set up his resolution, and give up himself in covenant unto God. It may be before he misunderstood the covenant, and thought that Christ was unwilling to shew mercy to such an one that had done him so much wrong, and he doubted whether God would bid him welcome, if he should come home; but when he is better informed, he ma

Rom. x. 10.

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nifesteth his consent.

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God saith to him in the Gospel, Sinner, wilt thou be mine?' And he answereth, Yea, Lord, with all my heart; and glad that thou wilt accept of such a wretch as I.' God saith to him in his Gospel and by his ministers, Sinner, thou hast undone thyself, and art under my wrath and curse, I have redeemed thee by the blood of my dear Son; he hath bought thee and will save thee, if thou wilt be his; what sayest thou? Wilt thou heartily give up thyself to him to be saved? Shall he be thy Saviour and thy Lord?' And the sinner answereth, 'Yea Lord, with all my heart; nothing more welcome to me than Christ. It is Christ that my wounded soul doth want. It is he, and only he that can save me: I will be his, and take him to be mine, and gladly make with him an everlasting covenant.' Before, though Christ were offered a thousand times, the stupid sinner laid it not to heart, and would not come to him that he might have life *: but when he is drawn by the Father, and secretly illuminated and converted by his grace, then is he heartily glad of the match; he takes this as the day of marriage between Christ and him. Christ giveth up himself to the sinner, and the sinner giveth up himself to Christ. I know that the mere covenant of the lips alone, will prove no man to be heartily converted; but this in connexion with that of the heart will prove it. Have you been brought to this, beloved hearers? To do that by yourselves at age, which you did by your parents in baptism? Have you gladly taken Christ, as he is offered to you? And have you delivered up yourselves to him? I tell you, converting grace will bring you into covenant: this covenant is the very sum of all your change: all is contained in this one word, The making up the match between Christ and you.' Yea, and it will make you upon fit opportunity, even manifest this to others; and even glory in your Saviour, and be willing openly to confess him before the world, and let them know that you are in covenant with him.

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(1.) And I must tell you in a word, that if this covenant be sincere, it will have these qualifications following. 1. It will be done in some competent measure of understanding and judgment: you will know what Christ is, and what he

* John v. 40.

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hath done, and what need you have of him, and how he is offered, and upon what terms he is to be received and made yours. For there can be no true covenant, when you are utterly ignorant of the very substance of the covenant. If it be a true covenant, it must be entire, you must take that is offered you, and not only a part: you must yield to the terms of the covenant, and give up yourselves wholly to Christ again. It is not to take Christ to some uses, and not to others, as to justify and save you from hell, and not to sanctify or save you from sin. 3. You must do it resolvedly and habitually, from a rooted habit and resolution of the very heart; and not from a sudden fear, or flash of conviction under a moving sermon, and as many will do in sickness and extremity, and then forget all, or grow cold again, and return to their vomit, when the fit is over: like those, Psal. lxxviii. 34-37. "When he slew them, then they sought him, and they returned and inquired early after God, and they remembered that God was their Rock, and the High God their Redeemer: nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and lied unto him with their tongues, for their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant." And ver. 10. "They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law." 4. If you covenant sincerely, it must be for a present return, and not only for the time that is to come. that day forward, without any more delay. covenant, which excepteth but a day. 5. covenant with Christ, you will do it unreservedly: yea, and resolve against all reservation. You will not secretly make exceptions, and say in your hearts, I will be the servant of Christ, if he would use me as I would have him, and deal easily with my flesh, and not destroy my worldly interest; I will follow him as far as the way is fair, and no further:' No, but you will unreservedly give up yourselves to his dispose, and say, I am sure I cannot have Christ, and life upon terms too hard. I am sure that however he deal with me, I can have no better master, nor can I take a better course; and if he do as hardly by me as ever he did by any of his servants, I know I shall be no loser by him, nor ever have cause to repent of the bargain. And therefore I am resolved I will give up myself to him. He is wise, and just,

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