3. In our Tongues, Pfal. xxxiv, 13. Mats. xii. 36. 4. Our Hands and Actions, 1. Towards God. 2. Towards Men. 3. Of the Aggravations of our Sins. As committed, 1. Against God, 1. The Father, 1 Sam, ii. 25. Ifa. iii. 8. 3. The Holy Ghost, Rev, iii, 29, 1 Thef. v. 19, 2. Against frequent Reproofs, Jer. xxix, 18, 19, Prov, xxix. I. 3. Againft Light, John iii. 19. 4. Against Vows and Refolutions, Pfal. lxvi, 13, 14. Ecclef. v. 4. II. In Contrition for Sin, Pfal. li. 17. Ifa. lvii. 15. c. lxvi, 2. 2 Cor. vii. 9, 10. Which Sorrow or Contrition fhould be, 1. Hearty, Joel ii. 13. Pfal. li. 17. 2. Sincere, or upon right Grounds; because offenfive to God, Luke xv. 21. 3. Univerfal, Pfal. xix. 12. 4. Exceeding all other Sorrow, Zech. xii. 10, 12, 5, Accompanied with Shame and Confufion of Face, Ezek, xxxvi. 31, 32. III, Confeffion of Sin, 1 fohn i, 9. 1. To God, Ezra X. 10, IĮ. 1. Cordial, Rom. x. 10. 2. Humble, Ezra ix. 6. c. x. 1. Neh. ix. 1, 2, Luke xviii. 13. 3. General and particular, Pfal. li. 3, 4. with the feveral Aggravations of them, Dan. ix. 13. 4. With loathing and abhorring our felves for it, Dan.ix. 4, 7. Pfal. xxxviii. 18. 5. With Prayer to God, Dan. ix. 20. 1. To pardon, Luke xviii, 13. Pfal. li. 9. 2. To fubdue it, Pfal. li. 7, 10. Who fo thus confeffeth his Sins, God will forgive them, Pfal.xxxii. 5. 2. To Men, Jac. v. 16. Efpecially when the Confcience is troubled, and God eminently provoked, 2 Sam. xii. 13. IV. Refolutions against Sin, Pfal. xvii. 3. Pfal. xxxix. 1. Josh. xxiv. 15. This must be, 1. With ferious Deliberation. 2. In the Name of Chrift, and by the Grace of God, John xv. 5. 3. Strengthned with Prayer, Pfal. cxli. 3, 4. Pfal. xix. 12, 13. V. Converfion. 1. What muft we be converted and Wickedness, Ezek. xiv. 6. e. xxxiii. 11. Ifa. lv. 7. 1. From Sin, as Sin. from? Sin 6. xviii. 30. 1. As it is the Tranfgreffion of God's Law, I John iii. 4. Rom. vii. 11, 12. 2. Contrary to his Nature, Ifa. iii. 8. 3. Dishonourable to his Name, Rom. ii. 23. 1 Sam. ii. 30. Mat. v. 16. 2. From 2. From all Sin, one as well as another, Ezek xviii. 30, 31: Jac. ii. 10. And by Confequence from our darling Sin, Pfal xviii. 23. 3. I. That which our Hearts are most fet upon, Ezek. xxxiii. 31. Acts viii. 22. 2. Which we are moft eafily overcome by, Heb. xii. 1. 3. Which we are moft loth to part with, Matt. xix. 21, 22. To forfake this Sin, is very acceptable to We must not only turn from the Commif- 20, 21. 2. At the best they are but Brutish, Luke xii. 19. 3. But for a Moment, 2 Cor. iv. 17, 18. Heb. xi. 25.. 4. End in Mifery, Rom. vi. 21. Prov. xxiii. 31, 32. 5. You lofe much greater Pleasures for them, Pfal. xvi. 11. 1 Pet. i. 8. OBJ. 2. But there is Profit in them, Acts xix. 27, 28. 1. It is but feeming Profit, Prov. x. 22. Jac. v. 2, 3. 2. You lofe more than you get, Matt. xvi. 26. 3. You will gain more by losing such Profits, I Tim. iv. 8. c. vi. 6. 1. The Favour of God. 2. A Bleffing upon what you have. 3. Everlafting Life, Matt. vi, 19, 20. 2. What must we be converted to? God and Goodness, Hof. vii, 16. What is that? 1. Negatively. 1. To turn from one Sin to another, is no turning to God, Matt. ix. 13. Luke xi. 24, 25. 2. To turn to a meer civil Life, is not true turning to God, Mark xii. 34. 3. To turn from one Sect to another, or from a grofs to a fuperftitious Way of Living, is not turning to God, Matt. xxiii. 15. 2. Positively: We muft turn from Sin, fo as to have our whole Hearts inclined to God, Joel ii. 12. 1. To love him with all our Hearts, Deut. vi. 5. Matt. xxii. 37. c. x. 37. 2. To Defire him, Pfal. lxxiii. 25. Pfal. xlii. 1, 2. Phil. iii. 8, 9. 3. To rejoice in him, Pfal. iv. 7. 1 Pet. i. 8. Hab. iii. 17, 18. 4. To truft and confide on him, Prov. iii. 5. Ha. 1. 19. Pfal. xxvii. 1, 2, 3. 5. To fear and dread him, Ifa. viii. 13. Matt. X. 28. 6. To ferve, honour and obey him, and do all fuch good Works as he hath prepa red for us, Pfal. xxxiv. 14. lfa. i. 16, 17, 18. 7. To believe in Jefus Chrift, and the Promifes which God hath made to us in him. US E. Take not up with a partial Repentance, 2 Cor. vii. 10. Mark vi. 20. VII. We must not only be converted to God the Father, but to the Son too, fo as to believe in him for Pardon, in order to our obtaining of it, Acts iii. 38. Mark i. 15. 1. There is nothing of Worth or Dignity in our Repentance it felf, whereby it can deferve Pardon, Luke xvii. 10. 2. However, it qualifies us for it, and puts us into a Capacity of obtaining it. 3. But it is conferred upon us only on the Account of Chrift, and his Merits, Col. i. 14. Matt. xxvi. 28. Rom. v. 10. 4. Though Chrift hath merited it for us, we cannot partake of it but by Believing in him, Acts xiii. 38, 39. Rom. iii. 28. Gal ii. 16. 2. How doth it appear, that if we fo repent, God hath faid it, Ifa. lv. 7. Ezek. xviii. 30. US E. |