as well as the other; and he that believes he hath a Soul, must be fuppofed able to think of dangers that may befal his Soul: And fince Confideration is that which reprefents all dangers in very lively colours, and by that means affects and makes impreffions upon the whole Man,there is no perfon but may fafely expect God's Bleffing upon fuchConfiderations;not upon the account of merit, but because God hath most freely, and most graciously promifed his affiftance, where men thew their willingness to work in his Vineyard. For God in this cafe deals with Men, as a Master with his Servants, who if they husband a little Farm well, is content to let them undertake a greater, and encourages their induftry by larger conceffions.

And that's the reafon whyConverfion in Scripture is fometimes attributed to Man, and sometimes to the Father of Lights, from whom every good and perfect gift defcends; and why we read in the fame Prophet, Make your felves a new heart, and a new spirit, Ezek. 18. 31. And I the Lord will give you a new heart, and a new fpirit will I put within you, Ezek. 36.26. Becaufe God expects the Sinner should take his ways and prepofterous actions, and the danger which hangs over his head, into ferious confideration, reprefent the odiousness, and difingenuity, and unreasonableness of his Sin to his mind, and muse upon that endless happiness he may arrive to, weigh the Comforts and Confolations he may enjoy on this fide Heaven, and God will encourage him, gather the Lambs with his Arms, and carry them in his Bofom, i. e. profper those

fincere

fincere Endeavours, and water them with the dew of his Benediction, till the byafs of the Soul is changed, and turned towards Heaven. So true is that saying of Chrift, Matth.24.29. To him that bath, (i. e. improves the stock of Grace Providence hath already conferr'd on him) fhall be given, and he shall have more abundant; but from him that hath not, shall be taken away even that which he hath.

Confideration is the Bed where the incorruptible Seed is fown, and on the ground thus prepared, the Sun of Righteoufnefs doth fhine, and by his warmth produces in the Soul all manner of pleasant Fruits, Cant. 7.13. Confideration, like the Pool of Bethesda, draws the great Angelof the Covenant down, who ftirs the Pool, and gives it a healing virtue, and immediately the Blind receive their fight, and the Lame walk, and the Lepers are cleanfed, and the Dead are raised up, Mat. 11.5.

That God hath fometimes by miraculous means converted, and turned Men from their irreligiousness and contempt of Holiness, we do not deny; but though thefe Miracles might be the occafion of their Reformation, it was still Confideration that digested these miraculous Providences, and engaged these Men to enquire what they meant, and for what end they were fent, and how they should escape if they neglected fo great Salvation. It was this made them argue that as thefe Calls were great, and full of wonder, fo they challenged Entertainment and Submiffion answerable to fo great a Mercy. It was this made them fee the Love of

God,

God, and wonder whence it fhould be, that God fhould over-look fo many thousands, and knock at their Gates; pafs by Palaces, and be content to take up his Reft in their poor Habitations. It was this made them ponder, that after fuch Admonitions and Exhortations from Heaven, there was no standing still, and that contempt of fuch extraordinary Providences, must needs fall very heavy on theSoul one day,and fink it into the nethermoft Hell; upon which Confiderations and Expoftulations, they refolved to clofe with Chrift, and with the terms of the Gospel. Miracles not improved by Confideration would make but little Impreffion on the Heart, like the Seed that fell upon the Rock; Piety might suddenly spring up, but for want of Root, would foon wither away. Confideration is that which affects the Soul with them, makes it concerned,cries to Sin to be gone,and astonishes into Reformation. Hence it was, that the Jews who confidered not God's defign in the Miracles they faw, remained as obftinate as ever; whereas had they by Confideration div'd into the care God took to convince them, there would not have been greater Saints under the Cope of Heaven.

But all this will more fully appear, if we can prove, That without Confideration, Converfion, or Reformation of Life cannot but be counterfeit. Converfion being a change of the whole Man, and loving God better than the World, or minding Heaven more than Earth, an immortal Soul more than a frail dying Body, there can nothing be imagined, under God, more likely to prevent our being deceived with a form of God

linefs,

linefs, than Confideration. That the Devil very ordinarily transforms himself into an Angel of Light, and impofes upon our Minds by fhadows of Virtue; as it is his Intereft, fo it is a thing as common as our yielding to Temptations of that nature. Daily experience is a fufficient witness how Men deceive themselves with a varnish and paint of Piety, and flatter themselves that they are ordained to eternal Life, and in a way to those Regions of Blifs, when they are not: Because they acknowledge and profess that God is Infinite, Perfect, Glorious, and the fupreme Governor of the World, and that in him we live, and breath, and have our Being; and that it's he that rules the great Wheel of Providence; they conclude they love him better than their Riches or Pleasures here, when they do nothing lefs; indeed no more but what Parrots may do; which being taught, can repeat the fame words, and be never the nearer that Wifdom which makes Men wife unto Salvation. We fee how Men, because they have no inclination to fome grofs notorious Sins that other Men are guilty of, are apt to conclude, that they mortifie their Lufts,and put off the works of Darkness, walking foberly as in the day-time; and because they frequent the Temple of the Lord, they are presently true Hearers of the Word. We fee how the Harlot, Prov. 7. 14. because she had paid her Vows, and had Peace-Offerings with her, perfuades her felf that she was a great Proficient in Religion; and the Pharifee did not think himself a quarter fo bad as the Publican, because he paid Tithes of all he had, and was

no

God, and wonder whence it fhould be, that God fhould over-look fo many thousands, and knock at their Gates; pafs by Palaces, and be content to take up his Reft in their poor Habitations. It was this made them ponder, that after fuch Admonitions and Exhortations from Heaven, there was no standing still, and that contempt of fuch extraordinary Providences, must needs fall very heavy on theSoul one day,and fink it into the nethermoft Hell; upon which Confiderations and Expoftulations, they refolved to clofe with Chrift, and with the terms of the Gofpel. Miracles not improved by Confideration would make but little Impreffion on the Heart, like the Seed that fell upon the Rock; Piety might fuddenly spring up, but for want of Root, would foon wither away. Confideration is that which affects the Soul with them, makes it concerned,cries to Sin to be gone,and astonishes into Reformation. Hence it was, that the Jews who confidered not God's design in the Miracles they faw, remained as obftinate as ever; whereas had they by Confideration div'd into the care God took to convince them, there would not have been greater Saints under the Cope of Heaven.

But all this will more fully appear, if we can prove, That without Confideration, Converfion, or Reformation of Life cannot but be counterfeit. Converfion being a change of the whole Man, and loving God better than the World, or minding Heaven more than Earth, an immortal Soul more than a frail dying Body, there can nothing be imagined, under God, more likely to prevent our being deceived with a form of Godlinefs,