Christian directions, showing how to walk with God all the day long drawn up…Christian directions, shewing how to walk with God all the day long drawn up…

2. A turning from those evil ways, wherein we have formerly walked; as you may see in the example of those penitents, that are recorded in Scripture, as of Paul, Peter, Zacheus, and others, ⟨p. 115⟩who upon their repentance turned from those evil courses wherein they had formerly walked. Hereby therefore try the truth of thy repentance: Hath it wrought a change and alteration in thy course of life? are old things done away? is there a forsaking of former sins? hast thou le•t thy swearing, thy drunkenness, thy whoredoms, thy cousenings by false weights and measures? canst thou say of thy self, as Paul did of the Corinthians, I was once a swearer, a drunkard, an adulterer, a reviler, an extortioner, a covetous person, and the like: But now I am washed, now I am sanctified, yea and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by the spirit of my God. ¹Canst thou thus say of thy self; and that in truth and sincerity of heart? then thou hast some comfortable evidence of the truth and soundness of thy repentance. But how vainly do they deceive themselves, who, because they have made confession of their sins unto God, and happily with some few •ears, flatter themselves with a conceit of true repentance: when yet they still live and continue in their former sinful courses, wall owing like swine in the filth of sin, and mire of sinful filthiness.

2. A turning from those evil waies, wherein we have formerly walked; as you may see in the example of those penitents, that are recorded in Scripture, as of Paul, Peter, Zacheus, and others, ⟨p. 115⟩who upon their repentance turned from those evil courses wherein they had formerly walked. Hereby therefore try the truth of thy repentance: Hath it wrought a change and alteration in thy course of life? are old things done away? is there a forsaking of former sins? hast thou le•t thy swearing, thy drunkenness, thy whoredomes, thy cousenings by false weights and measures? canst thou say of thy self, as Paul did of the Corinthians, I was once a swearer, a drunkard, an adulterer, a reviler, an extortioner, a covetous person, and the like: But now I am washed, now I am sanctified, yea and justified in the name of the Lord Iesus Christ, and by the spirit of my God.