The zealous Christian taking heavenThe zealovs Christian taking heaven

1 To those that have been formerly very great sinners, but are now converted: To ¹them I have two things to say.

1. 1Use 1. To great sinners converted

1 Labour to follow this pattern that is here propounded in the Gospel, and in this doctrine. Labour to proportion your graces now that you are converted, to the number and greatness of your sins before conversion. As you have been violent in sin formerly, so see that now you be as violent after the things of heaven. So did Manasseh, he was a great sinner, he filled Jerusalem with blood, he was a gross Idolater, a destroyer of Gods worship, ⟨p. 59⟩2 Chron. 33. 12. And therefore he humbled ¹himself greatly before the God of his fathers. So Paul, because he was a greater sinner then the rest of the Apostles; therefore he laboured more abundantly then they all. If therefore sin hath abounded, see that grace doth abound also. As you have formerly added iniquity unto iniquity, so now see that you add grace to grace. As you have with much eagerness given up the members of your bodies, as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin and uncleanness; so see that you give them up as instruments of righteousness unto holiness. Particularly, see that you do abound, 1 In the grace of humiliation. 2 In the grace of love. 1 In the grace of humiliation; little humiliation is not suitable to great sins. That garment that hath most spots in it, must have most rinsing; that which hath most dust in it, needs the most beating. There must be a sicut, not onely qualitatis, but aequalitatis also, if possibly it can be. There should be some equality between the strength that was put forth in the service of sin, and that we now put forth in the service of God. It is very observable,