Now these means we are to attend upon, and it is some advantage when you own your Duty, and are sensible of a necessity of changing your Estate, who would otherwise be altogether careless and mindless of such a thing. But when you look on it as a Duty, that must be speedily and earnestly gone about, if you mean to be saved, you are in a fair way of cure. By Exhortation we demand God's right, and make the Creatures sensible of his own Obligation, that he may go about this work as well as he can, at least that he may acknowledge the Debt, confess his Impotency, and beg Grace. Besides, there are some things to be done before this Renovation in order thereunto; as Wood is dried before it is kindled. There are some preparations before Conversion, and we are to be active about them. As for instance, that we should rouse up our selves, and consider our case: Psal. 22. 27. All the ends of the Earth shall remember, and turn unto the Lord. Psal. 119. 59. I thought on my ways, and turned my Feet unto thy Testimonies. Man is very inconsiderate, his Soul is asleep till consideration awaken it again. We are to search and ⟨p. 393⟩try our Estate whether it be good or bad, Lam. 3. 40. Let us search and try our ways, and turn unto the Lord. We are to observe God's Rebukes. Prov. 1. 23. Turn ye at my Reproof. To set our selves to seek after God in the best Fashion we can. Hos. 5. 4. They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God, that is, think of recovering themselves and bending their course to him: chiefly we are to take heed that we do not hinder God's work, and obstruct our own Mercies. Prov. 1. 25. They set at nought my Counsel, and would none of my Reproof. Sometimes Conscience is startled, either as being excited by the Word, Acts 24. 25. or some notable Affliction and Strait, Gen. 42. 21. by one means or another the Waters are stirred, great helps are vouchsafed to us, observe these Seasons. However, check Despair. He that did turn Water into Wine, can turn Sinners into Saints, Lions into Lambs; he hath not excluded you from his Grace, therefore do not exclude your selves. When did he ever forsake the anxious and waiting Souls, that would not give over seeking till they did obtain the sanctifying Spirit.
Now these means we are to attend upon, and it is some advantage when you own your Duty, and are sensible of a necessity of changing your Estate, who would otherwise be altogether careless and mindless of such a thing. But when you look on it as a Duty, that must be speedily and earnestly gone about, if you mean to be saved, you are in a fair way of cure. By Exhortation we demand God's right, and make the Creatures sensible of his own Obligation, that he may go about this work as well as he can, at least that he may acknowledg the Debt, confess his Impotency, and beg Grace. Besides, there are some things to be done before this Renovation in order thereunto; as Wood is dried before it is kindled. There are some preparations before Conversion, and we are to be active about them. As for instance, that we should rouse up our selves, and consider our case: Psal. 22. 27. All the ends of the Earth shall remember, and turn unto the Lord. Psal. 119. 59. I thought on my ways, and turned my Feet unto thy Testimonies. Man is very inconsiderate, his Soul is asleep till consideration awaken it again. We are to search and ⟨p. 393⟩try our Estate whether it be good or bad, Lam. 3. 40. Let us search and try our ways, and turn unto the Lord. We are to observe God's Rebukes. Prov. 1. 23. Turn ye at my Reproof. To set our selves to seek after God in the best Fashion we can. Hos. 5. 4. They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God, that is, think of recovering themselves and bending their course to him: chiefly we are to take heed that we do not hinder God's work, and obstruct our own Mercies. Prov. 1. 25. They set at nought my Counsel, and would none of my Reproof. Sometimes Conscience is startled, either as being excited by the Word, Acts 24. 25. or some notable Affliction and Strait, Gen. 42. 21. by one means or another the Waters are stirred, great helps are vouchsafed to us, observe these Seasons. However, check Despair. He that did turn Water into Wine, can turn Sinners into Saints, Lions into Lambs; he hath not excluded you from his Grace, therefore do not exclude your selves. When did he ever forsake the anxious and waiting Souls, that would not give over seeking till they did obtain the sanctifying Spirit.
