there is no poffibility of accefs for him to the enjoyment of God, unless there be an entire change wrought upon his nature; for how can two of fo very different natures have any mutual complacency in one another? God can have none in the finful nature of man; nor can the finful nature of man have any in the holy nature of God: and it is what none can fay, that pardon changes the nature of the person that is pardoned.

Now, to fum up what we have faid under this head, when an awakened finner puts the question, What must I do to be faved? he just means, How fhall I obtain happinefs? And this has these three in it: [1.] How thail I get my fins pardoned? [2.] How fhall I get a title to eternal life? [3] How fhall I be made meet to be a tharer of the" inheritance of the faints in light?" Unless the mind be fully fatisfied as to these three inquiries, it can never think itself fecure or happy. That which comes, in the

III. Place, to be inquired into, is the nature of this concern, which is the genuine iffue and neceffary refult of found conviction. The nature and effects of this we fhall unfold to you in the following particulars.

And,

First, To lay falvation to heart, or to be concerned about it feriously, imports diffatisfaction with all other enjoyments, fo long as the foul is in the dark about this. The man may poffibly be poffeffed of great things in the world, he may have all going there with him according to wish; but if once he begin to take salvation to heart, he will find content of mind in none of these things. If fuch a one caft his eye upon his enjoyments, his riches, his honours, his pleasures, he will be fure to conclude, as Haman did upon another account, Esther v. 13. "Yet all this availeth me nothing, fo long as I am at an uncertainty about falvation." These things cannot fatisfy. What are they to a dying man? One that apprehends himself just ready to be swallowed up of the wrath of God, can relish no fweetnefs in any of these things, till once he be rid of the fears of that. Thus we fee it is with the jailor; he who but a little before was fo anxious about the prifoners, that he was ready to have made himself away for fear of their efcape, turns now unconcerned about these things, and we hear not, that, while all the doors were open, he

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made any provifion for their fecurity; nor did he receive any fatisfaction from understanding that they were all safe. This diffatisfaction is not fuch a difcontent as fome fall into who are no ways awakened, which leads them to fret, grudge, and repine, because their lot in a prefent world is not such as they would have it; no, but it is fuch a diffatisfaction as flows from a folid perfuafion that these things cannot afford happiness, or avert impending and threatened mifery, which is fo terrible in the eyes of the alarmed finner.

Secondly, This concern about falvation imports thoughtfulness about the threatened evils, and the means of preventing them. When the foul has once got a view of fin and mifery in their native colours, and fees mifery threatening it, then this arrefts the thoughts; the mind can ply tfelf to no other thing with pleafure, but only to the ways and means of escape. If other thoughts intrude, they are presently rejected with contempt, as impertinent. The man indeed doth not deny it to be his duty to be concerned about other things; but he thinks it not present duty, nay, he thinks it impertinent for him in his prefent condition. He is like one that lives in a besieged city: the enemy has made a breach in the walls, and threatens a fudden irruption. In which cafe, the man knows very well he is obliged to attend to the duties of his ordinary calling and ftation; yet, in the prefent exigence, he doth not judge it pertinent to look that way; for if the enemy once enter at the breach, and fack the city, then he for ever lofes the advantage of any thing that he gains by his other endeavours; therefore he rather turns his thoughts and contrivances to the reparation of the breach, or pacifying of the enemy, if he find the place not tenable against him. Juft fo is it in the cafe of an awak ened finner he knows, that if the wrath of God overtake him, he is for ever ruined; therefore his thoughts are wholly bent upon this, how he may be delivered from the wrath to come. Thus we fee the Pfalmift employed under fears of impending hazard, Pfal. xiii. 2. How long (fays he) fhall I take counfel in my foul, having forrow in my heart daily? How long fhall mine enemy be exalted over me?" The apprehenfions he was under of danger, put him upon many contrivances how he might rid him

felf

felf of it. This is always the nature of concern; it arrefts the thoughts, and keeps men fixed upon that about which the foul is concerned.

Thirdly, This concern has in it always earnefinefs of defire after falvation. Defire is ever implied in concern of mind; if a man be concerned how to avert a threatened evil, he defires freedom from it; if he be concerned how to obtain any good he wants, or retain what already be is poffeffed of, the foul ever, immixes its concern with de fire. This flows from the very nature of man's foul; for defire is nothing elfe but the cleaving of the rational foul to that which appears congruous, useful, and neceffary to its happiness: fo one that is awakened, and fees his hazard, will certainly defire falvation. Hence it is, that we find Chrift the Saviour, among the other titles which are given to him in fcripture, obtain that famous one, "The defire of all nations," Hag. ii. 6, 7. For thus faith the Lord of hofts, yet once, it is a little while, and I will flake the heavens, and the earth, and the fea, and the dry land; and I will shake all nations, and the defire of all nations fhall come; and I will fill this houfe with glory, faith the Lord of hofts." A Saviour will be defired by fuch of all nations as are awakened to see their need of him.

Fourthly, This concern about falvation imports a commotion in the affections. A foul full of thoughts about wrath threatened or felt, will have its affections employed about it, according to the account the judgment gives of it. If wrath be in any measure felt, it will fill the foul with grief and forrow; if it be looked upon as approaching, it will make the man hake with fear; if it be reprefented as ruining and destructive to the foul, it will raise the higheft hatred and averfion; if there be any apparent poffibility of escape, it will excite hope in the foul. In one word, in a foul that lays falvation seriously to heart, every one of these paffions will take their turn, according as occafion calls for them, or the prefent exercile of the mind requires and excites them. Were we difcourfing of this concern about falvation only as it refts in the mind, we should ftop here; but here we are confidering it, not only as it is in own nature, but as it doth manifest itself in its effects; and therefore,

Fifthly,

Fifthly, We fay, where the foul is thus uneafy for want of lalvation, thoughtful about it, and going forth in defires after it, this inward temper and frame of the mind will difcover itself in words and language. Words are the indications of the thoughts of the mind; and where the mind is fwallowed up of concern about any thing, fo as to have all its thoughts engroffed by it, then of necef fity the words muft intimate fo much. A man indeed may be concerned about fomething of lefs importance, and this not hold; but when falvation is laid to leart, then the tongue will be employed as well as the mind. It is ftoried, that the father's hazard made the tongue-tacked child fpeak; much more would its own hazard have done fo. Our Lord fays, "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth fpeaketh," Matth. xii. 34. ; and indeed where there is very much concern this way, it will not easily be retained; it will be like a fire that cannot endure to be pent up lofe in a room, but must have a vent. Thus we fee it was with the jailor. That which lay nearest the heart takes the start in difcourfe: Sirs, fays he, what muft I de to be faved?

Sixthly, This inward frame of foul, this concern of mind, leads to the use of means. As the tongue will be employed in inquiring, and the mind in contriving, for the rest of the inan will be employed in following after, and ufing the means that are fuited to give relief. Thus we fee it was with the jailor; he prefently comes to the apoftles, and feeks after direction and help from them. No doubt he had heard of them what the poffeffed damfel, in the 17th verfe of this chapter, cries out, that they were "the fervants of the living God," who made it their work to fhew men the way of falvation ;" and this makes him address himself to them, as the readiest expedient, the best means to get rid of his fears, and to be folved of the important fcruple that now lay fo near his

leart.

Seventhly, Not only will this concern drive to the ufe of means, but it will fir up to diligence in the use of them. It will fire the foul with such activity, as will carry it over that natural fluggishness that is in the heart of man, as the natural and genuine fruit of the depraved nature. The unconcerned man, the man that is half awakened,

will fay with the fluggard, "There is a lion in the way, and I shall be flain in the streets." He will have a thoufand trifling difficulties that will retard him, and keep him back; but when one lays falvation to heart, he will foon get over all these, and fall clofe to the diligent ufe of means, in spite of all difficulties. Thus it was with the jailor: He Sprang in, and came trembling, and faid, Sirs, what muft I do to be faved? He wanted not his own grounds to fear the fuccefs of his attempt. What! might he think, will these men, whom I ufed fo hardly but the night before, deal so kindly by me, as to help me in this miferable pinch? And will that God, whom I have provoked to be my enemy, tender me any relief? But wrath purfued him fo close at the heels, that he durft not stay on any of these accounts, but hazards the issue, be what it will. An awakened finner is ever brought to the leper's refolution, 2 Kings vii. 3, 4. He fees an inevitable ne. ceffity of dying, if he fit ftill in this prefent condition, or if he join himself to his old friends; and therefore he will rather chufe to venture all upon the mercy of God, and his fervants, whom he takes for his enemies, as knowing that there he has a peradventure for life, whereas he has not that fame any where elle.

Eighthly, This concern will difcover itself, by putting the foul in an active and waiting posture, ready to receive any injunction, and to comply with it without delay. One that comes thus to be concerned about falvation, will not ftand to difpute the terms propofed, but will greedily wait for, and readily accept of them, if practicable, if poffible. Thus we fee it is with the poor man in our text. He comes not to make, but accept terms. Sirs, fays he, what must I do to be faved? as if he had said, I am refolved to scruple nothing ye shall enjoin me; tell me but what I shall do, and here am I ready to accept of any proposal that ye fhall, in God's name, make unto me.

Thus we have unfolded unto you the nature of this concern which a folidly convinced finner will have about falvation, and that from the text. I fhall now proceed, IV. To inquire, Why it is that a folidly awakened finner does thus lay falvation to heart above all things. An ac count of this matter, we conceive, may be given in two or three propofitions.

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Firt,