main long enough upon their minds, and with an honest good intention back it with suitable reflections; considering, that if their own hearts thus condemn and punish them, what must they expect from the infinitely holy and just, and highly offended God, who is greater than their hearts, and knoweth all things! This, by the assistance of the good Spirit of God, which is never wanting in such a case as this, would improve conviction into conversion, and work a thorough cure.

For, to be convicted in our consciences, and renewed in the spirit of our minds, are two very different things; conviction to conversion, being like fear and sorrow to repentance, apt to produce it, but not the thing itself. And though a sinner cannot be converted from the evil of his ways, and become a hearty penitent, without being first convinced that his ways are evil and destructive, and if not left, will bring him to the sad portion of devils; yet a man that has been convinced of all this, and put into some fear and trouble by it for a while, may shake off all again, and be as bad, and it may be worse than ever.

Of this, alas! we have daily very deplorable instances now; and the scribes and Pharisees were remarkably so in our Saviour's time. They had conviction enough in their own consciences of their exceeding vileness, and, had they made a good use of it, might have been exemplary, happy converts, and proved glorious instruments in converting others; but they turned all into rage and malice and revenge, against that excellent Person who had let such light into their foul, benighted minds, and invited them to make the best use of it, by saying,

John viii. 12, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life: and instead of rejoicing in that light, and improving the happy opportunity, and cleansing themselves by it from all their filthiness both of flesh and spirit, made what haste they could to put it out; and the filthy continued filthy still, and from the worst of men proceeded incarnate devils, persecuting their kind Reprover with the most rankled spite and implacability, till they had his blood.

It is plain, then, that bare conviction is not enough in order to a sinner's reformation, unless he joins his own sincere endeavours to it; and he that continues in his wickedness after his conscience has been convinced of the guilt of it, aggravates his sin to a much greater height, and from thenceforth becomes utterly inexcusable.

As it is the duty therefore of the guides of souls to make it their business by all proper methods to cause such convictions in the consciences of those committed to their charge, and as there is occasion to exhort and reprove and rebuke with all authority; and which authority of theirs will be much more reverenced and regarded, and effectual to the great ends for which it was conferred upon them, if it be attended with true piety and goodness: so the people, when such convictions are wrought in them, should humbly and thankfully receive them as an inestimable blessing, and an argument of God's great mercy to them; and immediately apply themselves with an honest, hearty diligence, to amend what they are convinced is so exceeding sinful, and, if wilfully persisted in, will be of most fatal conse

quence. For how can those men's ruin be prevented to whom conviction upon conviction will be of no avail, though never so often repeated, because they wilfully shut their eyes, and harden their hearts against it? What but a miracle of mercy can save such men as these! and how infinitely undeserving are they, and almost incapable of it! When men are come to such a reprobate mind as this, God gives them over to it, and leaves them to themselves, to receive that recompense of their error which is meet1.

Wherefore, to draw to a conclusion, let us humbly beg of God, in whose hands are the hearts of all men, and he only can turn them whithersoever he pleases, that he would press home, and make durable by his grace, those convictions, which any of us are instrumental in working upon the minds of others, or receive ourselves! that none of us that name the name of Christ, and have the honour and happiness of being members of that glorious Head, may any longer walk in the vanity of our mind, being alienated from the life of God, and as past feeling giving ourselves over to lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness; for we have not so learned Christm. But let us always endeavour to be followers, or imitators of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ hath loved us. Shunning all impure flames with the utmost detestation and aversion, and not suffering fornication, or any uncleanness, to be once named among us, as becometh saints. Remembering that no unclean person hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

1 Rom. i. 27.

m Ephes. iv. 17, &c.

VIII.

Zacchæus converted by our blessed Saviour.

LUKE XIX. 2, 3, &c.

There was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the Publicans, and he was rich.

And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature, &c.

OUR blessed Lord was now going from Galilee to Jerusalem, to celebrate the last passover he should live to see; and at which he himself, as a Lamb without spot or blemish, should be offered up for the sins of the whole world, to divert God's vengeance from the guilty race of mankind.

And as he passed through Jericho with a great train of attendants, and which were increased by those of that neighbourhood who wanted to see this great Prophet, that but just before had restored sight to a blind man that cried after him for mercy, by only saying to him, Receive thy sight; the rejoicings of the transported man, and the loud acclamations of the people, reached the ears of Zacchæus, a rich publican of the first rank, and excited in him also a great curiosity (and it proved a happy one to him) to see that wondrous Person of whom he had often heard such amazing things, and particularly that he had cured the blind beggar that used to sit by the highway side, who no doubt was well known to him, by only a word or two speaking. And be

a Luke xviii. 42.

cause the crowd was so great about Jesus that he could not get through it to him, and he was of such low stature that he could not expect to have a sight of him unless he was raised somewhere above the throng, he hastens to a sycomore tree, by which our Lord was to pass, and got up into it, by that means hoping to have a full view of him.

Now the employment of the chief of the publicans was to receive of the collectors the tribute laid upon the Jews by the Roman emperor, and return it into his exchequer; and some of the richest of them, of which Zacchæus was one, farmed it at a certain rate, and then miserably squeezed and oppressed the people by undue impositions, and upon the least failure informed against them, and too often beyond what the truth would bear, and then procured heavy penalties to be laid upon them, of which, no question, they had a good share themselves. And by these vile methods, which made them extremely odious, they raised great estates; and living thus in the continual practice of extortion and oppression, were looked upon as the worst of sinners, and even as bad as heathens, (though most of them were Jews, as Zacchæus and St. Matthew were, whose employment, as the manner of their conversion, was much alike,) and their conversation was scandalous, and avoided as such; and heathens and publicans, publicans and sinners, are often coupled together in the gospel as equally detestable; and it was made a great reflection upon our Lord that he had too much acquaintance with them, and shewed them too much countenance.

But his merciful design in coming into this wretched world being to seek and to save that which BRAGGE, VOL. I.

Ii