JER. 18. 11.
IN this exhortatory conclusion hathbeen considered, 1. The duty, (Return) 2. The adjunct time (Now.) 3. The subject to whom, with the appropriation of it, Every one from his evil way: This latter part admits of a sub-division; 1. The general term from which a man must turn, and that is, An evil way. 2. The restriction of it, His evil way: The restriction hath also been absolved. There remaineth onely one thing more in this Exhortation, and that is the general term, (Evil way.) Conversion is a motion; and as local motions have a term from which, and a term to which; Thus it is here in spiritual Conversion; and you cannot clearly understand the nature of this duty, unless it be considered in both the terms: and of the term from which, at this time from this Text.
The Observation, The term from which we are to turn in our Conversion unto God, is the evil and sin we live in.1
That which we are to move from, yea run and fly from, is the impiety and transgression of our lives. Every one that lieth in any sin, must be turned upside down, as it were; his love must be where his hatred was; his grief where his delight was; his back, where his face was; and his face and affections upon that, on which his back and all contempt and scorn was. To turn and change from a mans former sins, is no disgrace, but a necessary duty, and a great dignity: Thus Conversion is a motion from sin, not like the turning of a door upon the same hinge, never moved out of his place. Wonder not that I am long on this subject; for I am not yet near the bottom of this excellent Fountain of matter, and we shall draw up new and fresh water, not troubling you with the same matter that hath already been handled. For the discovery of this point; Consider
First, Who they are that are in sin, or live in sin, and therefore need conversion:2 For many a man is eternally undone, because he doth not see a necessity of his turning to God; he either takes for granted, that he is already converted, or3 he thinks conversion is onely for Pagans or Hereticks, to the true Christian faith, or some notorious gross sinners, whose sins are of a crimson colour. Therefore to undeceive and convince you herein, know and consider, what it is to be in sin, or who may be said to be in sin, and every such person needs conversion.
First therefore, Every one by nature is in the damnable state of sin, although he never committed any actual impiety: Thus sin was unknown to Heathens, and denyed by some Heretiques; but the Scripture doth plainly assert it, concluding us To be children of wrath by nature Ephes. 2. he doth not say, by actions, by custom, by practice, but by nature: This is the first stone, and the deep foundation that must be laid: This is called native, original, natural, and hereditary sin. Till a man be inwardly and powerfully convinced of this, he cannot ever think of turning unto God; so that conversion is requisite to every one that hath this birth-sin. We come naturally with our back to heaven, and face to hell; now here must be a conversion unto God: Begin here, and study here, How were it possible that men should sit and hear so much of turning to God, and never begin to move towards him, but because they feel not this natural averseness in their whole man from God, and what is holy? Let no man, free from gross sins, and walking in an orderly civil way, think this duty of conversion doth not belong to him; for if thou hadst no more sin in thee then the childe new born, thou wert yet to turn unto God, as being in a dangerous path of death and destruction; yea, this conversion and turning from this innate corruption, is far more difficult, then from any actual impieties, for this is more closely bred in thee, and setled in thy bowels: The Scripture calls this thy body, thy flesh, thy members, as if thou wert turned into this sin: This is the fountain, this is the root, this walketh with thee, riseth with thee, dwells in thee, as in its proper possession: so that in your turning from sin, be sure you go as deep as to this native filthiness: Its not to turn thy coat, or thy skin, but thy very heart and inwards, when you are to turn unto God: We shall shew in time, of many turnings to God, but they laid no good foundation, they laid not the ax to the root of the tree; they cut off Sampsons hair, but plucked it not up by the root, and so the strength of corruption prevailed over them again; so that this turning from sin, is to turn from thy own self, to leave thy own self, and joyn with God, to be one with him: As iron put into the fire a long while, loseth its coldness, and its black colour, and looks like fire. Its a true and good saying of Ambrose, Homo recedens malè a Deo, cecidit in seipsum, Man falling from God, fell into his own self: So that he is as a beast tyed up in a close dungeon; his thoughts, his affections, his designs are onely for himself, original corruption hath brought this perverse distemper on a man; look then that thou break this Dragons head: Thou wilt finde thy self within (how glorious soever in thy externals) like Ezekiels wall, whereon were pourtrayed the forms of all creeping and abominable things; or like Peters sheet, that had all the kindes of unclean beasts within, Thus thy heart hath all manner of vile and foul lusts cleaving unto thee; and therefore though thou wert as innocent from actual sins, as once in thy cradle, yet thou art to turn to God, and to forsake that present condition.