ND he went and joined himself to a Citizen of that Country, and he fent him into his Fields to feed Swine. Luke xv. 15.

The fifth Degree of the Sinner's Mifery is, That he renders himself a Slave to the Devil. The farther a Man removes from the fupreme and fovereign Good, the more likewife does Darkness overfpread his Understanding, the more heavy does the Yoke of Sin fit upon his Will, and the more abfolutely does this Will furrender up itself into the Hands of the only Mafter, whom he deferves to meet with, who would not continue in the Service of JESUS CHRIST. We are never fenfible of this Mifery 'till God makes us feel it. The fixth Degree of it is, That the Sinner finds by Experience the Hardship and Rigour of his Slavery. There is no Mafter fo cruel as the Devil; no Yoke fo heavy as that of Sin; and no Slavery fo mean and vile, as for a Man to be a Slave to his own carnal, shameful, and brutish Paffions.

Lo the young Tribes of Adam rife,
And thro' all Nature rove;
Fulfil the Wishes of their Eyes,
And taste the Joys they love.

They give a loose to wild Defires;

But let the Sinners know
The ftrict Account that God requires
Of all the Works they do.

AND he would fain have filled his Belly with the Hufks that the Swine did eat and no Man gave unto him. Luke

XV. 16.

The feventh Degree of the Sinner's Mifery is, That having deprived himfelf of every Thing which he could lawfully and innocently poffefs, he, in his Hunger, feeds upon worldly Pleafures or Riches, wherein he imagines he fhall find fome Thing to fatisfy his Lufts. Miferable is he in not obtaining That which he defires; and yet more miferable would he be if he did obtain it! The Pleafures of the World are the Pleafures of Savine, always fooping towards the Earth, always wallowing in Filth and Mire.

Man has a Soul of vaft Defires,
He burns within with restless Fires;
Toft to and fro his Paffions fly,
From Vanity to Vanity,

In vain on Earth we hope to find,
Some folid Good to fill the Mind;
We try new Pleasures, but we feel
The inward Thirft and Torment ftill.

ND when he came to himself, he faid, How many hired

A Servants of my Father's have Bread enough and to fpare, and I perish with Hunger! Luke xv. 17.

Let us obferve here the several Degrees of a Sinner's Converfion. The firft is, That he knows his Mifery and the Corruption of his own Heart, but how should he ever know this, if the Light which he deserted did not return toward him, and feek him in the Abyss of Darkness? We can not come to ourselves unless God return to us; as we are far from ourselves, when we are far from God. It is the utmoft Mifery, when God permits the Sinner to be lulled afleep in criminal Pleafure, without being awakened by Affliction; or when a continual and undisturbed Profperity makes him lose the very Remembrance of the true and substantial Felicity It is a Beginning of Happiness, for a Man throughly to comprehend the Mifery of Sin, and to own the Happiness of those who serve God.

I die with Hunger here, he cries,
I ftarve in foreign Lands;
My Father's Houfe has large Supplies,
And bounteous are his Hands.

I Will arife, and go to my Father, and will fay unto him, Father, I have finned against Heaven, and before thee, Luke xv. 18. The fecond Degree of the Sinner's Converfion is, that he refolves to forfake Sin, and the Occafion thereof. A Man cannot forfake them both too foon, tho' it were more from a Senfe of the grievous Confequences of Sin, than from a Hatred of Sin itself. Grace purifies all in the Sequel. The third Degree of Converfion is, when a Sinner turns toward God, looks upon him as a Father, entertains a Defire to return to him, takes a Refolution of doing it, and is convinced he must not delay it one Moment, because he cannot too foon cease to be miserable; or without the greatest Folly, by Delay, run the Hazard of being fo eternally. The fourth Degree of the Converfion of a Sinner is, His making a Confeffion of his Sin, and beginning that Confeffion by a Name of Love, my Father; because the Love of GOD is the Foundation of true Repentance. The chief Motive to the Hatred of Sin is, because it is contrary to the Goodness of GOD, and because He, who is the best of all Fathers, is offended thereby.

My Father, O my Father hear, Thy weakest Child's imperfect Call; Now as a Servant I appear.

And

yet thou know'ft me Heir of all. O make me know as I am known, Speak, Father, am I not thy son.

1

AND when they were come into the House, they faw the young Child with Mary his Mother, and fell down and worfhipped him and when they had opened their Treatures, they prefented (or offered) unto him Gifts; Gold, and Frankincense, and Myrrh. Matth. ii. 11.

Let us learn of these to humble ourselves, to adore Jefus Chrift, and to give up ourselves intirely to him, as foon as we have found him. --- What Faith was here, to worship a poor neglected Infant as a God! And what Power in this Infant, to bestow fuch a Faith as this, fo pure, so humble, fo courageous, and fo deftitute of all human Support! --- To open one's Heart, is to open one's Treafure: It is Chrift who fills it; it is to him that it must be opened.

Celebrate Immanuel's Name,

The Prince of Life and Peace, God with us our Lips proclaim, Our faithful Hearts confefs:

God is in our Flesh reveal'd,

Heaven and Earth in Jefus join,
Mortal with immortal fill'd,
And human with divine.