Excerpt from Tracts of the American Tract Society, Vol. 4: General Series Dear reader - AS you may not understand properly what conversion is, I will first endeavor, by the help and blessing of God, to show you its nature. As it may be your case, that you expect mercy and favor with God, though you continue in your natural state, I would next prove the necessity of conversion; and lest you should make a most dangerous and destructive mistake, and imagine that you are converted when you are not, I would also lay before you the marks of the unconverted. But lest you should fear no harm, because you see none, and so continue satisfied in your present condition, I would show you the misery of the unconverted. To stir you up to seek the conversion of your heart, I would offer you some motives to it. And lastly, if you are convinced of your need of conversion, and are be come anxious for it, I would direct you to some means in order to your obtaining it, and therewith your present and eternal salvation. I. I would show you the nature of conversion, both what it is not, and what it is. Your profession (f Christianity is not conversion. St. Paul says, it lies not in word, but in power. 1 Cor. 4: 20. Vol. IV. There were persons in Sardis and Laodicea that were Chris tians by profession, and had a name to live; yet because they had but a name, they were condemned by Christ. Your baptism is not a conversion. Many a person has been baptized, and yet been destitute of holiness. Wicked Ananias and Sapphira had both been baptized, and yet were both suddenly struck dead in their sins. Simon Magus was baptized, and yet continued in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity. Where Christianity is the professed religion of any country, very many who are called by the name of Christ, have only the name, and not the disposition of Christ. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.