The baptized Turk, or, A narrative of the happy conversion of Signior Rigep Dandulo, the onely son of a silk merchant in the Isle of Tzio, from the delusions of that great impostor Mahomet, unto the Christian religion and of his admission unto baptism by Mr. Gunning at Excester-house Chappel the 8th of Novemb., 1657 / drawn up by Tho. Warmstry.

CHAP. X. Of some further progress made in the conversion of Mr. Dandule, and of another remarkable passage of Pro∣vidence that fell out for the promo∣tion and encouragement thereof.

THis strange dream having made some impression upon the heart of this Convert, as we may reasonably beleeve, whereby the bars of his soul were some∣thing shaken and loosened, for the setting open of the gates for the admission of that Gospel light wherewith God hath been pleased now to illustrate his soul; we re∣newed our attempts with some earnestness and diligence that morning, and prevail∣ed at length so far by the divine assistance, as to obtain of him, to joyn with us in prayer for the assistance and direction of Al∣mighty God in the carrying on of the work of his conversion; and afterwards he was with us in the performance of the service of the Church for that morning, at my house, and kneeled down & joyned with us when we used the Lords Prayer; in this we made use of the help of his Interpreter, that he might repeat it after us.

And in this holy business I cannot think fit to omit one remarkable passage of the divine Providence which fell out in the performance of divine Worship at that time, whereby the Lord may seem to have seconded that of his Dream and it was this.

It pleased God (which we neither de∣signed nor foresaw) so to order the mat∣ter in that holy plot that he had laid for the bringing home of this soul into his bo∣som, and for the reducing of this lost sheep into his fold; of this lost peice of silver in∣to his treasury; and of this Prodigal childe from his Mahometan empty husks unto his Fathers house, The holy Church of Christ; That in the ordinary course of the Church, the Second Lesson which we read appoint∣ed for that very morning in the disposition of the Church Calender, fell out to be the Fifteenth Chapter of the Gospel of S. Luke, where we have the parable of the poor lost wandering sheep brought home upon the shoulders of the good Shepheard unto his flock; of the silver piece that was lost and found again; and of the Prodigal childe returned unto his Fathers house and Bosom, and there entertained with great love, me∣lody and rejoycing: where also at the seventh verse I found my Text, upon which God directed me to preach at the time of his Baptism.

When in the reading of that Chapter, I observed that gracious Providence, I could not pass it by without some notes upon it, and therefore by his Interpreter I com∣municated unto him, that he might there∣in have a taste of Gods care of his soul, that was pleased so wisely and carefully to order things that we thought not off, for the speed∣ing and promoting of the work of his Con∣version.

Withal, I offered him some observations upon the Chapter, tending to the disco∣very of the wretched condition of one that was straied and lost from God in the wan∣drings and wilderness of sin and error, and of the wonderful and tender mercy of the Lord in seeking after, and receiving into his bosom such poor sinners returning un∣to him; and of the great treasures of his goodness and Bowels of his mercy, that he is ready to open and pour out unto them. And by way of Application, I shewed him, that he was in the several parts of that Chapter; he was the lost sheep that Christ was even now seeking in the endea∣vors of his Ministers for his Conversion, that he might bear him upon the shoulders of his heavenly strength and mercy unto the Fold of his Church: He was the lost peece that had been trodden under the feet

of the spiritual adversaries, and defaced by the filth and pollution of error and sin, which the Lord was now about to recover into his treasury.

He was that wandering and wretched Prodigal that had been feeding upon the husks of error and vanity, and that was brought unto great misery, whom the tender Father, though he saw him afar off at the great distance of the errors and im∣perfections that were in him, yet would run to meet, if he would but turn to him with sincerity, and would entertain him with great love, mercy, and joy, would fall upon his neck and kiss him with thckisses of divine love, would put the Ring upon his finger, would marry him unto himself, and give him the pledge of his everlasting love, would put the best Robe upon him, even the Robe of the righteousness of Christ for his justification, and of the ornaments of the holy and heavenly graces of his Spirit, for the sanctification of his soul.

Would kill the fatted Calf, would feast him with the mercies, graces, and comforts of the Gospel in Christ Jesus, who died for his salvation.

Would refresh him, and solace him with the heavenly musick and harmony

of Divine Peace, and his heavenly love, &c.

And thus the Lord was pleased to fasten another chain of his Divine Providence up∣on his Soul; and added unto that dream in his sleep another testimony of that watch∣ful care that he had over that business we had in hand for his good.