in some sort to persecute one another in this imperfect state yet O Lord thou knowest that my heart is not set against any of them for that which I judge to be good in them but do love and honour them for it And though my love is most exercised and drawn out to those Saints whom I am most acquainted with and to whom I am nearest joyned in the fellowship of the Gospel there being more occasion and opportunity for the drawing out of my love to them yet thou knowest there is love in my heart to all Saints and there is not that man living that makes profession of thy Name though differing from me in opinion and violent against me of whom I should not rejoyce to have thoughts of meeting him in Heaven But if men be Despisers of those that are good hate them and speak evil of them falsly for Christs sake though they may flatter themselves and think they love God yet they do not They that scoff at the Godly and their hearts rise against them for their grace and holiness though they will say they love God or else it were pity they should live they are utterly deceived for indeed they are Haters of God and Goodness Many other signs of love to God might here be mentioned as grieving when God is dishonoured longing for the coming of his Kingdom that his Name and Truth and Glory may be more manifested in the World and desiring to bring all that we can to love him and obey him Likewise many other expressions by which Conversion is set forth in the Scripture might be opened but these things that have been spoken may suffice to shew wherein Conversion lieth if God give men hearts to examine their spiritual estate which shall read these things CHAP. IV. Of the Outward Means that God is pleased to make use of in the conversion of Souls THat God doth make use of outward means in the bringing of Souls home to himself is evident both from Scripture and Experience which is not because God cannot do the work without Outward Means for in Elect Infants and sometimes in others God worketh Grace without them but it is meerly from the pleasure of his will what way he will take to convert a soul and whatsoever the outward means be the inward spiritual and effectual means of Conversion is the Almighty Power of God as I intend to set forth in the next Chapter But to give some account of this matter concerning the outward means that the Lord makes use of for the conversion of souls 1. Sometimes the Lord hath made use of great and sore afflictions to awaken men convince them of their sins and so to bring them to Christ And if they be bound in Fetters and be holden in Cords of affliction then he sheweth them their work and their transgressions that they have exceeded he openeth their ear to Discipline Job 36.8 9. Job 33.19 20 21 22 23 24. As one who being sick and restless some nights it pleased God to put in with the affliction and set this upon his heart that if it were so grievous to him to pass away a few Nights though he was in his own House and amongst his dear Relations because he had pain and sickness upon his body how miserable should he be if he should bear the torments of Hell for ever and so the Lord brought him to look after an interest in Christ that he might be delivered from the wrath to come The Lord sometimes makes use of shame in the World poverty imprisonment yea the sentence of death to be the means of bringing men to a sight of their sins and to look after Christ 2. Sometimes the holy and convincing lives of the Saints have been blessed of God to put ignorant and wicked men upon enquiring after Religion saying within themselves Surely there is an excellency in the ways of God surely in those ways must I find blessedness and peace and not in these ways of debauchery and profaneness And so the Lord lets in light into their souls and the Apostle Peter exhorts godly Wives to carry themselves with that holiness and circumspection that their carnal husbands who it may be are so obstinate and profane that they will scarce hear the faithful preaching of the word may without that means be won by their heavenly conversation 1 Pet. 3.1 3. We read of many that in the Primitive times when such great multitudes laid down their lives for the Name of the Lord Jesus by beholding their patience and joyfulness in their sufferings were convinced of the truth and excellency of Christian Religion and were converted unto God 4. Some observing how earnestly godly Ministers or others have wrastled with God in Prayer for their conversion have been awakened by it and God hath put it into their hearts to think with themselves that if the salvation of their Souls be so much set by in the eyes of others how much more should the salvation of their Souls be regarded by themselves and upon such thoughts the Lord hath begun the good work in them 5. The hearing of the great horrour of Conscience that others are in for sin and talking with them about the cause of their trouble hath been blessed of God to the conversion of some This hath convinced some that were almost Atheists that there is a God and that it is a fearful thing to lie under the sense of his wrath this hath put them upon looking into their owne estate and so brought them to Christ and so they have found that it was better to heare the shrieks and cryes and groans of those that were heavy laden with the sense of their sins then to hear the jollity merriment and songs of fools and spiritual Mad-Men who go laughing to Hell 6. The Instructions of Parents and Masters have been oftentimes blessed of God to the conversion of their Children and servants Godly Parents as their Children grow up should desire to be instruments of bringing their Children to Heaven as well as they were instruments to bring them into this World And some Children bless God that they had praying Fathers and praying Mothers and such as taught them the fear of the Lord. Some servants bless God that ever they came to live in Praying Families and where they were instructed in the wayes of God God sometimes brings to remembrance the instructions of Parents and Masters to do their Children and servants good when they are at rest in the dust even those instructions which when they were first given took no impression upon them That the good seed which they had sowne and could not see any effect of the Lord watereth it by his Spirit when they are dead and gone then to their Children remember the words which were spoken unto them and they come with new life and Power upon their hearts To these many more might be added but let me come to speak of that which is the most ordinary way
against God but the hurt and mischief of it is to our own souls and upon both these accounts we are to repent of it but it is not godly sorrow that we have for our sins except we have a respect to God grieving that we have violated his Laws and so offended his Blessed Majesty as well as that we have wronged our own Souls and destroyed our selves without he prevent it by shewing us mercy in Christ So that it is in the heart of a true Penitent to sigh out such lamentations as these O most glorious God against thee against thee have I sinned against thee my Creator from whom I have my being against thee the pure and holy Majesty holy holy holy against thee who art the Lord God gracious long suffering and abundant in mercy O thou infinite goodness O thou Father of mercies against thee have I sinned I have transgressed I have rebelled and I whither shall I cause my shame to go I cannot put it away from mee for to mee belongeth shame and confusion of Face because I have sinned against thee I cannot stand before thee because of my sins but through the blood of Jesus Lord I cannot abase my self enough before thee nor be vile enough in my own eyes I see a little of thee what a blessed and glorious Majesty thou art whom I have offended and I see a little of my self that behold I am vile wherefore I abhor my self in dust and ashes O that thou would'st make my head as waters and mine eyes as a Fountain of tears to weep day and night for my sins O that thou wouldst smite and speak to this Rock of my heart that the waters of godly sorrow might gush out O that thy Spirit might work more upon me this way to give me a more broken and contrite Spirit for sin I do not desire thou shouldst speak any more to my Soul from Mount Sinai with those Thunderings and Lightenings and that terrible voice out of the fire and darkness and tempests presenting thy wrath to mee for the breach of thy holy Law but now thou hast brought my poor weary fainting soul to Jesus the Mediator and to the blood of sprinkling speak to me from the mercy seat speak comfortably to me melt and soften my heart with the sight of thy grace in Christ and let my soul be filled with that Sorrow for Sin that is accompanied with the sense of pardon in Christ which sorrow is most genuine filial free and acceptable unto thee 3. True repentance is accompanied with the hatred of sin David a true penitent hated every false way Psal 119.128 Paul in his Lamentations for the remainders of corruption in him saith that which I hate That do I Rom. 7.15 a true Penitent not onely mournes for sin committed but hates it abhors it from his New Nature he hath an everlasting Anripathy against Sin that if the Principle of grace in him was not hindred in its actings by Sin that dwelleth in him a true Penitent would shew himself another manner of person then he doth we must not think that after true repentance a man sinneth no more for there is no man that liveth here below and Sinneth not neither must wee think that such a one may not possibly fall into the same Sin againe Indeed for gross Sins ordinarily God keeps his people from them from the time of their first conversion and if he leave them to falll into them at any time as he did Noah David and Peter after particular repentance for them and recovery out of them it is a rare and unusual thing for them to fall into them again but as for vain thoughts distractions in holy duties and passions and such Sins as do suddenly Surprise and overtake us as at unawares no doubt after true repentance a godly Man may fall into them again and again to the great grief of his Soul yea after much repentance particularly for those things and many Prayers and supplications to God for power and strength against them so that not once or twice but often and every day the best Saints have need with Paul to cry out O wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Notwithstanding all this remainder of corruption that the best Saints upon earth will confess there is yet in them as Paul himself complained though ignorant and proud Pharisees that know not themselves and the plague of their owne hearts think themselves to be perfect yet I say this truth abideth firme that a true penitent hateth Sin it is besides his intention it is against the general purpose of his heart it is contrary to his new nature and 't is the grief of his Soul when he Sinneth against God he so hateth sin that he will never be at peace with it but opposeth it and looks to Heaven it self for aid against the enemy 4. True repentance is an abiding thing upon the heart not that a true Penitent is always acting the grace of Repentance but though it may cease sometimes in the act yet it never ceases in the habit that is there is always in such an habitual frame upon the heart to live low before God and walk humbly with him A natural man may sometimes in great afflictions and in terrours of Conscience mourn for sin but 't is a forced thing he would get it off from his spirit and it leaves not an habitual humiliation upon him but that filial evangelical sorrow that a Believer hath for sin is a frame of spirit that he likes and loves and cherisheth and would have more of for which is a great mystery to a natural man that kind of sorrow for sin that a man in the state of grace hath may be accompanied with the greatest sense and assurance of pardon in Christ and so be a very sweet and pleasing and desirable frame of spirit At the same time a poor soul may rejoyce in Gods pardoning grace in Christ and mourn for sin too and a poor broken-hearted Believer finds this sorrow to be better and sweeter then all the laughter and merriment of the men of the World 3. Special Grace and Conversion is frequently called in the Scripture the Fear of God Job's character is that he was a man that feared God Job 1.1 Obadiah's That he feared the Lord greatly 1 Kings 18.3 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter Fear God and keep his Commandments for this is the whole duty of man Eccles 12.13 Praise our God all ye his servants and ye that fear him Rev. 19.5 The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him Psalm 147.11 And it is one great promise of God in the New Covenant to put his fear into our hearts Jerem. 32.40 So that where there is a right fear of God there is true conversion But because there is a common awe of a Deity in most men a certain slavish servile fear of God searing him only as a Male
by filling their heart on a sudden with the blessed Motions of his Spirit whereby the snare is broken and they escape that the remembrance thereof is enough to keep them humble all their dayes Besides if it have not been so with such that they have not been almost in such evils almost perswaded and enticed to such gross sins yet there is the Sin of our natures and the sins of daily infirmity distractions in holy duties vaine thoughts sinful passions idle words and the like for which we have cause to lie in the dust before God Thirdly Those that are converted young do many times attain to a higher degree of grace before they die then others who are converted in their latter time especially those that are converted young and live long afterwards before they finish their course such have longer time to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and sasiour Jesus Christ Yet that none that were converted young may be high-minded but feare let it be considered that it is not alwayes thus but some of these through great temptations and falls into sin are but weak in grace all their days and some that were converted many years after them do get the start of them in grace are more awful of God more weaned from the world and more fruitful in their course And greatly are some humbled when they count the number of the years since God first wrought upon them and think with themselves how little communion they have with God how little mortification to the world how little service they have done for God and then look upon others that have been converted many years after them and see to what a greater measure of grace they have attained Though they do not envy the goodness of God to such but rejoyce therein and give thanks unto his Name for his grace bestowed on them yet they reflect upon themselves as those who have quenched and grieved the holy Spirit of God for which he is not pleased they think to influence and quicken and comfort them as he doth others that have been more obedient and so their souls are greatly abased before the Lord. Of these things which have been spoken of conversion in youth this is the summe That it is in it self a great priviledge and yet nevertheless such as are converted young had need to watch and pray be very humble and diligent least they fall into temptations and snares and go on very slowly and heavily in the wayes of God Likewise from what hath been said it doth appeare that how ever wee may be advantaged in some circumstances and priviledges above others as in being in Christ before them and the like yet without great supplies of grace from above we shall not make a proficiency according to such advantages Before I leave this head it may be profitable to speak some thing more by way of caution and counsel to those that are converted young 1. Have a care of errours of Judgement Youth is usually raw and ignorant you may have strong and good affections but it may be weak judgments go not out of novelty to hear unsound Preachers give your selves to Prayer and to the reading of the Word attend upon the Faithful Preaching of the word by the Ministers of Christ. 2. Be much in proving your own selves whether you have a sound work of grace upon your hearts the end of it usually to them that are sincere is a suller assurance that they are passed from Death to Life 3. Flie youthfull lusts as Paul exhorted Timothy 2 Epist 2.22 one that was converted young and was yet but a young man when the Apostle wrote thus unto him flee pride flee all kinds of uncleaness flee unlawful recreations flee bad company and the like Have a care that through ignorance you do not commit some sins in your youth that may wound your consciences much in age In riper years you may see some things to be sin which you would not have done in your youth if you had known so much then Therefore study the Scriptures well and beg of God to shew you what sins youth useth to fall into knows it not then but it may be afterward to the great wounding of Conscience Intreat the Lord that while you are yet young men or Women you may cleanse your way and take heed thereunto according to his word 4. Often bless the name of the Lord for revealing himself to you so soon in your young and tender years Wonder at the Lords free grace that he should convert you at all and labour to be much affected with the time when he did it in the morning of your lives so soon so early 5. Whatsoever difficulties temptations and afflictions you go thorough in the course of your pilgrimage let your hearts trust safely in the Lord that his grace shall be sufficient for you He will never leave you nor forsake you so that you may boldly say the Lord is your helper what ever sad lots of affliction are upon you and that all things shall work together for your good If God hath been the God and Guide of your youth he will be the God of your riper years and though in your latter time you may have great decaies of body and can do him little service yet he will be tender of you and care for you and do you good to gray hairs and in gray hairs he will bear you and he will carry you in his everlasting Arms to Heaven You may have many a Thorne in the flesh many humbling temptations least you should be lifted up but be not dismayed for the Lord is your God and he will strengthen you he will help you he will uphold you with the right hand of his righteousness 6. Admire him that is of power to keep you and hath kept you and will keep you in the state of grace unto the end remember the former dayes when you were first illuminated what difficulties the Lord carried you through how he made you able by the power of his grace to break off from evil company and from your sinful courses and it may be to endure a great fight of afflictions from carnal Parents and Relations and acquaintance and though you were young youthfull and very unconstant yet by the power of God you were not afraid of any amazement and could not be turned aside from following the Lord. Some that are converted young are sometimes strengthned with such might by the Spirit of God that though they have carnal Parents and Relations that oppose them in the wayes of God they carry it with that Patience humbleness of mind and yet with that magnanimity and courage that is to be wondered at even while they are young and but Children they may go through such difficulties with a holy rejoycing as would be hard for them to go through afterwards without very much assisting grace from God Remember therefore and forget not the kindness of
actings whereby it is more easily discerned as for example when a Believer is examining whether he hath true Faith in Christ the Holy Ghost doth sometimes put that grace into act at that very time and then he can say Lord I believe I see faith at this very time working in my heart and so for other graces as repentance love to God and the like When it is thus a poor believer goes thorough the work of self examination with great satisfaction and delight and if it be not always so yet let a Believer pray and search into his heart and wait upon the Lord If he hide his face yet wait upon him for a good hour when he will come unto us and comfort us 4. The stronger the habit of grace in the heart is and the more frequent and constant the actings of grace are the more easily may we come to the knowledg and assurance of the work of grace in us If faith were stronger in the habit and more frequent in the act we might have more assurance that we have the truth of that grace and usually it is so that such have most assurance the like may be said of repentance love to God and other graces Happy is it when a man can truly say shall I question the truth of my faith in Christ when through the grace of God who hath wrought my heart to this self same thing I find a strong bent upon my heart to cleave to Christ as my Mediatour for ever I am continually looking to him he is precious to me the Meditation of him is sweet to my soul I have counted do count and will for ever count all things but dung in comparison of him shall I question the truth of my repentance when I find that I have continual sorrow in my heart for my sins and sighs and cry continually to be delivered from all my corruptions I say happy is that man whose grace is so strong and in such continual motion and action such a man can more easily discern the truth of it let us pray and wait for this 5. Believers must not be taken up wholly in trying of themselves whether they are in the state of grace or no but press forwards in putting forth New acts of Faith New acts of repentance New acts of love to Christ and New acts of mortification of Sin That we may grow up into him in all grace who is our head even Christ Yea sometimes former grace received may be many ways so obscured yea weakned that there is no other way to recover the vigour and comfort of grace but for the Soul to believe in Christ repent and turn to God as if it were but now to begin to follow Christ Secondly Conversion and the work of grace upon the heart is sometimes manifested to us by the more immediate testimony of the spirit If the holy Ghost do indeed perswade and assure our hearts that we are in the love and favour of God then we are effectually called for though God loveth those whom he hath chosen from everlasting and the giving of Christ to die for them and his drawing them to Christ is from that free love and good pleasure of his will towards them yet until a person be converted the holy Ghost doth not assure him that God hath ordained him to eternal life Those whom God hath foreknown he hath predestinated from eternity to the adoption of Children by Jesus Christ but till they be actually sons and daughters which is not till their conversion and believing in Christ John 1.12 The Lord doth not send his spirit into their hearts to enable them to cry Abba Father The Lord indeed sendeth his spirit into the hearts of the Elect to convert them and work faith in them for without the spirit it could never be done but it is an after work for the spirit to come into our hearts enabling us to cry Abba Father assuring us that we are the Children of God Rom. 8.16 And shedding abroad and pouring in the love of God to us in particular into our hearts Rom. 5 5. We must not think that the holy Ghost at first dash doth assure a person that God hath ordained him in particular to eternal life before he insufe the habit of grace and spiritual Life into him but first the holy Ghost having convinced the soul of sin and convinced the Soul of righteousness to justify to be in Christ and in him alone doth enable the soul to apply Christ and come unto him and afterwards as it pleases him doth manifest to the soul the truth of his faith and his pardon through Christ The Holy Ghost works as a Sanctifyer before he workes as a Comforter the Holy Ghost workes faith in the heart before he fill with joy and peace which is onely in believing in Christ and discerning the fruits of our Vnion with him The manner how the Holy Ghost doth assure us that we are the Children of God is a great mystery When the Holy Ghost clears to us the work of grace upon our hearts this is one way that he doth witness to us that we are the Children of God But sometimes he doth it more immediately that when the believer hath not been at that time trying his spiritual estate or it may be is in great heaviness through manifold inward temptations and outward dangers and afflictions suddenly the Holy Ghost makes him to triumph in Christ and rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory Indeed this way of the spirits witnessing to the soul though it is most refreshing and ravishing yet it is not so ordinary as the other and it is more transient and quickly passing away and is rather a cordial for some sowning fit or some Antidote to strengthen the heart in some great appraoching service or tryal then the common food of the Saints in this life If any shall say how do Believers know the voice and witness of the spirit speaking peace and joy by Jesus Christ to their souls from a delusion I answer 1. By a certain spiritual instinct which no man knows but him that hath it by this they know the voice of the spirit from the voice of a stranger 2. By the signs that follow this voice and Witness of the spirit raising our hearts to look to Christ the Mediatour As he from whom all our springs are admiring the love of the father in giving him to be the propitiation for our sins loathing of our selves for our iniquities and stronger desires to walk in universal obedience to the Lord. But now because some seem to examine themselves little concerning the work of grace upon their hearts but in giving a reason of the hope they have that they are passed from death to life speak not of their faith repentance and other graces but say that they had such and such a word given in as for example I have loved thee with an everlasting love or I have blotted out as a
the Angels in Heaven could not make such a piece 't is the most beautifull member of the Body and it is the light of the Body it is endowed with a marvellous power to discern and take in Objects the eye should be pure holy chast But it is full of Adultery Covetousness Pride and Envy Even Holy Job one in the State of Grace was fain to make a Covenant with his eyes and put a Law and restraint upon them It is strange what impressions are made upon the mind from the sight of the eye in a moment how the eye affecteth the heart and stirreth up the corruptions of it There may more corruption be stirred in the heart by one glance of the eye than we can get rid of many days it may be weeks Even those that are in the state of Grace have need to watch the outward senses of the Body The eye makes suddain and strong impressions on the mind Ah! what need is there to look to Christ for a chast eye a mortified eye a sanctified eye 2. The Sins of the Tongue shew the wonderful Corruption that is within in the heart of man The Tongue is a fire an unruly evil full of deadly poyson James 3.6 7 8. Full of cursing and bitterness Rom. 3.14 The Tongue and Speech is an excellent gift of God 't is mans glory above a Beast that he can express his mind by Speech but man maketh it his shame If all our passionate Speeches proud and boasting Speeches backbiting Speeches obscene and filthy Speeches lyes curses oaths indiscreet rash and idle words throughout our whole Lives should be written down what a strange Book would it be So much Sin is committed by the Tongue and such an unruly evil it is that David a man in the state of Grace and one that was eminent in Grace too prays earnestly to God to set a watch before his mouth and to keep the door of his lips 3. The Sins of the Thoughts do shew the wonderfull corruption that is within in the the heart of man There is nothing that may sooner convince us of our own vileness and make us cry out We are unclean We are unclean than a serious reflection upon our Thoughts O how many proud Thoughts wanton Thoughts envious Thoughts uncharitable Thoughts discontented Thoughts What a multitude of sinful Thoughts arise in the heart in a little time then what a numberless number is there in ones whole life that lives any considerable time in the World None but he that telleth the number of the Stars and calleth them all by their names is able to count the number of our vain and sinful thoughts and he knoweth all the thoughts that come into our minds every one of them As for good and holy Thoughts if God did not put them in and keep them in the heart how rarely should we have a thought of God of Death of Heaven and the way that leadeth unto Eternal Blessedness The Thoughts of Foolishness is sin though it never come into outward act there is Heart Adultery Heart Theft Heart Murder Heart Disobedience to Parents Heart Blasphemy against God Heart Pride He knoweth nothing almost of Religion that knoweth not that Thoughts may be Sin as well as outward acts and that abundance of sin may be committed in the heart that never appeareth in the Life After Conversion nothing usually humbles men more than the sinfulness of the Thoughts and the unsuitableness of the heart to God sinful thoughts were far more before God wrought upon them but as Believers grow more spiritual and holy the more they take notice of their Heart-sins and abhor themselves for them What should I more say to set forth the corruption of our Nature whole Volumes might be written of this Subject and yet the half no not the thousand part told us of it But it is briefly comprehended in those words of our Saviour Mark 7.21 22. For from within out of the heart of men proceed evil thoughts adultery fornication murders thefts covetousness wickedness deceit an evil eye blasphemy pride foolishness And in Jeremiah 17.9 The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it To treat fully therefore of the corruption of Man's Nature is one of the vastest Subjects that can be spoken of next to that of the Immensity and Infiniteness of God and his Grace in Christ but these few things are written of it that we might know the Plague of our own hearts as an Introduction to the following Discourse that we may see what need we have to believe on the Name of the Son of God that we may be pardoned and sanctified through him By what hath been already said we may see what a gross and dangerous mistake it is of those that think there is no other Conversion than being Baptized and taking upon us the outward profession of Christianity Now that any should speak thus and count all trouble of Conscience about our eternal estate and looking after a work of Grace upon our Souls to be Enthusiasm Melancholly and Mopishness shews their wonderful ignorance of the Scriptures and their utter unacquaintedness with the Grace of God in their own Souls When the holy Scripture speaks so much of a new heart and spirit of the taking away of the heart of stone and giving us an heart of flesh of writing Gods Laws in the heart of putting his fear into our hearts of circumcising our hearts and speaks of the necessity of being born again of believing on Christ of repentance and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. To make all this to be onely our being baptized and making an outward profession of Religion shews men to be wholly strangers to the way that leadeth to eternal life And such men as they are utterly ignorant of the case and condition of Souls that are in spiritual trouble and fear of the wrath to come crying out What shall we do to be saved So they prescribe as strange remedies for their cure as to be merry to go into Company to play at Cards to go to Plays and such like when if they get rid of their trouble for sin by such means and be not brought to Christ who onely can give them rest their remedy is worse than their disease and they had better continue in their trouble of Spirit than find ease by such things COMMON WORKINGS of the SPIRIT CHAP II. That in the ordinary way of the Lord 's Converting of Souls God doth first work upon men in a more common way making a change upon men which yet fall short of a Saving Work THat there is a Common work of the Spirit upon men as well as a Special and saving work appears by many Scriptures Those Hearers and Professors that are compared to the Stony ground and heard the word with joy Matth. 13. have common motions and workings of the Spirit and so have such as are called the foolish Virgins that took
their Lamps and went forth to meet the Bridegroom And the Apostle Peter shews that some escape the pollutions of the world in a sense and yet return with the Dog to his vomit are again intangled and quite overcome by their old sins and their latter end is worse than their beginning So likewise we read of those that have been enlightned and tasted of the Heavenly gift and of the Powers of the world to come and yet fall away Not that these Scriptures or any other do hold forth a total and final Apostacy in any from special grace but onely from common grace The Doctrine of the certainty of the perseverance of all sound Believers shines forth so gloriously from many plain Texts of Scripture and from the Nature of the Covenant of Grace and the purchase that Christ hath made for them that are his and the Almightiness of God who hath undertaken and promised to keep them that they shall not depart from him and perish that there is scarce any part of Religion that hath been controverted that is with more facility defended against all Opposers But such Scriptures hold forth that there is Common Grace as well as Special Judas his profession and gifts Simon Magus his believing when he saw the Miracles and Signs which were done Herod's hearing John Baptist gladly and doing many things Agrippa's being almost perswaded to be a Christian come all under this Head of Common workings of the Spirit so called because that not onely those that are saved but those that perish have many times such workings of the Spirit Now therefore observe that amongst those that God is pleased to bestow Common grace upon some are ordained to eternal life and upon these the Lord sooner or later bestows special grace And as for others the holy Lord doth either by the common motions and influences of his Spirit keep them in the profession and practice of it all their days in his infinite wisdom and good pleasure making use of their common grace and gifts for the good of others and for the preventing of their own greater damnation or else God in his righteous judgment so ordereth it that those common influences and workings of the Spirit depart from them and so they openly fall away into gross errour or profaneness of life to their greater damnation As to Common Grace and preparatory workings of the Spirit some carry that point so far that they confound common and special Grace darken the Doctrine of Conversion and cast a stumbling block before weak Christians puzling them exceedingly speaking of some things under that Head that are wrought onely in those that are effectually called But these things following may be brought under this Head of Common Grace and preparatory workings of the Spirit 1. An Illumination of the Spirit to make impression upon the Soul that there is a God that Man is fallen in Adam that Jesus Christ is the Mediatour that there is Heaven and Hell yea one that hath onely this common illumination may have knowledge notional knowledge and utterance about these and other points of Religion beyond many sincere Christians Hence it is that men may go to Hell with their heads full of knowledge and notions of Religion Some that we think for their knowledge and excellent parts are happy men yet may have onely common illumination and perish 2. Conviction of Sin comes in also under this Head of Common Grace and preparatory workings of the Spirit The Lord useth before he infuseth Faith in Christ and the habit of special grace into the heart first to convince men of Sin Those that were converted in the Second Chapter of the Acts were first pricked in their hearts with the sense of their sins verse 37. afterwards God gave them Faith in Christ What sins the Lord will set home upon the Conscience first of all to awaken and startle a secure Sinner depends upon his holy pleasure Sometimes the Lord shews men so much of their own vileness as doth almost sink them in their Spirits sometimes the Lord dealeth with them in a gentler way Usually God sets home gross sins special sins with most terrour upon the heart It is no matter how long it is since the sin hath been committed God can set it home upon the Conscience with as much terrour as if it had been but yesterday The universal depravedness and corruption of our Nature is sometimes set home upon the Conscience that the convinced sinner seeth himself more vile upon that account than upon the account of his sinful acts It is said of the Holy Ghost that he shall convince men of sin because they believe not on Christ John 16.8 9. From whence we must not conclude that men are not so throughly convinced of sin as God doth convince men in the preparatory workings of the Spirit except the Lord do set it home particularly upon the Conscience that the person besides many other sins is guilty of the sin of unbelief taking it for the Soul 's not coming to Christ and believing and relying upon him as a Saviour But we may take the not believing on Christ there in a large sense for being in a course of impenitency and gracelesness Or we may thus conceive the meaning of the place that the Holy Ghost in converting Souls will convince them of sin what sins he pleaseth and shew them that they are in danger of Hell and damnation being such persons as are not yet in Christ and believe not on his Name and so have not their pardon in Christ to plead for their discharge from the guilt of their sins It is true where persons have been long under convictions of other sins and have lived under much preaching of Christ and yet have gone on a great while in a way of secking to be justified by their own righteousness and are not brought to give God the whole glory of his free grace in Christ in justifying and saving of them the Lord may set home this unbelief of theirs and slighting of Christ their onely remedy as a great sin and folly but that the Lord doth set home this particularly upon every one that is under conviction in order to a sound conversion and that conviction is not through and sufficient without this cannot be made out by Scripture Under this Head it must be considered That though the Lord useth to convince men of sin and fright men with the terrours of the Law whom he intends to convert and bring to Christ Yet first all that are converted feel not the like terrours and fears of the wrath to come before their closing with Christ 2. Though the setting home of sin upon the Conscience and putting the Soul in fear of the wrath to come is the work of the Spirit making use of the terrours of the Law to that purpose yet not every thing that sometimes follows the reupon as a mans concluding that he shall never find mercy or his going on in a
legal way to seek peace and healing of his wounds by his own righteousness and duties without the blood of Christ these things come not from the holy Spirit that first convinced the Soul of sin but from Satan and from the corruption of our own hearts that mix themselves and put in with these convictions and workings of the Spirit 3. All that are convinced of sin and have terrours yea it may be very great terrours of Conscience thereupon are not converted Cain and Judas had great terrours of Conscience and yet never were converted yet alas many in giving account of their conversion build too much upon this that at such a time they were much troubled for their sins when as trouble for sin is not a sufficient evidence of a sound conversion if it be onely for fear of Hell and damnation But if after sight of our sins and fear of the wrath of God we were brought to know Christ to prize Christ above all to rest our weary souls upon him yea upon him alone and were made willing in the day of his power to take his yoak upon us that as we live by him we might also live to him then the work the good work of special and saving grace is begun in us Praises to Jehovah for ever 3. There is some stop put to sin especially grosse sin by this common illumination and common convictions of the Spirit So that a Man being awed with the terrors of the law dare not run into that excesse of riot and prophanesse that he hath done but having some feeling of the bitterness of sin cannot commit it with that greediness that he hath done But begins to leave more open and gross sins and persorm duties of Religion and sets upon reforming of his Life and finds some kinde of joy and peace therein which yet we may not think comes from the comforter the Holy Ghost for he giveth no joy and peace to any but what flows from the beholding God's reconciled face in Christ or a reflexion upon the effects of his grace and presence with us leading us forth in wayes of holiness and obedience in his Name So that wee must diligently consider that although these common workings of the Spirit do lay some restraint upon Sin and put us upon good duties and reformation of Life yet wee must not rest here and say surely the bitterness of Death is past but careful must we be as for our Lives that now our Souls be rightly bottomed upon Christ that he may be our righteousness to justify us and the onely Fountaine of sanctification and holiness to us Many other things might be added under this head of common grace and preparatory workings of the spirit as that the Lord doth sometimes make great impressions upon men of the holiness of the Law of his justice if he should cast us into hell of the insufficiency of our owne righteousness to make our peace with him and that we must come to Christ if we would have life But we must not extend the preparatory workings of the Spirit to far as some do as if there were any saving work upon the soul before union with Christ That which I aime at here is to shew that in conversion ordinarily there is legal repentance before Evange lical sight and sense of sin before Christ be brought into the Soul but no speciall grace and saving work untill union with Christ and infusion of a new heart and spirit of these things this is the sum The Lord doth usually work common grace before he works speciall grace Some have these common workings of the Spirit and yet are never savingly converted In the elect these common workings of the Spirit are the preparing the way to speciall grace that the Lord intends to bestow upon them that is that the common illumination convictions and humbling for sin that the holy Ghost worketh in the elect before their conversion are in order to their conversion CHAP. III. Shewing what Special Grace and Saving Conversion is NOw to shew what Special Grace and Saving Conversion is First I shall give a short definition of it 'T is a work of the Spirit of God upon the soul whereby the habit the principle and seed of all grace is infused changing and sanctifying the heart to the bringing of us to trust wholly in Christ for salvation to repent of our Sins to love God and unfeignedly desire to walk before him in obedience and newness of Life according to his will Those who have this change wrought in them are passed from death to life shall undoubtedly be saved and inherit everlasting Life But to open the doctrine of conversion more fully and plainly to every ones capacity I know no better and surer way then to explain some of those expressions of the holy Scripture by which special grace and conversion is set forth to us First special grace and conversion is frequently especially in the new Testament called believing on Christ To as many as received him to them he gave power to become the Sons of God even to as many as believed on his name John 1.12 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting Life John 3.36 This is the word of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent John 6.29 Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved Act. 16.31 With the heart Man believeth unto righteousness Rom. 10.10 By grace are ye saved through Faith Ephes 2.8 yea this grace of believing is spoken of in the Old Testament though not so clearly as in the new Look to me and be saved Isa 45.22 where by looking is meant believing and vers 24. surely shall one say in the Lord viz the Lord Jesus the Mediator have I righteousness and strength even to him shall men come 24 vers where by coming is meant believing Those that were saved under the Old Testament saw Christ's day of coming in the flesh affar off and were glad and put their trust in him having the same spirit of Faith in Christ that the Saints have now Well then it is clear that where there is a true believing on Christ there is true conversion Now therefore let us inquire when a man doth believe to the saving of his soul And there is a necessity to enquire into the true nature of Saving Faith because a Man may have some kind of Faith and yet never go to Heaven some are said for awhile to believe and afterwards to fall a-away Luke 8.13 Simon Magus is said to believe Act. 8.13 Which Scripture do shew that there is an assent to the Doctrine of the Gospel which is but a temporary Faith an historical Faith from common illumination and convictions Yea it is said the Devils believe and tremble James 2.3 The devils by the power of light and convictions are forced to believe that there is a God though yet they are Enemies to him and wish there were no God The truth is if a man do
without some competent measure of knowledge Therefore such as are grosly ignorant and scarce know from any inward illumination whether there be a Christ or no or whether they have any need of him to deliver them from the wrath to come are not to flatter and deceive themselves in thinking they believe in Christ because it is not the way of God to make a New Creation in persons grown up to years and having the exercise of reason but he saith Let there be light Commanding Light to shine out of darkness and shinning into them to give them the knowledge of Jesus our Lord. I know there is great difference of mens parts education and the means of knowledge that men have but God hath none of his Children borne blind altogether spiritually blind and ignorant Though men go blindfold to Hell yet they do not go blindfold to Heaven but the Lord shews them first how they are out of the way that leadeth unto Life and are in the broad way that leadeth to destruction and then revealeth Christ to them as the way to Life and that Faith in him repentance and holiness do accompany Salvation Therefore those that are grosly ignorant are certainly in a bad estate though they are loath to see it let them consider what the Scriptures say of them This is a People of no understanding therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them and he that formed them will shew them no favour Jsaiah 27.11 They do alwayes erre in their hearts they have not known my wayes Heb. 3.10 Which shews that Men must needs erre in their hearts and can never walk with God when they do not know his wayes at all There is none that understandeth there is none that seeketh after God Rom. 3.11 Until men come to have some understanding that they have lost the favour of God and his Image and that there is a way in Christ to come unto God and be accepted with him they will never seek after God if haply they may find him and so we see by Luke 1.70 That those that sit in darkness and totall ignorance and blindness they also sit in the region and shadow of death In the very Suburbs and gate of Hell 2. 'T is a penitent Faith that is true Faith is alwayes accompanied with true repentance this distinguisheth it from that notional Faith that many have they pretend to believe in Christ but they never mourn for sin they do not loath themselves for their iniquities Some may talk of Free Grace and of believing in Christ but look upon sorrow for sin as a bondage-frame and know not what it is to be vile in their own eyes and abhor themselves for their evil ways and doings against the Lord Where it is so there is not true faith their faith is but a fancy and a meer notion who make sin a light matter and have their hearts never rent and broken for it 3. 'T is an affectionate Faith that is true Faith is accompanied with Love to the person of Christ in whom we do believe Indeed that which first affecteth a poor convinced sinner towards Christ is that he is a Saviour and Deliverer from the guilt of sin but in the looking towards him as a Saviour the Soul falleth in love with him also as he is God blessed for ever and as he is filled with the spirit of Grace in our Nature so that union with him is every way desirable to the Soul to them that do believe Christ is precious not onely for his Benefits but for his Person that when a poor Sinner looks to Christ with an eye of faith he looks to Christ with an eye of love too and it is in his heart to say O Lord Jesus to whom I come as a poor lost Sinner to be washed from my sins with thy blood I love thee I prize thee thou are excellent and glorious Didst thou vouchsafe to be manifest in the flesh Didst thou come to seck and save that which was lost My heart cleaveth to thee in love And O that I could love thee more O thou excellent most excellent Lord Jesus O thou art fairer then all the children of men fairer then all the Angels in Heaven O a Saviour and such a Saviour the brightness of the Fathers Glory and the express Image of his Person O thy Name is as an Oyntment poured forth there is none like unto thee I believe in thee and love thee too thou art most sweet thou art altogether lovely O my dear Lord Jesus I first cast mine eyes towards thee as a Redeemer and Saviour being forced and necessitated to look out for a rest for my weary Soul and being a little acquainted with thee thou hast taken my heart with thy glorious person O thou art the mighty God one with the Father O I be hold something of thy glory as of the onely begotten Son of God thou art God manifest in the flesh O 't is Immanuel God with us 'T is the Lord of glory that was crucified for poor sinners He is worthy to be praised he is worthy to be beloved Blessing and glory and honour to this great Mediatour Praise him O ye Sons of men Praise him all the Angels that excell in strength How little can I one poor creature do in praising and admiring of him O help help to praise him help to admire him help to love him let every one have a Psalm of praise to him utter your Songs aloud aloud sing Hallelujahs to this King of glory But if any man doth not admire and love the Lord Jesus neither doth he believe in him 4. 'T is an holy Faith not onely in regard of the Object of it the Lord Jesus Christ the holy One but in regard of the effects of it true Faith is always accompanied with Holiness in some comfortable measure with the principal desire and endeavour of Holiness Our Hearts are purified and sanctified by Faith for he that doth rightly looks to Christ as a Saviour submits to him as a Sanctifier also and it is in his heart to say O Lord Jesus thou art a blessed Mediatour indeed thou art able not onely to save me from the guilt of my sins but to deliver me from the power of my vile lusts Come in thou blessed of the Lord come into my heart set up thy Throne there cast down all my lusts to the ground turn me from my iniquities bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of thee let me be partaker of a second benefit not onely be justified by thee but sanctified by thee Come in thou blessed of the Lord stand not without welcome Christ as a Saviour welcome Christ as a Sanctifier thou art he whom my Soul delighteth in come into thy Temple drive out all my lusts even all of them as thou once didst the Buyers and Sellers out of the Temple shew the power of thy grace O mighty one go forth conquering and to conquer
subdue mine iniquities strong is thy arm strong is thy right hand let me see my desire upon thine enemies and my enemies these vile lusts of my heart smite thom to the ground that they may not rise a second time until this be perfectly done and my heart be brought to perfect obedience to thee I shall sigh and never be at rest Thus we may distinguish true Faith from counterfeit Faith that many have who while they pretend to believe on Christ as a Saviour have no intention and desire to be sanctified and walk holily but rather are more emboldened to sin by seeming to lean upon Christ for salvation 5. 'T is an abiding Faith true Faith in Christ is a fixed and permanent thing One that hath but common workings of the Spirit may for a fit in great terrors of conscience or at the hearing of a Sermon of Christ seem to believe in Christ prize Christ above all but when the trouble of Conscience is worne of and those Common workings of the Spirit fayle Christ is despised and made nothing of Though a Believer is not alwaies acting Faith on Christ yet he hath alwaies the habit of Faith such a Frame and bent upon his heart that though he is not at the present under terrors of Conscience and though his heart and Life be more reformed then it hath been yet still he lives upon Christ as Jehovah his righteousness not only at the first looking to Christ but evermore desiring to be found in him whereas others grow wanton against Christ when they get out of terrors of Conscience and think they can do well enough with their own righteousness without his If a man hath found that through the Grace of God his heart hath been carried out in a constant way from time to time since the Lord first wrought upon him still to be humbled for sin and to prize Christ and to live wholly upon his righteousness it is a signe of true Faith in Christ By such things as these we may examine our selves whether we have Faith or no and prove our selves whether Christ be in us or not Secondly special grace and conversion is frequently called repentance Repentance from dead works Heb. 6.1 Repentance to salvation 2 Cor. 7.10 God commandeth men every where to repent Act. 17.30 Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out Act. 3.19 Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto Life Act. 11.18 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a prince and a Saviour to give repentance unto Israel and forgiveness of Sins Therefore if the Lord hath given a man repentance he is in a state of grace and his sins are forgiven him But there is a Legal repentance so called 1. Because it is wrought only by the terrors of the Law and fear of damnation 2. Because the person that repenteth onely in that way and manner as to his state and condition is yet under the Law and the curses of it and not under Grace Now this is not that which the Scripture calleth repentance unto Life and repentance unto Salvation but may be in those that never shall be saved The Holy Ghost saith that Judas repented himself saying I have betrayed the innocent blood Matth. 27.3 4. And Ahab when he heard of Gods Judgments against him rent his clothes put sackcloth upon his flesh and fasted and humbled himself 1 Kings 21.27.29 yet we find not in the Scripture that he was converted but the contrary Men are in nothing more deceived then about Repentance deferring it to old age when they have had their fill of Sin as if they were sure of their lives as long as they please to count their time in the world and as if they could repent at any time when it shall please them to think best and so likewise many are deceived about their having Repentance already taking every sigh in a good mood and trouble for their sins to be sufficient Repentance whereas there is a repentance for sin that ariseth onely from fear of Hell shame in the world and apprehensions of outward inconveniences and dangers that men have exposed themselves to by their vile courses What Thief or Murderer except he be extraordinarily stupid and hardened doth not in such a common way bewail his sins and yet it may be no signes of true conversion do appear and the person wholly ignorant of Christ and the way of salvation by him Therefore it is necessary to distinguish between common and legal repentance and that repentance which is to salvation which may be done by these particulars 1. True repentance is alwaies accompanied with Faith in Christ so that he that doth not truly believe in Christ neither doth he truly repent Many persons think if they be but forry for their Sins that this is enough and that this will make satisfaction for their sins and never know what it is to believe in Christ and to be washed in his blood from the guilt of their sins This therefore must be considered that as when the Scripture saith believe on the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved it is to be understood of such a Faith as is accompanied with repentance and sorrow for sin So when the Lord commandeth us to repent it is to be understood of such a repentance as is accompanied with believing in Christ without which all our sorrow for sin and abstaining from some outward act of it signifies nothing And this is observable that ignorant people make a Christ of their repentance for they rest in this that they are sorry for their sins though the Lord knows the generality of them scarce know what trouble of Conscience for sin is and never look after Christ as a Saviour to know him and believe on his name So that their pretended repentance and trouble for their sins doth but keep them at a distance from Christ and maketh them that they hunger and thirst not after him But where a poor sinner looks to Christ with an eye of Faith and reliance on him and looks upon his sins with an eye of Sorrow and grief for them that is the true Penitent Many are so blinded by the God of this world and the Gospel the way of Salvation by Christ is so hid from them that all that they look at is that when they sin if they be but sorry for it and purpose to amend they think that all is well and that God is pacified for all that they have done against him and are strangers all their dayes to believing in Christ and being accepted in him 2. True repentance is a sorrowing for sin as it is an offending and displeasing God and not mearly for the hurt and mischief that Sin hath brought or may bring upon our lives Indeed as we are often said in the Scripture to sin against God so we are said to be Sinners against our own souls Num. 16.38 As sin is an offence it is committed
factor feareth the Judge not as a dutiful Son feareth a good Father and that upon judgments that God sends some are said to fear the Lord 2 Kings 17.32 33. that is with a slavish fear yet v. 34. 't is said of the same persons They fear not the Lord nor do after his Statutes that is they had not a gracious and obedient fear of God And likewise because the very Devils are said to tremble Jam. 2.19 that is they even shake with fear of the wrath of God therefore it is necessary to distinguish between that slavish fear of God that is in the very wicked of the World and in the Devils themselves and that right gracious fear of God that is in those that are truly converted which may be done in these following particulars 1. A right fear of God is accompanied with hope in his free mercy in Christ The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him in those that hope in his mercy Psalm 147.11 Some they pretend to hope in Gods mercy in Christ but they do not fear God their hearts are not awed with his Majesty nor afraid to offend him such a hope is not right on the other hand some pretend to fear God and fear sinning a gainst him but they hope not in his mercy but in their own merits they go on under a Covenant of works cast not their Souls upon Christ will not lay their hold upon the hope that is set before them in the Gospel These men have not a right fear of God He that is so moved with fear of the Majesty and Wrath of God that he gets into Christ the Ark that God hath prepared for the saving of Souls and placeth all his hope for his eternal safety in Christ the Son of God this is the man that feareth the Lord aright But if men fear God only as a Judge and Avenger of Sin and look upon him as a hard Master and so are afraid of him and their hearts secretly rise against him but they never look towards his Mercy-seat that they may set their hope in his grace in Christ such have not a right fear of God neither a right reverential nor a right filial fear of God but onely a slavish and servile 2. A right fear of God is accompanied with eschewing evil Job is said to be a man fearing God and eschewing evil Job 1.1 The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart that there is no fear of God before his eyes Psalm 36.1 The gross and horrible profaneness of some wicked men proclaims to every one that they are so far from having a right fear of God such as he puts into the hearts of his people that they have no fear of God no common awe of a Deity at all in their ordinary course for they live as if there were no God that regarded the ways of the Sons of men and would bring them into judgment But where there is a right fear of God there is not a bare eschewing evil but an eschewing evil from an inward principle of the fear and love of God in the heart and delight in his Commandments Now when eschewing evil is made a sign of the true fear of God in the heart it must not be so understood as if Job of whom that character is given in the place above-mentioned or any other who yet truly fear God can so totally eschew evil in this life as to be wholly free from sin for we see by the holy Story that Job himself of whom this is spoken had his passions and sinful failings for which he confessed to God he was vile and abhorred himself in dust and ashes but when such are said to eschew evil the meaning is that they do so in a comfortable measure and in the sincere and earnest desire and endeavour of their Souls 3. A right fear of God is not an involuntary passion and fear which torments the mind but is a pleasing and delightful thing to the Soul Fear hath torment 1 John 4.18 Slavish sinful and irregular fear hath so but a right reverential fear of God is delightful to the Soul it hath no torment in it to the mind The Angels in Heaven and the Saints in all their glory have an high degree of this reverential fear of God And so they find here in this World that they never have sweeter duties then when their hearts are most filled with a reverential fear of God and so in their whole conversation they find that the more they walk in the fear of the Lord the more they walk in the comfort of the Holy Ghost Indeed in such extraordinary appearances of God by outward signs of the Glory of his Majesty as were to Abraham Gen. 15.12.17 to Moses when the Lord appeared in the flame of fire out of the midst of the bush Exod. 3.2 6. to Elijah 1 Kings 19.13 and to Isaiah Chap. 6.5 the best Saint in this mortal state may be over-set and faint and be troubled at the Lords presence for 't is said that when God so appeared to Abraham an horrour of great darkness fell upon him 't is said of Moses he hid his face and was afraid to look upon God and at another time when God spake out of the fire upon Mount Sinai Moses said I exceedingly fear and tremble Elijah hid his face in his Mantie and Isaiah cries out Wo is me I am undone for mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of hosts But it is to be considered that it was not meerly the apprehension of the greatness and glory of the Majesty of God and the reverence of God thereupon that caused this trouble to their spirits but these extraordinary signs of Gods presence which their bodies and spirits in this frail and mortal state could not bear That nevertheless it stands good what hath been laid down that a reverential fear of God is a most pleasing and delightful thing to the Soul of a Christian yea it helps much to compose the body and natural spirits in the service of God and walking with him In a word to distinguish a right feare of God from a slavish or hipocriticall feare it is of that nature that the more we feare him the more we hope in his mercy the more we feare him the more obedient we are to him the more we fear him the more we would fear him and desire to feare his Name and the more we fear him the more we love him he that findeth in any measure such a feare of God put into his heart as is here described is converted and in the state of grace 4. Speciall grace and conversion is held forth in the Scripture by love to God 1 Cor. 8.3 If any man love God the same is known of him Ephes 6.24 Grace be with all them that love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity John 21.17 Simon Son of Jonas lovest thou me and Peter said Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I
love thee Men may have notional knowledge parts and gifts and this may but puffe them up with pride and do their souls no good but if a man so know God as to love him and delight in him that is the man that is known of God owned and approved of him Quest what are the signes of love to God Answ 1 High and raised thoughts of God fixed and setled in the heart are a signe of love to God an habituall frame of heart to look upon God as most excellent and glorious and to adore him as well for his holiness and infinite purity as for the exceeding riches of his grace in Christ. It is true a Saints love to God is not come to perfection in this life it is not come to its height by a Thousand degrees yet there is such an impression of love to God upon the heart of a Believer and amongst other things for his wonderful dispensation of grace in Christ that he thinks and well he may that he can never love and prayse the holy Lord as he should do And sometimes it may be his heart waxes hot and this fire of love to God burneth and flameth in him and he can cry out to this effect Oh O Lord how excellent is thy name in all the earth and thy glory is above the heavens Look Look O my soul upon this great King the King of glory the King eternal and immortal and admire him and love him for ever O thou infinite goodness O thou Fountain of Life wilt thou vouchsafe to be loved of me O thy condiscention thy condiscention that thou wilt not account it presumption for me to love thee such a poor worm as I am so vile and sinful O blessed Lord if I may love thee then O my base unworthiness that I love thee no more O love love flame out flame out here is thy right object this is he that is to be loved with all my heart with all my Soul with all my might and with all my strength here is infinite power here is infinite wisdom here is infinite holiness here is infinite mercy more love more more love for the holy and blessed lord what shall I love him no more O my soul are thy faculties enlarged to love as far as a poor finite creature is capable to love O my soul love as Jehovah is to be loved love suitably to the Object thou art now set upon love not as if thou wert loving a creature love not at such a poor and low rate but love as one that is loving an infinite and glorious God love as one that is loving him that is love it self and hath manifested it in sending his only begotten Son into the world to save sinners O what manner of love was this and O with what manner of love should this blessed God be loved O Lord thou art above all love above all praise O that ever I have loved any thing else besides thee when there was thy self to love O that ever I should love such a vile thing as sin and such a poor trifle as the world is Lord now set my love right put my heart into the highest pitch of love to thee that poor clay is capable of and there hold me to eternity Thus possibly a poor Believer may sometimes finde his heart raysed to God in love and delight in him however there is a rooted grounded setled affection in the soul of a Believer to God so that he doth not only see reason why he should love God but it is his desire to love him and delight in him above all things though the actings of this love may be much kept down by manisold temptations and by the opposition of the flesh as the actings of other graces in us are also 2. Hating of sin because God hates it because it is displeasing to him is a signe of love to God ye that love the Lord hate evil Psal 97.10 it is not onely their duty to do so but in some measure it is so with every Child of God Though after conversion sin doth yet remain it is hated and abhorred so that it is in the heart to say O Sin what dost thou here thou art not onely my greatest enemy but thou art an enemy to that holy and blessed God whom my soul loveth O when shall I be rid of thee time was when thou and I were all one we were wedded together but now I see it was an unlawful marriage I was to be for the Lord and not for another therefore I will love thee no more O if it be so that thou wilt not leave me till death us do part I wait for that good hour when the Lord will take me to himself that so I may be freed from thee wholly and for ever and be with my heavenly Head and husband 3. Love to the Saints is a sign of love to God he that saith he loveth God and hateth his Brother is a lyar he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen how can he love God whom he hath not seen 1 John 4.20 He that loveth not the Image of God in grace and holiness which he seeth in his people how can he love God whom in his glorious essence he hath not seen An universal love to all in whom we see the grace of Christ is a certain sign of our love to God so that one that truly loves God can in some measure appeal to God to this effect O Lord however I have hated thy people in time past and my heart hath secretly risen against them for the good that was in them yet since thou hast been pleased to turn me from darkness to light I make an high account of thy people I look upon them as the excellent on the earth I am troubled that I love them no more and that I can do no more for them I love them not meerly because they are of my judgment in some lesser points but I love them because they fear and love thee because they repent of their sinning against thee and believe on thy Son and desire to walk so as to please thee so far as thou art pleased to give them the knowledge of thy will My heart is knit to them whose hearts are knit to Christ who cleave in their hearts to that one Mediatour that one Offering that one Sacrifice for sins for ever so far as they manifest this they are dear to me they must needs be precious to me to whom Christ is precious And though because of some errours and mistakes that in my poor thoughts I may judge some of them to be in I cannot comfortably joyn with such in some things yet O Lord thou that knowest all things knowest that I love them and though through passion and ignorance and misguided zeal I may carry it unscemly sometimes to some of thy servants and have a hand in their troubles and sufferings as it is possible for the Saints
of conversion 7. The word preached is the most ordinary means of conversion the reading of the word our selves or hearing it read by others and likewise the reading of other good Books have been blessed of God to the conversion of Souls and all these things are to be used But the opening urging and applying the doctrine of the word unto people in a way of preaching is the ordinary means of Conversion Acts. 2.37.41 Acts. 11.21.22 Acts. 26.16 17 18. Rom. 1.16 Mat. 28.19 Go teach all nations 2. Tim. 4.1.2 Preach the word be instant in season and out of season Rom. 10. How shall they believe on him of whom they have not heard and how shall they hear without a preacher And so it appeareth throughout the story of the Acts of the Apostles that the declaring of the Gospel by lively voice was the great means that God made use of for the Conversion of Souls And here it is to be noted That those who are converted out of this ordinary way whatsoever outward means the Lord pleases to take occasion by for their conversion yet he doth though more immediately by his Spirit set home the same things for the substance upon their hearts that are held forth to others who are converted by the Ministry of the word that is the Lord shewes them their sinful and miserable estate and reveals Christ to them as the only way of justification and acceptance with him Now then seeing God is Pleased to make so much use of the preaching of the word for the conversion of Souls let all the true ministers of Christ go forth in his name and strength let them look to him for assistance and success in the work and as ever they would be Instrumental for the conversion of Souls let them preach with all plainess of Speech let them not be desirous of vain glory let them Preach without all ostentation without all dark and affected expressions and let them in their Preaching insist much upon common and fundamental truths as about the greatness and holiness of God the sinfulness and misery of Man The necessity of conversion and the way of redemption by the blood of Jesus Such subjects as these are so vast and also so necessary that they may take up much of a Ministers Preaching It is a great fault in ministers if they do not with all their might set forth unto men their miserable estate by nature and if they do not endeavour to bring their hearers acquainted with Christ holding forth him upon all occasions to them not only as he by whom we must be delivered from the wrath to come but as the fountain and Spring of all grace and Spiritual strength whereby we may walk in holiness and new obedience For Ministers to put men upon for saking their evil wayes and so promising them Life without directing them to Christ to put their whole trust in him for their justification and to fetch strength and vertue from him for the mortification of Sin and for new obedience is but to teach men to build upon the Sands and to shew them a cleaner way to Hell For Ministers to preach so much at random not having well digested themselves the doctrine of original Sin the difference between the Law and the Gospel the necessity and nature of conversion the doctrine of justification by the righteousness of Christ imputed to them that believe and the nature of Gospel grace and true sanctification tends to the making of their Preaching useless to the salvation of mens Souls And though such Preachers may have applause from the ignorant for their Method delivery and learning yet they do but mislead men and trifle with them about a thing of the highest moment the salvation of their Souls As a Physician must not play with the life of a man 'T is such a precious thing but had need to be well advised in his Judgment of the nature of the disease and of a right Method for cure and haue many things in his eye so had a Minister need to be careful much more in dealing with such a thing as the Soul of a man is to know the original cause of Soul Ma ladies and the only way of cure which is by the blood of Jesus But if Preachers do but play with their Texts and play with the Souls of their hearers not having their hearts awed with a holy reverence of God and his Word and affectionately desirous of the eternal salvation of the People great is their Sin What with the differences amongst us about lesser things and invectives that Preachers stuff their Sermons with against those that dissent from them what with errors of Doctrine that some Preachers seem to be tainted with what with the new coyned words and Phantastical expressions that some preachers use and what with want of experience in their own souls of the nature of conversion it is to be feared there is a great decay of sound plain and profitable preaching especially about the points of justificiation and conversion Next to erroneous preaching 't is most offensive to an intelligent and spiritual hearer when a Minister preacheth with high words affecting such a stile as is no way suited to the profit of his hearers And though such may admire themselves and also have their reward that is applause of the ignorant yet their preaching is nauseated of the judicious It is a more difficult thing and requireth more substantial learning to set forth the mysteries of the Gospel to the capacity of ordinary hearers then to stuff Sermons with quotations Scraps of Latin and School tearms made ready to our hands But it may be said seeing that the habit of grace and spiritual Life is infused into the Soul by the spirit of God as hath been shewn when a Soul is converted by the preaching of the word how doth the Lord effect this work thereby Answer 1. Negatively 1. It is not the holiness of the Preacher that doth convert the Hearers All that heard Christ himself preach the holiest Preacher that ever was were not converted 2. It is not the affections of the Preacher that doth convert the Hearers his Zeal and his Compassion to the Souls of the people are very good and God is pleased so to work that sometimes the affections of the Preachers do affect the hearts of the Hearers but except the Lord put in nothing is done all his weeping will not break their hearts and reclaim them from their sins 3. It is not meerly the sublimity and excellency of the matter that is preached that doth convert the Hearers for then all should be converted that hear the Gospel preached It may be the person that is converted at a Sermon hath heard the same Points opened many a time and that more fully then at that time yet was never affected till now the Reason is because now God speaketh to his heart as well as the Minister to his ear 4. It is not the excellency of
speech or wisdom of the Preacher that doth convert the Hearers All the Oratory in the World cannot convert a Soul Arguments Promises Threatnings and Intreaties set forth with the Tongues of Men and Angels if they were to assume humane shape and speak to Sinners about their everlasting concernments could not prevail to bring them from Sin to Christ except the Lord put forth his Almighty power 5. It is not from any power of Nature that before lay dormient and idle that now awaketh and yieldeth obedience to the Word that a Soul is converted For there is no such power of Nature 't is an idle speculation of those that think it is so for in conversion the Spirit of God is put into us and the fear of God and so consequently the Seed and Principle of Faith and Repentance and other Graces is put into our hearts where before it was not 2. Positively I answer That the efficacy power and vertue of the preaching of the Word when a Soul is converted by it is wholly from the Spirit of God When the Scripture saith That faith cometh by hearing 't is only as an outward means that God worketh by when it pleases him for bare hearing of the Gospel worketh Faith in no man for Faith is the gift of God Ephes 2.8 Philip. 1.29 The fruit of the Spirit Galat. 5.22 And when the Gospel is said to be the power of God unto salvation it is not to be understood as if the bare preaching of the Gospel did save and convert men but it is called the power of God unto salvation in opposition to the Law and the Covenant of works because it reveals and holds forth the way of Grace in Christ by which God saveth lost Sinners which the Law doth not How the Spirit of God doth work in and by the preaching of the Word for the conversion of Souls is a deep mystery And O that we may experimentally know that the Holy Ghost hath made use of the Word to convert our Souls though we cannot exactly conceive of the way and manner of his working thereby The workings of the Holy Ghost in Conversion are compared to the wind as for the freeness and powerfulness so for the mystery that is in them As the wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth so is every one that is born of the Spirit John 3.8 But for further light into this Question let us observe these Scriptures following It is said The Lord opened the heart of Lydia that she attended to the things that were spoken by Paul Ministers do but call and knock at the doors of mens hearts 't is God that by a secret work of his Spirit openeth their hearts Acts 16.14 And it is said Acts 10.44 While Peter yet spake these words the Holy Ghost fell on all them that heard him Peters preaching and the Holy Ghosts falling upon them that heard him were two distinct things the one might have been without the other the one was the work of man the other was the work of God And that which is said 1 Thess 1.5 will make it yet far more evident For our Gospel came not unto you in word only but in power and in the Holy Ghost and in much assurance The Gospels coming to people in word and in the bare preaching of it is one thing and the Gospels coming to them in power and in the Holy Ghost is another to some the Gospel comes only in word they hear a sound of words and as they are rational men they may have a notional knowledge thereof but unto the Elect it comes with power and with the Holy Ghost even with such powerful workings of the Spirit as turns them from Sin to Christ Of these things this is the sum the preaching of the Word shews us the way of salvation it is the Spirit of God that by a secret and strong hand puts us into that way The preaching of the Word shews us our lost estate by Nature it is the Spirit that inwardly makes us sensible of it and affecteth our hearts with it The preaching of the Word shews us Gods Grace in Christ holds up Christ as the Brazen Serpent it is the Spirit that gives us an eye of faith to look to him that we may live The coming to the Ordinance to hear the Word is like the Woman in the Gospel touching the hem of Christs garment others touched him as well as she but there came a secret vertue from Christ to heal her of her Bloody Issue Many come to the preaching of the Word and to some of their Souls there cometh secret vertue from Christ that they find in themselves that now they are humbled for sin now they prize Christ now they cleave unto the Lord with a full purpose of heart to walk in his ways Praise the Lord for ever It was not the Minister it was not the bare preaching of the Word that could make this change but this was the day of the Lords power to thy Soul and vertue came secretly from our blessed Lord Jesus to thy Soul admire him and love him and cleave to him to carry thee on by the same power of his Spirit unto the end It may be many others in the same Sermon found no vertue come from Christ to their Souls it was a burden and tedious to them Admire free Grace and love the Lord Jesus for ever When we find good to our Souls by the preaching of the Word we must not look upon poor Ministers with admiration of them as if by their power and holiness we had such a change wrought in us but know that God hath made bare his own arm and glorified his own power and the exceeding riches of his grace in Christ Jesus to us-ward And this is one reason why God makes use many times of persons of meaner parts and small repute to be Instruments of converting more Souls than he doth of others that excel them that it may appear that the high and excellent power that converts the Soul is of God and not of man It is not fit that the Glory of God should be given to Ministers and Ordinances if we get any good to our Souls by them look upon them but as the Conduit-pipes and let all the Glory be given to him who is the Fountain of life for thine O Lord is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory for ever CONVERSION Wrought by the POWER of GOD CHAP. V. Shewing that whatsoever Outward Means the Lord makes use of for the Conversion of Souls the Work is done by his own Almighty Power IT hath been shewn that the Lord in Converting Souls doth usually make use of Outward Means and especially the preaching of the Word Now let us enquire more fully how those that were spiritually dead come to be made alive and those that were darkness come to be made light in the Lord. Those
that think man hath such a principle and seed of Grace lying hid in his heart by nature which if it be drawn forth by perswasions and exhortations and man will make use thereof is sufficient to convert him do not enough consider how utterly corrupted every man is by the Fall of Adam and without any spiritual strength It is true men are reproved in the Scripture for loving darkness rather then light and because they will not come to Christ that they may have life But such Scriptures are so far from implying that we are able to change our own hearts wills and affections that they shew the to us invincible prejudice and opposition that is in our hearts to the Lord that we have neither power nor will to turn unto him such sayings of the holy Scripture do shew what need we have of the exceeding greatness of Gods power to work upon such not onely impotent but wilful and desperate Creatures as all are by nature There is indeed a certain kind of willing and running and striving in natural men upon great Convictions such as Balaam had when he said Let me die the death of the righteous and let my last end be like his But this one Consideration will be of much use to guide us in this question That when God commands men in his word to pray to repent and to believe in Christ the meaning is that they do these things from a principle of grace and spiritual life that God only can work in us and which we are to look to him for All the suddain flashes of seeming repentance and prizing of Christ that come not from a principle of grace infused by the Spirit of God into the heart but are the meer struglings of an awakened Conscience to get from under the wrath of God will bring no man to Heaven neither do these workings of the heart answer to those Commands of God to believe and to repent but are only a shew of those Graces they are something like Conversion but are not Conversion This which hath been said may be Illustrated from the Parable of the stony ground Matth. 13. to which they are compared that hear the word with joy and for a time believe and after fall away this was only some suddain flash from the natural workings of the heart upon the hearing of the word accompanied with some common convictions and common workings of the Spirit But the Text saith they had no root they had not the root and habit of grace in their Souls planted in them by the Holy Ghost from whence these things did proceed If any shall say How shall we know these sudden workings of the heart and flashes of seeming Conversion that arise but from natural Conscience awakened and startled with common convictions of the Spirit as in Balaam Herod Felix and such as are described in the Parable of the foolish Virgins from that believing repenting and those spiritual affections that flow from the habit and principle of grace put into the Soul by the Spirit of God I answer That the difference may be known by the permanency and continuance Such sudden flashes as were in Balaam are soon over and leave the heart unmortified unpurged But the principle of grace in the hearts of Believers is eternal and remains for ever where there is the root of grace in the heart though it be not always putting forth it self yet there is a fixed principle and desire in the heart to admire free grace to prize Christ and to cleave to Christ to mourn for sin and to walk with God though there is not always the same vigour and activity of grace in such yet there is a fixed bent and inclination and desire of the heart towards the Lord which no time can wear off which no temptations and opposition can wholly quench and extinguish But to come nearer to this Point to make it most manifest that Conversion is wrought by the meer grace and power of God 1. Many that have the greatest outward means of grace are never converted Though they have godly Parents which instruct them diligently and live under excellent preaching and have met with many startling Providences and great afflictions yet they are never brought home to God when as others that have carnal Parents that set them very bad examples and have been brought up in ignorant and profane places and families and have lived where there hath been very poor and dark preaching are sometimes converted this shews that Conversion is wrought by the meer grace and power of God It may be some godly Parents after many and many prayers for their Children and great care to instruct them in the ways of God have so little fruit of all that thev count it a great matter if their poor Children have a little Civility and common Morality it may be they have not that but are profane Esaus and rebellious Absoloms when as others that have had wicked Parents that prejudiced them what they could against Religion from their Infancy and when they began to look after Christ have opposed them with great rigour threatning to turn them out of doors and never own them or do any thing for them if they follow Religion yet they are turned to the Lord and cannot be beaten off from his ways this shews that it is the great and invincible power of God that worketh in them that believe 2. Some at the same time when the Lord began to convince them and convert them have been going on as desperately and resolutely in their sins as ever they were all their days As Paul was going to Damascus to make havock of the Saints being as himself after confessed mad and outragious against the Church of God yet then and in that Journey the Lord converted him Acts 9. was not this the meer grace and power of God Some have gone to hear godly Ministers on purpose to scoff at them or bring them into trouble and yet have been Converted at the hearing of them finding a marvellous working of the Spirit of God upon their hearts which was very strange to them and filled them with astonishment at the free grace and power of God Some ignorant and carnal people who at the beginning of a Sermon have slighted and despised it and the Preacher in their hearts and have been filled with indignation yet by and by before the Sermon hath been ended something hath been set home upon their hearts that hath convinced them of their miserable estate and brought them to Christ for help and salvation Some at the same time when they were converted have been more indisposed and unwilling to hear the word then at other times but were even as it were hurried and thrust upon the Ordinance that they knew not how and when they have come there have been more drowsie sleepy and unwilling to hear the word then they used to be when lo on a sudden the Lord awakens and startles their Consciences
have of assisting grace of new influences of the Spirit and to be kept and upheld by the power of God unto the end of their dayes and their continual prayers and Supplications to God still to teach them quicken them enlarge their hearts incline their hearts unto his Testimonies and make them to go in the path of his Commandments as David did in the Book of Psalms do shew that we are both at first converted and afterwards carried on in Gods wayes and kept and preserved to the heavenly Kingdom by the power of God alone to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen Some are Converted young CHAP. V. Shewing that God Converts men at several Ages some in Youth some in their latter time as it pleaseth him NOw if we enquire into the times and seasons when God hath Converted those whom he hath Predestinated unto Life there is great variety according to the Counsel of his Will there is a set time for the new and spiritual birth of the Elect as well as there is an appointed time for every ones first birth and coming into the World The self same day and hour and moment that God hath d creed from Eternity shall all the Elect of God be brought out of the Egypt of their natural condition to travel towards the heavenly Canaan Therefore passing by what might be said of Gods infusing grace into some in their Infancy as he doth in Elect Infants that die in their Infancy although the manner of his working grace in them is a great secret to us I shall only speak of the times and seasons of Gods working grace in them that live some considerable time in the world First then I say that God converts some in their youth yea very young this we know by Scripture and Experience Josiah Obadiah and Timothy are recorded in the Scripture for early Converts All should remember their Creator in the days of their youth and some God helps by his grace so to do It is a happy thing when in this sense young ones first seek the Kingdom of God before they seek after Wealth or Wife or are scarce capable of regarding such worldly matters It is infinite mercy to be converted at all and a great priviledge to be converted young 1. Those that are converted very young usually have not such terrours and frights of Conscience as others have in their Conversion such thundrings and earthquakes of Law terrours but God speaketh to them with a stiller voice and deals more gently with them Indeed such are sometimes sorely tempted to question the truth of their Conversion because they have not had such great terrors of conscience as some others have had which they have heard or read of yet there is no ground for it for as if a man hath had as great consternation of Spirit and terrours of conscience as ever Cain and Judas had this were not sufficient to prove that he is converted So if a man hath had little feeling of those terrors and yet can find that he loathes himself for sin prizes Christ believes on his Name and heartily desires that he should reigne over him his estate is as good and safe for eternity as if he had been twenty years under extream horrour of conscience night and day and afterwards found peace in Christ Secondly Those that are converted very young usually are prevented by the grace of God from committing many grosse sins which others are guilty of as drunkenness whoredom scoffing at religion and swearing though the two last of these sins now a daies are rise amongst some that are very young even to amazement usually Youth is not so debauched I mean the beginning of Youth as afterwards so that if God please to convert one before he hath run into that excesse of riot it is to be for ever remembred with thankfulness unto the Lord. If our souls never came in act into some secret and open wickedness which naturall men in processe of time as they grow in years do commonly fall into but that the Lord before our vile nature was ripe for the commission of those sins was pleased to Sanctify us and put his fear into our hearts that wee know not what many of those things mean but by heare-say and report we are to take it as a great favour of the Lord. Yet by reason of this some that were converted young are apt to fall into temptation and a snare being apt to be ever and anon leaning something to their own righteousness But as God taketh them off by his grace from putting any confidence therein and leadeth them forth again by his holy spirit to account all their blameless walking before or since their conversion but dung in point of justification and to the end of their days after all their doing and suffering desiring onely to be found in Christ having on them his righteousness to justifie them at Gods Bar. And herein lies much of the light and leading of the spirit of God in them that are true Believers that although others that are ignorant of these things may think that they have not much need of the righteousness of Christ because they have not been stained with grosse sins all their dayes and they themselves at times may be tempted to such thoughts yet the Lord shews them that they are so vile by nature and their best righteousness so imperfect that they have as much need to prize Christ and to live purely and folely upon his righteousness as any poor creatures in the world Again those that are converted young and have not committed some gross sins that others have committed are apt to carry it not with that compassion of the ignorant and of them that are out of the way and utterly debauched as those many times do who have run to the same excesse of riot and are now converted unto God Whereas that is the right Spirit of the Gospel to be very pitiful yea very gentle in our carriage to the vilest of man yet rightly tempered with a holy zeal against sin Likewise those that are converted young and have not committed such abominations as others have done are apt to be lifted up with a conceit of their own strength and not to be so sensible of the corruption of their natures as others are wherefore the Lord doth sometimes leave them unto great temptations and sometimes to fall fouly in some things for a season even after their conversion that they may see what is in their hearts and that they should have been as vile as any in the World if the Lord had not bestowed his grace upon them Whereupon the come to have great humiliation before the Lord and loath themselves in his sight And if God do keep some that are converted young from being tainted with gross sins first or last all their dayes yet sometimes they may be so near the Commission of them but that God doth graciously prevent either by some special Providence or
the Lord to you in your youth and how he hath yet maintained the work of grace in you keeping grace alive through so long a tract of time as some of you have walked with God who were converted young And though your hearts and lives are not so with God as you would have it and that you have not yet so far attained as to be perfect but still groan and sigh being burdened with your corruptions and temptations yet thank and praise the Lord that hath taught you from your youth up and that hitherto he hath kept you in that great and terrible wilderness you have gone thorough and that his spirit and his feare is yet you 7. Have a care of abating in your first love and zeal and sincerity and diligence in following the Lord. Let the spiritual dew of your youth be alwaies upon you that you may be alwaies green and flourishing in grace that as your dayes so may your spiritual strength be Give not the men of the World occasion to say that your forwardness in religion in your youth was because you wanted wit then but that now you are grown wiser you follow the World as hard as others take liberty in your conversation as others do and give over preciseness and strict walking but let them see that now your judgments are bettered with age and much experience you still chuse rather to suffer affliction with the People of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin that are but for a season Lastly it is very requisite for those that are converted young and are but yet young to read the Scriptures diligently concerning the duties that God requireth of men in those Relations that his Providence hath put them into or shall put them into in the world Study well the duties of Servants and Masters Children and Parents Wives and Husbands and other Relations As the best Saints are apt to miscarry much in their duties in the Relations they stand in so especially those that are young for want of knowledge of what God requires in his Word in those Relations Therefore art thou called being very young study upon those duties that the Scripture requires towards thy Parents if they be yet alive and make great conscience of them Art thou called being a Servant or intended to be so shortly read over those Scriptures that speak of the duties of Servants again and again pray over those Scriptures often that God would make thee obedient diligent and faithful in that Relation as his Word requires Art thou called and art soon to marry or art newly married study those Scriptures that concern that estate and so for Masters and Parents and the like The holy Scriptures are able to teach you your duties in all these things that you may be throughly surnished with directions from them Let no young people despise this counsel for through their not giving attendance to the Reading study of the Scripture in these things they many times offend God much and whatsoever grace they have the beauty and lustre of it is exceedingly darkned before the eyes of men We hear of such a young person that is much affected with the word and prayes much speaks of good things and prizes Christ but when we inquire how doth he carry it to his Parents or his Master or to his Yoak-fellow it is oftentimes a grief of mind to the Godly-wise and makes them they know not what to think there is so great failing in those duties Now I am speaking of the Lords converting some very young Note this that sometimes young people and especially those that have good education live in godly Families and under the faithful preaching of the word are much convinced and set upon prayer and others rejoyce and hope that it will be a through work and yet all this comes to nothing they soon lose all sense of those things and grow more vile in their practises then they were before And others of them to please their Relations that are godly after they have lost the power of those common convictions they have had will seem to be religious still for a while but when their godly Parents are dead or they come to leave good Families and be for themselves then they will shew what they are indeed Some are notable Hypocrites very young and having good parts and finding that the profession of Religion makes them acceptable to some upon whom they have dependance will make a fair shew to deceive others but let them know that they deceive themselves most in the end when they come to have their portion with the Hypocrites where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth I have dwelt long enough upon this first Head to shew that God doth convert some in youth yea very young and have given cautions and counsel unto such Now to proceed Secondly God doth convert some in their riper years in the midst of their days or in old age as it pleaseth him Abraham in the Old Testament and Nicodemus in the New are recorded as persons converted in their riper years and latter time but whereas some say shew any other instances besides them of persons converted in their latter time I will say that we know not the precise age of the three thousand that were converted Acts 2. nor of those Acts 4.5 nor of those Multitudes that were added to the Lord Acts 5.14 nor of Cornelius his friends Acts 10. upon whom the Holy Ghost fell neither do we know the precise age of Lydia the Jaylor and many others that are mentioned by name in the Scripture whether they were young or old when they were converted nor is it necessary for us to know it It is sufficient for us to know that whosoever cometh unto Christ he will in no wise cast out whether he be young or old Those holy men that shew what an unsuitable time old age is to have then the work to do to make our calling and election sure when we can scarce see to read the Scriptures can scarce hear the word of life that is preached to them and their Memories and parts extreamly decayed must not be understood as if God could not convert such or never did it but to shew that the repentance of such is very often feigned and counterfeit and to warn young people that they do not count upon old-age conversion to the neglecting of remembring their Creatour in the days of their youth It is a great truth that they say that God should not be put off to take the dregs of our lives and to take the Devils leavings for he deserveth the beginning of our strength the best of our days and all our days to serve him but better late then never better come into the Vineyard at the eleventh hour then not at all There have been remarkable conversions of old men recorded by worthy men O that there were more both young and old brought home to Christ I know none that
of their eternal conditions accounting it a piece of Christian humility and holy modesty so to do yea thinking such a frame to be a great preservative from sin and a spur to quicken them to more diligence in Gods ways then if the assurance of the love of God were shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Ghost do erre not considering so fully the nature of Gospel Grace and a lively hope of salvation that it doth strengthen and enlarge the Soul in holiness and obedience by urging new and further motives to our walking with God and fruitfulness before him It is the duty of all to try their spiritual estates and not to rest satisfied in some probability of the truth and power of grace in them but to give diligence to the attaining of a full assurance thereof Wherefore are we called upon so often in the Scripture to prove our own works to examine our selves whether we be in the faith or no to give diligence to make our calling and election sure if it be not that those that are not yet converted may find it out that they may not deceive themselves but now look after union with Christ which yet they have not and that those that are converted indeed may be assured of it and so rejoyce and give praise and be stirred up to walk worthy in all things of the vocation wherewith they are called If a man be not yet truly converted unto God it is better for him to know how his condition is though for the present it fill his Soul with much anxiety and fear of the wrath to come then that he should go on quietly and presumptuously to Hell If we be foolish Virgins without the Oyle of grace in our vessels 't is better to know it now whilst Oyl may be got then not to know it till time is past and the door is shut Many are greatly offended when they are put upon trying their spiritual estates they say such preaching troubles their consciences they are loath to see in what a miserable condition they are but if the Lord delight in them to make them his people they will bless God that ever they sate under such an awakening Ministry by which the Lord brought them to see they were in the broad way that leadeth to destruction and brought them out of it unto Christ Now then in answer to this great Question How may a man know that he is truly converted and in the state of grace 1. It may be known by discerning the work of grace upon the Heart 2. It may be known by the more immediate testimony of the spirit 1. Conversion may be known by discerning the work of grace upon the heart If a man think himself something when he is nothing he deceiveth himself Gal. 6.3 Well then how shall such a man be undeceived v. 4. Let every man prove his own work so shall he have rejoycing in himself alone and not in another That is let him try whether the Lord hath began the good work of grace in him let him prove and examine himself whether he hath true faith true repentance true love to God true love to the brethren so shall he have rejoycing in himself alone discerning that God hath wrought in him those things that accompany salvation and not rejoyce meerly in the good opinion of others who though they be gracious and spiritual may easily be deceived in judging of the spiritual estate of others being not so suspicious of others as they are of themselves and know not the secret passages between God and their Souls as they know things between God and themselves Many Scriptures might be brought to shew that we are to take this course in judging of our spiritual estates Hereby we know that we know him if we keep his Commandments 1 John 2.3 Hereby know we that we are in him v. 4. We know that we are passed from death to life because we love the brethren 1 John 3.14 Those that deny inherent grace in those that are converted or would not have them to try their spiritual estates thereby are much mistaken Let those who would know whether they be yet converted set themselves as in the presence of the Lord and examine themselves whether the Lord hath made them sensible of the danger and evil that there is in sin whether the Lord hath taken them off from trusting in their own righteousness and strength whether the Lord hath revealed Christ to them as Mediator and fixed their hearts to put their whole trust in him Whether the Lord hath wrought in them godly sorrow for sin and put a new bent of holiness upon their hearts to desire and endeavour to walk so as to please God He that would have these things more fully opened let him remember or look back to the Third Chapter where I have shewn more largely what Conversion and Special Grace is and to let him examine himself accordingly But that I may through the grace of Christ be further helpful to those who would try their spiritual estates to find out what God hath done for their Souls let these things be observed 1. That the work of grace is not always alike visible and discernable in a Child of God neither to himself nor others with whom he hath to do Through bodily distempers through viclent temptations through sore falls into sin and great dissertions and hidings of Gods face from none of which a Child of God is wholly exempted in this life it may come to pass that a true Saint may be very hard put to it to discern the work of grace in himself yea very much fear that he hath no true grace and walk in darkness and trouble of spirit thereupon With some it is thus a great while God orders it thus amongst other holy ends of his by such examples of troubled Consciences to put others upon more tryal of their spiritual estates to draw forth our pity and compassion to such as are in these spiritual distresses and to make us more thankful for the light of Gods spirit to discern the work of grace in ourselves which these poor sorrowful ones cannot attain unto and to shew us that which I am now upon that grace being so little in the best is sometimes scarce discernable especially when the body is sickyl and distempered and there is some special hour and power of darkness upon us By the way I am afraid that sometimes godly Ministers unawares may deliver somethings that may much puzzle poor Christians about trying the work of grace upon their hearts and bring them into great darkness and trouble of spirit However that which I shall take notice of may be a Caution to such as shall read these things that they do not so I have observed that Ministers do sometimes speak so unwarily of the signs of this grace and the other that those signs which they lay down are signs only of the high actings of that grace and
thick Cloud thy transgressions and will remember thy sins no more Fear not I am with thee be not dismayed for I am thy God be of good cheare thy sins are forgiven thee or the like This question may be moved hereupon Quest When a man hath some promise or word of grace come into his thoughts so as to make impression upon his heart and quiet him as to his feare of the wrath of God how shall he know that this is spoken by the spirit to witness to him that he is the Child of God or whether it be a delusion Answ 1 That the holy Ghost doth sometimes comfort the hearts of believers by some promise or word of grace mentioned in the Scripture is not to be questioned As the Holy Ghost in convincing men of sin and their last estate by nature doth often make use of some places of Scripture as for example the wages of sin is death the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness of men and setles home the commandments of the Law with the curse anexed to the breach of them in particular to the soul as if the Lord did speak from heaven to that particular person I have said in my Law thou shalt have no other Gods before me But thou hast made riches thy God thy belly thy God thy Name and esteem amongst men thy God therefore thou art cursed I have said in my Law thou shalt not take my Name in vain but thou hast done it I have said thou shalt keep my sabbath Holy but thou hast not regarded it and so thou hast broaken this commandment and the other I have said cursed is every one that continueth not in every thing that is written in the book of the Law to do it therefore thou art under the curse and what wilt thou do As the holy Ghost I say doth often set home such Scriptures to convince men os sin and shew them their need of Christ so doth the Holy Ghost many times make use of other Scriptures that hold forth Gods free grace in Christ both at first to work faith and draw the soul to Christ and afterwards to fill the heart with joy and peace in believing Thefore it is a sign of a prophane heart and destitute of the knowledge of conversion and of the comforts of the holy Ghost to make a mock and jeare of Scriptures and promises given into and set home upon the spirits of men 2. Sometimes promises and words of grace are given into the soul to work grace at that time and not to witness that grace was wrought before for we ordinarily receive the spirit to work grace at first in us by hearing in the preaching of the word or else darted more immediately from God into our souls some promise or declaration of Gods grace in Christ and if that be all our mistake that at such a time when we thought the Holy Ghost set home such or such a promise and word of grace upon our hearts to assure us that we were the Children of God that he did it at that time to work the first special grace in us and unite us unto Christ so that that was the time of our first receiving Christ If this I say be all the mistake it is not dangerous 3. Lastly it must be granted that all that have a promise or word of grace come into their minds yea though it take some impression on them and quiet their thoughts and affect them with a kind of joy for the present have not these words given in by the spirit of God either to work saving grace in them at that time or to bear witness to them that they are in the state of grace for such as are compared in the Scripture to the stony ground do sometimes hear the word with joy and consequently have it come into their thoughts with some flashes of joy and those that fall away do tast of the heavenly gift and after a sort are made partakers of the Holy Ghost Heb. 6. In some of his common motions and impressions upon their hearts as hath been opened more largely before so that for a conclusion of this matter If there be not a work of grace wrought in the heart even an abiding work as well as promises words of grace that transiently and suddenly pass thorough the thoughts we may be fearfully mistaken about our spiritual estates But if we can find such faith in Christ such repentance and such love to God wrought in us as have before been spoken of the more promises and words of grace are cast into our thoughts the better for they strengthen true believers in holiness and communion with God and are as so many love-tokens send them from Jesus Christ by the spirit till they come to him in heaven Hypocrites and notional professours turn such promises and words of grace into wantonness and into a snare to their own souls but true believers get real good by them and lay up these sayings in their hearts and cleave the more unto the Lord in faith and holiness Thus I have endeavoured to shew how we may know we are in the state of grace let me speak a word or two to those that are converted and have had it cleared up to their souls that it is so 10. Praise the Lord for the exceeding riches of his grace Be content yea rejoyce and be thankful whatever sad loss of outward trouble and affliction lye upon you grace hath abounded towards you the Lord hath not dealt so with many others as he hath dealt with you look round about you and see what multitudes lye in wickedness in grosse ignorance and prophaness and live without God in the world what if you be poor in the World you are heirs of Gods Kingdom what if you have not health of body as others have you shall soone leave this ruinous earthly Tabernacle and be with Christ in Paradise and he will also raise up this poor frail body and make it like to his glorious body at the last day what if near relations Father and Mother should forsake you the Lord hath taken you up into his everlasting Armes where he will hold you for ever what though the world hate you and curse you the eternal God hath loved you and blessed you in Christ Rejoycing in the Lord and praising him cont inually are comely for those that are converted and pardoned in Christ O sing and give Praise 2 After God hath once given you a comfortable assurance of your conversion do not call all in question upon every fit of deadness and darkness that comes upon your Spirits Be humbled for the least sin but say not upon every spiritual fall that if there had been truth of grace you had never done thus for after conversion there remaineth in this life flesh and corruption that is not wholy taken away till death Then indeed the house of the Old Man will quite fall and all these
Philistines die with us This makes poor Believers with Sampson desire to die that all their lusts may die too Neither do you call all into question because of outward afflictions how great and many so ever they are for whom the Lord loveth he chastneth and correcteth every son whom he receiveth But say in your hearts the Lord hath humbled us for our sins drawn us to Christ put his fear into our hearts and hath given us many times gracious hints of his favour to us in Christ and now though he seem to walk contrary to us in some outward dispensations and breaks us in our relations and breaks us in our estates and breaks us in our esteem and breaks us in our-health as it was thus with Jacob yet will we trust in him and say that still he is our Father and will not alwaies chide nor retain his anger for ever 3. Let those that are converted hate every false way and meddle with sin no more we may well say the time past suffices and yet we have had to much of sinning already The state of grace is so far from giving any liberty to sin that it layes more obligation to holiness have a care of the sins of the daies wherein we live worldliness mispending of time in unprofitable talk bitterness against those that differ never so little from us in judgment neglect of training up Children in the fear of God and reverence and subjection to their parents want of heavenly discourse pride in apparel false and long haire and abundance of other sins that are to rife amongst some that make a great profession of Religion 4. Shew forth the Praises of him that hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light shew forth his praises not only in words but in works glorifie him on the earth let not his high and holy Name be blasphemed through you Be exceeding tender of the Name and glory of God make not Religion to stink and the savour of it to be abhorred by your covetous practises proud carriage loose conversation adorn the profession of religion with a serious chearfulness a meak zeal a heavenly dilligence in your callings and with a loving and yet a convincing conversation to the World these things may well go together and should do so Christians should be serious and yet chearful they have most cause to rejoyce and shall do it when others shall weep and howl and gnash their teeth Christians should be meek peaceable gentle easiy to be entreated and yet zealous magnanimous and valiant for the truth Christians should be heavenly in their thoughts and affections and discourse and yet deligent in their outward callings heavenly mindedness makes the yoak of outward labour easier and the burden of it lighter Christians should be affable courteous loving to all yet so far from sinful compliance with the waies of the world that they should hold forth the grace of Christ in their conversations that others may be convinced that they are the Children of God and that though possibly they may rail at them with their mouths they may secretly commend them in their consciences and wish their death at last end might be like theirs A concluding Speech to the VNCONVERTED CHAP. VIII Containing advice and counsel to those who are yet unconverted HAving shewn the necessity of conversion the Nature and signs of it I shall now conclude with some advice and council to those who are strangers to any work of grace upon their hearts but are going on in ignorance and blindness and see not into what a gulph and bottomless pit of destruction they are going Wonder not that I am earnest in such a matter and tell you so much of Hell and damnation it is to stop them that being spiritually blind and desparate are running into the lake of fire and brimston which burneth for ever Well then let me direct my speech unto such if God peradventure will give them repentance that so they may be recovered out of the snare of the Devil and escape everlasting destruction Hearken and give ear to this Alarm that is now sounded to you that are yet ignorant and careless of the things that belong unto your everlasting peace Repent repent get into Christ the City of refuge quickly quickly before the Lord come forth against you in his wrath and fury and you be cast into Hell I shall endeavour to set before you the miserable condition you will be in to eternity if you die in your sins and to that end I shall shew you three things 1. The certainty of Hell 2. the misery of Hell 3. The eternity of Hell 1. Consider the certainty of Hell This is that which I would speak of first That there is a place of torment and extream misery into which the wicked are cast their souls entring first into this woful place as soon as they depart this life and at the Day of Judgment their bodies being raised by the Almighty power of God shall be united again with their souls that so both in body and soul they may bear the wrath of God for ever It may be some that may read this may be so ignorant and prophane that they may think that Hell is a fable devised to keep me in awe and think them fools that are scar'd with it therefore let me endeavour to convince them of it for it doth appear indeed by the lives of too many that they believe neither Heaven nor Hell yet there are such fools that say in their hearts there is no God too Psal 14.1 They say so in their hearts and say so in their lives though few of them are so impudent as to say it with their mouths To prove that there is a Hell I might shew that the very heathens as they have a Notion that there is a God so they have a Nation that there is a Hell a state and place of misery into which evil men go after this life likewise I might shew that the boldest Athiests are sometimes struck with a Pannick fear of Hell all which proves that it is an universal Notion of mankind that the soul is immortal and that there is happiness or misery after this life though Atheists smother this conviction what they can But I shall onely insist upon Scripture proof of this point The wicked shall be turned into Hell Psal 9.18 How can ye escape the damnation of Hell Mat. 23.33 Fear him that is able to destroy Soul and body in Hell Mat. 10.28 God speared not the Angels that sinned but thrust them down to Hell 2 Pet. 2.4 To name no more particular places when ye read in the Scripture of everlasting punishment the wrath to come unquenchable fire all those expressions point at the same thing As there is a real Hell as well as there is a real Heaven so there is a local Hell as well as there is a local Heaven Hell and Heaven are not expressions onely to set forth the
weeping and wayling and gnashing of teeth in Hell 3. Consider the eternity of Hell Though there be such misery in Hell yet if men were to be there but a little while it were not so much to be feared but none that go thither return again neither take they hold of the paths of Life Therefore 't is said in the Scripture that the wicked go into everlasting punishment as the righteous go into life eternal Mat. 25.46 They shall be punished with everlasting destruction 2 Thes 1.9 Their Worme dieth not and the fire is not quenched Mark 9.44 It is true that neither utter despaire nor eternity of suffering are of the essence of the punishment due to sin for if men could satisfy the justice of God for the debt of sin there were no cause of dispare neither would they be deteined for ever under the wrath of God but the damned being never able to make fatisfaction for their sins it doth unavoidably follow that they are swallowed up of dispare and that the wrath of God abideth on them for ever Now let those who go on desperately in their ignorance and prophaness consider these things before it be to late before the decree hath brought forth before the gulph is fixed and the day of grace be over God hath made a Hell for the glory of his Justice to shine in and all impenitent and unbelieving sinners shall be as fuel for his Holy Justice to burn upon for ever Tremble tremble weep and howl all ye that are going on in the broad way to destruction for the miseries that shall come upon you except you repent God spared not the Angels that sinned God spared not the Old World God spared not Sodom and Gomorah multitudes multitudes are already in Hell for the same sins that you are guilty of and if you do not now seek the Lord and make peace with him in Christ shall you escape It is time high time to seek the Lord to make supplication to your judge through the Advocate for sinners Jesus Christ before all this misery come upon you But may some say we do not love to hear so much of Hell and damnation it is a terrour to us I answer did not Christ in his doctrine tell the people much of Hell and damnation Mat. 5.2 30. Luke 16.19.20.21.22.23 And thrice in five verses he uses that terrible expression to set forth the misery of Hell that their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched Mark 9.44 45 46 47 48. Surely Christ knew how to preach and surely he is the best pattern of preaching and you see he spake much of Hell in his doctrine Mat. 24.51 Mat. 25.41 46. Indeed most people are like those of old who said to the seers see not and to the prophets prophesy not prophesy not unto us right things prophesy unto us smooth things Isa 30.16 As if men should say let us go on quietly to Hell I pray do not trouble our consciencies we will venture our Souls and if we do come to Hell at last we must bear it as well as we can I but if the Lord intend to make you his people he will not suffer you to go on in such a desperate way but he will make you willing to hear of your danger and make you to enquire in good earnest how you may escape it yea you shall bless the Lord that ever you came to see into what a gulph and bottomless pit you were falling that so you might seek for help and salvation in Christ the Mediatour All that hath been said to shew men the certainty the misery and the eternity of Hell is that they may avoid it and may never come into that place of torment And let all know that though the Doctrine of Hell is to be urged unto men to awaken them yet Ministers are not to stop there but to hold forth Christ as an object of faith to them that they may look to him and be saved The terrours of the Law are not to be preached simply for themselves as it were to torment men before the time but for another end to shew them their need of Christ and that they may prize him and beleive on him to everlasting Life Ministers cannot speak to much of Hell if withal they held forth Christ as he that delivereth from that wrath to come The hearing of Hell is useful even to those that are in Christ that they may be continually praysing God that hath delievered them from going down to that pit whatsoever afflictions and chastnings they have here He that only tells people of Hell and damnation is a meer legal preacher but he that shews men first their miserable and lost estate in themselves and then holds forth Christ to them as a Saviour and ransom for their souls is the right Gospel preacher As I have spoken of the judgment and fiery indignation of God that shall consume those that die in their sins so let me shew how we may be delivered from this wrath to come and so make an end The Gospel taken in a strict sense is meerly the good news and glad tidings glad tidings indeed of a Saviour for lost sinners A wonderfull thing indeed is the Gospel it holdeth forth such a way of justifying sinners as could never have entred into the heart of Man to conceive if the Lord had not revealed it It shews us wonder upon wonder God was manifest in the flesh that is one great mistery and wonder of the Gospel what a condescention and humbling of himself was this That Jesus Christ took upon him our Nature our flesh not in appearance but really not to lay it down soon again but Vniting it to his God-head for ever to be sure it was to do a great work that Angels and Men shall admire to eternity that God was manifest in the flesh This is such a wonder that when it is deeply weighed doth overset the Spirit of Man This mighty one the Son of God not by constraint but willingly died for sinners had our iniquities laid upon him Isa 53.6 Bare the punishment of them 1 Pet. 2.24 This was the cause of his bitter passion of all his inward end outward sufferings The Jews crucified him as if he had been an evil doer but Christ knew what was the Fathers meaning and his own viz that he should suffer and be crucified because they in whose stead he suffered were realy evil doers sinners and had deserved all that he underwent for them Thus he that was perfectly just suffered in the room of the unjust A surety paid the great debt that others had contracted There is a wonderful mystery in the death of Christ He died as the Second Adam as a mediatour as a publick person for his people for this cause he came into the World for this cause he laid down his life else these things had never been This Jesus God man mighty to suffer bare that punishment due to our
sins which if it had been laid upon us would have been eternal but he overwrastled it made satisfaction put away sin by the sacrifice of himself made peace and obtained eternal redemption for us whereof he hath given assurance unto all men in that after he had the iniquities of all his people laid and charged upon him yet he rose again the third day is gone unto the Father and is set down at the right hand of the Majesty in the Heavens By one offering upon the Cross he did the work he being an infinite Person God as well as Man his short suffering was of an infinit value He dieth no more there is no need at all of it in referance unto those for whom he made his soul an offering for sins he hath done the work fully to whom be glory for ever This is the Summ and substance of the Gospel Now if any hearing of the danger they are in of the wrath of God for their sins and sensible of the Rebellion and perversness of their hearts and wayes against God would have a Saviour and a sanctifier that it may go well with them for ever this is he Jesus the Son of God He is not here now upon earth to be seen with bodily eyes he is gone into Heaven and is on the right hand of God Look up to him there with an eye of Faith put your trust in him he is able to save to the uttermost all that come to God by him Get the knowledge of him out of the word search the Scriptures for they testify of him they tell you what he is what he hath done and what he hath suffered to bring us to God Think of him continually prize him set your hearts on him if you flight him you will find there is no other Saviour no other Mediatour no other advocate with the Father If the work be yet to be done even now whilst thou readest these things look to him close with him give up thy self to him to be saved and Sanctified by him fall in love with him you will never repent of your choice Poor soul what saist thou to a Pardon for all thy sins what saist to peace with God what saist thou to eternal life Come to Christ and thou shalt have all these and a New Heart and spirit to walk in holiness and obedience before God too O doth the Lord affect thy heart for he doth this great work that thou art taken with Christ and art a thirst for this water of life then take it freely as excellent and precious as the Lord Jesus is he bestowes himself freely upon poor sinners the best qualification you can have for receiving Christ is to see your need of him and that you are altogether unworthy of him do you see your sins now the multitude of them the hainousness of them let not your sins drive you from Christ but drive you to Christ Come poor sinners come to Christ his blood cleanseth from all sin his righteousness is able to cover all your unrighteousness Come to Christ but with a true Heart to give him all the glory of your salvation and to desire now to have him reign over you and fear not he is mighty to save Jesus is the Lord of glory consider his God-head in your looking to him to take away your sins Never any Patient came to this Phisitian and missed of cure come with all the spiritual Vlcers running Sores and Bloody Issues of sin touch the hem of his Garment by Faith as the Woman in the Gospel did and you shall see there is vertue enough in Christ to make you whole The Devil labours to make men confident and presumptuous when they are going on greedily in sin but when they are convinced of their lost estate and are looking after Christ then he endeavours to puzle them with many doubts and suspitions as if they were past cure and it were too late now to lock after Christ Ah poor souls do not you see that the hand of Sathan is in all this When you went on in ignorance and prophaness he would not endure you should hear when Ministers preached of damnation and now that you are convinced and stopt in your vile courses and are thinking how you may make peace with God now the Devil cannot endure you should hear of Salvation in Christ the Son of God least you should come unto him that you may have life Thus I have set before them that are not yet converted life and death pardon of sin peace with God and eternal life if the Lord giveth them hearts to repent and close with Christ The Wrath of God and eternal destruction If they still go on in their ignorance prophaness and slighting of Jesus Christ If any that read these things shall say in their hearts they shall have peace and shall do well enough whatsoever some zealous preachers say though they cast Gods law behind their backs and never look after a work of Grace and conversion upon their souls the anger of the Lord and his Jealousy shall smoake against those persons and burn against them for ever But if they shall now tremble at the word of the Lord and lay hold upon the offer of Christ believing on his name and submitting unto him their sins shall be forgiven them for his names sake and they shall be the heir of eternal life through him for though the wages of sin is death even eternal death yet the gift the free gift of God is life even eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord to whom be glory for ever Amen FINIS Books Printed for and Sold by Henry Mortlock at the Phaenix in S. Pauls Church-Yard and at the White Hart in Westminster-Hall THe Saints Ebenezer and Pillar of hope in God when they have none left in the Creature Or the godly-mans Crutch or Staff in times of sadning disappointments sinking discouragements shaking dissolations wherein is shewed the Transcendent Excellency of God his Peoples help and hope with the unparalell'd hapiness of the Saints in their confidence in him over-balancing the Worldlings carnall dependance both as to sweetness and safety by F. English A word in season or 3 great dutys of Christians in the worst of times viz abiding in Christ Thirsting after his instruction and submission to his providence to which is added by way of appendix the advice of some Ministers to their people for the receiving the power and practice of godliness in their familys Oct. The freeness of the grace and love of God to believers discover'd in reference to First Their service and suffering Secondly their consolations Thirdly their salvation and eternal glory together with the Excelency of the fear of God The goodness and pleasantness of brotherly Love the wisdom of hearing the voice of the Rod repentance the only way to prevent Judgments delivered in several Sermons by William Bridg sometimes Preacher of the Word at Yarmouth Death unstung in 8 Sermons Preached at the Funeral of Tho. Moseley an Apothecary who died July 1669 With a brief Narrative of his Life and Death Also the manner of Gods dealings with him before and after his Conversion drawn up by his own Hand and Published by James Janeway Oct. A Fathers Testament Written long since for the benefit of the Particular Relations of the Author Phineas Fletcher sometimes Minister of the Gospel at Hillgay in Norfolk The voice of one crying in a Wilderness or the business of a Christian both Antecedaneous to Concomitant of and consequent upon a Sore and heavy Visitation represented in several Sermons First Preached to his own Family lying under such Visitation and now made publick as a thank offering to the Lord his healer by S. S. a servant of God in the Gospel of his Son FINIS