In what way are we to concelve of God when we pray unto him 124 125 Q. How or in what order are we to direct our prayers to the Trinity 125 126 Q. How can there be three viz. Father Son and holy Ghost and yet but one God seeing they are all called God 126 127 128 To each of these Questions there are clear and full Answers which will satisfie all sober enquiring teachable people READER BY reason of the Authors absence from the Presse through the distance of his Habitation from the City some faults have escaped the Presse wherefore I pray thee do me the favour as to correct the greater faults that appear at first view and pass by in love the lesser and weigh these things in the Ballance of Righteousness Love and Impartiality c. Of the Creation of Man and the love of God to Mankinde therein THe Great and Glorious God who is infinite in knowledge wisdom and love having finished the glorious Frame of Heaven and Earth according to his divine will he calls a Council even the operations in the Deitie to build that excellent Tabernacle Man whom he made of the lowest and impurest Element Earth and calls his Name Earth or Earthly that the excellency of the work might appear so much the more glorious and wonderfull the Lord having breathed into him the breath of life he became a living soul the man was now wholly good just and righteous his Lord having such a tender intire and indeared affection towards him would not put him into a vast world but planted a garden of pleasure and delight for him the flower of earths treasure it being inriched with variety of fruites pleasing to the eye sweet to the pallat and decked with flowers and walks sweet to smell to pleasant and delightful to walk in and beautiful to behold the pleasant fountaines and filver streames gliding before him to water the garden the sweet drops of dew hanging upon the leaves and grasse like Jewels glittering the tender branches and fruitful trees continually clad in Summers livery the Birds ringing out chiriping peals of melody straining forth their several notes the nimble footed Beasts leaping and sporting in their fruitful pastures the Sun Moon and Stars as it were smiled upon him here was no scorching heat or freezing cold to distemper him no sicknesse or pain to afflict him no filthy or venomous thing to annoy him no such labour as to weary him no contradiction or combustion to molest him but a sweet harmony and Concord amongst all creatures c. Yet though all creatures were good delightful and loving man did so far exceed them all that there could not be found amongst them any one fit or meet â—â—n 2. 21 22. to be a companion for the man that he might have society with So the Lord God caused â— deep sleep to fall upon Adam he slept took one of his Ribs and closed up the flesh instead thereof and the Rib which the Lord God had taken from Man made he a Woman â—o that no sooner did the Man awake from his sleep but God presented him with a lovely Companion a Wife meet for him the Man being now enriched with such a singular Ornament of Beautie as to creatures composed of love puritie and innocencie Now had the man one Jewel more precious than all the rest one Flower more in his Garden exceeding all others in beautie and delight c. they might now discourse of the goodness of God and the excellenciâ— of the Creation c. But lest they should in this Paradise of pleasure and plentie grow too high in their own conceits and so forget the Lord their God he gave theÌ„ a righteous Law that they might know they were but Creatures and though they reigned as Lords and Kings on earth yet they ought to be in subjection to their Creatour so the Lord leaves him in the hand of his own counsel under a strict command not to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil with a Promise of Life upon obedience to it and threatening Death upon disobedience of that righteouâ— Command So Adam and Eve being in Paradise and looking upon themselves as indeed they were the most excellent Pieces of all the Creation bearing the Image of their Creatour This excellent estate did not long continue for they both soon cast off their Lords Precepts by giving more credit to the words of the Serpent than to the Word of their Creatour and so fell by transgression in the manner following viz. The Devil being a fallen Angel envying The manner of Adams fall Gods glorie and Mans happiness comes to the Garden in the form of a Serpent and first he boards the Woman thus viz. Hath God said Ye shall not â—at thereof as if he should have said it is a likely matter that the Lord cares what you eat what do you think that he stands upon an Apple hath he created all things for you then do ye use them this is the first Assault which the Woman weakly resisteth beginning at the first to yield whereas God had said Thou shalt die she answereth doubtfully and saith Lest ye die then the Devil perceiying the Woman to stagger and the ground of her saith to shake the word was no sooner out of her mouth Lest ye die but he replies Ye shall not surely die what die with eating so fair an Apple can there be any hurt in it O sillie Woman Ye shall not die at all God he affirmeth Ye shall die certainly Gen. 2. 17. The Woman saith Lest ye die Gen. 3. 3. The Devil that old Serpent saith Ye shall not die Gen. 3. 4. Well who shall we believe we see our Mother believed the Devil for he had said Ye shall not die but be as gods knowing good and evil c. wherefore behold O silly Woman saith he What a goodlie Tree is this how pleasant to the eie delicate to the taste divine for use Can it do you any hurt would any but Fools abstain eat and fear not then the Woman seeing it was good for meat pleasant to the eies and a Tree to be desired after to get knowledg she took of it and did eat And by these or the like Reasons she perswaded her Husband and gave him and he did eat and hereby he brought himself and all his The misery that Adam all his posterity fell into posteritie into an estate of death sin and miserie So those who were created in the Image of God and were told by the Devil that by eating the Apple they should be as gods by this one act of transgression he and all his posteritie he being the Head and Root of all Mankinde were transformed into the Image of Satan being filled with pride envie anger and discontent mischief and crueltie so that 1. The Devil is said to be his Master Rom. 6. 16. 2. The Devil is said to be his Father John 8. 44.
there is no hope of Salvation Mat. 18. 3. John 3. 5 Sin was that which fetched the dearest blood from the heart of Christ and will have thine too if thou gettest not an interest in him if thy sin doth not die before thou dost die thou art in danger of 18 Sorts of men womeÌ„ that shall never enter into heaven perishing eternally Read seriously but these four Scriptures and thou shalt find at least 18 sorts of men and women that shall never enter into heaven unless before they die Christ be formed in them and they restored and renewed born again and covertâ—d c. 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. Know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God be not deceived 1. No Fornicators 2. No Idolators 3. Nor Adulterers 4. Nor Effeminate 5. Nor abusers of themselves with mankinde 6. Nor Theeves 7. Nor Covetous 8. Nor Drunkards 9. Nor Revilers or envious persons 10. Nor Extortioners These shall not inherit the kingdom of God Rev. 21. 8. 11. Nor the fearfull and unbelieving 12. Nor murderers See Rev. 22. 15. 13. Nor sorcerers or those that use witchcraft 14. Nor Lyars all these shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire which is the second death Gal. 5. 19 20 21. 15. Nor he that is given to hatred variance and strife 16. Nor he that is given to seditions heresies they which doe such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God 2 Thess 1. 8. 17. Nor ignorant persons 18. Nor those that refuse to practice what they know being disobedient These persons being shut out of heaven makes good the words of Christ Mat. 7. 13 14. Enter ye in at the strait gate for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be which enter in thereat because straight is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life and few there be which find it Rom. 9. 27. Though the number of the children of Israel he as the sands of the Sea a remnant shall be saved Well the holy nature of God will not permit the unclean and unholy soul to come into his presence Rev. 21. 27. There shall in no wise enter into it any thing that deâ—ileth or whatsoever worketh abomination Ps 5. 4. Neither shall evil dwell with him the foolish shall not stand in his sight it is true you may call him Lord Lord till the last Mat. 7. 21 22. But he will tell you he doth not know you if thou hast not something of the image of that Spirit that holy nature whatsoever thou mayest think of thy self he will never take thee for his child thou art wicked and the wicked as Psal 9 17. shall be turned into hell and all they that forget God and surely God in the execution of the curse doth the sinner no wrong nay he should doe wrong unto himself and with reverence so to speak be unjust if he should not execute Justice upon the sinner either in himself or in his Surety There are four strong reasons for it viz. 1. To manifest the majestie of him who is offended 2. And the goodness of the command that is transgressed 3. The evil of sin that is committed 4. The vildness of the sinner for sinning c. I had once thought to have spoken somthing to each of these four heads but shall not at present but desire the Reader to consider that every sin puts God upon complaining and Christ upon bleeding and the Spirit upon grieving Every sin doth cast a treble dishonor upon God 1. In its malignitie as being most contrary to the pure unspotted and perfect nature of God 2. In its obstinacie it opposeth the command of God slights the will of God and contradicts the design of God 3. Sin doth cast a dishonor upon God in its choice a sinner in sinning chuseth a base lust a venomous sin a crooked way before the glorious precious and most desirable good the Lord himself So that man in the state of nature lives upon the earth as a condemned creature under guilt curse and death being conceived in sin and brought forth into the world in iniquitie having lost that Image of righteousness holiness and saving knowledg of God in which Adam our father was at first created and so remains till born again converted and regenerated the children of wrath by Nature dead in sins and trespasses Aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel Satans captives servants and slaves and these men in this estate of Nature differ much one from another one seems nearer unto the other farther from the Kingdom of God Mark 12. 34. compared with Psal 119. 155. They 1. Have such hardened hearts and seared consciences that they commit all manner of wickedness with greediness glorying in their shame and so making themselves as the Scripture saith sevenfold more the children of wrath than they were before guilty of original sin but now they are become guiltie of original and actual transgression having been filling up the measure of their iniquitie and fitting themselves for the day of slaughter Matth. 23. 32 33. compared with James 5. 5. 2. Others walk more evenly and usefully being in a measure civilized by education custome fear of punishment good Examples wholesome counsels So was the young man Matth. 19. 20. All these things have I kept from my youth up What lack I yet c. So was the Scribe we reade of Mark 12. 32 33 34 he answered discreetly and Christ told him he was not far from the Kingdom of God Let the Reader consider that although Man is so fearfully and shamefully fallen yet there râ—mains some footsteps marks and impressions of that righteous and eternal Law at first engraven in his heart by the finger of the Almightie by which many Naturalists have acted wisely and prudently as to worldly affairs and humane concernments as may at large be safely gathered from many Scriptures there may be a change and yet not The Change Some of the Lord's people upon good ground doth observe that there is a souâ— fold change Change 1. A moral 2. A partial 3. A formal 4. A spiritual A man by improvement of the light and gifc in Nature may obtain to the three former as to instance 1. There is a moral change when a person or a people changeth from sinfull notorious waies to temperance justice equitie patience when ignorance is taken away by illumination and boldness in sinning is abated by fear of punishment and sticks there and goes no farther and here thousands stay and live quietly and perish eternally 2. There is a partial Change when men forsake some sins and yet live in the love and liking of other sins Christ sets this down in the Parable of the unclean Spirit as to some sinfull courses is cast out for a time but afterwards returns with seven spirits worse than himself and so his last end proves worse than his beginning Matth. 12.
3. The Devil is said to be his Prince John 12. 31. 4. The Devil is said to be his God 2 Cor. 4 4. And so man thus fallen bears the Image of Satan which doth not consist in any bodily shape as some do foolishly imagine but in a likeliness of all manner of wickedness The understanding by this fall was darkened and filled with vanitie Psal 94. 11. and 2 Cor. 4. 4 The will depraved the affections disordered the memory misimploied the conscience benummed In a word the wretched soul is so desormed with filthiness outraged with passions pined with envie overcharged with gluttonie boiling with revenge transported with rage that the Image of God in Man is transformed into the uglie shape of the Devil Gen. 6. 5. And God saw that the wickedness of man was great and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was onely evil and that continually And this fallen heart not onely evil but desperately wicked Jer. 17. 9. The heart is deceitfull above all things and desperately wicked who can know it O Sirs there are but few that doth know the plague of their own hearts c. So that Man in this fallen estate is become a lump of sinne from the crown of the head to the soale of the foot there is no soundness And so all the posteritie of Adam have sinned and come short of the glorie of God and are now become Satans conquest captives and slaves being under the curse and subject to bondage and miserie Isai 63. 6. So we are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousness as filtby rags and we all do fade as a leaf and our iniquities like the winde have taken us away Mr. Baxter in his Treatise of Conversion p. 71. affirms that even our children by nature considered as finfull and unsanctified are as hatefull in the eies of God as any Toads or Serpents are in ours c. See 1 John 3. 10. Nay further consider a little by what names and titles all men and women thus fallen and so remaining are The names Titles given in Scripture to fallen man known by in the Scriptures of truth Sometimes they are called filtby dreamers defiling the flesh Jud. 8. Raging waves of the Sea foaming out their own shame Jud. 13. Natural bruit beasts made to be taken and destroyed that shall utterly perish in their own corruptions 2 Pet. 2. 12. Wells without water cloudes that are carried with a tempest to whom the mist of darknesse is reserved for ever 2 Pet. 2. 17. A generation of vipers Mat. 3. 7. Ye serpents how can ye escape the damnation of hell Mat. 23. 33. The Scripture calls them Lions for their fiercenesse and Bears for their cruelty Dragons for their hiddiousnesse dogs for their filthinesse and wolves and foxes for their subtilty in a word the Scripture stiles them Scorpions vipers thorns briars thistles brambles stubble dirt chaffe dust drosse smoak scum and a cage of every unclean Bird Rev. 18. 2. And if all this be not enough we are said to be Satans slaves or captives 2 Tim. 2. 26. Man can never be saved unlesse he be regenerated No salvation without regeneration born again and converted and have the image of God renewed which was defaced in our fall in the first Adam Hence it is that Christ tells us Mat. 7. 13. 4. Straight is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth to life and few there be that find it There being four gates shut and five exceptions made by Christ against their entering in First there are four gates shut Mat. 25. 12. 1. The gate of hope 2. The gate of grace 3. The gate of mercy 4. The gate of comfort Secondly there are five exceptions made by the Lord Jesus Christ against their entring into heaven The first exception is that in John 3. 3. Jesus answered and said unto him verily verily I say unto thee except a man be born again be cannot see the Kingdome of God 2. Exception is that Mat. 18. 3. Verily I say unto you except ye be converted and become as little children ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven 3. Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish Luke 13. 3. 5. 4. Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood ye have no life in you John 6. 53. 5. Except your righteousnesse shall exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharises ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of heaven Mat. 5. 20. But most of the world will be apt to say Object we grant all this But what is this to us we have confessed our sinnes we have prayed we have repented of our sinnes and in some good measure reformed our lives Beware of temporary faith partial obedience Answ messionary love pretended zeal legal sorrow and feined humility these may have the forme and yet want the power of godlinesse except thy righteousnesse exceed that of the Pharisees thy sacrifice that of Cain's thy confessing of sins that of Pharaoh's thy weeping that of Sauls thy fasting that of Abab's thy reformation that of Jehu's thy restitution that of Judas thy believing that of Simon Maguâ— thy fear and trembling that of Felix these were cast-awaies notwithstanding these were seeming good things Hast thou never read of Pharaoh desiring the prayer of Moses Balaam desiring to die the death of the righteous Saul condemning of himself Ahab humbling himself Ninive repenting Felix trembling Herod hearing John Baptist joyfully and did many things Mark 6. 20. All this mayst thou doe and more thou mayst live rejoycingly and die peaceably and yet perish eternally Consider if thou wert cursed in the wombe born a child of wrath what art thou now having lived so long in sin but the child of hell farr more than thou wast before Psal 58. 3. Job 20. 11. Again if for one fin all the curses of the Law doe lie upon thee as Gal. 3. 10. James 2. 10. what is due to thee for all thy sins If single sins deserve death what doe thy double and treble sins deserve Consider thy often backsliding sinnes against knowledge conscience covenants purposes promises protestations c. Doâ— not all these deserve double and dâ—eper damation viz. Not knowing of God he will not have mercie upon thee Isa 27. 11. compared with 2 Thess 1. 8. Not repenting thou shalt perish Luke 13. 3. Not believing in him thou shalt be damned John 3. 18. Not loving him thou art cursed 1 Cor. 16. 22. Not being zealous according to knowledge he will spew thee out of his mouth Rev. 3. 16. Not being meek thou art abomination to the Lord Prov. 3. 32. Not being mercifull thou shalt have judgement without mercy Jam. 2. 13. Not being holy thou shalt never see the face of the Lord Not washing thy heart from wickedness thou canst not be saved Jer. 4. 14. Therefore ground this in the bottom of thy heart That without true conversion
no farther than to speak to her self she saith to her self if I may but touch his garment I shall bâ—â—whole then Christ spake to her though she would not speak to him to overcome her bashfullness he called her daughter and to overcome her unbelief he bid her be of good comfort he had healed her From how little a spark how greata fire from how little a beginning how great a proceeding she desired but the hemm of his garment and had himself See John 3. 2. Nicodemus he came to Jesus by night who was so weak as being either afraid or ashamed to own Christ in the day he cometh to him by night One would have thought that Christ would have said to him Nicodemus is thy desire after me so saint as that thou fearest to come to me in the day time Or am l so unworthy as not to be owned but out of fight Hast thou either so low an esteem of me or bearest thou so little love to me Goe return as thou camest I will not accept of thee in the dark who wouldest not acknowledg me in the light No no Christ hath not one syllable of this he knew that Nicodemus was but a beginner and therefore entertaines him and insâ—ructs him in the new birth John 3. 5. Except a man be born of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God c. Consider there is none effect of election before illumination and effectual vocation the elâ—â—t themselves are said before to be children of wrath as well as others Ephes. 2. 3. Some affirme that in this act of Vocation the seeds or root of faith is wrought in the heart which may be true onely under correction I doe verily think it is not exercised but in part the Soul doth exercise but little more than to give credit to what is written which some call the faith of credence giving credit to what is written which others call the Faith of assent this undoubtedly is wrought in the heart either in the work of Illumination or in estectual Vocation now effectual Vocation or special effectual Calling is attended or accompanied with Viz. 1. The Faith of assent 2. Repentance 3. Conversion 4. Regeneration Now most of these words are used in Scripture to expresse the same work upon the soul as Mr Baxster affirmes or rather as the Scripture teacheth us c. 1. That special effectual Calling is attended or accompanied with the Faith of assent or credence See Mat. 8. 2. The Leper did assent to the power of Christ that he was able to clense him saying Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean surely Vocation is accompanied with a bare naked assent to every truth revealed by God 2. It is accompanied with Repentance which conteineth two things The first is a hearty sorrow that ever he sinned The second is a turning from that sinne to God or there is a turning from a state of sinne and misery unto God our only remedy this Repentance is wrought by the Ministry both of Law and Gospel the thunders of the Law terrifie and the dews of the Gospel mollifie there is nothing breaks the heart more than mercy nothing melts a man more than the mercies of God which he hath abused the consideration of this opens all the springs in thee the soul is not able to stand stubborn under it 2 Cor. 7. 9 10 11. 3. This special effectual Calling is accompanyed with Conversion which is a work of the Spirit of Christ in a sensible lost undone sinner by the Doctrine of Christ by which he effectually changeth the minde heart and life from the creature to God in Christ the parts of this Conversion are these three First it is a change of the minde Secondly of the heart Thirdly of the life c. In the moment of Conversion God works that blessed work which shall never be undone In a word that is wrought in an instant which shall remain for ever 4. This effectual Calling is accompanied with Regeneration which doth make so great a change that a man is as it were an other man so that this word Regeneration is more comprehensive than Conversion Repentance or Vocation 2 Cor. 5. 17. He that is in Christ is a new creature old things are past away behold all things are become new Mark every man that is in Christ that is thus converted every true Christian then is a new creature not in substance but in quality all things are become new a true converted man he hath new love new desires new sorrow new delight new resolution and a new conversion Vocation Conversion and Regeneration is wrought in an instant God in saying live makes the soul to live as it is in the first so it shall be in the second Resurrection in a moment in the twinkling of an eye whiles God speaks the word the dead shall rise 1 Cor. 15. 52 c. 3. The next step to get out of a state of death into a state of life is to trust or believe in the Lord. I know there be many that doth make this the first step to salvation which I hear them say but not prove sure I am no man can have grace without knowledge for who can hate sinne till he knoweth it and the evil of it and who can love God or believe in him till he know him to be merciful able and faithfull who can do the duty that he understandeth not or go the way to heaven that he is ignorant of so that illumination must needs be the first step but withall it is granted that the Spirit of God either in Illumination or Vocation doth cause the first act of faith in the heart and by that act a habit is effected and therewith the seed of all graces For the habit of faith saith Master Norton seemeth not to be infused alone before the other habits of saving grace The universal frame of saving grace is infused into the soul at once as one general habit so that the infusion of life into the heart or soul hath its being all at once and is uncapable of division into parts and so the habit of faith seemeth not to be infused alone before or after the other saving graces so that I am not speaking of what comes into the soul first but what the soul doth put forth and act first in order to its coming out of a state of nature into a state of grace Two things are here of an absolute necessity to our salvation the one is to believe unfainedly that Christ is the Redeemer of the world and that there is no other way of salvation but by him Acts 4. 12. Iohn 14. 6. Iohn 10. 1 7 8 9. The second is to accept of him as he is offered to us in the Gospel and so faith instates a soul in the possession of heaven whilst the body remains on the earth Now in this third step of trusting in God or believing in him the soul
himself out c. Of the preparations or qualifications that we are to find in our selves before we lay hold on Christ and the promise Conversion and Regeneration Vocation and Repentance are but four words to hold forth as it were one and the self same thing Of the way step by step how the Lord in his ordinary dispensation in these Gospel-dayes doth lead a soul as it were by the hand out of a state of nature into a state of grace First by enlightning the soul Secondly by calling him effectually Thirdly by enabling him to believe Fourthly by giving him the spirit of prayer by which he prayes for more light to see his sins and then for pardoning mercy and for purging mercy Fifthly the Lord doth cause the soul secretly to give it self up to God and so he comes to surrender all its own supposed interest that he had in himself unto God that made it and unto Christ that hath dearly purchased it then there follweth the meanâ— to be used to breed and beget grace and to convert the soul First to keep close to grace-begetting Ordinances viz. hearing the Word preached reading the Scriptures and frequent and earnest prayer Secondly to dwell much upon grace-begetting promises Thirdly to frequent the company of grace-begetting and soul-converting companions Fourthly to call to mind and meditate upon grace-begetting considerations Fisthly to gather and to treasure up grace-begetting and soul-converting experiences and so to be diligent in the use of many other means for the confirming sealing and assuring the soul of salvation these and many other subordinate branches thou hast here presented in a little room and a few words c. Now to proceed a little farther in this great work and so to draw towards a close let the Reader consider these things following viz. 1. If we remain in an unconverted estate let us blame our selves only for the want of conversion is not in God for he makes use of all means and wayes to convert us 2. We shall present the Reader with some of the principal hinderances of Conversion 3. Consider the sad and miserable condition of the unconverted 4. The trials of conversion by which a man may know whether he be converted yea or no 5. The priviledges and benefits of all that are converted 6. Certain Objections answered which some out of weakness and others out of prejudice may be apt to make against the foregoing discourse and so I shall close up this Book The want of Conversion iâ— not in God but in our selves he makes use of all means and waies to convert us 1. Our conversion and salvation is not a thing impossible for a new and living way is consecrated for us by Christ through the vail his flesh and by his blood we may have boldness to enter into the Holiest he hath borne our burthen he hath removed the impossibilities and nailed to his Cross the hand-writing that was against us Coll. 2. 14 15. So that if any of us perish it is for want of grace in us not for want of satisfaction by the Redeemer salvation is brought even to our doors and thrust in as it were into our hands we have Christ himself offered us and pardon life and salvation with him we have God himself waiting to be gracious and beseeching us to be reconciled to him 2 Cor. 5. 19 20. We have the Lords Embassadors intreating us in his Name and stead the Lord hath provided excellent and plentiful means with promise upon promise of his presence with and blessing upon us in the use of them and if the Spirit make not these means effectual it will not be long of him but of our selves God himself presents and offereth us mercy Prov. 1. 23. and continues his Ordinanceâ— the Angels waits for the joy that is due to them upon our conversion Ministers are preaching and praying for our conversion godly friends and neighbours are praying and longing to see this work wrought in us See Mr. Baxâ—ers Call to the unconverted in the Preface We study plainness of speach to make them understand we come with serious piercing words to make them feel but they will neither understand nor feel if the greatest matters would work with them we should awake them if the sweetest things would work we should intice them if the most dreadful things would work we should affright them if truth and certainty would take with them we should soon convince them if the God that made them and the Christ that bought them might be heard the case would soon be altered with them if Scripture might be heard we should soon prevail if the best and strongest reason might be heard we should speedily convince them if experience might be heard even their own experience the matter would soon be mended yea if the conscience within them might be heard the case would soon be better with them than it is but if the dreadful God of Heaven be slighted who then shall be regarded If the blood of a Redeemer be made slight of what then shall be valued If the joyes of Heaven is not worth the desiring and the torments of Hell the avoiding what shall we do for such souls as these c Now if after all these and the like means Man will not turn it is not long of God that they are not converted but of themselves so that Mans destruction is of himself James 1. 15. So earnest is God for the conversion of sinners that he doubleth his commands and exhortations Turn ye turn ye why will ye dy Ezek. 33. 11. Again it is the promise of God that the wicked shall live if they will but turn nay the Lord hath confirmed it to us by an oath That he hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked See the forementioned place Ezek. 33. 11. Nay farther the Lord condescendeth to reason the cause with all unconverted sinners as to ask them why they will dy in their sinnes See the forementioned place Ezek. 33. 11. Compared with 2 Pet. 3. 9. The Lord is long-suffering not willing that any should perish c. Some of the principal hinderances of Conversion 1. The first Hindrance is ignorance both of their own misery and Gods mercy the kingdome of Satan is a kingdome of darkness and himself the ruler of darkness and the mist and blackness of darkness is reserved to him and his servants for ever Jude 6 13. compared with John 3. 19. this is condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darkness rather than light So that if the Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not lest the glorious Gospel of Christ should shine unto them but those that are converted can truly say we were once darkness but now we are light in the Lord Ephes 5. 8. 2. Hindrance of conversion is men think it to be either an easie work or a
5. He calls them his sons and daughters 2 Cor. 6. 18. 6. He calls them the Bride the Lambs wife Rev. 21. 9. 7. He calls them co-heirs with himself Rom. 8. 17. And if all this be too little to express his heart to them then he tells them that the Father loveth them with the same love for the quality of it wherewith he loveth Christ what shall I say more they have the glory of God to be their aime the word to be their rule the spirit to be their guide the angels to be their guard and the blessed promises to be their support and as by vertue of their oneness with the first Adam his sin was made theirs so by vertue of their oneness with the second Adam his righteousness is made theirs nay farther they have by vertue of converting grace union with Christ and so communion with the life and Spirit of Christ with the death and sufferings of Christ with the merits and victories of Christ with the priviledges and immunities as Adoption Son-ship c. The trials of Conversion by which a man may know whether he be converted yea or no. LEt the Reader make a curious narrow impartial diligent search into his own soul and see what humility what self-denial what sin-abhorrancy what love to Christ what delight in his ordinances what zeal for Gods glory what contempt of the world what desiring after the society of the Saints what sympathising in their afflictions and if thou findest any impressions of grace any spiritual work any saving savoury distinguishing operation upon thy soul and heart then the Spirit hath been there with his cure and thou art as certainly born again as thou wast born first but these graces thus planted in the heart at first are full of imperfections there is some darkness with your light some enmity with your love much hardness of heart with your mourning for sin and much worldly sorrow in your purest tears much pride with your humility much murmuring with your patience and therefore great care is to be taken in the laying down these trials or marks of conversion for as we are to put a difference between gifts and grace and internal and external marks and signs so also we are to distinguish between those that are strong in grace and those that are weak in grace that have but little grace and this will be of great use to Christians that are but of a lower forme new converts having but little grace yet they may know that little they have though as yet they have not attained strength of grace yet they may know the truth of grace in themselves although they come short of strong believers yet they shall know they go beyond the most shining hypocrite for the least measure of grace is better than the greatest measure of gifts But we come to the trials of the new birth by which a man may know whether he is born again yea or no. 1. He that is truly converted doth desire the word and means of grace 1 Pet. 2. 2. 2. He is either willing or willing to be made willing to do whatsoever the Lord doth command him though it be never so contrary to flesh and blood Gal. 1. 16. 3. He is brought unto an unseined hatred of the whole body of sin Rom. 7. 24. compared with Philip. 3. 21. 4. His greatest and hottest mournings and strivings is against his inward pollution his close spiritual and secret sins Psal 19. 12. compared with Psal 90. 8. 5. He often mourns for the sins of others and for the want of growth in himself Lam 16. 3. 48. 6. He doth love to be speaking of those great and saving truths which his heart hath taken in in the work of conversion 7. He doth begin to keep a watch over his own heart 8. He makes conscience of keeping every known command 9. He is willing to put himself upon the tryal and to have any Christian search him and sometimes he intreats the Lord to search him Psal 139. 23. Lam. 3. 40. 10. He that is born again or truly converted haâ—h his soul renewed in its faculties and vertues c. These are such flowers of Paradise that grows not in Natures garden until the new man was put on and the party renewed in the spirit of his mind until Christ was formed in him for these are pearls that are not to be found in the worlds field wherefore we shall speak something to each of them briefly but before I proceed further let me give the Reader this caution Let not every one think he is not converted unless he finde these and the like characters of a true conversion in him if he finde but something of every thing if it be but in the budding in the breeding in the beginning his state may be good for when he is a well grown Christian these things will more and more clearly appear at the first conversion a man hath as it were but the root of them c. 1. He that is indeed born againe and so converted doth desire the word and means of grace 1 Pet. 2. 2. as new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that they may grow thereby There the apostle makes it a resemblance of a spiritual man a man spiritually new born will desire after the meanes of grace that he may grow in grace by milk is here meant the word of God which is compared to milk First because of the sweetness of it Psal 19. 10. and Psal 119. 103. Secondly because of the purity of it it is without falshood Psal 19. 18. and 119. 140 and Thirdly because of the nourishing property thereof 2 Tim. 3. 16 17. When the Lord begets one by the immortal seed of his word he teacheth him to rest upon the word of promise which indureth for ever tendred in the Gospel indeed tho whole word of God is sincere milk whereby we grow and the old and new Testament may be called the Brests of consolation but if we grow not it is because we feed not we play with the breast c. 2. He that is indeed born againe he is either willing or at least willing that the Lord should make him willing to observe and do whatsoever the Lord doth command him though it be never so contrary to flesh and blood Acts. 9. 9. Lord what will thou have me to do How willing Paul was to lay down his first commission to take up another So Psal â—10 3 thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power They are willing to hear speak Lord for thy servant heareth they are willing to do Lord what wilt thou have me to do Psal 119. 5. Oh that my waies were directed to keep thy statutes Again David sets down another character of a godly man Psal 1. 2. His delight is in the Law of the Lord and Paul after conversion speaks of himself that his delight was in the Law of God as concerning the
Answ The best way to mortifie our flesh with the Affections and Lusts is to meditate on the mercies of God which is one of the most powerfull Arguments to perswade and prevail with a Soul to leave sin Psal 26. 3 4. For thy loving kindnesse is before mine eyes and I have walked in thy truth 1 John 3. 3. he that hath this hope in him purifieth himself as he is pure I have read of five men that were studying what was the best way to mortifie sin The first said to meditate of death the second said to meditate of judgement to come the third said to meditate on the joys of Heaven the fourth said to meditate on the torments of Hell which is the wages of sin the fifth said to meditate on the blood and sufferings of Iesus Christ And certainly the last is the strongest motive of all to mortifie sin surely it is the appearance of Gods grace to us which works a hope of glory in us and this hope of glory doth purifie 1 Ioh. 3. 3. both in kind and degree 2 Cor. 7. 1. Let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse both of flesh and spirit Rom. 8. 13. And so by the Spirit we come to mortifie the deeds of the flesh he that hath the strongest Faith hath the holyest life Sanctification ariseth from Justification let us then make war against our Lusts in the strength of Christ still seeking unto him for assisting grace for as we have said before in this Treatise strength to perform any duty to exercise any grace to subdue any Lust to resist any temptation to bear any affliction is derived only from Christ Quest What is or who is the object of Faith A. God the Father Son holy Ghost is the object of saving Faith no man was ever saved without this for no man ever called upon God but by the help of the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12. 3. As no man can say that Jesus is the Christ so neither can any man say that God is God but by the holy Ghost neither did God ever hear any man that prayed unto him for salvation but for his Sons sake we are in order not in time to believe first in Christ by Christ in God 1 pet 1. 21. Who by him do believe in God We are commanded to believe in Christ 1 Joh 3. 23. and this is his commandement that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ for Christ as Redeemer is the mediate not the ultimate object of Faith for we believe by Christ in God as before As Christ is the object of divine worship Asts 7. 59. And of saving hope Collo 1. 27. And of our greatest love 1 Cor. 16. 22. And of our absolute service Rom. 14. 9. 18. So he is the object of our divine Faith together with the Father and the Holy Ghost so John 14. 1. compared with Acts 20 21. as God in Trinity is the object of Faith so the Scripture seems to be the ground of Faith First the Lord presents us with a command to believe 1 Ioh. 3. 23. and a promise of Salvation to them that believe Mar. 16. 16. and it is the duty of all that do hear the Gospel to believe Mar. 1. 15. Iohn 3. 18. Iohn 15. 22. 16. 7. In the begetting or breeding of Faith in the heart is manifested both the inability of Man and the ability of God here appears the evil of the Spirit of corrupt nature and the good of the Spirit of Grace Sarah her conceiving of Isaac whose birth was a figure of Regeneration was a great work a miracle so Mary her conception of Christ by the power command and blessing of the holy Ghost was also a great work a miracle but for Christ to be formed in the Soul by believing is as great if not a greater work see Ephes 1. 19 20. Quest What incouragement and grounds are there to provoke or perswade us to believe Answ There are many I will instance only in a few which may be reduced to these two heads viz. 1. The benefits in doing it 2. The hurt or danger in neglecting it 1. The benefits that doe attend those that doe believe and they are these 1. By believing we honour God our Creator Christ our Redeemer and the holy Ghost our Sanctifier Iohn 3. 33 compared with Rom. 3. 34. 2. By believing we come to be established Isay 7. 9. 3. By believing we shall be kept in perfect peace Isay 26. 34. compared with Rom. 5. 1. 4. Whosoever believeth in him shall not be ashamed Rom 9. 33. 5. Our naked believing in God and cleaving to him in his free promises will carry down all our distempers at once and fill our Souls with joy and peace in believing 6. This is the way to have God take pleasure in us Psalm 147. 11. the Lord taketh pleasure in those that hope in his mercy Psalm 33. 18. the eyes of the Lord is upon them that fear him upon them that hope in his mercy 7. Our believing doth instate the Soul in the possession of Heaven whiles the body remains on â—arth Iohn 3. 36. 8. For our incouragement to believe consider Christ outbids all Merchants for thy Soul he out-bids the World Sin and Sathan they do not present pardon remission redemption salvation but Christ doth present these and many more such like choyse things 2. Let us consider the evil of Unbelief and the misery that doth attend it it is a dishonouring of God a denying of Christ it as much as in it lyeth makes void the great Counsel of God and purposes of his mercy viz. 1. We do what lyes in us make void Gods end in sending Christ his end was that we might believe and live for ever in blessednesse 2. We as much as in us lyes make void the death of Christ all his sufferings and bloodshed to be to no purpose 3. We make void what lyes in us the great counsel of God and all the thoughts of his wisedom in contriving such a way to advance his glory in the salvation of man 4. By continuing in a state of Unbelief we rob Christ of the reward and fruit of all his sufferings and death 5. We wrong God by our Unbelief we obscure his glory we limit his power we contemn his wisedom we give a lye to his truth we abuse his love we slight and reject all the Precious thoughts of his mercy and grace we proclaim the Devil a Conquerour and lift him up above Christ himself Iuâ—as did sin more by Unbelief and despairing than by his betraying of Christ as might be gathered from Scripture 6. We hasten damnation to our selves Iohn 3. 18 36 Were we in Adams created innocency then we need not to look after a Saviour but we are all fallen but we are broken but we are sold under sin but we are transgressors from the wombe but we are by nature the children of disobedience and wrath What shall I say more