himself hath contracted it into a very brief but full 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The ten Commandments a brief abstract of the whole Law Three Modules delivered by Christ in his first Sermon or Module in the ten Commandments which are called ten words Deut. 4.13 because they are the briefest Epitome of the Law And thus our Saviour as he laid down the great and larger draught of Gospel-doctrine so also in his Sermons he hath left some shorter forms or types of necessary points and principles of Religion exempli gratiâ in his first Sermon after he entred upon his publick Ministry he hath drawn up three very concise and most excellent Modules 1. Of beatitudes Mans summum bonum The first Module contains the beatitudes A list of particulars wherein mans true and chiefest happinesse doth consist Matth. 5. from the third verse to the twelfth wherein he doth totally crosse the judgment of the blinde world writing blessednesse where the world writes woe and woe where the world writes blessednesse Credenda These we may call the credenda Articles of faith to be believed by all those that would be accounted Christs Disciples The second Module contains a list of duties things to be done by every one that would be saved This our Saviour doth by asserting and expounding the Moral Law from the seventeenth verse to the end of the Chapter confuting and reforming the false glosses which the Scribes and Pharisees had put upon the ten Commandm nts thereby making the Law of God of none effect Facienda And these we may call the facienda things to be done The third Module contains a list of petitions which in the sixth Chapter from the ninth verse to the sixteenth he commends to his Disciples and in them to all succeeding generations of the Church as a form or directory of prayer Not that Christians should alwayes confine themselves to the words Petenda 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but conform to the matter in their supplications at the Throne of grace After this manner pray ye And these we may call the petenda things to be prayed for The Apostles method in their Epistles The Epistle to the Romans the Christian Catechisme The holy Apostels tread in our Saviours steps you may observe in all their Epistles that in the former part of them they generally lay down a Module of Gospel-principles and in the latter part a Module of Gospel-duties The Epistle to the Romans is upon this account justly called by some of the Antients The Christians Catechisme As containing an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or list of the chief Articles of the Christian Religion for although the principal designe of the Apostle be to discusse that prime Evangelical doctrine of justification in the negative and affirmative part of it Neg. not in works Affir in a free gratuitous imputation of the righteousnesse of Christ applied by faith together with the grounds evidences and fruits thereof yet occasionally according to the wisdome given unto him he doth with a most profound and admirable art interweave other deep and fundamental points of Religion scilicet A parallel between the a Chap. 5. two Adams The doctrine of Original sinne The corruption and depravation of b Chap. 7. nature The doctrine of grace chap. 7. The merit and efficacy of Christs death and resurrection Chap. 6. The doctrine of AFFLICTION and the use of it to believers Chap. 8. The mysteries of Election and Predestination Chap. 9. The excoecation and rejection of the Jews Chap. 10. The vocation of the Gentiles Chap. 11. with the restituion of the seed of Abraham c. And when he hath finished the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of doctrinal principles he winds up the Epistle with a short but full delineation of Evangelical duties wherein he doth bring down those principles unto practice The former part of the Epistle is the DOCTRINE the latter part is the VSE I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God c. The whole Epistle to the Hebrews is nothing else as it were but a delineation of the THREE OFFICES OF JESUS CHRIST King Priest Prophet The Epistle to the Hebrews Especially his Priestly office with a most profound and yet dilucid Exposition of those Levitical types and figures which did more obscurely Heb. 10.1 shadow forth Christ under the Law so that in that Epistle as in a Table Christians may behold the Law to be nothing else but Evangelium velatum veiled Gospel and the Gospel to be no other thing than Lex revelata unveiled Ceremony or the Law with the Curtain drawn But there be divers short Modules or Compendiums of Christian doctrine occasionally delineated by the Apostles in their several Epistles In the Epistle to the Galatians within the compasse of five verses the Apostle gives two full Catalogues or Lists chap. 5. The one of sinnes ver 19.20 21. The other of graces ver 22.23 In the Epistle to the Ephesians chap. 5. 6. you have an excellent and compleat Module of Relational duties Of Ver. 22. Wives towards their husbands Ver. 25. Husbands towards their Wives Chap. 6.1 Children towards their Parents Ver. 4. Parents towards their Children Ver. 5. Servants towards their Masters Ver. 9. Masters towards their servants The Epistles to Timothy give us a type or table of Ministerial offices and qualifications yet so as most beautifully adorned with other most precious Evangelical principles the sum whereof is CHRIST 1 Tim. 1.15 This is a faithful saying c. And the principal comprehensive parts FAITH LOVE faith apprehensive and love active These two in my Text many learned men conceive to be intended by Saint Paul as the two great comprehensive fundamentals of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 commended by him unto Timothy his care and fidelity Hold fast the form of sound words the two main branches whereof are FAITH and LOVE but of this more hereafter In the Epistle to Titus the Apostle will furnish you with two short but very perfect systems one in chap. 2. ver 11.12 13 14. Where you have Ver. 11. 1. Gods grace made the original and fountain of all the good we expect from God and perform to God Ver. 11. 2. And this grace issuing it self by Christ for the salvation of the creature Ver. 11. 3. And appearing by the Gospel there you have Scripture intimated and Ver. 12. 4. Teaching us as to the Privative part of obedience to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts terms capacious enough to comprise all sinne As to the positive part to live soberly implying all personal duties for the governing of our selves in our single capacity Righteously implying all duties to our neighbours Ver. 12. godly noting our whole Communion with God in the duties of his worship More cannot be said as to the duty of man Now 5. The encouragements are either from
Saint is able and apt to say Were it not for sin I would not much care for Satan I could defie and bid him do his worst it is the Devil within that makes the Devil without so formidable Now plead but this blood and the guilt of sin is done away Either as 1. Imprinted on the person to condemnation 2. Or reflected by the conscience in accusation 1. Sin is done away by this blood as it binds over to wrath and punishment it 's a spiritual aqua fortis that eates off the souls prison-shakkles Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Sin may remain but it shall not condemn and whence believers have their discharges the Apostle there shews Ver. 3. Suscipiendo poenam non suscipiendo culpam culpam delevit poenam Aug. God sent his own Son in the likenesse of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh If the channel of Christs blood runs through thy soul thou hast shot the gulfe as to condemnation this Scripture brings thee in not guilty and that 's the verdict of a thousand Juryes 2. The blood of Christ abolishes sin as reflected by the conscience in a way of accusation as it raises tumults and turmoyls in the soul and Armes a man against himself It 's a Malignant and mischievous property of sin that it doth not only put the soul into hell but puts hell into the soul Conscience is to sin what the burning-glasse is to the sun-beame twists all together till it scorches smoaks burns and flames but Christs blood hath that in it which is abundantly sufficient to silence and stop the mouth of an angry accusing conscience it 's a soveraign balsome to cure that cancer in the breast a mollifying oyntment and cooling fomentation for those invenomed sin-rankled ulcers that fester and bleed inwardly The blood of sprinkling speaks better things than that of Abel Heb. 12.24 Abels blood was very clamorous in Cains conscience he carryed an hue and cry within himself conscience as a blood-hound hunted him at every turne and its continual cry and eccho in his ears was Vengeance upon the murderer but the blood of Jesus hath in it a pleasant and peaceable voice and hushes all unquiet and tumultuary janglings Applyed by faith it saith to the soules rowling billows that cast up mire and dirt what Christ once said to the raging Sea Peace be still and there is a great calm 5. And the last enemy whose enmity the blood of Christ hath slain is death Not that death is so destroyed to believers that they shall not dye but unstinged that it shall not wound in the vital parts or at once kill bodies and souls The Apostles triumphant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is very remarkable O death 1 Cor. 15.55 57 where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory thanks be to God who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ When a Bee hath fastned its sting in a mans flesh and thereby lost it it ever after they say turnes a drone death once fastned its sting in Christ and hath ever since to them that are in Christ been like a drone that can humme and affright but not sting and hurt them Death now drives a poor trade amongst them it may destroy the body and when it hath play'd that prank it hath done all its fears as a fierce Mastiffe whose teeth are broken out it can bark or rend and tear the tatter'd and thred-bare coate but it cannot bite to the bone How feeble an enemy is death since it travelled and took a walk to the top of Mount Calvary 2. A Believers enemies are not only foyled but through the blood of Christ his person is accepted Eph. 1.6 7. he hath made us accepted in the beloved he hath begraced us in Christ that is the proper importance of the phrase in whom we have Redemption through his blood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If thou art sprinkled with the blood of Christ God will know his own mark upon thee thy person is accepted and services cannot be unacceptable 3. If a believer here is comfort in that thou mayst be assured that Christ is willing to do any thing for thee He is ready in heaven upon all occasions to plead this price and sollicite thy further affaires shew but Christs blood and I dare warrant the golden Scepter held out The Apostles reasoning is unanswerable He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things Rom. 8.32 Saints need never feare putting Christ to too much trouble in any thing they have for him to do for the shedding of his blood and that he hath already done hath been more troublesome and chargeable than any thing they can set him about for the time to come thou needest not fear his denying any thing to thee who hath thus far denyed himself for thee 4. Here is comfort to a believer in that his grace shall be preserved such a soul is too costly a purchase for Christ to lose he paid so dear that he may be trusted to demand and challenge the making good of his bargain if true grace could be totally and finally lost it might be said Christ payes the price and the devil gets the prize Phil. 1.6 He that hath begun a good work in you will performe it untill the day of Jesus Christ And it lies Christ in hand so to do otherwise he will come off a loser Christ is the good Shepherd John 10.11 28 that giveth his life for the Sheep and gives unto them eternal life and they shall never perish Ah how little do they consult Christs honour or the comfort of souls that tell us Believers may perish in sin like rotten sheep in a ditch if so how then shall Christ save his stake that hath been thus much out of purse upon them 5. Here 's yet further comfort to a believer in that by the blood of Christ heaven is opened Heb. 10 19. and we have boldnesse to enter into the holyest by the blood of Jesus Man had no sooner sinned but God sent an Angel to stand Centinel and keep him from Paradise with a flaming sword the blood of Christ hath opened that passage at once blunting the sword and quenching the flame Christ gave up the Ghost at the ninth hour at three in the Afternoon the time of the evening Sacrifice and at the very instant the Veile of the Temple that parted the holy place and holy of holyes was rent asunder so that the Priest who was then Ministring in the holy place had on the sudden a fair and free prospect into the holyest of all which excellently typifies that the death of Christ hath removed and rent away all obstacles and obstructions that might interpose betwixt believers and the blessednesse of glory The Rivers lead to the Sea the
any other grace as love that then would have been currant and have justified us as faith doth now Fifthly God justifieth in a proper sense two ways first 5. How God As a Legislator secondly as a Judge 1. As a Legislator enacting by his Soveraign Authority that sweet and gracious Law of the New Covenant by vertue of whose tenor every sinner that believes is justified from the guilt of sin from which he could not be justified by the Law of Moses Acts 13.38 9. This Law of justification by faith is Gods own act and deed the great Instrumentum pacis between God and man he hath proclaimed his Letters Patents the King of heaven and earth hath in the Gospel our Magna Charta given his Warrant under his own broad Seal that he that believeth shall not be condemned 2. As a Judge the God of heaven may in three respects be said to justifie a Believer First Forthwith upon his believing God owneth him secretly within himself as a person justified God esteems and approves of him as in that state unto which he hath by believing a title good in Law an indefeasible right a justified estate emergeth actually as soon as faith the Law-title thereunto emergeth as a necessary resultance by vertue of the tenor of the Gospel-Law which only justified vertually potentially and conditionally before every Believer in general but now actually absolutely and in particular it justifieth him as a Believer when he is so Secondly At the moment of dissolution God justifieth as the Judge of all the earth passing a private sentence and award unto everlasting life upon every believing soul Thirdly But eminently at the last day when the Ancient of days shall take the Throne and in open Court before the whole Creation by publick sentence for ever acquit and discharge Believers at that great and last Assizes 6. How Works Sixthly Shall I need to adde that Works are said to justifie us Jam. 2.4 because they justifie our faith or demonstrate before God and man and to our own consciences that our faith is not a dead and barren but a true and living one by its fruitfulness in well-doing 7. How the Spirit Seventhly But I must not forget lastly that the Spirit of God is said to justifie us 1 Cor. 6.11 and that two ways first directly by working faith in the heart which is one of the fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 Now Causa causae est etiam causa causati the Spirit justifieth as it is the Author of the justifying grace Secondly reflexively The Divine Spirit clears up justification to a Believers conscience by discovering the truth of faith by working assurance and by sealing a Believer to the day of Redemption The Spirit it self beareth witnesse with our spirits that we are the children of God and if children then heirs c. Rom. 8.16 17. Thus I have at length done with my first Task the opening of the Point which finds it self summed up in this definition Justification is a judicial act of God as Law-giver and Judge of the world gracioussly discharging a Believer for the sake of Christs satisfaction from the condemnation of the Law of Works by the tenor of the Gospel-Law or New Covenant which requireth of accepte h from imputeth unto sinners faith in Christ Jesus as their righteousnesse see Rom. 3.25 6 7 8. Rom. 4.5 Phil. 3.9 To improve it now which was my other task by way of refutation I infer against the Antimonians first Vse Refut That justification is not from eternity 1. Because a person must be charged with guilt before he is justified or discharged but nothing can be before eternity if discharg'd from eternity when was he charged what from eternity too then he will be at once eternally charged with and discharged from guilt which if any excuse from a contradiction they are much wiser than I am 2. My Text convinceth them actual faith is not from eternity therefore not justification before God for if faith justifie us not before God but only at the bar of conscience then there will be no justification at Gods bar at all once mention'd in Scripture for works do it at mans bar what is it I wonder that justifieth from eternity Not Gods decree to justifie for then his decree to glorifie would make glorification from eternity too but Decreta Dei nihil ponunt actu in subjecto Gods decrees are immanent acts and passe nothing actually upon the creature 3. A justified person was actually under condemnation whil'st he was an unbeliever Rom. 3.18 He that believeth not is condemned already but he could not be at all condemned if justified from eternity 4. Saint Paul expressely affirms that the believing Corinthians were not once but now were justified 1 Cor. 6.11 Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus c. Secondly I infer against them that they are dangerously mistaken in thinking that a Believer is righteous in the sight of God with the self-same active and passive righteousnesse wherewith Christ was righteous as though Believers suffered in Christ and obeyed in Christ and were as righteous in Gods esteem as Christ himself having his personal righteousnesse made personally theirs by imputaâ—ion This is their fundamental mistake and from hence tanquam ex equo Trojano issue out a throng of such false and corrupt deductions and consequences as these That God sees no sin in his children that affliction and death are not proper punishments of sin to Believers that all future sins are already actually forgiven as well as past and present that a Believer must not pray for the pardon of sinne but only for the manifestation of it that God loved Noah when drunk Lot when so and besides incestuous David when acting Adultery and Murther Peter when he was cursing and swearing and denying Christ with as high a love of complacency and delight as when coâ—versant in the most spiritual exercises of grace that all which God requires as a sinners duty in the Gospel is to believe that Christ dyed absolutely for him in particular that this is alone true Gospel faith and the doubting or questioning this the unbelief which the Gospel so much condemneth that to argue our justification from our sanctification and gather assurance of Gods love from our love and fear of him is a Legal principle that obedience to Gods Commandments is not properly a Believers debt but that all the obligation which lies upon him to holinesse is only the voluntary expression of his love and gratitude to God not as what is due but what is comely And lastly for I should be tyred to name all that Christ hath kept the Gospel-Covenant for us as well as satisfied the Law So that not only our Legal righteousnesse is without us in Christ our Surety but our Evangelical righteousnesse it self also Now to pluck up all these desperate consequences by
the New Covenant which is a perpetual Law of pardoning repenting and believing sinners whomsoever whensoever but as such Neither was Christs suffering like the Cancelling of a Bond a total discharge of us from suffering the penalty threatened in the Law we dye still and afflictions are punishments still True indeed upon Christs satisfaction made God and he are agreed that a believing sinner should not be punished with the everlasting destructive penalty threatened for whosoever believes shall not perish but they are not that he shall not be John 3.16 for he is punished with the temporal corrective punishments of the threatening as sicknesse and natural death yet even these through infinite goodnesse so ordering and disposing it prove much more a benefit than a penalty to a believer Vse 2 Vse 2. What cause have we then with the lowest and profoundest Humility to adore the Majesty of the living God First To adore his holinesse Reverence those eyes of his that are purer than that they can endure to behold iniquity Hab. 1.13 Let this God be thy dread and awe Dare not to make a mock of sin tremble at the horrid guilt and sinfulnesse of the least sin look upon it as an affront and treason against an Eternal Majesty as worthy the Curse of the Law and the wrath of an Almighty God as that which could not be expiated at a lesser rate than the blood of God Acts 20.28 Secondly to adore his wisdome in finding out such a person to satisfie his justice as our Redeemer Consider here that God could not suffer could not dye Nay could not properly satisfie himself for it had not been a satisfaction to his justice at all but meer mercy and so no justification of a sinner but meer pardon if the person satisfying had been only God Again Consider that a meer creature could never satisfie as I before demonstrated a meer creature had perish't in the attempt would have been overwhelmed and crush't to pieces with that insupportable load the guilt of sin and the wrath of God The person therefore that must satisfie must neither be finite nor infinite neither the creature nor the Creator neither God nor man yet must be both Here now the understandings of men and Angels must have been tyred to all eternity Rom. 11.33 see also Eph. 1.7 8. fully hereunto and lost for ever in a bottomlesse gulf of horror and amazement to finde out such a person O the depth of the riches of the wisdome and knowledge of God! Thirdly To adore the infinite riches of his grace Rom. 3.24 in justification and here consider 1. God might have let man alone seized the forfeiture as the Tree fell it might have lain for ever what obliged God to accept of satisfaction 2. The Redeemer hath trodden the wine-presse alone what ever was done in this satisfaction he did it Of the people there was none with him The sinner hath not the least hand in it could not pay one Christ paid every to the utmost farthing Thirdly It was the Judge himself who contrived this way to justifie us and it was at his cost he gave his Son herein God commended his love to us as Abraham once did his faith to God in that he spared not his son his only begotten son whom he loved So that if we rightly weigh it it will appear that by how much the satisfaction is the fuller by so much the pardon is the freer by how much his justice is the more by so much too is his mercy the more glorified and still still infinitely the more are we obliged Use 3. Consol Here 's unspeakable comfort for every humble though doubting soul every contrite spirit that hungers and thirsts after righteousnesse Vse 3 First Consider how full satisfaction Christ hath made he is able to save to the utmost all that come to God through him he is the beloved Son in whom the Father is well-pleased all power is committed into his hands God hath exalted him to be a Prince and a Saviour to give Repentance and Remission of sins Secondly Consider he inviteth thee as a sinner to come in unto this Gospel-righteousnesse in the general tenor of his Proclamation Whosoever believes c. If any man sin 1 John 2.1 2. we have an Advocate with the Father c. An Whosoever excludes none that excludes not himself Thirdly Consider Christ assures thee that art the person I now speak to he who is the Truth assures thee thou shalt be welcome Matth. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy-laden and I will give you rest c. This is your very case Heark the Master callâ—th you will you not be of good courage and Go when he saith Come he that never yet cast out any that came unto him that never will he saith so himself Thou mayst believe him he never broke his word yet he will not begin with thee he cannot deny himself Fourthly Consider those standing Monuments of Gods free justifying grace that are on record in the Scripture What hath been done may be done again Nay will be done again in the case we speak of by the God that changeth not God hath pardoned as great sinners see Ephraims case Jer. 31.18 see the Corinthians example 1 Cor. 6.10 11. see Pauls 1 Tim. 1.13 Whoever goes and doth likewise shall receive likewise for Christ is yesterday and to day and the same for ever Fifthly Consider it is the very designe of God in giving his Son and of Christ in giving himself to dye for us to justifie such as thou art Isa 16.1 Luke 4.19 20. Jer. 3.12 1 John 5.9 Vse 4. Exhort First To the Unconverted Vse 4 Use 4. Exhort Let me then beseech sinners not to love death Why should iniquity be your ruine There is balme in Gilead there is a Physitian there Why are ye unwilling to be healed Turn ye Turn ye why will ye dye Would it be a hard matter to perswade a condemned person to be willing not to be executed were he not distracted if having a pardon offered upon the easie terms of confessing his fault and serious promising amendment he should bid the Prince keep his Pardon to himself for his part he was in love with his chains he would not be released he would dye Thou art the man whoever thou art that neglectest Gospel-grace what fury and raging madnesse is it that thou art guilty of Thy soul with all its eternal interests lies at stake and as if it were neither here nor there what became of thee for ever thou despisest the riches of Gods forbearance after thy hardnesse and impenitent heart Rom. 2.4 5. treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath Is it well done of thee sinner is this thy kindnesse to thy own soul is this thy thanks to thy Redeemer How inexcusable art thou thy self being Judge thou canst not answer it to thy conscience to thy God with the least colour or shadow
his Saviour with an I thank God through Jesus Christ I have gained the victory The weary and heavy laden are the men invited to Christ for ease and refreshment Mat. 11.28 for indeed such onâ—y seek him and can be satisfied in him and duly savour him the full stomach of a proud Pharisee loaths the honey-comb of Christ his righteousnesse whil'st to the hungry appetite of the humbled sinner the bitterest passions of a Saviour are exceeding sweet the deeper the sense of misery the sweeter is the sense of mercy How acceptable is the fountain of living waters to the chased panting heart Deus oleum non infundit nisi in vas contritum Bern. and the blood of Christ to the thirsty soul and conscience scorched with the sense of Gods wrath the broken and the contrite heart is the only Sacrifice acceptable to God the wounded Samaritan is the fit object of his compassion a Mary Magdalene cannot but love much when looking on her sins she seeth much is forgiven 2. To set them at enmity with sin and in due submission to his sacred Will Sin is natural to the sons of men and only smart for it will make us sick and willing to be rid of it untill God bring Israel into affliction they regard him not but then they seek him daily Hosea 5.14 An unbroken sinner is as unfit for Gods instruction as an unbroken Colt for the saddle or unfallowed ground for seed Manasseh his Bonds break in him the power of his sin â— Chron. 33.12 and the shakings of the prison to the heart-ake of the Jaylor makes him pliable to divine pleasure Act. 16.30 What shall I do to be saved Sense of sin is a principle of submission under affliction Why should a living man complaine for the punishment of his sin Sins revival unto remorse of conscience constrains Pauls outcry O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of corruption the humbled heart gives an heedy eare to divine instruction They are not stiff-necked but give their hand to the Lord to be led by him 2 Chron. 30.8 and therefore God will teach the humblâ— his way Psal 25.9 A bruised heart is like soft waxe prepared for divine impression so that to the end Christ may be of esteem as a Lord and Saviour the penitent soul must on due conviction cry out Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow my self before the High God shall I come before him witâ— burnt-offerings with Calves of a year old will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rams or ten thousand rivers of oyle shall I give my fiâ—st-born for my transgression or the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul Micah 6.6 7. And to the end we may be set against sin it must sting the conscience and so work us into a willingnesse to do or suffer the Will of God making us with earnestnesse and resolution cry when pricked at the heart What shall we do to be saved so that a sight of and sorrow for sin as committed against God are parts of and essential to true repentance only before I passe from this Conclusion let it be noted that they are precursive acts Repentance cannot be constituted without them but they are precursive such as alwayes go before sometimes yea too often at least in shew and appearance without true Repentance Judas is convinced of and cast down for sin unto utter despaire crying out I have sinned in betraying innocent blood And Ahab may humble himself in all external expressions and many internal operations of the soul and yet never be turned unto the Lord. We may not indeed deny that humiliation especially in the external acts and expressions goeth many times without conversion and compleated repentance and so we must needs conclude Conviction is not true grace or an estate of saving holinesse but that sad complaints of guilt may passe from Reprobates and damned soules yet we must remember Repentance or conversion never goeth without humiliation sight of and sorrow for sinne In the order of nature men must be convinced of and confounded for the evil from which they are converted we cannot hate and avoid the evil we do not know and know to afflict us and the order of Scripture doth alwayes call to a communing with our hearts that we may stand in awe and not sin Psal 4.5 a searching and trying our wayes before we turn unto the Lord the Law must do its work as a Schoolmaster to every soule that is brought to Christ and the Gospeâ— ever sends the prick into the h art of such as repent unto remission of sin Acts 2.37 38. and the spirit of bondage before the spirit of Adoption of power love and a sound minde Rom. 8.15 Preaching Repentance is the opening the blind eye and the bringing the Prodigal into his right minde that in the sense of his sad estate he may go unto his father and seek mercy The work of the Word is to make them sinners of sense that shall come to Christ for cure to cast down all proud imaginations and every high thought which exalteth it self and so to bring into obediâ—nce to Christ 2 Cor. 10.5 to affect men with guilt and danger that they may with fervency cry What shall we do to be saved to convince that the issues of death will be the end of the way in which they now walk that they may flee with desire and returne without delay In a word to affect the heart with the high transgressions of Gods holy Law the disobedience of a gracious Father and offence done to infinitenesse that the soule may down on its knees prostrate it self at the foot-stoole of mercy fly to Jesus Christ as its Redeemer Surety and alone satisfaction and so sue out its pardon by a serious return to God and these are as it were the pangs of the New Birth natural and necessary though sometimes abortive and miscarrying the first part of sincere repentance though not alwayes successeful to perfect and compleat it for although we must not call the convinced conscience a Gospel-Convert yet the Convert is alwayes convinced sense of and sorrow for sin is no infallible sign of saving grace yet saving grace and sincere repentance is never wrought without a sight of and sorrow for sin as committed against God for this is the precursive act of true repentance and whenever God will seale up under impenitency he stops the passage and possibility of humility making the eare heavy and the eye dim and the heart hard lest they should see with their eyes hear with their eares and be of humbled hearts and so be converted Mat. 13.15 And so much for the third Conclusion but again in the nature of repentance we must Note Conclusion 4 Turning from all sin to God is the formality of true repentance Sincere conversion is the summa totale and ratio formalis of a Gospel-penitent Remorse for sin without a