Article of Religion is held forth in such Scriptures as these In the Lord shall all the house of Israel be justified and shall glory Isa 45.25 This is the Name whereby he shall be called speaking of Jesus Christ The Lord our righteousness Jer. 23.6 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption which is in Jesus Christ Rom. 3.23 But to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works Rom. 4.5 6. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus who is made of God unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 Most excellently doth the holy Scripture set sorth this Point telling us That there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus that their Sins are blotted out remembred no more cast into the depths of the Sea not imputed unto them cast behind Gods back and that in Christ Believers are righteous all fair and no spot in them God beholding them cloathed and beautified in the best Robe the Garment of Salvation he is not ashamed to be called their God and their Father but taketh them near unto him to stand before him for ever The Lords marrying of a Soul to Christ by giving us Faith in him doth actually acquit us from the debt of Sin Christ our heavenly Husband answereth all As we need no more to bring us into an actual state of Condemnation but that we come to be actually in the first Adam so we need no more to our actual Justification then that we be actually in Christ the second Adam who is a root of Justification and communicateth Righteousness to all that are in him As there is a Fountain and first Vnion between Adam and his Posterity in the Covenant of Works So there is a Fountain and first Vnion between Christ and the Elect in the Covenant of Redemption And as Wrath and Condemnation stand ready to seize upon us as soon as we come to be actually in Adam because of what he hath done in our own room as our Head and publick Person So Life and Justification stand ready to be bestowed upon the Elect as soon aâ— they come to be actually in Christ because of what he hath done and suffered iâ— their room and stead As we are not actually in Adam till wâ— come to be quickned in the Womb of Nature So we are not actually in Christ tiâ—â— we come to be quickned in the Womb oâ— Grace As when we come actually to have imputed to us the Guilt of Adams Sin we have an inherent taint and corruption of our Nature from him So when we come to have the Righteousness of Christ actually imputed to us we have inherent Grace and Sanctification of our Nature from him So that as the first Adam is the Root both of Condemnation and Corruption to us So the second Adam is the Root both of Justification and Sanctification to us When the Scripture saith We are justified by Faith it is not meant that we are justified by it as a work or quality but that by this Grace of Faith we receive Christ who justifies us The Righteousness by which we are justified is a righteousness without us the righteousness of another wrought by another inherent in another it is the righteousness of Christ God-Man That Robe of Righteousness which covers our Sins is put on by Faith and we wear it here and for ever in Heaven But though it be upon us as the Apostle speaketh the righteousness of God which is by faith in Jesus Christ is unto all and upon all them that believe Rom. 3.22 Yet it is never inherent in us but only imputed to us No man under Heaven hath a persect Legal righteousness of his own to justifie him therefore he must have an Evangelical righteousness that is a righteousness that answers the Law but is brought to light by the Gospel No man hath a righteousness of his own to justifie him therefore he must have the righteousness of another even the righteousness of Jesus our Lord. Justification is perfect when we first believe in Christ though not as to our participation of all the joy and comfort and blessed effects of it so it extends it self to everlasting yet 't is perfect in it self because the righteousness of Christ which we receive in our first believing is a perfect righteousness we never have any other to justifie us at Gods Bar neither do we need any other We rejoyce and glory more and more in the righteousness of Christ are more taken with this best Robe and are more thankful for it But this Robe of righteousness that covers Sins and makes us lovely in the eyes of the Lord is the same for ever Justification and Sanctification must by no means be confounded The Grace of Justification is for one purpose the Grace of Sanctification for another Justification is for the taking away of the guilt of sin Sanctification for the taking away of the filth and power of it Justification brings us into a state of favour and acceptation with God Sanctification is to enable us to walk suitable to this New and happy Estate The Lord Jesus is not our Half-Saviour and works the other half or any part of a Saviour but Christ is All in this business There is a washing of Regeneration which is also from Christ our Saviour Titus 3.5 But this is of another nature and to other ends and purposes then the washing of Justification Not only Ministers but all Believers should labour to have a clear and distinct knowledge of the Doctrine of Justification for it is our Life When the Apostle James saith That Abraham was justified by works the meaning is That he was approved declared and manifested to be a true Believer by his works When the Holy Scriptures speaks of the Lords giving rewards and eternal life upon working and obedience Those Scriptures must be understood declaratively not casually that is as nothing and declaring who are the persons to whom he gives eternal life and not as shewing the cause thereof for that is only his free grace in Christ Likewise those Scriptures shew the certain connexion that there is between Grace and Glory that where the Lord freely gives Glory hereafter there he gives Grace here What is Glory in heaven for the substance of it but Grace Holiness and Communion with God perfected So that such Scriptures hold forth no more but this That whom the Lord justifies freely by his Grace in Christ and sanctifieth in him he trains them up in holiness obedience and fellowship with him until he brings them to the fulness of that which at first they have but the last and the first fruits of So that when afterwards in this Discourse I speak of a saving work of the Spirit wrought in those whom the Lord bringeth unto life You must not
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
believe the Doctrine of Religion so as that he maketh no question of the truth thereof he doth well and he ought to be thankful for this common light and help of the spirit for all men have not this Faith of Assent to the truth of Christian Religion Yea at some special seasons of temptation a Child of God may be much troubled about some main points of the Gospel but the God of all Grace will after they have seen their own weakness a while and been greatly humbled established them and settle them again But I say that a meer Assent to the truth of Religion is not enough to prove a man to be converted for that may be without the true love and liking of Religion in the heart That believing in Christ which is peculiar to those that are saved may be thus described It is a principle infused by the Spirit of God into the heart whereby a poor sinner inlightned to see the truth of Christian Religion and convinced of his lost and miserable estate by sin and taken off from all hope and confidence in himself doth trust and rely upon Jesus Christ our great high Priest and Mediatour to be pardoned and accepted and be made an Heir of Eternal life through him The nature of this Grace may be further understood by considering how it is set forth by various expressions in the Scripture 1. 'T is called a trusting in Christ or a hoping in Christ Ephes 1.12 13. That we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth Now this Expression holds forth thus much to us That when a poor Sinner is convinced of his miserable estate by sin if the Lord have a gracious purpose to him he will take him off from trusting in any thing in himself to justifie him in Gods sight and reveal the Lord Jesus Christ to him the onely Redeemer and mighty to save and so enable the poor Sinner to trust in him and lay the whole weight and stress of his Soul upon him 2. Believing in Christ is called a flieing for refuge to lay hold upon the hope that is set before us in the Gospel Heb. 6.18 When the Soul is said to flee for refuge it is an illusion to the City of refuge under the Law to which the Man-slayer was to flee from the Avenger of blood and it is to shew that when the Lord converts a Sinner he maketh him see the danger he is in he maketh him cry out O the Avenger of blood O the wrath of God is fit to overtake me How shall I escape What shall I do The Lord fills a poor Sinner with fear and solicitousness about his condition as the Man-slayer under the Law was about the saving of his life from the Avenger of blood If the Lord take delight in us to make us his people he will convince us of sin and make us see that the Curse of the Law is pursuing of us to take vengeance on us for our sins and make us cry out for a City of refuge and will shew us that all other things are but refuges of lies and that the Lord Jesus is the onely City of refuge and safety for a poor Sinner to flee unto he is the strong City the salvation that is in him will be as Walls and Bulwarks about a poor guilty Sinner for ever that gets into him Till Sinners be sensible of sin and see in what an evil case and condition they are the vengeance of eternal fire being ready to seize upon them they regard not a City of refuge what care they for Jesus Christ let others look after him and take him that see their need of him they apprehend no danger in their present condition they see no need of an Ark for the saving of their Souls they see no deluge of wrath coming till it may be 't is too late and then they cry out an Ark an Ark a Christ a Christ when their day of Grace is past They see no need of a City of refuge they think they are safe and well enough what should they sear till it may be the time is past and the Gate of the City of refuge shut against them then O who shall bring us into the strong City Who will bring us into the City of refuge O a Christ a Christ to save me or else I am now even now sinking into the bottomless Pit But as many as are ordained to eternal life shall believe on the Name of the Son of God to them he shall be precious they shall make him their strong City their hiding place their Tower of defence and City of refuge There is another Expression in this place to set forth the work of believing and the Nature of it when the Apostle shews that the design of the Soul in its coming to Christ is to lay hold upon the hope that is set before us in him namely the hope of pardon salvation and eternal life The Lord shews a poor Sinner that as much as he hath broker the Law yet there is One that came to seek and to save lost sinners and that there is hope set before miserable sinners in the Gospel and so Christ is called our hope 1 Timâ— 1.1 the Object and Ground of Hope He it whom there is hope for poor sinners Now then the laying hold of this hope is believing on Christ Many never knew what it was to fear and tremble and see what a storm their sins had raised that they were in danger to be cast away for ever nor ever yet knew what it was to Iay hold on the hope that iâ— through Christ to be as the Anchor foâ— their Souls both sure and stedfast to holâ— them and keep them from eternal ship wracks By the way if any shall say in these Expressions about believing here is no mention of the Souls submitting to Christs Lordship consenting to be ruled and governed by him renouncing the dominion of sin I answer that Frame of spirit that Principle is wrought in all that do truly believe but there is so much spoken in the Scripture of Faith under these notions of trusting on Corist fleeing for refuge to him and laying hold on the hope that is set before us in him for such reasons as these following 1. Because although when a Soul is converted he takes Christ as a Sanctifier as well as a Saviour and is affected with the filth of sin as well as the guilt of sin yet the principal thing that the Soul is affected withall the first is What shall I do to be saved As the Jaylor cried out Acts 16.13 This is not yet so fully his great question What shall I do to be sanctified But O how shall I be saved from Hell and eternal damnation that I may not have the wrath of God abide upon me for ever and so the poor sinner is directed to spy out
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
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
by the Ministry of the Word as if he himself had spoken immediately from Heaven to them by name and so the Lord hath made that unlikely time the time of love and the Day of his power to their Souls Sometimes when Ministers have been straightned in their affections and expressions in Preaching more then they have used to be that they have gone on heavily in the work and haver reflected upon their service with much humiliation to their own Spirits yet God hath sometimes done much by such weak means and converted some effectually at that time that there hath been more good done at that time then at many other times so far as comes to their knowledge when they have been much assisted in the work God knows how his faithful Servants would preach and set forth his truth and he is pleased to enlarge things by the inward light of his Spirit upon the minds of the hearers sometimes above what they did sufficiently clear to them All these Observations run into this that God worketh all in all he is the Author and Finisher of our Faith and that Ministers can do no good nor People that hear them receive any good but as it is given from above and when he will work nothing shall let it not the ignorant indisposedness and prejudice of the hearers nor the defects and weakness of his Servants that speak in his Name 3. Some of the worst natural tempers not onely of the weakest parts but of most froward and cross Spirits are wrought upon by the grace of God and men of ripe wits and of more affable and courteous natures are never converted unto God Those differences among men that arise from their constitutions of body whether it be for the better or the worse alter not the case God hath mercy on whom he will have mercy God can convert those who are of the worst natural tempers and without he infuse grace those who are of the sweetest natural dispositions will never turn unto the Lord yea the composedness of their natural temper may turn much to their prejudice making them think they are in a good estate because they do not break out into such passions and intemperances that others are very Subject to although they know nothing of any New birth and sanctifying work of the spirit upon their souls 4. Some very dissolute and prophane persons are converted and many others that are free from such gross vice are never born again Publicans and Harlots and such as the theif upon the Cross are sometimes brought to a sight of their sins and to repent and believe in Christ when others that never were so vile go on quietly resting in their formality and morality and never see their need of Christ and a work of grace upon their hearts and so perish for ever When God doth convert men that have been notorious Sinners filled with all unrighteousness drunkards swearers scoffers at Religion and old in sin too habituated and accustomed to all kind of evil he proclames unto us that the power of converting souls is of God and not of man It is true it doth require the exceeding greatness of Gods power to convince a proud Pharisee that trusteth in himself that he is righteous and despiseth the righteousness of Christ that he is in the gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity and to bring him as a poor lost and undone Sinner to seek for life from Christ and in some respects such have greater difficulties to be carried thorough to Christ then others yet in regard that some of the other sort are so outragious in sin and almost down right Atheists that make a mock and jear of all religion and regard of God and the world to come if the Lord please to convert such as sometimes he doth the exceeding greatness of Gods power shines forth most eminently therein When the passages of mens Conversion shall be known in the world to come it will be matter of everlasting wonderment and astonishment to Angels and men for then it will appear that God is to be admired for his free grace and the exceeding greatness of his power to all that believe Lastly that I may stand no longer upon this Point let us consider a few places of Scripture more that beyond all contradiction to establish this truth that conversion is wrought in the soul of man by the power of God alone It is said the exceeding greatness of his power worketh towards them that believe and that according to his mighty power which wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead Ephes 1.19 20. He that hath wrought us to the self same thing is God 2 Corin. 5.5 Hence it is a very proper expression that wee commonly use when we speak of mens conversion to say they were wrought upon at such a time for indeed except God had wrought them by the exceeding greatness of his power to this self same thing they had never turned from Sin to Christ A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you I will take away the heart of stone and give you an heart of flesh Ezek. 36.26 27. In Conversion the habit of grace is secretly infused into the heart as life into a dead man the soul is passive at first hence it is said of God in reference unto this work Jam. 1.18 That of his own will begat he us of his own will that shews it is of his own meer grace and when it is said he begat us that shews that it is of his own power and that the Soul is first passive in the work When a Soul is converted it doth repent and doth act saith on Christ and is active in a way of Grace but first the Lord begets us spiritually and in uses spiritual life We must not imagine that the soul never acts at all first or last and that there are no created habits of grace but first the Lord infuses the habit of Grace wherein the Soul is passive and the Soul being changed and sanctifyed thereby through the help and influence of the spirit exciting and assisting that New spiritual Life put into us we are enabled to put forth acts of Faith Repentance and other Graces First the Lord puts spiritual Life into us and then in him through his concurrence and secret assistance we move and act spiritually and graciously The summe of all is this God first giveth repentance and then we repent God first giveth faith and then we believe All those Scriptures were it is said that God giveth repentance and giveth Faith and worketh in us to will and to do might all be insisted on for further confirmation of this truth That conversion is wrought by the power of God alone Likewise all those Scriptures that set forth the weakness of the Saints even after they are in the state of grace how they yet cry out to be delivered from the body of death what need they
are not to be brought in as tryals whether a person hath the truth of that grace which may be and yet not those high actings of it I affect plainness and not obscurity therefore I would try to make out my observation better suppose a Minister is preaching about the nature of Faith and shall make this a sign to the people to try their Faith by if they can believe at all times that God will bring about every particular thing for them which their eyes are towards him for and which he hath promised without hesitation wavering and considering and poring upon those things that stand in the way of the mercy and for this quote Abrahams Example that when he had the promise of a Son in his old Age he considered not his own body nor yet the deadness of Sarahs womb Rom. 4. 18. 19. whereas it is said there that he being not weak in faith but strong in faith was enabled to do so That such things must be brought in as examples of what believers should do and of what believers are sometimes enabled through the grace of God to do even to act faith very highly and strongly and not to prove that he is not a true believer that doth not alwayes thus And so if this be laid down as a tryal of Faith that one that hath true faith will not be daunted in the times of the greatest peril nor use sinful waies to bring himself out of trouble and quote for this the Heroick courage of the three Children before Nebuchadnezzar Daniel 3. and Davids encouraging himself in the Name of the Lord when Ziklag was taken and the people spake of stoning him 1 Sam. 30.6 How may this puzle poor souls and make them reflect upon themselves as if they had no true faith because it may be they have found many fears in time of danger and used some sinful shifting in time of trouble Yea and did not those men who were so Famous in their gennerations Falter much in their Faith and courage sometimes as Abraham when he twice denyed Sarah to be his Wife as wee see in Geneses and Peter when he denyed Christ and yet still the habit of Faith remained with them and David though all that time before mentioned he was bold in his God yet all other times how fearful was he and that presently after God had emminently appeared for him 1 Sam. 27.1 and then he was sore afraid of Achish King of Gath and changed his behaviour and feigned himself mad and scrabled at the doors of the gate c. all to get out off the danger he was in Therefore careful must we be when we set before others tryals of the grace of God in them that we do not take Scriptures that speak of the saints of old when they acted grace highly and urge this upon people that if they do not alwaies so they have not the truth of grace in them Indeed such examples of the Saints should be insisted on to shew others what they should do in like cases but not to make them tryals of the truth of their grace so as that they should conclude they have not the truth of grace except they are in every thing at all times assisted and influenced by the spirit of God as they were sometimes Abraham David and Peter sometimes acted above themselves through the strong help of assisting grace and sometimes acted as much below themselves thorough the power of temptations and the remainder of corruption that was in them and so it is with other Saints He therefore that will not lay a stumbling block before the weak in speaking of these things must carefully distinguish between what a true Saint is in his principles desire and bent of his heart in which he is holy and gracious for the Law of God is in his heart and what he is or may be in some particular acts in which he may discover many fallings We must distinguish between what a Saint should be and would be and what he is and attaineth to in this life we must destingnish between what a Saint is sometimes when he is strongly influenced and assisted by the holy Ghost and what he is at other times when the Lord leaves him in part for his humilation and that he may see what is in his heart We must distinguish between what a true Saint is in his maine course so he walketh with God and what he is at sometimes when as Paul himself saith the evil which he would not do and that which he hates that he doth The life of grace in the hearts of believers is a great mystery the flesh opposeth the spirit and the spirit the flesh in them the flesh and corruption in them cannot precipitate them to evil as it would because of the spirit and grace of God that opposeth it and the grace and new Nature that is in a Saint cannot do the good that it would because of the flesh that opposeth it All that I aim at is that as Ministers doctrine should be quick and powerful to convince ignorant and presumptuous Sinners that they are in the way to destruction so they should be careful at the same time that they do not quench the smoaking flax nor break the bruised Reed puzling and making sad any righteous ones whom God would not have made sad remembring that it is one end of the Ministry of the Gospel that we should be helpers of their joy and so much for this digression Grace is not alwaies alike visible in true believers as hath been shewn sometimes the Saints walk in the Sun-shine and sometimes in the dark therefore it is needful that we should be often trying our spiritual estates and sometimes set special times apart for self examination if happily we may find that God hath called us into the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. 2. In trying our spiritual estates by sings of the work of grace upon our hearts it is best or dinarily to try our selves about the main things wherein the work of grace doth principally consist as to try whether we have true faith in Christ true repentance true love to God and the like or else through our weakness we are apt to be confounded by a multitude of signs this way is safe enough for where there is only grace in truth there is all at least in the root and habit 3. In trying and examining the work of grace upon our hearts we must pray for the light of the spirit to shew us those graces that he hath wrought in us otherwise it will be hard to discern them The Holy Ghost can put a Insture and shine upon our graces and when the Conscience is in great distress can say be not afraid Christ is here see thou believest in him thou fearest God and lovest him in sincerity When a believer is examining the work of grace upon the heart sometimes the holy spirit is pleased to put Grace into fresh
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
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